drinkupmehearties: (It's such a pretty boat)
Captain Jack Sparrow ([personal profile] drinkupmehearties) wrote in [community profile] thearena2015-10-27 08:20 pm

as the wind fends off the waves

Who| Captain Jack Sparrow & OPEN (+ a prompt for Roland).
What| Jack discovers a familiar ship out at water.
Where| The water and the Black Pearl.
When| Sometime during Week 4.
Warnings/Notes| Will update if necessary.

The water is a welcome sight, as is the cool breeze that sweeps off it, and it doesn't take him long to spot the tall ship anchored far offshore. Having run into major trouble on the ship in the last Arena, Jack nearly dismisses it. Almost. But a second look, however, has his heart caught fast in his throat and his blood running cold. He'd recognize those sails anywhere.

The Pearl. His ship.

Moments later, he's in a small boat and paddling in the Pearl's direction. Most likely this is a foolish idea, most likely it's been set out as a trap of some kind, but the Pearl's presence is more dangerous and more enticing than any siren's song could ever be to him.

And damn it all, if there is any place he'd want to die, it'd be on that ship.


(A. Onboard.)

The first thing that Jack does after he's hauled himself up onto the ship is to scour the decks -- for other Tributes, for potential supplies, for any monstrous creatures the Gamemakers would've tried to hide in it. He finds that there's no cargo in the holds, no rum to be found, and his captain's cabin is noticeably barren of anything beyond the basics. Once he's sure that the ship is clear of threats, however, he's able to breathe easy and revel in the fact that his ship -- or, really, a damned good copy of it -- is here.

He spends what feels like ages on the upper deck of the Pearl, hand grazing across the rails, over the gloss of black paint (he realizes it's a fresh coat, that's not quite right), fingers curled around the ropes and rigging that tangle like a massive spiderweb up the length of the masts, palm feather-light over the spokes of the ship's wheel. He won't be able to sail it, of course; he has no crew, and the Gamemakers had practically hollowed out the ship until it'd become a mere ghost of itself. But he's content to stay.

At night, Jack shuts himself in the captain's cabin and sleeps light with a hand curled around his knife, swallowed down in the darkness. In the daytime, the pirate climbs the rigging to a higher perch and remains on lookout for anyone that thinks to cross over to his ship.

During one afternoon Jack has sprawled himself out on the main top -- the platform that sat snug around the main mast -- and is dozing, watching the clouds drift by, when the soft, tell-tale thud of a boat hitting the hull snaps his attention downward.

He shifts to peer over the edge of the platform, squinting, then calls out, "Oi, I'm armed!"


(B. Fishing.)

A few days in, his Sponsor-gifted supply of food runs low. He fashions a spear from rope, a stick, and the extra knife that he'd been given, and takes the small boat out to fish in the shallows near the shore, right as the sun hits its peak. He's learned to ignore the dragons that glide around in the sky much further off in the distance, not noticing that their flight patterns had become gradually more erratic and fervid.

He can be found not too far off the shore and waist deep in the water, spear in hand, focused on getting his next meal.


(C. Dragons! - Prompt for Roland.)

A small fire licks at the air on the shore, roasting his most recent catch as the water's waves hiss over the sand near him. He's gotten up from his perch near the fire, brow furrowed, shading his eyes to get a better look at the thickening smoke that curls up from somewhere off in the distance. Judging by location, it looks like the smoke is coming from the forest portion of the Arena -- possibly even near the mountains.

He doesn't even really have time to make a guess at what's happening over there; the leaves in the trees that line the beach shudder, ruffled by a sudden gust of wind that comes from massive wings, and then a heavy THUMP can be heard as the beast lands, skidding, in the sand. Jack startles, then stares, uncomprehending.

A dragon. It's a dragon. Shit.

The beast's scales are a deep royal blue, highlighted by stripes of yellow that trace lines along its jaw, down its long, snake-like neck that's craned to stare off over the trees. Then it swings its gaze around over to the fish cooking on a spit, to him, and a snarling rumble bubbles up in its throat. It bares its teeth.

Jack is frozen in place, unsure if running would spur the dragon into chasing him down.  He slowly lifts his hand instead, fingers splayed, and grimaces.  "... Nice ... beastie."
ka_sera_sera: (old action aiming)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-10-28 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Roland stops in the shelter of the trees and takes a second to take the scene in. Second time they've met in an arena this way. If it happens a third, he might begin to have some suspicions.

Nevermind. That doesn't matter now. He leaves the treeline and his steps on the sand are silent, and very careful. Very slow. When the only way to stay out of the thing's line of sight is to stay very close to it, Roland can afford nothing less. He tries to catch the captain's eyes, puts the tip of a finger over his own lips in hopes that'll keep him from doing anything loud, or sudden. A pipe with jagged ends and sprinkled with rust is gripped in Roland's hand, snatched from a building during the last time he fought one of these - not the best weapon, but by far preferable to the shillelagh that's twisted in one sleeve of Roland's makeshift purse.

If this dragon stays distracted enough not to look at Roland, but not so distracted that it decides to move, Roland will get a shot at this thing. But he has to get to a vulnerable point first, and the chances of the dragon staying this way for that long - well. What's a fight without risk?
ka_sera_sera: (old anger stoic frown)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-11-01 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
He is, but being close to the beast as he is, there's no way to do it without getting the dragon's attention. The dragon's whole body jerks in a way that would probably be funny, if Roland were anyone else - it did not at all expect someone to be that close to it and its head turns. A fan of spined skin snaps out around its neck, its wings unfurl and hold themselves high, and it hisses, bares its teeth, draws its head back.

"Jack," he calls, still staring straight into the creature's eyes. To break that gaze, he knows, will mean death. Not that death might not be coming anyway. "Grab that weapon and use it. Quickly, if you value our lives." Not that he doubts you, Jack, but he remembers you running away before. Hopefully that use of the plural there will be enough to remind the man that if this dragon takes Roland out, it isn't too difficult to guess just where it'll head next.
ka_sera_sera: (old general talking bright)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-11-04 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
It's quick moving, apparently - very much so, which means if it's really going to go for Jack Roland won't be able to get over there before it hits him. Roland hefts his pipe, grimacing at the necessity but not hesitating to make the throw. He aims for the frill around the dragon's neck, because that looks easiest to get the pipe stuck in and if it's somewhere in the creature that means he might be able to get it back. As he runs toward it he hears another noise, not a roar this time so much something high pitched and annoyed, and he thinks that means the pipe made it.

The dragon's ducking its head, scratching at the pipe, and when Roland nears its head snaps up again. It looks between the two of them, one hand still raised, claws curled. Its tail lashes, kicking up sand into the air, and then does it again, and Roland wonders just how clever this creature is. If it does that enough, neither of them will be able to see well enough to fight.
ka_sera_sera: (old general squint bright)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-11-11 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
And with that the dragon, maybe deciding this meal is turning out to be far more trouble than its worth, maybe just wanting to circle around and destroy these awful stubborn pests from the air, decides to leap up and fly. That wounded shoulder keeps it from jumping as far up as it could, and while its wings are working hard to compensate Roland jumps. He does not think about it, only acts, and it's a good thing he threw that pipe a few seconds ago because it means his hands are free to catch on a claw, a foot, work their way up to an ankle and grip hard enough to try and swing himself up from there. Could he have done this without those little machines the Capitol fitted onto his right hand? Could he have held on long enough to keep from falling and breaking his back with one hand missing its two strongest fingers?

Probably not. Only enough time to be grateful, vaguely, fleetingly, because it isn't as if the dragon can't feel his weight hanging onto it down here and the whole leg shakes, and Roland clings, and a voice practiced in cutting over the noise of battlefields is surely enough to carry over the wind rushing past them, enough to carry his words up to that thing's hand, so uses that practice and shouts out, "Distract it! I need to climb!"

There's a short pause in Roland's words, time enough to have a very important thought. "Don't kill it!"
ka_sera_sera: (old action hurt aiming)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-11-23 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
(ooc: yeah this is great, thanks! Likewise let me know if this messes things up for Jack too much.)

Well. Roland wanted a distraction. It's a distraction that works on Roland as well, and that's for the better - best not to find out how well he could keep his grip with half his mind focused on the way the ground looks all small and distant, stuck sorting through the treacherous storehouse of his memory to figure out what it is that sight reminds him of. The dragon's roar and its movement shakes him out from it. It's a good thing Jack is here.

Good for Roland, that is. Better for him than for the dragon, though maybe only by a little. Its pain sends its legs shaking along with the rest of it, although since it isn't focusing on him anymore the movement is down to a level that's manageable and Roland can lock his arms and legs tight around the leg in front of him and scoot up, occasionally prying his fingertips beneath large, sturdy scales for leverage.

Of course, then he reaches a problem area. Climbing over that hip without so much as a knife to stab through the creature to keep himself in place - he wouldn't try it.

Roland assesses the situation. Assesses his options. Doesn't think about it. A wing swings down to pump them all further upward and as it does Roland reaches out for it, finds the bone on the edge of that wing, small enough to be gripped by a human hand. His whole weight hangs from that one wing now, his feet dangling and his whole body dipped into this unimaginable expanse of open air and that would be the worst feeling he's ever had to endure, is the worst for almost a second. Until his weight on this one part of the dragon's body begins to have an effect. Until the dragon begins to tilt.

His hands begin to move feverishly, he tries as much as he can to swing himself in toward the dragon's body, but he may not be able to manage to move his weight close enough inward before the dragon's tilt begins to turn into a spiral. The other party on this particular journey with Roland may have to make his own arrangements.
ka_sera_sera: (old drama shock with hat 1)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-12-07 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
While Roland does not waste time nor thought dwelling on this, he immediately respects two things about the man opposite him: the speed of his mind, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to survive. Both are potentially very dangerous qualities, but for the moment they are working in Roland's favor and he can respect them, in any case. Rare enough qualities, especially in a world full of Capitolites.

He swings, does not think on the nightmares he is going to have about this later because he is, for the moment, living it, swings and gets a foothold and begins to inch toward the dragon's body. Stops.

He's had a thought. Or, more accurately for Roland, he's had a feeling. A notion. He casts his mind back, going briefly over what memory he has of the way the dragon'd moved in the air before he'd sent it spinning, the ways it'd shifted its body.

"Stay there! Jack, we can steer! Steer!" That, as the most important word, is repeated in case parts of the rest are stolen by the air rushing into them. Roland squints against it, ducks his head and hunches, and yells a little more. "Try! Lean forward!"

It steers with its tail too, maybe, but Roland knows the anatomy of birds and bats and most things which had flown in the skies of the world in his boyhood, and he can make a few guesses here. If they can figure out which parts of this beast they need to shift, if they could do it without dying, they may just be on to a good thing here.

Where's that good thing going to take them, should they master it? Gods only know. Roland doesn't care. Roland only knows that this is good, it is an advantage and he is going to take it. He leans back, pulling at his grip on the front-middle of this thing's wing, and tries to get a good look over to see what the Captain does. Perhaps more importantly, what the beast under them does in response.
ka_sera_sera: (old general headturned)

[personal profile] ka_sera_sera 2015-12-13 12:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Roland pays no attention to the man's protest. Even less than he normally would. The same movements that terrify Jack send Roland's heart racing, too, but his own fear is just part of a larger process, a tool to make his grip tighter, his sight keener, and the only thing which matters to him is that Jack does it. And Jack does.

Roland tries to see what he can of the ground below but everything he can see is very small. He isn't used to the way things look from so high up as this, has never really encountered the effect before and, if he is lucky, never will again. Nonetheless, it means they'll have to simply pick a spot and hope it's a good one. "Down now! Not too far!"

He hooks his toes as much as he can over a protruding wingbone, hoping the other man has sense enough to do the same. Ideally, of course, they'd take this beast at a gentle angle all the way to the ground, but Roland does not really expect that. If it happens he'll be pleased, but things like this never really do go according to plan.
ruffntumblenut: (Are you stupid?)

1

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-10-29 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah so what?"

The face that greets him is doing a pretty good job of not looking afraid even though he has the high ground and she has no idea what sort of weapons he's sporting. The young girl instead is busy scooping water out of a shoddy looking makeshift boot she appears to have tied together herself.

"I'm armed too but I'm not interested." Which she hated to say because a fight was always fun but she had a goal in mind and it required she keep this pathetic tub floating for a little while longer.

"Don't suppose you've got any spare wood you can throw me?" She added with a tinge of hope. It was less embarrassing then asking him to save her from her own crap workmenship.
ruffntumblenut: (Don't know if want)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-10-31 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
She can't slow her scooping too much so she continues through grunts of effort.

"I saw a dragon in the sky back on the land. I watched where it was flying because it looked exactly like one of the dragons from my world. So I wanted to see the island closer. If it's like the rest of this cruddy arena...it might be my home."

She tried not to sound too optimistic. She knew even if it was her home there wouldn't be any people there.

"So I grabbed as much wood and vines as I could find and put this thing together. The island didn't look that far away...at least till I got out here."
ruffntumblenut: (Psyco smile)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-11-04 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
She smirked a little at his sounding surprised by her daring "Where I come from? We ride dragons."

But his offer lights up her smile and she grins a crooked grin before clambering up the side of the ship with practiced ease. This isn't the first time she'd had to drag herself out of the ocean. Even if Viking ships sit much lower in the water.

"Thanks...this ship looks awesome!" It reminded her of some of the wrecked ships she and the other riders would explore when they went out into the more distant islands. Foreign and different from how Berk made their crafts. Even more different then trader Johan or any other clans she had seen.
ruffntumblenut: (arms folded smirk)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-11-12 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
She doesn't seem to bothered by it, after all Vikings are proud of being a little crazy, and she and her brother are more proud of it then others.

"Wow!" He sold it really well. She was a bit jealous now to see a ship like this.

"All the ships back home are much lower to the water. And like...long and not so wide." She explained gesturing with her hands. "This is more like Trader Johan's ship...except bigger...way bigger." She craned her neck to see to the top of the mast before bringing it back down to grin at Jack.

"Thanks for helping me out Captain."
ruffntumblenut: (Derpviking is watching you...)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-11-21 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Her crooked grin only grew. "That must take a long time if you're not flying though doesn't it?"

As for where she comes from she looks proud "The Isle of Berk, It's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery." Proud of such a terrible sounding location.

"The place is full of dragons, and for the longest time we fought them. Generations of vikings grew up battling them and then we found out it's way more fun to train them and ride them and blow stuff up with them!"
ruffntumblenut: (Default)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-12-03 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
"Err...most of the time." There were still some dragons that just didn't want to be ridden.

"They used to wreck out homes all the time. Fly in, steal our food, burn down our houses. But we weren't about to let them win! So we kept rebuilding and fighting until someone finally figured out how to get them to work with us. Turns out they were stealing our food to feed to this dragon the size of a mountain! So we fought that dragon and killed it! And now the other dragons are our friends...most of them."

Of course she wasn't giving Hiccup the credit he deserved, but he'd had more then his share over the years.
ruffntumblenut: (Short hair contemplating)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-12-06 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
She laughed a little and offered him a rye smile "Oh I am totally scared of most of them. Dragons are still dragons even if you understand them they'll totally eat you if you're not careful." Her eyes scanned back towards the island hopefully "But...if there's even a chance my dragon is over there I won't be as scared. Barf and Belch would never let me get eaten without a fight. And that fight would be awesome!"

Just the mention of her long lost dragon was enough to put some rose in her cheeks.
Edited 2015-12-06 17:25 (UTC)
ruffntumblenut: (eh...I don't get it)

[personal profile] ruffntumblenut 2015-12-12 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
Ah trade, well she had a few options at least.

"Yeah I've got erm..." She had to dig around in a bundle she had strapped to her back to see just what she was willing to part with.

"Food, Water or first aid. Can't give up the bullets or guns...oh and I've got these things." She held up a shiny metal star.

"I think you're supposed to throw em."
foundafamily: (13.3)

B

[personal profile] foundafamily 2015-11-15 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
After their experience with the siren, Firo has probably proven that he's not the most adept survivor off of land. That doesn't keep him away from the water, especially when there's a very impressive looking ship anchored out there. It looks nothing like the ships in the harbor back home, and that makes Firo all the more drawn to it.

He's roaming the coast, simply casing the area, when he spots Jack out in the shallows. He perches on the edge of the surf and cups his hands around his mouth as he calls out, "The hell're you doin' there, pal?
foundafamily: (Default)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2015-11-23 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Aside from a few scuffs and scrapes from his and Sandy's run-in with a monster, he's all in one piece. He smiles back at his friend as he looks Jack over. "Totally fine. What about you? You been out here this whole time?"

From what little he's seen, it does look like this is Jack's element--he's like a fish in the sea. Firo keeps a watchful eye on their surroundings as they walk, thinking even in his wariness that this doesn't seem like a bad place to camp out at all. Jack knows what he's doing.
foundafamily: (I love working; work's my favorite)

Thank you for giving me a chance to use this face

[personal profile] foundafamily 2015-12-03 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's your ship?!"

He spins around to look out at the ship with renewed interest. To his eyes, it's kind of ragged, dark-looking, and almost sinister ...

In other words, it is exactly everything Firo thinks a pirate ship should look like.

His eyes whip back to meet Jack's; leaning forward, his posture is almost pleading. "It's amazing! Can we go out and see it?"
foundafamily: (14.1)

:D

[personal profile] foundafamily 2015-12-08 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
"It's still close enough, right?"

He's already walking away to get ready to see this thing...the wrong way, though, so he does an about face when Jack points to the boat on shore. He nearly bounces the rest of the way there and waits for Jack beside it.

"...So how do we get this thing goin'?"
foundafamily: (Default)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2015-12-14 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Firo steps in as directed, cautious so as not to rock the boat too much. He rummages around for the oars and comes up with one in each hand.

“Just to warn you, I’ve never rowed a boat or anything before.” He doesn’t sound apprehensive but excited. Maybe their last experience on the water didn’t go so well. So what? This is something new and exciting, like an adventure.
foundafamily: (3.1)

[personal profile] foundafamily 2015-12-28 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
Firo sticks out one of the oars to Jack, firmly gripping his own. "Got it!"

He's raring to go, so he stabs the oar into the water and gives it a few tugs as soon as Jack seems to be established. They probably do more to jostle the boat than anything, but the strokes will become more sure as he gets used to it.