Chaos Water [IC] [M]

[Awean8]

Rated [M] for pirate related language, swashbuckling action-violence and possible romantic sexuality.

"Jazz, it's about time you found you're own home." Robert, his foster father, had said at the dinner table. The astonished rapscallion was chewing on some cornbread which his foster mother had made. "Look you're old enough to be you're own man now, and we've found you a nice little home near the old Malley's place. Hopefully, there you can start a farm and make a living for yourself."

The free-spirit couldn't stand the thought of settling down and having to till the land for the rest of his life. It nauseated him, as if he had a severe case of claustrophobia. Actually perhaps he did. "Father, I don't want to farm."

"And what would you rather do eh? Drink yourself into a stupor the rest of you're life like you did last Thursday?!"

The others at the dinner table almost cringed when Robert's voice was raised. He had three children not including Jazz. Two girls, and one boy. His wife, Emilia, hated it when discussions at the dinner table took the turn for the worst. Jazz's volatile nature often clashed with Robert's more lawful nature.

"I only had a few pints...."

"Well, I don't really care where you go but you need to leave by the end of the month. I have three other mouths to feed. When we found you we promised to take good care of you until you were grown, and damnit now you're grown. Am I making myself clear?"

"Transparently", He gave a deep sigh and surrendered to Robert as he finished off the rest of the food on his plate. After everything was picked clean he took his plate and placed it in the sink. "I'm leaving. We're going to be exploring the hole in the ground over by the crags near the mountains."

"Well, just be careful than, son and don't get into any trouble."

At that he left for the beach, where they all agreed to be meeting once they were done with chores and all that. Once his bare feet had touched the warm pearly sands he had felt a deep sensation of relaxation. It was nice out. The sun shined rays of warm gold and the wind blew a cool moist breeze that filled Jazz's nostrils with the scent of sea salt. Recently, there has been a lot of storms but it cleared up a few days ago. Every fisherman rejoiced. Actually, it was only yesterday that they had found the hole that they were going to explore today. They think that the storm had made it, but Jazz had his doubts. He laid down on the beach closing eyelids letting his mind filter itself out until he had truly fallen asleep. The others should be here in around an hour.

[Belle Chose]

"Now that the weather is clear for sure, I'll be headed out tomorrow morning, early," Marcus told Molly and she nodded excitedly.

"And we're going for three weeks, right?" Molly clasped her hands and then, seeing the look in her father's eyes, slumped her shoulders.

"I can't take you for that long, Molly," he told her and she opened her mouth to protest, brows drawing together. "No! I don't want to hear it! I'm not ready to let you be out on a boat for that long! Just... Not yet."

"Daddy, I've been sailing since I was twelve! I'm better, or at least just as good, as any of the men on your boat!" She cried and followed him outside as he walked away from her.

"You don't think I know that?" He didn't raise his voice. Marcus Wright would never raise his voice to his wife, nor his daughter and he had a very mild temper that was difficult to make flare. He turned on his daughter and placed his large and a little rough hands on her slender shoulders. "It's just that you're still my little girl, Molly. No matter how tall you get, how old you are, or how many children you have, you will always be my little girl and I'm not ready to handle you being gone for so long on a trip just yet."

"But Daddy..." Molly murmured, deflated now as her father's freckled green eyes gazed down at her. She couldn't fight against that look, and never would be able to. Sighing, she slid her arms around him and they embraced in a hug that lifted Molly off the ground.

"Now, go hang out with your friends," Marcus told her and Molly nodded. "Don't get into trouble, okay?"

"I won't, we'll be careful," she told him and waved as she headed down to the shore. It wasn't a far walk from her house to where they were meeting up, and Molly tucked her hands into her pockets as she trudged through the sand. It was warm out and the sun was still shining, even for so late in the evening, but it was the early days of summer and Molly would take as many hours of daylight as she could.

Her green eyes lifted toward the sky and followed a pair of gulls as they flew high above her head, circling each other and crying, seeming to play a game of sorts. She came to the spot where the group would meet and found Jazz laying in the sands, apparently asleep. With a little smile, she walk up to him and nudged her foot against his ribcage to rouse him.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," Molly taunted him a little, cocking her head to the side.

[V]

Uncle was in the kitchen attending to the dinner for a few customers. Leaving Patrick to work at the counter. At the largest table a group of fisherman talked up their following days sea voyage on Marcus Wright's boat. Without anyone else to see to Patrick was simply handling their drinks before scurrying away. He caught a few bits of their conversations but luckily they weren't too interested in him today.

Mostly he just tried to blend in with shadows in hope that his uncle would be back soon. Then Pat could hide away out in his small room with his own dinner. There wasn't much else too do tonight fortunately, a couple others were checking out a hole or something nearby the mountains. Jazz had insisted he come too. Pat usually tried to ignore these things.

He heard a banging come from the table and someone shouted, "Hey!" Patrick was pulled from his thoughts roughly. One of the fisherman was giving him a dirty look, scowling from beneath his hat and waving an empty mug at him.

Quickly Pat jumped to the task, mumbling apologies as he filled a few fresh glasses full of beer. Both hands wrapped about multiple fresh mugs he spread them out and collected the empty ones under the jeering. He let his golden hair cover his face and he mumble some words before darting backward.

Once free from the group he turned sharply to get back to hiding behind the counter. He thudded into something tough and something soft and wet slopped over his shoulder. Pat didn't bother to brush the food away from his shoulder just turned about to look at his Uncle's feet.

There was a about a second when nothing happen and he dared to wander his eyes up. Patrick wished he hadn't seen that glare.

"Out now." His uncle growled and Pat moped away without a word. It was impossible to argue with him when things like that happened. Most days talking was hard enough.

Patrick made it to the made doors, he listening to his Uncle's apology and the fisherman's remarks without comment. Taking it all in sadly, these things always seemed to happen. Once outside he lent against the wall just beside the door, Pat let out a heavy breath and stared into the street. The evening air seemed nice in comparison to stuffiness inside and he just stood there for a moment.

"Suppose I can see what that hole is about," he muttered to himself before walking slowly throughout the village. Truly he could think of nothing better to do, perhaps they could cheer him up - make him smile. Maybe.

It wasn't a long walked but away from everyone else it was peaceful so Pat wished it had been longer. Jazz and Molly were already at the beach. "Hey guys," he said quietly.

Up until then the food stained to his shoulder had gone unnoticed, in an instant he was aware of it doing his best to hide from sight. Pat pushed the scraps away hastily and looked to the side, embarrassed.

[Stiltzkin]

Alita was standing in the street. Well not standing in the traditional sense of the word. She liked demonstrating her prowess in acrobatic sometimes painfully. She wasn't that good at it, in fact she often fell on her neck which always sent a sharp pain up her spine. She did it for the occasional coin a passerby would throw into the handkerchief laid out before her. Alita never cared for the money anyways. Her parents would always send money home and Alita would use it for her basic necessities and share the rest with her friends.

Alita liked to offer Jazz some of the coin she earned for her handstands. She liked to entertain the thought that he was her boyfriend but she'd never make a move and besides she was 15 and too young to worry about boys....sort of.

Alita rolled backwards a used the alley wall to position herself into an assisted handstand. Then she pushed off the wall with her toes and for a moment she held the position. "Uh....unh.....sigh" Alita began to tilt. "No....NO..nonononono NO!" Alita's feet fell first. Jacki caught them.

Jacki was a small blonde girl who adored Alita much to Alita's confusion. Jacki lived behind Alita's house with her aunt, a loud and disgustingly fat woman with a crude mouth on her. Alita loved Jacki like a little sister but also hated her like one too. Jacki followed her everywhere. "Thanks Jacki." smiled the now red faced Alita. She could feel the warmth of her blood spread to her cheeks.

"Whatcha doing Alli?" Jacki smiled back. "I'm making me some money, I got a copper from a nice woman a few moments ago wanna see?" Jacki's eye's widened and almost cried. Her aunt never gave Jacki any toys or spending money nor did she get any attention. Alita loved that face; so cute she could just hug her. "Woaw!" Alita's balance faltered for a moment until and stuck her hand out a prevented herself from falling.

Alitas screamed as Jacki reached for the handkerchief making Jacki jump like a surprised cat. "I gotta go Jacki. Jazz is waiting for me at the beach." Alita leaned forward and pushed off with her hand righting herself in a graceful cartwheel. As she ran Jacki called out to her. "What about your money?" Alita spun on her foot and ran backwards "Keep it!" Jacki began to cry. "I don't need it. Don't cry Jacki, boys don't like crybabies." Jacki replied almost immediately in a strongly objective voice but Alita couldn't hear her.

Alita turn and quickly bent over backwards narrowly dodging two men carrying a large box of fresh fish. "Sorry!" mumbled Alita. It took her a minute to reach the beach. She spotted Jazz. Alita squealed silently. Picking up speed, Alita leapt from the dock to the beach. A 20ft drop, much to the surprise of the fishermen around her.

Some of them whistling loudly when she landed and rolled into another steady run. Alita was a few steps from Jazz when she jumped hoping to tackle him. He never invited her anywhere she always had to follow him. Alita was excited. Maybe he would propose to her. Alita's cheeks exploded in an embarrassing red when the thought crossed her mind.

[Awean8]

"Ow! Hey, Molly", he said to her as he shielded his sleepy eyes from the sun with his hand. "I had a dream where I fell through the depths of the ocean. A sea monster was there, and he was serving grog by the barrels. BY THE BARRELS!"

"Well, anyway now that everyone is here we might as well check out "the hole" right? This should be a bit of an adventure."

The group than traveled across the rolling lush hills of Makri. Farmers going about doing what farmers do. Farming and all. Jazz had always found the occupation boring and distasteful but who wouldn't right? He had deep feeling in his gut that he wasn't destined to spend the rest of his life plowing fields and harvesting grain, but it only hurt his brain to think of a way out of it. "The hole" was a crevice that deeply embedded within a solid stone shelf of cliffs that sloped over the grasslands on top of the hill. It was pitch black within save for a strange blue light that seemed to dimly flicker more deeper in. The light wasn't there the last time they had came here.

"Hmmmmm.....that's odd. Does anyone to go first?"

[V]

Pat had followed along no really knowing why - well okay, he'd rather not be at home being screamed at. But inspecting some strange hole? He should be hiding out underneath a tree or hiding at the beach. Keeping to himself. But Patrick didn't want to walk back to the village by himself.

"Hmmmmm.....that's odd. Does anyone to go first?"

Patrick was leaning over the hole staring into the blue light, it was abnormal and Pat didn't like that. "I don't think we should go in," he muttered slowly and stuttered his words. "That blue light worries me." He added as it came in stronger again before fading. Clumsily he stepped backward from the crevasse and turned about.

Pat didn't know who he stumbled into or if anyone at all but a second later and he was falling backward. Down into the hole he went surrounded by the dim blue light. He yelped and cried as he fell downward and he landed with a thud that hurt his back.

"Hey..." he called back to them as he twisted over, suddenly the darkness seemed to surround him and there was no blue at all. Shaking he closed his eyes and waited for the others.