Thread: Yo Ho, Ho, And A Bottle of Rhum on a Dead Man's Chest;;

The more confidence the pirate Captain showed the more the demon flailed inside, wanting to come out and tear the life from her body. But for the same reasons, Torean shoved the demon away, pushing it back down into the depths. This absolute fearlessness and almost flirtatious boldness intrigued him like a tricksome puzzle. What the fuck was wrong with her? Did she not see the carnage around her? Did she not smell it or sense the doom that hung thickly in the air as every moment that passed the demon grew more and more frenzied for release? Was she insane or just stupid? His eyes giving him a clear view even in darkness, Torean could see the intelligence in her face and eye. Madness was up in the air but he did not sense that about her either... Then she revealed the one eye she'd had hidden and his eyes widened in response. There was power there of course, now it made somewhat more sense. Her confidence was well deserved for what she possessed and he was shocked the demon hadn't caught onto it before. It usually allowed him to sense strength and weakness in others. He supposed it was the recent feeding he'd had this evening that had fogged it's abilities. In response to her challenge though, he merely grunted and sniffed boredly, not willing to show how much her revelation had surprised him. She wasn't an even match, but it would be difficult to take her down if he tried. Best not to let her know he considered her a threat in any way. There was the faintest hint of sorrow in her voice and expression when she explained about her dead crew member. It had been a fleeting flickering of emotion but the demon watching through his eyes picked up on it and ate it up like succulent nectar, weaknesses to be exploited like the life blood that powered it's heart. Listening to her, Torean noticed the attempt at flattery but soaked it up anyway. Enjoying for a moment that people spoke of him and that in looking for someone to join her special little crew, she considered him a 'perfect' addition. It would have been better if she'd said that he would be the best thing about the crew if he joined, but then again he'd probably be more turned off by such blatant bootlicking rather than amused by it. o he accepted what she offered, practically purring with a small arrogant smirk in the dark. Even if it was just flattery, she HAD come to him and he was willing to play along with his little mouse as she tried to sweet talk him into joining. When her hand touched his leg, the smile instantly vanished and his body stiffened, letting out a sharp hiss from his lips. The demon inside had quieted a bit and so he'd let his guard down. The brief contact with her had made the inner beast surge up and it had almost taken control before he'd wrestled it down again, the internal struggle barely perceivable other than the rigidity of his form. As the demon was quieted once again, he muttered in a hard voice, Don't touch, and left it at that. Then he set about seriously considering her offer. For the first time, he was forced to look at his life here and weigh things against the opportunity to leave. Every day had started to bleed into the next, the only thing that occupied his attention and thoughts were 'where to get the next meal ' and reliving old memories of happier times. There was the vague occasional dreaming of what life would be like if he were free of this burden, but they filled him with anger and a sense of hopelessness he didn't like to confront very often. Some might think his situation, considering his needs, was pretty cushiony it barely took any effort to lure in prey when he needed it he had a roof over his head and no real need for money or sustenance other than what the demon provided so he had nowhere he needed to be, no one to answer to and any responsibility to himself was met with effortless ease. But from his point of view, it was hell. No thoughts of his own except those occasional longing fantasies, and his heart aching for vengence. His every action and emotion dictated by the demon and catering to it's needs. There was barely anything of him left, and it occurred to him that this house was not just a tomb for the people who became his meat it was his tomb as well, himself beingmetaphorically speaking living death. There was no end in sight, having a prolonged life span from his relationship with the demon, and no change in his future. He was likely to go mad eventually or lose himself completely. And there was also the revenge to think about. The men who had cursed him with this wretched monster in the first place were still out there. He'd always toyed with the thought that killing all seven members of the sect who had perfromed the sacrificial ritual would release him from the bond with the demon and he still believed that it would. But how was he ever going to achieve such if he stayed here in this self-made coffin? There was opportunity in her offer and hope for him and his state. He'd been sitting silently going over every option in his head and finally looked at her with narrowed eyes. I will go, he said in his gravelly voice, haughtily as if he were the one decidig to join her, instead of answering her request. But on one condition... I want you to bind yourself to me. Merely an insurance policy, that he would partake of some of her blood, creating a bond that would enable him to detect if she were to ever plan to double cross him. There were other minor perks to the binding, like knowing where she was no matter how far away and to generally sense her condition, such as strong emotions and whether she was in pain or not. But the blood would bind him to her as well, so that any harm that came to her would be inflicted on himself. If she were to die, he could probably live through it, and he had a strong resistence to pain, so it wasn't too much to suffer. Except if she figured it out, she'd have some level of control over him. But he was willing to take his chances. If she were planning to trick him in any way, he'd like to know right away. And he'd kill her himself just to eliminate the threat. He took a knife from his boot and held out his hand for hers. Just a little blood, he said, watching her intently.