[Tags to
@DaGlobster]
Isabeau hadn't slept in nearly two days.
She was pouring over the maps in her chart room, brow furrowed as she bent low over a small table, squinting in the faint light of the lantern she'd brought with her. It was late- or early, she honestly didn't know- but she couldn't make herself go to bed.
The last time they'd sailed through the straights they were coming up on she'd lost two good men to a massive storm. There
had to be a way around without going all the way back to the islands, there just ha to be...
With a soft, tired groan she slumped forward onto the table, her forehead thumping against the wood. The edges of the map curled up where she was no longer holding it and she sighed heavily.
Maybe she could use her magic? She was under no illusions that she was powerful enough to stop a storm in the middle of the ocean, but maybe if she could just coax it around them, or perhaps create a secondary eye as it were-
Wow. She was going to go crazy if she stayed in this room for a second longer. She needed sleep. The young captain groaned again and sat up, arching her back in a stretch. Joints stiff from hours spent in her hunched position, she rose creakily to her feet and grabbed the lantern, then made for the door.
Which was the moment the
Poison Storm must have hit a particularly large swell, because the ship suddenly rolled under her feet. While Isabeau kept her footing with the ease of long practice, one of the weather charts, rolled up in a leather case,
thunked off the table and rolled under her feet, sending her crashing onto her rear.
"Son of a-!" She didn't care
what time it was, a torrent of cursing loud enough to wake the dead suddenly poured out of her. She was
so done with today.
"Anyways, so I told that dwarf that there was only two ways off his boat. In our brig, or off his deck."
The other pirates gathered around Gar exchanged looks. He was sitting in the Poison Storm's crew quarters, surrounded by a small crowd of his fellow crewmembers.
"Which one did he take?"
Gar laughed.
"I reckon I must've hucked him at least two ship lengths off the port bow."
The chamber exploded into racuous laughter, laughter suddenly broken by the sound of clattering from above, followed by a series of curses that would make a murderer blush. The room was dead quiet, and Gar slowly stood.
"I'll attend to it. The rest of you get back to your duties."
He ascended up to Isabeau's quarters, and she would no doubt be able to hear the ogre's thudding steps and the creak of wood as he made his way to the door.
Three loud knocks, the gentlest he could do.
"You alright, cap'n?"
It took a Isabeau a moment to right herself, and as she was managing that she heard the telltale steps of her first mate. No one else on her crew had such a heavy tread.
Great. She sighed and scrubbed a hand down her face. "I'm fine," she muttered with a scowl as she got to her feet. She crossed to the door and nudged it open. Normally she would have just left it at that, told whichever sailor who'd come to check on her to be about his business.
But this was Gar. The ogre had known her since she was barely more than a girl. She offered him a crooked smile and admitted, "I, ah, had a bit of a tussle with one of the charts. We both got some good blows in, I'm going to call it a draw."
Her tone was light, but her face was abnormally pale, dark circles under her eyes. She raised a hand to cover a yawn.
Gar returned the smile, but it quickly faded once he saw her face.
"Gods, Isa. I've seen drowned men what look more lively 'n you," he said, letting himself in. He had the courtesy to close the door behind them.
"You've been in your quarters for two days, now. What's botherin' ya?"
She sighed and stood aside to let him in. Isa. Gar was one of two people in the world who could get away with calling her by that pet name, and the only one on this ship.
"We're heading right for these straights," Isabeau muttered, crossing back to the map and uncurling it onto the table. Her finger traced a path of currents that bordered the small peninsula jutting out away from the Moraki desert. "I'm just...worried, I guess. Last time that storm trapped us through here we lost two men, but I can't figure out a way to go around."
She rubbed at her temples and closed her eyes with a huff. "I could use my magic, but I'm not sure how much good it'll do." And she knew she had to think of something- it would take them at least three days to make it through the straights, and there was no way they'd get lucky enough to go that long without any bad weather, not in these waters.
Gar nodded, and crossed his arms.
"Well, I know your magic won't do us any damn good if you're fallin' asleep on the bow," Gar said.
He moved over to the charts, and pointed to a small grouping of islands on their path to the straight.
"We can drop anchor here, long enough for you to get some rest. The winds've been with us and we're ahead of schedule, so we have more than enough provisions to make a stop."
"But-"
Isabeau started to open her mouth to argue, then clamped it shut. "You're right," she said with a sigh. "I know you're right, but I still don't like it." She gave him a crooked smile and a small nod.
"Why don't you grab some shuteye yourself? We can tell the crew about the change of plans in the morning." She lifted her hand to cover another yawn.
"I'll tell the skipper," Gar said, and he put a hand on Isabeau's shoulder.
"It ain't that late yet," he said, and he turned to leave, stopped, and took his flask off of his belt. He set it down on her table.
"Some medicine, to lull ya to rest," he said with a grin, and he stepped out.
She laughed, shaking her head at him, and raised the flask in a toast as he left. She took a swig from it, grimaced a bit at the strength of the brew, then let out a sharp breath.
She really did need some rest. Moving more on muscle memory than anything else, Isabeau moved into her actual cabin and stripped down to her underthings before crawling into bed to sleep.
Unfortunately, even as exhausted as she was, it took longer than she would have liked for her to drift off. Her mind was still racing, planning, and refused to let her rest for a good long while.
Gar glanced out to the horizons as he stepped out of Isabeau's quarters and into the sunlight. The day still had plenty of hours left in it, so Gar went up to the wheel and told the skipper about their new destination.
After he'd gotten that all squard away, he started making his rounds on the main deck, making sure that everything was running smoothly.
Isabeau slept longer than she'd intended, almost until sunset. When she woke and realized the time, she cursed to herself and bolted out of bed, dressing quickly and hurrying out onto the upper deck.
Everything seemed to be running smoothly. Not that she'd really expected otherwise, leaving Gar in charge, but she did tend to worry over her ship, a bit of a mother hen.
She moved to the bow and took the wheel, telling the man on duty to move belowdecks.
She loved it here, looking out over the ocean. Unfortunately a captain couldn't always sail her own ship, but Isabeau relished every chance she got to do so. She gave a small, happy little sigh and leaned into the wheel a bit, eyes flicking over the deck to take stock of her crew.
The crew was nothing short of on point and alert. Gar had a penchant for drilling the men, and as his massive form patrolled up and down the decks, no man stepped out of line or made an error. As he'd done ever since he worked for Isabeau's father, Gar controlled the men on deck through their respect and fear for him.
While none of the crew members were terrified of him (save for a couple of new hands they'd picked up on their last stop), the fact that he stood more than four heads taller than the largest of them and swung a damned anchor as a weapon helped greatly when it came to getting otherwise unruly pirates to work like a well-oiled machine.
He looked up at Isabeau, and gave her a smile.
Seeing one of the greener recruits scurry out of Gar's way on his patrol, Isabeau smirked when she caught his smile and tossed him a wink. She didn't often admit it, but she knew she was lucky to have him; not many men would take orders from a woman not yet twenty- especially pirates.
"Cap'n!"
Isabeau glanced over at the man who'd climbed up onto the upper deck to flag her down. "What's up, Cooper?"
"Raven sees a ship, ma'am. Off to port."
Hm. "Details."
"Looks to be a merchant vessel, captain." He's started to grin.
Isabeau's lips curved up on one side. Perfect. "Tell the crew we're coming about."
Iseabau's order was echoed throughout, and the vessel turned to come about. Once he made sure everyone was working correctly, Gar ascended to the wheel to stand by Isabeau.
"Raven spot a nice merchant?" Gar asked.
"Looks to be." She nodded and gestured out over the bow where the shape of a ship was now visible. "We keep turning and we can come up broadside. Run out the guns before they even know we're there."
"We'll have to make sure that it's a merchant before we get into a scuffle," Gar said, stroking his chin.
"If we run into a frigate, we'll have to stop for repairs, and then we definitely won't make our stop early."
"I know, I know." She crinkled her nose at her first mate. "Raven's got good eyes- you worry too much."
But he was right and she knew it. "Here, take the wheel. I'll head up to the nest myself to check, be back in two shakes."
"I worry just fine, thank you very much," Gar said with a grin as Isabeau left. He put a single massive hand on the wheel, able to turn it much easier than any human could.
The captain scurried up to the crow's nest, quick as a cat with the kind of ease only growing up on a ship could bring, and swung herself into the wooden bucket beside their lookout.
Raven was probably the youngest person on the crew besides herself and the cabin boy, and a quiet type. He glanced up at her with a murmured, "Cap'n," and resumed staring out over the water.
"Mind if I borrow this?" Isabeau joked as she snatched up the spyglass and took a look for herself.
Her lips tightened slightly and she muttered a soft curse. Raven just rumbled, "Yeah. Orders?"
"Standby." She swung herself back out of the nest and scurried back to the main deck, quickly climbing the stairs to stand alongside Gar again.
"Definitely a merchant ship," she muttered, "But they're flying two colors, Serendipity and Dawn Raiders." She tsked. "Since when do merchants hire mercenary guards?"
Another huff and she looked up at him. "Whatcha think? Worth the risk?"
Upon hearing the news, Gar placed a hand on his chin, looking thoughtful.
"Dawn Raiders aren't that serious of an outfit, but mercenaries are still mercenaries. The crew's had worse, though," he said, and he grinned at her.
"Besides, we can take their weapons. It would be good to have some fresh steel."
Her grin was almost sharkish. "Excellent point."
She leaned out over the rail toward the main deck and called, "Run out the guns! We're coming along broadside!"
Her order was met with a rather raucous cheer and she smirked, looking up to her first mate. "Care to fly the colors, Mister Gar?"
Gar laughed, and he started descending the stairs to the main deck.
"Thank you for the honor once again," he teased, and he stepped up to the primary mast and hoisted up the flag, even as he bellowed commands to the crew manning the guns. In a way, he was the perfect gunnery commander, as his voice carried even below the decks, which meant he could command the lower deck of guns without having to move.
The Storm was a well-oiled machine, moving through the water almost like a living thing as the crew scurried to their posts and seemingly effortlessly made the ship ready to fight.
Isabeau drew her cutlass and moved up onto the port rail as they came up on the merchant vessel. She could hear alarm bells ringing- they must have caught sight of the pirate flag- and smirked.
"Run out the guns!"
Her voice wasn't near as booming as the ogre's, but it got the job done.
And the guns were run out. The sound of every gun cover slaming open filled the air.
"Come about a few degrees!" Gar yelled, and the ship turned so the merchant was in its sights.
"Aim for their cannons. Ready! Fire!"
At their range, it was a bit of a long shot, but the Storm had good guns, and if they were lucky, they could score some serious damage before the fight even started.
Luck, and just a bit of magic, was on their side. Isabeau's brow furrowed as she lifted a hand, clenching her fingers into a fist as though she was grabbing onto an invisible rope.
The currents swirling around the two ships shifted, just slightly, slowing their prey while simultaneously giving the Storm that little extra speed she needed to get properly in range. Cannon fire ripped into their hull in an explosion of wood and gunpowder.
The merchant ship's crew was in a panic, she could see that even from here. As they drew closer, she shouted, "Prepare to board!"
As the Storm closed in, a few disorganized shots from the other ship burst forth. One scored across the deck, damaging the railing, but it stopped there. The other shots either missed or hit water.
"Top deck, Load those guns one last time! Grapeshot! Lower deck prepare to board!" Gar commanded, and the sailors started rushing. The large ogre started readying a rope to swing across on.
"Ready hooks!"
In a lot of ways, Isabeau was a great captain. She was usually level headed, adaptable, easily mediated disputes, and somehow managed to inspire a sense of loyalty and comraderie in a group of pirates, of all things.
But in some ways, she was still very young for the job.
Which was probably why she leaped across the gap between the two ships before the ropes and small planks had been run out, blade and eyes glinting.
Gods but she did love the excitement.
A cannonade of grapeshot from the Storm heralded Isabeau's arrival on the merchant ship, and in the chaos caused by a grapeshot broadside, the enemy was nowhere near organized enough to efficiently combat her.
It didn't help that wherever Isabeau went, Gar wasn't far behind with the crew. With a holler, Gar swung across on a rope, leading the charge of sailors. When he landed on the merchant's deck, the wood splintered under his weight, and he quickly went to work.
The standard crew on the merchant vessel was no match for her own. It was the mercenaries that started to give them a bit of trouble, a few harrying them from afar with pistols and thrown knives while the rest simply charged forward with a roar.
Dear gods, Isabeau could've sworn one of them was part orc- he was massive. She flicked her cutlass out, slicing the throat of the man lunging from her left, and fell back to stand beside her first mate.
"The big one," she called over the commotion of the fight. "If you can take him out quick-like, the others might not be so confident."
Gar nodded at Isabeau's words, even as he fired one of his pistol-muskets at a mercenary, severing his arm at the shoulder. He quickly holstered the weapon and made his way through the combat.
Indeed, the big one seemed to be a point of cinfidence for the mercenaries. He struck down a pirate, laughing like a braggart as he waded into combat. Perhaps it was through sheer bloodlust that he didn't notice Gar until the ogre was upon him, and when he did notice, he was oddly silent.
The man was indeed a beast, standing at more than six and a half feet tall and rippling with muscle. Indeed, he might have been the biggest man the mercenaries had to offer. However, Gar stood a full foot taller than him, and was considerably larger.
If anything, the man needed credit for his spirit, as he charged Gar like he would any other opponent. Gar parried the man's swing with his anchor blades, catching the sword and bringing the man close. A headbutt from Gar sent the man reeling, clutching at his shattered nose, and with a yell loud enough to catch the entire boat's attention, Gar grappled the man and lifted him clear over his head, slamming him down headfirst on the deck with a sickening crack.
It was hard not to pay attention to the two giants fighting in the middle of the deck, but she still had to defend herself. The Raiders were falling fast under the blades of the Storm's crew, but they were tenacious bastards, and the crew of the merchant ship seemed bolstered by their presence.
At least until Gar piledrove the massive mercenary into the deck. There was a stuttering sort of moment when just about everyone seemed to glance over, enemies' faces paling while Isabeau's crew started to grin.
Then the fight resumed. Though by now it was barely a fight at all. She saw Cooper pass on her left in a whirl of blades and heard a shot, then two men fell- a single billet had passed through their heads. Raven. The kid was damned good shot.
Her own blade dealt with plenty of the enemy force, until finally someone- he looked to be a part of the official crew, not a mercenary- threw his hands up and called desperately, "Surrender. We surrender, mercy please!"
"Guns down!" Isabeau called to her crew, holstering her own weapon. She moved toward the man who'd spoken with a rather charming grin. "Smart move, m'lad." A snap of her fingers. "Tie 'em up boys, and let's get to business."
With practiced ease, the surrendered crew and remaining mercenaries were tied up.
"Take the pistols, swords, and gunpowder," Gar said, motioning to one swath of pirates.
"Get below deck. Pilfer all the cargo you can carry!" he said to another. As the hustle and bustle started up, Gar merely took a position by the lined up prisoners. He looked to Isabeau, and smiled.
Isabeau grinned at him in reply, leaning back against the deck rail as her crew got to work with an air of nonchalance, though to a practiced eye it was clear she was ready to pounce with one wrong move.
As the pirates began to wrap up their work, she gave a sharp whistle that indicated they should return to their own ship. She gave the bound crew of the merchant vessel a jaunty mock salute and bowed at the waist.
"The crew of the Poison Storm thanks you for your generous contributions," she said cheerily. Her eyes flicked up to Gar. "Whaddya think, leave 'em a knife so they can get out in a few hours?"
Gar looked about at the gathered crew and mercenaries, and put a hand on his chin.
"Leave them a small knife," he added, and he pat Isabeau on the shoulder, stepping across a small plank and back onto the Storm. They were fortunate today. Out of all the wounded, only one had died, and the rest were being ferried below deck to the doctor.
Gar's smile straightened out slightly, and he looked to Izzy.
"We lost a man. We'll have to honor him tonight."
She chuckled and tossed a rather pathetically small blade at the feet of one of the bound crew members before sauntering back to her own ship.
Gar's words sobered her a bit and she nodded. "Aye. And the boys'll be even more anxious to come to port so they can honor him with a last drink." She had very strict rules about the amount of alcohol kept on the ship.
With a small sigh she dragged a hand down her face and muttered. "Poor bastard. Alan was what, twenty-four? If that."
Gods she hated losing a man. It was unavoidable in their profession, but she hated it all the same.
But she couldn't let the crew see her get all mopey. She shook her head and tossed Gar a tired smile. "Tell the helmsman to set course for Harrowden. Closest port, I think. I'll head below and check on the boys."
Gar nodded, and ascended up to the helm. Rather than give the helmsman the directions, Gar took the helm himself, and directed the ship towards Harrowden. He knew these waters like the back of his hand, so he was more than comfortable steering.
[What do you think about a time skip soonish- to the port or thereabouts?]
Isabeau made her way belowdecks to check on her wounded crew, smiling and cracking jokes in an effort to keep up morale. No one was too seriously injured, the ship's doctor pulling her aside to murmur that only one of the men would need medical care best found on land, but even they would hold out for a good few days before it was necessary.
She nodded and climbed the stairs back onto the main deck, where she began helping two of the crew wrap their fallen comrade in a shroud.
Definitely her least favorite part of the job.
[I'm down. Maybe we can even do it within the next few posts]
Once the ship was on a good heading and the helmsman informed, Gar descended to the main deck to observe the funerary processions for Alan. He came up next to Isabeau, and laid a hand on her shoulder.
[Well... I can do it now?]
She started slightly, not expecting the familiar touch, then glanced up and offered him a small smile.
Those who'd known Alan best spoke fondly of him. Then she was called forward to murmur a blessing over the body.
Isabeau called up a thread of magic as the shrouded form was cast down into the sea, wrapping their comrade up in a gentle wave that glinted almost too cheerfully in the sunlight before disappearing back into the vastness of the ocean.
Then she turned and barked, "All hands to stations! Let's bring this girl into port."
The trip was only a few days, and soon enough she found herself overseeing the unloading of the Storm in the Harrowden port, leaning back against the deack rail as raucous pirates filed past her onto land for their first shore leave in weeks.
[I can change this if you want!]
[You're good!]
"Alright boys, stay out of trouble. We leave port in two days!" Gar called over the ruckus of excited pirates, and soon enough, it was just him and Isabeau on board the ship.
He turned to his captain, and adjusted his hat.
"So, what'll you be doing to spend yer shore leave, Izzy?" Gar said.
She huffed a laugh and dragged her hands down her face. "Uhg, probably going over the old girl top to bottom, seeing what repairs we need, finding someone to make those repairs, following them around to make sure they don't fuck up during repairs..."
She groaned dramatically and slumped over the rail. "Gods I need a drink."
"I know for a fact we lost some of the rail," Gar said, motioning to a section of railing lost to a cannonball.
"Other than that, I doubt we have more than one hole in us, at the most. You can worry about repairs tomorrow," Gar said.
He took his personal flask off of his belt, and offered it to her.
"Care to join me for a few swigs?"
Isabeau laughed and took the offered flask. "Y'know what, that's a perfect idea." She downed a swig, then grinned and suggested, "Why don't we take this down to my cabin? You know it's the best room on the ship- plus I'm pretty sure I've got a deck of cards stashed away somewhere."
Her grin broadened. "Remember when you taught me Wicked Ace? Bet I could beat you in two hands now," she goaded.
"That's what you said the last time," Gar rebutted, and motioned for Isabeau to lead the way.
"But I'm open to the challenge."
She stuck her tongue out at him and flounced her way back down to her cabin, bumping the door open with her hip and wiggling his flask teasingly in front of him before downing another swallow.
"Alright, c'mon! You've accepted the challenge, Mister, now it's time to step up," she teased as she flopped onto her bed and hung over the side, crouched with her rear in the air as she hunted under the bed. "Aha!"
She emerged victorious with a dusty pack of cards and a cocky smirk.
Out of respect, Gar didn't stare at her ass, and when she came back up with the dusty cards, he smirked.
"Doesn't even look like you've played in the last month, what with all that dust."
He took back his flask (which contained some incredibly potent liquor not too distant from moonshine) and swigged some down. He sat down at her table.
"Go on, then."
"Alright." Her smirk grew and she settled back onto the bed, dealing out five cards for each of them. "Basic rules, aces high, first one to empty the deck wins."
She flipped over two of her cards, slamming then onto the bed with a triumphant, "Ha! An ace and a ten, right out of the gate! Beat that."
The alcohol was strong, and already she was getting a little giggly, that smile refusing to go away.
[Sooo, I made this game up. It's basically "war" with two cards per round. Because I am not creative 0.0]
[Alright!]
Gar nodded, and set his flask down in the center of the table, and flipped up two of his own cards.
He couldn't beat the ace, but he could beat that ten, so he put a throwaway card and an actual card, a three and a jack.
Isabeau growled good-naturedly, scooping up her "winnings" and tossing Gar his. "Alright. Draw."
She picked two cards to replace the ones she'd lost, then nodded to him. "Your turn to start the round."
Her hand snaked toward the flask as she spoke, downing another hearty swig. She coughed and laughed, "Gods, where do you even get this stuff?"
"Well, I buy all kinds of grogs and liquors when we make port. I mix them in a barrel, let them sit, and when it's done--"
He picked up the flask and swigged from it, and heartily too.
"It tastes like heaven."
He played an eight and a ten.
She laughed, a bit louder than normal perhaps, and almost absentmindedly played a four and a seven.
And then she was struck with what seemed to her like a hilarious idea.
"Y'know what I haven't done since Raven and Cooper and I played?" she said with a wicked glint in her eyes, already giggling. "The strip version. Ya know, when you loose a whole hand ya gotta take something off. It was hysterical, I swear Coop was loosin' on purpose."
She chuckled to herself, then dared, "You up for it?"
Gar laughed, and downed another swig.
"Sure, I'm up for it," he said, grinning a bit wider than usual.
"And it looks like you did, in fact, lose a hand."
"Oh." She blinked, then laughed. "Yeah, I s'pose I did. Alright." With a shrug she stripped out of the loose shirt she wore tucked into her breeches, leaving her in a thin undershirt that really didn't leave much to the imagination.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder, bangles on her wrists clinking, and quickly played a ten and an eight, giving him a challenging grin.
Gar watched her undress, and then looked down at her played cards. Taking a look at his own, he delt a nine and a seven. As long as he didn't completely lose each hand, he could still turn the game around.
He stood, and shrugged off his coat, leaving him in a sleeveless vest that left very little of his exorbitantly muscled figure to the imagination, as well as letting Isabeau see his tattoos, a rare sight. He took another swig, and offered it to Isabeau.
Isabeau eyed him none too subtly, her eyes widening a bit at the tattoo on his chest. "That the Storm?"
She leaned in for a closer look, her hair spilling over one shoulder revealing her own tattoo that was normally hidden by a shirt.
"How come I didn't know you had this?" She poked his chest, almost pouting at him playfully. Then she looked at her hand and growled.
"Ah, fuck it." She threw down a six and a three. "Believe it or not, that's the best I can do." Another swig from the flask.
"'Cause you don't often see me with my jacket off, Izzy," Gar rebutted. When she poked his chest, she'd find the muscle there to be hard, almost like a rock.
"Can't help but notice you got some ink of your own," he said, and he played.
Queen and a five.
"Mhm." She was still eyeing his chest, though the curiosity had been replaced with...something else. "You know I've got a couple- thought you'd seen this one." Though it wasn't really that surprising, it wasn't as though she made a habit of taking her shirt off.
She huffed a dramatic sigh and stripped off her bangles and cuffs with a bright smile. "Don't suppose those count as a piece of clothing?" she asked as they fell to the floor, chiming.
She played her hand. A jack and a two.
"I suppose that they do. Too bad you're gonna lose more."
He set down an ace and a four, and took a swig. As the powerful alcohol settled in his stomach, he couldn't help but wander his eyes down to what her tantalizingly thin undershirt was covering.
Isabeau grumbled as she started to wriggle out of her breeches, trying to be quick though the alcohol made her a bit clumsy.
"There!" She tossed them aside and sat back. Her undershirt was thin, but at least it was long, falling almost to mid thigh. She grinned. "Alright now. Take that!"
A queen and a nine. Her eyes flicked up and she suddenly realized where Gar was looking. It sent a strange jolt down her spine.
Then her lips curved wickedly on one side and she sat back, stretching her arms above her head in a seemingly innocuous stretch. She knew how she looked, all graceful curves and lean muscle. She'd just never thought Gar would notice.
Indeed, Gar had never noticed because he'd never really seen her so intimately. And in the end, he was a man, she was an incredibly beautiful woman, and they were both intoxicated.
Gar let down his two cards, a king and a seven. He reached up and took his hat off, setting it down on a nearby barrel. He took another swig, and set the flask back down.
"Try this," he said, putting down an eight and a six.
"Hmph." She played two sevens. "Alright, alright. Damn, this is not my night."
And off came the undershirt, leaving her in breastband and loincloth. She pouted and tossed her hair again, beads and feathers flashing. "Ha! Finally!"
She played a king and a jack, smirking. Though she was coming to the end of her pile, so perhaps she shouldn't have been so cocky.
"Nice," Gar said, referring to nothing in particular, and he looked through his hand.
"I'll let you have this one," he said, and he played two crappy cards, deciding to save his better cards for later. Even drunk, Gar could navigate a card game as good as any man.
He stood, and unbuckled his breeches, letting them drop and letting Isabeau see that the undercloth he had on beneath did nothing to hide just how damned impressive he was underneath.
He picked up the flask, and offered it to her, too drunk to remember why he was even offering it to her so regularly to begin with.
It took her a moment to pick her jaw up off the floor and take the flask. "Nice," she muttered, dragging her eyes away from him to look at her hand as she took a gulp.
By now thoroughly intoxicated, she played an ace and a two- an awful combination that no one in their right mind would play unless they were trying to lose.
"Hey, we never decided what happens when the game's over. Y'know, winner gets this, loser had to do that, bla bla. Whaddya think?"
If he were sober, perhaps he would've had a stronger reaction to her comment, but as it stood, he only grinned, and sat back down.
"One of the perks of ogre blood," he said, and he steamrolled her cards with a jack and a nine.
"Well, I was under the impression we were playing a friendly game," he said, and he swigged.
"Strip."
"Fair enough."
There really wasn't much left for her to take off. She fumbled a bit with the tie of her breastband but eventually managed to get it off, tossing the thin garment aside as she looked at her remaining cards.
"Ha!" A queen and a ten. She raised her arms victoriously with a distinctly intoxicated smirk. "Try to wriggle out of that one."
When she let her breasts out, Gar could only look, nodding slightly.
"Nice."
There wasn't much he could do to wriggle out of that, so he played a king and an eight. He stood again and took off the vest, showing her his upper body in its full glory.
"Have you seen these?" Gar said, motioning to his back and turning about so she could see the tattoos there.
Isabeau smirked, blushing just a bit. When he turned, she got to her feet and came up behind him to get a closer look.
"Uh-uh. These are new too." She teased a finger over the patterns of ink, shuffling closer until she was almost pressed against his back. Her other hand moved to rest on his hip.
"Hey. Tell me somethin'." She leaned up on her toes and impulsively feathered a kiss between his shoulder blades. The alcohol fogging her head made it seem like a fantastic idea. "You want me, don't you? I can see how you're lookin' at me."
Gar turned his head, looking at her sidelong. He let out a sigh when she kissed his shoulder blades, and in his drunken state, the intimate contact was enough to make it seem like a good idea as well.
He managed a grin, and covered her hand at his hip with his own (a feat that was more than easy, given his size), and moved it down further, to the hem of his smallclothes.
"I do. And I think the feelin's mutual."
She smiled, fiddling idly with the fabric under her fingers. "Mhm. Very mutual."
Her hand slipped under his hem almost questioningly and she moved around to his side so she could look up at his face and gauge his reaction. Already she was hot and she pressed her legs together in an effort to relieve some of the tension she could feel building up.
She wrapped her hand around him, as much as she could, and blinked up at him, asking silently for permission.
When she grasped him, Gar sighed, and looked down at her. He slipped his own hand around her side, gripping her hip rather dominantly.
"Knock yourself out," he said, and he used his other hand to edge down his undergarments.
She grinned at that and slipped around to stand in front of him, helping him get his smallclothes off with one hand while the other worked along his length, slowly at first but with growing confidence.
She glanced down and suddenly swallowed. "I, uh, may not have though this through..." Her eyes flicked up to his face, rather wide, and she murmured plaintively, "How- are ya even gonna fit?"
Even just his hand on her hip was a reminder of their difference in size, though she couldn't say she disliked it. The touch was warm and familiar, his hands calloused, rough against smooth skin in a way that made her shiver agreeably.
"Well, I can say with confidence that the ladies I've been with on shore leave could definitely do it, and they're not half as tough as you are," Gar said, goading her competitive side.
His hand slipped from her hip to her ass, and then slipped beneath her loincloth, feeling at her folds with a pair of large, rough fingers.
"It helps if I'm all slicked up."
"That-" She hissed in a breath as his fingers found her heat. "That shouldn't be a problem," she breathed after a moment, lashes fluttering, and he'd find her already plenty wet. The drink probably had something to do with that.
Then she mock pouted at him, quirking an eyebrow. "You're trying to make me all competative, aren't you? Light a fire under me." Her lips curved in a smirk. "Congratulations. It's working."
He was too damned tall for her to used conventional methods, so she shuffled them around until she could hop up onto the bed, scattering their forgotten card game to the floor.
Standing on the edge of the bed, she continued to work him with one hand while the other went to the back of his neck. She met his eyes for a moment, flushed, eyes glimmering, and leaned in until their lips were a breath apart.
And she hesitated. Somehow, despite what their hands were doing, this felt...more personal. Like a kiss would be the point of no return. She waited.
Despite it all, Gar still found it amusing as all hell that she had to stand on her bed to be level with him.
Her hesitation went unnoticed, because when she leaned in to kiss Gar, he did some leaning of his own. Their lips met, and Gar pulled her in a bit closer.
He tasted like the sea. It was the first thing she noticed, something innocuous her brain latched onto. She probably tasted of salt air herself, considering where they spent their time.
Then he pulled her closer and her brain seemed to cut out for a moment, allowing her body to just revel in the simple joy of touch. She molded her lips to his, crinkling her nose at the feeling of his beard, and pressed against him as much as she could.
A soft whine rose up in the back of her throat and she pressed her thighs together in an effort to stem some of the heat. "Gar." She let her forehead rest against his. "I, uh, I could use a little help here."
At her request, his fingers were there and working her more intensely. He brought her close and his member, which had been hardening under her attentions, slipped between her thighs, his rock-hard length pressing against her relatively small sex.
Isabeau gave a shuddering sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. Her hips rocked forward, rubbing herself along his length.
She blinked her eyes open and leaned in to kiss him again with another little rock of her hips.
Hands on her ass, Gar moved her against his member as they kissed.
"Need any more help?" he teased, hands running down her thighs.
"Mmnn." She closed her eyes and tried to focus on remembering how to breathe properly. "Um...yeah. Yeah, I do." Her hands moved, one cupping the back of his neck and the other pumping steadily along his length.
"Just tell me what you need," he said, drawing one of her legs up against him as he held her closer. He kissed her neck, moving his hips so he could keep rubbing against her.
"I-" Her eyes fluttered and she groaned quietly as an agreeable little shiver ran up her spine. "You," she breathed. "I need you."
She gave a little buck of her hips in an effort to help illustrate her point, concerns about the...logistics of the situation evidently forgotten.
And just like that, she was off the bed. Gar picked her up like she weighed nothing and roughly set her down on her table. One of his hands passed up her front and squeezed a breast while the other held onto her hip.
He leaned down and took her unoccupied nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting before he leaned back up and started to buck, rubbing his length against her more fervently.
Isabeau gave a rather undignified squeak, eyes flying wide open in surprise. Then she moaned, her hands flying up to grip Gar's forearms and clutching so tight her nails were scratching at his skin.
"Oh fuck," she hissed. She did her best to buck against him and meet his rhythm, whimpering quietly as heat raced through her.
Gar oriented himself for entry, the head of his cock pressing against her entrance, and without much further delay, he started to push into her.
"Holy-!"
She had to clap a hand over her mouth to swallow the rest of the exclamation, groaning as her body spasmed around him, burning and stretching in the best possible way.
With a soft groan she let her head fall forward onto his chest and clutched at his shoulders. Her lips sought any skin she could reach, breath starting to come fast and sharp.
Another thing Isabeau would learn about Gar is that he was dominant. The way they were positioned, he couldn't get much moving done, so he pushed her down so that she was lying on the table, legs spread wide open for him as he continued to push the rest of the way in.
"Fuck!" Gar sighed, baring his teeth at the sheer tightness of her.
A lot of her life seemed to revolve around control lately, constantly fighting and clawing to make sure she was the one at the top of the food chain.
To her surprise, it felt unbelievably good to just surrender that control, just for this moment, just for him. She gave a whimpering sigh and tried to spread her legs wider, to take him deeper. "Holy fhu-uck," she breathed blissfully, arching her back slightly for a deeper angle.
Gat was massive, and when their hips finally touched, he'd taken up every single last millimeter of space inside of her. He drew his hands down her legs, taking a moment to just feel, before he started to move. At first, it was just a few inches out and back in, just a step above grinding their hips together, but his speed and power started to build as she adjusted to him.
Isabeau gave a soft mew of surprise when he was finally fully inside her, a little bit incredulous that he'd actually managed to fit.
Then he started moving and pretty much all coherent thought flitted away. She let out a shaky breath and gradually started to bump her hips up to meet his as she learned his rhythm. A hum rose up in the back of her throat and she looked up at him through heavy lashes, lips parted slightly as she started to pant.
"Gods above, this is the best pussy I've ever been in," Gar said, smiling almost incredulously, before he started to thrust a bit faster, pulling her into his movements so they collided with greater force. The table shook slightly under Gar's momentum, and he leaned down, planting his hands by Isabeau's head as they moved in unison.
She sort of laughed at that, then gasped as he picked up his pace. "Gods and demons," she hissed as he pulled her hips into his. "Fuck, Gar, how are you doing this-?"
Her voice cut off in a sharp cry as he found those blissfully sensitive places with apparently no effort. Maybe he just couldn't avoid them, with the way he filled her so easily. She moaned and wriggled underneath him, trying to get as much friction as possible.
Gar smirked at Isabeau's proclamation, and he kissed her, rocking his hips against hers.
"The dick's just that good," he grinned, and kissed her neck.
Isabeau chuckled breathlessly against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her hands to his shoulders as his lips moved to her throat.
Humming appreciatively, she let her head loll to the side and glanced down. "Gods above..." It didn't seem possible that he should be able to slide in and out of her so easily. Even just glancing at the sight made her moan heatedly and twist her neck to catch his lips again.
Gar smirked, and he drew one of her legs up and changed the angle, knowing she was flexible and could take it. He started to fuck her a bit faster now, so that each impact of their hips was now audible.
"Oh fuck." She tossed her head back and arched her spine. Somehow it felt like he was reaching even deeper than before.
"Yeah, j-just like that," she murmured almost incoherently, eyes fluttering closed. Her hands moved to tug him down for a kiss, heated and a little clumsy as she felt herself spiraling higher and higher.
Gar started to grind their hips together, keeping himself buried all the way and pressing against her insides before he started to thrust and then alternate.
Isabeau's eyes rolled back and she gasped quietly, wriggling her hips under his attentions. "Gaaaaar," she whined eventually with a needy buck upwards.
As delightful as the feeling of him grinding inside her was, she was nearly toeing the edge now, getting so close. But she needed... "More." Her breath came in little pants and she arched up under him. "C'mon, Gar, please."
Gar hissed a bit, and while he did like the grinding, he didn't mind fulfilling Isabeau's request either. Suddenly, he pulled back and started ramming into her.
She gave a wordless cry and her whole body bent into an arc for a moment. It didn't take much to send her over the edge, wailing her pleasure to the ceiling and digging her hands into her own hair just for something to hold onto.
Gar quickly took her hands and pinned them to the table above her head, and he let all buildup fly out the window as he saw fit to just claim her, leaving her helpless to do much more than buck her hips and take it.
Isabeau gasped, unable to get her breath back as he just kept pounding into her, but she was hardly complaining.
She desperately did her best to rock her hips up into his but her rhythm was stuttering and eventually he had to just toss her head back and submit, shouting his name intermixed with sharp moans and mewling gasps.
Defty, Gar turned Isabeau over so rather than splayed out on her back, she was bent over the table. He took a moment to relish the new angle before he started to pound her relentlessly. He gave her a spank, squeezing the generous flesh of her ass quite hungrily.
"A-ah!" She gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white, and did her best to rock her hips back into his with every thrust. "Holy- ah!"
The spank surprised her a bit and she shot a mock glare over her shoulder. "Oh you are so going to pay for that later-" Her playful threat cut off with a strangled moan and she dropped her head forward again, panting, eyes clenched shut as she felt herself climbing toward her peak again.
"Oh yeah?" Gar said, and he leaned over her, kissing the back of her neck as he pulled her into his thrusts.
"How'd you like to ride me?"
It took her a moment to be able to process that and form words, but she was nodding even before she managed to gasp out, "Y-yeah."
She arched up a bit into his touch, then twisted so she could kiss his neck in turn. "Bed," she mumbled against his skin. "Bed might make this easier..."
Gar pulled out and picked Isabeau back up, taking a couple steps back and dropping down onto her bed. It creaked under his mass but didn't break, and he was on his back, cock standing straight up and waiting for her to take it back into her all over again.
"Fuck, why didn't we do this sooner?" Gar wondered.
Gods she was really starting to love the way he could pick her up so easily. It made her feel strangely vulnerable and safe at the same time.
"I have absolutely no idea," she laughed breathlessly, situating herself over him. She gave a glance downward and rocked her hips forward, sheathing him in one smooth motion. "Fuck."
Her lips parted as she panted gently and she braced her hands on his chest as she started to ride him.
Gar's hands went to her thighs, helping her move even as he bucked his hips upwards against her motions. He let out some combination between a snarl and a moan.
"Good Gods, just don't stop," Gar said. He was getting pretty close to his own release.
Isabeau chuckled, though the sound sort of caught in her throat. "Wouldn't dream of it," she panted, rocking her hips into his with a bit more force as she really fell into a rhythm. "Oh gods!"
Gar squeezed her thigh and gave it another hungry spank, and he started to lift her and bring her down on him so she could go even faster and harder.
"Mmmn- ahhh..." She laid her hands over his to encourage the touch as she began slamming her hips into his hard enough to leave bruises. "H-holy fuck."
With a rather understated cry she clenched her eyes shut and tightened down around him, shivering and rocking atop him through her climax.
She came for a third time, and Gar's hands tightened down on her.
"fuck me, I'm going to come!"
"Yes." She swooped down to claim his lips in a heated kiss, hips still bucking against him, though their difference in size rather limited her movement in this position. "Come for me," she breathed against his lips, cupping his face between her palms.
And so, he weighed her down onto him with his arms as he somehow found a way to fill her even more. His orgasm came with such force that he would probably fill ever last bit of empty space in her.
"Izzy!"
She cried out as his release filled her, another round of delicious shudders wracking her frame. "Oh gods oh gods oh gods, Gar!"
Panting, chocolate curls strewn about her face an shoulders in a tangled mess, she grinned down at him. "Seriously." She kissed him weakly and flopped against his chest. "How have we never done this before?"
"I dunno," Gar said, flopping an arm over her , giving a small nudge with his hips.
"Kinda saw you as bit of a daughter," Gar mused.
"'Till I saw your tits."
He kissed her, giving a hearty grin of his own.
"You can't be done yet. That's not the Izzy I know."
Isabeau chuckled as she trailed her kisses down his neck to his collar. "Well I should hope so," she murmured playfully. "My tits are pretty fantastic."
Smirking, she rocked back to sit straddling his hips again, hands braced just below his chest. "Damn straight." She tossed her hair and winked. "I can go as long as you can keep it up." There was certainly a bit of a challenge in her voice.
"Well, 'fore you do that you gotta get me back up," Gar said, and he motioned to his softened, seed-smeared member.
"Maybe use those fantastic tits of yours?"
Her smirk widened and she positively purred, "Alright then."
She slid down to crouch between his legs, leaning over his lap so she could press her breasts together around his cock, starting to rock gently.
"This something like what you had in mind?" she murmured as she watched his face, eyes at half mast.
Gar nodded.
"Imagination don't do the reality justice," he said, letting out a short groan.
"Your tits are like a cloud..."
"Well thank you." She chuckled, then dipped her head to kiss the tip of him gently, following up with a teasing lick before wrapping her lips around him so she could suckle what her breasts didn't cover.
She was certainly impressive as she went about her ministrations, and Gar found himself wondering how deep she could take him.
"Ah, just like that," he murmured.
Isabeau hummed a little smugly around his length and shifted a bit so she could bob further down on him.
Abandoning pressing her breasts around him, she gripped his thighs and relaxed the back of her throat as she bobbed down in an attempt to take him as deep as she could, brow furrowing slightly.
And she just didn't stop impressing, and Gar actually moaned a bit when she managed to take so much of him within her.
"More," he whispered.
She couldn't help the satisfied little tingle that ran up her spine at that. There was something incredibly gratifying about getting her rather stoic first mate to react to her.
So she gave more, closing her eyes and bobbing down until her nose brushed his abdomen. Her throat flexed around him and she swirled her tongue as she pulled back up, then went down again.
"Holy shit, Izzy, I can't believe it," Gari said, all other words failing as she took him in his entirety! He hadn't been with a woman who could do that before, and he continued to make noises and sounds as she worked.
It certainly wasn't the easiest thing she'd ever done, and she pulled back a moment to catch her breath. A lopsided smile tugged at her lips and she purred, "I'm just full of surprises," then ducked down again to swallow him whole.
She worked him as long as she could, eventually lifting her head with a long lick and a kiss to his head, then flicked her eyes to his face, smirking. "Whaddya say, sailor? Ready to go?"
"So ready," came Gar's reply. He gave himself a couple of strokes, dipping his cock forwards to tap it against one of her cheeks.
"How do you want me, cap'n?"
Isabeau grinned and twisted her head to kiss his shaft. "Hmm. I think..." She crawled her way back up his body, pressing kisses to the image of the Storm inked onto his chest and then to the side of his neck.
"I want you to fuck me into this mattress," she decided with an oddly chaste kiss to his cheek.
"No problem," Gar said, and he gripped her and turned over. Picking her up, he tossed her onto her back on the mattress and joined her on top of it. He turned her onto her belly, and he started ribbing his length between her buttocks, teasing her as he leaned down to nibble at her shoulder.
She squeaked, then laughed a little breathlessly as he tossed her onto the bed. "Easy there," she chuckled. "Just try not to break anything, alright? Oh- mmmnn..."
Her voice cut off and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth when he rubbed against her. She reached her hand up to stroke his cheek as his teeth grazed her shoulder. "Fuck yes, just like that..."
Gar kissed and sucked where he bit, leaving a hickey on her shoulder, and then he moved to kiss her beneath the ear.
"You don't take it in the ass, do you?" he asked, squeezing her hips as he continued to tease.
"I've never tried it," she replied honestly. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she added with a bit of trepidation, "But honestly, that seems like something to work up to, yeah? You are not a small man, Gar."
Even as she spoke her hips rocked gently back against him without conscious permission, trying to get more of the delicious friction.
"Aye, you got a point," Gar said, and he still smiled as he kissed the back of her neck.
He pulled her hips upwards and towards him so that her ass was cocked slightly in the air. He pushed right in, not stopping until he slammed to a stop inside of her. Giving their hips a grind, he put a hand on Isabeau's back to keep her in place as he started to pound her.
"I usually do- ohhh!" Isabeau groaned and arched back into him as much as she could as he slid home. The smug teasing left her voice and she panted, "Th-there, right there. Oh gods above..."
He'd pushed so far in it felt like he couldn't get any deeper. She'd never felt anything like it.
Indeed, Gar was intent on taking Izabeau's request to heart. He wanted to fuck her into the mattress, so he shifted so that he was thrusting downwards with every stroke, hips slapping together as he claimed her.
"Ah, ahn, ah!" She was practically bouncing into the bed under his thrusts, the slapping of skin against skin somehow seeming to play in rhythm with her racing heart and panting breaths. "Fuck yes, Gar!"
She turned her face into the mattress with a keening moan, pressing her legs together a bit to make things even tighter.
Gar straightened up, bringing her ass a bit higher as he just slammed into her over and over again.
"Fuck!"
He grabbed her thighs and pressed them even closer together, and if things were tight before, he couldn't even describe how it felt at that moment.
Isabeau gave a sudden shout, back arching as she felt every thrust rubbing against what felt like every part of her. "Ah, fuck! Gar, I'm- I'm getting close."
"Come, then," Gar said, and he sped up.
"Don't hold back!"
Her fists clenched in the sheets and with a wail she came yet again, crying his name out as she rocked back against him and ground her hips sharply against his.
Suddenly boneless she flopped onto the mattress, helpless to do more than take it as Gar thrust into her.
Once Isabeau went all boneless, Gar pulled her ass up even higher, making the angle even sharper than before a he just kept pounding and pounding, going faster and hitting harder. Another spank to her ass, and he even teased her other hole with his thumb.
"O-oh!" That was certainly new. Isabeau twisted to look back at him, managing to push herself up onto her elbows a bit. "That's- ah- intriguing," she panted.
With a soft chuckle she gasped out, "I have a feeling I'm going to be very sore tomorrow."
"Believe me, they always are," Gar said with a chuckle, and as he fucked her, he kept teasing with his thumb before he switched to his middle finger. After a little teasing, he pushed it right in.
Isabeau's whole body jerked and she gave a soft mew of surprise, eyes flying wide open. "Th-that, um..."
She took a moment to adjust, then let her head drop forward and sighed, "Fuck, that's good." She honestly hadn't expected it to be, so there was a note of pleasant surprise in her voice.
Almost unable to help herself, she moved one hand to the fork of her legs and began rubbing her clit as he kept pounding into her.
Gar's middle finger was thick, essentially the size of a human cock, so if she could take it comfortably and like it, it meant there was hope for them yet.
Gar pounded and fingered and at one point he leaned forwards to bit her shoulder again, free hand sliding up her body to grab her breast as he fucked her.
"I'm gonna come again," he growled.
"Then fill me up." Isabeau's voice was just as growling, though there was a distinct moan embedded in her tone. "I- I'm getting there."
Her body was clenching around him spasmodically and she was so damn close to reaching her own release. "Come with me, Gar," she gasped.
Ger nibbled her earlobe as he sped up dramatically, making those final thrusts count before his climax arrived, and he delivered every spurt with a massive thrust, making sure his seed went to the deepest recesses of her body.
Her whole body shook with those last few thrusts and she screamed her pleasure as she came with what was most certainly one of the most powerful orgasms she'd ever experienced.
Gasping harshly, she collapsed onto the bed, chest heaving with pants.
And Gar joined her, flopping down next to her and pulling her towards him. Surprisingly enough, Gar was a cuddler, and he let his cock rest between her thighs as he kissed the back of her neck.
"All set to tuck in for the night?" Gar teased, passing a hand over her belly.
"Mmhmm." Isabeau snuggled back against him with a contented sigh. She wasn't really used to cuddling- her romps were usually quick and without any sort of emotional attachment- but she found she quite liked it.
"That-" she twisted in his arms to press a kiss to his cheek- "was fucking amazing." She tucked herself into the curve of his body and let her eyes flutter closed.
"Mhm," Gar said, and he kissed her lips in return. Arm wrapped around her, it was like she was enclosed in rock-hard muscle.
She smiled as she sleepily returned the kiss, eyes still closed, and let her head rest against his chest, her own arms tucked up between them with one hand splayed absently over his heartbeat.
Another soft, happy sigh and she was out like a light, completely encased in the warmth and solidity of him.
Gar wasn't too far behind Isabeau, the sheer comfort of having someone pressed so intimately to him being enough to lull him to sleep.
Isabeau woke the next morning with a pounding headache and sore- well, everything. She groaned and blinked fuzzily, then froze.
She was naked. Why was she naked? But she wasn't cold. Well, she supposed that would have something to do with the arms wrapped around her, the body she was snuggled up against. Who...?
Her eyes drifted up and her jaw dropped open. The previous night returned to her all at once and she blinked rapidly. "Oh fuck." Her tone was somewhere between incredulous and highly amused.
"Fuck?" Gar repeated rather groggily, not really awake but definitely stirred by Isabeau's activity. Blearily, his eyes blinked a bit, and he opened them.
At first, he just looked at Isabeau. Then, his eyes did a cursory glance downwards, and then he became aware of the feeling of his cock against her.
"Oh... fuck."
She gave a nervous sort of laugh, still just staring at him with wide yes. "Um... Yeah. So...that happened..."
Isabeau cleared her throat and glanced down between them, then suddenly flushed. What the hell was that about? She did not blush.
"Ahhh." Her hands moved up to cover her face and she rubbed at her temples. "I, uh- H-how ya feelin' there, big guy?"
She tried to keep her tone light, like this was no big deal, despite the voice screaming at her in the back of her head that this was in fact a Very Big Deal.
"Well, my hips are sore and my head hurts to all hell," Gar muttered. When he saw her blush, he found it amusing to no end, and despite their awkward situation, he couldn't quite bring himself to move his arm. It seemed they both had the same light-toned approach to this situation.
He squeezed his eyes shut, and sighed.
"You know, this wouldn't be so awkward if I didn't remember having the best damn sex of my life with you," Gar said, ever the blunt of tongue.
Isabeau chuckled again and nodded. "Yeah, I'm...pretty much sore everywhere."
Then he spoke again and her eyes went rather round. She blinked up at his face, then groaned and buried her face in her hands.
"Well fuck. Because I thought it was just me, and I could ignore it, but-" She huffed out a breath and looked up at him again. "Damnit, Gar, that was unbelievable." A very cautious smile tugged at her lips and she added softly, "And...I'm glad I wasn't the only one enjoying myself."
"Mhm," Gar said. He laid a hand on her hip, giving her a looking over.
"So... is this going to be a new thing with us?" Gar asked.
"I-" She sighed and pressed a little closer to him, her hands splayed against his chest. "I don't know. Do you...want it to be?"
She knew things could get complicated very quickly when relationships got personal on a ship, but she found she wasn't really thinking about that, focused on the here and now between them.
Gar looked away from her, and let out a sigh of his own.
"I don't know. I... Last night was somethin' else, and I don't wanna just... forget it happened or pretend like neither of us want to go at it again," Gar said.
He dipped his head forward and kissed her.
"Mayhaps we should keep it quiet from the crew."
A small smile started to tug at her lips as he pulled away from the kiss and she nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, we'll just...keep things to the cabin."
She bit her lip, still smiling crookedly, and let her hands rest flat against his chest. "So..." She pressed a quick kiss over his heartbeat. "You do want to...do it again?" For some reason that was what her brain was most focusing on.
"I mean- I know it was amazing, but I wasn't sure you'd...y'know. Thought I might have to get you drunk again." She smirked a bit and snuggled in closer until once more she was completely enveloped by him.
"Is that even a question?" Gar said, and the hand on her hip drifted down to her ass, and he gave her a lusty grin
"Anytime you're ready, I am. Careful, though. You want to be able to walk around the decks after," Gar said, teasing her.
"Oi!" She laughed and slapped at his shoulder, wiggling her hips to press back into his hand. "I'm not that sore."
That may have actually been a bluff, she wasn't entirely sure. Still, she smirked and leaned up to kiss him, long and lingering.
"Well you're going to be, when I'm through with you," Gar said, dipping his hips forwards so he could brush against her.
A shiver rippled through her and she moaned softly, rocking her hips forward to press against him. "I, uh, may need a bit more...build up, this time," she confessed with a sort of sheepish expression as she glanced up at him.
"I was all kinds of drunk last night, think that made things a bit smoother." To be honest, glancing down at him, she was still a little bit in disbelief.
Gar nodded, and he turned over. Isabeau was on her back now, and he reached down to stroke her with those large, rough fingers of his.
"Consider it done, cap'n," Gar murmured.
"Mmn." Her back arched and a small sigh slipped past her lips as she looked up at him. "Y'don't have to do call me that," she mumbled sort of distractedly as her hips gave an involuntary little wiggle against his touch. "I mean- not when we're...y'know. Like this."
Her hands traced distractedly over his chest, following the outline of the ship inked into his skin before dipping lower, towards his hips.
Gar chuckled, and when she reached for his hips, he dipped them forward so she could touch them. The head of his cock pressed against her for a moment before sliding up and gliding along her folds. He kissed her, rough thumb pressing down on her clit so he could get her dripping as soon as people.
Despite Isabeau's now-sober misgivings, it really didn't take long for her to feel like yeah, she wanted more than just the touch of his fingers, sweet as it was.
She whimpered quietly and bucked her hips against him as he slid along her folds. Her eyes flicked up to his face, begging silently as a soft cry escaped her when his thumb pressed down. "Gar..." Her hands clutched at his hips, tugging gently.
[Wow, I just realized that "possible" was autocorrected to people in my last post xD]
Gar didn't leave her waiting for long. He dipped down, leaving their lips a hair's breadth away as he hesitated for a few moments. Almost as soon as it had come, though, he'd decided that this was something he wanted.
He kissed her, pushing forwards to penetrate her and going in slow so she felt every thick centimeter of him taking up the space inside of her.
[Haha, it's alright, I knew what you meant xD]
Isabeau arched up into the kiss, pressing back into the contact as much as she could, then gasping against his lips when she felt him start to slide in. A soft sound that was something between a hum and a groan escaped her and she nipped lightly at his lower lip.
"Holy gods." Panting, she muttered breathlessly, "I think...you've pretty much ruined me for human men."
"Well, once you've had this ogre dick, nothing else will do," Gar said, grinning at her. He kept pushing in until finally, he had no space left to push into, and he ground against her for a bit, giving her neck a playful bite.
"Gods, you're so tight..."
She rocked her hips up as he pressed fully into her and a very small whimper was drawn from her lips. "Fuck, you're just...big," she gasped out.
Her head tilted slightly to bare more of her neck and she dragged her nails lightly down his back. "Gods, just don't stop." Her hips rocked into his again, working to get that friction of grinding against him.
Once Gar found his rhythm, he did the opposite of stop. He drew one of Izzy's legs higher against him and he started to thrust, managing to get half of his gargantuan length out of her before it came rushing right back in.
"Fhu-uck!" Isabeau arched her back and tilted her hips up for a better angle as he started to thrust. "Damn, Gar."
It seemed that being drunk hadn't really fogged her memories too much- this was just as good as the night before, maybe better. "Yes," she hissed, clenching her eyes shut. "Gods, yes!"
"That's right," Gar said, and he gripped one of her breasts rather dominantly as he straightened up a bit so he could thrust with more power.
She cried out and tossed her head back into the bed, her nails catching at his skin as her hands clenched down spasmodically. "You- oh my gods..."
She stared up at him through hooded eyes, a challenge in her eyes. "M-more, Gar."
Gar returned her challenging look with a grin.
"Turn over for me, then," he said.
"And I'll fuck you through the bed."
A delighted shiver ran through her and Isabeau nodded eagerly, pulling away from him so she could roll onto her stomach and lift her hips back toward him.
Isabeau turned over, and Gar was quick to give her a greedy spank, squeezing her buttock quite roughly as he oriented himself for entry. In a single thrust, he buried himself to the hilt inside of her, and then he angled himself so he thrusted downwards as he started to pound her.
"Ah- fuck!" Isabeau's hands clenched in the sheets and she rocked her hips back against him. "G-gods above, how-? I can feel you!"
One hand moved to press against her belly, where it almost felt like she could feel him moving inside her. Quickly though her fingers traveled south so she could pass her fingers over her clit, stroking against him gently every so often.
At her obsorvation, Gar only fucked her harder, looping an arm around her hips so he could pull her into him as he moved, the other hand squeezing her ass again. It seemed that Gar was a rougher lay when he was sober.
He adjusted the angle so that it was sharper, and in fact, she would be able to feel a small bulge in time with his thrusting.
She was certainly no stranger to Gar's rather rough nature, and wasn't exactly surprised in how it translated in bed. In fact, she found herself relishing in the opportunity to surrender control- odd, she would have thought she'd feel differently about it.
Isabeau mewed in pleasure as the angle deepened and he started to essentially fuck her into the bed. "Holy hell... D-don't stop, gods!"
And just as Isabeau was content to surrender control, Gar was content to take it. He spanked her again, harder this time, and he sped up, each collision of their hips heralded by a lewd slapping noise.
"Gods, I love this ass!"
The second spank got a soft squeal out of her and she wriggled underneath him a bit. "You'd better," Isabeau panted, trying to be playful but rather breathless. "It's a nice ass." She paused, then added almost hesitantly, "And you seemed rather fascinated with it last n-night-"
Then he was driving into her again and she groaned. "Oh, fuck me!"
"How could I not have been? I was piss drunk and it was just--"
He punctuated his words by spreading her buttocks ever wider and plunging harder.
"--There!"
His arms reached past her hips and he gripped her breasts, effortlessly pulling her up off the bed just slightly as he took total control.
She nearly screamed, managing to swallow the sound and turn it into a keening moan as he slammed into her and lifted her off the bed. She was pretty much helpless to do anything but buck back against him.
Her hands moved over his to urge on his touch, marveling a moment again just at how large he was. "Fuck, Gar, I'm gonna-" She bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut as the tension coiled tight in her body threatened to snap with every move he made.
"Gonna?"
he drew all the way back, almost leaving her, before slamming home. He was taking zero mercy on her.
Now Isabeau did scream, clawing at the mattress beneath her as she went tumbling over the edge. "Oh gods, oh gods!" Shivers wracked her frame and her arms shook just with the effort it took to hold herself up.
Gar just ground against her, enjoying every second as her orgasm squeezed him powerfully. He put a hand on her back and pushed her down, cocking her ass ever higher as he resumed the punishment.
"I'm close!"
She could do little more than nod tiredly and continue to take it, rocking back against him weakly with what little energy she had left. "Just- let go," she panted. "Give me everything, please..."
And just like that, he gave her everything. He came, filling every last bit of her as he buried himself to the root and spilled his seed inside of her.
Isabeau cried out again, back arching and hips pressing back into him firmly. Then she collapsed to the bed, panting and sated.
She looked back over her shoulder with a tired smile. "Yeah. Definitely as good as I remembered," she murmured softly.
Gar grinned at that, and he remained looming over her, passing a hand over the generous flesh of her ass and thigh.
"Same here," Gar said.
He stayed like that for a few moments more before he let himself down next to her, the bed creaking and bending under his weight.
"We should get going soon, we've got to find a few recruits," Gar said. He turned over slightly and put an arm around her.
"But not now."
"Not now," Isabeau agreed on a blissfully sleepy sigh. She twisted so she could lay facing him and smiled. One hand reached up to rest against his chest lightly and she gave her head a little shake. "Gods. I never thought..."
She shook her head again and laughed softly, tucking herself a little closer to him. Her arms went around him- at least, as much as they could- and she sighed again happily. "We are staying here as long as possible," she informed him bluntly.
"No objections to that," Gar said, laying a large hand over her hip.
"Never thought what? That Old Gar could make you squeal?"
She laughed, then admitted, "Well, yes actually. I mean- I never really thought about it before, y'know?"
Smirking, she butted her head up under his chin as she settled herself more comfortably against him. "I suppose if I had though...well, I'm not sure even I could imagine that."
Gar chuckled at that. His other hand stroked her head rather tenderly. Yeah, Gar was a pretty shameless cuddler.
And then, more bluntness of tongue.
"When we were drunk, did I finger your ass?"
Isabeau was perfectly content to be petted- it was actually a sort of guilty pleasure of hers. Her half-closed eyes snapped open though when he spoke again.
"I, uh...yeah? Ahem." She found herself flushing slightly, not so much at the memory itself, but more at the fact that she had...well, liked it.
Gar saw her blush and he grinned. His hand squeezed her ass.
"Reckon I could wager you liked it."
Her instinct was to go on the defensive, even for something as trivial as Gar's teasing. "So?" she grumbled into his chest. "Apparently quite a few people...like it."
She huffed, embarrassed but unwilling to admit it, and shoved his shoulder gently.
Gar grinned just a bit wider, but he fell silent, knowing that Isabeau didn't take well to teasing. Instead, he resumed petting her.
"Kinda wanna fuck again."
The petting elicited a soft purr, then she laughed quietly. "Really? Already?" She propped herself up on her elbows and smirked at him. "Sure you can keep up with me, old man? That last round was just a warmup." Her eyes glinted playfully at him.
"Oh, I can keep up. It's you who needs to watch yourself."
Gar pulled her a bit closer and gave her neck a nibble.
"You gotta be able to walk later today."
"Mmmph." Pleasant little tingles ran down her spine and her smirk widened as she tilted her head back to give him better access to her neck. "Says who? Maybe I'll just make you carry me around."
She twisted her head to kiss his jaw just below his ear, adding with a chuckle, "Wouldn't be that odd- I'm the crazy lady captain, yeah?"
"Can't exactly say no if you order me," Gar said, almost as if he was egging her on to do just that. The hand that had been on her hip slipped downwards and one of his thick fingers sank into her warmth.
"We're gonna break the bed if we keep up like this."
Isabeau moaned delightedly, though she managed to control her volume somewhat this time. "Yeah...probably," she murmured as she looked up at him through her lashes.
Then her arms were around his neck and she was kissing him fiercely, rocking her hips demandingly against his hand. "Don't care," she mumbled into the kiss. "I'll sleep on the floor."
"Before we start, I got one last question," Gar said, and he added a second finger, pumping her rather powerfully as his teeth grazed her lips.
"Where in the Seven Hells did you learn to deephthroat?"
She gasped and her hands clutched at his shoulders tighter. "I- mmm... You boys aren't the only ones who have fun on shore leave," she panted lightly.
Her head fell back again and she unconsciously spread her legs a little wider in encouragement of his attentions.
Gar smiled at her words and he sprewd her legs just that bit wider. He moved his hips up, the head of his stiff cock pressing against her entrance like a rock. He teased her like that for a moment, pushing but not yet entering, before he pierced her in earnest and filled her to her cervix.
"Gonna fuck the shit out of you," He snarled.
"Gods- fuck!" Isabeau threw her head back as he finally rammed home, her whole body giving an involuntary shudder.
Voice raspy, she taunted, "Is that so?" her eyes daring him to do just that.
Gar pulled her close, adjusting himself inside of her and grinding. Teasing her even as he was inside her. He turned her onto her side and pressed her legs together to make it even tighter and then started to move. He bucked into her quite powerfully, skipping the buildup.
"Yes." Eyes half shut, she arched back into him and reached back to grab his hand, pulling it forward to cup her breast.
"Gods, just don't stop doing that," she breathed raggedly as her hips rocked back against him.
Gar gave her ass a spank and a squeeze, claiming her with every stroke. He dipped forwards and he kissed her, other hand squeezing her breast aggressively.
Isabeau whimpered and kissed him back fiercely. She propped herself up on one elbow to press herself closer. Her whole body shuddered with every thrust and she groaned heatedly into the kiss.
Gar bit Isabeau's lip as he plunged into her.
He straightened up, gripping her by the hips and thrusting into her, pulling like she was a doll and weighed nothing to him. He squeezed the flesh of her thighs and hips, addicted to the feeling.
Soft, gasping cries fell from her lips and she felt her spine arch as he constantly pressed against that oh-so-sensitive place inside her.
"Gar..." She moved one hand to cover his, gripping tightly. "Fuck, how- h-how-?" Her voice cut off in a groan and she relaxed into his grip, really starting to love how easily he held her.
And the more she surrendered, the more he dominated. It was likely that even if she wanted to resist him moving her, such was his raw strength that she wouldn't even have been able to. In the same vein, he wasn't rough or harsh with movements, just powerful.
He knew just where to hit her with his pounding, and once he found that angle, there was no mercy.
"Oh- oh, oh!" Isabeau moaned loud enough for the sound to echo off the wooden walls of the cabin. "There, right there. Oh gods, gods, gods!"
She gasped and writhed against him as much as she could, more or less at his mercy as he took her.
He was just so big compared to her, it was like he completely enclosed her. She teetered on the brink, crying out his name and begging for release.
Gar pushed himself to go faster at her behest, drawing back until he'd nearly left her before he slammed his hips into hers, filling her over and over as he repeated that. His mouth dipped down to bite her nipple, and after a few more moments, he caught his crest and filled her with his deluge of seed.
Isabeau thought she might have actually blacked out for a second. By the time she was able to actually make sense of the world around her, she was lying limp and spent beneath Gar, panting quietly as she stared up at him.
"C'mere," she murmured, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. This was much gentler than their furious lovemaking, a kiss simply for the sake of touch. "Gods, Gar that- that was incredible," she breathed against his lips.
"Damn straight it was," Gar murmured against her lips as she kissed him. Even as they kissed, he kept their hips pressed together, all too reluctant to leave her confines, keeping her filled to the brim with his cock and seed.
He looked down at her, parting their lips a bit, and he smiled.
"We're gonna keep fucking, right?"
Izzie laughed and nipped at his thrtoat playfully. "Hey, I'm game if you are, Grandpa," she teased with a wicked smirk and a challenge glinting in her eyes.
"Pah. Grandpa," Gar said, and he shook his head, drawing back to give Isabeau a single, powerful thrust.
"Willing to bet this grandpa's fucked you better than any young buck."
He drew his hands down her legs, bringing them up against his sides, and he gave her flesh a possessive squeeze.
"Wanna go for a ride?"
Even that one thrust knocked a gasp from her lips and made her shiver deliciously. "Ready when you are," she quipped back as she hugged him to her body with her legs. With a lopsided smirk, she added, "Not sure I can move you on my own, big guy, y'hafta help me out."
"Right away," Gar said, and he lifted her clean off the table like she was a feather, and sat right down on her bed. The way he held her, he didn't even leave her confines in the process.
Isabeau gasped quietly, then let herself settle on his lap and looped her arms lazily around his shoulders.
"Y'know, I never would've thought I'd like that so much," she murmured as she began rocking her hips gently. "You picking me up so easy and all. Just don't go making a habit of it," she added with mock severity, grinding down against him as her lashes fluttered.
"I'll behave," Gar said. He dipped forwards to take her nipple in his mouth, catching it in his teeth.
"But in here? You're mine."
He lifted her up and brought her down, burying himself in her to the very base. Before he stuck with that angle and kept going.
"Could fuck you all day."
"Yes." Her lashes fluttered and she groaned. "I'm yours," she agreed quietly, much more easily than she would have though of herself.
Then he was lifting her again as though she weighed nothing and she gasped as her hips crashed into his. A soft moan bubbled past her lips and she leaned in to catch his lips in a harsh kiss.
"Well...we have a few more hours, at least," she gasped out in reply as pleasant little shivers traveled her spine.
He brought her down a few more times before he held her and pressed, grinding himself against the very deepest parts of her. He parted their lips, and leaned back, grinning the whole way as he propped himself up on his elbows.
"Ain't expecting me to do all the work, are ya?"
Isabeau gasped, then almost whimpered at the sudden distance between them, too dazed to quite realized what had happened. She caught up quickly though and tilted her head at Gar.
"No, I suppose that would be unfair," she drawled. She leaned over him to pepper kisses along his collar, then sat back abruptly to grind her hips into his. She started slow, building speed and power as she rocked atop him.
Gar clapped a hand onto her thigh as she rode him, letting her move under her own power as he let his head fall back.
"Just like that..."
She sort of smirked down at him, rather unable to help herself. "You like this," she teased lightly. "Who'd have thought big old Gar liked being ridden?"
Gar returned her smirk.
"Who'd have thought that you liked being on the bottom?" he retorted, and the hand on her thigh travelled up her side to grip her breast.
"'sides, view's amazing from here."
Isabeau gave a shuddering breath and dipped her head to kiss his hand on her breast. "It's nice not to- have to be captain," she admitted quietly, eyes shimmering at him.
The shimmer turned to a wicked glint and she tilted her head. "Glad you like the view. Not so bad from up here either," she teased. One hand slide down his chest to his hip, then traveled up her own thigh to her core. She mewled quietly and spread herself wide so he could see his length disappearing inside her as she moved.
His eyes drawn to the show she was giving, Gar continued to just roll his hips up into hers as she rode, the enjoyment clear as day on his face.
"Harder, Izzy!"
A little short of breath now, Isabeau drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she followed his urging and started slamming her hips into his. She tossed her head back with a low moan and gripped his hips hard enough that her nails bit into his skin.
[Isabeau said they had a couple of hours, so do you want to timeskip a few hours ahead to when they're about to head into town?]
"Atta girl," Gar said, loving how his cock speared up into her with every downward motion of her hips. Suddenly, he winced, and grapped her hips, pressing her down as he reasserted control.
"Coming!"
[Sounds good to me, next post?]
"Gods, yes!" Her back arched and her lips parted in a soft cry as she clamped down around him.
A small gasp escaped her as she came down from the high and collapsed against his chest. "That- you..." she gave up on words and settled for peppering kisses over his face.
When she clamped, his release came yet again, and this time, with no more space left inside of her, it seeped from where they were connected. Even as she gave him kiss after kiss, Gar's hand reached around to tease her unoccupied hole.
------------
It had been several hours with a little bit extra. The small cabin smelled like sex and sweat, and one would be hard-pressed to find a surface that didn't play host to their mutual writhings. Gar had finally tuckered out, and while he wasn't quite asleep, he was content to lightly snooze on his back, Isabeau pressed tightly to him and held there by a powerful arm. They were both quite the sight.
Isabeau yawned lazily as she lay against him, quite content to remain their for the foreseeable future.
At least until she remembered she had a ship to run. Damnit.
Her eyes flicked up to Gar's face and she bit her lip. Honestly, her first mate had to be as tired as she was, especially after...all that. Maybe she could just let him sleep, clean herself up a bit and run the errands that needed running before the day was out.
Carefully as she could, she attempted to disentangle herself from him, trying not to focus on the loss of warmth and the disagreeable way it made her shiver.
Had Gar been a normal man, he might've noticed her slipping away, but with size came certain disadvantages, and she was able to get away from him with nary a stir on his part.
Isabeau let out a quiet breath when she managed not to wake him and tiptoed to the small washbasin she kept constantly full in her cabin. A little weatherwitching went a long way on a ship, and she'd rather be teased for being too clean than fall sick because she didn't wash.
She scrubbed herself as clean as she could manage and pulled on some more subdued clothes, hopefully something that would go unnoticed in a crowd. One last glance back at her bed when she reached the door and she smiled a bit to herself, then slipped out.
About ten minutes after Isabeau had made herself scarce, Gar finally stirred awake, more from the sea breeze tickling against his skin than anything else. He yawned and sat up, passing a hand over his right shoulder, which bore some scratches. Smiling to himself, he sat up from the creaky bed and made use of Isabeau's washbasin to make himself at least somewhat presentable.
He got his clothes back on and stepped outside of her cabin, glancing about to see if he could spot her on the ship.
The captain was leaning out over the starboard rail, watching the bustling crowds of the port. She started slightly when she heard that telltale, heavy tread and glanced over with a small smile.
"Figured I'd wait a minute, see if you wanted to help scrounge up some extra hands." Her lips curved into a smirk and she added, "Course I understand if you're too ticketed out. I have that effect."
"Well, dragged myself outta bed, didn't I?" Gar said, leaning on the rail next to her.
"Reckon we need three new hands. One to fill the opening, two temporaries to make up for the lads in the doctor's," Gar said.
After a few moments of silence, he looked to her.
"An' are you meanin' to tell me you ain't feelin' the least bit "ticketed," Izzy?"
She nodded, already calculating the pay of new hands, temporary and not, then glanced over at him with a short laugh and a roll of her eyes.
"The captain in me says not a whit," she informed him blithely. Winking, she added, "The woman, however, wouldn't mind you carrying me about port the rest of the day."
She leaned up on her toes to kiss him- she could still only reach his neck- and added, "Mostly so's I could do stuff like that."
Eyes glinting, she leaned away and nodded toward the gangplank. "C'mon then, let's get to work."
Almost instinctively, his hand went to Izzy's side, finding he actually didn't care if someone spotted them getting affectionate.
Returning those glinting eyes of hers with a knowing grin, he stepped past her and down the gangplank, waiting for her at the bottom.
Isabeau chuckled quietly and followed him down. She rather wished she could be a bit more touchy, more affectionate, but it would probably be best that she maintained a professional air for the time being.
"Alright, crew will be straggling back home in a couple hours, so that's the time we're working with," she muttered, running her hand through her hair.
"Should be easy enough to rustle up some volunteers," Gar said. Now that he'd experienced every inch of her, it was hard to reign in his natural ogrish tendencies to put his arm around her or otherwise denote her as nobody else's but his.
It didn't help that she was stunningly beautiful.
"You know, I'm actually feeling a little limber. Been a bit of a dry spell fer me," he said, in a slightly lower voice.
Isabeau chuckled and had to stop herself from leaning into his side the way she wanted to. "I...may know what you mean. It's been...longer than I care to admit," she murmured.
She gave herself a mental shake and glanced up at him sidelong. "What's say we get to work, huh? Gets us back to the ship faster." She nodded toward a tavern not too far down the street- convenient distance from the port.
Gar shot her a grin, but he let it fade away and returned his sight to the path ahead. When they arrived at the tavern, he entered ahead of her.
The interior went a bit quieter at Gar's entrance. The ogre was known amongst the pirates for his position on the legendary Poison Storm, and also for the sole fact that he was the only mountain ogre in the business.
As he held the door open for Isabeau, he scanned the tavern for an empty table.
"Why thank you." Isabeau chuckled and nodded at Gar as she walked through the door, head high and a definitely purposeful swing to her hips.
"Oi, cap'n, Gar. Over 'ere."
She smiled at the call and moved toward the table where Crag seemed to have set up shop. "You been here all this time?" she laughed, unconsciously gravitating toward her first mate as she waited for him to take his seat first.
"Smart lad. Less of a distance to crawl when you get shit-faced," Gar said, and he moved to join Crag at his table, ever careful to find a seat that looked the least damaged.
Oh, he'd noticed that Isabeau was keeping close, he'd decided to just be professional about it.
At least for now.
Crag laughed and toasted them with a half full mug. "Ya here to scope out perspectives, yeah?" He nodded toward a group of men laughing and playing some sort of dice game. "That lot's lookin' for work, from what I heard. Maybe not the most reliable, but we can always dump at the next port."
"We do just need the hands," Izzie mused as she looked the men over. "But I don't like the idea of them getting underfoot on my ship." She tilted her head and without looking asked, "Gar?"
"Maybe," he said.
He looked to Isabeau.
"They might not be the best, but under my eye, I can make them worth their salt," he said with a shrug.
"I believe that," Isabeau chuckled and Crag snorted.
"Ya want I should go give them the good news?" he asked with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow.
Izzie grinned impishly. "Aye, I don't mind. I love the looks in the new ones faces when they find out the captain's a woman."
She stood and arched her back, glancing at Gar. "You're welcome to stay, but I've got to see about gettin' the old girl touched up a bit before we're out on the water again."
"I'll see to the provisions, then," Gar said, and he gave Crag an approving nod before standing up, eyeing Isabeau in a way that'd be obvious to her but not anyone else as she arched her back.
"I'll see you when I get back, cap'n," Gar said, shooting Isabeau a knowing smile.
She had to fight a blush- and a sudden urge to bite his lower lip- and nodded in what she hoped was a professional manner.
"A few hours then." She turned and left.
It didn't take long to find someone to do minor repairs on the ship. Haggling his price down took a bit longer, but she was back on the deck of her ship about an hour before sunset.
They'd have to wait another day before setting sail, but she'd rather they be delayed than have the Storm fall apart underneath them.
Gar's duties took a tad longer, as going around the market and finding the best suppliers was always a tedious process. However, with some clever haggling, he was able to account for the reprovisioning of the Storm and be back on board by the time the sun was dipping down below the horizon. While he was out, he'd also run into a few of the boys and told them to spread the word that the ship was going to be staying an extra day for repairs.
As he stepped back up onto the deck of the ship, he made his way up to the helm and leaned on the railing in front of the wheel and stared out towards the ocean, watching the waves, turned amber by the sun's light, lap against the port.
"Hey." Isabeau had swung her way down from the rigging to land beside Gar, head tilted slightly and a small smile on her face. "We're in port for another day, but I think the old gal is worth the upkeep, yeah?"
"I'd hate to see her go down because of a neglected hole," Gar said, and after glancing about to make sure they were the only ones on deck, he turned to Isabeau, letting his hand rest on her hip as he talked.
"Gives us more time, too."
"Oh?" She widened her eyes innocently. "That thought hadn't occurred to me." She tapped her lip, tossing him a quick wink before sashaying sways from his hand toward the door that led belowd deck towards the cabins.
Yeah, she had him wrapped around her finger, but at that moment, with his eyes stuck on her rear, Gar didn't care. As she swayed her way below deck, Gar followed, and once they were by their lonesome, he pulled her in for a hungry kiss.
"Mm!" Izzie chuckled against his lips. "Holding that one in, huh?" she teased when they broke apart for a moment. Her hands trailed up and down his sides and she took a few steps back toward her door to her cabin.
"I told the boys they've got another night in town," she purred quietly.
It ain't just a kiss that I'm holding in," Gar said, and he closed the door behind them as they stepped into her cabin.
"Can't wait to spend another whole night between your legs."
"A whole night, huh?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, having to rock onto her tiptoes to do so. "Sure you can live up to that?" she goaded playfully.
"Lived up to it the last time, didn't I?" Gar retorted, trailing his hands down her side, caressing her through her clothing.
Once again, he lifted her effortlessly and sat her down at the edge of the table and went in for a kiss.
"I know you been waitin' for it," he added against her lips.
Izzie shivered and kissed him back hungrily. "Maybe," she admitted, trailing her hands down his back and arching her spine to lean against him.
Gar smiled, gripping her thighs with his massive hands as they continued to make out.
"I've been waitin' too."
"Good." Isabeau growled playfully and leaned back, bracing her hands on the table behind her. She quirked an eyebrow. "Come and get me then."
There was zero hesitation on Gar's part, quick to take up the space that she'd left for him. He shrugged off his vest, and looped his arms around her waist.
"Fraid my fingers're too big for yer buttons. Gimme a hand, wont'cha?"
She chuckled and lifted her hands to unbotton her top, shrugging out of it easily and tossing it aside. "Need help with the breast band too?" she teased, leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lower lip.
"Unless you want me to just rip it offa you," Gar said, managing to finagle the clasp on her breeches.
Isabeau laughed again and helped wriggle her breeches down to her knees. "I wouldn't mind seeing that," she murmured heatedly, tugging at his vest insistently.
"Hope you got a spare," he said. Gripping her breast band by the middle, he did just as promised, tearing her coverings off of her breasts and then going to shrug off his jacket. He leaned in to steal a few more kisses before he let his own pants drop.
"I'll make do," she laughed, lifting her legs to wrap around his waist and tug him closer. A soft moan of anticipation slipped passed her lips as she pulled him down to her for another heated kiss.
And Gar returned that kiss, gripping her ass rather possessively as he did so. He growled a bit, hardening up between the two of them as things just kept heating up.
Isabeau groaned quietly and rocked her hips forward almost unconsciously, seeking that heat and friction.
"We've still got too many clothes on," she muttered as her lips trailed over his jaw to his neck.
Gar thought that was a curious statement. Had she forgotten he didn't wear underclothing?
Her still covered sex rubbed against his hardening member, and just like with her breast band, he tore her panties clean off of her. He moved a bit closer, grinding his rock hard shaft against her clit.
"Mmm!" Isabeau tossed her head back, lips parted slightly. "That's...more like it," she panted, nails digging into his skin as she gripped his arms. Her hips rocked into him demandingly, lashes fluttering against her cheeks as she panted gently.
When she rocked her hips against him, she'd find his tip pressing against her entrance. With a hungry motion of his own, he rocked forwards, slipping his head into her. He kissed her hungrily and then, after a few moments of savoring, he moved again and sunk his entire length into her, their hips finally touching.
Isabeau groaned loudly and her back bowed into a deep arch. "Gods, yes!" Her legs tightened around his waist.
"Fuck! Gods, more Gar..."
Gar was quick to rock back and start moving, nipping Isabeau's lip. Placing a hand on her chest, he laid her down on the table, running his fingers down her lean belly as he ground and thrusted, savoring every delicious inch of her.
She shivered under his touch and her back arched as a small mew slipped passed her lips. Her own hands locked into his upper arms as she swayed under him with every move.
"Just- like that..." she breathed. Her eyes closed and she groaned, arching up into him as much as she could.
Gar maintained that pace, leaning down so tha the covered her, hands placed on the side of her head as they rutted. Sealing their lips together, he teased her other hole with his thumb.
"Mmph!" Isabeau jerked slightly, startled, but relaxed again quickly. Fuzzy, drink-addled memories of that first night trickled through her mind she her cheeks went rosy.
"Gar..." She swallowed, then muttered between kisses, "you just gonna tease?" Her legs tightened around his waist.
Gar lifted up a bit, grinning down at her. He gave one of her thighs a spank.
"Gonna have to let me out, then."
She mock pouted at him and sighed a reluctant, "Fiiine," as she let her legs slip down from around his waist.
A small flash of trepidation lit in her eyes suddenly and she cleared her throat. "I, um...keep in mind the size difference, yeah?" she muttered, face very red now.
"Always do," Gar said, and he eased himself out of her. He took his fingers to her sex, covering them in her juices and then applying it to her ass.
"Just let me know when you're good," he said, and through his outwards bravado, there shined a bit of genuine care for her when he stroked her neck and cheek with his free hand and leaned in to kiss her.
He shifted his hips, and he started to rub against her.
"R-right." She winced at the stutter, but they way he stroked her cheek made her suddenly forget the embarrassment. She blinked up at him, actually a little surprised by the tenderness of the gesture. Her lips parted into the kiss and she shifted her hips slightly to rub back against him.
"I, ah...ready?" Expecting pain, she twisted her head to hide her face against his neck.
"As I'll ever be," he said, and he put a hand on the back of her head, holding her to him as the other held on by the hips.
His member, slick with her fluids and a little of his own precum, started to push.
Isabeau tensed despite herself, hands clawing at his back. Then she forced herself to breathe and nodded slightly against his neck, telling him he could keep going.
Anxiety knotted her stomach, but there was another heat too, something new and unexplored that made her shiver against him.
Gar's mouth twitched downards when she clawed him, but when he felt her nod, he resumed movement, ears still wide open for any objections as he just kept sinking into her.
Her whole body gave a little jerk and she mewled against his skin, biting down on the curve of his shoulder. "G-gods- big," she gasped out, eyes tight shut.
But whether it was from his caution or the anticipation that was slowly rising in her chest, the pain she'd expected never really came. There was certainly a burning sort of stretch, but it wasn't nearly as bad as she'd thought it would be.
Her lips curved into a small smile as she kissed his shoulder. "You can, ah, move. Just...slow?"
When their hips touched, Gar let out a breath, the sheer feeling of her leaving him speechless.
"Gentle as can be," Gar responded, giving his hips a slow, experimental roll before he repeated it.
"Fuck, so good..."
"Mmn..." Isabeau's head fell back. "Gods that's-." She gasped as he rolled his hips. "Different," she managed to pant after a moment. Cautiously, she rocked herself back onto his length a bit and squeaked, biting her lip.
"Can't help but notice..." Gar started, although he trailed off to give her a hungry kiss as he matched her rocking.
"That something's wiped that smirk of your face," he said, and he grinned a challenge to her, knowing what buttons to press.
Isabeau scowled at him. "Oh, now you're just asking for it," she growled. She rocked into him again, half swallowing a gasp while at the same time reaching down between them to cup him in her palm and apply just a bit of pressure.
She squeezed him, and she got just what she was looking for. He pushed himself a bit deeper and sped up by a notch. He turned her more onto her side, lifting one of her legs up against his chest as he switched angles on her, one hand around her knee while the other squeezed her ass.
"Oh!" She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes for a moment. "That's- mmm- that's good," she murmured, twisting her upper body so she could loop her arm around his neck and pull him down for a kiss.
Gar wrapped an arm around her hips, pulling her in to explore her mouth with his toungue just as much as she was pulling him. Now, they were making lewd noises whenever they collided, and Gar couldn't help but to move his other hand down between her legs to start pumping her sex with two of his fingers.
Isabeau keened and her hips jerked against him, rocking herself between his hand and his length. "G-gods, don't stop," she wailed before diving into another hungry kiss. She nipped at his lip, breathing shallow.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Gar said, fingers going deeper as his speed kept building.
"Not gonna stop until every last inch of you's been stuffed with my dick."
Another moan vibrated in her chest and her head fell back with a sharp gasp. Her body clenched and spasmed around him as she felt herself climbing closer and closer to her peak.
"I-I'm close. Gar, please, j-just a little more," she gasped.
"Come," he growled, nipping her neck as he pushed harder. Giving her one last kiss, he turned her fully onto her belly, thrusting down into her.
As he turned her she felt the first shocks of her climax grip her body and she cried out, muscles tensing and clenching down around him.
Gar kissed the back of her neck and collarbone, relishing her climax as he just ground his hips against her ass. Then, he sped up, his own climax approaching.
"O-oh! Gods damnit!" Her head fell forward and she gripped the edges of the table, knuckles going white. "Fuck, Gar," she gasped. "Fuck, fuck!"
Abruptly, Gar pulled out and speared her womanhood, making a few thrusts before his dam broke and he filled her to the womb with his seed.
"Izzy!"
Her back arched and she cried out, voice hoarse. Her hands tightened on the table, then abruptly let go as another climax washed through her in sudden waves.
She collapsed against the table, breathing raggedly.
Gar growled a bit more and lifted her. He slipped out of her in the process, but he carried her to her bed and laid on it, leaving her on top of him.
Isabeau shifted until she could lay on his chest with her arms folded, propping up her chin as she looked down at him. "Well. That was..."
Her voice was still a little breathless and she smiled sheepishly. "Different." She leaned in to peck his cheek, sliding herself up along his body.
Gar accepted the cheek kiss with a wry smile.
"I told you you're the best lay I've ever had, right?" Gar chuckled, and he helped her slide up his body. Then he pulled her just a bit closer so he could drag his teeth across her tit.
"You may have- mmm- mentioned something like that, yes," Isabeau practically purred as she arched into his attentions. Her eyes glimmered down at him. "Have I mentioned the feeling is very mutual?"
Her arms slid up to brace her palms on either side of his head, neck and breasts displayed invitingly open for him.
Gar took the invitation quite eagerly, mouth going to her neck as her breasts became subject to his hands. He squeezed and pressed her nipples, all while his tongue dragged against her neck.
Isabeau twisted and wriggled atop him, unable to help herself as each touch sent little zings of sensation arching through her body. "O-oh, oh, oh." She shifted, unconsciously rubbing herself against his torso in search of friction.
"Eager, aren't we?" she teased breathlessly. "Gonna eat me up, big scary ogre?"
"Not if you rub a hole through me first," Gar said, and he caught one of her nipples between his teeth as he grinned. He knead her nipple and then her breast with his jaws, hand drifting down her side.
"As for eating you? Just try me," Gar said.
She whimpered quietly and gave him a playful glare. "Try you? Really?" She shifted a little further up his body, resisting the urge to keep rubbing herself on him like a cat in heat.
This would probably be embarrassing later.
"Whatcha gonna do, sailor?" she teased quietly, eyes glinting a challenge.
Quite the goader, Gar pressed her hips down, rubbig her against him when she stopped doing it of her own volition.
"Well, if you slide up close enough, I can eat my fill."
Heat shot straight to her core and she licked her lips as she stared down at him. Lips parted slightly, she inched her way up along his body until she hovered above him, all but straddling his face.
Her hands slid back to brace her palms against his chest behind her and she tilted her head, smirking slightly as if to say, Well?
Gar pulled her down so that she was straddling his face. He had zero shame when it came to this, nuzzling into her heat and everything as his relatively massive tounge first swiped along her entrwnce before he went so far as to push it inside of her.
"Oh holy fuck!" Her hips twitched forward against him and she had to draw in a sharp breath at the suddenness of it. "Gods, that's good," she breathed in a blissful sigh.
Gar smiled against her, lolling his tounge about inside of her as he pushed, left her to lick along the outside, and pushed in all over again. At some point, his teeth grazed her clit, since he could open his mouth and pretty much cover her sex with it!
"Oh gods!" She yelped and jerked her hips against him again, though she quickly attempted to regain some control and not start riding his face.
"Ohhhh, so many men don't know how to do this right," she murmured, eyes half closed. "Remind me never to sleep with them again."
If she was trying to regain some control, Gar wasn't making it easy on her.
"You've got it, Izzy," he said, voice muffled by her body, and he resumed fucking her with his toungue.
"Shhhiiit!" Her hips bucked against him without her conscious consent. "Oh fuck, Gar. More, please- just a little more..."
She was toeing the edge now, little shivers running through her.
He gave her more and then some. He lapped the broad side of his tongue against her, slowly at first, but once he had the motion down, he got much faster.
"Ah, ah, ah-ahhh!" Uncaring of her own volume, Isabeau through her head back and arched her spine as she came against him, shuddering desperately.
Her body went limp and she fell forward to grab the headboard for support, still shivering and mewling with the little aftershocks of pleasure.
Gar let his head rest back, appreciating the view as Isabeau caught her breath above him.
"Gonna return the favor?"
She smiled down at him a little breathlessly. "Sir, yes, sir."
With a jaunty little mock salute, she wriggled her way back down his body, making sure to drag as much off herself across his length as she could before she paused with her lips hovering over him, eyes on his face as she smirked.
Gar was more than content to see Isabeau leave a wet trail down his body, and as she slicked him up and got ready for him, he returned that very same expectant look she gave him when she had her turn.
"Can I see some tits, too?"
"Oh?" She tilted her head and leaned forward so she could lift her breasts and press them around him. "Like this?" Her tongue flicked out to tease his head and she gave a little rock up his length and back down.
"Like that," Gar mirrored, nudging his hips upwards a little to press himself against her lips.
"A man could get lost in those tits of yours," Gar said, letting his head rest back.
She smiled and kissed the tip of him. "Go ahead and get lost then," she murmured before wrapping her lips around him and sucking gently. She rocked up and down his length at a steady pace as she kissed and licked teasingly.
Gar lightly grabbed a fistful of her bedsheets as she got to work, letting out a heavy sigh at the feeling. His cock twitched under her attention.
"More," he murmured.
She smirked and dipped her head to take more ofnhim in, breast still pressed firmly around him. Eyes locked on his face, she let her teeth drag lightly against him as she pulled back up, tongue leaving along behind the small scrape.
"There we go, just like that..."
When they fucked, Gar was usually the dominant party, but here, with him between her breasts and in her mouth?
He was like putty in her hands.
Isabeau just about purred around him and reached one hand down to cup his sack, massaging lightly. She bobbed her head down and took him deeper this time, teeth scraping gently along his length before she pulled abruptly back up to kiss and lick his head as her breasts hugged around him.
"Izzy," Gar sighed, and he brought a pillow close so he could watch her more comfortably.
"Just don't stop."
She smiled around him and continued her ministrations, bobbing lower with every pass and pressing her breasts around h as she suckled her way back up. She hummed softly, hoping the vibration would be welcome.
When she started humming, Gar nudged his hips upwards again, eager to get as much of himself as he could into the delicious sensation.
She chuckled around him and dipped down until her nose brushed the junction of his hips. She hummed again, holding his hips down for leverage.
And at that moment is when Gar couldn't hold his voice anymore. He let out what could've been a subdued groan as she pleased him perfectly.
"Gods, just keep on that. I'll be coming in no time," he murmured.
She chuckled again and continued her ministrations, increasing her efforts the more reaction she got from him.
His breathing went shallow, and he nudged his hips ever further, wanting to be as deep in her throat as possible.
Buckling down, Izzie took him in until he hit the back of her throat and she physically could go no further. She hollowed her cheeks and sucked, nails digging into his hips.
"Oh my gods, Izzy!" Gar said, placing a hand over his face.
"I'm gonna come!"
She mumbled something around him that might have been "Good", and sucked harder. Her tongue twisted around him like it had a mind of its own.
And then he came, probably the hardest he'd ever come in his life. His seed just kept coming, and coming, and coming.
Her eyes widened as she was forced to swallow again and again. Finally she just couldn't do it anymore and pulled back, allowing his seed to splatter her chest and collar as she gasped.
Gar released something between a death rattle and an incredibly satisfied sigh, letting himself sprawl out as his dick went soft between her seed-stained breasts.
"Absolute heaven," Gar said, staring at the ceiling.
Isabeau laughed and slowly crawled back up his body, smearing them both with his seed. "Good." She kissed him, long and slow.
Gar kissed back, hands clapping right onto her ass. He met her eyes, and gave her a stiff spank.
"Sloppy seconds?"
She chuckled and nodded, teasing, "If you're up for it."
"I'll be up for it, just give me a minute," Gar said, wrinkling his nose a bit at the smell of all that seed on her. Despite the smell, however, he found it incredibly hot.
Isabeau rolled her eyes and chuckled. "We so need a bath after this," she muttered, dragging a finger through the mess on her chest and wrinkled her nose.
"Yeah, after," Gar murmured, and he kissed her, slowly and passionately, and he reached down to stroke his still-hardening cock.
"First your snatch, then your throat. Next, I'm gonna fill your ass..."
A shiver ran down her spine. "Oh really?" She mock pouted at him. "But maybe the rest of me will feel lonely." One hand cupped his cheek while the other reached down so she could stroke two fingers over herself, sighing in pleasure.
"Just ride it, then," Gar retorted, his hand joining hers at her slit.
"Don't matter what hole, you fuck like a goddess either way."
Isabeau groaned quietly and rocked herself gently against his hand. "What do you want?" she murmured, lashes fluttering. "Gods, Gar- I want to watch you fall apart again. You have no idea how sexy that was..."
She twisted her hand to grip his wrist, trying to angle his fingers so she could slip them inside her.
She didn't need to do much angling to get those fingers in her, and it wasn't long before he straightened them out and put them in her to the knuckle.
"I want you to make me fall apart again. Over and over."
That drew another groan from her and she bucked her hips in an effort to find a deeper angle for his fingers. One hand braced on his hip while the other reached back to wrap her fingers around his length and pump slowly.
"Fill me again?" she whispered, staring at him through hooded eyes.
"In a heartbeat," Gar said, and he angled his cock so that it dragged across her ass and slit, leaving the hed to rest against the warmth of her sex.
"Go ahead. I know you want my seed filling you to the womb."
Isabeau's lips parted and she swallowed thickly before pulling his fingers from her heat and sliding down on him. A long, low sigh escaped her, a sound almost of relief.
"All of me," she rasped put. Her hand wrapped around his wrist again, guiding his fingers to her ass. "Fill all of me."
Gar rocked his hips up, coming to a slamming stop against her farthest reaches, even as he started to pump her ass with his fingers like it was her womanhood.
Her head fell back and she gave a stuttering cry, shivering as her body spasmed slightly around him. "Oh gods," she breathed. Her hands drifted to his hips and gripped tightly. "I-I- gods yes."
Her eyes lit on his, glinting. "Fuck me like it's the last chance you'll get," she breathed. Her hips bucked, rocking herself between his cock and his fingers.
"I will," Gar murmured, fingers plunging deeper into her even as his thrusting sped up.
"But you've gotta fuck me just as hard."
Isabeau nodded quickly and rocked her hips into his hard enough that she felt him slam to a stop inside her. A cry tore from her lips and she clenched her eyes shut as she repeated the motion, spearing herself on him in thrusts that were almost punishing, again and again.
"Yes!" Gar said, voice caught between a moan and a grunt, and everytime their hips met it was with force that would doubtlessly leave both of their hips bruised. He added another finger to her ass.
"Fuck me!"
"Oh gods!" Her rhythm stuttered as he added another finger, then picked up with renewed force. "Fuck, fuck!"
She leaned over him to kiss his chest, dragging her lips and tongue over the tattoos that decorated his body. "I'm gonna fuck you 'til you can't see straight."
"Agh! Fuck me 'till I'm blind, I don't give a shit!" Gar said, writhing beneath her. He was drunk on her losing all sense of shame or propriety as they devolved into a wild rut.
"Fuck- Gar, you- gods!" Forming a coherent sentence seemed to be too difficult, so she settled for slamming her hips into his with bruising force and grinding down, then pulling back to fuck herself on his hand before repeating the motion.
She could feel her body stretching and clenching around him as she rutted wildly atop him in a mad, animalistic heat.
Gar fucked her harder with his fingers, curling them upwards and jerking his hand erratically.
He brought his mouth up to kiss her, biting her lip and invading her mouth with his tounge.
Isabeau gasped, then screamed as she suddenly came and came hard, legs tightening around his hips and tongue clashing desperately with his as she threw herself into the kiss.
"O-oh...again," she pleaded, voice rasping and hoarse. "Gods please, do that again!"
"Oh, you mean this?" Gar said, repeating the motion with his fingers, except even more intensely.
"Let me outta you, and I'll put something even better in there."
She cried out and her back arched. "Y-yes. That."
She quickly scrambled off of him and twisted into her belly, raising her hips invitingly as she looked back at him over her shoulder, lips parted and eyes smoldering.
And with equally smoldering eyes, Gar rose up onto his knees, clapping his hands onto her ass and spreading her wide, giving her a few teasing prods and rubs with his cock before he oriented himself and pushed in.
Isabeau arched her back and mewled, desperately starting to rub herself against the sheets beneath her. "Yes, gods yes," she gasped. "Oh gods, just keep fucking me..."
"Don't bother asking me," Gar said, and after he found that perfect angle he just started to pound her. He drew her hips up so that she was stretching like a cat, arms looped around her hips and both hands attending her slit, one of them rubbing her clit while three fingers slipped into her womanhood to repeat that curling trick.
"Gonna come," he snarled.
"A-ah, ahh!" She could barely move, her whole body trembling violently under his attentions. "Come!" she wailed with a sharp buck of her hips.
A particular thrust had him pressing down inside her, she almost felt like his fingers and cock might touch inside her body. The sensation was enough to send her over the edge, calling his name hoarsely.
That angle wasn't lost on Gar (because he'd felt it as well!) and he sped up, ravaging her at that same angle at a blistering speed for a few more moments before his deluge came, and he fired several spurts into her recesses before he pulled out and fired, doing to her ass and lower back what he'd done to her chest and collar.
Before he had a chance to soften up again, he put his cock right back into her ass.
"Gods, it's not enough!"
"Mmn!" Her body jerked and she gasped. "G-Gar-" She moaned and pressed her face into the bed, biting down on the edge of a pillow.
"Will it ever be enough?" she gasped out, trying to tease.
"Do you ever want it to be enough?" Gar retorted, and even if he'd tried to avoid it, he'd gone soft inside of her.
"I think I need to catch my breath. I'm sailin' at half mast down here," he said, although he didn't leave her.
She chuckled quietly and pulled away from him so she could roll on her back and face him. "That's alright." She reached up and pulled him down for a long, deep kiss, rocking her hips gently to rub her sex up and down along his length.
"What can I do to get us sailing again?" she murmured teasingly.
"Why don't ya surprise me," Gar said, and he bit her neck, leaving an ogre-sized hickey on it.
"Ya seem to know your way around the rigging."
Isabeau squeaked at the bite and twisted to offer more of her neck.
"Hmm." She licked her lips, considering. "I'm gonna try something." She reached her hand down to pump him a few times, then slipped his length inside her. It was definitely strange, without him being fully hard, and she shifted her hips as she tried to acclimate to the feeling.
"Good?" she asked a little shyly, rocking her hips again and working her inner muscles to squeeze him gently.
Gar sighed at the feeling, taking her up on her offer and dragging his teeth along her neck. Soft like he was, he was more sensitive, and the entry (and subsequent squeezings) had him making small noises.
"Amazing," he replied.
She smiled. "Good." Her hips ground up against his gently and she twisted her head to pepper a few kisses along his throat up to his jaw. She slid her hand down to where they were connected and circled a finger around her clit, moaning softly.
Gar found himself enjoying the slow, gentle movements, and he slowly parted his lips against hers as he gently rocked his own hips in time with her.
He twitched, and started to harden up inside of her, slowly pressing against her walls as he grew.
"Mm- oohhhh, that's different." Isabeau swallowed and pressed a soft kiss to his lower lip. "Good different, but definitely...different," she murmured as she ground up into him a little more forcefully.
Her mouth returned to his and she flicked her tongue out to trace his lips.
"Let's take it a bit slower," Gar said, and after she was done grinding, he cocked his hips back until his head had nearly left her and then slowly pushed back in.
He caught her tongue with his own, kissing her deeply.
Oh gods yes.
Her toes curled and she lifted her hips up into his, trying to match his pace. "Slow...is good," she groaned out before kissing him back, sucking on his bottom lip.
"Sometimes," Gar started, and he pushed into her softly, stopping to grind before he found his rhythm and stuck to it.
"You just gotta let the currents take ya," he said, and when she finished sucking on his lip, he kissed her jaw.
Isabeau let herself relax back into the bed under him and closed her eyes with a soft hum of contentment. "I think I like that philosophy," she murmured, curling her fingers in his hair as he kissed her jaw and giving a small, shivering sigh of pleasure.
"It's kept me alive so far," Gar said, giving her a small grin before his mouth descended to her breast, hands one hand planted by her head while the other one cradled the back of her head.
"And I'm glad for that," Isabeau chuckled before her breath hitched and she slid her hand down to knead lightly at his shoulders, the other tracing the outline of the tattoo on his arm. Her hips still rolled in a slow, steady rhythm beneath him, soft gasps drawn from her lips every once in a while at a particular angle or when his length dragged against her clit.
He caught her nipple in his teeth, and just kept digging her out at a slow, forceful pace. He noticed her tracing his tattoo, and he smiled, dipping down to kiss her.
"Maybe I'll get one of you," he said.
She whimpered quietly and arched her back just a bit as tingles of sensation shot through her breasts.
Her lips curved into a smile against his and she chuckled quietly. "Why, I'd be honored," she murmured teasingly between kisses, letting her hand slide up over his shoulder and then down to trace the Storm on his chest.
"Where would you want it?" Gar asked, and he spread her legs a bit wider.
He straightened up onto his knees, towering over her as he changed the angle.
"Just point."
"Nnng..." Isabeau tipped her head back and just reveled in the new angle for a moment before focusing back on Gar's face and smirking.
"Here." She curled up to pass two fingers across the strip of skin just above the base of his length. "And it'd just say property of the captain." Her hips gave a little buck and her eyes twinkled mischief at him.
Gar laughed, wincing a bit at her playful buck and giving her one of his own, drawing her legs up his torso, sharpening his angle dramatically.
"Sounds like a plan," he said, grinning.
"O-oh!" She gave a breathless laugh and hooked her ankles together behind his back. "Good. Just want to make sure it's known," she teased with a lopsided grin.
The new angle made her shiver agreeably and she found it was becoming harder to focus on their banter. She tightened her legs around him in an unconscious effort to pull him closer.
Pull hims closer she did, and the way he was, he could draw half of his length out and thrust back in, and he did so, hitting her with those short thrusts at an accelerated pace.
His hands drifted down to her breasts, where he squeezed them rather greedily.
Isabeau groaned and hissed, "Yes! Just like that, Gar," as she rocked her hips to meet his thrusts. She arched her back to press her breasts more firmly into his hands and looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes, licking her slightly parted lips.
When she licked her lips, Gar was tempte to lean in and kiss her, so he did just that, getting even closer and sealing his lips to hers as his pace got faster and faster.
She hummed against his mouth and let her tongue flick out to trace the curve of his upper lip. A moan rose up in her throat and she started to rock her hips to match his pace.
"Mmm...getting close," she panted lightly, nipping at his bottom lip.
"Come, then," Gar said plainly, nipping her lip in return.
"Get used to it, too, cuz I'm gonna have this dick in you all night long..."
That thought alone was almost enough to tip her over the edge and she drew in a harsh, shuddering gasp. Her hips stuttered against his and her hands clenched in the sheets before she gave two more insistent bucks and came with a soft cry, leaning up for a kiss as she did.
Gar kissed her as she climaxed, and he allowed her to wind down for once.
"Pick the position, Izzy," he said.
"Oh gods." She laughed breathlessly and pushed her curls back off her sweat-beaded forehead. "You really weren't kidding about all night."
How could he still be going? Maybe it was an ogre thing.
Head tilted slightly, she mused, "How do you feel about fucking me against a wall?"
Isabeau wasn't too far off from the mark. Ogres were known for their tenacity and endurance, and for all intents and purposes, Gar was designed for Ogre women!
"Lucky wall," Gar said with a smirk, and he picked her up off the bed, ignoring the fact that the seed covering a decent portion of her intimate areas stuck a little.
"You want to face me?" Gar asked, and he put her against the wall, pinning her there with his body and by holding her wrists against it.
Her breath hitched as he pinned her in place and she tilted her head back a bit to look up at him. It dawned on her that she was rather helpless in this position, and the thought sent a little jolt through her.
"Yes," she murmured. "Makes it easier to do this." She stretched up to kiss him.
Gar growled a bit into the kiss, and rolled his hips against her, dragging his tip against her folds for a few motions before he let one of her wrists go.
He oriented himself, and slid home to the very base, wrapping his now free arm around her waist as their hips met.
Isabeau gasped and arched up off the wall to bump her hips gently into his. She lifted one leg to hook her knee over his waist and purred against his mouth, rocking against him gently.
Taking advantage of her free hand, she looped her arm around his neck and buried her hand in his hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp.
The slow speed was nice, but after a certain point, Gar couldn't contain himself any more and he sped up drastically, dragging his teeth against her jaw as his hands squeezed greedily at whatever he could reach.
"Oh- oh fuck!" Isabeau gasped out. Her other leg wrapped around his waist, ankles hooking around the backs of his legs. Her nails clawed at his back and she twisted her head to nip at his ear, then sucked the lobe between her teeth with a playful growl.
"Oh fuck is right," Gar said with a grin as he started to ram into her as best he could, given the position.
"Feeling you come and squeeze my dick is the sexiest thing imaginable," he said against her neck, and then proceeded to leave another hickey there.
She groaned loudly, her head thumping against the wall as it fell back. "You- you keep that up and we'll get there real quick," she rasped out. She twisted her head to attack his neck with nips and kisses, leaving a few- smaller- marks of her own.
"That was the plan," Gar murmured.
It was his turn to bite at her ears, and when he did, he leaned in to growl in her ears.
"Next time I come, I want you to swallow it," He growled.
A shudder ran through her body and she groaned loudly, giving her hips a sharp buck in response.
"Aye aye, sir," she breathed, clutching at his shoulders and tightening her legs around his waist in little pulses.
He continued to devour her neck with kisses, the wall creaking against Isabeau's back from his effort.
Isabeau groaned and dug her nails into his back. "We're- we're gonna break my ship," she gasped playfully.
Gar smiled, giving her a few more rough pounds with his hips before he snarled into her ear. He gave her space to slide down onto her knees.
"Coming!"
Her back arched off the wall and she gasped harshly, then nodded, slipping away from him to kneel on the floor. Her hands gripped his hips and she wasted no time taking him in her mouth and bobbing down, suckling along his length.
Gar's reintroduction to the confines of Isabeau's mouth had him groaning for a few moments before he reached his peak and came buckets into her mouth, just like before.
This time Isabeau forced herself to swallow it all, wide eyes looking up at Gar from under her lashes. Her throat convulsed and she gave a few small grunts with the effort, her nails digging into the flesh of his hips.
When Gar's climax passed, he merely rested his hands on top of Isabeau's head, sighing with pleasure and satisfaction as he started to soften up in her mouth.
[Timeskip soon? It looks like they're gonna go all night again.]
[Probably haha. Timeskip works for me.]
Isabeau drew back with a softly gasped breath and twisted her head to nuzzle into his hand.
She smiled up at him and kissed his palm. "What's say we take this back to the bed?"
------------------------------------------------------
She honestly wasn't sure what time it was when she woke, still naked and almost sticking to the sheets of her bed. She sighed contentedly and arched her back in a long stretch, pressing up against Gar's side as she did.
A small smile flickered at her lips and she twisted to kiss his chest. Her nose crinkled a bit at the smell that surrounded them and she leaned back with another stretch and a yawn.
Gods they needed a bath.
The feeling of Isabeau stirring at his side didn't wake Gar up completely. With a mix between a purr and a pleased grumble, he just pulled her closer, head tilting to face her but eyes remaining closed.
She chuckled and dropped a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. "Gar." Her voice was soft, trying not to jar him. "C'mon, mate, we should get up. I've got to clean this place before the crew boards."
Gar groaned, and nodded slightly.
"At this point, I might as well toss myself in the ocean and climb back up. Be leagues cleaner that way," he joked, eyes still closed.
"Go on then, up you get."
Isabeau laughed kissed him quickly, then slipped out of the bed. "Sure it'd be easier, but then you're in charge of cleaning the sheets," she teased, using said sheets to wipe herself off as best she could.
"I don't think those sheets can be saved," Gar said, eyeing her as she wiped herself clean.
"Better off getting some new ones. Or better yet, just use me to keep you warm," Gar said, standing up of the bed.
She laughed again and twisted around, rocking onto her toes to kiss his neck. "You're probably right," she admitted with a chuckle. "But I've got to use something other than you on my bed. Y'know, keep up appearances for the crew." She crinkled her nose at him.
Gar's hands dragged down her sides and to her hips when she kissed his neck, and he lowered a bit so their lips could meet as he squeezed her thighs.
"I'll go into town to get you some replacements, then."
He looked at her washbasin. It was decently sized, but if it was going to hold the both of them, Isabeau would have to be straddling Gar the whole time.
"You should get a bigger bath, so we can share it," Gar said, and then spanked her.
"Less of course, you don't mind it being so intimate."
"Hmm." She eyed the bath, then squeaked when he spanked her. She pouted up at him dramatically.
"Well, I suppose if we must...I don't mind sharing," she said with a mock reluctant sigh.
"Such a noble sacrifice," Gar said, and he let her go so he could climb into it. His chest remained above the water, but he was able to stretch his legs, for the most part.
"Ah, absolutely perfect," he sighed, and he looked at Isabeau.
"So, how're you holding up? Sore in the unmentionables?"
She chuckled and climbed in after him to situate herself on his lap. "Very," she admitted with an arched eyebrow. "But it was certainly worth it."
Gar didn't waste any time in started to clean her with his hands, rubbing away the sweat and other things clinging to her skin.
"We won't get a chance to do this kind of stuff at sea," Gar said, passing a hand over her ass.
"I want to get as much as I can before we go..."
Isabeau smiled and arched into him, returning the favor by working soap over his chest and shoulders.
"I suppose you've got a point," she murmured, bending to trail a few kisses over his throat.
Gar let his head rest back, making his throat more accessible as she saw fit to kiss him there.
"Don't suppose I can convince you to ride my dick?"
She smirked and sucked hard on his neck, leaving a red mark behind. "Don't think I'll take much convincing," she purred into his ear, rocking her hips against his teasingly.
Gar smirked, and again, his finger started to tease her ass, even as he slid between her folds.
Isabeau groaned in rapture and allowed herself to met into him, rocking gently.
"Gods, you're so good," she murmured, eyes half closed.
Gar took a moment to just feel Isabeau, even as he moved in to kiss her, pushing his tongue into her mouth.
"Ass or slit?" he whispered against her lips.
"Slit," she replied softly, licking at his lips. "I think I'd need ya to warm me up more before we try ass again." She rubbed herself against his length, not taking him in fully but teasing his head.
Gar smirked and let Isabeau drag their pleasures on, letting her tease his head with her warmth for however long she saw fit.
Isabeau's breath picked up slightly and she dipped her head to kiss his neck again, finally allowing herself to sink along his length. She shuddered and mewled quietly against his skin, arms tightening around his shoulders.
"So good," Gar muttered, giving his hips a few sharp jerks upwards before he took Isabeau by the hips and started to move her.
"Mm-mmn." She drew in a sharp breath as his hands closed around her hips and her own moved to grip the sides of the tub. She let him set the pace, rocking her hips in time once she'd figured out his rhythm.
"You feel amazing," she breathed, letting her head fall back and arching her spine a bit as she rode him.
"I can tell," Gar said with a grin, and he went from quick and short thrusts to a far harder pace, nearly lifting her off of him and then pressing her all the way down, taking a moment to grind their hips together before he would repeat the motion at a punishing pace.
"I want this cock to be all you can think about. I won't settle for anything less!"
"Oh- oh gods! Fuck!" She wailed and clenched her eyes shut, clenching her knees against either side of his hips. "Gar, yes- only you, I-I promise! Oh fuck, please!"
Happy with her answer, Gar leaned forwards and kissed her and then her neck as he just moved her harder, his cock ramming against her insides with bruising force.
Isabeau tensed, then cried his name as she came, so forcefully her body was trembling against his like a leaf in a gale. Though already sore from the night before, she relished the pressure and pleasure-pain of his ferocity, her body clamping down around him as though trying to trap him inside.
Gar sighed as Isabeau clamped down on him, and he leaned in to give her collar a playful bite.
"So, you warmed up enough?" he challenged, middle finger slipping into her ass.
A quiet whimper rose up in her throat and she bared more of her neck to him. "Fingers first," she murmured after a moment. "Just- just a bit. Don't need to be anymore sore than I already am," she chuckled.
Gar nodded, and slipped another finger into her, spreading and preparing.
"Don't you worry, I'll be gentle," Gar said, and he gave her neck a long lick.
"Put your back to me."
She groaned quietly as her body stretched and responded to him eagerly, them nodded. With another quick kiss, she drew herself off his lap slightly and twisted so her back was to him before settling again.
Gar was quick to kiss the back of her neck, even as he pulled her up a bit more, gripping her beneath the knees. He let go of one of her knees so he could orient his cock for entry, taking a moment to rub it across and between her folds before he drew it back and the tip came to rest against her ass.
Giving the back of her neck a small nip, he started to push her down onto his dick.
"Oohhhh..." Isabeau closed her eyes tight, panting, and gripped his thighs as her ass connected with his hips. "That's- different in the bath," she noted, panting as she felt him pressing against every inch of her.
"Easier, innit?" Gar said, and to top it all off, he looped his arms beneath her knees and brought them up, using her flexibility to spread her as wide as possible. Because his arms were massive and he had the reach for it, he also clasped both of her breasts in his hands, and gave her neck a hungry lick.
Without ceremony, he started to move again, and while it wasn't the gentlest movement ever, it was tame compared to how he'd ravaged her last night.
"Mmph. Yeah." Eyes still closed she curved her body to fit his and gasped quietly as he started to thrust. Her hands moved to cover his, egging him on.
"You- really seem to like- my ass," she panted between soft grunts and moans, laying her head back against his shoulder.
"Well, I've always been a bit more of an ass man," Gar said, and with the egging, he squeezed her breasts quite roughly, leaving a kiss below her ear.
"Never really met a woman who'd let me indulge, though," he added, and he gave her a stiff pound out of pace before he resumed.
"Gonna come soon," Gar said.
"Ah!" Her whole body jerked with that particular move and she purred raggedly against his neck, twisting her head to nip at his collar.
"Well, never really thought I'd be letting someone indulge, myself," she murmured. "It's...much better than I expected."
She winces slightly and rocked down in him sharply. "Come then."
Gar kept pace for a few more thrusts, but when she told him to go ahead and come, he sped up to a pace more familiar with that of last night for a few more moments before he couldn't contain himself any longer. He spasmed inside of her and he just started to fill, thrust after thrust delivering seed. And since she had no womb there to provide a limit, he just kept filling.
Isabeau keened, throwing her head back onto his shoulder. "Oh-oh gods, oh my gods! Gar!" She wailed and her body jerked as she came soon after him, his relentless thrusts as he continued to fill her sending her over the edge.
Finally, Gar came to a delayed stop inside of her, cock buried in her to the root. One of his hands slipped down to keep the fire stoked at her womanhood.
"I just want to be inside for as long as possible," he said, head resting against the tub's rim.
"G-good." She gave a shuddering sigh as his fingers moved against her, still sensitive from her climax. "Just stay with me. We don't need to move ever again..."
Gar smiled, and he slipped three of his fingers into her warm sex, kissing the side of her head and nipping her earlobe.
"Why Izzy, wouldn't that get awkward for the crew?" Gar teased.
"I don't care," she laughed breathlessly. "They'll just have to deal with it." She glanced down at his fingers inside her and groaned, twisting her head for a harsh, clumsy kiss.
"I wonder how they'll react," Gar growled into the kiss.
"If we're at sea and I just bend you over the helmsman's railing and plant myself in you to the base."
Of course now she couldn't get that image out of her head.
"Oh gods." She groaned and bucked her hips against his hand, gasping as the motion quickly reminded her he was still buried in her ass. "You're going to kill me," she wailed plaintively, sounding not in the least regretful about it.
"Then come back to haunt me," Gar said. He shifted his own hips a tad, giving her a nudge and a grind.
"So we can keep fucking."
Isabeau gasped as she felt his fingers and cock pressing against each other from either side of the thin wall that separated them. "W-will do," she groaned, grinding back against him eagerly.
And when she ground that time, he gave her a slow, shallow thrust.
"Feeling like you can still dance?"
She chuckled breathlessly and shot him a quick look over her shoulder. "You got the music, big guy?" She rocked against him again slowly.
"You know I do," he said, and as he hardened up inside of her ass, he started moving more regularly.
"Fuck!" Isabeau shivered as she felt him hardening inside her and ground down against his hips forcefully.
"Eager," Gar stated, curling his fingers inside of her womanhood.
"I got one more good one in me. Make it count, sailor," Gar said in an almost commanding tone.
Her body jerked and she nodded, lips parted as she panted. "Aye aye, sir."
She lifted herself up, away from his fingers and cock, then slammed back down hard enough to send little splashes of water over the side of the tub. A small gasp left her and she repeated the motion.
"Ohh, fuck yeah," Gar said, letting his head tip back as she rode him.
"I love it when you work your hips like that."
"Like this?" She repeated the move with a little more force and glanced back at him over her shoulder, lips parted and lashes fluttered as she took sharp, shallow breaths.
"Just like that," Gar said breathlessly, and he started to work his fingers inside of her again, moving his hips up to slam against hers when she came down. He leaned forwards to kiss her, hands grasping her breasts.
Isabeau yelped, then groaned into the kiss. Her hands dropped to claw at his hips, angling herself to grind against him more potently.
"I'm close," she breathed against his lips, feeling her body begin to tighten around him.
"Then come."
He started to buck more, nipping her lip and squeezing her nipples between his fingers.
"Squeeze the seed right out of me."
She paused, shaking, then slammed herself back into him with one last burst of ferocity and came with a cry, clamping down around him as though she intended to do just that.
Gar was close, but not there, so while she was climaxing, he just started to thrust to keep her at that peak, ravaging her hole with an intense hunger.
Isabeau shrieked his name in an endless chant, unable to come down from her high as he just kept her on that brink. Her body shuddered, unable to really hold herself up anymore and she sobbed her pleasure desperately.
"Oh gods, oh gods, stop, stop you're killing me, oh gods, oh gods please please please!" Her back arched as her body convulsed around him and she wailed, the desperate if weak rocking of her hips at odds with her pleas for mercy.
Once again, Gar came, and he didn't stop thrusting, his freshly spilled seed joining the previous batch inside of her as he just kept coming and filling her.
Another wail left her and she collapsed back against him, her body jerking slightly with his continued thrusts. She clutched his hands on her breasts, shivering and giving soft little mews as she desperately sought an anchor to ground herself.
After several rapturous moments, Gar's climax subsided, and once again, his cock went soft inside her.
"If I had any come left in my balls, I'd keep fucking you," Gar said, breathing against her neck.
Isabeau could do little more than whimper for a few moments, then nodded against him, sort of nuzzling his neck.
"Much as I'd like that," she murmured breathlessly after a moment, "I think...you might kill me if we keep going." She chuckled, voice ragged.
Gar kissed the top of her head, letting go of her breasts but still keeping her close.
"Can I stay in your ass while you bathe?" he teased, and he finally resumed their bath, passing a soapy hand over Isabeau's stomach.
She laughed quietly and twisted her neck to kiss his cheek. "That seems a bit counterproductive, but there isn't much I could do to stop you," she pointed out, indicating the small space of the bath with a wave of her hand.
Gar smirked, and he drew his hips back, lifting her up a bit so he could slip right out of her. As a side effect, there now wasn't anything to hold back all the seed he'd deposited inside of her.
"Ahh..." Isabeau shivered and wriggled as she felt his seed dropping out of her, not quite sure what to think about the sensation. "I hope you're planning on cleaning me there, too," she muttered playfully, giving him a mock stern look over her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I can clean up after myself," Gar said, giving her ass a slap before he set her back down in his lap.
"Can you promise to keep quiet in the future? So we can fuck at sea?"
Her cheeks reddened as she thought over just how noisy she'd been these past few days. She cleared her throat and mumbled, "I can manage."
Arching an eyebrow, she added as a joke, "Or we could gag me. You the type of man who's into that sorta thing?"
"I mean, there's nothing saying we can't," Gar said, raising an eyebrow, tone somewhat ambiguous between serious and playful.
"I don't think that's necessary, though. I can gag you with my dick just fine."
Isabeau choked on a laugh and shook her head at him. "You're insatiable," she informed him as she twisted to sponge soap over his chest, then dipped down to scrub at his stomach and hips.
"So are you," Gar retorted.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the relaxing sensation being sponged down.
"True," she admitted, smirking. She moved the sponge up to his shoulders. "Here."
She stood to give him room. "Turn around so I can do your back."
When she stood, Gar took a moment to shamelessly look her up and down before he twisted about and put his back to her, sitting down in the tub.
"Alright, take a good look. I'm putting clothes on after this," Isabeau teased as she settled behind him, legs spread wide to wrap around his waist and hook her ankles together in his lap. She scrubbed his back gently, placing a few kisses on his shoulders and nape.
Gar let his hands rest on her legs, making small sighs of pleasure as she explored his shoulders with her lips.
"Believe me, when it's my turn to wash ya, don't be surprised if I grab more than an eyeful," he said.
She chuckled and nipped at his shoulder, then suckled his neck. Her hands moved to comb through his hair and she hugged herself to his back.
"You'll hear no argument from me," she murmured, drawing his earlobe between her teeth for a moment.
Gar chuckled, relaxing as she wrapped herself around him.
"Would've never thought," he teased.
She smacked his shoulder lightly, then hugged him tighter for a moment. "Smartass," she purred affectionately.
Pulling away from him, she stood again and murmured, "C'mon, my turn."
"Alright," Gar murmured, and he turned about so that he was sitting and resting against the tub.
"Go ahead and just turn around and stand over me so I can get your legs."
She arched an eyebrow. "Alright." She shifted her stance a bit to give him better access and gently braced her hands on his shoulders. "This okay?"
Gar just stared at the ass in his face, and nodded.
"Perfect."
He started to sponge up and down her legs, sparing no sensitive spot as he worked.
Isabeau shivered and moved her hands to wrap them loosely around her middle. The sponge grazed teasingly up the inside of her thighs and her legs quivered as she sighed, head tipping back slightly.
"Thought you were done," she murmured.
"Mm, almost," Gar said, and he leaned in to give one of her supple buttocks a bite.
"Now I'm done!"
She yelped and jumped, causing water to slap at the sides of the tub. Twisting to face him, she pouted and rubbed at her rear dramatically.
"Was that entirely necessary?"
Gar looked at her like a kid who knew he did something bad.
"It was for me," he said, and he gave her a smug grin.
Isabeau growled at him and dipped to press her forehead to his. "Watch yourself," she warned playfully. "I bite back." She pecked his nose, then started to climb out of the tub.
"I count on it," Gar retorted, and he watched her exit the tub, whistling once she was out of it.
"If only I could just have this view forever," he said, just eating her up with his eyes while he had the chance.
"Hm?" She glanced over her shoulder at him, artfully twisting to display more of her curves. "Oh, you mean this?"
She gave her hips a teasing little sway, just out of arm's reach, then skipped away to gather up some clean clothes, whistling innocently.
It was good that she remained out of reach, because Gar reached for her all the same.
"Please don't get dressed yet," Gar asked as he rose from the water.
"I know you gotta, but I don't think I'm ready to see your ass go."
Isabeau laughed as she tied on a clean breast band. "Weeell, I suppose I should take my time..." She arched an eyebrow and continued dressing, but slowly.
And she didn't bother with breeches or even her smallclothes, simply donning a shorter tunic and setting about placing her customary bangles and rings on her wrists and fingers.
"Atta girl," Gar chuckled, and he took up a towel and started to dry himself.
She chuckled a bit herself, turning for him with another little sway of her hips before she tied her still damp hair back with a bandana.
"Alright, now I really have to get dressed," she said teasingly, reaching for her breeches. Her eyes skated over the mess of the bed and she huffed out a breath.
"Y'know, we need to figure out a way to do this that doesn't require me buying new linens every few days."
"Maybe... a mat?" Gar suggested, and he threw his vest on.
"It's something we can just wash off."
"Hm. Worth considering." She wrinkled her nose at the bed and huffed. "Alright. I'll take care of this, why don't you see if you can start rounding up the lads, yeah?"
"As per usual, I'll drag them back by the nape if I have to," he said, and threw on his small clothes and pants.
Finally, his jacket came on, and he shot Isabeau a wink before he put his hat back on.
"Wait." She stopped him from leaving with a hand on his chest, giving him a lopsided smile. "Just...before I have to go be the captain again, one more."
She stepped up onto the chest at the foot of her bed and leaned in for a kiss, her hands sliding to cradle the back of his head and neck.
Gar put his arms around her, pulling her in for a kiss. He wanted this to last, givi g her as much passion as he could through that one kiss.
Isabeau moaned quietly against his lips, and by the time the kiss ended she was feeling a little weak at the knees.
She smiled sort of dazedly and kissed his cheek, then his lips again, quickly, before finally pulling away. "Alright... Now go on, I'll be right behind you."
Gar smiled down at her after she pulled away, hand on her hip, and when the time came for them to leave, he patted her side.
"I'll get you some new smallclothes," Gar said, grinning as he stepped outside into the sun.
"Thank you!" she laughed, gathering up her ruined bed sheets as he left.
By the time she got out into the deck she'd lost sight of him. The bundled sheets seemed strangely heavy in her arms as she walked down the gangplank to find a place to dispose of them.
By the time she'd gone down the gangplank, Gar was already walking into the port proper, hat daoffed up as he walked with his hands in his pockets.
The time alone gave him the relative silence necessary to think, an act he seemed wholly incapable of when in Isabeau's intoxicating presence. He thought about many things, but nothing in particular. Sometimes the sway of her hips, sometimes an instance when they'd thought together. Sometimes, he remembered her father, and how he'd promised to take care of her.
"Sorry, old dog," Gar muttered as he walked into the first tavern, intent on going bar to bar to gather the crew.
Raven looked up as Gar entered and nodded. He shifted to the side of the bench he occupied in a silent invitation.
It seemed a decent amount of their crew had gathered in this particular tavern, and a good number of them were actually sober- well, sober enough to function, at any rate.
Having disposed of her bundle, Isabeau was making the rounds herself, poking her head into the few taverns and brothels on her way back to the ship. She still had to pay for repairs, but once that was done and the crew was aboard they could be underway.
Gar shot Raven a nod, and set himself down on that bench. He took a moment to glance about at the rest of the men, before looking over to Raven.
"Know where the rest of the boys are?" He said, setting his hat down on the table.
The younger man gave a short grunt and a shrug. "Around. Told them to meet up here soon, not sure who was sober enough to listen."
Isabeau poked her head into the tavern and saw Gar. She caught his eye and quirked her eyebrow in silent question.
Gar saw Isabeau, and he motioned for her to get closer. Once she was in earshot, he spoke.
"Raven here's waiting on some stragglers. Don't reckon you ran into them?" He said, putting his hands together.
She folded her arms and looked around, counting heads. "Crag and Jorrin, and I think Crag said something about grabbing Erik." She glanced around again. "How many more are we missing?"
Raven shrugged and got to his feet, stretching. "I can take another look around if you like, cap'n, Gar."
Gar took a quick look around, and frowned.
"That'd be the new hires, and..."
He took a quick head count.
"John."
Isabeau sighed and rubbed at her temples. "Alright. Gar, you mind tracking them down? I need to pay for repairs on the Storm."
Gar nodded, and he stood, looking to Raven as he crossed his arms.
"Any of you see where John went?" Gar said, looking to the sailors around him.
The captain had to resist the urge to touch him as she turned to leave- even a brush of fingers would have held her over.
But she had to be professional. She dipped her head to her crew and left the tavern.
One of the younger sailors piped up at Gar's question, "Thought I saw him heading back toward the shoreline. Might have brought a bottle with 'im."
"Ah, classic John. Gonna have to drag his drunken carcass up the gangplank my own self," Gar said, standing from the bench.
"Rest of you boys, go an get onto the ship. Raven, wait around for these new hires. If they don't show, it's their loss."
And with that, he was out the door, heading towards the shore.
"Aye aye, sir." Raven nodded and flashed him a rare smile as he left.
Isabeau happened to bump into John as she made her way back to the ship. She sighed as she almost tripped over the man snoring, laying across the gangplank.
"Idiot," she snorted. She didn't even try to lift him- he was far too heavy for her to carry all the way onto the ship.
Gar spent the better part of an hour searching the docks for John, and when it just so happened that he found him on the Storm's gangplank, he was more frustrated than everything else. Without much gentleness, Gar hauled the drunk to his feet.
"Damn it, John, if you weren't such a fast cannon loader I'd have thrown you to the sharks years ago!" He bellowed, and proceeded to drag the man up the gangplank.
"Gah!" John was jerked awake to Gar's glowering face and Isabeau's pealing laughter.
"Don't break him," she called from her place leaning against the rail. "Like you said- we need a fast cannon loader."
Gar set John down on the deck, and after giving him another glowering look, he looked to Isabeau.
"Still got some gathering to do. I'lll be back in a sec, cap'n," Gar said, and he tipped his hat to her and went right back down the gangplank and towards the market.
She nodded at him, smirking. "Aye."
Her eyes flickered to John, who quailed under her suddenly frigid gaze. "Half rations," she informed him calmly. "Four days. You knew we were leaving today- this is the third time something like this has happened in a month."
He didn't argue, just dropped his eyes as she moved to the helm and watched warily for the rest of her crew.
Gar went into the market to buy Isabeau some replacement smallclothes. The look he got from the shopkeep was quite interesting, but he ignored it, making sure to get the two pairs he bought bundled up discretely in paper.
One pair was regular, a direct replacement for the one he'd torn off of her. The other was a fancier, racy affair, colored a deep blue with lace around the edges, because why not? All the while, he didn't even catch a glimpse of the new crew they'd hired. It didn't bode well for Gar, as it meant that he'd have to work the decks while the injured recovered.
When he walked back up the gangplank, it seemed the crew was back. Crag, Erik, and Jorrin had been latecomers, but for the most part, things had gone off without a hitch. He ascended back up to the helm to speak with his captain.
Isabeau was frowning a bit as Gar approached, not irritated necessarily, more thoughtful. She was biting her cheek the way she did when she was working through a problem.
"Oh." She smiled a bit when she caught sight of her first mate. "Run into any trouble down there?"
"Don't think the new hires are going to show," Gar said, frowning. As he frowned, however, he held out her package.
"These are for you," he said, and he smiled slightly.
She sighed and rubbed her temple, then started when he handed her the package. "Oh. Thanks."
Without thinking she started to open it, saw a flash of blue lace, flushed, and wrapped it quickly back up. "Right. Ahem, I'll, ah, put this in my cabin once we're underway."
She glanced at the activity on deck and furrowed her brow. "Give the new lads ten more minutes, then we ship out."
Gar couldn't help but smirk, but he was quick to regain some modicum of professionalism. He turned back to the ship, looking out from the helmsman's railing, he sighed, and turned back to her.
"Well, if they don't show, I'm going to have to pull deck duty to make up for it," Gar said.
Isabeau shot him an apologetic look. "I know. I'm sorry, I'll do my share but I've still got to get us through that straight."
She huffed and moved to slide passed him so she could get to the chart room. A quick glance assured her no one was watching and she briefly let her hand slide up the inside of his thigh.
"Believe me, there are many reasons I wish I could just take you off duty," she murmured with a sly, sideways look. She drew her hand back and sauntered by him.
"Weigh anchor, would ya?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep my vest off for ya," Gar muttered, shooting her a discreet smile as she passed him. She stepped into her chart room and Gar stepped forward, starting to bark out orders.
"All right, lads! We weigh anchor in ten. You know your jobs, let's get to it!"
The crew leaped to obey and Isabeau smiled as she slipped into the chart room.
Her expression fell a bit once the door was closed and she eyed the maps and weather charts with something approaching loathing.
Alright. She had to get to work.
Ten minutes passed, and still the hires were no-shows. With a certain disdain, Gar pulled up the gangplank and then moved to pull up the anchor himself, coiling the chain and hoisting the anchor into its place.
With a motion from his hand, the sails were unfurled and the Storm started moving.
Isabeau felt the ship start to glide beneath her feet and some of the tension that had settled into her shoulders relaxed. She sighed and bent over her charts again, murmuring calculations to herself under her breath.
Absently, she felt the niggling beginning of a storm approaching, like an inch in the back of her mind. She flicked a hand to coax it away from their path- it wasn't a particularly difficult piece of magic, not so early on, but it was enough to make her yawn and her head sag tiredly for a few moments.
They'd been at sea for around half an hour when a knock sounded at her door.
"Cap'n?"
It was Gar's voice, ever so gruff.
"Got a report for ya."
"Hm? Oh, come on in."
She shook her head and tried to refocus, latitude and longitude seeming to blur in front of her vision as she looked to the door.
Gar stepped in, offering her a smile. He stepped up to her table, and laid his hands on it.
"Seas are looking calm. It's gonna be a nice, smooth sail towards the straight," Gar said, and he straightened up a bit.
"Find the replacements satisfactory?" he continued, raising an eyebrow.
"Replace- oh!" Her cheeks flushed a bit and she grinned at him. "I, ah, haven't quite had the opportunity to really examine them."
She drew the package out and laid it on the table, then glanced up at him. "Want me to open it now?"
"Go ahead, I got a few minutes," Gar said, and he sat down at the table across from her.
"Maybe you could try 'em on while you're at it?"
Isabeau shot him a look. "We're both on duty," she reminded him a little halfheartedly as she opened the package.
"Oh." Her eyes widened a bit as she lifted out the rather lacy set. She never bought such things for herself- she didn't see much point.
But well, if it was a gift...why not? She smiled at him and leaned across the table to peck his cheek.
"Thanks," she murmured. Then, because she really couldn't stand to be genuine for longer than a few moments, quipped, "What would Da say if he could see this little exchange, hm?" Her eyes glinted and she looked down at the pretty scrap of fabric she held.
"You really want me to try it on?"
"Oh, yer Da'd use my leathery old hide to patch the sails, no doubt about it," Gar said, grinning all the same.
Gar leaned back a bit in the seat, looking at the lace clothing and then back to Isabeau.
"I really do, Izzy."
She chuckled- he was probably right- then arched an eyebrow.
"If you insist." Her voice was a purr and she slowly undid her belt, keeping her eyes on Gar's face as she let her breeches drop to the flood, underthings following.
She took a moment to simply look at him, then pulled his gift easily up her legs, shamelessly making a little show of it. Once they were on, she twisted to give him the view from behind and looked over her shoulder.
"So? How do they look?"
Oh, he was enjoying the show alright. Shamelessly, he leaned forwards, planting his elbows on the table as he watched her slip the lace on.
"They look better than I could ever dream," Gar said. He looked to her eyes.
"You gonna try the top, too?"
Isabeau laughed again and nodded. "Alright, if you want." Her eyes flickered toward the door and she added, "Ya might wanna lock that thing."
Her shirt was slipped easily off over her head and she pulled on the lacy half-corset type garment. It really left very little to the imagination and she glanced down at herself, twisting in a small circle.
Gar did just that, locking the door as she got changed. He sat back down as she slipped into the top, eyeing her as she did a small twist for him.
"Gods be damned," he said, watching her intently.
"Come a bit closer, wont'cha?" he said.
Another small chuckle left her and she slipped closer until she was barely within arm's reach. "Better?" Her eyes glinted mischief at him.
Gar smirked, sitting up and reaching for her so he could pull her onto his lap and level a few kisses, hands holding her tenderly.
Isabeau settled herself onto his lap and cupped his neck as she tilted her head into the kisses. She was a bit of of a stranger to the sudden tenderness he showed, but she found she liked it. A lot.
"Gar..." She pulled back and looked at him curiously. "How many- I mean..." Her mouth twisted to the side as she tried to think of how to phrase the question. "I know you've left a string of broken hearts in every port," she tried to joke eventually. "But how many were...more than a night?"
Did that make sense?
"It ain't no secret, that's true," Gar said, patting Isabeau's side.
"Ain't many that lasted more than a night, maybe... one, or two," Gar said, speaking honestly.
"But this is different, Izzy. I care about ya, I really do. I promised yer Da I'd take care of ya, and even though you've ended up with a salty old dog like me in your bed, 'least I can take care of you easier from there," he said, shooting her a smile.
Her heart did a happy little flip to hear that, though she told herself that she wouldn't have cared had his answer been different.
"I suppose that's true," she murmured, and leaned in to kiss him again. There was nothing demanding in the touch, it was soft and molding, fitting her body easily against his.
Gar returned the kiss, his own hands planted on her hips but otherwise stationary.
When the kiss was over, Gar followed her lips, pressing kisses to her jaw, and then her neck.
"Alright, Izzy. Your first mate's gotta get back to the deck," he said, and he grinned. He gave her hips a squeeze.
"Don't you worry, though. I'll be back at night to give you a much longer report."
She chuckled and tilted her head back as he kissed her neck. "You'd better," she purred, then slid off his lap. "Alright, off with ya. I've got my own work to get done."
She ducked to kiss his cheek, then slipped around to the other side of the table, slipping her clothes back on.
Gar stood from the seat, taking his hat off of her table.
"See ya 'round, Izzy," Gar said, and he shot her a wink before turning to leave, waiting for herto get fully dressed before he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
She smiled and raised her hand to him as he left, then returned to her work.
Some time later- a few hours, she wasn't sure exactly how long- she emerged out onto the deck again. Her back and shoulders ached from being hunched over and she just needed the feel of the sea air on her skin.
When she came out, the ship was in its usual bustle. As it came closer to late afternoon, the Storm's crew took to fishing to keep the ship's stocks topped up and bring in food that wasn't just dried rations.
A shirtless Gar was at the port side, pulling up a decently filled fishing net all by his lonesome.
"Captain on deck!" came the usual call, and while everybody just sort of glanced, Gar looked to Isabeau for a few moments before he shifted his stance, a discreet, innocent-looking move that gave her a better view of his muscles as he worked.
She tried to be professional, but Gar's little shift drew her eyes to him and she had to resist the urge to lick her lips.
Gods, a few days ago he'd just been Gar. She'd never even thought of him that way- now she couldn't seem to stop.
She moved the helm, shouting, "Start tacking into the wind, I want this trip to go as quick as possible." She shooed Jordan from the wheel, telling him to grab some shuteye as he'd be on watch that night.
Her eyes flickered bet the deck as she took the wheel herself, wary and protective, then landed on Gar again. She smiled a bit and looked out over the bow.
"You heard her, lads!" Gar said, and he hoisted the net of fish to the top of its pulley and tied it down.
He moved to help adjust the sails, giving her a whole new angle to observe him from.
Isabeau chuckled, seeing his game for what it was, and leaned against the wheel a bit.
Smirking, she called to Crag, "Lookin' good there, midshipman. Enough to make a girl swoon."
If was an offhand compliment, nothing out of the ordinary for her. her eyes were glinting playfully though, and Crag gave a dramatic bow in her direction before her eyes flicked back to her first mate.
Gar smiled to himself, noticing that Isabeau was back to her old games. The ship was set and the sails burgeoned with the wind, propelling them along at a faster, smoother rate. He let go of the rope, wiping some sweat off of his brow.
Isabeau piloted the ship in relative calm for a while, until the sun started to creep toward the far horizon. She relinquished control of the helm to Crag and called for the first shift to head to the mess.
She followed the group of hungry pirates down below decks, brushing passed Gar on her way and shooting him a quick look and a small smile.
Gar barely noticed Isabeau until she brushed against him, focused on getting to the food. When she made herself present, though, he returned her smile with a wink.
She chuckled quietly to herself and snatched up her portion of food, slipping to the back of the mess so she could perch on a crate and eat in relative peace.
Her crew was boisterous as ever, one of her injured men had even managed to get himself into the mess and his companions were clapping him enthusiastically on the back, congratulating him on a new scar.
"Oi, if one of you lot starts him bleeding again I'll tan your hide," she called mildly. The acknowledged her with laughs and waves and she shook her head, smiling crookedly.
She wasn't alone for long, although it wasn't an unusual sight on the Storm to see Gar and Isabeau eating together. This time, however, he didn't even bother putting on his vest before he entered the mess.
He leaned against the wall next to her, giving her a knowing smile as he tucked into his food.
The captain chuckled quietly when he moved next to her and shook her head at him. "Someone was working hard today," she noted casually, a comment that wouldn't inspire any suspicion if overheard. The way her eyes traced over his chest was rather obvious though, making it clear she'd taken note of him working.
"Well, I gotta do my part to hold the ship up while the boys recover," Gar said, although just as quickly, he wheeled his head about to call out to the recovering sailor.
"Although, if they're strong enough to come out and brag about their scars, then they're strong enough to be put back on light duty, yeah?" Gar said, and the celebrating sailor groaned. In the end though, Gar was right.
He looked back to Isabeau.
"And what about you? Still working on the same thing?"
A shadow seemed to pass over her expression for a moment before she huffed and nodded. "Yeah. I think I've got a plan, it'll just be up to how strong I can get my magic between now and then." She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, brow furrowed.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Gar said.
"You've got a great crew behind you, and even if I don't need to, I'll be out on those decks, doing what I can."
He gave her a smile, the same sort of smile he'd given when she sat on his lap.
"You'll do right by us, I know it."
Her mouth curved up slightly at the corner and her hand started toward him, seeking even a small touch, before she snatched it back.
"Thanks, big guy," she murmured, returning her attention to her food. Maybe it was silly, but his apparent confidence in her meant a lot- it always had, but now there was something a little...more to it.
Gar gave her a smile before he turned his attention back to his food.
First shift's dinner went about as calmly as it usually did, and by the time the sailors had moved onto their bunks to make way for the night shift, Gar shot Isabeau a look.
She returned the look and got to her feet, disposing quickly of her dish.
"Think I'm gonna grab a couple hours of shuteye," she said as she moved passed Gar toward the stairs, perfectly innocuous.
Gar nodded to himself, acknowledging her words. He picked at his food for a bit more before he feigned exasperation.
"Shit, I forgot to tell her," he muttered to himself, moving semi-urgently in a well-feigned move to keep suspicion away while still giving him a lengthy alibi in her quarters.
When he reached her door, he took a second to breathe in the salty night air before he knocked.
"You asleep yet, Cap'n? Got something important I forgot to tell ya at mess."
Isabeau was sitting up in bed, absently twirling a miniature cyclone on her palm when she heard Gar's voice. She smiled, but said in a slightly irritated tone, "Come in then. How important is this?"
"Incredibly so, Cap'n," he said as he entered and locked the door behind him. He looked at her, and shot her a smile before he sat himself down on the bed right next to her.
"Ready for that report?" he said, tone lower than normal for fear of being heard.
"Mm." She stretched her arms up over her head and leaned back against her pillow slightly, eyes looking over him lazily.
"Well, if it really can't wait..." She raised a hand and crooked a finger at him in a get over here gesture."
Gar didn't need any further encouragement as he moved towards her, looming over her as he brought his head down to kiss her, using one arm to support himself while the other trailed down her front.
Isabeau arched up into him and eagerly parted her lips for him. Her hands slid down his sides, tracing absent patterns over his ribs.
"We've gotta be quiet," she murmured against his mouth. "Unless you want me to call a rainstorm down to drown us out."
"Go for it," Gar said.
"It's nothing the crew can't handle, specially if it's just rain."
He leaned in keep kissing, passing a hand back over the buttons of her shirt before he cupped her breast.
"Just dont' stress yerself, yeah?" he said.
"Mmn." Her back arched up off the bed as she pressed into his hand and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss.
"Maybe just a bit of rain then," she gasped as she felt heat flooding through her. It was looking very unlikely that she'd be able to stay completely quiet.
Gar broke his lips off from hers and his mouth descended on her neck, and he pulled her closer by the grasp on her hips.
"Yer wearin' too much," Gar murmured.
"I suppose I should fix that then," she chuckled, and her hands moved to quickly undo the buttons of her top. She shrugged out of it, revealing the lacy contraption that barely contained her breasts.
The sound of a light rain could be heard outside, pattering gently against the deck. Her eyes glinted, flushed from his touches and the magic.
When she was out of her top, Gar's hand slid up her side to grip her breast, and he let his tongue slip into her mouth.
"Don't suppose you can do a little dance for me?" Gar said, grinning lecherously.
Isabeau chuckled into the kiss and tilted her head slightly as she pulled back to give him a wry look.
"Not with you on top of me I can't."
Gar scoffed and he leaned back on his knees, taking the opportunity to slip out of his breeches.
"I s'pose we all gotta make little sacrifices," he said,
She laughed quietly and watched as he discarded his breeches. "Mm. S'pose we do," she murmured with a smirk, then beckoned him forward with a hand reached out to him.
Gar shuffled forwards on his knees, grasping Isabeau by the hips to pull her closer, hands smoothing down the fabric of her pants as he leaned down to press a kiss to her chest.
Isabeau sighed and let her hands come to rest in the back of his head. She wrapped her legs forward around him, relishing the feel of him against her.
"I've never had a lad buy me underthings before," she noted lightly. "You seem to like them. Gonna make a habit of it?"
"Maybe," Gar said, and he dipped forwards to rub against her through the clothing. He tried to get the buttons on her breeches, but his fingers were just too big.
"Long as I get to be the one to take 'em offa you," he said.
She chuckled and pushed his hands aside so she could remove her breeches.
"Of course. I thought that was a given."
He helped her pull her breeches off, and he surged forth again, lips locking with hers as he played with the bindings of her smallclothes.
"Gods, I can't get enough of these hips of yours," Gar said, kissing her neck as he squeezed her hips and ass.
"Care to get me warmed up?"
Isabeau moaned, though she kept relatively quiet- the rain wasn't that loud after all- and sucked his bottom lip gently into her mouth for a moment, letting her teeth scrape as she released him.
"How do you want me to warm you up?" she murmured, trailing her hands down his chest and stomach to his hips.
"However you want," Gar said, and his hands slipped beneath her covering to tease her wetness with his fingers.
"It's the captain's property, after all."
Her breath hitched and she raised her hips up off the bed slightly. "True," she purred, looking at him through half lidded eyes. Her hands dipped down to tease at the hollows of his hips, then further to wrap her fingers around him.
Gar let out a soft breath when she grasped him, and he leaned in to kiss her. He pushed his fingers slightly inside of her, teased her, and then slid them the rest of the way in.
"Mmm..." Isabeau's hips wriggled and she started pumping her hand slowly. "T-try not to rip this pair too," she said with a lopsided smile as his hand moved against her under her smallclothes. "I mean, they're brand new and all..."
"Don't worry, I won't," Gar said, and he pulled down her bottom, drawing her legs up around him as he tried at her top's clasp.
She chuckled and gave a little kick to toss her underthings across the room before moving her hands to help him with her top.
The clasp was undone easily enough and she threw that aside as well, leaning up for a kiss as she did.
And Gar kissed back, reaching down to remove his own underclothing and then pressing close to kiss her. he grasped her breasts, bringing his hips forwards to drag his length against her.
Isabeau's hips stuttered forward and she hissed in a sharp breath. Outside, the sound of the rain increased momentarily.
"C'mon, Gar," she murmured. Her fingers squeezed gently and she pumped him a little faster.
Gar grinned, and crushed his lips to hers as he pushed once, teased her for a little more, and then slid home. He let out his breath when their hips bumped, straightening up to tower over her as he started to undulate against her with slowly building force.
She tossed her head back into the bed and arched her back with a sharp gasp. She wrapped her legs around his hips to pull him tight against her and stared up at him through her lashes. Her hands slid against the sheets and then fisted with a particular roll of his hips.
Gar's hands slid up her body and hungrily grabbed her breasts, squeezing and kneading as he started to hit her with a bit more foce, although he was careful to not provoke too much noise out of her.
Isabeau clenched her jaw shut against the sounds bubbling up in her chest and wriggled underneath him, hips bucking up against his with as much force as she could muster.
"C'mere," she murmured when she was sure she could manage it, reaching up for him with one hand.
She didn't need to ask him twice. Gar lowered himself, pressing his lips to hers as he took her outstretched hand and pinned it above her head, bucking against her as he found that perfect angle that had him pushing against her inner limits and just ran with it.
"Mm!" Isabeau's back bowed and she twisted and writhed underneath him, soft moans swallowed into the kiss. The sound of rain was suddenly deafening as she suddenly tensed, legs tightening around him in a vice-like grip.
Then she relaxed, shivering in the aftershocks of her quiet climax, and the patter of the water hitting the ship returned to a gentle background noise.
"Well I'll be damned," Gar chuckled quietly, giving her neck a small nip.
"I can fuck the rain outta ya."
Isabeau laughed breathlessly and slapped his shoulder lightly. "Jackass," she murmured affectionately. "I was all keyed into my magic- my emotions affect my spells."
"Well I hope the boys're keepin' dry out there, cause it's gonna be raining hard again real soon," he said, pushing harder against her for a moment.
"Turn about for me, will ya?"
She mock scowled at him and drawled, "Is that so?" A soft sound escaped her when he pressed closer and she nodded, shifting her hips away from his so she could roll over onto her stomach.
"This good?" She glanced back at him over her shoulder, messy curls falling in her face.
Gar leaned back to get a nice look at her, nodding slowly.
"Oh yeah, that's fine," he and he grabbed her by the hips to pull her up onto her knees, although he kept her upper half pressed to the bed while he raised her ass.
He looked at her for a few moments before he lowered himself and brought his face in to lick her rather hungrily, and it wasn't long before he was slowly devouring her, one arm wrapped around her legs and another on her ass to keep her from wriggling away.
"What are you- oh!" She squeaked and her eyes widened a bit.
She had not been expecting that.
"Oh-ohhhkay, that's- mmm- really good." She chuckled, already a little breathless, and muttered. "You surprised me, big guy- oh gods!" A particular swipe of his tongue made her clap a hand over her mouth to muffle her voice.
"Th-that. Do that again..."
Gar kept at that pace, eagerly devouring her for a while longer before he finally straightened up, slid his head along her folds for a few teasing moments before he penetrated her to the very limit. He licked his lips, giving her a roll of his hips before he found a regular pace.
"Nng!" Isabeau buried her head in her pillow and bit down to muffle her moans. Her hips jerked without her conscious consent, bucking back against him harshly.
"There we go," Gar murmured, accepting her harsh bucks with sharp movements of his own. His hands planted on her hips, he pulled her into his movements, amplifying their impacts dramatically.
"Gar-" Isabeau hissed in a sharp breath and moaned into her bedding. The rain picked up again outside. "Fuck, being quiet is harder than I thought," she mumbled, cheeks red as she glanced back at him over her shoulder.
"C'mere, then," Gar said, and he reached down to grab her beneath the breasts and pull her up so her back was against him, hunching down a bit so he could seal his lips to hers as his pace diminished slightly but his cock went about as deep as it could ever go.
She moaned into his mouth, gasping as she felt him push in deep and gripping his arm around her breasts like a lifeline. "Gods, don't stop," she begged quietly, moving her lips against his.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Gar said, giving her lower lip a small nibble as he moved his other hand down to stroke at her abdomen and hips, eagerly pressing kiss after kiss against her lips.
Isabeau rocked her hips back into his and bit lightly at his lower lip. "Harder," she breathed, tilting her head to nip at his throat.
And he gave it to her harder, their hips slapping together lightly as he came to a forceful stop inside of her with every buck of his hips.
"I'm gonna come," Gar said, and he nipped her earlobe.
"Don't know how you were figuring to keep me from makin' a mess, but it's comin."
"Off- off the bed," Isabeau gasped, trembling from the force of his thrusts. "Fuck me against the floor, the wall, I don't care, just-"
She was close to her own peak now and her voice cut off with a small wail that she quickly muffled into her pillow as the rain outside suddenly picked up again.
And just like that, she was being lifted off of the bed and the next thing she'd know, she was on the floor with Gar plunging into her from behind. He sped up as his climax approached, and when his dam broke, he filled her with his seed as he'd done every time before.
"Ah-ahh!" Isabeau had to bite her lip as she suddenly went tumbling over the edge, clenching around him as he continued to thrust into her.
She shivered and mewed under him, pulses of pleasure still running through her body as he finally came to a stop inside her.
Gar was still for a few moments before he pulled his softening length out of her with a sigh.
"I ain't done with you," he said, and he turned her onto her back.
"But you gotta get me back up."
Isabeau panted gently, staring up at him with a small smile. "Alright. C'mere then." She gripped his arms and pulled him down gently for a kiss before she started to trail her mouth down his neck, chest, stomach.
Gar kissed her for as long as he could before he turned onto his back, watching eagerly as Iseabeau made her way down his body with her mouth.
Isabeau glanced up at him through her lashes and smiled, laving her tongue over the dip of his hips before planting an oddly chaste kiss to the base of his cock.
Humming quietly, she planted soft little kisses along his length until she reached his head and wrapped her lips around him gently, flicking her tongue out in a teasing swipe.
Gar sighed happily as she attended him, loving how she slowly worked him.
"Gods, you even do this the best too," he murmured.
She smirked up at him and continued sucking along his length, flicking her tongue out teasingly every so often to circle the base of his head or trace the underside of his shaft.
"When are you going to learn I'm just good at everything?" she murmured playfully when she pulled away for a quick breath before ducking down to return to work.
"I dunno, I kinda just want you to keep surprising me," he said, propping up a bit further on his elbows in order to rest a hand on her head, fingers tightening in her hair.
Isabeau hummed smugly and tossed him a wink before bobbing her head down until her nose brushed his stomach. Her cheeks hollowed as she sucked back along his length.
And when she repeated what Gar wholly thought to be her greatest trick, he lost all semblance of posture or restraint.
"Fuuuuck," he groaned letting himself lie back.
She giggled, unable to help herself, and pulled back to kiss the tip of him before bobbing all the way down again. Her fingers skated lightly up his thighs to grasp his hips for leverage.
She had him in the palm of her hand, that much was clear. It seemed that just like how Gar could make Isabeau surrender completely when she was on her back, she was quite capable of doing the exact same thing to him.
With a smirk Isabeau called down more rain, just enough to increase the noise a bit. She lifted her head to meet Gar's eyes, smiling as she pumped her hand along him.
"Talk to me," she purred. "I won't be the only one making noise this time."
"Gonna take a lotta effort if you want me howlin'," Gar retorted, returning her look with the most confident grin her could muster.
"Hmph." She rolled her eyes at him playfully and ducked down to suck at the tip of him teasingly. Curious, she flicked her tongue along the slit in his head before bobbing down until her nose bumped his abdomen again.
At her exploratory lick, he winced pleasurably, and he let out a long sigh when she took him all the way to the base again.
"I'd say I'm ready for ya now, but I jus' don't want ya to stop."
Isabeau chuckled around him and drew her head back up, repeating her curious lick with a little more confidence. "Well," she drawled, "You could always ask me to do this again..." Her head tilted to the side and she pressed a quick kiss to the tip of him.
Gar grinned, although it was slightly disrupted by her stellar work.
"Go on then," he said, and his hand went to his base. He held himself straight up for her.
"Ass this time?"
She tilted her head at him, hands still braced on his hips. "Alright. Take it slow, yeah?"
She crawled up his body to place an oddly chaste kiss on his lips, then sat back so she was once more straddling his hips. She rubbed back against him experimentally, a small shiver running down her spine.
"As slow as ya want me to," Gar said, eyeing her as she rubbed against him. He was slick with her saliva, so it wasn't long before Gar was starting to tease her with the prospect of entering.
"Mmn." Isabeau closed her eyes, lips parted slightly as she drew in a quick breath. She pressed back against him, hissing a breath between her teeth as she started to stretch around him.
When she started to push down on him, Gar matched her effort. With a sigh, he started to slide up into her.
Isabeau jerked slightly and bit her lip. She took a breath, then rocked back until she was seated on his lap with him fully inside her, a long, shivering exhale leaving her as she did.
Blindly, she groped around until she found his hand and lifted it to her breast before opening her eyes. She smiled a bit and ground down on him with a quiet whimper.
Gar grinned at her, squeezing her breast as he gave his hips a careful nudge upwards.
"I can't get enough of ya, you know that, right?" he said, giving his hips gentle rolls as he tasted her.
"Good." She smiled, then hissed in a quick breath and leaned back a bit to brace her hands on his thighs as she rocked her hips.
"The feeling is- mm- very mutual y'know."
Gar started to move with her, their hips colliding gently.
"If only we had a few days just to ourselves. I'd never leave you empty for a minute," Gar said, his other hand moving to stroke at her womanhood before he slipped his thick fingers into her.
"Ah!"
Isabeau clapped a hand over her mouth and had to take a breath to make sure she wasn't making too much noise. A small whine caught in her throat and her eyes snapped to his heatedly.
"Gods..." She just felt so filled, and it was better than she could've imagine. "M-maybe I'll have to arrange for some extended shore leave."
She rocked her hips again and muffled a moan with her hand. "Soon."
"Like next port soon?" Gar ventured, and he gave her hip a spank.
"Turn about for me, will ya? I want to see that ass at work."
"Maybe." She ground against him with a smirk. "I'll give it some thought."
Her smirk widened at the request and she nodded, twisting around before slowly impaling herself back along his length with a breathy moan. Of course, his fingers had slipped out of her, but she grabbed his wrist and tugged his hand forward to press over her heat, using his fingers to rub at her clit in silent plea.
Gar did more than press, giving her clit a few fast strokes with those fingers of his before they were slipping inside of her. His fingers, especially with both of them inside of her, were large enough that he could very well simulate a second cock inside of her. His thumb pressed down on her clit, even as he bucked upwards to hit her farthest recesses with his cock.
"Gods!"
Isabeau's yelp could probably be heard through the door, but she didn't really care in that moment. The sudden onslaught of stimulation sent waves of heat pulsing though her and she groaned, lashes fluttered as she'd hands gripped his at hips for an anchor.
"You- you tryin' to kill me?" she laughed breathlessly. "Gonna get real hard to keep quiet if you- oh fhu-uuck!"
She could feel his fingers and cock pressing into her deepest reaches, pressing into each other, and that along was nearly enough to tip her over the edge. His thumb on her clit made the sensation damn near unbearable, pleasure overpowering her senses. She barely had the presence of mind to bite down in her hand to muffle her cries as she came hard, body clamping down on him desperately.
"Fuck, yes," were the only words Gar could muster at such an arousing sight, and he reached to pull her back against him, pressing her back to his chest as he continued to fuck both of her holes, offering her his mouth to obscure her noises.
"Gonna come," he groaned into her mouth.
She couldn't form words yet, still shivering through the aftershocks of her climax as she slumped back against him and returned the kiss as best she could. Her hips twitched and bucked between his hand and his cock and she whimpered at the over sensitivity of her body.
"Keep- keep going," she begged when she could do more than moan and pant.
And keep going he did. Gar kept lancing upwards into her until he just couldn't hold back any longer. He buried his face in her hair as just kept fucking and coming, releasing his entire deluge into her, and even when he fell soft, his movements didn't cease entirely.
Isabeau had to muffle another cry into her hand as another, smaller climax rippled through her. Strength nearly gone, she could do little more than slump against him as his own peak finally came to an end.
"Gar," she chuckled quietly as he continued to move. "I- I think you're done, big guy." Her hand slid back to twine her fingers in his hair and she twisted her head to kiss him a little clumsily.
"But I don't wanna be done," he groaned, returning her kiss playfully as his movements came to a stop.
She laughed breathlessly and melted back into his chest. "Give it a minute," she murmured wryly, "I'm sure you'll be ready to go again soon enough."
"Damn straight I will," he murmured, giving her collar a quick bite as he let himself rest, remaining inside of her since he had no real reason to leave her confines.
Isabeau chuckled again and twisted her head to kiss his neck. She nuzzled into him, curling back so she could get as much contact as she could.
"Ya might have to gag me, if we're gonna keep going," she admitted wryly. "Not sure how much longer I can keep the rain up."
"Ya shouldn't push yerself too hard," Gar said, nodding. His hands wandered up her body, fingers idly exploring her sides, stomach, breasts, and thighs.
"What do you reckon you got that'll serve the purpose?"
She shrugged- she always pushed herself, that wasn't likely to change soon.
"Ah...maybe some leathers somewhere? Y'know, the kind we use to tie captives..." She trailed off as she realized how that sounded.
"Not that I am. I could still take you, big guy."
"Oh, definitely, sure," Gar said, nodding his head although his expression was teasing. He sat up a bit, glancing around.
"Well, one of us is gonna have to go get them."
She whined and tilted her head back to pout at him. "But I like we're we are now," she mumbled, giving a little wriggle of her hips against his for emphasis. "C'mon, you're good at comin' up with creative solutions."
She moved to slip away from him even as she teased, reluctant as she was to do so.
"Hold on there," Gar said, and he put his hand on her stomach to keep her agianst him. He looked up at the ceiling for a bit, in thought, before he cleared his throat.
"I'll just hold you to me. I can do it with one arm anyways," he said, and he sat up fully, tightening an arm around her.
"You mind holdin' on?"
"Oh!" She bit her lip as a small gasp escaped her when he sat up, shifting the angle with which he rested inside her. "Y-yeah. Got it." She reached back to grip his shoulders. A little awkward, perhaps, but she had no problem with it.
"They, um, should be in that chest," she murmured with a nod toward the chest at the foot of her bed.
"Alright," Gar said, and he kept one arm around her as he used the other to keep balance as he stood up using just his feet. He was only up for a moment, setting himself down on the foot of her bed without leaving her. He reached down, opened the chest, and pulled out the leather straps. He looked at them, and then to Isabeau.
"You know, next time we make port, I wouldn't mind strapping you down to this bed," he said huskily.
A palpable shiver ran down her spine and she swallowed a soft groan at the idea. "I...might not mind that," she muttered, then twisted a bit to trail a few kisses over his jaw.
"I gotta let the spell drop," she warned quietly, and the sound of rain outside began to die down.
"Think about it," Gar continued, liking how he could make her tremble just by speaking. His voice lowered, however, as he was conscious of the rain lowering.
"A gentle night, candles by the bedside..."
He nipped her earlobe.
"My cock hitting your womb 'till your brains are scrambled..."
Oh gods. Her hips gave a small buck quite without her permission as heat shot straight to her core.
"Fuck, don't do this to me," she murmured. Shivers rippled over her skin and she reached back to grip his hips as best she could. "We're trying not to get caught here- you keep this up and that's not gonna happen."
Her hips bucked, and he gave a small throb inside of her as he started to harden back up.
"Well, then we'd better gag you," he said, picking out one of the straps, he gave it to her so she could apply it to herself.
Isabeau stared at the leather strap for a moment. She'd never actually done anything like this before.
With a mental shrug, she bit down on the strap and tied it loosely behind her head. She leaned back against him and gave a slower, deliberate roll of her hips, loving the way she could feel his arousal growing inside her.
"So? Feeling gagged?" Gar offered, pulling her closer to him as she rolled her hips. She'd be rewarded with the feeling of him growing back to full hardness within her, pressing and stretching her out until he was at full size once again.
"Mmm." Isabeau nodded quickly, her small, affirmative sound changing to a moan as he hardened up inside her.
She leaned back into him and rolled her hips again, nails scratching lightly at his skin. She twisted her head and nuzzled into his neck in lieu of kissing him considering her current condition.
"Fer someone who wasn't too sure about takin' it in the ass, you've sure as hell warmed up to it," Gar commented, although it was in no way a bad comment. He looped his arms beneath her legs, drawing them up and spreading her as he started to move her on his cock.
"Nnm." Isabeau glared at him playfully and bucked her hips back against him sharply. As he pulled her legs up though she moaned sharply into her makeshift gag and let her head fall back on his shoulder.
Gar gave her a few deliberate pounds, shewthing himself in her to the root before he started to grind. He wrapped one arm around her legs, freeing up the other one to slip down to her womanhood where he sunk two fingers in her to the knuckle.
"I wanna come inside you till you're white on the inside," he growled.
A shiver rippled through her and she bucked sharply against his hand, whimpering into the gag. her hands dropped to grab at the sheets for some sort of anchor.
In her current position, gagged and held the way she was, she was completely at his mercy, and Gar reveled in it as he sped up, reveling in how her walls milked him as he had his way with her.
Isabeau's back arched and she grabbed at his shoulders, head tossed back into the bed and eyes slamming shut as shivers wracked her frame, soft cries and moans muffled into the leather across her mouth.
Deftly, Gar tipped his hips upwards a bit and pulled out of her ass. He angled himself and then sunk into her womanhood all the way to her womb, leaving her now empty hole to just drool seed. He grinded a bit, tip of his cock pressing against her insides as she was once again impossibly full of him.
"Gods, it gets better every time..."
The captain gave a small, sharp cry that was quickly muffled into the impromptu gag and dug her nails into his shoulders as her grip tightened. She shivered, trembling against him and around him as she neared her peak once again, eyes wide and heated when her gaze locked on his and she nodded shakily in agreement.
Gar's cock plunged into her over and over again, and with a quick movement, she was on her side, Gar holding her leg up as he drew back so that it was nothing but his head inside of her and then went ramming into her to the root. Finding he loved how that felt, he kept hitting her with that.
Her back arched and her fists clenched, throat straining with the effort it took not to shout, a series of not-so-quiet moans released into the gag despite her best efforts. She swiveled her hips when she had the chance, grinding against him in this moments when they were pressed flush together and shivering each time he pulled back.
[Figured I should remind you they're bangin' on the floor, and not the bed :P]
"Gods, Izzy," Gar murmured, quite evidently loving how she moved with him. Suddenly, his pace shifted again, and he started to fuck her faster.
"I'm close..."
[Dangit! Okay, I think I fixed it, sorry!]
Oh dear gods how did he move like that? Isabeau twisted and writhed under him, nodding frantically and grabbing at his wrist to draw his hand to her core, pressing the heel of his palm to her clit in an effort to bring herself over the edge faster.
[Lol, no apology required]
Gar took her direction quite well, moving his hand quite rapidly, knowing that he didn't have much time left in him. After a few more moments, his breath caught and his seed came flooding into her. He pumped her full with a few thrusts and then he pulled out, shooting the rest of his load up her body. He gave her a lecherous grin, and he started to spread the seed on her abdomen out with his cock.
"Just one more," he said.
Isabeau squirmed and gasped as she found her own peak, clenching her eyes shut when he pulled from within her and whimpering as she felt his seed spread over her belly.
Panting, she twisted to look up at him. Her hands flitted to the gag and she tugged it loose, rasping out, "One more," as she reached up to drag him down to her lips for a hungry kiss.
And so Gar was dragged, kissing her with the same fire she put out to him. He was soft, so it'd be a moment before he was hard again, but he relished that time. Giving her a look, he pulled back, and laid his cock, all covered in their collective juices, right between her breasts.
She chuckled and tilted her head at him, eyes glinting playfully. "You really do like my tits, huh?" she teased quietly. Her hands moved to press her breasts around him, absently sort of wriggling a bit beneath him.
"Who wouldn't?" Gar retorted, and he adjusted himself, burying himself to the base in her tits, the tip of his cock poking at her lips.
"Jus' tryin' to do 'em justice."
Isabeau rolled her eyes with a quiet chuckle and kissed the tip of him, then flicked her tongue out in a long, swirling lick.
Her nose crinkled and she looked up at him through her lashes as she licked again, circling the base of his head. "You taste like sex," she noted with a smirk.
"I reckon you like that taste," Gar said, moving up a bit more on his knees to give her access to more of him. She'd be able to feel him slowly throb back to hardness between the soft flesh of her breasts.
"Mm." Her eyes glinted playfully at him. "I've had better."
She wrapped her lips around the tip of him, sucking gently for a moment before pulling back.
"Heh," Gar replied, and he started to pull back, dragging his now-hardened length down Isabeau's body until his turgid, pulsing length was throbbing against her folds and clit.
"How do you want me, Izzy?"
Isabeau but her lip and squirmed underneath him, her breath catching in her throat for a moment as his sex pressed against her.
How did she want him?
She smiled and reached up to twine her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. "Just like this," she murmured, rolling her hips up against his. "I want to feel you everywhere."
Gar managed a smile and he kissed her when she brought him down. Arms planted by her head, he rocked forwards, slowly spearing her with his mammoth member until he bumped the end of her sex. He let her relish the fullness for a few moments before he started to move.
And it was slow, tortuously so, and it seemed to have an entirely different emotion tied to it than their previous wild ruts
"Oh- ohhhh..." Isabeau clenched her eyes shut and rolled her hips up into his, hugging him tight around the shoulders. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth with a small whimper, opening her eyes again to meet his gaze heatedly.
She felt the shift between them, but she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. This was new to her, and there was a sort of caution in her eyes, but she responded to him gently, allowing him to set the pace.
It was more caring than anything else. To call it love would be naive, but there was certainly another layer to this relationship of theirs than just pure lust. Gar started to quicken his pace, if only by a small margin, and although he was just the slightest bit hesitant when he went in, he joined their lips with a kiss.
She turned his kiss almost cautiously, allowing her tongue to trace his lower lip before drawing it gently between her teeth for just a moment. A groan worked its way out of her throat and she turned her face into his neck, rocking her hips up into his and grinding in an effort to get the friction her body craved without having to break the delicate thing that had come into being between them.
Their his ground together and Gar hissed just a bit as he pressed against her, holding her to him and even moving her slightly, like she was a doll, although the gentleness remained.
Isabeau had never been with someone like this, like- like they weren't fucking so much as making love, and if she was being honest it scared her. But it was wonderful too, and a small sigh escaped her.
She tilted her head to kiss his throat, panting lightly against his skin, and any tension she'd held melted away, allowing him to take control.
Once she let him control more, there was a slight shift. He moved her more, complimenting the rolling of their hips by pulling her into his movements, which had gotten notably faster.
"Oh- mmn, gods yes..." Her back arched slightly and she clutched at his shoulders, the tight, fluttering coil in her belly threatening to snap. "Close," she whispered, blinking up at him hazily as she tried to focus.
Gar lived for the snapping of that coil, and when she said she was closer, he pulled her closer, drawing back until it was just his head in her and then rocking forwards, doing that as many times as he needed until she was trembling beneath him.
It didn't take too much more to spiral her to the peak and send her rocketing off it. Her spine curved up, pressing her body against his, and she muffled a sharp cry against his lips as she trembled and twitched beneath him.
Gar thoroughly enjoyed every moment of her twitching, and he thrust into her and stayed there so she could milk his cock with her orgasm. He wasn't done with her, though, and he was quick to turn her onto her back, bringing her ass way up. He slid his member between her buttocks for a few strokes before he penetrated her all over again.
Isabeau had to swallow another sharp moan, overly sensitive from her climax so she shuddered violently under his attentions. It was just on the edge of too much, and she made a small whimpering sound that she would probably be embarrassed about later.
"Gods, don't you ever get tired?" she laughed breathlessly.
"Hah," he chuckled to himself, and he ground down against her for a few moments as he oriented himself.
"You ask me that? After all the shit you've seen me do?" he growled, and then the pounding resumed.
She yelped and her back arched, eyes blow wide for a moment. "Oh- oh gods, st-"
She bit her lip and clenched her eyes shut, turning her face into her arms and she shivered and whimpered beneath him. It was just so much, she'd almost had to ask him to stop.
But she realized she didn't want him to, not really. She twisted her upper body to wrap an arm around his neck, hips grinding back into his. "Kiss me?"
Gar's pounding went to a fast grind as he leaned in to kiss her, hands moving beneath her breasts so he could pull her up a bit to make it easier on himself. The first kiss was the longest, but when their lips finally parted, his mouth was still for a few moments before he resumed kissing her.
Isabeau sighed against his mouth, smiling when he came in for another kiss and shifting around so she slid off his length as she wrapped her arms around his neck and twisted to face him properly. Easily enough she hooked a leg over his hip and rocked forward to sheath him again.
"Lay back," she urged between kisses, eyes glimmering.
Gar smirked, and did as she asked, laying on his back with a restful sigh. He honestly didn't have that much left in him, but he gazed upon Isabeau with a lingering fire.
"The helm's all yours."
Her lips curved up in a soft smile and she leaned down over his chest to kiss him lightly. Her hips rolled lazily against his and she started to kiss his way down his neck and collar to his chest, where she set about tracing the designs inked into his skin with lips and tongue.
There was something much gentler, softer about the way she moved against him this time. Honestly she was tired, but there was also something wonderful in the quiet slowness as she rocked her hips and traced her hands carefully over his skin.
The last few rounds had left her so sensitive that it didn't take much to have her dancing on the edge. Her breath started to catch and she paused, shivering. "I, um...not sure I can go much longer," she laughed quietly, a little breathless.
Gar looked up at her, eyebrow quirking up slightly when she spoke. He let his head rest back, when she paused, loving how it felt to just be inside her, before he cocked up onto his elbows.
"I was fixin' to say the same," he said, smirking a little.
"Yer startin' to work me a bit raw, tight as you are."
Isabeau smirked a bit and leaned down to kiss him. "Guess we should make the last one count then, huh?" she murmured against his lips. Her hips ground firmly into his and she shuddered with a blissful sigh.
She pulled back and braced her hands against his chest as she continued to rock against him, lips slightly parted as her breath came short and sharp.
One of Gar's hands lowered to grip her by the hip, guiding her movements even as his other hand reached up to her side. He rolled his hips up in tandem with her own. One time, he even pulled her down when she dropped, freely using his giant's strength to manipulate her like she was a doll as he ground her down against himself. Then, he let her go so she could resume her motions.
"And how d'you suppose we do that?" He said, smiling up at her.
Izzie studied him quietly for a moment, eyes cool and contemplative. Then she sort of softened, and rolled to the side, urging him up and over her.
"...Make love to me?" Her voice was small, the request almost timid. It was not a phrasing she used often- actually, ever, not that she could remember. Her cheeks flushed darker than they already were and she arched her back with a coaxing little twist of her hips.
Gar looked up and then down at her as she turned them over, taking his position over her. The switch caused him to slide out of her, and he let out a small breath.
Then, she spoke, and Gar was still for a few moments. Then, his lips cocked up into a gentle smile.
"Been a long time since I made love," he said with a wry grin. He propped himself up with one arm, using his other to trail a finger down her body, stopping just below her navel. Then, that hand gripped her hip, feeling the flesh of her thigh as she twisted her hips.
He let the head of his cock rest against her entrance for a few moments before he started to sink it into her.
"I love it when you move your hips like that," he said, and then he kissed her. When he came to a stop, he pushed in a tad more to really press down on her before he started to thrust, slow and deep.
"
Her spine arched and Isabeau mewled appreciatively as he slid into her once again. She smiled and gave her hips another roll and twist, tilting her head at him slightly. "You mean like that?" she teased quietly, then sighed appreciatively as he began moving again.
If she was being honest with herself, the Captain of the Poison Storm wasn't sure she'd ever made love. Not like this, anyway. It was...intense, in a way she hadn't really expected. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks and she lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, groaning and panting quietly.
"Gar..." She reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair and drew him down for a kiss, moving her lips against his slow and languid.
Gar answered her voice with a light growl of his own, drinking deep of her kiss before he drew back, running his teeth on her bottom lip as he pulled away to straighten up. He looked down on her with his typical grin, but his eyes held softness and warmth as he adjusted their positioning. He looped his hands around her hips and lifted her hips up off of the bed, similar to how he'd lifted her before when they'd had their wild ruts.
But this time, he used her rather gently, allowing her to move in his grasp even as he pulled and pushed, finding an angle that had him coming to a stop inside her with power while maintaining this gentleness that had sprouted up between them.
She groaned and ran her hands over his back and shoulders, murmuring words of praise and delight as they moved against each other. "Oh...oh, oh..."
Her hips stuttered up against his and she buried her face against his shoulder as she came with a rather understated, keening moan. As she came down from the high she clung to him, shaking slightly in his hold and breathing heavily.
"'Atta girl, just like that," Gar murmured, relishing her climax as he slowly dug her out. Then, he sped up just a bit, biting at his lower lip. Then, he nipped at her neck while she clung to him.
"Just a bit more, Izzy, I'm close..."
"Mm..." Isabeau shivered again and let her head fall back to bare more of her neck to him, rocking her hips shakily up into his with a soft mewl. Already over sensitive, even the slight stimulation was enough to be almost painful.
Her arms wrapped tight around his shoulders and she gave another buck forward, grinding her hips into his determinedly with a soft gasp that was almost a sob, her head snapping up to kiss him hungrily.
That final kiss had him coming undone, and he emptied himself into her as their lips danced and his cock pulsed inside of her. When it was over, his lips finally parted from hers, and he let his head rest on the bed next to her.
Not wanting to squish her under him, however, he turned over and onto his back, laying next to her, utterly spent.
Her breath escaped her in a long, shaky exhale and she turned onto her side to face him as he lay back, curving in a bit toward the warmth of his body.
She reached out to trace a finger over the inked patterns on his chest. "Stay the night?" she asked softly, her voice still a little breathless as she tried to fully come back to herself. "Bed's plenty big enough for two..."
It wouldn't be the first time Gar camped out in the captain's cabin. As long as they didn't make a habit of it, it shouldn't raise too many suspicions.
"Is it?" Gar said, and he shot her a pie-eating grin.
"That's news to me."
He shifted a bit to get himself comfortable and pulled Isabeau closer. He reached down to throw some blankets over the two of them.
"G'dreams, Izzy."
Isabeau chuckled and shoved at his chest lightly. "Jackass," she accused fondly as she snuggled into his side and let her eyes drift closed.
The gentle rain continued even without her magical intervention, pattering lightly against the wood of the Storm. It was a lullaby she'd known all her life, and it didn't take long for her to drift to sleep.
Gar was a bit longer for the world, staring up at the wooden ceiling of Isabeau's cabin, listening to the combination of gentle pattering with Isabeau's soft breathing against his skin.
Thoughts both fanciful and worrying danced through his mind. He'd never been this invested with someone on the ship. Sure, he was chummy with the lads and even true friends with a couple of the older ones, but...
...but now, he was tired.
Shrugging the thoughts away for later consideration, he decided to work on the more immediate objective of sleep. Adjusting his head slightly, he closed his eyes and let the rocking of the boat lull him to sleep.
Sleep was peaceful, and for the first time in a long time Isabeau allowed herself to fully relax.
"Secure the rigging!"
"-can't see a thing-"
"Get below deck before-"
"Sails in, sails in!"
"Man overboard!"
The storm had come from nowhere, just as they were almost through the straits. The captain of the ship stood at the bow, eyes clenched shut and her hands thrown out in a desperate effort to cleave a path through the raging winds and sea with her magic. But the last shout from her crew had her gasping and coming half back to herself, whipping her head around to count, take stock, who was missing-
Raven.
With a growl, Isabeau leaped onto the deck rail, pitching and rocking dangerously with the crazed motions of the ship, and with half her attention still working through the knots of the storm she reached out into the sea and searched desperately for the skinny lookout.
There, just sucked under. Her jaw clenched and she yanked. A thing wave of water swamped the deck and Raven was thrown against the wood behind her, unconscious but alive.
The ship rolled beneath her and she nearly went over herself before she managed to catch herself with a breath of magicked wind. She could barely see a dozen yards ahead through the raging storm, and it required all her attention just to keep the Poison Storm from going under.
"Tie yourselves down, damn it!" Gar bellowed before he stomped across the heaving decks to make sure Raven was okay. The poor boy was sputtering water and disoriented from being heaved back up onto the boat by Izzy's magic.
"Tie a rope to your post and stay there!"
Of course, Gar would have to be a hypocrite in this situation, because rather than tie himself down, he went thundering across the decks, far too heavy to be thrown about as much by the boat's rocking than a normal person. He made his way up to the helm.
"Helmsman, take yourself and whoever hell else and get that rigging secured. I've got her from here!"
One would think that the massive Ogre was wasted on a duty such as helmsmanship at a time like this, but nobody knew how the Storm handled like Gar, and his weight and strength meant he could keep the ship as steady and straight as possible.
Isabeau might have taken her first mate's advice, had she not been so deep into the throws of her magic that the conscious world was little more than a vague tickling at the back of her mind. The storm was what consumed her; she dug fingers of her magic into the knots of cloud and wind and sea and started unraveling, tugging and weaving and braiding and unbraiding in a desperate effort to get them to the edge of the bad weather.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed in her trance- time was sort of fluid when she was like this- but eventually she felt the old girl begin to settle beneath her feet, the rain on her face softening to a dull patter and the screech of the wind dying down to an almost cheerful sort of whistle.
With a gasp the weatherwitch opened her eyes to find herself still balanced precariously on the rail of the deck. Her face was pale and gaunt, eyes weary, but her lips curved up in the shadow of a smile as she twisted to take stock and realized they'd made it through the storm with her crew intact. Thank the gods.
The Storm was a little worse for wear, as was her crew, but they'd survived. Sails were torn, a chunk of deck rail was missing, looked like Crag had fucked up his arm somehow, maybe dislocated it... Wait, shouldn't he be at the wheel?
Gar was at the helm. When had that happened? "Oi, sailor." She raised an eyebrow at him and teased as she started toward the helm, "You gave you permission to sail my ship- whoa."
All that magic had taken more of a toll than she'd realized. She'd barely taken two steps before her wobbly knees gave out and she slumped onto the deck. Her vision flickered, came back, then went fuzzy and dark around the edges. "Um..." She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head. "I- I had a witty comment, but I can't seem to recall it," she laughed breathlessly, then gave a little yelp as she suddenly found herself pitching sideways to come to a complete swoon across the deck.
Well. This was embarrassing.
The swooning was what broke his serious demeanor, and there was a hint of teasing amusement layered ofer tbe concern on his face as he stepped over to her. He knew that she pushed herself hard, sometimes too hard, but he hadn't seen her like this in a good while. Kneeling down slightly, he took hold of her and helped her sit up straight.
"Now then, Cap'n, we can't have ye sprawled on the decks like a dock floozy. Ya got an image to maintain," he said through a modest grin. Most of the sailors were either still shaken up by the storm or too new to laugh at a joke at the captain's expense, but the few that did chortle made Gar's grin go wider.
He stepped in front of her to offer her a hand to get back onto her feet.
"Come on, then. Up you get."
"I'll make you swab the decks for that," Isabeau mumbled as he helped her to her feet. She was still a little unsteady, but having Gar to lean on was a great help.
"Thanks," she murmured to him, low enough that most of the crew wouldn't hear. "Can you...help me get to my cabin?"
Gar was tempted to give her a knowing look, but instead just nodded plainly. He put an arm around her side (for he was far too tall for her to put her arm around his shoulder) and walked her up to her cabin, opening the door for her to usher her inside.
She was steady enough on her feet, but it was slower going than she would have liked. The captain sighed quietly with relief at the sight of her bed and stumbled over to it, collapsing to sit on the edge.
"Damnit," she muttered, rubbing at her temples. Definitely a migraine coming on. "I need to get back out there-- Raven might be hurt, and Crag definitely fucked up his arm..."
The room sort of tilted around her and she scowled. She knew she needed rest, but she didn't want it.
As she talked, Gar closed the door behind him and slowly walked towards her. He sat down next to her, a sympathetic but stern look on his features.
"No. Jus' rest," he said, and he put a hand on her collar to gently set her down on her back.
"Crag did fuck his arm up, and Raven's probably spooked and bruised to all hell, the poor lad," he murmured. Then, he shot her a grin.
"But you ain't the ship's doctor, so there ain't much you can do other than rest."
Then, after a moment's trepidation, he leaned in to give her a nice, slow kiss. When he pulled away, he stood up off the bed.
"I'll be back to check on ya in a few hours."
"Aye, but-- mmph." Her eyes widened slightly as he cut her off with a kiss. She pouted when he pulled away, narrowing her eyes.
"Fine," she muttered. "But you won't always be able to just pacify me with a kiss, y'know."
"Yer right about that. But then I reckon I can pacify you with somethin' else," he said, shooting her a crass smile.
"I'll keep The Storm on her heading. Rest good, Izzy."
And with that, he tipped his hat to her and stepped out of her cabin.
"You complete arse," she chuckled, rolling onto her side and pulling a blanket haphazardly over herself.
She'd barely closed her eyes, when suddenly she was asleep.
Gar reached the door, and turned around, intending to make some kind of comment about asses, but when he turned, he saw that she'd tuckered out. He smiled, and stepped out, gently closing the door behind him.
He stepped out to look over the deck, surveyed the crew, and then promptly started his usual yelling.
"Alright you sods, take her down to quarter sail. I want these decks clear of debris and that hole in the railing mended. I want the sails mended and the wounded brough below decks. Come on, get to it!"
And with his orders given, he motioned to the helmsman to keep the ship on its course and went about doing what he could on deck.
Isabeau slept long and deep-- so deep that when she woke, it seemed as if she'd just blinked, closed her eyes a brief moment and then woken up again.
She sat up with a yawn and a stretch, arching her back. She glanced out the porthole.
Gods almighty! It was sunset already!? Swearing colorfully, she scrambled out of bed and threw the door open, racing up onto the deck.
When she ventured out onto the deck, she'd find that most of the damage from the storm was gone and fixed. Sails were mended and replaced, someone else was taking Raven's crowsnest duty, and the damaged railing was patched with wooden planks.
Gar was at the helm again, one hand gripping the wheel and keeping it steady while the other held a telescope. He lowered it from his face when he heard Izzy's door open, and she was greeted with a prompt "Captain on deck!" And then a more personal smile.
"Sleep good?" He asked as she approached.
She snorted. "Yeah, and too long. How we lookin', first mate?"
She glanced around, searching the crew for her injured men. "You but Raven and Crag belowdecks, right? We can just them patched up proper when we make shore in the morning."
"We're lookijg good. Holes are patched, tears are stitched, and decks are swabbed. I gave Raven some time off of crow's nest duty, what with it bein' hard to climb up to the roost with his three sprained fingers."
He chuckled dryly to himself.
"Crag found a way to sprain his shoulder and dislocate his elbow, so he's helpin' the cook 'till he gets better. 'Part from that sour news, the new hires are pullin' their weight, at least. Don't got to yell at 'em as much."
"Good...that's good..." She was obviously still tired as she looked around the deck again, but she shook it off quickly enough and moved toward the helm. "I'll take the first night shift, then. You should grab an hour or so of shut eye, I'll need to talk to you about our plans for tomorrow once I'm off duty."
Gar nodded at that, and promptly handed the helm over to Isabeau. He didn't want to show it, but he was tired to all hell. It was already a long day, but then tbe storm hit, and he'd been up ever since without even so much as sitting down to make sure The Storm was as fixed as it could be.
"Aye to that. I always appreciate a good sleep."
He grinned, but his tired eyes betrayed him. He pat Isabeau on the shoulder before heading down below decks. He didn't bunk with the rest of the sailors, not due to any pride or sense of superiority, but rather he was quite literally too large to share the tight bunkspaces with them. So, he had a hammock tied to the supports of the main mast and a sturdy cieling beam, close to the center of the ship. Of course, this also meant he bunked inside the gun deck, but there was something about the clinking of the cannonballs when the boat swayed that he found relaxing.
It also had the benefit of being almost always deserted, at least until the cannons were needed.
He laid in his hammock and almost immediately he wondered how he made it this far without falling asleep on the decks. Stripping out of everything save his underclothes, he dipped his hat low to cover his eyes and fell into a nice, deep snooze.
Isabeau, thankfully, didn't encounter anything too complicated during her shift, and when her hours were up she handed the helm off to the next sailor with less reluctantance than was typical. She was still tired.
Creeping below deck as softly as she could managed, she decided to take a shortcut through the gun deck...and maybe double check to make sure Gar was actually getting some sleep.
He seemed to be, thank goodness. She smiled tiredly and covered a yawn as she made to slip passed his hammock.
She hesitated suddenly, considering... Well, what harm could a few minutes do?
With the kind of grace one earned from years growing up running about a rocking ship, she climbed carefully into the hammock and let her body rest on top of his, closing her eyes with a soft sigh as her head pillowed on his chest.
She'd have to make sure she moved before any of the crew woke, but just for a few minutes...
Gar stirred a bit, but even as she laid down on top of him, his giant nature and the fact that he was also a fairly heavy sleeper kept him from waking fully. He muttered something to himself in Ogrish, the brutish syllables mixing funnily with his sleepy, dreamy tone.
Then, he turned onto his side a little more, drawing an arm over his chest (and Isabeau) by extension.
Izzy smiled sleepily and cuddled into his bulk, nudging her head up under his chin and wrapping. Her arms as much around him as she could manage.
"G'night, big guy," she murmured tiredly trough a yawn.
Of course, he couldn't respond, but he seemed to settle in that position, his hand drawing just a bit lower.
And then, he was still again.
The captain sighed and settled herself a little mor comfortably against him.
She was good at waking up when she needed to, sorry she could just sleep for a few hours?
She was still exhausted from her intensive use of magic. Unable to cling to consciousness any longer, she drifted into sleep.
It was after a couple hours that Gar came to. He groaned a bit and shifted around, and it was with slowly returning lucidity that he registered a faint but familiar ticklish sensation on his throat. He tried to move his hand on his chest to see what that was, but immediately he felt a shirt, and when he looked down he saw none other than Isabeau tucked into him.
At first, he looked about, but when he saw the gun deck was still a ghost town, he relaxed a bit. He passed a hand along her back.
"Izzy. Izzyyyy."
“Mmph.” She fidgeted and turned her face into what she was fairly sure was a delightly warm pillow, not fully awake. “Fi’ more minutes...”
Her words sent an odd form of nostalgia through Gar, but the last thing he wanted to do was imagine here as a little girl again. Blinking away the feeling, he grinned to himself and relaxed into his hammock again. His hand slid low, and he placed it right on her ass, giving it a gentle knead.
Isabeau suddenly jerked awake, Gar's voice reminding her of where she was. "Shit." She looked around, eyes wide and hair a tangled mess beneath her bandanna. "Did anyone see—?"
She tried to scramble out of the hammock and wound up falling back into the dip of it, the curve of the man's body.
"Hell if I know," he murmured. When she fell back into his lap, he was momentarily tempted to grasp her hips from behind and give the back of her neck a kiss. Instead of that, he decided to help her, which basically meant lifting her up and off of him and helping her steady when she was on her feet.
"I've been a rock for the past couple hours."
He then dismounted the hammock and stretched out a bit.
She flushed a bit at needing the help, straightening her tunic and brushing her hair back out of her face.
"Yeah, um, sorry. I only meant to check on you when I was comin' down last night, but I was real tired and it was just comfortable and--" She cut herself off, clearing her throat, and glanced away. "Won't make a habit of it," she assured with a slightly forced little chuckle.
Part of him was dissappointed to hear those words but he knew what she meant. That had been a risk indeed.
But still, he smirked at her, and after affirming to himself that they were in fact alone, he gave her a spank.
"Go on, then. You've been missin' for a bit."
Isabeau yelped quietly and swatted at his hand with a mock scowl. She was prepared to snip something back at him— but something in his eyes, or behind them, held her attention.
"Hey, Gar?" She hesitated, then reached up to grab his shoulder and leaned in, planting a quick, slightly awkward kiss on his cheek. "We should make port before the day's out. Why don't we...take a few days' shore leave?"
His eyes narrowed knowingly for a moment, before he grinned and gave her a nod.
"As if I'd say no to an offer like that," he said. He started walking back up to the decks, motioning for her to follow.
"What port are we set to hit? It's been a solid bit since we've made port in these waters."
She blinked, then smiled as she followed after him, having to take two paces for every one of his.
Right, she hadn't told him. In all the bustle of the last few weeks, she'd entirely forgotten that she was actually trying to keep it a surprise.
"Well, I think you'll recognize it soon enough," she said blithely as they stepped out on deck.
The sun had just barely risen above the water line at the horizon, turning the sea gold and pink in certain places, and she sighed quietly as she braced her hands against the deck rail and leaned out over the edge, into the salty spray and wind.
The Storm was approaching land fast-- a tiny spit of an island about half a day's sail from the main Yoreiqi chain, barely big enough for one tiny village.
The village where the previous captain of the ship she now commanded had retired.
Isabea glanced up at her first mate with a slightly crooked smile. "Been a while since we've seen my old da, hasn't it?"
The surprised dawned on him even as she spoke, eyes widening as he took sight of the island. He leaned on the railing as well, the wood creaking under his weight as he took his eyes off to gaze down into the water. Surprise was an uncommon look for him, as he was rarely ever phased.
Then, he laughed.
"By the Mountain Mother, I don't know if I can look'im in the eye," he said. There was something else in his expression, however. He remembered the last time he saw this view. Izzy was a child and he had less gray his beard. It was the day her father had retired.
"I jus' hope I have my scalp after this."
The captain winced dramatically and rubbed at the back of her neck with a little chuckle. “Yeeeeeeaahhh...perhaps we’d best keep some of the more, ah, personal recent developments to ourselves for a while?”
Her smile was a bit sheepish, which was about as odd a look on her as surprise was on him.
She didn’t have time to linger on it though, because then Crav was calling, “Land ho!”— as if they all couldn’t already see it— and the Storm was suddenly approaching port almost more quickly than she could keep up with.
The crew had to be taken stock of, and informed that they’d have five days’ shore leave on the island. A few of them grumped about there being nothing to do on the tiny speck of sand, but most just seemed relieved that they’d gotten through the voyage without any casualties.
That done, she had to take stock of her ship, take note of what had been damaged and what they could afford to fix.
A man, lanky and graying, turned up at the docks as the conspicuously flagless ship pulled into port, and just hung back watching the bustle with a wistful sort of smile. A stranger to most of the crew, the younger set, but a welcome and familiar face to the rare few who’d served under him.
“Cap’n.” Crab nodded to him as he came down the gangplank, a pack over his shoulder.
Abraham chucked. “Not anymore.” Grey eyes lit on a familiar face and he raised a hand in greeting. “Hoy there, sailor! Thought ogres were mountain folk— what’s a big brute like you doing on the deck of a ship?” he called, lips curved up in a lopsided grin.
Gar smirked a bit at her sheepishness. There was a moment of quiet, then, as the boat gently rocked towards port. When the cry of "Land-Ho!" was sounded off, Gar knew he had plenty of hoisting to do. He gave Isabeau a knowing look, and straightened up off of the rail.
"It'll be good to see the old man again." he said, and stomped off to perform his duties.
Coming into port was easy enough. The dock was small, simple, and there were no port authorities. Gar was tying down a guide rope to the rigging when Abraham's voice rang out down from the dock. He laughed, and tied down the rope.
"You'd be right about that, Abe!" Gar started, and he began to step down the gangplank.
"It took some schmarmy words from a slick lowlander with a boat to coax me down from the peaks. Then after all that work, he went and took off."
He sighed, and held his hand out to greet him.
"How's the land life been treatin' ya, old friend?"
Abe gripped the much taller man's forearm, smiling a little wistfully. "Aye, y'know. It's...nice. Peaceful-like." His smile turned playful as he released Gar. "And you? Takin' care of my girl, are ya?"
"Is that me, or The Storm?" Isabeau asked with a grin as she slipped easily down the gangplank.
Her father beamed and wrapped her up in a tight hug the moment she was within arm's reach, spinning her around and making her squeak. "Izzie! Gods, lass, you're thin as a rail! Have you been eating?"
The captain rolled her eyes as he set her down, brushing down her shirt. "I'm fine, Da."
Gar watched with a genuine smile as Abe and Izzie reunited.
"Don'tcha worry there, Abe. Both o' yer girls're safe, as always."
He put a hand on Isabeau's shoulder and gave her a pat, before he turned about.
"I'll get our packs, Izzie. You two just sit tight a moment."
And with that, Gar turned to go retrieve his and Isabeau's personal things. He knew they'd be spending the night at Abe's, and not on The Storm.
"Thanks, big guy." Izzie grinned at him as her father chuckled.
"Awfully presumptuous of you, Gar. Who says I'm gonna let ya stay with me?" Abe called after the ogre. His daughter rolled her eyes and elbowed him gently. The ex-captain chuckled and ruffled her hair, making her pout.
"Gods. You look more like your mother every time I see you," he said suddenly, eyes softening. Izzie blinked, a little taken aback.
"Oh, um...really?" She coughed, glancing away. "Honestly, I-- I have trouble remembering what she looked like nowadays..."
Gar laughed as he stepped back up onto the ship.
"Who's gonna stop me? I haven't slept on a real bed in months!" he called back.
He returned a few minutes later, missing the conversation between Isabeau and her father as he lugged Izzy's belongings and his own up to the pair of them.
"Alright, this is all of it. Lead the way, Cap'n." Gar said, speaking to neither of them in particular.
Abraham's expression was unreadable as the ogre approached, though for a moment Izzie could have sworn she saw a flash of deep grief behind his eyes.
Heart clenching guiltily, she put on a quick smile and nodded to Gar. "Thanks, mate. I can take some of that." She reaches for a pack as her father chuckled and turned to head inland, waving for them to follow.
Gar, oblivous to Abraham's inner struggle, followed along at Izzy's side, glancing around as they made their way inland.
"Gods, what's it been... a couple a' years since we last stopped here?" Gar said, looking at Abe's way.
"It's nice to be back..."
"Aye, it's been a while." Abraham clapped a hand on his old first mate's shoulder, having to reach up quite a bit to do so. "And howve ya been, lad? Izzie's has command for just over a year now, how're things settling?"
Isabeau rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to point out peevishly that he could have simply asked her, since she was standing right there.
"Well," Gar started, glancing down to Izzy with a smirk.
"She's got the ship nice and buttoned down. The Crew runs smooth and we've been hitting those fat merchant ships almost twice a month now."
He chuckled.
"Reminds me of our old heydays."
"Are ya now?" Abe grinned and ruffled his daughter hair, which she responded to with a pout as she tried to smooth the curly mess back under her bandana. Her father suddenly seemed thoughtful, going quiet.
"Mayhaps ive got sommat for ya back at the house," he said cryptically. Isabeau perked up a bit, glancing sidelining at Gar.
When he caught her glance, he just offered a mild shrug. He didn't have the faintest idea of what Abe was talking about, but the last time he gave her a gift was a ship and himself. The possibilities genuinely intrigued him.
Instead, Gar grinned and put a hand on Abe's shoulder, giving him a stiff pat.
"I hope it's a good drink," he said.
The ex-captain chuckled and returned the pat with a hearty slap on the back. "Oh, aye, I've got that too!" he laughed, eyes glinting. "Perhaps we'd better get started with the drinks before moving on to other things, eh?"
"Hey, I'll never say no to free booze." Isabeau grinned as she fell into step beside the two men, Abraham leading them along the beach toward a small but well-trod path.
"Oi, who says it's free?" her father demanded, giving her a light punch on the arm. She laughed and nudged him back, the tension that seemed to always linger around her shoulders slowly fading away with each new step.
Gar let out a deep chortle.
"The ol' grog barrel's gettin a little thin, we haven't had a good whiskey on board in ages," Gar added. He decided not to mention the fact that him and Isabeau had drank the last of his good hooch supply when they spent that first night together.
Gods...
He watched Isabeau and Abe as they walked, smiling warmly as they went along. It was nice to see her like this, and Abe as well. He knew it was tough for the old dog to watch his two favorite girls sail off without him, and despite everything, it seemed to Gar even pirates needed some love and family time every once in a while. He'd be lying if he said that he himself didn't find a degree of sanctuary in Isabeau's touch.
"Why am I not surprised?" Abe laughed. He and Isabeau devolved into teasing banter and affectionate nudges as he led them back to his little cottage, set just far back enough from the coastline that it wouldn't be washed away in a flood, but still close enough to hear the sea and smell the salt strong on the air.
The captain of the Storm smiled when she saw the place, feeling the familiarity of it sink into her bones. She glanced back over her shoulder at Gar with a warm smile.
Her ship would always be home, but this, what he father had built for himself-- it was a pretty close second.
"Come on in, make yourselves comfortable," Abe enthused as he swung the door open, gesturing for his daughter and first mate to enter first. The cottage wasn't large by any means, but it was big enough for a nice hearth and a few cozy chairs scattered around it. And what more could she ask for, really?
Grinning, Isabeau strode inside and plopped herself into the nearest chair, relaxing back with a sigh. "Storms and crows," she breathed as she closed her eyes a moment. "Missed this place, old man."
Gar entered behind Isabeau, setting down their packs by the door after ducking inside. Of course, he didn't take a seat for fear of breaking it, so he opted to instead sit cross-legged by the fire, leaning back onto his hands as he let a peaceful breath leave him.
"I've never been one for houses. I'd much rather live on a rocking boat..."
He smiled.
"But this house, small as it is, is comfier than any mast-hammock I've slept in."
He turned his eyes back to Abe.
"It's good to be back."
"Aw, don't get all sappy on me." Abe shoved Gar's shoulder companionably before he crossed to sink into his own chair, sighing gently. He pulled a face and complained, "I'm getting old, you two. My bones creak every time I get in this chair."
Isabeau rolled her eyes, sitting forward to the edge of her chair. "Oh, shove it. You'll be around for another few decades, at least," she teased lightly.
"You'd sure as hell hope so!" her father shot back with a grin. "What'd you lot do without this old house to come back to every few months, eh? The Storm is a good lady, it's true, but even she needs a rest now and then."
At Abe's last words, Gar chuckled.
"If it weren't for your sorry old hide guilting me, I'd be anchoring in Thanatos. I hear they screw for religion over there," he said, and started laughing, a sound that was captured quite well by the small cottage.
But once the laughter died down, he sobered up a bit.
"But in all seriousness, what've you got for us?"
Isabeau and Abe both chuckled, but at Gar's question her father sobered rather quickly, folding his hands and bracing his elbows on his knees.
"Well, I actually do have something...real interesting," he hedged.
Isabeau blinked, then frowned. It wasn't like him to beat around the bush. "Da?"
"Right, right." Abe shook his head, then stood abruptly. "I've got to grab something from the other room. You two stay put, it's-- it's important. I'll be right back." He strode toward the door that led to the rest of the small cottage, brushing through it rather brusquely.
Isabeau all but gaped, then turned to look at Gar. "What the hells is that about?" she muttered, frown back in place.
Gar shrugged. He shuffled a bit closer to her so he could mutter in turn.
"Hell if I know. I'm just as much in the dark as you," he said. He glanced to the door that Abe went through.
"I've never seen him like that."
The captain's frown deepened and almost unconsciously she reached out to touch her first mate's shoulder, just for a moment.
"He'd better not be losing it," she muttered, trying to joke a little weakly. "If that man goes senile it'll be a full time job keeping him from streaking down the beaches."
"Oi." Abe suddenly reappeared, clutching an oblong wooden box in his hands. He glowered at Izzie and she smiled back angelically. "Who you calling senile, pup?" He swiped at her and she ducked, laughing.
Well, at least he seemed to be acting normal again.
Or not, because as he sat back in his chair and laid the box in his lap, he glanced from side to side, as though afraid that someone might be listening. "Alright." He shuffled the box around so they could see it more clearly. "Take a good look."
It was simple enough, though clearly very old. The sides were carved with a curving, aquatic design while the lid seemed to have once been embossed with gold leaf that had all but flaked away. There was a lock, old and weathered but clearly still functional.
Izzie glanced sidelong at Gar. Where on earth is he going with this?
Gar smiled at the shoulder touch, but her words made him frown a bit. He was about to respond, when Abe did it for him, and he had a bit of a chuckle at Isabeau's expense.
His curiosity captured, he gazed at the old box, wondering at just how long Abe had kept this box a secret.
More importantly, what had changed his mind?
"Looks older than I am," he remarked, and even as he said that he gave his beard a bit of a stroke, suddenly self-conscious about his age.
Still young enough for her, apparently...
"Go on then, Abe! The suspense is killing me."
"Shhh." Abraham glanced around again, then reached down the front of his shirt to pull up an old, battered key hanging from a leather chord. "Patience is a virtue," he murmured as he inserted the key into the lock and twisted. "That's what my father told me when he gave me this, you know."
The lid popped open and Isabeau found herself leaning forward, trying to peer inside.
Before she could get a good look, her father reached into the box and carefully pulled out a tarnished, almost ancient looking scroll. He held it out in one hand, grip firm but gentle. "This," he murmured, "is something I've been looking for a long, long while. Since I was younger than you, pup."
Isabeau shook her head, staring at his face. "Da, I don't understand... A— a map?"
Abe nodded. "Yes, a map. A map my father spent most of his life searching for, and then me. And it was only a month ago that I finally found this damned key, and now we have it."
Even as Abe gave Isabeau the rundown, Gar couldn't help but stare.
"No way, no goddamn way, old man..."
He breathed out a laugh, and rubbed at his eyes.
"I can't believe it, you crazy old bastard, you actually found it?!"
Abe grinned, and it lifted ten years from his face. "Yeah. Yeah, I found it."
Isabeau looked between the two of them, growing exasperated. "Would one of you please tell me what the hell is going on here?"
Her father chuckled quietly and looked to her, tucking the map carefully back into the box. "Izzie, our family has been lookin' for this map for...generations. I'm not even sure how long. Your great-grandma recovered this box, but we couldn't open it, not even with magic. We needed the key, or we'd risk damaging what was inside."
Slowly, she nodded. "Okay...but what is it a map to? And why am I just hearing about it now?!"
Her father shrugged. "Honestly? I'd just about given up. I spent most of my life chasing this damned thing, and I didn't want you to do the same." His expression fell and he dropped his eyes. "Chasing this near about cost me your mother. I didn't want to lose you, too."
Isabeau felt her chest tighten. Her father almost never talked about that.
"But, it seems fate had other plans," Abe continued, suddenly brisk. "As for what it leads to..." He smiled, almost wonderingly. "It's supposed to be an island of wonders, pup. The beaches glitter, each grain of sand a diamond. Fruit and water there can actually make you younger, maybe stop ya aging entirely. The trees are supposed to be living metal, silver and gold forests stretching up tot he sky. Can you even imagine?"
Isabeau stared. "Da...that sounds like a fairy story," she said slowly. "That can't be real."
Gar shook his head when Isabeau spoke.
For him, the generational quest to to figure out the secret of the box was introduced to him by Abe, but the way his entire family had dedicated itself to unlocking it gave it plenty of credence in the ogre's eyes. Why go through all that trouble, all of that strife, just for a fairy tale?
"Fairy story or not, if even a lick of it's real we'll be set for the rest of our lives," Gar said.
"And I wouldn't mind getting younger, either. I've seen yer old man in his prime when he was chasing this, Izzy. It's real, no way it isn't."
He looked back to Abe, growing wonder in his eyes.
"So, where is it, then?"
Abraham sagged slightly, dragging one hand down his face. "Far," he admitted. "Further than I ever took the Storm on a single run. Out past Yoreiqi, near-about...maybe three months travel, as I can reckon?"
He shook his head. "But it's more than that. This place is supposed to be protected. That's part of what the map is for, guides you in how to get past the traps and natural obstructions."
He suddenly glanced up, looking for the window. Isabeau followed his gaze, growing concerned. Why was he so twitchy? Why did Gar believe this?
"Mayhaps we'd be better off discussing this in the morning," Abe said suddenly. He pressed the box into his daughter's hands, bringing her attention sharply back to him. "There's a lot more to talk about. A lot more. But you lot have had a long trip here, and I-- I should check on the wards and such."
"Wards?" Since when had her father bothered warding his little cottage? Isabeau blinked, holding the box closet to her chest. "Da, what--?"
"You two take the room," he continued, either not hearing or ignoring her. "Izzie can have the bed, and there should be enough blankets to make sleeping on the floor okay. Sorry, mate, best I can do," he said with a quick smile for Gar.
While Gar knew the tale of the fabled island, as far as Abe had told him, the revelation that there were wards around the house piqued his interest. So curious, in fact, that the revelation that he would be sleeping on the floor barely phased him.
Gar had questions too, but it seemed that much like Isabeau he was going to get those answered later rather than sooner.
Abe left, and Gar just looked to Isabeau and shrugged his shoulders. He stood from the ground, and went to go grab their packs.
"Well, let's get set up in the digs, then. I get the feeling there's more going on here than Abe's gonna tell us..."
She snorted. "Yeah, no kidding." Picking up her back and starting toward the bedroom in the back of the house, she suddenly paused and turned to glower up at her first mate.
"And hang on a second-- how come I never heard about any of this from you?"
At her question, Gar kind of nudged his head about before sighing.
"Fair truth of it is, I thought once Abe retired I'd never hear of it again. I respected his decision not to tell ya and fer all it's worth, I thought he was done with this 'till ten minutes ago," Gar said, and he set his own pack down on the bedroom floor.
As soon as they were alone, Gar wasn't afraid to get as intimate, so he gave her hips a light pat with his hand.
"That bed sure as sugar ain't big enough for the both of us," he said, voice low and tone teasing.
"Mph. Fine. You're off the hook," Isabeau grumbled as she made her way into the bedroom, stretching her arms up above her head and arching her back deeply before she tossed her pack to the side.
Then Gar's hands were on her hips and she arched an eyebrow, twisting to face him. "Oi. Watch the hands," she chuckled lightly. "We are in my father's house." Her eyes flickered to the bed, then back up to his face. "Probably a good thing that bed isn't big enough for two of us..."
Gar nodded giving her a knowing look.
"Probably."
Giving her hips a pat, he took his hands off of her and went about stealing some of the sheets on the bed and laying them out on the ground. Gar was accustomed to hammocks, flat sleeping made his back hurt, but he suppsoed he was just going to have to live with it.
Once he finished arranging his "bed," he looked back to Isabeau.
"I'm gonna go raid Abe's liquor supply, you want anythin'?"
She considered that, then replied, "Whiskey, if he's got it. Should still have a bottle back in there somewhere." Smirking, she added, "Try not to get caught. I like sleeping in a real bed, which won't happen if Da catches ya and tosses our asses out onto the beach."
"Hey, he said he'd give us drinks. Not my fault of he got senile and forgot," Gar said, shooting her a wink before stepping outside. It was a comical sight, seeing the large Ogre try to make as little noise as possible as he went to Abe's usual spot.
Opening it up, he knelt down to peer inside. There wasn't any whiskey, unfortunately, but there was a half drunk bottle of vodka. Gar was quick to snatch it up and close the cabinet back up.
Barring any sudden appearances from Abe, Gar'd be slipping back into his shared room, giving Isabeau a dirty smirk and shaking the bottle.
"No whiskey, but I've always been a vodka man."
Isabeau laughed a bit as she glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. "Gods, Gar, if you'd wanted to get me naked you could've just asked," she chuckled. The captain of the Storm was rather notorious for just how "flirty" she could get vodka-drunk.
"Oh, it slipped my mind, cross my heart."
He grinned as he said it.
"I reckon ya'll just have to pace yerself," he said, setting himself down on the ground by her bed and uncorking the bottle with his teeth. He swigged from it, face scrunching up, and then he passed it to Isabeau.
"Suuuuuuure." Isabeau arched an eyebrow at him, but she perched on the edge of the bed and took the bottle from him when he passed it over. She didn't "swig" so much as "sip", and even that was done with caution.
Chuckling as she passed it back, she noted, "I gotta say, I think Da's taste is slipping. He used to keep better stuff around the house."
"I don't think so. Must be one of those in-between kinda days," Gar said, and he took another deep swig of the bottle, holding it back out to her.
"So, whaddaya think of this island? I think it's worth a look. A few month's sail is a good trade fer eternal youth, don'tcha think?"
She shook her head and took another gulp, pursing her lips. "Honestly...I don't know. But if you and Da both think this place is real, then..." She huffed and shook her head again. "Worth a look, I guess. Worse comes to worse we can target a merchant while we're out there."
Gar nodded, breaking out into a wide grin.
"That's the spirit, Cap'n."
Then, he leaned back in, smug grin on his face.
"And if those fruits can put me back in my youth then believe me, yer gonna find out what I did to bar wenches back in yer father's days."
Isabeau snorted and crinkled her nose up at him. "First of all-- ew. I don't want to think about bar wenches and my father in the same sentence. Second..."
Her lashes lowered a bit and her smirk widened. "I think you're gettin' along just fine in your old age there, grandpa."
"Ah, with a little shave, ya won't even know the difference," Gar said. He'd never been known to shave much, but he really did feel like Isabeau's grandfather with his sizable beard. The mental image wasn't that bothersome to him before but he'd very recently become more and more uncomfortable with it.
He answered her words with a smirk. and held his hand out for the booze. His smile straightened out, however, and he lowered his hand.
"Do... do ya think we should check on Abe? Doesn't feel right, him being gone this long..."
The captain's mouth drew into a tight line and she licked her lips, then bit at her lower one. "Yeah," she sighed after a moment. "Yeah, we probably should."
Despite the fact that Gar was one of the two people in the world she did truly trust-- her father being the other-- she still didn't like feeling...vulnerable around him. Around anyone.
The sex was different. That was vulnerability she allowed him to see. Her worry for her father...that was just different.
Gar nodded, knowing how she felt without her having to express it. He corked the bottle and set it down on the bed.
"Fer later," he said, keeping it light as he stood up.
He went over to his pack and opened it to pull out one of the sawed off muskets he used as pistols and buckled it to his belt.
Isabeau smiled a bit and nodded. "Right."
It was a simple move to strap her own pistol to her hip, her cutlass resting against the other shortly after. She'd had plenty of practice arming herself against surprise attacks, the motions by now quick and well-practiced.
"Let's see what the old dog's up to," she muttered as she moved for the door, already knowing that Gar would be at her back without having to look.
Gar had strapped in one of his pistols more as a habit than anything else, but when he saw Isabeau don her pistol and sword it all just sort of set in for him.
"Hopefully he's just fallen asleep somewhere," Gar said, keeping pace with Iseabeau as she set out.
He looked about at the vibrant jungle that surrounded Abe's cottage. The sound of topical birds and bugs set him at ease. Silence always meant that something was creeping about, in his experience. He rubbed his hands together, eys squinting in the dark.
"Now, if I was an old sea captain looking to check on some wards, where would I go?" he said, barely loud enough for Isabeau to hear.
"My guess is the treeline." Isabeau nodded in the direction she meant. "See that copse there? Probably a place the leylines of the island intersect, which means warding magic would be more powerful."
Though she wasn't exactly an Arca-trained mage, Izzie had enough experience with weather and sea magic to be reasonably certain of what she was talking about.
"Alright then, Izzie," Gar said, eyeing the copse with some wariness. Mountains, he could do. The ocean was a second home to him. But jungles and forests made the large ogre just a little bit claustrophobic. He motioned forwards.
"Lead the way, then. You've always been quieter," he said, giving her a short sneer before he put his serious face back on.
"Right, like that's difficult when the person I'm compared to has legs the size of tree trunks," Izzie quipped back, though her mouth was a little too tight for the teasing to completely hide her worries.
Taking a short, sharp breath, she started out toward the trees, one hand on her cutlass.
And Gar followed close behind. He kept pace, looking about with his hand resting on the butt of his "pistol". The island where Abe lived was small, but the jungles were dense and filled with thick vines the size of constrictors.
Still, he kept quiet as they skulked along, ears primed and eyes peeled.
Once they'd reached the trees, Isabeau's tension notched up another few degrees, and she paused just amid the trunks.
"Da?" Her voice was a low hiss. "Da, where are you?"
No answer. Cursing under her breath, she tried to cast out with her magic, to get a sense of these wards he'd been tending to. Before she could try it for more than a moment, a voice to the left called out, "What in hells are you two doing out here?"
Izzie jumped and swung around to face her father. A flash of relief lit up her face, but it was quickly chased away with a scowl. "Us?! She glared and folded her arms. "What the hells have you been doing, old man? Gar was gettin' worried!"
"Fuckin' flotsam, ya old dog," Gar said when Abe came seemingly out of nowhere.
"You can't just mutter to yerself about checkin' wards an' then go and vanish fer dam near an hour. We thought you mighta been in trouble," Gar said, crossing his arms.
"Don't tell me ya were just takin' a long shit?"
Abraham glowered at them both and huffed. "Y'know, I ain't as young as I used to be, and I never had the same knack for magic that yer ma did." He gestured vaguely to Isabeau with those last words. "Checking all six of these wards takes a fair bit of time."
Izzie's eyebrows crept up into her hairline. "Six wards?" She shook her head. "Da, what in all hells d'ya think is gonna be coming after you?"
He huffed again and glanced side to side, then turned to start back to the cottage, waving for them to follow. "Well, if I knew the specifics, I wouldn't need so many wards, would I?"
Gar took the hint and started to walk back at Abe's side, keeping pace with him.
"So... what kinds of wards are there?" Gar asked.
"What're we possibly dealin' with? It can't be one of ya old rivals, the whole lot of you are retired," he continued.
"I'm not the only one with family history," was the only cryptic response the old ex-pirate gave.
Exasperated, Isabeau shot Gar a look, eyebrows raised and mouth drawn into a tight, irritated line. "Da, what the hells does that mean?"
"Shush." They were at the cottage now, and he beckoned them inside.
Gar almost didn't return her look, confused as to why Abe was refusing to answer the question. He followed the old captain inside.
"Cripes..." he muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Listen, I ain't usually one to press, Abe. Personal stuff's personal, and maybe it ain't even our problem. But we need to know," he said, crossing his arms, hoping Izzy would back him up.
"So we can watch our backs or, gods forbid, help your barnacled ass. I'd do it in a heartbeat," he said.
Izzie nodded quickly and opened her mouth to add something, but her father shushed her quickly and ushered them back into the cottage.
"I know ya would," Abe muttered as he came in behind them and closed the door, reaching up to clap Gar on the shoulder. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Honestly I may be gettin' paranoid, ole man. But it's better to be cautious about these things."
"What things?" Izzie demanded, thoroughly exasperated. "Was the special magic island our family has been hunting for generations not enough?!"
"Shhh!" Abe clapped a hand over her mouth and looked to the window of the small cottage, her shoulders suddenly tense.
"Paranoia? I know you're old, but--"
Suddenly, Isabeau spoke up and raised her voice. Gar would've backed her up but then Abe had his hand on her mouth and was looking out the window like he'd seen death itself.
Gar caught the mood of the room and a hand slid closer to his pistol, where it was still stuffed into its belt holster.
"Old man..." he whispered.
"What the hell is going on around here?"
Abe licked his lips. Then his eyes flickered between them, his daughter and his best friend, and he sighed, shaking his head as he dropped his gaze.
He stepped back from Izzie and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, you're-- we're all a bit strung out, eh? Maybe we should sleep on it, talk in the morning."
Isabeau furrowed her brow, biting at her lower lip. "Da..."
He smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair like he had when she was small. "I'm sorry for worryin' ya, little tempest. Grab some shut eye. We'll all be here to talk in the morning."
Gar nodded, relenting.
"Aye, we could all use some sleep," he said, glancing down to the ground. He had no intention to drop the issue, but damn him if he wasn't tired.
"Come on, then," he said, looking to Izzy.
"I've 'ad just about enough worrying about fer one day. I can hear that luxurious floor callin' to me," he added with a grin.
"Oh, aye, I'll just bet it is," Abe laughed. He seemed relieved that they had not fought for further explanation. He clapped Gar on the shoulder, dipped to press a quick kiss to the top of Isabeau's head, then gave them both a tired wave as he loved toward his favorite sitting chair.
Feeling utterly bewildered, Isabeau bid her father a quiet good night and moved into the bedroom, sigh and shaking her head almost at herself. "Crazy old man..."
"Aye," Gar answered, not wanting to talk too loud. The walls were thin and his voice was strong.
He set himself down, grabbing that bottle of vodka from before and popping the cork off with his thumb.
"A few mainsails short of a galleon," he continued, and then took a swig.
"Didn't used to be," Isabeau sighed. She stared at the bed for a long moment, then huffed and turned to sit on the floor beside Gar.
"Give here." She reached out for the bottle and jerked her head over her shoulder at the bed. "Look, you take it. I don't think I'm gonna sleep tonight anyway, makes no difference to me."
"Now don't you start w'me, young lady," Gar said, and he relented the bottle to her.
"You need yer rest," he started, and then leaned back on his hands.
"But I ain't all that tired yet either," he said. He leaned against the foot of the bed and patted the spot next to him. The only thing he had on the floor was a thick blanket and a pair of stolen pillows from Isabeau's bed.
Raising one eyebrow incredulously, Isabeau scoffed, "Did you just young lady me?" She crinkled her nose and furrowed her brow before lowering her voice and snipping, "Y'know, I'm not sure I appreciate that from someone who's cock I've had in my mouth."
Still, she plopped onto the floor beside him, letting her head lean back against the edge of the bed with a sigh. "And you need sleep just as much as I do."
"Believe me, I can call ya worse things," he started, and paused to lean in and whisper just as she did, mouth lingering near her ear.
"The next time you've got my cock in your mouth."
He gave her a tiny nip on the earlobe as he pulled away, grinning like a bastard.
"You need sleep too, but I don't see you snoozing," Gar said, and he laid a large hand in her lap, palm facing up. He spoke, voice still low.
"I'm thinkin' about shavin' come morning. Not all of it, but... maybe a good bit. So it doesn't look like yer bein' eaten out by a grandpa," he added, just as comfortable treading dirty wording as she was.
"Oh, ick!" Laughing, Isabeau shoved at his shoulder. "Gar, c'mon, that's not an image I needed in my head," she protested with a dramatic pout.
Sobering a bit, she leaned back more heavily against the bed and allowed her hand to find his, absently tracing the lines of his palm with her fingertips. "Be weird to see ya without a bear though," she mused. "Even just less of a beard. You've had that thing since I was..."
Gods, how old had she been? Thirteen? Maybe fourteen? She looked down at their hands, her brow furrowed.
"...Are we crazy?" She gestured between the two of them. "This...whatever it is. D'ya think it's...I dunno, weird?"
"It's crazy, aye," Gar said, but he didn't sound negative. He looked down at her, studying the size difference between their hands.
"On a lot of levels. An' a little weird, too," he admitted.
"But I can't help it, it feels so right. We understand one another, and the sex... Screw the rest of the world."
He paused to sigh. He turned his hand sideways to grip her thigh tightly for a moment, parting her leg slightly as he started stroking her leg.
He put the vodka bottle in her lap.
"...I reckon I'll send the boys fishing tomorrow. I might join 'em, unless the cap'n needs me to help her sort the cargo deck out," he said, giving her a knowing look.
Isabeau huffed a small laugh, shaking her head at his assessment of the situation-- but she found she couldn't really disagree with him. "Yeah. Screw 'em."
His hand on her leg sent a sudden jolt through her body and she eyed it sidelong for a moment before snatching up the bottle and taking a quick swig.
"The captain might need some help," she murmured, looking at Gar through her lashes. Lowering her voice, she leaned in a bit and added, "But she'd like to remind her first mate that they are currently staying in her father's house."
"A lady havin' a Da never stopped me before, I was a maiden-maker in me younger days" Gar said, but he relented. He took the hand off her leg and rest it on her lap again.
"But I'll make an exception on the cap'n's orders," he whispered again, and rest his head against the bed.
"Are we gonna tell the boys about this magical island?" Gar said, staring up at the ceiling.
"I wasn't sayin' no," Isabeau chuckled. "Just sayin' be careful, yeah?"
She let her head flop against his shoulder and huffed out a breath. "I mean...if we're really going after this place, I have to, don't i? Can't very well ask my crew to ship off without knowing why we're after."
"Oh, then in that case," Gar started, and he leaned down quickly to kiss her, hand squeezing her leg. He couldn't get enough of her, that much was true. However, he was careful, not prolonging the contact and keeping his ears open for movement or sounds.
His eyes still on the door, he raised his hand from her leg to stroke her stomach before he slid it a bit lower, taking care not to surprise her or provoke unexpected noises as he started to tease her through her breeches, using his large fingers to stroke her heat.
"They have a right to know, and a right to back out if they don't think themselves able fer such a thing. They're not all gonna believe us," he continued.
Her eyebrows crept up slightly as his hand settled against her core, then she bit her lip as a jolt of pleasure arced through her body. Her eyes flickered toward the door for a moment, and she had to take a breath before she trusted her voice.
"If a few of 'em skive off, I think this is a run we can make with just a basic crew," she murmured. It took more effort than she wanted to admit to keep her voice steady as his fingers worked. "Maybe a dozen? Eight, if we have to..."
Holding his gaze, she snaked her hand between them to land firmly on the fork of his legs, pressing and stroking up.
Gar smiled when she got to his goods. She'd find him semi-hard when she touched him, only for him to start growing more in his pants once she got to stroking.
"Go on, give it a quick kiss. I know you want to," he whispered lecherously, and he slid his fingers beneath her clothes to tease her wetness directly.
"But let's be careful..."
Isabeau bit down hard on her lower lip and closed her eyes as she swallowed back a moan. Fluttering her eyes open again, she met Gar's gaze and whispered back, "I dunno about you, but I'm bein' plenty careful."
She paused in her stroking to drag her hand up against his length, finding the tip through the fabric of his breeches and tracing circles around it with a fingertip, pressing a little harder with each pass.
Almost painfully slowly, she used her free hand to pull Gar's fingers away from her and shifted around to kneel in front of him, lowering her head to hover just above where she teased him with her fingers.
"Who d'ya think will stay on?" she asked in a normal tone, raising one eyebrow and smirking wickedly as she lowered her head fully to mouth him once, briefly, through his clothes.
"Well, The long-timers make seven, those'll stay through thick or thin. I'm eight, you're nine," Gar listed, matching her tone but watching her as she worked. He'd thought he'd heard a door open and close somewhere else inside the cottage. Hoping it was Abe retiring to his own bed , Gar got a little bold and slipped his pants down, taking his cock out for her.
She suddenly smirked and stretched up to press a few nibbling kisses against his neck, whispering, “Keep talking. Don’t want Da to overhear anything...untoward.”
She nipped at his earlobe and moved her hand back to his cock, pressing firmly with the heel of her palm.
“What would you do if we found this island?” she asked calmly, before latching lips and teeth onto his neck and sucking hard as her hand began to pump along him.
"Well, I'd be richer than royalty. What wouldn't I do?" Gar mused, wincing and letting out a quiet hiss when she bit into him like that and sucked.
"Maybe I'll open a few mines, find a nice, plump ogress to pump some kids into and settle down," Gar said, and he leaned in to speak into her ear after giving her a hot kiss.
"C'mon Izzy, I want to come down yer throat," he said, then he made some distance to keep playing her game.
"Maybe buy Fitzroy a better accordion. His old one's starting to get a little scratchy."
Isabeau grinned wickedly against his skin and finally unlatched from the column of her throat to tilt her head up and breathe in his ear, "I might just let you do that...if you earn it."
Dropping back into a casual tone, she added, lightly teasing, "That's mighty generous of you. Would you get all the crew presents?"
She worked her way down his body as she spoke, slowly slipping him out of his vest and laying it to the side. When she reached the fork of his legs she paused, looking up at him through her lashes. "If you can keep talkin' all normal-like while I suck you off, I'll let you come wherever you like," she whispered, voice low and husky. Her lips curved up crookedly. "I wanna watch you squirm..."
With no other warning, Isabeau lowered her head and wrapped her lips around him, letting her teeth graze just barely against his skin as she did.
She was going to torture him, and Gar couldn't be more excited. He put a hand on the back of her head, encouraging her to suckle deeper
"Not all of 'em. Definitely all the vets, though. I think I'll get Crag a gold tooth that isn't dented, and a bed full of whores for Raven. Poor lad's been through more misfortunes than a man twice his age, he'll need, the, ah..."
She grazed him with her teeth, and he paused.
"Worship it," he snarled quietly. "Work for that come."
Then, he cleared his throat lightly.
"The comfort, is what I was sayin'. What do ya want for yer gift?"
Raising her head with a long, slow lick that showed off just how damn flexible she could get with her tongue, Isabeau tilted her head and batted her eyes at him innocently. Her hand curled around the base of him tightly. "Oh, me? I don't need anythin', you know that."
As she spoke, she shrugged artfully so her shirt slipped down off one shoulder, dipping low over her cleavage and revealing the edge of her lacy breastband. She quirked an eyebrow meaningfully as she lowered her head again.
Her hand around his cock slid up slowly, grip so tight she could feel the pulse of blood beneath his skin. When she reached the tip, she flicked her thumb out to circle his head firmly before pressing down over the very center, an almost challenging gleam in her eye as her tongue snaked out to lav around his shaft teasingly. Her other hand dropped to cup his balls in her palm, kneading in an almost exploratory sort of way.
"An' you'll be rich as an empress too, so ya won't be wantin' fer anythin' either. So will the rest of the lads, come to think of it. Maybe they should find their own damn gifts," he said with a quick chortle, a sound which cut off into a wince as she explored his balls and licked his shaft. He was loving every second of this.
"It's so good, Izzy," he murmured, and he reached down to brush her shirt off her other shoulder.
"C'mon, show those balls some love," he goaded, leaning a bit more against the bed.
"Ah, ah, ah." Isabeau lifted her head with a playful tsk, mock frowning at him. "You heard the rules, big guy. You keep on acting cool and casual." The hand that cupped his sack squeezed gently and her lips quirked up on one side. "Maybe I'll ask ya to sing for me, hm? Think you could carry a tune with your cock hitting the back of my throat?"
Maybe she could have been a little lighter on the teasing, considering they were in her father's house, but gods it was just such a power trip! And the soft little hitches to his breath, the way his words would cut off when she touched him just so-- it was enough to send heat shooting straight to her core.
Another smirk and she dipped her head again to take him into her mouth, one hand pumping along his shaft while the other slowly massaged his balls, grip as firm as she dared make it. She drew her head back in a slow bob and scraped her teeth against him lightly, looking up to meet his eyes through her lashes.
His eyebrows rose a bit, but before he could protest or remind her that random singing was probably going to do them zero favors in their attempts to keep this secret, but then her teeth were scraping and hands were massaging. He let out another pant.
"And you, cap'n?" Gar asked, turning the game about on her.
"What're yer plans for unendin' wealth?"
With a very soft pop, she raised her head and tossed her hair back. Though her face was a tad flushed, her voice was even as she replied, “Oh, y’know. Hire my own fleet, rule the seas as a pirate queen— the basics, really.”
Holding his gaze, she let her hand as his sack shift slightly, one finger tracing a teasing sort of line back toward his ass while the heel of her hand pressed up against him. She raised an eyebrow questioningly as she lowered her head to set to work again.
"That's a lot of crew," Gar said, putting a hand over his face as she teased and then got back to it.
He looked down at her, searching for her eyes.
"You'll need a first mate to keep all those boats in line," he said, shooting her a genuine grin before he gasped again, and spoke in a lowered voice.
"You know you want to sit up on onto my lap and take it," he said, grinning.
"Have my cock hit your womb in your own Da's house," he continued.
"Do I know that?" Isabeau tilted her head to the side, as though considering, and her eyes gleamed playfully.
Leaning in to press a soft kiss just below his ear, she whispered, "Maybe...but I don't know if you've been following the rules."
She bit down on his neck and suddenly shifted to straddle him, rocking her hips forward to rub her still clothed sex against him. "Maybe this is all I'll let you have," she teased softly, moving her kisses to the hollow of his throat.
"Maybe. But is this all you really want?" Gar whispered back, using a hand to swipe his cock across her covered sex.
Then, he gripped her ass, squeezing tightly.
"So, what do we need to restock the holds, Cap'n? I read the manifest yesterday but I can't quite remember," he said, smiling wider.
She shivered and bucked against him, narrowing her eyes at the challenge. "Probably some more salted meats. And we definitely need more fruit-- we've gotten lucky so far with no one catchin' scurvy, I don't wanna keep risking that."
Abruptly, she jerked her breeches down, then kicked them off and slammed her hips forward into his, sheathing him entirely in one sudden motion. She had to slam her mouth shut, clenching her jaw as she swallowed back a sharp cry.
Bracing her hands on the bed frame to either side of Gar's head, she rose up on her knees and slammed down again hard. Panting lightly, she lowered her voice to rasping whisper. "How steady can you keep while I ride you raw?" she challenged hoarsely, eyes burning.
He suddenly found himself in heaven as he came to a top inside Isabeau. He wanted to speak, but he winced and hissed again when she slammed down one more time and her cervix kissed the top of his dick.
"Oooohhhh, fuck," he breathed, and he squeezed her ass and hip rather roughly as he pulled her down further onto him to really get every last millimeter of himself into her.
"And the rope?" he said, before leaning in to crash their lips together for a brief moment.
"We had to sever plenty during the storm. How much more do we need?"
"Ah, yeah, that's true." Isabeau winced as she slammed her hips into his again, then again, raising her voice just slightly to cover the sound of skin against skin. "Mmm, maybe a couple dozen more yards. How much did we lose exactly?"
She met his eyes and lift up onto her knees so that almost his entire length left her, then allowed herself to simple drop down and take him in again, a very soft gasp knocked from her lips as she did. Eyes closed, she breathed a near silent, "Oh yes, yes, yes, fuck, yes."
She swooped in to latch teeth and lips onto his neck again, nibbling and biting and sucking as she repeated the motion, then faster, until with every breath she was riding him into the floor.
"A little-"
Oh gods did he come close to breaking composure when she dropped onto him like that. A hand went for her chin and he brought her head up and away from his neck, squeezing her chin and cheeks to smoosh her face just a little.
"A little over thirty yards," he said, and then he pushed a finger into her asshole.'
"Look at you, gettin' dizzy over a cock like a dock-whore," he whispered, and kissed her a little more roughly than before.
"When I come, you're going to swallow it all like the slut you are."
Isabeau bit down on his bottom lip almost harshly, before pulling away to murmur, "Am I?"
She fisted one hand in his hair and jerked his head back to expose his throat again before attacking with lips, teeth, and tongue, determined to leave her mark.
While Isabeau had been content before to give Gar the lead entirely, it seemed something about this particular rendezvous had lit a different fire in her, and she growled softly against his skin before she lifted her head, breathing a little heavily. "So. About three dozen yards should do it, yeah?"
She rocked herself between his finger and his cock, her other hand scratching roughly down his back as her spine arched sharply. Leaning back in to nip and nuzzle at his ear, she breathed, "I'll make you a deal. If I do, we get to try something new..."
Gar was a dirty talker, but her reaction made him unsure if he should keep doing it or not. Either way, the doubt was washed away by pleasure when she started devouring his neck and at that point he would've agreed to anything.
"Three dozen, yeah," he started.
"What's the deal?" he asked, and before she could answer he kept the act up.
"And we're not low on shot, powder, or cannonballs either right?"
"The deal," Isabeau murmured as she nibbled along his collar, his throat, and then back up to his lips to kiss him, firmly but a little more gently, "is that tonight, I'll play your whore...And tomorrow, you play mine."
She writhed her hips against him to make her point, biting down on her lip to stifle a moan. Lips slightly parted, she managed to saw with only the barest tremor in her voice, "Don't think we're running low, but it shouldn't hurt to check."
"Then I'll check," Gar said,
Then, he kissed her.
"And I accept your deal," he added with a whisper.
"Now get to work, whore," he said, and gave her one last burning kiss before continuing to speak normally.
"I remember Karl saying we're only down to a few more barrels of powder, s'why I asked."
Isabeau nipped at his lips again and slammed her hips forward, clenching down around him as she pressed her whole body up against his.
"Ah, fuck." She drew in a quick breath and tried to play off the exclamation with, "I guess we'd better get a few extra barrels then, just in case."
Keeping her chest pressed against his, she began to work her hips, rising and falling in sharp, isolated movements that slowly began to pick up in speed.
"Just like that," he whispered, pulling her tightly to him and pulling her in whenever she thrust her hips down.
"If the locals sell any, we'll find it, dont'cha worry about it," he said, and then kissed her fiercely.
"Turn around so I can fuck your ass," he murmured into her ear, and then nipped her earlobe.
"Maybe come in it, too..."
She shuddered and mewled quietly as his hands clasped around her, once more reminding her of their difference in size, then nodded once in response to him before rising up onto her knees to let his shaft slide out of her.
With a surprisingly graceful movement, she twisted and flung her leg back over his hips to put her back to him, wriggling her hips to rub back against him as she settled on his lap again.
Her head fell back to rest against his shoulder and she mused, "Maybe we can get a bit of local color while we're here. Some fruit or sommat native to the island?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she twisted her head to catch his lips in a bruising kiss.
"I think I saw some coconuts growing when we sailed in," Gar said, and without much mercy he slid straight into her ass to the base while she kissed him, deepening the kiss to muffle any noise she might make. Now that they'd done this a few times, her hole was no doubt used to it.
"Oh my gods, this ass..." he muttered, putting a hand on her belly so he could feel the slight bulge his cock made in her whenever he sank it in deep. "I hope they have oranges."
He fucked her ass like that for a little bit, before his breathing got heavier.
"We can't make a mess, so get that throat ready," he continued.
A quiet yelp was swallowed into the kiss, and Isabeau winced as she began to rock against him again, trying to force her mind to work properly through the haze of heat and desire.
"Oranges are good," she agreed a little breathlessly-- not her most eloquent, but she was tiptoeing toward her limit. Grabbing at Gar's hand, she pulled it around to press his fingers against her clit, biting down hard on her lower lip as his calloused skin rubbed against her.
Pleasure pulled low in her belly and she slipped his fingers inside with a quiet gasp, her eyes almost pleading when she tilted her head back to look at him again.
Gar reveled in her surrender. He was assertive, yes, but Isabeau just seemed to coax his more dominant nature out of him. So, it was with even greater pleasure that he met her pleading eyes and sank his fingers in her to the knuckle, knowing where to curl them to hit that special spot inside of her.
He sighed, a genuine sound, but he also used it to lead into more mock conversation.
"It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow," Gar said, and he started to thrust into her faster.
After a minute more, he let go of her pussy.
"It's coming, you know what to do," he growled in her ear.
Isabeau pulled away from him with a very quiet groan, and she twisted to kneel in front of him again. Looking up through her lashes to meet his eyes, she ducked her head down and swallowed him whole, one hand braced against his thigh and the other moving to tease at his sack.
"That's it, that's it," Gar muttered, and he gripped her head. She wanted him to use her like a whore, so he did so, using his strength to roughly fuck her mouth until his climax came and he brought her down to swallow him whole once again. His cock struck deep enough that he just fired his seed straight down her throat for a few spurts before he pulled back just enough to fill her mouth.
Isabeau waited a few moments after Gar's climax had passed before lifting her head, swiping the back of her hand over her mouth.
"That about what you wanted?" she whispered, her chest rising and falling with just slightly panted breaths as she smirked at him.
"Oh yeah," Gar said, eyes still closed, still breathless and absolutely satisfied from his climax. He reached down to stroke her head, smiling down at her.
"I know I said some racy things, but I do care about ya, Squirt," he said. It was a name he used to call her during that period of her life where she had just inherited the storm and the stresses would manifest as frequent, light drizzles.
"An' if yer feelin' like pushin' yer luck, well..." he said, and gave his eyebrows a little raise.
Isabeau's expression softened and she tilted her head into his touch, turning her neck slightly to press a very soft kiss to his palm. "I know ya do, big guy," she murmured, a sort of gentleness to her tone that hadn't been there before.
Just as quickly, that cocky little smirk was back in place and she tilted her head the other way, as though considering. "Well..."
She glanced back over her shoulder at the door and bit her lip, weighing their options. With a quiet sigh she looked back to Gar and admitted, "I dunno-- Da's not that deep a sleeper." She cocked her head and added even softer, "Though I wouldn't say no to ya helpin' a girl finish up? Long as we're quick about it."
She licked her lips and slowly got to her feet, one hand moving to her core. She'd been nearing her peak when Gar found his, and it didn't take too much to have her breath coming sharper again, bottom lip clamped firmly between her teeth as she raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.
That raised eyebrow was all he needed. When she stood up, he stayed seated and his hands went to her legs, feeling the smooth flesh as he leaned in and gave her stomach a kiss. Then, he travelled down and gave her pussy a wide, slow lick.
"And how'd this girl like to finish up?" He whispered.
That lick earned a full body shudder, and Isabeau raised her hand to her mouth and set her jaw to swallow back a sharp moan. Gods she was sensitive, their earlier play leaving her wanting.
"I think you're onto something with what you're doing," she replied with a lopsided smile, her voice a rough whisper. Her hands came to rest gently on the top of his head and she threaded her fingers through his hair— not tugging to direct him, just anchoring herself.
At her encouragement, he kept on licking, this time devouring her hungrily as his hands squeezed her ass tightly.
He ground his tongue against her clit and looked up at her, mouth curling into a smile even as he angled and shot his tongue up into her.
"Nnm..." She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together tightly to swallow back a moan. Her hands curled tighter in his hair, nails scratching at his scalp. A smile suddenly slanted across her face and she whispered, "Y'know that curling thing you can do with your tongue...?"
Instead of speaking, he just showed her that he remembered by pressing his mouth to her and lancing his tongue deep. Then, he let it go wild, curling and testing at her walls and sensitive areas, all the while he brought in a hand to tease her clit with his thumb.
Isabeau's hips bucked forward against his mouth sharply and she had to force back a small whimper. "Just like that..." One hand smoothed through his hair and down to the base of his skull, nails scraping lightly against his skin. "I'm close, Gar, just a little more."
He wanted to really finish her, so he slid his tongue out, instead going at her clit with it. She wasn't empty for long, as he brought up a hand and sank two fingers in her to the knuckle. Then, a desire came through him, and he slid them out.
"I want ya to come 'round my dick. An' then we'll go to sleep right affer. Pretty please?"
Then, in a normal tone.
"Well, Izzy. I think I'll be tuckin' in now. G'night."
He looked up at her and grinned.
"Take it in an' say g'night back. I know ya want to..."
As his tongue for her clit again she had to clap a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp, her legs starting to tremble just a bit as he worked her.
With a shudder as his fingers slid out of her, she tilted her head down at him. Then she smirked. "Well..." She let her hands drop down to his shoulders and pushed him back slightly, shifting so she stood over his lap. "Since you said please..."
Holding his eyes, she sank down until the tip of him pressed against her heat, then further, a very quiet moan slipping passed her lips as she pushed down until her hips were pressed tight against his, seated in his lap with him fully sheathed.
Somehow just that was enough, and she bit down hard on his shoulder to stifle her cry as she came, the aftershocks of pleasure rippling through her body and making her shiver. When it was over, she slumped against him, boneless.
"G'night, Gar."
It really was tempting to fall asleep right then and there but he knew better. Still, he savored this moment with her, milking her quivering walls for all they were worth until her climax passed. He took a moment to feel her, memorize her. Then, he lifted her up and off of him, carrying her like she was nothing as he stood and laid her in bed, going so far as to pull up her pants for her and give her stomach a stroke.
"G'night," he said, leaning down to give her a kiss.
"Mmm." She kissed him back tiredly, already allowing her eyelids to begin to droop. She groped blindly for the blankets with one hand and rolled into them, wrapping herself up into a tight cocoon.
Her other hand flicked out to brush against his arm, finding his wrist and wrapping her fingers around it. The touch lingered for a moment, and she almost started to pull him onto the bed with her. But then she sighed softly and her her dropped as she slipped into unconsciousness.
He couldn't help but grin when she tried to tug him onto the bed with her, but she finally fell asleep and he gave her a parting smile. He left the bedside and set himself down at the foot of the bed. It was uncomfortable as hell but he was nice and tired. He laid on one end of the blanket and brought the other half up to cover himself.
It looked comical, but it was enough to fall asleep and stay asleep.
"Oi! C'mon you two, rise and shine. Up up up!"
Isabeau came awake with a groan and made a rude gesture at the door. "Oh, fuck off, Da!"
Abraham chuckled and slammed on the door again, the sound startling her into an upright position. "C'mon. Food's on the table."
It was that second slam that got him going. Izzy's voice brought him in close but that sharp crack got his eyes open and he lifted his head a little to glare at the door.
He wanted to be grumpy, but the promise of breakfast nullified that and he sat up, rubbing his neck.
"Keep yer britches on, we're comin'," he grumbled. He stood up off the floor and stretched, flexing all the new sore spots he'd gained from sleeping on the wooden ground. He twisted his torso and audibly cricked his back and neck.
"Can't believe I slept on the fuckin' floor," he muttered, but he grinned at Izzy to let her know it was in jest.
"Thirty Mother-damned years hittin' trade routes together and he bunks me on the floor!" he said, loud enough for Abe to hear this time.
"Oh, you've had worse!" Abe shouted back. Heavy boot steps clomped through the cottage. "Better move yer asses if you wanna eat!"
"We're coming, we're coming!" Isabeau shouted back as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and set about pulling herself together, snatching a bandanna from where they'd left their packs by the door and wrapping it quickly around her head in an attempt to keep her wild curls in place.
She glanced over her shoulder at Gar and arched an eyebrow with a small smirk. "You could always take the armchair, y'know."
"My back'd still be sore," he muttered to himself, almost as if he'd tried that very same thing in the past. He was much too large to sleep on anything other than a large bed or a hammock that could support him. Anything else meant his weight rested in awkward ways.
He looked for his clothing (he'd slept in his underclothes to withstand the hot island night) and set about gathering them up and getting them on.
Lowering her voice, Isabeau noted innocently, "Well, if we squeezed we could probably both fit on the bed."
She gave him a quick wink as she slipped past him toward the door, snaking a hand out to give his backside a playful smack as she did.
Oh, he wanted to smack her back for that but she was already at the door and he didn't want to take any undue risks. Instead, he gave her a knowing look that seemed to promise retribution as he walked through the door and out into the living room.
Sore back or not, he was starving!
Breakfast was simple enough, but still looked amazing. Her father had grilled fish along with a handful of fruits native to the island and served them up to Gar and Isabeau on his two only good plates.
Izzie smiled and kissed Abe's cheek. "Thanks, Da," she said as she tucked in.
Fish and fruit? He'd certainly had much worse. It was even better once he'd actually gone about eating it and he finished in absolutely no time at all. What was a full plate for a human was a few bites for Gar.
He seemed to remember his manners only after he'd sat back from the plate, and he offered Abe a curt "Thanks, Abraham."
Abe laughed and thumped Gar on the shoulder as he moved passed him to open the cottage window slightly and let in a fresh sea breeze. "There's more if you want it. It hasn't been so long that I've forgotten how much you can put away."
Isabeau smiled a bit as she watched them, chin propped on her palm. "Not to discourage Gar from eatin' you out of house and home," she cut in lazily, "but mayhaps you'd actually wanna tell us some more about what the hells was going on yesterday?"
Gar beamed at the offer of more food (Ogres always loved more food!) and he leaned over to serve himself another helping. He'd hoped that Izzy wouldn't bring it up in the middle of breakfast, but now that she did he couldn't help but to look over at Abe, curious to see if he'd answer.
Her father stiffened slightly, then sighed and leaned his hip against the table, folding his arms over his chest while a frown tugged at his eyebrows.
"Alright," he huffed as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Yer right, of course. You both should have some idea of what's goin' on if you're really headin' for that island."
Isabeau quirked one eyebrow and muttered sardonically, "Yeah, I'd hope so."
Gar nodded.
"Who is it?" Gar ventured, and he set his fork down. Many possible suspects went through his head. Pirate competitors, persistent royal captains and bounty hunters...
"Are they spyin' on ya?"
Abe let out a long breath through his nose, glancing back toward the door for a moment before relenting and taking a seat at the table.
"I think so," he muttered, keeping his voice low. Isabeau leaned toward him slightly, her brow furrowed. "Haven't had anything threatenin' or nothin' happen yet, but the last few days I saw my wards were gettin' broke when I was out-- do I doubled 'em, then tripled."
He huffed and glanced out the window. "Think last night was the first time it actually worked."
"Is there anybody but us that knows about this island? Any folks that'd wanna beat ya to it?" Gar asked, resting his forearms on the table.
"Somebody we crossed in the past?"
"Yes and no," Abe muttered after what appeared to be a long moment of consideration. "Turns out my ol' grandda may have...sorta shafted an old partner on this loot. Bastard's an elf, of course, so he's still kickin' and rarin' to take back what he thinks is his."
"Oh good," Isabeau noted glibly, arching an eyebrow. "Not only are we looking for a treasure that may or may not exist beyond the edge of the known sea, but we've got a pissed off ex-partner out for blood. And since you're so concerned with the wards, I'm bettin' he's a mage?"
Her father glared at her for a moment, then closed his eyes and sighed. "I swear you got that sharp tongue from your mother."
Isabeau smirked. "Oh, you wish, old man."
His mouth quirked for a moment on one side in what threatened to be the beginning of a smile before he schooled his expression back to annoyed. "Yes, he's a mage. Not sure all what he can do exactly, but he's no slouch."
She nodded, leaning forward onto the table a bit. "Name?"
"Goes by Firebrand, last I heard."
Izzie rolled her eyes. "'Course he does. Glad that doesn't have egomaniac written all over it."
"Shit, an old rival from yer granddad's day? That takes dedication," he muttered, and crossed his arms.
"Mage or no, he'll keel when i put a shot in 'im. Wonders of the new age and all that," he continued, and shot Izzy a confident look. Then, he looked back down to his breakfast and started scarfing down the second plate, taken by that ogrish hunger.
After he finished (once again, very quickly), he stroked his chin and frowned a bit.
"We could take The Storm out on an evasive course. Spend an extra few days weavin' about so we're hard to follow."
Isabeau nodded slowly. Her own meal was only half finished, and she seemed more interested in pushing the food absently around her plate with her fork than actually eating it.
"Yeah, that might work... I dunno how many days off course I wanna risk though, if we don't even really know where this place is..." She sighed and propped her chin in her palm, lips pursed in a thin line. "I could maybe sail us through a storm for a few days? Keep us in the eye so we're safe..."
It was an idea she'd floated before, but had never actually tried. The amount of power it would take to manage such a feat for a few hours, let alone a few days, was "considerable" to put it lightly.
"Could be a bit o' both," Gar said, giving Isabeau a worried look. He'd seen her do incredible things but had also seen how wiped out she was afterwards.
"If ya push yerself too hard fer too long, ya ain't gonna be around if we need ya. Look,"
He pointed down to the table.
"If we're goin that way, I know there's atolls and smaller chains out into the uncharted waters. We spend a day weavin' 'round beaches and under the cover of a storm we make off to our true bearin'," he said, looking at Isabeau and her father to gauge their reaction to his idea.
"No ship'll follow us through that, especially if we've got the wind on our side."
Abe's brow was furrowed and he nodded slowly as he listened, processing. Isabeau stared down at the table as though she was visualizing a map while he spoke.
"I...think that'll work." She paused, then said more firmly, "We can make that work." A small smile twitched at her lips and she reached out to clap Gar on the shoulder. "What would I do without ya, big guy?"
Abe chuckled quietly and nodded. "I've been sayin' that for years."
That earned her a grin from Gar, who looked back to her.
"I'll tell ya what I told yer Da; ya certainly wouldn't be around to thank me," he said rather hautily, and he looked about a bit before sighing and standing from the table.
"Welp Abe, me an' Izzy better see to the storm. We've gotta long trip to provision for now, don't we?" He said, and looked back to her. His words were true, of course, but he knew that she'd get the double meaning.
Izzie rolled her eyes at him as she stood as well, twisting slightly to block her father's view as she made a vague, slightly obscene gesture at her first mate behind her back. "Aye, that we do. We'll be back for supper, Da, alright?"
Abe grumbled something about them not taking the proper precautions under his breath, but when she arched an eyebrow at him he sighed and relented, "Alright. Keep safe, you." He wrapped an arm around her in a brief, tight hug, then ruffled her head and gave her little shove toward the door. "Go on, now. And make sure that crew of yours isn't ragin' through the whole town."
She laughed and waved a vague affirmative in his direction, waiting just outside the door for Gar to follow.
Gar kindly ignored her obscene gestures, instead offering Abe a grin.
"Come on down to town when the sun dims, Abe. Day's work'll be done by then an' we could share a bottle on the gun deck like we used to," he commented, waggling his eyebrows at the aged captain.
Offering him a chortle, he turned and made for the door.
"An' don't bring anything weak either. I certainly won't," he called out as he left the doorway. It closed behind him and he sighed, looking over to Izzy. Motioning for her to come along, he waited until they were out of earshot before speaking.
"So, you comin' fishing with me and the boys today or will I see ya after?" he said, putting a hand on the small of her back.
"Fer the... cargo," he said, grinning a bit wider at the reference to their game (and agreement) from last night.
"I may just take ya up on that." Abe waved him off with a laugh and a friendly insult, and Izzie shook her head from where she waited.
Once they'd gotten some distance, she allowed his touch on her back to guide her a bit closer and bumped her hip into his as they walked. "I really should be goin' over the ship, make sure the old girl's ready for a trip like this." She cocked her head and smirked up at him sidelong. "But I certainly wouldn't mind a little help takin' inventory this evening..."
She glanced back over her shoulder and her expression tightened just a bit with worry. "I may, ah, have to check on Da though. If he decides he doesn't wanna come out for a drink."
"O'course, Cap'n, but I got a hunch that old coot's going to show. He always loved bein' dramatic," he said, and smirked a bit to himself. She bumped hips with him and he didn't hesitate to slip his hand just a bit more to her side. He held her a bit closer for a few moments before letting her go.
"We're naughty, you an' I. Can't quite stay off one another."
He looked forwards and gave her ass one last greedy squeeze before he ushered her forwards. The exit to the jungle was just ahead, and past that it was a short few steps to reach the placid, beachside village that stretched along the long curve of the island's cove. The docks lay in the center, where The Storm sat in port, looming impressively besides the humble structures of the docks.
"We had a deal, you an' me. I ain't forgotten."
Her lips twitched up into a crooked smile. "Oh, I certainly haven't forgotten."
Just before they stepped out from under the shade of the trees, Isabeau twisted to grab the front of his vest and pulled him against her, walking backward until she fetched up against a tree trunk and stretching up on her toes to kiss him firmly.
She held him there for a moment, one hand sliding down to press against his chest and the other sliding up to curl her fingers in his hair. Then she pulled away with a last quick nibble at his bottom lip and smirked up at him.
Eyes glinting, she patted his shoulder and slipped around him to start off again.
"Alright. Now let's find the boys."
He was half-ready for her. Ready enough to reciprocate immediately, crushing their lips together and pinning her to the tree as he felt greedily along her thighs and sides. He ended it all with a powerful squeeze of her ass.
When she pulled away and kept walking, following her was all he could really do for a few seconds before he fully regained himself and caught up.
"It's a small town, two inns. How hard could it be?" He joked as they passed into the village.
Isabeau laughed quietly and nodded in agreement. "You take one and I'll take the other?" she suggested as they moved into town. Her eyes flickered around, already taking stock of what was around them, what might be useful.
"Meet back here in half an hour?"
"Half an hour," he answered, and gave her a parting smile before going off on his own into the town, trying to ignore the curious Yoreiqis who'd never seen a creature such as him before. Some even fluttered out of the way in surprise when he came around a corner unexpectedly.
It was about ten minutes later when he was stooping in through the hanging palm fronds that made up the inn's door, which attracted some cheers from the sailors there, who were excited to see their first mate.
He shared a drink with the lads, figured out which one of them were going fishing with him today, and before too long him and a group of buzzed sailors were walking the streets, intent on meeting with Izzy to hear what she had to announce.
The captain of the Storm was waiting right where she'd said she'd be, though now she was surrounded by what was essentially the remaining half of her crew. They were all chatting and laughing, voices blending together into nonsense noise, and a few would occasionally call out or wave to the locals, who responded in a friendly manner, though they gave the group a wide berth.
All but Raven, of course. As usual, the youngest member of the crew had glued himself to Isabeau's side in the small crowd and just watched the world around them with sharp eyes.
"Ah, there ya are." Izzie smiled and raised a hand to Gar and his group as she caught sight of them, pushing her way through the other sailors to move toward them. With a slanted grin, she reached out to grip her first mate's forearm, then used the hold to swing herself up and around, clambering up his back to perch on his shoulder as easily as she could have climbed the rigging of her ship.
She was also probably a little buzzed. Plus, she knew he could take her weight easily.
From her new vantage point, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "Alright, lads, listen up here! We've got a new job ahead of us."
Gar smiled a bit wider than usual when Isabeau clambered up onto his shoulder. After she rested that splendid ass of hers on his shoulder he crossed his arm so she could use them as a footrest, eyeing the sailors as they gathered around.
They settled on Raven for a few seconds, and he gave the young lad a comforting smile before he turned his gaze upwards to hear Izzy speak. He knew that Isabeau didn't quite see it the same way, but from his perspective it looked like the young captain was set to become for Raven what Gar was for Isabeau.
Which, given recent circumstances, made a few choice images run through his head. He ultimately decided that no, it wasn't the same thing, and focused his mind on his captain.
"A paying sort of job?" a voice piped up from the crowd of sailors, earning a ripple of laughter. Izzie looked in Crag's direction with a droll expression and made a rude gesture, which only turned the ripple into a brief wave.
"Aye, ya great smartass," the captained replied with a roll of her eyes. "A paying job. Though...the take's a bit different this time."
She paused, relishing the moment of dramatic silence, the way most of her crew leaned forward just a bit in anticipation.
"...We're goin' off the map, lads. Someplace no one has been before, least not in living memory. And word has it this treasure is damn near mythical."
As she'd expected, the moment the words were out of her mouth the men exploded into chatter and whoops, most grinning at the prospective thrill of a new adventure--though a few looked a little uncertain. That was only to be expected.
She laughed when the questions started coming and shook her head, waving them off. "There's many a detail to be heard, my boys, but I'm afraid not just yet. Not here." Her expression sobered slightly, smile still in place, but...softer, somehow.
"I'm tellin' ya now, 'cause I don't want a man on the Storm when we ship out who isn't here for the long haul. This'll be dangerous--more than usual. But great risk makes for great reward, aye?"
"Aye!"
Her smiled flickered back, one side curling up cockily. "So. Who's in?"
In the end, only four of her crew decided to stay behind on the island and try their luck booking passage back to the mainland on another ship. She didn't begrudge them--she'd given them choice for a reason, after all--and simply waved them on their way as they split from the group. In all likelihood, if they survived this map quest her father had laid in her lap, she'd be seeing them again; pirates traveled in surprisingly small circles.
That left them with a crew of thirteen: twelve sailors, including Gar, and herself.
Not bad, Isabeau thought to herself as she finally slid down from her first mate's shoulder, using his massive forearm to steady herself on the descent. More than I thought.
"Alright." She clapped her hands and looked around at her remaining crew. Crag had stayed, as had Raven, which was heartwarming in a way. "Well, we are still on shore leave. Not planning to get underway for another day. You have that long to decide if you really want to do this." Her eyes traveled over them, lingering on each face individually for a moment before moving on. "You're on the Storm at daybreak day after tomorrow, you're with us on this. Whatever happens. Savvy?"
They all nodded. Then her smile broke out again and she waved them off. "Go on now, off with ya! Get back to yer day drinking!"
Her slightly diminished crew dispersed with laughter and enthused chattering, even a bit of bickering she caught starting up between Crag and one of their gunners, Renner. Pleased, Isabeau rocked back on her heels and glanced up at Gar with a crooked grin.
"I think that went rather well, don't you?"
Gar watched the men as Izzy spoke, studying how they responded to each word. Abe had a talent for rousing the men, for leading them into combat with smiles on their faces. Izzy had a different sort of charm. Smart, confident, and even motherly at points. Wheras Abe could inspire fervour and bravery, Isabeau had a unique ability to make them perk up, make them laugh.
When the sailors were all making their way back to their drinks he couldn't fully contain his proud grin.
"Aye, cap'n. Yer oratory wit ain't been dulled yet," he teased, matching her grin before glancing around at the village. Then, he put a hand on her shoulder quite gruffly, trying to maintain his professionalism by not stroking her jaw.
"So, I'm about to go make a tavern owner real happy, I've gotta resupply my liquid rations," he said, giving her a teasing grin.
"And none of the boys seem quite free to go fishin', so maybe you an' me can take the ship's dinghy out and do some hookin' of our own?"
The way he grinned at her brought a flush of warmth to her chest. He was proud of her; while that wasn't something she necessarily strove for, not the way she had when she was younger, it was still a surprisingly pleasant result.
Isabeau glanced away again quickly, hoping he couldn't read her thoughts on her face, and cleared her throat. "Right then. Well, I suppose I could use a break from all the captaining." She looked up at him sidelong with a lopsided smile. "What say you set about resupplying those liquid rations and I'll head back to the Storm, get a boat ready?"
She reached up to clap him on the back as she turned to go, lowering her voice as she passed to murmur, "The only thing you're plannin' on hooking is fish, right?" Her eyes glinted and she tossed him a quick wink as she pulled away.
"Oh yeah. Gonna use me rod to land me a real squirmer," he murmured back, giving her a dirty wink before she pulled away. He smiled, watching her go her own way before he set about his business. Booze needed to be bought, yes, but a haircuttery also needed to be sought out, as well as a few fishing supplies.
The Gar that was stepping up onto the decks of The Storm was a fresher, younger looking one. Ogres aged much slower than humans, and without his usual beard it could be seen that compared to Abe, Gar (who'd seen as many years if not more) seemed to be in his late thirties.
He was hoisting two barrels beneath his arms and had a sack of fresh fishing bait strung onto his back.
Isabeau busied herself with untying one of the smallish fishing boats and setting it over the side of the ship, prepared to be hoisted down. It was a task she'd performed many times over the years, and so could complete quickly—which meant she had a bit of extra time to check the rigging before Gar arrived, climbing up through the ropes like a spider monkey.
The towering figure of her first mate was easy enough to spot in the docks when he did arrive, but something was...different. She squinted, leaning out with one hand tangled in the ropes of the rigging. Then her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.
"Oh. My. Gods." She grinned crookedly, then placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. "Oi, sailor! Lookin' good there!" she called, laughing, as she swung her way down onto the deck.
Hands on her hips, she grinned as he approached, shaking her head. "Ya bastard, I didn't think you'd actually do that. Ain't ya cold without your whiskers?" she teased lightly.
While he did grow his beard in short and long cycles he'd never been clean shaven before. He didn't quite look like the ship's grandfather anymore, and the clean shave combined with his build and strength gave him the look of someone in their prime.
He was just glad none of the crew were around to see him give Izzy's thigh a squeeze in return to her words.
"Well, I'll know where to put my face if it ever gets cold," he said, moving past her with a dirty grin on his face. He went to a footlocker bolted to the deck on the vessel's port side and procured the fishing gear. Two rods, a selection of hooks, spare line, and utility knives.
"I reckon we can use the last few of those apples from last port's resupply. Those've mostly gone bad anyways."
Izzie rolled her eyes and slapped lightly at his rear as he moved by her, shaking her head. "You, sir, are a cad, anyone ever told ya that?" she sniffed primly at him, but her eyes were dancing playfully.
"Aye, those'll probably do," she agreed when he mentioned the apples, starting toward the stairs that led down into the galley. "Cook will be glad to have an excuse to get rid of 'em anyway, he said if we leave 'em much longer they'll be making vinegar soon."
Gar wrinkled his nose at the thought of fruit so rancid it started making vinegar.
"Cad, pffft. I've treated ya nothin' but well and that's me reward. Go on, shoo!" He said, waving his hands at her .
"Grab all of 'em," he called to her as she started towards the galley and he set about loading the boat. Despite Isabeau's teasing he just wanted to fish today. If the mood turned right when they were out there he had zero objections but the chance to relax and de-stress out on the water was a priceless one to him.
"I never said I was gonna feed 'em to you," Izzie laughed as she disappeared belowdecks. She was still smiling as she slipped into the galley and hunted around for the nearly spoiled apples--it didn't take long, they smelled strong--and snatched up an empty sack that had once held potatoes to start piling them in.
It took her a few moments to realize she was humming softly to herself, and when she did she actually paused, blinking. Huh. She hadn't done that in a while...
It was--well, sort of strange. Much as she enjoyed the more carnal aspects of the new dynamics to her relationship with Gar, she rather abruptly realized that she'd also missed just...being with him. Since taking over for her father, the responsibilities of captain had kept her so busy she sometimes didn't even have time for sleep, much less a fishing day trip.
And she realized she'd missed it. Missed him. Missed being able to just skive off in a dinghy for the day, or climb up into the crows nest and watch the skies without worry of what the weather might bring for her ship, if she'd have to control it, knowing that someone else was down below making all those decisions.
With a quick shake of her head Isabeau tried to put the thoughts from her mind, hurrying back up on deck. She smiled, hoping it didn't look forced, and tossed the bag of apples into the boat as she approached.
"Alright then. Been a while since we've done this, first mate, you sure you remember how?" she asked with a crooked smirk, rocking back on one heel.
Gar busied himself with prepping the dinghy for launch. He tied down the rope block, loaded the fishing gear and oars, and lowered it down to a level that made it easier to board. He was finishing up with the oars when she came back smiling and he pat the dinghy before her words made him scoff.
He looked to the dinghy as if it was a drinking partner.
"She asked me if I remember how to put down a dinghy and fish. Can you believe it?" he said, and chuckled.
"I've pulled out sharks on this very dinghy, Cap'n. I think I know me way around the oars n' rods," he said. He motioned to the dinghy.
"Hop on."
Isabeau laughed, eyes glittering as she climbed into the dinghy with the ease of many years of practice. Sure, she hadn't exactly had time for stuff like this since she'd become captain, but she had grown up on the ship.
"The boat normally talk back then?" she asked, teasing, as she settled herself on one of the smooth wooden boards that stretched across the wider part of the dinghy to serve as a seat.
"The boat always talks," Gar said, it was a line he'd told her several times over the course of her life, and reflected his belief that if one stopped to listen to their boat they could know if there was a problem.
Whether it was true or just some old man nonsense, he never told her. Once she was aboard he gave everything one last check, including the fish trunk and gear, and then lowered them down into the water. He took up the oars and they were off.
"I saw some mangroves on the way in. I'm thinking we can land some catfish. Waddaya say?"
"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes at the old adage, as she always did, but she was still smiling. She adjusted easily to the slight pitch of the boat as he settled first the ear and then his own weight into it.
She tried to snatch up the oars, but he got to them before she could, earning a quick pout and a quiet grumble about how she wasn't a kid anymore and she was plenty strong enough to row the dinghy thank you very much.
"Alright, catfish it is," she agreed with a shrug. Honestly she didn't much care where they were fishing or what they were fishing for--it was just nice to have the break. "Think we can convince Cook to fry 'em up if we bring enough back?"
"I'd rather hope that he does, we ain't got much salt fer preserving till we finish restocking," Gar said, and he could also tell when she was miffed about something. Sure, she could row the dinghy but Gar could make them truly move and he set off towards the low mangrove islands.
"Prepare our bait, wouldja? You know your way 'round the tacklebox, big girl," he said, eyes peering back towards their destination before he looked back to her. Gar's tacklebox was his only possession of true value apart from his weapons and personal loot collection.
Every pirate needs a stash, after all.
"I think we could pull up a good stew if we play it right. You brought yer pistol, right? In case we hook a big one?"
Izzie snorted as she leaned over the tacklebox, sparing a moment to glanced up at him with a dryly quirked eyebrow. "Do I ever not bring my pistol?"
She drew the weapon and spun it around deftly in her hand to make her point, then holstered it again before properly setting to work preparing the bait.
"How long are you planning we'll stay out here?" she asked after a moment--not trying to rush, just curious. It was rare they actually had an afternoon off, after all, but she did want to make sure they were back before too long. She still had a lot of questions for her father.
But that should still give them a few hours, at the very least.
"Jus' checkin. Lola's hammer been loose ever since we hit that merchant a week or so back. I think one of the sods hit her while she was on my belt. Prolly saved me from a saber gash though, so i'm not complainin'," Gar said, speaking affectionately of his favorite "pistol".
She set about preparing the bait and he busied himself by rowing. The sun was shining hot down on them, and he was pretty eager to get to their shaded fishing spot.
"Oh I reckon three hours, maybe four if they're really biting. We wanna pull up as much as we can carry," he said. He was fishing for himself here, after all. The crew would get their catfish, of course, but Gar was going to be cooking and salting a heavy portion for himself as well.
"Hopefully the old Storm'll still be floatin' by then," he added, just to tease her.
"Oi, don't joke," Izzie laughed, shaking her head. "Can you imagine what Da would say if we somehow managed to sink the ship while we weren't even on it?" She shuddered dramatically and groaned, "Gods, we'd never hear the end of it."
Bait readied, she nudged the box toward him with her foot as she reached for one of the fishing rods, stringing a line along it. She'd gone quiet after speaking of her father, a very small frown furrowing between her brows.
"...Did you really search for it with him? All this--this family lore and this island and shit. How come you never told me, Gar?"
"Aye, no end to his jabberin an' no escape either, since we'd be marooned on this placid little retirement plot," he said, and he could feel the air change when she posed her next question. He frowned a bit, and took a moment to pick his words as they entered the shade of the island mangroves.
"Search is a bit of a strong word. Sure, the rumors came up and like any salty dog looking for his riches, we tried. Found some good info, found some bad info. Had a few run-ins with others looking for the same..."
he trailed off at that, and he rowed in silence for a few moments more until he was satisfied with their fishing spot. He threw a rope up and looped it around the trunk of a mangrove, using it as a makeshift anchor.
"'fore we'd known it it'd been damn near three years an' the only thing we had to show fer it were dead friends and the barest teasings of treasure. So we put it behind us, or that's what I thought. But if he's really found it, affer all this time..."
He started to string up his own rod.
"Yeah." Izzie frowned slightly as she cast her line and leaned back a bit in her seat. "If..."
She was quiet for several long moments, contemplative. Then she huffed out a sharp exhale and shook her head. "Well. We've signed on now. Crew knows what we're heading for and everything. No point in backing out."
Propping one foot up against the side of the dingy, she glanced sidelong at him and added with a slight smirk, "Who knows, maybe we'll even find the blasted place. Could set ourselves up to retire, with eternal youth to boot."
"Aye, that'd be a grand thing, although with eternal youth, who needs to retire?" He said, and gave her a nudge. He cast his own line and leaned a little back, presenting Isabeau with something to lean against.
"Not that you need all that much extra youth, you're already as fine as a pearl, but me? Hah..."
He chuckled a little to himself.
"Just you wait until I get my hands on you."
Chuckling to herself again, Izzie settled against his broad back and let her head tip back against his shoulder with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “My, my. One track mind there, mate?” she teased with a crooked smirk. “Not forgettin’ about our deal for tonight, are we? Believe it’s my turn to get my hands on you.”
Her tone was light, teasing, though there was a flicker of that fiery passion in her dark eyes for just a moment. Isabeau threw all of herself into every aspect of her life, and it was clear even as she relaxed back against him, fishing in the little dinghy.
A part of her mused that this never would have been the life her mother wanted for her, a pirate’s life. But she wouldn’t have been able to say her daughter wasn’t well suited to it.
She blinked and her eyes widened. Where in the world had that come from? Must be seein’ Da, she decided with a little frown. She hadn’t thought about her mother in...a long time.
“So no retirement at all then?” she continued blithely, trying to distract herself. “Not even for a little bit? Find a nice warm beach, lounge on piles of gold, make love all day and night...?”
"Well, when ya put it like that, a spot o'retirement doesn't sound all bad. The Storm deserves it, too," Gar added, drawing in some line to keep the bait floating.
"Maybe give her a few renovations. So that she don't creak so much when we plow," he said with a smirk, and then sobered as he returned his gaze out to the wilderness around them.
"Let the world drift on fer a bit, an' then come back and hit 'em all right when the world's let its guard down. It's eternal youth, so we can wait for our moment."
She snorted and swatted at him for the joke, then settled back against him. Her eyes moved easily back and forth over the horizon, allowing herself to just relax and take in the view for a few moments.
Her father really had chosen a spectacular place to settle down.
"Could do it over and over again, if we wanted," she replied to Gar after a moment. "Become one of those sailors' legends that get whispered in the back corner of the pub. The Storm that rises every few decades, decimates the trade routes from Yoreiq all the way out to Thanatos, then disappears..." She trailed off dramatically, wiggling the fingers of her free hand out over the water.
"Ya know... It ain't sound half-bad..." he admitted, picturing a life of endless luxury, followed by piracy and more honeymooning...
Then he pushed her with his back a bit.
"Now shush, girl. All that yakkin's scaring the fish."
It brought a sense of sudden nostalgia through him. He could easily remember when he'd told her similar things, back when she was young enough that he could make her come along for his favorite pastime more often.
"Ya know I'm gonna need silence to land the big'un."
"Bah!" She gave a token protest but settled down against him easily enough, adding in a whisper, "Not if I land him first, old man."
She gave him a gentle elbow to the ribs, but after that subsided. She allowed herself to simply draw in the quiet, breathing it like the salt on the air. It had been too long since she'd had a chance to really forget her responsibilities like this.
If it was someone else, he'd be more eager to talk, but feeling her relax against him brought an odd sort of calm to Gar. He let himself loosen up and soon enough he was as mellow as he'd even been in the last few days.
The minutes dragged on, and he popped his flask out to take a swig, and then he reached behind him to leave it on Isabeau's flask.
"Last night's vodka," he said, and he reeled in a foot or so of line, just to keep the bait moving.
"Hmph."
Izzie smiled a bit to herself and took just a small sip before she passed the flask back to him. "And I'll tell ya what I said last night: if you wanted to get me naked, you could've just asked."
It was a careless joke, and she really didn't think much of it as she continued to use his back as a support, occasionally reeling in a few inches of her line. She wasn't so much concerned with actually getting a bite; some fish would be nice, but honestly the chance to relax was enough for her.
"What? It's the only good hooch for leagues," Gar grumbled, and he lazily drifted his rod from one side to the other. He let his eyes close as he just took the scenery in, the comforting weight of Izzy against his back.
He didn't quite know how long he was sitting there in utter peace before his line twitched, and he stirred just a little and peeked an eye open.
He nudged Izzy just the slighted bit.
"Fish." he muttered, and then when he twitched the line and it seized he shot up even faster than he did for sex.
"Fish!"
"Mm!" Izzie jerked slightly, and only then realized that she'd started to actually doze off. She tilted sideways as Gar's support at her back abruptly vanished, laughing as she threw out a hand to catch herself against the side of the dinghy.
"Alright, alright!" She twisted around to see his line bobbing in the water. "Well, reel 'er in then."
Gar kept his balance on the small boat, a considerable feat for a nearly twelve-foot ogre. He tugged up, and the rod bent so far that it nearly snapped. The line jerked to the side sharply and Gar cursed.
The water off the boat's port side started to surge and roil, potently enough to rock their boat. From the water emerged the muddy back of a bright pink crayfish the size of a bear. It had slurped up the rotten apple, thinking it detritus, and the hook had embedded itself somewhere in those gnashing mandibles.
"Sweet peaks! She's a whopper!" Gar yelled, and he would've laughed had the thing not reached up to clamp a meaty claw on his rod, and Gar started to struggle with the thing.
"Izzy!"
"Oh, sweet fucking gods." Isabeau blinked, then shook herself and held her hand out toward the water, curling her fingers into a fist one by one.
The boat steadied, then the water parted in two surprisingly even splits to either side of the massive crayfish, before scooping out from underneath it until--
Well, the weatherwitch had essentially created an isolated bubble around the thing.
She gritted her teeth. "Whatever you're doing to fit that thing in the boat, do it quick. I can't hold this long."
Gar was going to ask for her pistol, but this worked too, in a way!
He took the pistol anyways, leaping down into the open space. The crayfish struggled to bear its weight without the help of the water, disoriented in the sunlight and sudden heat.
Gar landed in front of it and hopped away from a sluggish lunge with a pincer. It was tough to keep his footing on the slippery wet rocks at the bottom of the mangrove swamps, but he made his way to the side and heaved his weight onto it.
He took it to the ground, and stabbed it in the head. He stabbed again and twisted the knife to crack a hole in the shell. The crayfish kicked with its legs, and Gar nearly lost hold of the thing as he pulled the pistol. He stuffed the barrel into the hole and fired. There was a muffled pop! and a flash from inside the carapace.
The thing immediately slumped down, limp.
Gar chuckled, even as he caught his breath.
"Not the catfish I wanted, but... can't be picky. Boys're gonna love this."
Isabeau watched, a little wide-eyed, and her hand started to shake from holding the water in place just as he pulled the trigger. She gasped, letting the magic go, and the water crashed back down, but she was grinning.
"Something tells me they will," she agreed with a slightly breathless laugh. She scooted toward the side of the boat and leaned out over the water just a bit. "Ya mind giving me back my gun? I get twitchy without it," she chuckled, holding her hand out to him as she eyed the catch sidelong.
"Gods, how are we carting this thing back?"
Gar was all grins and giggles until the water came rushing back in. and even though he was tall enough to stand in the mangrove shallows, he did get a thorough washing when the walls of water came down.
Gar looked up at her, soaked to the bone, and he spit out a bit of saltwater. He lifted a hand out of the water to drop Izzy's freshly waterlogged pistol in the boat and he did his best to hoist the crayfish up out of the water before the water got too cloudy with the creature's murky blood. He threw it over his shoulder and started trudging towards the denser copses of mangrove trees.
"Easy job, Squirt. Just row the boat over to the shore. We gotta clean it before we can pack it away."
She snorted, clapping a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound though she wasn't entirely successful. "Sorry, mate," she chuckled as she reached for the oars and started to row. "But ya can't expect a girl to hold up all that water without some sort of fallout when it lets go."
She did quietly whistle up a quick breeze to drag most of the damp out of his clothes though. It was a simple enough spell, even if the last few days of magic use had left her tired enough that her eyes actually fluttered for a moment once she'd finished. She shook herself and kept on after Gar; she was good at hiding how draining her magic could be, she'd been practicing the skill since she was a child.
Gar dragged the creature ashore and quickly brandished his anchor sword. With a cleave and a push, he managed to split one creature's arm. By the time he'd severed the other, Isabeau was pulling in with the boat. Then, with a stab and a hack, and with a lot of leveraging with the anchor sword, he managed to split the creature's tail from the rest of the body.
He approached the boat to grab some of the spare rope, and as he gathered up an armful, he gave Isabeau an appraising look. Then, he leaned in to give her a quick peck.
"Take a load off. I'll get this ready," he said, and then he straightened back up to get to work.
Within a few minutes, he came back with the claws in his arms and the tail tied to his shoulder.
Izzie blinked, a little taken aback by the kiss, no matter it was brief. She shook herself out of it quickly and leaned into the side of the rowboat, frowning slightly.
"C'mon, now, I can help. Never shirked for work before, not about to start today." She tried to swing over the side to help, but by the time she'd waded out he was essentially done. She rolled her eyes at him and moved to take some of the catch from his arms.
"Ach, no need to wallow through any mud or get cray-gristles on yer boots," Gar chided, but to humor her he swung one of the gristly fifteen pound claws out from under his arm (the other arm held the second claw and he'd tied the tail to his back) and let her take it from him.
Then, with a little motion of his head towards the boat, he plodded over and started the process of tying the catch down, taking multiple pauses to bask in the sunlight and breeze from the surf.
Feeling a little like she was being humored but not all that invested in challenging it, Izzie moved to drop her portion of the catch into the boat and move to the other side so she could help Gar tie it down.
"Alright there, mate?" she asked teasingly when she glanced up to see Gar enjoying the sunshine and warm sea air. "You're not about to suddenly tell me ogres are coldblooded and need some time sunning themselves, are ya? 'Cause I'll be honest, I wouldn't entirely put it past you."
"Aye, everything's just fine... Been so much talk of islands and mages and all that flotsam, kinda nice to just forgettit for a second."
He opened his eyes, still looking out towards the horizon, taking in another deep breath. It had been these moments that had kept him together throughout the years. That, and...
Gar looked over to Isabeau, a small, fond smile playing at his features.
"As if i'd need the excuse."
Laughing lightly, Isabeau swung herself up to sit beside him, pressing close and letting her head rest against his arm. "Nah, don't suppose you've ever needed the excuse to do much of anything," she replied blithely.
She went quiet, closing her eyes and allowing the sun to warm her face. "It is nice," she murmured after a few moments. "Just...being able to be, for a minute."
"Ayyup," Gar said, now fully distracted once she'd rested her head on his arm. He settled more and the boat dug into the sand with his small, but heavy movements.
"Not many moments like this anymore. Don't know if there's gonna be any in the next few months, either," he said, dipping his eyes down to her.
Izzie sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Yeah," she murmured, the weight of what lay ahead them heavy in her voice.
She may have been young, but she'd been captaining her ship for over a year--and she'd known most of her crew for over half her life. And they all trusted her to get them through this. Not just through it, but to find some mystical island of magic and treasure. All while avoiding an ancient blood-enemy of her family that she hadn't known existed yesterday morning.
She allowed herself one more moment to just sit there and let the weight settle on her shoulders. Then she shook her head and shot Gar a quick smile. "Well. Anything you wanna do in our last few moments of peace?" she tried to joke.
A short chuckle answered her words.
"Cripes girl, let an old man have some peace..." Gar murmured, but eventually tipped his hat back up so he could regard her properly. He looked strangely vulnerable, his face more expressive without the large beard he had before.
"Well, if'n ya don't mind the crawdad gettin' smelly, we could stay a bit longer, aye," he said.
"It'll be weeks on the seas at best before we can just... be." Gar continued, and the arm she was resting against came to rest on her lap, more tender than raunchy.
Then, his mouth tilted a bit higher, and he lowered his hat again.
"Either way, you're the captain tonight," he said, the memory of the bargain they'd struck earlier warmed him all the more.
"I didn't mean it like that," Isabeau laughed, but she was content enough to press a little closer when his arm came to rest in her lap, and she twisted a bit to brace her weight on one hand behind her so she could face him a little better.
A tiny smile quirked at one side of her mouth and she reached up with her other hand to tip the hat back and gently dragged the backs of her fingers of the line of his cheek. The touch was light, almost cautious. "I mean, I wouldn't say no, but when do I ever?" she added, crooked smile growing a little wider.
Her expression softened quickly and she leaned in to drop a quick peck on his cheek. "'Sides, like you said," she added quietly as she pulled back, eyes glinting, "you're mine tonight."
She left another soft kiss on his temple, then settled back in the boat beside him, head tipped back so the sunlight bathed her face as her shoulders slowly dropped with a long, heavy sigh.
The caress of her fingers along his cheek calmed him as if he was a storm that she was manipulating. The peck on his cheek had a small smile appear at the corner of his mouth. When she settled in beside him, Gar let himself lean back so she could properly use him as a cushion.
"Aye, so get whatcha want outta me while you can," Gar said, half teasing remark and half innuendo. He slipped his arm out from her own, but only to wrap it properly around her and snuggle her more securely to him.
"Mmmm..." Isabeau grinned lazily and turned into her side when he pulled her closer, stretching up to plant a kiss in the crook of his neck. "Maybe I will."
She let her leg slide over his gently, one arm stretching across his chest to hold him loosely while the other propped her up so she could kiss his neck again. "Maybe this is exactly what I want," she sighed, breath rushing over his skin, and arched her back in a long stretch, letting the sunlight bathe her shoulders.
She went back to feathering kisses along the length of his throat and over his collar, shifting a bit so she was half wrapped around him, half on top of him, but made no move to press further. The invitation was certainly there in the way she dragged her teeth and tongue lightly against his neck, but she seemed equally content to just continue on as they were.
Yes, the sex was somehow always amazing, and a level of intense that sometimes almost worried her, but she also knew this could be nice. That sometimes lazy kisses could be a destination, and not necessarily a means to an end.
Her hand moved to press against the center of his chest, grounding herself with his heartbeat, and she trailed nibbling little kisses up his neck to the line of his jaw, humming happily in the back of her throat.
It was not as difficult as Gar felt it would be, to just enjoy her warmth and affection without letting his thoughts turn racy. In fact, one could even say that it was one of the easiest things he could ever do, and that is what scared him.
Affections like these were best shared after or before a romp, but to just be close to someone and curl together like lovers, well... it felt rather like the first time they kissed. Gods, did he want to chase that feeling.
She pressed up to him and more or less draped herself over him like he was a bed, and his large heart beat ever faster for it. He let a pleased, lazy smile cross his features and let out a pleased groan as she nursed at his neck. His hands stroked her back, then easily slid low to better support her against himself.
One one of her jaw kisses, he tilted his head downwards and caught her lips in a deep kiss.
A pleasant shiver skittered down her spine when he held her closer and she hitched up against him a little more. When he tipped his head down for a proper kiss she surged up to meet him, humming contentedly against his lips as one arm wrapped loosely around his neck.
She continued kissing him as she shifted over, not fully aware of how she was moving until she was completely sprawled out over top of him. She chuckled quietly when she realized what had happened and broke away from the kiss to let her forehead rest against his for a moment.
Her eyes searched his, and something in her ribs went tight and brittle. She swallowed, throat suddenly dry. "Gar..." She didn't know what she wanted to say. There was a lot. Or nothing. Gods, that was confusing.
A sharp huff curved her shoulders forward, and she closed her eyes and shook her head with a quick, wry smile. "Just...thank you. For--for everything."
She all but straddled him and Gar's eyebrows climbed up higher. Naturally, his hands moved to support her and he found himself quiet for a moment after she rest her forehead against his. That felt dangerous, and not in a sexual manner either.
When she huffed and thanked him, Gar simply smoothed at her shoulders and couldn't help but smile genuinely.
"Sap," he said, but the teasing didn't quite reach his eyes, which remained painfully real. And indeed, the way his arms circled her shoulders was quite sappy, but he didn't seem to mind.
Isabeau found her cheeks heating lightly--which seemed a little ridiculous, considering all the things the two of them had done that by all rights should have made her blush--and she gave him a half-smile and a quick peck on the lips.
"Reckon you like it, least a little," she teased quietly before settling down against him again and tucking her head up under his chin. Her nose crinkled and she laughed quietly against his throat. "Weird to be able to do this without feelin' your whiskers scratching at my face," she noted blithely before pressing another quick kiss to the hollow of his throat.
Gar's own face scrunched up with contained laughter when she remarked about his whiskers, a few deep chuckles bubbling out. They were quickly replaced with a lower, pleased sound when she started to lavish his neck with her attentions.
"Miss 'em already?" he goaded, hand rubbing up and down her back but otherwise remaining chaste as the touches between them started to become painfully sweet.
"Mmm..." She smiled into the curve of his neck and nipped lightly, but quickly soothed it over with another kiss. "If I'm bein' honest...I think I like seeing you this way."
She pushed herself up to see his face again, crooked smile glinting in the late afternoon sun. "You're...freer, somehow. Looser. It's...nice." She dipped down to peck his nose, then added with a smirk, "It's growing on me, at any rate."
"Aye," Gar started with a hearty chortle, breath catching when she used those teeth of hers against his neck. Ogre skin was tougher than a human's, that was for sure. While similar in texture, one just couldn't compare the thickness.
"So it makes me look younger, then. Must be pleasin' to have such a fresh cut danglin' from your arm," he teased, eyes slipping closed when she leaned in to peck his nose. He cupped the back of her head and used that closeness to tilt his own head up and give her a proper kiss.
"Well, you're not quite so spry as Raven," Isabeau laughed teasingly, "but I suppose you'll do."
Eyes glinting, she ducked to nip at his neck again, then scattered a few quick pecks along the line of his throat to the dip of his collar before she let herself settle back into the curve of his side with a low, contented sigh.
"...We're not gonna have much chance for time like this for a while, once we leave," she noted quietly after a moment, and pressed a little closer.
Gar barked a laugh at that.
"Spryness you've got all on your own. Ya needed a man with experience," he said as his laughter settled down. His eye lids got lower and lower with every touch of her lips along his neckline.
At her warning, Gar only sighed deeper, settling against the dingy more securely.
"... If only we could stop the waves a' movin'..." he murmured, unwittingly quoting Abe in that moment. It wasn't a common catchphrase of the captain, but Gar had heard it plenty whenever time was a crunch.
Isabeau gave a small sigh of her own and let her eyes flutter closed to just feel the warmth of the sun on her face. "If only," she agreed quietly.
There were a lot of "if only"s in her life. In all their lives. She had a hard time believing any pirate wouldn't have at least a handful.
Maybe...maybe this treasure of Da's is one of his, she mused to herself. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that thought settling, so she turned a little more securely into the curve of Gar's arm and huffed a breath against his shoulder before placing a quick, light kiss there.
"Wake me when I've gotta go be captain," she muttered tiredly, though with a hint of a smile in her voice.
"I'll wake you when the catch start's stinkin'," he corrected, unable to shake the stomach-brained impulses natural to any and all Ogres. "Didn't go fishin' just to catch some sunlight," he added with a fond gruffness. Still, he let himself settle down once Isabeau had gotten comfortable on his arm.
After a few moments, the gruff nature of his voice melted over and he sighed happily, not wanting to think about those dangerous implications. Happiness and safety were rare treasures in the world of pirates. Even just the realization that he was happier now than he'd ever been in the last few years was enough to plant a seed of trepidation.
How long would it be until this ship sank? They all do, eventually.
But for now, he had an important assignment from the captain, even if she didn't want to be such at the moment.
He gave her as long as he could before he felt they might arouse suspicion. They'd lucked out and caught something early, and so they spent the rest of their "fishing trip" cuddled up on the dinghy.
It was only when Gar checked the sky, only to see that the sun had moved just that bit lower, that he gently shook Izzy awake with a hand on her side.
"Up and at 'em, Cap'n," he murmured.