“Oops!” | Billy to Jane

1. Your character walking in on mine naked.

There were few secrets between Jane and her shadow, save what she looked like when her clothes were on the floor. Perched in the rafters, he faced the door as she changed – while Jane herself moved about the room and readied herself for the day. There must have been a misunderstanding at the inn’s reception area, as Jane distinctly heard the door unlock moments before she found herself standing bare before the gaze of a complete stranger.

No sooner had she turned around did she see the black shade of her guardian drop from above, doubtless intent on gutting the poor man for what he laid witness to. Alarmed as she was, Jane was hardly about to let there be bloodshed over a mere misunderstanding.

“Wait, Diego! Address him, if you please. I will be outside in a moment.” Her guardian had intended to be more efficient – he had a gun pointed at the head of the intruder, but was steady on her command and motioned with it. Shooing the man back and indicating they grant the woman her due privacy.

Closing the door behind him, Diego stated flatly, “Run or try anything, and I will be painting the walls with your brains. You will wait for her ladyship’s judgement.”

What is Freedom Without You?

tidefated‌:

~

Cutler’s smile was somehow sad and bewildered, as if he still could not believe she was really here before him, holding his hands in hers, and as if he didn’t understand how she could not see why he’d wanted the change, before. He bowed until he could press his forehead against his sister’s hands, eyes shut a moment as he tried to find the words he wanted.

“I’ve only just found you- before this… before this, certainly, I had freedom, but what did it matter? Was it even worth it, without you at my side?” He lifted his head, smiling, now, despite the wetness in his eyes. “A world without you in it was not a world worth anything, sister- but now that you are here I see nothing worth changing.”

Jane smiled softly, wanting to turn her hands and cup her brother’s face in them so that he might look at her – but in the end, there was no need to do so. His words were a familiar wound in her as well – a concern she had shared for many years and in moments when it was rather out of place to be so grief stricken.

She could remember all too clearly the terrible, yawning pain inside of her when she first held each of her children, knowing that the most important person in her life before them would never have the chance to meet them. Unlike Cutler, she had people in her life – people who had loved her, had cared for her and believed in her. Yet even still she had been pained for the loss of him – so it made sense, in a terrible way, that he would see so little in the world worth anything without having even that much kindness in his life without her.

“No more of this,” She decided softly, but firmly. “The world shall continue on as it is – and you and I shall master together our corner of it, and be content. For we have everything we could need now.” She gave his hands a squeeze before making the most daring of requests, “Would you come with me, Cutler? If I asked you to leave this war behind, and sail with me to France instead?”

‘ i thought i was going to change the world. ’ | TF’s Cutler to Jane

{ House of Broken Angels }

“Do you think so little of the world, that it needs changing?” The question was genuine as she swept over to him, gathering his hands in hers to keep his thoughts anchored on her rather than on his war, and its costs. “Our actions now will not change any of what came before. Those pains – those frustrations – will not be cured no matter what we shape the world into because of them. They will always be part of us.”

Her hands tightened in his, reassuring and firm all at once. “The world has so much in it that is wonderful. So much that is truly beyond imagining – what does it matter how we attained the ability to chase it? We have between us the power to go anywhere – to do anything – why would we need to change anything, when we’ve already obtained everything? Oh Cutler – can’t you see? We have what we wanted! We’re free of them – our lives are our own – what is the world, in comparison to that?”

@tidefated

[intolerablexsacrifice, for Jane, from McGraw] 👉 Point to something for my muse to see [ context is for people who aren’t awake at 5am okay shh ]

{ Nonverbal Starters }

His arrival had been unannounced, and were it not for Diego chances were he would not have made it to her at all. The guards were on high alert, and to say there was little tolerance for his kind ( be it pirate or be it English ) was putting things exceptionally mildly.

This venture that they shared was delicate, to say the least – it was not in de Bac’s interests to be consorting with either pirates or Englishmen in these trying times, but there were things a pirate could do that a privateer would never be able to justify. Among thieves, James was perhaps the only man she could trust to undertake those particular duties – and if he required more than finances every now and again, who was she to turn him away?

Glancing back at him when he made his gesture, she took a moment to look out toward the harbor. Understanding his intention, she nodded and made a motion to her man in the shadows – she had nothing to fear from James McGraw, regardless of the monster he was fashioning by the name of Flint.

“It will be done,” She assured him quietly, gathering the last of what she needed before urging him to sit. “Let me take a look at you – if it was one of the locals, that wound may fester swiftly. Few here work without poison on their blades.”

@intolerablexsacrifice

🤗 Pull my muse into a hug | lbr Cutler can’t stop hugging Jane. He see her he hug, I don’t make the rules.

{ Nonverbal Starters }

Clutching his shoulders, Jane barely managed to restrain the sob that threatened to wrench itself out of her. It was the most ridiculous thing – to be so terrified, so troubled by something innocuous and harmless as a mere dream! But she’d woken so startled, and found herself surrounded by the unfamiliar, racing through halls she’d barely memorized in chase of someone her mind was convinced had never been there at all.

It would be a wonder if they didn’t come out of this with bruises, for the force in which she collided with him, and how tightly she held on to convince herself he was real, and she hadn’t lost him all over again.

“Oh this is dreadful,” She muttered, face still pressed into his shoulder, “I must look a fool, crashing in here like this!” But she knew he understood. The ease with which he guarded her told her as much.

@tidefated

🌸 Put a flower in my muse’s hair | Cutler to Jane!!!

{ Nonverbal Starters }

The smile that crossed her features was immediate – it had been years since she’d felt her brother’s clever fingers setting flowers into her hair, yet it still felt so familiar.

Years ago, long before she found him again, her then-five year old daughter had haltingly tried to put together a flower crown. All had been well, until those small hands had started tangling into Jane’s hair. She’d not been able to explain to her little girl why she started crying then, but she’d never forgotten. That Victorie believed flowers to be bad for awhile was not something she knew how to fix.

“It is delightful to know some things never change,” She teased, voice light with amusement and colored by fondness as she reached out and gave him a hug. Resplendent as they both were in the finery they had earned for themselves, the fact he could still see beauty in something so simple and natural as a flower gave her hope that he hadn’t fallen too far from home after all.

@tidefated

👐 – hugging them | TF’s Cutler to Jane ( cause lbr if she showed up he’d throw everything to the wind- including propriety )

{ Nonverbal Starters }

The moment she saw him, Jane knew the world had reset itself for both of them in the most wonderful of ways. It was all that she could do to contain herself – but as her brother embraced her, she let the restraint fall away and wrapped him up as close as she could manage. Tears burned her eyes, and she let them fall in the silence of their reunion, deafening in its significance.

She did not need to say that she had missed him – the tremble in her arms, the way she clasped at his thin shoulders tight enough to tell that he was no more able to hold weight now than he had when they were young – the steady stream of joyful tears all spoke loudly enough.

Yet Jane knew their voices had been clutched too tightly for too long, choking them under the weight of expectation and later, the bitter determination to exceed and excel. So she let herself speak clearly, when emotion threatened to cripple her down into a whisper, for both of their sakes and strength.

“Not a day has gone by that I have not wished you were by my side Cutler – everything has been so dull without you to share it with!” She gave him a squish then, before leaning back to look at him – the truly take him in. “Look at you,” She breathed, unable to keep the smile from breaking over her features, “You’re still making me work to be the pretty one – I see you have no pity upon me at all!”

“Do you think you can help me?” [ one (1) james mcgraw @ one (1) jane de bac ]

{ Question Starters }

The inquiry is unexpected – since her introduction to the lieutenant, he had been quite circumspect in his words and opinions. His presence at the Hamilton household was rather intriguing, if only because it felt as though he were some sort of judge presiding over activities when in truth, some part of him yearned to be involved. There were times when she could swear he seemed about to speak, but then his hands would tighten behind his back and that silence would maintain itself like armor.

Perhaps the most enlightening times were when one of the Hamiltons also noticed – they had a habit of coaxing the reticent officer into speaking, and his points tended to be well rounded and sound. For a man she had little dealings with overall, Jane considered him to be a fine one – and there were not many in his position she had cause to think highly of.

“I believe I would need to better understand the nature of your problem before I could make you any promises, lieutenant,” Her reply was diplomatic as it was warm, for while she doubted he would ask anything of her she could not assist with – it was always wise to keep one’s promises clear of misuse. “If it is within my power, I am sure I would be happy to provide my assistance.”

Proud Of The Hurricane

@seafaired continued from [x]

Money had already exchanged hands, as surely as goods now shifted themselves all but silently between ships. To the casual observer there was nothing amiss in the transaction – that the three slaves now boarding had their heads covered, or the fact that no hint of their skin could be seen in the way they were shackled and shrouded was perhaps unusual, but not enough so to rouse any suspicion.

That would come later, when men of prominent stations were noted as missing – something that would take time indeed, considering they were all meant to be in different places, and it would be at least a week before word reached the city that not a one of them had arrived where he was due.

Jane was not in the business of letting strangers in on her business, nor was she particularly of the mind to be forthright with many of the captains she ended up dealing with. Considering Naut was a stranger, and not even a captain at that, the fact he had her attention enough to garner such a remark stemmed from the simple recognition that if anyone had the power, the gumption and the goddamn will to cause her enterprise any trouble, it would be him. She would much rather have the man on her side than against it, at any rate.

Slavery was a tricky thing to sell to some men, but she was prepared to lie if she had to. His response, such as it was, drew a slow smile to her lips. There was no telling what he suspected, but it felt oddly safe to assume he either knew more than he let on and was willing to let her manage the fallout, or, he had no fucking idea what was going on and was genuine in his assertion it didn’t matter which way the wind blew, her business was her own to manage and he’d leave her to it.

“You never cease to amaze me,” She settled on at last, even as her shadow situated himself and the last of the cargo was brought on board. After a moment of consideration, she took a chance and tested the waters. “When this business is done, I’d be very interested in discussing other ventures with you, should you be interested.” Technically a talk meant for his captain, but frankly given the choice between the two, she’d much rather work with a man unafraid to speak his honest truth than one who would say whatever was most likely to get him paid more.

This is a permanent starter call for Jane de Bac / Beckett of Pirates of the Caribbean explicitly. The older sister of Cutler Beckett presented to us in Price of Freedom, whose apparent death has been grossly exaggerated.

These calls give me a heads up on who is open to interacting with whom ( which is handy for those who have exclusives among my crew! ) and gives me an excuse to kick you starters whenever something crosses the mind, or blow up your inbox knowing who would be most wanted.

These calls also serve as a final tag dump – when this call is posted it indicates a character has been fully moved into the blog and is ready for action!

For other starter calls, check the tag HERE.