👉 Point to something for my muse to see | Joji to Julienne?

“Now, that is a problem,” Julienne agreed, following the line of Joji’s indication to the unfurled sails of the Spanish armada encroaching upon the shores of the young pirating port. On her own, not even the Tromperie could take on that many ships – third rate though she was, she could manage the corvettes, but the galleons matched her for class well enough they would need at least three others to even consider the odds.

“I trust the Walrus is on standby – that still leaves us outgunned. We’ll need somebody fast to distract the corvettes, and a fully outfitted fourth rate at the least if you’ve any hope against this coming storm. Although I am compelled to remind you,” And here, Julienne’s tone did take on a genuine air of apology, “Tromperie is allied with Spain – for us to challenge their armada…you must understand we would need quite the incentive, even if you had the ships in place for such maneuvers.”

🤨 Sit down across from my muse | Cutler to Loki

{ Nonverbal Starters }

“I take it you haven’t found what you are looking for.” The greeting comes without preamble, making it immediately clear that this man’s investigations into affairs here had not gone without his notice.

Regardless of how thorough the Scottish mercenary happened to be under normal circumstances, it seemed Loki’s intelligence was keener. Which was very much the case, considering that Mister Mercer hadn’t gotten too far before being set under his control – Loki had no interest in dealing with interference from the EITC – but it would be ever so curious to see if the puppet master had noticed that his tool was compromised.

“Are you here to do business, or entertain me?” The latter seemed more likely, if this man intended to attempt threatening him. That tended to only work when you were something worth fearing – and Loki had yet to meet a human who could foot that particular bill.

🚪 Tap on a table/door/wall/chair to get my muse’s attention without speaking | Cutler to Severus

{ Nonverbal Starters }

Not for the first time since coming into Cutler Beckett’s employ did Severus find himself genuinely wishing he’d made the correct mistakes in brewing the damnable man’s tonic. Since this debacle with Jones however, that desire was growing into an ever present awareness – and perhaps that was why Mercer had started lurking in his workspace, watching his every move in a way that hardly endeared their mutual employer in the slightest.

Waving a hand, Severus indicated where the bottle was set in the standing cabinet, and lowered his head as though he had no intention of interacting – focusing instead on the fish he was dissecting for it’s liver, among other valuable pieces. If his cuts were a little sharper than usual, surely there was no fault to be found. Everyone had been on edge since the heart of Davy Jones had come aboard the Endeavour, after all.

🚪 Tap on a table/door/wall/chair to get my muse’s attention without speaking | Joji to Severus, probably very casually managing some serious injury XD;

{ Nonverbal Starters }

The tapping draws his attention, causing his gaze to flick up from his work to catch sight of Joji in the doorframe, unaccompanied by an armful of bleeding sailor. This was unusual enough, if only because the man never troubled Severus unless it was a matter of urgency, being one of the few who seemed to register the fact his work did not benefit from a gawking collective. Which meant –

“Ah,” His gaze caught sight of the dark bloom along the man’s side then, even in the dim lighting below decks. Rising to his feet, he motioned for the man to come in and take a seat. He did not need to know what had occured ashore – there was no doubt in his mind that things had taken a turn for the worst, but that Joji was among the injured only cemented that truth. Doubtless, the rest of the shore party was already dead or dying – Severus held no illusions about whom the best fighter aboard this ship was, regardless of what the captain would prefer to believe of himself.

“Do you need me to be swift?” Severus could work quickly or efficiently – in this it could only be either or. If Joji needed to flee, efficiency might be less of a priority than what could be managed quickly.

☝️ Tap my muse on the shoulder | William to Severus

{ Nonverbal Starters }

The touch draws his attention over, and for a moment Severus genuinely considers shredding the lieutenant for distracting him in the midst of his study. Were it not for the singular element of this man being in possession of particular irksome information, he might well have done so. As it was, he snapped his book shut with audible irritation and fixed the man with a look instead.

“I have not heard the beat to quarters, lieutenant,” The remark is dry as it is pointed – he might as well have stated unless there is someone bleeding on deck, I have absolutely no desire to be talking to you. “Is there something amiss?”

🤙 Bump into my muse | William for Elijah and cue the litany of apologies cause this is honestly my favourite way to fluster the man

{ Nonverbal Starters }

The initial collision had not been particularly remarkable – and in fact, were it not for the lieutenant’s abject misery over it Elijah might well have forgotten about it within an hour or so. As it was, the man was practically falling over himself in apology and – admittedly unable to deal with such fussing – he simply reached up and patted the man’s shoulder to catch his attention and simultaneously stun him into silence.

“Come now, lieutenant Bush – surely you do not think me so delicate in frame and temperament that I would break over something so innocuous as this?” Jests toward his own size were generally either well received, or only made matters worse when men seemed to think they needed to compensate for him – Elijah could only hope that Bush would not fall into the latter category. “No harm done, I assure you – not even to pride,” He assured warmly.

“Now – why don’t you join me. I’ve sent men ahead to oversee the press-gangs for the Company, so we might as well ensure things here are well managed.” Spirits tended to be quite grim, and understandably so, after these events. If Elijah could ignore the admiralty and leave the EITC to it’s own dirty business, he certainly would, but orders were orders.

🚪 Tap on a table/door/wall/chair to get my muse’s attention without speaking | Joji to Muharrem

{ Nonverbal Starters }

Irritation coiled through him as he glanced over – though as soon as he realized it was one of Nassau’s local residents, his posture shifted and a notable calm touched upon his features. He was fast growing weary of matters here, though there was little he could do at this juncture without due cause. For now the best he could manage was to simply steer clear of his employer and the bloodthirsty like-minded that stood in his shadow.

“Yes,” He acknowledged the other’s announcement, gaze intent as he tried to place the man. He knew he had seen him before – there was no mistaking such notable features, not to mention someone so impossibly tall. It was who he had been with, and therefore his affiliations, that Muharrem was failing to recall. “Is there something I can help you with?”

👁 Wake my muse up during a nightmare | William to Muharrem?

{ Nonverbal Starters }

Coming to with a jolt, it does not take Muharrem long to register where he is and who has woken him. His chest rises and falls rapidly, the emotions dragged to the fore by his subconscious mind chained back behind the cage of his teeth, held at bay through force of will and recognition that here was neither the time nor the place to voice them.

Realizing that in his initial alarm he had grasped hold of his superior officer, he had the good grace to flush and release the lieutenant from his grip. Taking a steadying breath, he offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to be disruptive.”

Sitting up slowly, he ran a shaky hand through his hair, before sighing and deciding he might as well make use of being awake this early. “Would you object to Travers getting a lie in? I can cover his shift, seeing as I’m up.” With the strain on everyone due to the captain’s brewing madness and his vindictive treatment of Wellard, those who were of gentler constitutions deserved to be watched over in whatever small ways could be managed, as far as he was concerned.

🌸 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.

Unlocking The Cage

Horatio did not press as Bush turned from him, remaining on the other side of the table, his hands still holding to the back of a chair as he contained the true depths of his anger as the state of matters was more wholly revealed. Years as Tia Dalma’s apprentice had taught him a great deal – not the least of which being that there was a certain order to things that was by no means being maintained by the witch who presently held this man’s life bound in contractual service.

He was offended on behalf of Bush – but also as one bound by the arcane. This was by no means excusable, and Horatio was more than ready to take action against it – however, he also knew that doing so without the man’s consent would play its own risks with obligation that he had no wish to entangle in what was already a very strange circumstantial relationship.

They had been through a great deal as officers together – both torn away from the life by magic – and through some grace, found one another again. Horatio wanted nothing more than to free William Bush of the shackles set upon him – and to perhaps gain in so doing a companion he could trust on a journey that held more questions than it did answers. However, it would not do for the man to think even for a moment that he was trading one set of chains for another.

“The requirements of your freedom are not what I am concerned with, Mister Bush,” Horatio stated carefully, stepping at last from around the table to approach his one-time superior. “They are inconsequential to me. What I want to know – what I need to know – is that you desire that freedom enough to allow me to tend to those requirements – and that you trust me enough to know that my assistance here does not forge a debt between us.”

Reaching out, he clasped the damaged hand by the wrist and drew it to eye level, meeting the man’s gaze across from it. “This is abhorrent, not because of what it looks like but because of what it represents. Her power over you – and your willingness to be grateful to her for it because of who it all spared. I would have a better life for you than this – whether I witness it or otherwise.”