Muse♔Box

From:

fliesonfour

[He hadn't really the stomach for being a ship's medic, alas. When he had agreed upon the contract with the Danish Common Fleet, it was mostly in hopes of getting free passage to Greenland, whereupon he intended to open a clinic.

For the majority of the trip thus far, though, he'd been sick (mostly imagined, the crew insisted, but Joly's stomach begged to differ) and hanging half-over the side of the rail. It was in moments like these, bleary-eyes, that he felt sure he saw something flitting in the water. Not a dolphin. Or perhaps he was hallucinating?

Mercifully, he was not over a railing now. They had made a supply stop along the way, and he was seated by the beach, skipping stones against the choppy water and taking in the brisk air; good for one's health!]

From:

savageries

From:

maythrowup

[The sound of his own breath, harsh, was what he was left with when he was finally settled into a chair, roughly, hands bound behind his back and a cloth settled over his eyes. Real, classic movie treatment here; those old round 'em up flicks he'd sometimes watch with Jim, on Academy nights, when he was too tired from practice surgeries to go out for a drink and Jim was hiding from one jilted lover or the other.

Days long since past.

He'd been gearing up for it, that five year mission. 'The Final Frontier', Jim kept calling it, with glassy eyes as he looked out at the sky like he was going to get to know it, intimately, going to shake its hand. McCoy was a little more skeptical... turned out? He had every right to be.

Didn't know what kind of anomaly it was they struck, only that it was serious. Hull-breaching, ship destabilizing levels of serious. Only a month in. He'd been in sick bay, conducting a routine physical, one moment.

Then the next?

The very fabric of reality had broken away, split before his eyes, leaving him disorientated. When he'd come to, he was in a stark hallway; it looked old, gray, battered. Military.

He'd gotten up when he heard footsteps and made a run for it when he'd noticed the guns, the footfalls going from a clip to a sprint. He hadn't stood a chance, didn't know his way around the place...

And now? Here he was.

Great Jim, just great.

Just had to be an explorer, didn't he. Wonderful.]

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[They had made it a game, swimming near the ships, allowing just a glimpse to the weary travelers. For some reason or another, however, Musichetta had followed that ship longer than any other...

And when they docked and that poor ill sailor took to skipping rocks by himself, she remained nearby still. Resting and hiding just behind a rather large rock, she watched him for some time, just barely in view of him...

And ducking whenever he'd glance her way.. Perhaps not quickly enough.]

From:

~~Because I couldn't find a decent sock hop picture~~

From:

fliesonfour

[He skipped another stone before he was out of them, and not quite daring to venture very close to the sea to gather more (riptides!) he instead peered against the view at a squint...

Before noticing something-- someone?-- bobbing hurriedly behind a rock.

A woman, his head supplied quickly.

Now, he'd taken in a lot of sea air, but he knew a woman when he saw one. Getting to his legs in a panic, he tossed a look about, and seeing no one he could ask for help... steeled his nerves.

God did he not want to go into the water. But he was quite sure (mostly) that he wasn't suffering a hallucination... and if there was a lady in the water, well! Well, then someone had to fetch her.

Looking a bit pale, he was quick to take off his jacket and his shoes, setting both on the rock he'd been sitting on hurriedly. If she were drowning, there might not be much time... but he also did not want to drown with the weight of his clothing, thank you very much!

That all done, he steeled his nerves a little... ~~made a slightly unmanly whine under his breath~~ and headed for the water, quickly.]

Ma'am, do hang on, won't you! I see you, there! I'll attend!

[Called, trying to sound reassuring... for them both. :l]

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[While the adults are away, kids will play, right? That was the old adage. Or new adage, actually; relative to the... you know, age of the earth. Adages like 'I came, I saw, I conquered' were actually antiquated, as opposed to the 20-year-old cracker-jack box saying people thought were old.

...Corrections like that were probably the reason he was stirring his drink alone, weren't they? Oh well. Not that he minded!

His grandmother was having one of her dinner parties, so he'd opted to actually go to the school dance for once. He did like the rock music, and the disk jockey the school had hired was pretty good. Besides! A great excuse to push way too many maraschino cherries into his coke and stir it by the stems while enjoying being at school without any shoes on. Best? Best!

He had no intention to dance, really, just to listen to the music. He'd already said hello to a few friends, but the noise wasn't any good for talking. So, he was parked at the side of the gym, back to the wall, mumbling the words to the popular song that was playing, pretty happy all on his own, thank you very much.]

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[Oh, she wasn't quick enough... She was sure he'd seen her just then. There were several things running through her head right now: Swim away, make herself known, do something in between the two... All had serious consequences.

But while she was contemplating these options, he was full on panicking... And heading towards the water... Peeking around the boulder, she shook her head.]

You do not have to! I'm well, I assure you!

From:

fliesonfour

[There was some solid relief that, indeed, he was not hallucinating!

More still that the lady should be well enough to speak.

But... granted. A good deal of confusion at her calm, clinging to a rock in the mid-ocean.

Pausing on the sand still, Joly made a face, nose crinkling. From what he could see of her (pale skin and very wide eyes, with a pretty dark fringe) she looked to be quite lovely. And, as promised; quite well.

But that couldn't be... because. Well, hypothermia, for one!]

My dear girl! I assure you, you will freeze, if there is no one to escourt you back to shore. Have you been shipwrecked?

[As there wasn't a hurry, he gave into his nerves a little, and took the time to fidget, rolling up his sleeves; still with half an intention to dive in.]

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[Courfeyrac, meanwhile, needed no such reasons to be present at the dance. He preferred them tremendously to his family's insistence of spending the evenings together. His two elder sisters remained home, fulfilling their duties to it, while he and his younger sister had rushed off to the dance.

While she was out cutting the rug with some friends of hers, he was finishing dancing with his most recent fling... Or three. Worn out, he makes his way over to where Jehan is and leans against the wall next to him.]

Gonna be a wallflower all night?

From:

[Barely noticing someone heading his way until he was propped onto the wall beside him, Jehan smiled down into his drink, shrugging his shoulders up to his ears.]

Wallflowers are cultivated specifically in enclosed gardens... I prefer to think of myself as a little more wild than that.

[Glancing up with a quite smile, he finally plucked out the cherry he'd been stirring with, and wiggled a heel against the floor.]

Don't tell me you're tried of dancing already?

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[He was insistent wasn't he? She should have figured this, with how much he remained at the side of the ship when she was following it. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head again.]

No... and please, I will not freeze, I promise.

[And the last thing she wanted was for him to freeze trying to "rescue" her.]

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[He stretches a little, turning his head to look at him... With a small, sly grin.]

Not just yet. Needed a breath of fresh air and perhaps a little... wilder... of a dance partner.

[.... Well if that wasn't forward, what was? Courfeyrac was, at least, known for his varying-- ah-- tastes. And the fact that he was likely to flirt with nearly anyone, regardless of how socially acceptable or not it may be.]

From:

fliesonfour

[Clearing his throat now, he became a little more insistent as he got the sleeve past the elbow, informing her;]

Sleepiness, clumsiness, dementia, the shakes, feeble pulse, low blood pressure! Ma'am, these are the symptoms of but five minutes in the ocean water!

[Well! If she would just insist that she was fine, he had really no choice, did he? The dementia must already be setting in.]

No one is capable of over twenty minute's survival in such cold as this! I am a doctor, I am-- I assure you it's true.

[So, taking a deep breath, and giving the water a... cautious, unhappy glance... he then insisted again:]

Hold: I'll attend!

[Before... well. Jumping in.

He was a fair swimmer, anyway. This, he reminded himself, at the shock of cold and the pervading though that he was absolutely going to die trying to rescue this lovely madwoman.]

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[Brows rose a little at that... before he returned the smile, popping the cherry cheerfully into his mouth and giving a flitting glance up, to survey the dance floor.

Before, bluntly, though with a kindly tone:]

You aren't my type.

[He didn't mean boys, per say... well, he thought that would be obvious, if Courfeyrac was asking him in the first place. Boys certainly could be his type.

He meant more... people who danced with everyone. Dancing was supposed to be intimate, romantic, inter-personal, emotive...

Which brought him to problem number two.]

And I can't dance. What about Stevens, in the red dress?

[Supplied, nodding to one of the prettier girls, a good dancer, to boot.

Because there was no way he was getting landed with the 'well why don't you let me teach you?' come back. He was unteachable.]

From:

[A doctor, but a fool. As soon as Musichetta had opened her mouth to protest yet again, he jumped in. Swearing under her breath, she pushed away from the rock and submerged herself, glancing around the water for him.

Splashing the surface with her tail, she swam over to meet him... if he even got very far.]

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[Courfeyrac happily ignored the "not my type" comment. He didn't mind being told that, really let it roll off his shoulders. In fact, when it was suggested he dance with another of the girls, he didn't even look at her.]

I don't believe that for a moment... And I don't really care to dance with her...

[Not now that a challenge has been issued, that is.]

From:

fliesonfour

[Which, of course, he did not.

Though a very good swimmer, the current was pushing in the opposite direction of which he wanted to go and the water was very, very cold. He knew better than the swallow any, but it was natural for the human body to go into 'cold shock' for near two minutes, in which the limbs were very stiff and the breathing very choppy.

He managed to get away from shore, at least, but was not yet halfway to the rock when she went to meet him instead.

He had not noticed the fin, as he was busy trying not to fall into a total panic, to force his body forward against his better judgement, and to fight against the lap of the waves. It wasn't until that he felt a body bump his that he stopped, going to wade in the water instead, gasping a little.

Had she swam to him?]

Y-you... might have said you were a better swimmer than I...

[And not that she didn't plan to freeze.

He was trying to jest, of course, but as his teeth chattered, he felt a part of himself really meant it.]

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[Jehan bit his tongue short of saying 'you usually care to dance with everyone' and instead, settled on giving him a quizzical stare and a bemused smile.]

You don't believe that I'm an awful dancer? Have you seen me walk, Rey?

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I'm a better swimmer than most. I did tell you not to worry about me.

[She grinned at him, tilting her head just a little.]

You should get out of the water, sir. Before you freeze as you worried I would.

[Because he will notice that her teeth are not chattering, nor does she appear to be chilled at all... Despite the lack of clothing on her torso, still modestly covered by the water.]

From:

Not the most graceful, but maybe that's because you should be dancing instead.

[A big grin.]

Jehan, please? I'm a really good lead. I promise.

From:

fliesonfour

[He might be more alarmed by a woman, seemingly sorted out, floating absolutely naked beside him in the Atlantic... if half of his alarm wasn't already being used up on his own shivering, and wet hair.

Still... he should be a gentleman about it, oughtn't he to?]

Yes, yes. I-I intend to. ...Though I will likely die of the chill from the wind, anyway... But you must come with me; certainly, certainly.

I could not leave you a-adrift.

[~~CHETTA PLZ. SHORE NOW.~~]

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Oh, charmer!

[he gave in response, almost in a squeal, and half-cringing he was so embarrassed.

He was charming, too, and the worst part was? He knew it. That made it at least a billion times more awful, definitely.

Blushing despite himself, he went to idly chew on the end of the cherry stem, shaking his head no.]

No. Nonono. I can't dance, no matter how good you are. And definitely not in front of all these people.

[And definitely not with a male classmate in front of all these people. Not when B had already popped out early, after spiking the punch.]

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