You Wouldn't Believe Me **Private**

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

(( I'm a bad person. D: I keep taking so long to reply; you probably are hating on me! :c I would be, if I were you. ))

Carter felt his heart thumping excitedly in his chest at the word 'land'. Land? Was it really true? At first, the dark-haired boy didn't believe it. However, when he looked out over the water and saw the city-London, he soon realized-he knew immidiately that it was true. Almost too good to be true, actually. Despite what had just happened, and his mood still being foul, he felt a faint smile playing on his lips.

William had a point. No, he wouldn't have done that. Carter wasn't that cruel, although he had been told on occassion before that he had a black, shriveled-up heart. However, that didn't stop him from wishing that he had done something of the sort. It would have saved him from the embarrassment, confusion and pain that he had to endure.
He still didn't think that Rosetta would be thanking him anytime soon, however. "I doubt that," Carter murmured, more to himself than to William, although he said it loud enough for those around him to hear. He sighed and ruffled his hair, trying to look at the 'bright side' of things, as William had put it. Yes, the sun was out. And yes, they might get to go on land.

The thought of actually being able to place his feet on dry, hard soil brought another smile to Carter's lips. "You really think they'll let us off the ship?" he asked William, his eyes seeming to almost brighten. It seemed that at the prospect of getting off the ship, Carter had forgotten all about what had just happened. Carter had a feeling that, if they were indeed allowed off of the Phantomp, that there would be some conditions. Something like they had to have one of the crew members with them, or that if they didn't come back to the ship within a given amount of time that they would be hunted down. Okay, perhaps the 'hunting' down wasn't very likely-more like they would be found once more, captured and punished on the ship. The crew on the ship might not be very sane, but Carter doubted that they would actually hunt down their prisoners.

---

Charlotte found herself grinning as the land came into view. They hadn't stopped at land in a long while. Despite being excited about this, her dark eyes were suddenly locked on the two human boys standing beside her. Well, mainly William, but that was besides the point. What would the Captain do with them? Let them have free reign and go wherever they'd like? Charlotte highly doubted that as a possibility, for they could easily try and run and she knew the Captain would not be having that. Not after all they went through to get them and keep them on the ship.
No, if he allowed them off of the ship, they would have to be watched. Or threatened not to run. Charlotte knew how intimidating the Captain could get and any threats he made were quite serious and were not to be taken lightly. That is, if he even allowed them off the Phantom. Perhaps he would have them stay on the ship and keep quiet.
Charlotte couldn't help but feel slightly worried-what if they tried to run and were punished? The young pirate did not want to see these two get hurt, especially William. At this thought, she ducked her head and frowned slightly to herself. She shouldn't be thinking things like that, she told herself. William was a human. She was not-she was the farthest thing from human, actually. And besides, the two boys probably thought she and the rest of the crew were scary. Freaks of nature. At this, a small sigh escaped her. The entire reason she had left her old town and came aboard the Phantom was to escape thoughts such as those. And yet, she knew that those two must be thinking that.
She quickly shook herself, ridding her mind of those thoughts. Charlotte told herself that she shouldn't be thinking such dark thoughts on such a happy time-they were going to be on land, after all! How could one be sad about that?

[anonymouse]

William could see the change of Carter as he looked towards the little shadow that represented land. Carter suddenly wasn't frowning anymore, the hint of a smile touching his lips. Shaking his head slightly, William felt his own smile brighten. Carter just needed to forget that he had done a great deed and it hadn't paid off in the usual way. But it was time to brush it off and move on. Rosetta probably felt bad enough so he still had hope that sometime in the near future she would thank him and apologize.

Though for some reason Carter wanted to keep talking about it. Maybe there was more to it than just what appeared. It was almost a childish thing for Rosetta to do but she had done it. So why was Carter still worrying about it? But since Carter was the only human on board, he would play along for Carter's sake.
"Her self conscience will get her sooner or later. Besides, almost drowning will shaken up even the bravest of girls." William said softly, his eyes still on the land in the distance. He crossed his arms lightly over his chest, shivering after the rain and now the cool breeze that followed. His hair was still wet, drying in strands, so he had to flick it out of his eyes continuely. Except he was too aware of Charlotte and how her own hair was drying in slight curls. She was pirate! And she was nothing like what girls were wanted in England. They wanted girls who would be seen, never heard unless they were asked. Girls that would agree with anything, never thinking for themselves or creating their own future. But Charlotte was clearly not like that. She was different, ready to give him a run for his thoughts.

Per saying that he couldn't stop thinking about her. She hadn't left them standing alone like the rest of the crew. It was almost like she was willing to chat with them when her life was so much more exciting. He listened absentmindedly to Carter, while his attention was mostly on Charlotte. "Yes. We probably know the streets better than they do but I'm sure we'll be closely watched. Like hawks." Joking? Since when had William joked? But with the pirates having wings he thought it was funny that he had referred to birds while they themselves were slightly birds... William stopped his chuckle at his own joke. Maybe it wasn't as funny as he thought? Joking wasn't exactly what William had been known for, ever, so it was almost foreign for him. William ran a hand through his hair, a sign of worry for him, but he gave a small shrug as if he knew it had been quite lame of a joke. He could get better at it? But really, William was very interesting in what Charlotte thought. Of him, of Carter's bravery, anything. Anything and everything.

~~~

Land... Maybe I can redeem myself on land? Rosetta was pacing once more. She couldn't stop replaying what had happened. That moment when she could only feel fear as her wings dragged her away from precious air. And the numbness as she fell unconcsious. Yet, the human had to come along and save her. Not that she was ungrateful, she just wished it had been someone else, anyone else. The ocean and seas could be very tricky, Rosetta was learning. On clear, beautiful days the pirates could swim in the ocean without a care in the world. But then when it was stormy and grey, swimming was a death wish. Rosetta buried her face in her arm, a warm blush covering her cheeks. Why did he have to come along and ruin everything? She have reacted badly in more ways than one but she had a feeling she would hear more of him. Whatever his name was... Fluttering her eyelashes as a streak of sunlight broke through her thoughts, Rosetta cursed him a thousand times over.

{I am a terrible, terrible person. Feel free to slap me with a virtual fish or something... I lost my muse for this, I had no idea of how to reply. Now I finally did~
Please forgive me?}

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

The Phantom creaked and groaned as it pulled up to the docks. Carter was getting anxious as he continued to think about the possibility of getting off of the ship. He knew that there was a slim, if any, chance that they could ever get away from under the ever-watchful eye of the crew, but when he thought about how he was standing there, on a pirate ship fille with pirated with wings, he reminded himself that anything was possible.

As the crew began to get ready to leave the ship, Carter's eyes slowly worked around through their faces. Most were anxious as well, and all seemed to be excited to be able to set their feel on good ol' dry land. After spending who-knows-how-long on the ship, Carter could only imagine how tired of being on it they were. Carter had only been on the ship for a day or so, and he was already tired of it. Although, it might have something to do with being a prisoner.
As he looked around, trying not to catch the eye of anyone, Carter told himself he wasn't looking for anyone. Merely looking around, noting the people's expressions and how they acted. After all, if he was going to be stuck on this wretched ship with these people, he might as well get to know how they acted. He doubted he would be getting to know all of them, if any, personally, so this was as close as he could get.

However, the little voice in the back of Carter's head told him that he was looking for someone in particular. Np, he told himself. Who would I look for, anyway? Pretty much everyone on this ship hates me. The answer came immidiately, but he pushed her name away, however. No, he would not think about her; he refused to. He was done thinking about her, the one who seemed to hate him most of all, despite everything he'd done for her. She didn't even deserve to be thought about, what with the way she had treated him. It didn't matter, though. She was just another girl, another winged pirate, another person who hated him on this ship. Why should he care about her at all?

---

Charlotte stood there, watching as the land got closer and closer. When the ship finally reached the deck, Charlotte felt herself breathing a sigh of relief. The sun had bursted through the clouds for the moment and they were about to get off of the ship for the first time in quite a long time; life was perfect, for the moment, and she didn't see how it could get any better. If it did, Charlotte would have loved to see how.
Charlotte tucked a strand of slightly damp hair behind her ear as she turned slightly. She caught the eye of William and when she realized he seemed to be staring at her, she quickly averted her gaze, a small blush creeping up upon her cheeks. She could feel the skin upon her cheeks tingling and getting hot, so she knew that that was what was happening. Turning her back to the humans, she ducked her head slightly as she waited for the Captain to allow everyone off of the ship.

(( It's fine, don't worry about it! ^^ I'm not mad in the slightest! 8D Sorry for the terrible reply, though. D: ))

[anonymouse]

"Go find Ro, we'll need her to watch over the lads." The Captain grinned mercilessly, for this ship was all just a game to him. The crew were little mice to play with before disposing of them. A cat playing with its food. A single crew member vanished below to find Rosetta, who was trying to bite back the briney taste in her mouth.Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, Rosetta slipped on a shirt without wing slits after the crew member had left her. Her dark, still slightly damp, cloak was tied around her shoulders. The crew would probably laugh at her, remembering how she had reacted quite terribly. But the show must go on.

Avoiding the eyes of every single person, Rosetta shook her dark hair from her eyes before she strode to stand next to the Captain.
"You rang..." She said softly, her eyes trained on the city so close to them. The Captain nodded, enjoying the way the crew seemed to become so silent. "You and Charlotte are to take the two lads ashore. Here's a list of the things we be needed, but don't step out of line or its back to the waves with you." Rosetta held back a shudder. He was serious. If something happened to the boys while she was in charge of them, she was practically already dead. But, it was slightly difficult to understand whether or not the Captain was joking. He has a dry sense of humor after all. He could be playing with her or telling the truth. With a small nod Rosetta took the list and gestured for the three, Charlott and the two lads, to come ashore. Whether they were ready or not.

~~~

Noticing Charlotte had caught his gaze, William quickly turned to Carter, feeling himself blush. Why was that? Was it because she was so different from him? That she was nothing like any girl he had ever met? Maybe all of those reasons and more, but all William knew was he had to stop thinking about it. She probably just saw him as a waste of matter, a person she had to watch over against her will. Maybe she truly felt that way. Or maybe she felt just the opposite. He was entirely curious about how their wings worked, how their eating habits must be different, and so on and so forth. Wouldn't beings completely different from him and Carter be insteresting in them?

But when the girl pirate who had almost drowned, Rosetta, flicked her fingers at them in what he guessed was a wordless 'Come along', William glanced over at Charlotte. So she had returned but only to be sent into a city with a couple of humans and a single pirate. Yet, she began walking down the gang plank {?} before they could reply. Apparently she was eager to leave the ship and the staring eyes that followed her. A small sigh escaped William's lips. Well, perhaps sleep wasn't in the agenda...

{ <3 }

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Carter stood there, his eyes clouded over in slight irritation. Out of all of the pirates on this crew that he could have chosen to come along with the two humans into the town, why had he picked her? It was going to prove difficult to not think about her, and the way she acted, when she was leading them around like dogs. He couldn't exactly ignore her, either, for he felt that would only make her hate him more, and would only make her mad. He shot a look in the Captain's direction; he had a sadistic, evil grin splayed across his features. He was sick, Carter concluded. He liked to play Games, and this was yet another game to him. Sighing in defeat, he ducked his head slightly. This was certainly not going to be fun.

Why did they have to go along, anyway? At the moment, Carter just wanted to lay down for a few hours, or days or...weeks, even. His head was throbbing painfully; probably from his wound. He would need that tended to, eventually, but for now he would have to do his best to ignore it, for it wasn't as if any of the crew, especially Rosetta, cared if he and William were hurt. No, of course not. The only thing they cared about was messing with their heads until they broke down. However, sleep would be good for them, wouldn't it? It would get the two out of the crew's hair, and besides that, Carter just wanted to stay low for a while. First, he'd been getting half of the attention because he was one of the two new kids on the ship, one of the two humans. And now...now he was getting attention because he'd saved the life of a pirate. And not just any pirate, either; a winged pirate. And, apparently, a pirate that didn't want to be saved, too. Thankfully, Rosetta was getting just as much attention as Carter was, whether she wanted it or not.

At the thought of Rosetta, Carter couldn't help but allow his gaze to travel over to her for a moment; or, perhaps, more than a moment. She walked with a certain stride that had purpose behind it, almost. And she was attractive, he would give her that. Too bad she had to be so ungrateful, and rude. Other wise-no. He stopped himself there. Other wise nothing.

---

Charlotte's gaze followed Rosetta as she came up onto the deck, looking rather irritated. The Captain seemed to instruct her to do something, which seemed to only irritate the girl more. She shook her head slightly; Charlotte had learned long ago that the Captain liked to play with his crew, twist their minds and make them as crazy as he was. And that was what it seemed like he was trying to do with Rosetta. Frowning slightly, she turned away as Rosetta approached. With a flick of her fingers, the other pirate told the three to follow. Charlotte sighed softly. Well, this was going to be fun.

Charlotte followed close behind, her mind buzzing. She was happy that she was getting off the ship, sure, but she just hoped that Carter and Ro weren't going to let what had happen damper the mood. If so, then being off of the ship would not be enjoyable in the slightest. She shot a glance at Carter; he didn't seem to be enjoying the company of Rosetta, and he had every right, in Charlotte's opinion. Rosetta had acted quite...harshly. Sure, it had been embarrassing for her, but he had saved her life, after all. She shrugged it off, however; it was their problem, not hers.

[anonymouse]

William couldn't believe their luck. If you could call it that. Yes, he was happy he got to spend more time with Charlotte. But he told himself it was just because she was a winged human. Angel if you will. If it had been any other crew member he would have gladly followed. Not just because it was Charlotte. He would keep telling himself that if he had to. But another thought came to his mind. This was his city. He knew it like the back of his hand. Though escape sounded impossible. The pirates had proven that they were much stronger and faster than normal humans. Also, William wouldn't be surprised if the Captain had a few watchful eyes where he couldn't see them. Tiredness tugged at William, even as he tried not to stumble on the plank leading off the boat and onto his turf. Past the weary ache in his bones, William felt himself searching the faces of every little child that ran by. He had to find her at least before they took him away from her. Perhaps for a longer stretch of time. Then where would he be, besides away from his sister?

Of all things, William found himself shocked by the streaming masses of human bodies. They all had a place to go, people to see, and they seemed to just pass by, unable to notice how different this one ship was. There was no way to get help, to save him and Carter before it was all too late. No one would believe them unless they saw the pirates for themselves. And how was he suppose to do that? Just ask Charlotte to enter into a dark alley way, hit her unconcsious, and then find someone he could trust to show them that there were real, working, wings on her back? That could be a laugh in his old age, thinking he could escape. If he ever got to an old age, that is. His attention having been diverted to escaping, William was suddenly jostled out of the way by busy-bodied people, all muttering coarse words to him. That hadn't been part of his plan, any plan, either. Now he appeared completely helpless in crowds. He looked towards Rosetta, reluctantly, for anything that he could do that would give him purpose like the many people surrounding him.

~~~

Rosetta couldn't explain why her heart race was speeding up. Maybe it was the thought of being ashore, of being near people who were such a danger to her kind. Maybe it was because she could almost feel the laughs that were about her from the crew. Or maybe it was because she was forced to spent at least the rest of the day with her savior. Shaking it all off, Rosetta promptly ripped the list in half.
"We can get this done quicker if we split up. How would you like to do it? One of us for each of the humans or else the Captain will have our heads." Rosetta also found herself childishly avoiding Carter's eyes. She stood away from him, not even glancing in his general direction. She didn't want to deal with such drama anymore. She was tired of it even if it had been mere moments ago. It would haunt her though, even if she chose to scratch it from her memory. His chocolate eyes would always be there.

She didn't want to be with him. That was all she would allow herself to handle. Or she could pretend it had never happen, treating him just as she had before the storm. They hadn't had much time to socalize with each other, but she would prefer to keep it that way. Spending too much time around him could be fatal for her. In a sense. She knew why she felt this way around him. She had 'fallen' for someone before, it felt similar each time. He was... mesmerizing. What made him react the way he did? What did he dream of at night, while she was staring at the stars, unable to slumber? Rosetta looked towards Charlotte, curious for her input. Why must she be the leader of this expadition? Charlotte could keep a cooler temper right now, that was evident. Rosetta was ready to break something, to take out her frustration. But was she allowed? No. She had to watch over clumsy human beings.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

Charlotte sighed softly. She could tell Rosetta would rather be doing anything but this; even staying on the ship, which, in Charlotte's eyes, would have been terrible. Despite the tension that hung thickly in the air surrounding the four, Charlotte was thrilled to be out on dry land. For once, her feet were touching something other than the wooden deck of the Phantom. If only Rosetta and Carter could get over what had happened and enjoy their short period of time off the water.
Charlotte turned slightly to see William being jostled around in the crowd of people. She hadn't really noticed how many people were around; instead, she'd simply whisked her way through the crowd, her attention skewed. Stepping back, she lightly grasped William's forearm and pulled him closer, out of the way of the crowd. It would be best if the four stayed close, she knew. Despite the assumption that William and Carter were smart enough not to try and run, it was still a possibility, and Charlotte was not going to be the one who got chewed out for letting them escape. Sure, they would be easily tracked down, but even if it was for a moment these two were not going out of her sight.

Turning to Rosetta, Charlotte nodded in agreement. "Yes, that will get things done much faster; I have a feeling the Captain doesn't want us out to long with these two." She gestured with her head towards Carter and William. She then merely shrugged, staying silent for a moment while she thought. Well, it was a simple decision. Either Carter or William. Well, if she chose the one she wanted to go with, the clear choice was William. Sure, Carter was nice, but William fascinated her in a way Carter didn't. However, the right thing to do would be to please both Carter and Ro and separate the two. Although, perhaps being together would be good for the two of them. For a few moments, Charlotte said nothing. When she finally did speak, she spoke quickly. "I'll go with William," she said. She took a swift step towards Rosetta, leaning towards her ear for a second. "Deal with whatever it is you two are going through." Stepping away, she took a hold on William's arm and quickly pushed into the crowd before Rosetta could reply or object to her choice. She knew her fellow crew member, as well as Carter, would be angry, but Charlotte didn't care. Rosetta wasn't herself with this type of attitude, and if she didn't fix it now, then things would only get worse.

And, besides that, she was thrilled to be doing this with William. Sure, it was a chore to be going through the town running errands, but doing it with William was...well, much better than doing it alone, at least, or with anyone else for that matter. Just the thought of him caused her heart to skip a beat happily, and she couldn't help but smile. Once they had pushed to the other side of the crowd, Charlotte glanced back at William. "Don't try and run, okay? I'm trusting you not to." she said, unable to hold back another smile. She realeased his arm, and couldn't help but notice the way their skin brushed slightly against each other. She quickly averted her gaze, but the smile was still there.

---

Carter followed the two winged pirates into the crowds of people. It seemed as if they could glide through the small spaces left between people so easily, without bumping into any of them. There was no doubt that even the bulkiest of the winged pirates had a certain grace that humans lacked. As Carter did his best to keep up, there was a frown on his face. He hated this, and he hated her with every fiber of his being. Why did the humans have to go, anyway? Sure, this was great to be off of the ship, and sure, this might be his last time off of the ship. However, he would have rather never gotten to get off than do this with Rosetta.

When they stopped, he waited for Charlotte's responce. He didn't know why she even had to think it over, it seemed like a simple choice to Carter. She should split he and Rosetta up and go with him, and let Rosetta go with William. For there was absolutely no way he was going to be dragged along by Rosetta through this town. Heck, she wouldn't even look at him, or in his direction. It wouldn't work if they went together.

Suddenly, he went numb and his eyes widened. Had he heard Charlotte correctly? Had he been mistaken. He had to have been. There was no way she would have put him and Rosetta together. The very idea was ludicrous(sp?). However, after she leaned in and spoke something softly to Rosetta, she grabbed William and disappeared into the crowd. After a few moments, Carter finally looked over at Rosetta. He studied her, waiting for her reaction. He had a feeling that she would be just as angry at Charlotte as he was, maybe even more. Hopefully she didn't take her anger out on him.

[anonymouse]

Before he knew it, the straws were drawn and the two groups separated. It took him a moment to realize that it was twice, in a span of a few minutes, Charlotte had willingly grasped his arm. The winged pirates were suspicious enough as it was about the humans aboard their ship, and physical touch was kept to a minimum, he had learned that much. They were only allowed on the Phantom to be used, to save the lives of the winged beings. Which, William didn't care much about anymore. He couldn't change what was happening so he might as well go along with it. Now, William could only see his situation as an adventure, a once-in-a-lifetime oppurtunity{sp}. Why would he waste it? The smells and sights of the city came rushing back to William, but he hadn't forgotten how Charlotte had simply 'saved' him from being swept away by a wave of people. He flashed her a grateful glance before becoming absorbed in the city once more. "What's first on our list?" William spoke softly, though loud enough that he could be heard over the din of the crowds.

He couldn't decide if he was pleased or upset that the list was still a great deal of items long even when ripped in half. It could take them at least till sundown per group and if Charlotte kept him close by like a mere dog, they would never get things done it time. Yet, the notion of spending many hours alone with Charlotte sent a unmanly tingle through his spine. He had so many questions, all of them laying heavy on his tongue, but for his sake - and possibly Charlotte's ears - he stayed quiet. There would be a time for questions, but now was not it. Momentarily distracted by a whirl of colorful fabrics, William felt like a little kid again. The scents of various herbs, the ringing of hundreds of voices, and the sights of just about everything imaginable was hard to ignore.

Though, being a guy, the smell of food was very appealing. Warm rolls dripping with butter. Bittersweet dark chocolate. Coffee with a hint of maple syrup. His appetite had returned, tenfold, and he could only hope Charlotte had been given enough coins for a meal. Turning away from it all, William looked once more to Charlotte. Her wings hidden, her hair framing her delicate face, William noticed a sudden urge to be closer, to feel that strange brush of skin that made it all the more exciting. Mentally shaking his head at himself, William pushed those thoughts away. They had a job to do. Gazing at Charlotte would have to wait. The way that he felt around her almost scared him. Foreign and unique plus a little bit terrifying.

~~~

Rosetta was not happy. Charlotte had left her to fend for herself in a way that she didn't know how to. There was no guide books for this sort of trouble, and Rosetta was slowly sinking deeper into it. After a dark scowl in Carter's general direction, Ro turned on her heel, her dark cloak swirling like currents of frigid water, and went off to find the first item on their list. As far as she was concerned, Carter would be best to just follow along, keeping silent and letting her concentrate. A special plan was required to find the best items but at the lowest prices, and all before the Captain became impatient. Without looking to be sure the human was following, Rosetta slipped deeper into the crowd, following along the docks so the ocean was always on her right. All the while her emotions were in turmoil.

Did Charlotte really think Ro would be able to soften her pride and pay Carter the credit that was due? That would not be happening. Rosetta was too proud, and she knew it, but being prideful was a hard habit to break. And, the flutter feeling that had taken over her heart was beginning to worry her. She knew it wasn't a physical illness but what could it be? She knew her options but she wanted to believe that it wasn't so. Carter was so... clumsy. He also seemed to still be holding a grudge against her - understandable - which was very unattractive. Easily moving through the many stalls and sellers, Rosetta stopped by a stall selling fishing hooks. After a moment of consideration, she offered the seller a small, bronze coin and slipped a few hooks into a sack she had been given from the Captain. One down, who knows how many to go...

She planned on saying as little as possible to Carter. While Charlotte wanted her to fix whatever was going on between them, Rosetta wanted Carter to be the one to fix it. He was the male of this problem, didn't they always want the higher role, and more so if there was a female involved? All the alpha male-ness could be so tiring from a girl's point of view. Rosetta just wished the guys would get over themselves more often than not. She stopped adruptly{sp}, for they had come to a cross-road. Was the rope seller to the left or the right? It had been so long since she had explored these streets that her memory was a bit foggy. Her brow furrowing in thought, Rosetta brushed her dark hair from her eyes, her thoughts - thankfully - far away from the human she had been forced to 'fix things' with.

[FoldєdPapєrHєarts]

(( Before I post, can you give me some ideas on what should be on the list? Sorry, I fail, and my mind is blank right now. </3 D: ))

[anonymouse]

{{ Hmm, food, like flour, salt, things to make bread. Extra pulleys, maybe thread and needle for mending sails and clothes? Spices they could trade? ... Oh! Gunpowder, cannon balls, torches, arrows, strings for bows, weapons in general. Sweets if you have a few coins to spare. Etc, etc ^^ }}