Log; Complete

[blondesiren1692.livejournal.com]

When; December 19th; evening
Rating; PG for flirting
Characters; Sarah Sanderson blondesiren1692 & Captain Jas. Hook ironhook
Summary; Hook needs a place to rest, and Sarah is more than willing to offer him a place to stay.
Log;

The fire crackled in the hearth, casting a comforting light throughout the witch's cottage. Sarah only used the firewood during the day; because of the forest fire, there was not as much wood as there had been before, and conserving what little there was of the forest left was a duty she felt obliged to perform.

She dipped the string into the candle wax she had melted only moments ago, waiting for the wax to become layered and hardened. The many candles she had made was strewn throughout her home, but even if she had made a hundred candles, it still wouldn't be enough for her. She was adamant about celebrating her sabbats, and wanted to please those deities she had a close relationship with.

Although she had a comforting relationship between said deities, a roof over her head, and a pet cat who slept more than he was awake, she was still lonely. Mars was a good man, a good companion, but he was not there. She had been with her sisters for so long that she wasn't used to being on her own. It was nice at first, yes, but she could feel the first pangs of loneliness growing in intensity.

Although the forest was hardly bright in daylight, James knew when night was falling, as the surrounding darkness felt even more suffocating than before. Now, Hook was not afraid of the dark, but with the incessant ticking in his head, and countless Heartless continually jumping out at him... his nerves were not exactly the best. Any remnants of triumphant warmth over getting one up on Peter Pan had since vanished as he focused on getting through this forest alive.

He startled again, hearing movement from his right, and silently scolded himself when nothing but an oddly-coloured rabbit hopped across his path without sending him a second glance. He drew a ruffled sleeve across his damp forehead, then frowned when he very abruptly realized he had not seen any of the shadow creatures for the past while. He actually gave pause, looking around suspiciously, trying to focus passed the ticking that continually drew his attention away.

It took a moment, but slowly be became aware of the scent of burning timber, and if he squinted, he could see a light flicker through the trees. Not a forest fire, he knew, otherwise that rabbit would have been running in the other direction. It was getting late, and at a loss as to where else he could possibly go, James picked his way through the foliage until he arrived just inside the clearing and laid eyes on the cottage.

"Thank Lucifer," He muttered, then took a moment to lean against his weapon and catch his breath.

The Heartless had avoided Sarah's clearing; the animals had become protective of their new haven, and the more aggressive animals were out hunting the Heartless while the smaller timid creatures were in numerous hiding spots throughout the close perimeter of Sarah's clearing. It was a safe place.

The candle was nearly finished as she pulled the thread out of the wax. Sarah began to sing softly to herself; an old song about days gone by, the sort of songs their mother would sing to her and her sisters as they began to fall asleep. Her mother always loved Sarah's singing voice, and Sarah knew the power that came with it. However, with it being just herself, she did not apply any of her magic to her voice. She was just singing for her own enjoyment.

A smile lit her face as the candle was finished, and she crossed the room to place the candle near some others by one of the windows. Abruptly, Sarah soon realized that the ticking that so often accompanied her thoughts had stopped. That meant that someone was here.

The blonde bent over, moving one of the curtains aside to peer outside her window. There, across the way leaning against a tree, was a man. The sunset made the gold on his person glint temptingly, but other than that, she could not get a good look at him. I wonder who that could be...she thought, curious.

Once the heaving of his chest had lessened, James straightened, steadying the keyblade with his hook to pull his fingers through the black mane of his hair, away from his face. He took a moment to study the lodge, an eyebrow lifting at how quiant it appeared. It was nothing like what he had even seen in Neverland, but somehow remained familiar, as if it stirred a memory of a place Hook had long since pushed from his mind. He shook his head.

Whomever resided there would be receiving an unexpected visitor. And if the soul would not play to his desires and allow him to stay... well, that made little difference to the pirate. He would be staying in that house tonight whether he had living company or not. It made little difference to him.

Pushing away from his resting place, he hoisted the Keyblade to rest in the crook of his shoulder. Forget-me-nots briefly looked to the window, and the edge of his mouth curled into something of a smirk as he saw the flash of a pale face there. It was too quick for him to get a good look at who it might be, but now he had confirmation someone lived there and was home, so it would be bad form to simple barge in.

Therfore, when he reached the door, he lifted the hook of his right hand and rapped smarly with the curved edge, thrice, and schooled the smirk from his expression.

The door opened with a creak, and Sarah blinked a few times. She certainly wasn't expecting this. The man before her seemed awfully appealing with his frock coat, strange sword, and....was that a hook for one hand?

"Hello, stranger," Sarah purred, placing her hands on her hips. "What can I do for you?" She wondered if this man wanted a potion or some other sort of assistance from her as a witch, and frankly, she wouldn't mind spending some time with this man. He seemed dangerous, and if Sarah were a cat, she'd be purring quite loudly.

Once the business of knocking had been finished, the hook moved to the frame of the door, so he might brace himself against the fatigue threatening to overwhelm him. When the door opened, he canted his head and lifted it just slightly, curtains of black curls parting to reveal the pale of his angled face, the striking forget-me-not blue of his eyes.

The woman at the door was a pleasant surprise. He had been sure what to expect, but of any situations he could have concocted, this was one of the best.

"Begging your pardon, madam," He started, his voice low, but beseeching. "But I have travelled a ways, and am quite turned around. I apologize for the late hour, but might a lost man inquire to a place to rest, if only for a few hours?" Of course, he was planning on staying the whole night. A good rest may do him good for the following day, should he decide to attempt to make it the rest of the way to through the forest to the City he had been told existed just on the other side. What what form would that be, demanding such a thing upon first meeting a lady?
insanityizgood: The pirate's sultry voice was music to Sarah's ears. A sly smile formed on her lips as she took a step back, allowing him entrance into her humble abode. "But of course," she told him.

Today is my lucky day, she thought to herself, keeping her giddiness inside. The pirate curse was nothing compared to this...the crew she had been with were too wrapped up in their own political intrigues to even give her a second glance. What good was a pirate curse if there was no pirate for this blonde wench?

Seems as though he's come a bit late, she idly tossed her blonde curls over one shoulder. Oh, he could stay all right. James could stay as long as he wanted and then some. Sarah would certainly have no objections.

His smile was slow and subtle, and he tipped his head to her briefly. "Thank you," He replied simply, then straightened, pulling his hook from the doorframe with some force. He brought the 'gifted' weapon with him, though once inside set it against the wall near the door where it would be in reach when he left the woman's abode. He hardly needed an external weapon with him at all times, what with one all but built into his right arm.

"I hope I have not disturbed you," James said, taking in the area Sarah had set up for candle-making. He sounded genuine enough, but in truth he hardly cared. It was nice just to be in a warm room, filled with equally welcoming scents. A shiver ran the length of his spine-- he had not fully rid of the chill since washing up on the beach-- and he turned to Sarah, offering her another slow smile.

She closed the door with yet another creak, crossing the room to take care of the candle mess that she still had out on her table. "Oh no. I have plenty of candles, as you can see....but I believe you can never have too many," she replied, moving her supplies to an unoccupied space near the fireplace. Straightening, she decided it would be best to play hostess, since this man was indeed a guest in her home.

"May I take your coat?" She asked, taking a casual step towards him, her dark eyes dancing flirtatiously. Sarah was willing to make any excuse to get close to this stranger, as mysterious as he was.

"No, I quite agree," He said, once again taking in the room and its various trinkets. Candles weren't the only thing she had in abundance, apparently. It was clear this was no ordinary woman. James had enough world experience to be able to deduce she was a witch, or voodoo woman of some form or another. If there was ever a time to watch himself, it would be now, then. Witches were not to be trifled with.

"If you insist," He replied, starting to pull off the gold-trimmed coat. It needed a good hanging up, anyway, what with his having been washed up on shore. "Thank you, again."
insanityizgood: Sarah suppressed a giggle of delight as she took his coat from him, taking in the scent of the sea. Sand clung to said coat, but it was still elegant in design. Sarah handled it carefully as she hung it up on a peg attached to the wall. "Again, it is quite all right. My door is always open to the weary traveler. Please, sit," she said, gesturing to one of the two chairs at the table.

"What brings you to the City, Mister....?" She removed one of her kettles from the wall so she might prepare a warm beverage for the two of them. It was winter, and awfully cold outside, and this stranger looked tired. She paused, waiting for him to give her his name before she left to get water from the frozen stream nearby.

Once the chairs were brought to his attention, James readily sat down in one. Somehow he managed to make the gesture look heavy and graceful all at the same time. A sigh of relief passed through him as he reclined, taking a moment to bask in the luxury of resting a moment without having to jump at an attacker right away. Blue eyes soon opened, though, and he grinned, if slightly, to her open ended question.

"How rude of me. Captain Jas. Hook, if you please," And he gave her a nod of his head, long black curls sweeping passed his shoulders with the gesture. Had he the energy, and had he been standing, it would have been a great flamboyant bow. "And what might my lovely hostess' name be...?"

"A Captain now....my, my, my. If only you had arrived sooner," she murmured to herself, pleased. "My name is Sarah, Sarah Sanderson. Resident witch of this City and forest which I call home. If you'll excuse me, I need to fetch some water for our tea." With as graceful a curtsy as the blonde was able to manage, she left the cottage.

Her feet crunched on the snow, and Sarah found the clean air welcoming from the warm air in the cottage. By the time she got to the frozen stream, she let out ecstatic giggles, jumping up and down in glee. Oh, if Wini and Mary could only see me now...playing hostess to a pirate captain!

Using her magic, she burnt part of the ice away, bending over to fill her kettle with water. Once she was satisfied and had gotten over her jitters, she made her way back to the cottage.

"My apologies if that took too long," she told James as she closed the door behind her.

James' eyes lingered after the blonde woman as she all but pranced out the door, and once she was gone he could not help but shake his head with idle amusement. She was friendly enough, and he doubted any rash action would need to be taken, which was lucky. As ruthless a pirate as he was, he avoided harrassing women at all costs. Even in the most extreme circumstances he refused to do more than knock one out. It was the worst kind of form to treat a lady badly.

With her gone, though, he took the time to relax, catch his breath, soak in the warmth of the cabin. By the time she returned, he was in much easier spirits, and was polishing the blade of his hook with the hem of his shirt, debating the fact that he and his clothing would need a good washing after all was said and done. A smirk was on his face as he pondered over what the woman's reaction would be should he suggest this, and it remained there when she spoke, which brought his head up.

"Think nothing of it, my beauty," He said, waving the comment off with the iron claw of his right hand.

Oh, yes, Wini and Mary would be green with envy. Sarah was always the one that the men flocked to. Wini may have thought that power would draw men to her, but she was mistaken. Sarah held the key to that secret, and she wasn't going to share it with just anyone. She could have any man she could possibly want, as was proven with Mars and when she had stolen Billy from her own sister. But this man? He was a challenge. She could see that he was a clever one, and he wouldn't be won over so easily. It's about time I had some fun, she thought to herself as she put the kettle over the fire, reaching up to tear off a couple of tea leaves from the ceiling, crunching them up and sprinkling them into the water.

"What brings you to the City, Captain?" Sarah asked, taking the seat across from him. "Whatever questions you have, I will do my best to answer. I am at your service."

He hummed silghtly, idly, as he watched her petite figure flit about the cabin with the ease of familiarity. In truth, it had been quite a while since he had time in a woman's company. The last had been the Wendy girl, and she had been just that-- a child. Someone he had been manipulating to do his bidding and bring Peter to him. Which had worked, in ways, and failed miserably in others (if the outcome was anything to judge by).

"I think most of my questions have been answered, quite frankly. Or as much as they could have-- this place is all very confusing," The elbow of his right arm propped against the table, leaving him something to lean against as he watched Sarah with piercing blue eyes. "As to what brings me here... Well, I can't be sure. Though I have been told that it may have been my death."
insanityizgood: "Hmm.....there are many dead here, true," she agreed, leaning her elbows against the table and linking her hands together, resting her chin upon them. "I myself have....died, in a way, but I am here and my sisters are not. I can only imagine that my Master has graced me with his dark mercy and given me a new life, here. I must have pleased him in some way during my life.

"The City itself is through the forest; it has quite the population. If you ever need a place to stay again, my door is open," she offered. She had been to the City before, and although the modern state of its entirety was not as shocking as when she had been brought back from the dead, she knew what that kind of culture shock could do.

The tea kettle whistled suddenly, cutting into their conversation like a knife. Sarah rose from her seat, removing the kettle from the fire, summoning two tea cups to the table with her magic.

"I shall remember that," He responded graciously, lifting an eyebrow just slightly as the tea cups lifted to the table without physical help. If he had doubted she was a witch, all doubts were erased by that one move. "Though I still fail to understand how the living and the dead can both exist here at once. I've a feeling, though, that nobody will be able to answer that particular question."

He waited for the tea to be poured, but once it was, he layed his hooked hand across the table and pulled the cup closer with his real hand. Curling his palm around it, he hummed as warmth tingled down his palm and up his arm. This was exactly what he needed. But still, and with a sly smile, he glanced up at her through the dark of his eyelashes before taking a drink. "I hope I should have no worries of ingredients other than tea in this," He teased, and though true wariness was the cause for the question, it was impossible to tell.

Sarah smirked. Oh yes, this is going to be fun indeed, she thought, curling a strand of blonde hair around her finger flirtatiously. "Oh, no worries, Captain....I only give magic when payment is given. I never give away my magic for free. And besides...." Her eyes lingered on his hook, and a few scenarios flitted through her mind for just a brief moment before she came back to the present.

"Of course, my most dangerous form of magic isn't entirely appropriate to be shown during a first meeting," she moved as sensuously as she could back to her seat, her dark eyes finding his.

Oh yes, she looked forward to getting to know this Captain very much.

His smile turned sly as he saw her gaze linger towards the dangerous curve of his hook. He shifted it against the table, turning it idly, giving her time to admire it. It may have been a handicap to some, but to James... it was an extremely useful accessory. And it was almost fate that it should become a permanent fixture of his person, having been dubbed 'Captain Hook' at a young age.

He lifted his tea to take a sip, forget-me-nots not leaving her figure even briefly as she reclined smoothly, "Hmm...The most deadly poisons should be coveted as such. Don't you agree?" He purred, slowly lifting an eyebrow, the edge of his mouth lifting into a predatory smile. For all his words, though, he had no desire-- at the moment-- to climb into her welcoming arms. Truth be told, he was much too tired for more than words on this particular night. But at a later date...?

Well, James was not against a playful tryst here and there.

"Oh yes, very much so. There are too many things that can...go wrong." She took a sip of her own tea, pursing her lips at the thought of that damned Zachary Binks and his companions. Their plans had been thwarted all because of her sister...

"You may use the bed in the guestroom," she told him, pointing to a door a ways behind him. "I can start a fire for you before you retire, if you would like. Wood is scarce, as you have undoubtedly noticed, but I can spare some for such a gracious guest as yourself." She smiled warmly this time, and found herself feeling very much like she had when she was younger, and she had first fancied a man. Then again, Sarah had been dead for quite some time, and it wasn't everyday she had this kind of excitement.

She wondered what kind of a person this Captain was in general, but she knew that those questions and answers would have to come later. She could tell her guest was weary and tired, and it would be rude of her to keep him up for much longer.

"You are too kind, darling," James said, his eyes going to the guestroom as he took another, deeper drink from his tea. Bed was extremely tempting, but-- and his thoughts returned to the place they had been before-- he was in dire need of a wash. "However, I think this tired body would much prefer setting into a bath to ease it's muscles before heading to bed." And the more he thought of it, the more inviting it sounded than a mattress and sheets-- at least for now.

Pale cobalt slid across the room to rest once more on the slender blonde seated across from him. He canted his head, tea cup hovering before him. "I hope I am not being too forward in asking such a thing. But you see, aftering washing ashore and hiking through a forest..." He let the sentence trail off, both eyebrows lifting inquiringly at her.

"There is a washing bin in the room," she said. "I can go prepare it for you." She rose from her seat, crossing to the room and finding the basin. Instead of wasting time, she used her magic to conjure up water - heated water, at that. There was already soap to wash his person, and a clean towel as well. Another quick point of her finger, and the fireplace within his room lit up to fill the guest room in light, casting shadows on the walls.

"The room is ready, my dear Captain," she said, curtsying slightly. And I do wish you'd let me take a quick peek at what you have to offer, she thought, her cheeks flushing slightly as those predatory blue eyes found hers again. "I hope it is to your satisfaction. If there is anything else you need, simply call."

He managed to finish off his tea in the time it took her to whisk off and set up the space for her. When she appeared again, he smiled, a tease in his expression as he watched the pink blossom over the soft of her cheeks. He stood, with a grunt, from the seat he had taken, fingers lifting to unbutton the flamboyant blouse he wore as he walked to her. She was, after all, directly in his path.

"I've no doubt it will be positively splendid," He all but purred, halting within her personal space. The dangerous blade of his right hand lifted, touching lightly just beneath her chin. The pirate canted his head, looking down at her. "But do not fret. I will... be sure to call," He added, purposefully twisting his words to something of a taunt. Then, with a sensual little smile, he lifted the hook from her skin and continued into the bedroom. When he turned to close the door-- his shirt entirely unbuttoned and hanging loose-- he arched an eyebrow, nodded slightly to her, and closed the door with a soft 'click'.