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| Captain Sparrow, the Black Pearl Is Yours. (Again); Jack, Ana and..? | |
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| Topic Started: 19 Apr 2009, 05:18 AM (659 Views) | |
| Monkey | 19 Apr 2009, 05:18 AM Post #1 |
Piratess
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Anamaria had wasted no time that day heading to her favorite tavern for a lively game of dice. She had spent too long sailing with a skint broke crew who were always up for a game, but never able to pay up in the end. They would never get away with it onshore, but there was little Ana could do to them on the Pearl and they knew it. Her early start paid off well in the end. As dice was a game of chance, Ana never knew whether she would do well or not, but today, Lady Luck must have grown tired of the men and chose to smile on her instead. She started with a mere three shillings and walked out of there with nearly two full dubloons worth of coins. When it became clear that the men were becoming irritated with being beat by a woman (One of them stood up as though he might do her some harm until a couple of the other men made him sit down again.), she decided it was time to leave the table and take her winnings back to the ship while she still could. The walk back to the Pearl was a dangerous one, though. Besides the fact that the streets were already filled with drunkards and roughhousers, there were now several people who knew how much money she had on her, and she was traveling alone. Ana picked up her pace as she tried to make her way past the people without stopping. It wasn't until she reached the docks and the Pearl was in sight that she felt a little safer. There were still people around but not as many, and not likely as dangerous. Many of them were tending to their ships or only just disembarking, while some had returned early after having drank more than they could handle and were only looking for a safe place to sleep it off without having to pay. Ana assumed it was one of these latter types who she barely noticed in the distance walking a bit unsteadily down the Pearl's gangplank. Apparently, either this fellow didn't believe he'd had enough and was ready to go back for more, or he was truly confused and heading the wrong way. Either way, as long as he was having a good time, that was all that mattered. She didn't notice him again until she had nearly reached the Pearl and the two passed each other. Then she looked up and saw him more clearly. By God, it was Jack! Ana stopped dead in her tracks and watched him continue walking away. She questioned briefly if it was really him, but there was no mistaking him. In fact, she wondered how she hadn't realized who he was before. It took a moment before she snapped out of her stupor and ran after him. She almost lost him in the dark among the others who were walking around the docks, but she spotted his swagger again and followed it. "Jack!" she called out as she caught up with him. She ran ahead and faced him, blocking his path. There was a smile on her face that she couldn't have removed if she wanted to, but her shock and disbelief were still all too apparent. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead!" Edited by Monkey, 21 Apr 2009, 05:02 AM.
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| Jack | 19 Apr 2009, 11:39 PM Post #2 |
You may kill me, but you may never insult me.
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Finally. Finally Jack was able to get away, to ignore his problems for a while, to deny the existence of all those little things demanding his attention, not the least of which was Norrington. All other questions related to the man aside, it was a mystery to Jack how he was supposed to keep him from being strangled or knifed the first time he did something wrong (and do something wrong he would, Jack was sure). Pirates and Navy officers, former or otherwise, didn't usually get along. Well, joining his crew had been Norrington's choice, and Jack refused to be held responsible for whatever consequences might follow. He had enough trouble watching his own back. No! Scupper it all, there would be no back-watching. He was free now, recently escaped from Beckett and reinstated as Captain of his ship, two excellent reasons for the best celebrations money could buy. Jack felt the purse he had taken from Keegan bump against his leg with every step, and smirked. Today, money could buy a fair amount indeed. And yet, what a trifling sum it was from McAllister's side of the deal. To serve as a cabin boy to the great Captain Jack Sparrow himself - why, it was a pittance for such a privilege. Utter charity on Jack's part, really. He'd have to make sure the boy earned his keep. From amid the tumult of Tortuga, something tugged at the edges of Jack's consciousness, but it wasn't until Ana blocked his way that he realised she must have called him. He would have been glad to see her, normally, but now she was just another thing standing between him and his well-earned compensation for the time he'd spent in Beckett's custody. Even her apparent happiness to see him meant frighteningly little at the moment. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead!" "Am I really? I hate to disappoint you." Jack was trying to get his mind off his recent period of absence. As far as he was concerned, it was erased from history by his return, and the last thing he wanted was to be reminded of it. "As it happens, I am very much alive, and plan to stay thus for the foreseeable future." |
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| Monkey | 24 Apr 2009, 05:02 AM Post #3 |
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"Am I really? I hate to disappoint you." Here, Ana stopped smiling and was now looking a little perplexed. That sort of sarcasm was the last thing she expected right now, even from Jack. Afterall, she had just welcomed him back, hadn't she? Well, now that she thought about it, maybe that was a rather crude way to say hello. "As it happens, I am very much alive, and plan to stay thus for the foreseeable future." "I'm glad to hear it," she said as the smile returned to her face, and she meant it. As much as Jack had a talent for grating on her nerves at times, she was still happy to have him back. It would take more than a bit of sarcasm to change that. She moved out of his way so he could continue wherever he was going, but she planned to stay with him. "The crew was so worried about you, Jack. Some of them thought you had been hanged in Port Royal. But I knew you'd find a way out. You always do." She gave him a light slap on the shoulder. She didn't know if that bothered him right now or not (she suspected his mood wasn't all that great at the moment), but she didn't care. It was all she could do to keep from giving him a hearty hug, so he could just consider himself lucky and tolerate it. "What say we celebrate your return? Where would you like to go? Name the place." Ana knew she had enough money to afford a drink and a good meal at all but the most elite establishments (even Tortuga had a few), so she wasn't worried about the cost. However, she had no intention of telling Jack exactly how much she had on her. That was a mistake one only made once. |
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| Jack | 30 Apr 2009, 09:58 PM Post #4 |
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You may kill me, but you may never insult me.
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"I'm glad to hear it." Before continuing on his path, Jack gave Ana a little sidelong glance, trying to see if she was serious. It appeared she was, and that lightened his mood a little. He hadn't been consciously worried about a mutiny in his absence - well, not too much so, anyway - but it was good to know that there was at least one person truly happy about his survival. That Ana, of all people, should be the one, was a little unexpected, but not unpleasantly so. Jack would have figured her to be the first to insist on moving on without him, and his artificially inflated self-image swelled a little more at the idea that she had, instead, missed him. (Well, that wasn't exactly what she had said, but it suited Jack to interpret her words that way.) "The crew was so worried about you, Jack. Some of them thought you had been hanged in Port Royal. But I knew you'd find a way out. You always do." Jack smiled a little crooked smile at the compliment, his eyes never leaving the street - a wise move, really, for all the unexpected (and, indeed, the expected) obstacles one could encounter. Even at this hour, the streets of Tortuga were busy, and it paid to watch where you were going, in more ways than one. Jack wasn't on the lookout for things to collect just now, but things to avoid - those always required attention. "What say we celebrate your return? Where would you like to go? Name the place." "Am I to understand you are buying?" That was certainly interesting, if true; and if not true, there was always a chance Ana would follow him up on the suggestion. Granted, Jack had more than enough money at the moment, but a shilling saved was... well, a shilling that could be shamelessly squandered later on. "Tell me, have you been doing that well in my absence?" It wasn't that he was so suspicious (or not anymore, at least), but he was curious as to what had been going on with the crew. He had planned to ask Gibbs, but was forced to postpone the plan when the man showed up with Norrington. Norrington - now there was someone Jack had every intention of banning from his mind. Rum was what he needed. Lots of rum. And women - preferably plural. Ana's presence might cramp his style a little in that area, but he didn't want to send her away, in particular because he doubted she would obey him. No matter; it wasn't anything to worry about. He didn't mind having a few drinks first, and maybe some food - and after that, who knew what would happen? "Let's go to the Bride," he decided after reflection. Not a very original choice, perhaps, but it was a good place to get back into the thick of things. |
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| Monkey | 4 May 2009, 02:33 AM Post #5 |
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"Am I to understand you are buying? Tell me, have you been doing that well in my absence?" Ana assumed it was a ploy to get her to tell him how much money she had on her. She had no intentions of playing into it. "We did well enough," she said. "Gibbs was a good captain in your absence, and we managed to make a few modest gains. But that's neither here nor there. Your return is reason enough to do a little reckless spending, regardless of how well we did. So yes, I’m buying." "Let's go to the Bride," That wasn’t what Ana had in mind, since she had offered to take him anywhere he wanted to go, but she certainly wasn’t going to argue. She followed him to the tavern and was relieved to see that everyone was getting along and having a good time. It was a rare evening at the Bride that didn’t end in some sort of altercation. It didn’t necessarily mean everyone else had to leave when it happened, but it tended to dampen the mood for a while. Unless, of course, that was the sort of mood you were in. Occasionally, Ana enjoyed watching a good brawl, but tonight wasn’t one of those nights. She wanted to sit down with a drink, hear some music, and catch up on a few things with her captain. The Bride was crowded as usual, but Ana found a nearly empty table not far from the musicians. There was a man sitting with his head down at one end of the bench who was sleeping in spite of the ruckus going on around him. Ana removed her coat and threw it over his head to drown some of his snoring. Fortunately, the musicians were playing loud enough that it seemed to do the trick. Then she turned to one of the tavern girls who was already carrying a tray full of spirits and called out to her, “When you’re finished with those, I’d like a couple bottles of your best rum. Don’t bother with the tankards. And bring us some bread and roast pheasant, will you?” The girl gave her a strange look. “We don’ ‘ave no roast pheasant ‘ere. What kind o’ place d’ you think this is? Now, if it’s chicken you’re wantin’, we ‘ave plenty o’ those runnin’ ‘round out back.” Ana rolled her eyes. “Fine, roast chicken, it is.” While the tavern girl finished with her drinks and returned to the bar, Ana turned her attention back to Jack. “So, tell me what became of you all this time. Were you in prison? Did they torture you?” Then an unsettling thought came to Ana and she looked at Jack suspiciously. “Where’s Beckett now?” |
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| Jack | 7 May 2009, 01:31 PM Post #6 |
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You may kill me, but you may never insult me.
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Now this, Jack thought as he entered the Bride, was it. How could anyone ever get tired of this place? If one were to take Tortuga, with everything in it, and concentrate it into a single building, the result would be the mirror image of the Bride. The music, the liveliness... Ana threw her coat over a sleeping customer, and Jack mentally added 'pleasantly tolerant atmosphere' to the list. (The man was passed out, of course, but he wasn't complaining any less because of it.) Then there were the essentials, of course - notably rum, which Ana was already ordering in respectable quantities. Jack sat down opposite her with a satisfied sigh, glancing around to make a preliminary estimate of the ladies present. Yes, this was definitely it. Ana's next order was unusual enough that it shook Jack out of his dream-like state. Pheasant? They had been doing well. Frankly, Jack would have preferred everything to have gone a little less prosperous in his absence, to ensure a warm welcome back. Ana still seemed pretty pleased at his return, but then... she might have ulterior motives. That would explain everything, wouldn't it? She was even buying him dinner, for rum's sake! Well, Jack wasn't opposed to the idea, so long as Ana didn't think this would give her any claims on him for the rest of the night. If he happened to find another woman before she made her move, he might go for it. What did she think - that a little rum could buy him? He wasn't that easy. (Well... Perhaps that needed rephrasing.) “So, tell me what became of you all this time. Were you in prison? Did they torture you?” Jack frowned at that. Of all the things in the world, the very first Ana thought of was torture? That dampened his mood considerably. “Where’s Beckett now?” "Do I look like his governess?" Jack asked, slightly defensive because of the T word. "As far as I know, he was still in Port Royal when I left. He might be there now; he might be anywhere. But if he hasn't come back here already, I doubt if he will. It's been a while since I escaped him." At this point, the wench interrupted, placing two bottles of rum on the table - the chicken, presumably, would follow. Jack smiled at her a little, more out of a twisted form of principle than because he meant anything by it. He waited until she had left to continue his reply. Reaching for one of the bottles, he changed his mind at the last moment and chose the other one, deciding it looked a bit fuller. "As for what became of me..." Jack paused to pull the cork out of the bottle with his teeth, spitting it out on the floor, where it rolled several feet before ending up under someone's foot, the cry as said person lost his footing and fell barely standing out in the all-pervading din. "I was captured, imprisoned... and then I escaped. Like you said..." He gave Ana a smug, borderline naughty look, and held up his bottle as if for a toast. "All in a day's work." |
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| Monkey | 9 May 2009, 06:24 PM Post #7 |
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"Do I look like his governess?" Ana smiled wryly at this while Jack continued and was about to heckle him a bit, when the tavern girl returned with the rum. She rolled her eyes as Jack made his choice, then she took the bottle that was left. While she uncorked hers, she noticed that Jack had thrown his own on the ground, causing an unsuspecting patron to lose his footing and fall. Everyone in the area turned and looked toward their table, meeting eyes with her, since she was the one facing them. Ana immediately held up her cork to show that she still had hers, then looked behind her as if to see where the wayward cork had come from. Afterall, she and Jack had nothing to do with it (or so she wanted them to believe). Some of them bought into it, but a few moved their gazes toward Jack. Fortunately, none of them seemed to care enough about the fallen man to take any action. "I was captured, imprisoned... and then I escaped. Like you said..." He gave Ana a smug, borderline naughty look, and held up his bottle as if for a toast. "All in a day's work." Ana held up her bottle in return and took a swig. Then she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and said, "I'm glad Beckett hasn't taken more interest in this place. I have to confess, I was bit wary about returning to Tortuga, knowing the EIC no longer has any reservations about coming here." One thing that made Tortuga so special was the freedom it allowed for pirates and other fugitives of the law. This was one place they didn't have to worry about being followed or captured. Since Beckett's arrival, Ana felt as though that was no longer the case. The tavern girl returned not long after with a basket of bread. "They's plucking the chicken out back," she told Ana. "Cook 'ad a time trying to catch 'im. It'll be fresh, though. That's for sure." Ana smiled at her. Fresh was good, but it also meant a longer wait. No worries, though. The music would keep them occupied. |
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| Jack | 16 May 2009, 08:02 PM Post #8 |
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You may kill me, but you may never insult me.
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"I'm glad Beckett hasn't taken more interest in this place. I have to confess, I was bit wary about returning to Tortuga, knowing the EIC no longer has any reservations about coming here." As Jack put down his bottle and swallowed, his facial expression indicated that he wasn't too worried (or possibly that he'd just stepped into something dirty, but what with him being inside and seated, the former was marginally more likely). "I doubt they'll come here again. You know how it is between the French and the British. Beckett's weakness, as a law-abiding citizen, is that he has to take the political niceties into consideration. One transgression may be forgiven, but yet another, and he risks his career. Chances are, he's already in trouble for what he did." Jack smiled at the idea, imagining Beckett squirm. Of course, it was more probable that his presence had gone unnoticed altogether - the government in Tortuga had become quite good at keeping their eyes shut, after all - but one could hope. "And even if they did come back, their presence would be shortlived," Jack opined, more because he wanted to believe it than because he didn't believe the opposite might happen. "There are other places where we could make berth in the meantime, like Madagascar," Jack brightly lifted a finger at that idea, "or Singapore." Fiddling with his bottle, he frowned at it. "Well, maybe not Singapore." That deserved another swig. Jack lifted the bottle to his lips, and was glad to be interrupted in his thoughts by the arrival of the bread. He smiled faux appreciation at the tavern wench's message that the chicken would be delayed, which actually was anything but good news; food hadn't been his main concern, but the thought of it had made him hungry. Tearing off a piece of bread, he gnawed on it, more as a way to pass the time than because it satisfied his hunger, when a different sort of tavern worker caught his eye. The 'lady' - a pretty-ish blonde in a blue dress with black lace - saw him looking, and, wasting no opportunity, advanced. Jack mentally hesitated a moment, but only a moment. Hungry as he was, the food could wait; there were other needs that needed satisfying. And Ana... Well, it wasn't as if he had asked her to come along. He put the bread he had left back in the basket, working hard to masticate what he'd chewed off. When the strumpet (in the best meaning of the word, of course) had found her way to their table, leaning on it to show off her cleavage, Jack grinned his willingness, blissfully unaware of the traces of flour clinging to his moustache. |
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| Monkey | 19 May 2009, 06:38 AM Post #9 |
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Ana reached for a piece of bread with Jack and thought about the possibility of traveling to Madagascar or Singapore. Both places seemed far and exotic to her. She had spent most of her life sailing and fishing around the area of Port-de-Paix with her family and the rest of it sailing chiefly in the Caribbean, but never too far from the American coastline. She had always hoped that one day she would go to Europe or even the Gold Coast, but she never really considered leaving the Atlantic. She had heard so many fascinating stories about Singapore, that Jack's mention of going there set her imagination alight, and her mind started to wander to all the different things she could do and see there (not to mention the plunder). However, it wasn't long before someone interrupted her daydream. It was one of the Bride's many whores. Ana had seen her there before, but unlike some of the others, she had never gotten to know this one. She didn't particularly care to change that now. As the woman displayed her wares to her prospective customer, Ana noticed the ridiculous grin on Jack's face and knew exactly what he had in mind. She crossed her arms and looked at Jack in near (but not total) disbelief. Shaking her head slightly, she said, "You've no shame at all, do you." She wasn't angry, since she really expected no better from a roaming tom like him, but seeing it played out so blatantly in front of her was still no less amazing. She turned to the woman and said (with a bit of sarcasm), "I believe this gentleman is occupied for the time being. Perhaps you can come back later when I've finished with him." Then she raised an eyebrow at Jack and said, "Unless you're already bored with your present company. Please, don't allow me to stand between you and your fun." |
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| Jack | 24 May 2009, 08:04 PM Post #10 |
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You may kill me, but you may never insult me.
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"You've no shame at all, do you." Tearing his eyes away from the strumpet, Jack looked at Ana, barely feigning incomprehension. "And why, pray tell, should I feel ashamed for being polite in civilized company? I'm merely greeting the lady." He looked the 'lady' in question up and down, giving her a crooked smile. "Greetings." "I believe this gentleman is occupied for the time being. Perhaps you can come back later when I've finished with him." And just like that, all expression disappeared from Jack's face, leaving him with a blank stare. Had he been thinking logically, he would have known that Ana meant just what she had said and no more, but his mind translated her words a certain way, and after that, logic was out of the question. A number of scenarios of just how she might finish with him flashed before his eyes, before his daydream ended as fast as it had begun, leaving him so suddenly sobered as to be almost painful. The look Ana was giving him didn't help. "Unless you're already bored with your present company. Please, don't allow me to stand between you and your fun." Maybe he should go, at that - but all the fun was drained from the experience already. Emitting a small sigh, Jack turned to the strumpet. "Sorry, love. Maybe later?" He ended on a hopeful, suggestive note, but the woman wasn't impressed; she rolled her eyes and turned around without so much as a word, wasting no time searching for an actual paying customer. It almost made Jack feel replaceable for a moment. Almost. "I hope you're happy now," he muttered to Ana, sulking as he munched a new piece of bread. "I may well have given up the night of my life for you." |
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| Monkey | 25 May 2009, 11:41 PM Post #11 |
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"Night of your life, indeed," Ana scoffed. "I assure you there are plenty more where she came from, some with a bit more experience I'll bet." In spite of her reassurance, she was a little bit bothered that she had dampened Jack's spirits for the moment. She had offered to pay for a night out on the town in celebration of his return, and yet here they were, waiting on a roasted chicken. She took another swig of rum as she contemplated the situation. Meanwhile, the musicians continued playing in the background and had just changed songs. It was a lively tune that Ana remembered from a particularly delightful evening she had spent with a Spanish sailor while she was still just a young lass stealing away in the night from her parents' home. It was called "The Valiant Soldier," and it made her soul want to leap. Suddenly, she had an idea. "Jack, when was the last time you danced with a lady?" she asked him, and she took his hand as though to lead him out to the floor. She knew it was socially unacceptable for a woman to ask a man to dance, but that sort of thing had never stopped her before. Why should it now? Besides, the likelihood of Jack asking her was... well, it just wasn't going to happen and she knew it. "This is one of my favorite songs, and I'd appreciate it if you'd join me in a dance." She suspected that it might take a bit more than that to get him to agree, so she sweetened the pot a bit. "If you'll humor me a bit now, I might be willing to humor you a bit later." She winked at him to make sure there was no misunderstanding. It wasn't how she had originally planned to end the evening, but between the rum, the music, and the stirring up of old memories (those with the Spanish sailor, as well as a few more recent memories involving present company), she was beginning to warm up to the idea. |
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| Jack | 30 May 2009, 05:36 PM Post #12 |
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You may kill me, but you may never insult me.
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"Jack, when was the last time you danced with a lady?" "With a lady, you say..." Jack repeated, stalling. He wasn't sure what the purpose of Ana's question was, and since she was already in a mood to criticise his choice in women, he didn't want to dig himself in deeper. Then she took his hand, and he was even more confused, because she couldn't possibly mean what he thought she meant... could she? "This is one of my favorite songs, and I'd appreciate it if you'd join me in a dance." Never. Never in a million years. Jack didn't dance. Well, he had danced once or twice, formal affairs in days long gone - and later, in Pearl-less times, there'd been one affair (in several meanings of the word, as it would turn out) where his adopted identity had required a dance as well. That was different, though. Granted, he had been able to persuade everyone that his style of dancing was all the fashion in Madrid (hence how one affair had led to another), but to say he had been enjoying himself would be a gross overstatement. Jack didn't like dancing. Save for half-forgotten rum-soaked nights, Jack didn't dance. And if Ana thought her buying him rum would change his mind... There wasn't enough rum in the world. (A true statement regardless of the circumstances.) "If you'll humor me a bit now, I might be willing to humor you a bit later." Jack's eyebrows moved up slowly, very slowly, not daring to assume too soon - but then Ana winked, and there could be no doubt. "A dance for a dance, is it?" Half-grinning at the prospect, he licked his teeth, then got up with habitual nonchalance. Because he didn't want to pull Ana's hand away, he stood up legs first, the rest of him leaning forward in something resembling a bow, which Jack was quick to take advantage of. "Milady, may I have this dance?" |
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| Monkey | 20 Jun 2009, 07:32 PM Post #13 |
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"Milady, may I have this dance?" Such formal words coming from Jack made her laugh a little, but it was a nice change. She led him to the center of the room where there still wasn't much space to move, but at least there were no tables to run into. It might not have been so bad if everyone else was dancing too, but only a few people were. Most were standing around drinking with their companions or giving chase to the few ladies whose services weren't for sale. They enjoyed their dance together (or at least Ana did), but it seemed that no sooner did they get started, the tune was over. Ana didn't recognize the next one, but it also had a pleasant melody. "That ended entirely too soon. I'm not certain it was worth the price I'm going to pay for it later on," she kidded Jack. "I think we should dance to this one too." She was about to point out that their table was probably taken by now, anyways, but when she glanced at it, she noticed not only had it been occupied by other people, but the man who had been sleeping with Ana's coat was not there with them. She glanced around at the other tables, briefly entertaining the idea that maybe she was looking at the wrong one, but no, that had been their table. She stepped away from Jack and began surveying the tavern for the drunken man. After a moment she found him. He was just leaving out the door with Ana's coat over his shoulder. "You, there!" she shouted and ran after him, forgetting for the moment that Jack had been left behind. That was the only coat she had, and she wasn't about to give it up to some drunken sailor. She meandered her way through the crowd as quickly as she could , but by the time she was able to make it out the door, the man was already a good distance down the street staggering his way toward the docks. "Come back here, you drunken blighter! That's my coat!" she hollered after him, but the man never turned around. |
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