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Post by Jacky on Aug 25, 2007 13:06:53 GMT
Intro thread - here.------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Every morning, when the sunlight won the battle with the thick layer of grime on the windows of the Captain’s Quarters, the dim rays crept over the dark wooden floors to the bed in the far corner. And every morning, when the light reached the mess of sheets and pillows, the bed was found vacant. Never did the dawn manage to wake him. She never defeated him to be first to greet the ship on a new day. When the sun’s golden beams fell over the sleek and beautiful form of the Black Pearl, her captain would regard the celestial orb from his position at the helm, in the mast, or laying lazily on the bow spirit. Wherever he’d be, a grin would slowly appear on his features. A mixture of content, triumph and pride would show. The Black Pearl was his again.
It was *her* who woke him every morning. It was her who listened to him, even if he did not speak. It was her who fed him, pleased him, fueled him. It was her who lulled him asleep at night.
For ten years he had searched her. He had fought and sacrificed for his ship. Convinced that all he had longed to posses were the sky, his ship, and the sea, he had given up many things that once seemed dear to him. Among them a whisper, a silent hint towards something called 'love'. He could've had that. But his priorities had laid elsewhere. A big sacrifice, but.. had it been worth it?
He had found that a ship was much more than rudder and sails. A ship *could* be mistress, and lover and friend. A ship could be his wings. The wings of a Sparrow.
Who would have doubted this man’s dedication to his ship?
Many souls doubted the man himself though. With good reason, they figured. This pirate marched to a different beat. Hummed his own tune and played his own game – danced just inside the borders of sanity and sometimes lurched to the borderline of the unknown. He had a way with words, with gestures, and expressions. Word on the street said he was absolutely daft. Even more crazy than he had been years ago. A ten year search had cost him his mind, they said. When Jack was confronted with this statement he never thought too hard about it. He’d shrug his shoulders and confirm any suspicions carelessly by flashing a gold toothed grin. It kept his enemies way off balance anyway.
Had these ten years really changed him? If he would be honest about it (which would by itself be a rare occasion), he’d had to admit they did. He didn’t trust many people anymore. Hardly anyone, in fact. He kept his secrets to himself. He’d whisper them to the Pearl but never to human ears. He’d have his own plan, disregard any other soul to win through in the end. He had become less naïve, more of the scallywag that he appeared to be. A few coins and beads in his hair had been added on previous adventures. Each journey had thought him something. Each decoration represented a reminder of the hard learned lessons he wouldn’t want to forget. Aye, the beads... and the scars on his body... they reminded him who he really was.
Aye, he had learned. No wonder, for these ten years had been eventful. And he had traveled throughout the world. When he had regained the Pearl, the voyages became only more notorious. His name spread through the world like a plague. He had traveled from India to Britain, from the Caribbean to Spain and back.
It seemed almost ironic that on this very day he found himself back in good ol’ Tortuga.
The specific morning, the sunlight won the battle with the thick layer of grime on the windows of the Captain’s Quarters. The dim rays crept over the dark wooden floors to the bed in the far corner. As every other morning, the bed was found vacant.
Jack Sparrow was not up decks, or even aboard his ship though. He woke on the other side of town. The pounding of his headache and the girl next to him were evidences of last night’s events. They had made port yesterday and he was hardly surprised to find himself in this state at the current moment. After verifying the presence of every one of his limbs, he dragged himself out of the bed. If it wouldn’t taste a lie as much as it did, he would’ve claimed never to drink again.
Tortuga hadn’t changed. Not in the past decade, not in the last century it seemed. The tavern’s stairs he descended that morning were the same as any other. The same sort of girls that served this tavern could be found in any other place. The same grog and rum was passed over the bar, and the same stench of sweat, vomit and liquor was present in the mornings. Only this morning, one customer created a striking difference from any other time.
”Captain Jack Sparrow?” The man, dressed in Navy attire but without the wig to match it, approached the pirate captain.
Jack stopped and narrowed his eyes as he regarded the man suspiciously. “That depends on who’s asking.”
”The Governor, sir.” The man handed over a letter, sealed and stamped. “For a business proposition.”------------------------------------------------------------------------------ None of my crew quite knew what was in their captain’s head when I agreed to the proposition offered to me that day. They trusted me to have something up my sleeve though. They were quite accustomed to not getting straight answers by now so at some point they gave up questioning me. We set sail towards the Governor’s island that very morning, the sails hoisted high and our colors flying proudly in the wind. The area where the Navy faced the many ships disappearing was named ‘Belial’s Bay’. Among pirates better known as ‘Hell Water’. Either name represented the area well, with its treacherous reefs and unpredictable whirlpools. A dangerous area, but not impossible to sail through. Whatever was pestering the Navy remained an enigma. My own intentions in that part of the map were unspoken so far, and I did not intend to make them clear any sooner than necessary. Our arrival at the Governor’s Island was planned to be August 28th, 1704. Of course by then, I was still unaware of who had set this thing in motion… |
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Post by Lana on Sept 1, 2007 9:38:52 GMT
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"The best ships are to be recruited, with the most experienced Captains at their helms", - said an elderly man, sitting at the head of the table.
"Yes, sir, and "The Victor" is to be called their flagship, being the fastest vessel in the Navy Fleet", - a young man nodded enthusiastically, yet politely.
"Son, the fastest vessel in the Navy Fleet will undoubtedly also be the fastest ship in the whole Caribbean, because there are no ships that could match ours for speed, especially "The Victor", - the old man smiled proudly.
"Unfortunately, speed alone is nothing when it's not guided by a professional sailor", - the younger one said carefully. He was sitting on the right of the grey-haired man, which meant that he was in the position to talk to him and give advice, but even though he was his nephew, the Governor still didn't appreciate others trying to get involved into the business which he rightfully considered to be his own.
"The Fleet doesn't lack skilled officers and sailors, the Fleet is the pride of the Country and its colonies, and therefore it's a question of time till we find the missing ships", - the Governor said edifyingly, but benevolently, with a small nod towards his nephew.
The younger man, the Governor's nephew, replied with a polite nod, glancing around all the men gathered at the long table in the Governor's cabinet.
Some of them were obviously bored and almost spun in the web of sleep, some of them were worried and nervous, some of them kept silent throughout the whole meeting, since the beginning till the end, and some of them spoke all the time, trying to solve the problem, the mystery that couldn't be explained yet.
But they all nodded in agreement, when the Governor repeated once again, stroking his chin with a small smile on his features: "The Victor" is the fastest ship in the whole Caribbean, it's a guarantee of our success.
"No, it's not".
All heads turned to one spot, all eyes darted to the person who had said it, not only because this person had contradicted the Governor, but because this voice didn't belong to a Commodore, or to a Captain, or even to a simple officer. It belonged to a woman. Women were hardly ever allowed to be present at such discussions, and when they were - they were supposed to sit quietly, embroidering and keeping silent. Not messing into the 'men's business'.
The Governor raised an eyebrow questioningly at the woman.
"Do explain yourselves, please", - he said politely, but sudden coldness was heard in his voice.
The woman glanced around the table, seeing everyone look at her intently, attentively.
"The Victor" is not the fastest ship in the Caribbean", - she shrugged, her voice ringing around the cabinet.
"What does a lady understand in ships, dear?" - the Governor asked, his eyes narrowed slightly. His nephew gave the woman a meaningful look, his eyes almost clearly said: "Close your mouth. How do you dare?"
She frowned slightly, but there was no way-out, when one says "a", they should continue with "b":
"The Black Pearl" is", - the woman said firmly.
Whispers and muttering all around the table, the Governor's and his nephew's stares served as replies to her words.
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Some time later, everything was arranged. The Governor made up his mind after numerous arguments and heated discussions with the officers, after doubts and quarrels with his nephew, he made this decision, he had heard legends about the Black Pearl and its notorious Captain, he knew that this ship had had some encounters with mysteries such as cursed pirates, Calypso and Davy Jones himself... Cooperating with a pirate had seemed to be out of the question, but now it also seemed to be one of the few possible solutions to his problem: the missing ships, the mysterious area in the ocean. Cooperating with a pirate was dangerous and untrustworthy, but, at least, the Navy Fleet was well-armed and they could cope with one pirate-vessel, no matter how legendary it was.
So, on the 28th of August, "The Black Pearl" was to dock in the port, and the negotiations were to be started.
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"Unbelievable", - she said, pacing the room, to and fro, in front of the window. The woman stopped for a while and looked through the glass, at the ocean, at the docks and at the numerous Navy ships gathered there. She couldn't believe she had done it, couldn't believe she had said the name, couldn't believe she had spoken up during the discussion. It seemed to have been a dream, a very surreal one.
But she had spoken up, had said the names, and had persuaded the Governor to arrange negotiations with the pirate. Her stubbornness had taken him aback, had made him question who she was and why she insisted on cooperating with pirates, but no one could know the answer.
No one, and perhaps, she didn't know this answer herself. The woman sighed quietly, staring at the dark blue water of the ocean, at the shining surface of the waves that reflected the sunrays.
Ten years. Ten long, endless years that seemed to have taken her into an entirely new life, leaving everything she had had behind. She had nothing from her past now, nothing but memories she had been trying to erase, and a few names.
As soon as she had said these names, the memories flooded back at her, untamed, wild, unstoppable.
The memories of her previous life, of everything that had happened - and much had, truly much, - of the ocean, piracy, fighting, starry nights, storms, love, Jack Sparrow...
... and it made her remember herself - Scarlett O'Hara, the pirate that she had once been.
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Post by Jacky on Sept 1, 2007 16:20:47 GMT
Late in the afternoon of the 28th of August, exactly as planned, the Black Pearl arrived in the Governor's waters. A pair of Navy ships approached her, soon asking for permission to escort the navy vessel into the harbour without risking attack.
The captain had agreed.
"Though of course," He mused as he stood by the helm, "It would've been a sight to blast the bejeesus outta this li'll hellhole jest for the sake of it." A golden smirk touched his features.
The First Mate, Joshamee Gibbs, gave him a smirk to match that. "Sure enough, Jack, bu' tha' wouldn't fit in tha' scheme of yourn now would it?"
The smirk turned into a grin as Jack turned the wheel slowly, making the ship react in subtle agreement with her captains guiding hand. "Indeed it wouldn't."
From the corner of his eyes he gazed at the Navy Officer who stood nearby - someone they had demanded aboard so they knew the Navy wouldn't pull trick on *them* either. The fellow frowned at their words. It amused him.
After all, *they* were pulling the tricks, practically. The Navy needed *them*. The irony of the situation was thick in the air.
Within the hour all the vessels were anchored safely in the harbour of the Governor's town.
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Post by Lana on Sept 8, 2007 19:51:42 GMT
She was standing in front of the window, watching the harbour attentively. This morning was busy for the Navy - there was fuss all around the docks, their vessels getting armed, officers marching around, loading provision aboard. Having noticed three ships approaching the coastline, Scarlett held her breath: she could see two Navy vessels and a pirate-ship between them, gliding smoothly and quickly, her black sails full with wind.
Not much could be seen from such distance, but Scarlett could bet that this ship was different, that it had the air of freedom and piracy around her, she was sailing unlike the two Navy-vessels that were accompanying her. Taking a deep breath, the woman made herself look away, avert her attention from the Black Pearl, for it surely was the famous, the legendary Black Pearl, undoubtedly captained by notorious Jack Sparrow.
For everyone he was a legend, one of the most well-known pirates in the Caribbean, one of the strangest ones, rumoured to be 'off his rocket' and labelled as 'totally crazy and insane'. For everyone he was a pirate, someone they wouldn't like to meet, especially for simple citizens. The Navy dreamt of capturing and hanging him, other sailors feared meeting him and his crew.
For everyone he was a living man, but for Scarlett he was a ghost, a ghost from the past. And now, when she could see the ships drawing closer to the shore, she felt how nervous and scared she was. She didn't know whether she'd done the right thing, having set all this in motion, having offered the Governor to cooperate with Sparrow.
She took a deep breath again. There was no way back, no way out of it. The bell rang and the butler rushed to open the door. To admit the pirate into the Governor's mansion - how incredible and ridiculous it was, how unbelievable.
"Good day, Captain Sparrow",- the Governor said tensely, when the door was opened.
Scarlett sat down onto her bed and opened her door slightly, so that she was able to overhear the conversation without being seen.
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Post by Jacky on Sept 9, 2007 21:18:07 GMT
Jack stepped into the house, following the two officers that had escorted him to the governors house. Both of those were armed, both of those wary and having their eyes on the pirate at all times. Knowing the etiquette of negotiation though, the Governor waved them off, dismissing them from their duties.
"But.. sir.." One of them started to protest.
Jack turned around in a half circle, swaying slightly as he did. With a vague handgesture he gestured casually at the Governor. "Gentlemen, if I had any intention to kill the goo' man I would long have done so, eh? Me gun's loaded, could've pulled the trigger on both of you in fact, and then him." He grinned at the expressions on both of their faces. "Never let a pirate walk behind you, gents."
A bitter smile touched the Governors features at Jack's speech. Worst thing was, the pirate was right. The men had come in before the pirate captain. They had been unprotected if he would've wanted to pull a trick.
"You are dismissed." He told the officers, and as they left reluncantly, the Governor picked up the bottle of Scotch on the table and poured two glasses.
"I take it you read my letter, capt'n?"
With a smooth movement one of the glasses was swept up from the table, and swigged quickly before put down on yet another cabinet again. "Aye." The pirate started wandering through the room slowly, investigating his surroundings. "Hell's Water, eh?" He looked over to the Governor.
"Belial’s Bay, mister Sparrow." The Governor said coldly, refusing to use the 'pirate term' for the area.
"Now I wonder.." Jack swayed as he walked back over to the desk where the governor was standing. "What issit tha' ye Navy gits are lookin' fer *there*?" He quirked an eyebrow.. and smirked, as if he knew something they didn't.
"I wonder," The Governor replied without answering, "Why did you agree to our proposition? What is it *you* are looking for?"
A gold-toothed grin. "Anything there is t' look fer. Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once." He stated bluntly, spreading his arms wide.
At this the other man frowned, confusion growing on his face. He was fairly certain.. no.. definately certain that to be a line of.. Shakespeare's work? Who is this man? He had already been warned that there was more behind Jack Sparrow than met the eye.. but he hadn't taken any of those warnings too serious so far.
"Anyhow." Jack continued undisturbed, picking up the second glass of Scotch too and swigging it between the lines. "No man would leave for tha' alone. So tell me mate." He sat down on top of the desk. "Wha's in it for *me*?"
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Post by Lana on Sept 10, 2007 18:03:36 GMT
"I bet you've heard stories".
~~~ five minutes before ~~~
She stood up and paced the room impatiently, unable to sit still and listen to his voice. Unable to remain calm when she recognized the familiar intonations, the familiar pirate-slur... the Governor's cabinet was rather far from her bedroom, but these muffled voices made her walk to and fro, trying to get ahold of the sudden agitation that had swept over her. He was in the house. And she couldn't stay in her bedroom anymore.
Glancing into the mirror, she pursed her lips slightly. Obviously not a girl anymore, she looked different from the pirate he had last seen her. Not that young anymore, but mature, she didn't look worse than before. Maybe it was just another kind of beauty - not a girl, but a woman: maturer, more serious and much more reserved and 'hidden' from everyone, herself included. Though, there was no doubt: she was recognizable with the emerald-green eyes, white porcelain skin and the whole posture of hers - it hadn't changed much.
Scarlett frowned at her own reflection, though.
Having taken a deep breath, she left the bedroom, not even caring to close the door behind her. Taking each step slowly and carefully, as if hesitating, she went downstairs, questioning herself whether she was doing the right thing.
I started it - I should continue, I can't back away and be 'out of the game', it's not an option anymore. But her heart skipped a few beats when she approached the cabinet, when the voices drew nearer and nearer with every movement. Jack Sparrow was inside - a ghost from the past, the past that she had said 'farewell' to 10 years ago. 10 long years...
I don't believe it. Can't be happening. 10 years ago, and now he's in the room.
For a moment she considered turning around and leaving, but then she opened the door of the cabinet without knocking.
~~~ present-time ~~~
She said the words loudly and clearly, but her vision was blurred: she didn't see anything around, mostly because she was afraid of seeing a particular someone sitting there.
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Post by Jacky on Sept 10, 2007 18:15:36 GMT
His head turned slightly at the words, beads jingling in his hair as he moved. His dark eyes (seeming even darker than when she had known him) fixed on the feminine figure, and he regarded her.
He recognized her instantly. How could he not? She had changed little over the years, in his first regard. Her face had become more mature. Her hair done neatly again, instead of unruly as it had been when he had sailed with her. Her eyes maybe a little less.. piercing. But overall, her beauty paled all other around her. *That* hadn't been taken from her for sure.
And if there's one thing Jack would pick out from any crowd, it'd be a beautiful girl, of course.
Now, captain Jack Sparrow had seen a lot in his time. Ghost pirates, sure enough. Myths from the depths of the seas. Sunken ships brought back to live. The things the little people liked to talk about in the dark of the night, and the things that priests and noblemen kept eerily quiet about. But none of that meant that he couldn't be surprised (maybe shocked) to see such a ghost from the past.
His appearance betrayed very little though. His eyes darted to the Governor and back to the woman, a slight smirk tugged at his lips to disguise the thoughts racing in his head. He considered ill fortune, sheer coincidence. He considered a set-up. He considered every possibility in merely two seconds, but didn't make up his mind about any of them.
What else could he do?
The roguish grin that had used to be so familiar to Scarlett creeped to his features, which had kept a touch of youth during the years, despite the many many hard times he had come to face. He hadn't changed much either.
"Ello luv."
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Post by Lana on Sept 10, 2007 18:30:32 GMT
The roguish grin was the first thing she really saw when she let her eyes focus on what was around, when she let herself look and see, see the man she had last seen 10 years ago. He hadn't changed much: more beads in his tangled hair, more rings on his fingers, and more darkness in his eyes, but he still was Jack Sparrow, *the* Jack Sparrow she had once thought she knew.
He recognized her and she saw it, but, as she had expected, his face remained perfectly unreadable, even though Scarlett thought she had noticed a glimpse of something betrayed by his eyes: of course, he couldn't have expected her to appear on the threshold.
For the first time in my life I did something that *he* hadn't expected, and not vice versa - she thought with bitter amusement and took some time to look at him, attentively, as if verifying that he was the very same man. Of course he was, there was no doubt. And, of course, he wasn't - at the same time.
10 years - a long time.
"Miss O'Hara - it's Captain Jack Sparrow..." - the Governor stared at them and said uselessly.
"Thanks a lot, but we've met already", - Scarlett said with a smirk, a smirk that the Governor had never seen before.
"'Ello, Jack", - she said, looking at him, but not into his eyes.
The Governor's stare was intense, yet shocked. His eyes travelled from Jack to Scarlett and to Jack again, questioning.
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Post by Jacky on Sept 10, 2007 18:38:59 GMT
A sideways glance toward the governor informed him of the poor ol' man's confusion. It amsused him, though, instead of making him feel sorry for the chap. That's what he was a pirate for, after all.
His gaze soon returned to Scarlett though. Former lover. One of the very very few women who ever meant anything to him - or anything close to what he meant to them at least. He contemplated her presence, her sudden appearance here, and came to conclude only one thing.
"So it was you then." He got up from the seat and wandered over to her, not minding the Governors stare between the two of them. "I wondered what kind of a Navy git would think of the insane idea of askin' assistance of a pirate." A golden twinkle showed as he smirked slightly. "Long time, no see." His gaze wandered down her body and back up to her face, only a metre or less between them now as he studied her. Jack Sparrow never was much for 'private space', after all.
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Post by Lana on Sept 10, 2007 18:53:04 GMT
Scarlett noticed the Governor's obvious state of shock and smirked once again, this time enjoying the effect she had had upon these two men: Jack hadn't expected to see her, and the Governor was definitely close to getting a heart-attack or, at least, he was surely questioning himself who the hell she was and where the hell did she know the pirate from. It amused her.
"The insane idea could have belonged only to an insane person, such as myselves", - she replied casually, with a quiet chuckle. Scarlett held her breath when he approached her, and she had to admit that his presence, especially within such a short distance, made her feel uneasy. The smell of the ocean, its salty waters and winds... she felt a shudder going down her spine, but her face remained calm, with a small smirk playing on her features.
"Aye", - she said, using a pirates' word, which made the Governor stare at her, wide-eyed. - "Have you missed me?" - Scarlett raised an eyebrow sarcastically and burst into laughter. Perhaps, this laughter was a bit too nervous and a bit too unnatural. Only a little.
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