Chris Thomas
Pirate
Navigator
Look at me that way again and I'll kick ye in the jewels.
Posts: 20
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Post by Chris Thomas on Jul 12, 2007 0:38:05 GMT -5
- Date and Time: June 1
- Setting: Amidships of the Black Pearl
- Weather Conditions: Night, clear and starry. No moon, light breeze.
The lamp cast a faint glow onto the navigational charts. If it hadn't been for the glass that shielded the flame inside the lamp, the glow would have danced and flickered, making it hard for whomever depended on the light to concentrate. Christiana, or Chris, Thomas was bent over the charts, calipers held in her mouth, and monkey around her neck as she held the edges of the chart down from the light breeze. She was clad in trousers, the norm for her, shoe-less (she detested shoes), and a white shirt that had once belonged to a man. The cuffs of the shirt were rolled up to her forearms. Ornamenting her head, and holding back her tangle of brown hair, was a faded red bandanna, tied securely against her scalp. The Black Pearl was not very far from Tortuga, where Captain Barbossa had marooned Captain Jack Sparrow...And the crew had seemed uneasy ever since. Chris was new to the ship, freshly signed on from the port where the captain left the other captain, and with the uneasy mood of the other members of the crew, it had been a lonely voyage so far, save for Loki, the monkey slumbering 'round her neck. She glanced up at the crew member piloting at the wheel who had been stone silent the whole time, and then back to her charts. The wind was stirring Chris' wisps of chestnut hair when she next moved to look up at the stars. From an early age, she had learned the constellations and the planets in the nighttime sky, and it proved itself useful when she began to learn the art of navigation. Chris quickly judged, by Mars' position and Orion, that the ship was just a bit off course. She called up to the crew member who was piloting, and he made the adjustments. Chris rolled up the chart, placed it back in its sealed tube, and placed the calipers with them. She turned into the wind and closed her eyes, taking in the sound of water lapping at the ship's sides, the sails flapping in the wind, and the almost silent whistling of the breeze. A deep inhalation of sea air and Chris was placated. There was no better place than the sea. The piloting crew member could stand a few minutes without the pirate lass hovering by him, so Chris went over to the rail and leaned over, peering into the darkness. She was beginning to question whether or not signing onto the Black Pearl was such a good idea after all. The only reason she had signed on was because of Captain Jack Sparrow. She had heard stories of the infamous pirate almost the day she was first taken aboard a pirate vessel. She had always been in awe of him, and regarded him as a hero. Now, however, he had been marooned and his ship taken. Chris shrugged to no one. Maybe things would pan out...eventually.
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Captain Jack Sparrow
Moderator
Brethren Court Captain of the Black Pearl[M:0]
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
Posts: 3
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Post by Captain Jack Sparrow on Jul 15, 2007 1:14:04 GMT -5
Slim fingers touched the edge of the rotting sail, tracing the contours of the stirring form until a gust of wind gathered in the material sending it billowing out nearly ripping itself from the mast. Holding onto the lead rope and with a bottle of rum in the other, Jack set a heavy boot on the edge of the bow and tipped his head back to look up at the ebony sky dotted with vaguely shaped clouds. The wind was blowing through carrying his vessel with efficiency toward the beautiful shape in the water no less then a knot ahead of him. He smiled and raised his bottle in a toast and nearly toppled over board but a strong grip on the rope jerked him back to spin on his heels and into the sail. The material smelled old and weathered, the salty flavor of a thousand winds and the pirate stepped back to examine it, closing one eye in the process in the pretense it helped him concentrate causing the two sails he saw to become one.
“Good lad,” he grunted, giving the mast a quick pat before stepping over several empty bottles of nondescript alcohol to make the three steps to the stern and settled down to rest a hand on the sculling oar. Twisting his fingers around the smooth surface he pushed down and twisted toward him, the boat pulling under his command. Droplets of water caught up in the wind stained his pants leg, spreading along the fibers to create vague shapes of places and memories. Furrowing his brow, Jack tapped two fingers against his closed mouth in thought nearly banging the bottle against his chin he had forgotten he still clutched. Glancing down at it, he stared at the slim object reflecting the light that bounced off the water in a million sparkling fairies all tempting him to drink from the Fountain of Rum. Smiling through gold and silver, he ignored the audible clink the glass bottle’s mouth made against his teeth and savored the sweet nectar of the gods.
Before morning his feet would be back on the Pearl and Barbossa would be swimming with the fishes or in chains… in chains with the fishes and his monkey. Would a undead monkey drown? Would it keep drowning over and over or would it just fight it every second. Drawing his shoulders up at the shiver that ran down his spine, Jack pulled the tricorner hat further down his brow shadowing his eyes from the stars to watch the sea ahead of him. He hadn’t lit a lantern partially because the dinghy was unequipped with one, but also to keep himself hidden. The pirate and his vessel had sailed past a fishing boat close enough to count the barnacles and not a man aboard had seen him. The boat rocked gently with the current rising upon the swell of ocean reminding him of the pillowy softness of Giselle’s bosom. The residing sting of her and Scarlett’s slap had long since faded but they would forgive him in time, they always did.
Sighing, he turned his gaze back towards the Pearl, the strong form of her build becoming prominent as he gained distance. Even in the smallest of boats, his heart soared with excitement at being off land and onto stable plank boards. Taking another swig of rum that finished the bottle, he tossed it off the portside and struggled to his feet. “Yo ho, yo ho… ,” he sang off key before clearing his throat and belted out his favorite lines of the shanty making his way back to the bow and paused at the mast to pat it again and took to lookout on his vast dinghy.
Pulling a telescope from a large pocket of his vest, he snapped it open and peered through it. Bloody hell, why was the Pearl suddenly farther away? Jack drew his head back to look over his scope, turned it around and gazed through the correct side. The vague shape now had sails and rigging, a stern that he could just put his hands on and squeeze. Reaching out as if to do so, Sparrow tilted the telescope down every crevice and crease on the back of his hand standing out like living terrain where dirt lived and thrived, building a colony to rear young. When the intoxicated holy man brought on his own drunk mind stepped out to greet him, Jack snapped the telescope back up to the Pearl. It appeared closer that the first time. Rubbing the glass end on the front of his shirt effectively smearing more then helping, he gazed carefully so not to disturb the thickly marked kohl around his eyes.
It was closer. How long had he stood there watching his beloved? Had time just slipped by lost in his desire to return to the Pearl, consumed by the starlit night? The sea held much power over a man’s mind. Jack peek over the edge of his telescope and watched the ship with his own eyes before returning to the scope. He did a dance between the two, switching from looking through the lens and squinting in the dark until he shook his head, blinking his eyes quickly to uncross them. His free hand grazed the edge of his pistol tucked securely in it’s holster with fresh dry powder awaiting any tomfoolery. He was more than likely walking into a trap and without a shadow of a doubt, his existence resided on the fact that he had Sao’s map and Barbossa didn’t. He had squirreled it away long before any eyes could see him, leaving its location safely in his hands.
The drunken part of his brain demanded he give the crew a real good view of his bare backside but honor told him to stay put lest he fall overboard. Swaying on wobbly legs, Jack scooped up his last bottle of rum and returned to his dutiful post as lookout and remained in a semi standing state until the dinghy coasted along side the dark ship. As if on cue, a face appeared over the side and the Captain arched his neck further back to take in the person. In the dark, there was little to distinguish it from shadows.
“Good evening lad.” His voice rang clear between the two vessels, he touched an index finger to the brim of his hat. “Nice night for sailing, eh?”
((OOC: I kinda cheated, next post will be better!))
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Chris Thomas
Pirate
Navigator
Look at me that way again and I'll kick ye in the jewels.
Posts: 20
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Post by Chris Thomas on Jul 15, 2007 16:16:12 GMT -5
A sudden voice from the darkness made Chris yelp and reel backwards from the railing. It awoke Loki, who shrieked and leaped from his owner. He scrambled across the deck to the foremast and scrambled up it. The monkey perched in the rigging and let down low, almost cackling cries to those below. Chris walked cautiously back to the rail and peeked down, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the blackness below. She half-expected to see Beelzebub resting below, arms reaching to bring her to the depths.
Instead, she was very pleasantly surprised to see the dredlocked head of Captain Jack Sparrow, sitting in a small dinghy down at the waterline. "Captain!" She exclaimed in surprise, her mouth opening in shock, and not even correcting him in incorrectly calling her a lad. "Surely!" She stuttered, and she gazed down at him in awe. The incredible, infamous, and great Captain Jack Sparrow he truly was. He had been marooned, and yet here he was, back at his ship.
"Care for a line, captain?" Chris queried, before snatching up a coil of rope lying nearby and throwing it over. "I think I be right in guessing that ye've come to get yer ship back."
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Captain Jack Sparrow
Moderator
Brethren Court Captain of the Black Pearl[M:0]
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
Posts: 3
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Post by Captain Jack Sparrow on Jul 20, 2007 1:28:54 GMT -5
The screeching cry of a familiar tone sent his mouth curling forward in a puckered grimace before drawing tightly back across his teeth enough to make his lips squeak across the metal and gold. Fingers tightened around the main rope and Jack ran the tip of his tongue across his bottom lip. Just the primate he wanted to see and with a freshly packed pistol to boot. Sparrow closed one eye then the other before returning with a crooked smile at the foreign voice. It wasn’t Marty or Ragetti, definitely not Cotton… maybe, nah. Young was all he could gather, what was Barbs doing with new crew on his ship. Hector was going to receive a very rude awakening. The thud of the rope’s end landing beside him in his dinghy made him look as if staring at a exotic object before recognizing an answer to a unasked question of how he was going to get himself up there.
“Don’t mind if I do lad.” He stepped from the bow to the floor of his dinghy and with raised hands for balance grabbed the rope and wrapped it around the length of his arm once before he and gave it a mighty tug. Nothing. He yanked again before looking up, squinting in the dark. “Oh, for…” Sighing he pushed the tricorner hat further on his brow before spitting into his hands. Looked like he was going to have to do this the hard way. Tired muscles awakened to sudden use as Jack hefted himself up. One hand over the other, curling the thickly braided rope around his legs using them as leverage.
Halfway up he paused, staring at the deeply grained panel of the Pearl. “I don’t suppose there’s any more of you fine gentlemen waiting for me?” Slipping Jack clung to the rope, eyes wide before regaining his momentum. “With fine pistols aimed at my lovely head?” Huffing it the last little bit, the triangular hat appeared before the weathered face of the pirate peered from the side at the shadowed person. “How’s about a hand for yer Captain boy.”
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Chris Thomas
Pirate
Navigator
Look at me that way again and I'll kick ye in the jewels.
Posts: 20
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Post by Chris Thomas on Jul 20, 2007 1:54:20 GMT -5
A smile curling her lips upward, Chris leaned a bit on the railing and surveyed the Captain's progress. The Amazing and Incredible Captain Jack Sparrow... He was everything the myths and legends embodied and more. Chris couldn't help but feel the tickle of childish excitement as Jack climbed up the rope SHE had thrown to the ship. She was helping Captain Jack Sparrow! A bit of euphoria overcame her, and she kept it contained. Barely.
"Just meself, sir. Well, there's the pilot for tonight, but I think he's a bit preoccupied at the moment. Midnight watch, you know." Indeed, anyone who wasn't on deck, but was in the rigging, was probably asleep, drunk, or both. It had been a fair amount of time since Chris had seen anyone else on deck besides herself and the pilot.
A brief flicker of a thought ran through Chris' brain, but only for a moment: She could get in trouble by Captain Barbossa for this. True, letting a marooned Captain back onto his own ship only seemed fair -- Chris was all for fairness. But, perhaps, it wouldn't be all bad. Captain Barbossa had to know about the unhappiness since Jack vacated the ship, and now he was back. The two could possible co-exist in a friendly-like way. It was improbable but...possible.
Chris again ignored all comments directed towards her presuming that she was a lad. After all, she preferred being regarded as one of the lads. Made things a might easier and made sure less noses were broken. She reached forward and grabbed Jack's right hand, holding the weathered hand in strong grip before pulling him up the rest of the way. Loki let out a shriek from somewhere above as the Captain's feet landed back on the deck of his ship. "Welcome back aboard the Black Pearl, Captain Sparrow."
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