A Jolene short:
"Found you."
"She's YOUR crazy friend!" - Ciela
The S.S Linebeck's engine protested loudly as it struggled to recover from the torpedo blow that had stalled it. Not for the first time, the she-pirate Jolene mentally snickered at the captain's choice in vessel, it was so like him to man a ship that did all of the work. She had not always seen him as lazy- once even admiring his laid-back approach on life…
Fool! She scolded herself for remembering how things were- meaning she was forgetting how things ARE. She was here tonight to settle these things.
She stalked across the open deck to the semi-familiar wooden stairs leading to the lower parts of the craft. As she descended, she raised her sword, admiring the effect the torch light made on its lovingly polished surface.
She was ready to win this time, against that blasted boy in green! Every time she thought of him she wondered how Linebeck had the child so faithfully defending his cowardly self, he was hardly the type willing to play Tag. Well, she'd find out, and then show the boy what kind of person his captain really was.
"Little boy in green, are you ready?" Jumping the last few steps, Jolene faced an apparently empty lower deck, devoid of any brightly clad opponents. Expecting a trick, she backed to a wall, edging along it toward a barrel big enough to hide an ambusher; two more identical containers sat along the opposite wall, as well as a large wooden storage crate. In a swift motion she flipped the lid from the nearest barrel to the floorboards, hopping back to avoid attack.
The lid clattered and nothing emerged; it was empty save a few browning apples.
Frowning, the she-pirate turned to face the remaining barrels and crate, convinced at least one of them hid the boy or her target, but which? Her question was answered suddenly when the wooden crate burst open from the top and Captain Linebeck vaulted out with a yelp. It was some distance to the ground and his landing was barely graceful, though he wasted no time scrambling to his feet and up the stairs without a backward glance.
Jolene felt a grin crossing her face and was on his trail in moments.
"I guess that little boy isn't around to scare me off tonight?" she called, reaching the top of the flight and looking down the length of the deck. Linebeck was at the prow, anxiously staring down into the black water surrounding the ship, as though some miracle island were to form for him to flee onto. He was unaware of the tiny row boat tied to the back of the S.S Linebeck, which Jolene had used to get onboard from her own vessel.
Giving up on the ocean, he span to face her, attempting a confident smirk, though his eyes darted left and right for any possible exit.
"Ah-ha-he's here actually, dear, uh, Jolene-" Her glare momentarily paused him, "and he has TWO swords now, you know-I'm not kidding, he's lethal that kid-uh, LINK, come out NOW, ok?"
"No, dear Captain, he isn't here is he?" The she-pirate had no trouble smirking, enjoying how much her presence effected him; he deserved to squirm.
"Ok, I lied-but he's on his way here-uh, you can forgive me for a lie, right? Just like you can forgive me for THIS!"
Leaping forward, he swung both arms out and pushed the ship's vertical cannon which stood in the centre of the deck around toward Jolene. Agile as always, she ducked it with inches the spare; even clearing her raised ponytail; watching as it continued its rapid 360-degree spin, right back around into the side of Linebeck's head with a metallic thud.
Jolene had no time to consider that this was the most confrontational thing the captain had ever done, because he was knocked backward and overboard into the ocean.
"Linebeck!" Unaware that she had called out, she ran to the rope railing where he had fallen, gazing down into the dark, but gentle waves. Linebeck could not swim, but he wasn't even floundering on the surface, and the disturbed water where he had fallen was growing calm.
Jolene thrust her sword upright into the deck's boards, kicked off her silk shoes and dove over the side of the ship.
"I doubt you can handle it, but some pirate rum will wake you up, Captain Cannon Dent." Pouring from the bottle she had quickly fetched from her ship, Jolene handed a glass of brown liquid to the man sat on the floor before her. They were back on board the S.S Linebeck, inside the now quietly idling, and blessedly warm engine's room.
"Uh-huh…" Linebeck accepted the drink, wincing at the movement and then coughing after the smallest sip. Jolene sighed and sat to lean against the wall beside him, raising a hand to pat his back, though he flinched away, automatically expecting some sort of attack.
The she-pirate said nothing and downed the tiny amount she had poured herself, as the captain managed to recover. Both seafarers sat listening to the drip-drip of Linebeck's long coat hanging to dry from a peg on the far wall.
Without intending to, her plans of vengeance were pushed aside, when half an hour ago Jolene had been ready to finally get revenge on the man who had betrayed her- she hadn't really planned exactly what it would consist of- though it didn't involve sharing a drink (somewhat) like old times. Glancing at him, he looked as harmless as he was, with his daft, damp hair flat on his head and a downcast expression to suit.
She knew she would tell her sister about all of this in a letter, who would definitely put it down to the hidden fact that Jolene wasn't really a pirate, that she was just continuing a childhood hobby of dressing as one…
Slightly annoyed, she shoved Linebeck with her elbow, causing him to spill some of the rum he was about to reattempt, and tried to assume a proud she-pirate tone.
"What the heck was that up there?"
"I thought it was a pretty smooth move…" He looked at her long enough to give a lopsided smile before returning his focus to the glass in his slightly shaking hand.
"Trying to hit a woman with a cannon?"
"Ha…I guess not…Your make-up is running."
"And my hair is ruined and I lost an earring. No seriously, what would you do if you had really hurt me, or if I fell overboard?"
Linebeck didn't answer, but she saw him genuinely look ashamed for half a second before swallowing the entire glass of rum with a shudder. Jolene blinked at him.
"You probably shouldn't steer this tub for a while."
"My head still hurts. Can I have some mo-"
"No. I'm taking this back with me. You're not a pirate, anyhow." She climbed to her feet and picked up the bottle. As she walked to the stairs, Linebeck joined her, though he didn't seem entirely surefooted. He spoke as she placed a foot onto the first step.
"You're not…craz-mad-going to uh…get me?"
She had her back to him, but was still embarrassed to feel her tanned cheeks flush. For the second time that night, the cowardly captain had displayed uncharacteristic daring toward her.
Without turning around, she answered.
"You already 'got' yourself, you clumsy…man. I'll take pity on you this one time." Feeling more like her usual self, she let the fiery character she had created for herself return through her words. She continued. "She-pirates have a code- and reputations and honour to uphold! I couldn't let you drown yourself, though I'm sure I'll regret it."
"…Ok…"
The mousiness of his response caused Jolene to do something neither seafarer anticipated. The pirate she had just recovered within herself vanished and the adventurous, sea-loving girl always there was in charge. She stepped backward, turned and planted a kiss on Linebeck's mouth, feeling her cheeks blush and the memories of how things used to be flood forward in her mind.
The captain didn't know what was happening, and by the time he responded, Jolene had pushed him back and run up the staircase. His combined head injury and alcohol intake caused him to overbalance and fall to a sitting position, a band of red across his own face now.
From where he sat he could see the back of the she-pirate's shoes at the top of the flight, still, as though she stood thinking on the open deck, but then they were gone, though a voice shouted down to him, full of familiar, dangerous determination.
"I suggest you come up with a new strategy, Captain, I'll destroy your cannon next time!"
"You won't get close enough to try, she-pirate!" he yelled back.
T3H END
I love you, Linebeck!