The ship Belladonna had been on was captured, and on the new ship,
she was appointed to be the head cook. This had been a relief to her, since
she was rubbish at working the sails, and doing just about anything else
above deck. So, for about a week, she went about her duties, cooking,
cleaning the galley, and washing the pots she used. It was a rather
monotonous job, but she didn't mind. In fact, she was happy. After all, she
had been a pirate for five years now, and could still remember what her
life WAS like. SO, she knew she really had nothing to complain about.
Unfortunately, her shipmates did. They had been complaining about the bad luck having a woman on the ship would bring. She got this a lot, although it was usually just shrugged off by the realization that none of the other pirates were any good at cooking. But this crew was different. She overheard the captain and first mate talking one day. They were planning to throw her off of the ship, her hands and feet bound together. Of course, they didn't plan for her to know about it beforehand.
That night, she put poison in the stew she made for their dinner. As the crew was in agony, she let all the lifeboats float away, filled one with a bit of the ships cargo for herself, and floated away on it, laughing madly. She reached a port two days later, happy as a clam. For about two weeks she sailed from port to port, until she reached the great port of Nassau, two weeks after the incident. By then, it was well known, and she could no longer get away walking around other pirates without being recognized, usually as "that loony cook", or something of the like.
It was this that made her feel she had to join a crew. After all, a pirate by his (or her) self is nothing, really. The problem was, nobody would take her. She met up with three different captains, and all refused her, two because she was a woman, one because she was crazy. But that didn't stop her.
"If I'm so crazy," she thought one day, while sitting in her lifeboat "Why don't I join the crew of the looniest captain out there."
This captain was none other than Capt. Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl. She had heard the stories, she had met people he knew, and she was sure that he was utterly, utterly mad. Brilliant, but mad. Yes, this sounded good to her. She had heard that the Black Pearl was coming into Nassau within the next few days. She could surely join the crew. After all, what other reasons did the captain have to turn her down? He couldn't say it was because of her being a woman; he already had a woman, Ana Maria, on his crew. And he most certainly couldn't say because she was crazy.
So she waited, venturing little from her tiny boat underneath the dock. Three days later, the Black Pearl was in Nassau. As the crew left to go into the great port city, Belladonna slipped on. She walked up to the captain, who at first seemed not to notice her.
"You're Jack Sparrow, aren't you?" She said, standing right in front of him. She had to turn her head up to talk to him, seeing as she was short, and looked perfectly dwarf-like next to the tall man. It took him a minute to answer. He looked down at her.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, yes." He answered vaguely, and then looked back up. He was looking at the port, she supposed.
"Aaah, yes, captain. Well, captain, if it isn't too much too ask, do you have an opening on you ship's crew?"
"What for?" He said, still looking at the port. Belladonna found it annoying that he didn't look at her when he spoke, although she was, by now, accustomed to bad manners.
"A cook. Or-"
"A cook?" He looked down at her, grinning. He knew who she was, she knew it. he was taking her as a joke! "Wouldn't happen to be the cook from the Siren, now would you?"
"I may." She said slowly.
"The vengeful lass who murdered almost a whole ship." He was still grinning, swaying slightly.
"It wasn't murder, exactly."
"OH, don't try to be so modest!" He said loudly. "I've heard of you! Crazy Belle, they call ya." She didn't answer, she just nodded meekly. She'd never talked to a pirate so famous before, she was a bit overwhelmed. "Can ye cook well?"
"Very well." She answered calmly.
"Well enough to fit a king?" He said, looking her in the eyes inquisitively. He had to bend his knees to be eye-level with her. She blinked and nodded.
"Yes."
He beamed and nodded. "Nope, sorry. No room for another crew member. We're full up!"
She stared at him in disbelief, thinking "Then why the bloody hell did you nod?!!" But instead, she bit her tongue. "Please?" she said quietly. "I'm desperate. And I can cook very well, and -"
"I've established, dear, that you're a good cook." He interrupted. "But you can JUST be a cook. After all, ya aren't ALWAYS cookin', are ya?"
"Well." she stammered. "I.I can do other things! I can clean, and organize, and.and I have assets other than skills!"
"Assets?" Jack said, looking her over and raising an eyebrow. "What kind of assets?"
She looked at bit insulted, but drew herself up as proud as she could, all five foot two inches of her. "I suppose you've heard of the Lafayette cotton plantations, Captain Jack?"
He nodded. "Aye, I have.nicked a good bit of cotton off of em' over the years."
"WELL, I am the daughter of Mr. Cecil Lafayette."
"Cecil Lafayette, eh? Suppose I owe it to you then, don't I?" She nodded vaguely. "But, how do I know you're not lying? All I have right now is your word, a PIRATE'S word, and something I know better than to take for true. Show me these plantations, Miss Lafayette, and you're on the Pearl."
Belladonna was about to answer, when a voice from behind called her name. "BELLADONNA? No, it couldn't be..."
Unfortunately, her shipmates did. They had been complaining about the bad luck having a woman on the ship would bring. She got this a lot, although it was usually just shrugged off by the realization that none of the other pirates were any good at cooking. But this crew was different. She overheard the captain and first mate talking one day. They were planning to throw her off of the ship, her hands and feet bound together. Of course, they didn't plan for her to know about it beforehand.
That night, she put poison in the stew she made for their dinner. As the crew was in agony, she let all the lifeboats float away, filled one with a bit of the ships cargo for herself, and floated away on it, laughing madly. She reached a port two days later, happy as a clam. For about two weeks she sailed from port to port, until she reached the great port of Nassau, two weeks after the incident. By then, it was well known, and she could no longer get away walking around other pirates without being recognized, usually as "that loony cook", or something of the like.
It was this that made her feel she had to join a crew. After all, a pirate by his (or her) self is nothing, really. The problem was, nobody would take her. She met up with three different captains, and all refused her, two because she was a woman, one because she was crazy. But that didn't stop her.
"If I'm so crazy," she thought one day, while sitting in her lifeboat "Why don't I join the crew of the looniest captain out there."
This captain was none other than Capt. Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl. She had heard the stories, she had met people he knew, and she was sure that he was utterly, utterly mad. Brilliant, but mad. Yes, this sounded good to her. She had heard that the Black Pearl was coming into Nassau within the next few days. She could surely join the crew. After all, what other reasons did the captain have to turn her down? He couldn't say it was because of her being a woman; he already had a woman, Ana Maria, on his crew. And he most certainly couldn't say because she was crazy.
So she waited, venturing little from her tiny boat underneath the dock. Three days later, the Black Pearl was in Nassau. As the crew left to go into the great port city, Belladonna slipped on. She walked up to the captain, who at first seemed not to notice her.
"You're Jack Sparrow, aren't you?" She said, standing right in front of him. She had to turn her head up to talk to him, seeing as she was short, and looked perfectly dwarf-like next to the tall man. It took him a minute to answer. He looked down at her.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, yes." He answered vaguely, and then looked back up. He was looking at the port, she supposed.
"Aaah, yes, captain. Well, captain, if it isn't too much too ask, do you have an opening on you ship's crew?"
"What for?" He said, still looking at the port. Belladonna found it annoying that he didn't look at her when he spoke, although she was, by now, accustomed to bad manners.
"A cook. Or-"
"A cook?" He looked down at her, grinning. He knew who she was, she knew it. he was taking her as a joke! "Wouldn't happen to be the cook from the Siren, now would you?"
"I may." She said slowly.
"The vengeful lass who murdered almost a whole ship." He was still grinning, swaying slightly.
"It wasn't murder, exactly."
"OH, don't try to be so modest!" He said loudly. "I've heard of you! Crazy Belle, they call ya." She didn't answer, she just nodded meekly. She'd never talked to a pirate so famous before, she was a bit overwhelmed. "Can ye cook well?"
"Very well." She answered calmly.
"Well enough to fit a king?" He said, looking her in the eyes inquisitively. He had to bend his knees to be eye-level with her. She blinked and nodded.
"Yes."
He beamed and nodded. "Nope, sorry. No room for another crew member. We're full up!"
She stared at him in disbelief, thinking "Then why the bloody hell did you nod?!!" But instead, she bit her tongue. "Please?" she said quietly. "I'm desperate. And I can cook very well, and -"
"I've established, dear, that you're a good cook." He interrupted. "But you can JUST be a cook. After all, ya aren't ALWAYS cookin', are ya?"
"Well." she stammered. "I.I can do other things! I can clean, and organize, and.and I have assets other than skills!"
"Assets?" Jack said, looking her over and raising an eyebrow. "What kind of assets?"
She looked at bit insulted, but drew herself up as proud as she could, all five foot two inches of her. "I suppose you've heard of the Lafayette cotton plantations, Captain Jack?"
He nodded. "Aye, I have.nicked a good bit of cotton off of em' over the years."
"WELL, I am the daughter of Mr. Cecil Lafayette."
"Cecil Lafayette, eh? Suppose I owe it to you then, don't I?" She nodded vaguely. "But, how do I know you're not lying? All I have right now is your word, a PIRATE'S word, and something I know better than to take for true. Show me these plantations, Miss Lafayette, and you're on the Pearl."
Belladonna was about to answer, when a voice from behind called her name. "BELLADONNA? No, it couldn't be..."
