Author: newzealandwanderer
Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. Inserted characters are mine, however.
Rating: PG-13 for now
Rantings and Ravings: I have reviewers! I'm grateful to you all--it's good to hear you guys like it so far!
Warning: Violence, some language, scenes in later chapters with some... naughty stuff probably. There might be some spoilers for the movie, so if you have not seen it yet, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?
Turning Away: A Pirate's Return
Captain Jack Sparrow swung down from the main topmast on the gaff rope. Throwing his face back he let the wind rush past his body as he landed crouched on the main deck like a cat. Straightening up he swung himself around in circles like a drunkard until he encountered the helm. Laying his chest over the huge wooden steering wheel he gazed euphorically up into the clouds, all cares forgotten as he lost himself in his sailing. He had his beauty back. His Black Pearl.
"Captain?" A crewman approached him with a sleepy look of someone who has nothing to do.
"Hm?" Jack didn't bother to move his eyes down to the speaker. He took a deep breath of ocean air and smoothly pulled a bottle of gin from his the inside of his coat, taking a long swig. "Ahh... Good stuff." He recapped the bottle and brought his face down to the man in front of him. "Well then? What? Because unless you've got something incredibly important to tell me that has to do with something small and golden, I don't think I care much." He brought his hands up near the sides of his face when he spoke, moving them around in no particular pattern as if they had minds of their own. His head tilted on his neck as well, and he seemed to swing around on his torso like he was about to lose his balance, though none aboard the boat had ever seen him so much as trip, let alone fall. Somehow, Captain Jack Sparrow always gave the impression that he was half drunk, no matter how sober he was.
"We're coming up on an island."
Jack sauntered over to the rail of his ship by his usual wavering walk. Leaning out over the side he took in the green jewel on the horizon. Squinting his eyes, with his usual look of indifference, he surveyed the piece of land. It was a fairly large island: large enough that it would be worth it to drop anchor and search the land for anything hidden of value. There seemed to be caves along the eastern side, but the northern side was completely covered in lush, branching palm trees.
"Mmmm..." Jack murmured. It seemed like a secure enough place that it might be a cove with the hidden plunder of other ships stashed away in the caves. Dropping his gaze down he stared fondly at the dark blue water parting to allow his pride and joy through. Slowly though, his eyebrows furrowed as he observed the water growing shallower by the second. Leaning out further over the rail he tried to see the deeper water that should have been appearing, but a bone-jarring thud threw him backward toward the center of his ship.
Catching hold of the bottom rope on the fore sail, he leaned back against the change in momentum as his boat made a terrrible scraping noise below deck. Rocks. Jack frowned. Rocks... were bad. Vaulting up on the forecastle he barked orders as his crew scurried around like rats beneath him.
"Down sails! Get this thing turned around! It's too shallow!" He swayed as his ship encountered yet another obstacle under the deceptive water.
A man stuck his head through the hatch. "Captain! We're talking on water! There's a huge gash along the starboard keel and the front mast step is split!" Jack snapped a look at his fore mast, and sure enough, it was tilting dangerously to port. Jumping to the helm he grabbed the wheel, trying to direct the Pearl to port and away from the death bringing rocks. To his dismay, the boat showed now change in direction. "Hmm... That's interesting." His mouth curled up in a 'what now' kind of expression. Running down the bowsprit he searched the water. Seeing an oppertunity he grabbed the jib rope and turned back to his crew.
"Get the sails back up! Tilt the main boom to the starboard! There's a deeper patch through off to the left!" With his luck, he could use the wind behind him to bring him straight to the island before his Pearl became friends with the wrecks on the bottom.
Holding his breath he watched the approaching gap. His eyebrows nearly touched each other as he realized how narrow the opening really was. And his boat seemed to be veering a little too far to the left.
Closer.... Closer.... As the Pearl came nearer, Sparrow's head tilted farther, farther, farther to the right. (A/N: Can't you just see it? His ship's moving further to the left, and he's tilting his head to the right as if its going to help the situation and his ship's going to make it through. Sorry, I thought it seemed funny to think of it, like it's something Jack Sparrow would do.) However, the left side of the opening still grew closer. Twisting his head he yelled back to the quarter deck. "Not so far! Bring her around a little!"
Too late. The Black Pearl crashed into the rocks on its port side. A yell cut through the air as one of the sailors flew headlong over the railing and splashed into the water.
"Man overboard!" The other crewmen rushed to the side, trying to seek out their lost comrade. From Jack's position on the bowsprit, he was the only one who could see the floundering sailor, spinning around to the starboard side. He must've gone completely underneath the boat.
"He's on that side!" Jack yelled. But, with the scraping of timber against rock none of his shipmates could hear him. Rolling his eyes skyward, Jack gave a half groan. Stripping off his jacket and tossing his pistol onto the forecastle he balanced himself along the bowsprit and let go of the jib rope. Cocking his head at the foaming water beneath him, it suddenly occured to him how incredibly cold the water was going to be at this time of spring. The thought came too late: there was no time to rethink his decision before his head submerged and his body plunged into the freezing water with hardly a splash.
R&R for me? Yes... I've put our beloved Jack in a PREDICAMENT! *Gasp* Not like he's ever been in one of those before, right? For the reviewers who wanted Jack to show up, there he is!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. Inserted characters are mine, however.
Rating: PG-13 for now
Rantings and Ravings: I have reviewers! I'm grateful to you all--it's good to hear you guys like it so far!
Warning: Violence, some language, scenes in later chapters with some... naughty stuff probably. There might be some spoilers for the movie, so if you have not seen it yet, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?
Turning Away: A Pirate's Return
Captain Jack Sparrow swung down from the main topmast on the gaff rope. Throwing his face back he let the wind rush past his body as he landed crouched on the main deck like a cat. Straightening up he swung himself around in circles like a drunkard until he encountered the helm. Laying his chest over the huge wooden steering wheel he gazed euphorically up into the clouds, all cares forgotten as he lost himself in his sailing. He had his beauty back. His Black Pearl.
"Captain?" A crewman approached him with a sleepy look of someone who has nothing to do.
"Hm?" Jack didn't bother to move his eyes down to the speaker. He took a deep breath of ocean air and smoothly pulled a bottle of gin from his the inside of his coat, taking a long swig. "Ahh... Good stuff." He recapped the bottle and brought his face down to the man in front of him. "Well then? What? Because unless you've got something incredibly important to tell me that has to do with something small and golden, I don't think I care much." He brought his hands up near the sides of his face when he spoke, moving them around in no particular pattern as if they had minds of their own. His head tilted on his neck as well, and he seemed to swing around on his torso like he was about to lose his balance, though none aboard the boat had ever seen him so much as trip, let alone fall. Somehow, Captain Jack Sparrow always gave the impression that he was half drunk, no matter how sober he was.
"We're coming up on an island."
Jack sauntered over to the rail of his ship by his usual wavering walk. Leaning out over the side he took in the green jewel on the horizon. Squinting his eyes, with his usual look of indifference, he surveyed the piece of land. It was a fairly large island: large enough that it would be worth it to drop anchor and search the land for anything hidden of value. There seemed to be caves along the eastern side, but the northern side was completely covered in lush, branching palm trees.
"Mmmm..." Jack murmured. It seemed like a secure enough place that it might be a cove with the hidden plunder of other ships stashed away in the caves. Dropping his gaze down he stared fondly at the dark blue water parting to allow his pride and joy through. Slowly though, his eyebrows furrowed as he observed the water growing shallower by the second. Leaning out further over the rail he tried to see the deeper water that should have been appearing, but a bone-jarring thud threw him backward toward the center of his ship.
Catching hold of the bottom rope on the fore sail, he leaned back against the change in momentum as his boat made a terrrible scraping noise below deck. Rocks. Jack frowned. Rocks... were bad. Vaulting up on the forecastle he barked orders as his crew scurried around like rats beneath him.
"Down sails! Get this thing turned around! It's too shallow!" He swayed as his ship encountered yet another obstacle under the deceptive water.
A man stuck his head through the hatch. "Captain! We're talking on water! There's a huge gash along the starboard keel and the front mast step is split!" Jack snapped a look at his fore mast, and sure enough, it was tilting dangerously to port. Jumping to the helm he grabbed the wheel, trying to direct the Pearl to port and away from the death bringing rocks. To his dismay, the boat showed now change in direction. "Hmm... That's interesting." His mouth curled up in a 'what now' kind of expression. Running down the bowsprit he searched the water. Seeing an oppertunity he grabbed the jib rope and turned back to his crew.
"Get the sails back up! Tilt the main boom to the starboard! There's a deeper patch through off to the left!" With his luck, he could use the wind behind him to bring him straight to the island before his Pearl became friends with the wrecks on the bottom.
Holding his breath he watched the approaching gap. His eyebrows nearly touched each other as he realized how narrow the opening really was. And his boat seemed to be veering a little too far to the left.
Closer.... Closer.... As the Pearl came nearer, Sparrow's head tilted farther, farther, farther to the right. (A/N: Can't you just see it? His ship's moving further to the left, and he's tilting his head to the right as if its going to help the situation and his ship's going to make it through. Sorry, I thought it seemed funny to think of it, like it's something Jack Sparrow would do.) However, the left side of the opening still grew closer. Twisting his head he yelled back to the quarter deck. "Not so far! Bring her around a little!"
Too late. The Black Pearl crashed into the rocks on its port side. A yell cut through the air as one of the sailors flew headlong over the railing and splashed into the water.
"Man overboard!" The other crewmen rushed to the side, trying to seek out their lost comrade. From Jack's position on the bowsprit, he was the only one who could see the floundering sailor, spinning around to the starboard side. He must've gone completely underneath the boat.
"He's on that side!" Jack yelled. But, with the scraping of timber against rock none of his shipmates could hear him. Rolling his eyes skyward, Jack gave a half groan. Stripping off his jacket and tossing his pistol onto the forecastle he balanced himself along the bowsprit and let go of the jib rope. Cocking his head at the foaming water beneath him, it suddenly occured to him how incredibly cold the water was going to be at this time of spring. The thought came too late: there was no time to rethink his decision before his head submerged and his body plunged into the freezing water with hardly a splash.
R&R for me? Yes... I've put our beloved Jack in a PREDICAMENT! *Gasp* Not like he's ever been in one of those before, right? For the reviewers who wanted Jack to show up, there he is!