Yay! It's Bootstrap Bill. And for anyone who happens to be interested. We-
actually, I- have decided to start a story based on Jade's life growing up
on the Pearl. We had a couple of people requesting that, and it's not as
though I have a life, so I thought it'd be fun to write.
Jack leaned back in his seat as the man beside him finished his tale. A curse of the undead? It was ridiculous, of course. The treasure, on the other hand, didn't sound quite so crazy. "So tell me. How am I to find this treasure if the island can only be found by those who already know where it is?"
The answer was simple. "With this." The wizened man handed him a small, wooden compass, which looked as though it had seen better days.
Jack looked at him incredulously. "A compass?" He pointed it experimentally. "Last I checked, north was north. Not west."
The man leaned closer. "It is. But you're going to the Isla de Muerta, are ye not?"
One of Jack's eyebrows rose. "You're trying to tell me that this compass points me toward an island?"
The man started to grab the compass back. "I'll not be forcing ye into believing me. 'Tis your decision."
Jack snatched it back, causing the man to grin. "No, I'll keep it." He stared down at it. "Thanks very much."
But he had no answer. Without so much as a word or sound, the man had disappeared. Jack felt an inexplicable shiver crawl up his back, despite the intense heat of the tavern. Suddenly finding it stuffy, he moved outside to where the Italian sun was still shining brightly. Too busy staring at the compass in his hand; he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. In fact, he was so caught up in the compass that he failed to notice the man walking toward him until he had walked directly into him.
They both fell to the ground with a thump. Jack leapt to his feet, swaying slightly. "Sorry mate," he said, offering the man a hand up.
Brown eyes grinned up at him, and Jack was immediately drawn to this man. "No, entirely my fault." Although by all appearances he was a pirate- long, shaggy hair, scarred skin, mismatched clothes- the man spoke with a vaguely cultured accent.
"No, it was mine," Jack found himself insisting as he pulled the man to his feet. "I wasn't watching where I walked."
"Ah, but neither was I." The man laughed. "How about it was both our faults, and we leave it at that?"
"You have yourself a deal." Jack offered his hand again, this time for a shake. "Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Captain, eh? Perhaps you can help you out then. My name is William Turner, and my ship appears to have... forgotten me."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "Forgotten you?"
"Yes. Forgotten me. And it just so happens that I'm in the market for a captain to sail under."
Jack threw his arm around the shoulder of the slightly taller man. "I like you boy," he said, although he was quite sure that William was older than him. "How's about you buy me a drink, and we'll talk things over. It just so happens that I'm in the market for a crew."
William grinned boyishly. "Alright then." He headed for the direction he'd originally been going: the tavern Jack had just come from.
"Ah..." Jack ran in front of William, one finger raised. "Not THAT tavern."
William shrugged good-naturedly. "Another tavern it is then. May I ask why not that tavern?"
Jack had a funny look on his face. "Yes, well. I had an odd experience in that one, as it were."
William looked at him curiously, but apparently decided that if Jack wanted to tell him, he would, because William didn't mention it. As Jack followed him, he decided this boy definitely had potential.
As they were walking, Jack noticed a young girl, walking down the street adjacent to the one they were on. She had thick black hair that hung down her back, and a smooth, dark complexion. Her eyes where a clear blue. Even as they moved past, Jack continued watching her, never breaking stride. He nudged William. "I wouldn't mind spending a night with her, if you catch my meaning."
William barely even glanced. "Mm, I suppose."
Jack frowned. "Don't tell me you're not interested in women." He had a slightly worried look.
William laughed. "No, it's not that."
"Why William. Could there be something you're not telling me?"
"You keep your secret, and I'll keep mine." William answered before entering the tavern.
Jack leaned back in his seat as the man beside him finished his tale. A curse of the undead? It was ridiculous, of course. The treasure, on the other hand, didn't sound quite so crazy. "So tell me. How am I to find this treasure if the island can only be found by those who already know where it is?"
The answer was simple. "With this." The wizened man handed him a small, wooden compass, which looked as though it had seen better days.
Jack looked at him incredulously. "A compass?" He pointed it experimentally. "Last I checked, north was north. Not west."
The man leaned closer. "It is. But you're going to the Isla de Muerta, are ye not?"
One of Jack's eyebrows rose. "You're trying to tell me that this compass points me toward an island?"
The man started to grab the compass back. "I'll not be forcing ye into believing me. 'Tis your decision."
Jack snatched it back, causing the man to grin. "No, I'll keep it." He stared down at it. "Thanks very much."
But he had no answer. Without so much as a word or sound, the man had disappeared. Jack felt an inexplicable shiver crawl up his back, despite the intense heat of the tavern. Suddenly finding it stuffy, he moved outside to where the Italian sun was still shining brightly. Too busy staring at the compass in his hand; he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. In fact, he was so caught up in the compass that he failed to notice the man walking toward him until he had walked directly into him.
They both fell to the ground with a thump. Jack leapt to his feet, swaying slightly. "Sorry mate," he said, offering the man a hand up.
Brown eyes grinned up at him, and Jack was immediately drawn to this man. "No, entirely my fault." Although by all appearances he was a pirate- long, shaggy hair, scarred skin, mismatched clothes- the man spoke with a vaguely cultured accent.
"No, it was mine," Jack found himself insisting as he pulled the man to his feet. "I wasn't watching where I walked."
"Ah, but neither was I." The man laughed. "How about it was both our faults, and we leave it at that?"
"You have yourself a deal." Jack offered his hand again, this time for a shake. "Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Captain, eh? Perhaps you can help you out then. My name is William Turner, and my ship appears to have... forgotten me."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "Forgotten you?"
"Yes. Forgotten me. And it just so happens that I'm in the market for a captain to sail under."
Jack threw his arm around the shoulder of the slightly taller man. "I like you boy," he said, although he was quite sure that William was older than him. "How's about you buy me a drink, and we'll talk things over. It just so happens that I'm in the market for a crew."
William grinned boyishly. "Alright then." He headed for the direction he'd originally been going: the tavern Jack had just come from.
"Ah..." Jack ran in front of William, one finger raised. "Not THAT tavern."
William shrugged good-naturedly. "Another tavern it is then. May I ask why not that tavern?"
Jack had a funny look on his face. "Yes, well. I had an odd experience in that one, as it were."
William looked at him curiously, but apparently decided that if Jack wanted to tell him, he would, because William didn't mention it. As Jack followed him, he decided this boy definitely had potential.
As they were walking, Jack noticed a young girl, walking down the street adjacent to the one they were on. She had thick black hair that hung down her back, and a smooth, dark complexion. Her eyes where a clear blue. Even as they moved past, Jack continued watching her, never breaking stride. He nudged William. "I wouldn't mind spending a night with her, if you catch my meaning."
William barely even glanced. "Mm, I suppose."
Jack frowned. "Don't tell me you're not interested in women." He had a slightly worried look.
William laughed. "No, it's not that."
"Why William. Could there be something you're not telling me?"
"You keep your secret, and I'll keep mine." William answered before entering the tavern.