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10
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Erik sat in front of his organ. He ran his hand along the smooth ivory-sculpted keys, feeling a sadness because he would have to abandon everything that he had loved. Unless he was very persuasive with Jack... He pulled the bench in closer and placed both hands over the keys, pressing down on them forcefully, emitting a frightful melody, deep and dark. Jack shook his head and stood beside Erik. "No, nothing creepy like that. It has to be fun... delightful... bright... adventurous!"
"But I don't like any of those things. Besides, I don't even want a... theme song," he said, displaying much distaste when saying the words 'theme song'. "I am the composer, this theme song will be to my standards."
"But you're boring! You write about darkness and seduction. I want it to be all about like... flowers and kittens and stuff." Erik raised his eyebrow at Jack. "Well... maybe not flowers and kittens, but certainly not about entwining bodies, and such."
Erik chuckled to himself, recalling their performance of his lewd composition the other day. "Yes, but my music is tasteful and--"
"What's tasteful about 'flames consuming us'?" Jack asked, appalled that the man would consider his filthy music tasteful in the least.
"Fine. Then we'll compose it together-- Even though I never work in a partnership when creating music, especially with someone who doesn't even know how to read it! But I'll make an exception this time... just because you're being so difficult-- Okay? We'll compromise. Half will be tasteful with 'darkness and seduction' so you say. The other half will be about 'flowers and kittens'."
Jack nodded, pleased with the turnout. "Alright. That sounds manageable." He grabbed a blank piece of paper from the side of the organ and a nearby pen. "If you want me, I'll be over in the corner composing my half of our score."
He disappeared before there could be an argument. Erik let out a long sigh in front of the organ. "That's not how you compose music. It's not going to work. We have to execute this together," he said to himself quietly. "Oh well," he shrugged, leaning back on the bench and cracking his fingers out before him. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen as well and set them next to him. Prepared, he set his hands over the keys again, thinking of where he should begin. An idea came to him and his composition began.
An hour following, Jack returned to Erik and stood beside him at the organ once more. Erik had finished his composition just then as well and was ready to look at what Jack had come up with (even though he knew it was rubbish and had no intention whatsoever of using it). Jack placed the paper in his hands. There were several sentences scrawled across the grain of the sheet.
Erik looked up at Jack curiously, and with much pity. "It took you this long to make this up?"
"Just read it, I know you'll like it."
Erik began in a flat, disinterested voice, "Yo, ho. Yo, ho. A pirate's life for me. We pillage and plunder an-- Jack, what is this?"
"It's our theme song."
"Uh, no. It's not. You didn't make this up. You've just stolen it. That's plagiarism, it's illegal. My composition is original." He crumpled Jack's paper into a ball and threw it aside. It hit the wall and bounced away onto the floor.
"Hey!" Jack yelled. Erik's paper was immediately thrusted into his hands. Jack looked it over and began to laugh. "This is so stupid! It has nothing to do with anything!"
Erik growled. He didn't like when someone insulted his music. "Well it's better than yours. And I thought it up myself, at least."
"True, true," Jack said, rolling his eyes impatiently. "Then let's try composing it together this time, maybe that will work better."
Erik threw Jack an I-Told-You-So look, before grabbing several more sheets of paper. He handed half to Jack and placed the remaining next to him on the organ. "Let's begin, then," he said, placing his hands over the organ's keys.
Another hour passed in the lair and when it was up, Erik and Jack had a composition before them that seemed much better than the previous of their two individual works. They were pleased with the result and decided that this would be their 'theme song'.
"Now that we've got that, we need our matching costumes."
Erik sighed and raised from the organ bench. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a looong day," he muttered under his breath.
Jack observed his surroundings, looking around for any sign of a closet or set of drawers where clothing could be kept, but saw none. "So where do you keep your clothes, mate?"
Erik frowned. "You stay here. Don't follow me."
"Ooooh, Erik's got secrets. What don't you want me to see? What, some sexy undergarments of sorts or something along those lines? What is it?"
Erik placed his hand over his face in disgrace for Jack. He did not reply and moved to the side, where he pushed a curtain back several inches and disappeared. Jack tried to see through the uncovered area while it was displayed, but Erik moved too quickly and he saw nothing. He waited patiently, tapping his foot to pass the minutes.
Shortly, Erik returned from the curtained area holding a handful of clothing and accessories and such. He moved to the table and chairs near the organ and placed the heap of clothing atop the table's surface. "This is mostly it," He stated as Jack approached the table and began sifting through the pile. He pulled out a black piece of material with holes in it that had strings attached and held it up to Erik, dangling it by one of it of the strings.
"Tsk, tsk, Erik. I knew you'd have racy undergarments. But with holes cut into them? Now that's just erotic."
Erik grabbed the material from Jack. "It's not undergarments, you fool. It's a mask."
Jack took it back from him. "Ah, really?" He placed it up to his face without tieing it, but holding it in place. "How do I look?"
"Like an idiot. But you always look that way, so it's okay."
Jack smiled sarcastically and put the mask back into the pile. He sifted through the garments again, picking out several items that would be suitable for a costume. When he had finished and the pile was complete, he said, "We'll intermingle your pieces of clothing with mine so it will be all pirate-y and phantom-y at the same time. It will be great, just great. I know it!"
"Yes, a grand ball indeed." Erik replied with little enthusiasm.
Jack nodded. "So what were the things that you needed to take care of before leaving here?"
Erik smiled slyly. "Ahh, yes. Well, you see... I was hoping that if I were to come live upon your ship, you'd allow me to move my possessions and such on board."
"Yeah, sure thing, mate," Jack agreed. "I wouldn't let you leave without your things.
Erik nodded and let out a small, nervous laugh. "Good. You'll help me move them, then?"
"Of course."
Erik moved away from Jack and placed himself on one side of his large pipe organ. He fastened his hands beneath its top. "Okay, you grab the other side then."
Jack's jaw dropped. "Whoa, mate! I thought you meant that you wanted some trinkets, like your little music box! There's no room for an organ on my ship!"
"Then we'll make room. Hurry up and take the other side."
Jack reluctantly moved to the organ and grabbed onto the side. He didn't think he'd be strong enough to lift it all the way out... and up the ladder? "How will we get this up the ladder and through the opening?"
"There are ways, Mr. Sparrow. There are ways for everything."
Somehow, Erik had been right and they had managed to get the organ all the way into the entrance of Pearl. They set it down in the middle of the hall and left it there, deciding that they would figure out where it was to go later. They returned to the lair to fetch more items.
"What now?" Jack asked, out of breath. He leaned back against the wall, his chest heaving up and down.
Erik smiled and looked in the direction of his swan bed. Jack felt as though he were going to cry. He sniffed and pulled himself from the wall, moving to one side of the bed. They lifted it out and proceeded to the ship.
"Why does your stuff have to be so heavy?" Jack asked, struggling for breath as they moved up the gangplank.
Erik shrugged. "Hey, don't complain, I'm helping you. I had to move all of it by myself back when my original lair burned down." Jack stared at Erik open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Then they set the bed down next to the organ in the hall and left the ship again to retrieve more of Erik's items.
"That was all the heavy stuff," Erik assured Jack when they returned to the lair. Jack panted, though contented at the remark.
Erik moved to the curtain which covered the area he had went into before. He began unhooking it and it came down in his arms. After rolling it up, he set it down on a chair and went into the area which wasn't covered anymore.
Jack moved slowly to the area. "Good Lord," he exclaimed, setting his eyes upon the surroundings. There were several standing mirrors, some smashed in various areas. A large wooden dresser stood off to the side and next to it was a large table. Scattered all over the table were piles of paintings and drawings, sculptures, figurines and dolls, masks, music sheets and poems. Jack approached the table slowly as Erik was turned around and trying to move a mirror, he looked more closely at the items, seeing that all of the figures in the creative pieces were a particular female. In several pictures Erik was along with her, in others she was alone. Some of the figurines and dolls who were molded of people Jack did not know were broken. But the figurines and dolls of Erik and the female were in perfect condition. Jack reached out tentatively and picked up one of the paintings of the girl. He looked it over in a daze.
Erik moved the mirror out and turned to look at Jack inspecting his personal creations. He hissed at him and grabbed the painting away, patting it gently, in a loving manner. "Don't touch Christine," He said softly, looking Jack in the eye.
"So this is what you do with your spare time..." Jack said sadly, turning away and looking at the creations once again. He covered his hand over his mouth and coughed. "Freak," the cough seemed to say in its muffled form.
Erik frowned, placing the painting back on the table. "I just have a little bit of an obsession, okay? It's nothing, really."
Jack lifted a drawing from the pile which seemed to be this 'Christine' wearing nothing more than a racy bedtime apparel. "Yeah, nothing at all..." Jack said with sarcasm letting go of the paper so that it floated back down to the pile.
Erik sighed. "Well, since you like inspecting my creations so much, why don't you gather them up and take them off the ship."
Jack nodded. "Can do," He agreed, looking the large pile over and wondering if he'd be able to get everything back in one piece.
As though reading Jack's mind, Erik smiled at him. "And If you break anything, I'll kill you."
Jack laughed, understanding from Erik's smile that he was kidding. Erik's smile faded. "And I'm not kidding."
Jack frowned and saw a blanket in a heap underneath the table. He picked it up and lay it out on the ground neatly, then began loading it up with Erik's precious items.
Erik grabbed one of the long mirrors and carried it past, exiting the lair with it. He returned shortly to collect another of the mirrors. Jack was almost finished loading the blanket when Erik came for yet another mirror. Jack carefully folded the blanket containing all of the items into a secure little package. He picked it up and exited the lair, bringing it to the Pearl. When he had set it down inside the swan bed, rather than on the floor so no one could step on it, he let out a long breath of relief because he had gotten it there safely. He returned to the lair, passing Erik with another mirror on the way. He got back inside and returned to the area to see that all the mirrors had been taken. Erik came back and told him to grab a side of the large wooden dresser. Jack did as was instructed and they brought it to the ship.
When they came back yet again, Jack asked curiously, "Is there much more?"
"No, there are things I can spare. I'll show you what's left."
Erik walked around the lair, feeling awkward because it was so bare. He pointed at various items of furniture, stating whether or not he needed them. Jack brought the organ bench to the ship and Erik gathered his candleholders, and then that was the end of the furniture. Erik said that the rest was unnecessary. Jack's back wanted to thank him after this statement.
The remaining items to be moved were the clothing, 'trinkets', as Jack had called them, jewelry, and such articles alike.
They returned to the lair for the final time, Jack spotting the musical monkey box off to the side where they had knocked it in their previous brawl, and picking it up. He placed it in Erik's arms. "Almost forgot this, mate."
"Thanks."
"Well, is this it?"
"I'm afraid so," he said, feeling great mournfulness. He picked up the bent grate-covering, gave once last look at his home before grabbing onto the rungs and ascending the ladder, clutching the grate and music box closely to his chest. Jack followed along behind until they had left the dark pit. Erik looked down through the hole for a moment, then placed the bent grate over the it, the metal sticking up in an odd fashion and not quite covering the area fully.
They walked along slowly back to the ship. Jack placed a comforting hand over Erik's shoulder. "It's alright, mate. You'll live on my ship now. It will be a blast!"
Erik remained silent as they walked up the gangplank to be faced with all of Erik's items and belongings blocking the hallway. "We'll have to sort this out now, I guess," Jack said, not feeling in the mood to move all the heavy things again at all.
Erik sensed the uncertainty in Jack's voice, as well as his own feelings of not wanting to be reminded of his abandoned lair any more, and offered, "Well, we don't have to do it right now. We can wait until tomorrow."
"The hallway entrance is blocked... and we really should move this..." Jack began, then decided that he was being let off and desisted. "Okay, tomorrow," He said, smiling, as he rubbed his sore back.
"What do you want to do now?"
"Try on our outfits!" Jack said excitedly, running through an opening within the furniture, and disappearing down the corridor in the direction of his cabin. Erik sighed and grabbed his pile of clothing, which they had brought, from off the organ bench and headed through the opening to Jack's cabin. He took the musical monkey box with him, sure that if Jack was eager to steal it when he was not much of a thief, then the crew members who were interested in stealing would surely not think second thoughts about walking off with his beauty.
He entered Jack's cabin, seeing that it was still in the same state as it had been with everything in disarray, and set his pile of clothing next to Jack's pile on the bed. Jack approached the bed and pushed Erik out of the way, sifting through the two sets of clothing and creating two more separate piles from each of the large ones. Erik stood by, anxiously awaiting to see what Jack was up to. In several minutes, Jack picked up the two smaller piles in each hand and pushed one of them into Erik's own hands. "Go to your cabin and put this on. Come back when you're finished," Jack instructed. Erik stepped back and left the room to go into the opposite cabin.
Setting the clothing on the bed and standing in front of a mirror, Erik pulled out a piece of apparel and frowned. Nevertheless, he dressed in what had been delivered and when he was finished, he observed himself in the mirror with an expression of confusion and resistance. The outfit didn't match at all!
He slinked back to Jack's cabin, seeing Jack dressed in a similar disaster. Jack approached him excitedly and patted him on the shoulders. "This is wonderful!" He said happily. He led Erik to the mirror and they stood next to eachother, two fools in mismatched dress. Erik sulked sadly.
"Aw, come on mate. Cheer up. It's not that bad."
Erik did not reply, but went over to the bed and pulled something dark from the pile of his clothing. Then he walked to the front of the room and grabbed his cape from the chair where he had placed it before the wedding. He returned to Jack and placed the dark item he had gotten from the pile into his hands. Jack unfolded it and saw that it was another cape.
"Nooo... I'm not wearing any cape, I told you I don't like them."
"I don't like this outfit but I'm not complaining. Put it on, I think it would really complete the look."
Jack looked at Erik coldly for a moment before reluctantly placing the cape around his shoulders and tying it around his neck. Erik did the same and then they stood in front of the mirror next to eachother, now two cloaked fools.
Jack sighed. "Well, you're right. It does complete the look," he said, modeling different poses in the mirror. He turned away and bent down to pick something up. "Ah, mate. You almost forgot your bandanna and eyepatch."
Erik growled, mad that Jack had remembered. He was hoping that he'd forget about those dreadful things. Jack tied the bandanna around Erik's head and slipped the eyepatch over his eye. "And something else, so we match!" He exclaimed, running to a set of drawers and pulling the top one out so quickly that Erik thought it would come right out of its track, but it did not. Jack scrambled through the items, pulling out a battered, brown tri-cornered hat. He set it upon Erik's head and they looked into the mirror together for a third time.
Jack wore a frilly shirt of Erik's with his own blue vest and matching pants. Several belts as well as his waist-scarf were wrapped around his middle. His red bandanna and tri-cornered hat sat upon his head, while his feet were clad with his brown boots. Erik's black cloak was nestled upon his shoulders.
Erik wore his own frilly shirt, his own dark red vest and black pants. Jack's many belts encased his waist, while the blue bandanna and eyepatch were on his head, as well as Jack's spare tri-cornered hat. Jack's small boots were on his feet. He was happy to port his own cloak as well as the half-mask upon his face.
The looks were not quite too much of a change for either of them. However, as much as Jack didn't like the idea of being a fancy-boy wearing a cape, Erik did not like the idea of being mismatched, even though the mismatching was not so great as Erik made it out to be. Both men were just... reluctant when it came to imminent change.
Jack went back to the bed and pulled out the black Zorro-like mask by its string from the pile. He dangled it in front of Erik again. "Erik, ol' bloke... since you get to wear a mask and everything... I was wondering if--"
"No."
"Please?"
Erik rolled his eyes, knowing that Jack would not be willing to take no as an answer no matter how many times he delivered it. "Fine," he said, irritated. "But it's been molded to my face so don't get mad if it doesn't fit properly."
Jack clapped his hands together in joy, ignoring Erik, and moving to the mirror. He set the mask over his face and tied it in the back. "Hey, mate. It doesn't fit properly, it's all out of shape in some areas."
Erik scowled at the ignorant pirate. "I just told you that!"
"It's like it was made for someone else's face."
"Are you deaf?"
Jack ignored Erik, making him come to think that Jack really was deaf. He sighed. "We're all dressed and ready. Now what?"
Jack turned his attention back on Erik. "Why, we go explore the outdoors!"