Disclaimer: I own nothing, so you sue for nothing, savvy? (Really…all I own is various brands of pocket lint…and a rather nice, heavy 'walking' stick/staff…:P)
Note: Sango does not have hiraikotsu, and Kirara is still in feudal Japan.
Chapter (8): Remind me never to drinkAs the Interceptor pulled into the docks Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. The town, and the harbor, smelled of unwashed human and something else. It was vaguely like some sort of grain, but different, more pungent. And far more…disturbing…in quality. He wondered what it was before he pulled the grubby bandana hiding his ears for camouflage, and shrugged it off.
Probably find out in due course. No use lying about waiting to see what would happen. Inuyasha was a far more direct man than that. He had to help get this boat moving in the direction of Kagome, and to do that…
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Jack strode along with in the forefront eyes open for a likely tavern, a wide smile on his face as he watched the group behind him from the corner of a dark eye.
Miroku's head was turning every which way, and he reminded Jack of a tourist. The worst kind, with the camera around the neck, and crazed eyes that tried to eat everything of 'historical interest' at once.
Miroku just didn't know where to turn to get the best view…and these women looked like they wouldn't slap him to death either, even if some were decidedly grubby. A beatific smile had appeared on his face somewhere, while behind him, Sango wore a frown equally potent. Her eyes were having no problem whatsoever remaining on Miroku's guilty back.
"More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?"
Miroku looked around, still unsure of where to get the best sights, while Will wrinkled his nose "It'll linger."
Sesshoumaru grimaced. "Be thankful you can't smell it as keenly as I do…it does more than linger." Sesshoumaru was sure that the smell here was not only a separate, breathing entity with a private life of its own, but a malign force trying to kill him though the sheer power of stench.
Jack disregarded the smell, and went on, talking to Miroku, gesturing wildly. "I'll tell you mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted!"
"True…fleas are always happy to be near blood..." Sesshoumaru muttered. Unwanted indeed.
Suddenly Jack spotted a familiar shape and rushed over, Miroku close behind. "Scarlett!" Scarlett slapped him across the face.
Miroku, behind Scarlett, put out a hand and touched her shoulder. "Poor woman…betrayed by a sea faring scamp…" He took her hand in his, face a picture of fidelity.
"Not sure I deserved that. Giselle!" Jack glared at the monk, rushing off towards the latest arival. Sango was looking murderously at Miroku.
"Lady, will you bear my child?" Miroku was rewarded with a smile.
"No…that would be bad for business, but we can surely try, now can't we?" Scarlett batted her eyes coyly, looking up at the monk. "Providing you have enough…"
THUNK
Down went Miroku.
Sango glared at him where he was on the pavement, before turning her wrath towards the red decked Scarletts. "Sorry, luv. Didn't know he was yours." Scarlett winked at the angry demon slayer, and hastily vacated the area.
"We need to be after Kagome! Not for you to be fooling around!" Sango hid the hurt she'd felt at Miroku's wandering thoughts/and or hands. Wasn't she enough? She turned around, face tilted forwards. Sometimes she wondered why she even had a soft spot for the monk at all.
"But Sango!" Miroku got up and going over to her, moving over to where Jack was facing Giselle.
"Don't 'Sango' me…"
"Who was she!" Giselle's voice was dangerous, and she looked Jack up and down with narrowed eyes.
Jack looked confused "What?" His face was slapped, again, hard enough to make him wince. "I may have deserved that." Will just stared. Sailing with pirates…and others…was an eye opener for sure.
Sango sighed. Just her luck that she had to be surrounded by perverts, sans Sesshoumaru, who would probably kill her in other circumstances, and Inuyasha, who remained eternally clueless to these sorts of things…and no Kagome. It was going to be one of those days…
She spotted Miroku heading off in the direction of a group of decidedly grubby, but dangerously curvy whores, and muttered something about the state of Miroku's health if he kept it up. "Miroku!"
Miroku stopped a few meters from the group of women, a desperate attempt at innocence gracing his features. "My lovely Sango, what…?"
Sango picked up one of the wooden staves from the cobblestone's and slowly advanced, murder written in her face.
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The party finally turned down an alley, and entered a building that reeked of pig. This fact was quite noticeable even to the less sensitive noses of Will, Jack, Miroku and Sango. Inuyasha scrunched up his nose, and covered his nose with a sleeve, looking faint. Sesshoumaru's features took on a slight cast of distaste.
Jack took a bucket of stale water from the doorway, and threw it at the man sleeping blissfully with the pigs.
"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot! Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck!"
Inuyasha grimaced as the sudden movement sent waves of previously unknown, probably fatal gases in his direction.
Jack hunched down "Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping, a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."
Gibbs paused for a minute, letting that sink in then agreed "Aye, that'll about do it." He got up, and Will threw another bucket at him. "Blast! I'm already awake!" Shouted Gibbs.
"That was for the smell."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Trust me; it did nothing for the smell."
"You can say that again" Inuyasha's voice was muffled through the sleeve of his haori.
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Jack passed Will, holding two tankards of rum. "Keep a sharp eye."
"What's that?" Inuyasha leaned over the two mugs, nose wrinkled. So this was that stuff he'd been smelling every where.
"Rum" said Jack, surprised. He'd have to educate Inuyasha in the finer arts of drinking…
"Remind me never to drink it" Inuyasha told him firmly.
'Ah…a challenge' Jack grinned, and moved over to Gibbs.
"For once, you show good sense Inuyasha" Sesshoumaru glanced at the open mug of rum, sure he'd seen the drowned corpses of bugs floating to the bottom.
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Gibbs took his mug from Jack, and gulped "Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?"
Jack sipped at his own mug "I'm going after the Black Pearl." Gibbs choked on his drink as Jack continued "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it."
"Jack, it's a fool's errand! Why, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl!"
"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew."
"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one."
"Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?" countered Jack.
"Prove me wrong. What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"
"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?" He nodded meaningfully in Wills direction. Gibbs looked confused.
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Will frowned, glancing back. Leverage?
Inuyasha, who had been listening for the conversation between Jack and Gibbs between the noises of the tavern, looked just as confused, while Sesshoumaru showed nothing, inwardly turning it over in his mind. Sango was too involved in slapping Miroku to notice. The man who'd been edging over to her paused and thought better of it. Instead, he sidled over to Sesshoumaru.
"Aven't seen you here afore luv" Slurred the man. "Nice place, ain't it? …but o'd look better if we found somewhere less crowded, eh?" Grubby fingers slithered over to where Sesshoumaru's arm hung at his side.
Sesshoumaru looked at the offensive man, and his eyes turned slightly red. He picked up the man by his neck and slammed him against the wall.
"Never speak to me again" He whipped the man over his head and into the brawl with deadly ease. The unlucky sod tore through several fistfights on his way by, before smashing through the wall and landing somewhere on the street.
"Touchy" muttered the man, clutching his arm.
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Gibbs stared at Will, somehow having missed all that "The kid?"
Jack nodded "That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?"
Gibbs's face took on a calculating grin "Is he, now? 'Leverage,' says you. "I think I feel a change in the wind," says I. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."
"One can only hope. Take what you can…" he toasted Gibbs, clinking their tankard together.
'…Give nothing back." Finished Gibbs, drinking the last few drops and smacking the mug back down on the scratched table.
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(I know Sess was a little ooc here…. but if he'd killed the guy on the spot, plot problems would have risen that could not be undone…so he be a little ooc.)
Thanks to all those who have reviewed faints with disbelief, seeing that more than ten people read her story
My homepage 'Dark Gardens', contains a large amount of writing, (original and fanfiction), and a few art galleries. Come visit! (FF .net won't allow underscores to be posted in a ch, so you'll have to visit my profile for the site link.)
Originally posted: July 5 2004
Revised: May 24 2006
