Pirates of the Carribbean is Not My Friend

Jasper:

I feel … alive.

A sea breeze ripples over my chest. The sun is streaking the horizon, and for the first time in a long time I revel in it. It is bright. I am free.

At last.

I float through the air, marvelling in the ease of my movement twisting and flying like a spinning lea through an abyss of sea-spray and light.

I land, and I feel as I did when I first met Alice. there is a fateful cast in the air. Hope is almost tangible around me. Something is coming … something that will change me, my world forever.

But it is little that I care.

I stare down at the open sea, and I want to be a part of it. I'm calm, in control, and I have never felt more at my ease. All I need to make the scene complete is my Alice. Alice …

I dive. Deep. Deep, deep down, but something feels familiar about the dark depths. I slip through the water with ease, and the fish pay me no heed. They don't see me as a threat, though what I am is burned into my vein and soul. This light, free creature, a threat? Never.

It should surprise me, but is doesn't. Though I am a predator, I am one who has never felt more satiated or controlled.

I glide into a lazy dance with the dolphins. They talk to me, and I need no words to understand them. They salute me, and I smile back before I surface, realising as I do why it feels so odd.

I have surfaced. At last.

Fir a moment, goodwill and ecstasy overcome me, and I drown in warm depths of happiness …

… until I look up, and see what I have done.

Oh, Jasper. Jasper Whitlock-Hale. You fool.

A caravel glides proudly on the horizon, sunlight gleaming off the shining wooded surface, the sails fluttering in the light breeze, rigged and ready for a good wind to set its course.

I stare at the crow's nest I leapt off. I stare at the deck, swabbed and clean. I stare at the black Jolly Rodger, coiling sinuously through the dawn's cool air, and silently mouth the words written across it in scrolling white letters.

Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Worse. There is worse.

When you are me, there is always worse.

Gold paint spells out the words across the prow in an unfamiliar cursive.

Captain Jasper Whitlock-Sparrow

I sink below the waves again.

Jasper, Jasper, you silly child, the centuries have taught you nothing. Be glad that Alice, lovely lady Alice is far, far away.

oOo

When I resurface, I see Emmett standing on deck at the wheel, and through my despair, I feel an odd jealousy. It's my name that is tattooed on the ship's side.

I plough through the after until I reach the ship and shimmy up a hanging rope, past port holes signalling rooms no doubt filled with things I will regret acquiring in due time, until I can walk across the deck. Emmett grins wolfishly at me and sighs contently, running a hand over the oiled wood of the wheel.

'Oh, man, Jazz,' he says, as I realise he has an earring that is gold and distinctly hoop-like pierced through his ear, and a tri-corner that may have been mine at some point of last night perched on his dark curls. His torso is bare, glimmering in the sun, and his denim cut-offs that might have been jeans at some point yesterday are torn the way he likes them. He looks happy.

'Jazz man, this is awesome! Jeez, for a guy who walks around like someone has shoved a poker up your ass, you sure know how to party!' he chuckled, jubilantly. I hazard a smile in return.

'Sure is, Em. But I guess it's "Captain" Jazz now, huh?'

Emmett looks blank for a moment, before his grin widens to such an extent I looks faintly violent and thoroughly inhuman.

'Holy crapola, Jazz! Wow, you must've been really under last night, huh?'

I shakily agree, one of the last things I remember is a cab …

'Well. You're wrong, Jazz. You aren't a captain,' he says, tossing the hat like a hoop onto my head, and gesturing out to sea where, to my intense horror, I can see the outline of at least four other ships drifting about, identical and pristine. Emmett looks unlawfully happy.

'You're a commodore, buddy. Nice fleet!'

oOo

It's like one of those Zone Reality shows, where things keep getting worse, until you're so bogged down in your own misfortune that you crumble into half-life.

Well, I've spent almost all of my time as a vampire existence as a half-man, and Ill be damned, if you'll excuse the pun if I spend any more. I have just woken from a life of stupor.

I straighten up as Rosalie approaches, still wearing her " I freaking love Quiggles!" t-shirt, stolen, no doubt from the concert I can vaguely remember. It strikes me that I am far taller than Emmett. This too gives me strength.

'Gentlemen,' I say, addressing Emmett to my right.

'Ladies,' I smirk at Rosalie.

'I say we turn this sinking ship around … proverbially, of course,' I say, allowing the smirk to creep all the way across my face. I stare at the ships – my ships – banking the horizon.

'I say we make these ships into something worthwhile. Something fun. Something … free.'

I flip the coin I found in my pocket in my fingers. It lands heads.

'There are no laws in international waters, you know, about licensing,' I smile, feeling light. Alive. Free.

I turn to the two, their smiles already spreading.

'I say we make my fleet the best damned karaoke bars on the seven seas. I say we go wild. Broadway style.'

'Jasper,' Emmett says, clasping my shoulder.

'You've never made more sense than you do right now.'

'I know,' I say, and it's true. I understand. Finally.

xXx

Signing in as : Wraithlike

HEY HEY HEY, LADIES!! (and fellas ... come on, I know you're out there!) So, hello from everyone's favourite absentee. While I was gone, 'Carley' really was a busy little biker bunny. Slow social life, like. ;)

So, I felt the need to write this to catch up. A lot has happened since we last spoke, and our favourite vamps have globe-trotted admirably. I think we're going to have to inaugurate Jasper with some movie trivia soon. But be happy. His little depressed patch is lifting. Onwards!

And a note to 'Carley's Mammy: BLATENT PLUGGING OF YOUR DAUGHTER'S LITERARY GENIUS WILL BE REMOVED AND YON INTERNET NAME SHALL BE DISCREDITED.

On a completely unrelated note, EVERYONE WATCH THE WAKEWOOD!!! ;)

Tee hee. Thank you, Carley's Mammy for your kind words -attempts to bow- I hope this meets the standard of yon prodigious Carley. ;)