OOM: Pearl Repairs

[politestpirate]

The sky is cool, grey, and occasionally misting, but that just means when you are working hard you can keep warm enough.

And there is certainly plenty of work to be done. The deck of the Black Pearl has been cleared off, with debris and pieces that are large enough to reuse stacked carefully. All over is the gleam of cut and exposed wood, the splintered edges cut and smoothed in preparation for patching sections. One mast has been cleared of charred and torn sails and rigging, the canvas and rope set in one area to work on before it can be sent back up.

One of the current priorities, however, is fixing the stern section of the ship, the back wall of the captain's cabin, that took some of the worse damage from the kraken-

Scottish autumn nights can start to get chilly, afterall.

Party thread style, slowtimes more than welcome.

Comments

[v_knidh8er]

Do you hear that?
That...noise? It's like a tapping.
Not random, or slow like the sound of shallow waves hitting the bow.

No, this is more rhythmic.

Onetwothree
Onetwothree
Onetwothree four fivesixseveneight

It's not coming from behind that deckside cabin door, is it?

[river_meimei]

River, drifting past, pauses.

Cocks her head, slowly, her gaze on the tree-edged horizon.

And then takes two steps towards the door, and bends sideways to listen.

[v_knidh8er]

The thumping continues.

Onetwothree
Onetwothree
Onetwothree four fivesixseveneight

Though, now that she's closer it sounds so much more like clapping.

[river_meimei]

River's never been too good about privacy and personal space, and there are several people swarming about this ship at the moment anyway.

She wraps a hand around the latch, stroking the smooth metal absently. Slowly, almost experimentally, she lifts the latch and peeks in.

[v_knidh8er]

The clapping is instantly louder.
It's also accompanied by some rather impressive boot-stomping.
Jackboot-stomping, to be exact.

WE WANT YOU.
WE WANT YOU.
WE WANT YOU FOR A NEW RECRUIT.

WE WANT YOU.
WE WANT YOU.
WE WANT YOU FOR A NEW RECRUIT.

The door begins to open, it takes River with it when it does.
Five small orange shapes emerge from the below-deck gloom.

They're clapping.
They're stomping.
They're...wearing carpentry tool belts and puffy shirts.

They're also singing...

n the Navy, yes you can sail the seven seas.
In the Navy, yes you can put your mind at ease.
In the Navy, come on now people, make a stand.
In the Navy, can´t you see we need a hand.
In the Navy, come on, protect the motherland.
In the Navy, come on and join your fellow, man.
In the Navy, come on, people, and make a stand.
In the Navy, in the Navy.

[river_meimei]

River shrieks, stumbling backwards, before she whirls and flees in panic.

[pirate_jack]

It's debatable whether it's River's terrified scream or the very loud song that brings him over, but when Jack strides across the deck to look down at the singers he's grinning, and black eyes are glittering with feral, wild mischief.

"She's not a Navy ship, mates."

A beat, as he eyes them.

"No problems with that, are there?"

[v_knidh8er]

They're just about to break into another rousing chorus of We WANT YOUs, when they pause to consider this new information. Little arms freeze mid clap, as one by one they look at Jack, then up and to the right, and finally at each other.

Four seem to defer to one.
The one front and center, with the dreads.

You maybe right, we maybe crazy.
But we just might be the lunatics you're looking for.

[pirate_jack]

He throws his head back in a shout of laughter, setting beaded braids swinging, then grins down at them again.

"You're in grand company then, being as I'm daft meself."

Jack cocks his head sideways, looking at them.

"Come to join me crew, then?"

[v_knidh8er]

The one in the dreads, the leader, he shrugs.
He gives the main deck of the Pearl a critical glance.

His only answer is a smirk that goes quiet literally from ear to ear.

[river_meimei]

River has by this time worked her way along most of the deck in a surprisingly surefooted sprint, weaving rapidly around coiled ropes and piles of rubble.

She darts under the stairs to the quarterdeck, pressing her back against the wall and staring with wary and frightened eyes at the tiny orange figures.

[pirate_jack]

Smirk is met with fey madcap grin, and Jack offers him a hand.

"Looks like we have an accord, mate."

A beat.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Welcome to the Black Pearl."

[v_knidh8er]

The leader spits into his tiny orange hand and offers it up to Captian Jack.

Meanwhile one of the other tiny orange figures attempts to assess the damage done to the Pearl, he happens to spy River in her hiding spot.

For a fleeting moment he considers alerting the rest of his compatriots to her where abouts. Loompas, you see, have a great dislike of all children, and tormenting her further would be the second on the list of high priorities.

There's just something about the way she's recoiled from them all together that strikes him as odd.
A quick glance tells him that no one else is watching, so he's free to act as his conscience dictates.

Ever so slightly he waves in her direction.

[river_meimei]

River's elbows are between her knees, her fingers buried in her hair; her face is white and strained, and she's breathing much too fast.

Her eyes cut to the waving Loompa, and don't shift away.

She doesn't respond aloud, or wave back -- just watches him, unblinking.

[pirate_jack]

Without hesitation, he spits in his own hand and seals the bargain by clasping the Loompa's in turn.

"Done!"

A beat.

"Got a name?"

[v_knidh8er]

The spikey haired loompa looks up. He hadn't noticed Jack there at all, he was too busy watching the hiding girl. It wasn't until the dreaded loompa to his right elbowed him in the side that he looked up. A quick glance at the rest of his crew is all he needs to let him know what's been going on. Dutifully he spits in his hand and offers it up to the much taller man.

Through it all his eyes continue to watch River.

At one point the Leader'd been given a name, but when you're never used to having one, it's kind of hard to keep that in the forefront of your mind.

One of many, that's all he ever was.
One of many.

He shakes his head and shrugs.
The following hand gesture isn't grand, but it's straight forward.
One for all, all for one.