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Everything in Panama City had gone mostly according to plan, a rare happenstance for the pirates in this motley crew, and the more superstitious among them spent the first few days on board their new vessel debating whether this meant good luck or bad, fair wind or foul.

The Spanish ship they'd stolen isn't large or particularly pleasing to the eye, being in need of some new paint and wood maintenance, but it's seaworthy and swift before the wind, and most importantly, well-stocked for a long voyage.

And a long journey to Singapore it will be.

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"Portkeys, mostly -- that's when we enchant an object to sort of hurtle us through the space/time continuum when we touch it," she explains. "Otherwise there's Apparition, which is when you sort of... blink yourself out of existence, and then back in, wherever you choose. Gets harder the greater the distance, though."

Elizabeth looks suitably impressed.

"Could a door serve as such an enchanted object?" She smiles wryly, not really expecting an answer. Whatever had gone wrong with the door, it's clear that more than just her friend's magic had been involved. "I think I should still like to sail places, if urgency was not a concern."

An agreeable nod. "Yeah. I like the train best, although long trips get old really fast. Magic's very tempting when you're bored."

An odd, unexpectedly soft look crosses Elizabeth's face.

"I wished for something extraordinary to happen on the passage from England, when I was young. Anything to speed the journey, for I was very excited to see the Caribbean, to finally see our new home. And then one day, we came upon Will and his ravaged ship." She looks over the port rail. "That was the first time I saw the Black Pearl, sailing silently through the mists like a ghost ship. I just knew it had to be magic."

At Elizabeth's words, Tonks shivers involuntarily. It's not a bad shiver, necessarily; just a moment when the universe reminds you who's in charge.

She's not used to those moments, yet, for all her time in the bar. Tonks reckons that's a good thing.

"Sounds like magic to me," she murmurs. "Even if it's not magic I can do with a wand."

Letting a small nod serve as her agreement, Elizabeth continues, "The ship and all the pirates upon it were cursed by the Aztec gold they had stolen. Little did they know that the secret to their freedom was now lying at my feet. He had been wearing one of the gold medallions around his neck. I took it, worried that my father and James would think him a pirate."

She smiles at the memory, aware that she's probably told most of this to Tonks before, but... it's a long journey.

"I think I was the only one to see the Pearl." A wave toward Gibbs, standing just out of earshot. "Mr. Gibbs was there. Has he mentioned he used to be in the Navy?"

'Dora's eyebrows quirk. "No, I don't think he has. I have a hard time imagining it, and yet... well he's still quite polite, isn't he? I mean, for a pirate." She laughs.

"He is," she smirks, "though he whispers behind our backs that he still thinks it's bad luck to have women on board."

A giggling snort bubbles out of 'Dora. "And I'm sure the added bonus that two of us are witches really eases the thing, for him."

"It's a wonder he hasn't jumped ship," she says, dryly. "I don't think he knows quite what to make of you. Jack introduced him to Tia Dalma, however, and he follows Jack willingly."

She gives Tonks a sideways look.

"Imagine how shocked he would be if he had never been to Milliways."

"Very true," muses the witch, reaching down to scratch her ankle, which -- along with the rest of her -- is a little bit pink from sun and salty air.

They sit in companionable silence for a few moments, and then 'Dora's smile fades a little, her voice dropping to just above a murmur. This ship's small enough; she doesn't feel like fueling the rumors that inevitably come with boredom and confined spaces.

"How's it going with Will?"

Elizabeth pushes a piece of salt-stiff hair behind her ear and laces her fingers together, staring at an uneven nail.

"Not well. We don't speak often or freely," she explains, though that's certainly no secret to anyone on board. "I keep telling myself everything will be better when we rescue Jack."

'Dora makes a sound that's part agreement, part hopefulness. "I know it's hard," she says quietly. "Hard to patch up-- patch up any kind of rift when there's something else, something huge looming over you both."

"Yes."

She starts tying another knot for something to do that doesn't involve admitting how worried she is.

Then, "Have you and Bernard ever weathered a terrible fight?"

A loud laugh explodes out of Nymphadora, and she covers her mouth to muffle it when half the crew blinks over in their direction. "Oh, sweet Merlin," she replies, still laughing, "have we ever. We're grand at fighting, he and I. Mostly it's just bickering, sort of mid-level arguments. But we've had some really good ripping rows." 'Dora scratches her nose reflectively. "I s'pose the worst was a couple of years ago -- I was pregnant with Anthony at the time. I kept something from him, something I knew would only upset him, that he'd take the wrong way. Of course he found out, and he was just-- it was pretty awful."

That sounds not wholly unfamiliar, as Elizabeth is definitely keeping something from Will, for her own reasons, and dreads his reaction. Timing will be everything.

Her fingers tighten around the rope until the rough fibers scratch her skin.

"An explosive argument?" she hazards, scanning the deck until those still looking glance away. "Or did you not speak?"

"Both," replies 'Dora, her smile fading to something rather more wry. "First we had a blazing row that ended in me accidentally exploding the pencil jar on his desk -- emotional magic, couldn't be helped -- and then we didn't speak for a few days. He slept on the couch that first night, and that..." The smile's gone entirely, now. "That was the worst. It was 'cause he thought I didn't want him in our bed, and I thought it was 'cause he didn't want to be there."

While Elizabeth has never shared a bed with Will (much to her consternation), she imagines that she and Will are having a similar misunderstanding; at least on his part.

"That must have been difficult," she remarks with a sympathetic look, adding, "He loves you. It's clear on his face when I see you together."

And with Anthony.

And none of them will be together anytime soon.

Again she directs her scowl at the rope in her hands.

"I know," she murmurs, face softening. "The second day we were still fighting, nothing was solved, but it was better; he slept in the bedroom again and held me and told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him." Her grin goes crooked. "Took us a while to work out that particular kink, but we got there in the end."

You will too, is the silent addendum.

God willing, her grateful smile suggests.

Elizabeth watches Marty converse with Gibbs, then move on to the quarterdeck.

"My father would like you," she declares. "I wish I could introduce you to him."

Her grin brightens. "Yeah? What's he like?"

"Indulgent." She smiles. "He dotes on me. My mother died when I was young, and he misses her."

Looking out to sea, Elizabeth wonders if Beckett really intended to sail for England like her father said.

Somehow, she doubts it.

"His life would have been far easier if I had been a proper lady and not so interested in pirates, but he never gave me cause to believe he didn't love me all the same."

"Daughters," replies Nymphadora with a sage nod, "are a dad's Achilles heel. Mine's the same way. I think I could've decided to become a circus performer and Dad would've still been pleased as punch."

Elizabeth spends a happy moment contemplating which would most disturb her father: Circus performer or pirate?

"Perhaps when this is over, we should introduce them and they can spend an evening singing our virtues over a fine glass of port," she suggests with a sly, sidelong look.

It's a pleasant thought, anyway.

For a moment, 'Dora's quiet, just looking at her friend.

Then, sincerely: "I think that's a brilliant idea."

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try_corsets - 2007-08-17 04:49 (UTC) - Expand

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clumsy_auror - 2007-08-17 04:56 (UTC) - Expand

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