AWE: On the Beach of Davy Jones' Locker

[bringmethatnpc]

It's a long, unpleasant fall from the edge of the world into Davy Jones' Locker, there's no question at all of that.

And it's a truly ragtag group that eventually finds its way one by one up onto the beach. Still, despite the fact that they're all half-drowned and bedraggled, they're doing better by far than their ship.

That unfortunate vessel's washing up on the beach as well-- in pieces.

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[bushel-o-apples.livejournal.com]

Barbossa smiles even wider, an almost beatific, paternal look on his face.

"Aye. Isla de Muerta, remember...?"

And at this his smile turns into something fiercer, colder.

"You shot me."

[pirate_jack]

Jack stares blankly at him for a few seconds, then shakes his head.

"No I didn't."

Having settled that, he looks away from Barbossa and spots another familiar face.

"Tia Dalma!" He steps sideways, grinning cheerfully down at her.

"Out and about, aye? You add an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium."

[turned_captain]

Will's grinning, but he's distinctly unamused by any of this performance. By the time Jack's addressing Tia Dalma, and she seems unsure what to say, Will's had enough.

"He thinks we're a hallucination."

[pirate_jack]

Jack whirls on him.

"William, tell me something." He cocks his head to one side, setting the beads in his hair clattering against each other.

It sounds like the dry rattle of bones.

"Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel--"

He corrects himself, flicking his fingers in the air to wave the mistake away.

"Er, rather-- damsel in distress? Either one?"

Jack looks quizzically at Will, waiting for an answer.

[turned_captain]

The answer comes quickly, impatiently, and unamused at having Jack of all people mention Elizabeth.

"No."

[pirate_jack]

"Then you wouldn't be here, now would you?"

He sounds a little impatient, as if he's vexed at having to explain the obvious.

"So you can't be here. QED," Jack concludes triumphantly, flicking his fingers at Will to emphasize his point, "you're not really here."

[try_corsets]

This isn't quite the reaction Elizabeth had expected. Brow furrowed, she carefully steps forward like she's approaching a wild animal.

"Jack," she says, voice low. "This is real. We're here."

[pirate_jack]

That gets his attention. Jack swings around, frowning at Elizabeth.

He starts to say something, then stops. He looks away from her for a moment, then back, as if expecting her to be gone -- and as he does so, his glance passes over Wellard.

Jack frowns worriedly and hurries back to Gibbs. He bends close and asks in a low voice,

"The Locker, you say?"

[pirate-gibbs.livejournal.com]

"Aye." Was it too optimistic to think that Jack was coming back to reality? Assuming, that is, he'd ever been there. Gibbs was havig his doubts about now.

[try_corsets]

"We've come to rescue you," Elizabeth adds, still frowning.

Just as she said they would.

Really, he should be more appreciative.

[pirate_jack]

He spins around.

"Have you, now?"

Jack starts toward her, stalking forward over the sand, black eyes glittering with something dangerous.

"That's very kind of you. But is seems that since I possess a ship and you don't, you're the ones in need of rescuing."

A beat of silence, and when Jack continues, still glaring at Elizabeth, there's real venom in his words.

"And I'm not sure that I'm in the mood."

[bushel-o-apples.livejournal.com]

Barbossa watches Jack with a little smirk as he starts to speak circles around miss Swann. Ah, this is the moment to settle a little argument, isn't it...?

"I see my ship..."

He reaches out, his arm extended towards the Pearl, hand stretched.

"Right there."

And he turns back to Jack with a wider smile, eyes narrowed to dark slits.

[pirate_jack]

Jack turns away from Elizabeth and steps toward the water, shading his eyes with his hand as he peers curiously out to sea.

"Can't spot it -- must be a tiny little thing, hiding somewhere behind the Pearl."

[turned_captain]

Once again, Will finds himself angry at the banter when things should be done. Of course, he's also angry at Jack for stealing Elizabeth away from him.

"Jack," he says, pushing his way through the crowd to stand beside him. "Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davey Jones and is controlling the Flying Dutchman."

The heart is all Will can think of. Of course it'll make Jack see reason.

[try_corsets]

Whatever Will may think, Jack is far from pleased to see Elizabeth, and she's rocked by the contempt in his eyes. But this is larger than the two of them, and when Will steps forward, Elizabeth is close behind. She insinuates herself next to Jack's shoulder and tries a different appeal.

"He's taking over the seas!"

[touch-destiny.livejournal.com]

"The song has already been sung," Tia Dalma tells him, her voice and eyes stern.

"The Brethren Court is called."

[pirate_jack]

By now they're gathered around him, and Jack looks from one to the other of them in surprise.

"Leave you people alone for just a minute and look what happens-- everything's gone to pot!"

He eases himself forward out of the crowd and starts hurrying away up the beach.

[pirate-gibbs.livejournal.com]

"Aye, Jack, the world needs you back something fierce." The world? Maybe not. But Jack's loyal first mate needs him back. The pirates of the world need him back. And the forces of chaos and delirium surely need him back.

[turned_captain]

"And you need a crew!" Will adds, annoyed at the way they've all been rejected after coming this way.

[pirate_jack]

At this, Jack stops in his tracks, then slowly turns back around.

"Why should I sail with any of you?" he growls. "Four of you have tried to kill me in the past--"

He's gesturing with one hand as he talks, accenting his words, and then suddenly points at them.

Or rather, at Elizabeth.

"-- one of you succeeded."

[turned_captain]

What?

What?

Will starts, and turns to look at Elizabeth for confirmation of this accusation.

She killed Jack. That kiss - she was distracting him in order to leave him to the Kraken.

The shock of realising everything knocks him speechless. Everything about her behaviour in the past year now makes perfect sense. She wasn't mourning, she was guilty.

And now Will feels guilty at the relief that washes over him.

[politestpirate.livejournal.com]

Wellard had never pressed for Jack for details as to his death. He went down with the Pearl, or so Wellard had thought, and that was all he needed to know. But apparently-

("One of you succeeded.")

That was not quite it.

It also explains a few more things- bits and pieces that had not added up before, and Wellard had not even thought about looking at them closer.


There is very little to say, or that he will let himself say, on this new revelation, though there is a hard look in his eyes as he glances at Elizabeth.

[try_corsets]

Her face is all the confirmation anyone needs. After months of wondering why Jack didn't tell anyone, she's unprepared for the truth to be aired so casually. She jerks back, eyes finding Will and immediately flitting away again.

Part of her had desperately wanted him to know.

(I won't be so easily caught this time, savvy?)

Now he does. Now everyone knows, and Elizabeth is surprised to feel relief mingling with the panic at being caught off guard.

[pirate_jack]

A slow, wicked smile appears.

"Oh."

There's no surprise apparent in him at all as he saunters towards them, drawling to Will,

"She's not told you. Well, you'll have loads to talk about while you're here."

Without waiting for an answer, he turns on Tia Dalma.

"And as for you--"

Her smile, however, is as knowing and wicked as his as she purrs,

"Now... don' tell me you di'n't enjoy it at the time, hmm?"

Jack grins. "Fair enough. All right, you're in."

He starts walking along the line of those assembled, counting each of them off as he goes.

"Gibbs, you can come, and you, Wellard. Marty, aye." He gives Ragetti a narrow look and shakes his head. "Don't need you, you scare me." Jack makes a dismissive noise at Pintel, then nods at Cotton.

"Mr. Cotton." A beat. "Mr. Cotton's parrot, I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk to."

He eyes Tonks with surprise, taking in her relative position to Elizabeth, and then turns to the rest of the gathered crew.

"Who're you?"

[bringmethatnpc]

"Huang." He jerks his head to the side in a nod.

"These are my men."