smallestopener | (no subject)

(no subject)

Ingress, as most small children do, has intense phases in which she finds out all she can about a certain subject. She's gone on pirate binges in which she read nothing but pirate stories, drew nothing but pirate pictures, and played nothing but pirate games. She's done this with horses, dinosaurs, princesses (of course), and squids.

Sometimes she runs across a picture or a story, and her memory is jogged. So it is that she and Tom walk out to the lake, to see if Ingress can catch sight of Sunshine Dust, the glitter squid.

And who knows, maybe one day Mr. Julia Fruitnugget will return.

"I hope she's there still," she says, running ahead of Tom into the cool fall-like day. "I haven't looked in a long time."

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Jack tilts his head back, looking up at the sky with real interest.

"There's gold dust in the sunlight here?"

"No, silly," she says, pointing at the water. "Sunshine Dust is a squid. She's all sparkly and pretty."

Hopefully she's not shark food by this time.

"There used to be a giant squid in the lake, as well, but it was stolen some time ago," Tom adds.

His reaction may not be quite what they're expecting. Something dangerous flashes in the black eyes, and Jack strides to the rail and looks down at the deeper water.

"All sorts of beasties what live in this lake, aye?"

He sounds grim.

"They're not mean beasties. Mr. Julia Fruitnugget was nice. He tickled my tummy once."

"I think there might even be merpeople somewhere in the depths. This lake was fashioned after the one at my school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Magical lake, you see."

"Aye, the shark mentioned the mermaids," he says casually, still looking down at the water. One hand's clenched tightly on the rail.

"Shark? There's a shark?"

"But how can that be? This is fresh-"

Tom just stops.

A) There is a squid in the fresh water.
B) The shark would seem to be a talking one.
C) This is Milliways.

Logic does not apply to this in any way, shape, or form.

"Huh. How interesting."

Jack turns around at this, grinning at Tom.

"Was explaining the very same thing to young Wellard meself when its fin broke the water's surface."

He shrugs. "Was later that we had a bit of a chat, the two of us."

"What did you talk about?" And then she claps her hands over her mouth. "Do sharks eat squids?"

"Er, I'm sure this shark wouldn't eat a squid. Not one like Sunshine Dust, at any rate."

He gives Captain Jack a quick, beseeching glance.

He gets a rather flat look in return, as it's unfortunate for Tom that Jack Sparrow's not particularly fond of any tentacled beastie. Still, he drops down on his heels and gives Ingress a serious look.

"Now be reasonable, lass. The beastie talks, savvy? Much more better than your usual sort of shark."

"I never met a shark before. But Mr. Julia tickled my tummy once. I was dresed up like a pirate that day! Remember Tom?"

"I do indeed, Ingress." He ruffles her hair, and then nods to Jack. "You've had quite the role models."

Disaster averted. PHEW.

Jack grins wickedly at her, then looks up at Tom with devilish mischief glittering in the black eyes as he says,

"Need more sparkle in that pretty hair of yours to be a pirate like me, lass."

"I have beads! I could put them in my hair. Would that be sparkly enough, or do I need to put glitter in, too?"

"Ah, you and your glitter."

His smile is a wee bit forced. No matter how one cleans up glitter - either by magic or by old-fashioned hard work - it always ends up in the most unwanted places.

Jack winks at Tom and says to Ingress,

"Lass, do you see any glitter in me braids?"

She peers closely. Then she walks around him, looking hard.

"No," she says, and she's sounds very sad about this fact.

"Beads and strings. See, that's all you need for you to be a proper pirate."

No glitter! Huzzah!

"Not quite all, mate," Jack drawls lazily.

"Yeah! You need a cutlass and boots and a hat and a parrot!"

"Obviously I am not wise in the ways of piracy," Tom says, with a smile of regret.

He raises a finger, cautioning her.

"Maybe not a parrot. You talk just fine on your own, lass."

Jack stands, and nods to Tom. "Ways to see about taking care of what some reprehensible rapscallions might call a regrettable lack of information on the part of a respectable man what's gone and gotten himself into dealings with pirates, savvy?"