(no subject)

[smallestopener]

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."

Comments

[smallestopener]

Ingress laughs and laughs, and she joins in on the "Yo ho!"

"I want to be a scallywag, too!"

It sounds like fun, and she hears Megwyns bubbling love and laughter filling her mind as she's twirled round.

[young_tmriddle]

Tom laughs, as well. A rotten pirate and a scallywag Jack may be, but Tom's known many people who claimed to be better and acted much, much worse.

"I think you already are, little one. You and Jack will make quite the team."

[pirate_jack]

He finishes the dance and sets her on her feet, swaying as he does so.

Jack grins wickedly at Tom.

"All we've got to do now, mate, is get you used to the idea."

[smallestopener]

"How do I get used to the idea? Can Megwyn be a scallywag, too?"

She tilts her head, as if listening. "She says she won't wear an eyepatch, though, but maybe some beads in her mane would be nice."

[young_tmriddle]

"Ah, Megwyn as a pirate. That might be fun to see."

He nods and explains, just in case Jack has never met fair Megwyn. "She's Ingress's Companion. Horse-shaped entity from Valdemar, mind bond, it's really rather complicated, but we look at her as part of the family."

[pirate_jack]

This gets Tom a very surprised look.

"Quite a family you have, mate."

[smallestopener]

"We have a nice family," Ingress says, and she twirls around, singing "Yo ho, yo ho, I'm a bad egg!"

[young_tmriddle]

"Tell me about it," Tom says with a sly grin. "Jack, are you and your ship here for a while, do you think?"

[pirate_jack]

An odd look flickers over his face as he glances around the deck, his gaze lingering on a damaged section of the rail.

"Looks that way."

[smallestopener]

Ingress dances up to the prow to look over the railing and watch for sparkling squid. She's out of earshot, for the time being.

[young_tmriddle]

"I say, is everything quite alright? Are you going to have to winter here?"

[pirate_jack]

He glances sideways, checking on Ingress's location, and then looks back at Tom.

"Don't know quite how long I'll be staying, mate."

A beat.

"Not sure how it works when you're dead, savvy?"

[young_tmriddle]

"Oh, I see."

Tom goes quiet a moment. What does one say to the newly dead?

"Well, if you're going to winter here, we ought to do something about heat. The lake will ice over soon enough, and Scotland in winter is never mild. Do you plan on staying here, or staying in the bar?"

Apparently one sticks to the topic at hand.

[pirate_jack]

Jack gives him a sharp look, at this.

"She's me ship," he points out. "I've lived in me cabin here for years now, and I don't see any reason to be changing that just because I'm forced into port."

[young_tmriddle]

"Of course not," he says, nodding. "I don't suppose you have a heat source of your own. Not with all this wood. I don't reckon the ice would be good for the hull either. Jack, how do you feel about having a magical source of heat?"

[pirate_jack]

He looks suddenly, vitally interested in this idea.

"You can keep the ice from her keel?"

[young_tmriddle]

"I can. A self-renewing warming charm ought to do the trick. As for your cabin, I can create a non-burning heat source. You have to take care of yourself, as well as your ship, and you're not used to cold climates any longer."

[pirate_jack]

"And it'd not be any danger of setting her afire?"

Something flashes in the depth of his glance.

"Not willing to see that happen, savvy?"

[young_tmriddle]

"You needn't worry. Magical fire doesn't burn, unless you want it to do so. I'll make sure whatever charm I use suits both your ship and yourself."

Tom does remember to put the Black Pearl first this time.

[smallestopener]

There is a cry of glee from the starboard side. "I saw her! I saw her! I saw her tentacle!"

Ingress bounds back to where Tom and Jack stand talking. "I saw Sunshine Dust!"

[pirate_jack]

"Then we've an accord, mate, and I'm obliged to you for it," Jack says quietly, then turns a brilliant grin on Ingress.

"Did you, lass?"

It's probably not notable that he makes no move toward the starboard rail.

[smallestopener]

"I did! Jack, if you're going to be here with your ship, we can visit you more. We'll have fun! Will you stay for Hallowe'en? And Christmas?"

[young_tmriddle]

"I think we'll be visiting Jack a great deal more, if he'll have us. Captain, since you've invited us onboard, you must know that you're welcome in our house, anytime you might wish to come. People have always been able to visit the House of Arch, even those who were Bound or otherwise inconvenienced."

[pirate_jack]

"I've no plans to sail on just yet, lass," he says, flicking a glance at Tom. "Have to find a new route to take the Pearl through first, savvy?"

He nods to Tom, then, adding,

"Now that's a princely invitation, mate, and I'll thank you for it."

[smallestopener]

Ingress takes Jack's hand. "I'm glad you're going to stay. Things are funner with you around."