Fish-Sitting - New fic
Chapter 1
The entire day passed without any news of the captain’s current state. The only one allowed in Davy Jones’ quarters was Maccus, and he never came back out after he closed the doors which led to the cabin of the Flying Dutchman’s captain. Of course the predictable commotion was heard within, but no one, concerned or curious as he was, would dare to be so bold as to enter without permission. Though most of the crew tended to their usual duties, several remained fixed in front of those doors as though waiting to become a part of the ship like Wyvern. Jones could not die so long as his heart remained intact, but the crew somehow was not comforted by the thought and they feared the very idea of what would become of them should their captain no longer exist.
As dawn approached, the doors finally opened and out came a very tired Maccus, looking as though he had stared into the abyss. Instantly the crew who had remained stood up, their eyes wide in anticipation.
“Well??” Koleniko demanded, and the spiny puffer fish glands on his body all swelled in unison.
Sighing, Maccus leant inside the captain’s quarters for just a moment. From within, he removed a basket that he had acquired hours before from below deck, full of discarded clothing. The crewmen wore masks of confusion at the sight, but their patience for an answer was finally paid off when they heard a squeak beneath the clothes.
Hadras was the first to say anything in response. “Can I see?”
Clanker seemed taken aback in his tone of “I want to see it too!”
“Keep your knickers on,” grumbled Maccus, placing the basket down on the deck. “And keep your voices down. The captain’s asleep.”
Lifting the makeshift blankets with a gentility that betrayed the sinister quality of his crustacean hand, the first mate revealed a tiny body amidst the soft basket nest. Hadras of course gasped at the sight, but the rest of the crewmen gathered felt just as in awe of the infant. Though equally asleep as its father, the newborn squirmed as though taken by a dream. Tentacles wiggled every few seconds and a tiny mouth twitched with the rise and fall of its pudgy belly.
“What is it?” Clanker inquired, and Maccus lifted an eyebrow.
“A baby, idiot.”
“I ain’t no idiot, you dim!” the barnacle faced brute roared, forgetting the warning of keeping quiet.
“Alright, alright…” the shark faced man responded. “It’s a wee lad. A son for the captain.”
Hadras, in his enthusiasm, reacted like any imbecile would and lifted the basket.
“A son for the captain!” he cried out, and Maccus grimaced at the hearty cheer from the crew. Though Jones might have been proud of his crew’s appreciation, he had said that his rest must not be interrupted whatsoever. And so the Dutchman’s first mate was inspired to punch the Chinese pirate’s conch shaped head right off of its brainless body. Perhaps what had turned into a hermit crab inside Hadras’ head was indeed once what was left of any brain to begin with.
“AYAH!” The head exclaimed, no idea running about as to what he had done to deserve such treatment.
As Clanker and Koleniko laughed heartily at their crewmate’s misfortune, the headless body stumbled about, dropping the now squalling basket. Maccus thanked whatever deities he could think of for his quick reaction, or else the basket would have hit the floor rather harshly.
“Wan jun! What a noise!” Hadrus cursed in his native language as his body scrambled about looking for his head. “How could anything so small be so damn loud?”
Maccus glared at the currently decapitated pirate. “Perhaps you should have considered that before you caused such a ruckus.”
Koleniko was currently holding his ears shut, face contorted in discomfort. “Just shut it up before the captain”-
The door behind the group opened ever so slightly and they heard a deep voice escape the confines of the cabin, tinged with obvious displeasure.
“MACCUS…”
The nervous first mate jumped at the call of his name, but he turned on his heel and cautiously entered the room. The place was dark, with no candles lit whatsoever. No wonder, Jones was most likely exhausted…
“Yes captain?”
Hardly able to see where he was going, Maccus stayed put until he was given any other incentive to approach closer. He heard a rustling in the far room where the captain’s bed was, and he hoped he had not irritated Jones so much as to cause him to stand or walk. After the mess that was made, the shark-like man wondered if his leader could even so much as turn over without bleeding out again. It was extraordinary that Davy Jones was even awake at all.
“I require rest until I am fully healed. The crew knows what to do in any case of emergency…”
“Yes, sir,” Maccus replied when there was a long pause.
“I will only leave my quarters when I am fully recovered. I am not to be called upon. Is that understood?”
“Yes sir.”
“You will look after the child.”
“Yes, sir. I… what?” Maccus stared into the darkness of the cabin, wondering if the captain was serious. Then again, he knew Jones far too well by now to let his denial get the best of him. “But… I don’t…”
“UNDERSTOOD?”
Maccus gulped and quickly exited, closing the door behind him and blinking in the overcast but far brighter daylight. The three other crew members stared at him inquisitively until the basket began to wail again. They all glanced at the writhing thing until Maccus spoke up.
“But… I HATE children!”
To be continued...
The entire day passed without any news of the captain’s current state. The only one allowed in Davy Jones’ quarters was Maccus, and he never came back out after he closed the doors which led to the cabin of the Flying Dutchman’s captain. Of course the predictable commotion was heard within, but no one, concerned or curious as he was, would dare to be so bold as to enter without permission. Though most of the crew tended to their usual duties, several remained fixed in front of those doors as though waiting to become a part of the ship like Wyvern. Jones could not die so long as his heart remained intact, but the crew somehow was not comforted by the thought and they feared the very idea of what would become of them should their captain no longer exist.
As dawn approached, the doors finally opened and out came a very tired Maccus, looking as though he had stared into the abyss. Instantly the crew who had remained stood up, their eyes wide in anticipation.
“Well??” Koleniko demanded, and the spiny puffer fish glands on his body all swelled in unison.
Sighing, Maccus leant inside the captain’s quarters for just a moment. From within, he removed a basket that he had acquired hours before from below deck, full of discarded clothing. The crewmen wore masks of confusion at the sight, but their patience for an answer was finally paid off when they heard a squeak beneath the clothes.
Hadras was the first to say anything in response. “Can I see?”
Clanker seemed taken aback in his tone of “I want to see it too!”
“Keep your knickers on,” grumbled Maccus, placing the basket down on the deck. “And keep your voices down. The captain’s asleep.”
Lifting the makeshift blankets with a gentility that betrayed the sinister quality of his crustacean hand, the first mate revealed a tiny body amidst the soft basket nest. Hadras of course gasped at the sight, but the rest of the crewmen gathered felt just as in awe of the infant. Though equally asleep as its father, the newborn squirmed as though taken by a dream. Tentacles wiggled every few seconds and a tiny mouth twitched with the rise and fall of its pudgy belly.
“What is it?” Clanker inquired, and Maccus lifted an eyebrow.
“A baby, idiot.”
“I ain’t no idiot, you dim!” the barnacle faced brute roared, forgetting the warning of keeping quiet.
“Alright, alright…” the shark faced man responded. “It’s a wee lad. A son for the captain.”
Hadras, in his enthusiasm, reacted like any imbecile would and lifted the basket.
“A son for the captain!” he cried out, and Maccus grimaced at the hearty cheer from the crew. Though Jones might have been proud of his crew’s appreciation, he had said that his rest must not be interrupted whatsoever. And so the Dutchman’s first mate was inspired to punch the Chinese pirate’s conch shaped head right off of its brainless body. Perhaps what had turned into a hermit crab inside Hadras’ head was indeed once what was left of any brain to begin with.
“AYAH!” The head exclaimed, no idea running about as to what he had done to deserve such treatment.
As Clanker and Koleniko laughed heartily at their crewmate’s misfortune, the headless body stumbled about, dropping the now squalling basket. Maccus thanked whatever deities he could think of for his quick reaction, or else the basket would have hit the floor rather harshly.
“Wan jun! What a noise!” Hadrus cursed in his native language as his body scrambled about looking for his head. “How could anything so small be so damn loud?”
Maccus glared at the currently decapitated pirate. “Perhaps you should have considered that before you caused such a ruckus.”
Koleniko was currently holding his ears shut, face contorted in discomfort. “Just shut it up before the captain”-
The door behind the group opened ever so slightly and they heard a deep voice escape the confines of the cabin, tinged with obvious displeasure.
“MACCUS…”
The nervous first mate jumped at the call of his name, but he turned on his heel and cautiously entered the room. The place was dark, with no candles lit whatsoever. No wonder, Jones was most likely exhausted…
“Yes captain?”
Hardly able to see where he was going, Maccus stayed put until he was given any other incentive to approach closer. He heard a rustling in the far room where the captain’s bed was, and he hoped he had not irritated Jones so much as to cause him to stand or walk. After the mess that was made, the shark-like man wondered if his leader could even so much as turn over without bleeding out again. It was extraordinary that Davy Jones was even awake at all.
“I require rest until I am fully healed. The crew knows what to do in any case of emergency…”
“Yes, sir,” Maccus replied when there was a long pause.
“I will only leave my quarters when I am fully recovered. I am not to be called upon. Is that understood?”
“Yes sir.”
“You will look after the child.”
“Yes, sir. I… what?” Maccus stared into the darkness of the cabin, wondering if the captain was serious. Then again, he knew Jones far too well by now to let his denial get the best of him. “But… I don’t…”
“UNDERSTOOD?”
Maccus gulped and quickly exited, closing the door behind him and blinking in the overcast but far brighter daylight. The three other crew members stared at him inquisitively until the basket began to wail again. They all glanced at the writhing thing until Maccus spoke up.
“But… I HATE children!”
To be continued...