Of the man who fell from grace with the sea

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Who: flicker_flash, halftheduet, ufo_fanboy, lists_to_port
What: Jack puts together a rescue party to finally get Hector back.
When: Friday, October 7th
Where: The Ocean and points north along the shore.
Summary: Jack's kitten was mysteriously kidnapped while he was away on the draft; now he has plans to fetch Hector home.
Rating: Hopefully no more than PG?

Comments

/godmodes you all!

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Once the compass led the brave crew to their destination, Captain Jack Sparrow snapped it smartly closed and began to take in sail. He trusted Mulder to hold the boat steady while he worked with the sheets, quickly and quietly.

The element of surprise, he reasoned, might still be on their side, even though the cephalopods probably had spies everywhere. Therefore his orders and questions were spoken in a harsh whisper that he hoped would not carry over the water.

"Munster--keep her steady! Maturin--stop peering over the rail, you'll alert them! Katie, darling---are you ready?"

[ufo_fanboy]

"Right." Mulder also tried to keep his voice down, treating this the same as he would any sort of infiltration he'd done back home. This wasn't the first time he'd gone after a sea creature suspect, so at least he had some kind of experience to draw on. Though Scully's dog had not fared well in that particular case... he was hoping to do things right today and save Sparrow's cat.

At least the weather had been decent, so he could keep this thing steady without much trouble. Mulder was getting the hang of it, the farther out they went. As they neared the cave he kept an eye out for signs of things stirring.

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Jack was beginning to learn that he could rely on Mulder in weird situations. Apart from the fact that he was a backwardly odd man who wanted to meet red-eyed cannibal pygmies, Fox Mulder was reliable. And reliability was never to be pitched away just because of pygmy-fancying.

Once the anchor was dropped and the Joanna was bobbing quietly on the waves, Jack turned back to his crew.

"There's a cave just there. We're going to need to be stealthy; we can row closer in the dinghy, and then by Davy Jones's writhing face we'll set poor Hector free. If you're not otherwise armed, there's an extra cutlass or two in the cabin."

[flicker_flash]

Cutlasses? Like actual pirate-y cutlasses? Katie's face brightens as she looks up at Jack hopefully. "How many can I have?"

...never mind she actually came with her own sword.

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"How many can you hold at once?" Jack wasn't holding back or playing shy with his cutlasses. They were probably going to need them, and a spare sometimes came in handy. "Could you tuck one down the back of your shirt?"

[halftheduet]

Maturin was still, honestly, both awed at the creatures he'd already seen-- Sparrow's scolding to stay away from the edge had done little to sway the doctor-- and sure that this was some elaborate fantasy on the part of the pirate captain. However, he would take his role in the matter seriously enough. Perhaps in doing so, he would help the man get this out of his system.

"I'll take one, if you can spare it, Sparrow."

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Maturin, a swordsman? Though actually one probably didn't need to be much of a swordsman to go up against a small, unarmed octopus. Jack nodded. "You and Katie see what's what in the cabin. Check the trunk at the foot of my bed; there should be weapons in there. I'm stayin' on deck; I don't trust these rascals one bit."

[ufo_fanboy]

Swords were tempting just for the coolness level, even though Mulder came pre-equipped with his usual guns. Two of them readily at hand on his belt. Plenty of ammo too. He was learning not to take chances. He had gotten around to concealing another in an ankle holster, an old habit he'd picked up again in Luceti.

Drawing one of them now, he seemed satisfied he'd be set to go. "I'm up for making some calamari out of them..." Or was that technically squid? No matter, Mulder was already eagerly scanning the area for signs of foes.

If you guys want to do comment-spam style, that is cool with me.

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"Calamari is delicious with hot peppers and spices. Oi---Mulder---you see movement there? Just by the mouth of the cave?"

Jack thought he'd seen SOMETHING, but...no, perhaps just a trick of light and wave.

"Right. You keep a sharp eye--I'll prepare to lower the boat."

The dinghy he had started to build with Mildmay months before was now readied on the side of the Joanna. It would carry four, with the pirate at the oars.

[flicker_flash]

Katie hadn't stayed around for long once Jack had asked his question. If they're going to rescue a kitten by sea, then a cutlass just sounded so much more fitting for the job. She skipped inside to investigate the trunk at the foot of Jack's bed, even politely holding it open for Maturin to take a look if he wished.

Once she was armed, however, she scrambled up into the dinghy as if worried all the adults were going to leave without her, nimble as... well, a cat.

[halftheduet]

Stephen armed himself. Very French in style, he supposed, but it was not as if his present company would say much. A cutlass on one hip and a dagger on the other.

He joined the others a moment later, looking at the dinghy. Then his eyes went to Sparrow, and he nodded once.

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"Right," Jack whispered. "Into the boat. We'll lower her down and be off." He wanted to leave one of them to guard the Joanna, but the pirate wasn't sure he actually trusted any of them to be able to do that. His faith was placed in Buffy's pennant, now. Magical protection. It flapped high above the deck, topping the tall mast.

"Cabin girls first."

[ufo_fanboy]

Mulder trailed behind to board, keeping an eye out. Sure enough, there was a faint hint of movement out there, something more than just the water stirring. He pointed. "Something further on, for sure. But there could be scouts or something patrolling around closer."

Well, he was operating on a theory that Octopi were decent strategists. Probably worse than dolphins, but better than hermit crabs in that department. God, if Scully could have heard him go on about this.

[flicker_flash]

Katie found absolutely nothing bizarre about the idea of rescuing a kitten from an army of octopi, and once she was in the dinghy leaned out to squint at the coastline herself, inhaling the sea air. Her heightened sense of smell could pick out little more than salt and seaweed, but once they got closer she might have better luck.

Once they got closer. She sounded impatient. "Can we go now?"

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Go they could. Once they were all in and with the the others' help, Jack lowered the smaller boat down to the pitching waters beneath. He set himself up at the oars, and with skilled strokes brought them right up to the cave's forbidding mouth.

From somewhere inside the dripping wet formation, eyes were watching them. Tentacles were signaling. A resistance force was amassing.

"Might want to go first, Muldy," Jack whispered. The lawman probably had the most experience with this type of thing, for all he knew.

[halftheduet]

Stephen kept one hand firmly on the side of the boat. It had managed to get on the water without him ending up soaked... but there was a long way yet to go. Falling in water? Still entirely possible.

His pale eyes darted about, taking in every sight he could. The solemnity of the others had affected him. At the very least, he was willing to accept that Sparrow took this to be a serious hunt, and he would conduct himself as if it were just that.