Fic: Before the Shipwreck-Part Four
Title: Before the Shipwreck-Part Four
Author:meowbooks
Rating: PG
Characters: Pintel, Ragetti, Barbossa, Three Original Ones
Pairings: None
Summary: An account in their own words of how Charlie Mercer, Oliver Wainwright and Jonathan Green met the notorious and most evil Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl
Ollie Has a Feast
“No shoes! No shoes!” Jon whispered as he tugged at Charlie’s feet. The old pirate with a fantastically round hat and a feather raised a brow and frowned. I pulled Jon to his feet, catching him around the middle so he wouldn’t try going at shoes again. He was like a muddy pig wiggling and squirmy like. “Let go, Oliver…”
The old pirate moved to the side and we saw a feast: chicken, lobster, bread, fancy glasses, real shiny things, tablecloth and candles and in the very middle a bowl full of apples. Even Jon had to stop moving to look at it. That just does to show the power that fruit has.
It was all still until we looked at the old hatted pirate who smiled, bowed and said. “After you.”
I don’t even remember moving, but there we were leaning over the table taking in all the smells, watching the steam rise and candlelight move over the smooth, sweet fruity, fruit that was the apple. The old pirate sat at the largest chair and we decided he wanted us to do that too.
Charlie didn't waste a breath. Or rather he didn't breathe for a full five minutes as he slurped up everything, but his folk and plate.Jon just sat stiffly and stared wide eyed at the ancient pirate. I wasn't sure if Jon was breathing either. Now, I like to enjoy what I eat. Hmmm. The turkey and buttery lobster were delicious. Charlie's always bragging about how he can eat a whole chicken in fifteen minutes. I doubt whether he tasted anything.
We might disagree on how to eat things, but there's one thing we don't agree on. As soon as we finished, we went straight for them. I picked a bright green one and Charlie chose a red one. We were just about to bite into one when Jon jumped on top, knocked us out of our wooden chairs, and sent the apples rolling.
"DON'T EAT THEM!" he screamed picking them up. That was his first mistake. You don't mess with our apples.
There's No Sense
I watched that old pirate because he was watching them. His eyes were set on whatever was on Oliver and Charlie’s plates staring away at every bite they made. When the two made a move toward the apples, the pirate’s steady stare changed. His eyes widened, he sat up straighter in his chair, and drew closer to the edge of the tablecloth as the distance between their hands and the delicious fruit shortened. A cold thought came into my head. I bit my lip. Maybe Charlie and Oliver wouldn’t eat them. Maybe they’d just, just save them for later and-No! I jumped on the table, knocked into Charlie, Oliver and their chairs, and crashed onto the wooden planks with them screaming. I was the first to recover and I swiped their apples away.
Charlie spat out a chicken bone. Oliver shook his red hair out of his eyes. They lifted their heads, knees and hands holding them up, tensing as if to pounce. Uh oh. I looked at the apples in my hands. I frowned and held one above my head. “I’ll drop it!”
“Y-you wouldn’t…” Charlie gulped. He looked to Oliver, “He wouldn’t. He can’t…” Oliver didn’t look so sure and stared worriedly at the apple. I tightened my grip on the fruit and pointed to the old pirate, “He’s not eating!”
“Well, of course not…” said Oliver regaining his voice. “I’d think you’d tackle me too.”
“Don’t you see?” I said, tapping impatiently. “He’s--”
“Not going to take our shoes!” sighed Oliver. “Is that what this is about? I think he would’ve done it already.” He started slowly walking towards me. “Now, just put the apple down…There’s no need for any unnecessary…accidents.”
“Get BACK!”I screamed. He stopped. “Do you think pirates just give away fancy dinners ‘cause you speak French to them? He’s trying to KILL US!” The pirate drew back a bit in his chair. There was a silence, then Charlie and Oliver started giggling. Yes, giggling like Mary Perkins.
“Oh yes, we’re all going to choke on chicken bones…” snorted Charlie. Oliver smiled, “Well, you might.”
“Would not!” said Charlie crossing his arms.
"Would so--" POW! The old pirate cut Oliver's sentence short with a shot in the air. "SIT!"
We sat. He tucked his pistol into his belt and glared like he'd make the moon fall on us. "I open my doors to you, I serve you drink and food and you accuse me of being so inhospitable as to try and kill you?"
"You stared at the apples." I countered,"You wanted us to eat them-cause you poisoned them!"
At this, he put his hand over his heart and sunk back into his chair, "Yes, I wanted you to eat them, but poison apples? Me? Never! There's no nobler fruit in the world." Charlie and Oliver's eyes widened at this and they shook their heads in agreement.
"Boys, it is a sad tale I have to tell you..." He leaned in closer, and barely a whisper said. "I can't eat apples."
Oliver and Apples
It was the saddest thing I'd ever heard and sure as my name’s Oliver I’ve heard a fair few things. I’ve listened to stories ‘bout ladies widowed by the sea, desperate salts sailing out into storms and the apples that were unfairly bruised on the way but nothing like being unable to eat apples. The old hatted pirate explained his misfortunes. Charlie and I listened polite-like as we should.
“…and so, every time we make port…My crew finds someone brave and worthy enough to dine aboard the Black Pearl so that I might not forget what joy apples bring.”
I frowned and stared at the bowl of apples. It must’ve been horrible to have it so close and not be able to enjoy it. Thankfully, Charlie and I were just the brave and worthy sorts to help him. We reached for them and were just about to sink our teeth in when Jon had to start hissing away at us.
“It’s a trick! He’s just using apples to kill us all!” He glared at the hatted pirate. “My mother warned me-”
Barbossa stood quieting Jon like water on fire. “I’m beginnin’ to tire of your bilge, boy.” Jon gulped. Barbossa slowly moved towards him as a cat would to a cornered rat. Jon grabbed the candlestick holder and swung it left and right in front of him. The pirate reached toward him, stepping into a pool of moonlight, hand turning all bony. Charlie and I gasped in awe. Jon didn’t think it was amazing. He shrieked and threw the candle stick down. FLOOSH! The rags of the pirates’ once fancy clothes lit up.
“Fanastic!” grinned Charlie. We watched the pirate bat away at the flames. Jon rushed past snatching the bowl of apples off the table. “That’s not fair! Apple thief!”
How dare he take away the thing we were about to enjoy? Rule 434 in our apple guide book was : Share apples! We ran out of the cabin and found Jon rolling the apples across the deck and chucking them left and right. No, no, no, apples weren’t for attacking they were for EATING!
Blinded by Apple Love
Those two-two-urgh! All they saw were apples, did it worry them that they were charging head first into a crew of skeletal pirates who were likely to start shoving vegetables down our throat at any moment? Did they care that they were knocking and tripping said pirates down just to apologize to bruised bits of fruit? Did they realize I was trying to save all our lives? No. They were kissing and cradling apples in their arms. They didn’t stop picking them up until every pirate was sprawled across the deck. I looked around realizing this. That turned out better than I expected. The sound of the great cabin doors swinging open turned my head to see a still smoking bony pirate captain.“You rotten fish scales! GET AFTER THEM!”
The pirates groaned and feebly stirred a bit. I turned to Charlie and Oliver who were singing of all things to the fruit. “PIRATES! Skeletal, vegetable eating, food poisoning pirates! Let’s go!”
Charlie didn’t even look up as the pirates regained their footing. “Can’t you see we’re trying to apologize for what you’ve done?”
“Yeah, Jon!” Duck feathers! That was it. If they had to insist on being ridiculous…I did the only thing I could: “Apples are disgusting, I’d rather eat dusting!”
Oliver hugged the apples closer and shot arrows at me with his eyes. “Take it back!”
“Hahahah!” I stuck my tongue out at them. “Not gonna!”
“Take it BACK!”
“Maaaaake meeeee!” I screamed bolting down the gangplank.I ran down an alleyway, past barrels and buildings. I turned corners making sure the two could just catch sight of me until I cleared them. I ran until I couldn’t hear the creaks of rotting bones and the howls of the pirate Captain, until Charlie tackled me and pinned me down by the shoulders.
“How dare you insult apples!" He hissed. "What did they ever do to you?”
“Get off me! I just saved your life!” Charlie pulled me up by the arm and looked at me.“Yeah? How?”
“We’re off the ship aren’t we?” He blinked, squinted at me, carefully glanced around, and finally let go of my arm. “Oh.”
Oliver patted me on the shoulder. “Thanks.” He turned to Charlie. “We better start heading home.”
“No, no, no!” Charlie turned Oliver around and gripped him by the shoulders. “We have to tell Toby about all this!”
Oliver shook his head. “Mum’s probably worrying about me. Pirates attacking and all.” I smiled in approval at him. Finally, they’d be doing something right.
“You’re just SCARED, Oliver Wainwright!” shouted Charlie as Oliver slipped away. “Scared of what she’s going to do seeing as how you haven’t been taken by pirates!” He looked at me. “I’m not scared of my mum.” He smirked. “Not like you.”
“I am not scared of my own mother.”
“You are too. You were even scared tonight when all we were doing was accepting a dinner invitation. You were shaking the whole time like when we dangled that rat in front of Miss Perkins!”
I crossed my arms and glared up at him. “I most certainly w-”
“You were! Tugging at shoes and-”
“Charles Peter Mercer!” Charlie froze, confidence slipping from his face. A scowling lady stood behind him hands on hips, face and stance sharp. Charlie gulped and turned around. She seized him by the arm and began dragging him away. “You foolish, little-little-Oh, when we get home yer father’s going to have yer ears!” Charlie grimaced and half-heartedly waved good bye.
He’s scared of his father as much as anyone. And don’t you dare let Charlie say anything different.
Part 3
Part 5
Table of Contents
Author:meowbooks
Rating: PG
Characters: Pintel, Ragetti, Barbossa, Three Original Ones
Pairings: None
Summary: An account in their own words of how Charlie Mercer, Oliver Wainwright and Jonathan Green met the notorious and most evil Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl
Ollie Has a Feast
“No shoes! No shoes!” Jon whispered as he tugged at Charlie’s feet. The old pirate with a fantastically round hat and a feather raised a brow and frowned. I pulled Jon to his feet, catching him around the middle so he wouldn’t try going at shoes again. He was like a muddy pig wiggling and squirmy like. “Let go, Oliver…”
The old pirate moved to the side and we saw a feast: chicken, lobster, bread, fancy glasses, real shiny things, tablecloth and candles and in the very middle a bowl full of apples. Even Jon had to stop moving to look at it. That just does to show the power that fruit has.
It was all still until we looked at the old hatted pirate who smiled, bowed and said. “After you.”
I don’t even remember moving, but there we were leaning over the table taking in all the smells, watching the steam rise and candlelight move over the smooth, sweet fruity, fruit that was the apple. The old pirate sat at the largest chair and we decided he wanted us to do that too.
Charlie didn't waste a breath. Or rather he didn't breathe for a full five minutes as he slurped up everything, but his folk and plate.Jon just sat stiffly and stared wide eyed at the ancient pirate. I wasn't sure if Jon was breathing either. Now, I like to enjoy what I eat. Hmmm. The turkey and buttery lobster were delicious. Charlie's always bragging about how he can eat a whole chicken in fifteen minutes. I doubt whether he tasted anything.
We might disagree on how to eat things, but there's one thing we don't agree on. As soon as we finished, we went straight for them. I picked a bright green one and Charlie chose a red one. We were just about to bite into one when Jon jumped on top, knocked us out of our wooden chairs, and sent the apples rolling.
"DON'T EAT THEM!" he screamed picking them up. That was his first mistake. You don't mess with our apples.
There's No Sense
I watched that old pirate because he was watching them. His eyes were set on whatever was on Oliver and Charlie’s plates staring away at every bite they made. When the two made a move toward the apples, the pirate’s steady stare changed. His eyes widened, he sat up straighter in his chair, and drew closer to the edge of the tablecloth as the distance between their hands and the delicious fruit shortened. A cold thought came into my head. I bit my lip. Maybe Charlie and Oliver wouldn’t eat them. Maybe they’d just, just save them for later and-No! I jumped on the table, knocked into Charlie, Oliver and their chairs, and crashed onto the wooden planks with them screaming. I was the first to recover and I swiped their apples away.
Charlie spat out a chicken bone. Oliver shook his red hair out of his eyes. They lifted their heads, knees and hands holding them up, tensing as if to pounce. Uh oh. I looked at the apples in my hands. I frowned and held one above my head. “I’ll drop it!”
“Y-you wouldn’t…” Charlie gulped. He looked to Oliver, “He wouldn’t. He can’t…” Oliver didn’t look so sure and stared worriedly at the apple. I tightened my grip on the fruit and pointed to the old pirate, “He’s not eating!”
“Well, of course not…” said Oliver regaining his voice. “I’d think you’d tackle me too.”
“Don’t you see?” I said, tapping impatiently. “He’s--”
“Not going to take our shoes!” sighed Oliver. “Is that what this is about? I think he would’ve done it already.” He started slowly walking towards me. “Now, just put the apple down…There’s no need for any unnecessary…accidents.”
“Get BACK!”I screamed. He stopped. “Do you think pirates just give away fancy dinners ‘cause you speak French to them? He’s trying to KILL US!” The pirate drew back a bit in his chair. There was a silence, then Charlie and Oliver started giggling. Yes, giggling like Mary Perkins.
“Oh yes, we’re all going to choke on chicken bones…” snorted Charlie. Oliver smiled, “Well, you might.”
“Would not!” said Charlie crossing his arms.
"Would so--" POW! The old pirate cut Oliver's sentence short with a shot in the air. "SIT!"
We sat. He tucked his pistol into his belt and glared like he'd make the moon fall on us. "I open my doors to you, I serve you drink and food and you accuse me of being so inhospitable as to try and kill you?"
"You stared at the apples." I countered,"You wanted us to eat them-cause you poisoned them!"
At this, he put his hand over his heart and sunk back into his chair, "Yes, I wanted you to eat them, but poison apples? Me? Never! There's no nobler fruit in the world." Charlie and Oliver's eyes widened at this and they shook their heads in agreement.
"Boys, it is a sad tale I have to tell you..." He leaned in closer, and barely a whisper said. "I can't eat apples."
Oliver and Apples
It was the saddest thing I'd ever heard and sure as my name’s Oliver I’ve heard a fair few things. I’ve listened to stories ‘bout ladies widowed by the sea, desperate salts sailing out into storms and the apples that were unfairly bruised on the way but nothing like being unable to eat apples. The old hatted pirate explained his misfortunes. Charlie and I listened polite-like as we should.
“…and so, every time we make port…My crew finds someone brave and worthy enough to dine aboard the Black Pearl so that I might not forget what joy apples bring.”
I frowned and stared at the bowl of apples. It must’ve been horrible to have it so close and not be able to enjoy it. Thankfully, Charlie and I were just the brave and worthy sorts to help him. We reached for them and were just about to sink our teeth in when Jon had to start hissing away at us.
“It’s a trick! He’s just using apples to kill us all!” He glared at the hatted pirate. “My mother warned me-”
Barbossa stood quieting Jon like water on fire. “I’m beginnin’ to tire of your bilge, boy.” Jon gulped. Barbossa slowly moved towards him as a cat would to a cornered rat. Jon grabbed the candlestick holder and swung it left and right in front of him. The pirate reached toward him, stepping into a pool of moonlight, hand turning all bony. Charlie and I gasped in awe. Jon didn’t think it was amazing. He shrieked and threw the candle stick down. FLOOSH! The rags of the pirates’ once fancy clothes lit up.
“Fanastic!” grinned Charlie. We watched the pirate bat away at the flames. Jon rushed past snatching the bowl of apples off the table. “That’s not fair! Apple thief!”
How dare he take away the thing we were about to enjoy? Rule 434 in our apple guide book was : Share apples! We ran out of the cabin and found Jon rolling the apples across the deck and chucking them left and right. No, no, no, apples weren’t for attacking they were for EATING!
Blinded by Apple Love
Those two-two-urgh! All they saw were apples, did it worry them that they were charging head first into a crew of skeletal pirates who were likely to start shoving vegetables down our throat at any moment? Did they care that they were knocking and tripping said pirates down just to apologize to bruised bits of fruit? Did they realize I was trying to save all our lives? No. They were kissing and cradling apples in their arms. They didn’t stop picking them up until every pirate was sprawled across the deck. I looked around realizing this. That turned out better than I expected. The sound of the great cabin doors swinging open turned my head to see a still smoking bony pirate captain.“You rotten fish scales! GET AFTER THEM!”
The pirates groaned and feebly stirred a bit. I turned to Charlie and Oliver who were singing of all things to the fruit. “PIRATES! Skeletal, vegetable eating, food poisoning pirates! Let’s go!”
Charlie didn’t even look up as the pirates regained their footing. “Can’t you see we’re trying to apologize for what you’ve done?”
“Yeah, Jon!” Duck feathers! That was it. If they had to insist on being ridiculous…I did the only thing I could: “Apples are disgusting, I’d rather eat dusting!”
Oliver hugged the apples closer and shot arrows at me with his eyes. “Take it back!”
“Hahahah!” I stuck my tongue out at them. “Not gonna!”
“Take it BACK!”
“Maaaaake meeeee!” I screamed bolting down the gangplank.I ran down an alleyway, past barrels and buildings. I turned corners making sure the two could just catch sight of me until I cleared them. I ran until I couldn’t hear the creaks of rotting bones and the howls of the pirate Captain, until Charlie tackled me and pinned me down by the shoulders.
“How dare you insult apples!" He hissed. "What did they ever do to you?”
“Get off me! I just saved your life!” Charlie pulled me up by the arm and looked at me.“Yeah? How?”
“We’re off the ship aren’t we?” He blinked, squinted at me, carefully glanced around, and finally let go of my arm. “Oh.”
Oliver patted me on the shoulder. “Thanks.” He turned to Charlie. “We better start heading home.”
“No, no, no!” Charlie turned Oliver around and gripped him by the shoulders. “We have to tell Toby about all this!”
Oliver shook his head. “Mum’s probably worrying about me. Pirates attacking and all.” I smiled in approval at him. Finally, they’d be doing something right.
“You’re just SCARED, Oliver Wainwright!” shouted Charlie as Oliver slipped away. “Scared of what she’s going to do seeing as how you haven’t been taken by pirates!” He looked at me. “I’m not scared of my mum.” He smirked. “Not like you.”
“I am not scared of my own mother.”
“You are too. You were even scared tonight when all we were doing was accepting a dinner invitation. You were shaking the whole time like when we dangled that rat in front of Miss Perkins!”
I crossed my arms and glared up at him. “I most certainly w-”
“You were! Tugging at shoes and-”
“Charles Peter Mercer!” Charlie froze, confidence slipping from his face. A scowling lady stood behind him hands on hips, face and stance sharp. Charlie gulped and turned around. She seized him by the arm and began dragging him away. “You foolish, little-little-Oh, when we get home yer father’s going to have yer ears!” Charlie grimaced and half-heartedly waved good bye.
He’s scared of his father as much as anyone. And don’t you dare let Charlie say anything different.
Part 3
Part 5
Table of Contents