strawberry and flavour of the day with sprinkles
Story: Timeless { backstory | index }
Title: Lovebirds
Rating: G/PG
Challenge: Strawberry #16: candle, FOTD: klatsch
Toppings/Extras: sprinkles
Wordcount: 649
Summary: Jacob Graham discusses his latest scheme with Rosy Joe and Keller.
Notes: Don’t ask ‘cause I don’t know! Klatsch: a casual gathering of people, esp. for refreshments and informal conversation.
“C’mere, c’mere,” Captain Jacob Graham was saying in hushed tones, waving his arms and apparently trying to be inconspicuous. It was impossible. Jacob Graham simply couldn’t be inconspicuous. His idea of being sneaky usually involved battlecries.
His two most trusted crew members, Rosy Joe and Keller, joined him in one of the many shadowy nooks of the Kraken, this one under the steps leading from the main deck up to the raised rear one. Keller’s eyebrows were high on his grimy forehead and Rosy was smiling.
“What is it?” he asked in the same pantomime whisper.
“Got ourselves a plan,” Jacob whispered, before taking a swig from a bottle of-
“Is that wine?” Keller demanded, wrinkling his nose.
“Only alcohol left on board,” Jacob replied, wiping his lips. “Merritt’s stash.”
“She’ll kill you.”
“Really don’t care. Anyhow.” Jacob put the bottle down. “There are more important things to discuss than drinks.”
“What?” Rosy looked alarmed. Keller seemed dubious.
“Listen ‘ere, you two,” Jacob said, and put one arm around each of them. “Our little mutiny’s goin’ to have to go on ‘old for the moment.” He put his calloused, oil-stained hands up to hold back their splutters. “Look. Prowse is watchin’ us like a bloody guard dog and Merritt’s in a mood that could kill all by itself.”
“They ‘ave changed recently,” Rosy speculated airily. “I wonder why…?”
Jacob slapped his hand into his own face.
“They were doin’ the dirty, tickle-brain!” he exclaimed. “That’s why we ‘ardly saw them an’ all was well an’ good. ‘Cept now they’ve ‘ad some fall-out about somethin’ or t’other an’ they won’t get off our backs!” Theatrically falling backwards-banging his head on one of the wooden steps above them in the process-he sighed. “If only things could go back to ‘ow they used ter be…”
“Yer ain’t suggestin’ what I think yer are,” Keller said, suddenly bolt upright. Jacob raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, I think I am.”
“What?” Rosy asked, looking between them.
“We got to get some romancin’ goin’ on,” Jacob said with a wink. He picked up the bottle of wine again and took a hefty swig. Once this was done, he hunched forwards to talk in a lower voice. “When they was together, did ‘ee see how little they cared? They spent all day below decks!”
“Don’t remind us,” Keller said, pulling a face.
“Once our two squawkin’ lovebirds are back together, mutiny will be easy as…”
“What are you doing?”
All three of the pirates started as Isaac Prowse’s voice suddenly sprang from above them. Looking up through the slats of the wooden steps, they saw him peering down at them and looking surprised. Jacob wrapped his arms around his two companions again.
“Just havin’ a little chitchat, yer know,” Jacob said vaguely, waving his hands around. “A little gatherin’ yer see.”
His eyebrows rose when he noticed that Prowse had a razor in his hands. He must have been on his way to shave. The assassin examined all three of them closely for a moment, dark eyes roving through the darkness.
“You’re up to something,” he muttered, “like you alw-… is that wine?”
Jacob put a finger to his lips and winked.
“No amount of hiding is going to save you now,” Prowse said. He finally continued on his way up the steps, each creak sending him further away. His voice drifted down through the warm air: “Miss Merritt will kill you. See you in the afterlife.”
“What now?” Rosy asked, turning to his captain faithfully and finding him not there. He looked down to find that their captain had hit the deck and was crawling away across the wooden boards.
“You! Get the candles!” he ordered. “Keller-more wine!” He pulled the brim of his grubby tri-cornered hat low over his eyes, voice low and steady with determination. “I’m goin’ fer the music box.”
Title: Lovebirds
Rating: G/PG
Challenge: Strawberry #16: candle, FOTD: klatsch
Toppings/Extras: sprinkles
Wordcount: 649
Summary: Jacob Graham discusses his latest scheme with Rosy Joe and Keller.
Notes: Don’t ask ‘cause I don’t know! Klatsch: a casual gathering of people, esp. for refreshments and informal conversation.
“C’mere, c’mere,” Captain Jacob Graham was saying in hushed tones, waving his arms and apparently trying to be inconspicuous. It was impossible. Jacob Graham simply couldn’t be inconspicuous. His idea of being sneaky usually involved battlecries.
His two most trusted crew members, Rosy Joe and Keller, joined him in one of the many shadowy nooks of the Kraken, this one under the steps leading from the main deck up to the raised rear one. Keller’s eyebrows were high on his grimy forehead and Rosy was smiling.
“What is it?” he asked in the same pantomime whisper.
“Got ourselves a plan,” Jacob whispered, before taking a swig from a bottle of-
“Is that wine?” Keller demanded, wrinkling his nose.
“Only alcohol left on board,” Jacob replied, wiping his lips. “Merritt’s stash.”
“She’ll kill you.”
“Really don’t care. Anyhow.” Jacob put the bottle down. “There are more important things to discuss than drinks.”
“What?” Rosy looked alarmed. Keller seemed dubious.
“Listen ‘ere, you two,” Jacob said, and put one arm around each of them. “Our little mutiny’s goin’ to have to go on ‘old for the moment.” He put his calloused, oil-stained hands up to hold back their splutters. “Look. Prowse is watchin’ us like a bloody guard dog and Merritt’s in a mood that could kill all by itself.”
“They ‘ave changed recently,” Rosy speculated airily. “I wonder why…?”
Jacob slapped his hand into his own face.
“They were doin’ the dirty, tickle-brain!” he exclaimed. “That’s why we ‘ardly saw them an’ all was well an’ good. ‘Cept now they’ve ‘ad some fall-out about somethin’ or t’other an’ they won’t get off our backs!” Theatrically falling backwards-banging his head on one of the wooden steps above them in the process-he sighed. “If only things could go back to ‘ow they used ter be…”
“Yer ain’t suggestin’ what I think yer are,” Keller said, suddenly bolt upright. Jacob raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, I think I am.”
“What?” Rosy asked, looking between them.
“We got to get some romancin’ goin’ on,” Jacob said with a wink. He picked up the bottle of wine again and took a hefty swig. Once this was done, he hunched forwards to talk in a lower voice. “When they was together, did ‘ee see how little they cared? They spent all day below decks!”
“Don’t remind us,” Keller said, pulling a face.
“Once our two squawkin’ lovebirds are back together, mutiny will be easy as…”
“What are you doing?”
All three of the pirates started as Isaac Prowse’s voice suddenly sprang from above them. Looking up through the slats of the wooden steps, they saw him peering down at them and looking surprised. Jacob wrapped his arms around his two companions again.
“Just havin’ a little chitchat, yer know,” Jacob said vaguely, waving his hands around. “A little gatherin’ yer see.”
His eyebrows rose when he noticed that Prowse had a razor in his hands. He must have been on his way to shave. The assassin examined all three of them closely for a moment, dark eyes roving through the darkness.
“You’re up to something,” he muttered, “like you alw-… is that wine?”
Jacob put a finger to his lips and winked.
“No amount of hiding is going to save you now,” Prowse said. He finally continued on his way up the steps, each creak sending him further away. His voice drifted down through the warm air: “Miss Merritt will kill you. See you in the afterlife.”
“What now?” Rosy asked, turning to his captain faithfully and finding him not there. He looked down to find that their captain had hit the deck and was crawling away across the wooden boards.
“You! Get the candles!” he ordered. “Keller-more wine!” He pulled the brim of his grubby tri-cornered hat low over his eyes, voice low and steady with determination. “I’m goin’ fer the music box.”