"Ha!" Tia scoffed, still rummaging through the various knick-knacks and shooting Ragetti a glare that dared him to touch a single thing. "Dem 'for-tune tellers' know notin'. Dey travel 'round wit' dem big tents an' dem fancy words, but dey do nae know da future. If ye come for a for-tune teller, den ye come to da wrong place." She paused as she finally found what she was looking for and pocketed it. Smiling, she sat back down at the table and gathered up the crab legs once more. "But if ye want sometin' more real, Tia can help."
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"Excellent," Beckett replied with false cheer. "I knew you would comply; it would take an idiot not to...And speaking of idiots, I feel compelled to ask...what has become of the Black Pearl and her captain?"
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Bootstrap pulled back as Jack rather roughly collided with his shoulder. "Well, the cap'n's rarely away as it is, an' he hates the thought o' givin' his crew even th' slightest break. So on th' rare occasion that 'e has to leave momentarily, 'e leaves a list o' menial tasks t' be done by th' time 'e returns, regardless o' how impossible they may be. Gives 'im somethin' to yell at us for later."

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Tia simply raised an eyebrow slightly. "Den it be a very good thing dat I'm not a for-tune teller, don't it?" she replied curtly. "I can nae work in dis environment. 'Tis much more ta be seen dan before; too many variables. Ye wait here in dis room, an' when I be done, I tell ye, hmm?" Without another word, she disappeared with her "supplies" into the secluded back room.
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"Even more excellent," Beckett said softly, though mostly to himself. "I had intended death for the cretin, but this fate is undoubtably more suiting, I think...And the Black Pearl?"
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"An' has anythin' ye've experienced on this ship thus far taught ye to expect otherwise?" Bootstrap shot back dryly. He was about to say something else when the floor suddenly lurched beneath their feet. Slowly at first, water began seeping in through the timbers and filling the whole ship. "We're submerging," he explained, glancing down at the steadily-rising water level.

((*bump*))

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Tia only shook her head as she listened to the comotion in the other room. Humming an eerie tune to herself, she began to work. "Lovers. Dey be needin' ye soon, y'know," she commented offhandedly, though there was visibly no one in the room.
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Beckett raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh really?" he asked dryly. "Pity. I should very much have liked to see the expression on Sparrow's face as his ship descended to the depths again. He did love that ship... I already sank it once thirteen years ago -as you know-, and it nearly destroyed him."
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"Bloody-" Bootstrap exclaimed as he was suddenly accosted by Jack. "Get off!" he grunted, roughly throwing the younger man off his back, not particularly caring if any of the coral cut him in the process. "Two seconds ago, ye wouldn't come within five feet o' me. While I'm flattered that ye at least consider me to be preferable o'er being forced underwater, 's jus' a bit o' bloody sea water, Jack! Ye've been swimmin' in it hundreds o' times before; this ain't any different from that. Th' main reason I took ye down 'ere in the first place is that the holds take longer t' fill with water than the rest o' the ship. The Dutchman's no doubt fully submerged already; the water just takes a while to fill th' whole ship. Next time, it'll be much more sudden." Even as he spoke, the water had already risen to the middle of his chest.

((sorry! I was camping all weak end... sorta last minute!))

Pintel stepped in closer, and sat down in a chair, and relaxed a little. He watched Tia leave, and relaxed a little more. Pintel also watched Elizabeth storm out of the room.
"I don't get 'er" he comented to Regetti.

~~~~~~~~

Mr. Gibbs watched the scene.
"she is awfly strange..." he said as Tia left the room. When Elizabeth stormed out Gibbs shook his head.
"Woman are bad luck I tell ye'!"

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

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"Don' ye dare touch it!" Tia suddenly shouted from the other room without looking up from her work.
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Beckett smirked dryly. "Indeed. See, Mr. Jones? We've already been unintentional partners for such a long time, I have no doubt that this can work to our mutual benefits if played properly... Tell me, is Mr. Sparrow enjoying his new position?"
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Bootstrap glared down at Jack, daring the pirate to try climbing again. He was faintly reminded of the time he'd tried to teach young William to swim, though he was fairly certain the lad had panicked less than Jack was now. "'S jus' sea water, Jack," he repeated, completely deadpan. "I promise ye can breathe. Eventually it'll start to feel even more natural than it does above water." As the water gradually closed over his head, Bill suppressed an involuntary shudder that still hadn't gone away over the years. Sea creature or not, there was nothing that could ever fully expunge the hatred for water he'd developed through spending almost a decade under it. Physically, it was a slight relief to be back in his natural element, but mentally he still hated the sensation. "See?" he asked after a moment. "'S only water."

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Ragetti nodded," Yeah! A real fortune tel'er!"

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

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((I believe ye mean Pintel, Eruraina))

"I am nae a for-tune teller!" Tia called out indignantly before turning back to her work. "Dey honestly tink I be sometin' dat common?" she added more quietly, almost to herself. Closing her eyes, she began to focus all of her power on simply seeing. Turner and his love outside the small shack...the narrow river leading to the bayou...the open sea...and more sea... She paused and frowned as she came to an impasse. This wasn't working. As potent of an individual as Jones was, he remained ridiculously difficult to locate without any kind of assistance. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and pulled out the small trinket she'd been searching for earlier: a silver locket. Clutching the locket in her hand, she again began to focus her energy. This time, a much clearer signal made itself known. The sea...an island...a fort...
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"Yes, I imagine so," Beckett replied in a tone that indicated that he was already bored of the conversation. "Mr. Mercer," he said abruptly, turning to face his associate. "Would you please go locate Admiral Norrington and inform him that his presence in my office is required immediately?"
Mercer nodded, bowed shortly, and strode wordlessly out the door.
As they waited, Beckett pulled out a small dagger of his own and idly twirled it on his fingers, though the warning was clear.
Finally, the door reopened and Mercer appeared with the new Admiral in tow. "Admiral James Norrington, as requested, milord."
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Bootstrap resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He kept having to remind himself that not everyone adjusted so easily to this lifestyle as he had, nor did everyone consider just breathing at all to be a blessing in and of itself. Jack was simply having trouble dealing with the fact that his entire world had been turned upside down within the course of a week. Of course, this insightful understanding of Jack's plight didn't make Bootstrap any less tempted to give the pirate a sharp jab in the ribs and see how averse to alternative means of breathing he felt then.
Instead, however, he simply folded his arms impatiently across his chest. "Ye have to breathe eventually, Jack, one way or another," he pointed out. "Whether ye choose to or not, yer body'll eventually take over an' force ye to. D'ye honestly think I'd lie to ye about bein' able t' breathe? It'll feel different, aye, but yer no less capable of it than I am...Wish we 'ad a decent mirror 'round 'ere so ye could see jus' how much like us ye've already become." Even in the dim light of the water-filled hold, Bootstrap could see that a few minor changes had begun to take place. Jack's eyes were already starting to take on a more bluish tint, and his skin was decidely paler. There were no growths yet visible in the limited light, though Bill knew that if they hadn't already begun to form, they were soon forthcoming. "Then again, I don' really want to see how bad I've gotten, either," he added as an afterthought.

((Phew! That managed to turn into quite a lengthy post *passes out*))