Dalma Tia was exhausted.
Not in the sense that her muscles were sore, but rather a bone deep weariness for the world and the men who lived in it.
They never left her alone for more than a week or two. Always knocking on her door and asking for favors. She often asked for a price that was too high for the item given or service rendered, but it was rare that they turned away regardless. Too foolish to see the value of what they were surrendering to her.
The satisfaction she got for robbing her visitors in this way was scarcely worth the effort of fulfilling her end of the bargain. Still, she kept doing it; because if she had to be miserable, so did they.
It was when she was in this particularly foul mood that one of her favorite pirates waltzed into her house like he owned the place.
"Jack. It's been a long time since I've seen you," Tia smiled a smiled that she didn't mean one bit.
"I'd have come to visit more often, but I've been busy and you didn't want to see my mug anyways," Jack smiled a smile that was much more genuine than hers.
"Indeed," Tia agreed, slightly amused by the man's perceptiveness and blunt words. It was why he was one of her favorites. "What do you want, Jack? And who's your pretty friend?"
The pretty friend in question was a navy man, she was certain. Even dressed as he was, his rigid posture and stiff expression gave him away instantly. Probably an officer of some notable rank, too.
As for all the other people tracking mud into her living room, she couldn't care less about who they were or what their life story was.
"That's Norrington. He doesn't need anything," Jack dismissed.
"Oh, on the contrary," Tia stepped towards Norrington and circled around him. Her hands went to his shoulders and she immediately sensed his discomfort at the casual touch. She might be able to have some fun with this one. "I think there are a few things Commodore Norrington wants that I can offer him."
"Commodore?" the sole woman in the group of nameless ruffians questioned, sending a suspicious look at Norrington.
Norrington himself had gone stone still, as well as very pale in the face. Were it not for his still beating heart and shallow breath, Tia might have mistaken him for a corpse hours into rigor mortis setting in.
"Shush," Tia shushed the interloper and turned her attention back to the commodore. Jack at least knew not to butt in; another reason she didn't despise him as much as the rest. "What is it that you want, commodore? Another promotion? No, not that I think. Love, perhaps?"
She knew that was it the moment she said it. A bit of color returned to his cheeks and his muscles unclenched beneath her fingers.
"I can handle my own career and love life, thank you," Norrington finally spoke. His voice did not tremble or otherwise betray his desire to leave and be rid of her presence. "All we need is directions."
"Directions," Tia repeated, flicking her eyes at Jack for elaboration.
Always quick on the uptake, Jack answered the unspoken question. "We're looking for Barbossa, and my ship."
"Hmmm," Tia hummed. She should have expected that, but the navy man had distracted her. "I know where they are, or where they will be soon enough."
"Their hideaway, yes?" Norrington clarified.
"Indeed," Tia smiled at him with narrowed eyes, feeding into his ebbing discomfort. Can't have him getting too cozy or he might come back and bother her some more. "But as for all things I offer, there is a price."
"Name it," Norrington feigned confidence.
"How's about you keep me company for a while, navy boy?" Tia bit her lip.
Norrington literally recoiled from her. It was delightful~!
"I think something else should suffice," Norrington did his best to recover.
"No, no. I think this is what I want," Tia smirked as she saw him fight the urge to storm out. She let the moment linger for just a bit too long and continued, "I shall go with you on your little quest. It has been some years since I boarded a ship and I wish to see the sea again, however small it may be."
She caught one of the flunkies mouthing "Small?" at another flunky. Oh, they didn't know the half of it.
"Excellent! Welcome aboard!" Jack accepted instantly, as she expected he would. The last time he visited her, he had talked her down from demanding his liver, after all.
"Oh boy, another one," an older man with mutton chops groaned.
"Two broken mirrors aren't more bad luck than one, Mr. Gibbs!" Jack patted him on the back.
"I'm pretty sure they are, actually," mutton chops disagreed.
She ignored the old fool with stupid facial hair. It truly had been too long since she had been at sea. She was looking forward to it, and dreading it in equal measure.
She loved the sea, but it was also a terrible reminder of all that she had lost.
…
Barbossa stored her away with his hoard and half a dozen guards to watch her.
"Elizabeth", aka Cherry disguised as Elizabeth, was rather intrigued by the treasures that Barbossa and his crew had gathered in their career. Some of them even seemed to be historical artifacts; Robin would be thrilled to see them.
She was sorely tempted to just take the ones she liked, but there were too many eyes on her to get away with it unseen.
She turned her gaze towards the centerpiece, which she had been deliberately ignoring for a while now. An ornate stone chest that possessed an ominous aura. It was so intense that Cherry was shocked that these idiots couldn't feel it themselves, no matter how dull their senses. It was practically screaming at her, "DANGER! DO NOT TOUCH! DO NOT APPROACH! DO NOT EVEN LOOK!"
The greed of pirates knew no bounds.
Well, she wasn't much better, since she walked right up to it.
"Hey! Stay away from that!" one of her minders barked at her.
"Why? It's not like I'm going anywhere," Cherry snarked.
He raised a finger and opened his mouth to rebuke her, but found that her words were accurate.
"I'm just looking in any case. You didn't have a problem with me touching anything else in here," Cherry complained like a spoiled princess.
"Just don't touch the lid, or I'll tie you up," he growled.
A lame threat, if he actually wanted compliance. Even the real Elizabeth wasn't so easily cowed.
"Whatever," Cherry shot a rude gesture at him that Elizabeth taught her; a raised middle finger.
Cherry studied the outside of the chest. The markings, she quickly surmised, were not simply decorative. The style was unfamiliar to her, no surprises there, but she was certain this was a kind of inscription art. Just that it did not utilize vital or celestial energy in its workings.
It was fascinating!
It was also something she'd probably never use, given how unnatural it felt. That didn't mean there was nothing to learn from it, though.
"Reveal your secrets," Cherry whispered.