Gingersnap

Gingerpaw (Pirate AU) Part 1/?

"Here ye are."

The young man looked up from his journal as his server set a hot plate of food down in front of him and started to walk away. He thanked the man before he put away his notes and dug into his seasoned fish and corn cake with gusto. He gulped down a few bites and paused to wash it all down with a few sips of water from his pewter mug and then gazed out the window into the port. He was about to take another bite of fish when movement inside caught his attention. The hanging potted plant in front of the window was starting to sway, as if caught in a breeze, but the air was still. That was when he noticed a small form clutching the braided rope of seashells and sea glass that hung from the pot, a tiny feline critter in a red corset and trousers. Her round ears were full of rips and tears and her tail appeared to be missing several vertebrae, an old injury had chopped it down to a tattered nub.

"Ahoy, swab!" The little creature waved to him while she clutched at a seashell in her tiny paws.

"Wha'?" The young man dropped his fork onto his plate and leaned in to get a closer look at the tiny thing. "Whaddaya want from me, eh, lassie?"

"I need yer help to- blast!" The cat shrieked as she lost her grip on the seashell rope.

The man quickly put out his left hand and caught her in his palm.

"Blimey, tha' hurt! I coulda caught meself, ya swab!"

"Tha' ain't no way to be talkin' to someone who yer askin' fer help, now is it, wee lass?"

"Shut up an' listen, bucko, or I'll be bitin' ya! Yer gonna help me rescue me crewmates!"

"Tha' so? An' wha's in it fer me?"

"Me pirate crew is bein' held captive aboard a frigate out on the docks. If ya help me get them back, ya can plunder and pillage whatever treasure awaits. Savvy?"

""Hmmm..." He looked her fiesty frame up and down. "Yer awful wee to be a pirate, wha's yer name?"

"First mate Gingerpaw! An' ya look mighty wee yaself, swab!"

The blonde snarled and gave the little one a squeeze, to which she responded by sinking her teeth into his hand.

"Aw, hell! Ya wee wench!"  He switched her to his right hand, where she continued to gnaw on his gloved fingers, and got a mouthful of wood instead.

"Damn, a wooden arm! Why 'aven't ya got a hook?"

"I need my digits. Lost my arm to some riggin' in my first year at sea. Now, Gingerpaw, I'm CAPATAIN Edward Elric and I'll be decidin' if I wanna help ya or nah - soon as I finish my meal. A GROWIN' lad needs to eat." He set her down firmly in front of his plate.

"To hell with yer meal!" Ginger stomped into his fish and corn cake with her teeny paws. "If ya don' put some wind in ya sails, I'll be spittin' in it, too!" She smirked at the furious look on Captain Elric's face.

"Watch yer step, kitty, or you'll be endin' up in my belly along with my meal. SAVVY?"

Gingerpaw scowled and leaned on his fish with her paws in his corn cake. She wouldn't budge.

"Tch," Captain Elric snatched her up and planted her on his shoulder, where she clung to the collar of his coat before he stood. He shoveled the rest of his food down his throat and gulped down the water from his mug before he tossed a few pieces of eight on the table with a deep belch. He then left the tavern with a limp and his left leg making a loud clunk with each step.

"'Ave ya got a peg leg too? I picked the wrong swab fer help, ya must be a clumsy as hell!"

"Which ship is yer crew on, ya scurvy cat?" Captain Elric spat.

Ginger gripped his coat and pointed out into port at a regal looking frigate with a bloody rabbit's foot on her flag. The vessel was rapidly pulling out of port. "Thar she is! She's leavin' so, smartly there, man!"

Captain Elric stood straighter at the sight of the ship. "The Rum Rabbit? Well, shit. I'll 'ave to help ya, then. She ain't leavin' fer good, in fact she'll be gettin' into place waitin' fer nightfall. There's a vessel that'll be passin' by, and the Rum Rabbit plans to jump her and make off with her loot."

"Well then wha' the hell are we waitin' fer?? After her!"

"Not so fast, wench. We'll intercept the Rum Rabbit tonight an' sneak aboard while she's jumpin' the other ship. Her crew will be distracted enough so we can get in an' out without bein' seen. And fer that, we'll need some help." Captain Elric ignored Ginger's complaining as he turned away from the port and trudged back into the makeshift town. He took her to a small hut off the beaten path, outside of which sat another blonde haired young man bent over a book. "This here's my first mate, Alphonse."

Alphonse looked up and greeted them with a nod. "Back from stuffin' yer face, are ya, brother? An' who's that?" 

"Miss Gingerpaw. She's jus' given us a job." Captain Elric explained the situation.

"The Rum Rabbit? I dunno, Ed, Captain Jacq ain't one to be messin' with.'

"But they'll be carryin' lots of treasure."

"Aye, well you're the captain. What vessel will we be takin'? The Alchemy is fast, but she's too big to be sneakin' up on those ships."

"Aye, it takes more to man the Alchemy anyway. We'll take one of her longboats."

"I say ya quit yer yappin' so we can get goin' rescuin' me crew!"  Gingerpaw hissed.

Captain Elric grabbed the foul mouthed kitty and pushed her into his pocket while she thrashed about and cursed him. He then walked with his brother to a secluded port, where a caravel sat aground in the sand, a strange cross-like image painted on her flag.

-

After the brothers had prepared a longboat from the caravel for the mission, Captain Elric went back up to the hut and climbed into a hammock hung between two palm trees. "Al, wake me up before sundown."

"Aye," Grumbled Alphonse before he returned to his book.

Gingerpaw threw a fit in the pocket of Captain Elric's coat until she found her way out and stumbled across his firm stomach. "This is no time to be layin' about! We gotta get goin' an'-"

"Avast, ya wee rapscallion!" The captain silenced her by covering her with his hand, her shouts muffled by his belly.