Pirate's Luck

Being a Man

The music from a violin and loud voices wafted down the black sandy beach. While women were welcome at the tavern they weren't necessarily welcomed to speak there. It was the same at most pirate hangouts. The louts were deeply superstitious and most of them thought a woman was bad luck. They enjoyed the company of women but usually refused to talk about their line of work. Jack didn't mind so much. She'd rather dress up like a man and get the information than try to seduce the information out of a scurvy breathed pirate.

Jack concentrated on adding swagger to her step. Quinn didn't need to practice much, she spent her entire life pretending to be a boy. She grew up in a foundling home for boys and she had to hide her identity or face ending up on the streets. She radiated male confidence.

Arista didn't do nearly as well with her pretense. As a peg legged pirate passed them on the beach Arista announced, "I'm a man," in a high feminine voice.

The pirate sneered looking her up and down. "I bet you don't even have hair on your..."

Jack cleared her throat before the pirate could get any more graphic. The pirate smiled at Jack showing off a full set of black teeth, "Boys." He said shaking his head and taking a swig out of the bottle he carried in his hand.

"Don't talk!" Jack scolded Arista as soon as the scruffy pirate was out of earshot.

"And if you must talk try to make your voice deeper." Quinn added.

The Siren folded her arms over her chest. "That pirate believed me."

"That pirate was a drunkard who fortunately thought you were just a boy." Jack kicked a rock on further down the beach spotting the shanty tavern. "You got lucky but next time you may not be."

"Fine." Arista folded her arms over her chest in a pout. They walked in silence for a few moments until they noticed a piece of parchment floating on the breeze. Arista caught it and began to read the large block letters.

"The governor is throwing a ball tomorrow." Arista said. "Women get in free but the gents must pay a gold piece to attend."

"That's odd." Jack said reaching for the paper and reading the same sentences that Arista did.

"Can we go?" Arista asked.

"No!" Quinn and Jack said in unison.

"You two would probably try to go dressed like men anyway." Arista pouted prompting Quinn to raise her eyebrow's.

As they walked closer to the tavern and further from the sea, Jack felt a weight lift from her chest. "Well I'll be." Jack said. "The siren was telling the truth about something."

"Excuse me?" Arista said.

"Your powers really don't work on land. I'm not as attracted to you."

"That's good." Quinn said maybe we ought to bring Jo out to land and slap some sense into her once the attraction wears off."

Jack smiled. Jo had a hard time staying on the boat. She insisted that Pearl, the sailing master, didn't need Jo there to babysit. She was correct, Pearl and Raven did a great job of caring for the boat while the others were off on island expeditions. Pearl never left the Athena's revenge, in fact she was scared to leave it. Before that she wouldn't leave her house, it was a miracle that Jack was able to get her out of the place. While Pearl still suffered from the phobia she was much happier on the boat than she ever was living in a mansion. Raven was the loyal nurse that never left Pearl's side. They were both just as loyal to Jack as Jack was to them. They didn't need Jo to babysit them, but Jack had to ask them to watch out for Jo.

Jo finally agreed to stay when Arista used her funny voice mojo on her. It made Jack uncomfortable to see how the Siren could so easily control Jo. But Jack was just as susceptible.

"Well you don't have to be so happy about my powers fading." Arista grouched.

"Oh, but I do." Jack said spinning and walking backwards to face the siren. "I don't want to be attracted to you."

"Is it because I'm a woman?" Arista asked a little too loudly as a pirate walked by. He raised an eyebrow but kept walking.

"No, I've been attracted to plenty of women. It's because you eat men and that makes you a monster."

"Did you ever think that maybe men are the monsters and I'm just doing a favor by getting rid of them?"

"Shut up both of you." Quinn said approaching the tavern door. "It's time to get this show on the road."