Have a random fic bit
I thought I might write the first chapter, but it turns out it's going to take awhile. So here - have a fic bit instead.
They made an odd pair, standing together in the shadow outside of the lamps that lit the entrance to the grand hall; the ship's captain, pocked cheeked with a weathered face above a grizzled beard, for all that his coat and breeches were neat and well-made, and the tall, gangly youth beside him, somewhat too old to be a boy and still barely a man and equally uncomfortable as either as he was in the stiff, new suit of clothes that hung on his shoulders. He was tugging, with half hearted grimaces, at the starched line of his collar, and the older man kicked a booted foot, none too gently, against the youth's ankle. "Stop that."
"Itches," the younger man hissed back, but he snatched his hand away from the collar and tucked it securely, along with the other, behind his back. "Feel a fool."
"Ja," the older man said, derisive, "and you'll look one, too, if you don't straighten up. Pull your shoulders back, boy. Put some steel in that stick you call a spine. And for God's sake, give me those."
'Those' were the silver framed spectacles perched halfway down the younger man's fairly prominent nose. The older man plucked them off, ignoring the younger man's startled protest. "Don't! I can't see."
The captain snorted, carefully folded the temple pieces flat, and brandished them at the younger man who didn't quite dare grab for them back although the half-gestures of his hands betrayed his desire to. "Now that I've never understood - how someone who does what you do can't see as far as mid-ship when you're standing stern. But what I do know is you can see fair enough to not run into things, so you'll not be wearing them now. No," he added, sharply, when the younger man drew breath to argue, "don't bother, my mind's made up." He slipped the spectacles into the pocket of his vest, giving them a pat. "You'll get them back when we're on ship, not a moment before."
The younger man subsided, mouth set in a thin line. "Yes, sir."
The older man huffed, the sound not quite a laugh. "Ja, by which you mean something a whole lot more blasphemous." He gave the younger man's shoulder a half hearted shove. "Cheer up, boy. You'll just have to wait it out a few more years - retirement is on my horizon and then you can break-in some other poor bastard with your mutinous ways. In the meantime, straighten up, make like you have more manners than a dockyard welp, and for merciful God in Heaven's sake, smile and pretend you're enjoying yourself."
The last was hissed through the side of his mouth as the older man suited actions to words, stepping out into the light and the entrance proper. The younger man had no choice but to hurry after, falling into step just behind the other man as the captain gave the liveried man at the door their folded invitation and the footman turned to throw open the heavy double doors, ushering them inside. The lights inside were brilliantly bright, hundreds of the newest flame-less candles suspended in heavy crystal chandeliers until the light was reflected a thousand-fold off of polished wood to every side and spotless imported marble beneath their feet.
The captain had a strong stride, no time wasted looking about him, and it forced his younger companion and the second footman who hurried ahead of them to quicken their steps through the entry hall. Another set of double doors waited there, more servants poised to open them, and the older man caught the younger's elbow at the last moment, finger's pinching sharply into the flesh of the other man's arm. "Smile," he hissed, and the younger man pasted on an expression that might have been a smile but was more pained than anything else as the second set of doors fell back and a the footman stepped forward, announcing the arrival of "Captain Godscalck and Navigator von Hughensen of the Eendracht" in a clear, carrying voice.
Of course, then there's the in-head blooper reel...
Rose: ...omg, you were Will Turner!
Theodric: [pained] I was not.
Rose: [gleeing] Yes you were! You were, like, Will Turner to his Barbossa! You were a geeky Will Turner circa Pirates of the Caribbean II!
Mattias: [quietly falls over sideways on the couch, burying his face in the cushions to muffle his laughing]
Theodric: [disapproving] I don't know which is more disturbing, that you made the reference or that my son understood it.
Rose: So did you.
Theodric: [truly pained] I claim extenuating circumstances and teaching college students. ...This isn't an argument I'm going to win, is it?
Rose: [glee] Nope!
They made an odd pair, standing together in the shadow outside of the lamps that lit the entrance to the grand hall; the ship's captain, pocked cheeked with a weathered face above a grizzled beard, for all that his coat and breeches were neat and well-made, and the tall, gangly youth beside him, somewhat too old to be a boy and still barely a man and equally uncomfortable as either as he was in the stiff, new suit of clothes that hung on his shoulders. He was tugging, with half hearted grimaces, at the starched line of his collar, and the older man kicked a booted foot, none too gently, against the youth's ankle. "Stop that."
"Itches," the younger man hissed back, but he snatched his hand away from the collar and tucked it securely, along with the other, behind his back. "Feel a fool."
"Ja," the older man said, derisive, "and you'll look one, too, if you don't straighten up. Pull your shoulders back, boy. Put some steel in that stick you call a spine. And for God's sake, give me those."
'Those' were the silver framed spectacles perched halfway down the younger man's fairly prominent nose. The older man plucked them off, ignoring the younger man's startled protest. "Don't! I can't see."
The captain snorted, carefully folded the temple pieces flat, and brandished them at the younger man who didn't quite dare grab for them back although the half-gestures of his hands betrayed his desire to. "Now that I've never understood - how someone who does what you do can't see as far as mid-ship when you're standing stern. But what I do know is you can see fair enough to not run into things, so you'll not be wearing them now. No," he added, sharply, when the younger man drew breath to argue, "don't bother, my mind's made up." He slipped the spectacles into the pocket of his vest, giving them a pat. "You'll get them back when we're on ship, not a moment before."
The younger man subsided, mouth set in a thin line. "Yes, sir."
The older man huffed, the sound not quite a laugh. "Ja, by which you mean something a whole lot more blasphemous." He gave the younger man's shoulder a half hearted shove. "Cheer up, boy. You'll just have to wait it out a few more years - retirement is on my horizon and then you can break-in some other poor bastard with your mutinous ways. In the meantime, straighten up, make like you have more manners than a dockyard welp, and for merciful God in Heaven's sake, smile and pretend you're enjoying yourself."
The last was hissed through the side of his mouth as the older man suited actions to words, stepping out into the light and the entrance proper. The younger man had no choice but to hurry after, falling into step just behind the other man as the captain gave the liveried man at the door their folded invitation and the footman turned to throw open the heavy double doors, ushering them inside. The lights inside were brilliantly bright, hundreds of the newest flame-less candles suspended in heavy crystal chandeliers until the light was reflected a thousand-fold off of polished wood to every side and spotless imported marble beneath their feet.
The captain had a strong stride, no time wasted looking about him, and it forced his younger companion and the second footman who hurried ahead of them to quicken their steps through the entry hall. Another set of double doors waited there, more servants poised to open them, and the older man caught the younger's elbow at the last moment, finger's pinching sharply into the flesh of the other man's arm. "Smile," he hissed, and the younger man pasted on an expression that might have been a smile but was more pained than anything else as the second set of doors fell back and a the footman stepped forward, announcing the arrival of "Captain Godscalck and Navigator von Hughensen of the Eendracht" in a clear, carrying voice.
Of course, then there's the in-head blooper reel...
Rose: ...omg, you were Will Turner!
Theodric: [pained] I was not.
Rose: [gleeing] Yes you were! You were, like, Will Turner to his Barbossa! You were a geeky Will Turner circa Pirates of the Caribbean II!
Mattias: [quietly falls over sideways on the couch, burying his face in the cushions to muffle his laughing]
Theodric: [disapproving] I don't know which is more disturbing, that you made the reference or that my son understood it.
Rose: So did you.
Theodric: [truly pained] I claim extenuating circumstances and teaching college students. ...This isn't an argument I'm going to win, is it?
Rose: [glee] Nope!