PoTC Christmas Vignette - for Secret Santa challenge

[erinrua]

Ahoy, mates!

I am pleased to share a Christmas vignette written for __shy__, who requested a Jack & Will friendship fic for the "Secret Santa" challenge on The_Black_Pearl_Sails. Merry Christmas, mate! It's a pleasure to sail with you.
Special thanks to geek_mama_2 for beta-reading.

Comments

[honorat]

Finally I can surface for air and respond to your lovely vignette. I do especially love your first paragraph. Will has had to totally redefine who he really is in the adventure he has shared with Jack. It sounds like he is still squaring with what he has learned. Will has certainly paid a high price for this self-knowledge, but the question really is not what Jack has cost him, but whether what he received in return was worth the price.

the deck on which he stood heaved to press against his feet, and then sank with a stomach-dropping lurch.

This description made my own stomach swoop!

Jack’s letter-of all the verbose, round-about ways of conveying information! Really, Jack. LOL!

what man of good sense would dream of setting foot in that sea-going Gomorrah with anything less than a battalion of marines?

Apparently good sense is highly over-rated as a way of life! Jack probably thinks sea-going Gomorrah (which is a great phrase) is something to recommend it!

I like the distrust Will still exhibits for Jack. He seems torn between the emotions that led him to prevent Jack’s hanging and the uncertainty that he can trust anything about Jack.

to predict Captain Jack Sparrow was like trying to capture a tempest in a bottle

Ain’t that the truth!

I particularly enjoyed the sensory overload of your description of Tortuga-the sounds, and smells, the feel of the sand, the sights. All the energy and action and debauchery are so vivid.

This is undoubtedly where Hell takes its holidays."

Ha! There is a little of the Old Skratch in Captain Jack.

The same disreputable tricorn hat mashed atop his tangled, be-bangled head: the same flamboyant yet untranslatable gestures: the same absurdly swaying gait, as if he moved to some cacophonous, elfin music that only his deranged ear could hear. A golden Sparrow grin encompassed his entire face, and the young smith found himself smiling rather helplessly in return.

Lovely description. I couldn’t help smiling also. You just gotta love Jack.

heaving to scant inches from Will's face, as if his sails could not spill the wind fast enough to stop his forward motion sooner.

This is one of the best metaphors I’ve read for Jack’s complete disregard for personal space. He does seem to be always tipping into people.

Boy, have I ever led you astray?"

Will narrowed his eyes. "Frequently."

Hahahaha! I love this exchange. And your description of Jack’s motions captures him perfectly. I’m always impressed when a writer can do that. Also Jack’s masterful backpedaling with the Thugs is a joy. He so doesn’t like to fight that he fools his opponents into thinking he can’t.

I swear I am an innocent man!" Catching Will's sidelong glance, he hastily added, "Of this particular charge."

*Snerk* And what else not-so-innocent has daft Jack been up to?

his polished blade fractured the sunlight against something dark and daft and utterly fey that danced flame-hot in his eyes

Oooohh! I do like to see the pirate breaking out in Will-what a pretty picture!

And I bet Jack was the one doing the biting :D

For some reason your description of the battle reminded me of nothing so much as a bunch of kittens scraping up and down the furniture and the curtains-I love the movement of it. Of course Jack would wind up under the petticoats. LOL! And it’s so good to see the two of them working together in that telepathic sort of way they had during Jack’s escape from hanging. No wonder this was a tale to be retold.

but at the rate you make friends, you'll be needing this sooner than later."

No kidding!

And the two of them ride-er-march off into the sunset. Awwwwww! You write them so well together. I can’t imagine Jack and Will ever being entirely on the same page, so I love the combination of Will’s wariness around Jack and Jack’s hail-fellow-well-met camaraderie with Will. Excellent work. This is the day you captured them both.

Wowie!

[erinrua]

Ahoy, Honorat!

I have to say that, for various reasons too tedious to mention, this has been a rather crap week, and your wonderful, detailed, delightful reviews just made it all more better. {{*HUGS!*}} I am so flattered that you sat down to take such time with this! Dang ... and from a writer of your caliber, make that a double-dang. ;-)

Gosh ... I'm squirming like a puppy with happiness, here, and I think I'm gonna just roll around in all the nice things you said. Thank you so much for this. It's wonderful to know when a piece really works, and wonderful-er yet to know just why.

THANK YOU! :-)
Cheers ~

Erin

Re: Wowie!

[honorat]

Ahoy Captain!

I'm sorry to hear you've had such a lousy week. *Hugs back*

Really good fics deserve really good reviews. And what I said is not exactly what puppies normally roll in! LOL! I spoke the truth! Seriously, I'm glad to provide some happiness to your week--we have to keep your muses happy so more of these treats get produced!

Re: Wowie!

[erinrua]

BUAH!

LOL, yeah, my puppies don't roll in sweet smelling stuff, either. But you know what I mean! *G* Thanks again!
Cheers ~

Erin