PotC fic: Groves' Seven Holy Virtues, Seven Deadly Sins Drabbles
This is all khohen1's fault. She wrote this with Jack (and did a bloody good job of it, too)... and I couldn't resist. I would have done it with James, but then dear Teddy does not get enough fiction written about him, so how could I actually do that to him? Much as I love the Commodore, he'll have to make do with the few cameos he has in here. I'm thinking I should find a title for this, since it was just supposed to be 14 independent drabbles and ended up as a whole (and a character study of Groves, yes).
Alright, so here's the deal: write a drabble for each holy virtue and deadly sin. It's quite fun, btw, as much to read as to write (though it's hell to keep them all under 100 words), so if any of you wants to give it a try, too... I think I might do Damien's soon, but probably in French.
As for those of you who care about Groves in a "what-I-do-of-him-in-the-Highlander-verse" way (or, really, for heikki_cheren, 'cause I don't think anyone else here does), this is AU. Very much not what happened to the Groves who turned Immortal.
1. Faith
> belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof
"What about yer god, luv?"
Ted looked up at the dark eyes, darkened by kohl. "What about my god?"
"I don't s'pose 'e changed his mind and now approves of your lifestyle, does he?"
"No, I don't suppose so..." The bitterness of the ale suited his mood. Odd to be talking of this here, with him. A tavern in Port Royal, a pirate captain he ought to arrest. "My faith is my own, and no one else's to dictate. My aim is to be good man, rather than a virtuous one."
Jack nodded sagely. "Aye. Write yer own rules."
2. Hope
> the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with the Lord’s help
Theodore Groves had been well on his way to inebriation, but the flash of steel sobered him instantly. Sparrow's blade lay against his throat.
"What'd you expect, luv? I'm a pirate, I am." Nimble fingers plunged into his clothes, came back with his purse. A seductive grin and a roll of his hips. "What'd ye hope for when I joined you at the tavern?"
"Hope?" A playful smile stretched his lips. "I always hope for the best, Jack. Even in pirates."
A peck on his lips, twinkling black eyes, "Ta, luv," and the pirate was gone.
3. Charity
> love directed toward God, as well as oneself and one's neighbors as objects of God's love
"Mr Murtogg, what is the meaning of this?"
The embarrassed soldier stood at the ready. It was hard to remain serious, but Ted focused on his rank and duty. He had caught Murtogg with a woman on board, a harlot that was standing silently to the side. Ted knew what the rules would have him do.
He hardly listened to the soldier's hazy explanations, interrupted him. "Make sure no one sees you escort her off the ship."
Immense relief on his face, then babbled thanks as Murtogg complied. It was hard to keep a straight face, but Ted managed.
4. Fortitude
> strength and endurance in a difficult or painful situation
The boy was barely eleven. He had fallen in with the wrong sort, Collins' crowd. They were excellent topmen, but quick to impertinence. Ted knew very well that James had no choice, that he ought to have done the same thing in his stead. Lack of respect to a midshipman did not do.
The bosun's mate raised his arm, brought it down harshly. The boy cried out as the whip bit into the flesh of his back.
Ted squared his shoulders and managed not to wince with each of the numbered strokes. The pain was like his own.
5. Justice
> fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made
Ted leaned forward, eyes intent on his fellow lieutenant. "Do you truly believe he deserves to be hanged?"
"He's a pirate!"
"It is our duty to see him hanged, yes," Ted conceded, containing his impatience. "But do you deem this just?"
"He plunders, pillages, sinks our ships, Theodore. What more is there to say?"
"He strives to avoid blood." He shook his head. "Duty and justice do not always coincide."
A small pause. "As a favour to you, this statement will not leave the room." Gillette rose, disgust etched on his features. "Listen to yourself." With that, he walked out.
6. Temperance
> self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire
Ted had been playing with fire, coming back to the same tavern in the hopes to see Jack again. A few times those last months, his wish had been granted. Like tonight.
"Come with me back to the Pearl... You'd like her."
"I have no doubt I would. She is a magnificent ship."
"Isn't she?" A blur of fingers to dismiss the subject, a pout to the lower lip and a plea in the dark eyes. "Come back with me."
"Do you truly think I will accept?"
An amused shrug, a relaxed stance. "A man's gotta try."
7. Prudence
> a tendency to evaluate situations carefully so as to avoid risk
"Where were you last night? I meant to ask for your opinion on the course of our next expedition."
In the privacy of the captain's cabin on the Dauntless, Ted tensed. "I was otherwise engaged."
"A dinner, maybe?"
Tread cautiously, Ted advised himself. James was his superior before being his friend. "An old acquaintance surprised me."
An inquisitively raised eyebrow, but James did not pry and unrolled a map over which they bent. Courses were decided upon, secrecy was maintained. For at least one more day.
1. Pride
> a haughty attitude shown by people who believe that they are better than others
"You do not wish me hanged and occasionally share a pint with me, what is so insulting in my offer to join me crew?"
"Our sets of moral are -" Ted wondered how to put it, "well, quite different."
"To say that you think yours so much better."
"Of course. You are a pirate."
"Aye, 'course. 'Tad been a while since I was reminded of my inferiority."
"I cannot but be proud of who I am, Jack."
An icy glare, words only just bitten back, and the pirate strode off.
2. Greed
> an overwhelming desire to have more of something than is actually needed
"Do you ever think back on that day?" James suddenly asked, surprising Ted.
He could have been speaking of no other day. Ted swallowed his food, shifted. "Sometimes. It seems like a dream."
"It is tempting to let it fade away into the remnants of a nightmare... What else to do?"
"Men... devoured by greed... the very greed that ruled their lives, ruled their deaths."
"A good lesson to us all."
"Nightmares teach us about ourselves."
James smiled tightly. "Indeed."
3. Lust
> to have a very strong desire to obtain something, often sexually motivated
Mouths crashed together, hands pushed off clothes and roamed over heated skin, bodies tumbled onto a mattress. Desire long restrained was set free at last in a flurry of powerful sensations. Teeth nibbled, tongues licked, fingers tickled, lips kissed, mouths moaned, chests shuddered, all of it until whole beings jolted in a surge of pure pleasure.
Erratic breaths slowed down. Ted looked at the trinkets in the mane of dark hair resting on the pillow next to him. Jack turned around, smirked. "You'll have your use on me Pearl, luv."
The insistent knocking on his door woke Ted up.
4. Anger
> A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility
"This was a mistake! From beginning to end! From that first drink up to now!" Blood was pounding in his ears and rage suffused his chest. The alley was deserted, but he still had to keep his voice low.
"Was it now?" Jack raised a careless eyebrow, cleaning his nails with the tip of his dagger. "Or is the temptation too much for you, Lieutenant Groves?"
He grabbed the dagger and threw it away, eyes riveted into Jack's. "It is not." He grabbed the pirate's face and poured all of his anger into the kiss. "Farewell, Sparrow." He strode off.
5. Gluttony
> the act or practice of eating and drinking to excess.
"It is not like you, Ted, and I cannot possibly accept drunkenness from one of my officers."
Ted looked stubbornly ahead, unwilling to meet James' gaze. His friend, however, left him no choice as he stopped pacing in front of him. Torn between friendship and duty, justice and rules. As ever. Ted would rather have the superior than the friend; the friend would have questions.
"It shall not happen again, Commodore."
James stiffened, surveyed him tersely. "Very well. For this time."
Ted nodded. No longer would he drink himself to oblivion. Sparrow was not worth it.
6. Envy
> the resentful or unhappy feeling of wanting somebody else’s success
Ted gave his orders to the bosun in a tone that did not betray his weariness, great though it might be. They had been at sea for a fortnight now, and only in times of combat did the weariness give him some respite. The memory of that one kiss haunted him. A rough, passionate, angry, brutal yielding to sheer desire. A mistake.
For now his soul was consumed with envy. He envied those who could so easily set their morals aside and embrace piracy. He envied the crew of the Black Pearl. Jack's crew.
With the envy came the weariness.
7. Sloth
> a dislike of work or any kind of physical exertion
"Something is the matter, and I would not pry if it did not affect your duties so."
The disappoint on James' face rankled bitterly in Ted's lungs, but would it be enough to shake him out of it? James's voice was so serious, so martial.
"You have become idle, Ted. Nothing but combat seems worth your while. I cannot take this."
James spoke true. For weeks, Ted had been living in the apprehension of coming up on the Pearl. Fighting them. A paralysing notion.
"I -"
"Sail ho!" came the cry. "Black sails, sir!"
And here came the conclusion.
~~ fin ~~
Alright, so here's the deal: write a drabble for each holy virtue and deadly sin. It's quite fun, btw, as much to read as to write (though it's hell to keep them all under 100 words), so if any of you wants to give it a try, too... I think I might do Damien's soon, but probably in French.
As for those of you who care about Groves in a "what-I-do-of-him-in-the-Highlander-verse" way (or, really, for heikki_cheren, 'cause I don't think anyone else here does), this is AU. Very much not what happened to the Groves who turned Immortal.
1. Faith
> belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof
"What about yer god, luv?"
Ted looked up at the dark eyes, darkened by kohl. "What about my god?"
"I don't s'pose 'e changed his mind and now approves of your lifestyle, does he?"
"No, I don't suppose so..." The bitterness of the ale suited his mood. Odd to be talking of this here, with him. A tavern in Port Royal, a pirate captain he ought to arrest. "My faith is my own, and no one else's to dictate. My aim is to be good man, rather than a virtuous one."
Jack nodded sagely. "Aye. Write yer own rules."
2. Hope
> the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with the Lord’s help
Theodore Groves had been well on his way to inebriation, but the flash of steel sobered him instantly. Sparrow's blade lay against his throat.
"What'd you expect, luv? I'm a pirate, I am." Nimble fingers plunged into his clothes, came back with his purse. A seductive grin and a roll of his hips. "What'd ye hope for when I joined you at the tavern?"
"Hope?" A playful smile stretched his lips. "I always hope for the best, Jack. Even in pirates."
A peck on his lips, twinkling black eyes, "Ta, luv," and the pirate was gone.
3. Charity
> love directed toward God, as well as oneself and one's neighbors as objects of God's love
"Mr Murtogg, what is the meaning of this?"
The embarrassed soldier stood at the ready. It was hard to remain serious, but Ted focused on his rank and duty. He had caught Murtogg with a woman on board, a harlot that was standing silently to the side. Ted knew what the rules would have him do.
He hardly listened to the soldier's hazy explanations, interrupted him. "Make sure no one sees you escort her off the ship."
Immense relief on his face, then babbled thanks as Murtogg complied. It was hard to keep a straight face, but Ted managed.
4. Fortitude
> strength and endurance in a difficult or painful situation
The boy was barely eleven. He had fallen in with the wrong sort, Collins' crowd. They were excellent topmen, but quick to impertinence. Ted knew very well that James had no choice, that he ought to have done the same thing in his stead. Lack of respect to a midshipman did not do.
The bosun's mate raised his arm, brought it down harshly. The boy cried out as the whip bit into the flesh of his back.
Ted squared his shoulders and managed not to wince with each of the numbered strokes. The pain was like his own.
5. Justice
> fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made
Ted leaned forward, eyes intent on his fellow lieutenant. "Do you truly believe he deserves to be hanged?"
"He's a pirate!"
"It is our duty to see him hanged, yes," Ted conceded, containing his impatience. "But do you deem this just?"
"He plunders, pillages, sinks our ships, Theodore. What more is there to say?"
"He strives to avoid blood." He shook his head. "Duty and justice do not always coincide."
A small pause. "As a favour to you, this statement will not leave the room." Gillette rose, disgust etched on his features. "Listen to yourself." With that, he walked out.
6. Temperance
> self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire
Ted had been playing with fire, coming back to the same tavern in the hopes to see Jack again. A few times those last months, his wish had been granted. Like tonight.
"Come with me back to the Pearl... You'd like her."
"I have no doubt I would. She is a magnificent ship."
"Isn't she?" A blur of fingers to dismiss the subject, a pout to the lower lip and a plea in the dark eyes. "Come back with me."
"Do you truly think I will accept?"
An amused shrug, a relaxed stance. "A man's gotta try."
7. Prudence
> a tendency to evaluate situations carefully so as to avoid risk
"Where were you last night? I meant to ask for your opinion on the course of our next expedition."
In the privacy of the captain's cabin on the Dauntless, Ted tensed. "I was otherwise engaged."
"A dinner, maybe?"
Tread cautiously, Ted advised himself. James was his superior before being his friend. "An old acquaintance surprised me."
An inquisitively raised eyebrow, but James did not pry and unrolled a map over which they bent. Courses were decided upon, secrecy was maintained. For at least one more day.
1. Pride
> a haughty attitude shown by people who believe that they are better than others
"You do not wish me hanged and occasionally share a pint with me, what is so insulting in my offer to join me crew?"
"Our sets of moral are -" Ted wondered how to put it, "well, quite different."
"To say that you think yours so much better."
"Of course. You are a pirate."
"Aye, 'course. 'Tad been a while since I was reminded of my inferiority."
"I cannot but be proud of who I am, Jack."
An icy glare, words only just bitten back, and the pirate strode off.
2. Greed
> an overwhelming desire to have more of something than is actually needed
"Do you ever think back on that day?" James suddenly asked, surprising Ted.
He could have been speaking of no other day. Ted swallowed his food, shifted. "Sometimes. It seems like a dream."
"It is tempting to let it fade away into the remnants of a nightmare... What else to do?"
"Men... devoured by greed... the very greed that ruled their lives, ruled their deaths."
"A good lesson to us all."
"Nightmares teach us about ourselves."
James smiled tightly. "Indeed."
3. Lust
> to have a very strong desire to obtain something, often sexually motivated
Mouths crashed together, hands pushed off clothes and roamed over heated skin, bodies tumbled onto a mattress. Desire long restrained was set free at last in a flurry of powerful sensations. Teeth nibbled, tongues licked, fingers tickled, lips kissed, mouths moaned, chests shuddered, all of it until whole beings jolted in a surge of pure pleasure.
Erratic breaths slowed down. Ted looked at the trinkets in the mane of dark hair resting on the pillow next to him. Jack turned around, smirked. "You'll have your use on me Pearl, luv."
The insistent knocking on his door woke Ted up.
4. Anger
> A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility
"This was a mistake! From beginning to end! From that first drink up to now!" Blood was pounding in his ears and rage suffused his chest. The alley was deserted, but he still had to keep his voice low.
"Was it now?" Jack raised a careless eyebrow, cleaning his nails with the tip of his dagger. "Or is the temptation too much for you, Lieutenant Groves?"
He grabbed the dagger and threw it away, eyes riveted into Jack's. "It is not." He grabbed the pirate's face and poured all of his anger into the kiss. "Farewell, Sparrow." He strode off.
5. Gluttony
> the act or practice of eating and drinking to excess.
"It is not like you, Ted, and I cannot possibly accept drunkenness from one of my officers."
Ted looked stubbornly ahead, unwilling to meet James' gaze. His friend, however, left him no choice as he stopped pacing in front of him. Torn between friendship and duty, justice and rules. As ever. Ted would rather have the superior than the friend; the friend would have questions.
"It shall not happen again, Commodore."
James stiffened, surveyed him tersely. "Very well. For this time."
Ted nodded. No longer would he drink himself to oblivion. Sparrow was not worth it.
6. Envy
> the resentful or unhappy feeling of wanting somebody else’s success
Ted gave his orders to the bosun in a tone that did not betray his weariness, great though it might be. They had been at sea for a fortnight now, and only in times of combat did the weariness give him some respite. The memory of that one kiss haunted him. A rough, passionate, angry, brutal yielding to sheer desire. A mistake.
For now his soul was consumed with envy. He envied those who could so easily set their morals aside and embrace piracy. He envied the crew of the Black Pearl. Jack's crew.
With the envy came the weariness.
7. Sloth
> a dislike of work or any kind of physical exertion
"Something is the matter, and I would not pry if it did not affect your duties so."
The disappoint on James' face rankled bitterly in Ted's lungs, but would it be enough to shake him out of it? James's voice was so serious, so martial.
"You have become idle, Ted. Nothing but combat seems worth your while. I cannot take this."
James spoke true. For weeks, Ted had been living in the apprehension of coming up on the Pearl. Fighting them. A paralysing notion.
"I -"
"Sail ho!" came the cry. "Black sails, sir!"
And here came the conclusion.
~~ fin ~~