"King Midas Has Asses’ Ears" (JWP Practice Prompt #1) ("Study in Crimson" Pirate AU)

[gardnerhill]

Title: King Midas Has Asses’ Ears
Author: gardnerhill
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (takes place in my pirate AU “A Study in Crimson” ‘verse)
Pairing: None
Rating: PG (violence)
Warning:  Implied violence.
Word Count: 814
Summary: Your captain may forbid your words, but he cannot stop the signal.
Author's Notes: JWP 2014 Practice Prompt #1, “a mysterious

Comments

[wirral_bagpuss]

OOOH! I like it! Want to read more of this!! And pirate Milverton is as evil as his London counterpart!! ;)

Shiver me timbers and a bottle of rum!
Pieces of eight for Milverton and a gunshot to end his run!
Walk the plank, the wrench is dead!

;)

[gardnerhill]

There's gold in the lubber's mouth! (Pull, boys! Pull!)
One eye's gone and running red! (Haul, boys, haul!)
The Bakers look for Milverton! (Way, haul away!)
He's soon to meet Old Ned! (Haul away, Joe!)

[methylviolet10b]

Haha! This is very clever. Brava!

[gardnerhill]

Thanks!

[tripleransom]

Ooh! Always welcome to see more Study in Crimson!

[gardnerhill]

Thanks. It has been a while since I've updated, hasn't it?

[capt_facepalm]

There is a whiff of the Browncoat about your summary... (am not surprised)

More Study in Crimson verse is always a welcome read. You have used the prompt very well and by advancing the main story arc through the actions and reactions of Milverton's new crew, you have saved yourself a heck of a lot of writing. Clever, clever author! Of course you have built up Milverton as a true horror and now leave your audience thirsting for his just desserts.

Oh, and your title? Bloody clever!

[gardnerhill]

Thanks! I only just learned of that test deadline with hours to go, and kinda fled to familar seas if you catch my drift...

And yes, that was indeed a touch of Firefly in the description, because the technology may change but the need to communicate has driven a good chunk of human history. (One of the most stirring moments in the movie Return to the King was the signal-fires leaping from mountaintop to mountaintop, sending a call for help.)

Milverton is a textbook case of a sociopath - he'd be right at home on the worst kind of pirate ship. I think Sally Donovan speaks for all of us in my icon.

And you're the first one to pick up on the title - at least to let me know! I knew reading all those Greek myths as a kid would come in handy.

[only_po]

*dances* Another peek into this universe, and it's a doozy! It's particularly interesting to watch the Baker's crew from the outside. And the secret signals -- oh yes. Suppression of information is inherently doomed to fail for a species programmed to communicate. (May 35th, anyone?)

So much for Dr. Jack wishing to be known as only "One Hand Jack!" Ah, well. I was going to ask why Milverton was so fixated on him and then I realized: fugitive wanted by the Crown (ransom); ship's doctor held in high esteem by the captain (ransom from the other side); with a gold and gem-encrusted limb ($$$$). Got it. As for blowing up the Octavius, I suppose someday villains will learn that you DO NOT put Dr. Jack in peril because Shear-Lock WILL make you pay.

. . . Or perhaps the present crew will get there first and save the Baker's crew some trouble!

[gardnerhill]

Sorry for the delay in replying to you - too many emails in the Inbox.

Yep, if your government censors June 4 rename it May 35th! (On a similar note, a woman who wrote for a popular American TV show syndicated in China had the characters order Chinese takeout - and the Chinese characters on the bag spell out "Human Rights," a phrase normally censored by the government.)

You are totally not in control of how your story spreads, or how it's told. With the way the tale's spreading soon it'll be about merciless Cap'n Gold-Hand's reign of revenge, along with his first mate Shear-Lock.

You're right - I hadn't thought how Milverton would love to get his hands on Jack for a triple-dipped reward. Except that everyone BUT Milverton is finding out that Jack's a very dangerous pirate to capture, so good luck there.

Somehow I don't really think the WASP's crew is gonna be the most brave and loyal defenders of their captain's life in the final confrontation. "Ship off the port bow! Darn, and now I have to go wash my hair."