Paradise

Aug 02, 2007 14:27

Title: Paradise ( Read more... )

oneshot, fic

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Comments 23

artaxastra August 2 2007, 18:42:45 UTC
I love the picture of Jack in a sarong, enjoying paradise! I can see it so clearly!

Just beautiful as always, with your wonderful, evocative prose, always just the right image.

Though Jack officially sailed out from Shipwreck Cove as quartermaster of the Notus, he remained the real power behind the infancy of her captaincy.

He doesn't mind being her second, does he? Not an alpha type, he's happy to take the second place to someone he loves. He wants to be appreciated and admired, as Elizabeth pointed out in DMC. He doesn't want power.

Very, very slick!

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nelliedances August 2 2007, 20:04:02 UTC
This was shamelessly inspired by a picture of Johnny Depp in a sarong in last week's People. My poor, heat addled brain decided to run with it.

You're so right about his not wanting power. In a way, though, he's making his immortality through her: he teaches her his ways of doing things and eventually, she will pass those on as well. It sure beats having your heart cut out. Not to mention, sharing the voyage as her quartermaster is still more fun than sailing alone as captain.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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artaxastra August 2 2007, 20:16:45 UTC
I saw that picture on line. Oh heavens! It's very very....something. My brain does not supply sufficient adjectives....

And Jack could use a touch of paradise himself, after the last couple of years. He would love this.

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nelliedances August 2 2007, 20:29:54 UTC
That pictures was partially responsible for the babboons that seem to have eaten my brain. I started gibbering at the page. I swear, it's the heat...

I think this voyage was a nice way to start repairing the damage of the whole killed and fed to the kraken. It's also a chance to get to know each other outside of the series of never-ending crisises. Plus, the pictures of the Society Islands just seemed a perfect place to set down for repairs and have a bit of a safe interlude.

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ladyofthesilent August 2 2007, 19:13:09 UTC
What a lovely imagery! And the picture of Jack wearing nothing but a sarong is just ... well, hot! Definitely what I would consider "paradise" ;)

I also loved your portrayal of Captain Lizzie! A strong, independent woman, and yet "Jack's woman".

Great work, I enjoyed every line of it! Thanks a lot for sharing.

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nelliedances August 2 2007, 20:22:49 UTC
Writing this certainly beat reality: 90+ degrees, no air conditioning, and I'd sell my soul for a breeze right now. You definitely should see if you can find the picture of JD in People mag in said sarong. I'd scan it if only I'd unpacked my scanner.

Liz is chosing her own course and occasionally being Jack's woman has some great perks, kind of like being King. It's good to be King.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm hoping this will break my writer's block.

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ladyofthesilent August 2 2007, 20:27:33 UTC
In Germany, it's rather cool at the moment ... no trace of summer, yet, but hopefully, the weather will improve this weekend.

I've already seen the pic of Johnny in said sarong - very inspiring, that's for sure ;)

I am suffering from writer's block, too ... I really need to finish Chapter 15 of "Cape of the Sinner's Tongue", but it just won't come out the way I want it to. Maybe I should try to write something different for now and see where to go from there.

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nelliedances August 2 2007, 20:42:10 UTC
I actually ended up doing that. The two pieces I'm working on just stopped dead. Sometimes, a little bit of mind candy, like this, really helps.

I'd gladly trade. It's 33ish here and dead calm. At least tomorrow, I'll be at the beach instead of sweltering.

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sixpences August 2 2007, 21:08:27 UTC
This is absolutely beautiful throughout, a wonderful vision of the two of them- this line in particular really struck me:

measuring her steps to independence in turns of the callipers on faded maps, and viewing her future in the sun through the sextant

I also just looked up that picture of Johnny in a sarong...

*wibble*

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nelliedances August 2 2007, 21:24:42 UTC
That line was actually a later addition and I waffled on keeping it. I'm glad you felt it worked.

That picture should be listed as an official inspiration.

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lady_di75 August 2 2007, 23:36:22 UTC
“This, luv, is paradise.”
... indeed... *sigh*

she slowly began to realize whom Elizabeth the woman was. In the quiet of the great cabin, she was no one’s daughter nor any man’s wife, but sister to all the crew and lover to only Jack and the boundless sea.

What I love about this ship is that it allows for something that Willabeth and Norribeth(?) don't -- for Elizabeth to be her own woman, on her own terms, not defined by her father, husband, station... etc.

Just beautiful!

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nelliedances August 3 2007, 02:08:38 UTC
I think maybe that's what originally attracted me to the ship; it's a little bit unconventional, but it's a very independant pairing. Nothing's expected except honesty.

I'm quite keen on the idea of the sea as the lover Elizabeth is most faithful too, much like Jack/Pearl.

Glad you enjoyed :)

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akarii August 4 2007, 14:34:16 UTC
*mind currently in the gutter due to unreasonably tempting visuals*

This is goodness. Fluffy, but not too fluffy. And Jack's characterization ...

I like the idea of him being anything else than a captain, although I'd miss his almost proverbial 'Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow ( ... )

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nelliedances August 4 2007, 16:38:19 UTC
He's not quite in the background; the crew knows who's really in charge, but most of them know Jack or have sailed with him before and are letting Bess keep her illusions. Really, they're sort of co-captains and he's certainly still introducing himself as Captain Jack Sparrow, just sailing under the Pirate King's colours for the time being.

Plus, Jack knows that the quartermaster's the ship's real power when they're not in battle. Bess is better in a crisis situation, but he's better with the munitae of day to day ship running. It really works nearly perfectly.

Have you see the photo from People? Pure insiration, I tell you. I think djarum99 has a most glorious icon of it. Anyhow, thank you so much for your comment :)

Shanghai Noon= great movie. I can also see bits of Jack there.

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akarii August 5 2007, 09:21:45 UTC
the quartermaster's the ship's real power when they're not in battle

Uhm... After having pitched headlong into 'Pirates' fanfiction I've been looking up a few nautical terms and such and have landed on this site. It doesn't give such a favourable account of the quartermaster's rank.

I also dimly remember having read about Sir Francis Drake's quartermaster as one of the ship's carpenters whose job merely was to represent the crew in formal decisions and to hold a place in a jury, should one happen to be held (in cases of Drake it was the conviction and beheading of Sir Thomas Doughty).

True? Ludicrous? Could you point me a to other websites on this topic, please?

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nelliedances August 6 2007, 15:38:14 UTC
It's my guess that this was not true in the Navy, whatsoever. I did notice, on the page you linked me, that the quartermaster received the same shares as the captain on Roberts' ship.

It's an interesting point made; I'm definitely going to have to look further into it. Essentially everything I've read is to the contrary, but I would be very interested in seeing what else I can dig up on this.

Links!
http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/index.html
This is one of my favourites. It has a great chart of sea times.

I also use Wikipedia for quick checks and I have a range of books here, including Under the Black Flag that I use as reference materials.

I'll have to see if I can find anything else for you.

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