Drabble: 'Mists of Time'

[dwgm]

artaxastra posted a short but wonderful new chapter of her Outlaws and Inlaws series last night, Lost at Sea, featuring Will and a certain lady from Jack's past. Naturally the plot bunnies started breeding. Many thanks to hereswith for giving this a peek.

It uses the theme of the week from Black Pearl Sails...



~ Mists of Time ~

Teague’s in the midst of a cozy pipe in the common room the first night the Pirate King descends and enters with her newborn to general acclaim. It’s been a few days, now, and the babe looks better than he had at first, sated, swaddled, and working at a nap. His mother has a glow about her, and Jackie’s hovering, a look on his face and a light in his eyes that make the mists of time roll back.

Forty years ago it was Isabelle glowing, and himself hovering.

Just the same.

And yet… not.

But then the Ferryman’s bride glances up at Jackie with her own look and light, and a smile that’s just for him, and Teague knows it’s all right.

Somehow, it’s going to be all right.


~.~



ETA:







Thank you all so much!!

*bounces*

Comments

[compassrose7577.livejournal.com]

Children to seem to mark those passages of time. It's strange enough to look into your children's face and see your parents or grandparents, but to be able to relive those pivotal moments through them....ahhh, 'tis grand.

Whether he lets on or not, Teague is the typical father, worried about the welfare of his son...and now his son has worries of his own.

And so it goes....

Great piece! Glad to see the fog of jet lag has cleared. We need to talk *g*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I think even notorious pirates can be susceptible to those deja vu moments. I'm very happy you caught the bittersweet note in this, which was what I was aiming for (and yet trying to keep it at 125 words -- I failed, but only by 5. *g*).

Still strangely jet-lagged -- waking up at 5 and can't keep my eyes open after 8! Ugh! I'm glad we only work two days next week. Yes, we need to talk. I'll email you later or tomorrow - going to an SCA event in Santa Barbara today, helping my daughter who is in charge of the feast. :)) But I'll have my laptop, no worries.

Thank you so much for the quick and detailed review. I really appreciate it!

[compassrose7577.livejournal.com]

Jet lag is vicious! All I can say is pace yourself, drink a ton of water (a large part of it is dehydration) and give it time. Lucky girl you've only a few days to work. You have a frazzled little guardian angel looking out for you, somewhere.

I'll be lurking all day. Home alone and reveling in every moment!

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Awwww! Gave me a warm glow round about my heart.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Just what it was supposed to do. Thank you for letting me know!

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

Mmm, lovely - nice companion piece to artaxastra's.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

A's 'verse is just too inspiring. It's her fault. I'm very happy you enjoyed this.

You know, I wrote another story, a longer one, a while back, in A's 'verse but using that prompt you suggested for potcfest -- J/E, earrings -- but it's set directly after the hurricane and I haven't wanted to post it in case A does something similar, but I think I'll email it to you. :)

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

You could post it! I love your stories!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! But I wouldn't feel right about it when I don't know where you're going to pick up Jack and Elizabeth's story. You might be planning something similar, for all I know. You see the awkwardness. Still, had to write it -- you know how insistent those plot bunnies are!

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

No, seriously post it! If mine is similar, it is. I'm going to pick up their story on the way to get the Pearl back, so please do!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm going to pick up their story on the way to get the Pearl back

Oh! Well, in that case, maybe I will post it. I had a feeling you might skip to that, which I am very much looking forward to, of course, along with everyone else. Also looking forward to the scene where Will tells Jack about his mother. Though I am still fond of my own Jack backstory, as it relates to my various post-CotBP 'verses, Isabelle is so perfect for yours -- quite a brilliant creation.

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Awww. That's perfect. I can see it so clearly. Jack hovering, and Teague being understated.

It will be all right.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Hovering discretely. But I think Teague sees pretty clearly what's going on. I've read your latest chapter about three times now, and there is just so much there -- I'll try to do a more detailed comment later, but I have to go help at my daughter's SCA event in Santa Barbara in a little bit.

Hope you and penknife are feeling better today.

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

We're feeling better, thank you! I do love this story!

[piratemistress.livejournal.com]

How sweet!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Looked up your set of fics on AFF.net(?) and have been enjoying them so much! Must add the link to our J/E recs page. You sure can write the smut, I have to say. *fans self, again, just thinking about it*

[piratemistress.livejournal.com]

I liked your drabble! The image of Elizabeth's smile "only for Jack" has sort of stuck with me since I read it.

Thanks so very much! I'm so flattered! My early ones are not so good, but I leave them up anyway; I post the especially smutty ones to AFF (as I assume that's what people are looking for over there) but I do link all smut and non-smut "good copies" from a table of contents in my LJ, which I'm about to update, here. Enjoy!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Wow!! Thanks for that link. Hours of great reading. *bounces*

[piratemistress.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[ladymouse2.livejournal.com]

This is a lovely companion to Artaxastra's Lost at Sea. I love the reference to Isabelle Teague.

And Teague who is so pragmatic: "the babe looks better than he had at first", no, a newborn is n't a thing of beauty, especialy to a man! But for whom Elizabeth's descent with her son and Jack around her takes him instantly back to another day where he was not merely a spectator.

And I like his immediate if illogical sense that things would work out all right, based on this memory. His heightened sense of continuity perhpas?

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I doubt if Teague is prone to an excess of sentiment, but I think Elizabeth might remind Teague of his Isabelle, in certain ways, and memory can't but be jarred by the situation. And I think he cares for his son more than he shows.

I'm very happy you liked this! Thank you so much for letting me know.

[akarii.livejournal.com]

Yes, that particular air new mothers have... Having a child changes a woman more than anything else; with close friends I sometimes have the impression that I don't know them anymore. New angles, ridges and dents in their personalities.

Wonderful take, thanks for sharing!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're right, it changes women and men both. Having a child is such a life-altering experience, profoundly affecting every aspect of one's life and way of thinking.

I'm so happy you liked this little scene. Thank you so much for letting me know.

[tanith75.livejournal.com]

Delightful drabble! Amazing how only a few words can put such a huge smile on my face :)

So many amazing images, Elizabeth's smile for Jack being my favorite :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I always love that icon. Teague's a great character, isn't he?

So happy this made you smile. That was the plan -- we can all use more smiles, I think.

Tight words/Teague

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

I wish to say thanks for the invitation to the common room, to be quiet, enjoying the life around two dear, curious men and one lovely lady. Your middle name must be read between the lines, seems you get as much from what you don't write as what you do. I like that you write as tho you 'know' I can read. Appreciated this. I think you wrote my favorite one about Jack's response so to speak to Norrington's put down about Jack's sword being wooden.

Re: Tight words/Teague

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

So nice to see you here on LJ -- have friended you. Hope you don't mind. :))

seems you get as much from what you don't write as what you do.

That's the trick, with drabbles, I think. With only a minimum of words to work with, it's impossible to spell everything out, and one has to rely on the reader picking up the hints.

I'm so happy you enjoyed this one! Thank you for letting me know. And welcome to Live Journal!

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

Wow! You can certainly pack implications into very few words.

So Teague was a bit worried, eh? About Jackie getting hurt, maybe..?

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Hee! What a cute icon. My daughter is very fond of monkeys, too, and I must send you a pic she did for our graphic design class, of snow monkeys, for a Christmas card. Too cute!

So happy you liked the drabble, and caught all the implications. I think Teague can't help but be reminded of his own situation with Isabelle, so long ago, but the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth is so much more complicated, and fraught with potential pain -- and Jack's already been damaged by life.

[obfusc8er.livejournal.com]

Aww. That was warm and fuzzy.

Well, mostly. The reference to Elizabeth as "the Ferryman's bride" always breathes a bit of a chill into a story. (I mean as it relates to the job, not Will himself, fwiw.) But it's nothing Teague's determination to live in the here and now won't cure.

Jackie’s hovering

...soon to be sated, swaddled, and working at a nap as well, no doubt. *g*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

The reference to Elizabeth as "the Ferryman's bride" always breathes a bit of a chill into a story

That's the truth. Teague's son has a habit of getting mixed up with things that are akin to playing with fire. It has to be worrisome.

The bittersweet was intended to balance out the warm and fuzzy. I'm glad to know that came through.