Drabble: 'Bloody Fool' (Jack, Barbossa)

[dwgm]

And another one for the 'Fool' challenge, 150 words of Jack and Barbossa, inspired by a line from p0wdermonkey's Sixth Nut Out of the Locker...



~ Bloody Fool ~


Red, rhythmic agony assails Jack with each quick step Barbossa takes, and the man’s arms are like iron bands under Jack’s knees and shoulders. The slick, wet blood spreads steadily, but the blessed blackness of unconsciousness recedes ever further, and Jack is finally unable to help groaning aloud.

“Jack! Hang on, lad. We’ll have ye back to the ship in a trice.”

Hector doesn’t stop walking, but there’s panic in his voice, and steely determination, too. Jack manages to open his eyes briefly and the vision of the pale skin and set jaw is something he knows he’ll not soon forget – provided he survives to remember.

Jack manages to rasp, “Hector!”

“What?” Hector does stop, now. “What is it?”

Jack summons the ghost of a smile. “Didn’t know you cared, mate.”

Hector rolls his eyes and snaps, “Shut up, ye bloody fool!” and lights out again, fast, toward the Pearl.


~.~

Comments

[awickedwench.livejournal.com]

Very well done! I think you've captured the dynamic b/t Jack and Barbossa perfectly.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It seemed their history was quite complicated, from the hints we got in both CotBP and then AWE. Interesting to explore.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[mary684.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! Yes, you've got the entire love/hate thing they have going. I love the two of them together - now even more so! Thank you!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

They are consumate pirates, so it couldn't be any other way. I'm so happy you liked it!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is pre-mutiny, and Jack is a very young captain of the Pearl. So glad you liked this!

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

Oh, I liked this one - much better use of your time than dealing with taxes :-) I loved the snarking between Jack and Barbossa in the films, and whatever there was between them seemed to be something more than rivalry. Great drabble, and this is my favorite line:

the vision of the pale skin and set jaw is something he knows he’ll not soon forget – provided he survives to remember

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Yes, I liked their relationship -- sometime friends, sometime enemies. There's been a lot of water under that bridge.

And now, taxes, dammit!!

*g*

[sharklady35.livejournal.com]

An incident like this, where Barbossa acted like a true friend, must've made the later betrayal all the more crushing for poor Jack.

I've always suspected that ever since, Sparrow's had a far harder time trusting anyone.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Jack's gone through some hard knocks. Thankfully, though he's warier, he's still a good man.

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Oh, interesting! Rather a sharp left turn from how I normally see their history. I love it when fic makes me think.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I think we got some hints in AWE that they had a more complicated relationship than was indicated in CotBP -- but even there, Barbossa isn't an entirely unsympathetic character. I'm glad you found this interesting! Thank you for letting me know.

[faeriquene.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! My, but you are prolific lately! And always such lovely work! I absolutely adore the relationship between my two favorite captains; the competitiveness mingled with occasional tenderness and affection. They're quite complex when you start to examine them, and this is a lovely take on their history!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really liked the way their relationship was illuminated a bit more in AWE.

[justawench.livejournal.com]

Yay! That line caught my attention, too. This was a lovely expansion for it! Nothing like a near-death experience to bring one's true feelings to the surface.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! So many lines caught my eye, but I really liked the idea of Hector being there, and helping him when he was shot, and just couldn't resist using it here. It's obvious they have a lot of shared history, even just from the movies.

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

The Sparbossa virus claims another victim. Huzzah! (PG-rated Sparbossa is still Sparbossa.)

This is exactly the kind of thing I was imagining when I put that line into Nuts 6. Wonderful to see it so beautifully filled out! You really catch the dynamic between these two: the teasing, the snarling, the toughness, the dependence...

You know, that moment almost didn't make it into my story. I woke up the morning after I thought I'd finished and realised I had to include something to show why Barbossa matters to Jack more than I think he would if it was just the mutiny. I've always liked the idea that he looked after Jack - at least a few times. I think there's an immensely complicated balance sheet of grudges and debts between them. Having Jack shot in the chest (like Barbossa) and Barbossa be the one to save him just seemed to sum that up - I couldn't resist. The two other J/B flashbacks in the same section were part of the same last-minute tweak. Now I'm extra glad they went in!

[dharma-slut.livejournal.com]

Fanon in the making! It's like watching history happen.

I think my first intimation was Barbossa's line; "No, I really think I do." in COTBP, at the Aztec Chest. His body language, intonations-- so much shorthand in that interchange.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It's obvious that there's a lot of backstory between them, even in CotBP, and then AWE had so much more, and Barbossa was far more likable -- though not so likable that I wanted him to end up with the Pearl. I hope they remedy that in #4. *g*

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

The fanon-making starts with viva_gloria's thrilling Scarlet, Crimson, Cursed Pirates, and Ten Years Gone stories. You'll know them already, but I've linked for anyone else passing through.

The COTBP lines that started me off were:
"The girl's blood didn't work" ... "You know who's blood we need." "I know who's blood you need."
I hadn't thought of the "really think I do" line in that way. But see what you mean. Basically, any line either of them says in the other's presence seems to suggest a long story or two in the background.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

(PG-rated Sparbossa is still Sparbossa.)

Oh, yes, I have to agree. I'll leave the higher ratings to you, but you have me totally convinced that there is a LOT of backstory that could be written even in a good friends/good enemies scenario.

You know, that moment almost didn't make it into my story.

I think it was those flashbacks that really made the story for me, actually -- they show so clearly that there is more here than just a working relationship and random sex, spiced with snark and occasional animosity. Your Muse knew what she was doing!

As I said, I was very relieved glad you enjoyed this. Thank you so much for your commenting at length -- I really appreciate it!

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

there is more here than just a working relationship and random sex
I think I'm in danger of accepting that notion so completely I forget it needs to be spelled out in each story!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's moments of weakness, and how others react to them, that make characters come alive for us. Just a pinch, like seasoning, does the trick.

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

The complexity of all the interpersonal relations.... Wonderful drabble, it really added something to my understanding of the characters.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, I'm sure there is a lot of backstory to be explored in relation to these two -- p0wdermonkey, whose writing inspired this, is doing a great job showing us the light and dark of these wonderful characters.

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Friends, enimies, lovers... Is there something they haven't been to each other I wonder? An interesting look on things, I must say. I would love to read a fic one day about the early days on the Pearl with a young Captain Jack and his old first mate... before the mutiny.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

There are some fics like that around, though I haven't read any lately. viva_gloria wrote some very slashy ones after CotBP came out, and her writing really can't be beat.

Glad you found this interesting!

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

Yes! Read viva_gloria if you haven't already.
All the stories are here. Start with Scarlet or Crimson for Jack/Barbossa pre-mutiny wonderfulness. (And try to leave feedback - she's struggling to write at the moment and could use the encouragement.)