Drabble: 'Promotion' (Jack, Bootstrap Bill)

[dwgm]

100 words for the new blackpearlsails drabble challenge theme, 'Bed'.




~ Promotion ~


They'd toasted anything and everything on this night of nights, and finally Bill lifted his glass a last time. "To the new captain's bed! May it give him blessed slumber for many years to come!"

Jack laughed, shouted, "Hear, hear!" along with the rest, and tossed off his rum.

But later, tucked into that bed, in the enormous cabin that was now his own, far from the snores, smells, and warmth of other men, he lay wide awake, staring at the moonlight streaming through a chink in the drapes over the gallery windows, and wondered if he'd ever sleep again.


~.~

Comments

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

What a nice surprise to find this on my flist ;-) It works great, the merriness at the first and then the sobering ending (I love that line), with the troubled thoughts that haunt him.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think it was more than just the new bed and cabin keeping him awake. :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it. It has to be quite an event for any man, moving into that big Captain's Cabin. Such privilege -- and heavy responsibility.

[elissali.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought about it that way! Great idea for a drabble! well written, too. :)

*hugs*!!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

'Bed' brings all kinds of ideas to mind, not just the one. *G* Glad you liked it! And thank you so much for letting me know.

*hugs*

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Not that easy being a captain, is it. ;-D

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Sometimes those privileges have another side to them. :)

[ladymouse2.livejournal.com]

So pleased to see another new one from you! YOur muse my be popping diet pills! Well, the hyper little thing is all to OUR good, write on!

Especially when you pack so much meaning, foreshadowing and understanding into so few words.

Very, well done, ma'am, the earlier celebration and then the sobering realization of not just the responsibility but exactly how much command distances you from others, even your former comrades.

[virgo-79.livejournal.com]

Oh, Geekmama, this is good. My favorite guys, and a wonderful glimpse at this moment. You've given this the perfect feel: all that excitement, followed by the realization of the full weight of what's happened. All good changes come hand-in-hand with some serious scariness.

Brilliant!

(BTW, you never saw me. I'm not here; I'm working on the three papers I have due in the next two weeks, and figuring out what I'm going to do about having jury duty and final exams in the same week. Which will very hopefully be resolved by not having jury duty.)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

not just the responsibility but exactly how much command distances you from others, even your former comrades.

I think that distancing thing would really bother Jack, particularly at that time in his life, being quite young, and more trusting than he'd come to be post-mutiny.

I'm so happy you liked this one! And yes, there'll probably be more, again, lol, although I have Stormalong to keep the Muse occupied, too.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

LOL! You are up to your ears! Well, hopefully all will be well -- and you'll have some more Beneath or TWOW for us after that? *hopes madly*

I'm very happy you liked this glimpse of the fledgling captain. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, and so thoughtfully, too.

[obfusc8er.livejournal.com]

Ha! I like that last bit.

I can just picture Jack lying flat on his back with his shifty eyes peeking out over the edge of the covers.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Hahahahahah! I did too see you! *points* Hey everyone! Virgo was here!

[honorat.livejournal.com]

I love the excess of celebration in this, and you capture that moonlit somber splendour that is such a reminder that Jack has moved to a lonelier, harder, more responsible place. He must have lost too much of that wakefulness to trust old Hector.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so happy you liked this.

that moonlit somber splendour

Moonlit splendor isn't everything, is it?

[ladymouse2.livejournal.com]

>although I have Stormalong to keep the Muse occupied, too<

I know, I'm trying really hard not to do my Snoopy vulture imitation hovering over my mailbox...

I'll be good...I'll be good...I'll be good...

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I posted chapter two a couple days ago, and three is in the works!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Hee! Me too. Glad you enjoyed it!

[faeriquene.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I was curious where you'd got with Jack, Bootstrap, and bed...not the first thing that springs to mind certainly. :-D I like it though. It's hard to be "the man" when you've been one of the gang for so long.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It is! And that's a conundrum that's as relevant today as it ever was.

Thank you for the feedback -- I'm so glad you enjoyed this one!

[ladymouse2.livejournal.com]

EEEE! IMISSEDIT!!! *Scurries off to find*

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

That was glorious! Wonderful drabble, wonderful image. You captured the moment perfectly!

[susan0609.livejournal.com]

How poignant! You illustrate nicely the delicate balance between celebration and the overwhelming sense of responsibility that one has when setting out on a new station in life. Of course Jack would lie awake staring out into nothingness. Very nice work.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[fandomfan.livejournal.com]

Brava!

I don't know that I've commented on your drabbles before, but I always read them, and I always leave them thinking that you're one of the rare few who can really make the proper 100-word drabble form work for you.

As far as I'm concerned, a good drabble should have an ounce of plot (or the hint thereof), an ounce of description/setting, and should leave me both wanting to know more about the little universe in which it's set AND being completely satisfied with just one little glimpse.

I'm demanding about my drabbles, see. And I'm much to wordy and verbose to write good ones myself (as evidenced by the length of this comment). But yours are always excellent and they pretty much all always fit my strict criteria. It's a great little form, and you make it work wonders.

This one's no exception, o' course. I love the two sides of Jack's new captaincy that are both evoked so strongly. And I love how vivid your brief description of Jack's solitude is. Very very nice indeed.

Now he'll just have to start in on finding some people to make the bed a bit less lonely so's he can sleep. Hey, maybe that's why he's so promiscuous. ;)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you for the lovely compliment, as well as the feedback on this one. I'm so happy to hear you enjoy my writing. I do love writing drabbles -- and before joining the PotC fandom I never thought I could say anything much in so few words. Now, however, the opposite is true, which is why I'm trying to write a longer story again -- I was afraid I might have lost that ability!

Oooh, pretty icon you have there, btw.

Thanks again!

[fandomfan.livejournal.com]

You're quite welcome.

And since you like the icon, I'll shamelessly take a minute to pimp and say that it's from a whole set I made (here) based on justawench's pretty pretty map that went along with p0wdermonkey's Tall Ship Tales, which were wonderful stories.

You're more than welcome to swipe any icons you like.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I shall check them out immediately. I use that wonderful map for my desktop wallpaper on this very computer! And Tall Ship Tales cannot be praised too highly -- p0wdermonkey is of the brilliance.

[fandomfan.livejournal.com]

Of the brilliance FOR SURE!

And that goes for both p0wdermonkey and justawench.



[here's to being online at the same time for rapid-fire posting... heh]

[mary684.livejournal.com]

I can see them grasping around to find one more thing to toast and then that somber moment when Jack realizes he's really truly alone. He must have felt especially lonley after such a lovely celebration. And, of course, that little foreshadowing of the mutiny. Very nice work!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

justawench is a woman of many talents, a real asset to the fandom what with her artistic skills, and the excellence of potc_universe. Her map is too too gorgeous.

Yes, nice chatting with you!! *g*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was thinking about the mutiny too, this morning when I was writing this. Maybe more drabbles coming on this theme.

[mary684.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, please! A entire series! I'd be delighted to read those!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'll see what I can do about that. :))

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

*grin* :-D It is made by artanis0010 and is sharable if you wanna use it. Just give credit to her. :-)