A Bunch of Piratey Drabbles

[dwgm]

Instead of doing what I should be doing (working on paperwork both here and at work; taking my Mother to see Vanity Fair; swimming)I wrote fourteen drabbles last night and this morning, a reply to khohen1's Seven Holy Virtues/Seven Deadly Sins Drabble Challenge that has been floating around here. I had a terrible time uploading it to ff.net--the blasted thing takes all the extra spaces out, squashing everything together, and eliminates some of the extra characters too. I ended up posting it as a chaptered story, so it's going to fill the inboxes of all the people who have me on their author alert list. *sigh* What can one do?

Anyway, I will now post it here, which is just as much work, but is easier to format and edit by far.




Disclaimer: Disney’s (and St. Augustine’s, etc.)

Notes: This is based on the Seven Holy Virtues / Seven Deadly Sins Drabble Challenge: Take a character, any fandom and write seven drabbles based on each of the seven virtues and seven based on the seven sins. I cheated and used a lot of different characters. Pirate.

Seven Holy Virtues

Augustine conceived of history as a dramatic struggle between the good in humanity, as expressed in loyalty to the "city of God," or community of saints, and the evil in humanity, as embodied in the earthly city with its material values. His view of human life was pessimistic, asserting that happiness is impossible in the world of the living, where even with good fortune, which is rare, awareness of approaching death would mar any tendency toward satisfaction. He believed further that without the religious virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which require divine grace to be attained, a person cannot develop the natural virtues of courage (fortitude), justice, temperance, and wisdom (prudence). His analyses of time, memory, and inner religious experience have been a source of inspiration for metaphysical and mystical thought.

- "Philosophy, Western," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003

I. Faith ~ Belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.

The stars shone like jewels, the moon laying a bright path marking the Pearl’s retreat from Port Royal.

“It’s a miracle your hair’s not white, after this morning,” Gibbs remarked. He took a swig before passing the bottle.

“Aye. Well…” Jack drank deep, then rubbed his sore neck. “You know,” he said, quietly, “even standing there, inches from death, I felt somehow I’d be all right.”

Gibbs nodded. “Harder men than you have found God, standing on a scaffold.”

Jack laughed.

But long after Gibbs staggered off to bed, Jack looked out at the silence of the night sky, wondering.

II. Hope ~ The desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with the Lord’s help.

“Forget her, boy,” Mr. Brown said. “She’s not for you. You’re a fool to hope.”

“I know, sir.”

And he did know. In spite of her promise to watch over him, made so many years ago now. She’d been born to wealth and privilege, with a doting father whose power and social standing were enough to cushion the occasional blunder she made, headstrong and forthright as she was. It was something he loved about her, even as he severely reined in his own impulsiveness. No. She was not for him.

But he couldn’t help it. His heart told him otherwise.

III. Charity ~ Love directed toward God, as well as oneself and one's neighbors as objects of God's love.

Reverend Sparrow, after a month in Georgetown, had planned his departure carefully, taking leave from the rectory at dead of night, the parish strongbox tucked under his arm. He walked quickly, keeping to the shadows, but did not move immediately toward the shore and the coastal road, toward the cove where the Pearl lay hidden. No, he detoured into the poorer district, thence to rap on a certain door that was greatly in need of fresh paint.

It opened. “Father, you came!”

“I said I would, did I not?” and managed not to wince as he counted out the gold.

IV. Fortitude ~ Strength and endurance in a difficult or painful situation.

He sat alone, eyes closed, shaking as with ague, feeling quite ill. Well, it wasn’t every day one acquired something as permanent and painful as a brand, was it? He knew he’d feel the shape for the rest of his days, forever smell his own burning flesh, speak with a voice hoarse from the scream he hadn’t been able to keep behind his teeth.

They didn’t know he’d barely earned it, that he was a rogue and a scoundrel and, yes, a thief, but no cutthroat, no murderer.

Not that it mattered now: he was marked.

But he would endure.

V. Justice ~ Fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made.

"They're hangin' 'im in three days."

"What!" Anamaria stared at her first mate in shock.

"Told ye they would, Ana!" Gibbs said, voice lowered.

"The Navy bastards!"

"Aye. An' I was one of 'em. British justice." Gibbs spat, disgusted.

Anamaria ground her teeth. Justice. After what he’d done for them. But none of that mattered, did it? Guilty until proven innocent. And 'innocent' wasn't a word you'd associate with 'Jack Sparrow'.

"Let's get back to the ship," she snapped.

"We goin' for 'im, then?"

"Aye. 'Cause if anyone's goin' to give Sparrow 'justice', it'll be me! Savvy ?"

Gibbs grinned.

VI. Temperance ~ Self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire.

He watched her surreptitiously as she paced around the island, dressed only in her chemise, every movement expressive of her discontent. Barely a woman, grown out of the coltish stage, but only just, long limbs and slim hips, and pretty little handfuls of breasts. When she wasn’t fixing him with that petulant glare she was quite the beauty. And there was an unconventional attitude he liked, a fire and an intelligence you didn’t see in many women. And a maiden, yet, too.

She could be taught. And he could teach her.

He could. But he wouldn’t.

He sighed. Bloody scruples.

VII. Prudence ~ A tendency to evaluate situations carefully so as to avoid risk.

The man was an enigma.

Risking his life to save Elizabeth’s, though he hadn’t known who or what she was. The selfless act of a good man. But in drawing that kind of attention to himself he’d virtually forced Norrington, Scourge of Piracy, to confront him, trick him, grab the tar-stained hand, push the linen sleeve roughly back to reveal fatal evidence: the brand, and the bird flying free over the water.

“Why aren’t we doing what Mr. Sparrow said we should do? With the cannons and all.”

“Because it was Mr. Sparrow who said it.”

Mr. Sparrow. A pirate.

Seven Deadly Sins

Classification of sins: pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. There is no foundation in the Bible for this classification, but the above list has been found in the works of several spiritual writers and theologians, including Saint Thomas Aquinas, a leading Roman Catholic theologian during the 13th century. Aquinas slightly modified the earlier lists of Saint John Climacus and Saint Gregory the Great. These seven sins are not singled out because they are all grievous sins or because of their severity, but because they are the inevitable source of other sins.

- "Seven Deadly Sins," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99.

I. Pride ~ A haughty attitude shown by people who believe that they are better than others.

She was careful to treat persons of the Lower Orders with friendly civility, as Father had taught her. The people did not speak of the wonderful condescension of the Governor and his daughter, but of their easy ways and approachable manner. She considered the servants to be almost friends. She was a liberal woman. This extended to a markedly lenient attitude toward pirates, whom she had romanticized for years. So why was it that this particular pirate, her bedraggled but nonsensically haughty rescuer, brought out the worst in her, causing her to snap for the third time, “It’s Miss Swann!”

II. Greed ~ An overwhelming desire to have more of something than is actually needed.

“Mr. Cotton!”

Startled, Cotton faced the Captain, who appeared to be considerably disturbed…even angry. Parrot fluffed, cocking his head warily. Jack eyed the bird, and, to Cotton’s dismay, shook an accusing finger at Parrot, who instantly took offense and offered to bite. The finger was stowed, with startled haste.

Summoning cold dignity, Jack said, “Come with me.”

The cache was a rich one: coins, jewelry and other shiny gewgaws that had gone missing, all hidden in a niche behind Parrot’s second favorite perch.

“Theft among the crew is a serious offense, Mr. Cotton.”

Cotton nodded, apologetically.

“Scurvy dog!” growled Parrot.

III. Lust ~ To have a very strong desire to obtain something, often sexually motivated.

Jack sat in the cool shade of a palm, watching with a deep, appreciative longing. He had to admit the fact: she was exactly what he wanted. What he needed. What he absolutely had to have. Exquisitely made, small and shapely, but sturdy. The thought of touching her made his pirate heart beat hard with anticipation. He would take such delight in feeling her moving under him, taking him swiftly, inexorably to his destination, guided on that journey by his own hands, skilled hands that would coax her to give her sweetest response.

Anamaria. Or her boat.

Or maybe…just maybe…both.

IV. Anger ~ A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility.

Cruel , vicious marauders, a rotten stench wafting before them. Thieves. Killers—his own father had been one of their victims. Coming from nowhere, out of a miasma of fog. The roar of cannons, round after round, as their ship sat, helpless. Blood and screams. Smoke, and fire. The world exploding around him. How he had managed to climb onto the broken piece of hull was beyond his capacity to recall. But he had, lone survivor of the terrible destruction wrought by entities so evil they’d forfeited the right to be called men.

"You’re the one they’re hunting. The pirate!”

V. Gluttony ~ The act or practice of eating and drinking to excess.

“Where’ve you been, Gibbs? What the devil’s wrong with you? You look liverish!”

“It’s those mangoes we were eatin’ on that island, Captain. Think I had one too many.”

“One too many?” Anamaria laughed grimly. “You must’ve had a dozen of ‘em!”

“A dozen!” Jack exclaimed. “No wonder you look so peaked! What were you thinkin’, man?”

Gibbs shifted uncomfortably, cleared his throat, and gave a slight burp behind his hand. An interesting shade of red suffused the green of his cheek. “Don’t know, Captain, but if you’ll excuse me again…” he managed, then took leave of them rather hurriedly.

VI. Envy ~ The resentful or unhappy feeling of wanting somebody else’s success.

Will leaned against the grate. “Not much company for you, am I?” he said bitterly.

“No worries.” Jack was sitting, legs stretched before him, back against the bulkhead, casually watching his reluctant cellmate.

“You were right. About the opportune moment.”

“Aye. I know.”

“You’re Captain Jack Sparrow.”

In spite of the mockery in Will’s tone, Jack said mildly, “ Don’t let it eat you up. It’ll hurt you far more than either of them.”

“How can I help it?” Will snapped. “She’ll be his, now. And the gallows for me and you.” He looked up, eyes burning. “I hate him.”

VII. Sloth ~ A dislike of work or any kind of physical exertion.

“You go.”

“No, you.”

“Will, if we don’t hunt, we don’t eat! Now go get the pops.”

“They’re your pistols! You go. I’m busy.”

“Nappin’ with your wife ain’t ‘busy’, mate.”

Elizabeth sighed. “He’d be considerably busier if you’d simply go get them yourself, I assure you.”

“Ah. Like that is it? Well, don’t let my presence deter you.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Indisputably.” Jack grinned and settled, dark eyes and gold teeth glinting.

Noise. Three faces turned.

“Here’s your pistols, Sparrow,” Ana snapped, emerging from the brush surrounding the lagoon. “Now get your lazy arse up.”

Jack sighed.

Comments

[cacopheny.livejournal.com]

I particularly like Lust XD The way you lead up to the "boat" line :: sniggers :: I don't quite get Sloth, it's a little confusing, with the conversation and who's saying what. The description in Temperance of Elizabeth is just plain great. I must remember those lines. On the whole, your Virtues are better than your Sins, though XD Fortitude, Temperence, and Prudence're my favorites ^^

Great job! ^^ I love 'em.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed them all! Out of fourteen written over a few hours some are bound to be better than others. It's fun trying to get them down to 100 words and still say what you want to say.

Hope all is well with you and yours. Come over for a swim tomorrow, if you like! It's hot enough, for sure.

xoxox
Mo's Mom

Ooh, I like!

[celandineb.livejournal.com]

Good, all of them, and I particularly thought that "Temperance" was well done. Jack does have some semblance of a conscience, that's certain, even if his morals aren't quite those espoused by the C of E!

Re: Ooh, I like!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Hee! Temperance seems to be coming out on top, so far. These were fun to do. Glad you enjoyed reading them!

[celandineb.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, enjoyed very much. I keep thinking I might have to give this meme a try, but I'm not sure which fandom to write it in, to begin with.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I didn't have that problem. One of these days I'll read some LotR stuff.

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

Oh, fun!

I think my favorite was Lust.. it's such a very Jack way of looking at things.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is isn't it? So glad you enjoyed reading, and thanks so much for the comment. :)

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

My favorite had to be "Greed." Poor Cotton - that'd be just his odd luck, to be keelhauled or have an offending limb chopped off for that damn bird.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I really can't imagine Jack doing either of those things to him, but Jack's an exceptional pirate captain. I really like reading (and writing) about Cotton and his parrot, too. Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoyed reading.

[tseek-unique.livejournal.com]

Loved them all, but I especially favor Temperance, Fortitude and Anger. The glimpse of a frightened, hurting Jack nursing a brand in a prison cell is so sad.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I know. *sob* You just want to squeeze him, don't you?

Thanks for reading and commenting--glad you enjoyed them!

[kho.livejournal.com]

As I've done with all of those that have responded to the challenge, I shall give you detailed feedback! I also put you in my post where they're all listed (http://www.livejournal.com/users/khohen1/112826.html).

First off... wonderful formatting. I likey!

Faith: Gibbs nodded. “Harder men than you have found God, standing on a scaffold.”. I really like having Gibbs in there. I kinda get the feeling if Jack were to tell anyone the truth, it'd be Gibbs. (Or Will, which is just because it's my otp) I also liked that line because yeah, a lot would start praying right about then, whether or not they believed in God or not.

Hope: She was not for him. But he couldn’t help it. His heart told him otherwise. Sometimes brains don't know jack, it's your heart you should listen to. And look at the pun I didn't mean to make... Will and Jack just love to be made into puns.

Charity: “I said I would, did I not?” and managed not to wince as he counted out the gold. Awwww! He impersonates a Priest, and then gives part (if not all) of his swag to a poor family who needs it. Oh, Jack, my heart is yours. LOL.

Fortitude: speak with a voice hoarse from the scream he hadn’t been able to keep behind his teeth. I like the fact that you had him scream. A lot of people want to make him harder than that. But honestly, it's a hot, burning thing, and it's singing (not sure how that's spelled) your skin... you're gonna scream. But he would endure. Yes... thank God.

Justice: "Aye. 'Cause if anyone's goin' to give Sparrow 'justice', it'll be me! Savvy ?" I like that that's Ana's excuse, even though you know most of it's just that she cares for Jack. Hard as nails, but she's got a heart. Like that alot. I need to write my damn Ana/Jack story... it's been telling me to write it for weeks.

Temperance: He could. But he wouldn’t. Good boy. Behave Jack. LOL. I have to say, I wish he would have taught her, cause it occurs to me Jack kissed no one in POTC, and that's a damn shame. Perhaps in the next.

Prudence: The selfless act of a good man. I like the implication that Norrington never really truly wanted to do Jack harm. But that he was forced, by his duty and by his position. Or... maybe that's not what you were going for at all. LOL.

Pride: The people did not speak of the wonderful condescension of the Governor and his daughter, but of their easy ways and approachable manner. I liked that. It also makes me question if they are truly kind, or if they do it to be THOUGHT kind. I liked Elizabeth in the movie, but either of those would be plausible. Esp. for Gov. Swann. The blindness of the rich...

Greed: Jack eyed the bird, and, to Cotton’s dismay, shook an accusing finger at Parrot, who instantly took offense and offered to bite. HA! I LOVE this one! Cotton's parrot's a pirate too!!! Also, loved 'scurvy dog' out of the parrot. Too freakin' cute.

Lust: Anamaria. Or her boat. I love that he's turned on by both the woman and the boat. LOL. You lusty scoundrel you.

Anger: Blood and screams. Smoke, and fire. The world exploding around him.. Mmm, nice way of describing the terrible confusion that moment must have been for him. Lovely. I liked this one alot.

Gluttony: “Where’ve you been, Gibbs? What the devil’s wrong with you? You look liverish!” Awww, Jack's concerned! How sweet. More likely, he's wondering if his first mate is gonna be of any use to him today, but nontheless... I love Jack/Gibbs fics (nonsexual, though I did put the slash in there)

Envy: “She’ll be his, now. And the gallows for me and you.” He looked up, eyes burning. “I hate him.” Oh, poor Will. Chin up, it turns out alright in the end. I like Jack's sort of quiet support on the side.

Sloth: “Ah. Like that is it? Well, don’t let my presence deter you.”. Heee! Jack wants to watch. Don't blame him. If ya can't have him yourself, atleast you'll get to watch. Course, that's the J/Wer in me talking.

Oh, these were great. I'm so happy with the wonderful fics that have come out of my little challenge!!! Thank you!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you so very much for the detailed feedback! So very much appreciated, as you know yourself as an author.

You're right about your challenge--some really great drabbles came out of it. I've been reading all the others' work now that I finished my own. It was a great idea. Thanks for posting it.

[watersword]

Bloody scruples. Oh, Jack. You'll get them all in the end. Don't worry. Someone will sleep with you, just as soon as the movie ends.

In case you can't tell, I adore your Jack. The voice is clear and vivid, and in-character. I'm going to go with the majority and single out 'Temperence,' but I'd also like to point my finger at 'Justice' and 'Lust.'

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked them, and the way I write Jack. (When I posted these I didn't realize how much of Jack was in them. Just can't help mentioning him, even if he's not the main focus.) Thanks for reading and commenting!

[torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com]

They're wonderful, GM! I love them all, but especially Temperance, Lust and Greed.

*Wild applause*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. I'm so glad you liked them! Yes, those seem to be most readers' favorites--hard to resist Cotton's Parrot, or Jack in a lascivious mood.