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Drabble: 'Stars'
175 words of Elizabeth and Jack, with reference to an absent Will, for the 'Night' prompt, this week's drabble challenge at Black Pearl Sails.
~ Stars ~
Leaning on the larboard rail, Elizabeth shivered and wondered if the beauty of the night sky would ever again hold joy for her. The star-strewn blackness brought vividly to mind their journey to the Locker, when sorrow, hope, and fear had been her constant, clamorous companions.
“Rum’s good for that.” Jack’s voice, sea-rough and slightly slurred.
She turned to him, watched him sway toward her. There was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and his eyes glittered, seeing too much. She grimaced, but held out her hand and accepted the bottle. Swigged, grimacing again at the slow, liquid burn. “Thanks,” she said, and tried to hand it back.
He frowned at the bottle, then raised his eyes to hers once more. “Don’t share with just anyone, y’know.” He leaned close. “Leave the stars to Will and come in where it’s warm, Mrs. Turner.”
She started to chuckle – outrageous, over-confident, seductive: almost the old Jack -- but then something cracked, broke apart inside her.
When he held out his hand, she took it.
~.~
~ Stars ~
Leaning on the larboard rail, Elizabeth shivered and wondered if the beauty of the night sky would ever again hold joy for her. The star-strewn blackness brought vividly to mind their journey to the Locker, when sorrow, hope, and fear had been her constant, clamorous companions.
“Rum’s good for that.” Jack’s voice, sea-rough and slightly slurred.
She turned to him, watched him sway toward her. There was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and his eyes glittered, seeing too much. She grimaced, but held out her hand and accepted the bottle. Swigged, grimacing again at the slow, liquid burn. “Thanks,” she said, and tried to hand it back.
He frowned at the bottle, then raised his eyes to hers once more. “Don’t share with just anyone, y’know.” He leaned close. “Leave the stars to Will and come in where it’s warm, Mrs. Turner.”
She started to chuckle – outrageous, over-confident, seductive: almost the old Jack -- but then something cracked, broke apart inside her.
When he held out his hand, she took it.
~.~
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There was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and his eyes glittered, seeing too much.
Ah, yes ... Jack has always been able to see right through Lizzie (except for that one little incident with the shackles ... I don't think he ever saw that coming! But, given Lizzie's distraction tactics, I guess you couldn't really blame him!).
“Don’t share with just anyone, y’know.” He leaned close. “Leave the stars to Will and come in where it’s warm, Mrs. Turner.”
Sort of figures that Jack's "olive branch" to Lizzie would take the form of a rum bottle! :-) And I really like the subtle, underlying affection hinted at here, too, hidden under Jack's overt invitation.
She started to chuckle – outrageous, over-confident, seductive: almost the old Jack -- but then something cracked, broke apart inside her.
When he held out his hand, she took it.
What a beautifully touching J/E moment! The olive branch accepted, by this small token of trust ... and the healing of old wounds begins, for both of them.
Excellent drabble! (But, of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from you!) :-)
-- Cat
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"except for that one little incident with the shackles ... I don't think he ever saw that coming!"
I didn't think he looked surprised at all. One speaks of her betrayal, but what about his? As captain of the Pearl he had a lot to answer for, and he knew it, of course. (I'm not sure why people tend to forget Jack's execrable conduct as captain. He is very attractive and charming, of course, which tends to distract one.)
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I didn't think he looked surprised at all.
Not once the shackle clicked shut, he didn't. But, until that moment, I don't think he suspected what she was up to, or might have foreseen what she would do. I see his reaction to "the deed" as being (perhaps) piratical admiration for a gambit well-played by a worthy opponent, just a bit of chagrin that he had let himself fall for her feminine wiles, and a little hint of triumph that he had been right after all, when he had predicted that she'd eventually come over to his side and embrace her pirate nature. In a way, Elizabeth was right in her prediction as well, because Jack (for whatever reasons) did the "good" thing and came back to help them. How could Jack not savour the delicious irony of that ... that fate had turned the tables on them both? :-)
One speaks of her betrayal, but what about his? As captain of the Pearl he had a lot to answer for, and he knew it, of course.
Yes, Jack doesn't come out smelling like a rose either, that's true (and not just due to his lack of "personal hygiene"). ;-)
But one could argue he was only following the precious Pirate Code (which, simply stated, seems to boil down to "every man for himself.") And that's not excusing, as well, all the other things he did: using them all as pawns in his efforts to get out of Jones' debt, and elude his fate.
But, for all his manipulating, and placing friends (as well as enemies) in harm's way in order to further his own personal agendas, one might also argue that Jack never really did so with the express intent that they be killed. That was always a risk, of course, but never a certainty. Elizabeth, when she betrayed Jack, did so with full knowledge and intent that he would be sacrificed to the Kraken; that the price of their freedom, their escape, would be his life. She fully expected him to die as a direct result of her actions; that, indeed, was her intended goal. (Not that she wasn't plagued with guilt afterwards, and worked doggedly to bring him back.) So one could say, in terms of magnitude (and to Jack's point of view), that perhaps Elizabeth's betrayal was "worse" than his own.
(I'm not sure why people tend to forget Jack's execrable conduct as captain.
I don't think they forget it, per se; they just tend to overlook it ...
He is very attractive and charming, of course, which tends to distract one.)
... and for that precise reason! We should all be so lucky to be so ... distracted ... by pretty, witty Jack's charms! ;-)
(Not that I'm disagreeing with anything you said, of course! You're exactly right, and make some excellent points! I'm just playing a bit of "devil's advocate" on Jack's behalf!) ;-)
Again, kudos to you for a brilliant (and very thought-provoking) drabble!
-- Cat
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