dwgm: Kimi Birds (Five Cats (Laurel Burch))
[personal profile] dwgm
Beautiful drive to Anaheim yesterday--a perfect Fall day, and with all the rain we've been having the hills are already turning green! Also, snow was visible in the mountains as I came over the pass into The Valley.

Had a great time at Disneyland with niece, [livejournal.com profile] gingersnapps. New Orleans Square is already decorated for the holidays with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme. I really must see that movie. Failing to get into the Blue Bayou for lunch, we opted to eat at the French Market, which had the most delightful NBC themed foods. The dessert we had was particularly wonderful: a bone shaped chocolate and raspberry cake topped with a light and crispy bone-shaped merangue and a red bow. There was a spectacular NBC Gingerbread House decorating the restaurant, and an even bigger one in the "ballroom" scene in the Haunted House, which is entirely given over to NBC: very cleverly done.

Went on Pirates, and Thunder Mountain (NO line for that, which was nice), then took the Monorail to Downtown Disney. I bought me a Cafe Mocha with an extra shot of espresso and was actually able to stay awake while we watched the Sneak Preview of Finding Neverland.

Finding Neverland, which stars Johnny Depp, was actually filmed before PotC, and it is one superb movie. It's not perfect in it's entirety, but it's pretty darn close and both [livejournal.com profile] gingersnapps and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It appears to have been largely filmed on location in England, the sets and costumes are stunning, the music is lovely. As for the cast, they were every one of them wonderful. Dustin Hoffman, Kate Winslet, and the four little boys were great. The actress playing Barrie's wife was excellent, and there are minor characters that I loved, including one played by the actor who played Mullroy in PotC. But it's Mr. Depp's movie, and I cannot imagine him not being nominated for an Oscar for this. It's a beautiful piece of acting, understated to exactly the right degree, the accent flawless as far as I could tell, and as near perfect as can be imagined. That someone should be that talented, and look that good besides, is almost criminal.

In spite of being rated PG, it is not a children's show. There are intense emotions and themes explored, and I can see some little kids being bored by some of it simply because it will be beyond their understanding. It has some amusing scenes, but it's not a comedy. Altogether a wonderful show, and deserving of high praise.

After the movie we went for some Gumbo, Red Beans & Rice, and Beignets at the Creole restaurant down the way, sitting outside at a little table and watching the live music, and then the fireworks. Then we window-shopped our way back to the tram and left for the [livejournal.com profile] gingersnapps's new residence where I spent the night. Drove her to work this morning, then drove back home and arrived by 9:00. Went out to breakfast with Mom later, while [livejournal.com profile] weemonkey6 slept off the effects of the party she attended last night, then came home and wrote this, a sequel to the one I posted on Friday...


Rumor of Heaven



Grieves’d been wrong. It was sixteen stitches, and every one of them felt like bits of hot lead against Jack’s arm.

The fever started before the evening was out. When Bill came to check on him, after standing First Watch, Jack was in a bad way, aching and thirsty, his arm afire. Bill helped him sit up to drink some rum-sweetened water. That stayed down all right, but when morning finally came breakfast was out of the question. Bill fetched Grieves, who scowled over the look of the wound, and cursed the Black Pearl’s present lack of opiates. Grieves spoke tartly on this subject to Captain Tobias, who was next to crowd in, and whose hearty cheer made Jack wince. He did considerably more than wince, however, when Grieves cleansed his wound with rum a second time before rewrapping it. Grieves then bled him, and after that he’d drifted into a haze of pain and evil dreams, punctuated by occasional visits from concerned mates, including Tobias’s Second, Barbossa, exuding spurious sympathy. The faithful Bill looked more worried with every passing hour.

Jack’s fever rose further as dusk came on, and he dozed uneasily as night deepened . It was after Bill went on watch again that he fell into a deeper sleep, and thus was unable to pinpoint the time of his next visitor.

The clean, sweet rose scent was his first hint of her presence. Funny how he could smell that, rather than the usual tar and wood and sea, overlaid of late with less pleasant odors. But then there was the touch of a soft, familiar hand on his forehead. Familiar…but it had been so long….

He moved restlessly against the rough blanket and opened his eyes to the faint lantern light and the sight of her, standing beside him. The beautiful face. And her hair: still lustrous black. And she was slim again.

A calm smile touched her lips, seeing him wake.

“John! Darling!”

She sat on the cot beside him--he could feel the swell of hip against his side, only the blanket between them.

He stared, and spoke in a raspy whisper: “You’re…you’re well!

“I am. I would I could say so of you.”

“It's my arm. Fellow…cut it.”

She shook her head, though the smile still lingered. “I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” He closed his eyes. He could feel her, caressing his face, then moving to run her hands lightly down his bandaged arm. Oddly, there was no pain.

A kiss on his forehead. “Sleep now,” she said softly. “I must go. Your brother is waiting.”

He murmured agreement, then slept, undisturbed.

* * *

A hand on his forehead, again. He licked fever-chapped lips. “Mother?”

“No, lad: Bill! Thank God. Your fever’s down.”

Jack opened his eyes and lay frowning as Bill unwrapped his arm.

“Jack, this looks better!”

Jack’s expression lightened. “Good. But Bill…”

“Hmm?”

Jack looked at Bill for a long moment. Then said soft and slow, “My mother was here.”

Bill gave a nervous laugh. “Here? And…you told me she died, Jack.”

“She did. Childbed fever. My brother, as well.”

“Ah.”

His friend was looking at him closely, worriedly, and at last Jack smiled, crookedly. “ ’s all right. Couldn’t be, eh?”

Bill’s expression cleared. He opened his mouth, to turn it off with a light word. Then paused, and was seen to change his mind. He gave his own crooked smile. “Couldn’t it?”


~~

Date: 2004-10-31 09:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] meletor-et-al.livejournal.com
AwwWWW!!! Just lovely. I needed this to snap me out of my funk... many thanks for a sequel to such a fab piece.

Little!Jack! Little!Bill! Little!(little?)Barbossa! Oh but it makes me think of the baby Disney toys, with the close-set eyes and enormous foreheads...


...Okay, maybe I snapped a little too far out of that funk...

Fabtastic work, chica!

Date: 2004-10-31 09:31 pm (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (WTF?)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
You should not be in a funk on HALLOWEEN!! Glad I could cheer you up, though.

But baby Disney toys? No, no, no. They're not that young. ;)

Date: 2004-10-31 09:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gypsy-nightfire.livejournal.com
I liked this one as well the first. Great great work. I really like that his mother called him "John," instead of "Jack." Sort of a lovely motherly touch.
~Nightfire.

Date: 2004-10-31 09:49 pm (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Jack (blank by  unen2gemismasin))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Thanks! So happy you liked them both. ;)

Date: 2004-10-31 10:26 pm (UTC)
ext_7904: (POTC-jack-dance)
From: [identity profile] porridgebird.livejournal.com
Aww! (she says again, showing off her extensive vocabulary) Very sweet pair of stories. And this one's perfect for Halloween.

*waves at Capt. Tobias*

P.S. It's greening up here too! Like Spring's here already.

Date: 2004-10-31 10:35 pm (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Default)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Thanks so much! Glad you liked 'em.

*waves at Capt. Tobias*

Yes. I hope [livejournal.com profile] tessabeth doesn't mind me adopting her canon.

P.S. It's greening up here too! Like Spring's here already.

Isn't it great? I can't remember when it's gotten green so early. Hope the rain keeps up, off and on.

Date: 2004-11-01 12:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tessabeth.livejournal.com
Mind? Darling, I grinned like an idiot :) I'm glad to see him again!

Grieves then bled him; excellent, nothing like a little phlebotomy to set the tone!

Date: 2004-11-01 06:06 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (WTF?)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
nothing like a little phlebotomy to set the tone!

It always surprises me there is less mention of this in PotC fic, as it was such a common practice.

So happy you didn't mind me swiping some [livejournal.com profile] tessabeth canon! I just loved what you did with Jack's character and surroundings in Picaresque, and I though Tobias was a great OC.

Smooches!

Sounds like a lovely day

Date: 2004-10-31 11:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rennie1265.livejournal.com
I'm quite envious of your outing. Never been to Disneyland, or world or any of them. It's nice that you are in a place where you can take advantage of it and really enjoy it all. The food descriptions are quite lovely, too.

By the way, did the peach tree get planted properly by the tree-killers? I've been wondering how that turned out.
Ciao

Re: Sounds like a lovely day

Date: 2004-11-01 06:01 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Default)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
The food descriptions are quite lovely, too.

They do have great food, if you know which restaurants to go to. Our favorite, of course, is the Blue Bayou, which is done up like a garden party on a summer night in New Orleans, with live music, chinese lanterns, and the night sounds of the local "fauna" coming from the river just beyond the wroght iron fense where the PotC boats are floating by. It also has some of the best service, and lovely meals.

I could go on and on about Disneyland, having been going since it opened in 1955 (I was 2). When my kids were teens, we had year-round passes (as did their friends) and big groups of us would go together on a regular basis. I renewed my pass this year, and probably will for next when they have their 50th anniversary--they are very busy getting ready for that at the moment--lots of construction. If you ever can get down here for a few days and want to go, I'd love to help show you around!

Re: Our new peach tree. Yes, they finally did plant it, and it's a good size one so we should get some peaches in the Spring. I should post about it--I had so many sympathetic comments about that apple tree post. Made me feel much more cheerful, knowing so many people cared.

I owe you tons of feedback. I am glad to see you are posting A Kettle of Hawks to Live Journal. You should do a link from [livejournal.com profile] pirategasm to your journal, so all those readers know it's there. You're doing a great job on it.

Hope you have a lovely day up there in beautiful Vancouver.

Date: 2004-11-01 12:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] torn-eledhwen.livejournal.com
That someone should be that talented, and look that good besides, is almost criminal.

Yes - but at least he's sharing his talent and looks with the world! Can't help but envy Vanessa Paradis though.

You share my views on the film. Give the man an Oscar already - heck, he deserved one for half the films he's done (Benny & Joon, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood ...)

I love the ficlet.

Date: 2004-11-01 06:10 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Default)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Glad you loved the ficlet.

Re: award -- I know the Oscars are based on many things besides individual performance, but he so deserved to get it over Sean Penn for Captain Jack Sparrow. Well, maybe this next year. The Academy likes more serious shows, and he was flawless in Finding Neverland. So happy I got to see it, finally.
(deleted comment)

Date: 2004-11-01 06:17 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Jack (blank by  unen2gemismasin))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Yes, since reading [livejournal.com profile] tessabeth's Picaresque, I am all into Jack's younger self. Fortunately she doesn't mind me stealing bits of her canon.

When you posted that challenge, I first thought of a dead Bootstrap encounter, but then that was taken almost immediately, so this was my second idea. So happy you liked it. :)

Hope you are feeling better today, and that the kiddos will be healthy this week. It's so hard when they're little like that and bring home everything that's going around. Sounds like you had a fun Halloween, though. I loved doing that stuff with the kids. Such fun.

Date: 2004-11-01 05:26 am (UTC)
ext_15529: made by jazsekuhsjunk (me - gypsy bob)
From: [identity profile] the-dala.livejournal.com
Awwww! Mama Sparrow!

(pssst I'm putting Mama Sparrow in the Nailverse sequel but don't tell anybody)

Date: 2004-11-01 06:19 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Five Cats (Laurel Burch))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
(OMG, that will be so cool! Can't wait to read it!)

Glad to have pleased you with Mama Sparrow!

Date: 2004-11-01 06:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jackfan2.livejournal.com
Awwww.. sweet! Jack glimpsing in his sickness his mother. Reminds me somewhat of Sleepy Hollow when Ichabod would have memories of his mum.

Well done and hope there will be another?

Date: 2004-11-01 06:45 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Jack (blank by  unen2gemismasin))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Thanks! So happy you liked it. I probably will write more on young Jack, eventually. As I think I told you, I loved [livejournal.com profile] tessabeth's take on him in Picaresque. Have you read that yet? It was unbelievably good, and the sequel, Trochal, is equally good, if not even better.

Date: 2004-11-01 07:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jackfan2.livejournal.com
Ahh.. glad you brought that up, I was meaning to...

I looked on that site/community to which you said it would be and couldn't seem to locate it. Tried to go directly to Tessabeth's site but didn't find it there either. I'm such a dweeb when it comes to this stuff.. *grins*

Date: 2004-11-01 08:29 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Jack (blank by  unen2gemismasin))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Here's the link to the first chapter. They're easy to find if you go to archive view and just check each day. She posted very quickly, every couple of days, starting in July.

Date: 2004-11-01 07:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hereswith.livejournal.com
*sniffs* Beautiful stuff! I'm glad you continued it :-)

Date: 2004-11-01 08:30 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Jack (blank by  unen2gemismasin))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
So happy you enjoyed it!

Rumor of Heaven

Date: 2004-11-01 10:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] erinrua.livejournal.com
Ahoy, Geekmama!

Just had to leave a note in your LJ to say - awwwwwwww! This was absolutely charming, and I could just see Jack laying there in all his grown-up glory, that sort of befuddled little frown on his brow as the Mama of his boyhood sits beside him. I like how he just accepted it, and I adored Bill's reaction later. Very nice! :-)
Cheers ~

Erin

Re: Rumor of Heaven

Date: 2004-11-01 10:44 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (WTF?)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
So happy you liked it, Erin. [livejournal.com profile] tessabeth wrote such a wonderful portrait of young Jack in her Picaresque that I suddenly found all these new 'plot bunnies' hopping around.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? And how's the snow up there? We got some in the mountains down here, too!

Re: Rumor of Heaven

Date: 2004-11-01 03:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] erinrua.livejournal.com
Is LJ having gremlins today, or is it my ISP? Anywho, trying again ...

Hey again! :-)

LOL, wish I could find some Pirate bunnies that didn't just lay down and die. I actually tried to come up with something for our Black_Pearl_Sails group Halloween challenge ... but it went absolutely nowhere. *grumblestoopidmusesgrumble* Oh well, maybe when the next movie comes out, eh? ;-)

Meanwhile, the mountains are definitely looking like winter up here around the greater Carson City area! Sierras are frosted in white, other mountains are wearing snowy caps, while in the valleys the cottonwoods and elms are gold. It's been 25 at night pretty regularly now, 'warms up' to maybe 55 during the day. Brr. But hey, it's November now, it can do that. ;-)

As for NaNoWriMo ... not this year. The main thing that's actually consuming most of my my creative energies is an original writing project I started about a year ago. I may have mumbled about it at some point or another, The Epic Fantasy Novel. *G* At the moment I'm just trying to drive the thing to completion. Then ... (whenever 'then' happens) ... I have to go back with a chainsaw and cut the sucker down to manageable size. LOL, that's going to be the project from Hades. ;-) Anywho, so that's where my brain spends most of its time lately. Hmm, may explain why my Pirate muses have run off in a grand sulk, too ... Pity, that. ;-)

Stay warm and cozy!
Cheers ~

Erin

Date: 2004-11-02 12:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tseek-unique.livejournal.com
Sounds like you had a marvelous trip with your niece. The fic is lovely. I love it when Mama Sparrow appears! You wrote of their visit the way I always envisioned their relationship-- loving and tender.

Date: 2004-11-02 06:52 am (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (Jack (blank by  unen2gemismasin))
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
Yes, a good time was had by all on Saturday. Thanks so much for the feedback on the fic--I'm glad you liked it. Yes, some people write Jack as an orphan, or as the son of a prostitute and raised in crude surroundings, but I figure he got his manners somewhere, so my backstory follows different lines.

Date: 2008-01-14 01:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com
More goodies!
That was so sweet and moving. Totally convincing too. Dear Baby!Jack :)

Date: 2008-01-14 06:43 pm (UTC)
ext_15536: Fuschias by Geek Mama (PotC - Monkey!)
From: [identity profile] geekmama.livejournal.com
They can't be scurvy pirates all the time, and Baby!Jack is pretty irresistible. Glad you liked it!

Date: 2008-12-24 04:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mary684.livejournal.com
Brought me close to tears on this one. So much emotion wrapped up in this.

Snarky little Barbs sneaking in there with his spurious sympathy. Rat!

I can't get enough of hurt!Jack and this is very good with his stitches and the second *ouch!* cleansing of rum!

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