Request Ficlet for Berne

[dwgm]

This is similar in plot to something I wrote about a year ago. Hopefully berne will forgive me for repeating myself. The scenario just seemed to go with the 'hands' thing.

~ Give Me A Hand ~

Hands tell a lot about a man.

Stained with ink and tar and dirt, Sparrow’s were coaxing pictures from thin air, illustrations for his story, luring every eye in the place with those fluttering, fine-boned fingers: the hands of an actor.

Gibbs watched a while, then pulled himself to his feet. Womanless, and a might well-to-live, he took himself off. A half moon was rising as he made his way back to the harbor. He was mostly there when an alley extruded ill-fortune. Bricks slammed at his back, a knife bit his throat, and foul breath wrinkled his nose.

“Your purse, old man.”

“Who’s old?” Gibbs muttered. Disinclined to argue much with a knife, he resigned himself. But then there was a violent bump, his neck was scratched, the leech was dislodged, and Gibbs hit the ground.

“That’s not very nice.”

The familiar velvet growl, and those hands again, one twisting the leech’s shirt front, hard, the other shortening a sword for the thrust home: the hands of a fighter.

The knife clattered on the cobbles. Sparrow sparked gold and madness.

Given the chance, the miscreant scampered, right quick.

Sparrow turned, and offered one of those hands. “All right, then?”

Gibbs couldn’t help staring. All silver and shadows in the moonlight. Damned if he wasn’t prettier than the lasses back at the Bride. But his grip was firm and work-rough: the hands of a sailor.

Gibbs brushed the dirt from his breeches. “I owe you, Jack Sparrow.”

“You’ve heard of me!” That golden grin again. “It’s Captain Jack Sparrow. Sadly shipless at present, however. I could use a ship.”

“I’ve got a ship. Already has a captain. He’s lookin’ for a navigator, though.”

“Is he, now?” He considered this briefly, one long finger at his chin. “Per’aps you could put in a word for me humble self.”

Humble. Gibbs chuckled. “Oh, reckon I could, lad, seeing as ye saved me bacon.”

Jack cocked his head in the moonlight. “I’m no more a lad than you, Gibbs, but as for your bacon, think nothin’ of it. Entirely at your service.”

“Are ye now?” Gibbs thrust out a hand. “It’s Josh, to me mates.”

Jack took the proffered hand. “Josh then,” he said, and shook on it.

The hand of a friend.



~.~

Comments

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

What a lovely little word-picture!

I'm enjoying reading all the drabble-requests. Makes me wish I was better at writing-to-order myself, but it's not one of my gifts, alas.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Oh, I bet you'd be good at it, if you gave it a shot. It's kind of a fun exercise. I'm not keeping close tabs on the word count, but I find it good practice to try for the 100 word limit on drabbles, ordinarily.

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one!

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

Oh, I bet you'd be good at it, if you gave it a shot.

It's not just the word count, though working 'down' to the 250 word count requirement for the wishkisses stories felt as confining as a straightjacket. I really don't write-to-order well, which is why I never sign up for those "get a story, write a story" things.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I never sign up for those "get a story, write a story" things.

Well, I was a little surprised I got so many requests on this one, actually. But I've been getting practice with that "writing to order" business since joining Black Pearl Sails a year ago--they have a different drabble challenge every week, and I've done most of them.

I was bad at wishkisses and went over the limit. And I reread my Wishkiss story recently, and was less than pleased with it -- I was in a really sappy holiday mood when I wrote it -- that Christmas thing, you know. You were very kind to me in your comments about it, in spite of that, and I thank you again.

*applause*

[ballincollig.livejournal.com]

What a tight piece! Good to see Jack toughing it out; he's so creamy sometimes we forget he's a pirate and a fighter, as you say, and can hold his own in any situation.

And poor Gibbs sensitive about his age! That wee bit of Gibbsian grumpiness captured him perfectly.

[gryphons-lair.livejournal.com]

I was in a really sappy holiday mood when I wrote it

Well, that sort of challenge inspires that kind of mood. My two weren't exactly marvels of grim realism, either.

And I really did like it.

Re: *applause*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks! I'm glad you liked this one. And re: Jack toughing it out -- yes, I need to write more of that--it does make such a pleasing contrast to his creaminess. ;)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

There's just something about Christmas, too. When I wrote my long Christmas fic, The Christmas Guest, I put in every wintery, Christmassy, h/c element I could think of. Only that has a touch of smut and a dose of angst, so it's not quite as sugary as that little J/A thing. But what can you do? Like you said, the main point of those Wishkisses was the kiss.

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this!

You should post it over at gibbsfanciers; That community has been too quiet too long, and needs something lively like this to get it moving again.

Fave line: The knife clattered on the cobbles. Sparrow sparked gold and madness.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

gibbsfanciers, eh? I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

Glad you liked this one. I was watching the movie again yesterday, for the first time in a month or so, and your fave line just sort of wrote itself.

I need a Gibbs icon.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!

[berne.livejournal.com]

Stained with ink and tar and dirt, Sparrow’s were coaxing pictures from thin air, illustrations for his story, luring every eye in the place with those fluttering, fine-boned fingers: the hands of an actor.

What a beginning. I have a huge weakness for the legends of Captain Jack, and that he's coaxing illustrations for his story is a wonderful image.

Bricks slammed at his back, a knife bit his throat, and foul breath wrinkled his nose.

You can write action(ish) sequences so economically! One sentence, and the tension's there. Love how you concentrate on the senses here. The same with when Jack appears.

“That’s not very nice.”

Ah, nice echoes from the film, when Jack rescues Elizabeth on board the Interceptor.

Sparrow sparked gold and madness.

Ngh. Oh, I like that. My favourite line.

All silver and shadows in the moonlight. Damned if he wasn’t prettier than the lasses back at the Bride.

And that.

“You’ve heard of me!” That golden grin again.

So very Jack!

The hand of a friend.

And, of course, a considerable amount of interest added by centering the piece around hands. A perfect line to finish off on.

What also strikes me, is that you've nailed Gibbs' speech patterns without obstructing the narrative. Huzzah to that, I'd say.

I loved it, darling, loved it. *nuzzles* It's going straight into my memories.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Wow! Thank you so much for the detailed comments! Very, very much appreciated. I kinda mulled this one over for several days before I finished it up and decided to just post it and be done with it. I'm so glad you (and the other commenters) liked it.

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

This is great, I really liked the hands theme and your Gibbs voice (I'm oddly fond of that grumpy man). And the description of Jack, through his eyes, is beautifully done.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The hands are a thing with me right now. Had to go with it. It's the first thing that occurred to me after reading her request.

I adore Gibbs. He compliments Jack's feyness so nicely.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

"Stained with ink and tar and dirt, Sparrow’s were coaxing pictures from thin air, illustrations for his story, luring every eye in the place with those fluttering, fine-boned fingers: the hands of an actor."

Oh, lovely! And so Jack :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked this one. ;)

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

coaxing pictures from thin air
Perfect! Don't think I've seen a better description of what Jack's hands are doing.

Enjoyed the peek into how they met, you know I'm a sucker for Gibbs backstory.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! Gibbs is such a great character, and I figure Jack must have really impressed him in the past, he seems so happy to see Jack in their first scene together in the movie.

Glad you enjoyed this.

[hippediva.livejournal.com]

Lovely just lovely! I love Jack and Gibbs...there's such a history there and you painted a beautiful picture!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Gibbs sounds so very happy to see Jack when he first sees him in the movie that one just knows there is some great backstory to their relationship.

Glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading and commenting!

[azziria.livejournal.com]

Friending you, BTW. Because of the pirates :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks! Friending back. Because of the pirates--and the graphic design, and Tolkien, and the kids (mine are older, but still), and the mountains and the sea.

[captaintish]

Oh, that's good. I don't think I ever read this before. I love how Jack is all delighted that Gibbs has heard of him.

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

I wasn't on the comms when this first posted - brilliant.

Love the "hands" theme, as Jack's (and JD's) are a favorite fetish :-) And Gibbs - I adore him, and I love finding pieces like this one that capture his character so well, and his friendship with Jack.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

You probably did read it, because you have always been one of my most faithful and encouraging readers, but I wrote it in '05 so it's been a while for sure. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, it's hard to believe you've only been with us for a little over a year -- you're an amazingly prolific (and very talented) writer! I'm so glad you enjoyed this -- and I think most of us love those hands, which are so very expressive. :))