'Delay' Drabbles

[dwgm]

This morning trinityday finally issued a drabble challenge for this week, appropriately themed, Delay. My Drabble Muse has been on vacation for a few weeks, but I came up with no less than FOUR replies to this challenge, each exactly a hundred words!



~ Waiting for the Opportune Moment ~


Three weeks. Three weeks since he’d been here last, repairing, provisioning, boasting of his plan to find the Isla de Muerta and the Treasure of Cortez.

Pride goeth before a fall.

Lord, wasn’t that the truth?. Battered, frayed. Shipless. They didn’t know the details, but he heard their laughter.

Captain Jack Sparrow.

To hell with ‘em. And to hell with the gold! ‘Twas the Pearl, his darling in the hands of another, that was nigh killing him.

But it wouldn’t.

Barbossa’d smiled, giving him the pistol. How long before he’d use it to wipe that smile from the bastard’s face?


o-o-o


Captain Norrington, recently returned from England, had chuckled at the gilt-edged invitation. Elizabeth Swann, headstrong, coltish hoyden that she was, making her debut? She couldn’t have changed that much in the time he’d been gone!

But she had.

He was, to put it in the vernacular, knocked acock.

He had one dance with her, and she was amused, polite, and entirely uninterested.

Swann came up beside him. “I told you, didn’t I?”

James smiled, wryly. “You did.”

Swann smiled, too, and said quietly, “Don’t worry, James. She’s young yet. Give it time.”

James nodded, resolving to take his advice.


o-o-o


Will rushed, unhindered, toward the gaol, to the only creature in Port Royal who might know the Black Pearl’s whereabouts.

“This is not the moment for rash actions,” Norrington had said, but he was dead wrong! Every moment Elizabeth remained with those vermin increased the likelihood of her suffering.

It could not be borne!

And to dismiss Sparrow’s importance, without even questioning him, was idiocy!

Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth.

Will smiled bitterly. No, he wouldn’t make that mistake. Nor would that be the mistake Norrington would regret.


o-o-o


We still have a month, maybe more. Keep a weather eye open for passing ships and our chances’ll be fair.

Elizabeth sat smoldering beside her strange companion, occasional sips of vileness merely adding fuel to her pent fire.

When had he changed from a man who made legends to one who had legends thrust upon him? His implication that they could do nothing – nothing, save raise a glass to the doomed – was entirely unacceptable.

And unnecessary.

She would demonstrate, presently, perforce. His resignation, and condescension at her impatience were intolerable.

She would brook no delay.


~.~

Comments

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Four drabbles! My goodness, woman. Such good work, and so fast, too!

I especially enjoyed the fourth. Something about the language--she would demonstrate, presently, perforce--is perfectly Elizabeth.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Actually, the fourth one is the first I wrote this morning. However, I found the theme so inspiring I had to have the others put in their two cents. Glad you enjoyed them!

Four-play

[felaine.livejournal.com]

Your drabble muse has indeed returned; perhaps (s)he was on spring break.

Lovely work, as always from you. I think I like the first and last ones best. Jack's 10 year quest is the essence of delay, while Elizabeth is immediate gratification itself. If there had been torpedoes back then, she'd have been the one using them on all in sight when Will is threatened.
Felaine

Re: Four-play [lol!]

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the feedback, Felaine. Elizabeth's was the first one I wrote, and Jack's the second. Peas in a pod and all that. He learned patience over the years, but he was probably more like Elizabeth in the beginning.

Again, thank you. I'm happy to know you read and liked.

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

My, you've been busy! :-) I like the contrast between Jack and Liz, as you say, he's learned (had to learn) to be patient, and she hasn't, not yet. The last one feels like her, all impatient and obstinate. And the Norrington one tugged at my heartstrings, of course... He was, to put it in the vernacular, knocked acock. *sigh*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Weird how a certain theme will inspire all kinds of ideas for drabbles, and with others it's like pulling teeth to come up with something. I'm glad you liked these. I had fun paring them down to 100 words apiece (although in the case of the Norrington drabble I was only one word over). Like doing a puzzle. ;) Thanks so much for commenting.

[classics-lover.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely!

Each of them is a worthy insight into the mindset of their protagonists.
"His resignation, and condescension at her impatience were intolerable."
Elizabeth, on that island, to a T.

And, of course, I loved your Norrington drabble. But then, I am obsessed with him. But all perfectly in character.

Wonderful.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I found that theme inspired lots of different ideas about all the characters. I'm glad you thought them in character! I think I could have written even more, but I wanted to get back to Dark of the Moon.

Again, thank you for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it!

[kaellana.livejournal.com]

These are lovely! I liked the Norrington drabble a lot, very sweet, and I had a good chuckle over the "knocked acock" line. But I think the last one is my favourite; the entire drabble is very much Elizabeth, the language, the tone, the way you put her feelings on the situation as "entirely unacceptable". You can just feel her impatience and irritation.

Isn't it funny how sometimes there's nothing to write for ages, and then a load of ideas come along at once? I supposes all muses are funny like that. ;)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Isn't it funny how sometimes there's nothing to write for ages, and then a load of ideas come along at once?

It is, indeed! The strangest things can set the Muse in action, even after a long silence in which one wonders if inspiration will ever strike again.

Thank you for commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed these.

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Lot's of nipping little plot bunnies seem to have gotten to you, mate!

First
Good description of that painful return to where pride went before the fall. But of course Jack will never let even his own failure stop him. I love his determination not to let anything kill him.

Second
Such a charming picture of poor James having the sticks knocked from under him and also of Elizabeth's indifference. Poor Swann and Norrington. The best laid plots of mice and men gang aft agley.

Third
I love Will knowing that time was of the essence for Elizabeth. If he'd been ten minutes later they'd have spilled all her blood just to be sure. And this line, to dismiss Sparrow’s importance, without even questioning him, was idiocy! Ain't that the truth. Dear James, much as I love the guy, was not at the top of his form in that movie. Will did not live to regret his rashness, but Norrington did his caution.

Fourth
Elizabeth is so wonderful plotting to storm heaven in spite of piratey uncooperation.
one who had legends thrust upon him Runnin' between the raindrops 'e is.
Again rashness wins the day.

All of these a quite lovely. Say thank you to your muse for me.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the lengthy comments! I am always gratified that you unfailingly highlight the points that stand out for me, too. Glad you enjoyed them!

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Wow! Had noticed, when this popped up on my flist that your muse had been generous (runaway?) on this particular theme, but didn't realize till now, arriving here via posts at BPS, that you presented these scant hours after Trinity posted the theme.

Jack's is stunning. Three weeks. ... Battered, frayed. Shipless.
Never considered the rumrunners bringing him to the same port the Pearl had left from. Bereft, betrayed and humiliated, and smoldering for ten years... Calls up the image of how it's all there in stance and expression the moment after he shoots Barbossa.

Swann came up beside him. "I told you, didn't I?"
*whoof* That's all the air being knocked out of poor James.

I really like the feeling of urgency that comes through in the pacing of Will's drabble.

And Elizabeth's - so filled with frustration and indignation (not to mention anger: When had he changed from a man who made legends to one who had legends thrust upon him? ) - is marvelous.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

The 'delay' theme was strangely inspiring. I probably could have written even more drabbles, but wanted to get back to Dark of the Moon (which is now all outlined and just needs writing).

Never considered the rumrunners bringing him to the same port the Pearl had left from.

Always possible though. I was thinking about what Gibbs said -- that not much was known about Jack before he shows up in Tortuga with plans to find the Isla de Muerta. (Which certainly messes with the premise of the Dark of the Moon/Picaresque universe, doesn't it?)

Glad you enjoyed all of these. Thanks for the thoughtful comments!

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Never considered the rumrunners bringing him to the same port the Pearl had left from.
Always possible though.
It just never occurred to me. 'Tis a wonderful/awful idea, though. Bet that would be one time in his life that Jack Sparrow had approximately zero desire to enter a tavern.

I was thinking about what Gibbs said -- that not much was known about Jack before he shows up in Tortuga with plans to find the Isla de Muerta. (Which certainly messes with the premise of the Dark of the Moon/Picaresque universe, doesn't it?)
Well, I know it's a stretch, but I figured Gibbs doesn't know much about Jack before that because the people who knew him from Picaresque/Dark of the Moon days have moved on or aren't talking. (And if you don't like that rationalization, I'll find another for you!)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

And if you don't like that rationalization, I'll find another for you!

I can see us being endlessly inventive in that respect. Lizzie's Young!Jack universe is too, too wonderful.