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Pearl Tales
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Pirates of the Caribbean
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a Drabble
Challenge: Down Time
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By Honorat ~ Home ~ He’s really down this time. Down with the pigs. Sleeping with swine like the prodigal son. They’re not bad company—pigs. Warm at least. Smarter than a lot of men he knows. But hunger and craving for rum and memory of the sea are an ache in his gut. Sometimes he wonders if he ever could have gone home—to anything he has called home. Would his father have forgiven? The navy never will! Suddenly, cold water splashes. He squints up, bleary-eyed—with sleep, not rum. He’s never been this far down before. The hand of a friend with the gold of Caribbean sun in his grin and the devil’s own fire in his eyes. Time to get up again. Who needs a fatted calf when he has Captain Jack Sparrow, a flagon of rum, and an adventure on the horizon?
By Honorat ~ For All Time I ~ In the governor’s eyes, he is a common labourer—no fine connections; no political prospects; his income derived from his own sweat. In the eyes of his peers, he has no place, now. He is no longer entirely of their world— marrying an heiress, brushing daily with the powers in their lives. But in her dark eyes that burn like the heart of a molten sword, he is a hero. She sees him as so much more than he is, forges him with her very belief into becoming what she sees. Down time and for all of eternity, he will look for himself only in the mirror of her eyes.
By Honorat ~ For All Time II ~ When she had come to him in that cave, saving his life, he did not dismiss her help. Did not lock her up for her safety or failed trust. He fought by her side, shoulder to shoulder. When he’d risked all to save a good man from death, she’d stood by his side, adding her influence, so he’d not face the penalty alone. Now the battle has shifted. The delicately edged word. The significant raised eyebrow. The unwritten rules. But wherever life takes them, from drawing room to drawn swords,
down time and for all of eternity, she will have his back and
he will have hers.
By Corrielle ~ A Game of Chess ~ The Commodore is most certainly off his game, Will Turner thought as he considered the chess board laid out between them. Norrington’s white pieces were in retreat, and Will’s black ones were advancing steadily around them. Despite Elizabeth’s efforts to the contrary, Will knew he was but a middling player. With intense concentration, he could best Elizabeth one time in ten, but Jack’s mad, devious game trounced him every time, and he had yet to find a way to defend himself from Norrington’s inexorable strategic maneuvering. Will momentarily wondered if Norrington was letting him win and was insulted at the thought. But no. The Commodore’s face had the hard, competitive cast of a man playing to win, and his eyes flashed with annoyance every time Will took one of his pieces. It was the decisive moment now. James had seen the danger, but could do nothing to avoid it. Elizabeth, who had been watching the game with great interest, had seen it as well. She sat on the edge of her chair and leaned forward in order to have a better view. “I have your queen, Commodore,” Will said, a look of quiet triumph on his face.
By Mojave Dragonfly ~ Intermission ~ The lull in the battle - Groves feared it the most. The instant
when his spirit recoiled from combat and apprehended the feel
of his own body - weary, This lull was unendurable. With a terror-filled roar he fired again.
By Katy ~ Breathing Spell ~ Elizabeth panted, careless of how she looked, and wiped away tendrils of sweaty hair. Jack winced as he wriggled his fingers carefully, staring at his bruised hand. Nearby Anamaria snorted. "Not strong, indeed." He said, giving Elizabeth a flash of gold-capped teeth. "Shut up." She replied, and curled her hands into fists. "I'm enjoying a breather." "Wha-- oh… Right." He said sheepishly upon noticing Elizabeth's and Anamaria's thunderous expressions, and edged away when Elizabeth winced in pain. "I'll just leave ye to it, then." "Finest idea I've `eard from ye in a long while." Anamaria snapped, and shooed him out of the cabin.
By Jenthegypsy ~ Down Time Drabble ~ He had never given thought to working beneath the sign of the anvil and the hammer, but when pressed into service he took to the trade quickly enough. Repetition was the best teacher for one of his limited abilities, and he soon came to know his duties, as well as the pattern of the days. Wake in darkness, work in sun-filtered gloom and retire in darkness, never leaving the confines of the smithy. Day in. Day out. Except for the mornings when the bells rang. On those days, the young master would lead him to a field just beyond the town, where he was left to graze and run and roll to his heart’s content. He splashed in the clear, running water and kicked up his heels for no reason at all. He slept under a blanket of a million stars, already dreaming of the next time the bells would ring.
By Geek Mama ~ By the Light of a Single Lantern ~ The map's curling edges were weighted with rock, dagger, apple, and inkwell. He dipped a quill into the latter, carefully drew a line along the straightedge he'd set, then wrote something next the line, the scratch of it audible in the quiet night. Ana slid from the bed, wrapping a blanket `round her, and padded over to where he sat, the sole smooth and cool beneath her bare feet. "What're you doing?" she murmured. "What time is it?" "Late. I couldn't sleep. Gettin' a fix on our next move." He was shirtless, and she set her hand soft on his shoulder (deep
bronze to her paler, creamy brown)… moved the heavy trinket-laden
hair aside… bent, and placed a kiss on his back, just where
the old marks He smiled, and looked at her as she straightened. "You want something, love?" "You need your rest, Jack. This'll wait `til morning." "Told you: I couldn't sleep." But his eyes gleamed as he turned to her, his hands slipping under her blanket. Breath catching, she gently took his face between her two hands. She had to swallow hard before she could speak. "Maybe I can help with that, Captain."
~.~
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