Snippet for Cenire - Marquis de Carabas/Jack Sparrow

[louiselux]

cenire asked (um, a while ago now) for the Marquis de Carabas/Jack Sparrow. Here it is, at last! It features some of the BBC shipping forecast too.


Sailing Along


The Marquis had a cat's disdain for wet places, which posed something of a problem. It was hard not to get one's toes wet in London Below.

But he was out of London, at South End*, and there was someone here who was making him wonder what it would be like to jump headfirst into the sea and be swallowed up. A sailor. No, more like a pirate. He was splendid and mysterious in his brocade and jewellery, although he appeared to be extremely drunk. The Marquis allowed himself to be intrigued.

A ship sat on the water, gently swaying on the early tide. The sun warmed the wooden dock. Water slapped against the pilings and rigging creaked contentedly. South End was quiet this early in the morning, apart from trim sailors making good their ships and a few draggle-tail children pestering the pirate for treasure, which they believed he surely must have, hoarded in the ship's hold.

Putting on a solemn face, the man sat on an upturned barrel and began telling them a story about a magical place that existed far below the earth. The Marquis drew closer, more than merely intrigued now. The pirate, for he must be one, looked up at his step, then sat back and smiled, tipping up his chin, a lazy, knowing grin spreading across his face. They stared frankly at each other. The children danced around him asking for more of the story, unaware of the more sophisticated silent exchange above their heads.

'Go on, then,' said the Marquis, his returning smile having more than a little challenge in it. He wasn't quite used to people looking at him like that. 'I'd like to hear more too.'

'Well then, Sir, I shall be very happy to oblige you,' the pirate said, sounding quite a bit less drunk.

Their next smile went over the heads of the children too. When the story was over, ending with the gory capture and death of an enormous lizard beast that had razor sharp claws and stood as high as a house, the Marquis applauded lazily.

'Go away now,' he told the children, and they, looking at his face, scampered off to steal breakfast from the market that was setting up near the fish sheds. 'Not a bad story,' he said. 'Another world, below this one. Very inventive. I'd never have thought of it.'

The pirate stood up and sauntered forwards, looking him up and down. 'You know, I don't think I quite believe that,' he said. 'What's your name?'

The blunt question didn’t sound rude, merely curious.

'I am the Marquis De Carabas.'

'Oh, A Marquis? How grand! It's an honour to meet you.' He swept off his hat and bowed low enough for his hair to brush the ground. 'Captain Jack Sparrow at your service,' he said straightening up. With his hat in hand he came closer, 'any service.' He gave the lazy grin again, showing neat white teeth. It was shockingly suggestive. But behind the cockiness his eyes were gentle. The Marquis decided he liked this game.

'So, where are you sailing to, Captain?'

'Oh, away,' said Sparrow, waving an arm over the glittering waves. 'I'm off with the tide just about now.' The ship bobbed beside them, as if to mark its impatience. 'S'going out. We'll be going North, not that you can go anywhere else from here.'

The Marquis managed to drag his eyes away from Jack Sparrow's face to look out to sea. Somehow, with the bright morning light making the water sparkle, and the warm encouraging smile of the man standing rather too closeto him, the sea didn't seem a wet, cold place. Instead, it held a sort of charm, as though it were a harmless playground.

'And what are you going to do when you get to Away,' the Marquis asked, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the horizon when he only wanted to look at Jack Sparrow's lips.

'You think I made that story up? I'm gonna look for treasure, adventure. And rum. But mostly treasure.'

The Marquis turned just in time to catch a wicked dark look.

'It sounds exciting. How do you know it'll be worth your while?'

Sparrow laughed out loud. 'It always is. Sail away with me,' he said quickly. 'I know you want to. It'll be the best thing you've ever done.'

It wasn't clear what it was he was referring to, which made his low voice even more exciting.

'What makes you think I'll come with you?'

It was a fair question. The sea was very wet. He was on the very first of his nine lives and he wanted to live them all. As if to counterpoint this thought, an arm slipped round his waist.

'What makes you think you won't?' Sparrow said in his ear.

The little boat and its crew sailed north through Dogger, the Forties, then through Viking's silver waters, with its treacherous banks of fog and boatloads of hardened, sea-living mercenaries.

The Marquis tried to stay below decks but Jack dragged him out as much as he could, except for the nights, when he'd lock the cabin door behind them and pull them both under the blankets.

At Fair Isle, they stood on deck staring out at the dazzling blue sky and wooded hills, picked out with bands of silver. In the Faeroes, the boat encountered huge iron-grey seas. The sky was brassy yellow and sullen. Even the air held a threat. The stiff breeze that pushed the ship violently forwards made Jack's hair flow back from his temples like a flag.

They crept past Iceland and then Greenland, which the Marquis was surprised to see really was green; the land, the animals and people, then up into the frosty wastes of the Arctic. They began to drink a lot more rum.

'There's an entrance to another world around here somewhere,' Jack said petulantly, as the boat creaked against ice floes. They were lost.

'Not the one with the lizard beasts?' The Marquis asked. 'I was rather hoping for treasure, myself.' He paused, thinking to himself that it was time he asked the next question. 'About the other world. Do you really believe it exists?'

'What?'

'Is it true, that story you told?'

'You think I made it up? Then what did you come for?' Jack's eyes were hard and dark.

'Well. For you.' The Marquis thought this needed saying too. He wondered how Jack would like London Below.

Jack turned to him, spinning round on the icy deck. He laughed.

'There'll be treasure for you, don't doubt it. Captain Jack Sparrow never fails.' He put his arms round the Marquis' neck. 'I've found mine already.'




*Southend was a popular Cockney holiday destination, before everyone started going to the Costa Brava.

Comments

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Oh, I like this a lot. Lovely crossover I'd never have thought of.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I think cenire gets the credit for inventive crossovers here:-)

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! This is a great crossover.

There's an entrance to another world around here somewhere,' Jack said petulantly

Isn't it on Iceland? Although they might need a boring device - or an exciting one. :-)

[ellen-fremedon.livejournal.com]

Yes-- traditionally, there's a gateway to Hell in the caldera of Mt. Hekla. And I think Jules Verne put his gateway somewhere in Snaefellsness.

Lovely crossover, Louise!

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

Oooh, Jack Sparrow/Marquis de Carabas at the Centre of the Earth! Or: in Hell!

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Ah! Thanks for the info - for my next Journey to Centre of the Earth/Hell fic. I'm sure there'll be one:-)

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Although they might need a boring device - or an exciting one. :-)

You are very bad. But I'm worse - it's taken me days to get that joke. I honestly couldn't remember where it was supposed to be - that accounts for Jack's vagueness, I'm afraid.

Yay! You liked it!

[fruufoo.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is great. :) It's an unusual crossover, but it works.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[tboy.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmmm, yum! *g* They match together quite well indeed. Very, very pretty, and you have them almost circling each other in their wariness and interest.

Now, I shall go to bed, imagining nights behind Jack's locked cabin door *eg*.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Now, I shall go to bed, imagining nights behind Jack's locked cabin door *eg*.

And I hope that was a fun evening you had! *leers*

I'm dead chuffed you liked it!

[enigel]

heee, lovely! now I really, really want to read Neverwhere.

one minor observation though, that you may feel free to ignore: I don't think Jack would introduce himself as simply "Jack Sparrow", especially when trying to impress a Marquis. he always insists on the title of *Captain*, savvy? :D

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Excellent point, thanks! I'll change that. I've only seen the film once, but it sounds right.

Glad you liked the fic! And you must read Neverwhere - it's lots of fun. Not the best thing Neil's ever done in my opinion, but all the same very enjoyable and funny.

[enigel]

oh, what would be the best? see, I can't order online from here, retarded ex-socialist country and all, but a friend is studying abroad until May so I could bribe her into buying it for me. she already got Coraline.

are the Neverwhere movies any good? they're available on eMule... :D

glad to be of help! it's not like I'm anal retentive or (Somebody forbid!) obsessed about pirates (*hides icons*) and I've only seen the film three times; now, about the amount of fanfic I've read...

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Hmm, the best thing of Neil's? The Sandman comics are my favourite, and Good Omens. Lots of people love American Gods but I couldn't get into it myself. Actually, now I think of it Neverwhere probably is one of my favourite's of his. Even though I think the writing in some places is a bit dodgy it's bursting with ideas.

Neverwhere was originally a TV series in the UK. Neil didn't like how it turned out, mostly because of poor production values. The novel is really a novelisation of the TV series and I think it shows, in places.

[enigel]

oh, I thought it was the other way around. I usually prefer the books, but it doesn't hurt to have some visuals attached to them. (what would I give to have a Good Omens movie...)

[minkhollow]

!
Another one! Extremely well done, at that.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Does that bring the total up to two now? *g* Thanks!

[cutselvage.livejournal.com]

Oooh. I would never have thought of this, but I like! ^.^

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I don't think I would have thought of it either with a prompt from Cenire.

[cenire.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEE! This crossover makes me so happy, I can't even say.

But he was out of London, at South End*, and there was someone here who was making him wonder what it would be like to jump headfirst into the sea and be swallowed up. A sailor. No, more like a pirate. He was splendid and mysterious in his brocade and jewellery, although he appeared to be extremely drunk. The Marquis allowed himself to be intrigued. *giggles* (The Marquis definitely would *allow* himself to be intrigued, too. Love it.)

The knowing smiles! The meaningful looks! The being-able-to-do-any-service! The touching!

This is lovely and has made my night. Thank you so much! :D

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Yay! You liked it, I'm really pleased. Am glad it made you smile:-)