'In the Years of Their Acquaintance' by Tessabeth

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean
Title: In the First Year/Second Year/Third Year of Their Acquaintance (PG, PG, and R, respectively)
Characters: Jack Sparrow, Boostrap Bill, Hector Barbossa, Captain John Tobias (OMC)
Author on LJ: tessabeth
Author Website: LJ Profile Page
Why this must be read: Because it's the story of Jack Sparrow's first three years on the Black Pearl, sailing under Captain John Tobias, tessabeth's brilliant OMC from her multi-chapter Pirates of the Caribbean/Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver crossover, Picaresque (already rec'd at crack_van here), and it's one of the best Jack Sparrow backstories ever written. Tobias is the perfect mentor for the wet-behind-the-ears Sparrow, as can be seen from the first glimpse we are given of the captain in Picaresque

"... the finest pirate in the Caribbean, and he was a sight and no mistake. As flamboyant as Jack could imagine Sparrow to be, given access to the right (stolen) goods; a multitude of gold and baubles, a froth of lace at his throat, a wondrously waxed and curled moustache above a fierce smile; curling black hair falling into squinting, assessing eyes; a bright green frock coat, that set off the deeply blackened skin of a man who’d barely left the deck of a ship since he came to double digits. A boy’s dream of a pirate, made life."

And here is an excerpt from Tobias's first meeting with young stowaway Jack Sparrow --

The men part as John Tobias approaches, and finally he sees the wretched creature that’s caused all this bother. John stops short, and stands there, feet wide-braced and hands on his hips. He looks down upon it, where it’s kneeling on the deck, lip bloodied already from someone’s idea of a welcome.

“Get up,” he says, not unkindly, and the stowaway does. Looks at John, with a black-eyed mixture of defiance and excitement.

For a long, close-lipped minute they regard one another, interrupted only by the swell and crash of the waves and the thrum and creak of this great ship. Sounds that John barely hears any more, unless they break their ‘ccustomed patterns.

The stowaway’s a stripling, no more. An average height, but thin. He’s wet and he’s reeking, after at least four days down in the pitch-black bilges. His skin’s wrinkled with it, palely cold despite the bright day. His hair is dark as John’s own, but tangled and dirty where John’s curls gleam; his cheeks and chin are all but smooth, where John’s moustache curves rakishly.

Two things strike John, strike him hard and fast and will bury themselves in his memory for the rest of his life: the first is that fierce, intelligent stare. The stare of an equal, even though they’re anything but.

The second is the sure and certain knowledge that if you cleaned this lad up, he’d be one of the most beautiful human beings you’d ever seen in your life. Painfully, perfectly, obscenely beautiful.

tessabeth is one of the best writers in the Pirates of the Caribbean fandom, and there is not a wasted line in any of the three parts. Truly not to be missed. Go forth and read!


In the First Year of Their Acquaintance links to the Second, which links to the Third.

Enjoy!!