Okay, so I've got this pirate thing. Don't ask me where I got it. I'd like to blame early 80's Adam Ant, but I remember being very little and when other kids made forts, I put a rocking chair and some other chairs together and made me a ship.

Anyway, once I saw Johnny Depp in the ads for this movie, it was all over for me. I'm not always a Depp fan. I don't run out to see every movie he's in (Though he's been in several I've loved: Ed Wood, From Hell, Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare on Elm St. (I didn't think he was particularly cute in NOES though. Too young. Sigh.)). But damn. I mean... damn. Captain Jack Sparrow is simply sex on two legs. I'm definately a Jack/Elizabeth shipper. But, and I think for the first time, I also seem to be a Jack/OFC shipper. So far, this fandom is doing a fairly good job of throwing OFC's at Jack that aren't falling into the Mary Sue peril. I'm hoping to write something for this fandom soon myself. I've got a girl in mind for Jack.

WALLPAPER

Jack and Elizabeth [A little shippy fun] 800 x 600

Captain Jack [Oh Captain, My Captain] 800 x 600

Just Jack

MAILING LISTS

Depp Fanfiction

Black Pearl Fanfiction 2 [I don't run this one, a friend does. Great fic. Needs more members for more great fic!]

RANDOM THOUGHTS

OFC fic vs. The Dread Pirate Mary Sue (tm).

Unfortunately, any time fanfic authors introduce an original character into their fics, fair cop or not, they are flagged with the stigma of being a Mary Sue. The huge problem with this for POTC fandom is that if you choose to write/read a fic with Jack as the "romantic" lead, you're left with little other choice than to invent said female. Your other (het) choices are as follows:

Elizabeth - To use Elizabeth you must re-write the movie, fudge the beach scene (or show us what happened after Jack only pretended to pass out ::wink::), or have Liz decide to leave Will and meet up with Jack somehow. Now, I personally like this pairing quite a bit, but it does require a bit of forgiveness for out of character Elizabeth-ness to pull off the logistics of it.

Anamaria - This one is ready made. Likely, Jack seduced her ship away from her and that's what earned him his slap from our spunky lady pirate. However, she was also perfectly willing to take the Pearl and leave him to rot. So he may have rented her heart, but he didn't quite steal it.

Scarlet or Giselle - All we know about these girls is that one is a redhead, one is a blonde and they are both {likely} whores. We know that Jack has committed some percieved offense against Scarlet ("I'm not sure I deserved that"), and that apparently Jack has led Giselle to believe she's the only one he visits when in Tortuga ("I probably deserved that.") And that's it. If one writes for Giselle or Scarlet, you're basically having to create an OFC, only you don't get to choose her appearance, occupation or name.

Realizing this problem as being particularly a problem for POTC Jack fic, I peeked where I saw Jack/OFC labeled (and I'm as bad as anyone else with the OFC prejudice, I admit it! I've even written them and still been panicked it would read as Mary Sue when truly it was just something I couldn't tell using an established character). I cannot believe how many good Jack/OFC fics are out there. The ones I've read have been really fleshed out characters with good story lines and really good dialogue. Most importantly, Jack is way in character which pulls the whole fic together.

In the Haunting Place by Citadel, Maren is a medium working as a barmaid when Jack crosses her path. Now I know most folks will stop right there, as having "psychic" powers is a big Mary Sue flag. But if you stop right there, you're missing a hell of a story! Maren's contact with the other side is Kristy, the spirit of a dead whore. Kristy is second only to Jack in coolest character in the story. Maren doesn't just "happen" to have psychic abilities because "that would be cool". Jack seeks her out because of them, to further a scheme of his. Maren is also not a perfect character as she's a bit of a tease to good ol' Jack. Also, not every character is instantly enamored with her. The men certainly... because she has boobs and it's a pirate ship. But Anamaria is none too pleased to have this woman on board, thinking her a bit too "witchy".

In The Map by Boshomengro, we have the character of Nell. She is not as beautiful as her traveling companion Lady Clarence. Certainly, not even all the male pirates are happy with her being on board. She's also quite neurotic and even a bit mousy at times, definately not overtly spunky. She is also the key to a rather large treasure and has a cruel guardian seeking to get her back in order to lay his hands on the treasure.

I think what I like about these two stories, in particular, is how these characters seem so interwoven to the plotline. These stories truly read like the story was not created to have these characters in them. It reads as though these characters were created in order to tell this certain story, which is how it should be. Jack's not in love with these women. Yes, he wants to bed them ("pirate"). Yes, he can be protective of them (probably would for a lady if it wasn't too much trouble anyway, but they are what he needs to get to a lot of loot, savvy?). But I think anyone who wants to stay true to the character of Jack knows that chances are extremely remote that he's going to go head over heels for someone and marry up. Jack will find someone to have a good time, and a rollicking adventure with, for awhile, and then part ways. If he meets up with her again at some point, lovely. More good times can be had. But Jack is always gonna sail off on the Black Pearl and leave the girl at the port... or on her own ship.. or something similar.

So far, POTC and OFC's are a really good combination. And we'll just leave Mary Sue at the bottom of the ocean keeping ol' Bootstrap Bill company.

RECOMMENDED READING

After the Boys of Summer Have Gone Jack/You, ABH, NC-17 [at AdultFanFiction.net]

The Haunting Place Jack/OFC, WIP, R [at AdultFanFiction.net]

Into The Fire Jack/OFC, NC-17 [at AdultFanFiction.net]

Iridescence PG-13 [at AdultFanFiction.net]

The Map Jack/OFC, WIP, R [at AdultFanFiction.net]

A Scandalous Lack of Morals Jack/Elizabeth/Will, PWP, NC-17 [at Destiny Interrupted]

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