Five Creatures Stephen Maturin Has Drawn in His Notebook (the Aubreyad) Title: Five Creatures Stephen Maturin Has Drawn in His Notebook Author's Name: Hyel Disclaimer: The Aubrey/Maturin series (c) Patrick O'Brian. Warnings: Listfic? Ratings: PG Word Count: 280 Summary: Five things fic suggested by a friend.
1. One of the recurring subjects of Dr Maturin's notebooks which, while it occurs rarely, occurs perhaps with more regularity than any other subjects, is the sailor, both common and officer variety. There are images of the common sailor learning to read; of a gunner with an open skull, from the back, in mid-operation; of a fair young lieutanent springing up the shrouds; of the captain, hair come unbraided whipping against his face in a storm.
2. Testudo aubreii, in all its glory, takes up five pages of the little notebook; there's a top view, bottom view (the creature had had to stay helpless on its back for this one, but its discomfort was soon rewarded with a meal), side view and plenty of details. A fine animal indeed – fine and worthy of its name.
3. A fantastical creature, showing in Dr Maturin a surprising whimsical side, takes over another three pages – a faun straight out of mythology, with furry goat's legs and a human torso, with small sturdy horns protruding from his forehead. The pictures are drawn much in the same vein as Dr Maturin's other creature studies, with different views to the creature and details, including the spiral ridges on the faun's horns.
4. One page of quick and not very detailed drawings shows a ray, probably drawn from seeing the animal from a boat passing over. These drawings are coloured yellow and blue, proving the animal the blue-spotted ribbontail ray.
5. A small, almost naked child of undefinable gender and race, but judging from the lack of dress probably not English. The child has old eyes and a young smile, and jewelry around her wrists and ankles.