Drabble: 'There Was A Time'

[dwgm]

hereswith wanted something with Norrington and Elizabeth, and I'm not sure she wanted angsty James, but that's what I came up with. 200 words, unbetaed, but hopefully OK, set mid-DMC. This is also for the 'Liberty' drabble challenge at Black Pearl Library, and for the 'Distance' challenge at potc100.



~ There Was A Time ~

There's some food for thought, eh, Miss Swann?

Unable to avoid the two on deck, James distanced himself by going below, and as he left the sun behind he found that he was angrier with Elizabeth than with Sparrow. The pirate was no better than he should be, after all, but that she would allow the blackguard to take such liberties, and then smile in their wake. But home truths were wasted on her, determined as she was to trust the man. What an absurdity. No discrimination at all. And why he expected more, when she had tossed his own heart aside like so much...

He stopped, alone in the dim. Swallowed hard.

Apparently he was not as well rid of her as he had liked to believe. And speaking of home truths...

There was a time when I would've given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me.

There was a time...

James leaned back against a shadowed bulkhead and sank down.

Revealed. Exposed. Indecent as she was herself, in those boy’s clothes.

Damnation.

He needed his life back.

He needed to forget her.

And he needed a drink.

~.~

Comments

[cacopheny.livejournal.com]

:: wants to cuddle Norrington :( ::

Sweet-sad little fic. Poor, doomed boyo that he is.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Ain't it the truth?

Thank you so much for reading and commenting, missy. You should come over for a swim, particularly on the 12th -- Mo and Jon will be here. :)

xo

[cacopheny.livejournal.com]

awww, maybe I will ^^ the 12th? I'd love to see Amorette again, s'been too long, what with me not able to come to Friday night game night anymore...

thank you :)

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

He needed to forget her.

And he needed a drink.

It's easy to understand his choices, isn't it? I love Norrington, stiff neck and all, and it's lovely to see him in a fic again. Wonderful drabble ♥

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I love him, too. I think I may need to write some happy Norrington fic. Necessarily A/U, but it will counteract the angst somewhat, lol. Poor guy. And poor us.

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

I think I may need to write some happy Norrington fic.

Oh, yes please! I love me some happy Norrie ♥

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Writing it as we speak. ;)

[this-weirdness.livejournal.com]

Poor old Norry. Great drabble! :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[bombazzinedoll.livejournal.com]

Poor James needs a thorough snuggling, and know that I am fully prepared to Sacrifice Myself to accomplish this task. It will be very hard work, but someone must do it.

p.s. Lovely drabble, as always. It must have been hard realising that he never stood a chance - not that Elizabeth ever truly gave him one.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It must have been hard realising that he never stood a chance - not that Elizabeth ever truly gave him one.

I think, if fate had not made other plans for them, she would have married him, and loved him.

I am fully prepared to Sacrifice Myself to accomplish this task.

We commend your sense of duty (although we insist that you share).

Glad you liked his one -- thanks for letting me know!

[tiamary.livejournal.com]

What can ya do, he wasn't her type. Weren't there any other women around for him to chase? Will I can see, Elizabeth was his protector when he was pulled from the sea as a boy...Jack I can see, she is his Female Flip Side...but what is Norrington's excuse for carrying a torch? That's what put Elizabeth one shade on the safe side of being a Mary Sue...every major character but Beckett and Gibbs wanted her, and some think even Beckett wanted her. (And convincing a man to switch teams ain't easy.)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

what is Norrington's excuse for carrying a torch?

Considering how very nervous he is when he's proposing, I think his heart was involved as well as his ambition. But you're right, her heart was given elsewhere. I think she would have married him and made the best of it, had Will not come forward at Jack's hanging, but it wouldn't have been the ideal situation for either of them.

[bombazzinedoll.livejournal.com]

I always got the impression that James wanted her because she wasn't the usual vapid high society girl, with a Mrs Bennett-esque mother slathering after his estate. Instead Lizzie was intelligent, witty, headstrong, with an obvious love for the sea - and she just happened to be beautiful. And motherless. Although Weatherby did try so very hard . . .

Anyway. I agree with geekmama. Had Will not floated up on a ragged piece of wood, I think Elizabeth and James would have worked out very well as a couple.

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Poor old James! You always write him so well. He does need a drink.

I love these bits of yours -- always exposing clearly some tiny moment that should have been in the movie.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

There are so many moments that should have been in the movies. Poor James, indeed, though. He got a rotten deal. We must make it all better with fanfic. ;)

[tiamary.livejournal.com]

He's not a victim tho...he made poor choices. Norrington was so blinded by his preconceived notions he got himself into bad situations. The prime example is his behavior when Jack pulled Elizabeth out of the water. The woman he loves is lying there barely conscious from a near-drowning and instead being beside himself with concern, his focus is on whether Jack -- not the British soldiers, mind you, but the black man with the gypsyish clothes -- might have touched her in a naughty way. (At least her dad was both angry at Jack "and" looking after Elizabeth.) I mean...if he HAD touched her in a naughty way, the soldiers would have been letting him do it as they were just sitting there. His reaction made no logical sense.

He has no gratitude toward Jack for saving her life, no desire to check E for bruises or broken bones or blow to the head from the fall, he just wants to hang his pirate. If I were in E's position, that would have been the end of even considering him as a husband.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with you. His reaction, and Swann's too, never made sense to me. She would have been dead if Jack hadn't been so quick to throw his own safety to the wind and rescue her.

In which I try to make sense?

[bombazzinedoll.livejournal.com]

Remember, it probably would have been improper for James to have put his hands all over her, even if it was to check for injuries. Also, he is a very newly promoted Commodore, with a notorious pirate not two feet away - he feels he must take care of business first, and attend to his personal concerns later. It's a reaction that, however cold it may seem, is very essentially James. He's very careful not to let his emotions get the better of him, aware as he is of the standards his society holds him to.

All the above is why I find Scruffington so interesting. Before, where he put duty far ahead of his own concerns and wants and needs, in DMC he has thrown that ideal away almost completely in favour of being utterly selfish and extroverted.

Re: In which I try to make sense?

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Remember, it probably would have been improper for James to have put his hands all over her, even if it was to check for injuries.

Yes, but he doesn't even ask her if she's all right! Frankly, that would indicate to me that he really doesn't have that much concern for her, in comparison with his job and its duties. I think being unable to rescue her himself, and then seeing Jack accomplish what he could not, put him in a very bad mood, less concerned about her possible distress than his own damaged pride.

It's a wonderfully complicated scene, and says so much about each character. But I think the people making the movie weren't thinking through all the implications (as we do).

Re: In which I try to make sense?

[bombazzinedoll.livejournal.com]

I think being unable to rescue her himself, and then seeing Jack accomplish what he could not, put him in a very bad mood, less concerned about her possible distress than his own damaged pride.

Meant to mention this, too, but forgot. So thank-you!

Perhaps his apparent lack of concern doesn't bother me much because James reminds me a lot of my dad, who reacts to such situations in very much the same way. It doesn't make the action itself excusable (indeed, Dad has the innate power to make weekends miserable, sometimes), but I think I'm so used to ignoring the sheer maleness of it all that it glosses right over me :p

You also bring up a good point that I also should have clarified on. James, in CotBP, is just as selfish and conscious of his pride as he is in DMC - but unlike Jack (for instance) he's not quite willing to admit he's acting purely on Selfish Impulse™ until the second film.

But I think the people making the movie weren't thinking through all the implications (as we do).

Agreed. This is why I try not to get too worked up about various offences the writers made in the movies, because (very unfortunately) I doubt they figured we would be going over them with a fine-toothed comb as we have.

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

James Norrington: walking proof that slash can make things better. That man needs a Jack hug right now!

Those last 3 lines explain what happened between CotBP and DMC much better than misplaced hurricanes.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Those last 3 lines explain what happened between CotBP and DMC much better than misplaced hurricanes.

Kind of boiled down to the essentials, there.

Writing some happy Norrington now, to counteract the angst.

[sharklady35.livejournal.com]

Yes, by all means do a happy Norrington fic next- the guy's had way more than his fair share of anguish!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

He has. Writing now.

[turquoisetumult.livejournal.com]

Oh, Norrington! He was treated much too unfairly.

Very nicely written piece.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

He was treated much too unfairly.

He was, and we love him so. I'm glad you liked this, in spite of the angst. Poor James!

[tammsla.livejournal.com]

Awww! Mon pauvre James!! :'(

Love it as always :D

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[ophelivia.livejournal.com]

"he found that he was angrier with Elizabeth than with Sparrow."

Thank god somebody finally said it!!

Very nice

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Well, he cares for her, and had this dream...

Poor James.

Glad you liked it.

[fried-flamingo.livejournal.com]

Lovely insight into James' character. Especially loved this line - Revealed. Exposed. Indecent as she was herself, in those boy’s clothes.

Poor James.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

This sort of thing wasn't what he'd reckoned on when he joined the service.

Poor James.

Glad you liked the drabble, though. :)

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

Can you hear me squee from across the pond? I love this, angsty as it is, with poor James, apparently ... not as well rid of her as he had liked to believe. Also, the ending lines are heart-breaking: Damnation. He needed his life back. He needed to forget her. And he needed a drink. You've captured what I imagine he must have been thinking in that moment so well, like you always do, and reading this makes me want to hug him, and you. *hugs very much* Thank you, my dear!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

We can HUG IN PERSON IN TWO WEEKS OMG!!!

Ahem.

So, so happy you liked it!

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

*cries*

I always wonder about that time on the Pearl, and how much pain he must have been in. You've done a lovely version of it.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you -- but oh, dear, don't cry... although it is pretty sad. Poor Norrie.

[equilibrium44.livejournal.com]

This is 'real'Norrie.


But Norrie and 'happy' - isn't that oxymoronic?

He hasn't been happy since the first 15 minutes of CotBP when he was promoted. That isn't much to work with.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

As you saw, A/U Norrie can achieve happiness, but poor sequelish Norrie... not so much. Thank you so much for reading -- I'm so happy you found him accurately drawn here.

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

Wonderful drabble! Absolutely perfect James' voice. Awesome work!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!

[tiamary.livejournal.com]

Really good. Man, I've been there. It's a bummer to want someone you don't want to want and isn't, from your perspective, worth wanting.

On the other hand, he hadn't HAD to follow onto the Pearl like a puppy...

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, he hadn't HAD to follow onto the Pearl like a puppy...

Very true, but I think he was hoping to somehow find the means to get his life back thereby. And he did.

Very happy you liked this!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Now that was VERY good. VERY VERY GOOD! I liked the last lines there. Very Norrington the whole thing. :-) Good work.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Poor Norrie. He's just such a mess. But yes, still sexy. *g* Glad you enjoyed this!

[danglingdingle.livejournal.com]

I'm horribly late with catching up with all the good stuff floating around, but better late than never, eh? :)

This is gold. It shines.

Thank you for making between-Norrington shine, as he's only dully glimmered occationally before just now.

Now I need a drink.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! Norrington is indeed shiny gold, under all the scruffy. We do love him.

[were-lemur.livejournal.com]

*wibbles*

Poor, poor, poor Norrington. He couldn't forget her, and that led to another Really Bad Decision on his part -- to follow her onto the Pearl, instead of curling up somewhere to sleep it off.

You're never going to forget her if you keep following her, James!