#you end like Beckett or you end like Norrington

[ellena-asg]

"potc is a story focused on pirates and from their pov so no surprise that people hate guys like Beckett, Mercer or Norrington"

me: Sunshines, whoah, whoah, stop. If you mean old Norrington (Lawrence) - agree. But Norrie? Jamie?! Just look around, please. So many people love him. It's our guy. Some of us love him as much as we love some pirates (well, he was a pirate too, wasn't he). And for sure there are some pirates we love less than him.

Why is he even compared to Beckett? He's not like Beckett, he's Beckett's opposite (what he proves in the story) and that's one of many reasons why we love him ♥️

[cupcakeshakesnake]

Some old writing I did for a Harbor Town AU x canon POTC situation

So like, this is out of the blue, but some time ago I might have thought up a scenario where the canon POTC cast find themselves in the AU world and, well, not get along. Something about canon Beckett wanting to steal modern technology to get the upper hand in his war while the townspeople try to send the scurvy lot back to their time without the government getting involved.

It was mostly a mishmash of broken scenes but I wrote a bit where AU Norrington has to disguise himself as the 18th century version for some intel or other and runs into Beckett (you'll see which one).

(This was written in 2022, just so you know.)

OH AND IN THE MEANTIME here's the document for general AU ideas I had in 2021. It's been three years, I've outgrown shame.

"Lord Beckett, the Admiral is here to see you." As Groves - the other Groves - stepped forward and opened the door, Norrington tugged discreetly at his collar. It was by some miraculous coincidence that he had recently learned the general methods of donning period garb for an educational reenactment, but heck, the stuff was uncomfortable. He hoped that whatever the situation was, it would end quickly; the boots were already hurting his feet, and more importantly, he wasn't sure he could hold the guise very long.

"Let him in," a smooth voice answered. He was led into what he could only vaguely describe as an organized mess of an office. There were furnitures of very expensive-looking wood, and everything was in perfect order, but there were just so many objects - some of which he could not even guess the uses of. He had to steel himself for a moment, reminding himself that 18th century Admiral Norrington of the Royal Navy would not be caught gawking at his superior's belongings. The doors creaked shut behind him, leaving only him and - presumably - Lord Beckett in the room. He spotted a large portrait of a man standing atop a globe, as if he had conquered the world. The outfit was unfamiliar, but the face bore the likeliness of the Cutler Beckett he knew. So their version has more of an ego, he mused. He turned to face the other side of the room where, behind another one of those fancy polished wooden desks, sat the other Cutler Beckett. Which is to say, basically the same man but in a powdered wig and embroidered waistcoat. Norrington bit the inside of his cheek, successfully holding back a laugh. (To be fair, he himself was looking rather like an ice cream sundae at the moment.)

Wait, was he supposed to say something? How would a Navy officer initiate conversation? He was saved the bother by the other man.

"Ah, Admiral," he started. "Just on time. Excellent. We ought to discuss the matters previously mentioned, then?"

Oh god what was he supposed to say, he had no idea-

"But first, there are some things I need to check."

Oh no oh no oh no-

"Admiral," Beckett started again briskly, not paying attention (thank god) to the visibly anxious not-Admiral. "You were to be stationed on the Flying Dutchman before the recent series of events transpired, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Norrington answered as dryly as possible, immensely relieved that it happened to be among what little bits of information he had picked up here and there.

"Good," said Beckett, still not looking, "that seems to be in order. Ah- one more thing. I would need your phone number."

"Zero seven-" Norrington stopped.

What?

"-five, one zero one four, and I will not mention the rest," finished Beckett in a low voice, finally looking up. The smooth drawl in his voice was gone.

"Sir, I-" 

But even as Norrington's brain scrambled to come up with a plausible excuse amidst his mounting confusion, he noticed that the shadows under the shorter man's eyes looked all too familiar - and then Beckett whipped off his wig, revealing a sleek brushed-back hairstyle that was definitely not in fashion during the Age of Sail. So this wasn't the other one after all.

"Don't bother," Beckett called as he rose unceremoniously from his seat and bent down to rummage underneath the desk. "I specifically ordered the men to look for James Norrington near the piers and-" he rose back up with a handful of papers - "told them he would most likely have lost his uniform. I see it's been working out so far." He pushed the papers into Norrington's arms.

"Here, take these. They seem to have stolen some documents of mine, and while this is the majority of it there are still several missing."

"What's going on?" he asked, feeling rather stupid all of a sudden.

"I just explained," the not-Lord Beckett gave one of his scathing glances. Then his narrowed eyes softened slightly. "I explained enough. We don't have time for the full story at the moment."

He picked up his wig from the desk and replaced it on his head. "Now go," there was a hint of urgency in his voice. "Tell them you've been sent to join the reconnaissance party. They will lead you out."

"What about you, Lor- I mean Mr. Beckett?" asked Norrington, safely tucking away the papers in one of his frock coat's inner pockets.

"I still need to look for the rest of the documents," Beckett reminded him.

"What of the other... you? The Lord?"

"Oh, I think we'll have several hours before we have to worry about him, don't worry." answered Beckett with a small, rather ominous smile. "Now please take your leave."

As Norrington walked out the doors and headed up the corridor towards the upper deck, he muttered to himself, Oh god he hit him with the McDonald's sprite.

[twisting-echo]

So... I watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End last night.

Okay, I've been watching the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise for the last couple of days. Mind you, I only watched the first three when I was a kid and couldn't remember much, so now watching them as an adult is a real treat. I absolutely adore Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest, but last night I watched At World's End and, sadly, I couldn't help but feel a little frustrated and disappointed with it because it was all over the place. It started off strong, then got a little bit stale, picked up again, and then went pfffft.

There was so much crammed into it, and I still feel like I learned nothing about what happened between Davy Jones and Calypso.

I understand that Cutler Beckett was using Jones’s heart as a bargaining chip to force him to do his bidding, but I don't understand why Beckett kept Davy Jones’ heart aboard The Flying Dutchman, Davy Jones's ship. Isn't that a plot hole or something? I know that Cutler Beckett has the whole British Navy behind him, but Davy Jones is a supernatural being who is nearly immortal. He could have potentially taken out the guards holding his heart hostage and retrieved it (thus nullifying Beckett’s power over him), or he could have gotten any (or all) of his many crew members to do so. I just don't know how a pompous asshat like Cutler Beckett made Davy Jones his little bitch.

Moving on, when they reveal that Tia Dalma is the goddess Calypso and free her from her human body, she just turns into a pile of crabs, and we don't see her again? Kinda disappointing considering that they built up this whole past lovers thing between her and Davy Jones.

And then they did James Norrington dirty by killing him off at the hands of Bootstrap Bill (Will's father), who seems to have dementia now even though he was fine in Dead Man's Chest. So he was basically useless. Captain Sao Feng was a new character they introduced, and he was barely in it, and they killed him off too. They also killed off Elizabeth's father, Governor Weatherby Swann, and she discovers that he's dead in the most heartbreaking way imaginable. And then they flat-out do Will and Elizabeth dirty too by having Davy Jones stab Will in the chest. To save his life, Jack gives Will Davy Jones's heart to stab and take his place as the new captain of The Flying Dutchman, allowing him to see Elizabeth only once every ten years!

Also, I'm just going to say it: Cutler Becket's death was weak sauce, and he deserved worse. I wanted blood for all that he did!

Sorry, I got a little salty there, you guys. I probably just need to let it sink in more. Despite all my grievances, I still enjoyed the movie nonetheless. It had a lot of funny moments.

Highlights: Captain Barbossa was just a delight; I can't help but smile when he's on screen. I love Davy Jones, especially the way he talks. Mr. Gibbs, Ragetti, and Pintel are also favorites of mine. Elizabeth becomes the pirate king and has Will's baby. And you bet your ass I love Jack Sparrow; he is such a fun and kooky guy. He's the reason why I wanted to watch these movies again, lol.

Final note: I've never seen On Stranger Tides or Dead Men Tell No Tales, so I'm really excited to watch those, and I hope they don't end up being disappointing like some others have said.

Welp, that's all I had on my mind.

[wr1t3w1tm3]

Look, I understand people are upset about the end of Will and Elizabeth's arcs in the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. I won't lie and say I didn't want to see some Will as the Dutchman's captain and some Pirate King Elizabeth BAMF on the high seas. I'm not even saying the writers are right... I'm just saying that the way they set up Will and Elizabeth's arc's, it makes sense.

They're tragic heroes: it's like John Proctor or Reverend Hale in the Crucible or Iron Man during the Infinity Saga or even Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus. They're heroes working towards a noble goal, but they either can't obtain it or when they can, it doesn't go according to plan, and they have to make some sacrifices.

For Elizabeth it's a little more obvious. She's the girl who's trapped in her social status. In the first movie, her corset, a very real symbol of her status, literally suffocates her. It nearly kills her. Only once she sees the world of piracy and gets swept up in that world and allows herself to be changed by it does she see any smattering of freedom. Her whole goal is to get freedom, for her people (Port Royal) and her love (Will) in CotBP, even at the price of her own freedom (agreeing to marry Norrington if he saved Will). In DMC it's for herself (literally), Will again, and her father. That whole movie she is constantly fighting to keep herself and Will out of prison and danger. In AWE, she's fighting for her own freedom at times, but she soon finds herself the harbinger of freedom for a new golden age of piracy against Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Co, who in the Pirates universe are canonically slave runners. She is searching for freedom in a very wide scope.

For Will, it's a little less obvious. He is also striving for freedom, but often not his own. He fights to help free Elizabeth during CotBP, and in DMC he's literally fighting to keep his own freedom and win the freedom of Elizabeth. Even when that means turning in a (sort of) friend (Jack). When he meets his father in DMC, his mission of freedom for those he loves expands in two parallel directions, Bootstrap tells Elizabeth as much in the brig of the Dutchman in AWE. The director and writers of AWE made that very clear in Elizabeth and Will's direction. One of my biggest pet peeves with that movie is the lack of a relationship between Will and Elizabeth, but it does make sense. It demonstrates Will's dilemma. His search for freedom is much more tangible, and on a very narrow scope. It also demonstrates Elizabeth's dilemma, where she feels that the freedom Will craves for his father will separate them for good. So, she turns to piracy, because freedom is all she has left by act II of AWE.

Both are searching for freedom, but both are tied down by duty. Elizabeth becomes the Pirate King, Will the Captain of the Dutchman. Both bound by their own duty, although the only duty we see them both bound too tangibly is Will's. Isn't it ironic that in the end, the choice to kill Davy Jones isn't Will's? Sure, it was his intention, but Jack wrapped his hand around the knife and dropped the hand that felled the heart. Jack - the pirate - an embodiment of freedom for both characters in CotBP (he saves Elizabeth from her corset and is the inciting incident into Will beginning his quest for Elizabeth) is the one who chains them to Will's curse? Narratively, it makes sense. Elizabeth has just become the free-est we've seen her in any of the movies (and I will die on this hill) and Will's only just literally been freed from the clutches of the EICo. And even if you did argue that Elizabeth still had her freedom as Pirate King, it can be easily argued that she lost her freedom the day she decided to keep and raise Henry. Both of them end up chained by Will's curse - one to land, one to the sea. All on their search for freedom. And Jack, that symbol of freedom (or rather, a symbol of piracy that for both characters ends up being a symbol of freedom), is the one who chains them to land or sea.

Now I am all for Henry, I actually think he had some great potential pre-Deppo-osition trial, and I think it speaks to Elizabeth's character that she was willing to wait and stayed on land for her child (who she easily could've taken her anger out on, though that doesn't appear to be the case). It can even be argued she stayed on land for Will to, as he gave her his heart to guard, a very fragile heart that if stabbed, ended her husband (this is one of the final demonstrations of their mended relationship, but that's a different topic for another time). Will got a very short stick in this fight, but Elizabeth got an equally short, if not shorter stick. Chained to the sea, destined to see your wife a max of seven more days before her death, and the reverse true for Elizabeth, instead she is arguably forced by society to keep and raise the boy who reminds her of the husband she'll never be sure she'll see again.

That's why William and Elizabeth Turner - The Captain of the Flying Dutchman and the Pirate King - are tragic heroes. In striving for freedom, they became trapped by duties, obligations, and burdens that they didn't even get a say in. In the end, not every happy ending is a good ending. And while the original Pirates trilogy didn't have a happy ending, it had a good one, as far as the narrative was concerned (Do I like this ending? Yes. Personally, I think it works and it gives me that kind-of-icky-kind-of-satisfying pit in my stomach that Hocus Pocus did back when there wasn't a sequel. Maybe it's not the ending everyone wanted, but for the story being told, it's the right one).

Thanks for coming to my little rant! I used to love doing these literary analysis essays in English my junior and senior years of high school. Over analyzing media, especially film and tv, is something I quiet enjoy. Plus, I might do a foray into video essays one day, so I figured I could use some practice. This is something that's been bouncing around in my head since I first watched AWE. The original Pirates Trilogy is just so good at symbolism, I'll probably put more stuff out here eventually raving about it. For now though, this is it.

[boltlightning]

Sending you all the stars ⭐⭐⭐

fic director's cut asks!

WAHH thank you pal! 💖💖💖

taking these three stars (and adding an extra, for fun) to talk about the original dragons in ye old potc dragon au!

honestly...the hardest part about writing these dragons was picking the names that their handlers would pick. like, it's not just a name that has to be plausibly exist within the universe, but it has to be something that a particular person would pick? and make sense that they would know that?? and be fitting to the circumstances in which they picked the name???? so we end up with:

tempest, norrington's dragon, named on the spot when his egg hatched in the middle of a storm. he's particularly named after the shakespeare play, which is also my ham-fisted way of calling to another story where magic and history meet.

it's also a call-forward to his personality: tempest is a calm fellow, but falls into brief and unthinkable rages when he or a loved one is threatened. he and scylla are written to be exaggerated versions of their handlers at first—norrington's blind sense of duty/morality being tempest's foremost trait—and the anger is an essential part of that. there's a lot about norrington that he denies or suppresses that is reflected obliquely in tempest.

scylla is elizabeth's, and her name serves a few purposes: 1) it's a far-fetched name that a young kid would pick for a fairy tale companion they never thought they'd get, 2) it's pulled from elizabeth's education as a noble, referencing a privileged upbringing 3) it's edgy as fuck, revealing elizabeth's taste 4) scylla's egg was a siren call for elizabeth that could not be ignored. the sinbowlism, and all that.

scylla is meant to exaggerate elizabeth's skepticism and tendency to assume. if elizabeth jumps to conclusions, scylla soars there. she acts way too big for her britches considering she's a little dragon, but she's got paralytic acid so she has some way of being the specialest prettiest most beautiful girl on earth. i love this little wretched insecure mean girl of a dragon.

lookout is no one's dragon in particular, but a feral dragon that barbossa recruits. he is named unimaginatively by the crew for his job: he's the ship's lookout, the irony being that he's a night-seer—so he has nightvision, but can't see very well by day. he's got big scary dinnerplate/lighthouse lens eyes, so it all serves to beat a dead horse into the ground. lookout is a subversion on the idea that all dragons just want gold; he got cursed by the aztec gold, he just wants to go back to being a normal dragon! he's fun. i miss him.

it's also a vessel for these two stupid jokes. thank you.

and finally, the dragon that has appeared the least: augusta. augusta is beckett's dragon, one he picked out himself, and she specifically is named for the roman honorific augusta bestowed upon the women of the roman imperial families. her name is as haughty as beckett is. her primary trait is that she's silent, not cold, but merely used to her presence bearing weight—she's also one of those BIG fucking dragons, as huge as a first-rate ship. she doesn't show up much, but she's great fun with beckett. they are incredibly scary together.

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

Hello, hello, still on my potc trip so have an observation after I binged all the movies over and over on a loop for the past couple of weeks.

The sword Will makes in the Curse of the Black Pearl? The one for Norrington? Norrington evidently looses it, seeing as when he gets hired back by Beckett, Beckett says:"Your new station desveres and old friend." So, he has the sword again, right? Right.

Then, when James frees Elizabeth and her crew from the Dutchman and he stabs Jones with it before he dies, Jones says:"Nice sword." and keeps it. stick with me it's about to get good.

THEN when there's the whole maelstorm and fight sequence (I still feel bad for the actors for that one but dang that's a good fight sequence) it ends with Will being stabbed by Jones. But did you see with WHAT Will was stabbed? The sword he forged with his own hands. Almost like he forged his own destiny, huh?

ALSO:

During the Maelstrom swordfight between Jack and Jones, Jones breaks Jack's sword, essentially creating a sort of dagger. That's the blade that ends up stabbing his heart.

So Will, in creating a sword, became the Captain of the Dutchman, whereas Jones, in destroying one, lost his title as Captain of the Dutchman.

Do with that what you will, good day/night/whatever time it is in your timezone, friends!

[ari-the-arotistic]

Asking this question to a couple people since I like collecting opinions!

What is the worst scene in the POTC Trilogy. You can judge it by relevance, entertainment value, or even how much it adds to the story?

And what is the best deleted/extended scene in the Trilogy, that you believe should've been kept in. Even if it may replace/alter things slightly?

Ooooh, the worst scene in the entire trilogy... that's difficult. I don't think there are really any scenes that I don't like. I can't even hate Norrington's death scene because it's just such a poetic end to his character. But if I had to pick one, I think I would go with the scene at the end of the first movie, during the final battle against Barbossa, where Elizabeth makes her appearance and says the line "You like pain? Try wearing a corset." It's one of the only comedic lines in the whole trilogy that just falls flat on its face, and I feel like they could have given Elizabeth any other line to make her sound cool and badass, which was the vibe they were going for.

Now the best deleted/extended scene in the entire trilogy... that's even harder, because their all so good, and I really truly believe all of them should've been kept in(aside from ones that contradict other scenes, or were just there for comedic purposes and didn't really have a point). But if I had to pick one that I think should've absolutely stayed in the movies and NOT been cut... it would have to be the price of freedom scene from the third movie(context for those who don't know the names of the deleted scenes, that's the one where Beckett says "I contracted you to deliver cargo on my behalf, and you chose to liberate it" and Jack replies "People aren't cargo, mate"). While I think it was criminal that so many scenes that really shaped James as a character ended up on the cutting room floor, the fact that one of the arguably MOST IMPORTANT SCENES to Jack's character, who at this point in the movies was the LITERAL MAIN CHARACTER was cut makes me want to BITE somebody(preferably whoever thought cutting that scene was a good idea). I've seen so many people who weren't aware of the scenes existence just completely butcher Jack's character because they don't understand his core motivations, and why he became a pirate in the first place, and it makes me so unreasonably angry- so yeah, if I had to pick exactly ONE scene to keep in, it would be that one

[tiralja]

I just got off from work so here we go!

So about quadrants applied to Pirates of the Caribbean characters:

So, Jack Sparrow really must be the blackrom heartthrob of the seven seas right? Everyone seems to have a grudge on this guy and he has a personal relationship with a lot of the villains too. He used to work for Beckett, made a deal with Davy Jones, personally caused the death of Salazar (doesn't matter I don't really like that movie, the flashback is awesome) and then there's his whole thing with Barbossa. One could argue that he didn't have a relationship with Norrington but then the man decided to hound him through a storm that destroyed his whole ship and crew and followed him to join his crew for a grudge. So that clears that. (There is also the whole mess with Elizabeth but in that corner the bigger rival will always be Will, not Jack)

Speaking of Will, can I just say that the way Jack keeps throwing Will between himself and his enemies makes this relationship look ashen af. It's rare that I see a dynamic outside of Homestuck and think ashen since that quadrant is pretty difficult to implement outside of it's origins, hell, barely any ashen romance happens in Homestuck itself, but. But but. The first movie can be seen as pretty platonic still, Jack using Will as a leverage against Barbossa still works as them both just being in cahoots but then the second movie happens and Jack literally sends Will to "settle his debt with Jones". Really????? And then there's the whole scheming thing with Beckett and by that point they might as well be official!

Obviously both Will and Jack are fond of each other but Jacks tendency to weasel himself out of Situations usually leads to him putting Will in harms way, even if he sometimes does plan for Will to survive said harm (the thing in the first movie where he was going to use Will as a bargaining chip against Barbossa reads at least to me as Jack would have tried to bargain for Will's life as well, if for nothing else then just to spite Barbossa, leave him with literally nothing, and the whole Jones thing would not span out with Jack immortal as he originally intended if Will didn't survive, so in my view he was kind of counting on Will to make the best of the situation by himself there) so I'd still put them in the ashen rather than the pale quadrant. (I was gonna point out that they do have some good pale moments too and I'll talk about them later but my first example would have been the epic resque attempt from the end of the first movie exept! That's pretty damn ashen too!!! Will literally says to Norrington, who tries to remind him to "know his place" that it's "right here, between you and Jack" if that doesn't read as ashen the I don't know what does)

One thing about Jack and and Wills relationship is that it shifts from movie to movie. Jack starts off as a kind of a mentor figure to Will, which is when their relationship reads as more ashen, but as Will gains experience and power/influence on the seas they shift towards a more even relationship which culminates when Jack makes the final sacrifice of giving up his chance at immortality to save Will's life, which I would say marks the end of their conciliatory vacillation and finally pushes them into the pale quadrant completely. Bare in mind that when I say vacillation, I mean that while Jack spends the most of the films flashing ashen for Will, Will tends to lean on the paler side the whole time untill they finally stabilise at the end when they destroy Beckett. Or they would stabilize if, you know, Will wasn't now bound to the Dutchman and then they basically never see each other again.

This has been a lot talk about the boys, more on Elizabeth next.

[esta-elavaris]

Flufftober Day 18: "Did you plan for this to happen?" ~ James Norrington/OC [1,068 words]

My Flufftober '23 masterpost can be found here, and my behemoth of a main fic about these two is here 💜✨

This one contains spoilers for the end of Part Two of Catch the Wind.

They’d been in the brig of one of Beckett’s ships for hardly any time at all, and Theo was already deeply worried about Jack’s hand. He no longer sang, nor even joked, his mood bleak as he lay at the other end of the cell with the arm his good hand was attached to thrown across his eyes. Their all being put in one cell together was little accident, she suspected, for the men aboard would no doubt report back to Beckett what sort of dynamic they witnessed between them on the voyage back to Port Royal.

It'd be disappointing, she suspected, for Jack wasn’t much up to conversation. If any comment was made on how she used her rum ration to clean the hand, she’d blame it on feminine sentiment – or a desire not to be locked up with a dead body. It was no great loss, anyway, for the heat and the exhaustion made rum unstomachable, and even the lukewarm water they were given was a far better option.

What did surprise her, though, was when Jack finished his own ration record time…and James pressed his own bottle into the pirate’s hand. Even Jack himself was unable to hide his surprise, eyeing her new husband with narrowed eyes like he was trying to puzzle out whether he’d been able to get his hands on poison to lace it with.

“You need it more than I,” James replied flatly, before returning to the little corner he and Theo had unofficially claimed for themselves.

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, particularly not when it involved drink, that bottle was swiftly gone, too.

Time drifted on from there, Theo leaning tiredly against James, taking comfort in the proximity as her mind wandered – mostly, uneasily, to what lay ahead. She needed to meet Beckett about as much as she needed a bone marrow extraction, but she supposed there was little choice in the matter now so it wouldn’t do to sit and stew about it. Although when she looked up at James, she found his lips pressed thinly together, his brow furrowed, and his eyes dark. She wasn’t the only one brooding, then, although she thought he did it a touch more attractively than she likely did. But she was biased.

“What has my husband frowning like that on our wedding day?” she asked quietly.

The change that overcame his face then surprised even her, for the furrow was gone and his whole manner seemed to soften as he turned to look at her with an expression that robbed the breath from her lungs. How long could she garner that response from the word, she wondered? A long time, hopefully.

The hand that had been slung lazily around her shoulders drifted a little lower, coming to rest at the dip of her waist, his grip warm through her thin shirt.

“The fact that you deserved a better wedding, for one.”

She should have known it would be a sore spot. The time played a role, no doubt, as it did in everything here. Maybe he worried it reflected on him in some way – as a husband, or how she would be kept as a wife going forward. So long as it wasn’t in a hutch, she’d be happy enough. But she sensed this wasn’t a time for jokes like that.

“I meant what I said – the only change I’d make is one that can’t be made,” she tilted her head to the side, lying against him now. “The groom was all that mattered to me.”

Realistically, what could she expect from a high society Port Royal wedding, especially with Port Royal as it would be now? Without even the friendly faces of Elizabeth and Will in attendance. If, indeed, they were still friendly faces after the events of this day. Amelia Simmonds in the corner, sneering at how common she looked in her dress? Gillette tittering about how she was a step down from Elizabeth? Groves would’ve been a welcome addition…and she was sad that Governor Swann hadn’t been there for how much she knew James would have wished it so.

Her words earned her a smile, and he replied quietly. “I confess a certain amount of elation, in regard to the bride.”

Theo nestled closer still.

“Could’ve done with a wedding feast,” she added lightly. “They give us water and rum, but not food.”

The bastards had confiscated all of their coconuts after finding them, likely fearing they could be utilised as weapons. With Jack around, that was probably a fair concern.

“They don’t want us at our best, when it comes time to meet the boss,” he murmured.

That made sense, she supposed. Water would keep them alive, for they likely knew not when they last had access to it, and rum would either leave them fuzzy or hungover when it came time to face the little bastard. Especially on an empty stomach.

“I wouldn’t have complained about a chance to be alone with my husband, either.”

There was an adorable sort of fluster to his face when she said that, counteracted by how his hand slid just a little lower still, down to her hip where his thumb rested at the bare patch of skin where the shirt had ridden up a little. It felt almost scandalous. She hoped he kept it there – and he did.

“That,” he said, “I have remedied to the best of my ability.”

As if on cue, the now-empty rum bottle slipped from Jack’s grasp onto the floor, and he let out a low snore. Theo sat up, staring at him in disbelief before slowly turning her gaze to James. He smirked in a manner that was downright roguish.

“Did you plan for this to happen?” she asked, a disbelieving grin threatening to tug at her lips.

The smugness of the smirk said it all, and she couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him – which he returned gladly, pulling her against him. They parted reluctantly when a noise suggested one of their jailors might be coming into the brig, but Theo stayed close, the hand at her hip suggesting he intended to keep her there, and she spoke softly into his ear.

“Just for that, when he wakes up I’m having him marry us all over again.”

Captain technicality be damned. James didn’t seem inclined to protest.

Links: AO3 -- FF.net -- flufftober masterpost -- dividers by cafekitsune

[scottishoctopus]

(To the mun) I'm not quite sure what we could find in the next POTC movie, but the point is it's very hard to believe that Davy Jones will return to us just like that. I mean...Since Sparrow killed Jones taking off his own heart and made Will Turner the future boss of the Flying Dutchman getting his own heart and gaven to Elisabeth Swann...How could Jones be able to return to us? Just curiosity and confusion with the cannon of all POTC movies, just all.

Well talking about the next POTC movie is reaaally frustrating if we're talking about it being in the works. Disney is being an absolute dumpster fire at the minute and they're considering doing a reboot which doesn't have Johnny Depp in it. And whether people like it or not, he is the face of the franchise. People are always going to watch POTC because of Captain Jack Sparrow! If Disney does make that reboot which might be likely, then it's certainly not going to do well at the box office.

There is no pirates without Johnny Depp!

Now I know that wasn't entirely the focus of your question and I'll get back to it since it's Davy centric XD.

Dead Men Tell No Tales was a pretty bad pirates movie, with plot holes and all sorts of canon breaking such as Jack receiving the compass not from Tia Dalma/Calypso as she says in Dead Man's Chest, but from a dying Captain which still rightfully pisses me off!

But the movie did give us the Trident of Poseidon that held all curses of the sea but then was later broken by Henry Turner which released Will from his duty as Captain of the Flying Dutchman, and Henry got his dad back and he, Carina and Will reunited with Elizabeth.

(Course this raises a whole load of questions because Will no longer has a heart so I don't understand how he's still standing and plus this yet again pissed me off because Davy could have done that all along and he could have been freed? I DON'T KNOW DAMN YE DISNEY)

But at the end of the credits, just like the previous movies there is post-credit scene which reveals Davy entering Will and Elizabeth's home and dramatically limping towards their bed as if to strike them with his claw. Will wakes up with a start, figures it was a nightmare and falls back asleep. BUT! The camera pans down and reveals a puddle of water with a bunch of barnacles in them, so that must mean Davy was actually there but he disappeared for whatever reason.

My theory goes, Calypso resurrected him like she did with Captain Barbossa (POOR HECTOR HE DIED AGAIN GOD DAMN YOU DISNEY) for a purpose. She's the only character in the franchise that has actually brought back someone from the grave, and so she's a likely candidate for bringing back Jonesy. And also, they were in love so maybe she's in some way forgiven him for what he did.

Since all the curses were broken, maybe a certain curse holding back a gigantic monster even bigger than the kraken from the deep, released said monster and Davy needs to grudgingly team with Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Henry and Carina to take it down. Or heck, maybe Beckett's and Mercer's ghost comes back and starts stirring trouble on the seas, and a ghost Norrington helps the heroes because we also need James in there too.

I don't know, lots of theories are in my head but Disney is most likely not going to make another POTC movie that has Johnny and the iconic main cast again by the way things look at the moment. But it's nice to stay hopeful!

[norringtonvibes]

What do you like most about Norrington / or the Pirate-movies in general? :)

Hello there. Thank you for asking :)

I love the story and the setting of the Pirate-movies. When I rewatched them at the end of 2023 (I think I saw them the last time in ca 2011...), I understood how much of the story I didn't understand as a kid. There are so many interesting and well written characters. I love the different places we get to see and all the beautiful ships on which the stories take some place. And when you watch the movies again you can always find a new detail in the background or an important thing for the story of which you didn't though yet.

I remember as a kid I was really scared of all the skeletons in the first movie. And I couldn't differ all the guys with white wigs. So Norrington and Beckett were the same people for me... 😂

Also, I am really interested in the time of the 18th century. Especially ca. 1700 until 1750. And I have a passion for the clothes and the military uniforms from this time. So this is the point where Norrington comes into the view. When I rewatched the movies, I directly fell a little bit in love with this guy. A handsome officer doing his job for the honor of his country and his beliefs. He knows his responsibility, but he also has the manners of a 18th century gentleman, and he has a really human side. I love characters in which I can see me a little bit. His sense of duty, his discipline, his sarcasm, and his vulnerable side. And how your life can change just because of some people and situations.

[tortoisesshells]

ooh if you're still doing fic titles: "athanasia" and/or "with full sails", please & thank you!!

friend, I will always put down the writing I am only pretending to be doing in favor of daydreaming about all the stories I could be writing if only I could scrounge up an ounce of self-discipline!

"with full sails": wild card post CotBP AU in which James Norrington still torpedos his own life and ends up trying to commit suicide either by drink or pirate, but he gets caught up with Anamaria's crew instead. She'd be within her rights to leave him to his purpose, but maybe she can either turn him into his family or the authorities for a reward, or maybe he'll yet prove useful - and she can always get rid of him later. My flimsy justification for this is that, in CotBP, Norrington and Anamaria are two otherwise immensely capable characters who are operating on a very different level than Jack(and by extension, Will and Elizabeth) - on the one hand, Norrington doesn't see the value in interrogating Jack if he is no friend of Barbossa; on the other, Anamaria reacts to Will and Elizabeth's suggestions during the Interceptor v. Black Pearl chase sequence by calling them "daft" before Gibbs chimes in with "daft like Jack" - which is to say, I think they both have a well-established streak of. hmm. pragmatic thought: "how do I, in the world in which I live and in the normal conditions in which I operate (which excludes the whole of Jack Sparrow's Jack Sparrowness), achieve my goals with the least amount of hazard?" - which is to say, there's a possibility they could work well together.

"athanasia": ooh. hmm. I think this one would be following the evidence in AWE of a massive backlog of souls dead at sea un-escorted to the next world to its logical conclusion: just about everyone who died in AWE is still waiting around, slowly working their own way on to what's next. This is less than ideal for newly-minted Captain Will Turner, who really didn't enjoy dealing with most of them the first time, but at least his word is - pardon the joke - the final one now. I'm not sure if Jones has to be ferried, or if he's a special case - Beckett, even if he fears death, would be loath to do something like work for Will Turner to avoid it - James Norrington, one suspects, would be an awkward case on several counts, and even now I'm wondering to myself what he'd choose to do. (I say this like I do not have a clear preference for him choosing to stick around, because he suffers so entertainingly.)

send me an ask with a fake title, and I’ll tell you what I would write to go with it!

[lyri-the-mermaid]

What is her backstory?

Lyri's backstory has been in the works for a very long time, and there a few slightly varying versions of it. I like to think Lyri gives different versions of this story herself, too, so nobody really understands her whole story. I think that there's a piece of truth in them all.

To begin, I have to start with how my ancestors were indigenous to the Caribbean, and were mostly lost following the earliest colonization by the Spanish. There is very limited information on my ancestors, and many of their stories will never be told. From what I gathered from reputable sources, they were very peaceful and traveled a lot.

I had this idea that, in my own alternate history, Lyri had been a native to the islands, and rather than endure a terrible fate (as it would have been in reality) the goddess Calypso granted lyri the gift of being a mermaid. That she instead was able to escape and live freely and happily. This would make lyri over a hundred by the time of the events in the pirates films.

Lyri, I think, saw the naval men from afar when she went from island to island and hastily fell in love with James Norrington from what she saw and heard. Perhaps she had a crush on Cutler Beckett, too, for his quiet cunning nature. I like to think that Mercer had a soft spot for her.

If she decides to forego these details she might recall a story where she went to a magical octopus creature (totally not ursula), named Davy Jones. She begged him to give her the ability to shed her tail and walk on land again as a human without the fear of her tail emerginf and giving her secret away. She wanted to be seen and see James and the others up close.

Foolishly, she would have accepted his terms, which no doubt included servitude aboard the Dutchman. I have fewer details on how that ended up.

Thank you for asking 🙂 I've wanted to share that for a long time.

[polydemipan]

had a brain thought:

merlin characters as pirates of the caribbean (+ short explanations because i am Passionate)

merlin: captain jack sparrow

(causes most of the shenanigans, acts like a fool but through dumb luck navigates through multiple fights and near death scenarios, is smarter than he seems but also an idiot)

arthur: james norrington

(hear me out! at first a stuck up noble who sticks to the rules set by his higher-ups in the navy, but through previously mentioned Shenanigans and general fuckups/betrayals, is more willing to bend the rules for those he cares for. risks his life trying to get them to safety, and dies tragically just when you think he will help lead a new reading of the text)

gwen: elizabeth swann

(gwen may not be a Lady at the start, but she sure acts like one. kind with strong morals, though she does have a few bad habits - in a love triangle with two of the main cast and ends up putting others in a shitty situation that she is unable to reasonably explain (yes i am comparing the kraken murder/lancelot hookup))

lancelot: will turner jr

(another stickler for the rules, until his friend is in danger where he has no issue running away to look for them. more Honourable than Strict, i'd say. my comparison for this one is the post-death-meanie-curse/will turner only saving jack to get to the pearl and betray; odd 180° moral switch due to outside forces)

i am sleep deprived and running out of brain time so my last one would be:

uther: corbett beckett

(i feel like that name is incorrect, but i forgot because i hate him so i never remember. the antagonist guy from the 3rd movie. he is the big bad that gets others to do the dirty work, big nobility with a lot of power but a prejudice against pirates/sorcerers. when he gets taken down he is Taken Aback by the Audacity of the peasant folk and just wanders around ig)

also maybe morgana: davy jones?

(cause seems like the big bad, but really just the victim of her own bad decisions and you wish it went better for her but oh well. im comparing the good man --> evil octopus man transition to morgana's post-morgause-manipulation)

i'm done now, have a nice day xoxo

[mvrtogg]

As soon as the kiss had ended, Murtogg listened to her words. "Under arrest?" he questioned in confusion. Baffled that her arrest was at the hands of being arrested and thrown into jail for helping Mister Turner and Jack Sparrow. Why would they arrest her? The marines an navy rescued her as well did Commodore Norrington? Murtogg honestly was lost on the whole thing. Then again, nobody told him again about what was going on outside of his duties. Even after the Norrington resigned, he didn't even know who was giving him orders anymore. "That can't be right, you being arrested." He didn't want to believe it.

His arms still around her, he looked Elizabeth over in an effort to comfort her. Arms still snuggly around the governor's daughter, afraid to let go. Then it hit him, he was going to be on guard duty the next few days at the prison. "I'm going t'be on duty at the prison tomorrow." he whispered to he, about to give her one more kiss and that's when he heard a voice calling for him. He froze and jolted upright, was he caught with her? Possibly, but then he saw Lord Cutler Beckett approaching them.

"I --- yes sir. I caught her wondering about." he lied, clearing his throat, loosening his grip on her. A silent look of sympathy came over him. HE had to play it off like they didn't know each-other and it was going to be hard. Not after the couples confessions of love they had just shared. Clearing his throat, he gently guided Elizabeth behind Beckett, that's when Murtogg spoke. "Wot exactly is she being arrest for, sir?"

Beckett turned and gave a disappointedly droll look to the marine. "She was and is aiding the pirate Jack Sparrow. Please do keep up, Mister Murtogg or are you that daft?" Murtogg glared at the man, he didn't like being called stupid no matter who you were. He as already hating this man, his new commanding officer. Then again, Murtogg wasn't working for the EITC but he was just told he would be shortly.

As they made their way to the prison, Beckett instructed to but Elizabeth in a cell which was surrounded by other male inmates. Murtogg gulped some, "Shouldn't we put her in another cell? For privacy reasons, y'know because she's a woman and all?" he chirped in. Beckett denied the request, and took his leave once the cell was shut and he had the keys. Once they were alone ( apart from the inmates ), Murtogg got close to the cell bars to whisper in Elizabeth's ear. "I'll get you out, promise. Besides, I can get the keys tomorrow." he mused, however there was some doubt and worry in his voice. He'd need a plan ... and help.

At that moment, a few of the male inmates from the cell next to hers began catcalling her. Murtog furrowed his brow. "Hey! You stop that!" he warned, trying to defend her from the unwanted attention.

Kissing him was like inhaling the essence of some vague but powerful alcohol. Like taking the wine breath but not the whole wine.  “Richard,” she murmured, a faint smile upon her lips. Overwhelmed by everything she felt and wanted to share, but unable to articulate any of it, she closed the little distance between them when she felt the intensity of the embrace decrease. 

For a few moments, Elizabeth said nothing, her features inscrutable as she processed what she’d been told, trying to understand her feelings on the matter. There was no anger there, not towards him at least.  If anything, there was only sadness and it broke her heart to see him so affected as well. "I've been charged with aiding Sparrow's escape." Elizabeth eventually explained, not yet willing to understand her dreadful fate. Her gaze lifted, noticing the raindrops on his long, elegant eyelashes like dew on those early mornings. The sound of glass chattering caught her attention and she adverted her gaze to investigated her surroundings. Her heartbeat was shallow and fast.

"Will has to find Jack,... I believe Beckett needs Jack’s compass." Her voice turned to a whisper and turned to face him again, conflicted. Unfortunately the information she had wasn’t of much value, the letters of Marque she managed to steal earlier luckily were. "My father,… he arranged passage to England…" She took a deep breath before she continued, "… I'm here to say goodbye' 

Slowly she let her eyes slide towards the few ships, only one ready to face the sea in this ghastly weather. The small sailing ship was fashioned from ancient oak, with masts that stood as tall. Instead of its once green foliage it was adorned by sails of white to dove grey. To see the rich timbers, strong browns close to black, brought a peace inside, perhaps akin to that given by a meadow. Yet for the next few weeks the fragrance would not be of wildflowers but of the open sea, ever changing, ever constant, ever in motion beneath the clouds who sail above.

"Ah Mr. Murtogg", A cold voice greeted, "I see you have found our fugitive." Lord Becket continued in the same haughty tone as he approached to couple. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Lord Becket, Leader of the EITC and you will obey me now. Come come, bring her along." Elizabeth knew she had put him in a difficult situation, he was obliged to comply. So she made up her mind to not cause him any more trouble and accept her punishment. "I'm ready to accept the consequences of my actions." Elizabeth whispered softly, before they made their way towards the prison.

[boltlightning]

So, Pinterest found out my love for Jorrington. However it showed me some other aesthetic scenes of AWE. Which makes me wonder, if he was still alive and survived, or perhaps kept alive by David Jonathan.

What side do YOU think he would be on in the stand off, why, and what would his response be?

Does this differ to you depending on how he would be alive (escapee or enslaved by Dave Johns)

I imagine angles could be: Civil yet sassy, violent either by skill or having more numbers, obedient (to whomever is his leader).

david jonathan..............

i've definitely thought about this an inordinate amount, and my biases are on fully display as i say norrington would be at elizabeth's side, or at least hovering behind her glowering, when dealing at the parlay.

i've gone through a lot of mental turbulence over a version of events where norrington ends up a pirate, because it's so antithetical to what he stands for both as a vessel of themes and a character with feelings, i have a hard time wrapping my head around it. i think he needed to die in the canon narrative. HOWEVER. i think there's a lot of good theme resolution if he metaphorically dies on the dutchman to save elizabeth, survives and escapes with her, and casts out his former self to become a pirate, even if just to kill cutler beckett in revenge. it's more about loyalty to elizabeth and revenge than it is actually believing in what the pirates stand for than anything, but even getting to that point requires a major ego death.

for all that the title is hollow, norrington is an admiral and a lifelong seaman. he could outgambit beckett in a fleet vs armada situation, were the fleet at his disposal not a pirate fleet, and i think he'd have real valuable input at the parlay...just nothing he'd want to reveal out of hand, like everyone else.

(more thoughts below this got out of hand)

furthermore: consider that the pearl and dutchman have their final standoff during a maelstrom. his canonical ego death happened while chasing the pearl into a hurricane; if he follows elizabeth, he can help steer the pearl out of a storm to safety. the bookends! the parallels!!!

in this consideration i do imagine he's somewhere between the snarky-yet-stuffy cotbp and scruffy-and-blunt dmc norringtons, as you say. that's a great read, and a fun little thought experiment about who he is without the blade of duty/expectation hanging over his neck. civil with a sharp tongue and little reason to hold it back, but with renewed purpose and less of a vendetta against the world at large.

tldr: swap out his literal death with a metaphorical one and he'd follow elizabeth anywhere, especially to battle

(not to self-promo on an ask from a friend but i did write a 20k fic about this very subject; i'd change some stuff now but the bulk of my thoughts are in this big ass thesis. thank you for your time now back to the show)

although..........i am thinking very hard about the idea that he, like jones, is still being forced into service here? like maybe beckett keeps swann as a hostage not to keep elizabeth compliant, but to keep norrington compliant, to make sure the dutchman follows orders in the big fight.

(aside: i don't think norrington fears death or would want to live as anyone besides himself, so he'd never accept jones' offer of undeath unless it was to protect someone else from the same fate. hmm hmm much to consider)

either way: beckett brings norrington to the parlay just to flaunt "look how many of your people i have in my charge! haha!" maybe norrington is trying to drop hints to elizabeth that her father is still alive during the parlay, but she's focused on will being there ALSO trying to drop hints, and it gets messy fast.

having received confirmation that everyone ignores the puppet admiral and uses him for leverage, norrington frees both jack AND governor swann and escapes into the narrative. or something. hmm i'll workshop it

this is a very interesting idea!!! thank you so much for the ask