The Commodore and the Firefly (1/5)
Fandom: Pirates of the Carribean/Firefly
Pairing: James Norrington/River Tam
Theme set: Gamma
Rating: G
Warning[s]: None
Notes: Written for 1sentence. Not in chronological order. Backstory added. Pre-PotC.
Basically, River Tam was still born a genius, just in the PotC universe. She, her parents, and her brother Simon were on a ship travelling to the Caribbean when they were attacked by pirates. Feeling he had to protect his sister, Simon threw her overboard so she could get away. She watched from the water as the ship set on fire and everyone aboard burned to death before passing out. She was found adrift by a Navy ship and brought aboard, where she met Lieutenant James Norrington. He tried to get information out of her, but the combination of what she'd witnessed on the boat and in the water, plus the loss of her family had severely damaged her mental health. Feeling pity for her, Norrington decided to take her in, hoping someday she would gain enough sanity to tell him what happened to her.
Now, on to the sentences.
1. Ring
The ring of flowers (matching the one perched on her head) rests in her hands before, her eyes somehow pleading and vacant at the same time, she hands it to him, clearly intending for him to wear it and match her; of course, he obliges - it was best to indulge her and not risk breaking her already fragile mind.
2. Hero
She had clung to him after they’d pulled her out of the water, soaking wet and shivering, muttering about someone named Simon; she’d actually called him that at first, so he led to the assumption that this man had taken care of her and protected her.
3. Memory
She never spoke of what had happened to her before she’d ended up clinging to a barrel in the water, and he’d learned to stop trying to ask - she would open up her memory to him in time.
4. Box
She kept things - little things, like flowers and rocks and feathers, inside a tiny box beside her bed, almost like a comfort blanket; any time he found something most would find trivial, he would quietly place it atop her box, just to see her eyes light up in their strangely absent way.
5. Run
She liked to run, not to go anywhere, but just…to run - around the house, about the garden, through town…and especially into him.
6. Hurricane
When angry, she was like a hurricane; her emotions furious and wild, but eventually they would find the eye of the storm, and she would be back to her peaceful self.
7. Wings
Her cryptic words, little poems and songs (“My wings shine, with them I fly, fly, fly…firefly…”) never failed to fascinate and intrigue him, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she came up with such phrases.
8. Cold
The Caribbean was always warm, and yet not a day went by that River didn’t shiver at least once; by consequence, not a day went by that James didn’t offer his coat to warm her.
9. Red
River was especially fond of the color red; everything, from flowers to dresses to her own blood, fascinated her (perhaps it was the vibrant shade that attracted her).
10. Drink
She had refused to drink the water offered to her, instead sitting curled up in the corner of his quarters, shivering and staring vaguely at nothing.
11. Midnight
He had awoken once, around midnight according to the grandfather clock in his room, to find River sitting beside him on the bed, watching him; a moment passed between them before he pulled the sheets back and let the damaged girl climb in and make herself comfortable.
12. Temptation
The temptation to join in her little games had grown over time, and he found himself giving in more and more every day.
13. View
She always found herself in his room somehow, looking out the window at the ocean he himself had pulled her out of.
14. Music
She delighted in hearing and making music; once, shortly after he took her in, he found her sitting at the piano and toying with the keys before quickly breezing through Mozart by memory.
15. Silk
She just couldn’t keep her fingers off her new silk dress, her vague eyes following the pattern, and her fascination was completely worth the cost.
16. Cover
Sometimes, on her bad days, she would cover her ears and start shouting, telling people to go away and always calling for Simon; on these days, he would hold her, calm her down by talking to her, and eventually she would relax against him.
17. Promise
Before he left, she held out her pinky finger to him and simply said, “Don’t be hurt.”
18. Dream
He’d asked her once what she dreamed about, and she’d answered in her usual cryptic way - “Of stars and fireflies and Simon, of the good…and the bad.”
19. Candle
He refused to allow her anywhere near open flame after she burned her finger by trying to touch the burning wick on a candle.
20. Talent
She was truly talented, able to play the piano, and dance, and make flower crowns, and even in the ability to somehow enchant him with everything she did.
21. Silence
Her silence spoke volumes to him, and thus he was the only one who understood that she would never, ever wear the corsets provided to her, no matter how popular they were in England.
22. Journey
She had journeyed all the way down to the fort by herself for the first time…simply because he’d left his pocket watch behind.
23. Fire
Occasionally, when someone stupidly asked her about her past, a fire would spark in her eyes, stronger than any emotion he’d seen, yet still vague and say simply, “No power in the 'verse can stop me.”
24. Strength
For such a tiny girl, she had quite a bit of strength in her; this was demonstrated one day when she’d fallen asleep at his desk at the fort, and one of the men was dull-witted enough to attempt to wake her, gaining nothing but a sprained wrist, some broken fingers and wounded pride when the rest of the men found out he’d squealed like a stuck pig.
25. Mask
He thought it would be nice to take her out to meet others at the masquerade ball being held by Governor Swann (and, considering she appeared to be the same age as Miss Elizabeth, they might get along), but, rather than meet people, she spent all night being fascinated with the masks, even snatching some when their owners weren’t looking.
26. Ice
Her forehead was like ice, which was no surprise, considering how long she’d been in the water, so he tucked her into his bed, making sure she had enough blankets (and even adding his coat for good measure).
27. Fall
She had been perfectly fine one moment, walking alongside him as they ventured around the fort (atop the wall, which he should’ve put a stop to, but she had good balance, and so he wasn’t worried); the next, he heard a cry and a splash, and he leaned over the side, calling out to her worriedly (he needn’t have worried; his shouts were soon answered by laughter as she swam around).
28. Forgotten
He was always forgetting she didn’t like tea, just hot water with a little bit of lemon.
29. Dance
Her body twisted and turned, leapt and twirled, as the raindrops soaked through her hair, skin and clothes, and he couldn’t help but watch, wishing he could hear the music in her mind.
30. Body
As she cuddled against him, seeking refuge from her nightmare, he marveled at how tiny her body was, and how it fit perfectly against his.
31. Sacred
Among her treasures was a pair of glasses with one lens cracked, a thing so precious and sacred to her that not even he could touch them - they were “for Simon only”.
32. Farewells
The first time he had to set sail after taking River in, she’d thrown a fit and clung to him the entire time until he finally managed to pry her off long enough to board; when he came back, the maids told him she’d holed herself up in her room and thrown things about until she was so exhausted she could do nothing but sit on her bed, cry, and fall asleep.
33. World
Whenever he told her she would get hurt doing something (like playing with fire), she would just smile and answer with a familiar phrase; “No power in the world can stop me.”
34. Formal
Despite her hatred of corsets, the maids had managed to dress her in one for a formal party he was required to attend, and therefore take her with him; this proved to be a bad idea as she fainted within an hour of arriving and he had to quickly hurry her home and remove it.
35. Fever
All that time playing in the rain had done her no good, as he’d always known it wouldn’t, and he knew the perfect way to keep her in one place while she recovered; “You are to stay in bed no matter what, and if I find you roaming around while you’ve got this raging fever, I’ll confiscate your treasure box.”
36. Laugh
The first time he heard her laugh, it surprised him, considering nothing funny had happened; when asked why, she looked at Governor Swann, smiled vaguely, and said “You have funny hair.”
37. Lies
He never corrected her on the days she referred to him as Simon; better to let her live occasionally in lies than constantly break her mind even more.
38. Forever
She sat on the grass, looking like a child with her flower crown on her head, and smiled up at him, holding out a handkerchief she’d embroidered for him; “Together forever and ever and a day.”
39. Overwhelmed
He hadn’t felt truly overwhelmed by her until the day he took her home and she proceeded to break her teacup because she detested tea, smile upon seeing the garden, rage at a maid for giving her corsets, and then proceeded to jump on her bed like a child.
40. Whisper
He was startled out of his slumber by an innocent whisper in his ear; “Goodnight, James.”
41. Wait
He’d given up on calling her back or telling her to wait after she rushed ahead of him - she would just dash off again a few seconds later.
42. Talk
Some of his most memorable and inspirational talks were with River when she was spouting cryptic nonsense that somehow made sense.
43. Search
She’d gone all through his things, curious and searching; until she found what she was looking for; she sat down on his bed, wrapped herself in the spare jacket, and waited for him.
44. Hope
He never did give up hope that someday her mental wounds would heal, and she could tell him who had made her like this so he could personally lead them to the gallows.
45. Eclipse
He was surprised at how, to everyone else, River’s talents were eclipsed by her odd behavior.
46. Gravity
She sat beside his desk, tossing a ball into the air at an angle and letting gravity do the rest to send it into an apple barrel, smiling at her victory.
47. Highway
She strolled down the road, aware of the strange looks being given to her, but, while James knew it was because of her behavior, she believed it was because they were staring at her new dog, a scruffy little scoundrel playing around her heels all because she’d fed it quite a bit of food.
48. Unknown
Rumors spread throughout the town of Port Royal about their newest inhabitant; she was crazy, she was flighty, she was beautiful…and she was staying with Lieutenant Norrington.
49. Lock
She absently twisted a lock of her hair as she paced her room. To follow, or to stay…and then soon she’s rushing out the door after him, clinging to his arm like a frightened and curious child.
50. Breathe
When she was pulled from the water, he had thought at first, considering her pale complexion, that she was dead, but then her eyes, her hauntingly vague eyes snapped open, and she gasped for breath…and then she screamed.
Pairing: James Norrington/River Tam
Theme set: Gamma
Rating: G
Warning[s]: None
Notes: Written for 1sentence. Not in chronological order. Backstory added. Pre-PotC.
Basically, River Tam was still born a genius, just in the PotC universe. She, her parents, and her brother Simon were on a ship travelling to the Caribbean when they were attacked by pirates. Feeling he had to protect his sister, Simon threw her overboard so she could get away. She watched from the water as the ship set on fire and everyone aboard burned to death before passing out. She was found adrift by a Navy ship and brought aboard, where she met Lieutenant James Norrington. He tried to get information out of her, but the combination of what she'd witnessed on the boat and in the water, plus the loss of her family had severely damaged her mental health. Feeling pity for her, Norrington decided to take her in, hoping someday she would gain enough sanity to tell him what happened to her.
Now, on to the sentences.
1. Ring
The ring of flowers (matching the one perched on her head) rests in her hands before, her eyes somehow pleading and vacant at the same time, she hands it to him, clearly intending for him to wear it and match her; of course, he obliges - it was best to indulge her and not risk breaking her already fragile mind.
2. Hero
She had clung to him after they’d pulled her out of the water, soaking wet and shivering, muttering about someone named Simon; she’d actually called him that at first, so he led to the assumption that this man had taken care of her and protected her.
3. Memory
She never spoke of what had happened to her before she’d ended up clinging to a barrel in the water, and he’d learned to stop trying to ask - she would open up her memory to him in time.
4. Box
She kept things - little things, like flowers and rocks and feathers, inside a tiny box beside her bed, almost like a comfort blanket; any time he found something most would find trivial, he would quietly place it atop her box, just to see her eyes light up in their strangely absent way.
5. Run
She liked to run, not to go anywhere, but just…to run - around the house, about the garden, through town…and especially into him.
6. Hurricane
When angry, she was like a hurricane; her emotions furious and wild, but eventually they would find the eye of the storm, and she would be back to her peaceful self.
7. Wings
Her cryptic words, little poems and songs (“My wings shine, with them I fly, fly, fly…firefly…”) never failed to fascinate and intrigue him, and he couldn’t help but wonder how she came up with such phrases.
8. Cold
The Caribbean was always warm, and yet not a day went by that River didn’t shiver at least once; by consequence, not a day went by that James didn’t offer his coat to warm her.
9. Red
River was especially fond of the color red; everything, from flowers to dresses to her own blood, fascinated her (perhaps it was the vibrant shade that attracted her).
10. Drink
She had refused to drink the water offered to her, instead sitting curled up in the corner of his quarters, shivering and staring vaguely at nothing.
11. Midnight
He had awoken once, around midnight according to the grandfather clock in his room, to find River sitting beside him on the bed, watching him; a moment passed between them before he pulled the sheets back and let the damaged girl climb in and make herself comfortable.
12. Temptation
The temptation to join in her little games had grown over time, and he found himself giving in more and more every day.
13. View
She always found herself in his room somehow, looking out the window at the ocean he himself had pulled her out of.
14. Music
She delighted in hearing and making music; once, shortly after he took her in, he found her sitting at the piano and toying with the keys before quickly breezing through Mozart by memory.
15. Silk
She just couldn’t keep her fingers off her new silk dress, her vague eyes following the pattern, and her fascination was completely worth the cost.
16. Cover
Sometimes, on her bad days, she would cover her ears and start shouting, telling people to go away and always calling for Simon; on these days, he would hold her, calm her down by talking to her, and eventually she would relax against him.
17. Promise
Before he left, she held out her pinky finger to him and simply said, “Don’t be hurt.”
18. Dream
He’d asked her once what she dreamed about, and she’d answered in her usual cryptic way - “Of stars and fireflies and Simon, of the good…and the bad.”
19. Candle
He refused to allow her anywhere near open flame after she burned her finger by trying to touch the burning wick on a candle.
20. Talent
She was truly talented, able to play the piano, and dance, and make flower crowns, and even in the ability to somehow enchant him with everything she did.
21. Silence
Her silence spoke volumes to him, and thus he was the only one who understood that she would never, ever wear the corsets provided to her, no matter how popular they were in England.
22. Journey
She had journeyed all the way down to the fort by herself for the first time…simply because he’d left his pocket watch behind.
23. Fire
Occasionally, when someone stupidly asked her about her past, a fire would spark in her eyes, stronger than any emotion he’d seen, yet still vague and say simply, “No power in the 'verse can stop me.”
24. Strength
For such a tiny girl, she had quite a bit of strength in her; this was demonstrated one day when she’d fallen asleep at his desk at the fort, and one of the men was dull-witted enough to attempt to wake her, gaining nothing but a sprained wrist, some broken fingers and wounded pride when the rest of the men found out he’d squealed like a stuck pig.
25. Mask
He thought it would be nice to take her out to meet others at the masquerade ball being held by Governor Swann (and, considering she appeared to be the same age as Miss Elizabeth, they might get along), but, rather than meet people, she spent all night being fascinated with the masks, even snatching some when their owners weren’t looking.
26. Ice
Her forehead was like ice, which was no surprise, considering how long she’d been in the water, so he tucked her into his bed, making sure she had enough blankets (and even adding his coat for good measure).
27. Fall
She had been perfectly fine one moment, walking alongside him as they ventured around the fort (atop the wall, which he should’ve put a stop to, but she had good balance, and so he wasn’t worried); the next, he heard a cry and a splash, and he leaned over the side, calling out to her worriedly (he needn’t have worried; his shouts were soon answered by laughter as she swam around).
28. Forgotten
He was always forgetting she didn’t like tea, just hot water with a little bit of lemon.
29. Dance
Her body twisted and turned, leapt and twirled, as the raindrops soaked through her hair, skin and clothes, and he couldn’t help but watch, wishing he could hear the music in her mind.
30. Body
As she cuddled against him, seeking refuge from her nightmare, he marveled at how tiny her body was, and how it fit perfectly against his.
31. Sacred
Among her treasures was a pair of glasses with one lens cracked, a thing so precious and sacred to her that not even he could touch them - they were “for Simon only”.
32. Farewells
The first time he had to set sail after taking River in, she’d thrown a fit and clung to him the entire time until he finally managed to pry her off long enough to board; when he came back, the maids told him she’d holed herself up in her room and thrown things about until she was so exhausted she could do nothing but sit on her bed, cry, and fall asleep.
33. World
Whenever he told her she would get hurt doing something (like playing with fire), she would just smile and answer with a familiar phrase; “No power in the world can stop me.”
34. Formal
Despite her hatred of corsets, the maids had managed to dress her in one for a formal party he was required to attend, and therefore take her with him; this proved to be a bad idea as she fainted within an hour of arriving and he had to quickly hurry her home and remove it.
35. Fever
All that time playing in the rain had done her no good, as he’d always known it wouldn’t, and he knew the perfect way to keep her in one place while she recovered; “You are to stay in bed no matter what, and if I find you roaming around while you’ve got this raging fever, I’ll confiscate your treasure box.”
36. Laugh
The first time he heard her laugh, it surprised him, considering nothing funny had happened; when asked why, she looked at Governor Swann, smiled vaguely, and said “You have funny hair.”
37. Lies
He never corrected her on the days she referred to him as Simon; better to let her live occasionally in lies than constantly break her mind even more.
38. Forever
She sat on the grass, looking like a child with her flower crown on her head, and smiled up at him, holding out a handkerchief she’d embroidered for him; “Together forever and ever and a day.”
39. Overwhelmed
He hadn’t felt truly overwhelmed by her until the day he took her home and she proceeded to break her teacup because she detested tea, smile upon seeing the garden, rage at a maid for giving her corsets, and then proceeded to jump on her bed like a child.
40. Whisper
He was startled out of his slumber by an innocent whisper in his ear; “Goodnight, James.”
41. Wait
He’d given up on calling her back or telling her to wait after she rushed ahead of him - she would just dash off again a few seconds later.
42. Talk
Some of his most memorable and inspirational talks were with River when she was spouting cryptic nonsense that somehow made sense.
43. Search
She’d gone all through his things, curious and searching; until she found what she was looking for; she sat down on his bed, wrapped herself in the spare jacket, and waited for him.
44. Hope
He never did give up hope that someday her mental wounds would heal, and she could tell him who had made her like this so he could personally lead them to the gallows.
45. Eclipse
He was surprised at how, to everyone else, River’s talents were eclipsed by her odd behavior.
46. Gravity
She sat beside his desk, tossing a ball into the air at an angle and letting gravity do the rest to send it into an apple barrel, smiling at her victory.
47. Highway
She strolled down the road, aware of the strange looks being given to her, but, while James knew it was because of her behavior, she believed it was because they were staring at her new dog, a scruffy little scoundrel playing around her heels all because she’d fed it quite a bit of food.
48. Unknown
Rumors spread throughout the town of Port Royal about their newest inhabitant; she was crazy, she was flighty, she was beautiful…and she was staying with Lieutenant Norrington.
49. Lock
She absently twisted a lock of her hair as she paced her room. To follow, or to stay…and then soon she’s rushing out the door after him, clinging to his arm like a frightened and curious child.
50. Breathe
When she was pulled from the water, he had thought at first, considering her pale complexion, that she was dead, but then her eyes, her hauntingly vague eyes snapped open, and she gasped for breath…and then she screamed.