-fanfare-
App for badfic_manor, reporting for duty!
OOC Information:
Name/Alias: Christina/Leo/whatever you wanna call me
Age: 22
E-Mail//MSN//AIM: E-mail: love.as.thou.wilt [at] gmail.com; MSN is the same; AIM is that chaotic art, though I am rarely on it!
Personal LJ: http://nerdy_leo.livejournal.com
How did you hear about Badfic? My partner in crime, who is now rping here, sent me the link a couple of days ago and I fell in love.
IC Information:
Character Name: James Norrington
Name that appears on name plaque: James Norrington (title: ‘Commodore’ if possible)
Character Journal: http://destinyunravels.livejournal.com
Canon: Pirates of the Caribbean
Point in Canon: Between The Curse of the Black Pearl and before Dead Man’s Chest - pre-Scruffington, so he is still very much an officer of the Royal Navy.
Age: Age never stated in films, the only date given being that in On Stranger Tides, which takes place in 1750. Head-canon is that he is no older than 32, though, giving him about a twelve-year difference to Elizabeth Swann. ...okay, I’ll say 30, to be decisive.
Birthday: August 27.
Appearance:
younger (erm, on the right, obviously);
present;
While wearing a white powdered wig as in the fashion of the day, Dead Man’s Chest reveals his natural hair colour to be brown.
Abilities: James Norrington is said to be the equal of Hector Barbossa in his skills with a sword; the only man who surpasses him is Will Turner. Though not in the canon I’m applying for, his skills can best be seen in Dead Man’s Chest when he, Will, and Jack Sparrow have a three-way sword fight; additionally, he is an excellent marksman with his flintlock pistol, as seen when he shoots a rope Elizabeth is using to escape from the ship The Flying Dutchman.
Personality: Norrington is headstrong and ambitious; he is seemingly one-track minded, fixating on serving justice to pirates swiftly and efficiently, as demonstrated by his lines in the first few minutes of the first film: “Vile and desolate creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop.” Additionally he states that “one good deed is not enough to save a man from a life of wickedness.”
Despite his no-nonsense attitude toward pirates, he is shown to be quite human outside of his work; his proposal to Elizabeth is heartfelt and tinged with nervousness (indeed, he even states, “I’m a bit nervous myself”), and in DMC after his life has taken a turn for the worst, he says to Elizabeth, “There was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me.” One could easily say he is passionate and if he is to state his feelings, honest about them. He is quick to protect others before himself (at least in Curse of the Black Pearl and At World’s End but spending the majority of DMC drunk causes his personality to deviate), and to follow orders given him, and states, “By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself.”
Nothing is given in the films as far as motivations for his passion for catching pirates, though the POTC books present some insight (see history section). Canonically he lives his life as an honest and hardworking naval officer, but if driven to dire circumstances, is quick to take up drinking and fighting in pubs.
Strengths: As aforementioned, he is a hardworking naval officer who shows pride in his work, skilled with a sword and marksmanship. He is passionate about what he feels is his duty-that is, capturing and seeing a pirate to his punishment, yet does not let selfishness come in the way of happiness of those he loves (for instance, letting Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann be with one another even as Will has turned to piracy, despite his love for Elizabeth). His first concern is for others, in danger or not.
Weaknesses: He is quick to condemn a man and shrewd (“one good dead is not enough to save a man from a lifetime of wickedness”), at least in the first film. He also possesses sarcastic, snarky and condescending nature to men he deems the lower dregs of society (i.e., pirates); however, in DMC, more negative traits/weaknesses are revealed and he is shown to be extremely rude, catty, and overall unpleasant-though of course, his bitterness and high alcohol consumption have made him this way, and by AWE he is once again careful, composed, and even presents a side not shown before, thereby proving DMC was just a showcase of the worst of James Norrington in Really Bad Circumstances. I could consider his one-track mind when it comes to seeking out certain pirates (*cough cough* Jack Sparrow) a weakness, as it blinds him to perhaps other opportunities or keeps him almost too focused on one thing at a time instead of a broad picture.
History: The series of young reader novels expounds upon Norrington’s early history, but I am not quite sure if those are considered ‘canon’ or not, as I am personally going off of movie canon. Here is that section of his early life on the POTC Wiki-again, I’m uncertain as to its canonical status (or lack thereof?), so I will describe what I’m going off of for his character-that is, the films.
When we first see James Norrington in Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, he is aboard the HMS Dauntless at the rank of Lieutenant, in the company of Weatherby Swann and his young daughter Elizabeth, Joshamee Gibbs, and as he is pulled aboard, the young Will Turner (other unnamed sailors serve him here, but none of their names are ever given). It is here we first experience his opinion on pirates (again, “I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: a short stop and a sudden drop”) and see him in action. Once Elizabeth discovers the unconscious Will Turner floating on drift-wreckage, Norrington leaps into action, calling for the sailors to pull him aboard; he calls to rouse the captain only after he sees the burning wreckage of the ship Will came from.
He is next seen at his promotion ceremony, some years after (eight or nine as a rough estimate) when he is made Captain of the HMS Interceptor-first mentioned by Governor Swann to Elizabeth (“He fancies you, you know”) but physically seen as he marches in to his ceremony. It is here he proposes to Elizabeth, though oblivious to her physical detriment; when she states she cannot breathe, he misinterprets it and states, “Yes, I’m a bit nervous myself.” Once he realizes she has fallen off the fortress into the ocean, his first instinct is to go in after her-he begins to shed his jacket, but is stopped by a colleague who states, “Sir, the rocks-it’s a wonder she missed them.” He then heads down to rescue her with others; however, he is stopped by Mullroy and Murtogg who have ‘accompanied’ Jack Sparrow with her rescue. Here, he offers his thanks to Sparrow reluctantly after Elizabeth states he should be less callous to him, but instead grabs his arm to identify him as a pirate and as Jack Sparrow himself. He arranges to have Sparrow arrested (stating he has “an appointment with the gallows” using the “one good deed” reason) but Jack, ever the pirate, takes Elizabeth as a hostage and then escapes, despite Norrington’s attempts to capture him, though not for long; Norrington is next seen when Jack has been knocked unconscious by the blacksmith following a swordfight with Will Turner; Sparrow is then imprisoned, and Norrington seen walking along the city of Port Royal with Governor Swann, discussing Elizabeth’s lack of an answer regarding his marriage proposal just before the city itself is attacked by the Black Pearl. Amongst all the confusion, Will Turner enlists the help of Jack Sparrow to commandeer the HMS Interceptor and Norrington is forced to head a mission with three objectives: to reclaim the Interceptor, capture Jack Sparrow, and most importantly, rescue Elizabeth.
Norrington achieved two of the three, spotting the distress signal Elizabeth had set afire on an island, where she had been marooned with Sparrow himself; the Interceptor, however, was destroyed. He was unconcerned regarding Will Turner, who was now on the Black Pearl en route to the Isla de Muerta, because Will’s fate did not endanger Elizabeth; however, once Elizabeth stated she would marry Norrington if he went after Will (“as a wedding gift”), Norrington enlisted the help of Sparrow himself to track down the Black Pearl and rescue Will.
Upon reaching the Isla de Muerta, Norrington subverted Sparrow’s “advice” (orders, as he liked to think) and boarded a small boat headed for the isle itself instead of waiting to ambush Barbossa’s men as they left the cave, but realized what was happening (that his men were being killed) once he heard the ring of the bell upon the Dauntless. He returned to his ship and immediately started in battle with the undead pirates, and upon the pirate (Koehler) he killed actually dying, realized the curse of the Black Pearl had been lifted or removed, and with the pirates’ surrenders, despite what started out as a losing battle, Norrington’s crew was once more victorious.
The return to Port Royal was headed by Sparrow’s execution; Norrington himself was ready to order his men into position for the hanging (and looked satisfied about it) when Elizabeth ‘fainted’ to distract him as Will rescued Sparrow. Once on the battlements, Elizabeth revealed her wish to protect Jack and Will both from Norrington, who asked of Elizabeth’s desires and accepted her rejection gracefully, telling Will, “This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life,” before agreeing to postpone the chase of Sparrow to another day. Thus ends COTBP.
In Dead Man’s Chest, Norrington shows up as extremely dishevelled; he reveals his ship was destroyed by a hurricane in pursuit of Jack Sparrow, after which Norrington resigned and disappeared, thereby avoiding Lord Cutler-Beckett’s warrant for his arrest for his role in Sparrow’s escape. The life of a condemned man living in Tortuga changed Norrington, and he became a heavy drinker (dare I say alcoholic?), his Commodore uniform and wig in tatters, and even signs up for a position on the Black Pearl himself as a way to get revenge for his changed life.
As I am playing Norrington from before DMC, I will link you the history on the Wiki, and would be more than happy to summarise it myself if you need me to, but since it does not directly impact (yet, at least, canonically) my portrayal of him, I felt it not inherently necessary. But I would be more than happy to expound upon it if need be.
First Person Sample: [ Opens his eyes and looks around groggily; his first thought is that he’s been captured by Sparrow, and he’s in a holding cell, but as he comes more to consciousness, he realises this room is far too nice to be a ship’s holding cell-he was in a bed, for one thing. He lifts a contraption out from next to his head on his pillow and stares at it. ]
I’m afraid to even inquire as to the purpose of this...device. [ Begins to speak loudly at it, not realising it happens to be recording AND broadcasting his actions and words loud and clear. ] Excuse me! This is, ah, Commodore James Norrington, and I demand to know what exactly this is.
[ No response, and he sighs. ]
Perhaps I’ve been drugged and this is his idea of a joke. Or perhaps I perished at the battle and this has all been a dream...but it is certainly not what I expected. Why would I be given something I don’t even-is that a light? How is it lit? There’s no fire!-know the purpose of?
I’m sure this is all a dream. A dream induced by the sleepless nights men often experience out on these waters. I rarely have them any longer, but perhaps that’s what this is.
[ Stares at the phone once more, tapping its screen with his finger. ]
Hello?
Third Person Sample: Today was a day full of nothing but map after map after map, small lead models of boats placed on the parchments and shuffled around, over and over again, in what appeared to be no discernible pattern to untrained eyes; but to the Commodore’s eyes, presented a strategy rich with possibilities and...too many holes that could doom his crew in one slip-up. In fact, James Norrington thought nothing of the world outside until a slice of sun cut low enough in the horizon to throw bright-orange and yellow through his quarters, kissing the tops of the maps and throwing into sharp relief the stretched silhouettes of the tiny ships. He rubbed his hand over his face-about time for a shave, he realized-and looked outside at the sky clad in sunset-garb. The horizon was full of promises; how could he forget that? At the end of the day, no matter if the day was spent planning a proposal which went in vain, or chasing a world-renowned pirate, the horizon was always there, waiting for him.
Links: Here’s a fun Dear Mun thread~, where I’m enjoying interaction with both a character from another series and time period entirely, and a character from his own canon. He’s lost on twenty-first century hijinx and all that it entails...
Notes: I can’t really think of anything-I offered some headcanon in the app (personality, history, all that good stuff) and I hope that’s okay. There’s really not too much else to say; he seems a pretty straightforward character.
Bonus: I’ve wanted to RP James Norrington ever since the heyday of bnf_brawl here on LJ, but never did. I was fifteen and he intimidated me too much, even though my muse for him is strong every time I watch the movies; I just took it out on the world in fanfiction that I never published...so I still kept it to myself. Now, seven years later, I feel not only have my RP skills been fine-tuned (though of course I will always look to improve!) enough but also my vocabulary widened to fit Mr Eighteenth-Century British Man (that is, I’ve read more Jane Austen and watched more period pieces and read more firsthand historical accounts) since I first felt the call of RPing Norrington. I hope he won’t quit bothering me because then I would have no Norrington muse, but hopefully now he’ll stop tugging on my nonexistent coattails, begging for me to take his mind off the chase of Jack Sparrow and get occupied with other things and characters!~
OOC Information:
Name/Alias: Christina/Leo/whatever you wanna call me
Age: 22
E-Mail//MSN//AIM: E-mail: love.as.thou.wilt [at] gmail.com; MSN is the same; AIM is that chaotic art, though I am rarely on it!
Personal LJ: http://nerdy_leo.livejournal.com
How did you hear about Badfic? My partner in crime, who is now rping here, sent me the link a couple of days ago and I fell in love.
IC Information:
Character Name: James Norrington
Name that appears on name plaque: James Norrington (title: ‘Commodore’ if possible)
Character Journal: http://destinyunravels.livejournal.com
Canon: Pirates of the Caribbean
Point in Canon: Between The Curse of the Black Pearl and before Dead Man’s Chest - pre-Scruffington, so he is still very much an officer of the Royal Navy.
Age: Age never stated in films, the only date given being that in On Stranger Tides, which takes place in 1750. Head-canon is that he is no older than 32, though, giving him about a twelve-year difference to Elizabeth Swann. ...okay, I’ll say 30, to be decisive.
Birthday: August 27.
Appearance:
younger (erm, on the right, obviously);
present;
While wearing a white powdered wig as in the fashion of the day, Dead Man’s Chest reveals his natural hair colour to be brown.
Abilities: James Norrington is said to be the equal of Hector Barbossa in his skills with a sword; the only man who surpasses him is Will Turner. Though not in the canon I’m applying for, his skills can best be seen in Dead Man’s Chest when he, Will, and Jack Sparrow have a three-way sword fight; additionally, he is an excellent marksman with his flintlock pistol, as seen when he shoots a rope Elizabeth is using to escape from the ship The Flying Dutchman.
Personality: Norrington is headstrong and ambitious; he is seemingly one-track minded, fixating on serving justice to pirates swiftly and efficiently, as demonstrated by his lines in the first few minutes of the first film: “Vile and desolate creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop.” Additionally he states that “one good deed is not enough to save a man from a life of wickedness.”
Despite his no-nonsense attitude toward pirates, he is shown to be quite human outside of his work; his proposal to Elizabeth is heartfelt and tinged with nervousness (indeed, he even states, “I’m a bit nervous myself”), and in DMC after his life has taken a turn for the worst, he says to Elizabeth, “There was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me.” One could easily say he is passionate and if he is to state his feelings, honest about them. He is quick to protect others before himself (at least in Curse of the Black Pearl and At World’s End but spending the majority of DMC drunk causes his personality to deviate), and to follow orders given him, and states, “By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself.”
Nothing is given in the films as far as motivations for his passion for catching pirates, though the POTC books present some insight (see history section). Canonically he lives his life as an honest and hardworking naval officer, but if driven to dire circumstances, is quick to take up drinking and fighting in pubs.
Strengths: As aforementioned, he is a hardworking naval officer who shows pride in his work, skilled with a sword and marksmanship. He is passionate about what he feels is his duty-that is, capturing and seeing a pirate to his punishment, yet does not let selfishness come in the way of happiness of those he loves (for instance, letting Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann be with one another even as Will has turned to piracy, despite his love for Elizabeth). His first concern is for others, in danger or not.
Weaknesses: He is quick to condemn a man and shrewd (“one good dead is not enough to save a man from a lifetime of wickedness”), at least in the first film. He also possesses sarcastic, snarky and condescending nature to men he deems the lower dregs of society (i.e., pirates); however, in DMC, more negative traits/weaknesses are revealed and he is shown to be extremely rude, catty, and overall unpleasant-though of course, his bitterness and high alcohol consumption have made him this way, and by AWE he is once again careful, composed, and even presents a side not shown before, thereby proving DMC was just a showcase of the worst of James Norrington in Really Bad Circumstances. I could consider his one-track mind when it comes to seeking out certain pirates (*cough cough* Jack Sparrow) a weakness, as it blinds him to perhaps other opportunities or keeps him almost too focused on one thing at a time instead of a broad picture.
History: The series of young reader novels expounds upon Norrington’s early history, but I am not quite sure if those are considered ‘canon’ or not, as I am personally going off of movie canon. Here is that section of his early life on the POTC Wiki-again, I’m uncertain as to its canonical status (or lack thereof?), so I will describe what I’m going off of for his character-that is, the films.
When we first see James Norrington in Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, he is aboard the HMS Dauntless at the rank of Lieutenant, in the company of Weatherby Swann and his young daughter Elizabeth, Joshamee Gibbs, and as he is pulled aboard, the young Will Turner (other unnamed sailors serve him here, but none of their names are ever given). It is here we first experience his opinion on pirates (again, “I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: a short stop and a sudden drop”) and see him in action. Once Elizabeth discovers the unconscious Will Turner floating on drift-wreckage, Norrington leaps into action, calling for the sailors to pull him aboard; he calls to rouse the captain only after he sees the burning wreckage of the ship Will came from.
He is next seen at his promotion ceremony, some years after (eight or nine as a rough estimate) when he is made Captain of the HMS Interceptor-first mentioned by Governor Swann to Elizabeth (“He fancies you, you know”) but physically seen as he marches in to his ceremony. It is here he proposes to Elizabeth, though oblivious to her physical detriment; when she states she cannot breathe, he misinterprets it and states, “Yes, I’m a bit nervous myself.” Once he realizes she has fallen off the fortress into the ocean, his first instinct is to go in after her-he begins to shed his jacket, but is stopped by a colleague who states, “Sir, the rocks-it’s a wonder she missed them.” He then heads down to rescue her with others; however, he is stopped by Mullroy and Murtogg who have ‘accompanied’ Jack Sparrow with her rescue. Here, he offers his thanks to Sparrow reluctantly after Elizabeth states he should be less callous to him, but instead grabs his arm to identify him as a pirate and as Jack Sparrow himself. He arranges to have Sparrow arrested (stating he has “an appointment with the gallows” using the “one good deed” reason) but Jack, ever the pirate, takes Elizabeth as a hostage and then escapes, despite Norrington’s attempts to capture him, though not for long; Norrington is next seen when Jack has been knocked unconscious by the blacksmith following a swordfight with Will Turner; Sparrow is then imprisoned, and Norrington seen walking along the city of Port Royal with Governor Swann, discussing Elizabeth’s lack of an answer regarding his marriage proposal just before the city itself is attacked by the Black Pearl. Amongst all the confusion, Will Turner enlists the help of Jack Sparrow to commandeer the HMS Interceptor and Norrington is forced to head a mission with three objectives: to reclaim the Interceptor, capture Jack Sparrow, and most importantly, rescue Elizabeth.
Norrington achieved two of the three, spotting the distress signal Elizabeth had set afire on an island, where she had been marooned with Sparrow himself; the Interceptor, however, was destroyed. He was unconcerned regarding Will Turner, who was now on the Black Pearl en route to the Isla de Muerta, because Will’s fate did not endanger Elizabeth; however, once Elizabeth stated she would marry Norrington if he went after Will (“as a wedding gift”), Norrington enlisted the help of Sparrow himself to track down the Black Pearl and rescue Will.
Upon reaching the Isla de Muerta, Norrington subverted Sparrow’s “advice” (orders, as he liked to think) and boarded a small boat headed for the isle itself instead of waiting to ambush Barbossa’s men as they left the cave, but realized what was happening (that his men were being killed) once he heard the ring of the bell upon the Dauntless. He returned to his ship and immediately started in battle with the undead pirates, and upon the pirate (Koehler) he killed actually dying, realized the curse of the Black Pearl had been lifted or removed, and with the pirates’ surrenders, despite what started out as a losing battle, Norrington’s crew was once more victorious.
The return to Port Royal was headed by Sparrow’s execution; Norrington himself was ready to order his men into position for the hanging (and looked satisfied about it) when Elizabeth ‘fainted’ to distract him as Will rescued Sparrow. Once on the battlements, Elizabeth revealed her wish to protect Jack and Will both from Norrington, who asked of Elizabeth’s desires and accepted her rejection gracefully, telling Will, “This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life,” before agreeing to postpone the chase of Sparrow to another day. Thus ends COTBP.
In Dead Man’s Chest, Norrington shows up as extremely dishevelled; he reveals his ship was destroyed by a hurricane in pursuit of Jack Sparrow, after which Norrington resigned and disappeared, thereby avoiding Lord Cutler-Beckett’s warrant for his arrest for his role in Sparrow’s escape. The life of a condemned man living in Tortuga changed Norrington, and he became a heavy drinker (dare I say alcoholic?), his Commodore uniform and wig in tatters, and even signs up for a position on the Black Pearl himself as a way to get revenge for his changed life.
As I am playing Norrington from before DMC, I will link you the history on the Wiki, and would be more than happy to summarise it myself if you need me to, but since it does not directly impact (yet, at least, canonically) my portrayal of him, I felt it not inherently necessary. But I would be more than happy to expound upon it if need be.
First Person Sample: [ Opens his eyes and looks around groggily; his first thought is that he’s been captured by Sparrow, and he’s in a holding cell, but as he comes more to consciousness, he realises this room is far too nice to be a ship’s holding cell-he was in a bed, for one thing. He lifts a contraption out from next to his head on his pillow and stares at it. ]
I’m afraid to even inquire as to the purpose of this...device. [ Begins to speak loudly at it, not realising it happens to be recording AND broadcasting his actions and words loud and clear. ] Excuse me! This is, ah, Commodore James Norrington, and I demand to know what exactly this is.
[ No response, and he sighs. ]
Perhaps I’ve been drugged and this is his idea of a joke. Or perhaps I perished at the battle and this has all been a dream...but it is certainly not what I expected. Why would I be given something I don’t even-is that a light? How is it lit? There’s no fire!-know the purpose of?
I’m sure this is all a dream. A dream induced by the sleepless nights men often experience out on these waters. I rarely have them any longer, but perhaps that’s what this is.
[ Stares at the phone once more, tapping its screen with his finger. ]
Hello?
Third Person Sample: Today was a day full of nothing but map after map after map, small lead models of boats placed on the parchments and shuffled around, over and over again, in what appeared to be no discernible pattern to untrained eyes; but to the Commodore’s eyes, presented a strategy rich with possibilities and...too many holes that could doom his crew in one slip-up. In fact, James Norrington thought nothing of the world outside until a slice of sun cut low enough in the horizon to throw bright-orange and yellow through his quarters, kissing the tops of the maps and throwing into sharp relief the stretched silhouettes of the tiny ships. He rubbed his hand over his face-about time for a shave, he realized-and looked outside at the sky clad in sunset-garb. The horizon was full of promises; how could he forget that? At the end of the day, no matter if the day was spent planning a proposal which went in vain, or chasing a world-renowned pirate, the horizon was always there, waiting for him.
Links: Here’s a fun Dear Mun thread~, where I’m enjoying interaction with both a character from another series and time period entirely, and a character from his own canon. He’s lost on twenty-first century hijinx and all that it entails...
Notes: I can’t really think of anything-I offered some headcanon in the app (personality, history, all that good stuff) and I hope that’s okay. There’s really not too much else to say; he seems a pretty straightforward character.
Bonus: I’ve wanted to RP James Norrington ever since the heyday of bnf_brawl here on LJ, but never did. I was fifteen and he intimidated me too much, even though my muse for him is strong every time I watch the movies; I just took it out on the world in fanfiction that I never published...so I still kept it to myself. Now, seven years later, I feel not only have my RP skills been fine-tuned (though of course I will always look to improve!) enough but also my vocabulary widened to fit Mr Eighteenth-Century British Man (that is, I’ve read more Jane Austen and watched more period pieces and read more firsthand historical accounts) since I first felt the call of RPing Norrington. I hope he won’t quit bothering me because then I would have no Norrington muse, but hopefully now he’ll stop tugging on my nonexistent coattails, begging for me to take his mind off the chase of Jack Sparrow and get occupied with other things and characters!~