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[scourgeofpiracy]

He's up early, as he always is, getting ready for another day's work on the Pearl. And he's trying not to think about how close the repairs are to complete, and what happens when it's all done.

He's about ten seconds from leaving when the knock comes at the door.

Comments

[blue_eyed_lord]

The cheerful voice of a friend greets him when he opens the door. "I come bearing gifts," Aphelise smiles.

[scourgeofpiracy]

"Do you, now?" he asks, stepping back with an interested look.

[blue_eyed_lord]

"I do, indeed." His hands, it must be said, are full. Two large bottles dangling from between the fingers of each hand is a feat.

"You've been kind of... down lately, I've noticed, and I proudly bear the friend's responsibility of cheering you up again." He smiles the smile of a concerned friend who is determined to set things to rights. "Here," he holds out two of the bottles for Norrington to take one. "They're too good to drink alone."

[scourgeofpiracy]

"It's a little early in the morning", he says mildly, but he's already reaching for the offered bottle.

[blue_eyed_lord]

"I didn't really know when you'd be around. Sometimes people here can go weeks without seeing someone who lives just down the hall." Aphelise steps in to set the future bottles down on a small table, leaving one in his hands for now.

[scourgeofpiracy]

"...well, I suppose now is as good a time as ever. Though we'll have to stick to a quick drink - I'm expected elsewhere."

[blue_eyed_lord]

"To help finish the Pearl, right?" Aphelise says as they sit in their accustomed armchairs. It isn't as if this is his first visit, after all.

"You have all been coming along wonderfully, with that. She looks almost as good as new, now."

[scourgeofpiracy]

There's a moment's pause while Norrington pours the drinks, face coincidentally invisible. He's smiling when he looks up, though.

"Yes, indeed. She's already seaworthy."

If she ever sees an ocean again.

[blue_eyed_lord]

"It'd be a shame if her captain and she don't find a way back, now, after all that work to repair her."

Aphelise lifts his glass when its poured, "We need something appropriate to drink to..."

"Ah. To finding a door."

[scourgeofpiracy]

"To finding a door", he echoes, lifting his glass and drinking deep.

As is the way of these things, one quick drink turns into... many.

[blue_eyed_lord]

With good drink and good company, how could it not?

Aphelise runs a finger along the rim of his glass, reflectively. "No, I totally agree with you there. It was a bold move, and the right one to make. You had already devoted so many years to the cause, no one deserved it more."

[scourgeofpiracy]

"It was the only way", Norrington says flatly, well in his cups but voice still reasonably clear. "If I was ever to take back my life."

[blue_eyed_lord]

"Your life would be yours again, if not for being stuck here." He sighs. "That's how it goes, sometimes, though. Not much we can do about it. We just wait for the door."

He lifts their current bottle, showing how little is left. "Want to kill it off?"

[scourgeofpiracy]

Norrington just nods and holds out his cup for the rest of the bottle.

[politestpirate]

Norrington had been expected elsewhere, yes. Quite some time ago, in fact. With that in mind, perhaps it should not be too surprising that there is a knock on the door.

"-Mr Norrington, sir?"

The door is not locked, so Wellard pushes it open. There are quite a few reasons as to why he thought Norrington was late-

By the narrowing of his eyes as he sees Aphelise, this was not one of them.

[blue_eyed_lord]

Aphelise pauses, bottle held slightly tipped but not near enough to let the liquid pour into Norrington's cup, and looks over his shoulder at Wellard. He is smiling with the vague expectant air of one whose visit to a friend has been interuppted by someone else, thinly veiling the amused arrogance in his cold eyes.