Comments | twilight_city: [closed log]

empress_swann in twilight_city

[closed log]

Feb 18, 2008 20:06

Who: Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner
What: A chance meeting.
When: Monday afternoon. [complete]
Where: Passamaquoddy Docks.
Warnings: none, because Will and Liz are fluffy, fluffy bunnies.

The thing Elizabeth probably enjoyed the most about Passamaquoddy Docks was the smell. Not that sour, fishy smell that most people were assaulted with when the ( Read more... )

completed, passamaquoddy docks, elizabeth swann, william turner

Comments 19

prettyboy_hero February 19 2008, 14:00:26 UTC

The call of the seabirds, mingled with those of the fisher folk, the roiling waves in the distance, the salty tang of sea spray; it was all too familiar to Will. He found comfort in them. Coming to the Passamaquoddy Docks felt to him like coming to a home away from home, not least of all because this was where he had passed much of his spare time in his teenage years.

Of course, then, it had been in search of two of the most elusive people in his life - his father, and Elizabeth Swann. Most of the time, it was the latter that drew him here, much as Will was reluctant to admit this, even to himself.

Today though, it was with neither of these intentions that Will had wandered to the Docks. It had been a long morning of lectures back to back, and he had a long evening of fencing practice ahead later on; he figured he needed some fresh air in between. That was all he wanted, really. Or so he had told himself.

But of course that was before he saw her. Elizabeth. Arms crossed behind his back, let hand laced through his sandal straps, he ( ... )

empress_swann February 19 2008, 18:07:25 UTC

Elizabeth hadn't expected to see anyone her own age during her little work venture, let alone Will Turner. But he'd appeared - surprised her, even - and a smile turned up on her face as he stood next to her.

"Will! Hi." She breathed out a laugh, her shoulders relaxing back into the almost-slouch she had over the ropes. "You startled me."

She glanced over at him, at his dark eyes through his unruly hair, but he still wasn't looking at her. He had a habit of looking away from her. She'd noticed this very early on. In turn, she looked back out to the open waters. "It's a lovely day, yes."

prettyboy_hero February 20 2008, 01:37:21 UTC

He flushed a little when she let out a light laugh, saying that he had startled her. "I'm sorry that I did," he said softly, his gaze still trained on the horizon, "I didn't mean to."

Will waited for the what are you doing here?, but it didn't seem to come. Instead, he felt her give him a sidelong glance, then, apparently because he still hadn't looked at her, she turned her gaze back to the sea. He sneaked a glance back at her out of the side of his eye. She looked happy to see him, at least. A smile teased on his lips as she agreed that it was beautiful weather.

He turned fully to face her then, searching for something less inane to say. "Helping out your father today?" he finally asked, an expression of earnest curiosity on his face.

empress_swann February 20 2008, 01:45:41 UTC

Her face fell. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy helping her father - she did it on a number of ocassions, and it was while helping her father that she'd met Will, in fact - but the circumstances this time were still rather worrisome.

"I guess you could say that, yes," she replied, straightening herself out. Her hands gripped the coarse rope in front of her. "The doctor says he's thrown his back out, so he's still in for a few days of bed rest, I'm afraid." She looked to him, forcing a small smile onto her features. "It's nothing serious, but I still worry about him. He tends to run himself into the ground."

prettyboy_hero February 20 2008, 14:21:14 UTC

Again, he had not expected his words to elicit a negative response from her. Yet, her slight smile faded ad his question. She explained that she was helping her father today because he had hurt his back. Will glanced around the docks then; he hadn’t been paying attention earlier on, but now that he looked properly, the senior Swann was visibly missing from the docked ships.

He watched her grip tighten on the rope lining the poles, wondering if he had breached a sensitive topic with her, but then again he felt assured that she was willing to confide in him. "I’m sorry to hear that," he said in reply to her explanation. Truly, he was. Mr Swann struck Will as a warm and humble man, who loved his daughter more than anything. He had always been kind and friendly towards Will on the rare occasions that they had met. Most importantly, of course, he was Elizabeth's father. It hurt Will to learn about his ill health just like it would have hurt him if it had been his own mother’s ill health ( ... )

empress_swann February 20 2008, 18:53:05 UTC

She laughed, pulling an errant lock of hair out of her face and ticking it behind her ear. A comment like that just made her think of all the strops she'd had when she was younger, fussing over the most trivial things. At least she'd matured enough over the years that someone could make a comment like that and not seem in the least bit sarcastic. If she was honest, she was glad her hair covered her ears, because she was sure they'd turned a bit red at that moment.

"He is quite resilient, that father of mine." She turned, then, leaning her back against the ropes. Her bag fell to rest against her leg, and she looped the strap over her wrist before shoving her hands into her pockets. She'd hate for it all to go tipping into the water, ruining everything.

"What are you doing down here today, Will?" she asked, making casual conversation.

prettyboy_hero February 21 2008, 14:09:13 UTC

His comment made her laugh this time, which was a good change; he was clueless to any irony behind it, sincere about what he had said, as always. He nodded when Elizabeth said her father was resilient, he was just glad it wasn’t anything very serious that needed worrying about.

While she turned her back to the sea, Will remained in his position, arms resting on the ropes, gazing into the deep waters below. He had often wondered, on times like these, what lived within those choppy waters, especially further out and deeper down, and if he would ever find out. He lifted his gaze to the horizon, again wondering what lay beyond; the romantic idealist in him thinking that, if you looked past the sun beating down on them, and the sour, fishy smell, this was actually a really nice place to be standing talking to a girl. He realized his thoughts were drifting like a fisherman's boat tied too loosely to the pier when he almost missed Elizabeth's question, finally, about his purpose at the docks today.

Wanting to see you. He wanted to say, ( ... )

empress_swann February 22 2008, 02:30:50 UTC

"Oh, I don't know." Her voice hinted at a joke, and she cast a glance over to him, a quick grin on her face. "I seem to see you here more often than not ( ... )

prettyboy_hero February 25 2008, 00:43:57 UTC

"To clear one's head, yes," Will agreed. It would more accurately describe his initial intention in fact: to get all forms of architectural jargon out of his head, temporarily ( ... )

empress_swann February 25 2008, 01:00:09 UTC

"Kind of weird I'd find comfort in a place like this, but yes, that's exactly what I mean." When she mentioned a 'place like this,' she'd taken into account the many burly, seasoned fishermen in contrast to her own rather frail self. To her, the relationship she had with the docks was similar to a child that only a mother could love. It took time for people to love the docks the way she and Will did. She would rather love the docks, though, than the swank five-star places most of her friends preferred. She didn't have to worry about anything, here. She could be herself ( ... )

Thread 9

empress_swann February 27 2008, 02:46:40 UTC

She smiled at his offer of help, her eyes casting off to the side in thought. "Thanks, although I think no matter who I take, I'll be considered horrible all the same. If I were to ask Gaston to go, not only would he humiliate me but there'd be rumours again, and if I go with someone I'm not familiar with, I run the risk of making a complete ass of myself in front of a very many people. And also, he might be a dullard ( ... )

prettyboy_hero February 27 2008, 13:43:36 UTC

"M-me?"

Will was completely caught off guard by her last casual statement. Sure, he had been entertaining the idea, but only oh-so-briefly;it had flitted in, anhd then back out of his mind again, only to re-enter as she uttered those words.

"Yeah!" his face split into a grin. Then he realised he sounded a little too enthusiastic, and cleared his throat. Actually, he couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, especially since she was giving him this sidelong glance that seemed to say she was watching for his reaction. But, surely, she wouldn't joke with him about something like that ( ... )

empress_swann February 27 2008, 17:26:32 UTC

Elizabeth's face split into a wide smile as she turned to face Will directly for the first time since they'd started their conversation. "Oh, would you? I can't promise it will be exciting or enjoyable by any means, but having you there would at least make it bearable."

Take a friend. Take a friend no one else really knew. What a novel idea, Elizabeth, you should have thought of it sooner. Will was intelligent. He didn't (she assumed) care what other people said of him, and wouldn't keep her posing for photographs for any length of time. She could probably rush in with him and avoid photography altogether.

It would also certainly stick it to Gaston, but this idea flew across the back of Elizabeth's mind, as she wasn't particularly one to use people for ulterior motives. The prospect of almost having a good time at a de Beaumont party was something that Elizabeth had ever only dreamed of.

"I'd be very happy if you'd accompany me, Will."

prettyboy_hero February 28 2008, 13:53:25 UTC

"And I'd be very happy to do anything that makes you very happy, Elizabeth," Will said gallantly, "Which means, yes, I'll go with you, if only to spare you from having to talk to house plants," He flashed her a wry grin, but groaned inwardly at his repeated lame joke.

He met her eyes with a genuine smile as they faced each other now, finally. He was over the moon that she had asked him; that she thought him suitable to be seen with in front of all those rich and elaborately dressed people; that she would think that his presence at the party would make her feel more comfortable.

But, if Elizabeth was looking closely enough, she might have noticed the sliver of doubt that was passing in and out of his eyes, betraying his inner dilemma. Would he be the one ending up making a fool of himself? He had never been to any high-class parties. He wouldn't know anyone there at all but Elizabeth, but that was enough for him already, he supposed. He wouldn't know how exactly to carry himself, how to dine with the proper etiquette, and all that ( ... )