#James and his moral compass

[marvelomadness06]

James: Kill them with kindness

Remus: Sure. But I’ve found that poison is much more efficient

…

Sirius: *in the background* that’s hot

James: ReMUs nO-

[ninety-two-bees]

finding a way to include james and regulus literally killing people for each other in all of my fics

[lunar-serpentinite]

between harry and draco, harry wld be the one more willing to cast an unforgivable at any circumstance

[jegulily-stuff]

Started out with good principles but sacrificed doing the right thing for self preservation: Peter Pettigrew 🤝 Quirinus Quirrell

Morally conscious, always trying to do the right thing but have a bad grasp of what that is because of their communities until they sort themselves out: Regulus Black 🤝 Percy Weasley

I see people putting Reg in the first group like he came out of the womb knowing right and wrong and then gave it up. Why? No part of canon or the way human beings work suggests that.

I dont mean this as apologia. I think apologia is what people are doing when they make him have secretly good principles but bad actions anyway. (I dont agree that thats more moral but still). Like he's more sympathetic if he knows right and wrong but choses to protect himself instead. (The boy who literally tortured himself to death to do the right thing). Why doesn't Peter get more love and leeway then, because thats his situation.

I get that its hard to imagine someone joining the Death Eaters out of the desire to do the right thing, because from our perspective its obviously wrong, and that its harder to sympathise with that person. But thats the way its presented, that Regulus wanted to set the world back in order for his community. He actively wanted that, and was willing to risk his life in war for it. Isnt the point of the tragedy that he thought he was helping by making those personal sacrifices, but it wasnt actually making anything better?

Isnt his self-realised deradicalisation more interesting and genuine than 'secretly was enlightened with the morality I the reader hold but was a coward anyway'? He was a teenager, thats when most people start figuring out their own philosophies and morals, and which things they were taught were wrong and who was actively lying to you for their own benefit.

I get that theres a lot more nuance even than that, and theres a lot more I could say. I also get that people dont want to get into moral philosophy too much in their little fics so they compromise on where he should be in his morals arc, so he has the beliefs of the end of his arc but still has to have the actions of the earlier part. I just get a little annoyed by the coward fandom meta i guess.

[padfootastic]

Here’s my favorite hot take (and yes I know it’s not strictly canon-compliant but it’s funny for me): the main thing keeping Sirius off of Voldemort’s side is that he killed James and wants Harry dead.

dude 💀 do you know that sirius/voldy fic? i haven’t read it fully but now i’m imagining this scenario with enemies to lovers/stuck on two ends type of angst lol

no but on a more serious note (lol), while yeah, canon would probably entirely disagree w that, it’s so funny to think that sirius either explicitly or implicitly agreed w the DE side but just. James. that’s it. j doesn’t even have to try but sirius entirely refuses to live in a world where james potter might look at him w disapproval or disappointment, nope, not done.

(also,,,in a post-poa world, i can actually see sirius as a DE ngl. i’ve read a few fics where he’s so disillusioned w the order and the ‘light side’ that he defects and yeah. not bad at all)

[always-tilting-at-windmills]

From out of focus to crystal clear

[impishtubist]

Bellatrix convincing Rudolphus to take Sirius bed with them both

I don't think he would take much convincing 😂

Again, I don't know why this is so appealing to me! I hate both Bellatrix and Rudolphus or however you spell his name and all the rest! But there is something so compelling to me about Sirius fighting with the Order but like. continuing to hook up with the messiest, most toxic people.

[softzindagi]

Some of my thoughts on maxton hall and why i loved it so much:

- im so glad that they didnt have james being a dickbag and kissing other girls after he met ruby

- the contrast of james and ruby’s families, the polar opposite in fathers. I love how they still had james and lydia be each other’s rocks in such a crappy situation when they have no one else, even if their relationship isn’t the best. The dichotomy of their relationship to ruby’s and ember’s? things can go wrong but they are sisters who love each other deeply.

-i loved the very pride and prejudice esque scenes of ruby dressing james down, and every time he deserved to be told off but it still makes ruby feel guilty afterwards. there’s a moral compass of ruby that james hated at first but it humbles him? Chefs kiss its so fucking good. He betters himself just like darcy and the change is seen even by his parents.

- the scene of ruby telling james off in the oxford course, its a pivotal scene because everything she says digs at things he knows. Young Beaufort wasnt his idea, it was Lydia’s and he’s taking credit and charge of it. He feels bad, he’s forced into it, but it’s the “you go through life representing wealth to which you have contributed absolutely nothing? With so much money, there’s no need for your own ideas.” Ruby has no idea how hard that actually hits home, and you can see Lydia take a step back mentally and yeah she agrees. The rest of it, how people will only like him for his money and not himself, that also hits so close. We see how Cyril laughs inspite of James’ pain, Alister is impressed by Ruby’s dress down but no one goes after James like a true friend would. As the series goes on you see how Alister and James grow closer as he becomes a better person, you see the care and concern because they’re in similar places but Alister isn’t as proud or arrogant as James is. I really love how by the end of the series, you have James and Alister confiding in each other.

- the scene on the lacrosse field, the way she apologizes and he is arrogant but decides to be nice because he is curious, and finds out that he does like her. She humbles him and makes him want to do better, she’s not the enemy and he kinda respects her for it. I also think, he’s never had anyone genuinely apologize to him, because he’s never had anyone wrong him but his own family. The apology, it’s a catalyst for him to let go of this resentment he has for her, in the truth she dug up in him.

- i am very happy that they have the good and the bad with ruby’s parents. The guilt that Ruby feels and the way her father is not happy that she is “wasting” her money on saving for his lift. There’s care there, but it’s hard nonetheless, those are big emotions to have years after an accident like he experienced.

- piggy backing off of that, the pivotal scene of James saving Ruby from the pool, that even though he didn’t know why she didnt come up but didnt hesitate to jump in? CHEFS KISS! The scene after of her confiding in him, him being so gentle and careful and being honest with percy, that he’s in over his head but he likes ruby, he wants to help her and has helped her. Oof just so fucking good!

- the way they keep telling each other that they should go back to never knowing each other, but every time fail because they’re meant to collide now, they MATTER to each other now

- i just really am glad they had him apologize for the shitty way his father was to her. That he was embarrassed by himself and his father. It was excruciating to have her get humiliated by his father. He’s only experienced it within his own family, but having it happen to Ruby? that changed things.

- they fucking nailed the cute scenes between them. The dancing in the victorian clothes, the chasing pigeons, the planning and setting up of the gala? Hell yeah!

- The whole fourth episode was chef’s kiss, no notes just purely good storytelling

More thoughts later but this is what i’ve got rn after rewatching the show for the third time

[papercorgiworld]

Not into you

A Regulus Black imagine

This is part two to Lily’s Potion. Read it here.

Regulus is taunting you, hoping you will confess that you’re into him. When you try to get your revenge things get very interesting.

Warning: slightly suggestive, but also just sweet

I was super excited about this one when I wrote it, but I just reread and meh. But I really hope you like it. It's less smutty than part one and more fluffy, I think... Feedback is always welcome. Sending you all lots of love and of course happy readings!

– The request –

NEED a part two for Lilys Potion pleaseeee 🙏🙏

– The writing –

When Lily and Marlene had told you that avoiding Regulus wasn’t that difficult they clearly forgot that you’re both in the same year and that he can be an obnoxious ass if he wants to be. You feel your whole body tense when you notice he’s taking the seat behind you. You hear a little shuffling but try to focus on your book, checking today’s subject before class. Regulus gets up from his seat slightly leaning over his desk to get closer to you. “I did some research and there’s no way that the things you said and did… or at least tried to do, were all induced by that potion. You wanted it.” His raspy whisper and words make you forget to breathe for a second. There’s a silence and Regulus’ smile grows smug, convinced that you’ll admit you like him, but you regain composure. “Don’t flatter yourself, Regulus. You’re my best friend’s baby brother.” Merlin, he hated it when you referred to him as just his brother's ‘baby’ brother, but his scowl was mostly caused by your ridiculous argument. “What does that have to do with you being horny for me?” Regulus asks bluntly, eyes taunting and smug. You’re absolutely baffled by his choice of words. Horny? Who does this brat think he is! You turn slightly but don’t face him and protest with an annoyed but hushed voice. “I’m not horny for you!” Far from convinced, Regulus' eyes turn even more cocky than they usually are with a filthy smile tugging on his lips. He’s about to open his mouth when the professor walks in, bringing an end to the conversation.

***

You join your friends at the gryffindor table, but do so with a scowl on your face. “What’s gotten you in such a pissy mood?” Peter asks, making everyone look at you. “Them.” You say, making all eyes move to the slytherin table, not needing any further reference to who you were talking about. Regulus and his friends were snickering about something but Regulus’ eyes were focussed on you. When he sees half the gryffindor table look at him, he just smirks and looks away. “Yeah… what’s up with that?” Sirius asks you and you frown. “What happened at the party? I mean Regulus pulled you away from me and next we find you both in your room?” You feel your cheeks heat up and avert your eyes to the food instead of your friends’ questioning looks. “Nothing happened.” You say, sounding annoyed and anything but convincing. Lily tactfully changes the subject and most of the table follows her lead, except for James who keeps his eyes focused on you. “You know there’s such a thing as revenge.” He whispers just loud enough to get your attention and avoid the rest from picking up on what he’s saying. “What do you mean?” You ask confused but also genuinely interested in whatever James’ brain had cooked up. “Put him through the same and see if he’s still laughing at you then.” 

Your smile slowly mirrors James’ grin as you see the whole plot work out, but at the slytherin table a very wary Regulus senses trouble. 

***

James had come up with a plan. You had to distract Lily so he could steal the last dose of her crappy potion. You didn’t like going behind your friend’s back but James had convinced you that it was best to avoid Lily since she had somewhat of a moral compass and purposely drugging a guy to get some petty revenge was a bit ‘morally grey’ as James put it. The second step of the two step plan was to convince Sirius to join in so he could slip Regulus the potion. After some judgmental frowning Sirius quickly decided to pick James’ plan of mischief over his own flesh and blood. 

***

So now here you were, casually hanging at a party with Marlene and Remus by your side discussing the immense workload the professors had hit you with over the past few weeks. You occasionally scan the room to see if you could spot Regulus. When an hour had passed and you still hadn’t seen him you began to worry. You clearly hadn’t thought this through at all, what if you had caused Regulus to end up with someone. You and James had agreed to not let things escalate but James had clearly forgotten about that since he was more than a little wasted already. 

You leave your friends in search of Regulus, but he’s nowhere to be found at the party. So you decide to be brave and approach a drunk and wickedly smiling Barty. Who’s smile turns filthy as soon as he notices you walking over to him. “Well, look at that, pretty girl looking for some entertainment? Come to the right place.” He winks and leans a little closer to you. You roll your eyes and just ignore his words. “I’m looking for Regulus.” You state and Barty rolls his eyes. “Really that's the guy you want to go for?” Barty teases with wiggling eyebrows. “You could have me. I’m better looking, funnier and slightly less emo.” You raise your eyebrows and feel saved when Evan shouts from a nearby couch. “Sit your drunk ass down Barty.” Barty complies without a single word of protest, his eyes suggestively looking at Evan now. “I’m afraid you missed him, pretty sure Regulus left for his dorm about half an hour ago.” Evan says and you quickly thank him rushing out to find Regulus.

You fling the door of Regulus’ room open to find him pacing around in his room. His tie was undone, shirt wrinkly and hair messy. There was a cauldron and a mess of ingredients surrounding it. As your eyes focus on whatever he was brewing, Regulus spots you and turns red. When you meet his eyes he spins around, away from you. “You! What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.” A stressed hand moves through his hair and you observe him carefully. “You alright?” You ask, closing the door behind you and taking a step towards him. “No! I’m not alright. I know what you did! You gave me that potion and now my mind’s running wild!” He turns around, but takes a step back to keep some distance between you two. For the past hour his mind and body had been craving you. He had done his best to keep himself in check and work on a cure rather than run to you, confessing his secret crush on you. You feel guilty, seeing him this distressed. 

“I’m so sorry, Regulus. James and I just didn’t think this one through at all, but you were being a bit of  a dick and we thought it was funny.” As you apologise and explain yourself, Regulus’ mind wanders. His eyes lustfully move over your figure, taking in every beautiful detail. He feels his whole body heat up and his member twitches in his pants. Her lips are so kissable. Fuck, I need her in my bed, underneath me. Or she could just hold me and kiss me. She’s wearing that perfume again. It’s killing me. I bet she tastes even better than she smells. - What the hell am I thinking? She’s just a stupid girl. - Merlin, I want her, need her. Damn potion. She’s the one. So fuckable. She would be such a sweet and beautiful mom to our children. “Regulus? Did you even hear a thing I said?” You snap your fingers in front of the dreamy slytherin.

“Just help me make a cure before I confess my feelings for you.” Regulus snaps, turning to the cauldron on the table. Your eyes widen and it takes a second before his eyes fill with horror. “Feelings?” You ask, feeling your cheeks heat up and your heart swell with joy. “It’s the potion talking.” Regulus quickly argues, but a cheeky smile tugs on your lips as you remember what he had told you just a few days earlier. “No, Reg, I clearly remember you telling me that the potion doesn’t induce any feelings of any sort.” 

“Shit.” Regulus curses, looking down. He had been so eager to have you confess your feelings and now it was blowing up in his face. “Well since I’ve already embarrassed myself today, I might as well do this while I'm still high on this potion.” He takes two big steps towards you and brings a hand to the back of your head, pulling you into an intensely deep and passionate kiss. He pulls away and takes a deep breath, calling up on all his self control to ignore you and focus on the potion. Meanwhile you’re still on cloud nine due to that amazing kiss. “Hey, twinkle eyes, you gonna help me or just stand there being beautiful and distracting me.” Though he was giving a compliment there was clear annoyance in his voice. He hated being so vulnerable and was still embarrassed about confessing. 

You eventually snap out of it and tell Regulus to take a seat on his bed and relax so you can work properly without his mess of hormones interfering. When you finally finish the potion he swallows it down eagerly. You watch him carefully to see if it worked. Regulus lets himself fall onto his bed again, relieved that the horny hunger inside of him had somewhat calmed down to a normal amount. However, now that the effects of the potion had worn out you were still on his mind, as always. He runs a hand over his face. “Fine. Laugh all you want.” Regulus finally says, throwing his arms wide in surrender and you chuckle at his dramatics, but you don’t laugh to Regulus’ surprise. Instead you move closer to him and straddle him. He’s confused for a second, but more than happy to welcome you on his lap. 

“You’re kinda hot when you’re all bothered like this.” You whisper as you comb through his hair with your fingers, making him smirk, satisfied to have you. He pulls you closer and pushes himself up so his lips brush yours. “I thought you weren’t into me?” Regulus whispers teasingly. “I lied.” You say with a cheeky smile and Regulus, squeeze your side making you yelp before kissing you lovingly. I knew it. 

Word count: 1728

[coldairballoons]

i've seen a lot of people saying that saltburn (2023) isn't a commentary on class, and genuinely, i have to disagree.

keep in mind, i watched this at 3am last night with my sibling, but i'm also a literature major with a focus in literary criticism of popular culture (including film), so i do know what i'm talking about!

spoilers below the break

first of all, framing saltburn as a conflict between the upper class and lower class is incorrect. in fact, that in itself is one of the major criticisms that comes up throughout it! oliver is quite literally not lower class, but uses the preconception that the cattons will view anyone in a lower social class than them as a tool to manipulate his way into their life. despite this, he is not lower class. and you are not meant to root for him, especially not towards the end.

the marxist theory of literary criticism surrounds the idea that in every story, one of the key concepts is a class struggle. this could be between any class, but the most common is the rich vs poor duality that shows up in most stories - ex. titanic, the fall of the house of usher. the thing is, in both of those examples, the sympathy lies with the victims - the lower class. in titanic, you are meant to feel guilty on behalf of the rich leaving the lower class to die. in usher, you are meant to feel anger towards the mistreatment of those who seek out the treatment the family offers. but while usher is a clear criticism of class, is that its main genre? is is purely a class struggle movie? no. it is a story inspired by edgar allan poe that surrounds horrors of family, trauma, and yes, class, but also morality. meanwhile titanic is supposedly a romance. though jack dawson is young and poor, he is not the only sympathetic character. what i'm saying here is that media is incredibly layered, and while on the surface level, something may not be entirely a class conflict story, those undertones exist throughout, no matter what. even take hit series percy jackson for example. there is still a class discussion to be had there, with percy and his mom struggling with finances, while annabeth and her father live comfortably.

but saltburn is interesting, because the antagonist throughout the entirety of it is, as far as the audience knows, lower class. you are introduced to him, not through judgement for his living condition, but through compassion and generosity. felix offers him a hand, even when he isn't in the same group as him. that in itself is a criticism of class dynamics.

listen. i hate rich people as much as the next gen-z college student. i personally have a hit list with many a billionaire's name right at the very top. but it's undeniable that, despite the class difference, the cattons - at least venitia and felix - are kind to oliver at first. obviously, he is a part of the other, but he is still a person. elspeth enjoys his presence. james treats him as a son. farleigh feels threatened by his presence, because he knows that, if they so choose, they could replace him with oliver.

i want to talk about farleigh for a second.

i literally have not seen anyone talk about farleigh, and i am upset about it. not only is he one of the most compelling characters - a supposed american slacker who lives with his extended family and blows their money on lavish means -, but he is important in the class discussion because it affects him directly. the cattons do not support his mother. she is in america, and although they have the ability to, they actively choose not to. the reason felix is bothered when farleigh implies that it is, in fact, a "race thing", is because it is. why is farleigh the one dependent on the cattons, and risking expulsion from the family? because he is the first other that they encounter.

and then pamela, who not only has sought help from the cattons, but disappears midway through with no explanation. she goes directly from rehab to them, and although she is trying to find a place to live on her own, the cattons offer her no assistance. they offer her nothing, and complain when she is in their space. they offer her NO help, when they so easily could set her up with a small flat and monthly allowance to help her find a job.

and not only is this a criticism of the upper class - the inactivity and extremely single-minded worldview that the cattons have, the amount that they are out of touch with not only the outside world and the lower class, but their own emotions -, it's also a criticism of the upper middle class.

as someone currently in college, whose parents are a college professor and a high school teacher, i am fairly middle class. however, there are so many people in my immediate vicinity - folks i know from high school, in my classes, extended family, etc., - who are Extremely upper middle class. however, they have the comfort of certain things that i, and my family, don't have. that's just part of life. however, in saltburn, oliver milks the "middle" in his "upper middle" class. he milks it, and he runs it absolutely dry.

someone truly in his alleged position would not be able to spend the summer lavishly and hedonistically gallivanting around the countryside of england, playing tennis and smoking cigarettes by the lake. hell, someone in my middle class position wouldn't be able to do that either, especially not while attending oxford fucking university. he would likely need to work, not just to support himself, but to support his mother, especially after - again, allegedly - his father died. and not only is this coming from a place of an oversight on his part, not realizing what his privilege truly is, but it also comes from a place of oversight on the part of the cattons.

do i think that saltburn is a movie about class? nope. at its core, it's a story about a desire for power and possession, ownership and obsession. there is this intense, almost vampiric lust throughout the entire thing, and that's in part what makes it the perfect setting for discussions of sexuality, of madness, and, honestly, class. wealth is power, and the cattons have a lot of it.

[ari-the-arotistic]

So I was thinking about pirates of the Caribbean, and each characters unique moral code and way of approaching life, as one does, when I remembered a particular scene about our beloved James Norrington... the very first scene in which Jack and James meet. Now, as a long time Sparrington shipper, I adore the Sparrington fandoms adopted head canon of Jack's compass pointing directly at Jack when James is holding it as having a romantic connotation too it, but this is Disney we're talking about, and a Disney from 20 years ago at that, so it is of course just a head canon. And while it is a beloved head canon, I will always be a writer before a shipper, and what that scene says about Norrington from a writer's perspective is far too juicy not to share... So buckle up for a very long meta post about who James Norrington is as a person, and how it was set up in this scene(and later reinforced in the second and third movie). This is my first real meta post, and I'm very excited for it, so let's jump right in.

First of all, the compass scene.

As we can clearly see in the image above, since the red line that points to the object of the holder's desires is no where to be seen, its relatively easy to conclude that it's hidden from our view by the sun dial in the middle, and thusly is pointing directly at Jack. Elizabeth is off to James's right, and no one is standing behind Jack, so unless the compass was pointing at something in the far off distance that just so happened to be in Jack's general direction(unlikely) its pretty clear what(or who) the compass is pointing at. For most potc fans, this is fairly standard knowledge. But it's what this fact says about Norrington's character that I'd like to focus on. After all, what does it say about a man that a compass that shows you what you desire most is pointing at a pirate, and the very face of piracy at that, instead of your canonical love interest, when you're a Commodore of the Navy? As stated above, Sparrington shippers often point at this scene as proof that James has a bit of a pash on the ruggedly handsome pirate, or at the very least, a thing for men. But from a writer's perspective, this just simply isn't the case, and not because the writer's in this instance are the notoriously homophobic corporation we call Disney. The reason why this is so unlikely from a writing perspective is because given the context clues, we as an audience are meant to draw the conclusion that this is the first time that they meet(I have heard rumors of them meeting as children in the books, but having never read them, and focusing only on the movies, I'm not including that in this post). And since this is the first time they've met, it's highly unlikely that the compass is pointing at Jack because James has a bit of a thing for him. Even if James has heard of Jack's many exploits, he does not truly know the man behind the legend, so having romantic feelings for the pirate at this point in time just isn't believable. And even if James was a closeted gay/bi man, it's still unlikely that the compass would be pointing at Jack of all the men around the Commodore(of which there is a lot, some of whom he is incredibly close with) seeing as Jack is the poster boy of piracy, and at this point in the movie it's made abundantly clear that James vehemently detests the notion and all who practice it. If James were to be holding the compass in Jack's vicinity in later movies and it still pointed at the pirate, an argument could definitely be made that it was because he had developed feelings for Jack, but for their first meeting, it's just not realistic. So it's much more likely that the reason the compass is pointing at Jack is because of James's desire to send every pirate he meets to "a quick drop and a sudden stop" as he so eloquently put it to a young Elizabeth. This is further reinforced in the third movie when it is revealed that Beckett's desire to have Jack dead at his feet would prevent him from using the compass to find Shipwreck Cove if the pirate was not already at the aforementioned location, or, well, dead. This is again, relatively common knowledge. But like I said before, it's what this fact says about James that is the whole point of this post... and that is that James cares more about his career than anything else, even the woman he claims to love. Now for some, that statement alone might seem like a pretty obvious conclusion, but it's how this scene subtlety sets up this core aspect of Norrington's character before we even truly get to know who he is, and how it's brought to it's full height in the second movie, and the core aspect of his redemption and subsequent death in the third that I'd really like to talk about. Which brings us to the next segment of this post...

How James lost his commission to the navy...

And how he got it back

So let's start off with how James lost his commission... it's a story we all know pretty well, and one he tells to Gibbs in the scene shown above, when he plans to either join Jack's crew or get revenge on the man that(he believes) ruined his life. After Jack's escape in the first movie, James grew obsessed with capturing the pirate, so much so that he foolishly followed the Black Pearl into a hurricane, resulting in the sinking of the Dauntless, and the loss of countless lives that had been aboard the vessel. It's unclear aside from James himself who had been on the ship at the time, and who did or did not survive, but the death toll was heavy, with most, if not everyone who wasn't James, having perished in the storm. While it is not the most extreme example(which we'll get too in just a bit), this is a pretty clear example of James prioritizing his career above everything else, even reason and logic. And all just to capture a singular pirate, even at the cost of his own ship and crew, and rather ironically, the very career that he had been so desperately trying to hold onto in the first place. Which brings us to the next scene I'd like to discuss... James stealing the heart of Davy Jones. This moment is the absolute peak of this part of James's character. This is the moment where James takes his obsessive need for his career to the max. This is the moment where James truly prioritizes his career above everything else, even the woman he claims to love(and for Sparrington shippers, above the man he's reluctantly come to care about). At this point in time, when James decides to take the heart for himself to regain his old station, he's been on the Black Pearl long enough to know the full situation. That Jack is in some kind of trouble with Davy Jones, and that if Jack doesn't use the heart to bargain for his freedom, then the Kraken will hunt Jack, and subsequently the Black Pearl, down until he and everyone aboard are dead. And that includes Elizabeth. And yet, despite knowing that stealing the heart would basically mean sealing Elizabeth's death, he still decided to do so. Sure, the argument could be made that he thought Elizabeth would be able to escape somehow, but the chances of her dying at sea, or some other terrible fate befalling her before she could safely make it back to civilization would have been highly likely. Of course we as an audience know that this isn't the case, but James does not. So essentially, James was so obsessed with his career, and maintaining the image of the honorable Commodore that he didn't even truly register that he was putting Elizabeth, the woman he loves and has been trying so desperately to woo for the past two movies, in danger. And he won't fully realize the consequences of his actions until the third movie, in a deleted scene no less(I swear when I find whoever decided to delete some of the most important scenes to James's character...), when Davy Jones informs Governor Swann of his daughters untimely demise on the Black Pearl. Of course, almost immediately afterwards, Beckett retcons that statement by informing the Governor that Elizabeth was recently seen in Singapore, but for a few minutes, James has to sit with the fact that Elizabeth was dead, and it was his fault. And even after learning that she was in fact still alive, James has now finally come to the realization that if she had still been on the Black Pearl when it sank with its Captain, he would've been the one to send her to her death. And for Sparrington shippers, James has to sit with the unavoidable fact that he was the reason Jack had died(even if the pirate does come back), despite the fact that it was Elizabeth's betrayal that was the final nail in Jack's coffin, since she wouldn't have had to do that if the Kraken wasn't after them in the first place. Which brings us to the final scene I'd like to discuss...

James choosing a side, and paying the price

Now, before we fully delve into this scene, I'd like to take a moment to talk about James's own perception of himself, and his relationship with honor and integrity. From the very first scene in which we meet James Norrington, we are made aware that he has a strong moral compass. He firmly believes piracy is evil, and that all who partake in piracy deserve a swift end. He perceives his Commodore persona as being the paragon of honor and integrity, and the sole arbiter of justice. We can infer from the line "By remembering that I serve others, Sparrow, not just myself" that James does have honorable intentions when ridding the world of pirates, that being protecting the innocent citizens under his care, but as seen once again in the first time James and Jack meet, wherein James adamantly tries to arrest Jack despite the fact the fact that pirate had just saved Elizabeth's life, his actions to achieve that goal are not always quite as honorable as his intentions are. This is especially highlighted once again when James gave Beckett the heart of Davy Jones. James's intentions here were once again rooted in honor and integrity - he believes that the only way to keep people safe from pirates is too return to his old station, to the image of honor and integrity he had built around the title of Commodore, and the only way to return to his old station is to give Beckett the heart. But the action itself was far from honorable, seeing as James had to betray the woman he loved just to obtain the heart, and that he was now putting it into the hands of a dangerously unstable individual who planned on using it to commit mass genocide.

And now, we finally get to the scene above... Of course, it's made clear throughout his scenes in the third movie leading up to this one that James is already starting to regret giving Beckett the heart after seeing the damage being caused, but since Beckett is targeting pirates specifically(although we as an audience know that Beckett's definition of pirate is very loose) James figures that the ends justify the means, as he often does in situations regarding piracy. It is not until his reunion with Elizabeth, where he learns that Governor Swann is dead, and that Beckett lied to him about the Governor's whereabouts, that James truly realizes the enormity of his mistake. It is in this moment that James has a sudden realization that fundamentally shakes him to his core, and is the reason behind his change of heart later on. He realizes that the honorable Commodore persona that he had tried to cultivate and keep a hold of for so long had never been truly honorable at all, and that by giving Beckett the heart of Davy Jones, he had effectively tied the noose around the neck of his own honor and integrity, as well as the necks of hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people, with his own hands. And as that one vine goes, this was the moment James knew, he fucked up. Which leads to his decision to change sides in an attempt to redeem himself, and his subsequent death in the process. Of course, part of James's reason for helping Elizabeth escape was that he does care for her, but given everything I've detailed about him so far, I think it's safe to say the main reason that James decided to help Elizabeth and her crew was because he wanted to undo the damage he had done, and he had faith that Elizabeth, Will, and Jack would have some sort of plan to defeat Beckett, and stop any further damage to come from his mistake. And now, for his death scene itself... As much as I love the idea of James surviving and joining the pirates(whether at Elizabeth's side or Jack's is unimportant), I firmly believe that his death was a necessary end of this part of his character arc, and that if he were to survive he would still have to go through a major ego death for this part of his character arc to end properly. Because as Bill turner drives that wooden pike into James's gut, it's not just the physical death of his body, but also the metaphorical death of Admiral James Norrington, and the ideals that James had used to build the persona out of. So even if James survived, the Admiral would still have to meet his metaphorical end, thusly causing James to lose a core part of himself that had been guiding most his decisions so far, in the process, which would start the next part of his character arc, where he would have to deal with the loss of a key part of his personality, and rebuild himself from the ground up to finally, truly become the image of honor and integrity he had envisioned from the beginning.

And that concludes this very long post. I could probably wax enough poetics about this aspect of James's character to write a short novel, but I've said everything important to this post, and if I go on any longer, I'm likely to start repeating myself lol. Thank you for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or a reblog! I will always love hearing more about our polished peacock <3

[werewolfenthusiast]

i think it’s funny when people claim that remus was the marauders moral compass or that he ever tried to stop them from doing anything (ik jkr herself says this but i think she’s stupid for that cause it contradicts what she has written) like you mean THAT remus ?? the guy who could win a gold medal in subtle manipulation, the guy who lies straight to snape’s face about the map knowing full well he knows who made it, and regularly goads and makes fun of him but in such a way that snape can’t really get mad because he’s not technically saying anything bad, the hypocrite who lies to himself and others in order to make himself feel better or in some instances (especially when it comes to james) to make others look better. he is a lying liar who lies and runs from his problems and is the most passive aggressive asshole you’ll ever meet. he was fully prepared to MURDER peter in front of some kids. he was absolutely NOT the marauders conscious and he absolutely encouraged all of their endeavours, he just didn’t like to get his hands dirty

[hypnostouched]

What im most thrown by in Dark Heir is that Eleanor carried Will. With everything in the first book, with her being so firm that he is not her son - that she actually birthed him is so interesting to me and I had to go look back at the first book. Will does wonder what him not being her son means, if she found him as an infant or went through a weird pregnancy to have him but.

I wonder if he is her son. In a blood sense; I wonder if Will is Sarcean reborn AND the Blood of the Lady.

His Dark powers are sealed within him, it takes magic to touch them and I wonder if this was intended by the rebirth or this is because he has the Lady within him, sealing his stronger abilities. James can't do anything else when he's focused on magic; so if the Lady's blood is focused on sealing the Dark then of course he wouldn't be able to use Her power to do anything else.

Eleanor was Blood of the Lady, and Will follows her words like law. She is his moral compass, and although he fails her, he is tormented and anguished by that failing. I wonder if that goes deeper than her just being his mother.

We know that the prophecy is supposed to end with the Blood of the Lady killing the Dark King but it feels incredibly unfair for that to fall on Elizabeth. Visander might count now but thats too obvious; The Queen's Champion, now wearing the body of the Blood of the Lady. Thats the obvious outcome, death by his hand.

No, I wonder if Will might kill himself. Blood of the Lady, killing the Dark King. I know Pacat lets anime influence his writing, and I'm considering Code Geass. Fix things, put it all on false shoulders and kill them.

[lazywonderlvnd]

happy birthday to harry james potter here’s some reasons why he always has been and always will be one of my favorite characters in all of fiction:

was treated like garbage his entire childhood and still has an inexhaustible capacity for love and forgiveness

u can talk shit abt him but if u talk shit abt his friends he’ll launch a brutal verbal tirade against u

god tier sense of humor. sarcasm level 100 never misses

bravest boy on earth??? this kid found out he had to DIE to get rid of some crazy ass evil dictator and literally walked stone cold to his own death to save everyone else??

let’s not forget he liked his lightning scar at first before he found out what it rly was :( he thought it was cool :(

unheard of emotional maturity for a teenager. instantly understood that ron was insecure abt being the youngest boy in his family and not having a lot of money and always tried to find ways to make him feel better abt it

had cute lil daydreams abt being the triwizard champion before he got forced into it for real

UNmatched bisexual energy, literally always sizing everyone up and declaring them attractive or monstrous, no in between

so so humble abt his talents and abilities yes but also SO arrogant abt his moral code. he said my moral compass is the correct one and i will follow that and ur rules and laws can truly eat my ass and honestly that’s so sexy of him

animals always like him 😔

literally BORN to wield power and not abuse it. boy destroyed the elder wand bc he liked his old one better

drinks his respect women juice every morning and every night before bed rmr when he got so righteously offended that hermione suggested he thought the prince couldn’t be a woman bc he didn’t think a woman could be that smart

also rmr when he choked out mundungus for stealing shit from grimmauld djebfjnwbfne

literally so stubborn that the imperius curse barely works on him lmaoooo

successfully used crucio to defend mcgonagall’s honor like?? ok king go off!!

just the best boy in the whole world. that’s all

[padfootastic]

This is so Sirius Black coded, I’m now choosing to make this a headcanon I have for him.

yoooo are u trying to get me beat up by a certain crowd 💀

(but like also—hard agree. it gives u so much more to play with if u picture him like that. all those things u love in villains except it’s sirius)

[in-flvx]

Sirius hates kreacher. But not as a pureblood wizard who hates non-humans. He recognizes kreacher as a person, with his own free will. That free will just happens to go against everything Sirius stands for as a person in the political landscape! And as a person who held power over him, as an extention of his own parents. Bc kreacher has been an adult, with the ability to use magic, for most, if not all, of the time Sirius lived at nr12 grimmault place. Yes, there is an inherent power imbalance between an heir and their servant/slave. But that doesn't matter when the heir in question is the abused child, and the slave is inflicting abuse on that child!

Just as he doesn't hate snape for being a half-blood. At the point of swm, snape has been thoroughly indoctrinated into the fascist mindset of his housemates. Hell, snape has been anti-muggle in his very childhood, when he attacks petunia, and tells lily that she's good despite being muggle-born.

Remus wouldn't be the exception for Sirius, because Sirius (is a person with a mind of his own, and a fucking strong one at that) already disagrees with his parents at the age of 11. It's not James who is the moral compass for Sirius, we have factual evidence that it's the other way around. Bc sirius is a rebel. But not for the looks of it (he doesn't give a shit lbr) but bc he empathizes deeply with everyone.

Do you think Remus 'I'll run at the first inconvenience' lupin would stay friends with someone so obviously prejudiced against him? Or that lily 'call me a slur in a moment of horrible distress and I'll drop you like a hot piece of shit' Evans would make out her and her sons life into his hands if it was otherwise?

Sirius spends so much time in ootp with placating Molly, and the other weasleys, bc he cares So much, and wants everyone to feel welcome and taken care of, even when he's feeling like shit. It's the first place he has ever broken out of, largely bc of the hostility and politics of his parents - he regularly spent Sunday lunches with the potters even after moving out as soon as he could.

Sirius spends so much time trying to not bother anyone with his own baggage, and stands up for what he believes in. And still manages to be welcoming and loving, even in his darkest hours.