(Spoilers for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End)
Eventually, she comes to treat the blue box's arrival as a rather ordinary thing. Will comes to her on a ship of enslaved souls, in a flash of green light; the light from the box as it blinks into existence is a pure blinding white, with a curious, sideswept wind. Not so different, really.
Elizabeth thinks the woman inside the blue box looks as human as any other, watching as she first alights from the box, dark hair loose and free in the wind. Later, with Elizabeth's hand pressed to the woman's breast, her heartbeats tell a different story.
"Ribos, Zanak, Earth, Tara, Delta Magna," Romana recites, the words a battle cry that rouses Elizabeth's blood, settled from such long stretches tied to the soil, the sea water that had seeped into her veins slowly drained away. There is a quest: there is an ancient treasure to be found, and Elizabeth is not too old, or too wise, to avoid being swept up in the excitement.
They visit worlds of such strangeness and amazement; of giant monsters and blood red skies, in the blue box that, like Will's heart, is bigger inside than out. Through it all, the adventure and danger and occasional swashbuckling, Romana always holds Elizabeth's hand tight; and when they curl up together, all lips and teeth and fingers, Elizabeth does not feel any shame, or regret.
The world, the universe, as Romana says over and over again, is bigger than anyone can imagine, and there is room in Elizabeth's world for as many mysteries as she can fold over on top of each other, wedged up in her heart that seems to be growing day-by-day.
The blue box blinks into existence like clockwork, every year, at the cliff, facing the endless sea. Elizabeth grows older; Romana does not, or at least, it does not show on her face, her hands, the skin behind her knees or around each pale breast. Romana takes Elizabeth's hands in hers on the ninth year, the year before Will comes back for that one beautiful and terrible night.
"Ribos, Zanak, Earth," she says; Elizabeth knows, and mouths the last two, reciting them by heart. Romana shakes her head.
"Atrios," she says, and her eyes are a conflicting storm of sadness and pure, bone-deep excitement.
Elizabeth takes one hand, puts it on Romana's breast again, feeling the double staccato beat. She wonders when her life became so strange; she wonders what she ever saw in an ordinary life.
"I'm back on course," Romana explains, which explains nothing at all, but Elizabeth understands. She kisses Romana deeply, and stardust lingers on her tongue for days after the box is gone.
The next year, the box doesn't return; she stands on the cliff, hair blowing loose and free in the wind, sees the flash of green light. She wonders if, wherever Romana is, the other woman can hear her heart beating, big enough to love the whole world.
Romana I/Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Eventually, she comes to treat the blue box's arrival as a rather ordinary thing. Will comes to her on a ship of enslaved souls, in a flash of green light; the light from the box as it blinks into existence is a pure blinding white, with a curious, sideswept wind. Not so different, really.
Elizabeth thinks the woman inside the blue box looks as human as any other, watching as she first alights from the box, dark hair loose and free in the wind. Later, with Elizabeth's hand pressed to the woman's breast, her heartbeats tell a different story.
"Ribos, Zanak, Earth, Tara, Delta Magna," Romana recites, the words a battle cry that rouses Elizabeth's blood, settled from such long stretches tied to the soil, the sea water that had seeped into her veins slowly drained away. There is a quest: there is an ancient treasure to be found, and Elizabeth is not too old, or too wise, to avoid being swept up in the excitement.
They visit worlds of such strangeness and amazement; of giant monsters and blood red skies, in the blue box that, like Will's heart, is bigger inside than out. Through it all, the adventure and danger and occasional swashbuckling, Romana always holds Elizabeth's hand tight; and when they curl up together, all lips and teeth and fingers, Elizabeth does not feel any shame, or regret.
The world, the universe, as Romana says over and over again, is bigger than anyone can imagine, and there is room in Elizabeth's world for as many mysteries as she can fold over on top of each other, wedged up in her heart that seems to be growing day-by-day.
The blue box blinks into existence like clockwork, every year, at the cliff, facing the endless sea. Elizabeth grows older; Romana does not, or at least, it does not show on her face, her hands, the skin behind her knees or around each pale breast. Romana takes Elizabeth's hands in hers on the ninth year, the year before Will comes back for that one beautiful and terrible night.
"Ribos, Zanak, Earth," she says; Elizabeth knows, and mouths the last two, reciting them by heart. Romana shakes her head.
"Atrios," she says, and her eyes are a conflicting storm of sadness and pure, bone-deep excitement.
Elizabeth takes one hand, puts it on Romana's breast again, feeling the double staccato beat. She wonders when her life became so strange; she wonders what she ever saw in an ordinary life.
"I'm back on course," Romana explains, which explains nothing at all, but Elizabeth understands. She kisses Romana deeply, and stardust lingers on her tongue for days after the box is gone.
The next year, the box doesn't return; she stands on the cliff, hair blowing loose and free in the wind, sees the flash of green light. She wonders if, wherever Romana is, the other woman can hear her heart beating, big enough to love the whole world.
Prompts: Steven/Katarina, Astrid/Katarina, Eighth Doctor/Harry Sullivan