#♤ ― in character answers. 「 inbox. 」

[tiderider1]

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇𝐒 ↳↳  received  from:  @gggno​ / uma

harry  wants  a  massage?  lay  down  on  his  stomach  and  let  uma  to  his  back.

the  first  mate  laughed  at  first,  a  confused  lint  to  the  sound  as  his  captain  ordered  him  onto  his  stomach.  he  didn’t  bother  to  question  it,  simply  cast  a  single  curious  glance  over  his  shoulder  before  he  obediently  lay  stomach  down.  he  turned  his  head,  if  only  so  that  he  could  watch  her  nestle  close  beside  him.  her  hands  pressed  against  his  back  and  harry  almost  shifted,  almost  put  his  weight  back  under  his  hands  to  rise  up,  to  turn  to  face  her,  to  touch  her  in  return,  but  uma  planted  the  palm  of  her  hands  flat  against  his  spine  and  held  him  there,  a  silent  order  to  remain  still  and  harry  complied.

          his  confusion  from  that  point  forward  was  doused  quickly  as  uma  gripped  his  shoulders  tightly,  massaging  fingers  into  the  tension  that  had  settled  between  the  muscles  and  harry  groaned  loudly.  he  couldn’t  see  her  face,  but  he  could  feel  her  smile  like  a  tangible  caress.  she  dug  her  thumb  into  a  knot  between  his  shoulder  blades  that  made  him  flinch  and  almost  curl  away,  and  she  only  dug  her  thumb  in  harder.  working  the  knot  out  while  harry  curled  his  hands  into  fists.  there  was  an  odd  sensation  of  both  deep  tissue  pain,  and  pleasure  as  uma  worked  her  way  from  his  shoulders  and  down  his  back,  inch  by  inch,  working  out  the  kinks,  the  pains,  and  the  tightness  that  he  didn’t  even  know  was  there.

          harry  made  a  sound  of  relief  when  something  clicked  under  the  weight  of  her  roaming  hands  and  his  whole  body  felt  due  to  melt  into  a  puddle  of  putty.

[tiderider1]

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇𝐒 ↳↳  received  from:  @gggno  /  uma

"  what's  my  name?  "  her  eyes  are  dark  as  night.  "  i  want  to  hear  you  say  it.  "

the  sound  that  passed  the  pirate’s  lips  in  that  moment  could  have  been  described  as  a  pur  if  not  for  the  sharp  edge  which  always  seemed  to  lay  behind  harry’s  lips  whenever  he  made  a  sound.  the  wicked  curve  of  his  lips,  the  spark  of  something  dark  and  rich  behind  his  eyes,  anyone  might  have  thought  it  all  to  be  a  warning,  but  she  would  recognize  the  adoration  better  than  anyone.  the  heaviness  of  his  lids  as  he  gazed  at  her,  the  hungry  way  his  mouth  seemed  to  water  just  at  the  idea  of  uttering  her  name  again.  the  weight  of  it  was  on  his  tongue  already,  the  giddy  feeling  in  the  pit  of  his  stomach  that  always  seemed  to  consume  him  whenever  she  demanded  to  hear  him  say  her  name  and  he  would,  over  and  over,  again  and  again,  for  as  long  as  she  wanted  it.

❝  uma,  ❞  the  way  that  her  name  left  his  lips  was  tangible.  a  caress  of  fingers  against  bare  skin,  a  tongue  sliding  against  the  seam  of  a  mouth,  a  heat  throbbing  and  barely  contained.  if  he  could  only  ever  say  one  word,  he  would  have  it  be  her  name,  if  he  could  only  ever  hear  one  word,  he  would  have  it  be  her  name,  if  he  could  only  ever  understand  one  word  and  one  word  only,  he  would  have  it  be  her  name.

harry  raised  his  hook,  that  transfixed,  mesmerized  look  on  his  face  never  once  wavering  as  he  stared  into  her  dark  eyes  and  hoped  to  drown,  brushing  the  curved  edge  over  uma’s  cheek  the  same  way  a  lover  might  caress  her  face,  ❝  uma,  ❞  this  time  deeper,  this  time  lower,  this  time  a  whisper  carried  between  them  like  a  secret.  he’d  be  ruthless  for  her,  merciful  for  her,  he’d  destroy  the  world,  he’d  save  the  world,  whatever  she  wanted  from  him,  he’d  give  it  all  but  for  now,  for  now  all  she  asked  for  was  her  name  and  he’d  give  it  to  her,  in  whatever  shape  or  form  he  could  think  of  and  every  time  he  did,  it  would  be  like  the  first  time,  like  the  last  time,  like  all  the  words  he  could  never  say  to  her  were  wrapped  up  inside  of  her  name.  ❝  uma  ...  ❞

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @heiresea

sleight  of  hand  tricks  are  simple,  when  used  to  subtly  take  something  for  oneself.  they  are  ...  less  simple  when  used  for  alternative  purposes.  but  uma  is  nothing  if  not  determined.  her  first  gift  cannot  be  slipped  onto  his  wrist  without  notice,  but  she  easily  presses  it  into  his  palm  as  she  passes  by,  no  break  to  the  haste  of  her  steps.  by  the  time  he  can  inspect  the  turquoise  &  scarlet  braided  bracelet,  she's  slipped  away,  knowing  he’s  likely  to  follow.  sidestepping  other  crew  members,  passing  open  rooms,  down  a  flight  of  stairs  into  the  depths  of  the  ship.  until,  that  is,  she  vanishes  down  a  hall.  the  game  of  chase  is  exciting,  but  she  has  a  purpose  to  this  &  he  has  a  treasure  to  find,  waiting  in  a  room  at  the  end  of  the  corridor.  laying  in  the  center  of  an  old,  worn  desk  is  a  wooden  box,  harry’s  name  engraved  neatly  on  the  lid.  inside  lay  a  pocket  watch,  carved  from  cherry  wood  &  hanging  from  a  long,  golden  chain.  its  craftsmanship  is  well  done,  but  lacking  in  perfection  -  some  sides  rougher  than  others,  the  carvings  surrounding  the  watch’s  face  a  complex  wreath  of  waves.  upon  opening  the  cover,  a  small,  folded  piece  of  paper  falls  out,  far  plainer  than  any  other  part  of  the  present.  “  happy  birthday,  hook.  –  uma.  ”

pickpocketing  was  an  essential  skill  on  the  isle,  a  trick  of  the  trade  for  any  self-respecting  isle  born  degenerate  that  they  had  all  been  sure  to  perfect  or  risk  starvation.  but  to  switch  out  with  something,  or  to  leave  something  behind  in  what  had  otherwise  been  empty,  not  that  took  a  masters  touch.

          the  first  gift  is  placed  within  the  palm  of  his  hand  as  she  passes  and  harry  doesn't  question  it,  doesn't  stop  to  hound  her  with  questions.  for  the  moment,  it  could  be  anything.  a  secret,  a  clue,  a  mark.  it's  only  when  harry  is  sure  he  has  no  prying  eyes  on  him  that  he  risks  inspecting  just  what  it  is  that  his  captain  has  slipped  into  his  hand  and  only  then  that  he  realizes  that  it  is  less  clue  and  more  gift.

          harry  studies  the  braided  bracelet,  turquoise  and  scarlet  woven  together  with  a  practiced  hand.  he  slips  it  onto  his  wrist  and  spins  to  give  chase,  a  wolfish  grin  barely  contained  as  he  weaves  his  way  through  the  crowd  after  her  turquoise  figure.  he  grows  more  eager,  more  excited  with  every  second  that  runs  by  that  he  doesn't  have  her  in  hsi  hands,  following  her  down  the  stairs  and  into  the  hull  of  the  ship  and  down  a  dark  corridor.  isntead  of  uma,  he  finds  a  wooden  box,  rough  and  sunkissed  with  age  and  wear  and  his  name  carved  on  the  lid.

          for  a  moment,  harry  only  inspects  the  room.  still  searching  for  his  captain  before  finally  he's  forced  to  relent  and  opens  the  box  to  find  a  second  present  and  a  note.  the  note  is  written  in  uma's  familiar  hand,  and  signed  with  her  signature  and  the  woods  from  there  are  easy  enough  to  decipher.  there's  a  lightness  to  the  way  his  stomach  knots  when  he  curls  his  fingers  around  the  pocket  watch.

          the  wood  is  warm  in  his  hand,  smooth  and  polished  with  a  water  resistent  finish.  it's  old,  and  used,  but  the  fine  craftsmanship  is  unmistakable.  he  drags  his  thumb  over  the  carved  waves,  rolling  the  watch  in  his  hand  as  he  listens  to  the  hand  marked  the  seconds  that  passed.  he  slips  it  into  his  pocket,  closes  the  box  lid  with  a  snap  and  his  grin  broadens.  the  chase  wasn't  over  yet,  it  wouldn't  be  over  until  he  had  her  in  his  hands,  until  he  could  kiss  his  thanks  into  her  mouth  and  be  sure  that  she  understood  it.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @devillain

He  finds  a  box  wrapped  in  news  print.  In  the  box  he  will  find  what  looks  to  be  just  wires.  There  are  two  notes,  one  is  a  set  of  instructions,  the  other  is  from  Carlos.  "Harry,  hope  you  enjoy  this  lock  pick  set  I  designed  for  your  hook,  it  wont  get  destroyed  if  you  use  it  while  on  your  hook  as  well.  If  you  need  help  attaching  it,  you  know  people  who  to  ask  if  you  can't  understand  the  instructions  ;)  -C"

whether  intentional  or  not,  a  box  wrapped  in  news  print  has  all  the  touches  of  an  isle  born  and  harry  wastes  little  time  in  ripping  into  the  paper  to  expose  what  lies  within.  for  a  moment  harry  only  frowns  at  what  he  finds,  picking  through  the  wires  and  grabbing  the  two  notes  expecting  it  to  be  some  kind  of  prank  until  he  recognizes  carlos'  familiar  scrawl  and  initial  signature.

          harry  takes  his  time  with  carlos'  notes,  first  the  one  titled  with  his  name  explaining  exactly  what  invention  carlos  had  taken  the  time  to  craft  for  him.  lockpicks  for  his  hook.  for  his  hook.  it  took  him  a  little  longer  to  read  both  notes  after  that,  too  excited  to  absorb  the  characters  properly  and  even  after  that,  while  picking  through  the  instructions  for  how  to  assemble  the  lockpicks,  harry  still  wasn't  entirely  sure  what  he  was  doing.

          rather  than  mess  up  either  carlos'  invention  or  his  hook,  he  boxed  the  gift  and  made  to  take  carlos  up  on  his  offer  to  put  it  together  himself.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :        @gggno

the  day  goes  by  as  usual,  almost  casual.  by  the  end  of  the  day,  harry  will  find  his  hook  somehow  different  —  a  burning  jewel  fixed  to  the  hilt,  silver  tentacle-like  holding  it  securely  in  place.  happy  birthday,  pirate  boy.  wherever  we  are,  this  love  goes  on.

it  wasn't  often  that  harry  let  his  hook  out  of  his  sight,  a  lesson  sorely  learned  years  before,  so  when  he  took  it  into  his  hand  as  afternoon  leaked  slowly  into  night,  the  weight  was  different.  still  balanced,  with  a  grip  fitted  to  his  hand  and  a  needle  sharp  point,  but  different  in  the  mould.  harry's  grey-blue  eyes  took  in  the  burned  jewel,  vibrant  and  dark,  and  the  silver  tentacle  embedded  and  holding  it  in  place.

          he  had  taken  the  hook  at  sixteen,  stolen  from  his  father  and  altered  for  his  own  use,  and  it  had  been  his  ever  since,  even  if  no  one  else  had  understood  it  but  now  ―  a  lump  of  emotion  swelled  inside  of  his  throat,  a  grin  tugging  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth  ―  now  it  really  was  his  own.

          harry  wasted  little  time  in  tracking  down  his  captain.  he  didn't  know  how  she  had  done  it,  didn't  know  what  it  had  cost,  but  it  had  uma's  subtle  and  commanding  fingerprints  all  over  it  and  when  he  found  her,  he  would  show  her  just  how  much  the  gift  meant  to  him.

[tiderider1]

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇𝐒 ↳↳  received  from:  anonymous

“  You  always  had  too  much  fire.  And  beauty.  ”

his  smile  curls  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  splitting  like  a  laceration,  as  wild  eyes  peer  back  at  his  solemn  accuser.  the  charge  was  not  unfamiliar,  though  it  had  never  been  said  to  him  so  poetically.  too  handsome  for  his  own  good,  too  angry,  graced  with  too  many  gifts,  vicious  like  a  wild  dog  (  better  to  be  put  down  ),  just  a  smile  or  a  kind  word  and  he  could  bring  them  to  their  knees,  but  he  can’t  or  he  doesn’t,  instead  he  burns  and  sets  anything  that  gets  too  close  alight.

        harry  wondered  vaguely  if  it  is  cruel  of  them  to  accuse  him  of  those  things.  how  can  someone  be  too  much  of  something?  but  he  doesn’t  care  enough  about  them  or  their  opinion  to  consider  it  clearly.  people  would  talk,  they  dressed  up  their  own  opinions  and  convinced  themselves  they  were  right  even  if  they  were  wrong.  he  knew  what  he  was.

        ❝  and  you’ve  never  had  enough  of  either,  ❞  harry  said  in  a  soft  drawl,  grin  widening  as  he  laughed,  he’d  scorch  the  earth  and  set  the  fields  ablaze  and  he  would  do  it  all  with  a  smile  on  his  face.

[tiderider1]

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇𝐒 ↳↳ received from: @loetise

happy  holidays,  harry!  here’s  a  baby  cactus!!  it’s  for  you  <3  lots  and  lots  of  love  forever,  allie🌵💕

the  pirate  would  be  the  first  to  admit  that  he  knew  very  little  about  plant  life  before  he  had  met  allie.  short  of  recognizing  which  plants  were  poisonous,  and  which  ones  could  be  used  for  food  or  for  one  of  noelani’s  medicinal  remedies,  harry  had  left  the  plant  life  of  both  the  isle  and  auradon  alone.  however,  it  was  a  difficult  thing  to  listen  to  allie’s  genuine  excitement,  enthusiasm  and  love  for  plant  life  without  at  least  developing  some  form  of  appreciation  for  them.

          harry’s  grin  was  slightly  twisted  with  both  amusement  and  something  softer,  a  fondness  and  admiration,  that  allie  thought  of  him  as  someone  that  deserved  something  as  precious  to  allie  as  a  succulent,  even  a  spikey  one.  harry  held  the  small  pot  up  in  his  hand,  inspecting  the  sharp  needles  that  protruded  from  its  bulbous  green  body.

          ❝  you’re  going  to  have  to  tell  me  how  to  keep  it  alive,  ❞  harry  said,  a  single  brow  raising  as  he  met  the  fairy  girl’s  eye,  ❝  what’s  it  called?  ❞

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @rosewiltd

A  little  known  fact  about  Corinne  is  that  she  writes  music.  Composes  songs  for  the  piano.  It's  a  talent  she  seldom  shares,  but  it  feels  right  somehow  to  share  it  with  Harry,  who'd  shared  his  own  secret  talent  for  drawing  with  her.  She'd  spent  several  weeks  writing,  composing,  getting  the  notes  absolutely  perfect  so  that,  by  the  time  his  birthday  rolled  around,  the  execution  would  be  flawless.

When  he  arrives  at  her  home,  she  quickly  ushers  him  inside  and  beckons  him  to  sit  with  her  at  the  grand  piano.  "Don't  laugh,  okay,  but  I  wrote  this  for  you.  I  thought...  well,  I  thought  every  good  pirate  deserves  a  nice  theme  song."  Then,  she  plays.  Soft  and  mellow  at  first,  like  the  waves  of  the  ocean  lapping  at  the  shore  before  it  builds  into  something  wild  and  frenzied,  like  the  man  himself.  Her  fingers  fly  across  the  keys  for  several  minutes  before  the  tempo  slows  down  once  more  and,  finally,  comes  to  a  stop.

"I  have  one  more  thing  for  you,  too,"  she  says,  smiling  as  she  grabs  the  simple  wrapped  square  sitting  atop  the  piano.  Underneath  the  pretty  wrapping  paper,  he'll  find  two  CDs.  One  is  the  song  she  just  played  him,  and  the  second  is  a  recording  of  her  reading  a  book  he'd  shown  an  interest  in  from  her  collection.  As  a  final  touch,  several  forget-me-nots  are  dried  and  pressed  against  pretty  scrapbook  paper  which  is  slipped  into  the  disc  case  as  a  cover.  "Happy  birthday,  Harry."

on  the  isle  music  had  been  one  of  the  singular  unifying  forces.  where  birthplace,  history,  and  religion  failed,  music  prevailed.  lullabies  sung  in  soft  whispers  like  secrets  between  singer  and  listener,  loud,  crashing  sonnets  belted  out  in  the  streets  just  to  fill  the  noise,  the  voice  of  a  crowd  as  they  all  chant  the  same  lyrics  in  the  same  tune,  serenades  disguised  as  teases  sung  with  a  table  between  them.  whatever  form  or  shape  music  had,  it  seemed  always  present  regardless  of  where  they  were  from.

          so  when  corinne  ushered  him  to  the  piano,  harry  didn't  question  it.  the  instrument  had  seemed  lonely  whenever  he  had  passed  it  before  and  corinne  had  certainly  had  the  touch  of  pianist  and  yet  when  she  admitted  to  composing  him  something  (  unique,  different,  all  his  own  ),  harry  startled.  he  sat  with  his  hands  curled  into  the  edge  of  the  seat  as  he  listened  to  what  corinne  created.  the  soft  and  mellow  introduction  that  built  and  built  and  built  until  his  blood  sang  to  life  and  he  felt  moments  from  bursting  and  she  held  him,  the  air,  the  world,  there,  trapped  in  the  wild  for  so  long  his  heart  felt  like  it  might  slam  right  out  of  his  chest  before  slowly  the  tempo  glided  to  a  the  familiar  softness  that  had  begun  it  before  ending.  ❝  that's  more  than  a  theme  song,  cor,  ❞  harry  said  with  a  somewhat  breathless  laugh.

          he  reached  out  then,  hand  on  her  shoulders,  brushing  thick  hair  aside  so  he  could  trace  his  fingers  over  the  back  of  her  neck  while  he  watched  her  grab  something  from  the  top  of  the  piano.  he  took  the  second  gift  in  his  spare  hand,  unwilling  for  the  moment  to  stop  touching  her.  taking  the  wrapping  apart  one  handed  was  easy  enough  and  eventually  he  was  presented  with  two  CD's.  harry  listened  as  corinne  told  him  what  was  on  each  and  when  he  met  her  eye,  his  expression  was  soft  and  his  gaze  warm  as  he  leaned  forward  pressed  a  kiss  to  the  corner  of  her  mouth.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @bloomrots

She  wakes  from  her  slumber  softly  and  immediately  reaches  beneath  the  bed  for  the  box  she  had  placed  there  the  night  before.  Inside  it  contains  a  beautiful  ornate  dagger,  the  hilt  made  of  two  serpents  intertwining  with  each  other,  fangs  bared.  Embedded  in  the  centre  of  the  hilt  is  a  ruby.  She  shuffled  until  she  can  reach  his  face,  and  she  leans  in  to  leave  gentle  kisses  along  the  underside  of  his  jaw  bone  to  rouse  him  from  his  slumber.  “Wakey-wakey,  birthday  boy.  I  have  something  for  you.”

as  always,  he's  quick  to  wake  yet  still  he  hovers  somewhere  between  wakefulness  and  sleep  as  he  feels  nina  shift  on  the  bed  beside  him.  instinct  more  than  conscious  thought  assuring  him  that  nothing  was  wrong  and  so  he  lingers  in  that  lazy  consciousness  until  he  feels  her  lips  against  his  skin  and  he  hums.

          a  slow,  deep  sound,  content  in  the  comfort  of  his  bed  as  he  curls  his  arms  around  his  girl  and  pulls  her  closer  so  she  was  practically  lying  on  top  of  him.  ❝  mm  ...  is  it  soft  and  warm  like  you?  ❞  harry  asks,  voice  thick  with  the  remnants  of  his  slumber  as  he  tucks  his  hands  up  the  back  of  her  shirt  and  presses  his  palms  flat  against  her  back.  only  then  down  harry  actually  open  his  eyes  against  the  early  morning  light  to  stare  up  at  her.

          ❝  what  do  you  have  for  me?  ❞

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @arthurjr

There  is  a  box  wrapped  in  red  paper,  tied  with  golden  ribbon.  Upon  opening  it  Harry  will  find  a  vial  with  what  looks  like  silver  hairs  inside,  and  bottle  with  what  looks  fire  inside.  There  is  a  note  in  the  box  "Harry,  I  want  to  wish  you  a  happy  birthday.  The  vile  has  unicorn  hair  in  it,  it  has  magical  properties,  if  you  can  find  a  way  to  combine  it  with  something  and  you  use  that  you  will  be  lucky.  The  bottle  is  of  dragon's  breath,  good  for  one  use,  but  be  warned,  its  far  more  than  it  looks.  It  will  incinerate  anything  you  poor  it  on.  I  hope  you  find  them  useful.  -Art"

only  once  harry  had  torn  the  wrapping  and  ribbon  from  the  box  did  he  find  himself  glad  that  he  hadn't  given  the  box  an  experimental  shake  upon  receiving  it  from  his  quartermaster.  staring  at  the  contents  with  a  curiously  raised  brow,  harry  inspected  the  note  carefully,  recognizing  art's  usual  handwriting  and  signature  well  enough,  he  made  the  painstaking  effort  to  piece  together  the  message.  as  he  read,  harry  couldn't  help  but  huff  a  sound  of  amusement  at  how  formally  art  sounded  even  in  letters  as  he  inspected  the  gifts.

          first  the  vial  of  unicorn  hair,  no  doubt  from  wynn,  not  only  was  it  incredibly  valuable  (  he  knew  more  than  a  few  witches  that  would  kill  to  get  their  hands  on  the  hair  strands  )  and  incredibly  useful.  morven  would  be  able  to  use  it  for  something  grand  he  was  sure.  next  was  the  bottled  flame.  it  danced  inside  of  its  prison,  creating  shadows  and  flickers  of  light  that  harry  could  have  stared  at  for  hours.  whatever  the  bottle  was  made  of,  it  was  cool  to  the  touch  but  harry  had  no  doubt  that  it  would  burn  as  brightly  and  as  violently  as  art  warned  that  it  would.

          harry  tucked  the  box  away  in  the  vault  under  his  desk.  he  was  overdue  for  a  visit  to  camelot.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳    sent  from  :    @nolacharm

Harry  finds  a  golden  spy  glass,  there  is  a  gold  engraving  on  it  with  the  words,  "Land  is  closer  than  you  think",  with  a  pink  envelope  attached.  The  letter  in  the  envelope  reads,  "I  heard  it  was  your  birthday,  mama  was  given  this  when  she  went  through  a  pirate  lovin'  phase,  I  know.  She  gave  it  to  me  when  I  was  little.  I  thought  you  could  use  it  more  than  me."  Upon  inspection  the  spyglass  is  enchanted  though  Charlie  wouldn't  know.  It  will  show  its  user  how  far  away  land  is  in  any  given  direction  when  looked  through.

the  pink  envelope  is  evidence  enough  of  who  the  gifter  is  but  harry  finds  himself  startled  by  the  golden  spyglass  that  accompanies  it.  it's  a  beautiful  piece,  lightweight,  compact  with  a  protective  frame  around  the  lenses.  it  was  a  better  make  than  anything  harry  had  seen  or  found  on  the  isle,  with  little  to  no  sign  of  damage  save  for  a  phrase  engraved  in  sloping  handwriting.  he  ran  his  fingers  over  each  letter,  brows  furrowed  as  he  pieced  together  the  meaning  one  word  at  a  time.

          only  then  did  he  take  hold  of  the  letter,  beginning  his  slow  deciphering  of  charlie's  message.  it  was  slow  work,  he  was  still  getting  used  to  reading,  but  with  every  word  and  every  sentence  that  he  understood  he  felt  not  only  encouraged  by  his  own  efforts,  but  touched  by  charlie's  thoughtfulness.  knowing  how  close  charlie  was  with  his  mother,  that  he  was  willing  to  part  with  something  she  had  given  to  him  spoke  volumes.

          harry  would  test  the  spyglass  as  he  and  the  crew  sailed  across  from  the  isle  and  to  auradon  and  discover  the  enchantment  as  he  peered  through  the  eye  for  the  first  time.  he  figured  charlie  wouldn't  object  to  another  impromtu  visit,  eager  to  pull  charlie  onto  the  ship  to  thank  him  properly.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :        @calithal

no  matter  what  cj  says  or  does,  she  really  does  care  about  her  siblings.  most  times,  she  wants  to  do  whatever  she  can  to  make  them  happy,  birthdays  included.  people  like  them  always  acted  like  birthdays  were  something  so  unimportant  when  it  came  down  to  their  special  day.  but  cj  knew  better.  or,  she  just  didn't  care.  therefore,  harry  is  presented  with-  at  an  ungodly  hour  of  the  morning,  but  still-  a  worn  turquoise  covered  book,  spine  bound  with  twine  and  filled  with  yellowed  pages.  no  words,  no  pictures,  just  blank  pages  to  use  however  he  desired.  the  sketchbook  is  tossed  on  his  chest  as  she  jumps  onto  his  bed.  a  rude  awakening,  she  knows.  but  she's  his  sister,  he  shouldn't  expect  her  to  be  gentle.  "  happy  birthday,  fucker.  "

cj's  always  been  good  at  sneaking  into  places.  there  were  times  when  she  could  walk  and  move  without  making  any  sound  at  all,  which  given  cj's  usual  M.O  of  being  as  loud  as  humanly  possible,  was  an  impressive  feat.  it  wasn't  so  much  that  harry  had  heard  her  make  her  way  into  his  quarters,  as  he  got  the  uncomfortable  feeling  of  no  longer  being  the  only  person  in  the  room.  he  was  half-way  between  sleeping  and  waking  when  he  felt  something  hit  his  chest.

          harry  jumped  with  a  grunt,  digits  curling  around  the  knife  stashed  between  his  bedframe  and  his  mattress  before  he  recognized  cj's  voice  and  made  a  loud  groaning  sound  as  he  rolled  onto  his  back  and  blinked  at  her.  ❝  aye,  it's  my  birthday,  which  means  i'm  s'pose  to  sleep  in  ―  ❞  harry  grumbled.

          he  grabbed  the  book  she  had  dumped  onto  him,  feeling  over  the  spine  bound  book  and  the  rough  twine  as  he  rubbed  sleep  from  his  eyes.  he  was  still  learning  how  to  read  but  as  he  flipped  through  the  pages  he  realized  the  real  prize  of  just  what  she  had  given  to  him.  the  corners  of  his  mouth  twitched  into  a  smile  and  for  a  moment  he  just  lay  there  ―  then  he  shoved  a  foot  into  her  leg  and  kicked  her  off  his  bed.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :        @loetise

in  one  hand,  a  handful  of  scarlet  flame  passionflowers  in  a  slim  glass  bottle,  a  thread,  matching  the  flowers  in  color,  tied  around  the  bottle  and  had  been  also  threaded  through  a  small,  silvery  shark  tooth  charm  so  it  made  a  tiny  chime  sound  as  it  clinked  against  the  bottle  when  she  moved,  towards  him.  in  the  other,  a  raspberry-lemon  tart  is  held  in  a  white  handkerchief  with  an  embroidered  dark  red  poppy  in  the  corner  of  it.  "  happy  birthday,  harry!  i  know  how  you  feel  about,  like,  sweet  stuff?  so  i  thought  a  tart  might  be  better  instead  of  a  birthday  cake!  "

gifts  were  always  unexpected  things.  before  the  barrier's  fall  they  always  came  with  some  kind  of  expectation,  sometimes  rewards,  sometimes  bribes,  sometimes  things  concealed  as  favors,  but  rarely  were  they  ever  given  without  strings  attached.  the  perception  had  changed  since  then,  especially  when  it  was  allie  that  was  giving  them.

          harry's  grin  was  softer  than  usual  when  steel  blue  eyes  took  in  the  presentation,  every  part  of  it  unmistakeably  allie  but  the  touches  of  him  didn't  go  unnoticed.  the  crimson  reds,  the  sharp  shark  tooth,  and  the  lemon  tart.

          ❝  you're  going  to  have  to  tell  me  how  to  water  it,  you  know?  ❞  harry  said  as  he  took  the  flower  and  the  bottle,  the  charm  clinking  as  he  did.  he  leaned  forward  and  pressed  a  kiss  to  allie's  forehead  before  nudging  his  nose  against  hers,  ❝  split  the  tart  with  me.  ❞

[tiderider1]

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇𝐒 ↳↳  received  from:  anonymous

How  does  it  feel  to  know  that  Jay  is  essentially  a  better  thief  than  you,  Harry?

❝  i  don’t  know,  ❞  harry  said,  the  corners  of  his  mouth  tugged  into  an  easy  smile  that  was  all  teeth.  There  were  few  things  that  could  burrow  beneath  the  pirates  skin,  insults  and  threats  came  easily  to  people  on  the  isle  and  he  had  learned  early  on  which  were  truly  dangerous.  But  ever  since  his  father  had  extended  an  invitation  to  jafar’s  son  to  become  a  part  of  the  jolly  roger  crew,  an  invitation  that  harry  himself  had  never  received,  jay  had  become  an  exposed  nerve  that  when  plucked  erased  his  sense.

          ❝  how’s  it  feel  to  have  all  your  fingers  broken  at  the  same  time?  ❞  he  lashed  out  before  anyone  around  him  could  think  to  stop  him.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @spheirrow

Given  Harry  is  a  light  sleeper,  it  is  a  feat  in  and  of  itself  not  to  wake  him  when  she  gets  up  that  morning.  She'd  thought  long  and  hard  about  what  to  get  him  for  his  birthday  and  eventually  she  came  to  the  conclusion  that  rather  than  get  him  a  material  gift,  she'd  pamper  him  in  other  ways.

Jaq  has  every  intention  of  letting  him  sleep  as  long  as  possible.  He  deserves  it.  It  is  going  to  be  a  day  of  relaxation  -  no  work,  no  errands,  no  interruptions.  An  entire  day  purely  about  him.  First  on  the  agenda,  though,  is  breakfast.  Jaq  creeps  into  the  kitchen  of  their  little  home  and  quickly  gets  to  work.  She's  sure  the  smell  of  fresh  bacon  and  eggs,  something  that  had  once  been  a  luxury  on  the  isle,  will  wake  him.  And  afterwards,  she'll  treat  him  to  a  back  massage.

The  rest  of  the  day  is  unplanned  and  open  -  she's  made  sure  that  his  crew  won't  bother  him  about  work  needing  to  be  done  -  so  that  Harry  has  no  choice  but  to  take  this  day  to  relax  and  decompress.  Happy  birthday,  love.

she  had  gotten  better  at  not  waking  him,  or  perhaps  harry  had  simply  grown  used  to  the  way  that  jaq  would  move  in  the  mornings  that  he  no  longer  felt  the  need  to  wake  at  the  slightest  shift  of  her  weight.  either  way,  harry  did  not  rise  when  jaq  vacated  their  bed  for  the  kitchen,  instead  he  only  rose  when  the  smell  of  bacon  and  eggs  filled  the  small  dockside  hut.  the  smell  rousing  his  stomach  and  his  hunger,  and  by  extension,  harry.

          harry  reached  an  arm  out  lazily,  subconsciously  reaching  for  his  girl  before  the  rest  of  his  brain  was  awake  enough  to  realize  what  was  happening.  it's  only  when  he  finds  the  otherside  of  the  bed  empty  that  harry  actually  opens  his  eyes,  letting  himself  adjust  to  the  mid-morning  light  before  he  climbed  out  of  bed  to  join  jaq  in  the  kitchen.

          harry  leaned  against  the  doorway,  not  bothering  to  get  dressed  proprerly  as  he  watched  jaq  flip  a  fresh  batch  of  bacon  on  the  frying  pan  in  her  hands.  eventually,  harry  would  move  forward  to  wrap  his  arms  around  her  waist,  curling  over  her  shoulder  to  press  a  kiss  to  the  curve  of  her  neck.

          between  breakfast  and  jaq's  thorough  back  massage,  harry  realizes  that  whatever  plans  or  errands  he  had  intended  to  get  done  that  day  would  have  to  wait,  not  that  he  minded  spending  the  day  with  his  girl,  intent  to  reciprocate  every  act.

[tiderider1]

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘  𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ↳↳  sent  from  :    @sunshiner / aklla

She  makes  her  presence  known  with  the  tap  of  heels  echoing  against  floorboard.  Dark  eyes  fix  on  the  pirate  among  his  men,  and  with  ease  she  sidles  up  behind  him.  Uncharacteristically  friendly,  she  loosely  hangs  an  arm  around  his  waist  as  means  of  a  distraction  while  her  free  hand  tucks  a  glass  vial  into  his  back  pocket.  The  alchemist  doesn’t  often  make  potions  for  recreational  use,  but  for  Harry  she  makes  an  exception.  Aklla’s  chin  briefly  rests  on  his  shoulder  for  long  enough  to  speak  under  her  breath,  “Use  it  sparingly.”  The  closest  she’ll  get  to  a  happy  birthday.

there's  no  one  quite  like  aklla,  not  on  the  isle  and  not  in  auradon,  the  announcement  of  her  presence  in  the  loud  tap  of  her  heels  against  the  dry  wood  of  the  habour  docks.  she  slips  amoung  the  pirates  like  some  kind  of  purple  shadow,  perhaps  her  innocent  face  and  her  big  eyes  and  small  stature  enough  to  lull  the  pirates  into  a  false  sense  of  security.

          harry  knows  better,  but  he  still  lets  her  wind  her  arms  around  his  waist  all  the  same.  he  doens't  even  look  at  her  as  he  slings  his  own  arm  around  her  shoulders,  taking  note  of  the  way  her  free  hand  slips  something  into  his  pocket.  harry  leans  down  slightly  as  she  leans  in  to  speak  into  his  ear  and  as  she  speaks,  harry's  grin  becomes  wide  and  wolfish.

          ❝  you  always  bring  me  the  best  things,  ❞  harry  commended,  ❝  you  don't  mind  if  i  share  it  around,  do  you?  this  whole  place  could  do  with  lightening  up  a  bit.  ❞