#I dunno if this is what he would’ve looked like in the pirate land place?

[harbinger-of-chaossss]

‼️ANNOUNCEMENT‼️

I NEED EVERYONE TO LOOK AT HOW FUCKING DAPPER HE IS

[reikhafaara]

day 3 - scale

Day 3 - Scale

Tags: Reikh’a/Me’wo (background), Reikh’a & Katah, Canon-Verse, Father-Daughter Bonding, Fishing Trips, Implied/Referenced Mpreg

Recommended listening: https://open.spotify.com/track/35n4H6ezFyY4DBumwK2X1h?si=fa54451b037549fe

Today was finally the day.

After begging and pleading and begging some more, Katah had finally convinced her father to take them out on a fishing trip. It was the first one of the summer. He'd been hesitant about it because of the cooler weather that had stuck around, but today was perfect. Warm and sunny, the waves perfectly calm.

Katah bounced up to her father's side as he was checking over their bags for the dozenth time that morning. She peered into the bag around his arm, spying a bundle of sandwiches and cookies that her mother had definitely packed them.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked, tugging on her father's tail impatiently. "We've been getting ready for hours."

Reikh'a turned around to look down at her with a warm smile. "Just one more thing and then we'll head out. Promise."

Katah rolled her eyes as she watched her father slip back into the kitchen where her mother was tending to her baby brother. Her parents were so gross, she thought, turning away as her father took her mother into his arms and gave him a chaste kiss. Adults were so gross.

Before she could start calling for her father once more, Reikh'a returned to the doorway, a bright smile wide on his face. In his hands he had a small pink scarf.

"Me'wo said you have to wear this in case it gets too cold," he said. Katah glanced at it, then around her father's arm to where her mother stood in the kitchen. He gave her a small, soft smile and a tiny wave.

Katah grabbed the scarf, looping it around her neck once. "Okay, I'm good now. Can we go? Please?"

Reikh'a laughed. "Alright, alright. Let's go."

Before her father could grab the bag of their fishing gear and packed lunches, Katah bent down and threw it over her shoulder, hauling the entire thing up with ease. She knew her father could carry it, too, but he'd be so slow about it, and they'd already wasted half of the morning. Wasn't fishing supposed to be best in the morning?

Without waiting for her father, Katah darted out of the door, near sprinting to the chocobo that was stabled near the gated entrance to their property.

"G'mornin Boco," she said, greeting the bird with a few pats on it's feathered neck. It kwehed at her gently as she fixed their gear onto it's saddle, nudging her arm with its beak until she relented to fishing a gysahl green out of the feeding box nearby.

By the time she'd fed the bird it's first snack, her father had finally caught up. She spun at him, tail arching into the air and ears flat in her annoyance.

"You're so slow today!" she said, marching up to him to grab his arm. "Come ooon, we're going to miss all the fish!"

Her father laughed as she hauled him through the stable. She would've drug him onto the chocobo herself if he didn't pick her up first, scooping her into his warm arms and squeezing her against his chest before sitting her up on Boco's back. 

"Where did you even get all of this energy," her father grumbled as he led Boco out of his stable and into their yard. Katah grinned.

"Dunno," she said idly. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Boco's neck, trilling happily in response to the chocobo’s coo of pleasure. It liked going out for a ride as much as Katah did, she just knew it.

"Definitely not from me," Reikh'a said.

He walked away from them to unlatch the gate before returning to the chocobo's side and swinging up into the saddle behind Katah. "Ready to go, kitkat?"

"I was ready hours ago!" she said, and her father laughed and gently clicked his tongue at their bird, urging it forward into a steady trot.

Katah loved going on rides with Boco and her father. The place that they've come to call home was peaceful and full of wildlife. Trees as far as the eye could see, lush and vibrant green. Delicate wildflowers growing between their trunks in a kaleidoscope of hues. Birds scattered as they rode on toward the sea, chirping as they took off into the air around them.

Katah leaned back against her father's chest and watched it all, taking it in with rapt attention. The morning was probably her favorite time--the sun was so bright it lit up the trees, chasing away the shadows and bringing out the beauty of the forest around them. 

Before long, the scent of salt and the sea began to reach Katah's nose. She wiggled intently in her father's grip, stretching up around Boco's neck to try to see the shoreline she knew was steadily approaching. 

They stepped out of the forest onto a sandy shore a moment later. Boco slowed to a steady pace, automatically guiding them toward the wooden fencepost where they would tie up the reins while they fished. 

Katah scrambled out of her father's grip before the bird had even stopped moving, wriggling free of his arm and managing, just barely, to land on her feet upon the sand. She beamed up at him.

"Katah, what did I say about jumping off of moving chocobos," her father said, although he was laughing as he did, and she just shrugged at him, thrashing her tail around playfully as he guided Boco to the fencepost and dismounted.

"Don't remember," she said, grinning. "Let's go!"

As Reikh'a tied Boco to the post, depositing a healthy pile of greens before him, Katah reached up and grabbed the bag of fishing gear from the bird's back. Hefting it over her shoulder, she sprinted down the beach toward their preferred fishing spot: a long pier that stretched out over the water, ending just where the sea became so deep she could hardly see the bottom any longer.

Her father had built this pier, apparently, back when they'd first moved here all those years ago. She remembered it a little; but she'd been much younger then, and they hadn't really used it, what with all of the important things going on in their life at the time.

Which was just all the more reason to get good use out of it now, Katah figured. She dropped their bag of fishing gear on the end of the pier, then plopped down on the edge, her feet dangling over the water. She paused to take in the surroundings--and to wait for her father to come bait her hook for her, although she would never, ever admit it was because the worms were gross.

The water was calm, just as she'd expected it to be. Fish could be spotted gliding about beneath the surface, leaving trails of bubbles and subtle ripples in their wake, and sea birds cawed around her as they did fishing of their own nearby. Katah leaned back onto her palms and tilted her face toward the sun, closing her eyes to soak it all in. 

Someday, maybe she’d sail out to sea on her own. Go on an adventure like the kind her parents had been on. Fight pirates or monsters or find treasures to bring home to prove all of the things she’d done.

“What’cha thinkin’ about, kitkat,” her father said, as he finally caught up to her and dropped down onto the pier at her side. Katah opened her eyes and tilted her head toward him, chewing on her lip for a moment.

Her parents were more than a little over protective. They had good reason to be, probably--she may be young, but she understood enough to know the kind of life they’d lived before, when they were Important People doing Important Things. She didn’t want to worry him.

“Pirates,” she said.

Reikh’a immediately laughed. “See any?”

Prim squinted out at the horizon, holding her hand over her eyes to block out the sun. There weren’t any boats out there at all, normally. They lived in a relatively secluded area, and sea travel was rare.

“Nope,” she said, before dropping her arm to drag the fishing supplies closer. “Just all kinds of fish for us to catch.”

Her father nodded. “Good looking out. Let me know if you spot any.”

Katah rolled her eyes, but she smiled as she handed her father her fishing pole and the jar of bait. She looked away while he baited her hook--it always made her feel a little bad for the worm--ducking down into the soft scarf that her mother had given her before leaving. 

It smelled like home, soft and warm against her collar, and she was glad that her parents had thought to give it to her. It was rather chilly on the seaside.

“Alright, here you go, kiddo,” Reikh’a said. He handed her the baited pole, and Katah took it eagerly. “First one to catch a fish wins?”

“You’re on.”

They fished for hours, idle and comfortable in the midday sun. Katah reeled in the first catch--and the second, and third--and her father cleaned them, preparing them for the trip back home. They’ll have them for dinner, probably. Fried fish and fresh veggies from the garden that they’ll pick up on the way back home. 

When the weather finally began to turn, the air cooling now that the sun was setting behind the trees, her father finally began to pack up their belongings. “Better get you home or you’ll get sick and your mom will kill me,” he said, reaching out to ruffle Katah’s hair with his nasty fish smelling hands.

“Stooop,” she said, pulling away with a laugh. “You’re the one who always gets sick.”

And he was a big baby about it. Which meant she needed to get him home or she’d have to hear him whine about it more than her baby brother did.

As they packed up their gear and walked down the pier back toward Boco, Katah bumped up against her father’s side, looping her tail against his and taking his stinky fish hand in her own.

“Thanks,” she said, purring as he returned the gesture. “I had fun.”

Her father laughed. “Me too, kitkat.”

[jaeminlore]

You’ll Be By My Side | Yukhei

series timeline | playlist

summary: a holiday trip to the orphanage gives prince yukhei an idea.

words: 1.5k+ sorry it’s so short :/

category: seasons au, prince!yukhei, yukhei wants kids and by gosh he will get one

“Look!” You open the boxes, smiling at the different types of clothing. Each individual piece was asked for each one of the children in the village. “They are going to be so excited!”

Yukhei grabs a teal-colored tutu out of the box. “I bet this is Emrys’.”

“She wants to be a ballerina, like me,” you say, snatching the article of clothing back. “She’s doing so well in class, too. I can’t wait until the spring recital!”

“Relax,” Yukhei smiles down at you, endearment in his eyes. “Winter has barely started.”

“I know,” you say. “But we have so much to celebrate! Hyuck is back, Mark is getting married, the slave merchants are losing the war... This is a good end to the year. I’m excited to see what the spring will bring us.”

“Me too,” Yukhei says quietly, eyes studying the children’s clothing. Then, he clears his throat and straightens up. “Well, we’d best get these delivered.”

He holds the box in one arm and begins to walk out the door.

“Wait!” you shout, running after him. “I want to hold your hand.”

Yukhei giggles childishly and grabs your hand. He swings it back and forth as the two of you walk towards the door.

-

The orphanage is just a few buildings down from the schoolhouse. With school out for a small respite, every child is living back home for two weeks.

“Let’s visit the orphanage last,” you say. “We’ll have more time to speak to them.”

“I like the way you think,” Yukhei says, approaching George’s door. 

It’s George’s grandson, Felix, that opens the door. His auburn curls have only gotten more wild since the last time you saw him.

He runs up to you and wraps his small arms around your legs. “Princess!” he squeals. “You came!”

Yukhei leans over to whisper in your ear, “They never remember I’m here when you come with me.”

You giggle. “Then you be the one to give him his present.”

“Present?” Felix perks up. “Mine?”

“Yeah!” Yukhei pulls out the article of clothing he knew Felix would want. It’s a little straw hat to perfectly match his grandfather when the two of them pull weeds together. “This is for you.”

Felix gasps and takes the hat into his chubby fingers. “Now I match Grandpa!”

-

The orphanage is small, which is good, because it means that it doesn’t have to hold too many children. The adoption rate has gone up since you and Yukhei passed a law where adoption is completely free and financially supported by the royal family, so long as monthly check-ups are in order.

You’re surprised there’s any children left, to be honest.

When you tell the Matron, she sighs distraughtly. “Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that we have only one child left, and the bad news is that we only have one child left.”

Yukhei glances in the box and pulls out the last present. It’s a teal-colored tutu. “Emerys?” he asks.

You think of the girl — now six-years-old — spending the break with no one but herself. “Emerys is the only one left?”

“Yes,” The Matron says. “I’ve done my best to speak with a few couples, but they only want infants. Which is okay, but we’ve got a lovely child in there with no one to care for her in the way she deserves.”

You turn away to keep your tears from showing to anyone. No child should be alone. No child should feel unwanted. Especially not now. Not when families are being emphasized so much this season.

You know all too well what it feels like to be unwanted and unloved. The thought of Emerys feeling anything close to the things you felt makes you heartbroken.

“Come on,” Yukhei touches your elbow softly. “Let’s go see her.”

You sniff and nod. “Yeah. Sorry. Let’s go.”

Yukhei keeps a comforting palm against the small of your back, and the two of you walk into Emerys’ room. The little girl’s hair is down in springy curls. She’s having a tea party with her teddy bears. You see that she’s wearing the ring Yukhei gave her. It’s far too big for her finger, so it’s tied to a necklace around her neck.

“Guess who’s here?” The matron announces, startling Emerys.

The little girl drops her plastic teacup. As soon as her eyes land on Yukhei, she grins. “Yukhei! Y/n!” She runs up to Yukhei — always her favorite — and lifts her arms for him to carry her. 

Yukhei lifts her up and sets her on his hip. “Hey, love. How’s life these days?”

“I’m having a tea party with Mr. Teddy,” Emerys says. “You guys can join if you want.”

Her spirit hasn’t wained. She’s still as bright and sweet as ever, pouring you and Yukhei pretend tea into plastic cups. “Have you had a lovely day, Princess Y/n?”

“Yes, I have, Princess Emerys,” you reply.

Emerys turns to Yukhei and clinks her cup against his rather harshly. “Drink up, Me hearties!”

“Yukhei!” You hiss while Emerys pours tea for her bear. “Stop teaching her pirate slang!”

“It’s funny,” Yukhei shrugs.

You give Emerys her present just before you and Yukhei leave. She squeals in excitement and begs you to take her dancing whenever you have another free day. You promise you will, and Yukhei and you take your leave.

-

It’s at night, when you’re brushing out your hair. Yukhei stands behind you and hugs your shoulders. He kisses your cheek. “Y/n? I’ve been thinking about something...”

“Me too,” you whisper. “Emerys needs a home.”

“With us,” Yukhei says slowly, gauging your reaction through your vanity mirror.

“Yes.” You place your palm against his cheek and pull him in to give you a kiss. “Yes. I think she needs a home with us.”

“And she’ll be our daughter. The heir to the southern throne.”

“If she accepts,” you say, meeting Yukhei’s eyes through the mirror. “She’ll be our daughter.”

“Ours,” Yukhei whispers to himself. 

“Yeah, ours.”

-

Emerys is more than surprised to see the two of you again so soon. And truth be told, the two of you would’ve come even sooner, but Yukhei had to speak with his father about preparations.

There is now a small room conjoining yours and Yukhei’s, decorated with furniture especially picked out for Emerys. 

“Are we ready to be the parents of a six-year-old?” You whisper to your husband just before he knocks on the orphanage door.

“I dunno,” he says. “But we weren’t ready to get married, and we worked that out. You and me have always worked things out together.” 

“I’m proud of us,” you say. “Really.”

The matron opens the door with a giant smile on her face. “She has no idea why she’s packing her stuff. She thinks we’re going on a vacation.”

“I hope she’s not too disappointed,” you say.

Yukhei rushes in, ignoring the two of you. “Emerys!” he calls, “It’s Yukhei!”

“Yukhei!” Emerys runs out of her room wearing her tutu. She leaps into Yukhei’s arms and laughs as he spins her around. “What are you doing here?”

“We have a surprise for you,” you say. “Or, a question, more like.”

“What is it?” Emerys cocks her head to the side.

“Why don’t you sit down, Emerys?” The matron says. “On the sofa, here.”

Yukhei drops Emerys onto the sofa and sits down beside her. Emerys begins bouncing on the cushions.

You sit down on the coffee table and grab Yukhei’s hand, “So, uh, Emerys, how would you- uh-“ you stop, feeling yourself start to choke up.

Yukhei squeezes your hand. “Emerys? We wanted to ask if you’d consider coming to live with us.”

Emerys stops bouncing on the cushion. “Is the orphanage moving to the castle?” She purses her lips in confusion.

“No, sweetie.” The matron smiles at the two of you. “Y/n and Yukhei are asking if they can adopt you.”

Emerys blinks up at you. “You want to be my mommy?”

You wipe your eyes. Curse your hyperactive tear ducts. “Yes, Emerys.”

“I want to be your dad!” Yukhei says, poking Emerys’ cheek.

Emerys giggles and makes grabby hands for you both. “Okay!” 

She brings the two of you into a hug, and you’ve never felt more at home.

-

“Y/n?” Emerys’ voice wakes you up. You check the clock and see that it’s just past midnight. Yukhei is still asleep, but Emerys is standing beside your bed in her nightgown, one hand wrapped around Teddy and the other clutching your sheets.

“What’s wrong?” You ask.

Emerys shrugs. Her lower lip trembles for just a moment. “Can I sleep with you? My room is really big.”

“Of course,” you say. You hold out your arms and scoop her up. You pull her onto your bed between you and Yukhei and let her cuddle close to you. “You can sleep with us as long as you want.”

Emerys grabs your hand and Yukhei’s. Then, very quickly, her breathing slows and she falls back asleep.

You stay awake for a few minutes afterward, just watching Emerys and Yukhei sleep. Even though they can’t hear, you whisper your feelings into the night. “I love you two. So, so much.”

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: June 2020

Still staying in as much as I can and reading/watching/playing lots of stuff. Stay safe out there, wear a mask, and maybe check out some of this stuff!

……….FILM……….

Color Out of Space (2019) I didn’t know much about this outside of it being based on a story by Lovecraft and seeing the poster and I’m glad that was the case. It was trippy and tense and a little arty and silly in moments but all great.

……….TELEVISION……….

Mad Men (Episode 3.04 to 4.06) First, this show continues to be fantastic. The season 3 ending would’ve been a great place to end but I’m really digging the change of scenery in season 4. It sets the characters up as underdogs again and that’s fun. Also I can’t believe Don Draper was ever seen as a role model; he’s clearly the worst. Sure he’s charming and comes up with some cool ideas, but I really appreciate that the series isn’t shying away from showing him as a garbage dude. He’s a garbage dude. Peggy driving a motorcycle, that’s what a true role model looks like.

Queer Eye (Episode 5.01 to 5.10) I’m not sure what’s happened but this season felt different for me. Maybe it’s Antoni’s....chaotic energy, or the way it seems to show the class and race divide in Philadelphia, but it’s not landing the same.

……….READING……….

Dracula by Bram Stoker (Page 114/325) The classics often don’t quite click for me but this is really great. Maybe it’s that the horror genre taps into the core of humanity and so ages better than other speculative fiction? I dunno, but that bulletin about the ship’s crew slowly getting picked off by Dracula while it transports him to England is enough to carry its own horror movie. 

The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists by Gideon Defoe (Complete) Wonderfully silly and an excellent pastiche of those classic young reader adventure novels. I admit I’m not sure if kids will get half of the jokes but it’s still fun and full of pirates and a little danger that I think they’d enjoy.

lluminatus! Part 1: The Eye in the Pyramid by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (Complete) I really wasn’t sure about this. The plot was, and continues to be fun, but it’s so thoroughly interrupted by monologue after monologue on the goals and methods of the illuminati. It’s all fun, but I’m hoping that parts 2 and 3 serve as acts 2 and 3 to the bigger story so that we can move past all the introductions and setup.

The Sheriff of Ynrameer by Michael Rubens  (Abandoned) I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn’t connect with the lead character (a Han Solo-type...and those sorts really work best as compliments to the true lead character). Dissecting humour is a fool’s errand so I’ll just say the jokes didn’t land for me and while I can’t describe why, I will contrast it to say that I lean towards the Terry Pratchett/Douglas Addams-end of the spectrum. So if you want a sci-fi comedy with a roguish scamp as the lead, check it out.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 8 by Ryoku Kui (Complete) Every volume is consistently strong and it’s just baffling. The new characters are engaging (and having picky eater as a party member is such a logical and interesting pairing) and the world-building is excellent. Each volume really does a great job at blending character development with that world building while still delivering the core concept (making meals using monster parts) and I’m still amazed it all works. Plus it’s funny! Maybe not as funny or silly as earlier volumes, but I feel like it’s been a natural evolution. Ugh it’s just so good!

Hellboy In Hell Library Edition by Mike Mignola (Complete) Oof. What an ending. I’m really glad to have this as a nice capstone to the Hellboy mythos (even if he continues on in the future). It was nice having Mignola illustrate these last handful of adventures and storytelling and it’s absolutely some of his best. The pacing was maybe a little weird at the end, but who am I to push back against such a singular vision?

……….AUDIO……….

Walkin' My Cat Named Dog by Norma Tanega (1966) A song really stood out in one of those “made for you” playlists by Spotify so I went to listen to the album and the first track is the theme song from the What We Do in the Shadows tv series so that’s pretty awesome. This whole album is great and as haunting/fun as you’d expect.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) I’ve started posted more in-depth campaign diaries on Reddit (not for my players to read) and right now they’re doing a little regrouping in the Gnome Hamlet before setting off on one of their...3 quests right now. Gotta capture a star, gotta kill some spiders, gotta find the bespoke jacket of a mermaid. So much to do.

D&D Homebrew Adventure (Menace of Merlin) The group is stuck in a daisy chain of quests (kill the yetis so the ents will show the Party the way to the unicorns so they can get some of their hair so that the hermit can make a cure for the town’s stone curse). They’ve spent an entire session avoiding a young dragon but next time it won’t be so easy.

And that’s it! As always, let me know if you have anything to recommend and stay safe out there!

[misc-headcanons]

1st Place Prize: NS.FW Scenario (Law/Reader) 1/2

For @hyakira, a scenario involving Law and a rival/enemy Reader stranded on an island together. I decided to make it a two-parter: this one is the setup, and the next piece will be the smut! 

Like love, an intense rivalry can make you do some stupid things. You and Trafalgar Law had been taking shots at each other’s ships one minute when an intense storm had flown both of you wildly off course. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to beat the bastard once and for all, you had ordered your crew to pursue the Polar Tang before they managed to escape underwater. Your second-in-command pleaded for you to reconsider. “We need to focus on escaping, Captain! We’ll find another way to track him down, but–”

“Fine,” you snapped, catching one of your other crew members as they slid across the rocking ship; they were a hair’s breadth away from falling over the side of the deck and into the icy waters below when you reached over and yanked them back behind the banister. You angrily shoved him and your second-in-command in one of the indoor cabins before rushing to your quarters, your hand clenching around your sword’s scabbard. “I’ll just go after him myself.”

Inside a hidden compartment under the floorboards was one of your secret weapons–a small but sturdy Waver originally made in Skypiea, perfect for solo missions. You still couldn’t believe you’d managed to steal it from Mad Monk Urouge and survive after encountering his crew a few months back. It was worth it though, especially in times like these. You dragged the Waver out of its hidden compartment and onto the deck of the ship. The torrential rain immediately soaked through your clothes and chilled you to the bone, but the sight of the Heart Pirates’ Jolly Roger caught your eye and lit your chest on fire; he was not getting away this time.

You positioned yourself on the Waver and leaped into the sea, determined to follow the Polar Tang. It hadn’t gone underwater and it looked like the ship was headed for a nearby island that was across the horizon. As you followed behind them, a strong tidal wave launched the ship forward, tossing Law overboard. His crew quickly tried to change the ship’s course to turn back for outside to the outdoor deck to assess how stuck they were. Law’s second-in-command–a large bear Mink you vaguely remembered was named Bepo–was desperately trying to call out to his captain. Law yelled something at him as he used his Devil Fruit to switch places with random pieces of driftwood, seemingly ordering the others to get out of danger and leave him behind. Bepo reluctantly agreed, and Law found himself alone on the beach. Perfect.

You stealthily rode up to the beach, going slow enough to avoid having the Motor Dial rise over the sound of the rain to give away your presence. Once you made it onto the sand, you hid the Waver behind a few large bushes and spied on Law. He was still alone underneath a large tree, and you thought you could ambush him from behind if you were quiet enough. You made a few steps towards him when you noticed him wrapping his left arm with a spare bit of gauze kept in his jacket; he had sustained a nasty cut that stretched from his left shoulder to his chest, ending a few inches past his left pectoral muscle. Your eyes widened as you watched him wince in pain, and your fists clenched; an injury like that wouldn’t kill him, but it’d definitely impact his ability to hold a sword and fight for a while.

“Are you kidding me!?”

Law flinched at your sudden outburst and rested his hand on his sword’s handle. When he recognized your face, his grip on his sword slightly tightened. “Where’s the rest of your crew?” he demanded. “There’s no way your ship could have passed us, so you can’t have landed here before we did.”

You scowled and walked forward, crossing your arms. “The rest of my crew didn’t have the guts to follow me,” you spat. “But I’m not dying before I get a chance to beat you.”

Law rose up to face you, and blood started to seep through his gauze. “Come on then,” he replied. “Once you’re out of the way, I’ll be able to see what repairs the Polar Tang needs.”

You rolled your eyes and put a hand on your hip. “I can’t fight you now,” you replied heatedly. “Not when your arm’s injured like that. It wouldn’t be a fair win!”

Law raised an eyebrow. “That implies I wouldn’t be able to defeat you with this injury,” he replied with a slightly mocking tone. “I never struck you as the honorable type.”

“Fuck off.” You groaned and sat down under a large palm tree with a huff. “And now my crew and my ship are…God knows where they went to escape the storm. I finally get you alone and I can’t even fight you.” You sigh and run your hands through your hair. “…Aaargh!”

You toss a large rock next to you onto the sand, and it lands with a strange thump; it sounded like it had hit something hard underneath the sand. Curious, you get up and find where the rock had landed. After scooping away a few handfuls of sand, you found a large wooden crate buried under the sand. “What the hell…?”

Law followed behind you, wondering what you’d found. He assumed this island was abandoned, considering the overgrowth and brush that made up the rest of the island around them. He knelt down and peered at a few words carved into the top of the crate. “Property of the Rumrunner Pirates,” he read out loud. “Fuck prohibition and fuck the King of Drybone Island.”

You managed to open the crate and find a large number of bottles stacked inside–rum, whiskey, bourbon, beer, and a few bottles of red and white wine. “No way…” You reached inside and pulled out a bottle of bourbon to show Law. “Well, at least this hasn’t been a complete waste of time.” You dangled the bottle in front of Law, and he reluctantly took it from you. The two of you settled under another nearby palm tree and you uncorked the bottle before taking a large swig. After you wiped your chin, you handed the bottle to Law.

“After all the years you’ve spent chasing me, I’m surprised you’re fine sharing a drink with me,” Law remarked. He drank a bit and winced as he felt the liquor burn in his chest.

You laughed and took the bottle from him to have another drink. “I’m surprised you’re cringing like a choir boy having his first sip of wine,” you teased. You took a few large swigs without flinching. “Never figured a pirate like you would have such a low tolerance for alcohol.” “A pirate like me?”

“A Supernova,” you said, already feeling a bit lightheaded from the bourbon. You gestured wildly with one of your hands. “A-A captain of the Worst Generation, The Surgeon of Death! There were even some rumors I heard about you becoming a Warlord soon…” You sighed and took another drink. “I saw your wanted poster and I instantly knew that you were gonna be the next Pirate King. And I only want to fight the best.” You handed the bottle back to Law. “And now I can’t fight you, and we’re both stranded on a random island with nothing but some palm trees and a crate of booze.”

Law leaned back and took another drink. “So you only started this rivalry after seeing my poster? With how relentless you were in following me around, I would’ve thought there was more to it than that.”’ A ghost of a smile passed on his lips. “Your instincts on who’ll find the One Piece are spot on, at least.”

“Well, it was more than just that,” you said defensively. Your words were starting to slur a bit, and Law smirked. “You’re just…so…” The warmth of your cheeks from the bourbon intensified as you tried to explain why you were so fascinated with him. “Agh, I dunno how to explain it. I just wanted to fight you so I could get you off my mind for once.” You scowled at the ground. “I mean, I’m a pirate captain too. I’ve got so much shit to think about, but you’re always in the back of my head. And I figured once I fought you, it’d stop…”

Law blinked and tried to wrap his head around what you were saying. Making coherent thoughts seemed a bit more difficult, thanks to the bourbon. He found himself staring at you, watching your lips move as you talked about him. His mind started to wander. How long has she been trying to fight me? Feels like forever. And this is the longest conversation we’ve had. He saw you blush and describe how he was always on your mind and felt a strange feeling stirring in his chest. There were a few times aboard the Polar Tang where he’d have strange dreams about you, usually after the two of you clashed: you’d be fighting fiercely, he’d disarm you and grab your arm, and the two of you would stare at each other silently before he kissed you roughly. When he’d wake up, his boxers would be uncomfortably tight and he’d hastily justify the dream as being a random wet dream; nocturnal emissions were just part of being a man his age, but he wondered why they’d only ever come about after encountering you again.

Law noticed that you were still talking and tried to snap back to reality. He wasn’t used to feeling this unfocused. Maybe he had a concussion from being thrown overboard? No, he didn’t exhibit any other symptoms… He was silent as you continued talking and he took a few more swigs.

“And I know it sounds stupid, being so focused on you,” you continued. “But…The more I fought you, the more fun I was having. I was…exhilarated. Yeah, that’s the right word–exhilarated.” You giggled and reached to grab the bottle from Law. “That’s a funny word. ‘Exhilarated.’ ‘Ex-hillll-ahhh-rayyyy-teeeeed…’” You stumbled and fell forward, and Law’s dulled reflexes still managed to spur him to action; he caught your arms and the bottle fell into the sand. You two were closer than you’d ever been, even when your swords had clashed so many times before. The two of you stared silently at each other, and Law’s breath hitched–for once, this wasn’t a dream.

You bit your lip as you tried to push out the stream of lewd thoughts entering your mind; the two of you were so close. He stared up at you, trying to keep his composure as he thought of what to say. “You…” He took a deep breath. “You want me out of your system, right?”

You nodded wordlessly.

“I…I do too,” he confessed. “I keep having these dreams. About you. And–” He looked away and felt his cheeks burning. “You’re distracting. And since you’re distracted by me, it’s just logical that we…We move on from it.”

His grip on your arms relaxed, and you leaned forward slightly as your arms sank into the sand on either side of Law’s body. You shifted your hips and slowly sank down until you were resting on top of him. You leaned down and roughly kissed him, and the muffled moan that came from his lips was filling you with a warmth that definitely wasn’t from the bourbon. The two of you pulled away, panting.“Then…” You slowly lifted your shirt and tossed it into the sand. “Let’s move on.”

[ramblinganthropologist]

From the mouths of thresher maws

Summary: Well, they had to do something to get that N7 recommendation. Find out what set Bo Peep and Alistair Shepard down the path to being badass space marines. Hint: It’s a fucking thresher maw.  (Warning: blood, gore, dead bodies. Mass Effect good time!)

---

“This is Lieutenant Shepard, can anybody hear me? Repeat, Lieutenant Shepard requesting assistance ASAP!”

But the com line was dead, and he got the feeling they were going to match soon.

Bo pulled him down just in time to avoid flying debris. Hundreds of yards away and closing in fast was something all teeth and bad attitude, just trying to finish the job it had started an hour prior. Funny, there'd been a lot more of them before it showed up. Now...

Now it looked like they were on there own.

“Do you want to wind up like Michaels and Benner?!” Her voice was hoarse, maybe from the smoke or from screaming. She had a long cut that was still bleeding. Anti-coagulant in the saliva? There was only a few doses left in his pack. Of course, she waved it off when he reached for it. “I'm fine. Save it for a real injury.”

Alistair tapped his cracked omni-tool one last time in the hopes of picking something up, but all he got was static and a fuzzy map that showed there was something big in the area. They had no idea if any of their unit was left, where their CO was, or what the fuck was trying to eat them.

It had been a standard mission, too. Go to the weird planet, check shit out, get home. At best, somebody might break a bone messing around. Now there were a lot of broken bones, and they were becoming food for that... that thing.

“We're going to have to move soon.” Bo grabbed her gun and discharged the thermal clip – it hissed in a mud puddle by her side. “You got enough in you to put up another shield?”

He was already reaching into his pack for his emergency energy supply. Down it went, so sugary that it made him want to throw it all back up. But he swallowed it down, and almost immediately felt it working. That would give him 3 more shields of varying strengths and maybe one blast if he didn't get too fancy.

“Yeah. I'm in front then?” He reached for his own rifle and ejected the clip. They were running low on those too; soon it would be nothing but biotic blasts. And if it got down to that, they were beyond fucked.

They waited for their moment, when all was silent, and then they charged from their hiding spot. Almost immediately, the ground began to shake as a massive hole exploded. As it sent razor-sharp shards of rock spewing miles high, there it was.

God, it was fucking ugly. He would've called it a worm but they didn't have mouths like that. Something with that many teeth shouldn't have fucking been alive – it was some Cambrian era shit. Only it wasn't a fossil and it was trying to kill them.

Man, why couldn't it have been a fossil?

It spit something just as he put up his barrier. And there went his barrier. They dodged out of the way just in time, but it still hissed and bit into his gauntlet. Alistair managed to unbuckle it  just before it hit the skin level and watched in horror as it ate right through the damn thing.

“Of course it has fucking acid!” Bo had avoided the attack as well, but she had a cut on her forehead bleeding into her eyes thanks to the flying debris. “Well, now what the fuck do we do?!”

That... was a good question.

Back in training they had covered pretty much everything you could cover being the new kids in space. Batarian pirates – fuck them – had a plan. Krogan battlemasters, had a plan. Turians? Remove the stick up their ass and bargain with it. Hell, even the unexpected flora and fauna they ran across had fucking A and B plans. This thing, though? There was a whole lot of nothing about what to do besides kiss your ass goodbye.

And you know what? He really wasn't in a kissing mood. Forgot to brush his teeth that morning.

The creature let out some bone-rattling sound when it didn't find them and popped its entire body back underground. Wherever it was burrowing, it wasn't going to leave them alone. He might not have known what it was, but he knew in his gut that it was coming back. It was a predator, and they were the prey.

Well, good thing they played apex predator on earth.

He looked over at Bo. There was a boulder in her range, maybe a quarter ton if he was estimating right. “Chuck that thing with your biotics right in the middle of the clearing. Once it pops up, we'll hit it with everything we have left.”

“And if it doesn't work?” The ground was starting to shake a little again.

“We run like hell and use every bit of biotics that hasn't been worn out. We're making it to that landing zone, I don't care.”

The shaking was getting worse and felt like a small earthquake under their feet. Briefly, red eyes met blue. The two nodded, and then Bo started glowing. The boulder shook itself free from the earth and rose into the air by nearly a  foot. Then there was nothing to do but hurl it as hard as she could. It sailed over head and landed hundreds of yards away with a sickening crack that split it clean in two.

And then it was gone as the creature shot out of the air and swallowed it like it was a piece of candy.

“Now!”

Al's rifle was molten hot as he unloaded the entire clip as fast as humanly possible. Bo was right there with him, blood trickling from her nose and down her face. By the time both had realized what was going on, their guns were empty.

And it was still fucking perfect.

They didn't get their chance to run – it was on them so fast that they had barely had time to think. Bo managed to dodge cleanly out of the way, but her partner wasn't so lucky. A spray of razor sharp debris hit Al dead on and smacked clean through his visor.

Blood poured from under the seal in his cracked helmet as he hit the ground hard. The creature had already gone back underground and was no doubt digging its way towards them to swallow him up. He was moving, but not a lot.

Bo didn't even think – she sprinted over, threw him over her shoulder, and made a break for it through the no man's land clearing. The ground rumbled and exploded behind her just as the large worm with too many teeth shot out of the ground, hissing and spitting its acid. A shuttle-sized puddle where the two had been became a puddle of acidic mud that bubbled in its wake. A few seconds earlier, and it would have been then.

“Talk to me, you better not be dead!”

“Eye's gone. I can't see.” Al's voice betrayed his terror as his hand glowed. “Keep running, it's a couple clicks left!”

The landing was in sight and someone was waving them in – rescue squad after the coms had gone dead? Fuck if it mattered, as long as it was human Bo was going for it. They could do a hostile takeover later if they had to do it.

The creature was rearing up for another round as it exploded from the ground. Al, still bleeding and barely conscious, grunted as his remaining eye glowed a brilliant blue. His hand shot out a huge disk of blue light, slamming hard enough into the worm's side to stun it for a few seconds. That was all they needed to slide into the safe zone.

“Get this damn thing moving before it comes back for seconds!”

That was the last thing Al remembered as someone tried to get his helmet off. Whether it was the blood loss or the overuse of his biotics, but the world was going dark. He slumped against Bo's shoulder and that was all he knew.

---

It was much calmer when he woke up.

“I'm not dead, am I?”

Fuck, it hurt to even talk. So did the punch that almost broke his fucking arm.

“Learn to fucking dodge, asshole.”

Bo sounded like she hadn't slept in days, and when Al looked over that just confirmed it. She was in the same clothes he had seen her in the day before it had gone to hell, the only difference was there was less dirt on her skin. She was sitting upright in the chair next to him, her omni-tool displaying details of the attack.

The council called it a thresher maw.

“They said they're amazed that even two of us made it out.” She snarled as she clicked it close. “Fuckers should've warned us about the fucking hell worm.”

Alistair nodded, but that made his head hurt even worse. He placed his hand up to hold it and touched the bandages that were wrapped around almost the entire right side of his head. Memories flooded back, and his shoulders sagged as he sighed.

“Was it a total loss?”

Bo had been in the process of making a rude gesture to her omni-tool. “What, your eye? It's still in there but the doc said it's shot. Too bad, pretty sure if you had lost the whole thing they would've put some tech thing in. You would've loved it.”

Oh, he would've. Alistair let out a weak laugh as he closed his working eye. “That's gonna be fun to live with if they put me back on duty.”

When, probably. If they were the only two Alliance soldiers to ever throw down with a thresher maw, there was no way in hell that either of them were going to be discharged anytime soon. Well, that was fine by him. It wasn't like he had any more marketable skills.

Still...

Alistair's voice went quiet as he looked out the window at space. “Did they find anyone else?”

Bo didn't answer for a long time. She too looked out the window as they passed stars far in the distance. Right then, space looked bigger and colder than it ever was. Now it was even worse – there were killer space worms out there.

“Only thing they found were chewed up bodies and dog tags. They think they identified about a quarter of our unit.”

She looked back at the man in the bed. “So... that's a lot of calls they're making.”

“Yeah.” Alistair swallowed hard and looked down at his hands. “Well... guess we're going to have to find a new unit. Dunno who's gonna want two disaster lieutenants.”

Much to his surprise, Bo snickered. It wasn't often she laughed – and when she did it was usually after beating the shit out of somebody – so he blinked back surprise. She was showing him her teeth in a bitter grin. In a way, it reminded him of a wounded wild animal trying to get out one more snarl.

“Wanted to tell you when you were better. We're getting a rank up.”

And then she slid the datapad over. There in black and white on pixels, the Alliance invited them both to the fabled N7 training in Rio. Some of their squad had gone through it before – the record was N3 – and said it was hell on earth.

Well, it couldn't beat nearly getting eaten by a thresher maw, so hey. Maybe they stood half a chance in hell.

Alistair found himself chuckling bitterly too as he pushed the datapad to the side. “We're going to be the best N7 marines ever.”

“Damn straight. You read the shit, I shoot the shit.” And then she pushed him down. “Get some rest. They're going to be grilling you when you're up to it.”

Of course. Alistair rolled his eyes as he settled back into bed, datapad still at his side. Whatever they had used on him was making his eyes heavy. At least he knew Bo was still there at his side as he blinked out for a nap.

After all, that's how they did things.

[beabaseball]

The Heartless Boy ch 4

ao3

Peter Pan was knocked out of the sky. He landed like a brick, wind knocked out of him and giddy-laughed without air as he tried to slash the dark shadow off his back. The shadow leapt away at that just long enough for Peter to get back on his feet and try to float himself back off the ground--before he was tackled again, an arm wrapping around his midsection and bodyslamming him into the wall of the cabin. He went cross-eyed.

The shadow let go of him again, soundless, and grabbed his foot. His ankle. The very same foot Wendy had once sewn his shadow onto, now in the claws of a very mean and unfair sort of shadow who dragged Peter down the steps and into the depths of the ship before throwing him into another wall.

BAM.

Click.

...

Haha. Wow! Peter didn’t know the inside of a ship had so many stars in it!

...ow.

--

Sora could do a lot in his shadowy form, but the more human details of fine muscle control somewhat eluded him. He had to scramble to open his mouth and pour the dark out of his lungs until it’d been drained down to his hands and he could use his fingers again to lock the door he’d thrown Peter Pan behind.

Then, he stepped back, slapped his cheeks, and shook his head as hard as he could.

“Hebededebdbebdbebdebede!”

His cheeks flapped back and forth.

Whew!

Cool, he could feel his face again. He still spent a few minutes rubbing his cheeks and wiping his nose like he’d just got over a cold, even though his sinuses were clear.

It took a minute or so before he could hear Riku clattering down the steps behind him, but Sora was almost done rubbing his eyes by that time, and turned and tried to grin at him.

“Sora! Are you okay? Hook told me that--”

“I'm fine!” Sora said, grinning. Riku was gonna be so surprised. “I captured Pan.”

“--Peter-- what.”

Oh, so often Sora wished he had a camera. Now was one of those times as Riku’s eyes bulged, and Sora just crossed his arms behind his head and smiled innocently. “Yeah, he's in the brig.”

Riku stared at him. Stared at the door Sora stood beside.

…

“Sora, that's a cleaning closet. The brig’s that way.”

“...shut up!”

Directions were hard, too!

--

...his transformation always left him tired. More tired than Riku--Maleficent said it was because he was still newer at it and hadn't mastered it yet, but Riku said it was just because he was slow. But unlike with practicing with wooden swords, Sora--

...Sora couldn't force himself to rush into getting better with this. Not that he didn't want to, he just--

He was so--

--tired.

He groaned and Riku nagged him, and they shuffled their way to the captains’ quarters where Sora collapsed into a cushion heap Riku helped assemble.

“I can just borrow a crew hammock,” Sora whined, and Riku flicked his forehead and said, “you'll fall off,” and added another tasseled red pillow to the pile.

“‘Meh meh meh meh ‘fall off’ puu puu,” Sora muttered, and Riku shoved him down and smothered him in the nearest cushion until he cried mercy and finally stopped fighting sleep.

He didn’t remember falling asleep or what he dreamed about, but he woke up to tiny, tiny footsteps.

“Mmh…?”

He twisted his head and tried to peel his eyes open after having them shoved against pillows for… he wasn't sure how long.

You kinda lost your sense of time while traveling through space.

“Who's there…?” he asked.

“Criminy!” a tiny voice said. “I didn't even see ya there!”

Sora didn't recognize the voice at all. He rubbed his eyes and tried to peer around Hooks’ room-- it was very red and brown, and really not as interesting as he'd assumed a pirate ship’s inside to be--but even though there was barely anything in the room but a desk, cushions, the bed, and a handful of chests, he didn't spot the voice’s owner.

“And I don't see you,” he said. “Where…?”

“Down here!” the little voice said.

And Sora blinked again before finally glancing down at the floor right before where the cushion pile began, and spotted a little green grasshopper wearing a top hat.

“Name’s Jiminy Cricket!” the ...grasshopper? said.

“Oh,” he said. “I'm Sora. What are you doing here?”

“Hmm,” the cricket (?) said, tilting his head and putting a gloved hand (??) in his pocket (????)

(Despite everything, all the clothed animals Sora had encountered so far had been… more people-sized, like Pete, who was a big cat who shared Sora’s love of boats and promised to give Sora the tour of his life once he was back in his homeworld and had his beloved steamboat and river back from the greatest of evil forces--land developers.)

“Well, see,” the cricket said, “I dunno if I should say until you do first, Sora. Isn’t it polite to finish your own introductions first?”

Oh. Was it? Sora’d never really been taught that kinda stuff, he guessed. He just sort of picked it up from around home, and that one teacher who always told him he had to look at people when speaking to them or else they wouldn’t know who he was talking to, which was a bogus reason.

But… you did the things teachers said, and he guessed it’d be ruder to tell Jiminy to go first anyway after Jiminy’d already told him to go first?

“Um, okay,” Sora said, just… going along with it, he guessed. “Uh. I’m here helping out my friends?”

Jiminy’s eyes lit up.

“Well Golly, same here!”

Sora sat up straight on the captain’s bed. “Really? What’s going on?”

Was there trouble?

“I’m lookin’ for a friend of ours,” he said. “She’s somewhere in this ship, but we don’t know where to find her!”

“She’s a girl?” Sora said, frowning, trying to rake his mind across all the people he’d seen on the ship in the last hour or two he’d been awake. All of them had been men, he was pretty sure--and he’d sort of given up figuring out which heartless were boys and girls, so he sure hoped that wasn’t it--so there were only two girls he knew of on the ship, and one of them was on the ottoman around the corner there where Jiminy didn’t seem to notice, but-- “Well, Kairi’s my friend, but I’m pretty sure the other girl is still here, if that’s what you mean?”

“Other girl?” Jiminy said.

“Yeah.” Sora nodded. “Riku came to see if she was gonna fall into a coma or not, but I dunno what they decided.”

“A coma!” Jiminy’s eyes were the size of his little cricket head. “Golly!”

“I think she’s fine!” Sora said, waving his arms in front of himself quickly, trying to reassure the little bug. “And if she weren’t, me and Riku would take good care of her! Promise!”

...the cricket deflated a little bit, but nodded. “I see… I don’t suppose you could tell me where she is?”

“Sure!” Sora said.

The cricket looked up at him again, blinking and looking surprised, with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. It was a really weird thing to look into a bug’s mouth!

“Well…” Sora continued, crossing his arms. “I don’t know where she is right now, but I can ask Riku and he’ll tell me.”

Jiminy’s slight frown returned. “Are ya sure?”

Sora nodded, eyebrows raising. “Of course!”

He grunted, pushing himself off the hammock and stretching. “Besides. I’m done napping anyway. Um…”

He looked down again.

Standing at his full height--even if it wasn’t Riku or Maleficent’s height--Sora realized once again just how tiny Jiminy was. Especially right next to his shoes…

“Uh… is it rude if I carry you? I’m a little worried about if I forget to look where I step…”

With a look of relief, Jiminy showed he really was a cricket grasshopper man and bounced halfway up Sora’s body in a single tap-shoed bound, landing first on Sora’s belt, and then up on his shoulder!

“Thanks for the offer,” he said, voice a lot louder when it was up by his ear. Geez, he was even wearing tiny cufflinks! What a fancy bug! No wonder he knew all about manners and stuff. “If it’s fine with you, I’ll settle myself up here?”

“Yeah, uh--” Sora never thought he’d be the BFG, he always imagined himself as Sophie-- “Just hang on, okay?”

“Thank you muchly, Sora,” Jiminy said, climbing into Sora’s pj hoodie and making himself comfortable.

…

Welp.

Okay.

Not like Sora really mentioned how weird life was anymore after Riku got a magic sword and he himself started turning into a magic shadow ninja.

--

They didn’t really have to wait to find Riku, it turned out. Smee wasn’t too far in the ship from the captain’s quarters where Sora’d been sleeping, and since he knew all kinds of stuff about the ship that Sora and Riku didn’t, he was probably an even better person to ask in a way.

“Hey, Smee!” he waved. He felt Jiminy moving in his hoodie, but didn’t mind it.

“Why, Sora!” Smee said, pausing in his swabbing of the… lower deck? Inner deck? “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m loads better now.” He nodded. “D’you know where they’re keeping the other girl?”

“Wendy?” Oh, was that her name? It was nice! “Why, oh-- she’s in the brig, I believe!”

…

What?

Sora blinked and was a little slower with his hands moving around to ask his next question, because, uh. He had almost thrown a bad guy in the brig? What if she’d been in there!? What if she’d been hurt because he hadn’t noticed in time?

“Why’s she in the brig?”

…

Smee had to stop and think about it too. “Well--that’s just where the captain put her.”

Sora rubbed his face and groaned. “I mean… I guess that’s… the place you put people…?”

He didn’t know.

He’d always thought pirates were pretty cool, but… that didn’t mean he really understood everything? Did they just not have any other like, places to put people? Kairi was doing fine in Hook’s private quarters where she could lie down on the couch and stuff. Though maybe it would’ve creeped Wendy out to be in there with Kairi, he guessed…

“Okay. Where’s the brig?”

Smee hummed a moment and gave Sora directions, pointing around the ship and telling him which corners to take and such.

Sora thanked him, taking off with a wave and starting to jog across the creaking ship, over rope and beams and down a couple ladders into the lower sections--past the closet he’d locked Peter Pan in--and down towards the brig.

“This should be it,” he said, coming to the door and glancing over to see if he could spot Jiminy climbing up on his shoulder. Really, he mostly felt it. It was hard to see someone so small so close up! “Um…”

There was a lock on the door, but he found the keyring hanging on a nail outside, and fiddled with each one until the padlock keeping the beam in place came loose.

He pushed the door open with a creak. “Hello?”

It was pretty dark and musty inside--must’ve been being underwater, or not having great ventilation down here. The ight came out of a grate in the ceiling, and there was a mattress or two on the floor to sit on, but not much else inside. Why would there be a mattress but not a hammock…?

But on the far mattress in the dark shadows of the corner was an older girl, definitely older than him and Kairi--maybe Riku’s age or a bit older than even him!--curled up in a blue nightgown.

Pajama buddies!?

...okay, joking aside, she uh-- she looked pretty upset about the door opening. And Sora tried his best to look apologetic.

“Oh, uh-- sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you?”

He wasn’t sure what he might’ve interrupted or anything, but having Jiminy on his shoulder made him acutely aware that he hadn’t exactly knocked before opening the door.

(...why had it been locked, actually? It was easy to get in, so it couldn’t have been to keep the men out--)

“What do you want?” she said in an accent that reminded Sora of… of the people in movies who always came to the islands and--

Well, it was a kinda threatening accent, honestly. It made his shoulders straighten up and his back jolt stiff.

“Uh…” he said, suddenly unsure of what to say--

“We’re here ta help ya!”

Jiminy leapt off Sora’s shoulder and onto the floor, bounding towards Wendy. She let out a yelp and scrambled to her feet, and Jiminy quickly waved his hands, trying to calm her.

“I’m here with Peter!” he said.

What?

“Peter!?” Wendy said, gasping, her fear of Jiminy already gone. She knelt down and let Jiminy climb into the palm of her hand, lifting him up to her sightline. “Where is he?”

He should be in a closet upstairs--

“With Donald and Goofy upstairs-- c’mon!” Jiminy said, waving his hands. “We gotta get to the gummi ship and get you home!”

Wait--

Jiminy turned to Sora and--

Sora was frozen in the doorway, and… and it must have shown on his face, the moment he realized why Jiminy hadn’t just asked a pirate for help.

And Wendy must’ve seen it too, because she set Jiminy in her hair and grabbed her dress, hoisting it above her knees, and threw herself onto Sora, knocking him out of the doorway.

By the time he’d blinked light back into his eyes and the goose egg from hitting the wall started forming, she was halfway up the stairs, Jiminy’s little hand outstretched from where he clung to her hair, probably calling out directions.

Sora wobbled a little, getting back on his knees, and then onto his feet--he took hits from Riku way better than that, but he hadn’t thought Wendy would…

...he’d shake the thought out of his head, but it hurt too much. So he swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut until he could feel his balance coming back to him, and when he opened his eyes again, he gave chase.

“Hey, wait!”

He took the ladder two rungs at a time, watching Wendy’s sleeping slippers disappear up the stairs just as soon as he reached the top. Up he’d go, too.

Up the steps, and down a hall, and another ladder, and Sora realized where they were heading--

Hook’s room, where Kairi lay not dead but sleeping.

Something hot like fire ignited in him.

He burst up through the trap door before they had even gotten near to the deck--

Wendy stood, hands clasped over her mouth, staring hunched and horrified at the girl slumped over on the couch with her eyes open wide and unseeing, unmoving, un--

“Get away from her!” Sora snarled, leaping half the room to come between Jiminy and Wendy, who hadn’t done anything wrong, but-- “You can’t take her!”

Wendy wanted to go, but Kairi was theirs--

And Wendy shrieked, stumbling backwards and turning to race to the door without anymore argument.

Sora--

Sora didn’t chase them any further.

He spun around himself, leaning over Kairi, making sure that nothing had Happened while he was asleep, while they were alone with her, while Riku didn’t know to keep watch over her, while--

Why. Why did he think they would do that?

He didn’t know.

But something in him screamed that people who were alone were vulnerable, and who knew what someone might do to an empty vessel? Someone who couldn’t defend themselves, someone who wouldn’t even be present to know what was happening…

He heard a sound from outside. It sounded like engines. Like the planes that would bring in tourists for a few days and then they left as easy as that, from one world to another and could pretend the rest was all fantasy.

One world to the next, without even really leaving their own… without getting hurt or losing their friends or worrying about getting back…

Sora--

Sora swallowed down the lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes shut.

Haha.

He hadn’t realized the goose egg hurt so much…

…

When he opened his eyes again, he sniffled in a breath and leaned down to try and pull Kairi onto his back like they used to do as kids. Piggybacks. He could hold her legs and hopefully her weight would keep her arms around his neck while he… while he tried to deal with the ladders. Maybe frontal piggyback would be better for ladders…

He sniffled again, and hoisted her up, and began a much longer, precarious descent into the ship, which-- which seemed louder, now.

He could hear the pirates yelling upstairs. Causing a commotion. He could hear things like that. And cannon firing off. He couldn’t smell them, no gunpowder or sulfur except the boxes of the stuff hanging around below deck, but he could feel the ship rumble and vibrate with each release.

He didn’t go as deep down as the hold.

He went to a storage closet. Small and cramped, with just mops and cleaning supplies in it. Hadn’t someone been mopping earlier? How could they’ve gotten a mop with…

…

But when he found it, the door to the cleaning closet swung open easily. Like it’d never been locked.

There were buckets, and mops, and sanding supplies and oil and paint. A few feathers. But no Peter Pan.

No Peter Pan.

No…

“Mm-hmph.”

...Sora didn’t stiffen at Riku’s voice the way he had at Wendy’s. He probably should’ve.

He turned around slowly, eyes heavy and downcast, and Kairi asleep on his back, pressing shut the place where Jiminy had once hidden.

...He didn’t need to see Riku’s face to guess the expression. His feet were planted wide and his arms were crossed, and that was as high as Sora’s vision needed to go. And there were more feet behind him. Captian Hook’s tall black boots and red cloak, and a few crew members whose striped stockings and buckled boots he didn’t recognize, and the big trunk legs of Large Body Heartless.

...Riku didn’t say anything else, or Sora didn’t hear him. He just felt Riku grab his shoulder after a minute, just below where Kairi’s arm was draped, but instead of offering a comforting hug or even a squeeze--

Riku shoved him backwards so hard Sora fell back, head jerking up in surprise, trying to not let it hit the floor again--

And instead he fell back into something cold. Cold and dark.

So cold and dark.

It drew around him like seaweed, wet and itchy, but more invasive than he’d ever dreamed, and it wasn’t his familiar darkness-- it was inside his mouth and pushing down into his stomach, in the marrow of the bones of his legs and filling up the space behind his eyes, up his nose, up his--

Kairi’s body was still warm against his back, and like a buoy, she didn’t let him drown before he fell on the other side, gasping and vomiting, her body falling off and hitting the marble of Maleficent’s entrance hall with a series of wet bumps while Sora wept darkness out of his eye sockets and tried to choke it out of his nose.

(and he didn’t think about it, because by the time a heartless found him and began to preen against him in comfort, he’d worn himself out so much he couldn’t think at all-- but for a moment, when he’d fallen back and just before he hit the portal, he’d thought Riku’s eyes had been green.)

--

[despairforme]

halloween 2017.

     ❝ It’s Nnoitra, right? ❞ A smiling nurse questioned, making eye-contact with Nnoitra. She was small, almost a meter shorter than him, so she had to crane her neck to meet his eye. She also looked like was approaching retirement. Or - how old did nurses get? Nevermind that. Why the fuck was she talking to him? She hadn’t done that before ( at least he didn’t think so? ). He’d gotten to know several of the nurses around here, seeing as he spent literally all his time here, not wanting to leave Grimmjow’s side. Being really recognizable, and having a unique name, all the nurses seemed to remember him, even the ones who hadn’t personally talked to him. Nnoitra assumed straight away that the woman wanted something from him. Why else would she start a conversation?

     ❝ Yeah? ❞ He almost added ‘ what do ya want ‘, but remembered that these people were nice. Everyone at the hospital had treated him kindly, so he should at least try not to be an asshole.

     ❝ I’m sorry to ask you this, but - Do you have any plans for Halloween? ❞ Nnoitra’s expression was a mild version of ‘ what the fuck ‘ to that question. How the fuck was it her business what he was going to do tonight? Oh, and anyway, it wasn’t like he was going to do anything. He had to stay here, of course. Which sucked, since Halloween was his favourite holiday. He would’ve loved to go to the fair, like he did every year. But, that obviously wasn’t happening this year. Sigh. Not that he was complaining! He was HAPPY to stay here! Of course! Grimmjow needed him. ❝ You see, we have several children who would love to go trick-or-treating, so we have arranged for them to walk around throughout the rooms and receive candy from the patients who have agreed to participate. We just really need some adults to escort the children, if you understand? ❞ Trick-or-treating? At the hospital? With kids? Wait --- Was she saying that HE was an ‘ adult ‘? What the fuck? First of all, he was NOT fit to be taking care of kids! Especially not sick kids! Nevermind that they were inside a hospital, that was beside the point! Did she honestly look at Nnoitra and see a responsible adult? Or, maybe everyone else had declined her offer, and so now she was totally fucked, and Nnoitra was the last resort. His face must’ve given away his skepticism. 

     ❝ It won’t take long! We even have a costume you can use. Nothing too scary though, since some of the children are very young. ❞ Oh, so now she wanted to dress him up too? Nnoitra literally couldn’t believe the situation he was inching towards. Was he going to actually babysit? Holy fucking hell! 

     ❝ Ah... I dunno. I ain’t never done nothin’ like that before. I ain’t good with kids. ❞ This was an understatement. Nnoitra didn’t like kids. He didn’t understand them. He didn’t know what was okay to say to them, and what was not. Then there was the fact that he swore a lot, without even thinking about it. Wasn’t that a no-no thing to do around kids? He had hoped that his answer would make the nurse give up, but, on the contrary, it just seemed to encourage her. What the fuck!

     ❝ Don’t worry about that! They are very sweet, I’m sure they’ll love you! ❞ What the fuck did she know about that, huh? She didn’t know jack shit about him! He wanted to tell her that, but her smile was widening by the second. This was a major crisis! ❝ If you follow me, I’ll show you the costume. One of the parents brought it along. It might be a little small for you, but that’s alright! ❞ Exactly why the fuck she was so enthusiastic about it, Nnoitra didn’t know. And, why, in the FUCKING HELL he was actually following her - that was a mystery too. He could’ve told her to fuck off, right? He had done that to people lots of times. Maybe he was accepting this ‘ job ‘ or whatever, because she was being nice to him? Or because he liked feeling needed? Or maybe he just thought that Grimmjow would get better treatment if Nnoitra did a favor to the staff? Hell, he didn’t know.

     Not long after, he was dressed up in a too small, brown coat. There was a red sash tied around his waist, and he was wearing a white shirt ( which, again, was too small ). His black pants got to stay, as well as his boots. To finish the look, a large hat was placed on top of his head. Yeah - a pirate costume. Great. So much for him dressing up as a Zombie this year. Nnoitra looked a bit helpless as he held his arms out, as if to ask ‘ is this okay? ‘. The nurse clapped her hands. ❝ Wonderful! You look like a real pirate! ❞ That was definitely an overstatement. She held out a black eyepatch for him, and Nnoitra took it, holding it up to see the size of it. Then, he handed it back to her, shaking his head.

     ❝ 'S too small. Ain’t gonna cover all’a my scar. ❞ He gestured towards his face, and the large eyepatch that hid his ugly eye. ❝ But I still look like a pirate, yeah? ❞ Why the fuck did it matter though? The nurse smiled and nodded eagerly.

     ❝ Now, let’s go meet the children. ❞

     The kids were all gathered in the ‘ playroom ‘, or whatever the fuck one would call it. They too were dressed up. There were four princesses, a fairy, two witches, a mouse(?), a ballerina, a clown, two vampires, a spiderman, a hulk and a pirate. So many kids! How the fuck was he supposed to look after all of these!? ❝ Hello, everyone! ❞ The nurse had taken on a different tone, Nnoitra noticed. So that was her ‘ talking to kids ‘-voice? There was no way he would be able to make that sort of voice. He didn’t know how to sound all warm and fluffy. Fuck this. The kids clearly recognized the nurse, and the ballerina and one of the vampires even came to give her a hug. Nnoitra seriously hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with that. ❝ Look who has come to visit us! This is Captain Nnoitra. ❞ Wow - WOW?? Captain? What the actual fuck? Was she trying to make him look even more retarded than he already did? Not that he gave a shit what these stupid kids thought of him. Still, he had a principle - people had no right to attempt to make him look dumb. He did a good enough job at that himself, thank you very much!

     ❝ Now, just talk a bit with the children, and then you take them all down the hallway. ❞ She pointed. ❝ You can knock on every door that has a post-it note on it, then, the children will be given candy. They’ve been given bags, so make sure nobody has lost theirs before you go. Have fun! ❞ And, all too soon, she was gone.

     HE WAS IN SERIOUS FUCKING DEEP SHIT!

     What the fuck was he supposed to say?

     What should he do?

     The kids looked at him, and he wondered if he should kneel down or something, to make himself more their size? 

     Seriously... What should he do?

     ❝ Woah you’re the tallest pirate I’ve ever seen! ❞ The Hulk spoke up, and all of the children sort of moved towards Nnoitra, who remained standing, trying not to look too defensive. 

     ❝ That’s because he’s the Captain. Captains are always tall. ❞ The fairy explained. Nnoitra found himself nodding in agreement. Shit --- Maybe he should say something and not just stand there like a moron.

     ❝ Yeah, ya know, pirates eats lots a seafood, so that makes ya tall. ❞ Yeah, fucking brilliant. Brilliant! Who the man? He the man. Teaching kids to eat fish since 2017.

     ❝ I’ve never heard a real pirate talk! ❞ What? Oh - did they think his accent was because he was a pirate? Nnoitra snorted.

     ❝ Ain’t like we come ashore often, ya know? We only get off ‘da ship like... Once a year. ❞ Sounded legit? Well fuck him, he didn’t know anything about pirates! Good thing the only ones he needed to convince was a bunch of kids in costumes.

     ❝ And you want to spend your only day on land with us? ❞ One of the princesses was looking teary eyed, and Nnoitra wondered if he had just made a kid cry. Then, she rubbed her eyes. ❝ We’ll make this the best day in the world for you! ❞ What was happening? What the hell was happening? The kids had swarmed him now. Spiderman had wrapped his arms and legs around Nnoitra’s leg, and held on, trying to climb up. Oh, right - spiderman. Climbing as his thing, right? Nnoitra hesitated.

     ❝ Spiderman can climb a ‘lil higher than that, yeah? ❞ Then, he picked the kid up. Nnoitra was strong, so placing the boy on his shoulders was no problem. Surely, he had never gotten a ride that high? The boy cheered. 

     ❝ I want to try too! ❞ That was one of the clowns. ❝ Me too! ❞ And a vampire. ❝ Me too me too! ❞ And so on and so on. Nnoitra didn’t have a fucking choice now, had he? He couldn’t exactly tell them to fuck off? It ended with him giving the kids turns, and he almost got a little worn out from lifting them all. He gave the little pirate ( he was the youngest ), an extra long ride, and explained that pirates are bros. After this whole session, the kids had gotten really comfortable with him, and were bombarding him with questions: Did he ever hit his head in doorframes? Why was his hair so long when he wasn’t a girl? What happened to his eye? Didn’t he eat enough onboard his ship? Could he fire a canon? How big was his treasure chest? What was the name of his ship? There were so many questions! Nnoitra did his best to answer them ( in a pirate-like-way ), before he remembered that he was supposed to take them all trick-or-treating. That would ( hopefully ) stop all the questions!

     ❝ Alright, alright. Now, how ‘bout we go look ‘fer some candy? Pirates love candy. ❞ Everyone cheered to that, and one of the talkative princesses told everyone all about what candy she liked, and what she didn’t like. Said princess wanted to hold Nnoitra’s hand ( he didn’t get a say in it, she just took his hand ). His other hand was occupied by one of the witches. And so, like that, Nnoitra, and ALL the kids, walked down the hallway, until they came to a door with a post-it note. ❝ This looks like a good place ‘fer candy. ❞ Nnoitra explained. ❝ Who wants ‘ta knock on ‘da door? ❞ Everybody was quiet. What was the deal? Was it  too scary? Jeez, did he have to do everything around here? ❝ C’mon, Hulk, yer strong, yeah? Ya knock on ‘da door. ❞ The green-painted boy gasped before nodding bravely. Then, he knocked on the door. A ‘ come in ‘ sounded from the other side, and Nnoitra had to let go of the princesses’ hand in order to open the door. Everyone was quiet, so hell, Nnoitra supposed HE had to say it? ❝ Trick or treat? ❞ That was the ‘ go ‘ signal, apparently, because all the kids flooded into the room. Two smiling patients were waiting there, with a good amount of candy, that was soon handed out to the kids. Luckily, everybody had remembered their bags ( Nnoitra had totally forgotten that part ). The patients pretended to be very frightened by everyone, and complimented them on their costumes. Nnoitra just stood by the door, not sure what he was supposed to do. There was no candy for him, right?

     After a few minutes, they were done with that room, and moved on to the next. Considering it was Nnoitra leading the parade, everything went really smoothly. It did take quite a while though, but ey, it wasn’t like it was as stressful as he’d thought it would be. All he needed was to hold hands with some of them, and then stand by the door while they collected candy.

     Oh, and in the end, when all the rooms were visited, everyone gave a bit of their candy to Nnoitra, so he ended up with treats for himself. That, he had to admit, was pretty fucking great! What wasn’t so great was that everyone wanted a hug too... He could’ve gone without that. Still, he endured. Not exactly the Halloween celebration he had wanted, but better than nothing, for sure. Now, he could go back to Grimmjow’s room, and share the candies with him. A lot of the kids didn’t like sour candy, so Nnoitra had gotten a lot of that, which he knew Grimmjow liked. Nice.