#ch: (samuel 'smee' smiegal)

[captainjamesjoneshook]

Time's Up || Jolly Roger

@apirateslifefor--smee

Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and the boy are finally ready to leave Swynlake behind and set out to find the crocodile responsible for Hook's moniker.

Triggers: gun, violence against animals, blood, loss of limb/amputation, gore, death

See all that and still want to read? You can read it here.

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee

The screaming had not ceased since the crocodile had wandered off into the water. It seemed it wouldn't until the pain stopped or he had gone hoarse, whichever came first.

James clutched his arm with the opposite hand, the only hand he had now, as if that would help...anything. The blood, the pain, time itself. His nails dug into his flesh, body unable to quit moving as it tried to deal with the onslaught of sensation. Somewhere he knew he shouldn't stay there, exposed and bleeding all over the place, but he couldn't really think of anything rational to do. So he remained there, doing what he had been. Wailing. Bleeding out.

That was until Smee's voice cut through. He blinked through the haze to focus on that familiar face, breathing labored and dramatic but one could perhaps forgive him for the moment.

"Smee!" he said, his own voice mangled. His hand clutched the other mans clothing, fingers curling so tightly into the fabric that his hand began to shake. "Smee, you're alive, you're alive."

He repeated this over and over until another guttural yell was pulled from him as the jacket touched the exposed nerves, his spine arching off the sand in an effort to get away from the source of pain. But he couldn't escape it. It was apart of him now, having replaced the hand that had once been there. He fell back to the ground and just felt...tired. He was so tired.

His skin was pale now, the blood that had once provided it with healthy color covering everything around them instead.

"Not like this, Smee, not like this." James had no idea what he was saying, what he was pleading, but say it he did. "Please, Sam, not like this. Don't let it get me...don't let it get me..."

Obviously he hadn't, since there James Jones sat across from him, decades older than he had been on that beach. Which was probably why he thought it was time to take on the monster of this story to give it a proper ending.

"What do you say, mate?" Hook smiled, lifting the glass of rum toward Smee. "Ready to get out of here once and for all?"

It's Time To Go | Jolly Roger

[captainjamesjoneshook]

Passenger Princess || Jolly Roger

@apirateslifefor--smee

Hook could not remember being more annoyed with anyone in his entire life than he was with Smee for the past week. Not only had the idiot gone to another one of those useless little parties the town wasted their budget on, but he had also gotten himself hurt while attending! And all in the name of that bloody rat of his.

More than that, it meant he had to be off his feet for sometime, which meant that Hook was picking up all of the slack. The boy helped, as he had been far more sympathetic to Mr. Smee's injury, but after Hook had cooled down a touch, he had taken control of the situation.

At least, that's what he thought.

In an effort to not let Smee's lapse of judgement slow them down in their leaving process, and to not have to keep stubbing his toe against a chair that was sitting by the door waiting to be dropped off with someone in NTO who'd decided to buy it, Hook had packed both chair and first mate up in the car that weekend.

They had managed to make it out of Swynlake and on the road when Hook asked, "I take it you know where we're going?"

[captainjamesjoneshook]

History Repeats Itself || Jolly Roger

@apirateslifefor--smee

Hook had been having a relatively fine day, as much as he could being stuck in this ridiculous little town with all of its ridiculous little people all going on about their ridiculous little problems.

Then he had gotten some news that had put him, and therefore everyone around him, into a horrible mood. All day he had grumbled to himself about it, working himself up until all he could feel was a hot tar like anger in his chest. Sticky in its unwillingness to leave him alone, be washed away.

His walk home was more like a rampage, people thinking it best to just cross the street instead of having to pass him by. And it was. He stomped up the walkway to the house, threw open the door only to slam it behind himself, and yelled, "Smee!"

Hook followed the inevitable response to where the other man was and threw up his hand and prosthetic up, "The nerve of those buttoned up barbecued blistering barnacles to show up here!"

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee

James' eyes lit up at the sight of the phone, thought it had been lost along the way. Be it from when they were cutting his trousers off of him for surgery, when they were hauling him up into the ambulance, when Mr. Smee'd had to bring him ashore, or–

Or when he'd been hanging over the edge of the Jolly Roger.

He wasn't the sort of person who backed up his phone or saved his photos anywhere. So if the phone had sunk to the bottom of the ocean, all the things stored away in it would be there, too. All the photos of Squeaky. His folder of memes. The notes app filled to the brim with random thoughts that would come to mind, grocery lists he'd forget to delete.

Voice mails and his text conversation with his father.

"Couldn't forget it if I wanted to," he replied, like he always did when Mr. Smee would ask him that question. Though it was only said with half the sarcasm he usually put into it, the rest just sounded...tired.

"Thank you," James added. "For everything."

Déjà Vu || Jolly Roger II

[captainjamesjoneshook]

Day 21: Back To The Future Thread - June 5th, 2004

@apirateslifefor--smee

Time seemed to stand still.

It had been passing so quickly earlier. In the night, when he had been startled awake, it had seemed to rush by. One hour to the next compressing down into minutes.

Then those hours stretched out, turning into days. A week, maybe. Waiting felt like an eternity. Slow and torturous. Only to speed up all over again. A blink and it would be gone sort of ordeal.

Well, he had made the foolish mistake of blinking and just like that Avani was gone.

He had been forced from the room, the hospital staff only able to move him due to his confusion. Had he known, he wouldn't have left. Now he was sitting in the waiting area of the wing, which was empty. Hard to believe, considering this town, as small was it was, always seemed to have people crawling around every corner of it.

James, as he had been getting used to being referred to as since settling here on land, leaned his head back against the wall behind him and shut his eyes. Maybe, when he opened them, it would all have been a nightmare. When he opened them, she would be right there in the space next to him.

The quiet of the room was broken by the insufferable, piercing noise of his cell phone. Such an annoying gadget. He tore it from his pocket, ready to just hit the button to silence it, but noticed the name.

Smee was calling. No doubt to hear the good news. He clicked the button and put the phone up to his ear to grumble, though it did not have quite the bite he was known for. "Why are you awake at this hour?"

The Beginning Of The End || Jolly Roger

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee

"Obviously," he repeated with a large grin, mocking the other man as he knew that wasn't true. Though he wouldn't admit it here, in front of the non-captain and other men, even Hook had doubted himself for a while there. When the barrel of a gun had been pressed against his person, when they had stepped up onto the ship to find someone else manning it, he had thought maybe they had been bested. Maybe their luck had run out.

But, as had been proven to him by Mr. Smee's efforts in all of this, they'd never really had luck on their side. It had always ever been the pair of them making what they wanted happen.

Adrenaline from the fight was still pumping through his veins, anger and triumph and admiration all coming together in an overwhelming cocktail of emotion that he didn't have the tools to defuse properly.

He would deny what he did next, too.

Hook reached forward to take Mr. Smee's shoulder with his hand, turning him so that he could look the other man square in the eye before pulling him into Hook for a hug.

"Thank you, Sam."

Double Cross || Jolly Roger

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee

Hook nodded, though he did roll his eyes a bit at Mr. Smee stating the obvious. Of course they weren't going to march in to the Deer and announce to the owner who they were, who they really were, without garnering some sort of understanding of where the lad's mind was on the important matters. That was a one way ticket to jail in this town.

Well, anywhere, probably, since what they didn't wasn't exactly a legal practice. But the likes of this town, that liked to pretend they were a refuge for Magicks rather than a place the government deemed a necessary evil as it collected the lot of them rather than having them roaming about, they would have them punished for the sake of causing a scene for whatever plight they were pushing that week.

"Very well," he said, easily agreeable when it came to handing over the duties of such boring and trivial things such as this. "And very true. We'll need to know that he is capable of being in a crew. You know how the young ones are these days, all so vain. Selfish. If he has any loyalty, it will be a start."

Come Sail Away With Me | Jolly Roger

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee

Hook gave a hardy bark of laughter, "You better not require it!"

Because that would mean another failure in the books. Another delay to getting out of this town. Another disappointment that Hook didn't know if he would be able to swallow.

His confidence in Mr. Smee didn't waiver, though. Despite the omens that had been given these past few months, what with the boy failing to so much as bring them one scale back from that mermaid, all the way back to Mr. Smee going and getting his leg hurt, Hook was optimistic.

The girl did not sound like she posed a threat. Mr. Smee had a plan already mapped out. All that needed to happen now was that he execute it.

"Alright. God speed, then," Hook said, though he did not put any real encouragement about it. He raised his prosthetic, "Don't drag your feet on this, Mr. Smee. We need to be back out there and settled before winter."

Bound For Better Weather || Jolly Roger

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee @biceps--to-spare

"You're not going to find anyone on short notice who'll be able to navigate those woods like he can, anyway," Hook said, tone nonchalant, like this did not matter in the slightest despite it being probably the very reason D'Avenant was the man for this job. But the deal was already sealed at the younger man's word. It wasn't an official agreement but in his mind no one would deny an opportunity like this. Not when Hook was the one making it all happen.

Despite it being Smee who Morris had contacted, and Smee who had put D'Avenant's name on the table when it came to finding anyone who might be a good recruit. But what was Smee's was Hook's and what was Hook's was nothing short of brilliant.

"What do we say, gentlemen?" Hook asked, having had enough of this back and forth. It was time to make the deal official so that D'Avenant could go out there, succeed, and find that this was actually his true calling in life instead of wasting it away in this town of good-for-nothing's. "Are we set on the arrangement?"

Opportunities Ho! || Popeye

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@biceps--to-spare @apirateslifefor--smee

Hook would have felt no guilt or remorse in telling Morris that he wasn't going to be getting his fairy-sorcerer blood from him and Smee. It had not been his idea, he had not accepted the task, and he had not been the one to fail in obtaining it. Even though he had been apart of the failure, he was going to point the hook at Smee for being the guilty party.

Unfortunately he was a good man. And he couldn't see a friend and good associate be without hope. Or left without help. Nor did want to have Smee harping on this while they were meant to be leaving Swynlake behind them! They had better things to be thinking of ahead!

So he had agreed that they should give the task of getting the girl's blood to someone else. Someone who would be in Swynlake while they were gone. Someone they could trust.

Someone like Gaston D'Avanent.

He had asked the tavern owner if they could have a meeting with him and been invited into the back, away from the pub's usual crowd, to discuss.

"I'm going to get right to the point, lad," Hook said once they had settled. "We have another job for you, courtesy of Morris. It would pay very well. Far better than the last job, and you would only be looking for one very easy subject. Interested?"

Faith Trust And Pixie Blood || Popeye

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee @biceps--to-spare

"Oh, for pity's sake," Hook mumbled to himself, head turned, as if that would do anything to help the words not be heard. He inhaled and turned back, having had enough.

He lacked patience. He also lacked tolerance for people with skulls as thick as bricks.

"So you're saying you want to stay here in this town to rot for the rest of your life?" he asked, no longer willing to play the game of words and subtleties. "If you think this is all the world has to offer then, ha, be my guest! Stay here. Live here. Die here. Let the only thing people remember you for be a pint before you've passed it onto whatever offspring you produce so that it's no longer your own legacy."

We Saw You Across the Bar and We Really Liked Your Vibe | Popeye

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@biceps--to-spare @apirateslifefor--smee

It had seemed that the D'Avenant had not only gone through with the job they had secured for him through Morris, but he had done it well! Morris had seemed thoroughly pleased with the bounty he had collected for him.

It was a cause for a celebration of sorts! Because it meant that the young lad had gotten a taste for their work and, hopefully, would be agreeable to doing more of it. Hook couldn't see why he wouldn't! The pay was good, the work usually easy and when it was not easy then a good challenge for both the mind and body, which was good for one's soul.

Hook and Mr. Smee had arrived at the Deer, flagging D'Avenant down to have a drink with them in honor of the job well done. Hook lifted his glass of the table a few inches toward D'Avenant in a toast before taking a drink. "Tell us how it went, eh? We want to hear all about it."

And, no, he was not thinking of his own son, who should of had a moment just like this one. Who should have been sitting at the table with them but who was, instead, practicing how to make fire on his own somewhere in the woods as he had been tasked to do for the past week.

Big Bucks || Popeye

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee @biceps--to-spare

This made Hook smile, feeling pleased to hear that D'Avenant had not been deterred by the little set back. That was just the way of this life went.

"Exactly, lad, exactly. They think they're the ones at a disadvantage? Ridiculous! When they've got the power to bleed us dry and curse us to their hearts content?" he shook his head. "That is good to hear! Because this will most likely be our last meeting, as we're set to get out of here soon! We'll give your name out to those that usually come to us for jobs around here. They'll be happy to have someone trustworthy whose in business around here."

Even if Hook would have rather D'Avenant come along with them instead.

"I will miss these chats of ours, though," he said. Then picked up his glass, "And the good supply."

My, What A Guy That Gaston! | Popeye

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@apirateslifefor--smee

Both Jones' looked over at Mr. Smee before finding one another's eye. The elder of the two made a face, pinched and bemused at his first mate, communicating a great many of things but mostly I never know what to do with him. It made the younger find his smile again.

If anything could, it was the pair of them. As much as he had dreaded coming home that night, knowing he would be met with anger and disappointment and, he too had thought of the possibility of being disowned, there was always love there, too. Even if his father had a funny way of showing it. He was his son, he knew better than anyone how to find it by reading between the angry lines.

He was still trying to understand why no one else could be afforded such graces, too.

The boy sighed, standing back up and silently making his way out of the kitchen toward his room. Hook watched him go, listening for the sound of his door falling shut before he stood, too. He started to head toward his room before he paused, turned back to Mr. Smee, and pointed to the balloons still hovering in the air.

"Pop those before you go anywhere, eh?" he said and then continued on his way, as he had no intention of sticking around to help.

The Fisherman's Tale | Jolly Roger

[captainjamesjoneshook]

@halfawitch-willow @apirateslifefor--smee

While Hook had been the one to start the charade of them being lowly and misguided, he couldn't contain the slow glide of his eyes sideways to cast Mr. Smee a look before they looked toward the sky. The man couldn't just stay silent, could he? He simply had to tack on the dramatics.

Most of the time Hook would have appreciated it but right now he only found it annoying. Probably because he could only think of how Smee had been the one to insist upon this quest instead of letting them leave, like Hook had wanted!

"You've proven your point. You'll never see us again," Hook agreed with Smee, though his words were said with far more dignity. Because he did not bow to a child, or a Magick, no matter what position he was in or what story he had told. "That you can be sure of."

They would be leaving this town after this and nothing was going to change Hook's mind. No amount of money, no amount of protesting, no more insisting upon tying up loose ends. He did not care anymore. The clock had been ticking for some time now, and he wasn't going to waste another second of it here in this wasteland.

Blood Pact | Smillok