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cartoonfangirl1218 · 3 years ago

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Winner’s Curse Ch. 23

“You have got to be kidding me? No, no no way! Jay, get over here!” Jade yelled, unusually excited by a flutter of paper.

Jay tore his gaze away from the sight of the rising sun. A sight that when he was little, he’d pretend he was in the Agrabah Jafar had told him about. How the rising sun burned like the fires of the Jewel of Destiny. The sand gleamed like the golden minarets that were worth two ships of gold. The oasises as colorful and bright as emeralds and rubies.

It all led back to gold. Beauty in riches.

He knew better now than to believe his dad’s golden rule, but at sights like this, he couldn’t help but remember that feeling. Of wonderment, of desperate longing to see it for himself but feeling, knowing that he never would.

But he did know better. He did know better. He wasn’t going to fall for his dad’s sneaky, snaky words. Or for his hypnosis.

Damn it, he was Jayal iban Jafar, prince of thieves, king of lies, captain of tourney and R.O.A.R. He was powerful, fast, strong. He shouldn’t have broken out of the mind control himself!

“Jaaaay,” Jade called again.

“Right, coming.” Jay crouched to where Jade was regally reclining on her pile of cushions, holding the slip of paper aloft like a royal scroll. “One of Celia’s shadows sent this. She and Yzla tried to scry and get a message to King Ben. But they got something so so much better!” Jade explained reading the front side of the paper, “Apparently, the Coven already has some contacts inside Auradon that are helping them with the invasion. And they’re kids of the heroes. Ah!”

“You are way too happy about this.” Jay smirked at his cousin’s delighted squawk.

“Come on! A hero’s kid is helping their parents’ villain?! Oh and those Aks acted like they were so much better than us. It’s so perfect! Anyway, do the names Kyro, Victoria Porter, Morgaine Le Fey or Alexandria ring a bell to you?”

Jay shook his head, “Not really. I guess Morgaine Le Fey is Morgana’s daughter, but I don’t know about the others. I didn’t really hang out outside of my friends.”

“Good choice, who’d want to be friends with those whiny, pampered bitches.” Jade smiled knowingly.

Jay smiled back, “Took the words out of my mouth.” Okay maybe he wouldn’t have used the word, “bitches,” but once upon a time he would have. Now… he hated to admit but some of FG’s lessons had snuck in. He was more hesitant about using vulgar language. It unnerved him to realize that cursing was yet another thing that Auradon had changed in him.

Though he still did it sometimes to shock the princes like Chad who acted like he had murdered a puppy or something when he uttered the word, “Shit.”

But it still wasn’t the same.

Isle Jay hadn’t been so soft, so considerate of others.

Isle Jay wouldn’t have allowed himself to have looked at his fathers staff. He would have made some sort of distraction, talked his dad into letting him go, anything other than stupidly looking into the staff that he knew would make him a pawn.

What’s more Isle Jay wouldn’t have gotten tricked and captured in the first place, allowing his dad a chance to hypnotize him.

No Isle Jay disappeared the moment that he chose goodness over the wand. But what did that leave him with?

He was loyal now, he was the big brother. A big brother that hadn’t protected his friends from anything.

He was no help to Carlos and his nightmares.

He was no help to Mal when she was stressed and shunned by the public media as Ben’s consort.

He couldn’t help Evie against the invisible insecurities that haunted her head from sixteen years of grooming by her mother.

He hadn’t saved Ben from getting captured by pirates last time he was here. He had forgotten how bad the Isle was and forgot about the kids still left here….

He protected no one. He helped no one.

Maybe he was still the son of Jafar, through and through. He had helped no one but himself.

And he hadn’t done a good job of that either as this mission had shown.

He was Auradon Jay in being soft, easily tricked and hypnotized.

He was the worst of both worlds.

“Jaay, seriously are you sure you're not suffering from post hypnosis syndrome or something official like that?” Jade thwacked him on the head.

“I’m fine!” Jay punched her back in the arm.

“You better go tell Uma about this. It sounds important.” Jay pushed her away before she could pounce on him for a headlock. “Come with,” Jade gestured, but Jay shook his head.

“No. Remember, I’m supposed to be a hypnotized slave. Why would you take me around for a “girl’s convo,” he put air quotes around the excuse Jade used to her mother whenever she went to Uma’s room.

“You’re my slave, I can do what I want. Like how Cruella drives Jace and Harry around with her for everything.”

“Fine,” Jay cracked his neck and tensed up into the rigid state of hypno-him. He forced himself to walk robotically, letting his mind wander off into various thoughts, the most troubling recurring one of his father, so it looked like the blankness of a hypnotized pawn.

He hated trying to assume the position even though he knew it was necessary. It gave him the painful cramping, pins and needles feeling even though it was a short walk across the hall.

Jade fluttered the paper gleefully under Uma’s nose before the blue-haired sea witch snatched it out of her hands.

The rest of the group, Calix, Gil, Harry, Aziz, and Jordan crowded around to read the tiny writing until Uma read it aloud for them all. Jordan and Aziz, the only two who actually knew of the people looked shocked. Identical expressions of disbelief and surprise covering their faces, and causing Jade to burst into a not so discreet cackle.

“But- but Victoria Porter is a.. She’s a lady. She’s British for Allah sake! She wants to be a royal guard, why would she join the Coven! She doesn’t even have powers!” Jordan cried.

“And Alexandria cares way too much about her royal reputation to do this. Calix you dated her, isn’t Morgaine a sorceresss? Is she hypnotizing them or something?” Aziz pestered Calix who only opened and closed his mouth wordlessly.

“It doesn’t matter why they’re with the Coven or if they’re under duress. What’s important is that we know they’re working with them. We have to find a way to send a message to King Ben.” “We could use Celia’s shadow creatures,” Jade suggested, “That’s how she sent the message to me in the first place.”

“We’ll try that. And I’ll send a message in a bottle with a genie girl as a backup.” Uma confirmed, “Next, we’ll see if we can get Celia to scry for more information like what entry points this mini Coven is creating for the Coven to enter through.”

“I can help with that,” Calix added, “But what do the-how do I put this delicately, what do the rest of the non powered people do?”

“Harry, Gil, you go back to the crew and see how the fight training is going. Aziz, Jade, Jay, you… go keep your cover.” Uma directed the last one dismissively, leaving no question what she thought of their usefulness.

And it sparked a memory inside Jay. Memories since it happened more than once. Jafar was utterly disinterested in Jay unless he had something to steal. A day he came home with empty hands and a black eye.

“Just go.” “Go find something valuable.” “Get out of my sight!”

Commands he had obeyed without a question. No better than a spineless henchman. Or a brainless pawn.

Well Jay had his own mind. Ever since he left the Isle, he’d been standing up to what he wanted out of his life, not his dad. Just because he was back on the Isle, didn’t mean he was going to go back to obeying others without a question.

“What’s wrong, Shrimpy? Afraid I’m going to upstage you if you let me help?” Jay mocked, striding to Uma.

Like muscle memory, his body tensed for a fight. Clenching an dunclenching his fists, purposely stooping to Uma’s eye level, forcing everyone to acknowledge that he was taller and stronger than her. He flexed his muscles, and separated his legs for better balance. And he smirked. The smirk that made many a thug want to punch his lights out before ending up on the ground on their backs.

Anticipation rushed up his spine and he could taste the memory of blood on his tongue. He missed this adreneline….

Uma glared, not taking a step back as most opponents usually did. That would make a punch more difficult since he wouldn’t be able to get enough leverage, but then again he could always sweep her legs from under her.

“I’m not scared of you upstaging me. I’m not scared of you, period. I’m ordering you back to your post so this mission can continue successfully.” Uma gritted through her teeth, her eyes flashing a stormy teal much like the ocean outside the broken barrier.

That only made Jay’s fury mount. The deliberate calmness in her tone, like she was placating Jay by listening but knew that Jay would obey her anyway.

“You’re not the boss of me.” Jay growled.

“Well your pretty purple dragon “boss” is all the way over in Auradon so she can’t make your decisions anymore. You-”

“I can make my own decisions,” Jay yelled but Uma still didn’t back down, “I’m the only one here who could best all of you in a fight so I think you should be very careful how you speak to me or I’’ll-”

“You’ll be bleeding on the floor with your throat slit, that’s what you’ll be.” Harry finished, caressing the back of Jay’s head with his hook. The cold metal point just barely touching the nape of his neck.

Jay cursed himself for forgetting that others were watching and allowing Harry to get the advantage over him. He was better than this. He used to be better at this. Rule number 3 and 4 on the Isle was to always be aware of your surroundings and always on guard.

Jay snorted, clenched his fist and backed away from Uma. Harry only leaving his back until Jay was reasonable distance away. Jay saw the rest of them staring. Not the usual faces of awe, bloodlust and excitement that would be expressed by the onlookers of Isle tassels. No, these were the looks of tension, fear and concern.

Great, if the rest of the group hadn’t thought he was entirely useless and manipulatable from the hypnotized by Jafar incident, now they would all think was too hot headed to be trusted.

The looks from Jordan and Aziz were not as concerned or shocked as the others They were more neutral as if they expected this behavior.

Yet another example confirming for them that he was just a junior Jafar.

Frustrated with the uneasy feeling of a burnt ego, Jay stalked out, mumbling, “I’ll go back to my post.”

He shouldn’t have left Auradon. He shouldn’t have. He was the worst of both worlds. Too soft for the Isle now, but still a capital V, VK in Auradon.

He missed his friends, and he missed the feeling of a team more than ever.

In tourney, Coach Jenkins emphasized that to make a mission succeed, everyone had to respect each other.

Though there were some exceptions, mainly Chad, Jay believed that wholeheartedly. He trusted Herkie to always have everyone else’s back as backup support and respected how the demigod tried to be mindful of his strength. He trusted Carlos to always come up with the best strategies and be a sneaky wild card, and he respected Carlos as one of his best friends.

Trust and respect, those were the main ingredients for missions and games to work because no matter how the plan went off the rails, at least he could count on the others to pick up slack without feeling like they resented him.

Here, it was all resentment and distrust. Jay had thought he didn’t care about their opinions, and he still didn’t think he did. But it was exhausting to deal with the eye rolls when he suggested an idea or knowing that his every move, his every mistake was scrutinized as confirming their opinions of him.

They were Auradonians, weren’t they supposed to at least pretend to trust him, and believe in him and second chances?

Jay almost slammed the door behind him in Jade’s room but remembered that wouldn’t have fit with his cover as “mindless hypnotized fool” so he settled for closing it gently.

He needed an outlet for his anger that slamming the doors and punching Harry would have given him but the only choice was to punch pillows.

So he did it. It frustrated him at first. The pillows were too soft and could never match the satisfaction of crunching bones and skin but he kept at it. He let his ranger take over as he imagined the faces of Uma, Harry, Jafar, Jordan, Aziz and all the other assholes that had been ordering him around and keeping him in his place as a nothing. Unemployed thief. Jafar junior. Mindless pawn.

Sweat dripped down and plastered his hair to his neck but he kept going. Fluff began to spill from the pillows and his nails dug into his palms but he kept going. He kept going until he reached the bottom of the pillow pile, finding relief in the feel of splintered gravel against his knuckles.

He huffed, sanking to his knees and swiped his sweaty hair off his back, waiting for his pulse and breath to get back to normal. Once his blood stopped rushing in his ears, he heard the sound of slow clap. He whipped around to his feet to see Jade in her ornate sari, her emerald rings gleaming from the gilt edges decorating the room.

“What do you want?” Jay blew out a breath.

“Want to talk about your feelings?”

Jay choked on a laugh. He didn’t know what he expected Jade to say but that definitely wasn’t it. In fact, she sound so unsure and hesitant while asking, it sounded like she was questioning him what feelings were.

“Why-why would you want to know that?”

Jade and he never talked.

Actually no one talked on the Isle. Feelings were a weakness after all. But Jade and he never had a reason to talk. It wasn’t that kind of relationship. They were thieves in arms and…

If Jay was being honest, he hadn’t thought Jade really had feelings.

Sure she got happy and pissed, But the emotional wringers Carlos and Evie went through… the pressure that Mal tried so hard to pretend it didn’t get to her, Jay hadn’t thought Jade ever felt that. Or would want to hear someone else’s sob story.

But Jade, while nervous, was clear eyed and looking at him expectantly.

If there was anyone who’d get what living under the shadow of Jafar was like, Jade would get it.

Still he started with a joke, feeling a shred of embarrassment at his emotion-fueled rage, “Guess I do have post hypnosis syndrome. Heh, it kinda.. I don’t want to be ordered around, you know.” “If it makes you feel better, she treats me like I’m an easily hypnotized idiot too, and I haven’t even met her till now.” Jade settled down on the ottoman, gracefully smoothing her dress around her.

“Yeah, that’s Shrimpy. Bossy sea witch and pain in the ass trying to assert her authority. She still hasn’t gotten over, Mal beating her.” Jay semi-explained. Jade nodded and paused, clearly waiting.

Jay tensed, he never thought talking about his feelings would be this hard. He knew Jade wouldn’t judge him too much but still…

Through clenched teeth Jay said, “It’s just… before I got hypnotized I had realized, I never- I never thought what I’d do if I saw Dad again. I’m not like Mal or the others. I don’t care about his opinion. He doesn’t care about mine. He doesn’t care about me. But I-”

“But you do care.” Jade finished softly.

Jay thought of the first glimpse he had of his dad, returned back to his former glory. The way his pointed robe loomed over him, the snakey slit of his eyes as he grinned with perverse delight of a fate awaiting Jay that he didn’t know about.

The feeling sent a dip in his stomach and shudder in his chest. A feeling that Jay never gave words for until now.

“I was scared.” Jade didn’t say anything and that compelled Jay to continue talking, something to fill the silence that he was afraid was going to be replaced by tears if he didn’t stop himself.

“I was scared because I know I betrayed him and I didn’t know what he’d do with me. But yeah, I also cared about him too. I was scared and.. and guilty. I disappointed him.I hate it. I hate that! I know he’ll never care about me so why can’t I just stop caring about him? Nothing will ever make him care for me.” “That- that also makes it worse. I spent sixteen years of my life doing nothing. I stole and lied and became a master thief for nothing. I let him insult me, and hit him, and ignore me for nothing. I was never going to get the big score, I was never going to be anything but a burden or something he cared about.”

“I still cared for him, and… until he hypnotized me, some stupid part of me thought he cared too. Not a lot but. You know, Dad. He only hypnotizes people he sees as pawns or just idiots.” “And he hypnotized you.” Jade said matter of factly.

“Yeah, he hypnotized me. He could have used me or blackmailed, all conscious and self aware, to do something for him. He knows I’m a good thief, but-”

“He hypnotized you because he’d rather have a controlled pawn than a brilliant master thief of a son.” Jade put in words.

Jay nodded wordlessly, rubbing his face from the tears he felt burn in the back of his eyes but weren’t visible. “I thought I was better than the others, you know.” Jay said, not needing to clarify, “I thought I didn’t care about my dad so I didn’t have nightmares like they did. I was like their big brother.”

He snorted, thinking back to the kids scrounging through the trash cans, “I suck as a big brother but they still think that of me.” “Why do you suck?” Jade asked with genuine curiosity.

“I tell them that if we ever met our parents again, I’d fight for them. I’d pound anyone who hurt them. Villain or royal. But when I faced my dad. An illusion of my dad actually, I froze. Sure, I can say I’ll protect them, but what if when something actually happens, I freeze again? I haven’t done anything to actually help them.”

Jade looked thoughtful, “Well according to Yzla, Yen Sid said that part of helping is just listening and comforting people. And that’s what you do with Mal, Evie and Carlos. You’re a great big brother. As for freezing up. I think you’d fight to defend them. You froze with Jafar because… well it’s harder to fight your family.”

Jay listened, already feeling a weight lift from Jade’s words. Reminding himself that he fought Uma and her crew for his friend’s sake, and he fought Maleficent too back at Coronation. Maybe he wasn’t such an imposter of a big brother as he thought…

“You know, for someone who is getting to Anti Villain Club lessons by letter, you’re pretty good.” Jay nudged her shoulder.

Jade flick a bang back and smiled smugly, “I’m a quick study.”

The settled into comfortable silence, a feeling that was strange to him since he like dbeing as active as possible, but it was also nice. Calm, actually it made him want to fall asleep.

“So what about you? Anything you want to talk about?” Jay asked.

Jade looked like a deer caught in the headlights as the tables flipped to her. She pursed her lips, looked away and then looked back at him, “Nothing much. Just glad we had the chance to talk.” She sounded nonchalant as she answered but Jay could see the little Jade ticks that clued she was lying.

She sounded too carefree which Jay knew Jade never was. She was always looking for an angle.

“What’s in it for you? Why are you so into us talking?” Jay questioned.

“You know, you get it. Living with someone like our parents.” Jade mumbled, playing with the ring on her finger, “Being disappointments. Though I’d rather be hypnotized as punishment than what Mom usually does.”

Jay closed his eyes, the guilty weight came crashing back. He heard the rumors, of course. Nasira’s temper was legendary, and Jade was the best at makeup covering bruises but he hadn’t tied it together. Or at least he did, but shrugged it off since so many of them dealt with the blows given by their parents. There was no need to check on her.

Jade was Jade. She was tough, she was fine.

But the abuse did bother her. Just like everyone else. She lied that she was fine.

And Jay fell for that lie just like everyone else. Hook, line and sinker.

Some prince of lies he was.

“Jade I’m so-”

“Don’t feel guilty about not being a good brother. I never needed you as a brother.” Jade shoved him a bit as if physical distance would separate the emotional boundaries they were crossing.

Jay wanted to ask more, to argue that wasn’t true. That if he could have been there for Mal, Carlos and Evie, he could have been there for her too. But he also knew there was no point. It already happened in the past.

“You’re right. But we’ll talk from now on.”

Jade looked at him, straight in the eye, which would have meant something if they both weren’t skilled at lying with direct eye contact.

Jay slipped a gold seashell he pickpocketed from Uma into her hand. Jade smiled and handed him her emerald ring. It was a deal.

“I know you prefer your friends, but if you ever need to, I can be like your fourth option. When you feel like you can’t be a big brother.” Jade murmured.

“Hmm mm,” Jay hummed, admiring the green glint of the ring. No scratches on it. This was genuine jewelary instead of the costume junk that was usually found on the Isle.

“Though I guess I’m your sixth option if you go to Aladdin’s royal brats before me,” Jade laughed and Jay snorted derisively at such an unlikely scenario.

Though he had grown to be patient with royals, those two were still incredibly annoying. Worse so, since their families were interconnected as enemies. Other classmates always asked if he got along with them or if he was going to visit Agrabah, and he’d mutter something noncommittal and leave. He didn’t want to pick a fight with them and bring back all the anti-VK mobs again. He’d rather leave them alone and they do the same.

Though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to visit Agrabah. He wanted to see the storied bazaar of spices and treasures and millions of other items under the blazing sun. Or the golden dome of the palace. Or parkour on the roofs himself.

But then he’d have to accept the invitation to live in the Sultan’s palace and he wasn’t sure he would survive a week with them without majorly offending someone. Or punching someone.

Aziz was okay. He never brought up the Jafar connection, he didn’t make obvious ploys of aggression like Chad. Aziz even invited Jay to Agrabah himself at Aladdin’s behest. But Jay could see it in his eyes that Aziz wanted Jay to say no. The slight sneer when Jay got the penalty box for aggressiveness or see the tell-tale twinkle of a stolen bracelet slip out of Jay’s pockets that said Aziz fully believed Jay to be his father’s son.

Passive aggressive really which annoyed Jay more since that was such a girl thing to do. If Aziz was an actual man he’d screw the nicieties and fight.

Jordan was more upfront, announcing it to the room when he stole something. Eyes cutting to him expectedly when there was news of a brawl. Outright threatening him if he got near her, her lamp or Aziz.

Yeah, they were not his favorite Auradonians.

So unlike the happily ever after stories of his friends of Evie dating Dough or Carlos romping with the 101 dalmations, he was not on the road to reconciliation with his father’s enemies.

So no Agrabah for him.

He didn’t care. Unlike his dad, he truly didn’t care about their opinions. Except for the missed vacation destination.

Besides, even though he wasn’t befriending Aladdin like others expected. He still had Coach Jenkins as a mentor.

Though it wasn’t quite the same. Coach Jenkins made a conscious effort not to favor one of his athletes over the other. And Jay didn’t feel like inviting himself over to Coach’s family dinners. It would be too awkward. And too pathetic.

Well at least he had Jade. Though it would get some getting used to in thinking of her as someone as family even though they literally were. They had both been so used to the “No Team in I” family philosophy. And then Jay had been consumed by his role as big brother, that he hadn’t felt it right to burden his friends. After all, he was fine compared to them.

But that was going to change, and now, he had a new ally on his side to feel less alone.

#jay #jade #uma #winner’s curse #my fanfic #my fanfiction #disney descendants #chapter twenty three

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