#i may be in this rowboat of a ship with like three other people and no fics i didn't write myself

[queen-scribbles]

Every so often the urge strikes to reread my Jowan/Leliana fic and I pretty much never say no. (aka, guess what I'm doing rn)

[huffle-dork]

Long Live the King

Chapter 7: Crossing the Unknown

Read Fantasy Masks | Read Swapboys | Read the first FM adventure | Other Multiverse Adventures | Read on AO3

The marshy ground of the Moors becomes more and more overrun with water during the day, until there's only the occasional mound of earth poking out from under the surface. The trees aren't bothered, their roots growing larger and lifting themselves out of the ground. Slowly, the boat starts to rock again. Just the faintest bit of waves. Not long after this motion gets noticeable, the boat pulls over to one of the small islands. There are three row boats docked here, along with two groups of people--one wearing wide, flat hats, the other wearing Phantom masks. The flatbed boat stops and Vsevna gets off first, greeting the Phantom group with enthusiasm.

Jackieboy peeks over to look at the new people and the row boats. He frowns, “We’re not crossing the ocean for two days in tiny row boats are we??”

Henrik, standing nearby, laughs. "No, of course not. That would be terrible. Look." He points farther out to sea. There, illuminated by the fading sunlight, is a large sailing ship, the sails not yet down. "That is the Serpent's Wake. Vsevna's ship. He is very proud of it."

Jackieboy squints at the horizon and then he brightens up, bouncing slightly, "OH FUCK YEAH!! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING!!"

Henrik laughs again. "I know! It is so amazing, isn't it?!" 

Chase joins them, staring out at the ship. He whistles. "I-I didn't expect it to be so big." 

"You have never been on a ship, then, Chase?" Henrik asks. 

He laughs. "I grew up in the mountains and never went more than a day's walk from my village. Of course I haven't." 

Jameson joins as well. To be fair, I haven't, either. 

"Didn't you also grow up in the mountains, though?" Chase asks. "I remember that the Jairsolas claim was in the Northavens." 

Jameson nods. That's true.

"I wanna climb those sail rigging things SO BAD!!" Jackieboy exclaims, "I wanna be like a pirate!! Like in the movies!!" 

"Please don't Jackie if you fall here we can't help you when you break something," Dr. J says with a sigh. 

Bro laughs, "Don't worry doc, I can float up there and catch him if he falls!" 

"Yeah Jays! Let me live my dream!!" 

Henny is staring out at the boat in awe, "It is majestic! Like something out of an epic!"

Henrik grins. "Vsevna will be so happy to see your reactions. He loves his ship." 

"Hey!" Jackie is over by the pile of supplies in the center, untying the ties. "We have to move this stuff to the rowboats!" 

"Ah, right, right." Henrik nods. "Ah... we were not expecting to run into four extra visitors, so it may be a bit tight. Perhaps we can convince some of the others to wait for a bit." 

"I say we let them take a boat to the ship right now," Chase says. "The sooner they come back, the faster the loading will happen."

"I can stay to help load! Flying will make it easier," Bro grins. 

"I'm willing to do whatever needs to be done to make this easier for you all," Dr. J says with a smile. Jackieboy looks like a kid waiting for his turn on a ride, excitedly watching the boat. He can't keep still.

Chase notices Jackie's excitement and grins. "How about me and Jameson row out with these three?" He indicates JJ, Henny, and Jackie. 

"That will work out," Henrik says. "Go talk to Ankhi and Felicia over there, in the hawk and doe masks. They will row you out there while the rest of us load the two last boats and get ready to load the third when you return."

"Yes!" Jackieboy pumps his fist and parkours out of the boat, eager to get to the row boats now. The rest of the swaps laugh, seeing Jackie so excited. Henny and Dr. J thank the others then follow Jackie out to the rowboats. 

Jackieboy is first to the new Phantoms, "Hi! I'm Jackie!“

 The two Phantoms--Ankhi and Felicia, hawk and doe--look surprised to see Jackieboy. "Ah, good to meet you, then," Felicia says, giving a small smile. Ankhi looks over at Vsevna, raising a hand for attention, and when 

Vsevna waves back he shrugs and looks at Jackie again. 

“Our friends said you could row us out a bit early?" Jackieboy asks.

"Early? Yes, I suppose," Felicia continues. Chase and Jameson catch up with Jackieboy. "Sorry, it's just that we picked up some extra people along the way," Chase explains. "So you will need two trips then, I see." Ankhi nods. "Alright, in the boat, then." 

The rowing takes longer than the swaps expected, but soon they stop next to a ladder built into the side of the ship. "Be careful climbing up," Felicia says. "Landwalkers find it hard sometimes."

Jackieboy makes a 'pffft' sound, "Don't worry, I'm pretty good at this kind of stuff!" 

Dr. J and Henny share a concerned look. But, Jackie scales the ladder like a champ and jumps onto the deck before poking his head down to look at the others. "Hurry up, slowpokes!" 

The two sailor Phantoms look impressed at Jackie's scaling.

"Oh my god he's insufferable sometimes-" Dr. J sighs. 

Henny giggles and goes up next. His lanky limbs kinda get in the way before he manages alright. 

Dr. J hesitates then slowly works his way up the ladder, clinging to the deck once he makes it. Henny helps him up and holds him steady once they're all up. 

After the swaps have gone up, Jameson goes, slow and careful, and then Chase, who tries not to look down and breathes a sigh of relief as soon as he gets on deck. "Not a fan of high places," he says. 

Ironic, considering the jumps you've made before, Jameson says. 

"Hey, those were desperate moments. If we didn't jump out that window the King probably would've killed me." 

That's fair. 

There is so much space on this deck. Not to mention there are stairs leading up to a second deck on top of a cabin. 

Jackieboy laughs in disbelief as he sees the deck and he runs around on it and spins around, laughing in glee. "Look at this thing!! ITS AMAZING!! it's so big!!" He looks back at his friends and points, "That's it! When we get back home- I'm looking up where to find a ship like this nearby cuz I need to take Zara and the kids on one of these!!" 

Dr. J chuckles, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Jackie." 

Henny comes to join Jackie, running around the deck and looking around. Chase and Jameson hang off to the side, more watching the other three react than anything else. 

There are quite a few people out. They all have Phantom masks but only a couple are actually wearing them on their faces. They all seem to stare at the Swaps when they see that they don’t have masks but relax as they see Chase and Jameson with theirs. 

“I guess we’ll have to see if Vsevna has plaster here… you all need masks,” Chase says. 

Henny gasps in excitement and stims a bit in place. “We can get masks?! Oh yes, yes!!!” 

“Heh really? That’d be so pog!” Jackieboy grins. “Bro and Alt talked on and on about how much they loved theirs.” 

“But… aren’t those only for Phantoms..?” Dr. J says quietly. 

I think at this point you all certainly count as Phantoms. Jameson smiles. 

“Though we’re not exactly the uh- authority on that,” Chase laughs. “But I’m sure Jackie, Hen and Marvin will agree.” 

The Swaps exchange excited looks. 

Meanwhile, Bro is trying his best to help carry all the heavy things and load them into the rowboats.

While that group piles in the rowboat and heads off, the others continue unloading the boat, which is a bit harder than loading it in the first place since the hold is so small. Marvin's levitation magic proves invaluable. 

In the time it takes the first rowboat to go out and come back, the other two have been loaded. 

"You can take one of these two out while we finish this last boat," Jackie says to Bro. "We won't mind if you want to meet up with your friends sooner."

Bro wipes some sweat off his brow and then looks at Jackie and laughs, "Do I really need to take a rowboat if I can just... fly over?" Then he thinks, "... then again- I don't wanna scare the other crew-"

Vsevna overhears Bro's comment and laughs. "Do you think my crew scares that easily?" he says, playfully. "We have seen much! We have even sailed through some Wyldseas. Sure, they may shout, but they will not be scared." 

"But he does not have his mask," Henrik points out. "They may not trust him at first." 

"Ah, I'm sure his friends can explain."

Bro laughs with Vsevna and nods, "Ah very true- I was wonderin' if you guys still had my mask from last time... but considering what happened to Wyvern lair... probably not." He sighs and shakes his head, "...probably good I didn't keep mine though... Alt had his when we left... but he didn't have it after... I think the King got rid of it..." Anger burns in his eyes.

Jackie's expression darkens. "He might've kept it," he mutters. "I haven't interacted much with him, but from what others have told me... he's the type to keep trophies." 

"Son of a bitch," Henrik mutters. 

Bro grits his teeth in even more anger, his eyes glowing bright blue. “Fucking bastard.” 

Jackie sighs. "In any case. It seems like you can fly on over if you want. I think Vsevna knows his crew." 

Vsevna grins and nods.

Bro looks back at Jackie and manages to calm himself down for a second- enough to give Jackie a small smile. “…I have been getting kinda restless not being able to fly so-“ He jumps up and hovers in the air above them for just long enough to give them a salute, “See you on the boat then, gents!” And then Bro rockets over to the boat. 

The crew on the Serpent's Wake shout out in surprise when they see Bro flying. A few go for crossbows hanging from their belts but Chase waves his arms. "No no no! He's with us!" he shouts. 

"A flying man?!" Someone shouts, confused. 

"Um--yeah?" 

The crew exchange glances and mutters but don't do anything as Bro flies closer. 

Jackieboy looks up and grins, waving up to the sky, “Bro!!” 

Dr. J chuckles, “I’m surprised he waited this long to fly around!” 

“I could tell he was getting antsy,” Henny giggles. He joins Jackie in his waving.

To be honest, he didn't do that much flying while he was here last time, Jameson says, eyes wide. It's amazing to see.

"Yeah that makes sense- He doesn't wanna scare people," Jackieboy chuckles, "He's a bit better than Alt though. Alt gets sick if he can't glitch- Bro just gets super restless. Like- that feeling when you're trapped inside and you wanna get out-" 

Bro startles as the crossbows are grabbed and hurries down to land on the deck. "Uh- hello there everyone! Sorry- i'm friendly and with the Phantoms I swear!" 

"Yeah he's with us!" Jackieboy grins and throws his arm around Bro's shoulders. "He's chill!" Bro blinks and then laughs, ruffling Jackieboy's hair. 

The crew look at each other and--almost in comical unison--turn away and get back to work. 

Chase and Jameson are surprised, and Chase actually laughs. "I wasn't expecting that." 

I suppose sailors have more to worry about, Jameson says. Is that true, about Alt getting sick? 

Jackie and Bro both look at Jameson. The hero nods sadly, "Yeah... he used to get sick a lot as a kid cuz... well he didn’t know he was magic I guess. Or I think we had to hide that? at least that's what my aunts said... I don't remember why... I think we just didn't want our parents finding us?" He gets a far off look in his eyes for a second before he shakes his head and continues, "But, yeah- one time early in our friendship he wasn't glitching around us and he just got... really sick." 

"I believe we figured out later its just pent up magic," Dr. J adds, "His body produces magic very fast and he has to use it or it overwhelms him like a fever." 

"He didn't use his ghlishing all that much last time," Chase mutters. "Poor guy. If he was worried he didn't need to be." 

Bro looks at Chase with a slightly sad expression, "Yeah... knowing Alt... he was trying not to... He's very stubborn like that... and really hates being looked at strangely... you know? But, if he does glitch around you, that means he trusts you." He smiles a bit more at this.

Jameson looks a bit worried about the far-off look in Bro's eyes, but decides to ignore it. I hope he doesn't do that again. His comfort is more important than others' impressions. 

Bro smiles softly at Jameson, “I hope so too… I think it’s easier for him here now… he didn’t seem like he was like- looking to hide it.” 

"Well, it's hard for some people," Chase says slowly. "People don't like to stand out. I get it." He smiles back at Bro. "And I think it's really nice that he eventually got comfortable to, ah, ghlish around us. Is that how you say it? I thought 'ghlishing' was the only form of that word." 

Clearly we lost something in translation last time, Jameson says. 

"Clearly." 

Bro blinks and then knits his eyebrows together, “It’s cuz it’s a really modern word… it has to do with a… lightning machine we have and his magic looks like… an effect it gives off?” He laughs, “it’s really complicated to explain…” 

“It can be called ‘glitch-ing’ as an action or… I guess ‘glitch’ is also an action word!” Dr. J chuckles, shaking his head. “English is so strange sometimes.” 

All languages are strange, Jameson comments. 

Changing the subject, Chase looks around. "I didn't expect a ship to be so busy."

Looking out towards the coast, the three rowboats are halfway to the ship. People start shouting and running about, preparing for their arrival.

Henny looks around at all the chaos too and sticks closer to the group. “ah yes- a lot is happening…” He looks towards Chase and Jameson, “Should we be helping? Or would we uh… get in the way?”

Chase also looks confused and a bit worried. "Um... I think we should stay to the side," he says. "None of us really know anything about ship stuff." 

The swaps all look at each other then agree to stay back. Yeah, this seems complicated. Besides- looks like the crew had it handled. 

When the rowboats approach, the crew lowers some winches as people start climbing up from them. Vsevna is first, and a lot of the crew shouts greetings. He laughs and waves and starts talking with the others. Henrik and Jackie soon appear, though Jackie turns around and shouts back down, "You can't make them pull you up again!" 

"Fuck you!" Marvin shouts back, though he doesn't sound actually angry. 

The swaps all laugh at hearing Marvin's shout.

Jackie sighs and looks around for the others. "Hey."

"Pulled up again?" Jackieboy asks through giggles, "Did he make the crew pull up the whole row boat so he wouldnt have to use the ladder before??" 

"That's exactly what he did," Jackie says. "I don't fully blame him for that, since he's not the best on his feet, but surely there's some magic that could help with that, right?" 

"If I'd known that was an option, I would've asked for that," Chase mutters. "That ladder was terrifying." 

Jackie sighs. "In any case. There are three guest cabins downstairs with a bed each. They're pretty small, but if you want to all try to fit in, go ahead. Or I suppose you could choose to sleep with the crew, they probably have spare hammocks. Oh, speaking of Marvin. He asked for a cabin to himself, given the whole... nausea condition. Even with the tonic he's worried about it. So there's really only two. "

The boys all share some looks, then look back towards Jackie. 

Dr. J timidly lifts a hand, "...I'm also worried about being nauseous so if I can... a cabin would be great." 

"We could share, Doc!" Jackieboy says with glee, "That way I can hopefully get some better sleep too- last couple nights have been rough..." 

"Me and Henny could share too- You wouldn't mind, right Hen?" Bro asks. 

"only if it is okay!" Henny says timidly, "I would not wanna take a cabin from someone else who is needing it!"

Henrik raises an eyebrow. "If you all think you can fit. They are pretty small." 

"I'm fine with sleeping with the crew," Jackie says. "What about you two?" He looks at Chase and Jameson. 

Chase shrugs. "I don't really care. I can sleep wherever." 

I'll take wherever I can get, Jameson adds. 

Henny and Bro look at each other, "If they're small- me and Hen can sleep with the crew too. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper." 

"Yeah! I think it could be fun! I have never slept a whole night in a hammock!" Henny says brightly. 

"Also, here, JJ." Henrik hands JJ a small ceramic bottle. "This is one of the tonics. Take one mouthful when you go to sleep and another when you wake up." 

The thought of a swinging hammock on a rocking ship makes Dr. J look kinda pale. So, he's relived when Henrik hands him the tonic. "Thank you so much Henrik."

"Not a problem." Henrik smiles. "I need to give one to Marvin, too. Where is he?" 

"Boat." Jackie points. "Again?" 

"Yea." 

"I do not think the crew like him that much." 

Jackie stifles a laugh. 

Bro laughs loudly at this, "Yeah i'm not sure I would either, having to do that!" 

"Oh, the sunset!" Chase gasps, looking off the bow of the ship. The sun is setting, the orange and pink light reflecting off the deep blue water. "That's beautiful!"

Henny and Jackieboy looks towards the sunset, then towards each other before they run towards the bow.  Jackieboy climbs on the top of the wall of the ship and looks out, laughing lightly in awe, "Wow... that is just gorgeous..." 

Henny leans on the wall and smiles, watching," Ha... this reminds me of when I was young… with my Papa and brothers... seeing the sun set on the beach..." 

Dr. J watches the two go with a fond shake of his head. Bro smiles and they take in the sunset too.

For a moment, everyone just watches the sunset. The crew doesn't mind, working around them. They're used to passengers. So they start pulling up the boats and their stored goods and begin to transfer them to the cargo hold. 

Marvin gets out of the boat and wanders over to the group, also looking at the sunset for a moment before clearing his throat. "I'm, um... going to go to a cabin." 

"Ah, here, Marvin." Henrik hands him another one of the ceramic bottles. "One mouthful before sleep, one when you wake." 

"Alright. Sure." Marvin examines the bottle. "Is everyone going below the deck, too? Who has the cabins?" 

"Jackieboy and JJ." 

"And you?" 

Henrik blushes. "Vsevna offered..." 

Jackieboy snickers at Henrik's blushing. 

Marvin grins but says nothing and just heads down a set of stairs tucked next to the captain's cabin.

"I might follow Marvin's lead and retire early too..." Dr. J says, clutching the tonic. "Since its gonna be dark soon anyways." 

"Oh yeah- is this kinda ship good to sail at night?" Jackieboy asks with a head tilt, then he shakes his head. "... that might be a dumb question- I just dont remember if we're setting off right away or in the morning-" 

"If we were not leaving until morning, why would we already be on the ship?" Henny asks, knitting his eyebrows. 

"Idk man! I dunno how boats work! That's my wife's specialty!"

Henrik chuckles. "Of course the ship is good to sail at night. It is built for long voyages. You cannot just stop sailing when it gets dark, that would eat up so much time. Don't worry, the crew is very capable." 

Jackieboy laughs and messes with his hair, "Yeahhh that makes sense... That'd be dumb-" 

"We might as well go to bed then, and let them take care of it," Chase says.

Bro stretches and nods, "That works for me." 

Henny smiles, "Yes! nothing wrong with some extra sleep. Then, we'll be one nights closer to finding our friend!"

"Let's go below, then," Jackie says. "Come on. I've been on the Serpent's before, I can show you where things are."

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

A benefit to sleeping below the decks of a massive ship? There is hardly any light to wake you up in the morning. Those in the cabins have portholes, but the portholes have wooden shutters that close. Everyone is free to sleep as long as they want... though those in the hammocks may be stirred by the sound of the crew getting up and going about their ship business.

Bro rises pretty early with the crew- used to early morning patrols. He stretches and looks around, smiling as he sees Henny still curled up asleep in his hammock. He goes up on the deck and goes to the edge to look out at the sea, feeling the fresh salty sea air. 

Dr. J comes up not long after, looking around and then relaxing slightly at seeing Bro. He comes over to stand next to him. "Good morning, Chase!" 

Bro smiles back at JJ. "Mornin' Doc. How ya feelin'?" 

"Better than I thought I would! Henrik's tonic has helped a lot." The good doctor smiles.

Jackie is already up, also used to early mornings, doing sword practice in a corner of the deck with some of the sailors. Seems the swaying deck has taken away some of his keen dexerity and he loses pretty frequently. 

Chase wakes up shortly after JJ does. "There's so much water," he mutters, looking out at the open sea. Then he looks up. "There are already people up there?!" He blanches just seeing the crew members going up and down the rigging.

Bro looks up at Chase's exclamation and then grins, "Oh... Jackie's gonna be such a menace to those guys-" 

"Honestly I don't see the appeal..." Dr. J says, shaking his head. 

"Only cuz you're scared of heights." 

"Any sensible person would be!"

"I completely agree," Chase says. "What if you fall? Not everyone can fly. In fact, almost no one can fly!" 

Henrik comes out of the captain's cabin at that moment. "Good morning, everyone," he says cheerfully. "Hmm. Seems only about half of us are awake. Do you want to watch Jackie fight? He falls down while doing so on the ship, it is very rare to see him fall." He chuckles. 

Bro grins, "I'm actually thinking of joining if I can! But, dunno probably good to eat something first-" 

Then, one of the doors to the lower cabins bursts open downstairs and Jackieboy claws his way up the stairs to the deck. He grins wide at seeing others up in the rigging and points up, "WATCH OUT ROPES IMMA BOUT TO CLIMB YOU SO HARD!!" 

Bro bursts into laughter, "Uh oh- proper sleep has made him hyper!" 

"YA DAMN RIGHT IT DID!" Jackie calls. 

Dr. J shakes his head, "Before breakfast? He's a mad man-" 

Chase shakes his head as he watches Jackieboy. "He's a fool." 

Dr. J laughs, "I agree- but unfortunately he's a very loveable fool." He says this as he watches Jackieboy start to climb the rigging, grinning like a child on Christmas. 

"Don't be so mean," Henrik scolds. "Not everyone is scared to fall. Besides, Bro could catch him, probably." 

"Well, he's free to do whatever he wants." Chase shrugs.

Henny soon pops his head up from below, his hair tussled from sleep. "Why is there the yelling?" he asks as he joins the others, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. 

Bro chuckles, "You don't usually sleep this late, Henns-" 

"The hammock was very comfy..." Henny yawns.

Chase glances at Henny and smiles. "Yea, it was, wasn't it? Something about the swaying was so soothing to me. And then--then I had another draisling." He looks at the swaps. "You remember me telling you about that, right? With Jack?”

Bro blinks and then nods, "Oh yeah! Your magic dreams- I remember!" 

“He, um... told me something. The King and Magnificent are going to the Wyldwood, and they're bringing Alt with them." 

Jameson appears just in time to hear this, looking like he didn't sleep as well as Chase and Henny. So my vision is on our path? he asks. 

"Seems like it." Henrik lets out a breath. "That is good to know." 

"And," Chase adds, "the two of them think that the Winged Elder One is helping Alt somehow." 

Henrik gasps. "So we are really on the right path, then!" 

Jameson grins, happy to hear this. 

Bro frowns at hearing about the King and Mag, and looks furious at the mention of Alt still being with them. But, he does brighten as he hears about the Elder, but his expression quickly morphs into worry. "If that is true... then they already know... that means they're gonna do everything they can to stop it..." He grits his teeth in anger.

"The King and Magnificent will stop it, you mean?" Henrik asks, looking worried. 

Chase rolls his eyes. "How arrogant do you have to be to think you can stop an Elder? If I was in their position, I would just give up there and try something else." 

Jackie, after getting knocked on his ass again, gets up and joins the others. "What are you talking about?" 

"Oh, uh..." Chase fills him in quickly. 

Jackie sighs. "Well, people like those two won't give up until they get what they want. And honestly, I don't think they'll ever get what they want. Their goal will keep shifting." 

Jameson nods. There's a way of fortune telling involving arcana cards. I remember learning about it when I was little, oracles in Saelas use it. One of the arcana cards is Hunger. A person who is never sated no matter how much they consume. This spirit is certainly like that, and I'm betting Magnificent is, too.

"Oh yeah... that's probably the best way to describe him," Bro growls, power bright in his eyes. "Arrogant, power-hungry... probably thinks going up against an Elder is a fun challenge-" He spist out with hatred. 

"... What can we do then? What if... together... they can best an Elder?" Henny asks in a small voice.

Chase and Jackie start laughing at that. 

"If they can defeat an Elder, they'd still have to deal with the other twenty-four of them," Jackie says. 

"I don't care how unnaturally strong that spirit is, he cannot defeat them," Chase says. "And even if he can, the world is full of other gods who would take issue with that." 

"Exactly," Henrik says. "The Celestial Sisters are watching over this island, as well as the Forger. Do they think they can defeat the ocean? Do they think they can defeat the moon and sun?" He scoffs just saying that.

Henny blinks and then laughs lightly too, shaking his head. "Ha... no- Magnificent is powerful but not that powerful!" 

Bro seems to relax at this too. Having someone point this out helped to ease his worry. "Ha- never really thought we'd have gods on our side..." He looks up at the sky, gripping his shirt over his chest. "... I hope they're able to help Alt... just until we get there..." 

"I'm sure he can make it," Jackie says. 

Chase nods. "I've had a couple encounters with an Elder. They're in my draislings. I'm sure they can protect him."

Bro smiles at Jackie and Chase’s reassurance.

"We have to believe in him too, Chase," Dr. J says gently, "Alt is a tough lad- I bet he's fighting as hard as he can... But, no matter what... we'll find him and bring him home." 

Bro nods at this and sighs, messing with his hair, "Yeah... I know... I just... can't help but worry. He's my baby brother..."

As Bro mentions Alt being his brother, Jameson's expression uncharacteristically... breaks. It's hard to catch, but for a moment, his face is full of grief. He quickly schools it back to sympathy. It's tough, trying to protect younger siblings, he says. But you can't let that guilt eat you up. You're doing everything you can. And I'm sure Alt knows that, even through whatever spell they have on him. 

The others glance at Jameson.

Henny watches Jameson and looks concerned for him. 

Bro blinks then smiles slightly, “Oh yeah- you mentioned having siblings once… sisters, right? So… you get it.” He sighs and messes with his hair some more. “But you’re right… Worrying isn’t gonna do anything right now…”

Jameson glances at Henny’s concerned face, then looks back at Bro with a small smile. Well technically Emer wasn’t my sister all the time, sometimes she was my [sibling], but she didn’t mind the rest of us lumping her together with Orla and Mairead. 

Bro smiles, “Non-binary- nice! also those are such pretty names! I bet they’re great gals!” 

Jackie clears his throat. “I have siblings too. Haven’t seen them in a while but I do wonder how they’re getting on sometimes. I’m not going to say you shouldn’t worry, it’s impossible not to, but don’t let it control you, okay?” He grins. “How about a distraction?” He raises a wooden practice sword in demonstration. 

“Oh yes, Bro, you may have a chance now that the waves throw Jackie off,” Henrik chuckles.

Bro looks at Jackie and then grins wide, “Hell yeah!”

As soon as Bro looks away Jameson’s expression slips again. Chase puts a hand on his shoulder, which Jameson looks grateful for. Has anyone seen Marvin? he asks, changing the subject. 

“I think he is still in his cabin,” Henrik says. “I hope the tonic is helping his nausea. If it is, he should come up. He would like watching this I think.” He gestures at Bro and Jackie going off to spar. 

I’ll go check on him, then, Jameson says, and turns to leave.

Henny watches Jameson with more worry and then looks to the others, “I think I left something downstairs as well! I will go with Jameson-“ Then he quickly follows after Jameson. He hesitates for a second and then reaches out to gently take Jameson’s shoulder, “…Jameson my friend… is something wrong?” He asks quietly.

Jameson stops just before the stairs below deck. He reflexively starts to deny it, then hesitates. Are you… prepared to hear something serious?

Henny looks even more worried but then he nods, “If you are willing to share… it is alright if you are not though. I just want to make sure you are okay…”

I think an explanation is needed, anyway. It’s only fair. I think everyone else knows. Jameson hesitates again before going on. My sisters… have passed. Six years ago my parents opposed many of the King’s new policies, so he… retaliated. I’m the last of my line. He shakes his head. All that sibling talk just… reminded me of things. 

Henny’s eyes widen and then, without thinking, he grabs Jameson and pulls him into a tight hug. He buries his head against Jameson’s shoulder and whispers in a shaky voice, “I am… so sorry, Jameson…” 

Jameson, not expecting that at all, stiffens slightly. But then he quickly melts into it, hugging Henny back. He closes his eyes and lets out a long breath. Been a while since someone said that.

Henrik hugs him tight for a while before finally letting go. He wipes underneath his eyes and then looks at Jameson with a sympathetic expression. “…I understand your pain, my friend. In a different way but… I… I will tell you something my friends know that you all do not…” He fidgets anxiously with his pocket watch and looks down, taking a deep breath. “…Magnificent… he pulled me from the past in our world… one minute… I was still living with my papa and my brothers were alive and then… it was suddenly 90 years in the future.” Tears brim in his eyes, “in a way… he took my family from me… and I already lost my mother and my sisters in a war…” He pushes up his glasses to wipe at his eyes better before laughing bitterly. “M-maybe that is too serious but… I understand, Jameson… I lost my entire family too…”

Jameson's eyes go wide, and then his expression softens. He shakes his head. No, it's not too much. It's alright. There are tears in his eyes too. I'm so sorry, Henny. I can't imagine what it would have been like jumping through time, after already losing your family. He gives a voiceless, dark laugh. But I also understand that pain. He smiles, eyes watery. I suppose we have to make them proud from beyond, then, don't we? He indicates the mask hanging from his belt. My family crest was a rabbit. I think... I think resisting the King is what they would want me to do.

Henrik looks up at Jameson and gives him a watery smile too, a tear dripping down his face. “Yes… I-I think they would be very proud… of both of us.” He gives Jameson another quick hug before backing up and wiping at his face again. He laughs lightly. “now… w-we should probably see if Marvin is alright, Ja?”

Jameson nods. He's probably sleeping in, if he's not too nauseous. But let's check anyway. He gives him one more smile, and then heads down the stairs. 

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

Soon after the sun rises, Aneirin wakes up. He immediately turns his attention to Alt. He didn't see any more strange dreams that night, but that didn't mean there weren't more possibly coming. Getting up, he nudges Alt awake, and then Magnificent. "I think it's time," he says, grinning. "Time to jump across the land."

Alt looks exhausted, the dark bags under his eyes getting worse each day. But, he glitches up and stands at attention, dazedly looking back at the King. 

Magnificent blinks awake and then grins, getting to his feet in a flicker of magic. “Finally~!” He glances over at Alt and checks his strings mentally. They’re still strong. He nods in satisfaction, grinning even more.

Aneirin looks a bit concerned at Alt’s condition, but they don’t have time to let him rest. “We can leave the horses behind,” he says, grabbing the bags from them. They’d made sure to stock them up during the trip, but if worst comes to worst, he could remember an edible fruit if he saw it. “It will be too difficult for them.”

“Good- they were useful but I’m glad to not have to ride them anymore.” Magnificent grumbles. 

Alt looks at the King grabbing the bags and holds out a hand, “I can carry those, mu Ríth.” 

Aneirin grins. “Thank you, á klaíoh.” He was going to tell him to carry them anyway, but it’s always good to see them showing initiative. Alt takes the bags and adjusts them accordingly, nodding to the King. 

 As Aneirin hands them over, he looks up at the sky. Clouds are visibly moving across it. Gathering above them. This black magic is certainly giving him a boost. Then he looks around. They need a stretch of clear land… there. He points to a spot about fifty feet away. “I’ll open the doorway there. Don’t get too close until it appears.”

Magnificent grins at the clouds but then tilts his head and narrows his eyes towards where Aneirin pointed, “Why can’t we get close-?”

“Because lightning is about to strike,” the King says bluntly. The clouds rumble ominously after that. How dramatic.

“…oh- well yeah… that would explain it.” Magnificent replies, blinking rapidly.

“Get ready.” The King narrows his eyes. They flash green— A bolt of lightning flashes down from the clouds and strikes the ground. 

Dirt and grass sprays into the air, and suddenly a hole opens up, an archway of green light wide enough for the three of them to walk through side by side. The middle no longer shows the field, but instead a lush forest in all shades of green, the ground gradually sloping downwards.

Alt’s eyes widen as he sees the forest on the other side. He starts to walk forward- but Mag grabs him and tugs him back slightly. “Stay by us, kitten. We don’t want you getting lost.” 

Green flashes weakly in Alt’s eyes but he nods, whispering, “Y-Yes my liege.” 

Ah. Just as he remembers. The King nods, preparing himself, and walks forward. 

Magnificent grins, looking at the portal with mad glee. “This is it! Let’s go~” He walks toward, Alt trailing just behind him.

As soon as the three of them are through the doorway closes. They are standing on a sloped ground, surrounded by trees with dark green leaves, thick enough to completely block out the sky. But it’s bright as day in the forest, lit up by glowing yellow and orange mushrooms growing on the trees’ bark. Patches of moss cover everything in a fuzzy green carpet and the grass blades are wide, reaching their knees. “This is… in the foothills of the mountains, I believe,” Aneirin says.

Magnificent whistles, “My my… what a pretty sight!” He then makes a face at the grass reaching up so high and lifts up his foot slightly. “ugh- I definitely see where the wild fits in though.” 

Alt looks around at the glowing mushrooms and the trees. “it’s… beautiful.” 

Aneirin looks around. "I suppose it is. It's been so long since I've seen it in person." He gently puts one hand against the nearest tree. And the moss shrinks back, spreading away from his hand like an amoeba moving. A low groaning sound echoes through the forest. Other than that, there is no noise at all. "But that doesn't make it any less dangerous. I think I remember our destination being on flatter ground."

“Then let’s get moving,” Magnificent says, heading down the slope. 

Alt hesitates, watching the moss shrinking away from the King. But soon enough his eyes flicker with green and he moves to follow Magnificent. He grips their supply bag tightly, looking around the forest cautiously as they move.

Nothing happens for a while. They brush through the grass and weave around the trees, heading gradually downwards. Alt and Mag can feel the magic around them, so strong it's practically buzzing. Another one of those groaning noises echoes through the forest, and despite the lack of wind, the trees rustle. And then the ground heaves, gnarled tree roots rising from the earth, blocking their way forward.

Alt reacts first, getting in front of Mag and the King and holding a hand buzzing with green lightning out towards the roots. But, he relaxes as it doesn’t seem like it’s attacking them. He does look at them in confusion, though. 

Magnificent steps forward and growls, lighting green fire up in his hand. “The fuck is this?!”

"I told you, the forest has a mind of its own," the King says. He steps forward, experimentally touching the raised roots. They don't react. He turns to the side, inching between the trees, but it seems this wall continues to the left and the right. "No way around it, it looks like. We'll have to find some way through."

Magnificent growls, eyes glowing bright, “I’ll make a way through!” 

“W-Won’t that cause a huge fire??” Alt says in a bit of panic. 

“Silence whelp- you weren’t spoken to!” Magnificent snaps at Alt. The knight scampers back and presses his lips shut. “If this forest has a mind of its own- it can find a way to put itself out!” The mad magician giggles, then lashes out to try to blast a hole through the roots with a blast of green fire. 

The fire catches, burning through the wood surprisingly quickly. 

Aneirin steps back, looking actually shocked. The roots writhe as more of those groaning sounds echo through the environment. And then, from deep within the forest, comes a wailing scream of terror. Fear rolls through the woods, rising up within them at the sound of that scream. It's almost a physical force telling them to run as fast as possible in the other direction.

Alt stumbles back from the fire, eyes wide. Then, the screaming comes and he feels a shiver go through his body, parts of it threatening to pixelize. He starts to step back, almost wanting to listen to the force. But then his eyes flash green, Mag’s command to stay close washing away all the terror and he relaxes, eyes glazing over slightly. 

Magnificent feels the force but then snorts and steps forward, going through the smoking hole he made through the wood. “Nice try, woods- but you won’t scare me.”

Aneirin raises an eyebrow. "Impressive." He follows Magnificent. As he passes through the hole the tree roots slam down, barely missing him as they burrow into the earth to recover from the burning. He doesn't even flinch. "That's probably a banshee or darrig. We'll know if it's the latter if we have nightmares." 

The tree branches overhead bend, almost avoiding touching the two of them. They don't bend away from Alt. Which is a bit inconvenient, but it doesn't feel malicious.

“Oh goody- I love those,” Magnificent grumbles. He keeps moving forward. Alt stares at the roots as they slam down, a brief flickering in his eyes. But then he follows after Mag and the King, glitching around the branches in his way. 

It's hard to tell how much time passes without the sun for reference. Slowly, the trees change, growing taller and straighter, their dark brown bark speckled with white. The grass is no longer knee-length, now just brushing their ankles, turning dark green, almost turquoise. The glowing mushrooms disappear but are replaced by small white flowers and pink butterflies, both glowing as well. 

Soon, hunger starts to set in for the King and Alt. And just as they start to notice, they come to a section where vines drop down from the high branches of the trees. Vines with fruit on the end and berries along the length. There's a whole variety, the fruit resembling plums, apricots, nectarines, the berries like cherries and mulberries, but they're all the wrong colors. They look almost like jewels in the way they shine.

Alt, who's been dazedly walking through the changes, blinks up at the vines. Then, he seems to brighten, his stomach churning painfully. He instantly reaches up to try to grab some of the fruit. 

"Careful, á klaíoh." The King holds out his hand, stopping Alt from grabbing anything. "Fruit in the Wyldwood could be a trick." He narrows his eyes, trying to recall these. "If I'm correct... you shouldn't eat the ones that are warmer colors. Stick to the cooler blues and purples." Maybe. It's been a while since he had to eat these. And he'd rather Alt try than him. 

Alt startles slightly at the King stopping him. He blinks and then looks out at the vine again. He takes the first cool colored fruit he can find, hesitates, then slowly takes a bite.

It--it's so good. Delicious, sweet, and surprisingly rich for a fruit. It tastes like new flavors are emerging the longer he has it in his mouth, and as he swallows he feels comforting warmth in his stomach. His body is buzzing with energy, glitching on its own. 

He wants more. He needs more--

Alt practically melts as he chews on the fruit, eagerly eating what he can before he starts to reach for another. Then, he stops and furrows his brows against the sensation. He's hungry but... this... feels like a trap. He glitches back, looking at the fruit with narrowed eyes. He looks down at his body now, eyes widening as he sees the energy bubbling throughout. "...woah-" 

"...strange fruit-" Mag comments, raising an eyebrow. "If it provides energy though... maybe we should keep some around." 

"...I-I don't think that's a very good idea, sire..." Alt breathes, "...I think the fruit was trying to bewitch me-" 

Aneirin blinks. "Ah yes, I remember now." He reaches up to the vines himself and--avoiding the fruit at the end--takes some of the berries. "The warm fruit will steal your energy while the cool fruit gives you it, but they both taste so delicious that you want to eat until your stomach bursts. To offset it, you need to consume the berries first." He pops a couple of them in his mouth. They taste slightly sour, a feeling that lingers as he grabs a purple fruit and bites into it. It's delicious, but not irresistible. "You were able to resist the feeling on your own? Impressive."

Alt feels a wave of pride swell through him at the King's praise. He smiles timidly and nods, grabbing some berries for himself and following the King's lead. "T-Thank you, mu Rith." He mumbles, popping a few berries in his mouth and then grabbing another cool fruit. His body buzzes with more energy and he grins, feeling better than he has in a couple days. He starts to pick both berries and fruits to take with them. 

"You're welcome." The King leans back against a tree as he eats. "We can take a moment here. I believe we also have bread and meat in the bags, if we're making this a full meal. If you would, á klaíoh, when you're done gathering." He gestures at the bags Alt is carrying. 

Alt glitches around and then perks up a bit and seems relieved the King is willing to take a break. "Of course, sire!" He sits down and starts to unpack, pulling out all the things they need for a full meal. 

Mag looks annoyed about having to stop but he sighs and comes over to sit anyway.

Aneirin notices Mag's annoyance and smirks slightly. "Come now, Magnificent. Surely you remember the need for rest, even if you may not remember the need for food. Besides, we're not sure where our destination lies anyway. A search takes more energy than a simple journey."

Magnificent sighs dramatically but he does lean back on his hands. "Yeah yeah- I suppose my legs could use a rest." 

Alt breaks the bread and hands some of the bread and meat to the King before giving himself some to eat and digging in.

They eat quietly for a while, the only sound being the faint rustling of leaves and that strange groaning noise. Now able to sit and really listen, it sounds like... like something heavy moving. Maybe something wooden. 

Magnificent has his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the forest during their break. Even if he's not a big fan of that groaning noise... 

There's also another sound. Alt can hear a faint... murmuring. Not a sound that fits in the woods. It sounds like one or two human voices.

Alt eats quickly but tries to savor the food too. As he's finishing up he picks up the sound of the mumbling and looks towards it, lightly tilting his head.

"...What is it?" Aneirin asks, noticing Alt's attention. Then he hears it too. "...Voices?" He frowns. "Wait a moment. Let's see if they change at all." 

They don't. They stay where they are, at generally the same volume, too low to really hear the words.

Alt tenses his shoulders and listens, narrowing his eyes. When they don't move he looks towards the King, "...an illusion?"

"Possibly," he says slowly. "But I believe we can take on any creatures that would cause it. It could also be real. And if it is, I am curious..." He pauses. It's tempting to send Alt to check it out, but if he goes too far, they could get separated. He looks at Magnificent, silently asking for his opinion. 

Alt's eyes spark with magic, "I could check it out, mu Rith." 

Magnificent glances at Aneirin and then shrugs, {His control is solid. He knows not to stray too far from our side.}

Aneirin nods reluctantly. "Very well. Be careful. If you think you are in danger, return and alert us instead of staying to fight."

Alt's flash green at the command as he nods, "Yes, mu Ríth." Then he glitches out of sight. He appears where he thinks he heard the noise, magic bubbling in his hands as he looks cautiously around.

As he weaves between the trees, the voices get louder until he sees two figures crouching behind a pair of bushes--which doesn't help hide them at all, since they are the only bushes in sight and kind of stand out. One of the figures is small, the size of a child, but with adult proportions. He wears old-looking clothes and has a mane of curly red hair and a beard that practically hides his face. The other is mostly covered by a black cloak, but has skinny wrinkled arms and long white hair. They are talking. It's not Glasish (or even English), but somehow Alt knows what they're saying. 

"What is a Jester but a Fool without conviction?" 

"The conviction is the difference. A Fool would walk down the Forest Path, a Jester would turn away for spite or fun." 

The short man grumbles and the cloaked woman sweeps two things towards her. It seems they're playing a card game of some sort, with a set of cards whose backs have the same pattern as the bark on the surrounding trees. Each of them has a hand of five cards and a pile of face-up claimed cards, and there's a deck to draw from in the middle. 

Alt pauses as he hears the voices get louder and he stops to hide partially behind a tree. He narrows his eyes at the figures. ...the King said this forest was dangerous... why are these people just... out here playing cards...?

Suddenly, both of them turn and look right at Alt, the tree doing him no favors. "Oh, someone approaches!" says the cloaked woman. "He smells of Hunger but he is not of that." 

"I think he travels with one, maybe two," says the small man. "Which is he, you think? Perhaps of the Hood?" 

"I say a Magician, or perhaps a Ghlish." 

"These people are of many arcana, maybe he is all of them." 

"That is very true. Stranger, would you like to join our game? We can deal you a hand. If you play well, perhaps we will give you aid."

Alt stiffens as they turn towards him, his blood running cold. He cautiously steps out from behind the tree, trying to keep himself from glitching. "um... dia duhui ..." He tries to greet. "Y-You all speak in... a strange tongue... may I ask what you... are, exactly?" He asks quietly, fearful of their reactions.

"Ah, some of the Wanderer in you, too, I see," the cloaked woman cackles. "Far from home, if you do not know." Somehow, Alt realizes that she's switched to another language that he understands as well. 

Alt blinks in confusion as they speak. Why does the language sound... more familiar now? It's not... Glasish. "... far from home...?" He whispers, green-blue flickering in his eyes. 

"You have nothing to fear from Lasta and Caba," the short man says, speaking that language too. 

"Frightening and strange we may be, but death and pain is no fun," the cloaked woman agrees. 

"And If I am Lasta and she is Caba, who are you?" the short man asks. "Will you give us your name?"

Alt  shakes his head out, blinking rapidly. "Oh well Lasta... Caba.... it's nice to meet you..." He says slowly. As they ask for his name, a foggy memory swirls in his head. Of a woman with red hair and a kind smile, who warned him about the fey. ... the fey...? like... the fair folk...? That's... confusing... but the memory’s vivid enough to give him pause before he speaks. "... I cannot give you my name... but you can call me Alt." He replies. 

Lasta and Caba laugh. "So he's clever!" Caba says. "Not so much a Wanderer, then." 

"Seeing more of the Magician, yes," Lasta agrees. "Well, Alt, would you like to play?" Caba picks up the deck and shuffles it. Alt catches glimpses of colorful illustrations on the face side of the cards. "There will be no cost." 

"And it may reveal more than you think," Lasta adds.

Alt hesitates again, glancing back towards where he left the King and Magnificent. But... surely there wasn't too much risk in playing a game...? He could just say he was scouting around. The knight nods and goes to sit down on the ground by them, "Um... sure? you.. keep mentioning all these titles and names... what are you referring to exactly?" He asks curiously. Honestly- it feels weird to be speaking so much. He's really only been speaking when spoken to by the King and Magnificent the past couple days.

"We speak of the arcana, Alt," Caba says, spreading out the deck for a moment to show the illustrations. Each card has one, with writing underneath it labeling it. 

Alt's eyes light up and he smiles, a foregin name on his tongue, "Tarot cards...!" Then, his eyes flash green and he knits his eyebrows together, shaking out his head. "Uh... sorry I don't... know why I said that..." 

Caba continues as if he had not spoken, "Oracles use them to tell fortunes, but they can also be used to tell the character of a thing." 

"Or for simple games," Lasta says. 

"Yes, like ours!" Caba cackles. She flips the deck so the faces are down. "Take five for your hand, Alt. Our rules are loose. Each round, present one of your cards. We will present one of ours. We must give reasons why our card will beat the others presented." 

"Use your imagination," Lasta says. "And if you do not know what your card is, go with your gut feeling to its meaning." 

"The one who convinces the others will take the cards," Caba continues. "And we go until we run the deck out. Whoever has the most cards wins for all. But you may bow out after however many rounds you please."

Alt listens to the rules and nods, smiling again, "Alright... that sounds fun." He starts to draw 5 cards.

Caba and Lasta smile. 

"Let the game begin!" Lasta says, and they each grab a card from the deck to fill out the rest of their hand. 

Alt's five cards are all different. Maybe there aren't any repeats in this arcana. The first one shows a two-wheeled silver cart being pulled by a pair of goats and driven by a woman with red hair and purple eyes. It's labelled as "The Chariot." The second shows a wheel with six spokes. In each corner is a woman, a bird, a wolf, and a cat, all with wings. It's labelled "The Wheel of Fortune." The third shows a man standing in front of a gold-framed mirror. While the man has short green hair and wears blue and red, the reflection has long brown hair and wears black and red. It also has scars on half of its face. This is labelled "The Mirror." The fourth shows a background that's all vivid colors blurred together, broken up by a black crack running down the middle, with more cracks branching off to the side. This is labelled "Fracture." The final one has an illustration of a clock face. It's floating in space, and the stars are spiralling around it, the background swirls of purple and blue. It's labelled "Time." 

Alt's eyes widen as he looks at the mirror card. Why... does the image of the man in red... look so familiar....?

"Play at will, Alt," Caba says, setting down her chosen card face-down on the grass. "We'll reveal in unison."

Alt’s caught in his own head for a second before he snaps back at the sound of his name. He nods and pulls a card at random from his deck, too shaken to put too much thought into it.

Lasta puts his card down shortly after. "I'll turn them, then," he says, and flips over the three cards. 

On the left is Lasta's card: an illustration of a cloaked figure wearing a white mask, holding a lamp in one hand and standing on a cliff. "The Hermit." It came out upside down when he flipped it. 

In the middle is Caba's: an illustration of a brown-haired man with a crown sitting at a banquet table, yet despite the full plate before him his cheeks are sunken. "Hunger." 

On the right is Alt's chosen card. The "Fracture." 

"Interesting, interesting," Caba says. "You seem to have no good cards, Lasta." 

"Better than yours, at least. A Hermit would not fall to Hunger." 

Alt's eyes widen looking at the Hunger card. The crown- the King...? He gasps for a second, a sudden pain in his temple as his eyes flicker green. He grits his teeth and tries to push past the sudden discomfort. He can't anger these kind creatures.... they are probably fair folk! It's just a simple game... it will be fine- He looks at the other cards and then mutters out, "Um.. t-the fracture would... affect both of them... wouldn't it? Anyone can feel... fractured-" He says this and grips over his heart.

They tilt their heads in comical unison. 

"Often a Hunger will cause a Fracture," Caba insists. 

"And the Hermit would have enough wisdom to avoid it," Lasta adds. 

"Oh, come now, yours came out reversed." Caba smirks beneath her curtain of white hair. "The upside Hermit is lost and lonely. He would have no one to support him through a Fracture." 

Lasta throws a hand in the air. "My hand has not been good these past few rounds!" 

"So you concede?" 

"I do." 

"Between you and me then, lad," Caba says. 

Alt grips tighter at his tunic listening to Caba talk about the Hermit. Lost and Lonely... He has to shake his head more to look back at Caba. He sees the Hunger card and feels a twing of pain in his head again. "... fracture seems... powerful... doesn't it? s-surely enough to best a... a hungry... king-" He says slowly. 

"So you see it as a King," Caba says. "Fascinating." 

Alt blinks in confusion and looks up, "Is he... not?" He asks, tilting his head at the Hunger card. 

She cackles. "For one so unfamiliar, you are correct. A Fracture is a danger to many. I concede." 

"We've not had one beat us in some time," Lasta adds. "Perhaps we should have fought more." 

Alt looks back up with surprise. "I won...?" 

"This lad has been through much. The smell of Hunger says it. We are not like those cruel ones, are we?" 

"No, of course not." Lasta laughs. "Very well. What shall he win, then?" 

"That is the question, hmm." Caba sweeps the cards towards Alt. "For now, keep these three for yourself. Consider them a souvenir in addition to your prize." 

Alt takes the cards from them and studies them a bit closer, frowning. "Ah... t-thank you..." 

"Gold is traditional for my people, if you'd like that," Lasta says, grinning. 

"Or I can wish you luck on troubled waters, if you travel much," Caba adds.

Alt then looks back at them and thinks, "... I don't have need for gold... so luck would be... better I think. I have been travelling for quite some time..."

"Ahhh, we are very lucky," Lasta laughs like this is some joke between him and Caba. 

"The cards will look like what you know," Caba says. "Perhaps in the presence of others it will look different. But luck, you say?" The two of them lean closer, almost pressing their heads together. Then they draw apart again. 

"Very well." Lasta reaches into one of the bushes and pulls out a small twig with bright green leaves. He passes it to Caba, and she rolls it over in her hands. Alt can smell salt, like the ocean. Caba hands him the twig. "When you most need it, luck will bring you where you need to be," she says. 

Alt watches with bright curiosity as Lasta and Caba prepare the twig. He hesitates to take it though- his eyes flickering more with green. It almost feels like he's fighting something... but he's not sure what. But, he eventually grabs it and looks at it with a tilted head. "...where I need to be... huh...?"

"Now, do you wish for a second round?" Lasta says, shuffling the deck. 

For some reason, Alt feels that a second round is a bad idea... He straightens up at the offer and then he pushes himself up. "Um... I... I probably shouldn't... I'm expected somewhere... I-I need to return but... thank you for the game, and your gift." He says, giving them a small bow.

"Yes, of course, twas a pleasure!" Lasta says. 

"No debt owed, no need to thank!" Caba adds. "Return to where you came from, and tell your companions of what happened." Lasta shuffles faster. 

Alt backs up and then nods to them, "R-Right..." He's not sure how much he will end up telling the King and Mag... He's worried they will be angry for how long he's been gone. 

"And we will continue as we do." Caba plucks a card from the deck mid-shuffle. 

"Farewell," they say in unison. And then immediately, the two of them turn their attention back to the cards, like Alt is no longer there.

Once their eyes are no longer on him, Alt glitches away, hurrying back to where he left Mag and the King.

Aneirin stands up when he sees Alt approaching. "What happened?" he demands. "You were gone for so long." If he hadn't been able to sense Alt's mind staying still he would have been very concerned.

Alt stumbles back with a look of fear as the King speaks, "I-I stumbled into a pair of f-fair folk! They tricked me i-into a game. I'm s-so sorry, my king..." 

Mag sits up and knits his eyebrows in thought, "You got tricked?"

Aneirin's eyebrows shoot into the air in surprise. "A game? With two Fair Folk? By any chance, did they introduce themselves as Caba and Lasta?"

"Y-Yes." Alt says quietly. "Have you met them before, s-sire...?"

"Not personally, but I have heard of them," Aneirin says slowly. "A leprechaun and bodacha trapped in an eternal game. When the rest of the Fair Folk left this world for their Faerilynd, those two refused to help with the moving, instead continuing to play with their cards. In anger, other Fair Folk cursed them so their game would never end." He chuckles. "Little did they know that wouldn't bother the two of them at all. It's said they try to entrap travelers into playing while time around them passes quickly. But if the travelers win a round, they're granted a prize of some sort."

Magnificent snorts at this, "Ridiculous..." 

"...I... I won." Alt says quietly, yet, he tries to hide his prize under his tunic, suddenly afraid of the King knowing about it.

"You did?" The King looks surprised. He laughs. "They must have gone easy on you. Or perhaps you drew a good hand. Very well. What did you get? Tell us."

Alt stiffens, his eyes flashing green. He chokes a bit, then feels compelled to say, "I won these, mu Rith," and he holds out the twig and the 3 cards. His hands tremble as he shows the King. "Cards... and an aid for our travels." 

Magnificent teleports over and peers down at the spoils, then makes a face. "What garbage is this?" 

"The Fair Folk are fond of disguising valuables as common trash and common trash as valuables," Aneirin says. He takes the cards and turns them over, revealing their illustrations. Strangely, the person in the Hunger illustration looks different. No longer wearing fine green clothes and a crown, but instead a tattered cape with colorful static on the inside. The Hermit also looks different, now a man wearing a green cloak and holding a sword in the hand that's not holding the lantern. The King's expression darkens. 

"Keep these," he mutters, handing the cards back to Alt. "What do you mean by 'an aid'?"

Alt nods, taking the cards. Then he says quietly, " They said.... 'When you most need it, luck will bring you where you need to be' and h-handed me the stick." 

Aneirin's eyes light up. He looks at Magnificent. "I did say that we didn't know where our destination is..."

Magnificent eyes widen and then he grins too, giggling sinisterly. “My my Alt… how lucky for all of us!” 

Alt starts to back up, suddenly overwhelmed with dread. He holds the twig close to his chest- His eyes start to flicker.

"Alt," the King says, his tone dangerous as he notices the flickering. "Give that to me." He holds out his hand.

Alt flinches and seems like he wants to fight against the command- But, he can’t resist it as his eyes flare green again and he uncurls, reaching out the stick to the King. 

The King grins. He feels the slightest tinge of magic as his fingers touch it. And if Magnificent was to reach out, he could sense a faint signature from it and the cards, something strange and beautiful. 

Aneirin tucks the twig into a pocket on his tunic. "Well then. Now's a good time to continue on, I think."

Alt stands stoically in place one the stick is taken and nods dazedly. “Yes, mu Ríth.” 

Magnificent looks at the twig with a hungry expression. “If this thing could help us get to the doorway- shouldn’t we go ahead and use it?”

"I don't think this is something that can be used," Aneirin says. "Otherwise the Fair Folk would've told him a command word. I think its luck will simply guide us passively." He looks around, eyes settling on one direction. "Let's continue going downhill. I'm sure I remember it being on flat land."

“Ah- that makes sense.” Magnificent says. He glances at Alt and then starts back down the hill. 

Alt slowly follows after, the forest around him dimming into a hazy fog.

Aneirin leads the way, a triumphant grin on his face.

[captain-kit-adventuress]

I wanted to add some info about the ones with question marks. And maybe some fun facts about others.

"Surprise" Symphony - This is probably very apocryphal, but supposedly, Haydn wrote it the way he did because he was fed up with people falling asleep in his concerts. Which I get, because his music, to me, is boring AF. What's fun is to hear how very clearly he influenced Beethoven, who was his student. It's like Beethoven took the best of Haydn and put it into his own work and made something totally fantastic out of it.

That Chopin Nocturne™ (Op. 9 No. 2) - I will die a happy woman if I never, ever have to hear this nocturne again. There are so many better ones that deserve the love this one gets. Sigh. Seek out the posthumous Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72, No. 1. SO much better.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - This is a wonderful song, but it should never be played on an acoustic guitar–though it often is. You hear it a lot at weddings (before the ceremony starts) and it's a peaceful sort of thing that people can enjoy whilst they're waiting. Go with Sheep May Safely Graze instead. In fact, that's just good life advice.

Funeral March - Honestly, this one's pretty self-explanatory. You'll hear it a lot in cartoons if someone's about to die. It's actually quite haunting, and lovely if done well. Chopin tends to capture sadness better than most.

The Next Six Songs - Pretty sure each of these has appeared at least once in a cartoon starring Bugs Bunny. Also, seek out Elgar that isn't Pomp and Circumstance. He wrote some really cool stuff, like The Enigma Variations.

Für Elise - This one drives me batty because all people know is the first repeated notes. (Hmm, sounds like not one, not two, but at least three famous Beethoven pieces. Learn the whole thing, guys.) But it's actually pretty good, and has varying sections to it. I highly recommend listening to all of it.

Night on Bald Mountain - If you've seen the original Fantasia (1940), you've heard this piece.

The Fucik Piece (aka the 24 f guy) - I would love to see this guy in a head-to-head competition with Sousa (nicknamed The March King, because he wrote a shit-ton of marches), both for composition style and moustache-having. It'd be wild.

The Flower Duet - Also used lots of times over graphically horrifying things to add a sense of jarring whimsy.

The New World Symphony, 4th mvt especially, sometimes called "Largo" - I've heard a lot of classical music in my day, but honestly, there are very few pieces that can compete with it in my heart. Y'all think you know the main melody of this movement, but you don't. And I promise it doesn't hit as hard if you don't listen to the whole thing. The gorgeous, lush string part at the end needs the previous 8-10 minutes. It's the catharsis to the beginning's tumult. Imagine, if you will: it's been storming for weeks, maybe longer, and you've been stuck on a rickety wooden ship, tossed about by waves that crest the ship's sides and threaten to capsize everything. You've narrowly escaped death several times. And then, just as you think this was the most foolish voyage you've ever undertaken, you see land. You see the edge of the beach, and you can't quite hold down the rush of emotion from spotting a line of sand in the distance. It's not a trick, it really is what you've been dreaming of for months and nearly died to reach. The boat hoists anchor, and you're taken in a small rowboat to the shore. All you want to do is kiss the ground beneath your feet and thank all that is holy that you have survived. That's why you need the whole thing, not just the pretty melody at the end.

Ave Maria - There are lots of Ave Marias. This one is by Schubert, and one of my favourites. Another popular one is the arrangement by Gounod, set to Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major.

Canon in D - You mostly hear this at weddings and there's a million and one interpretations of it. If you don't like one, seek out another, I'm sure there's one out there for all. The TSO's version is really cool.

Adagio for Strings, Samuel Barber - I'm surprised this hasn't made any lists. It's most famously from Platoon (1986), but it's another one of those slow, sad songs that gets played over horrific scenes of violence. One of the best melancholy pieces of music ever written. Agnus Dei is the vocal version.

Sorry this got long, hope you enjoyed!

Classical Pieces You've Probably Heard but Might Not Remember the Name

William Tell Overture- Rossini (Most famous part at 8:45, but why not listen to the whole thing?) I’m adding hints, at least to the ones I recognized culturally. This one is “go, horsey, go!”

Also Sprach Zarathustra- Strauss Slow, dramatic entry scene, IN SPAAACE.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik- Mozart People running out of a fancy wedding or something. Also known as DUN, dun DUN, dun DUN dun DUN dun DUUUUN.

Symphony 94, Mvt. 2 “Surprise Symphony”- Haydn ?

Toccata and Fugue in d Minor-Bach Halloween organ!

Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2- Chopin Picture a tiny old woman playing piano in a sunlit room with lots of flower vases, about the spill the tragic secrets of her past to some timid young visitor.

Rondo alla Turca- Mozart the babysitter from The Incredibles: “Time for some COGNITIVE ENRICHMENT!”

Sinfonie de Fanfares: Rondeau- Jean-Joseph Mouret Royalty is coming. Or someone is getting married. Or royalty is getting married. Also the PBS Masterpieces theme.

The Four Seasons: Spring- Vivaldi (I just linked to the whole thing because it’s great) Again, someone is getting married, but this one is strings instead and a lot less frumpy.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring- Bach That one that amateur guitarists love where the notes are all up and down but all the same length. Also used in movie weddings.

O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)- Carl Orff SONG OF DOOM. Also song of “baby on fire!” in The Incredibles.

Funeral March- Chopin ?

Orpheus in the Underworld: Infernal Galop (A.K.A. Can Can)- Offenbach Well, “aka can-can” says it all.

Pomp and Circumstance (You probably graduated to this)- Elgar Oh yes, Baaaa dun dun dun duun duuuuun… Also if you were a bandie you had to play it for 3 years before graduating to it.

Gayane: Sabre Dance- Aram Khachaturian Comically hectic productivity, a circus clown juggling while standing on a ball, or perhaps a rapidly-approaching termite infestation. Could go any way, really.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Wedding March- Mendelssohn The song movies play right AFTER they both say “I do.”

Carmen: Les Toreadors- Bizet I can’t be the only one who remembers when ‘Hey Arnold’ did this. “Bullfights and swordfights, rolling in manuuure!”

The Ride of the Valkyries- Wagner Good song for a naval battle I guess? I can only think of the mini golf course I went to as a kid with the creepy castle on Hole 18 that played this.

Für Elise- Beethoven That one every amateur piano player loves to play because the beginning is just E and E-flat over and over. Also ballet and piano recital scenes in movies.

Dance of the Hours- Ponchielli Hello mudda, hello fadda, here I am at, Camp Granada…

Rigotello: La Donna e Mobile- Verdi More than a few sophisticated movie villains (or snobby good guys) have this playing on a Victrola. Also, tell me you don’t picture Pavaroti no matter who’s actually singing.

Night on Bald Mountain- Mussorgsky ?

Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme- Tchaikovsky More movie-love, usually building up to admitting they live each other.

Entry of the Gladiators- Julius Fucik I have one word for you: CIRCUS.

Lakmé: Flower Duet- Delibes OMG ALIAS. Nadia’s spy  backstory in Film Noir!

Peer Gynt: In the Hall of the Mountain King- Greig Mischievous Tiptoeing in Movies song. Also something growing out of control, slowly at first and then quickly, and (comically) exploding.

Rodeo: Hoedown- Copland The title says it all tbh.

Peer Gynt: Morning Mood- Greig Sunrise/waking up Movie Song du jour.

New World Symphony Mov. [2][4]- Dvorak Well now I’m thinking of “An American Tail” and I’m crying…

Ave Maria (You knew this, but did you know that it was by Schubert?) Nothing to add. I’m not a music snob, really, but if you didn’t know this, YOU SHOULD.

Canon in D- Pachelbel This is the one that the pretty Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas song comes from. :-)

Add others if you want! Have fun!

[flowerbloom-arts]

Welp, since two people asked (@xanzusx and @ratdaduniverse ) I suppose I have an excuse to do an unnecessarily deep dive into a character literally nobody cared about that much or bothers to draw before I came along with my thing for all too unpopular characters!

Let's start with a quick tl;dr :

Aunt Jane is (probably, this is more speculative than anything) a victim of capitalism and misogyny working together to create a damaged woman with anger issues and a toxic relationship with money.

How, you may ask? Well, let's take a close look at her titular, starring, and only episode of the 90s series;

episode 27: Aunt Jane

In the beginning of the episode, Moominpappa receives a letter from an aunt from his father's side and it's made immediately clear that he is not a fan of his aunt or the reason she sent the letter to him, it's also stated that Aunt Jane had no one else to turn to besides her nephew to "discuss money matters" as the episode puts it. Moominpappa says that he isn't really scared of Aunt Jane herself (though she is quite scary and a not-great person as MP himself describes, being bossy and not letting people have a moment of peace) but it's the money he's afraid of, he's afraid of having to discuss something he knows nothing about with someone he dislikes, so he takes it upon himself to leave before she arrives. (sidenote: this may tie into some fear Moominpappa has of looking dumb and ruining his ego, aswell as generally not being able to put up with people he finds unpleasant for very long)

Then Aunt Jane arrives on a rowboat down the Moomin Valley river with someone else rowing for her (cool detail: her boat actually matches her umbrella! We can assume she owns the boat based on this and the rower is either an employee or some guy she paid [his mustache is delightful by the way, I love the round little fella]) and she just has this... Very odd blank stare as our very first shot of her? It's an odd first impression for the viewer to be sure.

Jane gets off the boat and the rower simply continues down stream without her, Jane notices Snufkin fishing and asks for directions to Moominhouse, Snufkin gives her the tip and then Jane asks Snufkin if he could carry her suitcase of gold coins for her. Snufkin politely declines, saying he's busy, and then Jane attempts to bribe Snufkin by offering a "handsome reward" in a very confident manner, almost as if that trick has always worked before. Snufkin still declines, saying he just wants to fish. Aunt Jane is legitimately shocked at Snufkin not wanting money, now a first-time viewer might interpret this as Jane being vain with her wealth but it actually ties into how everyone in her life would simply be interested in her money (which is something that'll be elaborated further on) so Snufkin is perhaps the first person in a long while to not be interested.

Jane has little time to let that sink in as Sniff (the ultimate capitalist of the show) runs in, introduces himself as simply someone to help take her to Moominhouse and goes to help Jane carry her suitcase, to which Jane simply acts like a more poised individual and bimbles behind Sniff.

They arrive at Moominhouse right after Moominpappa had already left in the previous scene, Aunt Jane adjusts her glasses and says "A round house? How stupi- typical of my nephew." which establishes that Jane... doesn't like her nephew (and considers round shaped houses as being dumb [which I think a couple architects/engineers would agree but correct me if I'm wrong])

Jane gets welcomed by Moominmamma and after Moomintroll introduces himself Jane's attention immediately goes to Little My, assuming that My is a child of the family, she says that My's too small for a daughter (her expression says that she's bothered by it more than anything), then Moominmamma explains that Little My's not related but lives with them and My says she won't get any bigger, to which Jane simply squints at the small creature in a strange but I guess concerned manner? It's easy to assume that there were some strange beliefs about daughters that she was raised on.

Jane then asks where her "worthless nephew" is (again, she doesn't think highly of him), Moominmamma barely manages to not tell her the truth and Moomintroll saves her by saying Pappa's away to find inspiration for his work. Jane says "When has he ever worked? I'm here to see him!" (Score 3 for putting down her nephew) and Moomintroll suggests she should talk to him instead, Sniff butts in saying Moomintroll knows nothing about money and Aunt Jane simply says "In that case it's about high time he learned! As for his father, I may still disinherit him." (Score 4), Sniff says he's a member of the family and she can talk to him about money, Moomintroll says he's a great friend of his, and Jane adjusts her glasses then says "But hardly a member of the family" (we can see here she only really cares about relations more than anything when it comes to others taking care of her money, perhaps the money was passed down through generations and she wants to uphold that tradition, which is only one major reason she wants to get rid of it)

Snork and Snorkmaiden walk in, Snork introduces himself and explains how his sister is a "special friend" to Moomintroll and basically that they might get married someday, thus merging the Snork and Moomin family together, thus making them practically family already (Which I find just so utterly hilarious, he can be such a weasel I love him). Jane doesn't accept that as an argument (OBVIOUSLY) so Snork explains that he needs money to fund his flying ship project, and then Mr. Hemulen walks in with a very happy confidence (that chaotic metallic theme [you know the one if you pay attention to the soundtrack] cues but then stops shortly, I got so hyped and it just ended like that :( ) and he tells Aunt Jane about himself and asks her to fund his scientific research (assuming Sniff had already told her about it) and Sniff tries to save it by explaining that they could grow a greenhouse of orchids and roses and sell them to make money, he corrects himself by saying "I mean you'll make alot of money!" instead of "we'll" which he thinks might make her more lenient to the idea, but Jane shuts it down by saying she already has plenty of money (showing that she really isn't interested in hoarding wealth, she's satisfied with what she has especially since the whole point of going to the Valley was to shove her money-related issues onto her nephew)

The three guys try to talk over eachother trying to explain themselves, Jane is overwhelmed and confused so she stops them and asks Snork to clarify that he's Snorkmaiden and it goes downhill from there, Snork asks if he's explained his connection to the moomins well enough, Sniff says he's a friend of Moomin's, Mr. Hemulen asks Sniff if he could explain his research to her for him, and they all talk over eachother, Aunt Jane looks back in forth in a confused and overwhelmed manner and then gets angry, then she yells "BE QUIET EVERYONE!" with an overhead shot of Moominhouse (this sort of sets up Jane's anger issues which builds and builds until the climax of the episode)

Moominmamma escorts Jane to her room and tells her that she can call if she needs anything before leaving Jane alone, Jane more or less just observes her surroundings (it's clear she wasn't used to such a simple environment but she isn't opposed to it either) and then sits down on her bed with her eyes closed, looking peaceful for literally less than two seconds before Sniff knocks and she stands up instantly with her hands held in front of her like a "proper woman" sort of pose. Sniff stumbles in the room with the suitcase of gold and sets it on the floor, Jane thanks him and then Sniff stands there and looks around as if he's looking for something and goes "Ehem". Jane sees this and unenthusiastically asks "What is it? Want a reward?" (This is like the most telling scene of the episode and shows that this kind of thing is something that she's used to) Sniff lies at first but then admits it after a second thought, he hesitates and looks around if anyone would eavesdrop on them, Jane tells him to make up his mind and then Sniff gets close to her and whispers that he knows where Moominpappa is, Jane dismisses it saying she knows that he's on a trip (atleast she's willing to believe it? Doesn't revert any of her put-down points tho), Sniff corrects her by saying he's actually nearby and Jane is immediately interested and asks Sniff where he is, Sniff says Pappa said not to tell her where he is since it's a secret and after teasing it with her Sniff says he'll be taking a risk if he tells her so Jane asks "Oh, how much do you want?" knowing full well Sniff wanted to get paid for this without him even saying it, Sniff plays it safe and says she can decide how much she'll give him.

Sniff leads her on the beach, Snufkin notices this and runs to the cave to warn Moominpappa before she arrives (what a champ, that Snufkin) and then Sniff and Jane enter the cave with it's watery floor, Jane thanks him with a singular silver coin, Sniff asks if that's it and then Jane replies (with a very angry tone) that yes that's it until she actually sees her nephew, the two enter the cave with no Moominpappa in sight, Sniff is bewildered by this and Jane is very angrily disappointed that her "worthless nephew" (Score 5, though it's just a repeated insult, it still counts) isn't there, Sniff says "this is very strange!" while desperately looking for Moominpappa and Jane assumes Sniff had tricked her and takes away Sniff's one coin as punishment and simply leaves despite Sniff's desperate cries that he has to be there somewhere.

Jane goes back to Moominhouse and enters the kitchen to ask Moominmamma where Moominpappa is hiding, Moominmamma gasps and tries to reiterate the lie Moomintroll said, but Jane says she wants to know the TRUTH, so Moominmamma stutters and Jane tells her to hurry up, Mamma sadly admits that Moominpappa is hiding in the cave but Jane says she's already been there and didn't find him. Mamma is suddenly hopeful and is like "Oh so he really must have gone on a trip!", Jane proceeds to ask why Moominpappa would want to hide from her anyway, Moominmamma "suggests" that maybe Moominpappa is afraid of her, and Jane gets legitimately surprised and furious over this and asks "But why!?", Mamma says that he's mostly afraid of money matters, Jane exclaims "Incredible!" and contemplates "Afraid of me because of money matters...?" and then storms out of the kitchen saying "He must be utterly mad!" (Score 6)

Jane sits down on the table in her room and talks to herself about how this family is so confusing and only Sniff seems to know anything about money, Little My enters smuggly and shits the behind her, saying she knows where Moominpappa is at that moment, Jane assumes Little My wants gold from her and My says she couldn't care less about her silly gold, Jane strangely enough seems to try and defend the thing by saying "My 'silly gold' indeed! With my 'silly gold' I can assure you you could do just about anything you want!" and My claps back with how it isn't helping her find Moominpappa, this arouses Jane and My continues saying she should forget about her money. Jane responds by turning around in her chair to look at Little My directly and says "Young lady, money isn't something you could just forget about! It needs constant looking after- that's why I must talk to Moominpappa at once! Now take me to that rascal nephew you of mine if you really know where he is, you hear me!?"

My and Jane walk down the dirt path and see Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden being all lovey-dovey with eachother on a tree stump, saying how they love eachother and such, Jane scoffs "Oh, how frivolous!" and My smugky responds with "Not really, if I could find a small enough boyfriend, I'd be frivolous just like them too!" and starts to walk away, Aunt Jane turns to her and says with a very strong sense of longing "Ah well, Fredrick and I were frivolous once..." (With an inexplicable voice change by the way) and My just teasingly says "Really? If you says so! Suppose I'll have to believe you!" while still walking away, and Jane gets so mad at this dismissal/mockery that she almost snaps her umbrella but stops herself and stomps forward to follow Little My. The marshmallow couple notices the two and follow them.

Little My interrupts a game of chess between Snufkin and Moominpappa in Snufkin's tent, she introduces them to Jane as a "special guest" and Snufkin is shocked by her presence, he says Moominpappa's name and he looks up to look at his very angry aunt, Moominpappa runs out of the tent and Jane chases him with her umbrella around a tree and stomps on the ground with enough force to make Moominpappa, Moomintroll and Snorkmaiden hop off the ground (OKAY I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THIS PART SINCE IT DOESN'T REALLY TIE INTO THE THESIS THAT MUCH AND WOULD BE TOO SPECULATIVE BUT HOLY CRAP??? HOW??? WHY DOES SHE HAVE THAT KIND OF STRENGTH??? IS IT SUPERNATURAL??? HELP????), this causes Moominpappa to fall over on the ground and Snufkin intervenes by saying Moominpappa was just coming back from his trip and stopping by to play chess with him, Moominpappa tries to go along with this but Little My says it's no use since Moominmamma already told her the truth, Moominpappa gets all defeated and Jane asks him why he's afraid of her, Moominpappa says it's not that he's afraid of her, he's afraid of her money. Jane gets enraged by this and stomps of the ground again to send everyone hopping, she then tries to "reason" with Moominpappa on this by saying "It's perfectly good money and all in gold coins! Listen nephew, I'm depending on you as my only relative!" (For some reason her voice gradually gets higher pitched in this line? But anyway this just confirms Moominpappa is literally the only family she has left), Moominpappa echoes "Yes, yes, depend." and Jane continues with "When I get too old to do it, you must look after my gold for me! I'm relying on you!", Moominpappa gets spooked by this and desperately suggests they should just give it away to people who need it, Jane blurts out "HOW UNGRATEFUL!" and turns red from rage but then is subsides, the red fades away and Jane, probably after having a thought, breaks into actual sobbing and falls to the ground to cry even more, Moominpappa tries to comfort her and suggests that maybe they should put it in a bank, Jane retorts through her sobbing that her money would hate being in a bank and it's a terrible idea (which is the start of her talking about it like it's a person/entity which follows to the very end of the episode), Moominpappa reassures her by saying banks are so nice these days and Jane looks up asking "They are...?", Moominpappa continues by describing how they have "Flowers and shiny little piggy banks and paintings on the wall!" and Jane lifts herself up asking "Is that really true...?", then Moominpappa tells everyone they should go home and fix a welcoming party for Aunt Jane, the scene ends with a shot of a sad Aunt Jane looking around everyone, possibly confused or even sorry.

We cut to the dinner party when Mamma is putting the cake on the table saying it's her grandma's best recipe (I have to note that Aunt Jane's face here is just... So sad and guilty-looking), Moominpappa gets up and says to drink a toast to the only millionaire in their small circle and how he hopes she'll live a long and happy life. Everyone drinks except for Jane who simply looks around and then looks down at her glass to sigh, Moominmamma asks what's wrong and Jane says "Never in my life have I and my money felt ourselves so welcomed before, I'm so happy I could cry" (jeez woman that is actually sad to hear considering just earlier that day 3 complete strangers went to her asking for money and her nephew literally tried to hide from her before she even arrived, that must've been one heck of a welcoming party) and then she genuinely starts crying saying "And once you start crying- you just wanna go on and on-" and proceeds to sob a bit and says "Oh dear- oh deAr- Moominmamma-" and looks up "Moominpappa-?" Moominpappa answers and she says "I'll put some of my gold in a bag, but you must look after the rest when I'm too old!", Moominpappa hesitates and then Jane snaps into anger mode by asking "Why not?" and slamming her fists against the table, Moominpappa sheepishly describes how they'll take care of it and Jane says it's not what she had in mind though it does sound nice and sufficient, but then she says how the money will miss her. She decides then and there that she'll leave the suitcase of gold to Moominpappa so they can "get sorta used to eachother" and use it as they please, even complimenting the flying ship and botanical research funding as rather splendid. Everyone is happy except Sniff who laments he should've gotten a better idea than flowers, and the episode ends with Jane smiling and a pan out of the house as the narrator closes off the episode.

~

Alright so already we have quite alot to unpack here and it's all gonna get a bit rambly and jumbled if I don't segment it into specific parts so let's do that. We're gonna put allllll of that baggage into 5 parts

1. Moominpappa and the lack of a family

2. Money is not a good partner

3. A woman millionaire

4. A bitter, lonely maiden

5. Conclusion

~

1. Moominpappa and the lack of a family

It's been stated twice that Moominpappa is Aunt Jane's only relative, and it's said that they relate through Moominpappa's father.

(Side note: We'll be going by the 90s cartoon canon because Aunt Jane is a moomin comic strip character and in the comic strip Moominpappa wasn't left at an orphanage I don't think, so it's logical to assume they just met eachother because they're family. But we're talking about the 90s canon where Moominpappa WAS left at an orphanage like in Moominpappa's Memoirs/Exploits of Moominpappa)

It's really unclear on the backstory of their relationship. It's unclear how these two met, it's unclear when they've met, and it's unclear how they knew they were related. Moominpappa clearly met her atleast without anyone in his current family (esp. Moominmamma) and hasn't talked about her ever since (given how literally nobody INCLUDING MOOMINMAMMA knew who she was) which to me signifies that their encounter was both somewhat isolated and unpleasant given how he describes her as bossy and not letting people have a moment of peace (which only brings images of some kind of business setting when they met in my mind, and knowing how Moomin stories operate Moominpappa probably found himself as one of her employees somehow). Whatever happened between them has certainly put a sour taste in eachother's mouths, making Moominpappa believe Aunt Jane to be unpleasant enough to avoid at all cost (he probably also witnessed the horrors of wealth which is why he's scared of her money) and Jane believing Moominpappa to be incompetent, worthless and idiotic.

Pulling back from whatever encounter they had... Was Aunt Jane aware of her nephew's existence before then? We don't know the circumstances which lead to Moominpappa's parents leaving him at an orphanage in a paper grocery bag (if the person/people who left him ever WERE his parents), and since him and Aunt Jane are the last members of their family, it's easy assume something tragic most likely happened to the parents. And not only that, the rest of Jane's family would've been gone aswell, leaving Jane as the sole heir and possibly not knowing about her orphaned nephew. Can you imagine being in such a position? Your whole family is gone for whatever reason, you're the only one left to your knowledge, and you have all the money you could ever want in the early 20th century. You are responsible for millions of [money unit] in gold coins. Jane is responsible of that kind of money. And what is that to her?

2. Money is not a good partner

Aunt Jane's relationship with money is extremely weird but clearly somewhat toxic in a sense. We know she has it in the millions and she's not interested in making more of it (though we do have to ask if she runs a business or if all of it is inheritance and nothing more, does she turn in a profit? What business does she work in? How big is her paycheck? Does she work with employees? Why is it all in gold coins? Where does she even live? Nobody knows! It's all vague and unspecified and there really is no point in speculating something like this because there's literally no evidence to speculate about)

Anyway, money is 3 things to her: it's something people use to get what they want, it's a burden and it's something that needs to be taken great care of. It's both a commodity and a child to her, she doesn't particularly "like" having it yet she thinks it's in need of care by someone she knows she could trust, it's a pet she doesn't want since it attracts so many people who want to pet it. By the end of the episode she treats her money like it has feelings, it "hates being in a bank" (presumably because it's "uncomfortable" since Aunt Jane is swayed as Moominpappa describes how nice they are), it "has never felt so welcomed", it "will miss [Jane]" and it "needs to get used to Moominpappa", the thing is she hasn't treated it like an entity with feelings until her breakdown near the end of the episode. Moominpappa's "ungratefulness" broke her so much that she resorted to characterizing her money, and it's unclear if she ever has done this before in her life. It's odd to me, but her life does revolve around the thing, for all we know she's gone for extended periods of time talking to her money when she feels particularly unsafe/alone, but I digress.

Aunt Jane has presumably spent alot of her life taking care of her money and fears growing too old to do so anymore, so she turns to the only person she believes she could trust to continue that legacy. She has enough wealth to do whatever her heart desires, And what is her social reward for having such wealth to look after?

3. A woman millionaire

Misogyny exists. Yes, even in the moominverse, it sucks but it's true even if it isn't explicit sexism. Jane is presumably single, she had someone by the name of Fredrick who she was "frivolous" with but clearly that didn't work out as implied with the tone of her voice when she drops that information, Jane is alone in her wealth and that leaves her open to many people who believe they can get themselves some cash for whatever venture they want to pursue. It has happened plenty of times before in her life and it has happened within the episode when 3 males come up to her asking for funds, of course they didn't seem to care that she is a woman, not a word of it was even mentioned, but it's an issue that may be less present if she wasn't. Nobody is intimidated by her aside from Moominpappa who has met her, Snork and Sniff think they can weasel a family inheritance if they just do enough logical leaps, Mr. Hemulen just assumes she'd be interested from his botany credentials alone, and none of them really listen to her, they just talk over eachother trying to convince her to give them money until she bursts out yelling at them to shut up.

And she has to have some traditional feminity instilled in her, given the way she stands when Sniff knocks and gets in her room, how she arrived to Moomin Valley under a pink shade with curtains, having someone else carry her suitcase for her, being bothered at how small Little My is, her whole outfit among other small things, she seems to have been raised on traditional values, and those values, well, they don't lend well to someone of her status. She can be bossy and terrifying (and surprisingly powerful) but she's not respected by anyone that we know of, nobody's explicitly treated her kindly besides Moominmamma and maybe everyone at the welcome party if you count that, everyone only cares about her because of her money. Moominpappa is scared of her money and every other male only cares to get it from her for their own gain, she just can't win as a millionairess because any care directed towards her is actually care directed towards her money. And what does that treatment leave her as?

4. A bitter, lonely maiden

Jane is very, very alone. Nobody likes her as a person and the fact nobody likes her as a person only makes her more bitter and unlikable, it's a feedback loop. She doesn't seem to have anyone, and I mean, literally ANYONE. We have her rower but he's just a random guy she pays for all we know, she just sits there and stares blankly at the pink curtains until the guy rings the bell and she gets out, she just has no personal connection with anyone even by the end of the episode. Speaking of the end of the episode; she literally cries because she hasn't felt so welcomed by anyone IN HER LIFE (side note: I know I'm not supposed to bring up the comics but she actually cries when Moominpappa uses the word fond on her and it makes me so upset because she's treated even worse there too)

She's angry and alone because people use her for her money and don't care about her, everybody cares only about her money including herself, the only times she'd pay mind to her own self as a person is when she's flabbergasted at Moominpappa "BEING AFRAID OF HIS OWN AUNT!?" or when she feels disrespected by My teasing her about how she used to be frivolous with someone, Little My doesn't really care about her, she just takes her to Moominpappa to view the chaos that would ensue at such a meeting of two worlds. Moominpappa says she doesn't let people have a moment of peace yet it looks like she doesn't have a moment's peace herself, there's literally one moment and it's the one second she sits on her bed before Sniff knocks on the door.

Aunt Jane is both pitiful and somewhat sympathetic, she's an antagonist who's clearly not a good person but she has her own very understandable reasons as to why she's the way that she is. And what do we take from this?

5. Conclusion

I don't know if you know this but uhm, capitalism is bad, folks. It really just brings out the worst in people wether it's the scummy ways they gain money or the problems money causes for your mental health, and in Jane's case it's the latter. It's unclear how she got the money to begin with, I assume it's inherited but I could be wrong obviously, though I don't think that question could truly be answered. Aunt Jane is insistent on keeping her wealth and only giving her wealth away to her own family even if it's the root of her problems, but also Snork and Mr. Hemulen only ask for her money so they can continue with their hopes and dreams, Sniff is well, Sniff, but I'm pretty sure he's traumatized into believing he's only worth the wealth he has so that's another capitalistic problem.

Moominpappa is happy the way he is without the money, the Moomin family is decidedly non-capitalistic and Moominpappa knows nothing about how it works, so he chooses to simply not have it. They simply don't need it with the way things are.

And I suppose that was the appeal of the Moomins franchise that got people hooked into the fantasy of living there, it's pure freedom from an oppressive system that doesn't even give people what they're worth, it's being able to be yourself with a small, loving and accepting community.

But Aunt Jane never had that, which makes her feel out of place in this valley more than other outsider characters do in the show. And like the weirdly smooth and good animation that was clearly outsourced to a different studio for this one specific episode, being rich looks nice, but the cutthroat system of how it's made probably doesn't make it worth it.

[chibisidesm8]

I think the only pirates AU's I have seen are centered around the twins, but I just imagine how nice would it be if Janus' scales were because being half merman! Or some other sea creature! A sea sneak?

True. Still interesting pirate AU ideas tho

I've been thinking about one too and idk if I should ramble about it here but I will anyway just cause I can.

Here's a ramble about a roceit+analogical Pirate AU:

So imagine a pirate AU with Janus being raised in a fishing town

He doesn't know anything about his origin other than his "aunt/uncle" adopted him and treated him like a son alongside their child Logan, so the two are like siblings to each other

Logan tells Janus all sorts of stories and legends of creatures of the sea

So they decide to study those together

Janus is always curious about where he's from and why he's half-reptile. His relatives don't know the answer

So fast forward, Logan and Janus are all grown up and are able to operate their family fishing ship

Janus is captain as he seems to have an affinity for the sea. Logan is his first mate

During a sail, Janus spots something on a rock, and secretly took a rowboat to get a closer look

He gets close and realizes it's another sailor who seems to have been lost at sea and was clinging to the rock

Janus rescues the sailor and takes him back on to their ship

Logan is all "Where have you been?! Who is this???"

They take the sailor back to their home to recover

Upon waking up, the sailor introduces himself as Roman. He doesn't recall much of where he came from but he knows he needs to go somewhere far across the horizon

Janus is theorizes that the place Roman is thinking about is a place where he may also find answers about himself as well

So that night, he asks Logan to go with him. Logan says if they do, they may as well be pirates

Janus is willing to take the risk. Their relatives don't stop them but instead wish them a safe journey in finding what they're looking for

So with their loyal crew, Logan, Janus, and Roman set sail

Roman is their navigator

During their voyage, Janus and Roman take a particular liking to one another as they're both trying to find answers about themselves

They have a few misadventures on other islands to resupply and all that

A crewmember is like "so are the Captain and Navigator dating?"

To which Logan responds with "the only people who don't know they're dating are Janus and Roman themselves"

Back to the action:

They suddenly encounter another ship containing more experienced pirates

They try to navigate to avoid each other

They manage to escape the first time but they take notice the ship now seems to be hunting them down

So soon, they're caught during one of their resupply stops:

Roman and a few crewmembers were out while Logan and Janus were thinking about what they've accomplished in their journey so far as they still haven't found any answers

The two get into an argument as Logan is getting frustrated by how they don't know where Roman is bringing them

"So what now? Are you going to make me choose between you two," asks Janus. Logan is silent but responds "No, I won't. But I just want you to rethink this voyage. Ask the question of where we're going and what are we really looking for? What are these answers you want?"

Janus enters deep thought but is interrupted when a crewmember bursts into the room, saying the ship was being overtaken by the pirates

Before the crewmember could return, they are interrupted by a pirate entering

This one had a purple motif, telling the siblings to surrender as their captain is waiting for them on the deck

Janus and Logan knew they were surrounded so they do

They're brought to the deck and a greenclad pirate greets them. They're shocked at his resemblance to Roman

He introduces himself as Captain Remus, and Bosun Virgil

Remus explains how frustrating it was the first time they got away that he just had to catch them for fun

Logan murmurs to Janus about how much Remus looked like Roman

Virgil, hearing the name, repeats the name. This catches Remus's attention, and his demeanor seemingly shifts from chill to hostile

With that reaction, Janus infers that Remus knows something about Roman and so in a voice of faux confidence goes "So you know Roman, too?"

"I did, once" Remus says as his glance briefly turns sullen, like he had a sort of regret, before going back to being serious. "I was going to let you live but...."

Janus starts panicking but that's when Roman and their remaining crew made themselves noticed that they were back

Remus is shocked, but moves to embrace Roman. He is apologizing a lot, holding him tight

Everyone else is stood around them. Virgil has a soft smile on his face

"What's going on? Who are you? Why are my friends tied up????" Roman asks.

Remus allows Janus, Logan, and their crew to be released and then explains to them that Roman and Remus are twins

Remus was Roman's first mate but during a battle against some mythical creature, Roman was thrown overboard and they couldn't find him, so Remus became captain

Remus explains they were heading to an island told in legends to be home to a sort of mystical siren who had answers to the deepest mysteries their heart wishes to know or could even grant a wish if one desperately wanted it

So they come to an agreement to journey together. Remus hopes the siren could restore Roman's memories, while Janus wanted answers to his origin

Janus convinces Logan that it would be worth it so now the ships set sail

Virgil and Logan come to find each other's thoughts to be relatable to their own (worries about their captains, the long aimless journeys, other pirate encounters, etc.), and some feelings may be developing between them

So through a long tough journey across the sea, they finally find the mystical island

So Janus, Logan, Roman, and Remus enter the caves while Virgil stands guard

They meet the siren named Patton, who seems to be very warm in welcoming them

He invites them to have a seat in his chamber. Logan is hesitant but Janus and Remus seem adamant about being friendly to keep the siren appeased, so they all do

When Patton asks what they came seeking for, Remus goes first and explains his regrets after Roman fell overboard and how happy he was when he found his brother again, and he wanted his brother back. Roman adds on with his side of feeling lost, not knowing where he was, and wanting to know who he once was again

Patton senses the truth in their wish and so he grants Roman his memories back

Next, Janus explains how he's been trying to find himself all his life: how much he wanted to know who he was and why he was the way he was

Patton is silent but explains they already used their wish and would have to find him again if they wanted another wish. Patton parts with the final question "Is that what your heart truly wants?"

The cave glow vanishes, leaving the group in the cave with their torchlight

Janus is angry but they don't have much time for that as they sense the island shaking

They all rush back to their ships. They make it back on time and the island vanishes

The group are left to discuss everything that happened

Janus is understandably upset. Roman apologizes to him like "I'm sorry, the wish should have been yours"

Janus looks at him, softly caressing Roman's face. He brings their heads closer, foreheads pressing. He couldn't bring himself to be mad at Roman

"I know I've been searching for it my whole life, but I can live with it. I know who I am now, I'm captain Janus [surname]. I braved the seas with you, my brother, and our crew by my side. And I am yours. I wouldn't want to change that." Janus declares, pressing his lips on Roman's

Bonus dialogue (marked with **):

**"Wait, they were dating????" Remus interrupts.

**"Well now there's three oblivious idiots," Logan replies, getting a chuckle from Virgil

**”I didn’t get to give him the ‘dont hurt my brother’ talk,” Remus pouted

So anyways, they set sail again. They already found answers, now they search for a new adventure

[the-enamorando-deity]

*Can I request Sara Lance x Reader with your prompts **

Word - 22

Location- 4

Situation-1

Sentences- 13,20, and 25

Thanks! 🙂❤💜

hi hi hi hi oh my GOD THIS GAVE ME SO MANY IDEAS AAAAAH

Prompts: Crown, Ship, Stuck in the Past, “Is that a threat or a pick-up line?”, “Either we go or I do, but I’d prefer if you didn’t make me do this alone.”, “You’re so pretty. What the fuck.”

Sara Lance x Reader, (18+) because i’m a goddamn heathen and oof-

Captain Lance

Sure, the Legends had their shares of mishaps and incidents, but this was by far one of the worst mistakes that had happened since you joined the crew. Everything started so well, you and Sara were having fun in the halls of the WaveRider, surrounded by your favourite people in the world.

Her laugh bounced off the walls and made you smile, shoving by each other to get to the finish line before each other. You caught a glimpse of her looking at you, eyes bright in a way they only seemed to do again after over ten years of trouble. Your heart warmed at the thought of her, exposing the darkest and loneliest parts of herself, only to have them met with eager warmth and acceptance.

You hadn’t been through the things she had, but knew similar ways to relate, and it only made you crave her more. She thought herself nothing more than a bit of fun, a weapon more often than not. You saw everything else, and let her know it every day. She grabbed your hand right before the finish line, distracting you just enough that you didn’t realise she was pushing you behind her. 

With a victorious cry, the crew surrounded their winner, and Nate pulled Sara up onto his shoulder. ‘Captain Lance wins again!’

‘I’m on top of the world!’ she jeered, grinning down at you.

‘Not for long, Captain,’ you replied, a hint of something in your voice.

Nate lowered her back to the ground, the crew moving onto the next challenge you and Sara had arranged for fun. ‘Is that a threat or a pick-up line?’

‘You’re just going to have to find out.’

Charlie made a face and looked like she was about to be sick, quickly pushing to the front of the group to escape the grossness of you two.

Things turned bad fast. Only seconds into the next challenge, Gideon’s warbled warnings alerted you all to something sinister as the ship started to lurch and spin, all of you making a break for the control room, reaching it far too late. Sara was there first, finding out the trouble and running for the loading bay before any of you could process what was going on. 

You cried out after her and raced down the steps, only to see the door blow open and suck her out, her head crashing into the doorframe before she vanished. ‘Sara!’

Your foot tapped on the metal floors as Gideon searched and scanned, but with the damage the ship sustained, she couldn’t locate the captain. Ray sat beside you and tried to offer words of comfort, which were only met with silence. His hand on your shoulder was kind, but you couldn’t think clear enough. 

The ship had crash-landed in the middle of the ocean, on an island Zari only barely managed to aim you for. With Gideon out of commission and no clues as to your time period, you all felt an overwhelming sense of hope lost, not only for yourselves, but for Sara. If the WaveRider barely made it to an island, had Sara hit the water? Was she even in the same year as the rest of you?

Heavy hearted, you dragged Mick from his room with the premise of “it might be Aruba”, making him help you search the notably small island, both of you knowing it wasn’t Aruba. It didn’t take long, both of you calling out for Sara, able to search the island in under half an hour. Without much shade, there wasn’t many places she could hide, or be hidden from sight.

It wasn’t until Nate saw a ship in the distance, remarking on the distinct shape and colouring, that he knew when and where you all were. The ship had seen your smoky signal and made way towards you.

‘Zari, get the WaveRider disguised, now!’ you ordered, after following Nate’s train of realisation. ‘Nate, please tell me the fabricator is still working?’

He nodded, and you all made a desperate run for the machine. The ship was still a few minutes from being able to see everything properly, even with a telescope- or so you hoped. Zari gave the thumbs up that the ship was disguised, pulling you aside.

‘Pirates? You’re kidding right?’

You sighed and handed her an outfit. ‘Get dressed.’

‘We can’t just leave the WaveRider here unattended, if someone finds it, we’re screwed, and stuck here forever,’ she explained, pushing the outfit back into your arms. ‘It’s fine, that stuff smells like butt anyway.’

Not wanting to leave her alone, you turned to a very unenthusiastic Mick. ‘Stay.’

He growled, more at the fact that you ordered him, less so at the order. ‘Fine, I don’t wanna play pirates anyway. I have all the booze I need right here.’

With that, you grabbed Nate, Ray and Charlie and headed for the doors, ready to greet whoever it was that may or may not be about to try and kill you. Three steps in, you saw Ray stumble before you and quickly turned to head back to Zari.

‘Get him to the medbay.’

Charlie poked at Ray’s ankle as he lay in the chair, eliciting a shriek from him. ‘Broken. He can’t come with us, we’ll be sitting ducks.’

With a look from the crew, you knew Sara’s position was to be yours for the time being. 'I guess Zari’s coming along after all. Ray, you get Mick to help you fix the ship. We’ll be on comms, and Zari can guide you. Okay?’

He winced and nodded, looking sadly at Nate. ‘Sorry we can’t be pirate bros, buddy.’

‘Next time.’

With the new plan, Zari- somehow less enthusiastic than usual- followed the three of you to the beach, and you all left the WaveRider behind, watching the rowboats launch from the pirate ship.

‘Here we go.’

You dropped to the sand and started holding onto your ankle, a weak cry silenced by a pained huff telling the crew you were playing hurt.

‘Y/N, what are you doing?’

‘If they think we’re hurt, we’re less of a threat,’ you explained, ‘we can get on their ship, get to port, find Sara, then get Ray and Mick to come get us when the WaveRider’s fixed.’

From the moment the pirates arrived on the shore, they were silent, taking inventory of you all before lowering their guards. One finally spoke to ask what was the problem, and with that, the four of you realised the entire crew was made up of women.

It was Charlie who spoke first of the Legends, helping you stand. ‘Our captain is wounded and our ship damaged, may we seek refuge with you to get us back to port so we can commandeer items for repair?’ 

‘No need, our ship has all you need,’ she spoke again, ‘come aboard, let your captain rest her wounds, have a meal, and we can assist you with repairs.’

Cautious, you all glanced between each other before moving towards the row boats. ‘Thank you,’ you replied graciously, bowing your head, ‘your captain must be very good to you.’

The silence of the women returned, Charlie and Zari helping you to one boat to keep up the ruse, Nate grabbing your bags and joining Charlie in the other boat. It was tense, terrifying, and altogether a bad idea. You could barely resist muttering to yourself at the eagerness for you all to get captured, the willingness to trust strangers. And yet, it felt right.

You knew why the moment you were helped off the row boat, looking up, only to lock eyes with their pirate captain. Adorned with a gorgeous crown of silver and jewels, the love of your life stood before your eyes, unharmed.

‘Sara,’ you breathed, quickly wrapping your arms around her and pulling her close. 

She hugged you so tight you forgot your cover, kissing her long and soft. The crew had fallen silent, the only noise coming from Charlie and Zari as they tried to resist vomiting. 

‘Our Queen has found her lover! Rejoice for our quest is long over!’ cheered the first mate, an uproarious cry of delight from the entire female crew deafening you as Sara held your face tenderly.

The dark makeup around her eyes made the bright blue shine brighter, her lips stained a dark red, the soft freckles you would often count by kissing them now darker than you’d imagined they could be.

‘You’re so pretty,’ you laughed, still not believing she was alright, ‘what the fuck? How are you so-’

Sara silenced you by placing a gentle finger to your lips, turning to face her crew. They bowed down before her, the cheeky smile she gave you followed by a wink. The gentle hum of her voice rippled through your body as you held her hand, thinking only now, that she had obviously been searching for you for a long time.

‘Our mission is complete, ladies, you may all return to your ports if you wish, or stay aboard under the rule of Jessalyn,’ she announced, voice cracking slightly, her tone withered and shaky. ‘Thank you all for your service, you have sent me home.’

She turned to Nate, Zari and Charlie, dragging them and you in for a group hug.

‘Captain? Before you go,’ the first mate, Jessalyn you assumed, spoke, ‘perhaps a feast? We will miss you greatly, and this may ease our worries of your safety.’

Nodding eagerly, Nate grinned at Sara like a kid in a library- or at least, Nate as a kid in a library. She agreed, quickly dragging you off and leaving the others to engage with her other crew. 

Before you even reached her quarters, Sara grabbed you and pulled you flush against her,  hands roaming your body as she kissed you hard, pressing you against the wall, dragging her fingers through your hair.

‘Jesus, Sara, how long were you here?’ you mumbled between kisses, your arms around her neck as you pulled her close.

‘Four months,’ she mumbled, moving to kiss down the side of your neck. 

‘Should we really have left the others out there? What if-’

She put a finger to your lips and placed a soft kiss on your nose. Sara reached behind you, never dropping eye contact, and opened the door. ‘Either we go or I do, but I’d prefer if you didn’t make me do this alone.’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ you replied, greedily moving to kiss her again.

Her lips tasted of wine and sea salt, mixed with berries you were sure didn’t still exist. You had barely lost her for two hours, and you could barely get your hands off her. The door shut behind you, Sara dragging you towards her bed, laying down and pulling you over her.

You kissed down her bare chest, gently pulling her shirt down and sucking a small trail down the centre. Squeezing her breast, your lips moved back to her neck, your free hand skating up her outer thigh, fingers dancing over her skin and thumb rubbing circles as you moved inward. Her breath hitched at your touch, grabbing your wrist with her hand and guiding it higher, closer to where she wanted you.

Moaning softly into her neck as you kissed her, Sara wasn’t happy with your messing around. She reached up to take the crown off, looking down to meet your eyes.

‘Leave it on,’ you grinned, pulling yourself down lower on the bed, bowing down to kiss the insides of her thighs. 

You teased her softly with your tongue, moving closer and feeling her try to press her thighs together. A gentle whimper left her throat as you tugged her underwear down over her legs, discarding them across the room. Her skirt hitched up as you kissed and sucked at her stomach, Sara’s hands tangled in your hair and pulled your head closer, lower.

Giving in, you softly kissed up her folds, tongue darting in as you moved up and down. Her hips hitched as you licked a stripe up and down her soaking pussy, hands tugging you closer as she demanded more. 

‘Stop being so gentle, goddamnit,’ she huffed, a smile breaking out across her face as you began sucking at her clit. Breath caught in her throat, she was more than satisfied now.

‘Is that better, princess?’ you murmured, the soft rumbles of your voice making Sara grip your hair a little tighter. 

She managed to nod, a pleased sigh when your soft fingers started circling her clit, your mouth moving elsewhere as she started getting close already. Distracting Sara by kissing her lips, your other hand moved back up to her breast, and one of hers moved down between her legs.

‘Good girl,’ you grinned, hearing her fingers slip inside herself, her body gently rocking beneath yours. It was often a joint effort, making her happy, and it seemed that even in the bedroom she still liked a little control.

Her moans filled the room, sucking at her neck as she struggled to keep a hold. ‘Baby, you do it so much better. I wanna feel you inside me, please.’

More than happy to oblige, you kissed back down her body, your tongue darting over and circling her clit as your fingers took over where hers had been, stroking the inside of her walls as you felt her clench around you. Her hips lifted off the bed as your fingers and mouth worked their magic, a quick pace letting her finish, but you didn’t stop. Slowing only a little, you helped her work herself down, sucking across her collarbones.

‘That’s gonna leave a mark,’ she grinned, wrapping her arms around you and kissing you like it was the first time. ‘I missed you.’

‘I missed you too.’

Turning on her side as you lay by her, she ran a finger down your arm. ‘By the way,’ Sara teased between kisses, ‘if you broke my ship, I’ll kick your ass.’

‘I know.’

taglist: @marvelfansince08love @mymarvelwomen @imnotasuperhero @natasha-danvers @veteranwerewolf95 @monihaswritersblock @natasharomanoffswife   @xxxtwilightaxelxxx 

[desertdollranch]

Meet Judith, Chapter 1: The Island

Judith Blalock’s story begins in London, England.

It was in the early springtime in the year 1587 when twelve-year-old Judith first heard the word spoken: Virginia. 

After the first time she encountered it, she began seeing and hearing that name almost everywhere around London. And every time she heard it, she understood more about what it meant.

Virginia was not only a name, but the name of a place. A colony across the ocean, in the new world called America. Two years ago, settlers led by Governor Ralph Lane had tried to establish the first English village on the island of Roanoke. Difficult circumstances had quickly forced the settlers to abandon their colony and leave England without a permanent presence in the colony. Now a man named John White was determined to do it right this time--and he needed people willing to sail to Virginia and help him establish that new settlement. If it was successful, middle class families like Judith’s would have the opportunity to become landed gentry.

Judith’s parents were glad of the chance to leave London. The constant outbreaks of the plague had taken Judith’s three older brothers, all one after the other. She was her parents’ only surviving child, and they were willing to go to great lengths to protect her. 

Judith felt apprehensive about leaving England forever. She had never been more than a few miles from the place she was born. What would it be like in this new world? What new dangers and adventures awaited her? 

The Blalock family boarded the ship to Virginia on May 8th. Judith turned around one more time to look back at England. She wondered if she would ever see her homeland again. 

All of Judith’s fears were immediately swept away by the wind and the waves. This was the most fun she had ever had in her life! She spent all day above deck, reveling in the sunshine and fresh air. 

After nearly three months at sea, the ship arrived at Roanoke island. It was much smaller than she had imagined. The air was hot and humid, and warm summer rains had made the ground muddy. 

This would be Judith’s new home. 

......

Life on Roanoke island was difficult. Growing and making enough food for everyone was a constant hardship. The Secotan people, native to the island, had often been frustrated by how much the previous colonists had relied on their generosity to stay fed. They simply could not, and would not, produce enough food to sustain this new community of immigrants. 

Governor White left the island a few weeks after landing, intending to return from England as soon as possible with more food supplies.

Judith felt as if she were tired and exhausted all the time. With so little to eat, she never had enough energy to finish her chores. 

Supper most nights was always a small slice of bread. Wheat was difficult to grow on the island, and so it had to be rationed until Governor White brought more. 

Winter came quickly and harshly.

December was cold and wet, with rain and snow. The cows stopped producing milk and the chickens stopped laying eggs. Judith was able to gather a few mushrooms that the Secotan had designated as safe to eat.  

Quickly enough, all the mushrooms close by the house had been eaten, and so  on one cold and cloudy morning, Judith had to venture farther into the trees to find more. She followed as much dry land as she could, avoiding the marshy and muddy areas.

Soon, she came upon a clearing. In the clearing was a circle of mushrooms.

How strange, Judith thought. She remembered hearing stories about mushroom rings in England. Some people thought they were portals to the fairy world. Others thought they were gateways into the past that would let one rectify the mistakes one made long ago. 

But Judith remembered that she wasn’t in England any more. There were no fairies here. And if the Secotan thought that mushroom rings were significant, they certainly hadn’t shared any knowledge with the colonists.

Besides, she was was hungry, and she knew these would make a delicious stew. She picked all twelve mushrooms and put them in her basket. 

As she turned to follow the path she had made in the forest, she noticed something else that was very odd. 

Her footprints in the snow were gone. 

She was sure that she had walked here coming in to the forest. No snow had fallen in the short time that she was gathering the mushrooms. She began to worry that she was lost. She tried to put the missing footprints out of her mind and just head back home going the direction she knew that it was. 

But something was wrong in the village. 

It was empty.

There were no people, no animals.

All the houses were overgrown with weeds and vines. Roofs had collapsed and walls had crumbled.

Her own family’s home was in ruins. 

Judith began to panic. Had everyone left the island without her? But how could they have done that in the short time she had been away? 

She walked from house to house, trying to find any clues to explain what had happened. 

All she found was one fencepost with the word “CROATOAN” carved into it.

Croatoan was the island south of Roanoke island. She knew that. But how could they have left so quickly? And why were all the houses in ruins?

She thought perhaps it would be best to visit the Secotan village and ask what they knew. But she didn’t know their language, and she wasn’t sure if any of them spoke English. 

Judith dragged a small rowboat down to the shore. She would have to get to Croatoan on her own. Whatever had happened while she was gone..... the answer must be there. But her efforts at that quickly failed. No matter how hard she rowed the boat, it just kept getting pulled back to shore by the tide. 

She didn’t what to do next. There was no food here, and nothing to keep her warm at night. Leaving the island was impossible. Maybe she would have to beg the Secotan to take her in. 

She began to cry. She wished she had never left England at all. She stared out at the eastern horizon, wishing she could at least see her home from here. Maybe that would be enough to give her hope.

Through her tears, she thought she could see something that might be England. 

But was that--a ship? Approaching the island? 

It was a ship! Had her family and the other settlers returned to find her? 

Or was it a different ship entirely? Judith ran back to the village to gather some dry wood from the crumbled houses. She quickly made a fire on the shore in view of the ship, hoping to get their attention. 

Soon she was on board the new ship, and in the hands of a team of pirates. Most of them were girls not much older than her.

“How did you get to Roanoke island?” the captain asked her.

“With the other colonists from England,” Judith said. 

“Is that true? There haven’t been any colonists living there for seven years,” said the captain. “They left in 1587. I don’t know where they went after that. Maybe back to England.”

Judith explained what had happened to her. The ring of mushrooms, her absence from home for only an hour, and how everyone had disappeared while she was gone.

The captain nodded then shrugged. “Maybe when you stood in the mushroom ring, you entered a doorway leading to seven years in the future,” she said. “I’ve heard of that happening sometimes, especially in the Bermuda triangle. The closer we are to that area, time behaves more strangely.” 

“How do I go back to my time?” asked Judith.

“I’m not sure,” the captain replied. “Why don’t we take you to Croatoan and see what you can find out there?”

The ship turned course and began to head south. The islands were only 60 miles apart. The voyage there wouldn’t be long. Judith stood and watched Roanoke island get smaller and smaller, and then disappear.

In the open water, there was a sudden crash of thunder and lightning. 

The waves rose up and tossed the ship around. Judith was swept overboard. She watched the pirate ship sink as she clung to a piece of wooden debris. 

All through the night, she was carried by the waves. She didn’t know which direction she was going. 

When she woke, the sun was shining down upon her.

She was lying on a sandy seashore. 

She stood up and looked around. Was this Croatoan? 

Looking inland away from the shore, she beheld an enormous mountain in the distance. Around it were scattered quaint villages with houses, and farms, and animals. She could see smoke arising from chimneys, and hear the sound of children playing.

No, this couldn’t be Croatoan island. Was it England? Had she been carried back home? It couldn’t be England, either. That mountain was taller than any she had ever seen. 

She shook the sand from her shoes and her skirts, and began to walk toward the village, finding a narrow winding road leading away from the shore. She was terribly thirsty, and her stomach felt empty. 

A young girl passed her on the road, going the other way. 

“Good morning,” said the girl. 

“Good morning,” Judith replied. “Begging your pardon, but what is the date today?” 

“Today is the 23rd day of April, the feast day of Saint George, who slayed the dragon.”

“And what year, may I ask?”

“The year is 1517.” The girl looked at Judith with a kind smile, and glanced at her wet shoes and skirts. “But I’m sure it’s different where you come from, isn’t it?” 

Judith did not reply. She looked again upon the tall mountain that had not gotten any closer in the hour that she had walked. 

She had traveled back in time, that much was certain. She wasn’t sure how, or when, that had happened. 

But she had gone much too far back. 70 years. Not 7 years! 

What would become of her in this strange place? 

How would she ever find her family now?

.......

[freddiesaysalright]

Part of Your World - Chapter 3

Ben!Prince Eric x Mermaid!Reader

Summary: Prince Ben is trying to escape an arranged marriage. A young mermaid wants to escape the sea. Their paths cross and they may just be what the other is looking for.

Word Count: 4.2K

Tag List: @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks​, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @the-moving-finger-writes​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @rose-writes-prose​, @queenlover05​, @26-7-49​, @drowsebaby​, @im-an-adult-ish​, @queen-paladin​, @rogerina-owns-me, @mirkwoodshewolf​, @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye​, @radiob-l-a-hblah​, @xviiarez​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: I’m sorry these chapters are taking so long, y’all. I have just been having a rough time. I hope y’all enjoy this update, though :D

Warning(s): None :)

Moodboard

Chapter 1  Chapter 2

Chapter 3 here we go!!!

“You were waiting for me?” you questioned.

She snickered humorlessly. “Of course, princess. I keep track of all things going on in the ocean. I hoped you would consult me for help.”

You squared your shoulders. “I’ve heard rumors about you, Sycoria. Your help always comes with a price.”

“Well of course it does, darling,” she practically sang back. “All things have a price, not just my services. How would the world be if you could just get something from nothing?”

She began to slink around you, circling you, her eyes hungrily searching your form. You were apprehensive about this. But you had come this far. And you had to see Ben again.

“So, what is it you know about my desires?” you asked. 

“You want the human prince,” she answered. “In order to get him, you’ll have to become human.”

You blinked. “Is that something you’re capable of?”

“Oh, my dear,” she chuckled. “I can do anything.”

“And...and what would it cost me?” you asked.

She stopped in front of you and examined your face. 

“There will be two things,” she said. “One for each leg. The first, that pretty ring on your finger.”

“But -”

“It costs what it costs, darling,” she cut across you. “No haggling.”

You remained silent.

“That’s a good girl,” she praised sarcastically. “And get used to that. The second thing I want is your voice.”

“My voice?” you questioned. “But won’t I need my voice to get to know him?”

“Who needs all that?” she returned. “You’re beautiful! What else does he need to know about you?”

“I just think we should have some common interests and -”

She cut you off again. “Listen, girl. Men on the surface are not interested in a woman’s opinion or interests. You’re better off using that pretty face of yours.”

You frowned. That didn’t sound right to you. There was no way Ben had that view and tolerated Behati at the same time. Even if human society in general felt it, that was not Ben. But, that probably wasn’t relevant to Sycoria. You decided not to argue the point any further. Besides, who needed a voice when your souls had already met? You could find a way to communicate.

“Okay,” you said. “So, what’s the catch?”

“I’ll give you seven days to get the prince to fall in love with you,” she said with a sneer. “And he has to kiss you - true love’s kiss. If it happens, you will be a human permanently, and go on your merry way.”

“But if I don’t?”

“If you don’t,” she said. “I turn you into sea foam.”

You gasped and your stomach dropped. That was a rather harsh alternative! Conflict stirred within you. If you accomplished this, you would have all you ever wanted. But if you didn’t, there was a horrifying existence awaiting. Either way, there was no returning to your old life. The only way to do that was to swim away now. But your heart ached at the thought of missing out on your chance for Ben. So that wasn’t really an option. 

Sycoria extended her hand.

“Is it a deal?” she pressed.

You observed her outstretched palm and hesitated. Your heart was hammering against your chest. There was no turning back now. No matter what happened, your life would never be the same. And you didn’t want it to be.

“It’s a deal.”

She let out a wicked cackle as she took your hand. A gold thread appeared above your arms and wrapped itself around your clasped hands. It tightened on you and it felt warm against your skin. Sycoria waved her free hand above it and began to chant in a language you did not understand. 

Ben’s ring floated off your hand and slid itself onto Sycoria’s finger. Water began to swirl around the fins at the bottom of your tail. The whirlpool rose up around you, except for the hand still attached to the sea witch’s. 

Your tail began to heat up. You looked down and saw it glowing the same gold as the string that sealed your agreement. You watched as the fins and scales twisted up and deformed. Magically, your tail began to split in half. It wasn’t painful, but you did feel an odd ache as your scales disappeared and smooth skin took its place. Suddenly, you had thighs, knees, ankles, feet! You almost gasped, but you couldn’t. Not with fully human lungs.

Sycoria released your hand. The whirlpool began to shoot upwards, taking you with it. It pushed you all the way out of her cave, and then rocketed away. It moved so fast your vision was blurry. That might have also been from struggling to breathe. But you were abruptly far away from her lair, nothing around you for miles. Then, you began a projection upward. You hurtled toward the surface, desperate for air.

When you finally broke through, you gulped it in. Fresh air. It had never felt so precious to you. The whirlpool slowly brought you to the nearby shoreline. Then you felt it. Warm sand. Dazed, winded, exhausted, and alone, you collapsed into it. 

***

“There’s an island up ahead where we can stop,” Behati said, checking her map. “We’ve been there before.”

“Are there supplies there?” Ben asked.

“There are no people, but plenty of animals,” she explained. “Wild turkeys and the like. Plus, fresh fruits. We stocked up in your harbor, but I’d like some more things. Plus, we can give the girls some time off the ship.”

He shot her a sympathetic look. She smiled.

“Don’t feel sorry for me, little prince,” she said. “Soon enough, I will find Sycoria and break this curse. Until then, I won’t deprive my girls.”

“I want to help,” he told her. “With finding the sea witch.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in it,” she replied.

“Well, it’s coming from you,” he said. “You’re the most honest person I’ve ever met.”

“That really is saying something, considering I’m a pirate,” she teased.

He chuckled. “I trust you, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m flattered, but we agreed that this was temporary,” she said. “Finding Sycoria could take years, and you won’t want to be here that long.”

“Sure I will!” he protested.

She shook her head. “No, you won’t. Remember that girl that saved your life? Don’t you want to find her?”

“Well, yes, but she might not even be real,” he said. 

“How could you imagine a woman rescuing you?” she challenged. “I appreciate you, Ben, but you have your own journey. And I have mine.”

“Maybe I could help you first, and then you could help me,” he suggested.

She grinned. “They are too different, little prince.”

She began to walk away. He frowned.

“Why do you call me ‘little prince’ all the time?” he asked. “I’m not that much younger than you.”

She turned to face him with a smirk. “I may not look it, but I’m actually old enough to be your mother.”

“That old?”

With astonishing speed, she whipped around, removed her boot, and hurled it at him, hitting him square in the chest. He took the impact with a soft “oof” and caught the shoe before it fell to the deck. He could already feel a bruise forming.

“Shut up and get ready to anchor, porky mouth,” she said with a scowl. 

He chuckled again and tossed her shoe back to her. She shoved her foot into it and stomped away, slamming the door to her quarters. He laughed.

“I wouldn’t be so amused, Ben,” Ari said. “She may leave you on the island for that one.”

He stopped laughing. “Are you serious?”

She shrugged. Then she moved along to prepare to go to the island.

Before getting on the rowboat, Ben was assured he would be allowed to return to the ship. He joined Kay and Ari in their boat as the crew lowered it down. It hit the water with a soft splash and then the three of them - with two other boats - began to row toward the shore.

The water was smooth, with few waves, so their oars cut through it easily. They were able to reach the shore within minutes. 

As they all climbed out and hit the sand, Ben noticed something that made his brows draw together. It appeared to be...footprints. Footprints leading into the woods. He nudged Ari with his elbow as she finished throwing her oar down. She faced him.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Look,” he said, pointing.

She followed his finger and saw it too. She whistled and everyone looked at her.

“Ben just pointed out something we all should be aware of,” she said. “Someone else has been on the island.”

They all exchanged a nervous look.

“You’ll see just over there, footprints leading into the foliage,” she went on. “Keep your weapons up and your senses sharp. We don’t know who this person is or what they’re capable of.”

“Couldn’t it be someone in need?” asked Sharna, another crew member. “If they’re alone, they might be a victim of a shipwreck.”

Ben had not considered that. He looked at Ari.

“That might be true,” she agreed. “But if that’s the case, they may be as defensive and guarded as we are. If they’ve been through trauma, they’ll be jumpy. We still have to have the utmost caution.”

They all nodded. Several of them drew daggers, while Ari retrieved her pistol. They all crouched low and started toward the tree line.

You were just heading back to the beach, hoping to see any sign of Behati’s ship. But before that, you needed water and to eat something. You’d found a creek in the jungle, and drank from it to ease your parched throat. On several of the bushes, you found berries. You plucked them from the branches and headed back to the sand to enjoy them. 

Walking was proving to be a bit of a challenge. You had to carefully consider each step, and parts of the path were painful against your feet. It didn’t occur to you how much the plant life could prick and poke at you. 

Legs were a lot wobblier than a tail. In the water, you didn’t really need balance. But the sturdiness of the ground beneath you was jarring. To have your surroundings be so rigid and unmoving was something you were really going to have to adjust to.

As you approached the beach and the tree line thinned out, you saw that there was already a group of people there. Your eyes immediately found Ben, but you noticed that all of them were on edge as they came toward the trees. They had their weapons drawn and were all staying close together. They hadn’t seen you yet.

You crouched behind a bush, feeling an odd stretch in your muscles. Knees and ankles were strange and not nearly as strong as you had hoped. You had to put down the fruit and use your hands to stay balanced.

Ben took a deep breath as he and the girls stopped just before the trees. He looked carefully among the thick green branches but couldn’t see anything or anyone. It set him even more on edge. Ari was looking back toward the tracks in the sand, brow furrowed. Ben followed her gaze.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“It looks like….whoever this was had trouble walking,” she said. “There are drag marks in the sand too, and places where it looks like they fell. I think Sharna’s right, this is probably someone in trouble.”

“If they’re struggling to walk, they can’t have gone far,” Ben pointed out. “Should we call out so we don’t startle them?”

Ari hesitated. “I’m not sure. They could still be dangerous. I don’t want any of us at risk, either.”

You heard their hushed conversation despite their efforts. Now that their shoulders had relaxed and their weapons had lowered, you felt like now was the time to meet them. You were only a few feet away. Slowly, you pushed yourself up.

Ben and Behati’s crew jumped back when they heard the bush rustle and you rose to your full height. They watched in awe as you appeared before them. It struck you suddenly that they were clothed and you were not. Humans covered themselves. It was a mystery to you as to why, but you stood out enough to feel embarrassed.

Ben had never seen a woman so beautiful. You felt familiar to him, like he had met you before, only he couldn’t place where it was. Something about your eyes gave him the feeling. You held his gaze with such a knowing look, he was certain you felt it too.

“It’s you!” he gasped. 

“What?” Ari questioned.

He stepped forward, ignoring her, and he approached you.

“Have we met before?” he asked.

You nodded, beaming. 

“You’re the one I’ve been looking for!” he cried.

He reached out for you, and you took his offered hand. To touch him sent such a thrill through your body, you nearly forgot that the others were there.

“Please, you’ve got to tell me your name,” he said. 

You started to say it, but no sound came from your throat. In your excitement, you forgot that your voice was gone. You thought for a moment about what to do. Then you decided to try something crazy. 

My name is Y/N, you signed to him.

His face fell. The disappointed expression that claimed it broke your heart.

“Oh, I must be mistaken,” he said. “The woman who saved me spoke to me.”

You tried to stay optimistic.

You know sign language? You asked.

He nodded. “Yes. My mother is deaf, so I learned it young.”

That made you smile. He offered a small one in return.

“D’you need help?” he asked.

You nodded your head. He looked you over, realizing just now that you were naked. Your hair covered your chest, the bush you hid behind blocked you from the waist down, but his cheeks still went pink. He shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around your shoulders. 

“There,” he said, then turned to Ari. “Should we bring her to the ship?”

“Well, she’s a woman in need, Captain Behati will be happy to help her,” she said. “What did she say her name was?”

“Y/N,” Ben said, looking back at you. “That’s rather pretty.”

Thank you, you signed, your own face heating up now.

“Come on, Y/N,” Ari said. “Ben and I will take you to the ship while the rest of the girls do some hunting and gathering.”

Her smile was gentle. You immediately trusted her. Still holding Ben’s hand, you came out from behind the bush. You stumbled when you moved, and you fell right into Ben’s chest. He caught you in strong arms, with a soft laugh. You looked up at him apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “You’ve really been through something, haven’t you?”

You nodded slowly. He helped you steady yourself, and the three of you headed back down the beach toward the row boat. He had to assist you into it, but you didn’t mind at all. You settled onto the little bench seat, wrapping his coat tighter around your shoulders. It smelled so nice. Something you didn’t notice the last time you were close to him. 

“I’ll row,” Ari said, picking up the oar before Ben could. “You need to be resting that arm.”

“It’s fine,” he protested, but she shook her head. “At least let me help push it.”

“Fine,” she said. “But nothing more after that. You really want to have to get it sewn up again?”

“God, no,” he sighed. “You can row.”

“That’s a good lad,” she said.

You smiled at their friendly exchange. It felt a bit odd once you were on the water to be floating in the boat. You had never noticed how much the water actually moved before. The rocking motion made your stomach churn. 

“So, Y/N, how’d you end up on the island?” Ben asked.

Shipwreck, you signed. 

You didn’t like to lie, but the truth was too unbelievable. 

“A shipwreck, eh?” he continued. “It must have been some journey for you. I didn’t see any debris.”

You blinked, surprised by this observation, but slid quickly back to a neutral expression.

I’m not sure how it happened or where, you signed. There was an explosion, and the next thing I knew, I was on the island.

“That’s scary,” he said. “I’m sorry you went through all that.”

Thank you, you signed. 

He put his hand on top of yours and you felt warm.

It didn’t take long to reach the ship. Ben had to help you again, since you struggled to stand up in the rocking boat. However, this time when you climbed up, there was a rope ladder. It was much easier without a tail. Ari came up behind you, and Ben climbed up last. Ari helped you over the edge, and you planted your feet on the ship. 

Behati emerged from her quarters when she heard the noise. Your jaw dropped when you saw her. She was so tall, and her skin was so dark and beautiful. She was a living legend, right in front of you.

Then you remembered that she had seen you for that fleeting moment after you rescued Ben. You saw the recognition in her eyes - as well as some confusion at your new appearance - and you shot her a pleading look. She gave you a curt nod. She would not reveal you.

“Captain, this is Y/N,” Ari said. “We found her on the island. Apparently there was a shipwreck.”

“I see,” Behati said. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. But we’re happy to help you.”

“She got on a lot easier than I did,” Ben joked.

“She is not a man,” she returned with a chuckle.

“Well, she can’t speak,” he explained. “But she knows sign language.”

“You know sign language?” Behati questioned, eyebrows raising.

“Yeah, my mother’s deaf,” he said again. “I was raised with it. I’m surprised you know it.”

“I meet all kinds of people, little prince,” she said. “I thought it would be useful to know. There are a few other crew members who know it as well.”

That’s a relief, you signed. 

“I bet,” she teased. “Can you imagine only being able to talk to Ben?”

“Hey!” he said with playful indignance. 

Their banter made you worry a bit. Could it be possible that Ben and the captain were already attached to each other? You were so certain that you had felt something after rescuing him, but what if it was only gratitude? What if you were doomed to Sycoria’s fate because he already loved another? 

 “Come,” Behati said. “We’ll get you some fresh clothes and some water, yeah?”

You nodded and followed her to her quarters. 

Ben watched you go, feeling an unfamiliar longing in his chest. The way your hair fell down your back and swished when you walked was mesmerizing. The way your hands moved so delicately when you signed charmed him. And your eyes were absolutely captivating. 

“How sweet,” Ari joked. “Ben’s got a crush.”

“I do not,” he returned, rolling his eyes.

Inside with Behati, she addressed the elephant in the room.

“So, last time we met, you were a mermaid,” she said. “Although, we weren’t properly introduced.”

You looked uncomfortably at the floor. She pushed some clothes into your arms, then cupped your chin to make you look at her.

“I won’t ask what made you do this, it’s not my business,” she said. “But there’s only one being I know with the power to make such a transformation….Sycoria.”

You held her gaze and nodded.

“Do you know how to find her?” she asked.

You shook your head before you signed, After she transformed me, she sent me away so fast, I was disoriented. I’m not sure how far away the island is from her lair.

“So, she’s in a lair somewhere,” Behati said. “It can’t be too far from here. What do you remember of it?”

Purple, you signed. It glows purple.

“Well, it’s a start,” she said. “Welcome aboard, Y/N. I’ll let you get dressed.”

She started to leave, but you grabbed her arm. She faced you.

Are you and Ben...together? You asked.

It was such an awkward thing. But you had to know now if you were wasting your time. She threw her head back and cackled.

“Oh, sweet sea child,” she wheezed, wiping her eyes. “The only one interested in Ben on this ship is you.”

Your brow furrowed.

“I’ve never wanted a man,” she said. “Nor will I. I have only ever loved women.”

And your crew? They’re all like you?

She nodded. “There are a few of us who enjoy men as well. But most of us don’t.”

I never thought that human attraction was as varied as the merpeople, you signed. We have many couples of varied genders.

“Humans are fascinating creatures, Y/N,” she told you. “I just hope they don’t disappoint you.”

You raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Never mind,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll leave you to it now.”

You took her arm again. Now - a little embarrassed - you signed, I don’t know how to put them on.

She chuckled. “I’ll help you, then. No worries.”

You thanked her and she showed you how to wear everything. They were simple clothes, and she taught you the words for everything - pants, shirt, boots, et cetera. Human garments were surprisingly comfortable, but Behati explained that most human women wore dresses, underneath which were these things called corsets. They sounded horrible to you, so you were grateful to be where you were.

“And one last thing,” Behati said, grabbing a hat and placing it on your head. “Protect that pretty skin from the sun.”

You smiled again at her. 

“We’ll need to do something about that hair,” she said. “I can braid it for you if you want.”

You nodded eagerly and plopped yourself down in her chair. She laughed and took her place behind you. You had extremely long hair, and just the few moments you spent on deck showed you the wind was going to be a problem. Thankfully, Behati twisted your hair into two beautiful braids, and you were ready to join the crew.

When you stepped out, Ben and Ari were waiting. 

“How does she look?” Behati asked, twirling you.

“Great!” Ben said, enthusiastically. “Although, she looks much too sweet to be a member of a pirate crew.”

Your face flushed and you toyed with one of your braids. He felt his heart skip a beat at your display of bashfulness. He thought you were...cute. Very cute.

“I agree,” Behati said. “But luckily, it’s not permanent. Perhaps we’ll find something more suitable for her at our next stop.”

“When’s that?” Ben wondered.

“Not far from here is a harbor town called Henrietta,” she told him. “We’re going to stop there to pick up things like clothes and weapons. Plus, there’s someone there I’d like Y/N to meet.”

You shot her a quizzical look. 

“Not to worry,” she said. “Ben will go with you.”

She explained nothing else, but returned to her quarters. 

She’s so mysterious, you signed.

“She is,” he agreed. “But she’s got a big heart.”

You nodded. 

So, you began. Was your mother born deaf or did she become deaf later in life?

“She was born deaf,” he said. “Were you born mute?”

You shook your head sadly. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. 

It’s alright, you signed. It was sort of my choice. But that’s a long story. 

“Well, I’d love to hear it someday,” he said kindly.

I want to know more about you, you replied. What’s your mother’s name?

“Asenora,” he said. “My father’s name is James. They’re the king and queen.”

Tell me more.

You coaxed as much information as you could out of Ben before the crew returned from the island. It was nearly two hours of getting to know him. He told you a bit about his childhood and the way he ended up with Behati - since he was unaware you knew the story from your eavesdropping. 

“You’re a very easy person to talk to, Y/N,” Ben said. 

Probably because I’m not able to interrupt, you joked.

He chuckled. “Well, you said it.”

Not technically, you continued.

He full on laughed. “Look, the girls are coming back. But why don’t we continue this later? It’s been really lovely to have someone to chat to.”

You nodded. 

Absolutely, you signed. How can I help?

“Ari and I can show you,” he said.

He took your hand and led you over to her. As the small team returned, it was time to get ready to hoist the anchor and move again. And dinner had to be prepared. Ari showed you how to help, and you were eager to prove you could. As you helped her wind up a rope, you looked over at Ben, who was helping Behati sort the food and game they had collected on the island. He caught your eye and smiled. 

What you had felt after your rescue was still there, that much you knew. The only obstacle was getting to a place where you could explain everything to Ben. You just hoped he would believe you. But as you grinned at each other, you were as hopeful as you’d ever been.

[hypocrisyofandrewdobson]

Alex Ze Pirate Reboot Book 3

Greetings friends. You may remember me from such submissions as Alex Ze Pirate Reboot Pitch and the looser Sequel Book pitch. I've been meaning to write a third entry while under quarantine, but didn't really have anything I liked until recently, when THOAD reblogged the analysis of Sam. Originally, my plan was to make a story more focused on one of the other crew, but instead I'm going to do something different to my normal work and rewrite an established arc instead of coming up with something new.

---

Chapter One

We begin at a trading post where Alex is haggling for drinks at a bar, the crew except for Peggy are hanging out there and seem to be in good spirits. Peggy comes in with the mail and hands Sam a letter. Immediately his spirits sink and he starts moping, though no one really pays much attention.

At the end of the night, Sam asks Alex if they could head back to Nina's port so he can take care of some personal business, but after last time, Alex has no interest in returning. Sam then offers to leave and go by himself but gets hit for this and then ordered back to the ship. That night he tries to sneak aboard a lifeboat but discovers Atea drilling holes in them under orders from Alex. 

Sam finally explains what's going on. The girl he gave the treasure chest to in the first book, named Jan, is sick, possibly dying, and he wants to go say goodbye. Atea points out that he'd have no idea how to get to the town and probably wouldn't make it on a rowboat. Sam asks Atea to try and convince Alex to give him a ride, which Atea says would never happen. Sam shrugs and walks back into town, looking down, as Atea calls out to him, saying sometimes people don't get what they want.

Chapter Two

A week later, the ship is out to sea. Sam is snappy at first but Alex is having none of it and the rest of the crew aren't all that sympathetic. Soon, another ship comes up beside them. Alex realises they're going to try and board and calls to arms. 

Atea hands out the guns as Sam goes below deck to man the cannons. Unfortunately, he preps and fires on the wrong side, so the other ship is able to board. The crew draw swords and fight the attackers, when they're struck by smoke bombs and Alex realises that none other than Nina the Ninja is on the crew. 

Nina dashes through the smoke and heads down below deck. Alex tries to go after her but is caught up fighting. As the smoke clears, Nina bursts out of the hold with a sack and runs back to her own ship, calling a retreat. The other crew leaves and Alex wonders what was taken. 

Later, after a look through the ship, Atea reports there was no significant damage, Talus reports that the supplies are fine and Peggy reports that none of the treasure was taken. Alex reasons that the sack she saw must have been a trick of the light and that everything's fine. Meanwhile, on the other ship, Nina has Sam. 

Chapter Three

The crew finally figures out Sam is gone and realise Nina probably took him to her home port. At first Alex has no interest in getting Sam back, reasoning that it's not worth risking getting arrested again just for the unworthy slob. Her attitude soon changes when everything goes to hell. 

As they set their destination, the crew starts to argue over who should do the cleaning as it's getting filthy despite their habits not changing. It becomes clear just how much he did for the crew, not just cleaning but by being a lightning rod for their abuse they never turned on each other. 

Realising they need him back to set things in order, they set up a temporary truce and agree to just live in filth since Sam will clean it up when he comes back. 

Meanwhile, on Nina's ship, she enters a cabin to see how Sam's doing. He's looking over the letter he got and hoping he can make it to Jan in time. We also learn that *Dun dun dun!* he was the one who contacted Nina so she'd come get him and take him to the orphanage. 

Chapter Four

It's been weeks since the main crew has washed anything and the ship is absolutely disgusting. But there is hope, they're a day away from the port town and they can see the other ship in the distance. But they're still wanted crooks and possibly outnumbered. So they get in the fixed rowboat and, as quietly as they can, row out to the ship in the early morning. 

The four get on board and try to sneak on, but unfortunately due to the fact that sound carries over water, the other ship knew they were coming and throws them in the brig. Alex demands to see Nina, but Atea points out that Sam isn't in there with them. Alex wonders what's going on, but reasons it won't matter since they'll eventually find him.

The ship reaches port and starts to dock as Peggy reveals he keeps gunpowder in his socks. They blow their way out of the brig, steal some swords and fight their way to the deck, where they see Nina pulling Sam along as they run across the docks. 

Chapter Five

Peggy heads back below decks as Atea and Talus deal with the crew. Alex fights her way through and reaches the docks. She calls out for Sam, but he seems to not hear her. Sam and Nina reach the street and are about to turn into an alley, when the building explodes, knocking them to the ground.

Peggy congratulates himself on nailing the shot as Nina and Sam get to their feet. Nina sees Alex coming and yells at Sam that they need to move. Sam sees her and takes off, pointing out there's another way. 

The cannon fire has brought the guards attention and when they see Alex, they rightly assume she has something to do with it. She manages to evade the guards and continues chasing, not wanting to let Nina win. 

Nina and Sam reach the orphanage, Nina telling Sam to get inside while she holds Alex off. Nina and Alex fight, Nina pointing out how stupid and selfish Alex is being, but Ze Captain will never admit to fault and refuses to listen.

Nina missteps into a pothole and gives Alex an opening to knock her down. Laughing in glee, Alex storms into the orphanage and runs through, shouting for Sam. She finally finds him, kneeling next to a figure covered with a white sheet, with tears in his eyes.

He was too late.

Chapter Six

Alex shuts up, having the decency to look somewhat ashamed. Nina rushes in and sees Sam, realising what happened. Sam mutters than Jan died five minutes previously. This just pisses off Nina, who yells at Alex that if she hadn't delayed them, they would have made it with plenty of time to spare. 

Unable to accept fault, Alex fires back that Sam had a duty to the crew when he signed on and knew they couldn't come back without risking capture. She goes on a tirade, insisting this was all Sam and Nina's fault. Nina has had enough and is about to attack, when Sam pleads with them not to do this in front of Jan's body. Out of respect, Nina walks away. Alex does too, but not before telling Sam he has ten minutes and then she expects him to head back to the docks. 

Outside, the guards arrest Alex and throw her in a cell with the other three. But they're not worried, they know about Sam's account from the second book and know he'll bail them out again. And he does. He heads to the bank, withdraws enough for bail and heads for the jail, when Nina stops him.

Realising no matter what she says, Sam will probably defend Alex or insist that their friends, Nina tries a different tactic. She offers to bail the crew out herself and tells Sam he should use his money for Jan's funeral. Sam admits he'd rather do this and agrees. 

However, she's lying. The crew are sentenced to hard labour, but Alex is in denial throughout the trial, insisting Sam is about to walk through the doors with the money. It never happens, Nina told Sam that the crew would be released in a week.

In the cemetery, a bunch of children who knew Jan lay flowers on her grave as Sam stands there with Nina. Nina walks away to a nearby cliff where she sees the other four being forced onto a prison ship. Alex swears vengeance against Sam and Nina for her predicament and the ship heads off into the sunset. 

---

I'm wondering whether I went too far with this but I'm considering if I kept writing these that Alex and the others would actually make for an interesting team of villains. Of course, when I finished the book two pitch I thought the next one would be a story where Peggy runs into some old friends and we have his origin in flashbacks connected to the current adventure. 

Also, not sure about killing Jan. Maybe I should have said she was pregnant with Sam's kid and that's what causes him to ditch the crew but with Sam, he'd probably try to bring the kid and her along, or try to stay with the crew so he could work to support them. 

Anyway, as always let me know what you guys think and thanks for reading my dumb fan fic that I've probably put way more thought into than Dobson ever did. Seeya next time. 

“Hey, nice to see a Part 3 from you! As for the story itself, it’s definitely different, but it’s an interesting take on the story, so I think it can work well. And there’s setup for additional tension once Sam finds out that Nina lied to him. Sam not making it in time is definitely a tragic moment, one that could also help him decide to not deal with Alex and crew anymore. On the other hand, him getting them in time to have one last conversation(let’s say a minute or so) could work too, if the girl tells him to be happy or something similar. At any rate, well done with this. I definitely enjoyed reading it!” -THOAD

[four-loose-screws]

FE4 Suzuki Novelization Translation - Chapter 7 Part 6

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations - Ko-fi

———————————

Chapter 7

Part 6

Ayra was assigned the role of finding Brigid. One of the pirates led her around the places he believed they may find her, and they called out for her.

“Brigid! I’m not your enemy! I just want to talk. If you’re here, then please come out.”

She received no response on the first day, and returned to the castle in the evening.

The next morning, they set out for a rocky mountain to the west of the castle.

This time, when Ayra called out for Brigid, a response came right away.

“Who are you!?”

Ayra turned towards the voice, and responded, “I am Princess Ayra of Isaach, currently serving as a member of Prince Sigurd of Chalphy’s army.”

“Why is an Isaachian princess working with the Grannvalian Army!?”

“I’m not with the Grannvalian Army. They currently oppose Sigurd’s army.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ll explain everything, so please come out. I’ll put down my sword to prove that I am not your enemy.” Ayra detached her Brave Sword from her belt and set it down atop a rock.

“Alright. I’m coming out.” A female pirate appeared from the shadows of one of the boulders.

‘I knew it! She’s the same pirate I saw on that ship while traveling to Augustria!’ Ayra thought.

A man holding an axe followed behind her.

Once Brigid was close to Ayra, she was surprised to see that Brigid looked exactly like Aideen. But she paid that no mind, and explained everything that had happened, from the attack on Darna to Sigurd’s army’s capture of Orgahill Castle. “When Prince Sigurd heard about you from your crew, he knew right away that he wanted you to join his army. You can trust him. Please meet with him at least once.”

“I believe you, Princess Ayra, but people often use others as a part of their tricks. They send out an honest person, use that person to gain their target’s trust, then suddenly capture their target. Many pirate captains have lost their lives that way.”

“But Sigurd was understanding, even when he first met my nephew…”

“It’s fine. I didn’t tell you I wouldn’t comply. You’ve piqued my curiosity, so I’ll go. Is that okay? Even if something happens, I won’t hold a grudge against you. Just don’t panic if something bad happens. I was thinking about scrubbing myself clean of the pirate life soon anyway.”

-

Ayra led Brigid and Bailey quickly back down to the castle. When Sigurd heard word of their arrival, he went down to the entrance of the main building and greeted them.

Brigid’s similarities to Aideen also shocked Sigurd, so much so that he couldn’t speak for a moment.

“What are you so surprised about? Is my face that strange to you?”

“No, it isn’t. Please excuse my rudeness. I am Prince Sigurd of Chalphy. I’m happy you’re safe, Brigid.”

“So you’re Sigurd, huh? I believed what Ayra told me, so I came here. I’m more than ready. If you’re going to kill me, then hurry up and do it already.”

“Huh? This is all a misunderstanding. You may be a pirate, but you assure that the seas are safe to travel, so you haven’t done anything wrong, right?’

“That’s how I’ve always led my crew. But they mutinied. If you’re going to punish me for their crimes, then I’ll accept it. I only ask you to spare Bailey, the man who came with me.”

“No, I want you to lend me your strength! Will you join my army? I’m sure Ayra told you the details. To be honest, we’re in a really difficult spot right now. I won’t force you to do anything. But before you go anywhere, I want you to see what it’s like in our army. If you like it, then please join us.”

“Would they welcome a pirate captain like me?”

“Yes, they’d love to have you.”

‘What a strange man.’ Brigid thought.

But it wasn’t a bad thing. Plus, she was curious to see what kind of people Sigurd had with him.

They went to the coast, and Brigid crossed paths with her old crew. They all seemed to be happily working. In the blink of an eye, Sigurd had changed them completely. Brigid wondered just what this power of his was.

Then, they crossed paths with an arch knight, who called out to Brigid, “Lady Aideen!”

But after he said that, he made a strange face.

“What was that about? I don’t know you.”

“So you aren’t Lady Aideen… But that would mean…”

“You’re weird. What are you mumbling about?”

“What is your name?”

“Brigid. And you?”

“Brigid… What a beautiful woman you are…”

“W-Why would you say that when you haven’t even told me your name yet? If you’re making fun of me, then I won’t allow it.”

“Oh, excuse me. I apologize. My name is Midir. I was previously a knight of Jungby. It’s nice to meet you!”

“So your name is Midir, huh? I’ll remember that. I’m leaving now, so… bye…”

He didn’t say anything, so Brigid walked away.

He was in a trance as he watched her walk away. “I can’t believe it… she’s even more beautiful than her…”

-

After circling the coast, Brigid returned to the castle.

When the gate raised before her, she saw a woman holding a bow and running towards her.

It was Aideen.

Aideen had heard about Brigid from Sigurd, and rushed out of the castle in a panic. She had the same name, the same face, and could wield a bow - all the signs pointed to this woman being her lost twin sister.

And the moment Aideen saw Brigid, she knew it was true. “It’s you… it really is you, my sister! My twin sister Brigid! It’s me, Aideen! Please, you must remember me!”

Brigid was shocked to see someone with the same face as her. “Aideen… Aideen...” As she repeated the name, she was more and more sure that she’d heard it before.

“I’m your younger twin! Father took us on his pilgrimage to the Bragi Tower when we were four. We quickly got bored inside of the tower, so we went out to the beach. You were a brave tomboy, so you climbed aboard a small boat on shore. Then, when the tide came in, you were washed away into the sea! I didn’t know what to do, so I just panicked. When father finally noticed we were missing and called for us, neither of us could see the boat anymore.”

“Of course! Then, as I was told, the captain found me on the boat, and took me in!”

“Yes! Everything matches up perfectly! And you have a mark on the back of your right hand too, don’t you?”

“Now that you mention it, yes, I do! It appeared suddenly when I was fifteen!” Brigid said, and showed the back of her hand to Aideen. On it was a blue triangular mark that looked like an arrowhead.

“This is all the proof we need! That is the Holy Mark that appears on all of Crusader Ulir’s successors. And this is his bow, Yewfelle. Please see if you can draw the string.”

When Aideen handed the bow over to her, Brigid could tell that it was indeed very powerful. She’d never seen a bow so beautiful in all of her life.

She took it in her hands and tried to draw the string. In that moment, she felt power flow through her veins. “Th-This is… such a strange power…” Her chest became warm, and all of her memories came flooding back to her.

She remembered the form of her younger sister, crying and screaming her name from the shore… and how that sister became more and more distant as she drifted away...

“I remember you! Aideen! You’re Aideen, my sister!”

-

The next day, the Grannvalian Army’s vanguard reached Madino.

While that unit was small, the next day, a large unit of cavalry arrived, and three days later, an infantry unit made it to Madino.

According to Erinys’ report, the Grannvalian Army was obtaining boats from the coastal towns.

Sigurd held a meeting to discuss what they would do next.

“At the very least, if the Grannvalian Army is coming with rowboats and fishing boats, then that’s not a problem, because we have three pirate ships. But they might also send a proper navy. I don’t think we’ll have a chance against war ships. We still have a lot of time before that would happen, but I think we should consider now what we’d do once it did happen.” Oifey started the meeting off by explaining the situation, as he usually did.

“So what do you think, Oifey?”

“No good ideas have come to me.”

“Are we really stuck in such a bad situation that even our prodigy strategist can’t come up with any ideas?” Lex asked.

“All I can think of, is to get everyone on the ships and out of Orgahill before the Grannvalian Army shows up…”

“So are you saying we’ll become pirates, then? Great idea!” Lewyn said, then burst out laughing. About half of the other people in the room joined in.

Just then, a soldier burst in and announced that a messenger had arrived, sent by Queen Rahna of Silesse.

He then guided the messenger into the room, who was none other than Erinys’ elder sister.

“Prince Sigurd, my name is Mahnya. I am a knight of Silesse. I have come on Queen Rahna’s behalf to deliver a message to you.”

“Thank you for coming all this way. Please tell me what it is immediately.”

“Yes, sir. Queen Rahna wishes to say that you and your army may retreat from Madino and wait in Silesse until your name is cleared.”

The proposal was so close to Oifey’s desperate measure, that it caused a small commotion to break out in the room.

“Queen Rahna of Silesse wants to help me, a man who’s been betrayed by his own country?”

“That is correct. She would be happy to have you. Silesse is not only a remote country, but a nation that has never once allowed another country to invade since it was founded. You will be safe.”

“I see. So what do you think, everyone?”

Everyone he asked agreed to the proposal.

The last person he had to talk to was Lewyn.

“Silesse is my home country, so I’ll refrain from giving an opinion. But every country is the same, really. They have their good and bad points. Silesse has cold winters, for example. But if I had to pick between becoming a pirate and going to Silesse, I would pick Silesse, no question.” Lewyn’s words settled the issue.

The next day, Sigurd’s army divided into three groups, boarded the pirate ships, and left Orgahill.

Mahnya and her unit of pegasus knights flew the skies above them and served as their guard on their journey.

[pikapeppa]

Cullavellan and FenHawke pirate AU: Rowdy Rialto, Part I

Chapter 9 of Where The Winds Of Fortune Take Me is up on AO3! In which the crew goes for PIRATE PARTYING IN RIALTO!! 

Read here on AO3 instead; only an excerpt is here, since it’s quite long (~10k words). 

Okay guys, @schoute‘s art for this chapter is  OFF THE FUCKING HOOK. JUST LOOK AT IT. IT’S SO GORGEOUS I WANT TO DIE.

- PIPER -

Cullen nervously smoothed a hand over the linen vest he’d borrowed from another member of her crew. “Are you certain this costume is necessary?” he asked.

Piper smirked. “It’s not a costume, Cullen. It’s just normal clothes. And yes, it’s necessary if you don’t want a dozen people to pick a fight with you for being a navy man the second we set foot on the docks.” She rubbed a bit of perfumed oil on her fingers, then ran her fingers through her wavy hair. 

He frowned. “That seems incredibly illegal.” He plucked at his rolled-up shirtsleeves. 

Piper turned to him with a grin. “Fistfights are allowed in Rialto, Golden Boy. No gun fights, no knife fights, but fistfights? Absolutely.” She stepped closer to him and carefully adjusted the low-cut collar of his shirt. She hadn’t thought it was possible for him to be more attractive than he already was, but something about the sight of him in normal clothes instead of his navy uniform made her heart flutter in her chest. 

He gave her a slightly pleading look. “Piper, I feel I must warn you again. I… I suspect I may not enjoy this outing. You might be better off leaving me on the ship.”

She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Absolutely not! You have to see Rialto. There’s a little of something for everyone there.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “You’ll have a good time, Cullen. I promise. Now come on, we’re wasting time.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door of her quarters.

Dorian, Varric, Fenris and Rynne were waiting on the deck. Dorian and Varric were bantering back and forth while Fenris wore his customary frown. Rynne, meanwhile, was practically hopping with excitement. She grinned at Cullen and Piper as they approached. “Commander, don’t you look pirate-y!” she exclaimed. “That vest is absolutely darling on you. The colour makes your eyes pop.” 

Piper bit the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing. Cullen scowled briefly, then sighed and bowed his head. “Thank you, Lady Rynne. I appreciate the, er, sentiment.”

“Oh please, none of that ‘lady’ business anymore,” Rynne said cheerfully. “I’m done with all that. Just call me Rynne now.”

“Or should we all be calling you ‘Hawke’?” Piper said, with a sly glance at Fenris.

He shot her a quick glare, then folded his arms and looked away. Rynne beamed at him before turning back to Piper. “You can call me whatever you like,” she said. “As long as it’s not ‘lady’.”

Varric chuckled. “Careful what you say there. The Captain will take you up on it.”

Piper smirked, both at Varric’s remark and at the way Fenris was studiously avoiding Rynne’s gaze. “Rynne has nothing to worry about,” she said. “I only sling insults at my most insolent crew.”

Dorian casually examined his gold-beringed fingers. “Charming though this little exchange has been, I suggest we get on with the party,” he said. “Some of us are getting rather parched. That fine Antivan wine isn’t going to drink itself, you know.” 

Piper tutted and punched Dorian’s arm. “Fenedhis, so impatient. Go get in the boat already then, you useless gilded fleshbag.” She winked at Rynne. “Case in point.”

Rynne laughed, and Dorian tutted good-naturedly before sliding down the rope ladder to the rowboat below. Piper waited until Varric descended the ladder as well, then smiled at Cullen and bowed with a flourish. 

She gestured to the ladder. “After you, my fine sir.” 

He shot her a chiding smirk, then exhaled sharply before descending the rope ladder. Piper then turned to Rynne. “All right, ladies next–”

“I will remain on the ship,” Fenris said. 

Rynne’s face instantly fell. Piper, meanwhile, wilted in utter exasperation. “Fen, come on. You can’t be serious with this bullshit. You can’t stay on the ship by yourself.”

“Why not?” he said.

“Because it’s boring as fuck,” Piper complained. “What in the Void will you do if you stay on the Lady Luck all alone?”

He shrugged. “I will dance, of course. I shall run from the bow to the stern choreographing dance routines.”

Piper gave him a flat stare, unamused by his so-called clever remarks. Rynne, on the other hand, was gaping at him with a combination of disbelief and delight. “You’re fucking kidding.”

He smirked, and Piper eyed him resentfully. “Of course he is. At the worst possible time,” she said. She planted her hands on her hips. “Fenris, you’re coming to Rialto. That’s an order.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t really make such a command.”

She scowled at him, then tutted and dropped her hands to her sides. “No. But I will hound you about this for weeks,” she threatened. “Is that what you want?”

He scowled back at her and obstinately lifted his chin. Then Rynne stepped forward and lifted her chin as well. “I’m staying here too,” she said.

Fenris whipped around to stare at her, and Piper gaped at her in dismay. “What? No! You have to come to Rialto! You’ve never been!” 

Fenris glared at Rynne. “You should go to Rialto with Piper,” he said.

She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’d rather stay here with you.” She batted her eyelashes at him.

The tips of his ears went pink, and Piper glowered at him. Of course he was the reason Rynne was staying on the ship. “Fenris, you’re being a spoilsport,” she accused. “You’re sucking the fun out of Rynne before she’s had a chance to even have any!”

Fenris shot her another dirty look, then turned to Rynne once more. “Go to Rialto,” he said firmly. “Piper will take you dancing. You will enjoy yourself.”

“That’s all right,” she said brightly. “I’ll enjoy myself just fine right here.” She sat on a nearby bench and delicately arranged her colourful Rivaini skirt around herself – a skirt Piper had lent her especially for this outing. 

Piper folded her arms and glowered at Fenris, then softened slightly as she studied him. His shoulders were hunched defensively, and he was frowning at Rynne, but his frown seemed more guilty now than angry. 

Piper shrugged and unfolded her arms. “Fine. Suit yourself,” she said. “I’ll enjoy enough booze for all three of us, how’s that?” 

Fenris scoffed. “As though that’s any different than your usual behaviour in Rialto.”

“You’re right. It’s not,” Piper said cheerfully. She sauntered over to the rope ladder.  “See you later! Have fun doing nothing together.” She slung her leg over the taffrail, then glanced at Fenris once more. 

His arms were folded still, and the look on his face was petulant. Rynne, in contrast, was actually looking quite content indeed.

Piper shook her head in amusement, then slid down the rope ladder to the rowboat below. Dorian shot her a bored look as she stepped onto the boat. “Dare I even ask what the hold-up could possibly be?” he said.

“Fenris and Rynne aren’t coming,” Piper said. She slapped Kaaras affably on the shoulder. “Push us off, my friend.”

Varric lifted an eyebrow. “Seriously? He’s1 refusing to come out to Rialto again?”

“So he says,” Piper said. “But we’ll see about that.” She raised her eyebrows at Varric in a meaningful manner. They may have needed all the rowboats to get the crew to Rialto, but the Lady Luck still had its little four-person dinghy. 

Varric chuckled. “Rynne was known in Kirkwall for having a boatload’s worth of charm. I guess we’ll see happens as the night wears on.” 

“Exactly,” Piper said. She picked her way across the rowboat benches and sat beside Cullen. 

His hands were folded in his lap, and he was holding himself very still. Piper patted his forearm. “Relax, Golden Boy. You’ll be fine. You’re one of us now. For the time we’re in Rialto, that is,” she added hastily. She didn’t want him to think this was a cheap ploy to get him to join the Lady Luck. He’d made his decision, after all. 

Although if this trip did manage to convince him to join her crew, Piper definitely wouldn’t complain. 

He exhaled, then gave her a rueful smile. “Forgive me. It has been a long time since…” He trailed off, then huffed in amusement and rubbed the back of his neck. “Truly, I can’t clearly recall a time in the past few years when I have put duty aside for the sake of, er, fun.”

“Well, we’re all about having fun,” Piper said cheerfully. “We work hard, but we play hard too. Right, crew?” Her crew on the rowboat cheered and stomped their feet, and Piper stomped her feet and laughed along with them. When the noise died down, she turned to Cullen once more.

He was studying her pensively. Piper ran her hands through her perfumed hair. “What is it? What’s on your mind?”

Cullen studied her for a moment more before answering. “Would you consider this your work?”

She blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… well. As pirates, you… er. Well, you…” He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “Please understand, Piper. You are very different from other pirates I’ve encountered in the past. All of your crew are, it seems,” he said with a glance at her cheerfully chattering crewmates. “But the other pirates I have had the misfortune of meeting were criminals. Murderers and rapists and thieves. I… Before you and I met, I would hardly consider being a pirate a job.”

Piper frowned thoughtfully and tilted her head. “I don’t really think of it that way. I think of it like… Well, I’m the captain. Varric’s the quartermaster. Fen’s the master-at-arms, Merill’s the cook, Kaaras is a damned good sailor… Those are our jobs.” She shrugged. “It just so happens that we work outside the law, that’s all.” 

Cullen nodded slowly. “And you work outside the law because… because the law is not always  just.”

 Piper playfully chucked his chin. “Now you’ve got it. See, you’re fitting in already.” She perked up as they slid into the Rialto docks. “And look at that, we’re here!” 

The crew disembarked and immediately scattered. Cullen stepped onto the docks and chivalrously offered her his hand, and Piper beamed at him and allowed him to help her out of the boat. 

“Such a gentleman,” she teased. “That won’t do in Rialto. You’ll be eaten alive.” 

His brow creased with worry once more, but before Piper could reassure him, Dorian was stepping onto the deck beside them. “Piper, don’t fool yourself. He’ll be eaten alive no matter what. Oh, don’t get me wrong,” he said to a stricken-looking Cullen, “I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

“Is there a nice way to be eaten alive?” Cullen said faintly. 

Varric snorted in amusement. “We’re not cannibals, if that’s what you’re afraid of.” He patted Cullen’s elbow. “Come on, Curly, just dive on in. The water’s fine, and there aren’t too many sharks.” 

Cullen shot Piper an alarmed look, and she shooed Varric and Dorian away. “Go on, you two, take your so-called help and get out of my sight.”

“As you command, O Esteemed Captain,” Dorian said with an ostentatious bow. He patted Varric’s shoulder as they moved away. “All right, my hirsute friend. Would you prefer to lose your money to me by gambling, or by buying me drinks?” 

“Ha. Not this time, Sparkler,” Varric drawled. “You’ll recall that you still owe me from last time.” 

They continued to bicker amiably as they moved away along the dock, and Piper chuckled. “Little shits,” she said fondly. 

Cullen frowned. “Did Varric just call me ‘Curly’?”

Piper eyed his perfect golden hair, which was indeed starting to curl from the humidity. “Maybe,” she said innocently. “Now come on. Let me introduce you to the best pirate port on this side of the world.” She linked her hand cozily through his arm and led him along the docks toward the beach. 

The beachside section of the town was vibrant with light and laughter. Street merchants wandered around selling snacks and handmade jewelry, and the white-sand beach was peppered with bonfires, each one surrounded with people lounging barefoot while drinking and cooking. 

Piper cheerfully tugged Cullen along the beach and reminded him of some of Rialto’s rules. “Remember, don’t use weapons unless someone pulls a weapon on you first,” she said.

He tore his wide-eyed gaze away from the dancing beachgoers to frown at her. “I still don’t understand this rule. If everyone is forbidden to use weapons, why carry weapons at all?”

She shrugged carelessly and led him toward the main square. “Because it’s likely that someone will pull a weapon on you.” The square was bustling with nightlife: street urchins playing and picking pockets, people exchanging loud greetings and street entertainers and the famous courtesans of the Blooming Rose at the northeast corner of the square. She eagerly pulled him toward the largest tavern at the northwest corner. 

“But… but if someone is likely to pull a weapon on you despite the rule, why is the rule there in the first place?” Cullen asked. 

Poor Golden Boy, she thought in amusement. He seemed to be just a step behind in everything she was trying to tell him, and she couldn’t blame him, really; he was still stuck in the Kirkwall Navy way of thinking. 

She stopped in front of a sturdy wooden door, then looked up at him with a grin. “Don’t ask me. I didn’t make the rules here.”

Cullen raised his eyebrows. “Who did?”

“You’ll see,” she said mysteriously. She turned to the wooden door and shoved it open. 

A symphony of noise and joyful energy burst from the two-storey tavern with all the force of a brisk ocean wave, striking a fresh burst of energy into Piper’s already-excited heart. She turned to Cullen and spread her arms wide. “Welcome to the Hanged Man!” she announced.

His eyes went wide. Piper beamed at him as he took in all the wonderful sights: the bartenders serving drinks and witty repartee, the flirtatious prostitutes, the thirsty patrons making deals and throwing dice over drinks, and the vivacious musicians tipsily spinning out a lively jig. A dozen people called out greetings or cheerful insults at Piper as she stepped inside, and she greeted them in return with rude hand gestures before smiling up at Cullen once more. 

“So?” she said eagerly. “What do you think?”

He slowly shook his head. He looked frankly stunned. “I… I have never been in a place like this before. It’s rather, er… overwhelming.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Piper looked fondly at the tavern, then linked her arm with Cullen’s once more and pulled him toward the bar. “Now come on, quick, let’s grab you a drink before the Queen shows up and starts hassling me.”

“The Queen?” Cullen demanded. “What queen?”

Piper barked out a laugh as she pulled him through the frothing crowd. “Not the Fereldan Queen, if that’s what you’re thinking.” She beamed at the dwarven bartender as he slid two tankards in her direction.

She placed six coppers on the bar, then handed one tankard to Cullen and lifted the second one. “Cheers! To Kirkwall.” 

He raised his eyebrows. “Why to Kirkwall?”

“Well, if it wasn’t for Kirkwall, we’d never have met,” she explained. “And I for one am very glad we did.” She took a healthy mouthful of rum and enjoyed the sugary bite as it burned its way down her throat, then looked up at Cullen again. 

His face somehow looked both happy and sad at once. She elbowed him playfully. “Come on, Golden Boy, cheer up. Soak it all in as best you can,” said encouragingly. “You might be scared now–”

He harrumphed. “I wouldn’t say scared, exactly.”

“–but I think you’ll miss this when you go back to good old Kirkwall.” She grinned and took another healthy gulp to hide the painful jolt behind her sternum at the thought of his eventual departure. She’d talked him into a few days in Rialto, sure, but that time would be over in the blink of an eye, and then where would they be? Back to their monthly irregular run-ins in Kirkwall, once they managed to get rid of fucking Meredith? 

Monthly visits were better than nothing, certainly. But after spending so much time in Cullen’s company for the past day or two, Piper had a sneaking suspicion that the monthly visits wouldn’t be enough anymore. 

She idly fluffed her hair, then gently elbowed him again. “Go on, drink up. You’ve earned it.” 

He finally took a sip, then grimaced as he swallowed. “This is pure rum?” he rasped.

Piper lowered her tankard from her lips. “Of course. But here, I’ll break you in gently. Take it slow for your first time.” She winked at him and enjoyed his pinkening cheeks, then gestured to the bartender again. “Oi, Cabot! A ginger beer, please?”

Cullen gave her a skeptical look. “Beer and rum? That’s hardly–”

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s not real beer,” she assured him. “It’s a tangy beverage from Rivain, you’ll see. It’s a taste adventure!” She took the bottle from Cabot with a nod of thanks, then carefully decanted half of it into Cullen’s drink. She placed the bottle on the bar, then looked up to find that sad little smile on his face once more. 

“Everything seems to be an adventure to you, doesn’t it?” he said.

“Exactly,” she said. “What’s the point of life if it’s not to be a grand adventure?”

His smile widened, but the expression only made him look sadder somehow. She took a step closer to him and rested a hand on his forearm. “Cullen, really, if this is too much for you, let me know. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

He didn’t reply, and Piper watched with pang of tenderness – and a bit of worry – as his face grew serious. He released a quiet breath, then took a gulp of his drink.

She smiled despite her concern. “That’s my Golden Boy,” she said.

Cullen reached out and tipped her chin up very gently, and Piper’s breath stalled. 

He licked his lips nervously. “Piper, I–”

A sultry purr of a voice suddenly cut through the clamour. “Well well, if it isn’t the notorious Mad Piper. Back again to sully my doorstep, are you?”

Piper dragged in a deep breath to calm her racing heart, then turned in the direction of the voice and shot a feral grin at the curvaceous woman who’d spoken. “Brightening your nasty doorstep, you mean, you salty Rivaini wench.”

The newcomer shifted her weight to one hip and idly stroked her heavy gold necklace. “You say the sweetest things. Just can’t stay away, can you? I suppose you can’t be blamed. I am irresistible.”

Piper scoffed and leaned back against the bar. “Don’t fool yourself. This pathetic town is the only place to stock up before going north,” she said dismissively.

Cullen frowned. “I thought you said this was the best–”

Piper held up one finger to silence him. “As I was saying, Rialto is totally overrated. Far too rich and decadent. Not unlike the wench who runs it.” She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. 

The Rivaini pirate slowly smiled, giving Piper the impression of a tiger ready to pounce. “No one’s forcing you to stay.” She gave Cullen a very thorough once-over.  “This handsome specimen, on the other hand, is more than welcome to dock in my port. What’s your name, puppy?”

Cullen straightened and frowned at her. “I am Comman–”

“This is Cullen,” Piper interrupted. No need for Cullen to get himself into a friendly fight so soon into the night. She gestured grandly to their new companion. “Cullen, this is Isabela. The so-called Pirate Queen of Rialto.”

Isabela let out a throaty laugh. “So-called nothing. I am the Queen here.”

Cullen looked at Isabela with fresh interest. “So Rialto is under your rule of law?”

“Damned right,” Isabela confirmed. “And I punish naughty boys and girls who break my rules, so you’d better be very good.” She glanced at Piper and gave her an appreciative once-over as well. “You’ve needed some rather thorough punishment in the past. I’d be happy to punish you and your handsome friend here later tonight.” She quirked a provocative eyebrow at Cullen. “If you’re sufficiently naughty, that is.” 

Cullen cleared his throat uncomfortably, and Piper grinned at the abrupt reddening of his cheeks. She patted his arm reassuringly. “Thanks for the generous offer, Isabela, but I think Cullen and I will be very well-behaved tonight.”

“Boring of you, but suit yourselves,” Isabela said airily. “Enjoy the spiced rum, won’t you?”

“Will do,” Piper said, then finally enfolded her friend in a hug and kissed her cheek. “All hail the Queen,” she said playfully.

Isabela chuckled. “Always good to have you here, mad thing,” she purred. She kissed Piper on both cheeks, then ran a finger along Cullen’s arm. “Take good care of our Mad Piper, puppy. I’ve got an eye on you.” 

“I don’t need taking care of!” Piper called after Isabela, who was sashaying elegantly away. She shook her head in amusement, then turned back to Cullen, who was looking rather cautious. 

She cocked her head. “Everything all right?” 

“Yes, of course,” he said quickly. “I didn’t, er. Didn’t realize you were, er, taken.” 

Piper snickered. “I’m not. We run into each other sometimes. A little friendly competition and a little fun, that’s all.” She leaned her elbows on the bar and shot him a sly look. “Why do you ask? Interested in doing a little taking yourself, Commander?” 

Predictably, his cheeks started turning pink. But that slightly sad look was on his face again, and Piper didn’t like it. She’d brought him here to show him a good time, not to have him looking at her with that wistful face, as though he was missing her even though she was standing right here. 

She slapped her palm jovially on the bar, making him jump. “Come on, Cullen, drink up! No time to waste. There’s lots to do.” 

“Wh-what do you mean?” he said.

“I told you! Work hard, play hard, right? Well, we’ve been working hard.” She chugged the rest of her rum, then waved the bartender over once more before grinning at Cullen. “Now it’s time to play.”

*****************

Read the rest on AO3; it’s Fenris’s POV! 

[hewittao7-blog]

While you have the opportunity

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[battlestar-royco]

Okay, but how about Rowan and Chaol? who’s the best one?

I think everyone knows I would die for Kale and I would throw R0wan off a cliff into a pit of fire at this point I mean, my banner for this blog has always been “Chaol Westfall Defense Squad” sooo if you didn’t know before now you know. It’s been a while since I’ve read any T0G content, so this answer may not be as thorough as the Rice vs L/ucien post, but let’s see what respect I can put on the name of my king. I’ll divide the comparison into three parts again, but this time it’ll be: literary merit as a character and a person, retcons, and narrative preference for R0wan over lettuce boy.

So in every respect, R0wan is lukewarm dirty water to Kale’s richly steeped hot tea, but let’s talk about them first as people/characters. As with Rice and L/ucien, there’s nothing particularly interesting about R0wan while Kale makes mistakes, develops, and has complex relationships and backstory. R0wan just pops up the fuck out of nowhere three books in with no personality and a backstory that is hard to connect to. His main thing is that he once had a mate named Liria, but the concept of mates hadn’t really been introduced until H0F, and we know nothing about Liria and we have/will never see her on the page, so there’s no reason to be invested in anything about that scenario. R0wan goes through no development. He never disagrees with Celery (unless it’s something toxically masculine, like how close she should stand to another man). He doesn’t have any personal goals outside of her. There’s a lot more going on with Kale, contrarily. At this point, Kale’s been around for two books. We’re invested in him as a character, in his relationships with Celery and Dorito, in his impending face-off with his father (which never happened because SJ/M forgot about it). Similar to L/ucien, Kale has conflicting loyalties between his liege and his values. Dorito and Kale’s relationship already had tension before Celery arrived, but when she entered the picture she kinda changed their friendship and they probably became even closer because of her. I just think that before Celery went to Mistward, the three of them had a really fun dynamic that certainly had the potential to be complex in the hands of another writer. I also think his inner conflict in H0F, during which he came to terms with his friends being magical, was not where I would have taken him had I been his creator, but it’s infinitely more interesting than being in R0wan’s head because at least something’s HAPPENING with Kale. Then there comes the ending of Q0S, which could have been an excellent opportunity for more diversity and character development for Kale if SJ/M hadn’t taken the most ableist route possible with his character.

Now, onto retcons. The fact that R0wan literally ruined the entirety of T0G and probably SJ/M’s entire career alone should be enough to confidently say Kale is better than R0wan. To me, R0wan has always seemed to be SJ/M’s boring attempt to replace Kale. R0wan has the same level of broodiness but with all the interesting parts (a backstory, a family, conflicting opinions, dynamic relationships with characters around him, etc) sucked out. With R0wan’s introduction came the unholy union of R0wan and Alien, the most obnoxious ship in YA right after Failsand. It also brought upon us the fae, which overwhelmed the remainder of the T0G series with sloppy worldbuilding and the highly problematic and stupid mating system, and followed SJ/M into both AC0TAR and CCity. The fae obsession ramped up the ship wars and toxicity in the T0G fandom, splintering all the Kale and Dorito fans from the Ratalien shippers and ultimately the fandom, and subjecting Kale to terrible writing. Kale’s demotion from Potential Endgame Love Interest, contemporaneous with the Malide Q0S plot, also meant a rise in Chaorian shippers, so SJ/M felt the need to force everyone even further OOC and into a pathetic raft of a ship in E0S. Thus, the introduction of R0wan caused Man0rian, C.haorene/C.haoryn, and El/orcan, and the complete lack of significant LGBTQ+ representation in SJ/M’s body of work. So not only is Kale just a better person and character with an actual meaningful and interesting purpose, but I also largely view R0wan as the reason why so many people fell out of love with Mess’s work and she started to decline as a writer.

Finally, the narrative preference for R0wan over Kale: Kale was a whole ass main character in the first three books of T0G. What SJ/M did to him is the equivalent of if JKR decided to make Ron a Death Eater who wanted to kill Hermione in PoA, blamed him for Cedric’s death because he was on the Quidditch pitch when Harry came back with Cedric’s body, wrote him out of OotP to go on a road trip with Pansy Parkinson, and replaced him with Dean Thomas. It’s horrendously unprofessional and stupid writing for an author to decide in the middle of a series that they don’t like a character and then force him OOC in an attempt to manipulate the audience into disliking and forgetting about him as well. None of SJ/M’s decisions for Kale’s character have made sense for like five books. Also, Kale is just the first in a long pattern of characters being held to different standards for their behavior. In Q0S, although he was on incredibly good terms with Alien at the end of C0M, Alien still treats him like trash because she wrongly blames him for Nehemia’s death (which in E0S was confirmed to be Nehemia’s own decision, which… SJ/M honestly fuck you), and she doesn’t let up until he apologizes to her. R0wan on the other hand can do no wrong. He tortures people and acts like an abusive misogynist, but Alien tells him it’s okay because he’s fae. He is rewarded with her love and royal titles. Dorito is still a treasure of SJ/M’s (not as much as R0wan, but still), judging by the fact that she still gushes about his and Rowboat’s hotness at events to this day and they both have magical powers while Kale is just a lowly human. You can really tell SJ/M hates a character if they don’t undergo a super OP magical transformation halfway through the series or if she doesn’t call them sexy at every waking opportunity. It’s so transparent. Oh and we can’t forget the iconic event that was SJ/M literally not putting him in an entire fucking book and instead shoving him and an underdeveloped WOC into an Orientalist consolation prize of a book, then having him cheat on her with another WOC who was grossly ableist to him. Wow remember at the beginning of the post when I said this wouldn’t get as long as the first one? Jokes. Anyway, suffice it to say I like Kale so much more than R0wan and I always will.

[killian-whump]

Killian Jones deserves more friendships... Just sayin

YES.

Although, to be fair, he does have friendships and relationships in the show. Plenty of them, in fact! The problem is that they’re TOLD to us rather than SHOWN to us most of the time, and the few glimpses we GET of these relationships are so short and infrequent that it makes them easy to forget or underestimate, and WAY too easy for people to shrug off or sweep under the rug in order to focus on whatever relationships THEY want to paint as being the “one and only” important relationship in Killian’s storyline.

For fun, let’s have an impromptu retrospective of his canon relationships: 

Hook and His Mother: From Wish Hook’s naming of Alice, and his comment that his mother “tried to stay with [him] as long as she could” we know that they had a good relationship, he remembers her fondly, and she left him all too soon. Unfortunately, that’s literally all we know - and we never got to SEE her.

Hook and His Father: Before he sold his sons into slavery for a rowboat, Brennan Jones seemed to be a good father. We’re told this by the show in the way he comforts Killian, and how Killian idolizes him and wants to be just like him. Granted, this could be due more so to Killian’s own tendency to pick a person in his life and put them on a pedestal, but we know from the others he’s put on such pedestals that he tends to choose people he feels are good people. Even Killian’s “He wouldn’t do that!” outburst when he learns what his father has done points to the fact that his relationship with Brennan before this point was positive enough that the boy genuinely doesn’t believe his father would do this to him. And it is this good relationship they had that left Killian feeling as abandoned and betrayed as he did. Had the relationship been bad from the start, he may not have been as scarred by the abandonment, itself.

Hook and Liam: The show makes a HUGE deal about how important Liam is to Hook, and we can see that in how Hook talks about him and the few flashbacks we were allowed to see… but he only actually appears in three episodes. It’s just the first of many examples where we’re told “this is an important relationship of Hook’s” without being shown enough evidence in the show to really illustrate how or WHY it’s so important. We only get glimpses and are forced to fill in the blanks on our own.

Hook and Milah: Like with Liam, we are told in a myriad of ways just HOW important this relationship is to Hook, but shown very little of it. Fandom has done a wonderful job of filling in the blanks, of course, but there’s so little canon information to go on, aside from the fact that we’re TOLD that his love for her never waned for literally hundreds of years. It’s why some fans can so easily shrug off the importance of this relationship, as well - which is the problem when it comes to almost ALL of Hook’s relationships. He has them; we’re told he has them, but without SEEING them, it’s easy for people to discredit them.

Hook and Smee: Yes, we know they’re “best mates” and Smee is always around and he’s Hook’s first mate and always loyal to him… but you can count the number of truly meaningful scenes they share on, well, one hand. The show relies more on the viewer knowing that Hook and Smee are a classic duo than they use the actual storytelling to show us that it’s true.

Hook and Baelfire: Hook didn’t sell Baelfire off of his ship the day after he arrived. It was some time later. You can tell by how close they are in the Port/Starboard scene, when Hook reveals his own abandonment to him. Hook also confirms it when he tells Emma that Neal was with him “long enough to know I miss him, too”. That wasn’t a day or two. It was awhile. Long enough to profoundly affect Hook. Long enough for Hook to harbor (and maintain) almost fatherly feelings towards the boy. And we were cheated out of seeing it.

Hook and Cora: We saw more of this than a lot of other relationships, but nowhere near enough. How did they go from literally trying to and/or almost killing each other to being partners who tease each other with comments like, “Why do you still doubt me?” and are obviously banging in kinky ways. I want to know more about how that relationship developed. I want to know more about how sincere it was (or wasn’t), because it feels deeper than the usual superficial villain pair-up that we usually see, and this holds true when they’re reunited in S5 in the Underworld. There is a warmth between them in that scene that points to a sincere friendship that I wish we’d seen more of.

Hook and Emma: This one we get to see in its entirety, and it’s beautiful.

Hook and Tinkerbell: Again, we’re TOLD they had a history, but mostly through off-handed comments, implications, their consistently friendly/flirty demeanor towards each other, and behind-the-scenes confessions that the actors were told they’d had a fling.

Hook and David: Another one we get to see pretty thoroughly. Bless.

Hook and Belle: Okay, so he knocked her out and almost killed her on their first meeting. Aaaaaaand he tried to kill her on their second meeting. And he shot her and erased her memories on their third. But… it got better! This is one of the few relationships the show stuck with and actually gave us glimpses of throughout the seasons, making it feel like a genuine friendship that was growing deeper and more meaningful as time went by.

Hook and Ariel: This one goes without saying. Yes, they had some ups and downs and some bludgeonings and slaps, but ultimately, these two are friends. And Wish Hook and Wish Ariel’s friendship just proves this all the more. However, as usual, the kind of “blink and you’ll miss it” acknowledgement of this friendship makes it all too easy for people to dismiss it as “fanon”.

Hook and Henry: Another pairing that we got to see develop in canon, thank goodness. Hook went from the “cool pirate guy” to the guy his mom was dating to a true member of his family and his step-father. And it’s great. And S7 gave us Henry meeting another version of his step-father, this time as a grown man, and forging a genuine friendship with him, as well.

Hook and Ursula: Granted, they definitely weren’t friends when Ursula came back to Storybrooke, but she sailed on Hook’s ship with him and his crew for some time before Hook was forced to betray her. And when he made right on this betrayal years later and got her voice back for her and reunited her with her father (who admitted his guilt in Hook’s betrayal as well as apologizing for his role in it), Ursula was clearly willing to forgive Hook and help him in return. I think, given the positive foundation of their relationship and their eventual reconciliation, a friendship could’ve (and should’ve) blossomed here.

Hook and Nemo: Aw, geez. The show sets Nemo up as a fatherly figure to the men he “rescues” aboard his ship. He’s clearly a father figure to Hook’s half-brother, Liam. He openly states that he wants to help Killian similarly, literally telling Hook he wants him to join their family. And while events in the past led to Killian leaving, it’s obvious in the present-day scenes between these two that Nemo still sees Killian as a part of his “family” - and that Killian feels the same. That the show cast him off entirely to shores unseen is a damn crime.

Hook and Liam: Another brother. Another Liam. Another family member that Killian begins to bond with… and then gets literally shipped off the show.

Hook and Snow White: Out of nowhere, they have a close moment on the docks where she kisses his cheek and says she’s glad he’s the one Emma’s found to share her life with. Sweet. He also calls her “Mummy” in a later scene, during the finale. Hilarious. BUT WHERE’S THE REST OF IT?! And by “it” I mean the rest of their damn relationship?!

Hook and Jasmine: These two form an entirely unlikely (but delightful) friendship in S6. However, we’re kind of just expected to assume there’s a friendship there by the closeness they share (their frank conversation on the Nautilus) and the smiles and warmth they consistently address each other with.

Hook and Black Beard: Now THIS is how you do a “frenemies” ship right here. They’re like the Itchy and Scratchy of Once. They try to kill each other. They play cards. They try to kill each other again. They take over the other one’s ship. They talk about their lady troubles. They try to kill each other. They offer unsolicited advice. They go portal hopping together. They randomly have a swordfight. They abandon each other to child natives. They try to kill each other again. They hunt for treasure. They plot out elaborate schemes to give friends a good adventure. This one’s gold.

Wish Hook and Regina: Oh, goodness. S7 gives us so many subtle touches, smiles, and intimate moments between these two that those watching for such things are convinced something more than friendship was brewing there - but it was done SO subtly that those who weren’t watching for it literally missed it all entirely. Whether they were building up something for an eventual romance or just presenting them as extremely close friends, there was definitely something purposely put there in canon. Hopefully, we would’ve found out more about it in S8, had we been lucky enough to get one.

Wish Hook and Alice: Finally, another relationship we’re SHOWN and allowed to enjoy as it progresses - both in flashbacks and in the present day. BLESS.

Wish Hook and Jack/Nick: Here’s the thing. Nick is introduced to the show in S7 before the ten year jump to when the curse is cast. And he’s shown still with the group at Lucy’s tenth birthday party - and is obviously caught up in the curse itself. So that’s over ten years that Hook knew Jack in the New Enchanted Forest. Regina, fully awake in Hyperion Heights, tells Lucy that her father (Henry), Rogers (Hook) and Nick (Jack/Hansel) were like the three Musketeers back in the fairytale world and convinces her to set up a “guys night out” for them. The focus of this is, of course, on Henry’s relationships with Hook and Nick, but from Regina’s comments and the fact that all three men are set up to hang out together as a trio, we can assume Hook and Jack were good friends. As usual, we’re subtly TOLD the man has a friend… and left to fill in the blanks for ourselves :P

Wish Hook and Zelena: This is another subtle one. When Zelena shows up in the New Enchanted Forest looking for her daughter, she’s not that friendly to the Hook she finds there. In fact, she dismisses him outright and tells him to piss off. But he stands up to her, sticks with her, manages to even impress her a little… and ultimately helps save Robin’s life (and Zelena’s). By the end of the episode they share, Zelena is obviously warming up to the pirate - and when Kelly encounters him in Hyperion Heights, her fondness for him is visible in spite of the danger she’s in and his own obliviousness (”It’s Detective, actually…”).

Wish Hook and Robin: Obviously, they’re going to have a familial relationship once Robin and Alice get married, but it’s obvious from the show that they both have deep feelings and great respect for each other already. Hook, thinking he’s on his last legs and going to die soon, takes it upon himself to ask Robin to look after Alice when he’s gone. That denotes a great trust and affection for her. And, similarly, Robin respectfully asks for his blessing (what was once customary is, in Robin’s more modern generation, considered old fashioned and unnecessary) and insists that she will do whatever it takes to keep him alive to see their wedding. This exchange shows us a lot of warm feelings between them.

Rogers and Tiana: These two are even sweeter than her beignets. And unlike some of the subtle friendships he’s had, this one’s a little more obvious.

Wish/Hook and Rumplestiltskin: Just when you thought it was safe to get trapped in a snowglobe with your arch nemesis… This one was just bizarre, really. After literally years in real time and centuries of show time being SHOWN how much these two hate each other… the show decided to TELL us in S7 that, actually, they were the closest thing the other one had to a friend that whole time. Sure, Jan. I try to murder all of my friends multiple times, as well as trying to make them (and their loved ones) suffer as much as possible. Some people love the twist, some people hate it… but in either case, it’s just WEIRD.

Ships I Left Off: I’m gonna be honest here. As much as I enjoyed Robin Hood and Hook’s scenes together, I never really bought them as being the best of friends. They seemed more like acquaintances to me, and I think the fandom colored them as besties based more on the friendship of the actors than on the actual canon content of the show. And even though Elsa and Arthur both spent episodes “adventuring” with Hook and he obviously grew to (or just did) like both of them, I don’t really feel like either of those led to lasting friendships that persisted beyond the “buddy adventure” episode they shared. I also left off crack ships and any ships that are entirely fanon creations.

So! In closing, I’d like to contend that it isn’t so much that Killian Jones needs more friendships… THE SHOW JUST NEEDED TO LET US SEE THE ONES HE’S FREAKING GOT.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[loretranscripts]

Lore Episode 23: Rope and Railing (Transcript) - 14th December 2015

tw: death, infant death, details of decomposition, gore Disclaimer: This transcript is entirely non-profit and fan-made. All credit for this content goes to Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore podcast. It is by a fan, for fans, and meant to make the content of the podcast more accessible to all. Also, there may be mistakes, despite rigorous re-reading on my part. Feel free to point them out, but please be nice!

There is the world we all know, with its streets and houses and the bustle of everyday life, and then there is the other world, filled with places that are set away from the centre of our lives, places that most of us rarely interact with. Graveyards are a good example of this, and maybe even hospitals. We go there for specific reasons, but only rarely if we’re lucky, but standing at the farthest edge of society, in a place it has held for thousands of years, is a structure we rarely give a second thought to. Not because it’s unimportant or because it’s irrelevant, but because it’s literally on the edge of our world: the lighthouse. There are few buildings that harbour such powerful meaning and purpose in our world. Without fail though, they have stood watch for millennia, right on the border between safety and danger, between darkness and light, between hope and despair, and yet by their very nature, they are isolated and nearly forgotten. Since the earliest known accounts right up to modern times, the purpose of these buildings has changed very little: to cast a light into the darkness so that sailors might better understand where they are and what’s ahead. They rarely waver, they frequently save lives, and they’re universally understood, which is why we have such a hard time believing that even there, in the narrow walls and never-ending stairs, stories have taken root that chill the mind. There doesn’t seem to be a lighthouse in the world without some whisper of unusual activity, some tale of tragedy or rumour of lost love. Oftentimes, those stories speak of dangers from the world outside; others, though, hint at something worse – a darkness that’s right inside the walls, because every now and then, horror is born where the light is the brightest. I’m Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

For thousands of years, sailors around the world have used coastal lights to avoid risky waters and locate safe harbour. In an age before GPS, electrical lights or anything more complex than celestial navigation, the lighthouse was often the only thing standing between a ship’s crew and certain death. One of the oldest lighthouses in the world is the Tower of Hercules in Spain. It dates back nearly 2000 years and is the oldest known functional Roman lighthouse. It illustrates the simplicity of a design that has changed very little over the centuries – a bright light held as high as possible, with room in the building for a caretaker or staff. And it’s that last bit, the staff, that sits at the centre of nearly every whispered tale of lighthouse folklore. After all, without people there would be no tragedy. That’s our legacy as humans – we bring pain and fear with us wherever we go, even to the edge of the world, and the staff who lived inside each lighthouse eventually comes to call the place their home. It’s the centre of their life. Occasionally, though, it also becomes their final resting place. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of stories of unusual activity inside the walls of lighthouses all around the world. One such place, the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Oregon, has a reputation that goes back decades. There is a long-forgotten grave on the property that belonged to an infant. According to local legend, the baby was the daughter of the lighthouse keeper and his wife, and when she died, the mother fell into a deep depression from which she never fully recovered. Since the 1950s, nearly every keeper on duty has reported unusual activity inside the lighthouse. Screams have been heard in the middle of the night, cupboards that were purposefully left open were often found closed, and objects have been seen to move in front of people. In the 70s, a groundskeeper was washing the windows of the house, inside and out, and while he was in the attic he turned to see a silver-haired woman floating inches above the floor. The man, clearly frightened, bolted from the attic and refused to return, and so he was given permission to clean the outside of the attic window by way of a ladder. In his effort to rush the job, though, the man broke the glass, but rather than go back into the attic to clean it up, he left it. Later that night, the lighthouse keeper was pulled from sleep by the sound of glass moving across the floor above him. When he checked the next morning, he found that the glass had been swept into a neat pile.

Another lighthouse, this one near Fairfield, Connecticut, holds an equally chilling history. Three days before Christmas in 1916, keeper Fred Jordan set off for the mainland in his rowboat, leaving his assistant, Rudy, in charge of the light. Rudy watched Fred row off into the distance, which turned out to be a good thing, because Fred’s boat capsized about a mile from the island. Hoping to rescue his friend and boss, Rudy climbed into a second boat and rowed after to help. Unfortunately, though, strong winds had pushed Fred far from the location of the accident, and Rudy was never able to find him. Two weeks later, Rudy claimed to have seen Fred’s ghost inside the lighthouse. According to his entry in the logbook, a light descended the stairs right in front of him, and then began to act strangely; it moved toward the keeper’s quarters, disappearing into the room. When Rudy caught up, the light was gone, but the logbook had been opened. Rudy checked the date on the page, and it was the date of Fred’s death. In 1942, two boys were fishing near the lighthouse when their boat capsized in an eerie echo of Fred Jordan’s accident. Thankfully, though, a strange man happened to be there, and he pulled both of them to shore on the island, telling them to walk to the lighthouse for help. Once there, the current keeper of the light welcomed them in, gave them both warm drinks and allowed them to dry off. They told the keeper of the man who had helped them, but he knew of no one else on the island who could have done such a thing, and that’s when the boys saw an old picture on the wall and recognised their rescuer in the photo. That, they were told by the keeper, was Fred Jordan. There are countless stories like these, scattered all around the world like the debris of a ship that broke upon the rocks. The ghosts of the past have a way of finding us, it seems. Sometimes, though, it is us who creates the most frightful experiences, not some otherworldly force. More often than not, it is people, not ghosts, who haunt lighthouses.

The Smalls are a collection of raw, lifeless, basalt rocks that stretch out into the Atlantic, roughly 20 miles from the coast of Wales. The first light built there was small and rough, not much more than a house lifted high above the water on half a dozen or so oak and iron pylons, which allowed the waves and wind to pass through. It had been financed in 1776 by a man from Liverpool named John Phillips and constructed by Henry Whiteside. To show just how much faith he placed in the structure, Whiteside himself lit the flame and tended the light for the first winter, but this wasn’t a room at the Hilton, believe me. It was a simple, one-room shack, affixed to the top of a platform with a light room above it. A rope ladder and trapdoor allowed access from below, and a narrow gallery and railing circled the perimeter of the building, which allowed the keepers to step outside and do repairs. It was required that the trapdoor remained closed at all times unless someone entering or exiting the house, because the door itself constituted the majority of the walking space of the room. It was, for all intents and purposes, a treehouse, strapped to a small rock in the cold Atlantic, but it served its purpose, and Whiteside survived the winter without incident. He even devised a system for passing messages to the mainland using the cliché “paper note in a glass bottle” method. After his short time in the lighthouse, Whiteside passed the torch – literally – to a pair of men who would be the professional keepers of the light, and that’s how the Smalls lighthouse operated for over two decades, with a pair of men living in isolation, 20 miles from the mainland. Weeks would go by without contact from others. During the winter, that silence could even be months-long. Now, I’m an introvert, so I have to admit that the idea of weeks and weeks of silence, with piles of books and lots of writing to keep me busy, sounds like heaven, but during the winter of 1801 things were far from Utopian.

Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith were the lighthouse keepers at the time. According to what we know of the two men, Griffith was a young, tall, powerfully-built labourer. Howell, on the other hand, was a small, middle-aged craftsmen who had worked for years as a cooper, making barrels. Both men were from Pembrokeshire, were married, and had families that lived on the mainland, but the thing people remember the most about them is that they didn’t get along. In fact, they hated each other, and everyone knew it. It was said that during their infrequent visits to the mainland, the men could be seen in local pubs arguing constantly. The fights covered a wide range of topics, and witnesses claimed that there was nothing the men could agree on. Sometimes their shouting would get so out of control that the pub would actually empty just to get away from them, but not once were they ever seen to come to physical blows. People expected it, though. During the winter of 1801, the weather contributed to their intense isolation. Relief keepers couldn’t dock at the island. Supply ships tried to reach the rock but failed, and because of that fresh water and food began to run low. They tried to use Whiteside’s method of sending a message in a bottle, but no one ever answered, most likely the work of those same storm-tossed waves that kept away the supply ships. One thing they didn’t run out of, though, was fuel for the light, and so Howell and Griffith stayed busy. After all, those same storms that kept supplies and human contact from reaching them was also threatening the ships that passed through the Smalls. Their duty took precedent. It was most likely in the service of that duty that Thomas Griffith took ill. Some reports say that it was a sickness that laid the big man low; others make mention of an accident, and of how Griffith slipped and hit his head one day while working in the house. Regardless of the cause, every record of the event agrees on the conclusion: after weeks of failing health, Griffith, so young and fit and full of life until then, tragically passed away. And just like that, Howell found himself completely alone, stranded on a rock in the Atlantic with only a corpse to keep himself company.

Howell had a problem on his hands - well, two problems, actually. The biggest of those was that he and Griffith were known to quarrel constantly, so he didn’t have the freedom to simply toss the man’s body into the sea and trust that others would consider him blameless. No, he needed to make sure everyone knew that Griffith’s death was not his fault, and so he kept the body – which led to his second problem. With no burial, the body would be left exposed to the elements, leading to decomposition. It probably didn’t take long for Howell to look around the small room he shared with the corpse to understand how bad an experience that would be, and so he began to plan. Taking apart some of the storage cabinets in the room, Howell constructed a makeshift coffin. He knew his way around a hammer and saw and managed to build something that worked, but Griffith was big and Howell was alone, and, well… he was in a hurry. When he finished, he took the large box, along with Griffith’s corpse, outside onto the gallery that surrounded the house like a porch. It was cold outside, and that would help delay the decomposition, but it was also harsh there. Waves crashed against the lighthouse constantly, and so as a precaution Howell tied the box to the rails. The winter storms had other ideas, though, and one night soon after moving the coffin outside, a great wave washed up and smashed the box to pieces. All the wood and nails and rope that Howell had cobbled together to contain the body of his dead partner disintegrated and fell onto the rocks below - all of it, except Griffith’s body. According to the reports from those who rescued Howell months later, Griffith’s corpse had managed to get tangled in the rope and railing at the edge of the gallery. Even though waves continued to wash over it, and the occasional seagull approached for an inspection, nothing knocked the body free, which meant rather than spend the coming weeks in peaceful retreat, Howell had a front row view of his partner’s decomposition. I have to imagine that there were many moments when he regretted his decision, when he had to fight the overwhelming urge to rush outside, cut the ropes and kick Griffith’s body down to the waves below. It certainly would have ended the nightmare that he found himself living in, but it also would have stirred up the suspicion and judgement that he was hoping to avoid. And so, week after week, month after month, Howell lived in the small room of the lighthouse, tending the flame and maintaining the building, all while the rotting corpse of Griffith stood watch outside. He later spoke of how one of the body’s arms hung loose and would swing and wave toward him. It sounds like the kind of tale Edgar Allan Poe would scratch onto the page at night, echoes of the tell-tale heart thumping monotonously in the background, but for Howell this was reality, and it drove him mad. When a rescue boat finally landed on the small rock almost four months after the death of Griffith, they discovered the rotted corpse on the gallery and an emaciated, shell-shocked Howell inside. He was alive, but the prolonged exposure to the sight of the corpse had wounded him deep in his mind and his soul. It was said that even when he was finally on the mainland and brought into the care of his family and friends, many of them failed to recognise him. Howell was alive, but there was very little of him left inside. Like an abandoned lighthouse, his flame had gone out.

Everyone loves a good ghost story. There is mystery, and horror, and moments that put you on the edge of your seat. They’re great around the campfire or the kitchen table, and they have a way of uniting people. Fear, after all, is a universal language. But not every scary story has a ghost at the centre of it, and while many of the frightening tales from the lighthouses of the world contain some element of the supernatural, perhaps it’s the stories without them that frighten us the most. Isolation, loss, guilt and hopelessness are emotions that can happen to any of us, no matter where we live or what we’ve been through. Maybe that’s what makes the story of Thomas Howell so chilling - it could literally have happened to us if we had been in his shoes, and everything he experienced would have been just as frightening and traumatic to you or I as it was to him. Alone and isolated in tight quarters with dwindling supplies, the rotting corpse of the man he hated, swinging in the wind and rain outside the window of his bedroom, and no sign of a rescue ship on the horizon, day by day, week by week, month by month. It’s a horror that would drive any of us mad. Ironically, though, help had tried to reach him. Ships sailed, people watched, but every time they came close, they turned back, satisfied that everything was alright. It wasn’t the light that convinced them, though. It was something else, something that multiple ships and witnesses confirmed together afterward. Every time they got close they could see, high up on the gallery surrounding the light, the shape of a man. But he wasn’t calling for help or beckoning them to come dock on the island. No, according to those who saw him, this man did nothing but lean against the rail and wave, over and over again.

[Closing statements]

[imjustthemechanic]

Natalie Jones and the Golden Ship

Part 1/? - A Meeting at the Palace Part 2/? - Curry Talk Part 3/? - Princess Sitamun Part 4/? - Not At Rest Part 5/? - Dead Men Tell no Tales Part 6/? - Sitamun Rises Again Part 7/? - The Curse of Madame Desrosiers Part 8/? - Sabotage at Guedelon Part 9/? - A Miracle Part 10/? - Desrosiers’ Elixir Part 11/? - Athens in October Part 12/? - The Man in Black Part 13/? - Mr. Neustadt Part 14/? - The Other Side of the Story Part 15/? - A Favour Part 16/? - A Knock on the Window Part 17/? - Sir Stephen and Buckeye Part 18/? - Books of Alchemy Part 19/? - The Answers Part 20/? - A Gift Left Behind Part 21/? - Santorini Part 22/? - What the Doves Found Part 23/? - A Thief in the Night Part 24/? - Healing Part 25/? - Newton’s Code Part 26/? - Montenegro Part 27/? - The Lost Relic Part 28/? - The Homunculinus Part 29/? - The End is Near Part 30/? - The Face of Evil Part 31/? - The Morning After Part 32/? - Next Stop Part 33/? - A Sighting in Messina Part 34/? - Taormina Part 35/? - Burning Part 36/? - Recovery Part 37/? - Pilgrimage to Vesuvius Part 38/? - The Scent of Hell Part 39/? - She’ll be Coming Down the Mountain Part 40/? - Stowaways Part 41/? - Bon Voyage Part 42/? - Turnabout Part 43/? - The Apple Part 44/? - Vesuvius Wakes Part 45/? - Fire At Sea Part 46/? - The Real Jim Part 47/? - Return to Naples Part 48/? - La Mela Part 49/? - A Demonstration Part 50/? - Out of the Frying Pan Part 51/? - Into the Fire Part 52/? - The Last Homunculus Part 53/? - Transmission

Back on board, there’s a lot to do...

Nat ducked out the way as swung the broken bottle at her.  “Listen to me!” she said.  “You don’t have to do what Newton says!  You don’t have to be his slave, no matter what he told you.”  She caught his arm and forced the bottle out of it.  “Look, that stone is going to blow up and if it does it in Naples it’ll destroy most of the city.”

“That’s what it’s for,” he said.

Nat twisted his wrist almost, but not quite, to the breaking point.  She heard the hissed intake of breath.  “We’re in the middle of a triangle between three thrust faults in the Earth’s crust,” she said.  “The stone may not set off the volcano but it could trigger a quake in any of them.  That could kill thousands of people, maybe millions.  Is that what you want?”

“Yes!” he insisted.

“Why?” she demanded.

“Because he said so!”

The homunculus’ wrist went crunch as he tore it out of her grip, and he punched her in the stomach.  It was her turn to stagger backwards, struggling to breathe.  Her eyes watered.  Newton must have been very worried about the homunculi indeed… worried enough to start making sure they knew they did not exist outside his orders.  He wasn’t going to risk another one developing a life of its own.

He ran at her again.  She rolled out of the way and grabbed a deck chair to defend herself.

The worst part was knowing that Natasha herself had been that way once, totally and unquestionably committed to a cause just because the people who’d created her had told her so.  She’d managed to escape from that, but then, she was a person with a lifetime’s experience to draw on.  She’d been able to see the world, and to learn that there was so much more than the narrow set of beliefs and circumstances she’d been brought up with.  There were other choices available.  This homunculus could be no more than a few days old, and knew nothing outside the purpose Newton had given him.

How many of these beings had Natasha killed so far?  She’d lost count.  She, too, had told herself that they weren’t quite real people, but she should know better.

She hit the homunculus with the chair, and he fell on the deck.  He immediately bounced up again, but Nat somersaulted onto his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his neck.  It wasn’t possible to hit the kill spot that way – that required fingers – but she could certainly cut off his air.  He began to gasp, scratching at her legs as he tried to dislodge her.  She held on, and felt him start to weaken.  Once she was sure she could do so without him fighting back, she let go, then pushed the gasping homunculus over the side of the ship.  Could they drown?  She had no idea, but it was at least somewhat better than watching another one disintegrate… wasn’t it?

Once she’d caught her own breath, Nat hurried the rest of the way to the bridge and grabbed the telephone there to call back to land.  She dialed Allen’s number, expecting him to pick up right away, but it actually took three rings.

“Sorry!” he said, once he’d gotten it connected.  “I was so startled when the phone rang I dropped it!  Is that you, Ginger Snap?”

“Yes, yes, it’s me,” said Nat.  “I’m on board.”

“Oh, good,” Allen said, and she heard him tell the others, “it’s Natasha!”

“Shall we activate Perenelle’s device, then?” asked Sir Stephen in the background.

“No!” Nat said quickly, before Allen could pass on the question.  “The ship’s drifted further than we thought.  I’m gonna have to bring it closer.  I’ll call back to let you know when, okay?”

“Got it,” said Allen.

Her next call was to Jim and Perenelle in the rowboat.  “You guys still there?” she asked.

It was Jim who was holding the phone.  “Yeah,” he said.  “Who did you throw in the water?  Was that another one of me?”

He must be horrified by the apparent ease with which she killed them.  “Yes.  That was the last one… except you,” Nat told him.

Jim’s sigh of relief rustled in the microphone.  “I hope so,” he said.

The ship’s engines finished warming up, and Nat was able to start it moving, which she did very, very slowly so as not to risk running Jim and Perenelle over.  “Okay, here we go,” she said.  “Grab the rope but try to keep yourself an oar’s length at least from the side.  It’ll be safer.”

“We’ll do that,” said Jim.  “The stone’s changing colour again… I think.  Maybe I’m imagining it.”

Nat looked out the window.  The glow hanging over the city did still look quite red… but maybe not as red.  It was difficult to tell.  “I’ll call Sharon back and ask,” she decided.  “Here’s something for our list of things to tell Fury we need next time: walkie-talkies.  So that I can talk to all of you at once and I don’t have to keep making phone calls.”

“That’s a good one,” said Jim.  “Tell them that.”

She almost told him that he would have to do it because she doubted she’d remember.  Then she reminded herself that Jim wasn’t expecting to live very long… but surely he had a couple of days left yet.  He would see them again to pass on the message before the end came.  Or would he?  Was he expecting something to happen, or planning to do something?

Or was she reading too much into a totally innocent comment.  Nat shook her head.  Not now – no time.  “I’ll do that,” she said.

She turned the ship slightly to starboard in order to bring it alongside the power plant, so they’d have extra slack cable, and wedged the phone receiver in between her shoulder and cheek to talk to the shore.  “Hi, it’s me again,” she said.  “I’m getting close… I’ll tell you when.  How’s the stone look, Sam?  Jim thought it had changed colour again.”

“Yeah, Sir Steve and Sharon went back to the Palazzo to feed it,” said Sam.  “They said they gave it one of the bins outside, and that seemed to help, so they brought in more of them.  There wasn’t a lot of mass there, though.  The bins themselves and plastic and so was most of the stuff in it.”

“Good.  Tell them to keep that up,” Nat said.

Sam sounded doubtful.  “They can only do so much,” he said.  “Once they throw stuff in and turn it to gold, it becomes too heavy to take out again.”

Natasha hadn’t thought of that.  “I’ll try to hurry.”

Hurrying was risky, though.  Nothing as large as the Scorpio II could be moved around quickly in the confined space of the harbor.  She felt as if she were moving only inches at a time as she crept towards the shore, but the ship’s enormous bow made it difficult to tell just how close they actually were.  It was like the difference between driving a smart car versus a locomotive.

The phone rang.  Nat grabbed it again, hoping it wasn’t Fury.

“Jones,” she said.

“Stop!”  The voice was Jim’s.  “You’re gonna squash us against the wharf!”

Natasha put the engines into reverse and turned as far starboard as she could.  The ship came, very slowly, to a halt – but perhaps not slowly enough.  She felt the bump, and heard the hollow sound as the hull hit the barrel-shaped bumpers on the edge of the wharf.  There was no way she could just wait for a phone call.  Nat shut the engines down, and then dashed outside to look over the edge.

The ship was now about twelve feet from shore.  Jim and Perenelle were standing on the wharf, with the cable in their hands, staring up at the ship.  There was no sign of the rowboat.

“Sorry!” Nat called down.

Jim pointed up at her.  “You said you were good at this!”

“No, I said I’d done it before!” she corrected.

“Next time we let Robin Hood drive!” Jim said.  “He didn’t hit anything!”

“We were in the middle of the ocean!  Do you want me to let you up or not?” Nat demanded.

“You have to let us up!  We’re saving the world!” Jim declared triumphantly.

He was right, and of course she’d never had any intention of leaving him there.  Natasha let down a rope, and Perenelle shimmied up, taking far less care than any of the CAAP had when they’d climbed the Scorpio II the previous evening.  After helping her over the side, Nat looked down to see if Jim were coming.  He’d climbed up a little, but was now just hanging there, with the ends of the electrical cable tied around his chest and shoulder.

“What deck was the plaza on again?” he called up.

“Five through seven!” Perenelle told him.  “I remember seeing it on the map they gave me when I boarded.

“Deck five,” Jim said.  He started counting windows.  “If the Lido Deck with the pool is number fifteen…”

“There’s no deck seven, don’t forget,” said Nat.  She’d noticed that in the elevator, while looking at the buttons.  It was silly, but sailors had a reputation for being superstitious.

“That’ll be deck seven there, then.”  Jim climbed a few more feet, pushed himself off the side of the ship, and hit the window as hard as he could.  It took him a few blows, and he could not actually break the polycarbonate pane, so he broke the frame and pushed the window through.  In the process a piece of sharp metal left a deep gash on Jim’s arm, but that healed up quickly.  Jim climbed through, dragging the electric cable behind him.

“You’d better go meet him,” said Nat.  “I’ll stay up here and keep the ship from drifting.”

“No, I’ll need your help to hook up the ship’s electrical system to the rails,” said Perenelle.  “Come with me.”

Natasha shook her head.  “If the ship gets too far from shore it’ll snap the cables.”

Perenelle looked at the sky.  “The moon is still in the east,” she said.  “The tide will come in before it goes out.  If we drift, it’ll be towards shore, not away from it.”

A glance to the east told Natasha she was right.  It also showed that the light had gotten redder again, and Nat could see it glittering off something… the gold in and around the Palazzo del Corallo was reflecting it.  There was no time to argue, or to banter.  They had to go.

Nat followed Perenelle down to the Promenade Deck, where they found Jim – he’d already climbed through the window and dragged the cables into the piazza.  Perenelle gave him some instructions, and then she and Nat headed aft to where the ship’s power plant was, near the engines.  They stole some extra cable from there and ran it back through the hallways, and Natasha waited impatiently in the generator room until she heard Perenelle’s voice on the PA.

Flip the switch now, she ordered.

Natasha did so.  It was a disappointingly non-dramatic moment.  The switch in question was not a big handle like electric equipment had in movies, it was just a switch, and all that seemed to happen when Nat clicked it into place was that the lights flickered a little.  She stood there a moment longer in case there were further instructions, then made her way back out to the piazza to see if anything had happened there.

Nothing much had.  Perenelle and Jim were still standing there, apparently admiring their handiwork, but there was nothing much to see.  The place looked the same as it had earlier.  Jim, however, was on the phone, calling back to the people on land.

“Yeah, she says you can do it now,” he said.  “Count down from ten, how about.”

Perenelle came and took Nat by the shoulders.  “Out of this room,” she ordered.  “This may be violent.”