#addressing the stowaways

[humble-firstmate]

[spider man point meme]

Another brilliant captain I see, always a pleasure to see another reality me

-> @caphhhhfgjdkhgjfj-firstmate

A spider man? Wonder if the leg and arm distribution is even or if it's like a spider centaur situation.

Anyway, nice to meet ya!

#addressing the stowaways #//that url is so goddamn clever i love it #caphhhhfgjdkhgjfj-firstmate

[bigmeandragonlady]

everytime i think about the pacing of ch 6 i wish it had ended right before we land on tillarin.

#andromeda six #i think it would have forced the inbetween parts to be meatier #would have required actually addressing 'the council wants your stowaway specifically' #the amount of theorizing that didn't involve maybe we'll have to kill nerissa #i get that she was excited to drop this reveal but i would have really liked it if we had ended on a tense 'whats waiting for us' moment #and in terms of 'chapters' that break makes more sense to me

[ghoulsister1]

The Cat's Meow

Captain Kuro x Female!Reader. (One Piece Netflix Series) Fluff. Suggestive content. Reader is part of The Black Cat Pirates. Secret relationship. Reader is Captain Kuro's First Mate. ☆Set before the events of Syrup Village☆

Ever since you were little, you always wanted to set sail across the seas, to see the many wonders that lies beyond the horizon and have many wonderful adventures, so that you always had a new tale to tell to the other pirates, sailors and fishermen in the local restaurants and taverns. You're family had other ideas, which is why you fled and snuck on aboard a ship one night, just in time too as the ship was just leaving port, bound and sailing wherever it's Captain wished it to go.

It wasn't until you were found by the crew that you realised you weren't on any ship, you were on the ship of the Black Cat Pirates and now, the crew was dragging you by the scruff of the neck of your clothing to their Captain, the feared Captain Kuro.

You gulped as Butchi dropped you to the floor inside the Captain's quarters, you had heard stories of Kuro and his deadly claws and ability to move so fast and quietly, like a ghost. You also heard of his ruthlessness and you shivered as Butchie and Sham addressed their Captain.

"Captain Kuro sir! We found this dirty stowaway on-board the ship" Bellowed Butchie.

"Yes, she was sneaking about below deck like a rat in our food stock" Hissed Sham.

"Wait I can explain...!" You Cried but flinched as Sham hissed at you, baring her teeth.

Captain Kuro stood up and walked over to where you were and you felt yourself tremble, knowing this how you will die, by the claws of the ferocious Captain Kuro.

"What are you doing sneaking on board my ship and why?" Asked Captain Kuro, looking down at you with a sneer as you froze upon seeing the long, sharp claws he wielded. You couldn't answer, the words gone as you just couldn't stop staring at the deadly clawed gloves and knowing that's what's going to kill you.

"Answer the Captain!" Shouted Butchi, making you jump at the sudden sound of his voice and you began to babble.

"I'm sorry I snuck aboard, I had no choice! There was no where for me to go as my family will find me! I just wanted to see the world, sail the seas and live you know? I just jumped onto the first ship I saw leaving port and well, here I am" You Babbled, tears welling up in your eyes.

Captain Kuro and the two crewmates listened to your explanation without a word.

"Please forgive me Captain Kuro! I know you must be suspicious but believe me when I say I come with no ill intent to you or your crew. You may do what you wish with me. Maroon me on an island, drop me at the next port or anything! But please don't take me back to my family, please" You Pleaded, tearfully.

Captain Kuro said nothing, just looked at you with cold, calculating eyes before smirking.

"So, a run away from home? Wanted to be rebellious? Be a pirate? *tsk!* You have no idea what you are getting into young lady" Remarked Captain Kuro with a tut. You said nothing, just kept still in the spot you were dropped in.

"Very well, we are far from the port now and I'm not turning the ship around to drop off some runaway brat!" Spoke Captain Kuro with a sneer as he ordered you to stand up on your feet, which did on shaky legs, still unsure if you were gonna die or not.

"Welcome on board, little stowaway! Don't expect this to be a 5-star cruise. You will be part of my crew now. You will work to earn your keep on this ship, if the crew works you work. I don't tolerate slacking from my crew and I will not tolerate it from you. Do you understand?" Asked Captain Kuro, glaring at you.

"Yes Captain" You Replied nervously, nodding your head.

Captain Kuro smirked at you as you addressed him as "Captain".

"Good. Learning already. Right little brat, go with Butchi and Sham, they'll show you where you will sleep tonight. We have some cheese and bread, you'll have that to eat tonight. Tomorrow you work" Ordered Captain Kuro sternly.

"Yes Captain. Thank you Captain Kuro" You Said, grateful. Captain Kuro waved you off with a slight sneer and you left the Captain's quarters with Butchi and Sham.

At the first light of dawn, your new life began on board The Bezan Black. You swabbed the decks, helped unload and load cargo, helped cook meals, fished and hunted, helped the crew in every way you could. Along the way you gradually earned your new crewmates's respect, especially Butchi and Sham. You really earned their respect during an attack by Marines.

You had picked up a sword and thanks to your rich family's upbringing of horseriding and fencing, you fought off three Marines much to the surprise of Butchi and Sham, even to the surprise of Captain Kuro who was impressed by your swordfighting. Thanks to that, Butchi and Sham saw you as a Black Cat Pirate and on a full moon night with a sea calm and quiet, you were fully made an official Black Cat Pirate.

As a pirate, you did see wonders and had some adventures that you were proud to be part of. You sought and found treasures, saw amazing sights and of course had epic battles, mostly with Marines.

During all that, you moved up through the ranks in the crew. Captain Kuro saw you as reliable, diligent and cunning. He admired that in a person and in his crew. So when Captain Kuro made you First Mate, everyone was surprised but were happy except for Jango, who was Captain Kuro's original First Mate. But Captain Kuro had made his decision and he expected his crew to respect that.

You and the feared Captain kept things professional. Until he kissed you in his quarters during a celebration after a successful raid. You kissed him back and soon you two began your relationship, but in secret. Captain Kuro wanted to keep his image and status as a ruthless and fearsome pirate Captain in front of his crew and enemies. You respected that and both of you would carry on the image of feared Captain and his loyal First Mate in front of the crew and enemies, but behind closed doors you and him were lovers who would spend many wonderful nights in each other's arms, everything around you two disappearing till it felt like it was only just you and him in the world.

One year or two had passed and you smiled as you thought back to the night you were taken in by the Black Cat Pirates, became part of their feared crew evening earn a new name in the process and becoming "Hellcat" instead of Y/N. But with Kuro and behind the locked door of the Captain's quarters, Kuro still called you Y/N.

"Something on your mind, my kitten?" Asked Kuro raising an eyebrow and smirking at you. You smiled at him and approached him.

"Was thinking about the night I snuck onto the Bezan Black and I was introduced to you and the Black Cat Pirates" You Recalled as Kuro gave a chuckle at that.

"Ah yes, you were just a bratty stowaway sneaking about my ship like a stray kitten" Teased Kuro and you gave a giggle, nudging him as he laughed softly.

"Hey, I wasn't that bratty" You Teased.

"But look at you now, a proud member of my crew" Remarked Kuro smiling.

"And your lover" You Added as you wrapped your arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you in close to kiss you passionately and you eagerly returned it. Things were about to go further until a bang on the door broke the spell.

You and Kuro pulled away to straighten yourselves up before Kuro unlocked the door and Jango rushed in, he looked haggard and panic-stricken but he looked at you as you made yourself busy by looking at a map, glaring at Jango when he stared at you.

"Something you care to report Jango?" You Asked sternly.

"What's she doing in here?" Asked Jango, shocked. Kuro glared and his face darkened.

"She is helping me map out potential raids and coming up with a strategic approach to each one. Why? She's my First Mate! Are you here to tell me something or waste time?" Asked Captain Kuro, snarling.

"Captain! Marines have been spotted and are fast approaching!" Jango Cried. You looked up at that, shocked and Kuro looked annoyed.

"Marines? Again? That's the third time this month! Jango, prepare the crew and wait for me outside! Now!" Ordered Captain Kuro and Jango fled outside to get the crew.

You turned and saw Kuro, he was annoyed but also looked tired. You frowned, you've seen Kuro was looking more tired these days, especially with the Marines constantly attacking.

"Kuro?" You Asked, worried as you approached him. He looked at you tiredly but embraced you nonetheless.

"These Marines keep coming for us, for me. They won't stop till they have me. It's getting tiring my dear, quite tiring" Kuro Replied softly.

"What will we do?" You Asked.

"I have a plan my kitten. I've been planning this for months. It will work perfectly and it will make the Marines never bother us again" Explained Kuro, smirking as he recalled his plan.

"You are called 'Kuro Of A Hundred Plans' for a reason my dear" You Remarked and you both shared a smile.

"First though, I must deal with the Marines. Then our plan can begin" Declared Kuro as he pushed his glasses up with his palm.

A crescent moon hung in the sky that night, the Marines never stood a chance against your beloved Captain Kuro. By the time you and rest of the Black Cat Pirates arrived, only one Marine was left alive though badly wounded. Kuro stood amongst the bodies of the Marines, the deck covered in blood, bodies and giant claw marks.

"Now, we can begin our plan Jango. But first, Hellcat! A word in private" Shouted Captain Kuro and you followed Kuro to a private corner.

"Listen to me my dear and listen good. I must stay here with Jango to set the plan in motion. There's a boat for you to get you back to the nearest settlement or town, Butchi and Sham will escort you" Explained Kuro.

"Will Butchi and Sham come with me to shore?" You Asked. Kuro frowned.

"They will only see you off, they must stay with me" Replied Kuro.

"But wait, what about you? Will you join me?" You Asked, worry growing as Kuro's eyes filled with a strange sadness as he gazed at you.

"You will be coming with me, right? My love?" You Asked, feeling dread seep in to your heart.

"I will join you on shore when everything is ready. Butchi and Sham too" Replied Kuro.

"You promise me Kuro?" You Warned, feeling afraid to leave Kuro's side.

"I promise you kitten. I promise" Kuro Vowed and with a quick kiss you two parted ways.

Butchi and Sham lead you to the boat. You got in the boat and looked ahead to see the lights of the nearby town.

"Goodbye Hellcat" Cried Sham as you began to row. You waved at the two.

"I'll see you on the shore!" You Shouted, smiling but you frowned as Butchi and Sham waved at you sadly, Butchi shaking his head.

You reached the shore and landed. You watched the two ships, anxious and wondering what was Kuro's plan to get rid of the Marines.

Hours passed until you saw the Marine ship sailing. You frowned as you looked over at the Bezan Black which stood still and dark. Fear flooded into your brain, but you still held out hope that your crewmates and beloved Captain were safe.

But as the Marine ship sailed into the night, you heard a voice shouting from the ship. You listened closely and your heart sank upon hearing a somewhat familiar voice shouting loud and proud from the deck of the ship.

"I AM CAPTAIN KURO OF THE BLACK CAT PIRATES!" Echoed throughout followed by the gruff voice of a Marine shouting: "I HAVE SINGLE-HANDEDLY DEFEATED THE BLACK CAT PIRATES!"

Your heart shattered at hearing those words and you clutched your chest, tears welling up as you let out a loud wail and you sobbed as you sat upon the sands of the beach. You mourned for Butchi and Sham. You mourned for the Black Cat Pirates who were not only your crewmates but also a family to you.

And most of all, you mourned for your beloved Captain and love, Kuro.

Syrup Village. Present Day.

You looked over at the flyer you found pinned up in one the establishments.

"Maid Wanted.

We are currently looking for a woman who has experience in cooking and domestic tasks. If interested, please go to this address for further details."

You were looking for a decent bit of work to make some money. Despite no longer being part of a crew, your inner Black Cat Pirate never died, despite being the only living member of the fearsome pirates. You had a few run ins with Marines and recently a brush with some Arlong Pirates but you held your own against them.

As you arrived at the address you were greeted by a ram like man called Merry.

"Ah! Hello there miss!" Greeted Merry.

"Uh hello there. I'm here about the job" You Replied handing Merry the flyer. He smiled at that and took inside the grand house.

"Oh Miss Kaya will be delighted that you've accepted! Oh Miss Kaya! We have a lady here who wishes to apply for the job!" Cried Merry happily. You told Merry your name and he smiled.

"Just out of curiosity, did you work previously?" Asked Merry politely. You smiled warmly.

"Only on a ship. I was a cook and I sometimes cleaned the decks. That's all" You Replied as you remembered that beautiful ship, the Bezan Black fondly.

Suddenly Kaya made her appearance and she wasn't alone. She was standing with a butler of sorts, but your heart stopped upon seeing him.

"Miss Y/N, this is Miss Kaya. And with Miss Kaya is our finest butler, Klahadore!" Announced Merry happily.

Klahadore stared at you and you stared at him.

"No...it can't be....y..you were captured....and you....were executed!" You Thought as you stared at Klahadore who then smirked at you and shot you a wink.

"It is you.....Kuro!" You Thought with pure joy, tears nearly welling up your eyes. You composed yourself and introduced yourself.

"What a lovely name!" Bubbled Kaya smiling at you sweetly.

"A charming name for a charming lady" Replied Klahadore, smiling at you and making your heart race.

"Miss Y/N tells me she worked on a ship, just like you Klahadore!" Recalled Merry.

"How interesting" Remarked Klahadore, smirking at you.

After introductions, Klahadore offered to show you around privately. Once alone, you both embraced each other in a loving, passionate kiss. Tears of happiness streamed down your face as you were finally reunited with your beloved.

"Oh Kuro! I thought you were captured! I thought everyone was gone!" You Sobbed as Kuro held you in his arms.

"Oh my sweet kitten, I'm sorry for causing you such distress. But I was afraid that there was a possibility of the plan going astray, which is why I sent you away to avoid any repercussions. Thankfully my plan didn't fail. But I'm sorry my love you had to bear such a pain" Explained Kuro pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"Where are the others?" You Asked.

"Oh, they will come soon. This is all part of my plan. Now that you are here, we can really start" Recalled Kuro smirking.

"Does this plan involve separation?" You Asked, anxiety skyrocketing.

"No. Not anymore. My sweet kitten, we'll never be apart again" Promised Kuro.

"Promise me?" You Asked unsure.

"Promise" Assured Kuro and you two shared a deep kiss.

Kaya's parents set up a room for you to sleep in but you always snuck off to Kuro's room and sleep there, in his arms just like the days when you and him sailed upon the sea.

But you knew Kuro's plan was just beginning and you both smiled as Kuro plotted his next move. You snuggled closer to him, happy to be back with your beloved Kuro.

#one piece #one piece netflix #kuro one piece #captain kuro #captain kuro x reader one piece #kuro one piece live action #fanfiction #black cat pirates #kuro and the black cat pirates

[an-atlas-or-other]

So I may or may not have started another list of notes for the first season or RWBY. It’s a habit okay-

Full disclosure I only started writing at like episode 7 or 8 so my notes aren’t comprehensive, nor do they address anything in particular. They’re just thoughts I felt the need to write down. That being said;

The moon is fucking oblong. Aside from having parts missing, that is (unless that’s supposed to be reflections and the moons not full. But it’s still oblong???)

Since all the teams’ names start with the leaders name, if Weiss were to lead the team I think a cool name would be WYBR (said wihb-er)

Some of the sound design is… not great. Most of the effects are too loud or too highly pitched. The music is good though!

How does evil dude talk normally with that massive cigar in his mouth?

AHAHA WEISS’ SCAR DOESNT MATCH UP WHEN SHE CLOSES HER EYE

Jean is really annoying. I know he’s stupid for comedic purposes but it happens too much, and his voice is also irritating. So is Ruby’s but at least she’s not dumb so I can excuse it more

Some of the scenes are kind of weird. Case one: episode 9 scene 1. There’s more but that’s the one I’m at right now. Some other scenes have that same sort of… feel? I don’t know how to explain it

Ahaha I’m wondering if that cup of coffee is just part of Ozpins character model. I don’t think I’ve seen him without it yet

When they say “our planet” it admits that they’re advanced enough that they know the concept but how do the kingdoms work. How are there only four? We don’t have a world map, and the one they showed us looked about the scale of your standard European map. Do they just claim a bunch of territory? But not do much with it? And against who, the grimm? They’re not going to respect national boundaries-

Are they implying Mr Peter is a pedophile? Also where did the cage come from. Why is the beast only now being rowdy-

Is Ozpin fucking omnipotent? Why is he everywhere, doesn’t he have anything better to do?

When did they change. Why did they change. There’s a uniform for a reason? Don’t you wear it during all school hours?

AHAHA JAUNDICE HAHAHA

Why do the teachers here drink so much

Fort Castle? That’s uncreative

Wow do they have noticeable stage posture

Jean is a little less annoying now

“You need to be wider and lower to the ground” what, does she want him to squat?

Isn’t it a liiiitle weird for the only even moderately dark person in the show to be the stowaway monkey guy

How did they know Penny is from out of town. She has no accent, and Vale seems to be racially homogeneous, so how do they know?

The jokes can be pretty funny sometimes (case one: “she does like tuna a lot”)

All the streets look exactly the same. No city is that perfectly planned

I really wish penny’s stockings (?) were pants. They’re really odd

I am loving that cane gun. I wish my cane had a gun (for legal reasons that is a joke)

Why is Weiss suddenly nice to Blake again. Did all her character development happen offscreen? Why?

#rwby #ruby rose #rwby ruby rose #weiss schnee #rwby weiss #blake belladonna #rwby blake #yang xiao long #rwby yang #rwby volume 1

[excentricat1]

The first mate is a lot more interesting to me on the second read.

First mate angry; said it was folly, and to yield to such foolish ideas would demoralise the men; said he would engage to keep them out of trouble with a handspike.

“Demoralise” is an interesting choice. Why would it be demoralizing to have your concerns acknowledged and addressed? That is generally considered the mark of a good leader. When your children worry about monsters, you check under the bed. When your crew worries of a stowaway (or worse) you search the ship.

But the First Mate says it will demoralize them. Does he know already? Someone is there. He suspects—but that is only a superstition, a tale perhaps from his grandmother. And yet, their cargo is person sized boxes. Of dirt. From Transylvania.

#dracula daily

[tenshikurama]

Astarion Comic Idea

Ok I had this thought and I NEED this done now. Astarion loving the sun notices his skin starting to turn a pink shade and it hurts, "What the hell is this?" he demands to know as he addresses no one yet everyone in camp/party. "Thats a sunburn Astarion." Astarion gets super annoyed, "Stupid parasite I thought I was CURED!! This stowaway is useless!"

#BG3 #Baldurs #Gate #3 #Art #Astarion

[themeepyfreak]

One of the reasons that I could never warm up to Hook that is completely glossed over in the fandom is how much he screwed Baelfire over with seemingly no remorse. The narrative tries so hard to write off Hook as a good person and Baelfire’s friend in the later seasons that I don’t think people really don’t understand how despicable his actions were.

First, he either convinced Bae’s mother to leave her family or assisted in Bae’s mother leaving her family. I don’t blame Hook too much for that since the majority of the blame is definitely on Milah, but Hook didn’t need to antagonize Rumple and threaten Bae’s only other parent. (They did have Hook address that this was wrong of him on the show though which is more than they usually do.) And even if Hook told Bae that they wanted to go back for him, the truth is that they did not. Bae was 4-6 years old when Milah left, and Rumple killed Milah when Bae was 14 years old in London, so Hook and Milah were together for 8-10 years (common law married at the very least) in which they never actually came back for Bae or even informed him that his mother was alive. If Rumple hadn’t become the Dark One, Bae would have died fighting the Ogres, and there would have been nobody to come back to. I doubt they actually had any intentions of going back to Bae; Hook just said that to give Bae a more positive outlook on the mother that abandoned him.

Then, he built up Bae’s trust for the sole purpose of gaining information to kill his father. He did save Bae from the mermaids and sheltered him for a while, but all of his niceness (until he got attached to Bae) was to gain Bae’s trust so that Bae could give information on his father. Hook’s friendship with Bae that they boast about in later seasons was dependent on a lie and mostly faked on one side.

His main offense that is glossed over the most in canon is that he abandoned Bae and sold him out to Pan. This is debatably one of the worst abandonments in the show, and it is never talked about.

- First, Hook does this within the same day that Bae found out about his mom abandoning him and his dad killing his mom (rubbing salt into the wound). And despite how it appears in the show, this was not a split second decision since Hook (or his crew) had to physically call up the Lost Boys to get Bae. The Lost Boys were mainly on the island and didn’t lurk near the ship without being prompted (or else Bae couldn’t have been on deck when Hook was playing friends with him in fear of being seen). When Hook was giving his “I can change” speech to Bae, the Lost Boys were already called or else they wouldn’t have been there immediately afterwards. Maybe Hook would have hidden Bae if Bae agreed, but he had already sold Bae out by that point.

- Second (and why this abandonment is one of the worst), Hook intentionally sold Bae to a known psychopath that he knew would mentally, physically, and emotionally torture him. Hook knows the Lost Boys and how bad Pan is. That’s why he and his crew are always on the ship rather than on the island. That’s why he tries to avoid Neverland even if he is stuck in the realm. That’s why he hides Bae from the Lost Boys in the first place. Not to mention that selling Bae out was for a selfish reason (to be in Pan’s favor and gain access out of Neverland) and can’t even be argued as being in Bae’s best interests.

- Third, knowing where Bae was and that Bae was suffering, Hook left Bae in Neverland for centuries, perpetuating the initial abandonment. How do you think it felt for Bae to see Hook enter and leave the island/realm over and over again for hundreds of years, leaving Bae on Neverland over and over again? (Part of me wonders whether that’s why Pan let Hook off the island in the first place, to be able to lord about it to Bae.) I strongly suspect that Bae tried to petition to or stowaway with Hook (since he was trying to escape), but Hook refused him and turned him back to Pan (since Hook was in Pan’s employ) which had to hurt worse.

Maybe I could let it go if Hook showed remorse or it was addressed in canon, but instead, the opposite happened. Hook painted this picture of him and Bae as friends (even though most of their friendship was Hook using Bae for information) to bond with Emma after Bae “died”. He lied by omission of all the pain he caused Bae which is never clarified in canon. After Bae actually dies, he tries to rewrite his and Bae’s history again when describing their “friendship” to Henry. And the worst part is that nobody can contest it since Bae is dead in all of these scenes.

Not to mention that when they find out that Bae is alive in Neverland (which Hook did not seem happy about in the slightest), Hook decides to go after Emma, the woman that he knows Bae loves and that loves Bae (since Emma wasn’t quiet about that at all). They are trying to find Henry, and Hook is purposely baiting Bae with talks of his and Emma’s “dalliance” (which implies way more than a kiss). Hook makes it into a competition, as if Emma is a trophy, and continues pursuing Emma in front of Bae even though Emma said “No” countless times. And despite supposedly backing out of the competition after Neverland, he still continues to harass Emma until they kiss immediately after Bae dies and get together in the end. Whether you’re a Swanfire fan or not, the entire thing is rude and disrespectful to Bae.

#once upon a time #ouat #anti hook #antihook #baelfire #neal cassidy #rant #sorry it's so long #hook's done more than i thought #or i'm just angrier than i thought

[phantomguild]

(asktheisle) Quetzal approached Vivian with a bow of his head, keeping a respectable distance from the fellow legendary as he addressed xem.

"I haven't seen a Xerneas in a long time, I can only hope your duties are going well enough that you can afford some time to relax. Must be exhausting, having the work you'd have!"

He eased into the conversation, smiling.

"I've been wandering the grounds a bit and noticed your group getting off that boat. I'm sure I saw someone sneaking around, not sure if they were a stowaway or something."

Vivian bowed xeir head in exchange to the Rayquaza. "Truthfully, most of my focus has been on training Mint to properly control her power. It's the most I'm capable of doing with my own diminishing power. Truthfully, if I were to go all out, I would likely just burn away my remaining life force. My eldest sibling is the one that shoulders the duties that being a God brings. Though I have not seen them in quite some time..."

Vivian thought over the other statement that Quetzal had said, and let out a small laugh at the mention of the stowaway. Truthfully, it did come as a surprise to xem, not having noticed the stealthy 'mon. Though xe clearly wasn't too worried about it.

"Ah, I had not quite noticed that. I suppose my focus has been wavering a bit in the last few years. I wouldn't pay it too much mind however. Whoever they are, I doubt they harbor any dark intentions. Ashen would have notified us if they had; he's the sort to pick up on that thing rather quickly. Thank you for telling me however."

@asktheisle

#pokeaskmagiretreat24 #arc intermission #intermission: magi retreat '24 #vivian / xerneas #answered ask #asktheisle

[sjsmith56]

On the Run, Chapter 4 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: Bucky successfully eludes ship’s security on the cargo ship he stowed away on. After sneaking into Greece he gets help from two elderly ladies, sisters in different villages, and a British truck driver who recognizes him.

Length: 4.7 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, two Greek OFC (sisters, grandmothers), British OMC (truck driver).

Warnings: elder abuse

Author notes: Greek words mostly from Google Translate: yiayia - grandmother, argótera - later, arketá - pretty, toualéta - toilet, patéra - father, na proséhis - take care

<<Chapter 3

🏡 🚛

It had been almost two weeks since Bucky stowed away on a container ship in a Baltimore shipyard.   During that time he played a cat and mouse game with the ship's security who knew he was on the ship but hadn't been able to find him.  They did find the other three people who were already hiding on the ship when he snuck onto it.  Alternating between staying in an empty passenger cabin and a shipping container that he was able to break into he had so far succeeded in keeping hidden.  He even managed to find food, enough to keep him functional.  Whenever he could he would look at Lacey's book, reading and re-reading it.  He had also taken a picture of her from a photo album, using it as a bookmark since no one should dog ear the pages of a book. 

He wished he'd had the time to properly say goodbye to her, giving her more than that kiss in the bedroom to remember but he was damn sure he wasn't going to do anything more within earshot of the mobster trash that were trussed up in her living room.  Even though he had only known Lacey for a day and a night Bucky had been touched by her kindness and generosity to him, not to mention her trust when she allowed him into her bed.  He thought about their lovemaking, remembering how she raised herself into him as she came.  She was the first woman he had slept with since his escape from HYDRA and he couldn't stop thinking about her face in the throes of passion.  He thought of sending her a postcard once he landed in Europe but remembered he told her it was better and safer if she moved.  If she was smart she wouldn't have a forwarding address.  It was better for both of them to accept it couldn't continue, as he had hinted on the origami heart he made her.  Still, he couldn't keep the thought of his time with her out of his mind.

An alarm sounded on the ship and the captain announced over the PA system that they were performing a rescue of a small craft that had lost power.  Bucky put the book and picture back into the plastic bag he had to protect them, then packed them into his back pack.  Holding his ear to the door he didn't hear anyone approaching and opened it a crack to make sure before leaving the empty cabin.  If they were rescuing someone those people would likely be put into an empty cabin and he wasn't going to risk being found in this one.  Quickly he moved down the hallway, always checking around corners before moving on.  From there he went down a gangway and out onto the deck.  Bucky could hear some of the crew talking just ahead so he ducked into an alcove, waiting for their voices to fade away before he moved on.  As he got closer to the shipping container he had broken into he could hear more voices and realized they found the broken lock.  Security was being called to check the inside of the container and he grimaced, trying to find a way out of the maze of metal sea cans.  In desperation he jumped up and wedged himself between two containers that had a narrow gap between them.  It actually gave him a good view in two directions and he could hear everything that was said for some distance.  Staying in that narrow space he listened to everyone walking nearby, hearing the crew discuss the stowaway they were still looking for.  That was when he heard the ship would be picking up a pilot soon, providing him his exit strategy.  If he could get on that pilot boat he could disable the boat captain and any other crew then take control of the pilot boat until the nearest landfall.  It would be risky but he would have more control over where he landed. 

The rescue itself took about an hour and the ship was soon on its way.  As the early evening turned dark he took the chance of going to the railing looking for the pilot boat approaching the cargo ship.  He finally spotted it and watched it intently as it pulled up next to a hatch opening in the side of the cargo ship just above the water line.  He watched as the pilot stepped off the smaller craft and into the hatch.  The captain of the pilot boat then started to pull away and Bucky leaped over the railing, landing and rolling on the much smaller boat's deck.  A deck hand looked at him in amazement at the height he had jumped from then ran inside to tell the captain.  Bucky followed him, pulling the radio out before they could report a problem.  He recognized they were speaking Greek and asked them haltingly in what Greek he could muster to take him to land.  The captain looked at him coolly.

"Are you taking my boat?" he asked in English.

"I just need to get to land," said Bucky.  "I'm sorry about the radio and I promise I won't hurt you if you drop me off and forget you saw me."  The captain kept looking at him.  In desperation Bucky said a proverb that he had heard once.  "It's sweet to view the sea when one is standing on the shore.  I just have to get to land, please."

The captain laughed a hearty laugh.  "Alright American," he said. "I will drop you off away from the authorities and then you are on your own.  Have a seat."  Bucky nodded and sat where the captain indicated.  The deckhand kept talking and the captain looked back at him.  "Is it true you jumped from the cargo deck down to my boat?"

Bucky nodded.  "I know how to do it without injury," he explained.  "Security had discovered my hiding place on the ship and I was desperate to get off when I was so close to my destination.  Don't ask where that is as I don't want you to tell the police when they come looking for me."

The captain smiled.  "I would have liked to have seen that jump," he quipped.

Bucky smiled nervously and continued to watch both men as they approached land.  The captain beckoned to him and pointed out a rocky shoreline.

"There is a path on top of the rock where the lighthouse is," he said as he pointed out the lighthouse in the distance.  "I can't get too close but if you could do a jump from a cargo deck you should be able to jump from this boat to the rock below the lighthouse.  It's an automated lighthouse so there won't be anyone there.  Follow the path past the village.  It's rocky country but there are many small villages.  With your smile and blue eyes you may be able to convince an old yiayia to feed you.  Good luck, American."

"Thank you," said Bucky, sincerely, extending his hand which the captain shook.

As he deftly maneuvered the boat closer to the lighthouse the captain yelled at Bucky that he was as close as he could get.  Bucky backed up to one side of the hull then put all of his energy into the three strides he took before launching himself up in the air.  He landed cleanly on a large rock and turned back to salute the captain before scrambling over the other rocks towards the lighthouse.  The path was right where the captain said it was and Bucky followed it towards the small village that was still active as people were eating their dinner.  When the path split, he took the one that led away from the village and into the mountainous region beyond.  Bucky settled into an easy pace as he ran on the path in the light of the full moon.  He would run for as long as he could then find a place to hide and sleep before sunrise.  Once he was rested he would try to find food.

➿ ➿ ➿

It didn't take long for Bucky to find one of those grandmothers the captain told him about.  Two days after he jumped off the pilot boat he hid in a garden shed behind a small house to sleep.  He had gone without food the entire time and was almost at the point where he was considering breaking into a house to steal food.  As he rested in the increasing warmth of the shed interior he could hear an argument outside and roused himself to peek out the door as he opened it a crack.  A young man was pushing an old woman around, yelling at her.  She was defending herself as best she could but when the man slapped her and brought tears to her face Bucky had enough.  Quietly he stepped out and approached the pair.  The old woman saw him but said nothing after Bucky put his fore finger to his lip indicating she should stay quiet.  Tapping the man on his shoulder to make him turn around Bucky hit him, knocking him out.  In the best Greek he could remember Bucky asked if she was okay.  She nodded and began to speak rapidly.  He didn't understand most of what she was saying but figured out the man was her grandson and he wanted money.  She spat on the young man as he lay on the ground then looked at Bucky and gestured to him to tie up her grandson then follow her.  Leading him into her small house he could smell food cooking and commented how good it smelled.  Smiling broadly, she patted a chair for him and proceeded to dish out some of the food which he devoured quickly.  The more he ate the more she cooked until he finally put his hands up in submission having reached his limit.  He smiled his thanks and she patted his cheeks.  Then she looked seriously at him.

"You ... in trouble?" she asked in halting English.

"Yes," he answered.  "Police are looking for me."

"You good boy," she said, smiling.  "I help you."

"You've already helped," he replied, patting his stomach.  "Good food."

"You sleep," she said, opening the door to her bedroom.  "You wake ... argótera." 

She pointed at an hour on the clock and Bucky nodded his head.  He was still very tired and her feast made him drowsy.  Standing up and towering over her he bowed his head to get through the door.  She kept telling him to sleep as he sat on the bed, pulling his boots off.  When he laid down on top of the bed she put a blanket on him.

"Good boy, arketá," she smiled, then patted him on the cheek and closed the door.

Bucky was asleep in minutes.  He woke later with a start, at first not remembering where he was.  It was still light out but the sun was low and he figured it would set soon.  Sitting up he pulled his boots on and listened at the door before opening it.  The old woman was cooking and she smile at him as he came out of her bedroom.

"Good, you up," she said.  "Toualéta outside."

He understood that and found the outside toilet relieving himself then washing in the basin that was on a table beside it.  Looking around he didn't see her grandson and he entered her kitchen asking about him.  She smirked.

"I tell my son, his patéra," she explained.  "Dimitri in big trouble for hitting yiayia."

She cackled then gestured to Bucky to sit.   Once again she fed him a feast until he couldn't eat any more.  Some of the leftovers were wrapped up in a bag that she gave them him to take.  It was almost dark and Bucky stood up.

"I have to go," he said.

Her eyes filled with tears but she nodded then grasped his face with both hands and pulled him down, kissing him on both cheeks.  She pulled out an atlas and opened it showing him where he was on the map.  He looked intently at it committing it to memory.   She pointed to another village a considerable distance away.

"My sister," she said.  "She help you.  Maria Stavros my name.  Eleni Drakos her name.  You find her.  You good boy."

"Okay," he nodded.  "I find Eleni Drakos."

"You good boy," she whispered again.  "Na proséhis."

"Thank you yiayia," replied Bucky, sincerely.

He lowered his head and stepped out the door, taking in the twilight.  Maria followed him and watched him leave then wiped the tears from her eyes.  If only her grandson could be like the blue-eyed man she could die a happy woman.  Out on the path that led away from the village Bucky was feeling good.  His sleep had re-energized him and the food had restored his stamina.  He began running on the path and thought about the atlas that Maria had shown him, helping him decide his final destination.  It was going to take a while to get there, especially on foot but it would be worth it.  He could go to Bucharest, in Romania.  There were some abandoned HYDRA safe houses there where he could live.  He spoke the language fluently and could likely pick up enough odd jobs to make a living.  It would give him time to organize his memories and keep him hidden from the authorities.  At least it was a plan.

It took Bucky another two days to get to the village where Eleni Drakos lived.  As soon as he saw her he knew it was her as she looked exactly like her sister.  Also a widow, she lived in the smallest house on the edge of the town.  She had a small but abundant garden and she was working in it when Bucky approached the house.

"Eleni Drakos?" he said hesitantly, watching her intently as she stood up.  "You speak English?"

"Little," she replied.  "What you want?"

"Your sister, Maria Stavros, said you would help me," he began. 

"You have trouble?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded.  "Police look for me."

"How you know Maria?" she asked, still suspicious.

"I hit her grandson Dimitri after he hit her and made her cry," replied Bucky.  "He wanted money."

Eleni swore a blue streak in Greek, surprising Bucky with her vehemence.  "Dimitri bad boy," she spat.  "What your name?"

"Iakobos," he replied, knowing his name in Greek.  "I'm American."

"Okay," she replied.  "You help me and I help you.  You hungry?"

He nodded and she motioned for him to follow her into the small house.  She pulled some cheese and bread out of a cupboard, cutting him thick slices of each and slathering butter over the bread.  From her small refrigerator she pulled out a chunk of cured meat and cut slabs off of it.  Putting it all on a plate she laid it in front of him then poured him a big mug of tea.

"You eat," she said.  "Then I feed you later, big food.  You need sleep?"  He nodded, his mouth full of the fresh bread and a slice of cheese.  "Okay, you sleep then you do work for me, yes?"

"Yes," agreed Bucky.  "Thank you."

"You good boy," she said, patting him on the cheek just like Maria had.  "Nice blue eyes."

Bucky smiled, somewhat embarrassed but the pilot boat captain had said he could probably get fed by the older grandmothers because of his eyes and he wasn't going to complain about it.  He ate everything she laid out for him and drank his tea as she watched him.  Then she showed him a ladder and he went up finding a bedroom in the attic.  She stood at the bottom, watching as he went up.

"You sleep," she said, motioning with her hand.  "You safe."

Slipping his boots and jacket off he laid down on the bed and pulled a blanket over his shoulders.  Within minutes he was asleep.  When he awakened some time later he could hear Eleni talking to someone in her kitchen, a man by the sound of the voice.  He couldn't quite make out what she was saying but heard his name mentioned several times.  At first he was concerned that she had turned him in but it didn't sound like she was asking the man to arrest him.  Slowly, he came down the ladder and stood before Eleni and the middle aged man.

"Jesus, you're a big one," said the man, who had an English accent.  "Eleni said you're in trouble and you need transportation.  I'm Jerry, a truck driver and I stay with her when I come through Greece.  You were sleeping in my bed."

"I'm sorry," said Bucky.  "She didn't tell me."

"It's okay," said the Englishman.  "She has a heart of gold and you've obviously touched her.  What kind of trouble are you in, son?"

"I'd rather not say all of it," said Bucky nervously.  "I did some terrible things for some bad people until I got away from them.  They're still looking for me and will force me back to working for them if they catch me.  If they find you they might force you to tell them where I am."

Jerry looked at him.  "That sounds like the mob," he said.  "Nasty bunch.  I'm headed back to the UK and have to stop in Pristina, Kosovo for a shipment.  I can take you that far.  You have no ID, do you?"  Bucky shook his head.  "Shouldn't be a problem unless they set up check stops if they're looking for you.  Then you would have to jump out of the truck and head out on your own."

"I'm okay with that," said Bucky.  "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Son, I fought in Afghanistan," he replied.  "I was captured by the Taliban and beaten to within an inch of my life but an older woman, much like Eleni, helped me when I escaped.  I don't judge a book by its cover.  You're soft spoken, polite and you've been as truthful with me as you can be.  Eleni said you helped her sister with that little bastard grandson of hers and that counts.  So yes, I'm sure I want to help you."

Bucky felt a lump of emotion in his throat and it must have shown because Eleni suddenly put her hand on his arm and smiled kindly at him.

"Eleni said she had some work for me to do," said Bucky.  "Can you find out what it is so I can get it done?"

Jerry spoke to Eleni in Greek and listened patiently then he turned to Bucky.  "She wants to enlarge the size of her garden but there are some big rocks that have to be moved," he repeated.  "She wants us both to move them to the side.  I know which ones she's talking about it as she's asked me about them before."

He led Bucky out to the garden where several large boulders were.  Jerry figured they could undermine one side of them and roll them over wooden logs to a place where they would be out of the way.  Bucky looked at them intently then kneeled down before the first one pushing it to get an idea of its weight.  Carefully he placed his titanium hand under it and with great effort lifted it up, cradling it close to his body.  Both Jerry and Eleni looked at him with amazement as he slowly walked it over to where she indicated.  When he dropped it the force cracked it into two pieces.

"Sorry," he said to the others.  "I hope she didn't want to keep it intact."

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Jerry.  "How strong are you?  That must have weighed several hundred kilos."

Bucky shrugged then went over to the second boulder.  It wasn't as heavy and he was able to carry it easily to where the first one was.  He went back for the third and easily transported it to its new location.  When he was done he looked at Eleni.

"More?" he asked.

"No," she smiled.  "You good boy, Iakobos."

She went back inside and began to make dinner for them all.  Bucky sat on one of the boulders, looking steadily at Jerry who was trying not to make eye contact with him as he considered what he had just witnessed.

"You're in no danger from me," said Bucky, calmly.  "I don't kill anymore, not for them, not for anyone."

"What did they do to you?" asked Jerry.  "Really, how did they make you become ... him?"

Bucky sighed.  "They tortured me, injected me with super soldier serum, and wiped the memories of my past then created a personality that could be controlled to do whatever they wanted," he said.  "Originally they had to use a machine to do it then they found a way to use verbal commands.  If they catch me they can still use the commands so I can't allow myself to be caught.  There are some places I can hide and get my memories sorted out.  I just have to get there first.  Some of the things they programmed me to do have come in handy; languages, stealth skills, staying under the radar.  But my physical presence is too noticeable.  I think you began to realize it was me when you saw me lift that heavy boulder."

Jerry nodded.  "I heard of the Taliban trying to brainwash captured POWs," he said.  "Saw some of them when they were repatriated.  They were broken men.  How do you stand it?"

"Sometimes I don't," replied Bucky.  "I have nightmares of the kills.  They made sure I remembered them.  Everyone I ever cared about from my past is dead, except for one person and I almost killed him.  I know he wants to help me but I'm afraid I'll succeed the next time I see him because the command is still there.  Are you going to turn me in?"

"Hell no," declared Jerry emphatically.  "I was a POW.  They keep after you and at some point you just want to give up, stop the pain, stop the assault on your senses.  If Miriam hadn't helped me I would have been one of those broken men.  Bucky, that's your real name, right?  I'll still take you to Kosovo.  Don't tell me where you're headed to after.  If I don't know I can't tell them, right?"

"Thank you," said Bucky gratefully.  "Do me a favour.  Don't tell Eleni who I am.  I kind of like being called a good boy."

Jerry agreed and the two men were called into dinner by the old woman.  Just like Maria had done she had cooked up a feast, pushing dish after dish on them until they both raised their hands in submission.  After a quiet evening where Bucky re-read Lacey's book, Jerry did paperwork and Eleni did mending it came time to go to bed.  Bucky said he would sleep on the floor as he was used to it.  Eleni put up a fuss but he insisted and she finally provided him with several blankets.  She went to her room while Jerry climbed the ladder to his attic room.  Sleep finally came and he slept until Eleni woke him from a nightmare that he couldn't remember.

"Iakobos," she said softly, touching his forehead.  "Wake, bad dream."

He sat up breathing heavily, looking straight ahead as he got his bearings, then he turned to Eleni.  "Sorry," he said.  "I did bad things before and I remember them."

She nodded in understanding and touched his left hand which had lost its glove.  "You not him any more," she said softly.  "You good boy."  He almost cried when she said that, knowing she had recognized him.  "Sleep in my bed, you safe here."

She helped him up and led him to her bed, leaving him there while she went back into the living area where she curled up on an armchair.  He slept until the morning when he heard her as she began preparing breakfast.  As they ate she made a lunch for both men to take on the road.  Before Bucky got into Jerry's truck she pulled a gold necklace out of her pocket and said something to Jerry.

"This was a necklace that was her brother's," he translated.  "She wants you to wear it for good luck."

Bucky protested when he saw it was a Greek Orthodox cross.  "I'm not religious," he said.  "It's gold, much too valuable to waste on me."

"Take it, mate," said Jerry.  "She likes you and this is her way of wishing good luck on you."

He consented and she made him lower his head as she undid the clasp and fastened it around his neck.  Standing in front if him she kissed both of Bucky's cheeks. 

"You good boy," she said, in the same voice as her sister. 

She said a prayer in Greek then crossed herself.  Jerry shrugged and told Bucky she had prayed for his safety.  He smiled then kissed her on both cheeks before saying thank you.  She stood outside her fence and watched as Jerry pulled away.  Bucky settled back in the passenger side, grateful for the ride.  Even though it took less than 8 hours by truck to Kosovo it would shave days off of Bucky's travel time.  When they arrived in Pristina, Jerry bought Bucky a meal then gave him some Euros at the warehouse where his next shipment was being loaded. 

"I wish it was more," he said.  "But you'll be able to keep yourself fed for a few days.  Good luck in getting your memories back.  Don't let them catch you."

"I'll do my best," replied Bucky, shaking Jerry's hand then he started walking east. 

Jerry was distracted by the loading dock supervisor and when he looked back Bucky was gone.  Shaking his head he returned his attention back to his truck and was soon on his way back to the UK.  Once Jerry turned away, Bucky ran to another truck stop and asked drivers there in English if any of them were driving to Bulgaria.  One of them said he was going to Sofia, agreeing to giving him a ride for money.  Bucky gave him some of the Euros to pay for it, reasoning that he could always steal food if he had to plus he still had the lunch that Eleni had given him which he could stretch out for several days.  Four and a half hours later the driver pulled into Sofia and although Bucky couldn't pick up a ride to Bucharest from another driver he was told the bus was cheap.  He went to the bus station, being careful to keep his face lowered wherever there was a security camera.  The bus ride was for the next day and he asked if there was a hostel nearby.  He spent the last of his money to stay at the hostel, sleeping poorly, while keeping his back pack close.  When he arrived at the bus station there were police but after observing them for a while he reasoned it was a normal presence and they weren't looking for him.  Acting like he belonged there he boarded the bus.  When it finally pulled out of the station he began to breathe normally again.  It was an 8 hour bus ride to Bucharest that passed uneventfully.  Once he arrived he sought out one of the abandoned safe houses, watching it for several hours before picking the lock and entering it.  His lips curled in distaste at the smell in the small flat.  It hadn't been used in a long time and food had spoiled in the fridge.  He wanted to clean it but he had been going for well over 24 hours and was exhausted.  After eating the last of the food that Eleni gave him he opened a window to air the place out, barricaded the door and stretched out on the mattress that passed for a bed.  As he fell asleep from exhaustion the thought crossed his mind that this would be his home for the foreseeable future.  Tomorrow he would look for work.

Chapter 5>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging. Comments are also appreciated.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #buckybarnes original female character #buckyontherun #kindness of strangers #james buchanan barnes fanfiction

[thewanderingace]

I have finally watched The Flux!!

God it took me ages to get through Thirteen's episodes. Some were good but overall I was bored a lot so it took me ages to get through season 11 and 12. But I just watched the last episode of the Flux tonight and now I'm going to randomly share my disconnected thoughts about it on this post.

Okay so overall I think I enjoyed this season! Which surprised me. I was so prepared to hate it after all the hate for the Flux I've seen on Tumblr or be super bored like I am with a lot of Chibnall's episodes but while it isn't my favorite thing I do think it was 13's best season. I didn't think I'd enjoy the Flux if I'm honest. Everything I read about it sounded dumb or confusing and yeah I'm still a bit confused by some stuff that was just not addressed but this isn't the first time the whole universe (or massive parts of it) have been wiped out so it's not exactly a new concept for the Doctor. But the connection with her and her past is new and I'm intrigued by it if I'm honest. And it gave Jodie some great stuff to work with. She was so good in this season. Way better than the previous two seasons just because she had a lot more to work with writing wise.

The individual plots for each episode are really good and kept my attention. I've loved the plot of the Sontarans waging war through time, the Lupari and their species bond with humanity, the whole thing with the Mouri, Swarm and Azure were cool villains, the star crossed lovers Vinder and Bel trying to find each other, the Weeping Angels taking a whole village, Dan and Yaz living 3 years in the early 1900s and doing Indiana Jones type of stuff. I even enjoyed the Division and the Flux plot.

Now while I overall liked all that, I still feel unsatisfied because there were a lot of potentially great stories but they were all crammed together into 6 episodes and none of them had time to be fleshed out properly and some of them didn't connect well and trying to follow it all was SO HARD. There's so much going on and so many seemingly unrelated plots happening all at once that it's so hard to keep track of. And I'm watching all these episodes back to back immediately after one another. I can't even imagine trying to keep up when this aired one a week. I'd be lost. I think this would have been amazing if they had gotten a full season and didn't have to cram it all into just 6 episodes. (this is why I'm worried about the new season coming which is only gonna have 8 episodes. DW needs more than 8 episodes)

I adore Dan by the way. I loved him from his first scene and every second after has just been lovely. He's super sweet and I love his accent and that he's apparently so selfless that he'd rather give all his food to others than have any for himself. He's taking all this alien stuff so well too. He just got kidnapped by a giant dog and hasn't had a moments break since but he's cool. I like him best out of all of 13's companions so far. Too bad he barely had any episodes. That's a shame. Looking forward to watching these last 3 episodes with him though.

Vinder and Bel? I LOVE THEM BOTH!!!!! Talk about star crossed lovers! I'd watch a whole show just about those two.

Dan and Yaz living for three years in the early 1900s?? I WANT TO LEARN MORE!!!! How did they get out of the village that was surrounded by space? Why was it surrounded by space? Dan as the stowaway is hilarious and has to sleep under the bed in the ship XD.

Chibnall throwing every recurring species he can think of was nuts but in a fun way. Daleks, Sontarans, Cybermen, Ood, Weeping Angels, etc.

Kinda lame that Tecteun was just taken out so easily. I wanted the Doctor to do it in a very Doctor way. Like what 10 did to the Family of Blood ya know?

And that's all I got for now. 3 more episodes to go for 13's run!

#doctor who #the flux #thirteenth doctor #13th doctor #stephs stuff #mod post

[humble-firstmate]

Jonny! Again! Hello, hello!

- The Toy Soldier, @ask-a-wooden-man

Hey, TS.

Did Nastya modify a tablet or something so you'd be able to type? Didn't think your fingers would work on a touch screen.

@ask-a-wooden-man

#addressing the stowaways #ask-a-wooden-man

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

UPDATE 01 Nov 2023

Been getting a lot of Asks about whether I'm continuing certain fics, and I want to address that I AM still actively working on then.

Without getting too personal, there are some issues at home right now, and my writing time has been limited as a result, but I'm still cranking out at least a few hundred words a day on my active projects (including Strawhat Stowaway, Blacksmith's Daughter, Hearing Problems, another multi-headcanon, and ABCs of Kink in general).

I'm glad you guys are being patient with me, and I'm really sorry it's taking so long for me to update. Just bear with me for now. Real life is a bitch right now and I'm doing my best to get things finished and posted.

Love you guys ❤️ You sincerely make my days brighter and more bearable, so thank you for that.

[pocketsizedquasar]

If you’re willing to share, what sorts of changes are you going to be making to Fedallah and the other Asian crew members? (I’m reading Moby Dick for class right now, and Melville’s racism blindspots are really interesting)

hello! this is an excellent question, and one which i’m constantly in the process of wondering how to address.

melville’s racism is rampant in moby dick. even as he tries to write consciously abt race & capitalism, he still perpetuates racist, orientalist, etc stereotypes and beliefs, with all his characters of color. queequeg hardly ever gets to speak for himself, and instead is spoken over by the white narrator. the three officers, all white men, get introduced with backstories and personalities and nuance, while the harpooners, all nonwhite, are introduced via reductive stereotypes and descriptions that center almost exclusively on their “exotic” bodies. the officers all get last words, final soliloquies, as they die, and the harpooners get no such respect. ahab & fedallah’s filipino crew are regularly described as demonic and referred to with pejorative anti-asian language. pip’s suffering as a Black character at the hands of a white supremacist is treated as some divine revelation, & pretty much exclusively is used to further the (ostensibly) white ahab’s anguish.

and fedallah himself — a textbook orientalist caricature of a ~spooky exotic persian man~, whose prophecies and ~satanic~ tendencies plague and doom the narrative.

(putting under a cut bc this got long)

i’ve tried to deal with much of melville’s racism through my comic by expanding on the gaps — like you said, the blind spots — that melville left. queequeg, tashtego, and daggoo all get to speak for themselves and to each other; they exist beyond their relationship to the white characters; i’ve tried my best to deliberately ensure the cast of the pequod is diverse and full of characters of color as whole & non caricatured & authentic as i can. this includes the filipino stowaways who we later discover are ahab & fedallah’s oarsmen.

i’ve mentioned this a bit in the past, but i’m trying to draw a line between moby dick’s watsonian or in-universe racism (stubb being a racist dickhead to, well, everyone, but especially pip & fedallah), vs it’s doylist or out-of-universe or authorial racism (melville calling queequeg a s*vage and referring to pip as “bright” in the way “blacks” are bright). so while i’ll keep the fact that stubb is a racist asshole, i’m not going to treat queequeg and pip the way melville did. characters in moby dick: or, the webcomic (henceforth MDOTW) are racist, but hopefully, if i’ve done my job right, the narrative itself is not. 

i’m not going to get this right every time, but i’m hoping i’m doing an okay job.

fedallah specifically is...difficult. he is also deeply personal to me as a persian person & someone w zoroastrian roots in my family. the stereotypes to which melville reduces him are ones that i’ve directly dealt with in my life.

some things i can do to fix fedallah are simple: design choices such as getting rid of melville’s stupid matted hair thing & giving him a proper & period-accurate hair covering, etc. some are more difficult — the things that make fedallah a racist caricature (ie the mysticism and prophetic bullshit) are also the things that mark his role in the plot: his prophecies are important foreshadowing, and they do come true.

some of the things i have done to mitigate this:

-- the design choices i mentioned earlier . no more fucken weird visual orientalist caricature. he is a person and will look like one jfc

-- fedallah is not the only middle eastern character in MDOTW. i have made a very deliberate and conscious choice to cast ahab as nonwhite, particularly a middle eastern man. (i’ve waffled back & forth abt the specific ethnicity, but). i read an essay ages back called ‘the question of race in moby dick’ by fred v. bernard which made the case for reading ahab (and ishmael, tho that’s not the point of this post) as mixed Black, and since then i’ve had trouble reading ahab as white. i’ve talked a lot about how the take of ahab as just “privileged dude leading everyone to their doom” is sort of the most boring one for me; it’s certainly a valid reading of the text, but not particularly interesting. what’s more interesting to me is how the world in which ahab lives is legitimately an awful one — violent and colonialist and capitalist — and how ahab tries in his own deeply flawed ways to fight that world. in what ways is ahab’s rally against the white whale a rally against whiteness itself, and capitalism and colonialism and all these systems that have caused his trauma etc etc? but i digress — my point here is that i personally get even more from this narrative by casting ahab as nonwhite. i’ve made him swana as a persian person myself — i don’t feel equipped as a nonBlack person to tell this specific story about ahab if he were Black — but also because there are a lot of things about ahab where him being arab or persian makes a lot of sense. one of them being his relationship with fedallah, certainly, but also the way he describes religion, his relationship with fire (slash the worship of fire) etc etc lend to this. this also means, back to the original point, that fedallah no longer has to bear the burden of sole representative for this group of people. it allows the two of them to feed off each other. it also allows another dimension to their relationship — how does ahab know fedallah? why does ahab trust fedallah so much? well, the solidarity of being two persian or two swana people in this hellscape of USian whaling certainly is a compelling reason

-- and along those lines, making fedallah more of a person than just a vessel for spooky cryptic nonsense. sure, stubb and flask might not-so-jokingly speculate on how he’s the devil in disguise and keeps his tail tucked into his pants, and sure he might make a weird comment about how ahab can only die by rope on a ship full of hempen rigging, but what else is he? does he care for ahab? are they friends? what does he think about the white whale (bc we know what starbuck and ahab and stubb and etc etc think about it)? what is he gaining or losing from this? can i put him up as a foil against starbuck — the voice of reason, begging ahab to turn back — vs him seemingly egging ahab on? almost baiting him to continue? who is fedallah beyond his prophecies? does he believe his own prophecies? is there a way i can depart from those prophecies even further, and not have to rely on them so much to push the narrative forward?

tl;dr to answer your question, what am i changing about fedallah? oh god. hopefully lots of things. hopefully enough.

#moby dick #melville #herman melville #whale weekly #captain ahab #ahab #fedallah #racism #mobydick #quasartalks #quasarwrites #ask #i-think-strange-things #long post #unsurprisingly this got very long #i like ishmelville do not know how to shut up #also the bolding is mostly just to make the readability easier since ik that can be an accessibility issue for some #when large blocks of text aren't broken up by any differentiation #lmk if this is readable and if there are more questions cause i'm happy to talk more about any and all of this

[bebepac]

The Good Part

Series:  The Rotten Apple 🍎 The Book:  TRH and Beyond! The Pairings:  Eleanor x Nico / Eleanor x M!OC) / Liam x Riley Word Count: 4940 Warnings and Ratings:  Teen: Mentions of mental illness, mention of character deaths Song Inspiration:  The Good Part by AJR Summary: Nico comes to visit Eleanor and unknowingly brings a stowaway.  Eleanor leaves the hospital to begin a new life in Greece. 

Original Post: 08/21/22 at 10:50PM EST. 

A/N:  We are finally here at the first installment of the finale of this series.  Again, I am really content with the story I’ve presented to you all so far, and I hope that you have enjoyed it too, and look forward to the conclusion for this little family I have created for Eleanor.  

“Eleanor you’re beaming.”

“I’ve never felt quite like this before.”

“Tell me about what you’re feeling. Is it Nicolas? I heard he had visited."

Ellie’s smile widened.  

“Nico wants me to come home to him and our daughter, Doctor Stanley.  I didn’t think I had a home anywhere anymore.”

“How does that make you feel, Eleanor?”

“Incredibly happy.”  Her smile faded.  “Also sad at the same time.”

“Why sad?”  

“Because I wonder, why does he love me? Why do they love me?”

“Why shouldn’t he? Why wouldn't they?”  

"My own mother doesn't even love me, and she was supposed to be that person I was supposed to have an unbreakable bond with. She was supposed to unconditionally love me and she doesn’t. My father loves me now, only because he got to know me, but if he had known I wasn't his genetic child, he wouldn't have wanted me either. Do you know how hard it has been for me to find my own path in the world, when I know my parents would have ended my life before it began, because of my true lineage? I wasn't supposed to be in this world at all, Doctor Stanley."

"But you are Eleanor, so what are you going to do with that?"

“Try to change, because I’ve done horrible things that I’m sure you’re aware of. I am a bad person. I want to be the person they deserve.”

“Eleanor, look at me.”  

Elle’s downcast eyes slowly drifted up to meet the eyes of her therapist.

“You are the person they deserve. But, you’ve also had horrible things happen to you.  You were fractured long before  you committed those crimes, and that was not your fault. It wasn’t. Being fractured does not make you bad, evil, or unworthy of love.  It just makes you… a person. People fracture in a lot of ways, some are just not as clear as what happened to you.  You said you were ready?”

“Yes."

"Then let's continue on this path talking about this, you’re doing great. This is exactly what I want you to do, you need to address these thoughts and feelings you have. You have to understand and acknowledge them, all of it!  Grieve for it if you must,  and move past them, to get to a healthier place. I believe you can get to a healthier place.  One of the things we have to do which I know that really upsets you, is we have to talk more about your mother; A lot more.  It’s not going to be easy, but it’s something we have to do. You have to forgive her, and yourself.”

“I don’t know how….”

“It’s going to take time Eleanor.”    

Doctor Stanley increased Elle’s therapy sessions  as Elle was finally benefitting from them, and talking during her sessions.  After a month they were really beginning to make headway.  Doctor Stanley thought it would be a very positive thing for Elle’s recovery for Nico to come back and visit, but also bring Ana with him.  Elle refused.  Doctor Stanley had already spoken to Nico and when he called her that evening,  he tried to convince Elle as well.  

“Elle please.”

“No Nico.”

“Don’t make me tell her no.”  

“It’s out of the question. NO.”  

“Doctor Stanley promised me they can make a nice little area for us to visit.  We could even have a little picnic together, by the lake.  Why don’t you let them show you what  they can do for us, and then you can make your decision?”

“Because I don’t want our daughter to ever be near a building like this.  Not even if she is coming to see me.  This is not the place where I want her to meet me for the first time.”  

“Elle, she’s not meeting you for the first time.”

“Birth doesn’t count Nico.  Those first three months of her life don’t count because she doesn’t remember me from that. I am the only one with memories of her.”

“Elle, she knows I’m coming to see you.  She’s going to be so hurt when I tell her no.”

“It’s for the best. You understand why, right?"

"I do Elle, but  you're not the one who has to tell her no and see the look on her face. She doesn't care where we are Elle, just so long as we're all together. She just wants to see you, Elle. You're all she talks about now."

"I care Nico, and she will see me, when I…."

"Come home. You can say it Elle. It's going to happen.  You have to believe it too."

"When I come home."

"I don't agree with you doing this Elle, but I understand why you feel this way. I'll see you on Saturday."

After hanging up with Elle he walked into Ana's room where she was reading a book. Nico sat on the edge of her bed.

Since he didn't speak, Ana ignored him and continued reading. But Nico was trying to find the right words to gently break the news to Ana.

"Ana?"

With a little sigh first, Ana looked up from her book as if she had been interrupted. Nico was getting sass from both the main women in his life.

"Yes Papa?"

"I want to talk to you about Saturday."

Ana's face immediately brightened and excitement completely illuminated her face.

"We're going to see Mommy! I can't wait! Can I wear my pink dress with the green flowers?"

"Honeybee, Mommy thinks it's best for you to wait until she's able to come home so she can see you."

The look on Ana's face broke his heart, when her eyes filled with tears.

"Mommy doesn't want to see me?"

"No! That's not it at all. Mommy just wants to wait so we can all have fun together and eat ice cream, and swim in the ocean. Stuff we can do here together,  that we can't do there.  Mommy can't wait to see you."

"Then you don't want me to go?"

"Ana, I want you to see Mommy. I know you want to go with me."

"Then let me go with you Papa, and we can surprise Mommy."

"Not this time Honeybee, I'm sorry."

He went to gently rub Ana's arm, she pushed him away.

"Ana, please don't be like that with me."

Ana turned away from him, cuddling one of her teddy bears. Nico gently rubbed her back.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!" Ana screamed.  Nico pulled his hand away and  abruptly stood, walking towards the door, but he paused when he heard Ana's little sniffles.

"Honeybee…" He whispered softly.

"Go away Papa."

Nico softly closed the door behind him, leaning against it.

When Saturday morning rolled around,  Ana didn't even want to eat breakfast with him before he left;  Ana had plans of her own.

Elle

"Thank you for this, it's beautiful, Dr. Stanley."

"We had some clothes here for family visits, and this one looked like it would fit you.  It's not much, I know you are used to garments made from finer materials than this.”

“That was a lifetime ago, it feels like, and to be honest a lot of it is overrated. Trust me when I say, I will never wear a corseted ball gown ever again. To be honest, I never felt very comfortable in that type of clothing anyway.”

Dr. Stanley smiled.  

“We still want to give you access to the lake area for the afternoon, Since you and Nicolas look to be rekindling your relationship.  It could be a nice little romantic afternoon for the two of you.”

Elle smiled.  “I was thinking so too.”  

“As long as you keep it PG.”  

“Duly noted.”  

Elle felt nervous getting ready.  It was the first time she had seen Nico since his declaration of love…their declaration of love.

 In the weeks that followed, she had been showered with calls from him and letters from both him, and Ana.  

Ana.

Her little girl.  The last time saw her in the flesh she could cradle her in her arms, and was dependent on her, for her very survival. 

 Now she was an independent child that could walk, talk, feed herself; she had grown up. Elle had missed so much.

She had spoken to Ana multiple occasions. When Nico gave Ana the phone to let her talk to Elle, he could barely get the phone back.  Ana became a chatterbox and would recount for Elle everything she could remember from the last time they spoke. Elle loved every second of it, learning about Ana’s school, her cousins, the family, and every little thing her daughter thought was important enough to tell her.  It was almost overwhelming for her to be showered with so much affection, but Nico and Ana were her family.

Staff had given  Elle a little makeup which she used sparingly on her skin.  It had been quite some time since Elle had worn her hair loose, she thought Nico might like that.   Once Elle was ready  she grabbed the little pink teddy bear before she left her room.  It made her think of Ana, and she knew they would be talking about her a lot.  She felt she needed that little extra comfort today.  

Ana

Papa thought he was smart but so was she. Ana had an idea and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.  

Ana had packed her little overnight bag the night before. She went to the closet and picked up her dress she wanted to wear for Mommy. She slipped it on and tied a little green ribbon in her hair the way her father had taught her to. She had one chance to get this right. 

Ana waited until she heard the boat whistle to hop out of the window, to land on the porch, her foot falls masked by the loud whistle, and she ran as fast as her feet could carry her for her father's vehicle, using the spare key fob to unlock the vehicle. Papa always had a blanket in back, the perfect thing for her to hide under. She was great at hiding, and Papa wouldn't find her until it was too late.  She was going to see Mommy today and nobody could stop her.  Ana curled up into a tiny ball under the blanket, waiting for her father to leave.

Nico and Mama K

"Where is Ana? She's usually an early riser like you."

"She's still angry with me Mama. She wants to see Elle, but Elle doesn't want her to come to see her at the hospital."

"Children have funny memories sometimes. There are memories that you have of your father where you only remember the good parts. Or parts you remember of our family you remember the good parts. Do you remember that camping trip we had in the backyard?  When we had flashlights and ate food we cooked by the fire?"

Nico smiled recollecting that time with his mother and sisters.

"Yes, it was one of my favorite weekends that we ever spent as a family."

"Nico, we had no electricity and barely any food. That's why we 'camped' outside. The temperature was cooler outside than it was in the house. You don't remember that part do you?"

"No…"

"I really don't think Ana would mind where she was or remember what you and Elle think are the big details if it was just you, Elle, and her, and she is spending time with her family."

Nico glanced at Ana's closed door.  

"Are you going to say goodbye to her?"

Nico went up to her door and  sheepishly knocked.

"Ana? I'm getting ready to leave. May I have a hug?"

There was silence on the other end.

"I know you're sad, and mad at me, and I'm sorry for that. I love you Honeybee."

There was still no response from Ana; He turned to face his mother.

"She's never been this angry with me that she just won't speak to me before.  I'm just going to let  her be. Give her a little space Mama. She was so upset. Can you make her favorite meal for me, and give her a kiss and a hug?"

"Of course Nico. She'll be fine. Talk to Elle. Tell her about your childhood. She will understand."

She glanced at the door, laughing softly.

"Wait until she's a teenager. All those emotions! And when she wants to start dating."

Mama K's laughter increased with the absolutely mortified look on Nico's face.

"She's not dating until she's thirty."

"But Elle will be there to help you with that part."

"I hope so, Mama."

Nico walked up to the vehicle, using his key fob to unlock the door.

The doors were already unlocked, which wasn't odd, but he was pretty sure the last time he had gotten out of his vehicle he locked it. Nico decided since his bag was small he decided to put it on the back seat, instead of in the trunk.  In a few moments he was on his way.

The soft music and her father's singing lulled Ana to sleep in the back of the vehicle where she was hiding.

When Ana woke again, it was because her tummy was growling. 

She had packed a snack and her favorite juice, eating silently as possible under the covers.

Nico's phone started ringing.

Nico slammed on the brakes, causing Ana to spill her juice.

"Mama, what do you mean Ana isn't there?!?" She has to be." Nico’s voice was panicked.

"She's not here, I have looked everywhere for her."

"Did you check her hiding place she likes to go and read?"

"Yes Nico, she's not there."

Nico cursed under his breath and sighed.

"I'm going to turn around and come back home. Elle will have to understand this is an emergency."

Nico smelled the strong scent of pineapple juice throughout the vehicle, Ana’s favorite juice that she loved to drink.

"Mama hold on a moment."

Nico had pulled his SUV over and got out walking back to the vehicle's trunk.  Ana  tried to stay as still as she could under the blanket.

"Ana?"

She didn't respond, but he noticed the blanket move a little. Nico yanked the blanket away.

"Ana!"

“Papa.”  

"Mama! She's fine, she hid in my trunk! I'll call you back."

He looked down at Ana. His voice was stern when he spoke, but he truly wasn't angry with her, only angry for the fact she disobeyed him.

“Ana, I told you, it was for the best that you not come with me this time around.”

"I’m sorry, I just wanted to see her Papa, and I spilled my drink on my dress. I wanted to look pretty for Mommy, but I messed up.”  

Ana burst into tears.  

“Oh, Honeybee….”  

Nico didn't hesitate for a moment and picked Ana up from the trunk, hugging her close to him, gently rubbing her back.

“Shhhh… it’s alright.  We’ll get you cleaned up okay? It's not the dress that makes you pretty Honeybee. Mommy will think you're beautiful just as you are, just like I do. I promise.”  

“Is Mommy going to be mad at me?”  

“No Honeybee, she won't.”  

If anything, Nico was pretty sure that she would be upset with him.  He wiped Ana’s tears  carrying her around to the back seat.

“Sit in your seat, I need to make a quick call.”

He stepped away from the vehicle, making a call  to Elle’s doctor explaining the situation to Doctor Stanley.

“Nico, I believe Eleanor can handle it.  She really wants to see Ana, but she is so afraid of Ana being close  to the hospital.  It’s almost like she has an irrational fear that the hospital is going to infect Ana with mental illness.”

“I know it’s short notice, but can you make up the area the way you all had planned for us?”

“Yes, and we'll add a few special things for Ana as well.”  

“Thank you. I am so incredibly grateful for the things you are doing for us.”  

“You’re welcome Nicolas.  All these years, all the patients I’ve had, no one has made quite the impression on me that Eleanor has.  I’ve met the deplorable that aren’t worth redemption, that shouldn’t be given a second chance in society.  That’s never been Eleanor from the moment I met her, even though she tried to hide her true self all this time.  I’ll be on standby just in case you all need me, but I don’t think you will.  Eleanor wants to see her daughter desperately. I think it’s a good thing you had a little stowaway. This might be the push Eleanor needs to drive her over the threshold, seeing what she could truly have with the two of you, what it could be like, to really push herself that much harder towards healing herself.”

“Thank you again."

He went back to check on Ana. They stopped so that he could help Ana get cleaned up, and they drove to the ferry that would take them into Portavira. Both were nervous and excited, they were going to see Elle.

Elle

Elle sat at the small decorated picnic table facing the gate, waiting patiently for Nico to arrive, so she could see him the moment he walked through.   She glanced around the area, there was an adorable little spot that was set up for a picnic,  even a swing,  and some games. She didn’t think she would be playing the games with Nico, but she remembered he liked to play chess. Elle was horrible at it.  

Elle stood when she saw him walk through the gate, she smiled and waved when his eyes met hers. Nico smiled back at her.  The gate remained open and  Nico reached out his hand.  Ana walked  through the gate, taking his hand, and they proceeded towards Elle. The smile had faded  from Elle’s face, replaced with a look of shock.

Nico’s heart was racing, Elle’s eyes were fixed on Ana.

“That’s my Mommy?” Ana asked him. Nico paused, kneeling down to her smiling in Elle’s direction.

“Yes, that’s your Mommy. She's beautiful isn't she?”  

Ana nodded.

“She looks like a goddess Papa.”  

Elle was beautiful in her simplicity.  She was wearing a long flowing off the shoulder flower printed dress, and tan colored sandals.  Her hair pinned up on one side by flowers and the rest cascaded over her shoulders and down her back.  

“I always thought so too. Let's go say hi to her. She's waiting on us for once. Are you ready?”

Ana patted down her hair, and straightened her dress.  

"I'm ready Papa."

They walked over to where Elle was standing.

"Nico…"

"Elle.."

"Please don't be mad at Papa.  I didn't obey, because I wanted to see you."

"You wanted to see me?" Elle asked, her eyes filled with tears.

Ana nodded. "May I hug you Mommy?"

"I would really like that."

Ana  let go of Nico's hand to throw her arms around Elle.

Finally the tears  that filled her eyes rolled down her cheeks in rivers, as she hugged Ana.  Nico stepped forward to wipe Elle's tears.

"I'm sorry… this is what I really wanted." She whispered to him. Ana’s grip around her tightened.

"Well good thing, your daughter is just as stubborn as you."

"Good thing."  Elle directed her attention to Ana.  “What would you like to do first?  I don’t have much here, but  we could eat lunch, we could play games, maybe swing for a little bit.”

“You can pick Honeybee, whatever you want us to do first.”  

“Can we eat? I’m hungry.”

“I knew you’d say that.  She didn’t eat breakfast.”

“I’m glad you said that, I’m hungry too. I didn’t eat breakfast either. And you’ll have to tell me how you got into your Papa’s car without him seeing you.”  

Nico sat at the table thinking Ana would sit next to him, instead she sat  close to Elle.

“Is she allergic to anything Nico?”

“No she isn’t, and she’s not a picky eater at all.”  

“Giagiá is the best cook.  Papa cooks okay.”

“Papa cooks just okay?!?!?!  You always clean your plate when I cook for you!!!”

Elle laughed.  

“Can you cook?”  Ana asked her.

“Ana.” Nico’s voice was slightly stern when he saw the embarrassed blush on Elle’s cheeks.

“It’s okay, Nico.  No Ana, I don’t know how,  but I can learn.”

“That’s okay, I can help, so can Papa, and Giagiá won’t let us be hungry.”  

Elle smiled and eyes widened as Ana told the story of how she had sneaked out of the house early that morning and hid in the back of Nico’s car.  

Nico smiled as Ana  continued talking to Elle.  

He had never seen Ana open up so much to someone almost so immediately, or Elle for that manner.

She chuckled harder at Nico’s surprised face, and his slack jaw.  

“You are quite the escape artist.”  

Elle smiled. “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.  That sounds like your Papa.”

Ana rested her head on Elle.  Elle seemed surprised at first but embraced her.  

“I’m so glad you’re here right now Ana.”  

After they ate, they played checkers, then with the frisbee. Both Elle and Ana took off their sandals to run and play in the grass.  As much  as Nico had wanted to spend some time with Elle to figure out what all this was truly going to mean for them,  he knew this time with them together rebonding was more important. He had Ana for years, Elle only had the afternoon getting to know their daughter.  So Nico let go of the little twinges of jealousy he had with Ana choosing to be close to Elle, and he  hung back and let Ana and Elle have that special time together.

“I have something for you.  If you don’t like it, that's okay; I’ll understand.  You might not even like them anymore.”  

“Like what?”  Ana inquired.

Elle held out the little pink teddy bear for Ana to take.

“It used to be yours when you were a baby, but you left it.  So I kept it for you.  It used to smell like you.”  

“I love it!  Thank you!”  Ana hugged Elle again, then afterwards hugged the bear close breathing in the bear’s fur.

“Now it smells like you Mommy.”  

Ana was the very best parts of the two of them. Nico had been a wonderful father to her.  Elle could not be sad or upset that though her daughter had missed her, she had really flourished in Nico’s care.  Nico had surrounded her with family and love.  

“I think there’s a hammock swing calling our name.”  

“Yes, that sounds perfect.”

They all got into the hammock, getting comfortable in the warm afternoon air.  Ana cuddled closer to Elle, resting her head on Elle’s chest.  

Ana in turn pulled Nico's arm to drape over her, and Elle, causing him to pull the two of them closer to him in an embrace.  Ana was quite the little match maker. She always had been.  Elle thought back to that night Nico held them both in his arms, so she could get some rest. Elle closed her eyes for a moment.  They were her little family.  They were hers.  Elle felt safe, and content.  

“Papa, tell me our story.”  

“You’ve heard it a thousand times Honeybee.”  

“Then we can hear it a thousand plus one times!”  

“Fine fine fine.  I’ll tell it only if you help me tell it. Will you help me, Honeybee?”  

“Yes Papa I will!!!”  

“Okay, we’ll take turns.  I’ll start us off.  Once upon a time there was a very beautiful princess, who lived in a castle, and she was the fairest of them all.”  

“That’s you Mommy.”  

Elle listened to both Nico and Ana take turns telling parts of the story,  the story of the two of them, in a way that Ana could understand; He had even told her about Nicolai.  He had been so very honest with Ana, over the years about everything.

"What happens next?” Elle asked during the pause.

“It’s your turn Honeybee.”  

Ana was silent.

"Honeybee?" Nico whispered.

“I think she fell asleep, Nico, with her ear to my heart like she used to do when she was a baby.  It’s like she remembers that.”  

“Honestly, I think deep down she does.  She’s shy around people, Elle and seeing the way she just opened up to you so immediately is very uncharacteristic of her. I know my daughter. I watch her very closely. She is only that open with people she knows. That part of her is you, Elle.  She is very similar to you, and it runs deeper than just her features. I used to read a lot, and wondered what she would remember, if she could remember you.  Everything I read said she would forget.  But for the longest time, before she could talk, and even after she began speaking, she would just look around the room, almost frantic at times, like she was looking for something, for someone, and I firmly believe in my soul, she was looking for you Elle, and she looked heartbroken that she couldn’t find you.”  

“Nico…”  

“So, on her first birthday, I started telling her about you, in the form of a bedtime story.”  

“Thank you for being the father to her that I knew you would be.  I heard my father visits her.”  

“He does.”

“Alone?”  

“Yes.”  

“I figured as much.”  

“Elle… Queen Riley….”  

Elle’s body tensed in his arms.  

“I don’t want to talk about her, not here, not now.”  

Ana woke up a little while later, and Elle knew  they would be coming out soon  to take her back inside. She made the best of the remaining time they had together, now that Ana was awake again.  When the sun was starting to set, two orderlies headed in their direction.  It was time. Elle glanced at Nico.

“Ana, it’s time for us to go.”  

“But I don’t want to.  I want to stay.”  

Elle kneeled.  “I know. I don’t want  either of you to go.  But we’ll be together again soon, I promise. Until then, Lady Cupcake can keep you company.”  

“Lady Cupcake?”  

“Yes, I gave Lady Cupcake lots of hugs, so when you hug her, she’ll give one of my hugs back to you.  So it will be like you’re hugging me while you’re away.  But for now, can I have one more hug before you go, one that I can hold on to?”

Nico stood back letting the two hug each other.  When it was his turn, he embraced Elle once more.  

“We’ll be back in a few weeks.”

“Alright.”  

“Aren’t you going to kiss her Papa?”  

“She’s a little matchmaker like her Aunt Liberty.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”  Nico whispered.    

Both laughed for a moment before their eyes met.  

Nico slipped his arms around her.  “I mean look where we are right now.”

“You’re exactly right.”  

Elle closed her eyes when Nico closed in for a kiss, setting her whole body on fire.  

Elle didn’t want to let go of him when the kiss deepened, but was compelled to after a few moments when she heard one of the orderlies lightly clear their throat.  Elle pulled away from him.  

“I have to go.”  She whispered.

Nico pulled her close, kissing her again for a few moments.  He pulled away when he heard them call her name.  

“We’ll see you in a few weeks.”  

“I’ll be waiting.”

Elle watched Nico and  Ana until they were at the gate, before she headed inside.  

Doctor Stanley was correct in her assumption, Elle seeing Ana and Nico and having that time together and subsequent times afterwards had emotionally propelled Elle to push herself in ways leading her towards a healthy lifestyle outside of the hospital.

“What if I can’t do it?”  

“But what if you can, why are you afraid of that Eleanor?”  

“Because she needs me, and I don’t want to disappoint her.  I don’t want her to hate me, because I can’t give her what she needs. I don’t want to lose her. Lose them again.”  

“You won’t.  You are not your mother Eleanor.  Do you realize, from the moment Ana was born, actually before she was born, you have put her first?  You have been selfless, and you chose to be here when this was not where you wanted to be, because you wanted a life with your daughter someday.  You can do this Eleanor.  Greece is where you need to be, with your family.  You said the happiest time of your life was when you spent time with Nico in Greece, and when the two of you were caring for Ana.”

“Yes.”  

“You can have it all Eleanor, you’ll be home before your daughter’s eighth birthday.”  

“I could make her a cake.  I don’t know how, but I know I could do it.”  

“You can do it.  Nico will be here in the morning to pick you up.”  

“He’s in Portavira already?”  

“Yes he’s here.  Here is the name of a therapist locally to you, that you will start weekly  check ins with.”

“This is really happening isn’t it?”

“Yes it is, Eleanor you’re going home.”

Since Elle was leaving this part of her life behind, she decided to donate most of her clothes.  She had come to the hospital with the clothes on her back, now she was leaving the same way.  

“Ready to go home?”  Nico asked.

“Yes. Let’s go home.”  

#bebepac writes #the rotten apple 🍎 #elle x nico #evil ellie rys #evil drake #choices fanfiction #fic of the week #choices fic writers creations #choices fanfic #choices fandon #crown princess ellie

[starry-blue-echoes]

Anne the stowaway girl 19. [blank] / dealer's choice

I like Anne a lot :>

before they sent her off, Jotaro wrote down his address and gave it to her so she could send letters and still be in contact, just in case. He made her promise to send a letter once she got back home, but let her know that he probably wouldn't be able to respond for a while and to be patient

Fast forward a few weeks Post Dio's defeat. He's exhausted, much more traumatized, grieving and generally trying to figure out how to exist now......

and then his mother gives him a letter. She said it had arrived while he'd been gone but she didn't open it because it wasn't addressed to her

And it's Anne. She tells him that she's home, that he'd better send a letter back and to not even try ignoring her because if he does then she'll make her way to Japan just to yell at him

and over the next couple years they just. Keep in contact. It takes years before they actually meet in person again, but Jotaro has every single one of her letters saved in a special folder

#she's just a silly little shit and I love her #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #stardust crusaders #jjba part 3 #jjba anne #anne #jjba jotaro #jotaro kujo #sb answers #pokegirl0238 #ask game #also yEAH LAST ONE >:D

[ask-the-becile-boys]

Alright! If it's the end, it's time to tell you the truth >:D

Hare! In addition to being 'oblique', you are also a stowaway. At least, we use your name to address to those who don't pay for their ticket and sit quietly, unnoticeable. Like a hare in the snow 🐇

The question is, how is it that your name suits you so perfectly? Even within the natural world. I mean, bunnies are adorable and domestic, and so is Rabbit. And hares are badass and kick-ass and real tough guys and - oh my god! - have ya seen their CLAWS?! I swear, if they showed me two picture with you and a 'fuzzy bastard', I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I have a weird way of making compliments, yeah.

<3

#becile bots #hare becile #becile bots farewells #alreorem