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fernshawart · 2 years

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How to write a cane user character

(Written by a cane user)

A few months ago, I wrote a small guide on good disabled characters and why they were good that gathered quite the attention, and I thought that doing another more specific guide this time would be interesting for writers or just people that are curious ! This guide will include general informations, some things to do, some things to avoid and some ideas that might revolve cane users's lives.

Things to know about cane users

Cane users are pretty diverse, and putting us in little boxes usually isn't the best idea if you want to make a character that has substance and isn't just "the disabled one". Here some infos about cane users that might be helpful knowledge !

Canes don't have ages. Most cane users in media are portrayed to be old, but truly, anyone can have the need to wield a cane ! I've been using mine ever since I was 17.

Can users can have a large variety of problems for their canes. Some canes are used to avoid pain from effort. Some canes are used for balance purposes. Some canes are to make walking less exhausting (works the same as walking sticks !) And sometimes, it's multiple problems at once.

Not everyone needs their cane 24/7. Some always need it, some can make small efforts without it but overall often need it, and some people, like me, can spend quite a lot of time without it. I almost never use my cane in my house, and mostly take it outside !

People with canes can run. We're not necessarily slow, I'm even faster than a lot of my friends.

Not using a cane can come with consequences, but not always. Some people might be able to walk without a cane but then suffer horrible consequences, but for others, canes are just a commodity for specific occasions.

Canes don't have to be looked down upon. Look at some characters with canes that look cool as hell ! Arsène Lupin, Roguefort Cookie, Brook ... Their canes serve their style !

We can be pretty healthy. Some people can have canes just because they were born with a bent leg and that's it. Our cane doesn't define our health status.

Canes aren't a curse. Think of them as something positive. It's a tool to make our lives better. You don't see someone sitting on a chair and think "awh, it's sad that they need a chair". It's more something like "hey it's cool that this chair is here so they can sit down"

Things to do

Make them use their cane. And when I mean use, I mean that canes are just funky long sticks usually made out of metal. Have fun with it ! Let them use it as a weapon ! Trust me, one hit in the knees with a cane and you're DOWN. Use it to reach stuff that's too high for everyone ! Have fun. Be creative.

Let them decorate their cane. It's an extension of their body ! You usually put on clothes that you like, don't you ? It's the same for a cane. If they like cutesy stuff, let them paint in it pastel colors ! If they like a more flashy style, add some stickers on it ! If they're a fancy person, give them a beautiful crafted cane with jewels on it !

You can make them a little shy or uneasy about their cane. Some people don't feel worthy of confident enough to wield one. It's not rare to see people think they're "not disabled enough to do so"

But on the other hand, you can do the complete opposite !! Make them proud of that cane ! Make them act like they're feeling pretty and more confident with it ! One thing i like to think about with my own cane is that I look like a cool gentleman. That boosted my confidence immensely.

Things to avoid

Don't make it their whole world. And by that, I do not mean that their cane shouldn't be a defining trait of their personality. Think of Toph from ATLA. She is blind, and you usually can't think of her character without describing her as blind. However, that isn't her entire personality trait. Make cane users have a goal in life, friends who enjoy them for who they are and not just pity them, have fun ... Don't just make them the disabled one.

Don't try to make the character's life just a plain disaster unless it's the focus of your story and you really know what you're talking about. Having a character who's always in pain, who feels bad about relying on their cane and/or who's angry at the entire world for being disabled is a REALLY tricky subject to use if you don't want them to be either a mass of unhappiness and angst for no good reason or some inspirational porn of the character who inside is deeply tortured but outside keeps up a facade because they shouldn't cry to avoid making others uneasy.

Do not, and I repeat, do NOT try to heal them, especially in a magical way. Bad idea. A lot of disabled people's goal isn't to be healed. It's to live a normal life. Making it so the ultimate goal for them is to be healed makes it as if they were worthless as long as they were disabled. Making their situation better physically or mentally is one thing. Curing them completely is really bad. "But some disabled folks want to be cured !" True, true. But if you are able bodied, I'm not sure if you can have the right mind to understand all of the complex details about this situation that leads to someone's life choices and the end result may look like you think the only thing that can make disabled people happy is being freed from their condition. I think it's best to just avoid it altogether. If you need a more nuanced idea, try to give them a solution that still has a few downs ! For exemple, a prosthetic that feels like a real arm, acts like a real arm and basically replaces it perfectly is a full cure. But a prosthetic that takes time to adjust to, needs repairs sometimes and doesn't look 100% like an arm can be a better narrative choice

Smaller thing, but don't make the handle uneasy to wield if you draw the character design. You can decorate most of the cane, but if you have chunky spiky decorations on the place you're supposed to clench your hand over, you're gonna hurt yourself. I've seen quite a lot of jewel handles or sculpted metal handles and usually their not good. If it's detailed metal, your hand will end up cramped in little parts and it can hurt. If it's a jewel, it's so easy for it to slip out of your hand it's unpractical.

List of tropes/ideas of scenes/details about canes to help you write new situations !

If you walk with a cane during winter, you can't put your hand in your jacket to get warm and there's a high chance your hand will get freezing. So after a long walk, you get an excuse for another character to hold their hand and warm them up.

If the handle is metallic, you get the opposite problem during summer. You can burn yourself so easy ! Easy accident if you want someone to help and get closer to the disabled person without it necessarily involving their disability.

Canes are SUPER useful when you're walking upon heights. They make things really easy, just like hiking poles on mountains ! I live on volcanoes and whenever we clim on a harsh slope, I'm always the first to get up there. Good moment for your character to get a boost of confidence if they get all the way up somewhere before their friends !

The first time using your cane feels magical. If you have chronic pains, it makes you feel like your pain disapear. If you can't walk right, it feels like everything is suddenly alright. The moment where a character chooses to wield a cane can be huge for character development. It's a moment of fear because of the impact a cane has on their appearance, but also a moment of confidence and relief.

Canes fall. All the time. And after a while, it becomes fucking comical. Trust me, putting a cane against the wall, seeing it fall and doing it three times again in a row while it doesn't want to stay up makes you embarrassed but also makes you want to laugh because of how stupid it looks.

When you get a cane, you stop being invisible. When you walk outside, generally speaking, people don't look at you. They don't care about you. But when you get a cane, people start to stare at you for no other reasons that you have a cane. Half of them are just curious, especially if you're young. The other half has a very specific look. The "oh, you poor thing" look. Which is, trust me, particularly awful to get, especially when you're just existing and doing nothing special. How does your character react to this ? How do they feel about it ?

I believe that is all I had in mind. I may add some more details in the future if I get other ideas, but this should already be a good start. I would be thrilled to answer questions if you have some, either in my askbox or through DMs.

I will tag this post with characters holding canes that aren't necessarily considered cane users but that some people may be interested in writing as such. Feel free to tell me if you'd like to see tags being added !

Edit : I'm highly encouraging everyone to look at the tag section under this post where a lot of other can users are sharing their experiences !!

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stay-close · 3 months

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Sometimes you find your path, sometimes it finds you.

Max Brooks

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the-music-maniac · 3 months

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Not that I read mpreg all that often (not really my thing generally speaking) but I came across some "Sanji is pregnant" fics in the sanzo/zosan tag, and not nearly the same amount for Zoro. It got me thinking about the trope. I think the lack of Zoro fics here is a tragic oversight. I think we as a fandom are absolutely and tragically ignoring the potential comedy gold of Zoro being the one to be pregnant instead.

Because when people write Sanji, the general trend I'm seeing (upon scanning through some of the fics quickly) is that he's cautious about it. Conscientious, careful to make sure things are okay. Which - arguably I could see, Sanji is probably the more practical of the two (not by a whole lot but still)and he didn't have a good childhood. Sanji being pregnant is usually a fic about his heaps of parental issues, childhood trauma and angst - which is fun to read. It's good. It's amazing, even.

Zoro being pregnant is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT gonna be a COMEDY. We're talking about a man who once tried to fight Kuina holding like 20 bokkens. We're talking about a man who got stuck in wax and thought the reasonable solution was to cut off his legs.

The entire crew spends the next 9 months tearing their hair out, preventing Zoro from doing stupid shit (exhibit A: cutting off his own limbs). They spend the same amount of time trying to stop Luffy from gum-gum-grabbing Zoro and yeeting him anytime he needs to get them out of a sticky situation.

The crew (mostly Sanji) is on 24/7 prevent-zoro-from-drinking-alcohol duty (impossible). Chopper is constantly stressed in the later months cause no one puts it past Zoro to get lost somewhere, give birth out in the woods and come strolling back with a baby tucked under his arm. They have to start hiding Zoro's dumbbells.

Franky and Usopp design and build a nursery and spends the entire time suspiciously teary eyed. Sanji tries to pretend he's unaffected but spends an entire night creating a 9 month meal plan of all the nutrients Zoro and the baby are gonna need. Not even a day later, one of the crew finds him up at 2 am making a mountain of food because Zoro made the mistake of offhandedly mentioning he had particular pregnancy craving within earshot of Sanji. In the end Zoro has to sit on him to stop Sanji from running himself ragged.

Robin keeps spouting morbid childbirth facts and quotes from parental advice books in equal measure. Nami keeps going on shopping sprees for cute baby clothes and adding the cost of them to Zoro's debt. Brook keeps writing lullabies and trying to sing them to Zoro's stomach. Zoro 100% uses his pregnancy belly as an excuse to walk around without a shirt 24/7 without getting nagged.

Somehow word gets out that the famous pirate hunter Zoro is pregnant, and at the next big fight with the Marines, half the soldiers refuse to fight him and instead start telling him to sit down, take it easy, shouting advice at him etc. Etc. Zoro loses his shit a little bit and cuts their boat in half.

Mihawk, upon finding out, tells Zoro in no uncertain terms that that is his grandchild and he's expecting them to visit so he can meet the baby when they're born. Zoro vehemently denies that Mihawk is his father (he is). Zeff upon finding out, is almost as bad as Sanji when it comes to being a mother hen. Perona buys even more baby clothes for the baby. She buys one singular shirt for Zoro as a joke, and it coincidentally happens to be the exact same brand of "mama" crop top he was forced to wear in that one filler episode. Zoro tries to chuck it into the ocean (he fails).

I'm essentially saying it would be absolute chaos, and it would be the funniest thing I've ever read. 9 months of Marimo wrangling. Can you imagine the look on Zoro's face if one of the opponents he was fighting were to tell him that he's "glowing"?

PLEASE, I would actually wheeze myself to death. The best part is you can still have plenty of Sanji angst. He still has parental issues except now they're flavoured with "I'm not ready to be a father" and "I'm terrified I'm gonna become my biological sperm donor" and "please don't die because of childbirth complications, that happened to my mother(sort of, I know she died after but it kinda counts), and I can't handle that happening again to you". Lots of cute/tender moments of Zoro comforting and reassuring Sanji. We can even have Zoro angst. He probably views protecting his crew as the one and only job he's good for (not true but that's probably what he thinks). Not being able to fulfill that is probably not helping his self esteem, and that sense of uselessness warring with his need to protect the baby - but the contradictory thing here is that to protect the baby he HAS to sit back and let other people do that FOR him. That plus all the other restrictions, people treating him differently, but him at the same time refusing to view his own child as a weakness. Imagine the havoc that would wreak. Oh my god.

Y'all don't understand, I don't even read mpreg that often and yet this is literally my ideal fic HAHAAAAA

#we already know Zoro would be a good parent considering how he is with kids but pregnancy? different matter entirely #i don't know much about jimbei yet so sadly i can't write much about him feel free to comment any headcanons y'all come up with though #zosan #sanzo #zoro x sanji #roronoa zoro #black leg sanji #cat burglar nami #monkey d luffy #nico robin #op franky #op brook #god ussop #tony tony chopper #mpreg

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onepiecepetalfanfics089 · 8 months

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Yandere Sanji vs Yandere Zoro with a naive reader who has every flirt just go over their head. Including by drunks at a bar- and maybe those two have enough and decide sharing is the best way to get fast results?

Ours To Take~..

Humming softly, you stared at the words in your book with a smile while occasionally admiring the beautiful sky. Nothing really concerned you that much and everything was fine! Well you mean..zoro and sanji were acting rather strange lately to you but the thought of them having any interest in you completely flew over your head.

Why would they? Sanji flirts with literally anything that has boobs, and Zoro is well..Zoro!

A rather loud and ‘romantic voice’ snapped you out of your thoughts and your reading as you blinked.

“Y/N-SWAAAANN!!!~ i have another drink for you my dear!”

You chuckled and raised an eyebrow at the man who was running towards you with heart shaped pupils and a tray with your favorite drink..again.

“Uh sanji?..i haven’t even finished the one you gave me just thirty minutes ago!” You laughed softly. Referring to the drink on the railing he’d made you so you wouldn’t ‘die of thirst’ and because his beloved Y/N needed to be pampered.

Sanji then grinned, dramatically getting down one knee like he was bowing to you. “Oh but my lovely Y/N..you’ll need backups! And…” he then stood up and got rather close to you with a smile, the smell of smoke filled your nostrils from his cigarette and you fought back the urge to scrunch your nose from the contact of the smoke. He smiled and kissed your hand.

Huh..weird..but then again he did that with every girl! Right..?

You stared into his sea blue eyes awkwardly and then gave a friendly smile. “Oh..well thanks I guess Sanji!” You Saïd while you turning back to your book. Sanji felt a pang in his heart as he sighed.

He plastered on a smiled and slowly walked away..almost like he was sad or disappointed. You glanced up at him curiously from your book but brushed it off while he sulked in the kitchen without you knowing of course.

A few minutes passed by and the nice breeze passed, slowly flowing through your hair. The pages of your book started to scatter and you scoffed, quickly book marking it and stretching.

The faint sound of footsteps caught your attention.

“Hm…must be Nami or Luffy..”

You thought as you sipped the first drink Sanji had given you.

Suddenly then, your book was about to fall off the railing and into the deep sea. Panicked, your eyes widened as you you reached out for it but then saw a rather large and masculine hand catch the book with little ease. You then felt a strong hand on your hip from behind.

The sudden warm sensation on your skin caused you to turn around to the person who just saved your book.

Storm grey eyes looked back at you and silence fell upon the both of you.

“..Hey..be careful next time.”

A deep monotone voice said to you almost quietly. Looking up you saw no one other than the green haired swordsman himself, Zoro.

Giving a soft yet platonic smile and gently took the book out of his hand.

“Hah, thanks Zoro! That book Robin gave me was almost gone!” You Saïd as you sat the book down on your side table you got for yourself to set your drinks on.

He stared into your eyes for a moment and made a grunting sound. “Yea..maybe try to set it on the table next time?..”

“Yea i don’t know why I didn’t do that in the first place..”

You Saïd with a blink, trying to make it seem like you were actually pondering instead of slowly trying to scoot away from zoro because he was in your space bubble for whatever reason..

Suddenly his grip seemed to tighten on you, causing you to glance down at his hand and then up at him. He slowly loosened his grip and rubbed circles with his thumb on it, trying to be as gentle as he could.

Your eyebrows couldn’t help but raise in confusion.

“Uh hey zoro why is your-”

“Did Nami tell you when we’re docking on the next island?..”

Narrowing your eyes you just gave up and leaned your back on the railing as he stood in front of you, one hand on the railing and the other on your hip.

“Hmm…she said in about an hour..”

He stared at you intently for a moment.

“Well are you heading anywhere when we dock?..”

“..no, I think shopping can wait until tomorrow”

You then grin as you get an idea. What if you invited a few of your friends to lighten the mood with Zoro and Sanji? It was perfect!

Nothing could happen to ruin the night!…

Right?

You then look up at Zoro with an encouraging smile as you got off the railing.

“Oh! I have an idea..what if we went to the bar together once we dock on the island? I know you would love a drink..” you said playfully hitting zoros shoulder in which he responded with a scoff and a smug smile you always saw him with.

“I’ll even invite Sanji and the others too!”

His smile then immediately disappeared and the glimmer you saw in his eyes faded. He grumbled a reply and pulled away from you rather quickly. Almost seeming to storm off like he was annoyed or angry at something…maybe specifically even someone?..

huh that’s weird..!

You just shrugged his obvious annoyance off and sipped your drink while hot summer sun made your skin warm up and glow.

You stretched as you felt the ship dock on a new island, a grin spread across your face as you finally stepped foot on land for the first time in weeks.

It was a little after sunset by now and you went over to get Sanji and Zoro to get some drinks, the others respectfully had other things to do or had shops to attend so it was just you three.

On the way to the local bar you saw a few miles ahead, Sanji kept blabbering on about some romantic things and complimenting you non stop for sone reason.

You respectfully said a thank you and went on to another topic in the conversation, causing the both of them to frown or narrow their eyes at you.

Sitting down in one of the seats at the bar you smiled at the bar tender and ordered some drinks, after you started some small talk with zoro who kept staring at you intently or seeming to move closer. You just would raise an eyebrow and ignore it.

A hand on your thigh stopped you from finishing your sentence as you slowly turned over your shoulder to see a man who was obviously drunk, he slowly crept his hand up to your inner thigh and you just stared, asking the man what he was doing.

“Oh nothing sweet-cakes..you just have such a fucking good body..couldn’t help myself.” He slurred, his hands slowly sliding under your shirt. Your eyes widened and you were about to do something when a hand grabbed the guys arms rather roughly.

So rough that it was turning red, causing the man to hiss in pain. He turned toward the one who had grabbed his so aggressively and growled.

“What’s the big idea asshole?” He spat while glaring at the swordsman with good instincts.

Before anything else could even happen, the man suddenly had a foot on his back. Sanji said nothing as the drunk man stumbled and groaned from the kick.

“Come with us.”

The sound of Zoro sheathing his bloody swords rang through Sanji’s ears while the smell of smoke filled the swordsman’s nostrils.

Sanji’s eyes were covered by a shadow while he sighed, almost clutching his cigarette.

The corpse before the two pirates was cut up and brutally kicked.

“This is never going to work..” Zoro heard the cook mutter while he threw the corpse in a near by dumpster.

“….”

The two men eyes then both locked, giving each other a knowing look. They both absolutely loathed the idea but..

“We should work together marimo..”

“…and why in hell would we do that cook?”

“Use your brain moss head…it’s clearly obvious that neither of us are making any progress with them..so maybe the results might go faster if we try to win them over together..”

He thought about the idea for a split second..

“Fine. Just don’t screw it up..got it curly brows?”

“Yea whatever mosshead just try not to intimidate my beloved Y/N to much..”

“What’s taking them so long out there?..” you mumbled to yourself as you sipped your drink. Surely a talk with that man couldn’t have taken that long right? It was getting late and the bar was even about to close.

The sound of the back ally doors opening and shutting back suddenly caught your attention as you you jump a little from the sudden noise while slowly turning around to indeed see the swordsman and cook of the crew.

Smiling while turning around in your chair you greeted them.

“Hey guys..what took so long?..the bars about to close-”

Without another word you felt arms wrap around you and the smell of Sanjis cologne seeming to fill the air.

Strong hands slowly slid on your shoulders and squeezed them gently before wrapping around your collarbone and rubbing the area gently. The feeling of calloused fingers massaging your skin and of a chin resting on top of your head made your skin tingle and shiver..just what were they trying to do..?

Slowly moving your body to get out out of their embrace, you had enough of their touch for a day but the two pairs of arms only tightened around you immediately.

“Guys? What are You doing??…whats going on with you guys today..?”

You said with a sigh while trying to gently push away from them away again.

This only caused zoro to scoff and turn your head close enough to his so he could kiss you passionately, his tongue licking your bottom lip slowly while his hands slid down to your waist and giving a light squeeze.

“Your such an idiot sometimes.”

He said bluntly with a hint of annoyance.

You then felt something wet on your shirt and looked down..was that blood..?

Now taking a look at the both of them you saw that their clothes had a decent amount if blood on them. Eyes widening, your breath hitched.

“Um..guys what’s that on your clothes?..”

They both stayed silent and sanji just gave a loving smile, lifting your chin up as he gave you another passionate kiss.

Starting to feel a lot of things..like unheard..uncomfortable and most of all..unsafe…? you tried to push away from but only got neck kisses from zoro while he gripped you tighter.

Sanji leaned his lips close to your lips to whisper against them, his voice soothing yet so..off putting..

“Shh Y/N my dear…you wouldn’t understand so we made our feelings clear…you’re ours to take now after all~…”

Hope you guys like this!! It was honestly so fun to right and I loved it! Hope you did too ��❤️ thank you to the person who requested it! I honestly love writing zoro and sanji or the straw hats in general because I’m in love with their characters lol-

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uaravsh · 2 months

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"I am a writer perhaps because I am not a talker."

- Gwendolyn Brooks

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francis-ford-kofola · 2 years

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Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein (1974)

#gene wilder #young frankenstein #mel brooks #70s #this was me writing my bachelor thesis #my gifs

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beachytablecloth · 2 years

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zukka + camp counselors au! (or more of the restaurant au if u prefer)

spec how did you know i have a zukka camp counselor wip that i'll prob never finish but hold very near and dear to my heart lmao

Zuko was fuming, and for someone who spent most of his days at a baseline anger level equivalent to that of a feral cat, Sokka was actually impressed at the level of restraint Zuko was showing.

It's not like Sokka meant for absolute chaos to break out--the chairs upturned, paint splattered on the walls and the campers, miscellaneous craft supplies scattered all over the floor, and poor Jin's knee was bleeding, somehow--he'd just been trying to add some science into the art lesson.

Never double the baking soda--now he knows.

send me a pairing and an au

(more mailee restaurant au under the cut)

"Zuko. I'm screwed."

"You know Haru thinks you're cute. Just tell him you put the order in late and he'll get it out quickly," Zuko replied, not looking up from the dirty plate he was scraping.

"What? No, it's not about those assholes at table seven. I already told Haru to mess up their order on purpose. It's the new bartender."

"Kylie?"

"No, it's Ty Lee." Mai rolled her eyes. "You need to work on your people skills."

At that, Zuko finally looked up at her, only to glare.

"Okay, we both need to work on our people skills. You can start right now. What am I supposed to do about this?" Mai hated to sound so desperate.

"You think she's hot? You should hook up with her," Zuko shrugged.

Mai groaned. "That is the quickest way to get her to leave. Hook up. It gets weird after. She disappears a week later."

"And that's... not what you want...?" Zuko asked, forehead scrunched.

"No--it's--I don't know. She's nice."

"Nice?"

"Yeah. She's really nice."

Zuko's face split into a grin. "Oh my god. You like her, Mai."

Mai covered her face, cheeks hot. "Shut up. No I don't. Yes I do. Shut up."

"You liiiiiike her," Zuko teased.

"I'm going to kill you."

#spec ily thanks so much for indulging me lmao #i've had such bad writer's block for so long #and these have been so fun and helpful!!#zukka #mailee #brooke writes #prompt fill

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maybe-theres-hope · 1 year

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For @tailoredshirt bc you literally asked and I am but a simple writer who needs validation to live lol here is the whole scene (dialogue ripped straight from the movie, and that will happen on several occasions throughout, but. There was a reason I picked it lol)

Also thank you to @oquinn53 for being the most amazing person and encouraging me 🖤

Tarlos Pirates of the Caribbean AU:

Tyler’s face enters his line of sight and Carlos’ breath stops for a moment. His face is radiant and open, his eyes alight with the sunny mid-morning. Port Royal is a forgotten backwater of an outpost, barely a heartbeat away from being taken by anyone who chances to happen upon her, but it’s Carlos’ home and he would have it no other way, if only just to be able to witness the Governor’s son in all his finery just once in a blue moon.

Today Tyler Strand is in a stunning light green frock coat and breeches, bringing out the green in his eyes and reflecting the waves of the Caribbean back at anyone he looks upon.

The breeches do absolutely nothing to hide the lithe tone of his form, hard won by years in the saddle. Carlos’ mouth goes dry at the thought of caressing a hand over the fabric and imagining the soft skin underneath. It isn’t proper or fair to think of Tyler in such a way, though, so he schools his features just as the man in question comes to join Carlos and Governor Strand on the steps of the mansion.

“Ah, Tyler, there you are! I was beginning to worry you'd lost your way down the hall,” the Governor chastises, though it's overtly fond. Tyler, however, only has eyes for Carlos.

“Carlos! It's so good to see you!” He exclaims as he gracefully descends the steps, coming to stand far too close for Carlos’ heart, his smile a thing of pure sunlight. “I had a dream about you last night.”

Carlos swallows, mind going nowhere it should.

When he’s silent for a beat too long, Tyler elaborates, “About the day we met, do you remember?”

Carlos smiles tightly, memories flooding him with warm sea air and cold saltwater in his mouth, opening his eyes to look upon a curious face that, even back then, was so beautiful.

He dreams of that day nearly every night. And most days as well.

“How could I forget, Mr. Strand?” He says courteously. Tyler laughs and it's like music.

“Carlos, how many times must I ask you to call me Tyler?”

“At least once more, Mr. Strand, as always.”

It is the wrong thing to say.

He watches with sadness as the sunlight in Tyler’s face is shaded by clouds, his eyes going hard and hurt, his mouth forming a thin line. All familiar from the last time they had this same exchange. Carlos finds it harder each time to convince himself of his reasoning for remaining so distant–society, propriety, the Governor–but in reality it's his own doing. His own cowardice. How he wishes he was brave and valiant enough to warrant the affections of such a creature as Tyler Strand.

The Governor is saying something else and then he's ushering Tyler towards a waiting carriage, the rapier Carlos has lovingly made over a period of weeks clutched under his arm.

“Good day, Mr. Reyes,” is Tyler’s cold, final reply before he turns on his heel and continues down the steps to the carriage.

“Good day,” Carlos murmurs under his breath, trying out the name on his lips like he's allowed such an intimacy, “Tyler.”

It tastes like a forbidden caress.

#tarlos #tarlos potc au #I guess I'll go with that tag lol #wip #tarlos fic #brooke writes #really I only wanted to write this scene and also the scene where they elect tk pirate king LOL #but there's a lot of other stuff I'm excited abt so #yeah

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