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lollytea · 3 years

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Talespin Treasure Planet AU

(Listen. I was obsessed with the idea and wanted to do something with it but sure as hell wasn’t going to write a fic. So it was supposed to just be a short sweet au headcanons post but then I just ended up with too much info and then I was just rewriting the entire plot from start to finish. So now I’m just left with whatever the fuck this is. It was gonna stay as notes and I would’ve chopped it down to a neat, concise decently written post but tbh I’m tired so just take this instead. It’s not really done in my polished writing voice but my personal rambling notes voice so that explains why it’s not written well BUT. It is content, no? I made content, yes?)

(I guess warning for “death” of a family member and grieving but like u know I’m not really gonna kill anybody important so. Happy ending resolution blah blah blah.)

-- Kit Cloudkicker is a ten year old orphan with a penchant for wandering the galaxy, tinkering with gears and wires and jumping around as a cabin boy for various crews of space pirates over the years. It's a means to an end, just to get a spot aboard their ship, which can expand his horizons to an extent his solar surfer alone cannot.

-- Late at night when he's supposed to be out of sight, Kit secretly listens in on the stories of myth and legend told among the crew, his favourite being the fabled (or possibly real and yet to be discovered) Treasure Planet, a destination that holds unimaginable riches. Though crouched into uncomfortably tight spaces and breathing shallow as to not to be discovered, Kit looks back on those nights fondly. He knows other children have a cozier and more pleasant experience when it comes to their bedtime stories, but he likes to think of it as the closest he'll get to that sort of life.

-- “Beware the cyborg” is something Kit has heard all his life, aboard multiple ships strangely enough. Never with context though, as nobody ever spared him a snippet of friendly conversation and were more likely to shout at him for asking stupid questions instead of scrubbing the deck. But even though he doesn't understand, Kit takes the cyborg message to heart. There's very little that pirates fear so you must absolutely listen to their warnings.

-- Kit has already decided that he's sick of his current crew and is planning his leave when he overhears some confidential whispers. The captain has gotten his hands on something extremely valuable and only the highest ranking members of the crew are aware of its existence. Of course they wouldn't tell Kit. But he knows now. Not the details exactly but whatever that treasure is, he will be taking it for himself, thank you very much.

-- After a sneaky operation (though unfortunately not without being discovered) Kit manages to grab a small chest from the captains quarters and abandon ship. Somehow, by sheer luck and a solitary blessing from the Gods, he evades capture and escapes on his solar surfer. He lands on a small town floating just off the course of the Montressor Spaceport. He's snatched enough coins on his grand exist that he can probably afford somewhere to sleep for a few nights and a meal a day. At least until he can get this chest open and cash in his treasure.

-- The Benbow Inn is a one woman operated establishment, seemingly held together by an almost unhinged level of determination and optimism. The owner, Rebecca Cunningham, welcomes Kit with open arms, even offering him the occasional free cup of hot chocolate on account of being “a very sweet boy.” Kit believes she's just grateful that he volunteers to play with her daughter Molly so Rebecca can direct her full attention to her work. It's a pretty okay arrangement. Kit likes Molly. And he's already decided that not only will he pay Rebecca back for the hot chocolate, she's also getting a small cut of his treasure. It's the least he can do to thank her for her kindness.

-- Once Kit gets a moment alone with the treasure chest, he gets to work at cracking it open. After a bit of difficulty, he manages to pick the lock, eagerly drawing it open to reveal....well, not treasure.

-- Kit picks up with object with blank confusion and inspects it thoroughly, as if his eyes are glitching and if he looks a little longer, he'll see its worth. But no. A small sphere, weighty in his hand, gold in colour but not in value. To say Kit is disappointed would be an understatement. “Furious” would be a more apt description.

-- How in the name of God did he mess this up so badly? He should've done a double check of the captain's quarters because obviously, he went and nabbed the wrong chest. Now he was left with nothing but this stupid ugly worthless paperweight and he had absolutely nowhere to go now.

-- He must have been expressing his frustration a little louder than he thought because soon enough Rebecca comes barging in, wondering what all the commotion is about. Her face softens when she asks him what's wrong. Kit had never in his life been asked what was wrong. Especially not in such a gentle tone of voice. He doesn't know if it's the right thing to do but he cracks immediately and he tells her everything. About the pirates, about his whole life, and about the treasure that he thought he had.

He apologizes profusely for the hot chocolate he can't pay her back for and the treasure he wanted to give her. And, as a poor woman who has just learned that she had the possibility of riches ripped away from her, Rebecca's response is baffling. She takes Kit firmly by the shoulders before wrapping her arms around him and hugging tight, before pulling away and stating to the bewildered boy that she is going to make him a cup of hot chocolate right now and he's going to accept and anything else that she offers him from this point onward. Because Rebecca has decided that, starting today, Kit will live under her roof.

-- Kit is uncomfortable with just taking the food, the clean clothes, the warm bed and the roof over his head and would prefer to at least do something to earn it. So, he decides to help Rebecca with running the Inn and devotes himself to taking care of Molly. Rebecca catches on to his feelings on the matter and makes sure to make him feel like he's earning his keep. She has no problem bossing him around, keeping him busy with job after job. She's strict but she's fair and Kit obeys her happily, as he's had plenty of bosses before but only Rebecca has ever been kind to him. He does well as both a hard worker and an attentive babysitter.

-- At first, he's reluctant to even look at that damned sphere as he feels its betrayed him. But Molly takes a liking to it and, in an effort to entertain her, Kit invents a game. He'll hide it in his room and then Molly will try to find it. The game gradually evolves from Kit's room to all of the Inn to the entire town. It's a small place where children are free to roam so it's not uncommon to find Kit and Molly running loose, taking turns looking for the sphere that the other hid.

-- Though they need to be extra careful that Rebecca doesn't find out, Kit takes Molly on the occasional ride on his solar surfer and is surprised that she's actually interested in how the thing operates. After being worn down by her barrage of questions, Kit relents and teaches her everything he knows about ships, from how to drive them to hotwiring, etc. Not like there's much point to it. Though Kit believes he may have to go back to that sort of life eventually (even if he hopes not) he knows it's not something Molly will ever have to worry about.

-- By the time Kit is eleven, he's glowing. He's settled into his new home and has formed a close bond with Rebecca, Molly and even Bagheera, a stuffy but passionate astronomer and close friend of Rebecca's. Kit loves all of them. He's happy. Until he isn't.

-- Kit is sitting at the porch of the Benbow Inn, waiting for Molly. She's in town somewhere, hiding the sphere for him to find and should be back in a few. And then he hears the rumbling of an overhead ship and Kit freezes. He's been on enough pirates ships to know one on sight and he's immediately scrabbling to stand. His first instinct is to find Molly but the ship is far closer to the Inn than town so he instead bolts inside to save Rebecca and Bagheera

-- He does save them. But only them. As the pirates ambush the building, the three escape through the upstairs window and rush to find Molly. But the town is being raided, nowhere is safe,and despite his protests, Kit is shoved into hiding by Rebecca and Bagheera as the two try to navigate the ravaged scene. But Molly is nowhere to be found.

-- The pirates leave the town razed. The Benbow Inn was burned to the ground. Some are dead and some are missing and nobody knows which of the two applies to Rebecca Cunningham's daughter.

-- Kit learns from the survivors that they were looking for a boy who had stolen something. His blood goes cold and never quiet warms up again. If he knew they wanted the sphere, if he had given them the sphere, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't have torn the town apart looking for it. But they're gone and Molly is gone and what's done is done.

-- He finds the sphere a little while later, concealed under rings of rope on the outskirts of town. A little way off is a blue hair ribbon that gives him a dull ache in his heart. It hurts to look at, to touch, to think about. So he ties it around his wrist so he'll have to do all of those things.

-- Rebecca doesn't have the money to rebuild the Inn nor does she have the drive to run it anymore anyway. They live off Bagheera's hospitality but both Rebecca and Kit know that he can't financially support them forever.

-- Because of Kit, the woman who did everything for him, lost everything. He wants to leave, he doesn't feel welcome here anymore. Despite the fact that Rebecca still shows him her warmth, he can't handle the guilt of accepting it. He doesn't leave because she begged him to stay with her so it's the least he can do. But it doesn't change the weight of what he's done to her family. He's unable to look her in the eye anymore.

-- With Molly gone, Rebecca is more protective of Kit than ever. She loves him so much and she knows this is hurting him too so she wants him to talk to her if he needs it. But he's stopped letting her touch him, stopped accepting her hugs, barely speaks a word. He's still there, physically but he's drifted far away and feels like a stranger now.

-- A year passes. Kit is twelve. The wound is still wide open but they carry on with life because what else can they do? Bagheera is still offering all of his support while Rebecca tries not to burden him too much.

-- The three of them are in Bagheera's library when it happens. Kit is sitting on the floor, fiddling with the damned sphere. He's been carrying it around with him for whatever reason. Something in his psych just imprinted on the stupid thing. He's just twisting it around, pressing at the indents when something clicks and a blinding light pours out of the object and swirls around the room.

He begins to process the holographic images as planets, stars, connecting lines and once his eyes adjusts to the brightness, he sees the full picture. It's a map. And all of it leads to the large glowing green planet at the heart of it all. Neither Bagheera or Rebecca can say they're familiar with that destination but Kit recognizes it on sight. From being really little and sneaking peaks at the pirates' holographic books. It's Treasure Planet.

-- There's a disagreement because of course there is. Kit is set on going. He's gonna get that treasure and he will bring it back to Rebecca if it kills him. The “if it kills him” part is what has Rebecca digging her heels in. She is absolutely not strong enough to lose Kit, even though he argues again and again that this is for the best. He wants to do this for her, he needs to. But Rebecca keeps shooting him down. It isn't until Bagheera steps in, offering to accompany Kit and keep him safe that Rebecca reluctantly agrees. But she makes Kit promise at least twenty times to come home alive.

-- Bagheera loves his field of study and he likes his quiet little life just fine but he's always wanted to go on some big grand adventure. Granted, it might all be a bit out of his depth as he doesn't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, as evidenced by all the useless junk that the vendors convinced him that he absolutely needed to buy for his journey. Once they arrived at Montressor Spaceport, Kit attempted to steer him away from possible scams but it was happening so frequently that he just gave up and simply tried to pretend he and Bagheera weren't associated.

-- They board the ship Bagheera has commissioned for their voyage, the RLS Legacy, which seems to be in top condition. The crew (hired separately) are a little....abrasive but from what Bagheera has been told, the captain is highly competent so things should be smooth sailing from here.

-- Captain Shere Khan is a highly prideful individual who prioritizes proficiency, profit and performativity above all else. He doesn't care for being called a “pirate” as he would prefer to distance himself from the sort of savagery that is associated with that lifestyle. Save for the occasional elaborate scheme, he considers himself an honorable man who can reap his treasure in a courteous manner.

He is also cuttingly sarcastic and all around unpleasant to be around. At least, that's the popular opinion but he personally sees himself as perfectly charming and hilariously witty. So much so that he derives joy by enthusiastically tearing into any idiot that he feels is deserving of his criticism. The idiots in question are Bagheera and Kit, the former of which throws him off momentarily and vice versa (The two seem familiar with each other but Kit doesn't know the story and frankly does not care) before he snaps back to attention and summons them to his quarters for a nice little chat.

-- Shere Khan not not approve of this ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots that call themselves a crew and does not hesitate to express his disdain to Bagheera, whom he blames for hiring them in the first place. He also believes them to be a suspicious bunch and warns the two to keep their mouths shut about their destination. As well as the map, which Shere Khan will be keeping in his office. After all, he's entitled to a substantial chunk of the treasure and won't have either of them ruining this for him.

-- Bagheera and Shere Khan get into a mature civilized squabble and Kit promptly butts in to defend Bagheera by politely asking if Shere Khan is so partial to sprinkling four syllable words in all of his statements because it makes him feel intellectually superior to the man with a doctorate standing in front of him. Shere Khan then realizes that he is dealing with a child here and opts to station him somewhere that he won't have to look at him much. Thus, Kit is assigned cabin boy duty (again) under the eye of the ship's cook, Baloo.

-- As Kit heads down to the lower deck to meet Baloo, he hears a cheerful whistling as a large figure saunters around his station, cloaked by the dim lighting and the steam in the air. Hopefully the cook is friendly, he seems pretty carefree anyway. But then he happily greets his new cabin boy, draws himself out of the shadows and there he is.

-- The sound of machinery whirs lowly as he moves. A robotic stump of a leg, a chunky metal disk of spinning gears melded to the side of his head (quite possibly attached to his brain) and a steel eye that assesses Kit with a quick laser scan. But the most frightening aspect is the arm, large and loaded with various devices, everything from kitchen knives to corkscrews to swords to (if Kit is seeing right) a cannon blaster. He nearly spears Kit through by offering a handshake before catching himself and switching his fish chopping fingers out for a safe set of spidery metal digits.

-- Kit always figured “Beware the cyborg” was a legitimate warning but never something he would have to worry about. The cyborg's presence felt like such a ghost of a concept that ever encountering him felt extremely unlikely. But here was a cyborg (maybe the cyborg or maybe not) standing right in front of him and Kit's guard has gone up.

-- While Kit remains suspicious, as time goes on he really starts to doubt that this is the cyborg. While Baloo has the potential to be absolutely lethal with that arm of his, his general demeanor is warm and upbeat, though he seems to think of his duties as more of a “suggestion”. It has to be said that the man can barely cook and is constantly slacking off, so how he got this job in the first place is anyone's guess.

-- Once Baloo realizes that Kit is too smart for his age, he figures he'll need to run the boy ragged. There's a lot of things happening on this ship that a particularly bright child shouldn't be sticking his nose into. If he tells the Captain, well, that just blows the whole plan, doesn't it? But if Kit's too busy to notice his surroundings, then he might have a chance of coming out of all this without a scratch on him. Baloo would prefer that.

-- Kit is getting pretty sick and tired of people being surprised that he's good at being a cabin boy. No, Baloo, he doesn't need you to teach him how to tie secure riggings or wash the dishes or scrub the deck, he knows, thanks. While he's definitely frustrated with the endless amount of jobs Baloo unloads on him (some of which being Baloo's duties) it's nothing he's not used to.

At first, Kit is confused by the little smiles Baloo would give him when he does a good job. He wonders if its supposed to be patronizing. It's not until Baloo has to straight up say it (“proud of ya, little britches”) that Kit has his answer. And even then, he doesn't entirely believe it. But a part of him does. The same hopeful part of him that glowed so bright when he was back home with Rebecca. He misses Rebecca.

-- There is one thing Kit now knows for certain. “Beware the cyborg” was not about Baloo. If it was, Kit would probably be dead by now. Instead he falls asleep scrubbing pots late into the night and wakes the next morning with a familiar longcoat draped across his shoulders. Sometimes they sneak out and take a ride on the longboats, sailing through the stars as they take turns telling jokes at each other. Whatever it is, Baloo's company makes Kit feel safe.

-- He may be a terrible cook but Baloo has plenty of other uses. He's a lively and animated storyteller for one and can tell the myth behind every constellation in the sky. Or maybe he's just making them up for entertainment, who knows? He's clearly been around though, and can ramble off a million funny experiences with shifty characters across the solar system.

Kit is so invested in his story one evening, that he cuts his finger while cutting vegetables. Baloo handles it by pulling a vile out of his pocket and dropping a clear cold, pungent smelling liquid across the gash, which heals up almost instantly. Baloo just calls it his “special medicine” Apparently, back when he was young, Baloo was constantly hurting himself as he adjusted to the new arm and needed a prescription to keep him from bleeding out on the regular. Somehow Kit doesn't believe this story. But he leaves it alone.

-- Baloo is tightening a bolt in his leg when he catches Kit staring. The boy opens his mouth, wanting to ask but quickly snaps it shut. Baloo just laughs and waves it off, with a simple explanation of “you lose a lot of things chasing dreams.” He then asks a question of his own. That pretty blue hair ribbon Kit wears as a bracelet. Now he knows that's not Kit's so who's is it? A little girlfriend or what? Kit's face falls before he grimaces. He doesn't say anything. Baloo leaves it at that.

-- At this stage in their journey, Treasure Planet is close enough that they can see it. Baloo and Kit stay out late and stare out at at the green glow in the distance that holds their future.

-- The two begin to talk a little more about their respective lives. Baloo has never had any money to his name and has spent all these years wandering, hopping from place to place and hoping that eventually he'll stumble on something of worth. What he really wants, what he's always wanted, is to buy a ship of his own. Nothing big or fancy just something he can call his baby.

-- It sounds to Kit like Baloo's life hasn't been all that different to his. Only difference is he never found his Rebecca and Molly. Which is a shame, since Baloo is a lot like Rebecca. Not really in personality (though they both like bossing Kit around) but they both see Kit as he is and they're kind to him anyway. It makes Kit feel like somebody else, like somebody who's worth existing, without the price of manual labour.

-- Kit glosses over his cabin boy history. His life didn't really start until he came to the Benbow Inn anyway. He talks about Rebecca, he talks a lot about her. Baloo gets a few laughs here and there, usually at anecdotes of her antics. “She sounds like a real character,” He'll say with a mixture of amusement and admiration. But then Kit begins catching himself as he recalls, there are gaps to the stories. An important aspect of Kit's life is deliberately being written out and all it takes is Baloo innocently voicing his observation for Kit to break down.

-- He didn't cry when they lost Molly or at any point after that. It felt like too much of an indulgence to do so. And then he went numb for a while and he couldn't cry if he wanted to. So, he's not sure why or how it happened all of a sudden but he's bawling a year's worth of tears and Baloo is holding him tight against his chest, murmuring “hey, now, it's okay, it's okay...”

-- Kit tells him about Molly. As best he can. How it was his own fault and how he's spent the last year by Rebecca's side yet so far away from her. How he can't go back to her empty handed but even with all that treasure, he still knows it'll never be enough.

-- Baloo hasn't done a lot of comforting in his time, usually pirates tend not to need that kind of thing. But for Kit's sake he does his best. Kit has the potential for greatness and the best treasure he can bring home to Rebecca is his own damn self, safe and sound. He tells him as much while affirming, just in case this kid hasn't had it drilled into his skull yet, that Baloo is so proud him and he knows Rebecca would be too.

-- Kit is still a little hesitant to believe but that hopeful part of him has been growing bigger and bigger. So, maybe. Maybe. But for the time being, he's too tired to think about it much so Baloo shoos him off to bed. For the first time in a while, he sleeps without the feeling of a weight on his chest.

-- If there's one thing that Baloo is pretty tired of, it's acting like a hard man. It's exhausting to go around, trying to radiate an aura of “I will gut anyone who crosses me.” but as he's learned, you can't get the subordination of pirates if they're not afraid of you. Luckily with this arm of his, there's no question that he's capable of the threats he throws out.

-- He gets confonted by the crew but it's nothing more than an inconvenience. Apparently he was overheard talking to Kit last night and there's a few assumptions going around that he's going soft. Now, Baloo knows he's in too deep when it comes to that kid but he also knows that very soon, he's gonna have to act and Kit's trust in him will be shattered. Baloo's known this from the start, it's only after he's spent time with him that it starts to sting just thinking about it. But it's not like there's any other option. He's spent a lifetime chasing this dream and now Treasure Planet is just within their reach so he needs to keep his head. He can't afford this planned mutiny to go falling apart now.

-- Baloo responds to the accusation by gripping a crew member by the neck with steel fingers and calmly squeezing just hard enough to make him fear for his life before releasing. If that's not enough of an answer to satisfy everybody, Baloo assures them that he doesn't care about the goddamn cabin boy, all he cares about is their objective so if everybody could stop getting riled about about hogwash and focus on the plan, that would be super. The crew clear themselves out, leaving Baloo to rub at a budding headache. A floorboard creaks.

-- He turns around and there's Kit, going still where he stands as Baloo's eye falls on him. Kit makes an attempt at acting casual, as if he just strolled in at that moment but Baloo can see it. His rigid stance, the way he's trying to control his breathing and the light that's died from his eyes. Kit heard everything and not only is he scared but he's hurt. Baloo sighs, tucking his arm behind his back, and going through the rotation for his blades. He hates that it's his first instinct to do so but it's protocol. If somebody finds out, you shut them up before they ruin everything. But then Kit gives him one long stare, eyes bone dry but far too hardened for a boy his age, and before Baloo can grab him, he breaks into a run.

-- Baloo curses his stupid move because now, thanks to him tipping the kid off, they need to execute the plan immediately.

-- Kit is attempting to string a proper explanation together to Shere Khan and Bagheera but he's out of breath and angry and upset and it's messing his words up. But somehow, they manage to comprehend him, Shere Khan not even needing Kit to elaborate any further than “crew can't be trusted.” And then they hear the uproar. The sabotage is already in motion and the three are forced to grab the map and abandon ship.

-- Evasion doesn't come easily. The deck is crawling in pirates that won't hesitate to run them through but Shere Khan seems to know the proper course of action and keeps them alive just long enough to reach the escape boat. If Kit weren't fighting for his life, he would wonder how much experience this man has with mutinies.

-- Baloo spots them from a distance away, unable to reach them in time so he rotates his cannon blaster and takes aim on Kit, who's undoing the boat's riggings. Kit has the map and Kit is about to ruin his lifelong dream and undo everything he's worked for and he has a split second to prevent this and....he hesistates to shoot.

-- The three escape, shooting off across the stars but before they can even get out a word of relief, their boat gets blasted and Kit is only able to get them so far before crash landing onto (ironically) their intended destination, Treasure Planet.

-- Bagheera manages to brace himself before impact and pulls Kit close to shield him so both of them come out with no serious injuries. Kit is fine, Bagheera is fine, Shere Khan....is not fine. Despite his insistence that he's pefectly intact and just needs to walk this off, it's obviously a struggle for him to even stand upright. Bagheera urges Kit to hurry on ahead and try to find somewhere for Shere Khan to rest, while he gets the wounded captain there at a slower pace.

-- Bagheera hands Kit Shere Khan's cutlass, so he can clear through the overgrown forest a little faster. Kit doesn't complain, it keeps him occupied. Instead of thinking about betrayal or destroyed trust or whatever stupid childish hurt is gnawing up his insides, he can just go swinging a blade around. He slashes through vines with way more intensity than needed. Never occured to him until right this minute just how much he hates vines.

-- He doesn't notice the flash of copper among green and as he's slicing and dicing, he hits something hard. The noise of bewilderment is what startles Kit and he stumbles back as the hunk of metal pulls itself out of the foilage to say hi.

-- His name is Wildcat and from observation alone, Kit can guess that he was a pretty advanced robot once upon a time. But by the look of him, he's been here for over a century and now he's all rust and glitches and loose wires poking out like whiskers. He's missing a facet of his cranium system, so that would explain his lacking in smarts but much to Kit's relief, Wildcat is very friendly. All he seems to know about his own past is he was brought along to help out the original pirate crew that stashed the treasure here but anything beyond that is blank.

While he may qualify for whatever a robot's version of insanity is, he's content and explains that he entertains himself by dissecting the ships that have crashed here in the past, taking them apart and putting them back together. He was originally built as a metal mechanic so it comforts him to keep the spirit of his function alive. Kit asks just how many ships crash here and Wildcat responds that the last one he got was not too long ago. Maybe a day ago. Or a week. Or a year. He's not good with time. But he's real excited to have Kit here, now he has two bears!

-- Kit doesn't bother to ask what that's supposed to mean. Wildcat is clearly not all there and continues to ramble about a bunch of stuff that makes no sense as he leads Kit, Bagheera and Shere Khan back to the home he's made for himself. Once they reach the little hideaway, Shere Khan promptly collapses. Though Bagheera is stricken with worry, he manages to pull himself together long enough to snark “what was that about being perfectly fine?” Shere Khan is too foggy headed to bite back his amusement.

-- Wildcat busies himself with making tea out of motor oil for his guests, promising that she's out gathering fruit and should be back soon. There'll be enough for the big guy to get his strength up. Kit asks who “she” is but Wildcat struggles with remembering names. But she. It's her. Wildcat's she. Kit gives up.

-- Kit truly believes that nothing else can get to him. Over these last few years, his heart has been freezing cold, warmed up with hot chocolate, and then ripped to shreds, then pieced back together and then frozen over again. He figures that night with Baloo, he cried his entire life out and after all of this, can't imagine anything bringing him to tears ever again. But every so often Kit is wrong. And absolutely nothing could have prepared him for seeing Molly.

-- They lock eyes, she drops the basket of fruit, he struggles to his feet and all she can manage is a choked noise of shock before the two tackle each other, hugging so tight like the word will come undone if they separate. Kit can barely see her clearly behind welling tears but it's her. It's her hair beneath his chin, it's her tiny fists gripping at his clothes, it's her voice sobbing his name over and over, like it's the only thing keeping him in existence. She's gotten bigger but it's her. Kit doesn't know for certain just how long they stayed like that, for them to take the terrifying risk of letting each other go. It's all a blur, really. All Kit remembers is that once they finally pull away, he removes the ribbon on his wrist and with jittering fingers, ties it into a perky bow around her ear. She lost the matching one a while ago but she's delighted to have something pretty in her hair again. Things settle down.

-- After getting captured by pirates during the raid, Molly spent a couple days plotting an escape and pulled it off by hijacking an escape boat. She thanks Kit for teaching her to hotwire and drive ships or she probably wouldn't have got very far. (Kit being the reason she survived is way too much for him to emotionally unpack right now.) Once the boat ran out of power, she crash landed here and Wildcat's been looking after her ever since. Kit decides he's gonna do whatever it takes to guarantee this crazy robot gets a happy future.

-- Shere Khan is desperately lost. He does not know who this other child is who's currently sitting on Bagheera's lap or why she and the boy and Bagheera cried so much. He figures he might understand better if it weren't for the concussion. Also every part of his body is in pain and he’s never wanted to die more in his life.

-- The three get some time to regain themselves, but it's not long before Baloo appears. Wildcat only has a chunk of steel to suffice as a makeshift door but Baloo still knocks politely, asking if they can maybe get some peaceful negotiation going. He doesn't wanna hurt nobody, he just wants to talk. He's expecting Shere Khan or Bagheera to answer but instead comes face-to-face with Kit. Baloo is momentarily delighted that the boy is being civil with him but doesn't even manage to utter a “thanks, little britches,” before receiving the edge of a blade posed threateningly against his stomach. Baloo's words die in his throat as he looks down at Kit's fierce glare. Well, alright so the negotiations might be a little hostile, okay, whatever works.

-- Baloo tries to remain casual but he does drop the subtle threat that the hideout is currently surrounded so co-operating with him is probably the best option here, but otherwise he chatters away in an attempt to ease up the atmosphere. He notices that Captain ain't lookin' too good and Kit's first words to Baloo, post-betrayal is a sharp “and who's fault is that?” which Baloo shrugs off as a fair point. He takes a vile out of his pocket and tosses it at Bagheera with the instruction to have Khanny throw it back and he should heal up mighty fast.

Bagheera, of course, is hesitant about giving Shere Khan an unknown liquid from a mutinous pirate who tried to have them killed. That is until Kit snaps at him to do so, arguing that if Baloo wanted to poison one of them, there would be no use in offing the hindrace. (Shere Khan did not take kindly to being called a hindrance.) The captain takes the vile and quickly begins to regain his strength.

-- Baloo praises Kit for being the only one here with any brains to which Kit coldly rebuffs him. He hurries Baloo along to state his terms already but Baloo is already distracted again, this time by the little girl that Kit has been protectively standing in front of this whole time.

He notices the blue hair ribbon and though he doesn't know the details, the realizes the reality immediately. His heart swells for the boy, it really does. But even then, Kit has not softened. If anything, he's more furious than ever to even look at Baloo. Because now there's somebody in the picture that Kit will protect with his life, spiking his motivation to an almost dangerous level. Baloo is relieved. At least once all this is over, the boy won't lose himself entirely if he has someone to love like that. But also, it's a weakness that's useful for hurrying things along.

-- Baloo signals for the rest of his crew to close in, figuring a swarm of dangerous pirates surrounding the little girl may sway Kit into handing over the map. And with a cautious glance at his surroundings and a moment to assess his next move, Kit is smart enough to figure that he doesn't want to push this. So he tosses Baloo the map, intentionally catching him off guard just to expose Baloo's butter fingers in front of his crew. Clever little twerp, he thinks as he fumbles with the sphere.

-- While he's almost inclined to leave these folks alone and be on his merry way, Baloo isn't always a fool. There's usually a trick involved in stuff like this. And true enough, turns out he can't open the damn thing. He twists and jabs and pushes and bites and knocks it against his arm and nothing clicks. Don't think he doesn't catch Kit's satisfied smirk either and it irks him enough to toss the thing back and order him to open it.

And that's when a spark returns to Kit's eyes as he realizes that he has an ounce of leverage here. He demonstrates his ability to activate the hologram, stunning the crew momentarily as they watch the lights and stars wash over their heads before the sphere is clamped shut again. Kit states that if they want the map, they're taking him with them.

-- It's the way he holds his head high that has Baloo chuckling. They could just as easily threaten Molly and Kit would fold. But....he's a fiery one. It's admirable, really. If he wants to see the treasure with his own two eyes, well, Baloo supposes he can grant him that. He'll take him along. He'll take all of them.

-- Shere Khan, Bagheera and Molly are tied up and kept aboard the Legacy. Shere Khan allows Kit to keep hold of his sword, tiredly joking that he doesn't think the boy is ever going to give it back anyway. Kit grins at the captain before he and Wildcat (deemed useful for his past experiences) set off with Baloo with his crew.

-- The map leads them to a metal crater which Kit wedges the sphere into, clicking it into place, resulting in the activation of a holographic control board. It takes a bit of figuring out, as Baloo has never been great with technology and Kit knows just as little about the mechnaisms of intersteller portals, which is becoming more and more obvious to be a key part of the treasure's destination. But at long last, Kit presses the correct entrance and they spill in through the portal.

-- Treasure Planet is everything the stories said but it's so much more. There's too much that it's overwhelming to even stand in the midst of it all. A single handful of gold and jewels could financially support a person for life. But there's more and more and more and more that its a strain to even comprehend what one could do with all of this. And for people like Baloo and Kit, who have never had a coin to their name, it's striking. Kit catches Baloo tearing up.

-- The pirates occupy themselves with hoarding the treasure while Kit just takes the place in, alongside Wildcat. He doesn't bother scooping up any of his own, as he knows it'll be ripped out of his grasp anyway. Kit isn't too pressed about the money anymore, if he gets out of this alive, Molly is the greatest treasure he can bring back to Rebecca.

-- Kit is examining the abandoned ship that's been set aside among the rubies. It hasn't been activated in a while but Kit is sure he can get it in the air. He then stumbles upon a weird piece of hardware, finding it to be the same size as the gap in Wildcat's cranium. He holds Wildcat still a moment so he can reconnect it. Once it's in place, Wildcat's brain overloads with missing memories and he's delighted to recall why the original pirates ripped the piece out in the first place. They didn't want him to tell anybody about the that the whole planet is rigged to explode if anybody were to discover the treasure. It's at this moment that the planet chooses to kick itself into gear, erupt with a boom and start breaking apart

-- A tiny part of Kit has to wonder how, even with his brain fully intact, Wildcat can make an announcement like that with such unbridled joy. The only logical conclusion is that the robot has not possessed common sense from the start. But anyways, not important. Kit orders Wildcat to go help Shere Khan and Bagheera, while he attempts the hotwire the abandoned ship as a getaway.

-- Pirates begin falling away as the ground cracks, some willingly diving in after a spill of treasure and before long, Baloo is the only one left. He spots the ship, now roaring to life thanks to Kit and makes a dive for his life, throwing himself aboard with armfuls of loot, only to be greeted by a sword pressed to his throat and Kit's familiar glare. Baloo can only smile. Boy got the ship going and he's almost inclined to tell him he's proud. But neither gets a chance to speak as the ground erupts, knocking the two of balance.

-- Baloo thanks the Gods above for this arm of his, it's got one Hell of a grip. He's really gotta tip his mechanics more often. He manages to grasp at the ship, triumphant with himself until he spots Kit and his heart drops like a stone. The boy's left dangling over the edge of the planet's cracks, his little fingers unable to keep him upright much longer. He's a brave, resilient little thing. Acts way older than his age. But who can blame him after all he's been through? But at that moment, he's just a kid who's barely lived enough to see death just yet. A kid. A scared kid with a mom and sister that he needs to get home to. Baloo has seconds to figure this out. Ship full of treasure or Kit.

-- Kit is pretty good at holding grudges. And he was certain he'd hold one against Baloo for the rest of his life. And for a second there, it was about to be a pretty short life. But then all of a sudden, he's hoisted up and now he's in Baloo's ams and for a moment he's back on the ship crying his eyes out and it's all a little much to compute. Kit watches Baloo's treasure slip away beneath the cliff, and he knows. There's that hopeful part of him again, the part that's known all along that this was bound to happen. It still had faith in Baloo. Even if he had locked it away so he didn't have to listen anymore. But he chose that moment to release it and he listened.

-- He wants to say something but he's not quite sure what to so say but the planet doesn't have much time left. So in the biggest act of love he can possibly provide at a moment like this, Kit grabs Baloo's arm and the two race back to the Legacy, scrabbling aboard and shooting off, just a hair out of the danger zone as the planet explodes into pieces in a blinding flare. Kit watches with awe as they drift homeward while Baloo looks on a little sadly.

But he shrugs it off. At least now he can say that he's responsible for something great. He saved one kid but now the entirely galaxy will get to experience Kit Cloudkicker grow up to be one of the the brightest stars among them. And Kit Cloudkicker will get his chance to piece his happiness back together. And Baloo finds that a thought like that brings him a peace he's never really had before. He didn't know how much he was worrying about this kid's future until now. And here they are, at the happy end.

-- It doesn't matter much if Kit still loathes him, he sorta expected that after everything he's done. But what can ya do, other than--....Baloo doesn't get to finish his train of thought because to his complete bewilderement, Kit Cloudkicker is hugging him like his life depended on it. It takes him a moment but Baloo is stiff at first, until he realizes that the kid who cried his heart out and leaned on him, was still the same kid. Baloo hugs back, knowing full well that it'll probably be their last hug.

-- Shere Khan would like to see Baloo behind bars. In fact, he would like to see the whole damn crew behind bars but unfortunately Baloo is the only one alive to see consequences. Kit tries in vain to interrupt Shere Khan's tirade and Bagheera won't even back him up here. Apparently their personal opinion of Baloo doesn't matter when compared to his crimes or whatever. Shere Khan is seething as he gets into Baloo's face, insulting everything from the sloppy execution of his mutiny plan to his terrible terrible cooking. And once he's gotten it all out of his system, Shere Khan exhales, exhausted before continuing with an “Although,” Piquing the interest of everyone aboard.

-- Yes, Baloo was the cause of most of the nonsense Shere Khan had to endure but he was in quite an agonizing amount of pain back at Wildcat's hideout and Baloo relieved him of it. He feels he owes him at least one favour. He's about to subtly imply that he may turn a blind eye if Baloo were to make an escape. Bagheera chooses that time to intervene, commenting that Khan is going far too easy on him. Yes, they won't rat him out to the cops but doesn't mean that he shouldn't be punished. Bagheera opts on deciding a sentence for Baloo himself.

-- Baloo doesn't miss Bagheera's grin and is a little nervous before the panther states “Community service.” From now on, Baloo will report to Rebecca Cunningham and will protect her and her family, whatever the cost. Seeing as he already has a knack for it anyway. Baloo is stunned. Stunned and disbelieving...that's it? A normal quiet life working for some little Inn Keeper lady? Well, darn, given his options, that sounds perfect. Plus he knows it's a good option when Kit nearly knocks him to the ground in a hug, whooping in excitement. He could get used to this kid barrelling him over every day from now on.

-- When the boy who wouldn't touch her for over a year marches up to her at Monstressor Starport and hugs her close, Rebecca thinks nothing could surprise her more. But then she hears a voice call “Mommy!” and it's a voice she's been hearing in her dreams, a voice she imagines all the time but it's her. It's her. Rebecca cried and she cried when she lost her daughter, but she cries so much more when she holds Molly in her arms again. She has her baby back. She has both her babies back.

-- True, they didn't come out of that adventure with an ounce of treasure whatsoever but Shere Khan wishes to reward Kit on his bravery (At least that's the story he's going with. Kit suspects Bagheera has something to do with his sudden bout of charity.) and has loaned the family enough to rebuild the Benbow Inn and start again and promises to take care of whatever extra expenses she requires if she plans on branching out her business.

He’s also kind enough to provide her with two employees, a criminal and a glitchy robot! Rebecca is less than pleased with that but in fairness, Wildcat is very sweet and he’s already repaired all the broken tech in her house and Molly adores him so he she can’t complain. The criminal on the other hand....

-- Baloo's first impression of Rebecca is....she's terrifying. He doesn't know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn't for little miss to come storming up to him and biting his head off for betraying her son (“son?” Kit's ears perk up, shocked.), breaking his little heart, shooting him out of the sky, threatening him and her daughter and then dragging him into a death trap of a loot wasteland which then immediately blew up. Who the Hell does Baloo think he is??

But Baloo doesn't get a word in, because Rebecca is already answering her own question. Baloo is her employee and he's going to shut his trap, work with a smile, and take care of her children with his life, does he understand her? All he manages to ask is how Becky (“Rebecca” she corrects him) can trust him to be around her kids in the first place if she thinks he's so rotten. She furrows her brow at him, like it's a stupid question. Kit trusts him, that's good enough for her.

-- Kit assures Baloo he'll warm up to Rebecca eventually. She really is a kind person. Baloo doubts that but he'll stick with it. For Kit. Molly too is growing on him. But Rebecca, she's something else. Seems with both her children back, her passion for business has returned ten fold and now she's thinking about branching out. She's not sure if it'll be for delivery or a taxi service or who knows but they're definitely gonna need a ship. She knows Baloo can fly one at the very least.

-- Kit Cloudkicker is twelve years old, going on thirteen. He likes to explore, and tinker with gears and wires but he doesn't quite wander. At heart he's rooted to his home, the Benbow Inn. But you can burn it down a million times, and it won't matter. He’s got a family and as long as he’s got them, he’ll continue glowing.

#talespin #long post #I know better than to work too hard on content for a miscroacopic fandom but LISTEB #this is for ME

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