Ace staggered back at the utterance of one of the Lost Boyâs rules, the smirk evaporating from his lips in an instant. They didnât have many, but they certainly didnât go throwing them around in pirate earshot just for the men to parrot it back. His mind scrambled to make sense of what the man had said, but all he could come up with in a response was a feral growl and a dirty look.Â
âWhere did you-âŠâ Ace knew he shouldnât be getting this worked up over a silly patch of sand, but being a Lost Boy was the only thing he knew. Literally. Heâd awoken in this paradise and had never looked back, and something about the older boyâs tone shook at the fragile sense of self-worth heâd developed during his time here. Ace didnât like feeling insecure. He could take it in small doses, like the teasing of his peers, but he wasnât about to be put in his place by some grown-up that probably sported a nasty case of scurvy. âDonât pretend like you know about our rules! You donât know anything.âÂ
He scrambled onto a rock, arms crossed over his chest in defiance. âYou want me to scram? Make me.â
@nodofneverland - continued from here
Nod didnât laugh at the way this boy recoiled when he heard one of the Lost Boy rules, but he wanted to. It hadnât been a guarantee that the rule still stood, but he guessed that Peter probably kept the same rules for all the Lost Boys. It would have been too much to create new ones each time. If there was no guarantees, even for a sleeping spot, it kept the Lost Boys competitive. Nod remembered racing his brother and Crow for the comfortable spot in the tree each night, and the subsequent fistfights that would occur when they got too into the race.
When the Boy scrambled onto the rock, Nod just shook his head at the antics. Kaneâs nickname for them, the feral children, jumped into Nodâs mind. It was an apt description of them. Though Nod had no memories, he remembered his time as a Lost Boy. Still, time had dulled the memories, tumbled them around until the sharp edges were smooth like the rocks on the beach. He didnât remember being this feral, though he knew he had been.
He knew better though than to get close, and kept his distance. If this kid was going to try to wait him out, two could play at that game. âThis cove isnât even that exciting, why are you even over here? Did the cool kids kick you out of the tree?â