Chapters: 24/?
Fandom: Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Video Games)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Hans Capon/Henry, Hans Capon & Jitka of Kunstadt
Characters: Henry (Kingdom Come: Deliverance), Hans Capon, Jitka of Kunstadt, Original Male Character(s), Pebbles (Kingdom Come: Deliverance), Mutt (Kingdom Come: Deliverance), Bernard of Oleshna (Kingdom Come: Deliverance)
Additional Tags: Angst and Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, I promise, Presumed Dead, Established Relationship, Hurt Henry (Kingdom Come: Deliverance), Hurt Hans Capon, The story happens about two years after the events of KCD2, Hans is already married, no child in the picture, All the animals remain unharmed, humans not so much..., Henry Needs a Hug (Kingdom Come: Deliverance), Hans Capon Needs a Hug, Jitka is shaping up to be an ally, period typical internalized homophobia, Guilt, Fear, Grief/Mourning, did I mention a happy ending?, I swear it is there somewhere, we just have to reach it, trust the process, depictions of medieval medicine, I feel like I should add there will be absolutely no Hans/Jitka
Summary:
After Henry falls into a ravine, the river leaves almost nothing behind, not even his body. Only a desperate lord refusing to stop searching...
There might also be a very personal revenge on the line, taking advantage of the situation.
While Hans is slowly breaking under the weight of grief and unanswered questions, hope thins and doubt creeps in. Love becomes both their greatest weakness and the most powerful weapon of all.
Yet another week passed, a peaceful week, well, as peaceful as the Septiceye House could be with Anti always trying to find something fun to do. But nothing too chaotic happened in that week and Marvin had agreed to go out on another one of Jackie’s patrols, wanting an excuse to go to the little bakery and get a sweet treat. It wasn’t hard to convince Jackie to make a stop during his routine for something chocolatey.
“I meant to ask you a while ago, but what other jobs do you do aside from security?” Marvin said after he and Jackie claimed a little booth in the bakery. He had a chocolate muffin in front of him while Jackie had a muffin as well but he also had two cookies and a slice of apple pie that he couldn’t resist getting since it just came out of the oven.
“The security stuff is like my usual go-to ‘cause of my strength.” Jackie took a large bite of the pie, smiling at the flavor for a moment as he chewed. “Does being a bodyguard count as something different?”
“I’d say so. Watching over a location and watching over a person seem very different.” Marvin picked up a fork and used it on his muffin.
“Dude, no.” Jackie stared in disbelief.
“What?”
“You’re using a fork for your muffin?”
“It’s cleaner to eat it this way.”
“It’s a muffin.”
“You’re using a fork.”
“For a pie.”
“Same thing. Dessert forks.”
“I’m going to explode.”
“You’re not going to explode.”
“I’m dying.”
“You’re dramatic.” Marvin loaded his fork again and held it toward Jackie. “You’re not going to die if you eat some muffin from a fork.”
“I can feel my atoms splitting as we speak.” Jackie exaggerated a shiver, noise, and all.
“Eat the muffin bite.” Marvin leaned over the table and had the fork closer to Jackie.
“My particles are parting.”
“Your particles are fine.”
“Death is coming for me.”
“I’m about to crawl over this table and shove this fork into your mouth if you don’t do it yourself.”
“I want everyone to wear superhero outfits at my funeral.”
“I’ll make sure of it.” Marvin rolled his eyes as Jackie ate the muffin from his fork. “Look at that. No atoms splitting or particles parting, you’re in one piece.”
“I feel like I committed a war crime.”
“You are such a-”
“Dork?” Jackie finished with a chuckle when Marvin’s phone ringing cut off his comment.
“A massive one,” Marvin added, taking his phone out and seeing that it was Chase calling. “Hello?”
“Hey, Marvin. Let Jackie know he needs to charge his phone and I need you two back at the House.” Chase said through the phone.
“Wait, why?”
“You’re going to be meeting the Ipliers.”
x~x~x
Marvin thought the Septiceye House was large but the Iplier Manor was massive. He felt like a Barbie-sized doll going into a house and not a grown man.
“People live here?” Marvin asked Jackie in a whisper, the two of them sticking to the back of the group as Chase knocked on the door.
“Yeah. just wait, it gets fancier.” Jackie whispered back.
“I’m so surprised.” Marvin’s voice was laced with sarcasm.
“Welcome, come in, we’re just waiting for the others and we can begin.” Dark greeted them after opening the door, stepping aside and gesturing with his hand for them to enter.
“I think my particles are parting,” Marvin muttered.
“And you call me dramatic.” Jackie teased and quickly scrambled into the Manor when Marvin gave him a look.
“Good afternoon,” Dark stated flatly to Marvin as he came into the building last. “Do you plan on behaving like a brat again?”
“Do you plan on removing the metal rod from your ass?” Marvin matched Dark’s tone.
“Bad idea, bad idea,” Jackie said to himself as he scrambled back over. “Should not have left you alone with him.” He slipped between the two and turned Marvin around by his shoulders and walked away with him.
“I think me and Dark get along swimmingly.” Marvin’s sarcasm was back in full force. “Soon we’ll be braiding each other’s hair and talking about cute boys.”
“I sure hope I make it into that talk.” A new voice said with a deep chuckle.
“Cowboy?” Marvin said when he saw the newest Iplier, blinking as his form took on his unique one.
“Adventurer.” The Iplier corrected, tilting his hat before bowing a bit, taking hold of one of Marvin’s hands, and kissing the knuckles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He said with a wink.
“A flirty cowboy.” Marvin hummed. The man straightened up with another chuckle.
“Wilford wasn’t joking when he said you have a fun mouth on you. I can see why Jackie enjoys your company.” The man’s grin turned toward Jackie, gesturing to his hands that were still on Marvin’s shoulders.
“Well, I just-we’re-we’re just-he’s a good-he’s a good friend.” Jackie sputtered as he dropped his hands and then used them to point to the person whose name he spoke; “Marvin, Illinois. Illinois, Marvin.” He tried to change the subject with his next sentence. “Illinois was the one that taught me the waltz.”
“Now, that’s not shocking,” Marvin picked up on how Illinois seemed to like to tease. It wasn’t too far of a stretch for someone very flirty to be like that as well.
“Did he dip you?” Illinois asked.
“He did,” Marvin said with a light nod.
“I was showing off,” Jackie weakly laughed.
“A dip is a good way of doing that.” Illinois chuckled, eyes shifting to the side before returning and he grinned. “And I am going to steal Jackie here for a moment.” He wrapped an arm across Jackie’s shoulder and walked off with him.
“A good friend?” Illinois asked in a soft tone, making sure no one else could hear them over their own conversations.
“Yeah. Like, we clicked really fast and he’s a good friend.” Jackie matched Illinois’ level.
“Usually good friends don’t look like they want to yank off my head for doing my usual introduction.” Illinois hummed.
“I’m protective, you know that. When we went on that security job together some creep was like, being all creepy with him and I…I might have almost broken his shoulder.” Jackie admitted the last part quickly, it sounding like one word.
“Jackie,” Illinois said the name in shock. “You’re not one to normally do something like that.”
“He was making Marvin uncomfortable.” Jackie rubbed the back of his neck.
“Are we still going with the ‘just a good friend’ route? Because that sounds like you’re getting jealous.” Illinois poked Jackie’s chest.
“No. No, it’s not.” Jackie pushed Illinois’ hand away. “If the creep was creeping on anyone, I would have done the same for them.”
“Would have stepped in, of course, you are a hero after all, but you wouldn’t almost shatter a shoulder,” Illinois said. “Did you tell Chase about that?”
“No. He would have grounded me big time if I did.”
“Maybe you should talk to him. I know we’re pals but he knows you a lot more than me, might be able to pick at your brain and see if you were just being a hero, or if there’s more going on in that heart of yours.”
“Nothing is-” Jackie stopped himself and sighed. “You’re not going to leave me alone until I talk to Chase.”
“You know it.” Illinois winked.
“Fine.” Jackie slumped his body in a bit of a pout. “But I’m not going to like it.”
“You might.” Illinois patted Jackie’s back and then let him go, walking off while Jackie turned to see where Marvin was. He chuckled when he saw Marvin standing with the Jims, the other set of twins, and wasn’t shocked at how Marvin looked very confused as the Jims rambled to each other.
“Magic.”
“Magic.”
“Not chaos magic.”
“No, no. No chaos. Just magic.”
“No demons.”
“No demons.”
“Jackie, I can’t tell if I’m having a stroke or I really need a nap,” Marvin said as Jackie joined him.
“They are the Jims. He’s RJ and he’s CJ.” Jackie first pointed to the Iplier with a microphone in his hands and then to the one with a camera on his shoulder. “Reporter Jim and Camerman Jim.”
“They’ve been calling me cat Jim,” Marvin said.
“They do that. I’m hero Jim.” Jackie had a proud grin.
“I can’t tell if this is adorable or if I should be running for the hills.”
“Everyone has a Jim name if that helps.”
“Guess I’ll get my cardio workout in later.” Marvin chuckled. “How many more do I need to meet?”
“Five, well, six if you count Blank.” Jackie counted with his fingers, putting down four of them and then pointing. “That guy talking with Henrik is Dr. Iplier or Edward as we all call him. He’s the Iplier’s doc like how Hen is ours.”
“So, he’s their dad?” Marvin asked with another chuckle.
“I think Dark has that title.”
“The way I would always be running away from home if Dark was my parent. Not even teenage rebellion, I’d be running right after birth.”
“Would you believe me if I said the newest Iplier did?” Jackie chuckled.
“Oh? Now you have to give me all the details.” Marvin couldn’t help his curiosity from peeking through.
“Maybe not while he’s in the room.” Jackie scratched his cheek with a finger.
“Hey, dude! You must be Marvin!” One of the Ipliers Marvin hadn’t met yet rolled on his heels over to them. Marvin had to admit, with the other Ipliers he’s experienced, he wasn’t expecting someone with bright orange sunglasses and a black tank top. The b that was on the shirt looked familiar and he swore it was glowing.
“You are going to scare him, you nearly did the same with Madrick when he arrived.” Another Iplier joined, this one wearing basic glasses, and his blue t-shirt had a glowing G. Did they have lights in their shirts?
“Maddy’s warmed up to me, man. He just had to get used to the vibe.” The first Iplier did a little wave with his arms. “Plus, like, the dude was ready to literally set everyone but Mare on fire, so I have some laxness in that. Robbo loved me though when we first met.”
“Does he own a skateboard, by chance?” Marvin asked Jackie.
“He does,” Jackie said.
“I knew it.”
“Let’s get our introductions finished so we can continue with our day. We are completely off schedule and this new vision is only making it worse.” The second Iplier sighed.
“Vision?” Marvin was asking Jackie again.
“When everyone gets here, it’ll be explained.” Jackie gave a nervous smile.
“Alright, man, alright.” The first Iplier faced Marvin again. “I’m Bing and this mud-puddle here is Googs.”
“Google.” The second Iplier corrected.
“Like the search engines?” Marvin was going to ask if those were nicknames, but given how ‘Googs’ seemed to be the nickname, it was likely their actual names. Not too odd considering some of the other names he’s experienced.
“Exactly! We’re androids, dude.” Bing had the biggest grin.
“Androids?” Marvin definitely wasn’t expecting that. Magic he was used to, androids that moved, breathed, and looked like the average human, was sci-fi and he didn’t dwell much into that genre.
“Yes. We were formed with wires.” Google placed a hand on his arm and opened his skin like a panel, showing said wires and lights and other technical gadgets Marvin would never understand the function of.
“Googs!” Bing quickly closed the opening. “Come on, man, you know we can’t just show off our insides. You’re gonna, like, traumatize the newbie.”
“Madrick was interested in it,” Google stated.
“Maddy’s a big nerd, he likes that stuff. Not everyone is the same, dude.”
“Oh. My apologies.”
“I have no idea how to feel about this situation anymore.” Marvin blinked a few times. Did seeing an android’s wires under their…skin count as gore? Should he be traumatized?
“Hey, look, it’s Yancy.” Jackie waved a hand over to an Iplier that came out and went over to Illinois. The Iplier, Yancy, shot a smile and wave back to Jackie before his hand was taken by Illinois and they walked off together.
“Is he in a prison outfit?” Marvin asked. “Or does he just really like black and white stripes?”
“Prison. I don’t know the full story, the only person that does is Illinois.” Jackie shrugged. “He likes musicals.”
“I’m getting whiplash.”
“Sorry, we’re late.” Mare’s voice spoke as he, Phantom, Mad, and, who Marvin assumed was Blank, appeared in the middle of the room.
“I’m really getting whiplash.” Marvin rubbed his temples with his hand.
“Blank’s change came in late and we wanted to wait until he finished before using magic on him,” Mare explained.
“Robbie!” Blank, a young child, squeaked as he ran over to Robbie, also a young child. “I’m six!”
“Me too!” Robbie was also squeaking, the two children were very happy about being the same age.
“RJ, CJ, take Blank and Robbie to the playroom and I will come to get you all when we are finished.”
“Yes, dad Jim!” RJ and CJ both saluted before taking off with the children.
“Dad Jim?” Marvin repeated with a snort.
“Hush.” Dark snapped as he walked past. Marvin was about to snark but stopped when he noticed the weird shift in the air, everyone moving and following Dark.
“It’s time to do the thing,” Jackie said. “The vision thing.”
“Then we can go back to the House?” Marvin walked alongside Jackie.
“Yeah. Wanna play Stardew Valley tonight?” Jackie offered.
“That sounds nice.” Marvin smiled, watching everyone go through a set of double doors. He stepped in before Jackie and paused when he saw the last Iplier.
He sat at the end of a table, arms resting on the surface and hands on top of each other. He sat up straight and faced forward. None of that was strange but the bloody cloth wrapped around his eyes is what caused Marvin to hesitate.
Chapter 6 of An Absolutely, Totally, Non-Romantic Wedding Date
Time is meaningless right now and I’m not entirely sure what day it is so I apologise for the months of time between updates but here ... have thirteen thousand words of chapter lol.
And this time I can promise you that Chapter 7 will be coming in November at the absolute latest.
The ship was a marvel on the waves, skyrocketing and breaking modern records. Magic was on the side of the crusaders. It took a bit for the crew to get adjusted to the ships speed, but they found that as long as they didn't reach outside of the deck over the water, they didn't feel the speed. Everyone had a chance to catch up on lost time.
"And then, when me wife was screaming profanities at me during labor, I made the mistake of a-telling her that it wasn't my fault, we both did the deed." Rat was telling the amusing story about Trygve's birth. "And then she punched me in the balls."
"BUWAHAHAHA!"
The entire crew was laughing at Rat's expense.
"You think dat's bad? Me wife threatened ta chop off me balls!" Juju snickered.
"Me wife kicked me out of bed for a month!" Mojo chuckled.
"Missy Orana chucked Corsaire overboard when Nakeso was being born." Bomba held his sides from laughing. "He said, 'Can you quit pacing, I'm trying to get some sleep!'. Wrong thing to say."
"Dad, oh my god, you're so embarrassing." Revy snickered next to him, giving him a light punch in the shoulder.
Liz sat contently next to Halvar, finding comfort in leaning against his frame. Scarlet gave a chuckle at all the men's stories. Her own pregnancy was hell to get through. She wanted to tear the doctor in half from her underhanded comments that all she had to do was 'push' and that is was 'easy'.
"I's learned my lesson."
"Me too."
"Women are scary creatures."
"I's not sure what scares me more. Me lady on her monthly or the kraken!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"I still can't believe cap'n ever entertained the idea of kids." Bomba took a sip of his drink. "He doesn't even like kids!"
"I tolerated you, thank you very much, and I like kids fine, I don't like brats." Corsaire told him dryly. "You were a brat and a troublemaker."
"I's not that bad!"
"You almost capsized me ship playing with that black powder numerous times."
"Almost is the key word in that sentence."
"Not to mention, you's gotten us chased out of ports before due to your lovely pickpocket talent."
"Aw, thanks cap'n!"
"That's not a compliment!"
"Well, you were a family. So that has to count for something, knowing you could always pull each other out of trouble, through thick or-" Scarlet was happy for a moment, nostalgia hitting her, before sadness slapped the Gerudo back down to reality, and she stopped talking. "You have no regrets. Be happy with that."
"Heh, we's always tried to be there for each other. Didn't have no one else." Mojo told Scarlet. "Corsaire rescued me and me brother. I's albino and dat's bad luck where I's from."
"We's stowed away on his ship and he let us stay." Juju added onto his brother's words. "We's safe with him."
"T-T-Took us out of th-the circus." Pockets gestured to himself then Acrobat. "N-Never saw me... saw me as a f-freak."
"Helped me recover when me legs were both broke beyond repair." Acrobat patted his thighs. "Helped me learn to walk a little again."
"Took me away from the gladiator rings." Rat clasped his hands together. "Reunited me with Renegade after so long of thinking me old friend was dead."
"Saved me from the streets and... and Seer from the brothel." Bomba's voice fell a little. "... Seer loved to cook for us. Never once asked for anything but ingredients for the food. I miss his calm chowder."
"Fish tacos."
"Vegetable medley."
"Chili soup."
"Roasted flounder."
"Braised pork."
"... yeah... he always fixed us food. Knew what it was like to be hungry. Didn't want us to ever feel that way." Bomba sighed. "Despite what those horrid people did ta him, he still has a golden heart."
With that, a thick cloud of sadness swept through. Everyone missed Seer dearly. Halvar could have sworn he was feeling Liz heat up against him, when Lex decided to lighten the mood. "And he is the BEST at story telling! I love the tale how he'd say that Captain Corsaire was a legend of the sea for taking down two Krakens, and it would be a riot if Uncle had to go up against a third. Think we can fight a big squidy Uncle?"
"Heh, Seer was there when we encounter the krakens. He was scared out of his wits too, kept telling me that they were very, very angry." Corsaire smiled a little at the mention of the old tale. "Makes sense now that he could sort of understand them, him being a Direnor and all."
"We all made it a-out unscathed, thanks to him and Missy Orana." Rat pulled Revy a little closer, holding her closer. "Us, krakens, and the ship."
"Liz would tell me the stories that Seer told her when he was on the ship with Corsaire." Halvar finally spoke, resting his head on top of Liz's. "I really enjoyed the one where Rat basically threw Corsaire onto the balcony so he could speak to Orana again."
"Uncle Corsaire isn't really good with the ladies." Liz gave a chuckle. She was grateful to how quick Lex was to cool her off.
"Hey I was just fine with the ladies." Corsaire crossed his arms. "Then Orana just... happened to catch me."
"More like you chased her."
"I did not!"
"Did too, lovesick dog."
"Remember when he was depressed after she went home to Hyrule?"
"Sulked for days in his cabin."
"I did not sulk!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"You sound like a sulker Uncle Corsaire." Lex giggled.
"Look! He's doing it right now Dad!" Revy pointed, laughing at her Uncle's embarrassment.
"Ah, shut it yous." Corsaire huffed. "All of yous need to get some rest anyway."
"Agreed. According to the charts, we should arrive at our destination by tomorrow afternoon." Bakura spoke up, having kept his eye on the ship while the group had their fun. He felt like more of an outcast than Scarlet. This was, in some ways, all his fault that Adda did what she did.
"You need to eat before you sleep," Corsaire told Bakura as he stood from his barrel seat. "You didn't even touch dinner. Rat's cooking isn't that bad. Need your strength, so eat then go rest."
"Cap'n's orders, Bakie." Rat gave Revy a gentle shake. "Hey now, me love, don't doze off on me just yet. Let's get you to bed."
"Huh? I'm not sleepy."
"Oh yes you are. Listen to your father young lady."
"What-*yawn*-ever mom." Revy was indeed sleepy.
Bakura continued looking at the stars. "I'll eat in a minute or two. You all have a good nights sleep."
"Taking first watch? Very well." Corsaire stretched lightly and then said. "Come get me for second watch. Men, off to bed."
"Aye, aye, cap'n."
"That means you two, girls." Rat told Liz and Lex. "Halvar, you's sleeping with the men."
"Whu? I mean, of course I am!" The prince blushed.
Scarlet gave a light frown. "Rat. Liz has a Voe, I think they have the right to stay in the same bed."
Liz looked over her shoulder to Halvar, a curiosity forming. How long had they been a relationship for now? Cuddles in the day on a couch were one thing, but what of cuddling at night? More soft spoken than she meant to, she turned to the Prince "Halvar.... would you like to share a bed. With me?"
"No hankie pankie on me ship!" Corsaire yelled from beneath, earning a few snickers from the men, knowing the captain was a protective uncle as well.
"There's a difference between sharing a bed for sleep and sharing a bed for... that." Rat was still a little off put by the sex conversation with the twins and his own daughter. It was always a touchy subject for him, especially with him having to work in the pleasure houses as well when his old master made him for extra cash. "Besides, Liz doesn't need to go and get pregnant right before a battle. Tis dangerous."
"We are NOT going to have sex!" Liz shouted at the men, appalled that was the first place they'd jump to. Lex snickered, giving her sister a tap. "Why not? Heard a rumour that being a virgin is never a good thing going into battle. Trust me, you'll both love it~"
Revy quickly pulled Lex away before Liz lost it. "I will THROW you over the ship so help me god Lex!" Her max embarrassment couldn't be reached any higher. Liz turned to Halvar, sighing. "I'll just go to bed if you aren't comfortable."
"Pin me down and lick my dick!" Bomba's voice rang out from beneath the deck. "Fuck me like a big, bad bitch! We won't stop til you say when! Next time won't you bring a friend~~~~!"
"BOMBA SHUT UP!!!" The entire crew yelled at him.
"All you's don't appreciate my singing talents."
"More like wailing talents."
Halvar's face was bright red by this time, but he finally found a way to speak.
"I um... I'll do what you want, Liz. You're my lady, and I want you comfortable."
"That's not what I asked..." Liz sighed. If Halvar didn't tell her that HE was comfortable first and foremost, than she wouldn't force him. "I don't want to demand anything of anyone. I'm not my mother..."
Liz walked to below deck. Glaring at her Uncle with a deep growl, Bomba received a hard punch in the stomach for embarrassing her, and she slammed the door to her bed.
Lex patted Halvar on the back. "Pussy move dude. You didn't answer her question if you yourself wanted to join her."
"It's customary for the females to initiate... that part of the courtship." Halvar told Lex with a frown. "I'll go talk to her."
"I don't know if she's in the mood for talking right now. Maybe in the morning?"
"I... I guess..." Halvar said good night to everyone else and stopped at the cabin where Liz was staying. With a sigh, he told Liz through the door. "I'm... I'm sorry if I upset you. I think it's just hard for me to get the normal Uskarian customs out of my head, even though I know you're not required to follow those. Please don't doubt my love for you, ever. You're amazing and so sweet and... I feel lucky that you look at me the way you do. Sweet dreams, Elizabeth."
Liz heard his words and felt them sting. She hated herself now for not being more forward with Halvar, and in her self-pity, bit into her pillow so no one could hear her cry.
Scarlet was making her way to bed when she saw Bomba recovering from his gut punch. "She hit you really good."
"Aye, tis nothing I can't handle." Bomba shrugged and held up his hands, missing a couple of fingers. "Dis here hurt a lot worse. I was being stupid with the black powder and it came back to bite me good."
"Well you were being more stupid here. Do none of you have daughters? You didn't think your words and laughter didn't have an effect on her?"
"I's has no kids." Bomba shook his head. "Cap'n, Rat, Mojo, Juju, and Seer has kids. Acrobat and his man thinking 'bout adopting. Pockets doesn't want any kids; too scared of them being born like him with four arms. Doesn't want the kids to feel like he used to; like a freak."
"Well you all guaking about what she does in bed was insulting." Scarlet gave him a jab, and her voice was loud enough for any of the other men to hear. "At least Bakura was wise enough to know when to keep his peace. I bet even Seer wouldn't judge."
"Hey, she's our little girl and we want her to be treated right, dat's all." Bomba jabbed Scarlet back. "We know Halvar is a good laddie, yet we don't want Liz put in a bind either. Wind up pregnant when we's going to war with Adda is not a good thing. Dat, or worse, Halvar gets her pregnant and something happens to 'em. We's seen it before and don't wish it on her."
"She's not stupid enough to get pregnant. You insulted her core. She wanted to have a moment with her Voe, and all you idiots ruined it for her. She's strong, but she's also still a girl." Scarlet jabbed him back, harder this time.
"I'm not saying she's stupid, I'm saying it could happen!" Bomba poked her harder than before. "You's and Adda were pregnant during fighting and something coulda happened then! We's would have never had these sweetlings with us if something woulda happened to ya!" The first mate was not backing down from this argument. "If she wants a moment with her man, then dat's something they's both gotta agree on. Dey's from different cultures, and Halvar's trying to respect her and everyone else in her family too." He huffed and crossed his arms. "Liz wasn't raised Gerudo, she was raised as a Uskarian. If you's gots a problem with dat, take it up with Seer. He did right by those girls."
"I DID MY FUCKING BEST FOR MY DAUGHTER!" Scarlet picked Bomba up, pinning him to the wall. "I made sure to keep her away from the fighting! Even though it broke my heart and Rat's! And for all the shit my sister in arms has done, the smartest thing she ever did was give Seer those twins! So if I got a problem its with anyone, it’s you asshole!" She dropped Bomba and turned, the stress of the mission having boiled over now. "Fuck... I... I'm sorry. God damn it..."
Bomba yelped when Scarlet pinned him against the wall with a loud bang. She had a good foot in height on him, and was certainly the stronger of the two. However, Bomba was one to never give up, and always found a way to get the upper hand in the end... in most fights. When Scarlet dropped him, he fell onto his ass with a thud and rubbed his throat.
"Hmph." Bomba frowned at Scarlet. "You's ever stop to think dat maybe you doing something 'good' for someone else is 'bad' for you?"
Scarlet, turned to him, and Bomba knew he made a mistake. "What. Else. Was I. Suppose to DO?! HUH Bomba?! I loved my Captain! She was MY LIFE! She saved me, she was my closest friend! I trusted her word as the only word I needed to trust." Scarlet towered over him, picking him up and holding him tightly by the shoulders. She didn't even care that others could be listening, which they certainly were. "Tell me, would you ever have question Corsaire's word? His trust? Because when I was at my lowest, most worried for the new baby I had, I listened to Adda's. Would YOU have done differently than me?"
"Cap'n Corsaire saved us, and he's our brother... but he doesn't expect us to live our lives for him." Bomba told Scarlet, honest as could be. "Your cap'n might have saved you, but dat doesn't mean you have to live your life for her. You's your own person, lassie." He told her, honestly. "Me cap'n would never tell me to abandon me kid. He doesn't put himself first. He puts his... his family first. His friends first. Dere's a difference 'tween Corsaire and Adda." He was not sugar coating his words.
"Adda does put her family first. She gave us homes. She allowed us to choose our occupations once we become of age. She gave me the choice to leave her... us Gerudo are her only family she has. She did what she thought was best for us." Scarlet put her hands to her face and held her breath, slowly exhaling. "And that's why I'm terrified. You're all going to kill her. She won't stop. She won't. And you'll have to kill her."
"You call dumping her kids off and making you choose 'tween your baby and her a 'sister'?" Bomba actually laughed dryly at that statement. "If dat's the kind of definition of family for Gerudos, then I's really glad the girls weren't raised there. Family don't hurt family. Don't make 'em choose 'tween kids or her." The first mate then told Scarlet. "Look, lassie. I can argue with ya til me blue in the face, but what your cap'n did was wrong. End of story." He shook his head. "We's don't want to kill her if she'll just give us Seer. She don't, then it's gonna be a fight. Cap'n never let us down before; he's never lost." He sighed and then said to Scarlet. "We's used to be pirates, but we's never hurt innocents like she did, never took for our own gain. We's stole from those who stole from the others. Cap'n never liked fighting, but he's damn good it if he has to."
"You ever hear about the battle of Fan-Shen Bay?"
"I's heard of a lot of battles, lassie."
"This one was personal. When the great war happened, there was a giant power grab for riches and power. We didn't start the war. It was slowly building up, and I think you and your crew were lucky enough to miss it. Captain Adda saw an opportunity with the Wind Waker. We had the power to put a stop to heavy hitters like Onslaught and keep him grounded. But more importantly, we, a tribe of Gerudo women, had the potential to come out on top. To bring order. As we got into the war, it quickly dawned on us that our night with your crew left us pregnant. My crew, my sisters in our tribe were terrified for us. We couldn't pull out of the war. And Adda, couldn't leave the twins with Bakura. He still had that monster Set in his mind at the time. And... and we couldn't get back to our island sanctuary. It was under siege at the time." Scarlet knew it sounded like she was making excuses to him, but this was the first time she found the will to fully explain herself. "Should I have stayed with Rat? Maybe... but I had to help my sisters. I had to make sure that they lived first. So we took the girls to Rat and Seer, and I returned to the war. The Battle of Fan-Shen Bay occurred a week after I returned to my captain. In that battle our ship was torn apart by cannon fire and we crashed into the bay. Now I want you to imagine what would happen if we had little babies with us. They would have died. I saw girls that couldn't swim drown that day, or torn apart by cannon fire. And I am grateful I returned. Adda was knocked unconscious. My sisters were panicked as we were pinned down by enemy fire. So I took command. I used ever bit of magic and skill I had to protect my sisters as we rounded our forces for a retreat. If I had stayed with Rat, I'm certain my whole tribe would have been wiped out that day. So the choices I make haunt me either way. Abandoning my daughter for 13 years, or knowing if I abandoned my crew they'd all be dead. Tell me how to heal my soul from that?"
Revy was in horror from hearing that story, having listened through the crack of her door. Why did fate have to always leave people with horrible choices. Scarlet felt like crying. "I'm... I'm tired defending myself. Adda might be rotten to the core, like everyone keeps saying, but she loved us.... and I loved her too. Please understand that."
"Me thinks either way, you's just tormenting ye self." Bomba was no guru on giving advice, he said whatever popped into his head. Yet, sometimes, his blunt statements made perfect sense. "You's were stuck either way. Yet... dere's one thing me doesn't understand." He finally asked the question everyone had been thinking. "We's coulda helped hide ye. All of ye. Why didn't you just... ask for help?"
"Didn't want to drag our enemies to Hyrule. Maybe we wanted to be more than just another tribe. Or maybe we were just stupid." Scarlet's lip quivered. "I feel stupid... Like a waste of breath."
"Maybe a little bit of both." Bomba was not very good at comforting females, so he took her hand and gently patted it. "Tis okay to feel stupid. Look at me. I's the silly one of the crew, and me mouth gets me into bad situations. Me crew calls me stupid sometimes, but dey still love me. No one tis perfect. We's all human and make mistakes." He shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes, the best thing to do is... move forward and try to put the past behind ye." The first mate gave her a small grin. "Can't make the same mistakes again if ye don't wanna."
"Thank you Bomba." Scarlet squeezed tight, and looked into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his comfort.
"Me thinks you need to do more thinking, lassie." Bomba was truthful with Scarlet. "Thinking of what ye really want. Tis ain't 'bout Adda no more, 'bout you."
"You're right... Are you the wise one out of your brothers?"
"HAHAHA!" Bomba started laughing at that question. "Aw shit, no. Seer was the wise one. Me's just the kid... well, me used to be a kid then, sneaking into his kitchen to steal a bite of food."
"Well, you show qualities of a man now." Before Bomba could make a remake, Scarlet lifted him up off the ground, and planted a deep kiss on him.
"HMPH?!?!" Bomba was not expecting a kiss, that was for sure.
Scarlet's lips were fine, and she held the kiss for more than he thought she would. Pulling away, she had a light, floaty smile. "Thank you for talking with me. I needed that."
"Uh-huh..." Bomba was a little out of breath from the kiss and partly dazed. "No... no problem, lassie. Good talk'in, and... very, very good kiss'in."
"I'm going to check on the girls. I'll see you in the morning?" Scarlet set the dazed man down back to his feet.
"Hm-hm, morning's good." Bomba tried to snap out of his stupor just for a moment. "Wishing you sweet dreams, lassie."
"Sweet dreams Bomba." Scarlet gave him a hug into her breasts, than turned with a wave goodbye and settled for the night.
"Heheheh... boobies." Bomba snickered as Scarlet exited his cabin to check on the girls.
~
The morning came, and the crew prepared. A week out of sea and they had arrived at their first destination. They quickly dropped one of the sails to cut the speed as to not draw mass attention. The island ahead had a jungle interior, with a bustling port of other pirates coming and going. Liz was hazy, regretting crying herself to sleep the night before. She barely looked Halvar in the eye, embarrassed by her actions. Everyone was getting equipped properly. Liz was wearing a modest outfit, with a trench coat to give her an air of authority. Revy wore a simple shirt and pants with light armour underneath, and Scarlet was suiting up in her Iron Knuckle suit.
Bakura looked over the sea, turning to Corsaire. "You ever been to this island before?"
"Aye, many years ago." Corsaire made sure to guide his ship into port slowly and carefully. "Rescued Mojo and Juju here. Can't say they're happy to be back."
"We's gonna be fine, cap'n." Mojo assured Corsaire. "We's grown now, not wee lads. We can take care of ourselves."
"We'll stick together, and we's be okay." Juju agreed with his brother. "We's help looking after the girls too."
"Bakie, you's going to be okay a-doing this?" Rat asked Bakura, hating to inquire, but he had to do so. "I don't want your... other half... going too crazy if we's gotta fight."
"We... we've come to an understanding. I believe that horse kick really did a number on him. But I can keep control." Bakura patted Rat's shoulders. His attention than turned to Lex. She was walking out in a very seductive fashion. Proper, yet very alluring. "Sweet heart, what are you wearing?"
"Uh, what are YOU wearing? Baggy pants? And Ms. Scarlet, don't you think you should wear normal clothing? You can magic up your armour at any time right? You need to scream less, "I'm a big bad warrior, rrrrr." You know what I mean?"
"Lex, we's here to find out information, not for ye to find a husband." Acrobat told his niece. "You look like you's trying to bait and hook a man."
"Lex, let Scarlet wear her armor if she's a-wants." Rat then turned to Revy. "Me love, you stay close to me, you hear? I's not underestimating your fighting ability, but I promised your Mama I'd keep you a-safe."
"Aye, all the ladies stay close to us, captain's orders." Corsaire told Scarlet, Lex, Liz, and Revy. "You never know what these crooks might try."
Lex rolled her eyes. "I KNOW I'm eye candy. That's my speciality. How many women have you muscle heads ever ran up to, transfixed by their beauty, and not to mention, tell them anything to get their attention. I can make people talk to help us find our target."
Scarlet nodded, impressed. "Excellent point Lex. I suppose my intimidation factor could lead to an issue. And we ALL have our strengths and weaknesses." The Gerudo woman powered down her armour, the magic making her appear back in regular clothing once more.
"Regardless, all of you ladies are staying with one of us." Corsaire ordered firmly. "Is that clear? You will travel with one of us at all times. This island has been known to kidnap females and sell them into the slave rings."
"Eh. Small advantage I can only hope for is that Adda has made Gerudo feared enough for no one to pull that shit, but don't count on it." Scarlet nodded to the three girls.
Bakura used his skills as a bounty hunter to formulate a plan. "Be careful when asking information. When we find Eltontor, we play it safe. Interrogating him will be difficult unless we get him isolated."
"So we need to set a trap for him." Rat suggested. "Get in his good graces and then get the information we need."
"If he doesn't willingly tell us, we'll make him talk." Liz spoke up, hyper focused on the mission ahead.
"No one goes alone," Corsaire told everyone. "Acrobat, Pockets, you search the fishing docks. Mojo, Juju, stay with the ship, I don't want anyone trying to get the bright idea of hurting Mojo. Rat, Revy, you go search the trading posts. Lex, Liz, you're with me, we'll search the taverns." Then he ordered. "Bomba, Scarlet, you take the markets."
Bakura checked his blades, and polished his mask. "Girls, stick to the captains orders. Halvar, you come with me. You can probably pass off as a slave boy if anyone asks any questions about you."
"Hey!" Halvar objected at that remark. "Slave boy, my ass."
"Halvar, do as he tells you." Corsaire told the young prince. "We need to get you back home to your parents safe and sound."
"... can Liz come with me?" He asked the captain. "I feel better if she's at my side. I want to protect her."
"Very well." Corsaire gestured to Halvar. "Liz?"
Liz thought about her actions last night, how she wished she could be a better girlfriend to Halvar. Maybe they could use this chance to take care of themselves. "Well, I suppose it can't hurt to look after you as well Halvar."
Bakura waved her over. "Alright. Anyone asks. I'm an Yuga bounty hunter, you're my partner, and this is a Direnor slave we acquired."
"Grr... fine." Halvar agreed to go along with the farce because this was Liz's other dad. He did not want too many tensions since he intended to marry Liz.
"Is everyone else ready?"
"Aye, cap'n."
"Let's find this guy. Seer's counting on us." Bakura finished slipping his mask down and the ship pulled into the dock.
Everyone set out, Scarlet ready to summon her armour at a moments notice. Looking around, she was hit with an air of nostalgia at all the unlawful trade occurring around her. Smiling to Bomba, she nudged him. "You miss this at all?"
"Eh, a little." Bomba looked around at all the merchandise. "Me's content to work for Hyrule now. Better money, safer, and can still be close to cap'n and me family."
"Not gonna lie. Cracking heads and getting rich with all the laughs and joy with my sisters is a feeling that I wish I could recapture sometimes."
"Not like you can't recreate that feeling with us." Bomba suggested to Scarlet. "If you're bored in Uskar, then come work on the ship with the cap'n and me. We could always use a bit of extra muscle!"
"I go where Revy goes. That's how its always been for me."
"Aye, and me admires your dedication to your wee one." Bomba nodded his head. "Though, you know, Reveka is grown now. She knows how to fight, how to take care of herself, and one day, she'll have a family of her own. She'd want you to be happy doing what you like. She wouldn't expect you to chain ye self down cause of her."
Scarlet knew Bomba was right. Borghild had told her the same so many times. "I haven't really found anyone to settle down with."
"Well, even if you haven't found a mate to settle down with, it'd be fun for you to come along with us." Bomba reminded Scarlet. "We's not pirates no more, but we still know how to party and have fun."
"I'll give it some thought..."
"All righty, then." Bomba looked around the market at the various booths. So far, he did not see no crocodile man. He did, however, see an object which caught his eye. Approaching the stand full of flowers, he paid for a single gerber daisy. Once in his hands, he waltzed back to Scarlet, stood on his tiptoes, and put it behind her ear. "There. No lady can be sad with flowers."
Scarlet looked down at him in surprise. Her shock was evidence she didn't know what to make of the action. "No one has ever given me flowers before."
"Eh? All ladies deserve some perdy flowers." Bomba stretched and then put his hands on the back of his head. "Especially a red flower like you."
Scarlet took the flower and smelled it closely. "Lavender... I love lavender."
"Lavender? Me's not too good with the names of flowers, lassie." Bomba told her. "Next time we's seeing some at a booth or what not, you show me. Learn a little from you 'bout perdy blooms." He then held up a pocket of coins he had taken from another customer with a grin. "And me learn you a little about pickpocketing."
"Well, aren't you sneaky." Scarlet threw him another bag that she snatched off a man walking back to his boat.
"The sneakiest, lassie, don't you forget it." Bomba then showed Scarlet one of the daggers he took from her, that she had hiding in her belt with a laugh. "Me could steal your undies and you wouldn't know it."
"You know what, I'd like to see you try." Scarlet wiggled her hips, her heart beating every glance she took at Bomba now. Walking to a clerk, she got his attention. "Oy! Got a question for you."
"Me gets 'em, me gets to keep 'em." Bomba snorted at her little wiggle. "As a trophy."
As Scarlet approached the clerk, he looked up at her.
"Yes, miss?"
"How much would it cost for a box of condoms?"
She let her words drip in the air as she gave a cheshire grin back at Bomba, savouring his reaction.
"Three rupees, please."
"..." Bomba's face turned red for a minute before he snickered. "Only one box?"
"I'll take three boxes." She was starting to get a little red herself. Turning to Bomba once more, her pearly white teeth grinned at him. "If you think you're man enough to handle that~"
"Me can take anything you throw at me. Even if ye throw ye self."
"We have a buy two, get one free special." The clerk then asked. "Also, if you're interested, we have a buy one get one special on lubes today. Our three most popular edibles are strawberry-banana, coconut-lime, and peach-mango. In the back of the store, there's lingerie for the ladies and the men if you're interested."
"I'll take four boxes and each of the lube. Lingerie isn't necessary." Scarlet started to take her rupees out to pay.
"Very well, miss." The clerk bagged up her purchase and took the payment. "For buying the specials, we've played a complimentary bottle of oil in the bag just for you and your lover. Thank you for shopping at Noctural Pleasures and have a good day."
"Me guesses we need to find a room next." Bomba chuckled with a wide grin. "Cause cap'n don't like it when we's rock the boat."
"After we find our target." Scarlet paid a boy on the dock to bring the new cargo back to the ship. Leaning down, she pinched Bomba's cock, satisfied he was growing an erection. "Let's go little man. Who knows how long it will take to find him~"
"Hmph, you's a tease, that's what you are, lassie." Bomba sulked at being denied at first and then yipped when she fondled his privates. Grasping her hand, he tugged her along in the streets. "Come on, hurry up, daylight's burning, and I wanna fuck, so let's find this reptile."
~
Halvar, Liz, and Bakura walked through a large pub, looking around. The older man made sure to keep an eye out on the two young adults every once in a while. Liz tapped her foot, some impatience getting to her. "Can you two cover my? I'm going to duck into one of the bathroom stalls quickly."
"Sure thing Liz."
Once Liz was out of sight, Bakura gave Halvar a slap on the back. "Look alive kid. You're way too focused on my daughter right now."
"Hey!" Halvar turned slightly red in the cheeks at Bakura's statement. "... she's beautiful. I can't help but look at her."
"Well, you haven't exactly inspired confidence in me that you're the right man for her. If all you're going to do is drool like a dog, and hump like a dog thinking about her..."
"I'm not a dog, I'm a fox." Halvar did not like being referred to as a dog. To a Direnor, it was an insult. He was often seen as a meek prince, but right now, he was mad. "I respect her, and I love her. I've made no advances because I want her to be ready to take that intimate step. I've been there to encourage her and help her through hard times." He said before he thought. "You don't exactly inspire confidence in me that you're a good father figure. After all, you did try to kill her once." The prince then said bitterly. "Don't try to bring me down with you. I'll be there for her thick and thin, no matter what the future brings us. I'd happily give my life for her, or any children we have in the future. I'm a good man, and Liz has accepted my offer of courtship. If she was not pleased with me, I'd know. So back off and butt out of our relationship. It's for me and her to decide what we wish to do, not you."
Halvar couldn't see it behind that mask, but Bakura was shocked, which quickly turned into him being impressed. He gave Halvar a slap on the back again and laughed. "That's the spirit lad. I'm how Lex would say, "Just fucking with you". Well you need to be there for her. And I think Liz would appreciate a little boldness. Just an inch."
Bakura held his hips and shook his head with a chuckle. "It's my job as a father to look out for my girls best interest. Sure, a part of me tried to kill her once, but what family hasn't wanted to kill each other at some point! If you're going to lay down your life for her, you have to be smart about it. You can't let anything distract you. Take, for example, if we find Adda, and you happen to be alone with a bombshell like her, what are you going to do?"
"Hmph." Halvar tried not to show he was sulking at the teasing from Bakura, and crossed his arms. "Liz wants to find Adda, we cannot let anything distract us now when we're so close. However, if we were alone together, and she was comfortable, and only if she was ready, then I would not object to mating. She is a fine woman and sometimes it's hard to hold myself back. My father and mother taught me to respect a female or else, she might claw your eyes out."
"Oh yes. Or she could see the demon in you, and make a catastrophic choice. If you catch Adda... let me get a chance to talk to her."
Before Halvar could ask more, Liz came out. "Alright, sorry for the wait. Was talking to a girl in the bathroom. She mentioned pirates like to hang out at a place called, "The Sun Pyramid."
"Hmm, I'll ask around for what that is. You two stick together."
Bakura left the couple alone as he asked around.
"Unlike you, I'm in control of my 'demon'." Halvar huffed at Bakura, and then quieted when Liz approached the two of them. He was exactly too keen on her overhearing their conversation. Though, as much as he hated to admit it, Bakura did have a point. It was now or never, he supposed. Anything could happen with this fight with Adda. "Liz?" Halvar turned to look at her. "I... I'm sorry if I embarrassed you the other night. Or if you think I don't want to mate with you, that's not the case. Sometimes, I keep repeating these proper rules in my head, and it's only gotten in the way. I don't want you to ever think you're a problem, you're my lover, and I'm yours." He took her hands, and kissed her knuckles. "Whenever you're ready, I'm happy to love you."
"Halvar..." Liz looked sadly at his hand. "I wish I was stronger with this aspect of my life, like other Gerudo woman. I just didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want you to feel forced into a situation, like... my mother would do to others." She looked back to him, kissing his fingers back. "I want to take things slow. Can we just... cuddle in bed? Like normal couples do?"
"Hey," Halvar tilted her chin up to look at him. "Whatever you want, whenever you want. I'll do what you're comfortable with, okay? Never think you're disappointing me. I love you too much for that."
"I... thank you." Liz leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Let's ask around, shall we?"
~
Lex waved to the many pirates that were giving her whistles and cat calls. It didn't take long for her to get a lead out of one. She told him to meet her at the peer so she wouldn't have him nip at her feet the whole way for the rest of her search. "So, the Sun Pyramid. I wonder what we'll find there Captain Uncle."
"Was it really necessary to flirt with every male specimen on this island?" Corsaire groaned, wondering why he did not send Lex with Revy and Rat.
"Hey, they flirt with me! Besides, you said you wanted to look out for me, and keep me away from the nasty men~" Lex tickled her Uncle's chest teasingly. "Just jealous they're dropping better one liners than you give Princess Orana?"
"I invented one liners, lassie." Corsaire grumbled under his breath. "And I didn't give one liners to my wife. I treated her like a proper gentleman... and the first one liner I gave she only laughed at me, so I didn't give her no more."
"I bet. Well, I'm gonna keep doing what I do best. Being fabulous as fuck~"
Lex tapped her sunglasses as they walked through a jungle path. The Sun Pyramid was an actual pyramid, having been modified into a giant entertainment centre. On the right, exotic dancers, the left, a fighting ring for people to sort their shit out, but the main attraction was a giant casino.
"Holy shit. Think of all the money we could make here."
"Lex, we're here to get information, and get out. Time's a tick'in."
"I'm just saying." Lex took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll take the lead." Standing up on a staircase, Lex shouted loudly. "Who wants to gamble against me?! 100,000 worth of rupees on me!"
"IGNORE HER, SHE'S DRUNK!!!" Corsaire shouted and pulled Lex off the staircase and over his shoulder. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?! We're not here to stand out!"
"That's exactly what I'm doing. Getting attention." Lex pushed him away as some men approached. One was reptilian.
"Who's this guy?"
"Don't worry, he's my bitch."
"You serious about playing little girl?"
"That's woman to you scaly. And I am. Serious about winning."
"Alright. Who else wants to play with this spitfire?"
"... I hate you so much right now." Corsaire hissed under his breath to Lex, and then saw the crocodile man approach. "... she's only interested in one player at a time."
"Oy. Bitch. Did I give you permission to speak?" Lex raised her sunglasses at her Uncle, trying to act cool.
"I'm her uncle and I'm supervising her night out." Corsaire corrected Lex with a harsh slap on the butt as if she were an unruly kid. "Can't have no man taking advantage of my little girl now."
"Hmmm. And her I thought she was kind of gangster."
Lex yelped, and part of her spirit crumbled. Her image was being shattered by her Uncle. An cold anger built up inside in her. No one trusted her abilities. They either thought she was just a kid or a slut. She gave him a hard kick to the leg. "You're ruining my mystique. So piss off and get me a drink, while I take every bit of fucking coin these losers have."
Lex turned back to the man, glaring at her opponent, before giving a smile and a pretty face. "I am a gangster sweety. How about you draw your cards. We can do some Blackjack."
"Ha. Sure thing." The crocodilian man pointed to a dealer to cut them a deck.
"OOF!" Corsaire nearly dropped Lex when she kicked him. He growled at his niece, giving her a glare. Seer would not want her dealing with the scum of the earth. She was not in Uskar, the men here were not honorable. The bastards here would take advantage of her, cheat her, or worse, try to drug her and sell her as merchandise. "Fine." He snapped at her. "Don't come crying to me when they get the one up on you." With that, he stormed off to the bar. However, as Corsaire watched Lex play, he noticed how in control she was, how comfortable. Her porker face was on point, switching between cold, and full of playful emotion to throw her opponent off.
"So tell me, you seem so different than the other men here."
"It's the scales right? Humans love the scales."
"I do." Lex looked to the dealer. "Hit me."
Looking at her cards, she frowned, making a jiggle with her body. Her opponent thought he won. "Alright. I'm playing my hand." He placed a jack and a seven down. "You seem disappointed."
"Oh, I am!" Lex threw her hand down. A three, a ten, and a seven. "That I didn't get a full 21~"
"Fuck me..."
"Your rupees please~!"
The reptile growled. He thought he was tricking some kid. He wasn't supposed to actually lose this money. "Look. I need to actually get my money from my boss."
"Ooooo, what's the matter, need to cry to your captain? Why don't you bring him here? Maybe he can win the money back."
The man thought of that. "Stay right here sweetheart. He might just want to meet you."
Lex turned to her Uncle in the distance to give him the finger. As she waited, she saw the biggest reptile, barring dragons, in her life stomp forward. He was a big crocodile man, with a thick brown coat, a hat with a peacock feather, and a golden artificial right eye. His smile was filled with sharp, jagged teeth. "Hello sweetheart. My name is Captain Eltontor. How'd you like to make a wager?"
"Fuck me, she actually did it." Corsaire watched from the bar. He decided he'd only interfere if things got out of hand. If Lex wanted to play this game, she could.
"Oooo my~ Aren't you a big boy~"
"You don't know the half of it little snow flake~"
Lex giggled, hoping to fully entrance the big crocodile. She felt so much pride that she was the first to find their target. "So you aren't mad I beat your little boy in some gambling are you? I was thinking of buying some golden earrings."
"I think a golden chain would look better around you~"
"Oh stop it, you naughty man~" Lex waved her hand in a fun gesture. "So what's this gesture you have?"
"Oh, quite simple, I was thinking of a game of chance."
"Chance?"
"Yes. How'd about it?"
"Depends, what we talking here?"
"I love this particular game." Eltontor snapped his fingers and received a glass of liqueur. Pouring it into a bottle, he made it so it almost overflowed. "The rules are simple. You keep dropping coins into the glass until it spills. You can put as many coins as you like in, but if you spill, you lose."
Lex had never played this before. "Sounds fun."
"So I was thinking we could play for more than just money." The croc smiled down at Lex's body. The Gerudo smiled back, but not for the same reason. This is what she wanted. A chance to find her mother.
"I can agree to that. What do you want?"
"Well my dear, I was thinking when I win, I'll take you back to my ship. We can have all sorts of fun there."
"Ok. And if I win... you have to tell me where I can find Captain Adda."
That took Eltontor by surprise. "Captain Adda? The Queen of the Seas? Why do you want to find her?"
"Girls got her reason. I heard you know a way to find her, or, just as good, someone who does."
Eltontor grew visibly more nervous, tapping his claw. His instincts were telling him to drug this girl and take her away. "Well, little lady, I suppose I might."
"Than do we have a deal?"
"We do." Eltontor made a special click with his mouth and some of his men got them two different drinks.
"Your move, babydoll~"
Lex picked up five coins. This prompted everyone around the table to 'Ooooo' her. Eltontor chuckled. "You like to take big risks, I can tell. I wonder what other big things you like~"
"Please take your hand off the table dear." Lex breathed deeply, very, very carefully placing her fingers over the glass. Letting go, she dropped the coins. The liquid shifted, but didn't spill. Lex relaxed back into her set and took some of her drink. The young Gerudo woman felt confident she understood the level of liquid in the glass now.
"Hmmph. Impressive. My move." Eltontor took a coin from the side of the table, and put it over the glass. Smiling, he squeezed some hidden cotton, pouring additional liquid into the glass, unknowns to Lex.
Dropping his coin into the glass, Eltontor hid the cotton he used, and the glass shifted, but once more, didn't spill. "Heheheh. That was close. Your move."
Lex starred at the glass. She saw how the liquid shifted around. With one coin it shouldn't have moved like that. She should have had enough space to place one or two more coins in. What gives? Lex took a coin, uncertain.
"Well girly?"
"Give me a moment."
"I think we know that you lost."
"Shut up."
"Well, not everyone can be so certain."
Lex was afraid. She felt like she was going to lose. She gripped the glass with one hand, and steadily held her coin over the glass. She was gonna lose. She was going to be this freaks plaything. How could she fuck this up? She didn't want to. She didn't want to fail. So, to her surprise, and everyone else, when she dropped the coin, it didn't spill.
Eltontor was in shock and disbelief. "What? WHAT?!"
He quickly took a coin and dropped it in. Did he not pour enough liquid in? His glass shifted and the liqueur spilled out.
Lex smiled. Somehow she won. "Yes. YES! I DID IT!"
Eltontor threw the contents of the glass out and looked at it. Ice had formed above the tip of the edges, giving it a tiny little room for error. "You cheated me."
"What? No I didn't. Tell me about Adda you piece of luggage!"
"You little bitch. I think I know who you are now. You're one of Adda's girls, aren't you?"
Oh shit. That was not part of the plan.
With a loud 'clang' Corsaire's metal hand slammed on the table, causing the rupees and the drinks to clatter. The ex-pirate was pissed. He gave a cold stare to Eltontor, and put a hand on Lex's shoulder.
"Call her a bitch one more time and see where it gets you, lizard." Corsaire did not know if his reputation with the kraken still preceded him, but he did not care. No one was going to mess with his niece, even if she was acting like a little shit. He would make sure she was all right for Seer's sake. "She belongs with me. You think I didn't see that cotton? You think I don't know how you cheated and won this game? Or for the fact of the matter," He picked up Lex's drug and took a sniff. "That this roofie you put in her drink has a salty taste and oil residue it leaves on top? I know all your tricks and I know you're going to apologize or else, I'll beat your ugly skull in until they'll have to identify you by your bones. What's it going to be, reptile?"
Eltontor knew EXACTLY who this man was. How the hell did the legendary kraken slayer end up here? He was supposed to be retired. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, nah. How about this." The crocodile, grabbed the table and threw it at Corsaire and Lex, running through the casino to reach his boat. "WASTE THESE FOOLS! MILLION FOR THE MAN’S HEAD DEAD! ANOTHER MILLION FOR THE GIRL ALIVE!"
Corsaire reacted quickly, catching the table, ducking down and pulling Lex with him, using the furniture as a shield. He drew his gun, and shouted, "If anyone dares to fire at me, I'll set the damn kraken on their ship!!!" He leaned out from behind the table and fired a single shot... busting through Eltontor's kneecap.
Eltontor screamed, but still lurched along, his weight able to keep him up. His reptilian crew were the only ones to fire at Corsaire. Lex hated this and ran to the left. "I'm going after him! They want YOU dead, not me! Asshole thinks he can cheat ME!?" Lex growled, dodging the commotion all around her.
"YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" Corsaire nearly screeched at Lex, trying to chase after the girl, but the bullets kept him pinned. "LEX!!!"
Lex found Eltontor getting into a speed boat, trailing blood. It started to take off, and Lex felt her heart sank. She fell for this pirates tricks. Once again, that cold sense of failure hit her. If they lost him, they lost a chance at her mother.
“No. NO YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY!” Lex willed it, and she thrust her hands to the water. The entire channel froze, lurching Eltontor's boat and sending him flying and skidding across belly first on the ice back towards her.
Lex was completely shocked. She had ice magic. She was a wizard! As she felt her new found confidence, and ready to tear some questions out of him, that was when the roofie hit her. Slumping to her feet, her head was suddenly killing her, and she threw up. Eltontor smiled, walking up to her. With a slap across the face, he knocked Lex to the ground. Picking her up with one hand, he held his cannon in the other. This little girl would make a great companion and a meatshield. Lex cursed in her haze. They found their quarry, but the plan was starting to fall apart. She heard Eltontor cry out in victory as her mind started to go blank. "Let's go men!"
Axolotol - Chapter Twelve: That You Always Keep Locked
Read previous chapters on Ao3
Thanks as always to @scribefindegil for betaing!
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“All right...family, extended family and close friends.” Ford stood in the center of the Mystery Shack den, clapping his hands for attention. “Let's go over everyone's
The minor crowd that had assembled in the Shack quieted down and turned to him. Candy and Grenda had arrived mid-morning, and Pacifica had gotten a ride with Fiddleford. By the time everyone was gathered and ready, it was nearly noon.
“This will be a delicate and dangerous mission.” He continued, “and any number of things could bring it to disaster, so the safety of the Shack is of paramount importance. The unicorn hair barrier is still functioning, but there are a great many threats that can get through it. That's why we'll need a security force patrolling outside. Wendy, Grenda, Mabel. You three are the most formidable fighters we have.”
“Darn right.” Wendy said.
“We'll need you to circle the perimeter of the Shack.” He unfurled a map of the surrounding woods spreading it out on the table. “You'll spread out in three directions and circle counter-clockwise to ensure as few open spots in our defenses as possible. This pattern is the most efficient use of our ground forces, and the unfortunate fact that it resembles a triangle is just something we'll all have to deal with.” He added, gritting his teeth. “In particular you'll be keeping an eye out for Cipher cultists, government interference--”
“Those guys do have the worst sense of timing.” Mabel said.
“--And anything else that might pose a threat to what's happening in the Shack. Now, formidable or not, if you do encounter something dangerous it will be better if you aren't alone. So Grenda, you'll be with Candy. Mabel, because you insisted he be counted as an individual and not a pet, you'll be going with Waddles.”
“All right!” Mabel opened her arms as her beloved pig waddled up to her. “Who's gonna help me defeat the forces of evil? You are! Yes you are! Yeeeees yoooou aaaare!”
“And Wendy, you'll be paired with Pacifica.” Ford finished.
“Cool.” Wendy smirked. “Badass world-saving girl gang. And Waddles.”
“Eh.” Mabel said, still scratching the pig's cheeks. “Waddles responds to all pronouns.”
“...Soos, since you're CPR-certified, your task will be to stand by and monitor the three of us in case something goes wrong in the mindscape. In the event of an emergency, I'm trusting you to handle any necessary first-aid that may be required. Melody, your job is to ensure Soos doesn't faint in the event of an emergency, to provide additional aid, and to make any difficult decisions he may not be emotionally equipped to handle.”
“...Difficult decisions?” Melody frowned.
“You'll know them if they come up. Fiddleford....” Ford began.
“I already know, dangit, y'don't have to remind me!” Fiddleford said, holding up the device in his hand. “I'm s'posed ta keep an eye on Stan's brainwaves, because for reasons I won't understand if I live to be a hundred, you think I'll be able to tell if somethin' weird is happening in there. Weirder than all this, anyway.” He shook his head. “I'll do it, for whatever it's worth, but you know I'm getting nothing but static from that man's skull.”
“...It's worth trying all the same. Thank you.” Ford turned to Dipper. “You know well what our role is. Enter Stan's mind, find Bill, and destroy him by whatever means necessary. I can't predict exactly what we'll find in there. We'll have to be prepared for anything.”
“I know. I won't let you down.” Dipper said. “...You either.” he added, turning to Stan.
Stan grunted, glancing away. “Yeah, yeah. Just stay outta that one year where I worked as a party clown and we'll be fine.”
“Stanley...from your point of view, this will likely all feel like a dream. If we're lucky, you'll be able to focus enough to consciously aid us while we're inside your mind. We'll hope for the best.”
Ford finally turned to the three remaining figures in the room. He knelt down in front of Lee, Sephiroth and Chestaur, who were lined up nearby.
“Small, defenseless children—I have a special task for you.”
“Oh, oh!” Lee hopped up and down on her heels. “Do we get to man the giant laser canon that's gonna shoot Bill in the face?”
“That was my original plan, yes.” Ford said. “Due to your small size and manual dexterity. But there wasn't time to rebuild the quantum destabilizer and at any rate, we're not presently dealing with Bill's physical form. Also your mother expressed some concerns and a number of disturbingly specific threats when I brought the idea up to her, so instead your task is to go upstairs and watch this video--” he pulled a VHS tape from behind his back and presented it with a flourish. “--about brightly colored animals that emit personality-altering mind control beams from their stomachs.”
The children groaned.
“Now, now, it'll be fun! You can look for animation errors and analyze the influence of Regan-era conservatism on the narrative!” Ford grinned. “Up you go, come on.”
With some reluctance, Lee accepted the VHS tape and took it upstairs, her brothers following behind her. Mabel approached Dipper and pulled him into a tight hug.
“Good luck. You're gonna do great, I just know it.” She said softly.
“So are you.” Dipper replied. He let go of her and held out a fist. Mabel held one out parallel to his and made a nyyyyoo sound effect as they collided. The two of them made explosion noises and wiggled their fingers together.
“Mystery twins?” Dipper asked.
“Mystery twins for life, bro.” Mabel replied. She turned to Stan and Ford and wrapped an arm around each of them, pulling them both into a tight hug. There were a number of audible popping noises as she squeezed.
“Oouf.” Stan smiled, voice tight. “You're gonna snap these old bones in half one day, you know that?”
“S'okay. I'll glue you back together.” Mabel smiled back. “I love you.”
“You too, pumpkin.”
Mabel pulled back a little and looked at Ford. “You and Dipper'll take care of each other in there?”
“Of course.” He replied.
She nodded and reluctantly let them go. Wendy put a hand on her shoulder as she turned back towards the others. As Candy hopped onto Grenda's shoulders and ran out the front door towards the woods, Mabel took a last look back, before following after her friends.
Ford pulled the pendulum on a metronome that had been placed on a nearby table (a compromise, after last time he wasn't eager to put a paddleball in Stan's hands again.) The rhythmic clicks filled the room, and he gestured to the mustard-colored easy chair that had been surrounded by runes and protective herbs the night before.
“Welp. Here goes nothing.” Stan took a deep breath and sat down, leaning back and closing his eyes. Soos hit the lights. Ford and Dipper knelt down on either side of the chair, each placing a hand on Stan's forehead.
Ford looked at Dipper, who nodded back, and began reciting the incantation. “Videntus omnium, magister mentium...”
The others crowded around the three of them, Fiddleford watching the device in his hand with a frown, Melody resting a hand on Soos's shoulder as he fidgeted with the fez in his hands.
“...Inceptus Nolanus overratus...” Ford chanted. “Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM!”
* * *
Dipper's vision was taken over by white light, and his other senses quickly followed suit. For a moment, he was nowhere. Then, he was kneeling on a soft patch of grass, he heard the sound of wind in the trees, and felt a six-fingered hand on his shoulder.
“Stand up slowly.” Ford advised. “Just because you don't have an inner ear right now doesn't mean you can't get vertigo.”
Dipper nodded and rose slowly to his feet, lifting his head to see his uncle standing beside him, and the mindscape spread out in every direction.
“Oh!” His breath caught.
“What? Do you see something?” Ford asked.
“No, no, it's just...” Dipper stared out at the scene surrounding him. “It looks so...different than it did before.”
He and Ford were standing on a bluff, overlooking the Mystery Shack. It was whole, not the broken building floating over a void that Dipper had seen before. A soft, warm light was coming from its windows. On one side, there was the forest. On the other side, the ground gave way to gently lapping waves where the Stan-O-War was anchored, beyond which the water stretched on for miles, eventually curving up into the sky. A swarm of bats flew by, dipping and circling near the Shack, but they didn't seem ominous, really...they were just the kind of spooky touch Grunkle Stan would like.
It was night. The moon was still shaped like the 8-ball from Stan's cane, but the sky around it was filled with countless twinkling stars.
Ford smiled down at him, warmly. Then he turned and pointed. “We ought to get moving. No sense in dawdling.”
“Right.”
There were floating rocks, chunks of the bluff that seemed to have been yanked away from the bulk of it, revealing dinosaur bones and veins of precious metals underneath, and they made for an easy climb down to the Shack. Ford reached into his coat and drew out a weapon that Dipper didn't recognize...maybe some sort of alien technology, or something he had made. It was always hard to tell with Ford. Had he brought a gun into Stan's mind?
“...It's a projection.” Ford said, answering Dipper's unasked question. “...This was a favorite weapon of mine before I lost it in Dimension 833-7...or was it 733-8? Whichever one was underwater.” he shrugged. “It's just a mental image, but in here things like this have a degree of power.”
“Oh yeah! I know all about that.” Dipper beamed. “It's how we defeated Bill before—we gave ourselves weapons and superpowers from our own imaginations.”
Dipper reached behind his back and pictured a laser canon that he'd seen in a movie once, a huge, intimidating thing. He felt his hand close around something and pulled it out, over his shoulder, letting the weight of the giant weapon rest there. He grinned proudly, hoping he looked cool.
“...Very nice.” Ford said mildly. “There's just one problem.”
Ford reached out and tapped the side of the laser canon with his gun. With a loud clang, the weapon fell apart, breaking into rubble and becoming lost in the grass. Dipper looked down at the pieces.
“But...” Dipper frowned. “How?”
“The more you believe the projection, the stronger it will be. Tell me...have you ever held a weapon like that in real life? Do you know how much it weighs? What kind of kick back it has? Do you have any idea how it might work? Whether it radiates heat or cold? What kind of textures are on its surface?”
“Well, no....” Dipper admitted. “I...just thought it looked cool.”
“Exactly. You only had the image of it in your mind. It wasn't real to you. And so, it fell apart when confronted with something that was imbued with a more powerful level of belief.” Ford indicated his gun. “That's why the strongest projections are always things you've actually used in real life. It takes a powerful imagination to imbue a fictional weapon with that kind of reality.”
“Geez...maybe Mabel should have been the one to go...” Dipper muttered.
“Now, now, don't get discouraged.” Ford put a hand on Dipper's shoulder. “Remember. In here, a weapon doesn't need to be literal. You don't need a giant gun to fight with...you just need something that makes you feel strong. That makes you powerful.”
Dipper nodded, thoughtfully. Right. Okay. He could do this....He reached into his coat and closed his eyes, trying to think of something that made him feel strong. Something that made him feel powerful against the supernatural. He concentrated on that feeling until he felt his hand close around something solid, and he pulled it out. Looking down, he saw a thick book with a dark red cover, the number three standing out on top of the gold six-fingered handprint in the center.
“Whoops. Uh, how'd that get there?” Dipper said, stuffing the journal back into his coat, cheeks reddening with embarrassment.
“Don't worry about it, Dipper.” Ford said, smiling, looking a little bemused. “You'll find something that works for you. For now, let's just get moving. Remember to stay close to me.”
“Right....yeah, of course.”
The two of them closed the distance between themselves and the porch. Dipper couldn't help but notice Ford pausing on the way to glance at a swingset—old and rusty, but in surprisingly good condition—stuck in the ground between the porch and the water. Something about it looked familiar, but Dipper couldn't quite place what it was. He supposed it didn't matter.
Ford entered the Shack first, his eyes sweeping nervously over the twisting halls and shadowy corners. Dipper looked around. The entrance felt a little more welcoming than it had on his last trip into Stan's mind, but it was no less of a labyrinth. Halls and stairs still twisted in every direction, like paths in an Escher drawing.
“Do you remember anything about this place from your last visit?” Ford asked.
“I think so...this part looks kind of similar...” Dipper closed his eyes and listened carefully. From a hallway to his left, he heard the soft but certain sound of a film projector. “That way!” He pointed. “Memories are down there!”
The two of them hurried down a hallway, through a door marked “memories,” and into a long room lined with doors. Hallways branched off from the sides, twisting and turning out of sight, extending out of the ceiling in defiance of gravity and opening into long, winding staircases at the floor.
“...Looks like we've got a lot to search.” Dipper said, walking out into the center of the room. There was one thing, it seemed, that was different about these hallways than before...in addition to doors, the walls were lined with framed pictures of the family. Dipper pressed his hand against one that he recognized, and found that his fingertips went through it. He took a breath and stuck his head in.
“Mabel, duck!”
Dipper flinched at the sound of his own voice, as a blast of cold air hit his face. His past self's warning had come an instant too late. His poor sister never even saw it coming—she was sent reeling backwards by a barrage of snowballs, a sneak attack from behind the outhouse.
Dipper could see her out on the lawn of the Shack, laughing as his past self pulled her to her feet and the two of them ran back towards the porch, pursued by Stan and Ford. Based on his vantage point he thought he might be watching this from one of the Shack's windows, but no one out there seemed to be able to see him.
He remembered this. It was from that year they'd all gotten super competitive about gift-giving at Hanukkah, and ended up having a big snowball fight for some reason. He watched as Ford and Stan cornered himself and Mabel by the eastern wall of the Shack.
“Had enough?” Stan tossed a snowball from hand to hand.
“Ready to admit defeat?” Ford asked.
Dipper saw his past self and Mabel look at each other and smile. In unison, they shouted “Now!”
Their grunkles realized their mistake too late to do anything about it. The sound of Wendy's laughter came from the trees, followed by a hail of ice and snow aimed squarely at the elder twins. Even from a distance, Dipper could hear their squawks of surprise.
“Oh, man...” Dipper muttered. “I remember this next part, too.”
Sure enough, he saw Soos at the top of the roof, struggling to roll a giant boulder of snow over the peak. The second he successfully pushed it over, it started rolling, picking up the snow that was still stuck to the rooftop, growing and growing until it fell on all four of them, burying them under the powder. There was a brief, worrying silence before four heads and eight hands dug their way out of the pile. Wendy was the first to laugh, pointing from her perch in the trees, then Mabel, then the rest of them. It had been a good day.
Dipper smiled at the memory, until something caught his eye, making his smile slip. It was easy to miss, tucked away in a corner of the porch. Carved into one of the boards crudely and clumsily, but still unmistakable, was a triangle with an eye in the center.
That carving wasn't supposed to be there. It wasn't on the porch in the real world. Dipper had spent last night sitting on that porch with Mabel, not far from that very spot. He'd have noticed immediately if something like that had been carved into it. Besides, they'd all gone through the Shack with a fine-toothed comb after Stan got his memories back and dug up everything that had Bill on it. Anything they couldn't burn or smash had been painted over or scratched out or something. Which meant that the carving wasn't part of this memory. It was...an invader.
Dipper pulled his head out of the picture frame, frowning, and turned back to Ford. His uncle was peering through a doorway with a tense expression. When he realized he was being watched, he quickly shut the door.
“There's no organization to any of these memories.” Ford muttered. “It's like Stanley's closet—a jumble of random things defying all rationality and sequential occurrence.”
“You might want to take a look at this one.” Dipper said. “I think I saw some sign of Bill in there.”
Ford nodded. “In the background, easy to miss unless you're looking for it?”
“Yeah, actually.”
“There's a few of them in there, too. Bill's had a long time to dig his way into Stan's mind.” Ford frowned, eyeing the walls. He walked towards the end of the room, gesturing for Dipper to follow as he headed towards one of the hallways branching off. “For all we know there might be traces of him everywhere. What we really need is some sort of trail. Something more obvious than—oh.”
Dipper turned the corner an instant after Ford, and was nearly clothesthlined as his uncle held his arm out protectively, blocking him from what was in the hall ahead. It started in a corner and crept across the floor, peeking through the boards, growing upwards and clinging to the walls like kudzu. Long, twisting vines with nasty looking thorns that sprouted yellow, three-sided leaves. The vines were spotted with concentric circles that gave off the unnerving impression of being eyes.
“...That wasn't here before.” Dipper said, unnecessarily. He looked back at Ford, to find that the older man had frozen in place, and was staring at the weeds with a distant, panicked expression. “Ford? Hey...you all right?”
“Hmm? Yes, I'm fine.” Ford snapped back to attention, withdrawing his arm and placing his hand against his holster. “We're going to have to clear this out as best we can. Do you have any experience with gardening?”
“Not really.” Dipper said, looking down the hall. The growth seemed to get thicker the further down it went. “I had a cactus once, but I over-watered it. I think I'm not very good at keeping plants alive.”
“Keeping these plants alive is frankly the furthest thought from my mind right now.”
Ford fiddled with a dial on the back of the weapon he was carrying and aimed it down the hall. Green-yellow fireballs shot out of it, spreading over the vines wherever there was contact while leaving the walls and floors untouched. Dipper swore he heard a high-pitched whine as the plants caught fire, burned and blackened.
“Stay close behind me. If there's anything you can think of that might help in tearing these things down, use it.” Ford said, sprinting down the hall.
Dipper closed his eyes and tried to remember the weight and heft of the hedge trimmers in grandpa Shermie's gardening shed. When he opened his eyes again, they were in his hands. He tucked them in his belt and hurried after Ford.
***
It was hard to tell how much time was passing. Dipper could at least say with confidence they'd been in Stan's mind long enough for the adrenaline rush to wear off and the process of hacking through what seemed like miles and miles of these vines to go from creepy and exciting to monotonous and dull.
He dug the broken half of Shermie's hedge trimmers into the base of a vine, sighed and wiped his brow. He didn't feel tired, not physically at least. Probably he couldn't get physically tired, or physically anything in here. But he was starting to feel worn out in a way that was hard to put his finger on.
“Do we actually know where we're going?” he asked Ford.
“Hard to say.” Ford pulled a small notebook out of his pocked and scribbled something on it. “I've been keeping track of our turns, but spatial relationships in the mind aren't the same as they are in reality.”
They turned the corner again and found themselves in a hall that had already been cleared. Chopped, burned and blackened vines stretched out in either direction in front of them. Dipper groaned.
“Aw, seriously? After all that we've just been going in a circle?! This sucks.”
“We're on the right track, at least.” Ford said, crumbling the charred remains of a vine in his fist. “Bill's here, somewhere. But these things are superficial. We could spend hours pulling up and destroying them and still make no progress...if we want Bill out of Stan's head, we'll have to find where they're coming from.”
“How?” Dipper frowned. “There's so many false doors and dead ends here...I'm not even sure which way we came in anymore.”
“I was hoping that by now we would have run into Stan. Or rather, a localization of his consciousness.” Ford sighed. “Though if these dead ends are part of Bill's tricks, he might be just as lost here as we are.”
“I don't know...I think it might just be Stan. I think his mind is just...sneaky or something.” Dipper muttered.
He remembered how Stan's mind had hidden the code to his safe under the rug from the gift shop...someone who didn't know to look there would have run past it without a second thought. In all the time they'd spent searching Stan's mind that day, none of them had found any memories of Ford or the portal. He hadn't even seen Stan dealing with the monsters in the forest, or anything else that would've given away the fact that his skeptic act about the supernatural was just that, an act. Stan's mind hid his secrets well.
Hmm. Last time, they'd found the code because they knew enough about Stan to guess where he'd hide something like that. Maybe they were thinking along the wrong lines.
“...You know more about Bill than any of us, Grunkle Ford.” Dipper said. “Where do you think he'd be? I mean...if Bill had a whole lifetime's worth of memories to hide in, where would he choose to anchor himself?”
“If I know Bill's methods, he'd find the place where...his host was vulnerable.” Ford said, hesitating a little before pointedly avoiding Stan's name. “He'd look for the single most important thing in his mind, whatever was truly precious, and then coil himself around it. That would allow him to use that weakness to hurt the host mind, either to discourage anyone trying to stop him, or just...because that is the sort of thing he does.”
The most important thing in Stan's mind...Dipper's eyes widened.
“Where on the Stan-O-War do you keep Mabel's scrapbooks?”
Realization spread over Ford's face. “By the Axolotl, you're right. Quickly! Let's get to the exit. The faster we move, the less time Bill has to prepare....”
The two of them sprinted back down the hallway, back to the entrance of the Shack, hoping that they hadn't been turned around enough that they'd be unable to find their way out. As they ran, Dipper began to notice something wrong with the walls and floorboards. They were shifting and shacking, cracks were widening between them. Before long, it was like running through an earthquake, the floor shuddering under them, doors flying open and closed on either side.
“He's trying to stop us!” Ford shouted back at Dipper. “That means we're on the right track! Keep running!”
“Right!” Dipper shouted back, pumping his legs for all he was worth. He focused all his attention on running. Keep moving forward, don't look back. He told himself. Not always great life advice, sure, but good in the literal sense right now.
Still, he probably should have looked down. If he had he might have seen the trap door that had been flung open by the shaking before his foot went through it. Off-balance, still mid-stride Dipper barely had the chance to process what was happening before he'd tumbled forward completely into darkness. He was falling. Above him, he heard Ford calling his name in a panic, and saw the light of the trap door shrink into nothingness. He reached up reflexively though there was nothing to grasp, and when he shouted back to Ford he couldn't hear a response.
He hit the ground with a thud. Painful, but not the bone-shattering impact it should have been, which was a plus. He'd only just barely gotten to his feet when something heavy slammed into his side, knocking him down again. Somewhere in the room, he could hear mocking, high-pitched laughter, and a chill ran up his spine.
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He looks around, his gut twisting with emotions he doesn’t quite know where to place. And he had done it. The boxes with all the insurance papers are all cleaned up and tucked away into the closed closet. The dresser in the back of the room, tidied up and pushed closer to the window. The bookshelf has been sorted, some of the books removed, and a floor lamp has been added to the corner next to the door. Levi notes that the wood floor can use a new polish, some minor repair, but it’s a floor. A floor with no boxes.
“You did it.” Levi steps into the room, and his smile grows so big that it hurts his cheeks.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you smile that big.” Erwin chuckles.
“You did a good job, Erwin.” He walks over to the bookshelf, runs his finger across the wood and rubs his thumb against it. “You even dusted.”
Puffing out his chest, Erwin returns the smile. “I’m capable sometimes.”
Levi looks back at Erwin, his teeth showing with a smile that meets his eyes. Erwin’s eyebrows upturn and he seems to deflate as his mouth drops open with a soft sigh. “Levi, I want to ask you something.”
“Sure.” Levi searches the corners of the room--he even removed the spider webs. He laughs to himself in a weird sort of delight.
