#jack.fic

[jack-the-fool]

They! Are! Flirt! ing!!!

[jack-it-to-em]

“What do they do there? At the medical center.”

Agustín looked surprised for a moment. “Oh they uh, all kinds of stuff. Take care of your injuries, or when you’re sick. They have all kinds of pills and medicines for different symptoms.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It can be. People study their whole lives on how to do it.” Agustín, freed from the bush he’d fallen into, looked down at the grass for a moment before chuckling.

Agustín, on his third existential crisis of the day: “This man just told me all about how he can see the future but also doesn’t know how a hospital works”

[jack-the-fool]

Izzy watched out of the corner of his eyes as Bonnet attempted to find...something he supposed. Orion was good for helping to find other important stars.  His brow was furrowed, deep creases cutting through his forehead as his lips quirked down in a frown. Izzy sighed and shifted so he was facing west alongside Bonnet.

“Follow the belt,” he said and Bonnet jumped at their sudden proximity, too engrossed in his own study to notice Izzy’s movement. Izzy ignored him, extending his arm out to trace the shapes in the sky ahead of them. “-southward and you can find Sirius, the dog star.”

Bonnet followed the movement of his hand and made a small noise of recognition. “Yes, I see it. Brightest star in the night sky, Canis Major. One of Orion’s hunting dogs, yes?”

Izzy just grunted, moving his arm back across the belt. “Follow it northward you can find Alpha Tauri.”

“Oh,” Bonnet shifted, leaning in towards Izzy as he tried to follow. “Yes I...I think I might see it. That one, yes?”

I’m nearly done with this fic but it’s being stubborn in the home stretch so here’s a snippet.

[jack-the-fool]

Bonnet just hummed, shifting his position. He leaned against the mast and Izzy felt his arm barely brush against his own. The wind blew, tugging at loose lines and the fabric of their clothing. Izzy could almost imagine how it would tousle Bonnets perfectly coiffed hair. He frowned.

“How long have you been at sea?” Bonnet asked, now on Izzy’s right.

“All my life.” It was only a slight exaggeration.

Bonnet hummed. They sat in silence for a few long moments before he spoke again. “Do you have a favorite?”

Izzy looked at him askance. “Favorite what?”

“A favorite constellation,” Bonnet said, meeting his eyes. “You seem to know plenty about them.”

Izzy snorted. “It’s not some hobby you play favorites with, it’s practical.”

“Oh come now,” Bonnet said, leaning in closer. Izzy revisited his earlier desire to push him off. “Even you can’t look up at all of this—” he punctuated the word with a wide sweep of his arm across the night sky. “—and not feel something.”

here have another stargazing scene

[jack-the-fool]

May Change Beneath a Different Light  | ~8600

His attention went back to the horizon, scanning intently. “Now, navigation. Let’s see if I can...oh I know there’s a trick to this, just follow the belt…”

Izzy watched out of the corner of his eye as Bonnet attempted to find...something he supposed. Orion was often used for helping find other important stars, a good way to orient yourself. Bonnet’s brow was furrowed, deep creases cutting through his forehead as his lips quirked down in a frown. Izzy sighed and shifted so he was facing west alongside him.

“Follow the belt,” he said and Bonnet jumped as he realized their proximity, too engrossed in his own study to notice Izzy’s movement. Izzy ignored him, extending his arm out to trace the paths in the sky ahead of them. “—southward, and you can find Sirius, the dog star.”

Bonnet followed the movement of his hand and made a small noise of recognition. “Yes, I see it. Brightest star in the night sky, Canis Major. One of Orion’s hunting dogs, yes?”

Izzy just grunted, moving his arm back across the belt. “Follow it northward and you can find Alpha Tauri.”

“Oh.” Bonnet shifted, leaning in towards Izzy as he tried to follow. “Yes I...I think I might see it. That one, yes?”

Bonnet pointed, and while it was hard to tell exactly where he was pointing without getting closer—which Izzy would much rather avoid—he was sill relatively certain it was not the correct star.

[jack-the-fool]

I Will Know You By Your Words (8281 words) by JackFool Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Din Djarin & Luke Skywalker, Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin & Leia Organa, Din Djarin & Finn, Din Djarin & Ben Solo, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker & Han Solo, Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Din Djarin & Bo-Katan Kryze, Rey & Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca & Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca & Luke Skywalker & Han Solo, Chewbacca & Rey Characters: Din Djarin, Luke Skywalker, Grogu | Baby Yoda, Leia Organa, Bo-Katan Kryze, Cara Dune, Finn (Star Wars), Ben Solo, Han Solo, Rey (Star Wars), The Armorer (The Mandalorian TV), Paz Vizsla, Ragnar Vizsla, Ahsoka Tano, Various other Mandolorians, OCs for flavor, Other Star Wars Character(s) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Not Season/Series 03 Compliant, Epistolary, Partially epistolary, Slow Burn, Glacial some might say, Mand'alor Din Djarin, Aspec Din Djarin, Good Parent Din Djarin, Protective Din Djarin, Din Djarin Adopts Finn, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Leia Organa, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Mandalorian Adoption (Star Wars), Mandalorian Cara Dune, Mandalorian Finn (Star Wars), mandalorian vows create force bonds because i said so, Non-Linear Narrative, Mutual Pining, The Love Is Requited They're Just Idiots, That's (Probably) Not How the Force Works, there's a lot of rebels stuff in here too but it's gonna be awhile, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: “Is it better to let it die?” Din had said after several long minutes amidst the hum of traffic. Skywalker had snapped his head over his shoulder to look at him, mouth open slightly in surprise as his head tilted in silent question. Din met his gaze through the T-visor, though there was no way for Luke to reliably return the gesture. The Jedi always managed it anyway. “Do you feel it’s more important to carry on the tradition, even incomplete than let it die completely? Dar’johay’cuy?” -- When Luke has to leave the Jedi Acadamy to try and locate an ancient Jedi Temple with some old friends, Din finds himself taking care of three Force-Sensitive children back on Mandalore.

[jack-it-to-em]

Bruno found Dolores tucked into one of the alcoves near the main balcony. Her small seven-year-old frame easily folded into the narrow space, just out of sight of the exterior and main halls. He paused for a moment in the arch way before approaching. He knew she could already hear him nearby, but still made sure to keep his steps soft and even. The fact she hadn’t already hidden away from him was hopeful.

“Room for one more?” he asked, voice soft and low as he could make it.

Dolores just nodded, not even glancing up to acknowledge him, keeping her arms wrapped around her knees. Bruno, for possibly the first time in his life, was glad he’d ended up so scrawny as he managed to tuck himself into the narrow space left in the alcove beside his niece without squishing her. Not that it was the most comfortable place to be. He managed to fold one up his legs up, shoulders hunched against the tiles while his other leg dangled towards the floor.

She was older now than when she had first gotten her gift, better able to control her hearing so she could filter things out and to keep even soft noises from becoming overwhelming when made too close. Still, he didn’t like to make too much noise around her. Fortunately, he was pretty good at not drawing attention to himself. Years of shyness and trying to avoid the nervous looks of the townspeople had trained him into quietness. He wondered if that was part of why she let him approach at all.

They sat there in silence for several minutes before Dolores spoke up.

“Have you ever had a secret, a really big one. So big that you think if you keep it inside you might go POP and explode? But. But it’s a secret you know you shouldn’t tell cause your Mamá and Abuela would get mad about gossiping and eavesdropping on people?”

Bruno gave a sad smile, reaching over carefully to rub her back. “Yeah, a little bit kiddo.”

Dolores squeaked and looked up, eyes wide as if she hadn’t considered he might actually get it. “Really?”

“Really, really. When I have my visions, I usually see stuff that’s going to upset people, bad things that are going to happen. But also, sometimes, I see stuff that feels like people wouldn’t want me looking into at all. Not because it’s bad, or even good, just cause it’s personal.”

Dolores nodded, tucking her chin back into her knees. “What...what do you do when that happens?”

“Humm, well. Sometimes, I’ll tell it to your Mamá or Papá, sometimes your Tiá and Tío, and sometimes, if it’s a really big one I’ll tell it to the rats.”

Dolores wrinkled her nose up at that last idea and Bruno chuckled softly. “How about this pequeño?” he said. “How about when you hear a secret, a really, really big secret. A secret so big you think you might POP and explode if you keep it in, you can come tell it to me?”

“Really really?” Dolores said, looking back up at him.

“Really really,” Bruno confirmed. He shifted slightly as Dolores moved to crawl into his lap, his arms wrapping around her tightly. “You tell me those really big secrets and I’ll help hold them for you.”

“That’s not fair though.” Dolores’ lower lip jutted out in a pout, expression tight in seven-year-old morality.

“Why not?”

“If I tell you MY big secrets, then you have to tell me yours too, so you don’t have to tell the rats. Then it’d be fair.”

Bruno smiled, giving her a quick squeeze. “Deal then. You tell me your big secrets, and I’ll tell you mine.”

Dolores nodded, clearly satisfied with this exchange as she settled into her Tío’s side.

“So,” Bruno prompted. “Got any big secrets to share yet?”

Dolores squeaked and she quickly wiggled around to whisper in his ear what had been troubling her.

 ---

Dolores was twelve and old enough to know the secrets her Tío Bruno would share with her from his gift were not as big as the secrets she would share from hers. Sometimes she would tell him a secret and his eyes would widen and he’d suggest that it was a secret she could go ahead and tell Abuela and her Mama and not get in trouble for. Sometimes, his face would go still and she would overhear him later talking with Abuela and Mamá and Tía Julieta. Most secrets though, he would make interested noises, egging her on as she got out her gossipy nature safely. Except maybe the few times Mamá or Tía would walk in and overhear them, but then both of them ended up getting scolded for gossiping, scrambling to run away to another part of the Casita and laughing. That was okay.

Today though. Today the only secret she had was one the rest of the family already knew, and all Dolores could hear as she laid in her bed was her cousin Mirabel crying in the nursey while the adults spoke to each other in nervous tones, clearly trying to keep her from overhearing. Dolores pulled one of her pillows up and covered her face, pressing it into her ears as she struggled between controlling her gift and her intense curiosity about what was going on. After what was perhaps hours, Mirabel fell asleep, the house settled, and she heard her Tío Bruno make the long, sand-soft walk up to his room.

The next day the house was almost crazier. When she woke late in the day, she heard the townspeople talking amongst themselves, worrying about what had happened last night during Mirabel’s gift ceremony. She heard as Tío Agustín was out in the town with Mirabel and Camillo, trying to distract them with the toy and candy shops. Isabela and Luisa were elsewhere in Casita, talking amongst themselves under the pretense of folding the laundry. Dolores pulled herself out of bed and went down into the kitchen where she could hear all of the other adults were already gathered, looking for food,

While Dolores expected everyone to be gathered together when she entered, they were clearly surprised at her sudden appearance. “Dolores, mi dulce. Are you alright?” Mamá said, dropping to her knees as she smoothed back the loose curls on her daughter’s head.

“I’m fine Mamá, just tired. It was loud last night.”

“I’m sorry about that Dolores,” Abuela said, smiling down at her. She looked the image of calm, but Dolores could hear the soft creek of her bones as she pressed her hands together. It was so hard to filter out the smaller sounds today. “Mi amor—”

“Abuela, let her have breakfast first,” Papi said quickly.

“I’ll make you something,” Tía said, patting her cheek softly as she passed to the other side of the kitchen to the pantry.

“Of course, Félix. I was simply going to ask.”

“Ask what?” Dolores said, rubbing her eyes sleepily. It wouldn’t be the first time the adults had asked her if she could hear something, tiptoeing around the subject because they were afraid she was too young to know exactly what was going on. She’d rather them get on with it so she could have her late breakfast and go do her chores. At least she wasn’t being scolded for sleeping in.

The adults exchanged quick glances before Abuela looked back down at Dolores, leaning over a bit as she addressed her. “Dolores, mi amor, can you hear where your Tío is?

Dolores wrinkled her eyebrow together as she looked up at her family. “Tío is in town with Mirabel and Camillo. I heard them when I woke up.”

Abuela’s smile grew thinner and Mamá bit the bottom of her lip, a wind beginning to brew around her as a small cloud gathered.

“Not your Tío Agustin, Dolores. Your Tío Bruno.”

Dolores frowned, looking around and realizing for the first time he wasn’t there in the kitchen with the rest of them. “Tío...he...” She looked around, not seeing him anywhere in the area. But she thought...Then where?

“I...don’t hear him very well when he’s in his room,” she said.

“We already looked there,” Papi said.

“But....I...” Wasn’t that his footsteps earlier? His knocking? The gentle chh of the sand that couldn’t help but get caught in his clothes and hair? “I thought...”

“Do you hear him?” Mamá said, and there was a note in her voice that Dolores hadn’t heard before. Almost sharp, stinging through her head. She gripped her arms as the cloud grew darker with the snap of electricity. “Baby please, do you hear your Tío?”

“Mamá...”

“Mi vida, you’re scaring her.”

Mamá let Dolores go quickly, pulling her arms into herself as Papi wrapped his own around her. “I’m sorry baby, I’m so so sorry.”

Dolores just stood there, still in her sleep dress. The fear of not understanding what was going on and the too-loud sound of everyone else’s worries was becoming overwhelming. She couldn’t block out the sound of everyone’s breathing, the creak of Casita, her own heartbeat. “I-I don’t. I can’t...I’m sorry.”

“Not just in the house, anywhere in the village. Anywhere in the Encanto,” Abuela said, sitting down on a nearby chair as she reached out towards Dolores.

“Mama, please,” Tía Julieta said, stepping in and putting a hand on Dolores’ shoulder. “Come on,” she said, leaning over to try and catch her niece’s attention, a plate of arepas in her other hand. “How about we have breakfast outside today?”

“I...” Dolores looked around the room. Mamá was crying, soft rain falling over her and Papi as he held her. Abuela sat at the table, hand clenched tightly and face more stern than she had ever seen before as she stared off into the distance. Dolores leaned into her Tía’s skirts as they headed outside. “Okay.”

 Tío Bruno was missing. They had searched the entire Encanto with no sign of him. The picture on his door has stopped glowing, and whenever someone mentioned him around Mamá a storm was soon to follow. In just three days, everyone started tiptoeing around the Casita, almost as silently as when Dolores had received her own gift. Tiptoeing around Mirabel, not wanting to bring up her lack of a door and room and powers. Tiptoeing around Mamá, not wanting to start a flood. Tiptoeing around Abuela, who seemed to be getting more reserved and serious, in her room much more than usual. The dinner table was more silent than not—even for Dolores.

But still, Dolores sometimes thought she could still hear her Tío, even if no one was able to find him. The weeks events had scrambled her head, making it hard to focus, to filter the sounds. She was sick with worry; worry for her prima, for her Mamá, for her missing Tío. If she was hearing him, she couldn’t tell where he was, and she knew if she told any of the other adults when she couldn’t be sure it would only upset them more. Besides, maybe she was wrong. Maybe she just missed him so much that she was imagining his familiar sounds. Or maybe there was something wrong with the magic. Maybe whatever kept Mirabel from getting her gift was messing with her hearing as well. She pressed her hands over her ears at the thought, pausing in the hallway. It was night, which was the only time she wasn’t overwhelmed but he sounds of her family rustling around, and she had snuck down to the kitchen for a snack.

There, in the darkness of the casita, she heard something. Looking up she listened, willing herself to calm down enough to she could properly sort through what she was hearing. There. Wasn’t that her Tío’s footsteps? His careful breathing? The shift of his ruana, pockets full of sugar and salt and sand?

She stepped closer to the wall, trying to focus in on the sounds. Had he stopped moving? Had he been there at all? She pressed her ear to the wall, listening. Gentle mummering.

There! It all snapped together. It was her Tío! and she nearly laughed in her joy as she realized she wasn’t imagining it after all. That’s why she could still hear him around the Casita when no one could find him—he was inside the Casita. Moving through the walls. Her Tío was okay! He hadn’t disappeared, he’d never even left.

She started to run back to her parent’s room to tell them the news when she paused. Tío Bruno hadn’t left, but he had hid. He didn’t have her hearing, but he must have heard them calling his name that afternoon. He was hiding, and if the adults were so worried than he hadn’t told them about it. Was he hiding from them?

Dolores chewed her bottom lip as she considered the floor of the Casita. She had another secret now. A big one. But this one wasn’t hers, it was Tío’s.

She lowered herself to the ground, leaning against the wall and pressing her hand to the paint as she listened to her Tío’s gentle breaths, his steady heartbeat. He wasn’t on this side of the Casita right now, but she still whispered to him. Even if he couldn’t hear like her maybe he’d still know.

“It’s okay Tío. I’ll help hold your secret for you.”

-

[jack-the-fool]

“You’ve got to be joking,” Izzy said. Three of Bonnet’s men were circling him with weapons trained; Black Pete had taken his sword up with gusto and that Swede fellow had gotten his hands on a spear and was having great fun jabbing it at Izzy’s backside. The taffrail door had been open and a length of wood strapped down so it hung over the edge of the ship. Izzy stood at the base of it, forearms lashed together at his back

“Don’t let my generally affable nature deter you Izzy, I am most certainly not,” Bonnet said. “Now, you will tell us what we wish to know or you will be forced to walk the plank, and take your chances with the sharks below.”

So I recently learned the historical Stede Bonnet was one of the few pirate captains who actually made people walk the plank and I was suddenly struck with a vision of what I wanted to see in ofmd season two.