#gazpaccio

[piecesofchess]

The main role of clockworks had obviously been for them to fight in the wars for Valencia, but their secondary purpose was to entertain Valencians and act as their servants. They were seen as objects and treated as nothing more.

So when Gazpaccio built Kane and regarded him as family, as his own son, it was seen as strange and impractical. He was using Kane to assist him with toy-making and gain vengeance on others - there really was no need to see and treat him as something more, but Gazpaccio still welcomed and cared for him as his own flesh-and-blood regardless.

One of the influences he (unintentionally) left on Kane was this concept of relationships - as Kane viewed his own creations as his family, just like his father did with him.

[rainbows-fanfics]

All'inzio (Chapter 24)

Summary: A  soldier-in-training, Valerie hopes to join the Valencian Army to avenge  her father’s death under the wing of General Rooke. But when she happens  to catch the attention of Commander Kane, her plans take a different  turn.

Human AU of the Armada from Pirate101, where Kane meets his Queen.

Pairing: Kane/Queen

–

Note: The title translates to “at the beginning”.

–

It was Kane’s favorite part of the night when he retreated to his room and prepared a chess game. One that was promised in exchange for hours of painting a full-fledged portrait…in his eyes, it was more than a fair trade. Nothing could clear his mind like his favorite board game. He was eager as he set the pieces in their respectful spots. By the time he was finished, ‘Queen’ walked into the room and discarded her gloves.

She took a seat and flashed a smile, matching his enthusiasm as she made the first move. True, they had a rough exchange earlier that day...she’d been insistent on asking about his father since they met with her mother. He repeatedly dodged her questions and mentally prayed they would come to an end. She hadn’t asked him a single question since their small confrontation. He was quick to brush that thought aside, watching their pawns go along the board thoughtfully. 

His head was completely wrapped in the game. They barely spoke. There wasn’t much to say. The movement of their pieces exchanged plenty between them. He was speechless at the result of their match. When Queen called ‘check’, he was taken aback in his seat. He thoroughly inspected the game and made his moves after painful examination, only to end in a checkmate that wasn’t left from his lips. 

She won.

It was the first time in years he’d been beaten at his own game. 

Even she was surprised, staring at him with wide eyes. She giggled. “You must have finally let me win..!” 

“I didn’t.” He insisted, staring at their board. His look was perplexed, his gaze focused intently on the leftover pieces. He was attempting to piece together how this happened. She noticed his stiff posture and set the chess piece down. 

“Really..?” She clacked her tongue. “All that practice must've paid off! I’ve been playing so much ever since I met you.” 

Kane sat back in his seat. He realized how she won. He played her entire strategy in his mind, remembering every move she made in their game. She played him like a fiddle. He didn’t notice a couple of her openings that should’ve been obvious. How she managed to trick him was beyond his understanding. But he didn’t really need to know.  

All he knew was that a strange sensation went through him. It was an excitement and a familiar longing that came from deep within. This newfound arousal caused him to eye her from across the small table, abruptly standing in his seat and clearing the board. Queen jumped as the pieces fell messily onto the floor. Her brown eyes went back to him, advancing on her as the seconds passed.

“Kane?” She asked, her heart speeding as she clenched the sides of her chair.

He removed himself from the table and finally met with her, holding the sides of her head with shaking hands. “Do you know how long it’s been since someone beat me at chess..?” 

She swallowed. His touch was desperate. “I'd think you'd be outraged… ” 

“Not at all.” He left a kiss on the side of her neck. Then two. Then three. “It takes someone incredibly resourceful to outwit me.” 

She let out a surprised noise when he grabbed her from the seat. In a matter of seconds, he had her pinned down to the bed. She had no moment to think as he covered her skin in needful kisses, embracing her figure tightly while he worked his way down. It didn’t take long before her dress was completely removed and he led them through the night. Not that she protested; she *liked* him like this - she adored his strength and how he could overpower her at any moment he wanted. 

She made it a goal in her mind to win again. 

----

. . . 

Kane’s eyes opened. The sunlight brightened the room as he sat up and observed his surroundings. The table was tipped over, their chairs thrown carelessly aside, and chess pieces laid around the floor. He brought a hand through his white hair as he recalled what happened last night. The sensations returned to his body the longer he remembered them. A smile grew on his lips at the revelation. 

Queen beat him at chess.

To him, this symbolized more than improvement in a game. For so long, he had the upper hand - knowing his movements far before hers, always faster to complete the game in time. But she caught up. Their sessions became longer and more difficult as she recognized his strategies and played against them. It was only a matter of time before her mind worked just as fast as his, and she noted all the movements that became muscle memory to him.

He placed a fist over his chest as his heart beat intensely. There was that feeling again. The strange ache when Emilia asked if he loved her. The weakening of his muscles and heat that overpowered his chest. Of course he loved his Queen. Her winning that game last night reminded him why he did. She was growing so capable, strong and incredibly sharp…everything he envisioned of her becoming: she was finally there..! 

He was excited. Proud. All this hard work sculpting her into the fine woman he wanted by his side….Queen was finally ready. He turned his head in expectation that he’d find her beautiful, sleeping form - only to be met with an empty spot on the mattress. He peered around the room for a minute before removing himself from the bed and dressing in his uniform. 

The entire time he prepared that morning, he looked for her. He wanted to speak with Queen - to hear her lovely voice again...He climbed down the stairs and searched around. He expected her to be with Bishop, but instead found his tinkerer alone in their workshop. Her presence was not in the house at all. He finally reached the kitchen and found a note attached to a magnet on the fridge. He removed it and read what was written: 

'Went to the library. Will return. -Q’

He crumbled it in his hand. A strange decision to head somewhere this early in the morning...but he didn’t question it. For now. He had other things on his mind - plans he wished to fulfill while she wasn’t here. He collected some gold and promptly shoved it in his coat’s pocket as he left the mansion, his pace quick to get to his desired destination. 

---- 

‘Queen’ spent her week in the halls of Cadiz’ grand library, reading as much literature as possible. She wanted to get all the information she could before meeting Kane’s father. She searched for books, documents, and people who knew of Valencia’s once-famous toymaker. She’d spoken with different scholars about Gazpaccio, and those who allegedly met him. The process was peculiar. The people she met insisted on being anonymous and kept their exchanges private.  Even obtaining the right papers to read about came from unknown hands, in alleyways and dark corners of streets. 

She was instructed to read them alone, to keep them away from eyes of nearby soldiers. So she sought solitude in the library during the quiet hours, remaining undetected as the days went by. She learned through newspapers about the inventions Gazpaccio made, and what golden wonders were brought into Valencia. They ranged from wondrous toys to downright killing machines. His work appeared more malicious as time went on...

When she was out of material about the toymaker, she read about her partner instead. There were books published about Kane’s work and contributions to Valencia. Engineers and scholars alike went crazy about his designs and machinery. Despite how hard she looked, she couldn't find anything about his past. There were biographies written about his days in the war, but nothing mentioned the toymaker. Even the papers about Gazpaccio neglected to mention anything about his son. 

. . . 

. . .

Her eyes fluttered open. Her vision became blurry and she rubbed them until it cleared. She noticed Kane’s figure on his side of the bed, his bare chest moving while he breathed. She slipped out of the covers as quietly as possible, tiptoeing to the drawers and getting dressed. Her eyes were locked on the man across the room, intently watching if he stirred. Today was the morning she was due to meet with Phule at the docks. She didn't want Kane to notice her leaving, in fear he would suspect something. 

Her boyfriend was in a better mood lately. Ever since she won that game of chess, he showed more affection her way and spent plenty of time together. Any moment she wasn’t in the library, she was usually by his side, watching his soldiers train. He provided Queen with her own chair to sit in during these times, placed next to his. It almost felt like a throne of her own, watching people work below her. 

She loved it.

Queen ensured he was asleep before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly and making little noise as she traveled down the stairs. She was unnoticed as she left the front doors of the mansion, making her way to Cadiz’ docks. She wasn’t wearing her usual clothes. She wore a different mask she’d found in a closet, with clothes that covered her entire form. She advanced on the docks and found a single ship there, with a man standing by himself. It looked nearly deserted, which was strange, since there were always soldiers working around the bastion. 

She approached Phule, who was in his usual costume. He didn’t seem to care about anonymity. He noticed her appearance and made a pleased noise once she was standing in front of him.

“Finally! No one noticed you coming here?” 

“Not at all.” She replied confidently. She peered around him to find only one other man waiting on the ship. “Where is everybody..?” 

“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t going to captain a ship with a nosy crew.” 

He motioned to the man to prepare for departure. Queen helped herself aboard and noticed how small it was compared to the usual vessels. Phule joined her side a moment after, and they were traveling on water within the next minute. The other man aboard was completely quiet, wrapped from head-to-toe like her, wearing a regular bauta mask. She almost believed it was Deacon, had it not been for the brown eyes. 

She tilted her head at the jester. “You're able to captain ships..?” 

“I normally don’t have fleets like my brothers do...but I am able to go wherever I want, anytime I want.” 

She glanced at the other man and whispered quietly. “Who is he ..?”

“Someone I can trust not to blab about where we’re going.” Phule nodded at him. “The Tortellinis should be preparing right about now. It's an all-day affair. They have the entire family over to party and drink...we will be hanging low until they start their game. I know the perfect hiding spot on that island.” 

"You’ve been there before, haven’t you?” 

He looked into the horizon wordlessly. That answered her question. “Do you come to visit your grandfather?” 

He shot up in his seat and nearly went for her throat. He had his hands in the air and calmed down, retreating them to his side and growling slightly. “Don’t you go talking about it!” 

She held up her own in defense. “It seems we both have a secret to keep...” 

He eyed her before looking away and crossing his arms. They spent the rest of the ride in tense silence. It took a few hours until an island came into view. A large tower overlooked dead land and small buildings, with only the tiniest of a dock to board. So that's why they took a ship so small - they were able to board with ease, and out of sight. It looked like a private dock for the island.

The man in the bauta mask made himself scarce. Phule led her onto the land, taking a trail and hunching below the walls. He held the bells on his cap so they wouldn’t ring with the movement. The walls were covered in large rotating gear mechanisms. They dodged around them as best as they could. Then they stopped to get a good look at what was going on. There were large men here, moving chairs and tables around. Their voices were gruff and they spoke in Italian. Their skin looked greasy and they wore plenty of jewelry, smoking cigars while they moved packs of alcohol. The others were currently putting up decorations. 

She ducked down when one glanced in their direction. Phule tsked as they moved on - they were advancing to the tower on the island. It was situated near the shoreline. There were two guards currently standing at the door, looking bored out of their minds. Phule settled several feet away where they could not be seen. Queen craned her neck to look at the birds flying overhead. 

“So, we wait here? For how long?” She whispered. He rubbed his hands together before sitting on the ground. 

“You may want to get comfortable.”

"Couldn't we just...knock them out?" She suggested. They looked easy enough - she was sure she could take them on her own. He waved his hand.

"That will let them know someone was here - and we can't have that. This is a family island. They know who's where at all times."

She huffed before joining him. It felt like eternity passed as they remained in the bushes, swatting away bugs and watching the guards. The men were eventually ordered to start heading in. They cheerfully left their posts a second after they got the message. It was afternoon by this point. Queen shot an impatient look at Phule, who stood from their hiding spot and cracked his back. She came to her feet and brushed the dirt off of her clothes. It was a good thing she wasn’t in a dress...it could’ve been ruined !

"In there." He pointed to the tower. 

They approached the door. She was surprised it opened upon her command. It was quiet inside, beyond a slight ticking sound. She moved herself in and motioned for Phule to follow. He stood where he was, waving a hand at her. 

"I'll keep a lookout. If I see anyone coming, I'll knock on the door and you have to come out. Understood?"

She frowned. She expected him to want to see his grandfather, but it was safer if one of them kept watch. She wasted no time closing the door behind her in one movement. The moment it shut, she heard a startled voice from above. It sounded like it belonged to a man. It came from the direction of the long staircase circling around the room.

"Who is there? Is it already time for me to eat my lunch...?"

Her eyes widened when a figure climbed down the stairs. He was nothing as she expected - a balding man wearing a baggy, white shirt with brown pants folded at his knees and an apron tied around his waist. He wore long, white socks with a pair of shoes that were beginning to wear. She noticed what was left of his brown hair had gray streaks, and there was a goatee just under his lip. His eyes were a familiar shade of blue when he looked at her. As he stepped forward, she noticed a golden earring pierced on his right ear. He took a wobbly step towards her, holding the railing of his staircase uneasily.

"Wh-who are you...?" He asked weakly. "And how did you get here?"

'Right. I should introduce myself.' Clearing her throat, she replied, "My name is Queen. You're Kane's father, right?"

"Kane sent you here...?"

"No! I came here on my own."

He smiled slightly, folding his hands together and finally moving from the staircase. She noticed the ball and chain hooked onto his right ankle, which dragged on the floor as he moved. "-Ah. I recognize your name. You're his girlfriend, aren't you?" She smiled. He knew about her! "I have heard many rumors. I couldn't believe he was seeing a woman, after all these years..."

"I thought it would be right to meet you. I wanted to know who you are." She fumbled for a second. "You were the Toymaker, right? The one who made all of those wonders for Valencia, years ago...?"

"Yes; that was when I was in my prime." He spoke softly. "Please, we must get comfortable if we are going to talk."

She noticed there were no chairs in here. He sat on the floor in front of her. She took the cue to sit across from him. Not the most ideal place to sit and chat, but it was the only option, as this room was barren...A desk with various machines sitting on its surface caught her attention. They looked like the ones in Kane's workshop. Before she could get a better look, the man leaned forward. She could see how exhausted he looked, with the wrinkles on his forehead.

"How did you find this place?" He asked wearily. She couldn't blame him for not letting his guard down.

"Your grandson, Phule, led me here."

"Robert..." He tsked under his breath. She went to ask who that was until he changed subjects. "-I have never met any of my son's girlfriends before. My name is Gazpaccio. It is a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman like you."

"The pleasure is mine. I came this way, after all."

“There are so many rumors nowadays. No one talks about me anymore.” He shook his head slightly. “I heard about you from those guards outside. They said you were a soldier that he fell in love with…”

“That's right.” Her heart tingled at that word.  “Kane observed my unit before taking me with him to Cadiz. He was giving me lessons and keeping track of me before that, in Florenza.” 

Gazpaccio rubbed his chin in thought. “It is an interesting story. I wouldn’t have imagined him like this. I am glad to hear he’s found someone, after all this time. I was hoping for it. That he isn’t as heartless as they say…” 

His words trailed off as silence settled in. Queen got a better look around the tower. There were a few books and papers laying around, but even more small toys and mechanisms on the tables and floors. It reminded her of what she was here for. 

“I tried to read about you, but there wasn’t much I could find. Someone handed me some newspapers from your day…” She searched through one of her pockets and unfolded one in question, handing it to him. “You were a beloved inventor back then. There were countless positive reviews about you.” 

He observed the page and chuckled, a bright smile growing on his face. “Yes..! This is quite an old one. It was the beginning of my days with toy-making. Things were so much better back then..” 

Queen lowered her head. “I have a few more, but they describe your inventions becoming... different . You were making dangerous things. What happened to the toys?” 

He set down the paper as his smile dropped. This was when he looked ashamed, refusing to make eye contact with her. “Such a long story...I was successful with what I was making, but I wanted more. When I was offered to build ‘special’ devices, I did not hesitate to do so. I wanted the gold so badly; I did not realize I was making such terrible things…” 

He stood and walked over to the only window in the room. It had bars over it, to dissuade any attempts of escape. He held onto one and glanced out into the ocean. He looked almost reminiscent, a sad look washing over his eyes.

“I made a lot with what I did. But it didn’t matter, in the end. They took advantage of me, stole everything I had, and drove me out of business..! I suppose what happened was out of spite. Greed. Anger. I knew it was bad then, but I didn’t care. I just wanted revenge. How terrible of me…” 

Gazpaccio picked his head up and realized her presence. He got swept up in his own story..! He returned to her with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. It has been so long since I’ve been asked about this. Holding onto all of it is such a weight I want to get off my shoulders…”

“I don’t mind. I came here to get to know you. It’s hard learning anything about you or Kane.” 

“But you are together with him. What is there you don’t know?” 

She bit her lip. “…He doesn’t tell me a lot about his past. I’ve asked him plenty of times, but he won’t tell me anything. Not even about you.” 

His look turned sad. “I don’t blame him. It is right not to want to talk about me…”

“He said you two had something of a fight…” 

“Not one fight. We had plenty of disagreements. But I was in the wrong. I realized that, after getting locked up here.” Queen had a confused look on her face. He elaborated. “I wanted Kane to be an artist like me, to sculpt him in my image. And he was incredibly skilled. So, we worked together to build and paint these machines...At first, it went well. Years passed while I taught him everything I knew. He was intelligent and caught onto everything quickly. I guess it wasn’t a surprise when he surpassed my own intellect…” 

Queen clenched her hands. This was it. She was finally learning about his past…

“Kane was smart. Smarter than his brother, and eventually, smarter than me.” Her mouth opened in surprise. “I could not teach him everything. What I didn't know, he taught himself. He wanted to learn. He grew less interest in building and painting, and wanted to work on other things. He was restless, but I didn't notice. I forced him to keep working with me, and when I grew more selfish...I asked for more of him. I started having him paint on his own. He was so talented, you see. I sold his works and kept the money - sometimes, I brought him out just to paint and sell them right away...he must have worked for tireless hours...” 

Her fingers itched. “Kane has a brother !?” 

He snapped out of his story. “Oh? You didn't know?” She shook her head indignantly. “Kane has a twin brother, named Able. He was not as gifted as him, and worked slower with machines...so I didn't have him around. I suppose that made him jealous, all the time I was spending with Kane. He worked around the house for me instead."

“What happened to him?” She asked curiously. He took a deep breath. She felt guilty for making a man speak this much, but they had so little time… 

“Able was loyal. He stayed with me after everything. Kane...did not. I was putting him through so much - I entered him in chess competitions, just to keep the gold. I had him build countless machines and craft paintings, all so I could keep the profit as my own. I made him work harder than I should’ve. I praised to everybody that he was my ‘ingenious son’ , capable of anything. He was popular. But he did not want it. When the war came...he told me he wanted to serve.” 

His shoulders slumped. “I begged him not to go. I needed help to get revenge on those who wronged me. But he saw how pointless that was. So he spent his time training instead...He had so many responsibilities. There was a baby! Able and I helped look after Robert. But when the time came...Kane left, anyway. My business fell while he was gone. I struggled to keep up, and the competition wasn’t helping. The fact that two more children were delivered to our doorstep only made things more difficult.” 

‘Rooke and Deacon…’ She thought. 

“I was struggling. I thought it was a miracle that Kane came back alive! I was so happy...but there was something different about him. That war was unforgiving. It was cruel. And I think he experienced some things. He became more distant, emotionless...The stress of three children only made things worse. He was constantly overworking and seemed so unhappy...

I should have been proud to hear about his promotions. He was working his way up, while I was only falling down...But I took out my frustration. We had many arguments at this time. We fought. We said terrible things. He didn't want to help me anymore - and I took this terribly. I can’t blame him for leaving me when he did.” 

His voice became shaky. He took a moment to recover himself, and in this silence, Queen felt shocked. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She sympathized with Kane, but also felt bad for the man before her eyes…she didn’t know how to feel…. 

“Years passed while I wallowed in my own self pity and lost all my gold. Able was still by my side. He supported me and our house...but I knew it was only a matter of time. Before the worst came, I was arrested. By my own son, with Rooke and Deacon. They told me I was imprisoned for my illegal practices....and they were not wrong. I am not proud of the deals I made, or the machines I crafted in those times. I was sent here that same day, to pay for my crimes in Valencia.” 

He motioned around them. She frowned. “And what about your other son..?” 

“Able insisted on coming with me. He was arrested, too. When he was here, he would constantly talk about getting revenge on Kane. But I didn’t want any part of it. I felt like I belonged here, to pay my sentence...and Able disagreed. He managed to escape, years ago. He promised he would come back...I don't know where he is. I can’t receive letters or messages to know how he's doing.” 

His tone sounded sad...Queen wanted to comfort him. “I’m sorry you two don't get along anymore. I’m sure Kane is just as affected by this as you are. He seemed emotional any time I mentioned you.” 

“I’m surprised he didn’t have me killed. Sometimes I wonder why he sent me here...to stay here, rotting away...he has only visited me once, after all these years. I still love him. I know I wronged him. I wish I could see him one more time, to apologize for everything and fix what I had broken...if only he could give me the chance…” 

She wanted to bring him back with her. But she couldn’t. Kane didn’t know they were here. And taking Gazpaccio from this tower...it was a bad idea. Her eyes went to the ball and chain around his ankle and frowned. That would be another issue entirely. She was also weary of those large men on this island. No doubt they would be enraged if their captive got away...

“I wish I could do something for you.” She confessed. “I wanted to get to know you, but I feel terrible for what happened.” 

"Please, tell him I am sorry...and that I wish to redeem myself. He may not want to listen, but I just want him to know.” He laid a hand on her shoulder.  “I am sure you will make him happy, Queen. I’m glad I got to meet you. Thank you for coming.” 

“It was the only way I could know about you.” She smiled. He returned it. 

“Perhaps, if you gave him more time...he would talk about this. I’m sure of it.” 

She opened her mouth to say more, but they heard an abrupt knock from the door. Phule swung it open and faced the two of them. He moved his attention to Queen first. 

“We must get going. They’re finishing their game as we speak.” 

“Ah. You do not want to get caught. Believe me. The Tortellinis are...persistent.” He held Queen’s hands in his own and shook them meaningfully. “Please, remember to tell Kane what I said. It is my only request.”

"I will.” 

Phule hastily motioned her out of the doorway. Gazpaccio nodded to the jester and he returned the look, shutting the door before rushing them out of sight. While they jogged away, she turned her head and found him holding his cap in one hand and steadying his mask with the other. He was doing this to stop his bells from jingling and alerting anyone of their departure. She could not stop her eyes from wandering to his brown hair, the curls bouncing lightly with his movement. This was the first time she'd seen any of Kane's sons without their mask...

She was pulled from her thoughts when they found the boat ready for them. They boarded it quickly and set sail. Queen sighed in relief as they left unnoticed. Her heart pounded in her chest with how quickly they ran. She took a minute to catch her breath. Then she shot a playful look in Phule's direction. There was plenty she learned just now...but one matter rang in her mind:

“'Robert’ ?” She asked teasingly.

He glared at her in return. 

[dailyspiral]

day 10 - any pollo's crew fans out there!?!? (i am shouting into an empty room

[caroline-nighthunter]

The Painter | The Clockmaker | The King

[apple-talk]

Day Thirty, The Heart

Pittyober Day 30- Swashbuckler/The Heart

Able Valenciani had always been a sickly child. Ever since he was a baby he caught sicknesses as easily as twine caught fire. It could’ve been something as simple as a common cold, or it could've been his heart acting up once again. He was born with a weak heart, one that both his father and mother worried would not be enough to support him through a long and healthy life. Gazpaccio, his father, had always been insistent on finding his son a new heart, whether it be a natural, organic one…or a machine. His mother, Marcella, had been less keen on the latter, she wanted her son to just live and be happy, not having to worry about a metal machine malfunctioning while trying to keep him alive. So for years, his father tried to abide by his mother's wishes, attempting to find any treatments, magical and non-magical alike, to try and find a cure for his son's heart. But when Marcella died of unknown circumstances, well that restraint had been cut loose, and Gazpaccio was anything if not a stubborn, selfish, and downright arrogant man. 

One fateful day, his decision had been made, and Gazpaccio pulled out the old golden heart from El Dorado he had taken from his adventure as a part of Marco Pollo’s crew. It would be his son's new heart, not that Able had any say in the matter. No, the young man wouldn't be able to deny his father the right to keep the last reminder of his wife alive, not if he had anything to say about it. Able became the keeper of the golden heart, and a part of him despised his father for it. It made him an experiment, something for his father to run tests upon tests on. 

He hardly thought Gazpaccio saw him as a son anymore, rather just another machine like everything else in his father's workshop. Something for him to perfect, something for him to command, something for him to throw away once it didn’t suit him anymore. And one day, that day came in the form of Kane, a clockwork automaton that became the keeper of the golden brain. A machine that his father had so gracefully given the same physical appearance as his own. They were twins, Kane and Able Valenciani. How quaint. Some part of him always had wanted a brother, but there was something off about Kane. He could never place his finger on it, in the same way, his golden heart was drawn to the golden brain, it also screamed at him that something about Kane was inherently wrong. But his newfound brother was quick to put those concerns at ease. He was a good brother, and although he did work purely on logic, he must have found there was some logic within a good relationship between the two. They were two sides of the same coin; Kane and Able, the brain, and the heart. 

There were times Gazpaccio was less than patient with in human son’s so-called lack of skills, and he would take out those frustrations physically on the young man. When asked about his litter of bruises by his twin, he found that he always answered truthfully. He would confess what their father had been doing to him, and Kane would listen intently, looking upon his twin with the cold, black, voids that were his eye sockets. He would hum softly, and change the topic swiftly once he saw Able was veering toward becoming emotional, but there would always be an undertone of anger in his movements after. Sometimes Able would mistake the anger to be towards him, for being a less than adequate brother, but Kane made it clear that it wasn't him, but rather their father.

The next time Gazpaccio had laid a hand on Able, he made the mistake of doing it infront of Kane. The two had been working on some…rather odd machines, ones geared towards their father's revenge against the Tortellinis, not that Able had a choice in the matter. If he spoke out against his father, he would surely be punished for it. He had made a simple error in one of the machines and was forced to take it apart to rebuild it once more. It was a simple mistake really, but it was enough to set his father off on him. He was yanked upwards by his wrist, yelling some obscenity at him, something about how he was a waste of space, or how he was no good. It hardly mattered, Able had heard it many times before. Gazpaccio had raised his hand to strike him in one swift movement, and Able had turned his head away, only for the blow to never land. The pressure on his wrist disappeared, and when he opened his eyes again, Kane stood infront of him, holding their father's wrist, gears whirring in something akin to anger.

“This will be the last time you touch him, father. Do you understand me?” Kane spoke in his monotone voice, his head tilted to the side. Able had always noticed he never used that voice while speaking to him, it always had some sort of emotional undertone to it.

A few days later Kane had awoken Able from his sleep in the pitch black of night, telling his twin to pack anything he held dear. They were leaving, they were going to become something together. And Able agreed, he would go with his brother and leave their father behind. They were the brain and the heart, they were Kane and Able Valenciani, what couldn’t they do without the other at their side? For without the heart, the brain cannot have morals, and without the brain, the heart cannot beat.

[umbral-fantome]

Random facts about Abel:

- He was created initially by Gazpaccio as his attempt to stop Kane... except with his ability to feel came with the curse to hate just as strongly. After he found out what he did to Kane, he left the Clock Works through a window in Gazpaccio’s tower and hijacked a ship to leave for Cadiz.

- Abel has four “children”: Battle Angel Captain Militus Limatrix (daughter), Marine Commander Militus Modatrix (daughter), Elite Armada Sniper Presidos Modus (son) and Dragoon Captain Militus Crassatrix. They all live with Abel on his luxurious island estate.

- Officially, Abel is known as the Grand Admiral of the Armada, commanding his own Armada galleon The Citadel.

- He is Kane’s right hand man, though he rarely left Cadiz, and mostly sends Pirate Hunter Seraphus Argentus to do his bidding.

- Contrary to most other’s perceptions about him: Abel is cruel to anyone that opposed the Armada or to his children, never one to hesitate to lean into violence or more extreme methods if needed to remove some obstacle in their path. Out of everyone in the spiral, there is nobody that he hated more than Gazpaccio, who had once sought to use Kane for his own selfish means. (granted to anyone that actually knows him, this is moreso fucking gremlin territory tbh)

[stormbreaker101]

Downfall

It’s the end. Dirk and their crew have made it to Kane’s Machine. Subodai had once vowed to help Dirk win their destiny. Now it is time to prove it, to fight by his captain’s side until either Kane falls, or they fall.

Will this be their final battle? It is a good day to die...

Yeah, this would probably fit better for Day 31, but if you pair the prompts Mooshu and Horse together I will write about my boy Su. It’s my birthday today; I can do what I want.

Content Warnings: Canon violence, canon-atypical gore.

Word Count: 5633

The Machine towers over us. Your destiny. Everything you’ve ever done since we first met, and perhaps even before then, leads now to this. A history of epic proportions, contained in but a few months. There will be a great and terrible battle here; all epics end so.

 Will this be our final battle?, I cannot help but wonder. This will be either the end of the Armada, or the end of us. It is a good day to die…

“Su-” Your face holds pain. The earring I gave you glints almost as bright as your eyes. You look like you might cry. I realize that I’d spoken my thoughts aloud. Shit, I didn’t mean to.

“There’s the elevator,” Gracie cuts in, pointing ahead. “Let’s get to the top of this thing!”

We rush ahead and all step into the lift at once. The lift is crammed. I press myself against the walls so I don’t crush anybody else with my armor. The wall scrapes my armor. The constant rumble and creaking of wood and metal, and the closeness of the space, reminds me of the prison ship we’d escaped. I struggle to breathe.

The lift reaches its peak, rising into the heart of the Machine, an overwhelmingly large room with a grand platform in the middle. I vault over the metal railing around the lift’s platform. You follow me. Fan and Monkey King do too. Everybody else walks off the platform normally. 

“Look at this thing,” Gracie gasps. “I can’t believe it!” Her tail swishes like she’s mad, but her voice is one of wonder.

Old Scratch taps your shoulder. “Captain! There be the crystals from the Gold Monkey Valley!” He points up to the structure in the middle of the room, and I see what he sees. The crystals are small and glow with energy stark against the Machine’s metal. “Kane brought them here,” Old Scratch continues, “but why?”

You say nothing. You don’t even look up at what Old Scratch points out.

“There be bad mojo in this place, Captain. Believe it!” Old Scratch insisted. He’s noticing your unresponsiveness.

Gazpaccio steps forward, holding the Golden Heart in his hand. “Kane!” he calls, his voice barely sounding over the Machine’s constant noise. I hear Monkey King let out a low tsk-tsk-tsk. I cannot help but agree with the old trickster. Charing upfront into battle is one thing. Stepping out and calling for the enemy to reveal himself is suicide. “The time has come, my son, for all of this madness to end! I-I come to repair your soul; to bring you into the light!”

Hesitation.

“Kane?” Gazpaccio asks again. “Where are you?”

I hear Kane before he speaks. He steps up to the edge of the central platform. “Here.” He takes aim and shoots the Golden Heart. Gazpaccio didn’t react in time; he couldn’t.

“The Heart! No!” Gazpaccio yelps.

“Yes, that’s finally out of the way,” Kane said. His voice is level and cold as any leader’s. It’s chilling. “Thank you for bringing the Heart into the open. But why stop at only one heart?” He takes aim at the other heart Gazpaccio holds; his beating human heart.

Nobody makes any move to stop it. We are all frozen in shock, or something.

Gazpaccio falls to the ground. “My son… how could you…?” His voice peters out. I’m familiar with the sound of men taking their last breaths and uttering their last words. He is dead.

The crew erupts in panic. “NO!” “YOU FIEND!” But you are silent as a corpse. You watch, unreacting. There’s a distant stare in your eyes. I recognize it. My father had the same distant stare before he was shot in the throat. The horrors you see around you are so deafening you cannot hear them anymore. The white snow turns red as strawberries in the summertime and you cannot see the spilt blood anymore.

Have you seen this before?

Kane begins to monologue. Proud and haughty. He reminds me of Toghon. “Children are meant to replace their fathers,” I hear him say clearly. That sentence weighs so heavy on my mind that it sinks before I can think about it. No doubt, that sentence will resurface when I try to sleep. 

He keeps talking. He reveals his dark plans, to rush to El Dorado with the map he remade from scratch and then to ‘perfect’ the Spiral.

I look to you again. You don’t seem to even care. This isn’t like you. What’s going on?

A group of four Armada soldiers appear, blocking the stairs leading up to the central platform. Where had they come from? Kane snaps his fingers. “Destroy the intruders,” he orders the soldiers. Then he sneers to you, “Goodbye, pirate.”

You look at the soldiers. “Mob fight. Tío, Fan, Bon, to me.”

I’m not surprised that you call them forth. They’re not surprised either. You’ve fought with Fan and Bonnie at your side ever since it was just the four of us on your crew, and El Toro is a strong fighter too, good in quicker fights. You expect this scuffle to go by quickly, then.

And it does. You all leap into battle. I never understand what keeps the rest of us from getting involved and outnumbering the enemies you fight, but those details don’t matter now. Bonnie gets hurt but you heal her with a touch of your magic. I’ve learned a long while ago not to question where your magic comes from; you’ve always insisted you’re a typical child who just got their hands on some knives, but you’re neither typical nor a child. Extraordinary in too many ways for me to count right now. I must stay focused; we all do.

As the last soldier, a Battle Angel, buckles under your strike, Ratbeard cheers, “Now there’s none left. None but the king!” He gives the center platform a stink-eye. I take a step back. I see Kane standing on the platform. He hadn’t retreated after killing his creator; he had kept fiddling with this monster of a machine as we were distracted by the fight!

“Yes, and now he is in danger. Check!” El Toro quips.

I feel the beginnings of a headache build in me. Now is no time for chess puns!

You lead the way up onto the central platform. Your gaze is sharp and you hold your finger up as you walk, as if you’re pointing at something only you can see.

Kane stands on the platform, waiting for us. “My, but you have grown stronger,” he says. From any other person, it would’ve been a compliment. “Your victory was highly unlikely-” as if; we can take on the Armada’s soldiers any time! What the fuck kind of weaklings does he think we are!? “- but I’ve accounted for it.”

Words echo from nowhere and everywhere at once: “Preparations complete.” It must be the Machine itself speaking. We are truly within the belly of the beast, now. “Deconstruction fleet ready to launch.”

“Hold launch,” Kane commanded the Machine. “This was the least favorable scenario, but still acceptable. Prepare my escape craft and destroy this chamber.”

I can feel everyone start to panic. The tensing of muscles and short gasp of breath, as they get ready to fight or flee. I look to the lift; it’s a fair dash away. Would we make it before the entire room is destroyed? Even if we get onto it, would we be safe or would we still die? I don’t want to die like this, caught within the Machine’s destruction. If I am to die, it will be by another’s blade or arrow or gun or magic!

I sneak a glance back at you. You are still reactionless. You fear this less than I. Do you know something nobody else does? Is Kane bluffing? Will we not be destroyed helplessly?

“No,” says the Machine.

Against all odds and dying hope, we are spared a helpless death. How did you know?

Not even Kane seems to expect it. He acts like any other person, flinching at words. “What?” he demands of his creation.

“Destroying this chamber will render me inoperative,” the Machine speaks. “My purpose must be fulfilled. Any delay is unacceptable.”

Oho, Kane is pissed! It warms my heart to see his steel-cold demeanor snap into brittle shards. “I have given you an order! You will obey!” he barks at the Machine.

“No,” says the Machine again. “My purpose is all that matters. I am ready to achieve it. You are no longer required.”

El Toro laughs. “Children are meant to replace their fathers, eh? How does it feel, you monster?” There is a slight growl in his voice, more than his accent normally gives. Of course he would take that quote of Kane’s and twist it into a witty one-liner. His taunts will be the death of him, I swear to God.

The Machine’s voice booms once more: “Initiating defensive sequence. Beginning launch of Deconstructor Fleet.”

Kane storms to a lift on the platform and ascends to some other room. He is running away, delaying his inevitable. The coward! My hunger for the chase burns hot enough to melt metal, but we have other issues. Like, the entire Machine being about to explode.

“NO! We’ve gotta stop it!” Gracie shouts. She grabs your arm and points out three boxy devices rooted into the platform. “Destroy the main mechanism- hurry!”

El Toro, Fan, and Bonnie Anne step up. You hold a finger up as Bon approaches. “Take a breather, Bonnie. Sarah, you up?”

“Of course,” Sarah Steele says.

The four of you step forward, staying close to each other. As the clockworks approach (wait, where did they come from? They just spawned out of thin air!), you all brace yourselves. You cloak yourself (I must wonder, why is it that sometimes you can bring everybody into your invisibility, and other times you can only summon your fog over yourself? Is it strategy, or are you randomly hindered?) Two of the robots charge at Toro and Sarah, the other two hang back. It seems they will strike later; a semblance of strategy from these mindless machines.

You direct your crew before darting to the furthest of the Machine’s mechanisms. Fan destroys another of the mechanisms on her own. A Dragoon thrashes her badly but she holds on and does some damage to it as well. El Toro and Sarah rush towards the third- they’re intercepted! A marine restrains Sarah, and a battle angel, blasted thing, swoops down on Toro. They trade blows, but he’s cut down. You cry out.

I want to rush into the fight to avenge Toro. No doubt I’m not alone in the thought. But something holds me back. What’s holding me back!?

You destroy the second part of the Machine. Sarah gets closer to the last mechanism, attacking a clockwork Marine first. Fan runs around the Machine’s center column, getting closer to you and Sarah. The Marine targets Fan. It knows she’s weak. I shout at her to watch out but even with my warning she’s taken down. You enact vengeance upon the Marine. You and Sarah destroy the last of the Machine’s mechanisms.

The Machine’s voice thrums one last time, its voice petering out. “Core mechanism… compromised… Can not…” The constant creaking of gears quiets down, as if the Machine sighed its last breath. A lamentation of the moment.

You rush to Fan and helped her stand. She leans against you. Sarah and Bon help El Toro rise. He’s extra shaky from bleeding out. His white cape and pants are stained red with his blood. “Y-You did it,” he gasps as he gathers his bearings. “The Spiral is saved.”

“Wait, isn’t this place gonna explode or somethin’?” Ratbeard asks. That was still a possibility? I thought destroying the Machine would keep it from self-destructing.

“I think not,” Gracie promises. “Evil strongholds don’t automatically do that, you know.”

“Excuse me, what happened to Kane?” Monkey King asks. He points to the lift that Kane had risen up on earlier.

Kane’s voice rings through the Machine, overwhelming as the Machine’s voice itself. “You think you’ve won!? This is only a delay! I can rebuild my machine- that’s a trivial matter!” It really doesn’t seem like it, with how pissed he sounds. We are really striking him where it hurts! He can’t run anymore. “But first I must become perfect in El Dorado. Come try to stop me, pirate! Come to your doom!”

“After him, capitane! For the Spiral-!” El Toro encourages. He takes a step forward. His leg buckles under him. 

Bonnie Anne catches him. “Careful!”

“I’ll be fine, I promise you, Bonnie.”

You sigh, “I’m not bringing you into the final fight, Toro.” Your gaze lands on him, then goes distant again. Your finger moves, again as if pointing to something only you can see. “I’m not bringing you either, Fan. You both deserve rest.”

“Bring?” I finally ask. I can’t keep my questions inside anymore. “We’ll all fight alongside you, Dirk. You don’t have to fight with just your three best.”

You give me an expression that I cannot read. It’s… melancholic and pained and distant and serene all at once. Am I wrong? Are you forced to fight with only three of us at a time? Why? What restrains you? “Come on. Let’s get this run over with, once and for all.”

We step onto the second lift. Somehow it feels even smaller than the first. I can’t let my discomfort show. We have a war to win.

The lift makes it to the final room. The floor is made of black-and-white marble, in a chessboard pattern. A massive Valencia-centric map of the Spiral is on the far wall, stone inlaid with gold. This is the closest to a throne room that Kane would construct for himself.

The last time we stood in a throne room was Duomo hall. A painful memory. I still bear the wounds from the guards, I think. I should still have them. Is adrenaline driving me to ignore the pain?

Kane watches us ascend. By his side are all of his elites, including the ones we’ve destroyed. I blink. This can’t be real, can it? I’d kicked Deacon’s broken body down into the waters in the mines of Cool Ranch! And Rooke was left to burn and fall in the Trafalgar vortex!

It’s real.

“We’ve played a long chess game, you and I,” Kane taunts, “and you’ve done far better than I expected. But now it’s time I was rid of you.” He sounds so fucking smug. I want to bash his goddamn face in. “How about one final match? To be sporting, I’ll only use half my pieces.” He laughs. Cocky piece of shit. I’ll make him eat those words! He’s not even physically capable of eating! “Is that not generous?”

“Deacon! Rooke! But how!?” El Toro asks. It seems the wounds from the last fight are addling him, if he’s only noticing the rest of the elites after Kane’s opening speech.

“They’re only machines,” Kane explains dismissively. “It was expensive to replace the children you destroyed, but I managed.” More children. That’s all they are to him. Children. Not even tools, respectable and useful in their department. Children. What the fuck is wrong with him!?

More like what the fuck isn’t wrong with him.

“Bishop, of course, you already know,” Kane keeps explaining. I wonder what’s stopping Bon from just shooting Kane right now, while he’s distracted by his own ego and desire to narrate. It’d be a real asshole move, but this is Kane we’re talking about! He doesn’t deserve anything but the worst. “Allow me to introduce Queen, greatest of my creations!”

Queen, the clockwork next to him, with a sword in one hand and her mask held by a stick in another and a dress far too long to be practical, chuckles, “You flatter me, darling.” Her voice is what you would call sweet. An insult. Sickly like sap, with no real love behind it, no matter what petname she uses for her creator. 

“Not at all,” Kane deflects. He raises his sword. “Kill them, my children. Kill them all.”

We all look to you. You said it yourself, you are restrained to only fight with three of us. So the question stands; who?

“Subodai. Scratch. Gracie.” Your voice is certain. You are fearless. You have been so unflinchingly fearless, it amazes and baffles me.

We step to the chessboard. We all have the same thought, to stand in front of you. If you die, then we are doomed. We cannot let that happen.

“Right. Slow techniques,” you command as your magic surrounds us. “Su, Gracie, hold back. Scratch, mojo flows.”

Old Scratch’s magic doesn’t feel at all like yours. Your magic settles on my skin and armor like snow. His flows through my veins like ice water. I cannot even use magic, but standing next to him I can still feel it.

We are hidden, and the Elites know it. So instead of charging towards us, making swings in the dark, they simply try to get a positional advantage. Kane retreats to the edge of the battlefield. Queen rushes along the edge, standing towards your left. Rooke follows, but only makes half the distance between us. A pair of Marines that had appeared alongside the Elites take a few steps forward, with Deacon and Bishop behind them.

“Steady…” you say. “One more turn of buffing.” You adjust your stance, shaking out any tension you can, and Scratch raises more magic.

Kane takes a step forward. Queen takes a step back, keeping her eyes trained on us like a falcon. Rooke stands next to her. Deacon and Bishop go against the edge of the board, and their marines go with them, flanking them in an L shape almost.

“Su. Can you 1v1 Rooke?” you ask me.

I would rather target Queen; we don’t know how she fights, which makes her more dangerous to me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t attack Rooke. Whether I can take him on alone… it would be a spar for the ages. “Yes.”

“Go for it.” Each of the tiles of the chessboard is large enough for one person to comfortably stand in while also small enough for one person to comfortably attack a person adjacent to them. You point me to one of the tiles. Adjacent to Rooke, diagonal to Queen. “Scratch, last mojo. Gracie, mine up.” You point her towards the tile next to the one I’ll stand on.  “I’m gonna work on the Marines,” you finish explaining before darting off.

I swallow my fear, seeing you run into enemy lines. You know what you’re doing. I trust you.

I rush to Rooke. Thanks to your hide, I can get to his weaker spots without him able to defend against it.

I hear the whispers of magic. With a flash of light, Kane appears next to Rooke! Oh fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK- In a bit of a blind panic I attack Kane. My blade cuts up his robe, revealing metal. He strikes back in vengeance. His blade glances off the armor on my shoulder and up at my chin. I kick him in the chest and slash at his robe again, exposing more of his metal guts. 

Rooke attacks me at once. I try my best to fend against him. I feel regrets bubble in me. I cannot 1v1 Rooke. I was cocky. I made a mistake. I should’ve said no. But I didn’t. And now I’m here.

Gracie’s mine appears next to me. I hope that by some miracle, when it goes off, it doesn’t hurt me. That makes no sense, of course Gracie’s mine will damage everything around it. Including me. But I want to trust you, and all of your planning.

Looking away for too long was a mistake. Left me vulnerable. Kane attacks me, pulling me away from one source of panic and directly into another. He’s relentless. I try to strike back when I can, when there’s an opening, but he’s in a mad frenzy! He’s ruthless!

The pain piles up. I feel the blood welling from my wounds. 

He kicks me in the chest. I feel something crack. Bone? Armor? I don’t have the time to tell which. He leaps with a twirl. I try to raise my sword against him but my arm is too heavy. 

He cuts me down.

My hand goes to my neck. I feel the blood. I see it. Red. I fall. I hear you scream my name. Fearful, mournful.

My head is turned away from the battlefield as I collapse. My hand is pinned between my neck and the floor. The blood is sticky, clotting. I struggle to breathe.

Wait. I’m still breathing?

I try to get up. My armor is too heavy and I am in too much pain. I’m as good as dead. But I’m not dead. Yet.

Queen and Rooke step around me. I can hear another clockwork approach. Gracie’s mine explodes as it gets near me, but the clockwork hasn't fallen.

I hear you curse. “Shit- Gracie! Get that marine! Scratch, your summon!”

Gracie runs next to where I lie. She attacks, and the marine collapses. Its body slumps over and pins my leg. The weight is a bother, but nowhere near the pain I’m already feeling.

Kane steps over by body. I think my heart’s stopped from the panic. Don’t move don’t move don’t fucking move if he notices me move I am SO FUCKING DEAD. He’s attacking Gracie! Damn my torpor! If I were stronger, I’d perhaps be able to prevent this. Somehow. I wouldn’t be on the floor and trying to play dead for my survival, at least. That would have to count for something! If I were weaker, then I’d be entirely dead and unaware of everything happening around me. But I’m in the middle. Alive, weak, helpless, unable to do fucking ANYTHING! It’s more agony than my wounds themselves! Gracie falls with a pained whimper.

You shout her name in fear and mourning.

Rooke walks to his right. I can’t see him anymore. 

I hear a sparkthrower shot, and the other marine falls somewhere on the board.

Scratch does some magic. It’s cold and deathly and it makes my fur prickle. It hurts the Elites, I hear them all wince. Kane’s weight disappears off of me. I want to sigh in relief, but I can’t. They’re all still so close to me. If one of them even thinks they hear me…

I hear Rooke attack Scratch. Scratch grimaces. I hear dry bones clatter against the floor, but I don’t hear Scratch’s voice cry out as he falls. Scratch lives. The minion he summoned must’ve been the one to be destroyed.

“Attack Deacon,” you command Scratch. “He’s low!” I hear you running. You jump over my body. I look at you. You don’t look at me. Do you think I’m already dead? I promise, I’m not! I’m still here! I’m still alive! I will still fight! I just… can’t. Not yet. Not now. I’m sorry.

I hear you weave some magic. It entangles Queen and Rooke. Scratch slings spells at Deacon.

I hear Scratch fall.

It’s just you now. Oh fuck.

The battle becomes strangely silent. You must be hidden. That’s the only way they’re not ganging up on you right now. They wouldn’t be able to aim at you. So they bide their time. You bide your time. I hope you know what you’re doing. What are you planning? What are you preparing?

I see Rooke and Deacon and Bishop gather in the corner of the battlefield. Deacon’s body convulses, twitching mechanically as something invisible overtakes him. Probably more of your magic, I think. He falls flat onto the floor. I am so glad to see him fall gain, even if I wasn’t the one to deal the final blow this time.

Queen stands over Deacon’s remains. Bishop walks to the space right above my head. I can barely see him from the corner of my eye. Rooke walks past my head, beyond what I can see.

You step over me, and I see Bishop flinch away from your attack! Your blades tear into him, then glance off into Rooke. He attacks you. I hear you laugh. You’re dodging his strikes!

Kane teleports on top of me. I stiffen. I’m getting real fucking annoyed of him standing on my fucking body. I’m not strong enough to try and stand and knock him off his feet without the rest of the Elite swooping down on me like a pack of bloodthirsty falcons. I just have to fucking grit my teeth and bear it.

That motto has helped me survive the slavery I suffered for some years, and the great khan game that I was made a pawn in back when we were in Mooshu a few weeks ago. I hoped to never have to rely on that motto again. But it seems my hopes and dreams and all my other sentimental bullshit are just made to die. Sucks.

Your shout pulls me from my thoughts. You go from laughing to panting quick and heavy. You’re scared. Queen is standing over Bishop’s corpse now, holding her bloodied. sword at the ready. Wait shit that’s your blood. That’s a Good Fucking Reason to be scared actually I’m not fucking judging you holy SHIT. I feel some of your blood drip onto my face. 

“Oh fuck oh god I only have 33 HP shit shit shit-” I hear you panic. What the fuck does that even mean? 33 HP? What does HP stand for? How do you have 33 of these things? Where are you getting that number from?! Are you saying random shit to try and calm down!? Come on, pull yourself together! “AND NO HIDES ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” you screech. What the fuck does THAT mean!? 

You run for your life. Queen runs after you. I hear Queen cry out in pain. You laugh in victory and relief. It’s the sweetest sound I’ve heard today.

You quiet down. You’re calming down. I hear you barely chuckle and say something. It vaguely sounds like “Found a hide”, but that doesn’t make any sense. In any case, are things suddenly under control? It’s just you versus Rooke and Kane. Can you 2v1 them? With your agility and magic and resilience, can you outlast them better than I?

I first hear, then see Rooke retreat into the same corner Deacon died in. I am so confused. He seems very confused too. Wait. You’re hidden and biding your time again, are you? Rooke wouldn’t know where you are, or where you’ll end up, so he’s just lying in wait it seems.

You rush to him, a cloaked blur. Your knives catch the light. You tear into Rooke’s inner workings. He shudders and collapses. Kane teleports to the square in front of me.

You smile. You attack him. He doesn’t go down. He kicks you in the chest. I hear a loud crack. Bone? Armor? Wait, you don’t wear heavy armor that can crack.

My eyes widen. He’s going to strike you with the same move he cut me down with!

He leaps with a twirl. You try to raise your knives against him.

I reach with my left arm. I grab his leg. I pull him down. “NOW, DIRK!” You don’t even need the command; I just want to shout.

You plunge your knives down at Kane. The blades land in his mask, crumpling the metal and nicking something important. He lets out a tortured scream and drops his sword. “No!” Kane shouts. His voice dwindles, breaking down. “Not like this…! I must… not…”

“Checkmate, you devil. Check. Mate,” someone else spits. I think it’s Bonnie Anne, but my head is still spinning from the adrenaline and blood loss, I really can’t tell.

Kane falls flat onto the floor, with only his left leg held up by me.

Our breaths are tense and ragged. You laugh heartily and swoop down to hug me. I let go of Kane’s leg. “We did it,” you gasp, a laugh bubbling in your throat. “G.G.”

You rush over to Gracie and Scratch. I pick up my sword and try to stand. It’s hard, with one hand still holding a wound shut. The rest of the crew come in and help the three of us stand. I lean against Ratbeard. Sarah lends a shoulder to Gracie. You pick up Scratch’s bones and reassemble him. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how he works, physically. I don’t have to, though. He’s as much a friend and crewmate as anybody else, and that’s all that matters, in the end.

As we all gather and help each other up, I hear the Machine begin to creak and groan. A bright purple bolt of electricity and magic strikes from the roof to Kane’s broken body. It pulls him up. I strain my eyes and neck to watch this next bit. The bolt pulls him almost to the ceiling. His mask falls off his face and onto the floor with a painful rattling loud thud. The bolt takes something from his head: the Golden Brain. The rest of his body falls, even louder than his mask, and the Brain disappears in the light. Or something. I stop looking. My neck hurts.

“What the devil’s going on here?” Bonnie asks, her voice low.

“Kane’s Golden Brain, something take it far away from here,” Old Scratch answers. His voice sounds a bit rougher and quieter than normal. He’s weak from the fight too. “I an’ I cannot see where it gone. Mighty mojo indeed…” He then tilts his head to the side, like he’s hearing something nobody else can. “Captain! The crystals!”

You look at the corners of the room. I look too. I see more of the magic crystals mounted on… devices or something in the corners. I didn’t notice them initially. You walk over to them, without a lick of hesitation… or curiosity. You don’t even have your arm outstretched.

The crystals light up as you approach. How were you so certain that just approaching them would make them react? A voice we haven’t heard in a long time echoes around the room. “Kin, hear me!” It’s your mother’s voice. Her voice is faint. I can’t hear her too clearly. She may have said something else.

“Hear us!” your father’s voice echoes.

“Bless my soul!” Milo exclaims. He brings his hand to his heart. “Your parents’ ghosts have come back!” He walks up to you and puts his arm around your shoulders. The rest of us approach too, though slower.

“El Dorado… let it go, my child,” your mother begs you. “Gold is nothing. The Spiral is everything. You have saved it.”

“We are so proud of you. Now, we shall know peace…” Your father’s voice fades.

“Oh Captain my Captain it be true,” Old Scratch vows. “The ghosts of your parents, they be home.”

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” Milo cries. He pulls you even closer. He wipes some tears from his eyes.. He knew your parents before they died too. Of course this is an emotional moment for him. I give him space. “I’m proud of you too.”

“They may be gone, but you’ll always have a family,” Sarah promises. She rests her tail on your shoulder. You bring your hand to her tail.

“Arr… it’s true,” Ratbeard says. His tail wraps around you and Sarah and Milo. “Cap’n, you’re the best… the best… the best…” I hear him sniffle. He’s crying too. All the sentimentality is starting to get to me.

“Aw, take heart, ye old rascal,” Bonnie Anne chuckles. She elbows Ratbeard lighty in the side. “Captain, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of Valencia. It’s time to go home. What say we tell Avery the good news?”

You sigh and let your shoulders hang. “Yeah, let’s get outta here.”

We slowly make our way out of the Machine. I notice Gazpaccio’s corpse on the way out. Are none of us going to take him with us?

You say nothing about it. And none of us are in the mood to carry dead bodies, so we do nothing about it. 

At least it makes the lift ride down a little less cramped, with one less person. I’m trying to hold onto the little things. I’m still reeling from the fight. We did that! I did that! The Armada fell! The war is won. Your destiny is won.

We stagger to the ship. Monkey King lends his staff to Gracie to brace herself against.

I look to you. Your gaze is distant. Your blood stains your shirt. “Just hold on, Dirk, we can wrap our wounds onboard,” I try to reassure you.

You nod. You grab onto the rope ladder hanging off the side of our ship. You climb up. The ladder sways with the wind.

You miss a step! I reach with my left arm. I try to grab you. Between the swaying and the panic, I miss. The rest of the crew try to help too. But we can’t reach. We can’t get on the ladder at the same time as you. It can’t hold the weight of two people. It would only break.

Your aim gets even shakier until your hands let go of the ladder. You-

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You fell.

Off of the docks and into the cloudy skies below.

I screamed. We all screamed. But there was nothing we could do.

[twistytwine]

Doodles of the Good AU Kane I talked about last night. I took his design from his early look in the Gazpaccio puppet show. Long story short, this AU has Kane built with a heart. He’s able to feel love, sympathy, empathy, etc. etc. He’s extremely loyal to Gazpaccio, his father/creator, and he’s got a heart of gold -- literally. 

He isn’t malicious in the slightest. He truly wants to do good. But his attachment to his father prevents him from wanting to protest against his greed; Gazpaccio at this point has risen above just the lust for money, but also power. He’s taken over kingdoms. Worlds. And he’s planning to take over the Spiral as well. 

All Kane wants to do is have a sweet moment with his father. Maybe take them fishing in the Skyway. Build toys together. Go adventuring. 

First image: Simple drawing. Second image: Your crew and you, after defeating Kane, enter another dimension and meet Good Kane. Third: My witchdoctor eating a Yum Yum fruit next to Kane. Kane attempts to figure out how to eat. Fourth, fifth, sixth: Self-explanatory.

[totallycorrect101quotes]

Kane: Oh, really? Is it an error to act unpredictably and behave in ways that run counter to how you were programmed to behave?

Gazpaccio: ...Yes.

[deathschool]

oh you have NO IDEA buddy

[wizard101]

I think if Kane wanted Phule to be perfect he would have made him taller than a 12 year old

He saw Napoleguin, og short king, winning and decided the Armada needed some of that.

[piecesofchess]

Part of my Able promotion development with his new hat + feathers. He gets a big hat because he’s a good boy. :)

Able takes in one of Gazpaccio’s personal clockwork birds as a pet sometime after his death. He keeps it to remember his father by, and it’s useful for delivering messages and the like.

[rainbows-fanfics]

All'inzio (Chapter 23)

Summary: A  soldier-in-training, Valerie hopes to join the Valencian Army to avenge  her father’s death under the wing of General Rooke. But when she happens  to catch the attention of Commander Kane, her plans take a different  turn.

Human AU of the Armada from Pirate101, where Kane meets his Queen.

Pairing: Kane/Queen

–

Note: The title translates to “at the beginning”.

–

“You’re doing wonderful. Not one more movement.” 

‘Queen’s brown eyes watched as Kane worked the strokes into the canvas, his gaze coming to her figure each time his hand left the surface. She was resting comfortably on a red blanket in one of her dresses, surrounded by an arrangement of her favorite flowers. She wore makeup for this occasion, carefully-applied lipstick as well as golden eye shadow. She had been posing for a couple hours now, with a few breaks he allowed in between.

She slightly bowed her head, feeling a cramp in her neck. She refused to complain. It was an honor to be the muse of his next artwork - she asked him if he could paint her. He made enough time for this in his schedule. She shouldn’t sound too impatient. Works of his must take careful time to accomplish.

“...How long will this take?” She asked. 

“It’s almost finished, I assure.” 

She adjusted herself a litte. He didn’t mind if she moved a couple inches - though it was integral she didn’t move her arm that held her mask. She exhaled slowly as she thought of conversation. Now that it was nearly finished, perhaps he was feeling comfortable enough to pick up their discussion from last time…

She attempted to bring the subject up casually. “Did your father have you paint many women in your time?” 

He noticed her tone. “Mostly the wives of rich men. They paid handsomely for my pieces.” 

“-Any as beautiful as me?” She grinned flirtatiously. He relaxed his shoulders. As she hoped. 

“None could simply compare to you, mio caro. You are my masterpiece.” 

His words made her heart flutter. But she couldn’t get distracted. She soon cleared her throat. “Did he inspire you to paint?” 

He kept quiet, much to her dismay. She waited a minute before trying again. “He was an artist as well, wasn’t he? I imagine you were raised with such talent.” 

He was still silent. He seemed to be focused more on the artwork than her. She didn’t let this discourage her. “Did he make any paintings? Or did he-” 

She was interrupted when he set down his brushes and palette roughly. He stopped everything altogether as he shifted himself on the stool. He rubbed a bare finger on his temple. He took off his gloves earlier and wasn’t wearing his usual uniform - he wore a black apron tied tightly around his form. Even she couldn’t help admiring the way it hugged his chest, despite the way he exhaled in frustration. He soon forced a chuckle, which made her heart swell nervously. 

“--I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But...please, stop asking.” He held his hands together. “I would rather not talk about him.” 

“Your father?” He nodded impatiently. “But, why? You spoke with my mother...I want to get to know your family just as well.” 

“You’ve already met who you needed to.” He replied firmly. “I promise there’s no good reason to meet him.” 

She thought more about it. He sensed what was going to happen and busied himself again, collecting more paint and adding the finishing touches. He knew her determination for answers at times. She tested that early on when they first met - demanding such when he questioned her. Regardless, she wanted to make it clear their conversation wasn’t over just yet. 

“Did you two have a fight?” 

He tapped his finger on the wooden handle once or twice. Through clenched teeth, he answered. “Something like that.” 

She pried no more; that was the best she was going to get out of him. He finished his work in silence and barely looked at her. She realized she owed him an apology. She’d been pestering him with questions about his father for a week now - hoping to get information out of him in some way. She did it sparingly not to raise any concern, until now. And even then, she didn’t learn anything new. She soon sighed in regret. 

“I'm sorry, Kane...if you wish not to talk about him, then I’ll respect that.” 

“Thank you. I apologize if I seemed harsh.” He sat back in his seat and admired his work. “I believe it’s finished.” 

He motioned for her to finally stand. She obliged thankfully, stretching her arms and legs while cracking her back. She strolled over to observe what she'd been waiting for in these hours...and her jaw fell open. 

It was more gorgeous than she could have ever imagined. He captured her image so well, even if half of it was obscured by a mask. She was lying peacefully on the blanket with her hand delicately laid over the petals of the flowers. He got the colors and folds of her dress just right, even adding highlights that complimented everything in the picture.

She almost believed she didn't look this good in person.

"My god.." She said in astonishment. "It's wonderful!" 

"I think it's my best work to date."

"Why do you say that?"

'It's you." He replied as if it was obvious. "You are the perfect muse...even nature can't match the beauty."

Her cheeks heated at his words. "Really?"

"Truly." He stood and untied the apron. "Give it the rest of the day to dry, and it is yours to do with as you please." 

She wasted no time embracing him, clutching his form tightly. "I can't thank you enough for this…"

"Easy." He held her back. "We should play a game of chess tonight."

"Of course."

Their lips interlocked for a minute or two until they pulled away. He cupped her chin to position her gaze to his. They stared into each other’s eyes before he left. 'Queen' was left gawking at the portrait in his absence, feeling mesmerized and delighted. She must've observed it for several minutes before she snapped back to reality.

So Kane wasn't upset with her...but he didn't give any answers. She should respect his words and drop the subject entirely...but she couldn't shake the question at hand. What could have transpired between Kane and Gazpaccio to make things the way they were? He was tense every time she brought him up and refused to answer anything.

She rubbed her chin in thought. She might know a way without having to ask him again.

-----

Kane excused himself from monitoring Bishop and Queen that day. He tended to be busy nowadays - constantly working for several hours in secluded rooms and workshops. She wasn’t allowed to follow him at times. But it didn’t bother her. She expected him to leave right away, clenching her gloves as she watched him go through the door. She waited several minutes to make sure he disappeared down the hallway. She couldn’t afford for him to overhear her next conversation.

After a few seconds, she turned her head to the other figure in the room. "Bishop? Are you busy?"

A startled noise came as a tall figure hit his head on a shelf. 'Queen' stood and bit her lip in guilt. He glared in her direction before looking back to the table, where he was mixing some solutions he'd been messing with for several minutes now. He always resorted to his work after their lessons ended. A gesture intended to let her know she had to leave.

"As busy as I usually am." He replied patiently. She made sure the door was firmly shut.

"I promise I won't bother. I just have a few more questions for you."

She approached him with a hand behind her back, the other carefully holding her mask. She leaned forward to observe until he motioned her away. He was doing something with chemicals and the space was necessary. She must make this brief and not waste any more of his time.

"Do you...ah…" She started, unsure how to ask him exactly. "Would you happen to know anything about Kane's father?"

He looked up after experimentally dripping some substance in a tube. He waited in anticipation for a reaction. Nothing happened. He sighed and wrote something down. 'Queen' was about to repeat herself until he answered her question.

"I don't know anything about my grandfather."

"What? How is that possible?"

"I am the youngest child, so to speak." He turned to address her. "Therefore, I never met him. Deacon and Rooke might know more. Phule especially would."

"So, they know him?"

"Likely. I was born in our new home where our grandfather did not live. But the rest of my kinsmen were."

She held a thoughtful finger to her mask. "Are you telling the truth?"

She had to ask. He had a habit of being dishonest with her. She assumed it was because she was nosy and there was plenty the tinkerer insisted on concealing from her, for the sake of ‘confidentiality’ . He sounded annoyed that she brought this up with this particular subject. It eased her suspicions.

"Of course I am."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to know."

He shooed her away with his hand. She wasn't even offended by the gesture. She left the room as soon as she could, determined to make her next move in learning about Gazpaccio. She’ll have to pay a visit with Kane’s other sons, in hope to gain any more information about this.

----

The War Marshal was currently on the Valencian docks outside, helping with loading his ship. It was an extremely heavy warship that exceeded the size of most Armada vessels. There were various amounts of cargo, ammunition, and gunpowder it carried. They were handled by large Armada soldiers and dragoons. It would take time for everything to be loaded on so he could depart tomorrow. He was currently overseeing his men handling the crates and boxes, carrying anything that they couldn't. He made sure nothing was missing from the list held in his brother’s hands. 

Deacon watched intently from beside him. They were almost done. "How long will you be gone for?" 

"I have a lot to do. All this time away has been… distracting ." The larger man confessed. "You'll oversee the training for me, right?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. I'm confident I'll do a good job."

"Great." He noticed a figure approaching and lifted his masked head. "Speaking of..."

They watched as a woman approached the docks. She was not at all dressed for the occasion, having to hold the ends of her gown up and be mindful of the rocks and dirt outside. She was careful of her footing on the floorboards and greeted the soldiers moving around her. She excused herself until she reached the two Elites - who looked confused as to why she was there. Regardless, she was welcomed as they customarily tipped their hats. 

"'Queen.'" The spymaster greeted. "What a surprise to see you here." 

She observed the massive warship sitting several yards away. "What are you two doing?"

"Rooke is preparing to deliver shipments to our bases." The man replied easily. "He sets sail tomorrow."

"You mean... that's your ship?"

She pointed timidly at the huge structure. It was gigantic in size, its build making the dock look puny. It was equipped with large cannons and sharp figureheads that could easily pierce any galleon. It matched the colors of his own armor - a dark red and black, covered in equally dark grays. Her eyes got swept up in all the movement, watching large boxes being transported on. She couldn’t imagine sailing something that big. She would’ve ended up on one of these, if she had gone through her training for the navy...

"'Certainly is." The General confirmed proudly. "I always have to be prepared, lest we run into pirates or some other rogues on the sea." 

"...I see." She tore her gaze away. As much as she’d love to ask more, she had to stay focused. "Do you two have time to spare, at the moment? I have something I'd like to ask of you both."

They exchanged glances. Deacon read through the list and muttered something about being good on supplies and time. She brought them to the side, away from the nearby ears of soldiers and dragoons. As soon as they were out of earshot, she asked the question she’d had little answers to thus far: 

“Do you guys know anything about Gazpaccio?”

Rooke rubbed his chin at the question. “You mean-”

“-- Not a good subject.” Deacon butted in, staring at her intensely. “You mustn't ask about it.” 

“Why not?” 

“Kane doesn’t like to talk about it. And he wouldn’t appreciate us doing it, either.” He passed a glance at Rooke, who audibly shut his jaw. “You should drop it for now.” 

“Can you at least tell me why it is this way? I don’t have to know anything about him ...just, why does Kane's father seem to be a bad subject?” 

“Is it really forbidden?” The general turned to his brother. “We imprisoned him so long ago…don’t you think-” 

Her jaw fell open. “Imprison !?” 

The spymaster passed an irritated glance to his twin, who looked away in shame. “-Yes, he is currently locked away. Which should tell you why we can’t talk about it.” 

“I didn’t know Kane still cared. I mean, if it’s still bothering him after all this time...” The large man muttered.

 “Why would you put him behind bars? What did he do?” She asked frantically. “I didn't think it was anything this bad--” 

He held a gloved hand to stop her rambling. “You better not get any more curious, because we’re not going to tell you.”

“Alright, then.” She’d have to play some cards to get any meaningful answers. “Deacon, you can keep a secret, right? You don’t have to tell Kane EVERYTHING?” 

“It's my job. I’ll have to tell him you even asked.” 

“Consider... not doing that, then?” She chewed on her lip, thinking on the spot. “And helping me instead?” 

“Suppose I do you the favor. What would I get out of this?” He leaned forward on his cane in interest.

“I would be in debt to you.” 

He thought of how useful ‘Queen’ was to him. He came up with a few interesting prospects, but none worthy enough to spill something like this. The pleading look in her eyes begged him to consider otherwise. He’d never heard of anyone being this curious about Kane’s past. Even the women who gossiped and wished to court him did not care about the Supreme Commander’s missing story. They admired who he was now, a strong and powerful commander who everyone respected and feared. No one cared to learn anything more about him. And despite all this time...Valerie was still here.

He leaned back and cleared his throat, tapping his cane firmly on the ground. 

“He was arrested for crimes he’d committed. The toy-making businesses weren’t without shady practices. He’d been in stiff competition and did unlawful things to make some money, while knowing it was illegal. Kane deemed it necessary to turn him in for these actions, and we did exactly that.” 

“How could you bring yourself to put your own grandfather behind bars? Wasn’t that hard?” She asked weakly. 

“Not exactly.” Rooke shrugged. “Gazpaccio took care of us when we were little, but we were only children when we moved on. By the time we arrested him, we’d already been separated for years.” 

“--And that’s all we’re telling you.” The spymaster finished. 

‘Queen’ hid the troubled look on her face with her mask. So, Kane’s father was in prison? By his own request? How could his children lock away their own family so carelessly like that? Were they this disconnected with their own grandfather? She sensed something more about this situation, but decided not to press any further. She’s fortunate he promised not to blab about this as it is. 

“Thank you. I think that answers my questions.” 

“I won’t tell Kane, but I advise you not to dig any further. I can tell you he would be upset if you did.” 

She wondered when he’d ever been angry with her. It must’ve been when she was a cadet, and demanded to know about the test he was running...it was the only time she ever heard him infuriated, beyond the instance she had her nose broken. Would he ever get that upset again? She couldn't picture it, after knowing him as an honorable man after all this time. She hummed in thought and bid goodbye, her mind swarming with this new information. 

Knowing Gazpaccio was arrested only made her more curious. What illegal actions warranted such a thing? How could toy-making somehow be an illicit business? She felt agitated that Deacon wasn’t willing to tell her more. Maybe if she caught Rooke on his own, she would’ve learned what she wanted...she huffed as she approached Kane’s mansion and threw open the doors. She stormed up the stairs and plopped down on the floor in frustration.

She held her head in her hands. Why was this bothering her so much? Was it that he was keeping this from her? Sure, she wasn’t owed any of it, but it felt unfair. If only this family of his wasn’t so peculiar...she wished she could just meet Gazpaccio and learn everything about him, so she could get to know Kane a little better. That's all she wanted from the start. He's been relatively quiet about his past, the entire time she'd known him.

‘I know he’s hiding things,’ She thought to herself. ‘I wish I knew more about him...and his family…’ 

As she groaned loudly, a sudden voice caught her by surprise. 

“Are you alright?” 

She snapped her head upwards, only to find a colorful man looking down at her. She grabbed her mask to conceal the frustrated look on her face. The last person she expected was Phule, but at least that made sense. He was always around when it was most unwanted. She sighed and weakly motioned her hand in the air. 

“I'm fine...just feeling a little annoyed…”

“I’ll say.” He replied in a deep tone. “You’re sitting in front of my door.” 

She realized set herself down in front of his room. She stood to her feet and muttered an apology, wiping the dirt off from her dress. He moved past her to open the door. As she stared at his back, a realization suddenly struck. Phule is... also an Elite! One of Kane’s sons! He was the oldest, wasn’t he? And Bishop said something about him knowing Gazpaccio the best..!

Before he could close the door, she moved her hand on it to stop him. This took more strength than she expected it to. He jumped at the noise and looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Phule ! Wait a moment.” She moved herself into the doorway. He gave her an impatient scowl. “Would you - uh - mind telling me about Gazpaccio..?” 

“My grandfather?” He replied in confusion. “What on Earth for?” 

“Well, no one seems to want - or can - tell me…And I was wondering if you could ?” 

He crossed his arms and leaned on the wall. “Now, why would I do that? Kane gets furious about this sort of thing.” 

“I know he'd be upset, but he doesn’t have to know! I just want to learn a little more about his family. It's harmless, isn’t it?”

Something changed in the jester’s expression as it dawned on him. Things have been boring as of late, and Kane getting outraged is the exact type of amusement he’d been begging for. It would even be from his own girlfriend..! That sounded like a show he’d enjoy. He relished the drama in his family, especially the conflict between relatives and even the annoyance of his own brothers...he grinned wickedly at this picture. Oh, how fun it would be for Kane to find a reason to finally kick this girl onto the streets…!

It was almost too tempting with the way she held her hands together and begged. 

“You're my last hope. All I ask to know is what he was like. What happened between him and Kane...Hell, Deacon said he was imprisoned, but I don’t have a clue as to where! If I could just visit him-” 

“You’d like to see him?” His heart raced in exhilaration. This sounded exciting! She nodded sadly.

“I do. You can’t do that, can you? I imagine only Deacon knows-”

“Oh, I know where he is. And I can take you there.” He leaned on the doorway coyly, twisting his marotte in his hand. “But you have to promise you won’t tell a soul.” 

She appeared hesitant. “Is it forbidden to see Gazpaccio?” 

“Visitors are highly frowned upon. Especially by my father. But, I know a way we can get there without anyone knowing..! You just have to trust me.” 

She frowned, mulling this idea over. He grew impatient with her reluctance to agree. “I guess we can do that...if you take me to him, then I don’t have to ask anymore questions…” 

“All the more reason to do it.” He looked around to ensure they were alone before ushering her in his room. “Come..!” 

She was surprised to be invited into his room and followed his hand. He slammed the door shut behind her. His decor was as she expected - there were lots of playing cards, instruments, and colorful things laying around. His bed was messy and the floor was littered with crumbled paper and items. She stepped over them to sit in one of the chairs in front of a lone table. It had an unfinished game of solitaire currently sitting on it.

He followed after and sat across the table, giving a smile she found hard to recognize. Something about this felt... wrong . Especially with how Deacon told her to drop it. But she couldn’t shake the opportunity to meet Gazpaccio. She figured she could learn more about Kane’s eldest son while she was at it. She'd been looking for an excuse to spend more time with him. He leaned forward and animated himself theatrically with his hands.

“My grandfather is imprisoned in a lone tower on an island lived in exclusively by the Tortellini family. Now…the Tortellinis are big fans of gambling. They’re famous for it, actually! On a certain day of each month, they gather everyone in the family to partake in a card game...and it leaves the island mostly uninhabited.” 

She was interested in his words. 

“Since there will be no guards around Gazpaccio’s tower, we can easily slip in-and-out, given how long their game takes. And they’re a big family. So you should have plenty of time to get to know my grandfather, and ask him all your silly little questions. Do you follow what I'm saying?” 

“Yes, we sneak in while they’re playing their game, I meet Gazpaccio, and then we leave.” She repeated. 

“Smart girl! It’s a simple plan, but easy to mess up if you don’t know what you’re doing.” His voice deepened again as he looked at her seriously. “You follow me, you listen to me, and you do as I say. Got it? Otherwise the both of us will get in trouble. And you don’t want that. Believe me.” 

“I understand.” 

“Their game happens to be next Tuesday. I want you to meet with me at the docks, by yourself, early that morning. I won’t wait if you’re late, so you better be quick.” 

She clenched her hands. “Next Tuesday morning, by the docks...Got it.” 

“ Bene, bene. And don’t waste my time. It’s going to take a lot of work to get you there.” He cleared the cards from his game. “Make sure every second is worth it.” 

“Phule, may I ask why you're doing all of this for me? We haven’t talked much beyond your work. I appreciate what you’re doing. I just wonder why you’d do all of this for me.” 

He smiled. It wasn’t genuine. It was in amusement at how naive ‘Queen’ truly was. Even though Kane taught her all about deceiving people, she had a hard time recognizing it from others. Then again, he'd been doing this longer than her. He wanted everything to go wrong. He hoped for it, actually. All he had to do was watch his own back and make sure he didn’t get roped in with her trouble. He wanted to watch the fire that was inevitably going to burn from this. And she had no clue what was bound to happen, despite all the warnings sent her way.

“Because I care about you,” He spoke dramatically. “I want you to know more about my father. And I know how quiet he can be about himself. That’s why you want to do this, isn’t it? So you can learn what Kane was like back then?” 

“Yes, exactly…” 

“-And I want to help you.” He forced himself not to laugh. She’ll hate learning everything Kane’s done and change her opinion of him completely! He wouldn’t be surprised if they broke up after this entire thing. "I want to keep him happy, just as you do."

She looked at him meaningfully. "Thank you..." 

He chuckled darkly.

[gold-ichor]

“Sometimes,” Gazpaccio started, swishing his wine glass around, “I feel bad for how I treat children. Especially babies. But then I think to myself... babies are stupid.” He took a long sip.

“I mean, they can’t walk.”

[caroline-nighthunter]

On these joyful summer days May no sorrow befoul our spirits For the sun shines bright And our cups are filled with wine And with your hand in mine we wander through the golden fields Alas heaven just might be this

[starsandthorn]

every day i think about the pirate101 plot that should have been but was cut short w valencia ii and i am filled with sorrow and rage