Being far from home isn't all fun and games. Adding to the list is that no matter where you are, it's always unknown and sometimes terrifying. First, it goes swell until suddenly you're in an unrecognizable cliffside area, tied and hanging high above a pit of vicious crocodiles.
Varian is completely infiltrated.
Next to him, the Captain of the Blue Phoenix is unconscious and tied like himself. It had gone into the next day, seeming noon time and Varian had been up since sunrise. He had tried kicking the female awake, but got no response.
Whoever kidnapped, him and the Captain, hadn't shown themselves yet.
If only Rudiger was with him.
You groan painfully and keep your eyes shut from the blazing sun above. “Shit…..where's my hat?” You grumble.
Varian slightly sneers with a huff, “We're dangling above giant, hungry reptilians and your asking about your HAT?!”
“Have you seen my hat or not?”
The teen alchemist gives you a blank look, “No.”
“Damn it. That was my 46th hat.”
Varian blinks, “How many hats do you have?”
Your legs swing slightly as you try to reach your hands toward your boots. “Save the silly question for later, Raccoon Boy. We're kinda in a perilous situation right now. RRR!” You growl in frustration.
“I would stop moving if I were you, Miss Roguelin!” A young man's voice calls down from above.
There, kneeling at the very edge of the cliffside and running their tongue over their smirking lips was a young adult man. The dark purple trench coat lined with gold seams along with the same style on the Captain's hat. His neck and fingers glimmering with gold and gems.
“CAPTAIN Roguelin Rouge, ya Ass-Fart!” You didn't bother looking at the fancy pants idiot.
A dark blush appears on his tan colored skin, especially when his men laugh quietly behind him and he glares harshly, “I am losing my patience with you and after embarrassing me again and again, I will privale!”
“Enough of this Peter Pan and Captain Hook fiasco, Cockcrow. You blew a hole in my ship and tried to take it over! So let's make this simple. You walk away with a tail between your legs and stop demanding me for my ship!”
Before you can say more, the rope that dangled you two had dropped dramatically.
“GAAAH!” You and Varian yell, but groan painfully when the rope jerks to a stop.
“Quit playing with me, Roguelin! Give me your ship or I'll let you and your love become main course!” Captain Cockcrow sneers.
“Quick question!” You call.
“What?!”
“Do you happen to know where my hat went? Ow!”
Varian had kicked your side when you asked an IMPORTANT question. Honestly, he had no idea how you can be so insensitive, yet kind hearted.
“NO!” Cockcrow shouted in a crabby mood and waves for his boys to leave, “I am going to have lunch and when I get back, I am dropping you children and taking your screams as a yes to take your ship.” He dramatically turns in a way where his coat flaps loudly.
When the other pirate crew leaves, Varian's heart nearly jumps out of his chest at your sudden action. Your legs are wrapped around his waist with your back to him. “Wh-what are you doing?!”
“Getting us out of here, duh. Now get the dagger in my right boot, cut your ropes, then mine.” You bend your leg so the calf high boots touch Varian's hand. “Don't worry, I think I can hold you with my legs.”
Varian glares while getting the dagger and sets it in position to the coil of ropes near his forearm, “You THINK?”
“Just do it, Raccoon Boy!”
Not much was said after that and Varian began cutting his ropes. He tenses when he feels his body start to fall backward, but you swung your legs so he could cling to your waist.
“What's that guy's deal?” Varian asked while cutting your ropes.
“Captain Cockcrow tried to raid my ship and take it for his own sinful hands.” Your hand grabs the end the rope and your other arm wraps tightly around Varian. “From then on, he's started trying his best to steal the Blue Phoenix.”
The both of you start climbing up until your feet touch solid land.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah.” A tip of a sword is pushed on the surface of your nose. More appear and surround you two, slightly backing you up toward the edge.
Captain Cockcrow takes a bite from a roasted turkey leg and smirks, “Did you think it was that easy?”
“No. It IS easy.” You push the tip away with your finger and smile brightly, “So did you bring us lunch too?”
As you and the purple clad captain bickered, Varian couldn't help to stare at the man's eyes. The color was a little abnormal as it gleamed in the sunlight light like….like the amber. A shiver ran down his spine and he shut his eyes, trying not to think about. Without realizing it, Varian hides behind you like a small child who is scared.
It didn't help much once the panic attack grabbed ahold of the young alchemist and he tried his best to shake himself out of it.
Suddenly a rough hand pulled at Varian's sleeve.
Blazing amber colored irises meet petrified blue ones.
The gleam from the adult man's eyes brought flashbacks to that day. That day Varian tried to block out and just hide from even when he slept, it always haunted him. The young alchemist starts to hyperventilate and claws at Captain Cockcrow’s sleeve.
“VARIAN WATCH OUT!”
“DAD!”
Cockcrow cackles, “Look at this, Men! Is this child really frightened of me?!” He let's go of Varian.
Varian stumbles backwards so far that his foot goes over the edge of the cliffside. He feels the air catch in his throat when his body falls.
“VARIAN!” You take action and jump down, barely snatching his ankle. “You bloody idiot! Hang on!” You try to pull him up with your fingers on your other hand keeping you two up.
“Way ahead of you!” Varian called out in a shaky voice and he tries to calm himself down.
Suddenly there's pain shooting through your fingers. “AUGH!” You paint heavily trying to keep your hold on the cliffside. You growl up at Captain Cockcrow who was smirking at you and his boot crushing your fingers.
“Anything you need to say?” Cockcrow said smugly.
You breath very hard through your nose then look at him straight in the eye. “Yeah.” You grin mischievously, “You're still an Ass-Fart.”
Varian's expression turns to shock. Why did you have to say that? “Really?!” He still felt shook up and closed his eyes when realizing it was his fault the both of you were in this situation in the first place. Varian began to think: Why did he always have to mess things up?
The G/Jeffery Twins roll out of the bushes and start knocking out pirate men with sleeping darts.
“DISTRACTION!!!!”
“You're not supposed to yell that it's a distraction, ya Dingus!”
“Shut up, J!”
“No, you shut up, G!”
You roll your eyes, “About time.”
Captain Cockcrow stomps on your fingers again and it starts to feel numb. “You and your DUMB luck, Rouge. You'll run out eventually.” He kicks your fingers off the edge.
You and Varian scream while plummeting down toward the crocodiles.
“CAPTAIN!!!!” A high and cheerful squeal rings out as Bunny is diving down after you two. A rope is tightly secure around her and…..
“Rudiger?!” Varian says surprised.
Rudiger chitters with a grin and waves from the small girl's shoulders. Their hands are held out to reach for them, but the two teen individuals were still too far.
The female Captain again took the first move and always let the other get saved first before her. Her hands gripped Varian's arm and with all her strength she threw him up toward the small awaiting hands.
Bunny hung onto Varian's waist like a claw while Rudiger did his best and held his companion's shirt.
“No. No, NO!”
Why?
The Captain dove right into the water with a fearless expression.
Why did she loathe him, but always put him first for safety?
Why did he always make mistakes? Everytime he did anything, it would turn out bad and she…..YOU seemed to head straight at everything and anything so carelessly, but also fearlessly.
G and J pull them up then frown once they don't see the Captain. “Well….seems like we’ll have until dawn then leave with everyone. Let's head back.”
“What?”
The three crew members stop to stare at Varian.
Varian shakily stands up, “How could you say that so casually? She drove right into Crocodile infested water!”
Geffery raises a brow, “She's faced worse things besides why do you care? You didn't even want to be here in the first place.”
His brother Jeffrey shoves him to signal him to shut up.
Varian felt a sting in his eyes though his face scrunches while looking down. “I don't care…..and it was an accident that I'm here.” His voice grows soft at the end.
Rudiger looks at Varian concerned and immediately crawls up to curl around the boy's shoulders.
There some things that even science couldn't explain and a lot of problems Varian couldn't solve, including one problem.
Himself.
Varian felt Confused. Weak. Scared. That was now.
But what had he done before it all went down hill? What made him so determined and take risks without fear?
This was even before he meet the Princess.
Varian's hands went to his head and he mentally screamed out. Just like when he felt defeated by Rapunzel and left broken. His thoughts. They were a chaotic mess.
The Blue Phoenix still was far but closer than earlier. Luckily, Bunny knew which way to go back.
A sniffle comes from Varian.
“Aw…..are you crying because of me?”
Varian freezes and the Captain flashes a toothy grin at him while standing there completely soaked. His teeth clenched and his blue eyes narrow. “You reckless, irrational, stupid piece of---” Varian's voice rose at very word and he catches himself in saying a bad word. “--YOU BIRD-BRAIN!!!” He was shouting close to your face and breathes heavily from all the sudden anger.
You were grinning and had held your hands up in defense. “That's good right?”
Varian's eye twitches, “No.” He stomps off onto the ship with Rudiger.
“He really cares for you.” J and G say out of the blue.
“Obviously.” You smile proudly, “Because I'm the Captain, duh. NOW LET'S GET A MOVE ON!!! SET THE SAILS!”
As you walk off, the twins pout and facepalm, “That's not what we meant.”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Number 47.”
The Pirate Captain hat is placed upon your head.
><-------------><------------><
Captain Cockcrow stares at the ship with a blue Phoenix on its sail while the ship drifts off across the land. A gold ring taps against an empty glass flask.
“Capin’. When are we gunna steal the ship?” One of his crew men asked.
“After they all have a LITTLE nap, they'll be off course and hopefully the ship will survive. We'll get a new crew if they all drown.” Cockcrow smirks. “No ship can make it through The Isle of Sirenum.”