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 Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:30 pm
Guardians of what, now? Facing a gator teen on a daily basis was something Jake was used to. Big, sharp, shiny teeth, breath that smelled like fish and bananas, and eyes that seemed to stare into your very soul. Not a big deal. At all. So it was no wonder that the teen black boy was staring down one of the larger, more dangerous in strength lost brats without a flinch. "This," he said coldly, as he had said several times before to the hippo girl, "is our fishing spot for the day. Go find your own." "As I said before: I was here first," Chloe replied, glaring right back at him. She was a big girl, always had been and when people started to try and push her around, she pushed back. Or made them a pie. Course, making a pie in the jungle took skill and she never told what the crust was made of. And today was fishing day. "Now, why don't ya just go find another spot ta fish," she told him causally, and went back to her net. This idea she stole from watching them once. "Because we like this one just fine," he said. "This is where the oldest fish are, and you know it as well as I do!" Being cooks didn't help this little tiff, in fact, it made it a bit more irritating. Each knew that the other was in charge of the cooking for their groups, and it made it a bit of a rivalry. Who got the better supplies, sortta thing. "Yeah, I know it, and I got here first! That means I get ta fish here!" she said again, getting more irritated. He was so stubborn! It didn't help that he was a pirate and their cook. "Y'might not have noticed," Jake drawled. "But we're pirates. We take what we want. And we want this fishing spot!" "You done flirting yet?" Tock called from where he was floating on his back in the water, his hands behind his head. For all the world he looked as if he had been there all morning. "Because the kids aren't going to get less hungry with you just playing with your girlfriend." "She is NOT my girlfriend!" Jake bellowed at his brother. She gave Tock more of a glare. How dare he just swim around where she was going to fish! That jerk! Then she turned that fiercer glare on Jake. "Who ever would want to be your girlfriend, I dunno. Now, both of ya get out! I got here first, that means I get ta fish here first today!" She had kids of her own to fish for, after all. Then she turned away from them, and dove into the water to do her own fishing. Like Tock, she could swim well, and hold her breath longer than the other kids. "She liiiikes youuu," Tock called. He was in a remarkably good mood, probably because Jake was having such a hard time. "Wonder what the kids would be--" Jake growled. "Shut it, Cap'n!" He was such an easygoing guy, usually, but something about Chloe got under his skin. "I'm getting the net." While the boys were talking, Chloe was busy setting up her net. Since she fished alone, she had changed the shape of her net, using some thin, flexible stems. The 'mouth' of the net was large and round, there were smaller ropes to anchor it on to rocks. The real trick was herding the fish into the net. Then she had to take off with the fish before the boys decided to take them from her. They were pirates, after all and they would take what they wanted. Jake hooked loops over rocks on the side of the river and dove in, swimming out with the other side of the net and holding it open. Then Tock, moving like a fish, himself, dove under the water upstream and started herding the fish to the net. They had done this for so long that Jake didn't even pay attention. He was watching Chloe with a dark look. "With all those lazy brats back at the hut, don't you think you should make them fish for themselves?" "I decided we're gonna have fish, so we're gonna have fish," she told him as she worked with her own fishing. Tock and Jake had been doing this for so long, they were really good at it. Frankly, she was jealous of that fact. But it would take time for her to really develop this skill. Having someone to help would have been lovely, though. "And they got other chores to do." They weren't all that lazy, actually. Jake just refused to believe it. He snorted. "Sure they don't." And almost had the net dragged out of his hands by the incoming fish. He grunted, tightening his hold. He didn't really have anything he wanted to actually talk to her about, so he started ignoring her, concentrating on the fishing. "That should be enough," Tock said as he surfaced. "Let's go." Chloe laughed at Jake, seeing him almost dragged into the water with the fish intake. Yep, she was jealous at the big amount they could get. She couldn't get that much, but she wasn't going to complain about her catch. It was a decent amount (and would have been more if they hadn't shown up). The rest of the meal would have to be made up of the other things found in the jungle. She started to ignore the boys as well, gathering up her net and thinking of what else she should get for dinner. "Ah, man, it's alright, Jake," Tock said as they hauled the fish onto the shore. "She'd probably like you better if... wait... no, I'm comin' up with nothin." "I said shut it, Tock." Tock ignored him. "You know, we're always up for new pirates," he called over to Chloe. "You look like you'd be tough in a fight!" "Yeah, she'd sit on them," Jake muttered. Chloe put a hand on one very generous hip, the fish net full of fish draped over her shoulder and her clothes soaking wet, and glared darkly at Jake. "Na thanks, Tock. I happen ta like takin care of the kids and helpin out there," she was talking to the gator-man though her glare lingered on Jake. Jake grinned at her, evilly, flashing surprisingly white teeth. "That's good," he said. "Because no matter what Tock says, we already have a cook." Then he turned and started to walk away. "Why Jake, I never knew you were afraid of being replaced," she drawled wickedly. "No wonder you're so damn mean. But I guess without you around, the other pirate brats wouldn't eat as well." Yes, she was the cook for the other kids, but she didn't get all the food. Sometimes the others would bring her eatable things to cook with and she would. She was getting better and better at cooking for many. She wasn't about to abandon them, either. "You couldn't replace me, even if you tried," Jake said coldly, blowing her off. "He means you should go swimming with him next weekend," Tock said. "I do NOT!" Jake said. "Ha! Like I would," she replied. Tock was enjoying this, she knew. But the he probably didn't get many chances to tease Jake like this. And Jake didn't like it. She found that funny. "I got much better things to do." "You realize, though," Tock said. "The next time we run into each other, we're going to be enemies!" "I know," she answered simply, then turned her back on them and started towards the Treehut. Course, she had been thinking that they were already enemies, but let them think what they wanted. It made things easier for her at the moment.
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:52 am
"You have to quit doing s**t like that, Cap'n," Jake snapped as he and his brother headed back to the ship. "If you treat her nicely word will get out and they'll be trying to join--"
"It won't," Tock said, yawning largely. Every tooth in his mouth showed in stark relief. "You wanna know something?"
"What?"
"Of all the kids over on the hut side, she's the last one I'd want to deal with in a fight. Easiest way to get out of that is to ignore her. Or at least keep from pissing her off."
"Coward."
"Smart," Tock said. "Man, ever since growing I've been so damn cold all the time. Sluggish, even. I just want to take a nap now." He yawned again, his eyes sliding half closed. Inwardly his mind was rushing. He was... what was the word? Irritated? No... jealous? No... He'd have to think about that one for a bit.
"Stop thinking it," Jake said.
"Thinking what?"
"That there's something like a crush or somethin' between me and the hippo girl."
"Ain't there?"
"No way," Jake said. "You know I don't like females."
"Oh, really?" Tock asked. "So... you have a thing for boys, then?"
"What?"
"I did notice the way you kept staring at my chest."
"You dirty minded b*****d! That's SICK!" Jake said, grabbing onto Tock to try and pull him into a headlock, even as the bigger boy started laughing. "I do not stare at your scaly hide!"
"Then how'd you know it was scaly?" Tock asked as they started to wrestle. Soon they were beating the hell out of each other, rolling on the ground. The hippo girl had been completely forgotten.
"Oye," Tock said, having pinned the other boy with his arm behind his back.
"What?"
"Next week."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Just reminding you."
"You really think I can forget something like that?" Jake asked irritably. "Now gittoff."
"Alright," Tock said, letting go and stepping away.
"I'm ready for it, anyway," Jake said as he stood, wiping the dirt off of himself. "Even got the rope."
"Good."
And that was all that was said about that.
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:56 am
Compilation thanks to TB^^So You Wanna... "Okay, boys," Chloe said, leading two of the hut kids through the woods. It wasn't far from the hut itself, but enough that she could go looking here for some berries and things. "Here looks like a good place for you to get some fire wood. There are plenty of fallen sticks and things, so go for it." It wasn't like Chloe thought they would get a lot of wood. Both of the boys in her charge were some of the smaller ones. But she did need help in getting things, and kindling would be good to start fires. Kaeden wasn't too happy about this arrangement, however. He had plans for the day! Well, he didn't know he had plans until Chloe started to drag him off to help her. "How much we get?" he asked, anyway. "Ya'know," Austin said, swaying slightly as he looked back at the hut. "I dun tink I'm allowed ta do this," he told her. "I gots a condition." "Uh huh!" Kaeden said, immediately jumping on that excuse. "'N he can't go around alone!" Chloe rolled her eyes. "Then how come I didn't hear of this 'condition', hmmm?" she asked them. Austin's walk was something she figured he pretended to do. "But it's not like I'm asking you to chop down a tree. I just want you to get as many sticks and things as you can carry, while I get some berries." Austin sighed. "But--" He leaned forward, looking a bit conspiring, or at least as conspiring as a four year old could. "Why don't you let us get da berries?" he asked. "We'll gets lots!" "Because you might get the bad berries," she told him smoothly. Well you c'n tell us!" he said. "An' we'll pick'em!" He started for the berry bush, swaggering as he went, as if he expected her to follow. "And you'd eat them all," she told him, and plucked Austin up by the back of his shirt. Kaeden got the same treatment. "Hey! I didn't do nothin! Lemme down!" the other boy protested this action greatly. "You boys have your orders. Go get fire wood, and it best be enough, or we're not leaving these woods till it is. A wolf wouldn't mess with me, but you two are bit sized!" Chloe told the two, setting them down in the direction of the forest. "Now, don't go far, either." She promptly shooed them off and went to her berry picking. Kaeden stuck his tongue out at her big back. "Okay, okay," he said. "I'm pickin' da wood up!" he called to her, moving a bit further away. "Pickin' wood... pickin' wood..." He picked up two sticks and hit them against each other. "Pickin' wood!!" he called again. And he moved farther away. Kaeden followed his example, but much more quiet about it. If he was quiet, then he wouldn't be noticed. If he wasn't noticed, he could get away with things. Like picking up just a little wood and hitting them together, as if he was picking up wood, too. Chloe, mistakenly, ignored these actions, starting to get berries that were needed for eating. "Pickin' wood," he said again, then moved over to Kaeden, whispering. "Let's go now!" Kaeden grinned impishly and nodded in agreement. Anywhere was better than doing -work- after all! "Let's go," he whispered as well. Besides, wolves weren't frightening to him! Just climb a tree, like the old kids said to do. Austin started running, heading unerringly in the direction of the pirate ship. He wanted to be a pirate! No, he wanted to be head of the pirates! He had big plans ahead of him! He grinned over his shoulder at Kaeden, not having a clue that it would take FOREVER to get to the ship. Kaeden followed him, having before given up on why Austin could run so well with his odd walking. "Hey, where we goin? Ya got any idea?" he asked eagerly. "We gonna be pirates, matey!" Austin said. "An' 'have our own ship! Is dis way, right?" Kaeden stopped running, grabbing a hold of a tree as he was about to fall over a bundle of roots. "We're doin what?! NO WAY!" he said, not about to move. "'N not with -that- pirate ship! That one's supposed to be Tock's. Scariest pirate that was ever -born-!" He shivered as if to amplify this idea. Austin snorted. "That ain't real," he said seriously. "He's j'st a story tole to lil bits." "Oh no he ain't!" Kaeden said down right defensively about this. "He is real! 'N the others have -seen- him! One side that Tock was going to use 'm as BAIT for sharks, or som'thin like that." "Sharks ain't real, neither," Austin said stubbornly. "Fish don't get that big!" "Not what the others say, 'n they been 'round longer!" Kaeden replied, crossing his arms. "'N if ya go and get eaten, I'll laugh, cuz I told ya," he added out of spite. "They also say that Tock is a gator man! He big, but not big like Chloe. He big like he'll crush you and rips out trees with his bare hands!" he added just for good measure. "Hah!" Austin said. "Nevah 'appen," he added as he started walking again. "N'body can do dat!" He turned to look back at Kaeden, shoving his thumb at his chest. "An' I d'serve my own ship!" Why, he had no clue, was he was sure that he did! "Then I'm gonna go with ya, just ta prove to ya there is a Tock. 'N he does rip trees out o' tha ground!" Kaeden said, rolling his blue eyes before starting to follow Austin again. "What ya gonna do with your own ship?" he then asked, interested in that idea, for some reason. "I'm gunna--I'm gunna--" He stopped, having not thought that far. "Search f'r treasure!" he said finally. "An' y'can always find treasure when y're a pirate!" This seemed very logical to Kaeden. A pirate and treasure just went hand in hand. "Well, okay. Long as we gots oursleves some foods too," he added. "Ya can't eat treasures. They don't taste good." "Well..." Austin said, thinking. "We'll come back f'r dinner," he decided with a nod. He WAS getting a little hungry, after all. And Chloe made good food! "Good," Kaeden gave a sage like nod. This was all very practical. They could get a ship, see that Tock was real, run about and get treasure, then be back home in time for dinner! He really did like Chloe's cooking. There was at least something to eat, even if you didn't like it. "Let's go! 'N you'll see there really -is- a gator-man-pirate!" he added. "There ain't," Austin said stubbornly, even as he started walking again. He swaggered when he wasn't claiming to have a "condition," or swaggered as best as his short little legs would let him. Which wasn't that impressive, not that he realized this. "You'--" "You both aren't going to be going anywhere, but getting fire wood, then back to the hut!" Chloe said. She looked down right mad at the two of them for wandering off. If you haven't yet seen a pissed off hippo lady, it's a slight to behold. Kaeden immediately looked sheepish. "His idea!" he claimed, pointing at Austin. Chloe gave him a disbelieving look. "I!" Austin said, holding up a finger, as if he had a good excuse. "Was just gunna do dat. Over there," he added, turning and running away. Chloe had longer legs, and could sprint at least. She wasn't about to do any real running. But her sprint was good enough to catch Austin by the back of his shirt. "Oh no you don't!" she said, hauling him back. Kaeden was hurriedly picking up as many sticks he could find in the area. He didn't want Chloe mad at him, and deprive him of dinner! "Dis is man-handlin!" Austin protested, swinging and squirming to try and get loose. "Lemme down!" "Not it ain't," Chloe said, holding him by the collar as she sat him back on the ground. "Cuz you're no where near being a man yet. Now, get some wood here." "He don't believe there's a Tock," Kaeden said, hoping to derail some of her anger. If Austin didn't eat, then he was going to take part of Kaeden's dinner. Kaeden wanted his own, full meal! Chloe snorted. "An there ain't," Austin said, as if that completed the argument, and crossed his arms over his chest, resigned to dangling there. Chloe dropped him on his bum. He couldn't pick up wood if he was hanging in the air. "There is. I know him." And that was all she said on the matter. "Now, get those sticks over there," she said, motioning to where a small pile was, an arm’s reach away. Kaeden felt very justified in the fact Chloe said there was, and--- His eyes went being. Chloe knew someone like that?! No way! "Awww mannnn," Austin complained. But he picked up the sticks. Chloe was a lot scarier than a tale about a gator man, if you asked him!
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:15 am
Escaping was more fun with Kaeden, but it was easier without him, Austin thought as he crept stealthily through the thicket along the edge of the stream. Kaeden would keep Chloe busy, and Austin would find the pirate ship! Pirate ships were always near water, right? And the stream was water!
He paused as he heard a loud splash, suddenly worried that Chloe had realized what he was doing. Hesitantly he moved closer to the stream, peeking through the greenery to see who it was that was following him.
His mouth went dry at the sight of the biggest guy he had ever seen in his LIFE. His skin was dark, far darker than most if the kids at the hut, and his hair hung well past his shoulders in dreadlocks, much like Austin's, but thicker. He had scars across his chest and they stood out, since they were so much paler than the rest of him.
His arms, Austin realized, were twice as thick as Austin's LEGS. This, he thought, this had to be a pirate! Maybe he was that Tock fellow that everyone liked to talk about all the time. He didn't look like a gator, though. But then again, Austin had never seen a gator, so maybe he did, and Austin didn't realize it...
The little boy hesitated, wondering how he would ever beat a big guy like that so he could take over the ship. Maybe, he thought, creeping closer on his hands and knees, the guy wasn't as big as he looked up close. If that was the case Austin could beat him!
He had no idea how, but he could! Something would hap-- He let out a startled yell as he found himself pitching face forward into the stream. He hadn't been paying attention, he thought as the current pulled him deeper into the water. How was he going to beat the big guy if he drowned?
"Whoa!" he heard as he felt himself lifted out of the water by his shirt. He dangled there, tiny and powerless by a hand that was almost as big as his entire torso. Slowly he looked up, blinking his kholed eyes at the black teenager holding him up.
"Avast ye!" he said, waving his tiny fists at the teen. "Hand over da ship!"
The teen, who HAD to be Tock, stared at him blankly. "What ship?" he finally asked.
"Yer pirate ship, duuuh," Austin said, narrowing his eyes on him. "Yer Tock, right?"
"Nope."
"Nope?"
"Not Tock. Tock's bigger than I am." The black teen grinned, showing perfectly white, strong teeth. It was wrong for pirates to have teeth like that, Austin thought in disgust. "I'm only the ship's cook."
Austin blinked. His nose scrunched up as he thought. "Well if yer only the ship's cook..."
"That means there's a lot tougher guys out there," the male said.
Austin's eyes went huge at that idea. "I er, well--"
"Get back to the hut, brat, come back when you've gained a few feet," the black teen said, carrying him over to the shore and dropping him there.
Austin raised a finger, looking at him, then looking in the direction of Chloe and Kaeden. "I..." he said importantly, "will j'st be goin' then," he said before racing away.
A ship full of gigantic guys with perfect teeth and muscles bigger than his head was dancing in his mind and he wound up running all the way back.
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:48 am
Compilation thanks to TB^^
PRP replacing two solosRiver Meetings It was no secret that Chloe liked water, or at least as far as she was concerned. She liked going fishing, then lounging in the water. Which is just what she was going to do now. The fish for dinner were already caught, after all, and waiting in the net in the water. "Alright boys," she called to both Austin and Kaeden, whom she had dragged with her. They were useful in getting food. "Now you two can goof off and play." Kaeden grinned. This was the time he was waiting foor, just to swim. His skunk clothes were left of the shore - it wasn't good to get those wet. In fact, it was -nasty-. "Just don't go too far," Chloe added, starting to lounge in the water already. "I won't move from dis spot!" Austin proclaimed, lying through his teeth. He was back at the water again and that meant he was well on his way towards the ship! Sure, meeting that one guy had made him hesitate, but he had come up with a way to deal with it! He would convince the monster man he wanted to be a cabin boy! He doffed his clothes quickly and looked over the water with his hands on his hips, wearing only a loincloth, which was what that pirate man had worn. No, he hadn't been impressed. Not at all. Kaeden got the loincloth idea from him, actually. It was a good idea! And with Chloe all into the water and not paying attention to them, it was a good time to get to the sea and prove to Austin there was a big gator man. He also shoved Austin into the water, before jumping in himself. "Oye, you!!" Austin said, coming up spluttering. "Now you're lookin' fer revenge!" He swam over to the other boy, waiting for him to surface so he could dunk him over. "I told you, no divin' till you learn to swim, ya brat," a deep, growling voice came from the opposite shore. Someone was heading their way. "I dive!" a little girl said. "I swim! Polly big girl now!" "You ain't big. You're barely up to my knee!" "I big girl! You just humongous." Tock stepped through the trees, looking over the group with a slight blink as Polly ran into his leg. He hadn't warned her he was going to stop! Kaeden came up in time to see and hear the people coming. He turned to see who these new voices were, the froze. It was a gator man! And he was as the girl said: humongous. Chloe looked up, hearing Tock and a little girl. Now she was annoyed. Tock did have a little girl with him. A girl that was so young, she shoulda been with the hut kids before going to the pirates. Then she realized the oddity of it. Tock had a little girl. She tried not to laugh, and failed as she snickered. "I've already got this placed clamed for the day, Tock. Go swim else where." Austin stared, his mouth dropping open in shock. The gator man was HUGE! Even bigger than the cook man! The cook man hadn't been lying! He gulped, then pointed. "I--" he said boldly, only to be ignored. "Not happening, Chloe," Tock said, grabbing Polly as she started for the river. "The brat needs to learn how to swim, and this is the shallowest part of the river." "I swim! I swim, already!" Polly complained. "Lemme swim!" "Only because you have a little one with you," Chloe said, seeing the problem now. She wanted to ask why the girl wasn't with the other hut brats, but bit her tongue. She then pulled away from the rock she was leaning on, moving to them. "Alright, let's see how good she swims," she said, fully intent in helping now. If she could. No way was she going to let the child drown. "I'm Chloe, sweetie." Kaeden was right next to Austin and whispered to him. "I -told- you he was huge! And he existed!" he said, still taken back. Now, who was the kid? Polly grinned her devilishly wide grin, the one that covered most of her face and made her cheeks non-existent. "I'm Polly!" she said, shoving her thumb at her chest. "And this is Daddy!" she added, her tail wrapping around Tock's leg before she let go and raced into the water. "Polly don'--" The little girl cannonballed into the water with a rebel yell. Tock wiped the water off of his face, twitching slightly. "I'm Austin!" Austin finally said, ignoring Kaeden for a moment to make his claim. "And I'm gonna take yer ship!" Tock blinked at him. Chloe about died at the idea of Tock being a daddy. That was tooo rich, even if the girl looked perfectly happy. And, well, that wasn't a bad thing. Then the girl plunged into the water. Chloe followed to make sure she was okay. Then she heard Austin's proclaim his master plan. "Austin!" Kaeden knew the mistake and elbowed the other boy. Now Chloe knew! She'd be unlivable for a while with her knowing! Besides, how could he be a cabin boy when his real intentions are known? He... hadn't thought that far. Nor was he thinking that far, now. "I'll be Cap'n Austin um...." He paused, looking at Kaeden. "I dun gotta last name, do I?" "I think you're a bit short to be a pirate captain," Tock said, walking into the water. Polly was bobbing up and down, trying not to drown since she had no clue how to swim in the first place. The motion got Chloe's attention and she caught the girl by the sides, keeping her steady in the water. "Sorry girl, but you do need to learn how to swim," she said. Then the warmth of the girl's skin g Austin! A pirate! Well, she had to admit she could see that happening. But he was to little! Then the warmth of the girl's skin got her attention again and she wondered why it was so warm. And if Tock was going to do the swimming lessons. "No, you ain't gotta last name. Neither do I," Kaeden said, watching Tock. Man he was huge! "But you are kinda short, Austin..." he added. "I'll give myself a last name, den," Austin declared, glaring at Kaeden for further emphasizing the short thing. "An' I won't be short ferever," he muttered. "I'll take her," Tock said, picking up the girl by the waist. For some reason he felt jealous, seeing Chloe with Polly. "She's got a tail, she'd be better off learning from me." "I can swim!" Polly said, not bothered at all by being handed around like a toy. She wore the funniest outfit, though, made of a long strip of green cloth that used to be one of Tock's loincloths. It was wrapped around her neck and between her legs, not that she had a chest to cover with it yet. "Yes yes, 'daddy'," Chloe teased him, pulling away. "I wouldn't know what to do with a tail in the first place." This amused her, Tock with a little girl. And he seemed jealous! She want to lounge and watch them, as well as the boys. Austin wanting to be a pirate! Well, not yet. He was too little. Kaeden grinned shamelessly, starting to swim around the other boy. "Whatcha gonna call yerself, 'den?" he asked. Oddly, he was ignoring the girl. The fact that the girl was even here. Girls were annoying, after all. "I'm Polly!" Polly said loudly, irritating by being ignored by other kids. "Who you?" she demanded, pointing at the two boys. "Quit talkin' like a baby, brat," Tock muttered, putting her in the water, but holding her up. "An' kick your legs." She paused, looking up at him with a bright smile. "I am a baby," she told him, clear as day. "Are not." "She's a baby!" Austin said. "She probly still wets the bed." Jealousy was hitting him, hard. How come she got to stay with the pirates and he didn't?? Kaeden stopped his swimming with a small glare. She was tiny. Tiny kids weren't supposed to be with pirates, right? Then how come she was? It wasn't fair to his best bud! Not that he was thinking that if Austin was with the pirates, they couldn't hang out like they did now. And he wasn't going to answer Polly. "Those boys are Austin and Kaeden, sweetie," Chloe told the little girl. Then she looked at Tock questioningly. "Where did you find her, anyway, Tock? I haven't seen her at the hut." Tock scowled, feeling stupid over the answer to that. And why was he chatting with the enemy again? Oh, right, swimming day wasn't fighting day. "A well," he muttered, loosening his hold on the little girl. "You still kickin'?" he asked her. "Uh huh!" she said. He could see her tail thrashing in the water as well, but she went back to ignoring him after answering. "And I don't wet my bed!" she snapped at Austin. "Do too!" "Do not! You do!" "He don't, 'n dat's dat," Kaeden replied, siding with Austin. "'N how do we know you don't? Hmmm?" "A well?" Chloe asked, alarmed by that answer. What would a kid be doing in a well? How did they get their? .... Hopefully it-- wait.. "What well?" she asked again. "The one over by Troll Mountain," Tock muttered. "Okay, now I'm gonna let go, alright, brat?" "Uh huh," Polly said. "And I bet you both wet the bed!" she told Kaeden, only to start to drown again because she was distracted. Tock grabbed her, rolling his eyes. "We do not!" Austin said. "No Cap'n would wet his bed!" "You're not a Cap'n!" she yelled back. "Yeah, well we still don't wet the bed!" Kaeden yelled back hotly. Bed wetting was done with a long long time ago, as far as he cared. And Chloe wasn't helping! Why wasn't she helping? "Huh," was all Chloe said about the well on Troll Mountain. That was a bit far for her to walk, and she never wanted to be around that mountain anyway. Therefore, she didn't question something she didn't know for herself. Even if it was odd. She wasn't even stepping in the way of the 'fighting' that was going on. Austin started it, after all. "You're bedwetters!" Polly called, completely forgetting that she was learning to swim. "You probly pick your noses, too!" she added for good measure, making a face at them. "Hey now!" Austin said. "Dere's nothin' wrong with pickin' yer nose." He looked indignant that she could even suggest such a thing. "Right, Kaeden?" "Hey now, I ain't gonna answer -that-," Kaeden replied, crossing his arms and looking away. "But still! I bet you do it!" he replied, pointing right at Polly. "Why else would ya bring it up?" "Because you both got humongous nose holes," she said, making a face at them. "Is for your big fingers!" Tock choked, looking away as he tried not to laugh. Polly killed him! Seriously! "Ooooh, you--" Austin growled, starting towards Polly, intent on drowning her, but he was stopped by a mouthful of dangerously sharp teeth aimed straight at him. The gator man was grinning, but it was the most horrifying grin he had ever seen in his life. "You wouldn't be threatening one of my crew, would you?" Tock asked. "When she can't even swim yet?" Kaeden, however, was looking at his fingers. Was his nose big? Then he looked up, about to reply to the insult when he saw Tock's grin. And teeth. LOTS of teeth! He grabbed a hold of a lock of Austin's hair to stop him further. Not that Austin needed stopping now. Chloe had gotten up again, and was behind her boys. She wasn't going to let Tock do anything to them, and she wasn't going to let them drown Polly and she wasn't going to let Tock do something to them. "Alright, that's enough, kids," she said in such a tone that Tock was included in the 'kids' category. Austin, feeling safer with Chloe backing him up, glared at the big gator man. "You're not scary," he told Tock boldly. "He is too!" Polly snapped back, turning in the water to give him a good glaring at. "He makes everybody do what he tells them to! He's a better cap'n than you!" Well, she had forgotten her baby talk, Tock thought dryly. He picked her up before she attacked, though, noticing that the water around them was starting to steam. If she kept getting hot, the water would boil, he bet. "Alright, brat," he told her. "You told him." "Ha! He don't tell Chloe what to do!" Kaeden replied in bossy tones. He felt safer with her behind them as well. And bolder. "And he ain't our cap'n, and he ain't scarry!" he lied on the last part, of course. Chloe rolled her eyes, putting her hands on the boys' shoulders and pulling them back. The water was warmer in this area and it seemed to be because of Polly. Huh, now that was odd. And Kaeden didn't seem to notice it. "That's cuz Chloe's a laaay--deee," Polly said, making a face at them. "You two're just brats!" C'mon, kid," Tock said, feeling a bit like he did when he stuck his hand in the fire. "Let's go get something to eat." "I want bananas!" Polly said, completely distracted by this offer. "And berries! and eggs! And--" "You're a brat, too!" Austin yelled at her, a bit too late. Chloe sighed. That... could have gone better. But if Austin wanted to be a pirate, he was going to have to deal with Polly. Maybe that would convince him not to. She doubted this. "Alright boys, enough swim time. Let's get home and start dinner," she told him. "You'll have more than just bananas," she added to cheer them up. "Right, fish," Kaeden said, not really liking the situation. But they could get revenge on Polly later.
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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:05 am
Tock had taken to the father thing like a gator to water, Jake thought as he tugged off his shirt and reached for his belt. More often than not, he got stuck with the dirty work of running a pirate ship, especially after Polly had cut herself playing with one of the shells that planed the wood for the ship. Tock had said he was going to send the kid off with Sparry or someone, but he never had.
Now Jake was exhausted from getting up in the wee hours of the morning and chopping down trees all alone. Bored, too, he thought as he looked over the slightly smoking water of the stream. And in need of a hot bath. He stepped out of his pants, tossing them to the side and stepping into the water slowly. He was too near the hut again, and he knew it. He just didn't care.
Maybe on some level he wanted to see that arrogant baby pirate. He wasn't sure why. The kid was being raised by Chloe, and the last thing he wanted was to deal with Chloe. And no, he didn't have a thing for the hippo girl, like Tock kept teasing him about. He was just irritated when stuck dealing with another cook.
He didn't glance up as a twig broke from the shore, just slipped the sharpened rock blade out of the back of his loincloth, holding it ready. If it was one of the older brats--
The rebel yell made him jerk, turning in shock just soon enough to get a face full of baby launched straight at his head. "I'll beat you!" the little brat yelled, even as he got stuck on Jake's dreadlocks, his stomach on top of Jake's head. He squirmed, making little grunting noises and pounding the back of Jake's neck with his tiny fists. "I'll beat you an' take yer ship!"
Jake blinked. "I'm still not Tock," he told the kid, reaching up and lifting him off of his head. There he dangled the brat by the waistband of his pants, just far enough away that the tiny fists couldn't reach him.
"I'm workin' my way up," Austin told him, swinging futilely.
Jake couldn't help himself. He started to laugh.
"Quit'cher laughin!" the little brat bellowed.
"What's your name, kid?" Jake asked. He couldn't help the snickering. The kid was just too damn funny.
"Austin!" the brat snapped. "Cap'n Austin Bigboy!"
"Bigboy?"
The boy paused, looking thoughtful. "Pirate?"
"Cap'n Austin Pirate?" Jake repeated.
"Cap'n Austin Ship!" Austin decided. Jake shook his head.
"Keep workin' on it," he told the boy. "And you smell rank, kid. When's the last time you had a bath?"
"Pirates don't take baths!" Austin declared boldly, only to yelp as Jake dipped him into the water.
"You're not a pirate yet, brat," Jake said before starting to wash the little boy, complete with clothes.
"You'll be sorry fer this when I'm Cap'n!" Austin bellowed before being dunked again.
"Sure I will," was all Jake said in reply.
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 7:42 am
Compilation thanks to TB. Again^^Rafts and Waterfalls "There, that's enough logs," Kaeden said happily, looking at the pile of wood and vines they had collected. Austin wanted to get to the pirate ship, which was on water, so why couldn't the river lead them to the ship? Building a raft would be the fastest, easiest way to do it. It sounded like a good plan to him! "Now, all we gotta do is ta lay 'em flat, and tie 'em, then we can get to that ship of yours, Austin," he told the other boy, starting to work. "Tha's a lotta work, though," Austin said, just watching the other boy. He had reluctantly helped gather the logs, but this was getting into the technical part of things, and he wasn't sure he wanted to get that... hands on. Or something along those lines in toddler thoughts. "We could j'st take someone else's!" "Cuz no one's got one," Kaeden replied. He was to into his project to realize that Austin was being lazy. Building a raft, and going down the river would be fun! "An' ya wanna get to tha' ship fast like, right? This'll be fast!" Kaeden reassured him. "Yeaaah," Austin said. "But I dunno if it'll work..." This, Jake thought as he watched the little boys from behind a tree, was going to get the two killed. Not only would the raft not be tough enough, it wouldn't last through the first waterfall. Of course, he doubted they knew there were waterfalls on the Stream. But still. "I guess we c'd try," Austin said reluctantly, the image of his future pirate ship slowly edging out the work aspect of this idea. "Alway wortha try!" Kaeden said happily. He really had his heart set on this trip, especially with Austin starting to help. He set the other boy to work lining things up. Austin was his best friend, but he could be lazy, so he didn't trust him to tie things up. The fact that the stream didn't stay the same through its course didn't even hit him. He just thought it'd be the same all the way to the end. No water falls. Nothing like that. Austin diligently went to work eyeing the wood. Once in a while he would lean down and move the sticks a few inches, but mostly he walked around them, nodding and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. It wasn't that he couldn't work, it was just that there was always something he'd rather be doing. But with the kid moving that slow, Jake thought, they'd never get the raft done and he wouldn't have to worry about anything. Kaeden rather went on, going down his line of wood and when he got to what Austin was supposed to be doing, he did it himself. "Ya know, I wanna get this built before dinner at least!" he told the other boy. Not that would make Austin do anything. Austin didn't do something if someone else was going to do it. That someone else was Kaeden. "What's the plan once we get to the ship? Tock's big big, and that girl's a paaaiiiiin," he asked instead, taking on a new topic. "We will..." He lifted a finger as if he was going to say something deep and brilliant. "Sneak in! They'll have to take us then!" Jake groaned, running a hand over his face in exasperation. "An' if they don't, we make 'em!" Kaeden seemed agree with this whole heartedly. Besides, they'd be back to see Chloe for dinner! He moved on to the next side, tying the ropes still. "How we make 'em?" "We'll steal their pants!" Austin decided. "So..." Kae said after a moment of blinking. "Shouldn't we steal their pants first, then make 'em take us?" he asked the other boy. "But..." Austin said slowly. "How would we get ta the pants that way?" Jake started laughing, unable to help himself. They killed him! Stealing pants to take over a pirate ship? He paused. It might work... but he doubted it. "We take 'em when they're not usin 'em!" Kaeden said, as if that made all the sense in the world. Then the laughing got his attention and he glared at the bush, picking up a stick in his hand. "Alright you, out! 'Nuff spyin on us!" he yelled at the bush. His skunk like tail twitched slightly as he prepared for the intruder. He didn't know that laugh. He stepped out from behind the trees, grinning at them. "Hello, Captain Austin Bigboy," he said, earning a glare from Austin. "That won't work, by the way." "How d'ya know it won't work?" Austin demanded. "Yeah, you gotta have pants! People like Chloe yell at ya," Kaeden added. Austin knew this guy? And where'd the last name thing come from? "You don't gotta have pants if you're a pirate," Jake said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And does Chloe know where you two are?" "You're no pirate!" Austin declared. "No pirate would have white teeth! An' no pirate would care where Chloe was! An' no pirate would want to go w'out pants!" "Yeah!" Kaeden agreed, standing up tall and crossing his arms as he balanced on the balls of his feet unconsciously. It was a very failed attempt at making himself bigger."Pants are in'portant!" Then he realized the whole teeth thing too. "And pirates definitely -don't- got white teeth like that. It's.. it's unnatural!" "I eat a lot of healthy food," Jake said with a shrug. Their logic was astonishing. "I got an idea," Austin said, leaning over to Kaeden. "Let's take his pants and see if it works!" he whispered just a bit too loudly. "Tackle 'em?" Kaeden asked, tail twitching. He was big but both of them together should be able to take him on and get the pants! "Cuz he's wearin 'em." "Tackle him!" Austin bellowed, racing towards Jake with a rebel yell. Jake started to laugh, even as the little boy wrapped himself around his leg. He was too short to reach his belt, though. Jake wasn't attacked by just one boy, but two boys, and two rebel yells. Kaeden attached himself to the other leg and was attempting to push Jake over, using all his weight. It didn't matter to him that Jake was, like, ten times their own weight. He didn't even budge. "Are you two done yet?" he asked, looking down at them. Austin started bouncing up and down, trying to pull the pants off. The only result was that the pant leg started to rip at the knee. Kaeden glared up at Jake, and decided to take a different tactic. He jumped up and down too, but he was more of trying to stomp on Jake's feet. If he could hurt the feet, and could knock him off balance. "Alright, alright!" Jake said, reaching down and picking them both up by the back of their shirts. "I thought you two were busy building a raft." "You got in the way, you wanna-be pirate!" Austin declared, sticking his finger in Jake's face. "Yeah! So what's it matter to ya?" Kaeden demanded, not liking this position at all. He squirmed slightly to be let go. In all the excitement, he had so forgotten about his raft building plans, let alone how much he actually wanted to do this. "As a dastardly pirate, I ain't gonna let you," Jake said, carrying them away from the stream. "I think I'll use you as hostages, instead!" "You dastard!" Austin cried, kicking out and failing to hit. "Lemme go!" "Hey! Lemme go!" Kaeden said, starting to lash out too. He really didn't like this position AT ALL. He felt helpless! "You take us hostage an' Chloe'll come for ya!" he said as if that was a threat. To him, is was a threat. "An' there ain't nothin meaner than Chloe when she's mad!" "No she won't," he said. "Because you two were bad little hut brats and tried to run away from home." His grin was positively evil. He enjoyed this far too much, he thought. "On a raft that woulda got you both killed with the first waterfall." Austin stopped, sadly accustomed to being manhandled by Jake. "Wossa waterfall?" Kaeden stopped only because he didn't know what a waterfall was either and this point had distracted him. He didn't even think on why Chloe wouldn't be made at Jake for this manhandling, or that she'd be mad at the boys instead. But that didn't matter. "Wuz that?" he asked, in echo of Austin, and just dangled there now. "It's where the water plunges downward and your little raft gets smashed to pieces at the bottom, and so do you two," Jake said. Austin looked pale at the thought. He didn't want to get smashed! Getting smashed was not on his to-do list! "Yer lyin'!" he said. "I might be. Wanna find out for yourself?" "It... it can't be all -that-" Kaeden said, pale and protesting this fact stubbornly. "Yer just tryin to fib us, ta make us stop! It's water! Water don't hurt nuttin!" He had yet to jump from someplace high and do a belly flop into the water or else he'd know better. "Unless ya get it up yer nose," he then added. "Alright, then I'll show you," Jake said, tucking them each under one of his arms and heading down the river to the nearest waterfall. It was rather impressive, too, standing at ten feet tall. Tock had learned to dive off of it. Not that he was going to tell them that. Austin's eyes went huge and he stopped struggling as he stared at the waterfall bottom. The water sprayed white, there and the sound of the water crashing was almost overwhelming. Kaeden own eyes were huge as he looked down at the waterfall. The sound of the crashing water and the white mist below was enough to convince him. That black and white tail of his came up and around him, showing just how much he didn't like it. Austin would know this tail movement meant the other boy was -very unhappy- about this situation. He looked up at Jake finally, with a calmer look on his face and in his voice. "Okay.... so... that -might- hurt just a little." "Unless you're a gator man or built like a rock, it hurts a heck of a lot," Jake told him. "Especially if you hit one of those rocks down there at the bottom." Austin scowled, crossing his arms. "Well, okay, b't that don't mean the pants idea won't work." "Yeah," Kaeden said, then gave an evil grin. "Just you wait till we catch you pirates swimming again!" he warned, not realizing just then that he was giving away his plans. The waterfall still had him shaken. "You can try," Jake said, absently starting for the hut. He would drop them off on the edge and leave it to Chloe to deal with them, he thought. "I dun wanna go home yet," Austin complained once he realized what was going on. "Take us to the pirate ship!" he demanded. "Or show us what else is down the river!" Kaeden added, he didn't want to go home either. But he did want to know where else the river went and if there were more waterfalls. Even if Jake told them, he was still determined to find out for himself. And see it for himself too. "Fine, fine, just for a little while," Jake muttered as Austin struggled to turn. "What?" "This sucks," the boy muttered. "Carry me right!" He didn't want to be put down, of course, but he did want to be carried properly! "Yeah yeah, set us on yer shoulders!" Kaeden agreed readily. This guy had shoulders so broad that he should be able to carry to kids like them, easily. "Excuse me, just what do you think you're doin?" a sharp, female voice said. Chloe had been berry gathering and was changing locations when she saw Jake abducting her boys. Her hands were once again on her very ample hips as she looked at them all. Never mind if Jake really wanted to take off with the boys, he could easily out run her. Even with two boys in tow. She didn't even hear Kaeden's "Busted" comment. "We're being hostages!" Austin told her cheerfully. "Don't interrupt!" Jake snorted. "She can take you down river just as easily as I could," he told them, starting to put them both down. "Ahhhk, then we have ta -work-," Kaeden complained about this fact. "We'll be fine, Chloe! We ca' be hostages an' still be back for dinner!" he called out to assure her. Chloe lifted a brow at these responses, and crossed her arms over her chest. Never mind she looked like she was about to laugh. "Who said I was bringing you back in time for dinner?" Jake demanded irritably. Of course he WAS, since he had to cook for the pirates, but still-- "You two really don't get the point of being hostages, do you?" "Then you'll haveta feed us," Austin told him seriously. "I ain't missin' snack time, either!" "Same here!" Kaeden said, crossing his arms. "They eat a lot," Chloe said, sounding so amused at this situation now. "I hope you're prepared for that." "Who said you had to feed hostages?" Jake demanded irritably. "We did!" Austin said. "An' wha's a hostage, exactly?" "An' if ya don't, we'll leave!" Kaeden added, showing just that he didn't know what a hostage was either. Chloe started to laugh. "You two are lousy hostages," Jake complained. "I bet even if I did take you, nobody'd want you back." He lowered them both to the ground. "I'm going to find some less annoying hostages, so git!" No way!" Austin said, latching onto his arm. "We're the hostages! You c'n j'st get used to it!" "Cuz I -still- wanna see what's down that river and you said you'd take us!" Kaeden added, latching on to Jake as well. So -that's- why they boys wanted to tag along huh? Chloe still found if funny and wasn't about to rescue Jake from the boys. He got himself into the mess, now he was going to have to get himself out. "If people found out about this," Jake muttered darkly before placing the boys on his shoulders. "Fine, whatever. We're going down stream, so just try to get them back from me," he told Chloe. But it didn't sound like that much of a threat. "Oh yes. Who knows what evils you'll be doing to two little boys," Chloe drawled amusedly; then started to laugh again. The boys looks -so- damn proud of themselves, it was priceless. "Now go! go! go!" Austin said, tugging on one of his dreadlocks. Jake groaned and started down river once again.
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:05 am
Welcome to Gaia They were packed for an expedition. Food, water, supplies, weapons, everything they would need on a foreign planet was in a bag tied with a rope and slung over Tock's shoulder. Jake carried one as well. It was as if they expected to be stuck somewhere barren and empty. But then again, Tock had always said to be prepared for everything. Polly was bouncing in the lead, turning around half the time to explain something else about the place she had come from, which neither of the teens really understood, but listened to anyway. Tock had a dangerous looking grin on his face and Jake, for once, looked excited. He was finally going to see if he could disappear. "Hey!" Austin said as they passed a few feet from the treehouse. He had been out gathering berries with Chloe and Kaeden. "I challenge you!" "And I'm helping!" Kaeden said, coming up to his side, and mimic the point pose. The sudden 'Hey' had gotten his attention and since he had snuck off with Austin again, the other boy wasn't to far away from him at all. He ignored Polly. He had decided some time ago that he should just ignore the annoying, bossy, girl and focus in on helping Austin. Then he noted the bags and everything. "Hey, where ya goin?" They looked like they were about to explore someplace. Chloe had realized that the boys had, once more, ditched her and was heading in the direction she heard voices. Voices that were probably her wayward boys getting themselves into trouble again. But if they were being 'held hostage' again by Jake, she wanted to see it. That had been entertaining. "We're not taking challenges right now," Tock said patiently. "That's not till Saturday. Today's Sunday." "Technically this would be a challenge day, Cap'n," Jake said lowly. "But we're going somewhere, so it'll haveta wait until next weekend," Tock said. "Go back to the tree house." "Yeah!" Polly said. "Go pick your noses!" "I want to go too!" Austin said, even if he had no clue where they were going. "Me too!" Kaeden said, his blue eyes shining as he looked at the bags. Going to explore a place sounded interesting to him! He was coming to realize that he liked exploring new place. Again, he ignored Polly. "What's going on?" Chloe asked, coming up to them. She nudged up the woven, somewhat ratty, hat that was on her head. Then she noticed that Tock and Jake were prepared to travel some where. Some where far, by the looks of it. Had to be a big treasure hunt. "And where are we going?" she then asked. Austin would definitely want to go, if it was a treasure hunt. Kaeden, she had noticed, would want to go, just for the sake of going. "That ain't any of your business," Jake said, scowling at her darkly. This was his adventure, dammit! He didn't want outsiders, especially hut brats getting in the way! "Now take the two brats and go back to whatever it was you were do--" He grunted as Austin launched himself at him, grabbing onto his thigh and wrapping his legs around his calf. "I'm going!" Austin declared. "We're going ahead," Tock said as Polly grabbed his hand, pulling as hard as she could. Chloe gave Jake a slit eyed look. Going would mean they wouldn't have gathered food to store, for the day. But there was plenty in the baskets, back at the hut. She just hoped they'd come back sometime soonish. Then smirked. "Well, it looks like the boys have already decided. We're going," she told Jake, then started to follow Tock. Just to piss Jake off. "You can come, if you want." Kaeden looked up at Chloe, jaw dropped. She.. she was going to let them go? And go with them? Chloe just.. well, she didn't -do- things like that! That... was so totally COOL! He grinned toothily, sprinting to catch up. "Come on, Austin!" "You can carry me," Austin told Jake, just to rub it in. He started climbing Jake's pant leg, making the pirate mutter something dark and pick him up reluctantly. These pants were too likely to rip as it was. Last thing he wanted was to be left bare-assed in front of Chloe and who know who else. Aock let Polly lead him, moving his hand slightly in the direction she was supposed to go if she veered off course. She had launched into a story about a building where one could stuff white stuff into the backs of dead animals. That confused the hell out of him. Who would want to? "It's right ahead, Cap'n," Jake called as they reached the spot. There were times when Chloe was so, so proud of her boys. Them torturing Jake was one of those moments. Then she decided to focus in on where they were headed. It seemed as if Tock knew, and the air about this trip was that it wasn't a far walk... but if it wasn't a far walk, then what was with the supplies? Her berry basket was still on her shoulders as well. "Hey Tock, where we goin, anyway?" And what the heck was Polly talking about. Kaeden had decided the girl had lost it. She was talking stupid things. Would want to stuff white stuff into dead animals? That was just... ick! Stupid girl. He glanced back to check on his best bud, though. At least they were coming! "We've got no idea," Tock said over his shoulder as he tugged Polly behind him and lifted a hand to where the two men had disappeared. "So you should turn back now, while you still have the chance." His hand disappeared. "Found it," he said before stepping through. "Whooooaaa...." Austin said, his eyes huge as Tock and Polly disappeared. "Think there's treasure in there?" Chloe stopped, jaw dropped as she saw Tock and polly vanish. "Wha--" Then to her horror, Kaeden went right on through, looking more curious than afraid. "There might be!" he called over his shoulder to Austin, before vanishing. "Kaeden!" Chloe yelled, knowing that now she would -have- to follow them. And hope she could get back, for Ahja's shake. She hesitantly started for the opening now, seriously not looking confident. Jake walked through, still holding Austin. He stopped as soon as he did, seeing the strangest sight in his life. They were surrounded by rock and people. The people were bustling left and right, all in a hurry to get somewhere. And there, standing in front of him, his back to the other man, was Tock. The Captain looked a bit shocked and confused, but not enough so that he didn't turn around. "We need to mark this spot," he told Jake, digging in his bag. He pulled out his rock ax and headed for the wall they had stepped through. Chloe had stepped through as well and heard Tock, then saw what he was doing. Her mind processed quickly that he was going to make the wall - which was stone, with an ax. "Woah, woah! Hold up there, Tock. I don't think hitting this.. stone thing will do much," she told him, then swung her berry basket off her shoulder. "We'll make it with berries, okay?" she said, fully planning on smashing the berries on the wall. It would make it. Kaeden was speechless as he looked around. There were people EVERYWHERE. More people than he had ever seen in his LIFE. And there were no trees like he was used too. It was all stone. People lived in stone? Down the way a bit, a preteen was setting out of a store. Aurora looked around for the next place to go when she spotted someone that was bright orange-red and very familiar. She gave a gasp, then shouted. "POLLY!" Polly jerked, her eyes getting huge as she realized who it was. Without a thought she started to run across the street. "RORRRRYYYY!!!" she screamed, only to get grabbed by Tock as a car rushed past. "What in the hell do you think you were doing?" Tock demanded, turning her so he could glare at her. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Daddy," she said. "But it's Rory! It's Rory!!" she shouted, pointing wildly. "Hi Rory!! This is Daddy! He's like gator boy!" she yelled, now waving wildly at her friend as Tock tucked her under his arm. "Berries is fine," Jake muttered, still looking around in wonder. "I bet there’s LOADS of treasure 'ere," Austin said, awed. Kaeden had to agree. "I bet there's lots of everything here. And food," he said, once again showing that he thought with his stomach. He was a growing boy, after all! Chloe did her berry thing in a hurry, and hoped it wouldn't rain before they returned here. Rory almost used her speed to save Polly, but saw that the big man saved her friend. Once the road was clear for a moment, she ran across the street. Never mind she became a blur. The blur ended with her right next to Polly. Rory had the other girl in a hug. "It's so good to see you! I was so worried! So was Chris! We were all kinds of worried! He even went to the place to -find- you!" she rattled on. Ze'zee huffed slightly, seeing her girl with strangers. Then, once on the other side of the road, she realized why: Polly. As the girls were greeting each other, she looked to the teens to see who Polly got herself involved with. One was a very big, dark skinned man. The other looked like a walking gator. Not that she thought too much about this. She was a walking reptile. There were two other kids, and a Hippo girl, as well. But after Polly's first parental problem, she wanted to make sure the little girl was someplace good now. "Oye," Tock said before Polly could launch into one of her explanations that made no sense. "Introduce me." "Oh," Polly said, having forgotten he was there. "This is Captain Daddy Tock!" she said. "He's the captain of the Jolly Rodger and he can do all sorts of cool things! And he doesn't care if I catch on fire, or anything!" she was a little older and talked better, not that she realized this. She was also a lot tanner. "And I'm Jake," Jake said. "Her uncle." "Ewww, not another girrrlll," Austin muttered, glaring at Rory because she was the wrong gender. Rory, true to being a girl and therefore supporting girls (especially friends from people she didn't know) stuck her tongue out at Austin. "Aurora!" her mom scolded lightly. She received a sheepish grin and just shook her head. "I'm Rory," the girl introduced herself, needlessly, to the big gator boy. He looked so much like the stuffed toy, that she thought the toy became real! "This is my mama, Ze'zee," she continued on. Then looked at the other three people. "I'm Chloe," the hippo lady said. She had her hand holding on to the tip of another boy. He looked fascinated in the other things around him, frankly. "This is Kaeden, and that's Austin," she continued, gesturing to the two boys. Tock looked at Ze, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "So you two knew Polly before she came to me?" he asked. "Yeah! Rory was in school with me! But now she's older," Polly said, pouting at that fact. "How come you grew without me?" she demanded. "Is Chris even bigger, too?" "Where's the treasure?" Austin demanded of Jake, figuring all the girl talk was a waste of time. "And how would I know?" Jake asked back. "I've never been here." "Hey Austin! Get down here," Kaeden said, looking up at his bud. "I wanna go exploring! We could probably find you a treasure around here some where!" "Oh no, you boy's are not going to wander around her without the rest of us," Chloe warned them. Last thing she wanted to do was get lost. At the moment, Polly knew someone here. That someone knew how to navigate this place. "He did! He's huge now!" Rory said, grinning sheepishly. "And I just grew! Over night, like! And I can run really fast now! You can catch on fire?" she asked, amazed. "Oh you've missed soooo much! You have -got- to meet Wisp! And--" "I knew her. What I really want to know, though, is where is she staying now? Rory and Chris haven't been able to find out, and we've been worried," Ze'zee said evenly. More talk of treasure, just like Polly. They must be in a place she really fit in. And the little girl looked really happy, and healthy. She was relieved for that. Ah, c'mere," he said to Ze, motioning her over to the wall. "Touch here," he said, holding his hand up to the wall then moving it forward. It disappeared. "You can look through if you want." "It's an island with lots of trees and mermaids and pirates! I'm a pirate!" Polly said gleefully. "That's where they send all the bad kids to! It's fun!" "Bad kids?" Rory asked, puzzled. A hand shot out, taking her mom's hand. She didn't want her mom to, well, vanish, without her! "But Polly's not a bad girl!" she protested this. Then tilted her head. "You said it's fun, though? And you can catch on fire, and no one will mind!" Which seemed to be good. "And people don't get mad at you for taking shinies?" Ze'zee paused for a moment, but was game to try. His hand did vanish, after all. And with Rory gabbing on to her, she did peek her head into the vanishing point. And saw jungle. If anyone else who didn't know saw thing, they'd see a lady without a head on one end, and just a floating head on the other end. She pulled her head out. "Alright," she told Tock. Then grinned. "Welcome to Gaia. I suppose Rory and I should show you guys around?" Mentally she noted the place, and where it was located. Berries or not, she should know. "Actually," Tock said. "Lovely lady, I want to ask a favor of you. Two of them, actually." He put Polly down, motioning for Ze to step aside with him. "I want to know where her mom lives. The one that came before me. And I'd like you to take care of Polly for a little while. A couple of hours at most. She's homesick for her friends." "Tock," Ze said, looking at him leveledly. "Even if I told you were that.. woman," the way she said that suggest that she wasn't at all happy with Gwen, "lives, I don't think you could find it." Chloe was listening with half an ear and frowned, stepping over, leaving Jake to watch the boys for a moment. "Oh no ya don't," she said, having seen that grin earlier. "Tock, ya ain't gonna--" "You didn't see her when she first got to the island," Tock told Chloe. "She was in tears. She kept thinking I was going to take her back." He cracked his knuckles, a loud, popping sound that sounded a bit ominous. "The b***h has to pay." "Daddy?" Polly asked from behind, tugging on his shirt. "I want you to meet Chris, too!" Well, that did change things, if you asked Chloe. So that was another reason why Tock was so attached to the little girl. Then another head poked itsself to Chloe's other side and tugged on her shirt. "Hey, let's go some place. I'm gettin bored here!" Kaeden said. He wanted to move more than an arm's length away! "It seems to me," Ze said, unable to help a little grin on her face. "That you have to meet some people before.... letting her know that Polly's in good hands." Ze'zee didn't like Gwen, and didn't want to have anything else to do with the lady. But just saying... hello.... wasn't a bad thing, now was it? "Let's go to Chris's!" Rory added, right behind Polly. But she couldn't help it. A hand ran over Tock's tail. She wanted to know what he felt like! Tock blinked, looking down at Rory blankly. "What?" he asked. "That's your mom, right?" he asked, pointing at Ze. "You should know what scales feel like." "It's different," Polly said, shaking her head. "She's smooth and you're all bumpy." "Ah," Tock said. "Makes sense. I guess." Jake was trying to get Austin off of him. "You aren't a hostage this time," he muttered, tugging at the kid. "Walk by yourself." "I can see better from here." Rory, having been caught, blushed. "Mama's smooth, you're not. You're different," she agreed. Of course, this also confirmed that Tock wasn't a walking, talking, stuffed toy. He was flesh. Somehow, she was just a little disappointed. Jake protests got Chloe's attention, and she grinned wickedly at him. Seeing him pestered was still fun. Then Kaeden ran up to him too. "Hey, hey! I wanna see from up there!" he called, starting to try and climb Jake too. Way this was going, he might just be pants on the streets. "So, to Chris' then?" Ze asked, willing to take them. The vindictive side of herself did want to torment Gwen, but the nicer side just screamed that was wrong. Besides, Missy should talk him out of it. "Alright," Tock said. "For now." "Yay!!" Polly said, hugging Rory spontaneously. "I bet he's humongous!" she said, dancing and still clinging to her friend. "Is he? Is he?" Jake groaned and picked up the other boy, reluctantly. "You know Chloe's not THAT much shorter than me," he said. "Why don't you two ride on her, instead?" "So... what is this place called, anyway?" Tock asked, looking around and making mental notes of where they were. He had a good sense of direction, he needed it on the island, but this was hectic. "Well, the planet is Gaia, this city is called Durem. Shopping district," Ze'zee told him as she walked. she also knew it would be bit of a walk to get to Chris'.... Ah well. "Wanna ride on a bus to get to Polly's friends'?" she then asked him. "Cuz Chloe's a lady," Kaeden told him, having picked something like that up from Polly. Maybe, he didn't remember, frankly, and he didn't care. "You're bigger though! You can do it!" He patted the man on the head, then started to look around. Chloe grinned at Jake evilly now, walking along as well. "Chris is huge!" Rory told her friend again, empathizing this with holding her hands out. "And strong! And we've started a superhero group with Wisp! Who you have to meet. She's cool too! And Chris just found out he's a vegetarian - which means he doesn't eat cows and stuff. Fish doesn't count, though," she explained. "And he's been making fun of me!" "He has??" Polly demanded, her eyes narrowing. "That big bully! I make him stop!" Tock snorted, realizing something abruptly. "So... you're an adult, right?" he asked the lizard lady. He was taller than her, and broader, but she had a certain air to her that said she was full grown. "What's it like?" "You are enjoying this way too much," Jake complained as Austin stared at all the sights and sounds around him. "You carry them, they're your kids!" "They like using you as a free ride. Who am I to stop that?" Chloe replied which a chucking in her voice. Kaden was tapping on Austin's arm now and then, pointing at things that he found interesting. Usually it wound up being the same thing the other boy was looking at. "Actually," Ze replied, having to stop and think about that question. "Being an adult is... well, I suppose it's like being younger, but you have more responsibilities. And it can be much calmer," she told him, knowing she wasn't doing a good job at explaining. "I don't really know. For my race, I have a long way to go before I even hit my prime." "Well, he teases me for fallin on my face, and running into walls, when I was running. And he doesn't wanna do the superhero thing either!" Rory said, explaining things. Then she grinned. "You can probably join if you wanted too!" She didn't know what happened with Wisp and her first hero outting, either. To her, it was still a game. "Oh really," he said. "Y'know, I'm one of the oldest on the island. So I've always wondered what it would be like to meet an older woman." He hadn't, but damned if he would tell her that. "You don't mind younger guys, do you? I tend to grow fast." "Daddy!" Polly said, tugging on his tail. "Quit flirting with Rory's mommy!" "Who taught you that word?" Tock asked her. "You did. You say that Jake and Chloe are always flirting, remember?" "I do not flirt with her!" Jake protested loudly. "That goes double for me!" Chloe said, protesting the flirting as well and glaring at Tock for even suggesting it. Ze'zee laughed at that, unable to help herself. It was funny! Frankly she had never tought of that sort of thing since she left Zard. Rory was far more important to her, right now. "No flirting with my mama!" Rory added, giving a little defiant glare up at Tock. He grinned at Rory, shamelessly. "Then I'll flirt with you, shall I?" he teased. "DAAADDDDYY!!" Polly yelled, her irritation clear in her voice. He started to laugh, enjoying this trip more because she was back to her cheerful self than anything else. The Deakons weren't at home. There was a little sign on the door that said they were at the beach party and wouldn't be back until late. Austin looked at Jake. "So now what?" he asked bluntly. "How am I supposed to know?" Jake asked. "A beach party?" Ze'zee said. "Huh. Then we'll just go to the beach!" she said, sounding happy about fact. She had been meaning to take Rory to the beach, just hadn't been able took. Rory looked a bit more shocked. "That's.. today?!" she asked, reading the sign again. How could she have forgotten?? "You knew about this?" Ze asked her girl. "I forgot," Rory admitted, with a shrug. Kaeden looked at Rory, who was no where near as annoying as Polly, then at Chloe. "Hey Chloe! Can we go too?" he asked. Chloe shrugged. "If that's where Ze'zee wants to take us," she said. Though she was a bit tired of all this walking. Sure she walked around back in the jungle, but she never was willing to walk to the beach... And this place was bigger than their island. "Then we're going to the beach and to see Chris!" Polly announced. And that, as far as she was concerned, was that.
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 12:45 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:31 pm
Quote: Shopping Adventure - Still on Gaia, the boys learn how boring shopping can be and meet a girl named Cecelia. Dine and Dash - While at the mall, the gang gets a meal. Then the boys finally have fun in the play area. There they get a 'krakken' name Casca!
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:38 am
Kaeden was older than Austin now. It was irritating to the little would-be-pirate, and out of jealousy he had started to spend more time alone, walking around in the woods, wondering when, or if, he would ever grow up. He didn't want to be a baby when his best friend was a kid, darn it! He was tired of being treated like the baby of the group! He had dreams! Plans! He was going to take over the Jolly Rodger and be a pirate captain and--
"You got everything?" a deep, familiar voice asked. Austin jerked, creeping towards the sound of Tock, curious as to why they were so close to the tree house.
"Yeah, I got everything," Jake said. Austin's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the two males laden down with large leaves full of things. Polly was in front of them, her own pack of stuff hanging over her shoulder. "So you already bought a boat?" Jake asked.
"Yeah," Tock said. "It's a bit like ours, but it's got actual bedrooms in it. You'd be surprised what you could get with a couple handfuls of gold on Gaia."
"And the new captain, you trust him?" Jake asked.
"We'll check in once in a while," Tock said. "But I figure this won't be too bad."
"No!" Austin said, tripping over a vine as he stumbled towards them. "Where are you goin'?" he demanded, pointing at Jake. "I'm gonna beat you!"
"Sorry, kid," Jake said. "We're moving to Gaia."
"Wh--what? But why?" Austin asked, feeling suddenly abandoned. He forced back the tears, squaring his shoulders. "I'm gonna take over your ship!"
"You'll have to take over someone else's ship, then," Tock said. "Because we ain't stayin' here."
"No!" Austin said. "I'm gonna take over YOUR ship! Your ship and not someone else's! And Kaeden's old an' Chloe don't like me, an--"
Jake hesitated, looking over at Tock as Polly tugged at Tock's jacket. "C'mon, c'mon, let's go already!" she said. "We can be pirates there, too, right?"
"Yeah," Tock said.
"Alright," Jake said to Austin. "If you're comin' then come."
Austin hesitated, looking back in the direction of the tree hut, then up at the big black man that he liked to attack so often. It was hard, he thought. He would miss Kaeden, even if Kaeden had betrayed him by growing up first, but--
"We ain't waitin' any longer," Tock said, starting for the invisible door that led to Gaia.
"I'm goin'!" Austin said, running to Jake. He turned, looking in the direction of the hut once more. "Bye," he said softly before grabbing the teen's empty hand and walking through the exit with him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:48 pm
Full House "Are you sure you heard them say Gambino?" Chloe asked, looking around the busy streets. The smell of salt water we heavy in the air as well. She had one of the larger spare baskets strapped over her shoulders filling with her, Kaeden and Austin's belongings. "Yeah, I heard them say it. The older ones said they got a ship here, ta live in," Kaeden replied. He was mad at Austin for leaving him and running off to join the pirates. Oh, he could have handled it if this had been back home. But this was different. This was a rift away and there was so much here that Austin wouldn't return to play with him. "Alright then, let's head for the beach then and see if we can spot their boat," Chloe said, leading the way. They had been here before and she had a pretty good memory for this sort of thing. Music. Music was the thing that Tock loved best about this world. In fact he had found a band that he adored so much that once he had learned how to use a stereo and a CD player he had hooked up speakers all over their new home ship and blared the music as loud as possible all morning. Which was why it was easy to find the house boat moored off the shore of Gambino, the large gator man lounging on a chair on the dock, and Polly dancing beside him to the song "Crazy Lil Thing Called Love" by Queen. Austin was fishing, his bare feet hanging over the side of the boat, his fishing pole far too big for him. Jake was nowhere to be seen. At the moment, all that music was to Chloe was racket. But at least they found Tock's ship. Figures he's have a ship again. Tock couldn't seem to go without one. "AUSTIN!" Kaeden yelled, making her jump slightly. "You ran off without me!" He started to march up to the ship to go for the other boy. Austin scowled, then blew the older boy a raspberry. "Go'way!" he yelled. "I'm a pirate now!!" "Hiii!!" Polly yelled, waving at them while still dancing. "Hello Polly," Chloe said, looking around for the rope ladder that lead to the deck. At least, she assumed there would be one. "You-you cheater! You ran off and didn't tell me!" Kaeden scolded, having found the ladder and was making his way up. The longer legs and arms made him clumsy in doing so. It was awkward getting used to this body. "You're da cheater," Austin said. "You grew up without me!" Reluctantly Tock stood, tossing the rope ladder over the side so they could climb up. He didn't worry about Chloe's weight. It supported him, after all. Then he went back to his chair and grabbed his beer, taking another drink. This was absolutely the best of both worlds. "Not like I meant too! It just happened! I can't control growin or not!" Kaeden said, scrambling on deck. He blinked then, looking around the deck. So this is what it was like to be on a pirate ship? Cool! Chloe eyed the ladder dubiously. Then she ascended it slowly. Once on deck, she sat down her basket, looking at Tock. "I've decided that we're gonna stay here." Tock blinked both eyelids, showing his shock, but it was the door of the home slamming open that conveyed the true reaction. "Like hell you are!" Jake bellowed, his ladle in his hand. "This is my kitchen, get your own!" "Oh yes we are stayin!" Chloe replied, hands on her ample hips as she glared at Jake. "You done took off with one of my boys, and you think I'm just going to abandon him here with ya'll? You have another thing coming! We're stayin. That's final." Even if she already didn't like the ladder. "He was going to wind up coming over sooner or later anyway," Jake said. "Look'it him, he's a walkin' talkin' pirate boy if I ever seen one!" Austin was trying to shove Kaeden off of the ship by this time, and failing thanks to his lack of weight on the other boy. "Go, go, go! You're old!" "Not that old! I'm not old like Tock or Jake!" the other boy replied. There was likely to be a rolling fight about to take place here soon, given that Kae was shoving him back. "Uh huh. Then Kaeden woulda still been able to see him," she replied, not about to give up. The growing had sparking a little rift in their friendship, but she figured they'd get over it. Especially if they were around each other again. "But he couldn't have as much now." "Polly wanted to be near her friends," Tock said. "And I wanted cable TV." At least, he had when he discovered it. He now had a gigantic flat screen TV in the front room. "But we don't have room for you two," he said. "It's a four room boathouse." "I sleep with Tock!" Polly said. "So Chloe can have my room!" "Or Polly and I can share, while Kaeden and Austin share," Chloe suggested, not about to stop. At least Polly wanted her here! "Absolutely not," Tock said. "For a little while longer Polly can sleep with me. She's just a lil thing now. Besides, are you fireproof?" "Ah, right," Chloe replied, thinking about that now. Her skin was thick, but it wasn't strong like Tock's hide. "And we made a sand bed!" Polly said. "It's comfy and it doesn't catch on fire!" She was grinning, now satisfied with the situation they were in. She was still a pirate but she could see Chris and Rory on the weekends and stuff! The pushing was now a full out fight between the boys, Austin pounding as hard, and uselessly, as he could to make up for the fact that he had been left behind in the growth thing. Kaeden was again fending him off and was clumsy in his own throwing of fists. "Really? That was a good idea," Chloe said, brushing back the girl's feathery hair. Then she glared over at the boys once the fight had gone on long enough. "Alright boys, that's enough of that!" she yelled at them. Jake walked over, picking both boys up by the back of their shirts to separate them. "You two have kitchen duty now," he told them. "And if you slack on washing dishes I'll make you scrub the bottom of the boat!" "Ha! It's in water!" Austin said. "Then you better learn to hold your breath." Kaeden believed him. Especially when he saw the approving look the punishment Chloe had given. He bit his tongue so he wouldn't say more. This was all Austin's fault! "You ain't livin' off of me for free, though," Tock said, since it was pretty much decided they were moving in. "You gotta get a job. And since you're a cook, and Jake's a cook, I figure we might as well open up a portside restaurant." "In other words, we're working together," Chloe replied, lifting a brow. Getting a job, in the way Ze'zee had told her, was going to be new. But if it was doing what she was already doing, then it wouldn't be bad. Besides, she liked working with the stove and over much better than a fire pit. "Alright. And what are you gonna do?" she asked Tock. "What else?" he said. "I'm gonna be a pirate." "Treasure hunting!!" Polly cried happily, dancing around. "Treasure hunting and swimming!!" "In other words we're going to support him as he plays all day," Jake drawled. "Then he gets the lower portion of pay, if any, if we're doin all the work," Chloe said, shaking her head. Other than getting paid, this wouldn't be -that- different from the hut. Other than the lack of kids. "Oh, he'll be fine," Jake said. "Tock's nothing if not gold hungry." "Shinies like us!" Polly said happily before grabbing Chloe's hand. "I'll show you around." "I'd like that, Polly," Chloe said, grinning at the girl as she was dragged away. No doubt Tock would find a wrecked ship some where. But at least Jake gave up that fight.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:39 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:55 pm
Too Many Cooks Coming to Gaia had been, perhaps, the best idea yet. There was so much to cook, and so many ways to cook things. And kitchens? She -loved- kitchens, especially when it came to the oven. The oven here was so much easier to bake things, and it allowed her to cook a variety of things. Like pies. At the moment, she was making an apple pie. The only problem was that she wasn't able to have the kitchen to herself. "I was here first, you know." "Yeah, and what do you expect us to eat for dinner, pie?" he asked, reaching around her generous girth to get the pepper. He had found the grocery store, and it was good. "Some of us are actually making something that's got meat in it." Steaks, to be exact. "And you weren't either. I've been in the kitchen all day, what have you been doin? Dragging the boys all over the place, spending gold!" "You were out of the kitchen when I came in here. Ain't my fault you left it!" she argued, giving him a little glare for reaching around rather than asking. "And I'll have you know that all that spending? It was for the boy's own good. They're going to have to go to school, like Polly. Then maybe that little girl wont feel so alone. Kae's already at the right age to go," she waved her spoon that had been sturring the apples for the filling at him as she spoke beofre going back to her work. "Ain't no reason to send a perfectly fine pirate to school, and you know it as well as I do," he muttered darkly. That time of the month was coming again, and it was starting to show in his irritable attitude. "I don't even know why Polly's going," he muttered. "All it's done for her is make her irritable." "It's cuz she ain't got friends," Chloe said defencivly. The moodiness going with the month was something she didn't notice. Jake had his nice times, and times when she wanted to drop kick him off the ship. This was one of those drop kick times. "And kids here? They go to school, to get an education. It's important stuff around here, if they want ta do things later on in life." At least, that's how Ze'zee had explained it. "They can't go on stealing things here." "You ain't got to steal here," Jake muttered. "Tock just walks in and people hands him stuff. That's how it ought to work!" "Yeah? Well Tock is big. People are probably afraid of him so give him stuff. I get that some times," she muttered. "The the boys and Polly? They're little! People aren't going to be that way with them. They're gonna have to work to get their gold. That's how it works here on Gaia. That little girl, Rory? Her mama works. That's why they got to learn things." "An' that's why we're openin' a restaurant," he said. "They can work here." "And they still gotta read, and write and do math," she said, not about to give up. "That's why they're gonna go to school." He scowled. "I can read. Enough." He bumped into her again. "And you take up more than your fair share of the kitchen," he muttered. "I ain't moved," she replied and bumped him more on purpose as she took her pot away to pour the contents into the waiting pie crust. "And I do get the oven. Why you'd need to for steaks, I dunno. Less you're gonna put some potatoes in there." "There's a setting," he said. "I read it in the manual." With a lot of effort on his part. "It's called broil. It's like cookin' it over an open fire... or under, as it might be." "And my pie needs ta bake," she replied, scrapping out the mixing and then starting on the crust for the top of the pie. "The book said so." She had just as much trouble having to read that recipe book as he did having the manual. Not that she was going to admit this. He glared at her, but reluctantly (he liked pie, dammit!) backed down. "Fine," he said. "I'll use the stove." Which was on top of the oven, and thus, just as much of a problem. "But I bet you used all our food money, didn't you?" "School things are expensive," she not quite answered. "But I don't see what that has to do with anything." "It has to do with us not living off of fish for the next week!" he said sharply. "I got sick of fish when I was on the island, now that I ain't I wanna eat steaks! And chicken!" "Well, I didn't spend it all!" she shot back. "Besides, there are more things to eat than just fish, chicken and steak. You should try them clam things once in a while. And shrimp. Shrimp is good!" What was with him and the need for meat? Tock should be the one complaining about the meet, not Jake! "You know what shrimp eat?" he asked. "Crap. That's what they eat. They crawl on the floor and eat the rest of the fishes crap." Austin, hiding behind the door, almost lost it at that. He had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing out loud. Kaeden almost lost it as well. That was the best thing said all night. He -hated- the shopping trip and he didn't want to go to school! Chloe rolled her eyes. "What do you think some fish eat? And that's beside the point. There's also fruit. You can get fruit once and a while! And green things, too, that you can eat." Frankly she liked these things just a touch more than the steak. Not that she was going to tell him that. "Yeah, well here you gotta pay for all of that," he said. "If I gotta pay for something, I'm gonna make it meat." "Tock is the one I expected to me meat crazy, not you," she replied then walked to the stove, hipping him out of the way so that she could put the pie in. She had a lot of hip to do it too. He grunted as he was moved. "Nothin' wrong with a guy liking meat. An' if the boys eat meat they'll grow up big and strong, which is how a pirate should be. Kaeden's a bit too scrawny, if you ask me." "They can eat a bit more fruits and things too. All that meat, and only meat, isn't good for a person," she corrected him still. He was right about Kaeden, he was skinny. She didn't see how he did it though, his appetite increased when he grew but his body didn't. It wasn't fair! She put the pie in the oven, then set it before backing away from it. He moved forward, plopping the steaks into a skillet. Then he turned. "You two done listenin' in, yet?" he demanded. Austin slowly peeked around the door. "Nope." "When's the pie gonna to be done?" Kaeden asked, peeking in with his head above Austin's as if proving he got taller. "It'll be done in time for dessert," Chloe answered as she started to clean up her area. She wasn't at all surprised the boys were listening. "Pie could be dinner," Austin said. "If'n ya think about it right." In other words, he had liked that suggestion. "You're already chubby and short enough as it is," Jake told him callously. "I'll take the pie for dinner then!" Kaeden offered with a gapped tooth grin. "You'll make yourself sick," Chloe said. In other words: no. "The pie is dessert and if you want any of it, you'll gonna eat dinner." "Exactly," Jake said. It was a wonder that they only agreed on stuff that HE didn't agree with, Austin thought irritably. "Now start peeling potatoes."
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:38 am
Runaways "Whatcha doin?" Kaeden asked. He was walking past Polly's room, after getting something else to snack on, when he saw her messing around in there. It looked like she was packing. That was something his curious mind just wasn't going to let go. Besides, anything was going to be better than school! YUCK! Polly hated it. He knew he was going to hate it from all her stories. He still didn't understand why they had to go. It was stupid. "Nothing that has anything to do with you," she snapped, tossing another piece of jewelry into her bag. She shoved a shirt on top of all the shinies. "So go away." "No," he said bluntly, inviting himself into her room and looking over her shoulder. "Looks like you're gonna go some where. Where too? I'm going with you." "No you ain't," Austin said, barging in. "Cuz I am!" "Neither of you are comin' with me," she said. "I'm goin' on a secret treasure hunt, and I don't need boys!" "We're goin with you, even if you don't like it," Kaeden said as he crossed his arms. "You're runnin away from school doin your treasure hunt, right? I don't wanna go to school, so, I'm gonna go with you." "I'm tired of peelin' potatoes," Austin complained. "I'm a pirate! Pirates don't peel!" "Nope, they dig!" she said, abruptly realizing something. She didn't want to dig a giant hole. It was too much work. And she wasn't taking Tock with her, so that meant-- "Okay, fine," she said, her hands on her hips. "I'll let you come, but I'm the captain, got it? I got the map!" "I want to be captain!" Austin declared. It was kind of ruined by the fact she was taller than him now. Kaeden rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right, whatever," he said. He wasn't the one who wanted to be captian, after all! Why he didn't want to be was.. well, he didn't know. Austin was the born pirate, not him. But he wanted and adventure! And no school! "I'll go get thing. Austin, you make sure she doesn't leave without me," Kae said and went for their room. "You ain't goin' anywhere," Austin told her, blocking the door. "Kaeden get my things, too!" he yelled over his shoulder. There was no way they were going without him! "Right," the older boy called back, already turning into a room. He returned after a moment with two bags. One for him, one for Austin. He tossed the younger boy his, with everything a kid could wont on a trip: eatables, a blanket, a flashlight and some other junk. Who needed fresh clothes and stuff like that?? And baths went needed either! "So, we're ready, let's go!" "okay, but be quiet," Polly hissed as she headed out the door and to the dock of the house boat. She slid down the rope and turned towards town. Austin followed, wondering just where the treasure was. "Is it in town?" he asked once they got far enough away. "Nuh uh," she said. "It's back home." "We're going home? Alright, good," Kaeden said happily as he followed them both. It would be nice to go back to the island. "Hey, what's this treasure anyway? And you gotta share it with the rest of us, since we're going with you." "I only got to share if you do all the work," she said as they headed towards the wall that led into their old island. "That's how captains work, see? I know all about it since--" She scowled, not wanting to talk about Tock. She was still mad at him for sending her to school and kicking her out of bed. "If we do all the work, then we should get more of the share," Kaeden argued as he tugged along. "That's how it should work. So, you gotta do the work too!" At least she wasn't asking to be carried all through the jungle! "I'm going to get a fair share, because I," she said self importantly, stopping at the spot that led to the island. "Am the only one who has a map." Then she disappeared. Kaeden grabbed Austin's arm, with a little curse he was already learning from Tock and Jake, heading off into the portal before she got away. She had a point, but he wasn't going to let that stop them! "C'on Austin, we can't let her get away!" he said, then they too vanished from the streets of Gaia.
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