ᴡᴇ ᴘɪʟʟᴀɢᴇ, ᴡᴇ (plunder) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-01-07 21:20:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, killian jones (captain hook), nico robin |
Who: Killian & Robin
What: Dream discussions, with a side of dinner
When: Recently
Where: The houseboat
Rating/Warnings: It's mostly low
Status: Complete
Robin debated whether or not to show up at Killian’s boat actually in the lingerie under the fluffy white coat given to her by her dreams. It would have been just scandalous, wouldn’t it? Bela would have certainly approved and she had to admit, the thought thrilled her a little. Ultimately, though, she decided against it. The snow had stopped falling, but there was still a chill in the air that she didn’t believe her coat, as warm as it was, would be able to protect her bare legs and midriff from. Besides, she had offered to pick up dinner for them. Even though her coat would hide her bits from any prying eyes, she would feel horribly underdressed to enter even the least discerning restaurant.. So, she packed it in the little box Kenzi had given it to her in, tied it up with a bow and carried it under her arm instead. She picked up dinner, something hearty and hale that would stick to your ribs on a cold winter’s night in January, and drove to the marina. She arrived at Killian’s boat with dinner under one arm, her box containing the revealing garment under the other and a warm smile on her face. That day, Killian had an interview and it had gone well - he was pretty much guaranteed the job, and not just because the head of the warehouse owed him a favour or two (be in the ‘business’ he was in long enough and you’d stack up favours owed, all in a pretty row). But they were sort of desperate for work down there and were willing to give him the hours that he needed - the hours he did not want to fill with sleep, for one thing, and the hours he didn’t want to stay awake to fill with whatever bottles he could drown in. He hadn’t even drank much today, just a bit of brandy, and sat on the porch to enjoy the tickle of alcohol against his very own brainstem - it wasn’t very cold but enough time out there and he’d practically be inviting Jack Frost to his lips, so he went inside and took off the decent, pressed clothes he’d worn to the docks and put on jeans and a long-sleeved charcoal sweater instead. His mind was elsewhere, thinking of the dreams, thinking of the weight of darkness, thinking of his weaknesses - he had a thousand of them, hidden in a thicket of brambles, despite how he presented himself as a man above that. Perhaps whatever he had with Emma would change him, but acting as an outsider looking in and watching events unfold, he knew that he wouldn’t change so easily - not from a selfish, ruthless pirate who was determined to get what he wanted, always. And what he wanted was vengeance. The knock on the door meant Robin was here and he went to go answer. In the houseboat, the Christmas decorations had been taken down (the candle they’d burned in the front window, the tree, all the garland and stockings) but a string of lights still remained in the kitchen. Just because. Still, it was as cosy as ever as he let her in. “Come inside, love - “ Those sea glass eyes of his noticed the food she’d brought, or perhaps he smelled it first, “Is the living room alright? I’ll get plates and things.” His dining room had been converted into a bedroom, and he thought it might be more comfortable just eating off the coffee table as opposed to the nook in the kitchen. “The living room is perfectly fine,” Robin said as she entered. She noted that the Christmas decorations had been taken down with a little pang of sadness. With the warmth and merriment of the holidays behind them, winter now stretched out before them, cold and dark with spring just barely a thought on the horizon. At least, that was how Robin had always viewed winter to be, even if the sun continued to shine on warm sandy beaches here in California. However, with Orange County, you never knew what lay just around the corner. Spring could come early, for all they knew. Or winter could last for an eternity. Robin certainly hoped for the former. She set the bag of food down on the coffee table while Killian fetched them plates and utensils. Her heart was beating a bit faster than usual and she was so keenly aware of the box under her arm. There was a fluttering going on in her belly that was both excited and a bit nervous to not only reveal what was inside the box, but to actually put it on and let Killian see her in it. Never before had she met someone who could make her feel so happy and yet tie her tongue so completely all at the same time. She had never been very good at flirting and she could never tell if her attempts were appropriate or not. So she decided to simply do what her heart told her to do and reap whatever consequences came. As if it was just that easy. “Would you like to see the gift Kenzi got me now or wait until after dinner?” She asked. There was a slight clanging and banging in the kitchen, as Killian nearly dropped the plates, and the silverware and napkins he had stacked on top of them; they shuffled in his arms yet he managed to hold on - and he didn’t know why, but he was just anxious for some reason. Could be the dreams, could be that he hadn’t had his usual whiskey breakfast, could be that he didn’t know how he was going to pay for anything once he finished up with his PI caseload and switched to something more legitimate. These were all questions that flickered somewhere in the corridors of his mind, and he had no answers for them. He wasn’t going to flounder around Kenzi, however. The whole reason he was doing all this was so they could ease into ‘respectable’ jobs and cutting back on the alcohol together - as long as he was making ends meet by illegally stalking people, then she would keep dipping her toes into peanut butter for perverts. But anyway. “Ah...well, let’s see how it goes, hm? It might be awkward to have dinner with someone when you’re wearing a glittery brassiere,” he grinned a bit, in that eye-crinkling way sweet as dark chocolate. Just as decadent. Then he set everything down on the coffee table, remembering, “Drinks. What would you like?” A frown pulled on Robin’s lips for just a moment, but not because he hadn’t given her the go-ahead to put on the lingerie either now or later. Something was bothering him, she had thought she had felt it the last several times they had spoken and he hadn’t really been his roguish self lately. Oh, he had tried, gone through the motions, but it seemed rather off, as if it was all out of habit more than anything else. And that clatter in the kitchen? It could easily be chalked up to still getting used to having only one hand, but Robin wasn’t sure if that’s all it really was, although it probably didn’t help his frame of mind any. She worried. She didn’t let the frown linger. She wanted him to be happy more than anything, and just as Kenzi had said, it wouldn’t do for him to see her all furrow browed and frowny faced. She returned his smile with one of her own. “I’ll have whatever you’re having,” she said as she took out the containers of warm hearty food from their bag and opened them. “If you’ll be a dear and dish us out a plate, I’ll fetch us the drinks. What would you like?” It smelled delicious, whatever it was. Killian nodded, beginning to open the containers and carefully spoon everything out, dividing it up into two equal portions - well, perhaps he gave Robin more than he gave himself, because she had been nice enough to bring everything and he wasn’t all that hungry anyway. More like didn’t eat enough, really, but that was something he also chose not to think about. “There’s water in a jug in the fridge, that’s fine with me,” he said. Normally he’d have a beer (from the homeland, if he could) with whatever he ate, or crack open a bottle of wine, but he wouldn’t right now. “Help yourself to anything though. I think I’ve got juice and other more adult libations elsewhere.” There was a mostly stocked bar - now that he was off the meds, there was no need for Kenzi to hide the booze anymore. Nevermind that both of them needed to have the booze hidden, but. “Thank you again for this, love, it was nice of you to bring it over.” Though she found it a little odd, Robin had no objections to drinking water. With all the coffee she drank it’d probably do her well to drink the world’s most popular drink from time to time. She poured two glasses and brought them back to the living room. She paused seeing the two portions of food dished out for them. Baked lemon pepper chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, steamed broccoli with a creamy cheese and garlic sauce Robin had been assured was to die for, some spicy sausage and salad with creamy italian dressing. She had gotten enough to split three ways, figuring Kenzi would be hungry for something whenever she returned, but had neglected to inform Killian of that fact. She chuckled a little bit at the amount of food on her plate. “How hungry do you think I am?” She teased lightly as she placed his glass in front of him and took a seat. “I’m sorry, I should have mentioned I brought enough for Kenzi to have some.” She usually did make sure there was enough to go around, those nights just after Killian had come home from the hospital when Robin was making sure the two of them had at least one home cooked meal every couple of days while Killian recovered and Kenzi played the attentive nursemaid sister. She placed one of the pieces of chicken, two links of sausage and some of the potatoes and broccoli back in a container to keep for the girl later. “It was my pleasure,” she told Killian before she started to eat. “As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, food is something I enjoy. Sharing it with someone I enjoy being with is all the better.” She took her first bite. Yes, the broccoli cheese was quite delicious. “How was your interview?” she asked. Good fuck, there was a lot to choose from - Killian wasn’t used to so much variety. He wasn’t a gourmet cook but he got by - though perhaps his surprise was because he had grown up on the poorer side of things, with an absentee parent who wasn’t much of a provider and Liam trying to feed them all. They couldn’t afford rich fare, often went to bed with grumbling stomachs, and very rarely had dessert. Lots of porridge for breakfast and ham sandwiches as the main meal. “Nothing wrong with enjoying food,” he chuckled throatily - and no, there wasn’t, he just wasn’t a big eater in general. “You’re sweet as usual, love.” Some of the baked chicken with mashed potatoes, that went on his plate - his stomach was tender still, he felt off-balance from all the madness that the dreams brought, so he stayed away from spicy sausage. Would save it for Kenzi, then. He lifted a shoulder casually at the mention of the interview. “It was alright, actually. Different sort of work than what I’ve been doing but it’s about time I get into something else. Especially if I’m going to masochistically stick around here,” which, clearly, he was. “I knew the fellow who met with me anyway - connections come in handy, and the world’s very tiny when you think about it.” “It seems that way, especially more and more lately,” Robin agreed thoughtfully as she ate. “It seems like everytime I turn around I’m meeting someone from the network. Asato Tsuzuki, the man from the greenhouse who helped me plant my roses? He’s on there. It was the most random happenstance, almost as if it were by design. But anyway, I’m glad the interview went well for you. But I’m curious: wanting to change careers, water instead of whiskey? What’s elicited the sudden changes?” “It probably is by design. I’ve begun holding more and more stock in that thought,” Killian admitted, because even he was starting to think that Fate was playing a large role in puppeting all of this. People were drawn to Orange County, that he could attest to - he’d taken an assignment from a client who lived here, he’d traveled to her, and found that he had no desire to leave. Could have been that it was ‘meant to be,’ since he was done with the shadowy, noir atmosphere of crime-soaked Belfast and needed a place to belong, but who could say for sure. He also didn’t know if these things with him were sudden, but perhaps they were to outsiders - for him, he was simply trying to take baby steps with it, like Regina said, so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed and give up. Not that he was the sort to do that anyway - when he put his mind to something, he got it done. Stuck to the idea like burrs. It was either good or bad, depending (bad in the case of being obsessed with vengeance for centuries). “I’m not really changing careers,” he said, poking at the chicken, stuffing a few bites into his mouth. “Just doing something else on the side until I can save up enough for a proper business. As for the lack of whiskey, even the doctors say I need to cut back on the alcohol,” Killian chuckled roughly. “I want to be around longer, to torment people. So there you go.” It was a little more involved than that, and had a lot to do with his sister - his only living relative - and also wanting to maybe do what Liam would have actually done for a change. Instead of the exact opposite. “This place inspires oddities in everyone though, doesn’t it? Gets you thinking.” Robin nodded her head thoughtfully as she chewed and listened. She also had started to think that Fate was playing a large role in the lives of those who lived in Orange County, especially for those who found themselves on the network. At times it was exciting, wondering what would happen next while other times the concept of not being in control frightened her. Then she would hear friends talk as Killian was now. They planned for the future. They were determined, in a way, to live as they wanted to despite whatever it is that Fate, or whatever it was, had in store for them. It was a good reminder that they all still had a choice and it eased her mind. She wanted her friends, all of them, to be happy no matter what. Cheesy, yes, but this was the first time in her life she had a group of people who meant so much to her. “I think I understand,” she nodded slowly with soft chuckle of her own. Robin picked a little at her plate. Now that the holidays were over and she could return to a normal meal schedule that didn’t include a simple cup of coffee and a beagle if she was lucky, her eyes had been considerably larger than her stomach. She placed her fork down and sat back a little to let her food settle. “The oddities are perhaps a little inescapable,” she said thoughtfully, thinking of Jonathan and the adjustments he had to make to his life now that he was a vampire, and yet still determined to practice law. Robin greatly admired him for that. “But that we’re all in this together is a nice thought. I’ve never had friends like the ones I have here.” She laughed a little, “in fact I can’t even tell you the last time I got a single Christmas present, let alone several.” “Same with me,” Killian laughed wryly. In those dreams, Emma talked about belonging. He hadn’t really gotten the concept, nor had he wanted to - because it was always easier to look out for number one - but then he’d been swayed. Somehow. Perhaps by remembering what it felt like to care about someone. And it was an uphill battle, he would always struggle - when you were one way for a very long time, you didn’t just change overnight and sometimes you even relapsed. But it was true, he was doing better here than he was in that whimsical world of fairytales and mythical creatures. Facing what he’d done - the numerous crimes he’d committed, the people he’d killed for literally no reason - it was like taking a good, long hard look in the mirror and asking himself if he wanted to be caught in that place again, that grave he’d dug for himself. The answer was no, so, he could try. In whatever little ways were even possible. “Friends are alright to have...” He sipped on his water, considering it. “I’m talented at making them casually, but the ones that stick around are rarer, I think.” Here, he already knew whom he could count on whom he couldn’t - so that was fine, he just filed it all away like usual. “That’s unfortunately true,” Robin agreed with a sigh. She had her own experiences with friends not remaining constant. Sometimes she was the one left behind, but more often than not she was the one who did the leaving, almost always without her consent. Things were different now. She hesitated to make any promises but found herself leaning forward to pat Killian’s arm, a caring gesture. “But, I’m not planning on going anywhere.” She paused a moment, her brows momentarily creasing. She hesitated again. Killian was a private man, she knew. He didn’t seem to want to talk about himself, she had gathered that from their first meeting at the pub and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. But he was her friend, even if Killian himself wasn’t convinced. “You don’t have to answer, I understand, but..is there something troubling you?” Those sorts of pie-crust promises, he understood, so he certainly wouldn’t ask for more. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the wanderlust bug. Staying in one place for awhile was something Killian had often refused to contemplate, but things could change. There was a lot to lose, by moving away from here. Perhaps a sense of security gained, but much to give up otherwise. He wanted to see how his story unfolded. Wanted to see if villains really could achieve their happy endings. “I’m not going anywhere either, save for work trips here and there,” he spoke reassuringly. “And I’m alright, love. Just a lot of dreams in one night, lots to think about. Things carry over, they become a part of us here and it’s...odd.” Like his love for Emma, that he struggled to understand both there and here - in different ways, but all he knew so far was that he wanted to be a part of her life anywhere. Even in a platonic way. He patted Robin’s knee before he stood up to begin putting lids back on containers. “I’ll stick the leftovers in the fridge if you’re done? This was delicious, by the way, I needed something hearty.” Robin nodded her head. She had gotten much too much food. But, at least there would be enough leftovers for Kenzi to have later. And even more for her and Killian later on. “You’re welcome,” She answered. “It was my pleasure. Perhaps next time I won’t let my eyes rule my decisions on how much to actually bring.” She watched Killian put the lids on the containers in preparation for putting them in the fridge. She had a small pensive frown on her face and her head tilted to the side, all indications that she was having herself a good old fashioned think of her own. She loved her Dreams. They were full of adventure and excitement and people she wished actually existed. At the same time, she felt bad that her dreams were so light hearted - at least in comparison to her the dreams of her friends. Leon trying again and again to catch a criminal and being undermined at every turn. Killian losing his hand. Jonathan losing his humanity. She took a breath and pulled herself out of her thoughts. “If you would like to talk about them, I’d love to listen,” she said. Killian made room in the fridge for everything - it wasn’t overly huge, or fancy, but he managed to stuff those containers along the other things he had in there. More actual groceries than usual, since he wasn’t living alone anymore. “I...well, I’m not certain,” he said, wandering back into the living room, tugging on the knit-grey material of his sweater, that clung tightly to his skin and trapped heat in. On the boat it was cosy, the glass of the windows a special type that helped with the winds, and overall foam insulation to keep things warm as well. People who lived in houseboats were more conscious of the resources they used, he’d learned - and he certainly never wasted water or electricity. He sat back down on the sofa. “The long and short of it is that I dream of losing my first love, her heart was ripped out and crushed, so I spent centuries tracking the dark entity responsible. The bastard is very hard to kill, but I came close a couple of times. Along the way I encounter this other family, I should say, and after some violence and some failure end up falling in love with someone else - daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming,” he chuckled. “And I somehow find myself tagging along on their odd adventures. To Neverland and back to rescue her son, kidnapped by Peter Pan, and we even went back in time to ensure her parents met and fell in love again after some things went awry. I don’t know - “ Those seemed to be the magic three words, didn’t they? He smiled sheepishly, and scratched his black facial scruff with his fingers. “Figuring out what I want to make all of that is the tricky part.” Robin was happy that he decided to share his dreams with her and she listened, just as she said she would. Her eyes grew wide and a hand went to her mouth in horror hearing that the love in his Dreams had been murdered so brutally. She couldn’t even imagine such a horror. Her hand gradually fell from her mouth as she listened more and she smiled faintly. She was pleased that he’d been able to find love again, after that and after the time that had passed. But centuries? Was that even possible, even in fairytales? And Snow White and Prince Charming had a daughter? Was her name Charming? And Peter Pan kidnapping children? Actually, that last bit made a bit of sense, but Robin had a lot of other questions, one right after the other as she listened. Killian’s dreams were a lot to process. It was little wonder they occupied so much of his thoughts. After a moment of thought, Robin spoke, “That is a lot to happen and a lot to have to go through in a very short amount of time. It’s amazing that the one point that doesn’t raise a question is that Peter Pan kidnaps children. After all, according to the story, he takes the Darling children from their home with no expressed intention of bringing them back.” But she digressed. She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, “would you like to hear what I make of them?” “People who think Peter Pan is a clever little hero have been watching too much Disney,” Killian smiled wryly. Honestly, what was heroic about a little shit who collected sad, abandoned children like they were playthings and then proceeded to emotionally and mentally abuse them on a hellish mindfuck of an island? Neverland was nightmarish, and not just because of Pan himself - but because of the whole dark aura of the place that sunk its claws into you, pulled your fears to the forefront, and flaunted them in your face. He’d rather not take a trip back there, ever. But alas, anyway. He waved his hand (on the other he wore a black glove while he waited for his prosthetic to arrive, similar to what he sometimes wore in Storybrooke rather than the hook - it just seemed ridiculous to have that on in his own house and he didn’t need the bandages anymore) to indicate that Robin should continue. “Go on then, love.” Robin had not been raised on Disney movies. In fact, she hadn’t even seen her first Disney movie until she had been in high school. Fairy tales had been told to her in their raw form, unedited and compiled into anthologies given to her by her mother’s colleagues, who honestly had very little to no idea the types of bedtime stories a small child ought to be hearing. A few had given her nightmares, but none of them even compared to what Killian was telling her now. But there was something she had gleaned from the madness. She took a moment to put her thoughts into words before she spoke again. “The man that you are in your dreams is a strong one, capable of love and from that love you...endure isn’t the word I want to use here, nor is persevere, but something along those lines...you do good things. Such as rescuing that boy. Making sure Princess Charming’s parents met and fall in love. I don’t know all the details, of course,” she smiled at him fondly, “but from what you’ve told me I would say that Princess Charming is very fortunate that you found her. Or she you.” Robin picked up her glass and took a sip of water before continuing. “The people we are in our dreams may be us or they may not. No one on the network can say definitively one way or another, and I honestly doubt we will ever truly know. However, from what I’ve heard from the others, from what I’ve experienced myself, I think I the Dreams are a window. We can see inside the worlds they show us and sometimes things come through,” her eyes lit momentarily on Killian’s glove, her own hand moving towards her side where Crocodile had stabbed her, “but we decide in the end who we are and who we want to be. In the end we have a choice that those in our dreams did not. I won’t lie and say that it’s an easy or simple choice, but I also think that’s why we Dreamers are drawn together the way we are. So we can help one another through the trials the dreams present us with.” Robin took another sip of her glass. “That is what I think, anyway.” Princess Charming. Killian appreciated what Robin had to say, he did, but that just got him laughing - a guffaw, more like, since it was the funniest thing he had heard in awhile. “She’s far from charming,” he quipped. “Perhaps in her own special way, but a bit rough around the edges. Her name’s Emma though, I don’t think she’s ever gone by princess anything.” He leaned into the back of the sofa, stretching out a little in that long and lithe way of his, feet resting on the edge of the coffee table. “We’ll see though, darling.” His arms crossed loosely, as he relaxed a little. At least more so than he had been before. “You’ve got to take the bad with the good, and all that rot. Nothing’s ever perfect.” Laughter was exactly what was needed at that moment. Robin folded her arms and feigned a little hurt expression, “I don’t appreciate being laughed at, Mr. Jones,” she teased. She gave a dismissive wave of her hand, “everyone has their charming moments. I believe we’ve talked about that before,” she winked at him. She agreed with him. You did have to take the good with the bad. She had gotten so wrapped up in what was happening to her friends, she’d forgot that fact. She appreciated the reminder. “Yes. All that rot, indeed.” She settled on the sofa next to Killian and put her feet up as well, her arms folded loosely over her belly. Her eyes fell on the box containing the lingerie Kenzi had given her. She had completely forgotten she’d brought it. She wasn’t so nervous about putting it on anymore. She rolled her head a little to the side to look at Killian. “Did you want to see the present your sister so thoughtfully gave me? I can even show you my silly walk with it on.” She smiled impishly, “Then you’ll have a reason to laugh at me.” His laugh was low, and rum-rich, positively delighted. Robin needn’t be offended - and Killian had nearly forgotten what it was like to laugh anyway. Nice to actually have one slip free, after all that inner turmoil. Settling in for the night seemed like a good idea to him; all that food made him lethargic anyway, and he had been promised a silly walk long, long ago. “Oh, certainly, let’s see it,” he nodded. “I wait with bated breath, my lady.” |