2025.06.18
https://archiveofourown.org/works/72286486/
He's ten and he's in love.
Victoria is the divine incarnate, ineffability made flesh, and Kidd would worship at her altar until the oceans dried up and the world ended. His mother thinks he's being ridiculous, but Kidd will hear no blaspheme of the transcendent guardian nymph of Kutzk.
Shiruton Doruyanaika is sixteen, and easily the absolute coolest person Kidd has ever met. And she will wave off her entourage of badass renegades to talk to him. To HIM!
He knows he's not worthy, but he can't help be beam at the fact that of all the other shitheads on the island, he's the one to get the extra attention. He's the one to get her stories, her fantastical tales of the world outside their island. The places she will go one day, her grand plans for piracy on the high seas.
Her finding the One Piece - Being the next Pirate King.
He's already decided - he's going with her when she does set sail, even if he has to stow away. He'll write his mother once they're too far away to bring him back, let her know of their adventures.
There's a commotion outside in the alleyway. Kidd is peaking over the window sill where someone has broken into his dad's shed out back. Momma locked it up when he passed, but Kidd's been able to ask the lock to open for him for a few years now. (He doesn't like keeping secrets from his mother but he's pretty sure he shouldn't be able to talk metal like he does and it only happened after he stole some fruit from one of the stands when they went shopping. He didn't say anything because it was so gross, and also, she'd be disappointed in him for thieving.) But someone else in in there now, light flickering faintly - maybe nothing more than a single candle. Kidd can't see anyone else lurking, but there's shadows moving in the shed. He's got a length of pipe in his room, and he takes it in hand before he's sneaking out his window to investigate. The locks been jimmied open, but left unlatched, and he asked the hinges to stay quiet as he snuck inside, armed and ready to thrash some trespassers. He wasn't expecting Victoria to be there under the candle light. And he certainly wasn't expecting her to be in his father's shed with another boy. He felt numb, pipe falling to his side as he looked at her, betrayed, where she was straddling some teenager, sitting on his lap, pinning him to the ground. "Uilleam?" She looked as surprised to see him so there was at least that. "What are you doing up this late?" Kidd wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer that. After all, she had broken in to his father's shed. "What's going on?" She glanced down, before offering him an awkward smile, "Hey Kiddo, why don't you go back to bed, yeah? I'll explain in the morning, okay?" That's when he really looked at the boy under her, and the scene started to make even less sense. It was more that Victoria had the boy pinned down, both of his hands shackled together under her own hands, her knees pinned his arms to his sides. There were shackles on the boy's ankles too. He was dirty, bloody, barefoot. He wasn't speaking words, just muffled snarls. Someone had fixed some kind of metal muzzle or mask over his mouth, and it was clearly meant as a punishment, judging by the fresh blood dripping down from under it. It also seemed too small by the way it cut into his cheeks. His dirty blind bangs mostly covered his face, but in his struggle under Victoria they'd fallen away, and the teen was glaring at Kidd with the coldest blue eyes he'd ever seen. Eyes that promised to murder them both the moment he was free. So much fury, but in a calm frigid way. It should of scared Kidd - instead, he set the pipe by the door and knelt down to inspect the muzzle. "Careful," Victoria warned, and Kidd glanced over to notice then she had some of his dad's tools scattered around. She'd been trying to force the locks off the boy's restraints. Kidd turned back to the muzzle. It was iron, and it hummed back to him as he investigated it further. He frowned as felt it out, there was something more to the mask. Ignoring Victoria, ignoring the glares, he turned the teen's head and listened. "Its a branks..." he said with horror once he realized what he was looking at. Which would explain the blood. Still ignoring the two, Kidd followed the crease of the metal plating, asking it nicely to unlatch itself. He could feel the tumbler pins moving when he prompted them, and then the front plate loosened and clicked free. No one moved for a long moment, and Kidd carefully pulled the mask to himself, being sure to life it straight away as to now catch or tear anthting more as it was removed. Against the plate was a bit piece that had been forced into the teen's mouth, a metal tongue depressor with a dull spike on the back that had torn into his mouth, the bit cutting at the edges of his lips. The mask was indeed too small, fresh cuts and old scars where it had pressed into his cheeks and the underside of his nose for far too long. The murderous aura was gone, the boy working his jaw, licking chapped lips like he was afraid he couldn't and it was just a cruel trick. "Killer?" Victoria asked, gently jostling the still bound hands. He turned to her, working his mouth, but saying nothing. He looked stunned, unable to understand what Kidd had just done. Victoria sat up, letting go of his hands to wipe the blood from his chin with his shirt collar. "See, I told you I would fix this," she told him gently, fixing his shirt once she was done cleaning his face off. He was still bleeding in a few places, but he was like a completely different person, calm wide-eyed and meek. He looked up at her with the same reverence that Kidd often did. At first, it annoyed him; Kidd was Victoria's first partisan and he wasn't about to let some teenager muscle in. But then 'Killer' - as Victoria had called him - turned and looked at Kidd with that same zealous awe in his face. It was too much to take, Kidd looking away first to inspect the cuffs. "The kid's gonna get these off, just you wait." And he did. Same with the shackles around his ankles. <><><><> Victoria suggested keeping Killer hidden in his shed for the time being, and she'd make her self scarce for the next few days in case someone was watching her to figure out where Killer had gone. Which raised more questions for Kidd, but Victoria was asking a favour of him, so of course he'd do what she asked. "Killer'll stay put if you tell him too - he's really good about following orders when he's calm." She smiled, patting the dirty blond head like he was a puppy or something. "Stay here," she told Killer, "Uilleam's good people, and he tells you to do something, you do it, okay?" The teen stared at her for a long moment, before finally nodding. Victoria left then, kissing Kidd's check with a "thank you" as she passed by, stunning Kidd from arguing with her as all thoughts fluttered right out of his head. Leaving him alone in the shed in the dead of night with a strange, possibly mute, teenager apparently named Killer who'd been in shackles and a branks just an hour before. His face was bleeding a little bit again. Killer just sat cross legged across from Kidd, staring at him intensely. Kidd realized that Victoria's last words had been for him to do what Kidd said, and it appeared he was waiting for orders or something. <><><<><> Killer was holding the branks out to him, like he was expecting Kidd to take it. No, like he was expecting Kidd to put it back on him. "I bite." he said, his first words. His voice was rough, tone flat. "So?" Kidd didn't like what Killer was implying. Killer looked confused, like he wasn't sure how to explain something so obvious to him. "I bite" he said again. ........ Kidd studied the bit on the mask, asking it to loosen as he wiggled the metal back and forth. Killer seemed to be watching intently as the weld weakened and then the bit with its spike snapped free. Kidd ran his thumb over the weld seem, it was still rough... He ditched the bit, taking the front plate over and rooting though his dad's old tools so he could find something to smooth the inside back down. Killer didn't move, not even to blink it seemed, watching him. If Killer was insinstant on wearing the mask, Kidd wasn't going to stop him. But he wasn't going to torture the older boy either. He also loosened the straps that held it in place so it wasn't cutting into his face anymore either.. <><><><><> He was expecting to sneak out into the shed with some food he'd brought back from market before going inside, but his momma was sitting on the front porch waiting for him. "Uilleam." Oh... oh she was not pleased with him, "afternoon momma...." She studied him for a long moment. "How long?" She could mean any number of things, and Kidd wasn't ready to confess to anything until he knew what she knew. "What ever do you mean, momma?" "Don't even give me that. The boy in my shed, Uilleam!" Her finding Killer wasn't anywhere on his list of possible crimes he'd be needing to confess to today.
There's a commotion outside in the alleyway. Kidd is peaking over the window sill where someone has broken into his dad's shed out back. Momma locked it up when he passed, but Kidd's been able to ask the lock to open for him for a few years now. (He doesn't like keeping secrets from his mother but he's pretty sure he shouldn't be able to talk metal like he does and it only happened after he stole some fruit from one of the stands when they went shopping. He didn't say anything because it was so gross, and also, she'd be disappointed in him for thieving.) But someone else in in there now, light flickering faintly - maybe nothing more than a single candle. Kidd can't see anyone else lurking, but there's shadows moving in the shed. He's got a length of pipe in his room, and he takes it in hand before he's sneaking out his window to investigate. The locks been jimmied open, but left unlatched, and he asked the hinges to stay quiet as he snuck inside, armed and ready to thrash some trespassers. He wasn't expecting Victoria to be there under the candle light. And he certainly wasn't expecting her to be in his father's shed with another boy. He felt numb, pipe falling to his side as he looked at her, betrayed, where she was straddling some teenager, sitting on his lap, pinning him to the ground. "Uilleam?" She looked as surprised to see him so there was at least that. "What are you doing up this late?" Kidd wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer that. After all, she had broken in to his father's shed. "What's going on?" She glanced down, before offering him an awkward smile, "Hey Kiddo, why don't you go back to bed, yeah? I'll explain in the morning, okay?" That's when he really looked at the boy under her, and the scene started to make even less sense. It was more that Victoria had the boy pinned down, both of his hands shackled together under her own hands, her knees pinned his arms to his sides. There were shackles on the boy's ankles too. He was dirty, bloody, barefoot. He wasn't speaking words, just muffled snarls. Someone had fixed some kind of metal muzzle or mask over his mouth, and it was clearly meant as a punishment, judging by the fresh blood dripping down from under it. It also seemed too small by the way it cut into his cheeks. His dirty blind bangs mostly covered his face, but in his struggle under Victoria they'd fallen away, and the teen was glaring at Kidd with the coldest blue eyes he'd ever seen. Eyes that promised to murder them both the moment he was free. So much fury, but in a calm frigid way. It should of scared Kidd - instead, he set the pipe by the door and knelt down to inspect the muzzle. "Careful," Victoria warned, and Kidd glanced over to notice then she had some of his dad's tools scattered around. She'd been trying to force the locks off the boy's restraints. Kidd turned back to the muzzle. It was iron, and it hummed back to him as he investigated it further. He frowned as felt it out, there was something more to the mask. Ignoring Victoria, ignoring the glares, he turned the teen's head and listened. "Its a branks..." he said with horror once he realized what he was looking at. Which would explain the blood. Still ignoring the two, Kidd followed the crease of the metal plating, asking it nicely to unlatch itself. He could feel the tumbler pins moving when he prompted them, and then the front plate loosened and clicked free. No one moved for a long moment, and Kidd carefully pulled the mask to himself, being sure to life it straight away as to now catch or tear anthting more as it was removed. Against the plate was a bit piece that had been forced into the teen's mouth, a metal tongue depressor with a dull spike on the back that had torn into his mouth, the bit cutting at the edges of his lips. The mask was indeed too small, fresh cuts and old scars where it had pressed into his cheeks and the underside of his nose for far too long. The murderous aura was gone, the boy working his jaw, licking chapped lips like he was afraid he couldn't and it was just a cruel trick. "Killer?" Victoria asked, gently jostling the still bound hands. He turned to her, working his mouth, but saying nothing. He looked stunned, unable to understand what Kidd had just done. Victoria sat up, letting go of his hands to wipe the blood from his chin with his shirt collar. "See, I told you I would fix this," she told him gently, fixing his shirt once she was done cleaning his face off. He was still bleeding in a few places, but he was like a completely different person, calm wide-eyed and meek. He looked up at her with the same reverence that Kidd often did. At first, it annoyed him; Kidd was Victoria's first partisan and he wasn't about to let some teenager muscle in. But then 'Killer' - as Victoria had called him - turned and looked at Kidd with that same zealous awe in his face. It was too much to take, Kidd looking away first to inspect the cuffs. "The kid's gonna get these off, just you wait." And he did. Same with the shackles around his ankles. <><><><> Victoria suggested keeping Killer hidden in his shed for the time being, and she'd make her self scarce for the next few days in case someone was watching her to figure out where Killer had gone. Which raised more questions for Kidd, but Victoria was asking a favour of him, so of course he'd do what she asked. "Killer'll stay put if you tell him too - he's really good about following orders when he's calm." She smiled, patting the dirty blond head like he was a puppy or something. "Stay here," she told Killer, "Uilleam's good people, and he tells you to do something, you do it, okay?" The teen stared at her for a long moment, before finally nodding. Victoria left then, kissing Kidd's check with a "thank you" as she passed by, stunning Kidd from arguing with her as all thoughts fluttered right out of his head. Leaving him alone in the shed in the dead of night with a strange, possibly mute, teenager apparently named Killer who'd been in shackles and a branks just an hour before. His face was bleeding a little bit again. Killer just sat cross legged across from Kidd, staring at him intensely. Kidd realized that Victoria's last words had been for him to do what Kidd said, and it appeared he was waiting for orders or something. <><><<><> Killer was holding the branks out to him, like he was expecting Kidd to take it. No, like he was expecting Kidd to put it back on him. "I bite." he said, his first words. His voice was rough, tone flat. "So?" Kidd didn't like what Killer was implying. Killer looked confused, like he wasn't sure how to explain something so obvious to him. "I bite" he said again. ........ Kidd studied the bit on the mask, asking it to loosen as he wiggled the metal back and forth. Killer seemed to be watching intently as the weld weakened and then the bit with its spike snapped free. Kidd ran his thumb over the weld seem, it was still rough... He ditched the bit, taking the front plate over and rooting though his dad's old tools so he could find something to smooth the inside back down. Killer didn't move, not even to blink it seemed, watching him. If Killer was insinstant on wearing the mask, Kidd wasn't going to stop him. But he wasn't going to torture the older boy either. He also loosened the straps that held it in place so it wasn't cutting into his face anymore either.. <><><><><> He was expecting to sneak out into the shed with some food he'd brought back from market before going inside, but his momma was sitting on the front porch waiting for him. "Uilleam." Oh... oh she was not pleased with him, "afternoon momma...." She studied him for a long moment. "How long?" She could mean any number of things, and Kidd wasn't ready to confess to anything until he knew what she knew. "What ever do you mean, momma?" "Don't even give me that. The boy in my shed, Uilleam!" Her finding Killer wasn't anywhere on his list of possible crimes he'd be needing to confess to today.
She angrily comments on how the gods hate goddesses having affairs with mortals. Calypso provides Odysseus with an axe, drill, and adze to build a boat. Calypso leads Odysseus to an island where he can chop down trees and make planks for his boat. Calypso also provides him with wine, bread, clothing, and more materials for his boat. The goddess then sets wind at his back when he sets sail. After seven years, Odysseus has built his boat and leaves Calypso The story of Odysseus and Calypso has some close resemblances to the interactions between Gilgamesh and Siduri in the Epic of Gilgamesh in that "the lone female plies the inconsolable hero-wanderer with drink and sends him off to a place beyond the sea reserved for a special class of honoured people" and "to prepare for the voyage he has to cut down and trim timbers".
When she meets Gilgamesh, who mourns after the death of Enkidu, she suggests that instead of pursuing immortality, he should accept that death is the ultimate fate of mankind and instead enjoy his life on earth and start a family. He does not react to this advice, but rather asks her to direct him to Utnapishtim.
discord convo expansion:
Okok, I've reread it So Vic knew Kilkil for a long time before boy was in fighting ring? I "love" branks. Ig, it's new hc why Killer wears mask How did Brichtrede find out about Kil? And where's Kid's dad?
Still kinda figuring it all out myslef Im thinking they haven't know each other as long as you'd expect. Maybe max of 6 months? And that vicky probably never knew him before the fight ring *>maybe...... see second option either she got involved in questionable work for quick pay and ended up working in some compacity during one of the cage matches and pitied him she was looking for a friend of hers who's gone missing and her leads led to to killer - who is not the girl she was looking for but might be the little brother who's also been missing for a few years or something completely different that i haven't thought up yet. Regardless she is horrified by what she's found and when a chance opportunity arises to sneak killer out she takes it They're horrifing! I've had it sitting in the back pocket trying to figure out how and when to use it and tada! here we are There's a strange feral teenager living in her shed. It was only a matter of time. Also - kidd is not as sneaky as he thinks he is and she got suspicious at how often he was going out to the back yard. It only took her as long as it did because she doesn't know kidd can unlock the door when she has the only key dad has passed away. Dunno more yet but mom is still grieving :( im thinking its been maybe a year or less In Brichtrede's defense... she thought her son had a dog or something he was hiding from her, not a whole ass teenager
*thinking* I like the friend gone missing one. Works well with ur timeline hcs that kids were sold off If in fight ring there wasn't rule that only boys fight boys and only girls fight girls, Killer could be forced (due to his traumatic experience he doesn't understand it) to fight and kill his own siblings. Maybe, the friend was stolen and brought to the ring (or, friend could be told that their lil brother is alive and they could come and see him) but Killer doesn't recognise them and kills (maybe, that's when he started biting and was forced into branks) They're horrifying and i can't even imagine how fucking difficult is for boy to eat, swallow or speak. He must be in so much pain constantly Will u burn down the Eustass tavern again? Well.... Killer is.... Pretty much like kicked feral puppy here.... Follows orders, has muzzle, doesn't make much human noises....
So.... funny you should bring that up..... i was tentatively thinking of Victoria being an escort who would sometimes take cash on the side to sleep with clients. She's offered good money to 'reward' one of the fighters for putting on such a good show in the ring. She notices its not the guy who won all his fights though (killer) and she asks about it. His handers laugh and say they tried that with him once when he first won again the adults, bought him a whore for the night and he killed her immediately instead. Hes just been so tramatized and beaten down he equates anyone in his cell or cage as a threat. So they haven't bothered trying again. Its terrifying for Victoria to hear (especially since shes about to go onto the cage of another fighter but she also finds it horrificily sad. That Killer has probably gone years without a single kind touch form anyone). i didnt end up going that route, but pulling something like that back where maybe Vicky's friend was actually his older sister who hunted him down to free him.... and he didnt understand and killed her? The issue it brings up is why hes so docile after kidd and vicky do free him? *thinking* Okay... some more idea/word vomit off the cuff.... possibly could be the Killer is very good at following rules even if they're more ones he's made up as opossed to anything official? Like.. the boy is lethal- his handlers only undo the restraints fully for a fight but they dont actually need to. Killer is only lethal in the fighting ring/his cell because those are the places he gets hurt but is allowed to fight back. And because he's allowed to hit back he does so quickly - before they even have a chance to hurt him. Outside of thise places, he's not allowed to fight back, he knows this even without the branks and shackles. But hes told over and over when they put the branks on its becuse he bites and he's just come to accept that at face value. He has no concept of the idea they make him wear it because they're afraid he'll bite them (he wouldn't. Its not the fighting ring. And we're sidetabling the part about his cell for now.) This could put him in high stress fight or flight when he's in the shed with Victoria and why he oozes murder. Its a small enclosed space and he doesn't understand. Victoria is trying to get him ready for a fight as far as he can tell but he doesn't want to fight her. And when kidd first shows up he things he must be here to fight kidd. But he cant because hes still shackled. So because Victoria cant get the branks off, killer thinks kidd is doing to hurt him and he can't do anything about it. So when kidd takes it off instead, doesn't try to hurt him at all, killer reorients. This is not a fighting cage, even though it is small and enclosed. That migth work? Yeah, lots of times they make the wearer a drooling mess- dehydration and humiliation in equal messures. Keeping your mouth relaxed would make it sore but would keep ks from hurting, wereas trying to talk meant choking on the spike and facial expressins could cause the lips to catch on the bit's edges There's probably set times were they would take it off to let him eat - possibility even only after a match if he'd done well? Dunno yet... maybe thats how dad died? Momma Brichtrede and kidd got out but he didn't? He's just a rescued golden retriever in human form, looking for a new forever home. He's got some behavior issues and needs someone who's willing to be patient with him but he really is a good boy. Not included is that Brichtrede did all day once she found dirty little teenager while waiting for kidd to come home. she coaxes him into the house proper and at least gets his hair washed. He's currently sitting in a bathtub of warm water (still in his underwear) just kinda vibing. He's so happy even if it just looks He's just sitting there
o.o Ur route got me thinking about kinda mixing "friend killed" and "escort Vic" What if she was actually escort and was kinda "usual" here? Vic could see other children being shackled and beaten but Kilkil's really looks like his sibling and she's told a story about him killing them (instead of prostitute) And therefore she was usual and was with handlers, Killer thought she's in power So when she "stole" him and hid in shed, he was listening to her commands 'cause she's higher in rank (she's not, boy just doesn't understand it) and is thinking she wants him to fight someone Still thinking about "looked in awe". Does Killer understand that he's free now? Or he's so damn grateful they haven't beaten him up? Oh my Shayla T_T She wasn't pleased to see him at first, i suppose Probably even yelled at him but seeing no response (and pure fear), gave up and changed tactic Ths boy didn't attack her 'cause she looks so much like Kid, so he understands that Brichtrede is in even higher rank than Kid is
ohhh! okay! yeah. it helps to why he's willing to leave with her in the first place - if he sees her as an authority figure. He doesn't understand the hierarchy outside the fighters and handlers. But when he does see her, she's always with the people who knows are the 'untouchables' > might be people he's not even allowed to look at normally. maybe Vicky took an escort job here in the first place because she was looking for her friend and thought it was a good cover {she was right} She's good at it, and she's hired regularly so one of the upper bosses can pretend she's is long time girlfriend Victoria as also been trying to force the branks open when kidd finds them - and bless her heart, she's trying - but she's hurting him. i was implying that she didn't realise it wasn't just a mask/muzzle. she didn't know there was the bit in his mouth, so pulling and tugging on the metal is agony for him. Killer doesn't understand what going on. its a strange place, and Victoria's never been violent to him before, but she's so invested in getting the restraints off she's accidently ignoring him as a person. Then there's Kidd, and Killer's starting to panic because he thinks he must be there to fight Kidd, but they're not ready. Killer wouldn't have hesitated to kill if their positions are reversed, to he's fully expecting to have to fight Kidd off while still chained. {he's feeling betrayed by Victoria here too. She's been sitting here hurting him. Instead of unchaining him, she's going to make him fight handicapped. she kept talking about 'fixing' this - and he thinks she must of been talking about 'fixing' a fight - she's set him up to lose} So when Kidd takes the branks - and so EASY and gently - Killer has no script. Victoria is cleaning him up and Kidd takes the shackles off and they're not hurting him. Kidd never does anything that ever comes off as aggressing or violent to him. Even Vicky - even if she didn't intend to - hurt him. Kidd is maybe the only person to ever both look at him and yet not hurt him. He doesn't understand the context - the idea of 'freedom' is beyond his comprehension. Same with Kidd - he has no context to put this kid in. holy shit - Kidd is Killer's nika!!! like.. trying to find a way to explain this, and just bam!! that's the look of awe. (dunno if killer's even ever heard of nika, but it's that kind of reverence that he has looking at Kidd) Kidd made Killer a little bed - He's ten, he's so dumb - under he's dad's old work bench, and Killer's is just kinda sitting there waiting for him to come back. (he's good at sitting and waiting quietly. been doing it between matches for most of his life) Brichtrede unlocks the shed (she's sure his son has been messing in here, but how?) and oH!!!! i got it!!! Killer comes out immediately, and kneels at the edge of the 'bed' like he's waiting for instructions. He doesn't even question who this lady is, he's just been so conditioned to submit to handlers that he 'assumes the position' When Brichtrede finally notices him there, she jumps/yells/ect and maybe intrinsically throws something at him. Not sure what he's suppose to do - is this his cell? is he allowed to defend her? Is this a handler or a fighter? - he hides under the bench. He needs Kidd to tell him the rules, he doesn't know what to do!! When Momma calms down and realizes that was a freaking person she slowly approaches, not sure what's going on either. Killer is curled up in the back of cubby, and he growls at her when she looks in on him. All she sees though is this dirty ragmuffin and he looks so scared of her. even her own child never looked so scared when he legit fucked up (only example i could think of was like - catching something on fire, but if we bring the tavern down maybe something else?) She talks him out of hiding, and gets him in the house, makes him something simple like soup. She starts by wiping his face clean with a rag, but it only goes to show how dirty he is. she starts by brushing the knots of out his hair while he's eating, and he like it, so she's able to talk him into letting her rinse it at least in sink. Before she knows it, she's got him sitting on the floor in the bathroom, full on shampooing and scrubbing his hair clean over the tub lip. by the time she's getting the condition in to set he's over the moon. He was already starting to understand that her and Kidd are somehow connected, and this just cements her as being very important. Eventually, she gets him scrubbed off (straight into the bath is jsut going to lead to black water) and has his clothes getting laundered and has him sitting in a shallow bath of warm water. her heart aches at how delighted just that seems to make him, and she has to walk away. She has to step outside, sitting heavy down on the pouch seat. What the hell has her son gotten involved in?
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