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hetalia2011-10-05 04:12 am
karuka-ikashi.livejournal.com) wrote in hetalia2011-10-05 04:12 am
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[FIC] Initiation (2/?)
Title: Initiation
Chapter: One, The Challenge
Characters: Romano, Spain
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure, AU
Rating: T for violence and the dragon’s mouth
Verse inspired by this RP
Summary: Lovino is a dragon trapped in human form who was once considered the property of an evil wizard. When Captain Antonio rescues him and brings him to join his pirates, Lovino must undergo a series of tests in order to become an official member of the crew.
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Challenge
Lovino couldn’t believe he was doing this. He had sworn to himself that he’d never do anything just to make a bunch of stupid humans happy, and yet, here he was, giving in and adapting himself to their strange ways. It had taken a lot of pestering and convincing on Antonio’s part to finally get him to agree to go through with the initiation, but the dragon still doubted it was a good idea. Would his crewmates mock him for trying to become one of them when he obviously was nothing close to a real pirate? Even if the captain dressed him like one, inside, Lovino would always be a dragon. There was no helping that. No ceremony was ever going to make him more human. But it was worth a try. Lovino really didn’t see what he had to lose when half the men on the ship still saw him as an animal, though none dared to say so out loud with Antonio around. I’ll show them…They won’t be able to say I’m not part of the crew after this, anyway.
Maybe Lovino wasn’t even really doing this for them anymore. He had spent long enough on this ship; it was about time he was shown some respect, and if this was the only way to get it, then so be it. It was only one night after all.
/
It had been several days since the rivals had attacked the ship. Repairs had been made, provisions had been restocked, and every crew member that had survived was recovering quickly, Lovino included. It seemed the dragon healed faster than most people thanks to the magic in his blood. It didn’t mean that Antonio stopped fussing over him, though. He was doing it now as Lovino sat on his bed.
“Are you sure you feel okay?” the captain asked for the third time that day.
“I told you, I’m fine, dammit,” the dragon growled. “Are we going to start already?”
“Patience,” Antonio chuckled, removing Lovino’s bandages for the last time. “Looking great today! I still can’t believe it healed that quickly.”
“Don’t touch it,” Lovino muttered as the captain’s fingers hovered over the sensitive new skin of the tender area.
“Don’t worry,” Antonio replied, drawing his fingers back. “I’m just glad to see you’re getting better, Lovi.”
“Don’t call me that, bastard!”
Antonio laughed and leaned back from the warning flames Lovino blew in his direction. By now the captain was used to this.
“Sorry! Sorry…”
“Are you done now? I want to get this over with.”
“Now, now,” Antonio chided. “There’s one more thing you need.”
Walking over to the wardrobe, he opened it up, taking out a fresh change of clothes, nothing too formal, but a bit nicer than what the dragon was wearing at the moment. Lovino frowned instantly. He hated uncomfortable clothes, or “skins,” as he called them. The dragon really saw no point in them, and he was more than a little reluctant to wear them.
“I’m not putting those on, dammit,” he growled as Antonio approached him holding an outfit Lovino already knew he would look ridiculous in. “I’m not going to give the crew another reason to laugh at me.”
“They wouldn’t dare,” the captain answered, laying the clothes next to him on the bed. “Now get dressed. I can’t present you to the crew until you’re ready.”
“I don’t want to,” the dragon protested stubbornly, pushing the clothes away.
“Lovino,” Antonio started, pleading but firm, “it’s only for one night. You can take them off as soon as the ceremony is over.”
The dragon stared at him and frowned. He knew the captain wouldn’t force him to do anything he really hated. Antonio respected him that much at least, and Lovino couldn’t help but be secretly grateful for that. Maybe the clothes weren’t such a big deal.
“This is so stupid,” Lovino muttered, but he pulled off his shirt and allowed Antonio to help him into the new skins. He was perfectly capable of dressing himself by now, but the bastard seemed to enjoy doing this, so Lovino let him. After the captain had smoothed out his shirt and tied a sash around his waist, he took a comb and started running it through Lovino’s hair, taking care to avoid that strange curl that triggered an aggressive reaction in the dragon that Antonio still wondered about. He wasn’t willing to lose another burnt-up shirt trying to solve this mystery at the moment, though.
“There! Ready! Shall we go?”
Lovino grunted and slowly followed his captain out the door, dragging his feet and still feeling like a fool. The sooner this was over, the better.
/
The two of them stood on the upper deck, looking down at the men below them. The sun was setting already, and there were torches carefully set up around the main part of the deck where everyone was working or lounging about. Antonio approached the railing overlooking the main part of his ship and bellowed down loudly to his crew, calling them to gather in the center of the vessel and listen to what he had to say.
"Señores, su capitán les habla!"
The dragon walked up to stand beside him, watching his crewmates. The men stopped what they were doing and came to stand before their captain, looking up at him expectantly. Lovino’s eyebrows were furrowed as he shifted next to the Spaniard, subconsciously pulling at the itchy skins he had dressed him in. Lovino hated this…What was the point of wearing such ridiculous clothing in front of a bunch of humans who rarely remembered to dress their top half anyway? He thought he could hear some of them snickering quietly amongst themselves on the lower part of the deck. Lovino glared down at them as Antonio placed a hand on his shoulder. The pirate didn’t look at him, but the dragon knew he was trying to reassure him somehow. He wasn’t entirely comforted with all the eyes staring up at him, though.
“This evening is an important one for our newest crew member. You’ve all met Lovino Vargas; he’s been living among us for a while now, but tonight, he becomes a full-fledged member of our crew. From now on, you must treat him as such and show him the respect of a fellow pirate.”
There were murmurs all around the deck. Of course they knew who he was. Lovino had already been living among them long enough for them to know what he was too. And despite the fact that Lovino was growing used to life on this ship, it was just as difficult for Antoni’s men to adjust to living with a dragon, if not more. There were few men that would even talk to him. Lovino was certain the ones who weren’t afraid of him still despised him, but he didn’t care. Why should he give a shit about what some stupid humans thought of him?
One thing Lovino had noticed, however, was how loyal most of the men acted towards Antonio, despite the times when the dragon doubted they would comply. No one said anything for a moment, not daring to question the captain’s decision, but there was always at least one stupid person who had to be different, and it was no surprise to the dragon who it turned out to be this time.
“Wait just a minute,” an angry voice growled. “You’re just going to let him in? Just like that? That’s bullshit! The rest of us all had to pass a series of tests before we were allowed to be part of this crew. Why should he be any different?! This is unfair special treatment!”
Lovino’s whole body tensed defensively. He glared down at the offender, but his anger was broken when he sensed a change in the body next to him. Turning, he saw Antonio’s green eyes blaring with anger one moment and then calm and cold the next. He watched the captain curiously and fidgeted a bit as the other spoke. Antonio rarely ever intimidated him, but the dragon couldn’t deny that the other man built up a frightening aura when he was angry.
“Raul,” Antonio started, his voice dropping down a bit but still loud enough for the person he was addressing to hear, “are you questioning your captain? I think perhaps you’d like to take a walk down the plank. No? Then how about you keep your mouth shut and not speak out against your captain’s decisions?”
The man on the lower deck gritted his teeth and seemed to reconsider his actions for a moment, but that stubborn look never faltered. He stepped forward boldly, ignoring the other crewmembers staring at him, and locked eyes with Antonio before giving Lovino a look of disgust.
“Forgive me, Captain,” he said in mock apology. “I forgot your precious pet had special privileges. Of course he shouldn’t have to pass the same tests as the rest of us.”
Something inside Lovino snapped, and all at once, he was rushing forward, spewing flames as he lunged. Antonio had to hold him back to keep him from throwing himself down onto the lower deck at Raul, but it wasn’t easy. The dragon was strong when he was angry and his blood was pumping fiercely throughout his body. He almost pulled the pirate down with him as he struggled to reach the man below them.
“I’M NO ONE’S PET!” he roared as the men looked at him in different levels of fear. Some were more concerned about the ship burning down than they were about the argument happening before them.
“Calm down, Lovi,” Antonio ordered quietly before glaring down at Raul. “You’ll hold your tongue unless you want to lose it,” he threatened.
Raul just scoffed, but didn’t say anything. Lovino managed to shove Antonio off him and threw the captain a reproachful look.
“I’m not afraid,” he growled at him before turning to the crew. “Do you hear me?! I’m not afraid of your fucking tests! If that’s what it takes, then I’ll do it, dammit!”
“Lovino,” Antonio started, but he couldn’t finish. Not after Lovino had made an announcement like that. The dragon knew it. The crew would only look down on their captain if he continued to insist that Lovino be exempted from the trial. He and Antonio exchanged a long look- his challenging and full of pride while Antonio’s was firm and serious. Lovino could sense the fear within him though. The captain was worried about him.
“Very well,” Antonio finally called loudly so the crew could hear him. “Lovino will undergo the full initiation. Set a course for the nearest island. The ordeal begins tomorrow night!”
There were murmurs among the men below them. Most of them seemed to approve of the new decision. Lovino snorted in contempt and left the deck, making his way back to Antonio’s room. After making sure the crew was busy and working again, the captain soon followed him.
Lovino settled down on the Spaniard’s bed, already helping himself to the tomatoes on the bedside table. He had taken over Antonio’s bed since the very first day he had been brought on board, and the captain hadn’t been allowed to sleep in it for weeks after. Now that Lovino trusted the pirate more, Antonio could at least sit on it and even stay for the night as long as he gave the dragon his space. There was only one exception where the pirate was permitted to be close, and that was-
“There’s a storm coming tonight,” Antonio said.
Lovino stiffened, tomato pressed to his lips. The dragon hated storms, especially those that came with so much fucking thunder and lightening, though he had never explained to the pirate exactly why. Some memories were just better left locked away.
He huffed and turned on his side, away from the pirate, spilling tomato juice onto the sheets uncaringly. He could feel the bed sink as Antonio sat down near him and growled a little around the tomato when the other put a hand on his shoulder.
“Lovino, are you sure you want to do this? It’s going to be really dangerous, and I’m worried that-”
“What?” Lovino snapped suddenly, squeezing the fruit he held so hard that its flesh squished in between his fingers. He rounded on the other man and glared daggers at his captain. “You think I can’t do it? I think some stupid human test is too hard for me?!”
Antonio winced slightly but he met Lovino’s fierce gaze with a serious expression.
“You could die. Do you think I rescued you from that prison just to watch your life end here? You don’t have to do this! It’s foolish and unnecessary!”
The dragon let out a frustrated grunt and threw the tomato away.
“You just don’t get it do you?” Lovino growled, straightening himself up on the bed and curling his lip. “Those bastards are never going to accept me if you keep treating me like a fucking child. I can’t just take the easy way out, dammit! I hate that bastard Raul, but he’s right! Giving me a free pass is no way to prove I’m a pirate. Sure, it’d be easier. You think I don’t know that? Doing this might sound stupid to you, ‘foolish,’ ‘unnecessary’…You can call it what you want, but to me, there’s no fucking choice! Even if I do this, I doubt they’ll see me as any more than your damn ‘pet,’ but if I don’t, then there’s no way they ever will!”
His heart was pounding with his fury and his breathes were coming out shorter, but the dragon still kept that hard look in his eyes. If they didn’t at least acknowledge him after this, then he really stood little chance. The dragon would show them what he was capable of . Lovino was confident that he could pass any test for humans. It really couldn’t be that hard.
Antonio stared at the other man for a moment silently. Lovino met his green eyes challengingly, pulling his lips back into a stubborn frown as he dared the captain to contradict him. Antonio leaned a bit closer to him and sighed. Then, without warning, he sprang towards Lovino, capturing him in a hug.
“Aw, Lovi! You really want to be a pirate, don’t you?!”
“LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!” the dragon roared.
Despite the storm, that night ended with Antonio sleeping on the floor and a charred hole scorched in his new shirt.
Chapter: One, The Challenge
Characters: Romano, Spain
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure, AU
Rating: T for violence and the dragon’s mouth
Verse inspired by this RP
Summary: Lovino is a dragon trapped in human form who was once considered the property of an evil wizard. When Captain Antonio rescues him and brings him to join his pirates, Lovino must undergo a series of tests in order to become an official member of the crew.
Introduction
Lovino couldn’t believe he was doing this. He had sworn to himself that he’d never do anything just to make a bunch of stupid humans happy, and yet, here he was, giving in and adapting himself to their strange ways. It had taken a lot of pestering and convincing on Antonio’s part to finally get him to agree to go through with the initiation, but the dragon still doubted it was a good idea. Would his crewmates mock him for trying to become one of them when he obviously was nothing close to a real pirate? Even if the captain dressed him like one, inside, Lovino would always be a dragon. There was no helping that. No ceremony was ever going to make him more human. But it was worth a try. Lovino really didn’t see what he had to lose when half the men on the ship still saw him as an animal, though none dared to say so out loud with Antonio around. I’ll show them…They won’t be able to say I’m not part of the crew after this, anyway.
Maybe Lovino wasn’t even really doing this for them anymore. He had spent long enough on this ship; it was about time he was shown some respect, and if this was the only way to get it, then so be it. It was only one night after all.
/
It had been several days since the rivals had attacked the ship. Repairs had been made, provisions had been restocked, and every crew member that had survived was recovering quickly, Lovino included. It seemed the dragon healed faster than most people thanks to the magic in his blood. It didn’t mean that Antonio stopped fussing over him, though. He was doing it now as Lovino sat on his bed.
“Are you sure you feel okay?” the captain asked for the third time that day.
“I told you, I’m fine, dammit,” the dragon growled. “Are we going to start already?”
“Patience,” Antonio chuckled, removing Lovino’s bandages for the last time. “Looking great today! I still can’t believe it healed that quickly.”
“Don’t touch it,” Lovino muttered as the captain’s fingers hovered over the sensitive new skin of the tender area.
“Don’t worry,” Antonio replied, drawing his fingers back. “I’m just glad to see you’re getting better, Lovi.”
“Don’t call me that, bastard!”
Antonio laughed and leaned back from the warning flames Lovino blew in his direction. By now the captain was used to this.
“Sorry! Sorry…”
“Are you done now? I want to get this over with.”
“Now, now,” Antonio chided. “There’s one more thing you need.”
Walking over to the wardrobe, he opened it up, taking out a fresh change of clothes, nothing too formal, but a bit nicer than what the dragon was wearing at the moment. Lovino frowned instantly. He hated uncomfortable clothes, or “skins,” as he called them. The dragon really saw no point in them, and he was more than a little reluctant to wear them.
“I’m not putting those on, dammit,” he growled as Antonio approached him holding an outfit Lovino already knew he would look ridiculous in. “I’m not going to give the crew another reason to laugh at me.”
“They wouldn’t dare,” the captain answered, laying the clothes next to him on the bed. “Now get dressed. I can’t present you to the crew until you’re ready.”
“I don’t want to,” the dragon protested stubbornly, pushing the clothes away.
“Lovino,” Antonio started, pleading but firm, “it’s only for one night. You can take them off as soon as the ceremony is over.”
The dragon stared at him and frowned. He knew the captain wouldn’t force him to do anything he really hated. Antonio respected him that much at least, and Lovino couldn’t help but be secretly grateful for that. Maybe the clothes weren’t such a big deal.
“This is so stupid,” Lovino muttered, but he pulled off his shirt and allowed Antonio to help him into the new skins. He was perfectly capable of dressing himself by now, but the bastard seemed to enjoy doing this, so Lovino let him. After the captain had smoothed out his shirt and tied a sash around his waist, he took a comb and started running it through Lovino’s hair, taking care to avoid that strange curl that triggered an aggressive reaction in the dragon that Antonio still wondered about. He wasn’t willing to lose another burnt-up shirt trying to solve this mystery at the moment, though.
“There! Ready! Shall we go?”
Lovino grunted and slowly followed his captain out the door, dragging his feet and still feeling like a fool. The sooner this was over, the better.
/
The two of them stood on the upper deck, looking down at the men below them. The sun was setting already, and there were torches carefully set up around the main part of the deck where everyone was working or lounging about. Antonio approached the railing overlooking the main part of his ship and bellowed down loudly to his crew, calling them to gather in the center of the vessel and listen to what he had to say.
"Señores, su capitán les habla!"
The dragon walked up to stand beside him, watching his crewmates. The men stopped what they were doing and came to stand before their captain, looking up at him expectantly. Lovino’s eyebrows were furrowed as he shifted next to the Spaniard, subconsciously pulling at the itchy skins he had dressed him in. Lovino hated this…What was the point of wearing such ridiculous clothing in front of a bunch of humans who rarely remembered to dress their top half anyway? He thought he could hear some of them snickering quietly amongst themselves on the lower part of the deck. Lovino glared down at them as Antonio placed a hand on his shoulder. The pirate didn’t look at him, but the dragon knew he was trying to reassure him somehow. He wasn’t entirely comforted with all the eyes staring up at him, though.
“This evening is an important one for our newest crew member. You’ve all met Lovino Vargas; he’s been living among us for a while now, but tonight, he becomes a full-fledged member of our crew. From now on, you must treat him as such and show him the respect of a fellow pirate.”
There were murmurs all around the deck. Of course they knew who he was. Lovino had already been living among them long enough for them to know what he was too. And despite the fact that Lovino was growing used to life on this ship, it was just as difficult for Antoni’s men to adjust to living with a dragon, if not more. There were few men that would even talk to him. Lovino was certain the ones who weren’t afraid of him still despised him, but he didn’t care. Why should he give a shit about what some stupid humans thought of him?
One thing Lovino had noticed, however, was how loyal most of the men acted towards Antonio, despite the times when the dragon doubted they would comply. No one said anything for a moment, not daring to question the captain’s decision, but there was always at least one stupid person who had to be different, and it was no surprise to the dragon who it turned out to be this time.
“Wait just a minute,” an angry voice growled. “You’re just going to let him in? Just like that? That’s bullshit! The rest of us all had to pass a series of tests before we were allowed to be part of this crew. Why should he be any different?! This is unfair special treatment!”
Lovino’s whole body tensed defensively. He glared down at the offender, but his anger was broken when he sensed a change in the body next to him. Turning, he saw Antonio’s green eyes blaring with anger one moment and then calm and cold the next. He watched the captain curiously and fidgeted a bit as the other spoke. Antonio rarely ever intimidated him, but the dragon couldn’t deny that the other man built up a frightening aura when he was angry.
“Raul,” Antonio started, his voice dropping down a bit but still loud enough for the person he was addressing to hear, “are you questioning your captain? I think perhaps you’d like to take a walk down the plank. No? Then how about you keep your mouth shut and not speak out against your captain’s decisions?”
The man on the lower deck gritted his teeth and seemed to reconsider his actions for a moment, but that stubborn look never faltered. He stepped forward boldly, ignoring the other crewmembers staring at him, and locked eyes with Antonio before giving Lovino a look of disgust.
“Forgive me, Captain,” he said in mock apology. “I forgot your precious pet had special privileges. Of course he shouldn’t have to pass the same tests as the rest of us.”
Something inside Lovino snapped, and all at once, he was rushing forward, spewing flames as he lunged. Antonio had to hold him back to keep him from throwing himself down onto the lower deck at Raul, but it wasn’t easy. The dragon was strong when he was angry and his blood was pumping fiercely throughout his body. He almost pulled the pirate down with him as he struggled to reach the man below them.
“I’M NO ONE’S PET!” he roared as the men looked at him in different levels of fear. Some were more concerned about the ship burning down than they were about the argument happening before them.
“Calm down, Lovi,” Antonio ordered quietly before glaring down at Raul. “You’ll hold your tongue unless you want to lose it,” he threatened.
Raul just scoffed, but didn’t say anything. Lovino managed to shove Antonio off him and threw the captain a reproachful look.
“I’m not afraid,” he growled at him before turning to the crew. “Do you hear me?! I’m not afraid of your fucking tests! If that’s what it takes, then I’ll do it, dammit!”
“Lovino,” Antonio started, but he couldn’t finish. Not after Lovino had made an announcement like that. The dragon knew it. The crew would only look down on their captain if he continued to insist that Lovino be exempted from the trial. He and Antonio exchanged a long look- his challenging and full of pride while Antonio’s was firm and serious. Lovino could sense the fear within him though. The captain was worried about him.
“Very well,” Antonio finally called loudly so the crew could hear him. “Lovino will undergo the full initiation. Set a course for the nearest island. The ordeal begins tomorrow night!”
There were murmurs among the men below them. Most of them seemed to approve of the new decision. Lovino snorted in contempt and left the deck, making his way back to Antonio’s room. After making sure the crew was busy and working again, the captain soon followed him.
Lovino settled down on the Spaniard’s bed, already helping himself to the tomatoes on the bedside table. He had taken over Antonio’s bed since the very first day he had been brought on board, and the captain hadn’t been allowed to sleep in it for weeks after. Now that Lovino trusted the pirate more, Antonio could at least sit on it and even stay for the night as long as he gave the dragon his space. There was only one exception where the pirate was permitted to be close, and that was-
“There’s a storm coming tonight,” Antonio said.
Lovino stiffened, tomato pressed to his lips. The dragon hated storms, especially those that came with so much fucking thunder and lightening, though he had never explained to the pirate exactly why. Some memories were just better left locked away.
He huffed and turned on his side, away from the pirate, spilling tomato juice onto the sheets uncaringly. He could feel the bed sink as Antonio sat down near him and growled a little around the tomato when the other put a hand on his shoulder.
“Lovino, are you sure you want to do this? It’s going to be really dangerous, and I’m worried that-”
“What?” Lovino snapped suddenly, squeezing the fruit he held so hard that its flesh squished in between his fingers. He rounded on the other man and glared daggers at his captain. “You think I can’t do it? I think some stupid human test is too hard for me?!”
Antonio winced slightly but he met Lovino’s fierce gaze with a serious expression.
“You could die. Do you think I rescued you from that prison just to watch your life end here? You don’t have to do this! It’s foolish and unnecessary!”
The dragon let out a frustrated grunt and threw the tomato away.
“You just don’t get it do you?” Lovino growled, straightening himself up on the bed and curling his lip. “Those bastards are never going to accept me if you keep treating me like a fucking child. I can’t just take the easy way out, dammit! I hate that bastard Raul, but he’s right! Giving me a free pass is no way to prove I’m a pirate. Sure, it’d be easier. You think I don’t know that? Doing this might sound stupid to you, ‘foolish,’ ‘unnecessary’…You can call it what you want, but to me, there’s no fucking choice! Even if I do this, I doubt they’ll see me as any more than your damn ‘pet,’ but if I don’t, then there’s no way they ever will!”
His heart was pounding with his fury and his breathes were coming out shorter, but the dragon still kept that hard look in his eyes. If they didn’t at least acknowledge him after this, then he really stood little chance. The dragon would show them what he was capable of . Lovino was confident that he could pass any test for humans. It really couldn’t be that hard.
Antonio stared at the other man for a moment silently. Lovino met his green eyes challengingly, pulling his lips back into a stubborn frown as he dared the captain to contradict him. Antonio leaned a bit closer to him and sighed. Then, without warning, he sprang towards Lovino, capturing him in a hug.
“Aw, Lovi! You really want to be a pirate, don’t you?!”
“LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!” the dragon roared.
Despite the storm, that night ended with Antonio sleeping on the floor and a charred hole scorched in his new shirt.