[Fic] Doll
Title: Doll
Characters: Tukar (OC), Ikkap (OC), assorted unnamed Earth Kingdom and Southern Water Tribe folk
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 700+
Summary: Captain Tukar and his crew deal with their prisoners.
Author's Notes: This was written for atlaland's Shades of Grey contest.
Doll
***
It took half an hour to round up the passengers and crew. Captain Tukar scowled; nearby prisoners quaked, and even a few of his own men turned pale. His men were getting sloppy if it took them this long to clear all the people on an Earth Kingdom tub.
Then one-eyed Ikkap hoisted himself out of the hold, a little girl clinging to his back. Clutched tight in her hands was a pretty little doll with a bright green dress. Ikkap knelt on the deck to let her down, and she let go with a little sound, one hand still clutching the doll. As soon as she had her feet under herself, she hugged the doll tightly to her chest. Then she looked around with wide, frightened eyes, and Tukar heard one of the female prisoners give a low moan of fear.
Ikkap touched the girl's hair softly, then pointed over at the other prisoners. The little girl nodded and carefully made her way to them, holding the doll like it would save her life.
Tukar's expression softened as Ikkap approached.
"She's about your girl's age, isn't she?" He asked. It was hard to remember, since Ikkap had sired his daughter on an Earth Kingdom mother and left the girl there. Tukar could understand that; the Tribe didn't need another mouth to feed, not with winters as bad as they'd been in recent years and no waterbenders in all the South.
"Thereabouts," Ikkap agreed. "Left her nurse's body in the hold. The old woman didn't have anything of value besides the girl."
"Hnh." Keeping the girl might get more complicated than she was worth. Slaving was chancy business without the right contacts, and piracy itself was already plenty chancy.
Sangilak didn't approve of Tukar's way of providing for his family and his crew's family. Indiscriminate piracy like theirs would cost them opportunity to trade with the Earth Kingdom, he argued. Better if Tukar turned his attentions solely to the Fire Nation.
Certainly, Tukar preferred Fire Nation ships as targets, but Earth Kingdom tubs often had more value with less risk. The best Fire Nation ships, after all, often had the Navy protecting them.
"No," Tukar said at last. "Not worth it to keep her."
Ikkap nodded, glancing over at the little girl. "I want the doll." He gave his captain a dirty look for the grin spreading on Tukar's face. "Nima would like it. It's nicer than anything her mother can provide. Porcelain."
"Porcelain. For a doll? Damn the Earth Kingdom has money to waste." Tukar shook his head. "Go and get it."
Ikkap strolled over to the little girl, who trembled as he approached. The whites shown all around her eyes as he knelt in front of her, but he didn't reach for her. Instead he began to talk in a low voice.
Tukar drifted closer to listen.
"-have a little girl about your age. Her name's Nima, and she has grey eyes just like you. You'd probably like her if you met her. I bet you're both just as sweet and kind. Isn't that right?"
The little girl nodded, and Ikkap smiled. Slowly, giving her plenty of chance to duck away if she wanted to, he reached out to touch her shoulder.
Tukar snorted as the girl allowed it. Did no one in the Earth Kingdom teach their children a healthy sense of fear?
The woman who had given the low moan of fear earlier darted forward suddenly, reaching for the little girl. Tukar flicked his eyes to the nearest member of the crew; the man stepped forward and casually shoulder-checked her, sending her crashing to the deck. He stomped hard on her ankle, and she shrieked as it broke.
The little girl gave a little yipe, and Ikkap tenderly drew her close, saying soft things to her and stroking her hair.
"My, that's a pretty doll," he said when the girl had calmed somewhat. "It must have been very expensive."
The little girl nodded.
"Nima has never even seen a doll like that," Ikkap continued. "I think it would be nice if she could see your doll. Don't you?"
The little girl clutched her doll tightly to her chest.
Ikkap smiled kindly, hand sliding off her hair to his belt. "Of course, it's your doll. I'm sure it's very precious to you."
He was still smiling kindly when he slit her throat from ear to ear.
-End-
Characters: Tukar (OC), Ikkap (OC), assorted unnamed Earth Kingdom and Southern Water Tribe folk
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 700+
Summary: Captain Tukar and his crew deal with their prisoners.
Author's Notes: This was written for atlaland's Shades of Grey contest.
Doll
***
It took half an hour to round up the passengers and crew. Captain Tukar scowled; nearby prisoners quaked, and even a few of his own men turned pale. His men were getting sloppy if it took them this long to clear all the people on an Earth Kingdom tub.
Then one-eyed Ikkap hoisted himself out of the hold, a little girl clinging to his back. Clutched tight in her hands was a pretty little doll with a bright green dress. Ikkap knelt on the deck to let her down, and she let go with a little sound, one hand still clutching the doll. As soon as she had her feet under herself, she hugged the doll tightly to her chest. Then she looked around with wide, frightened eyes, and Tukar heard one of the female prisoners give a low moan of fear.
Ikkap touched the girl's hair softly, then pointed over at the other prisoners. The little girl nodded and carefully made her way to them, holding the doll like it would save her life.
Tukar's expression softened as Ikkap approached.
"She's about your girl's age, isn't she?" He asked. It was hard to remember, since Ikkap had sired his daughter on an Earth Kingdom mother and left the girl there. Tukar could understand that; the Tribe didn't need another mouth to feed, not with winters as bad as they'd been in recent years and no waterbenders in all the South.
"Thereabouts," Ikkap agreed. "Left her nurse's body in the hold. The old woman didn't have anything of value besides the girl."
"Hnh." Keeping the girl might get more complicated than she was worth. Slaving was chancy business without the right contacts, and piracy itself was already plenty chancy.
Sangilak didn't approve of Tukar's way of providing for his family and his crew's family. Indiscriminate piracy like theirs would cost them opportunity to trade with the Earth Kingdom, he argued. Better if Tukar turned his attentions solely to the Fire Nation.
Certainly, Tukar preferred Fire Nation ships as targets, but Earth Kingdom tubs often had more value with less risk. The best Fire Nation ships, after all, often had the Navy protecting them.
"No," Tukar said at last. "Not worth it to keep her."
Ikkap nodded, glancing over at the little girl. "I want the doll." He gave his captain a dirty look for the grin spreading on Tukar's face. "Nima would like it. It's nicer than anything her mother can provide. Porcelain."
"Porcelain. For a doll? Damn the Earth Kingdom has money to waste." Tukar shook his head. "Go and get it."
Ikkap strolled over to the little girl, who trembled as he approached. The whites shown all around her eyes as he knelt in front of her, but he didn't reach for her. Instead he began to talk in a low voice.
Tukar drifted closer to listen.
"-have a little girl about your age. Her name's Nima, and she has grey eyes just like you. You'd probably like her if you met her. I bet you're both just as sweet and kind. Isn't that right?"
The little girl nodded, and Ikkap smiled. Slowly, giving her plenty of chance to duck away if she wanted to, he reached out to touch her shoulder.
Tukar snorted as the girl allowed it. Did no one in the Earth Kingdom teach their children a healthy sense of fear?
The woman who had given the low moan of fear earlier darted forward suddenly, reaching for the little girl. Tukar flicked his eyes to the nearest member of the crew; the man stepped forward and casually shoulder-checked her, sending her crashing to the deck. He stomped hard on her ankle, and she shrieked as it broke.
The little girl gave a little yipe, and Ikkap tenderly drew her close, saying soft things to her and stroking her hair.
"My, that's a pretty doll," he said when the girl had calmed somewhat. "It must have been very expensive."
The little girl nodded.
"Nima has never even seen a doll like that," Ikkap continued. "I think it would be nice if she could see your doll. Don't you?"
The little girl clutched her doll tightly to her chest.
Ikkap smiled kindly, hand sliding off her hair to his belt. "Of course, it's your doll. I'm sure it's very precious to you."
He was still smiling kindly when he slit her throat from ear to ear.
-End-