Passing Fascination (Eustass Kid x Reader)

Chapter 2: The Chase

You were breathing heavy when you made it to shore, but the winds hadn't favored the Punk Victoria, and you made it to the beach without having to ditch the rowboat.

The winds hadn't exactly favored you, either, and the ship wasn't that far away. They'd be weighing anchor and row boating themselves to shore shortly. You needed to be as far lost and gone into the woods as possible.

You were already acutely aware this wasn't Three Rivers Island, but with luck it would be big enough for you to disappear into it for long enough. Your survival skills weren't exactly expert level, but you knew a lot of fruits and foods available in the area thanks to the heavy commerce of your home island. There was a small harpoon in the row boat, something maybe for just holding the small vessel next to a boat while the occupants left, but it was sharp and came with enough rope you could tie it to yourself.

Fortune favors the bold, or something.

You smile, taking a bite of the lobster tail and nodding. "No, you're not wrong." You admit. You were enjoying yourself. The meal was fantastic, and Kid was remarkably good at carrying a conversation. For someone with impressive scars and a missing arm, he didn't let either hold him back.

He looked different too. Dressed in clothes that any merchant would appreciate, with his hair falling down around his face in messy loose waves. He had a metal arm, but it was much smaller than you'd seen before, and was mostly concealed by the puffy sleeves of the shirt he wore.

"In the end though, I like it here." You say easily. "It might not be the life I dreamed of having, but it's functional."

He smirks, and you're sure a couple people joined his crew because of that smirk. "Functional's hardly living. I've seen how you work, didja ever think of being a pirate?"

You almost choke, laughing a little and waving your hand. "Pirate? By the seas." You shake your head. "I don't have the constitution for that. I barely like the blood I see when the cook's prepping meals."

You wanted to get as high as you could for starters. If you could get your bearings sea-wise you had a far better chance of making it back to your home. If Three-Rivers wasn't visible on the horizon then you'd have to weigh a few unpalatable options.

Did you turn yourself into the pirates who were hunting you? Trapped on a ship might be better than left effectively for dead on an island that may or may not be able to support you.

Did you attempt to sneak back on board the ship as a stowaway until the next port? You were small, and the crew wasn't many in number. The ship was huge, so keeping yourself out of sight and sneaking crumbs was plausible. But if you got caught you were probably going to be worse off than if you surrendered yourself.

Your last option, if you couldn't see another island from whatever vantage point you found, would be simply taking your chances on this island. The idea of living alone on a, most likely, deserted island for an indeterminate amount of time until a friendly-looking boat stopped by wasn't exactly high on your list of options.

But if you passed fresh water on your way into the interior, and found some fruiting trees, then it wasn't an impossible option. The longer you could dodge your pursuers the better your chances of making the most viable decision.

Diving into the underbrush, you do your best to avoid snapping twigs or bending anything, walking gingerly through the forest. You were less thrilled about not having shoes right now, but it was easier to tread softly without heavy shoes, you just had to ignore anything that squished between your toes.

Ten minutes in you found a creek, and stepping into it found it was pleasant temperature wise, and the silt was well packed. It wasn't like walking on rocks, but it wasn't slick with algae or deep and muddy. You kept your feet in the water as you walked to avoid splashing, but you hadn't heard any concerning sounds since you got into the woods.