#descendants3

Uma~ Where are we going?" I ask. My boots hit the ground as I hum waiting patiently on Uma's answer. Although I had just met the girl yesterday, I felt as if I could trust her. Or maybe that was just my soul aching for a game to be played.

Uma glanced down at me with a mixture of amusement and fondness as we strolled down the unfamiliar cobblestone paths of this peculiar town. Bystanders stared and gawked at my skipping, which only seemed to entertain me further. I waved at them with an impish grin, feeling a thrill of mischief in the curious gazes that followed us.

"Well, Madeline," Uma replied, her voice carrying a hint of mystery and adventure, "I am going to introduce you to my crew. The nastiest, roughest, pirate crew in the entire world." Her voice drips with pride as she talks about her crew.

I tilted my head, curiosity piqued as I hum. "Well if you believe that. I guess I believe it too." I nod, my eyes filled with curiosity as they scan through the area.

Uma chuckled softly, her long hair catching the sunlight as we turned down another alleyway lined with quaint shops and quirky signage. "Well I'm glad." 

Excitement bubbled up inside me as we neared the meeting place of her crew. It was as if I had stepped into a storybook, where each alleyway held the promise of adventure and every stranger might be a character with a role to play.

As we continued our journey through the bustling town, Uma and I fell into an easy rhythm of conversation and exploration. She pointed out little stores that had the best food, or best clothes. The easiest places to steal from, though I didn't really care that much.

"Why do you trust me so easily, Madeline?" Uma asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.

I paused, considering her question seriously. "I suppose I trust you because... you're different," I admitted, a small smile playing on my lips. "You seem like someone who understands the magic in stories and the stories in magic."

I watch a soft smile play at her lips. "I'm glad. You remind me much of my first mate Harry when I first met him. Very trusting and loyal. He still is, but now I just toned down the very trusting part." She chuckles. "That boy just went around putting his heart on his sleeve. He believed every word I told. Had to teach him how to be careful with trusting people. He learned though, now I'm proud to say he is the roughest pirate of them all. Well after me of course." She ended with a smile.

"You sound very proud and protective of him." I smile softly at her, my eyes twinkling with excitement about meeting this boy. "Is there something between the two of you? Maybe a romance?" My eyebrow's rose in question.

She barked out a laugh, shaking her head. "No. God no. Harry and I are just mates. I view him as a brother."

I hum and nod, as we begin to walk in a comfortable silence.

As Uma barged into Ursula's Fish and Chips with her characteristic flair, announcing her return with a boisterous yell, the atmosphere in the rusty, broken-looking shop shifted. Among the cacophony of calls and excited yells, a singular, echoing cackle pierced through.

From the shadows emerged a figure who seemed to embody the very essence of a swashbuckling pirate. Clad in a full pirate outfit that seemed straight out of a storybook, he strode towards us with a cool, confident demeanor. My eyes couldn't help but trace the details of his attire—the long red coat, the polished black boots, and the hat that crowned his head with a rakish tilt.

But it was his face that drew my attention next—a face adorned with black smudged eyeliner that accentuated his piercing blue-eyed gaze and added to his rugged charm. He looked every bit the part of a dashing pirate, exuding an air of adventure and mystery that instantly captured my imagination.

As he approached, a playful smirk played on his lips, his eyes locking briefly with mine before turning to Uma. "Back already, Uma?" he teased, his voice carrying a hint of amusement and a touch of something deeper that I couldn't quite place.

Uma grinned back at him, clearly accustomed to their banter. "Had to come back sooner or later, Harry," she replied, her tone laced with equal parts familiarity and mischief.

I could feel my ears pin back at his thick accented voice. My head pokes out from behind Uma as I make eye contact with the boy I had been waiting oh-so patiently to meet.

Flashing him a large toothy grin. I step out from behind Uma.

Harry's eyes widened slightly in surprise as I emerged from behind Uma, flashing him a toothy grin that I hoped conveyed my excitement and admiration. His thick, accented voice had caught me off guard, a detail Uma had never mentioned but one that added an intriguing layer to his charm.

"And who might this ravishing beauty be?" His rough accent asked.

"Madeline Cheshire," I introduced myself with a hint of playfulness, emphasizing my surname with a nod to the whimsical nature of Wonderland itself. "Here to help."

His lips curled into a broader smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement and something deeper, something that hinted at a shared understanding of the extraordinary. He extended his hand towards mine, the gesture both polite and tinged with a subtle challenge.

"A pleasure, Madeline Cheshire," he replied warmly, his grip firm yet gentle as our hands met. "I'm Harry Hook, pleased to make your acquaintance."

The moment our hands touched, a spark seemed to pass between us, a silent acknowledgment of the connection that had already begun to form. I couldn't help but be drawn in by his charisma, his confidence, and the aura of adventure that surrounded him like a cloak.

Uma observed our exchange with a knowing smile, clearly amused by the unfolding dynamic between us. "I think you two are going to get along just fine," she remarked, her voice tinged with amusement.

Harry chuckled softly, releasing my hand with a lingering touch that sent a thrill through me. "Well then, Madeline Cheshire," he said, his tone light but with an undertone of intrigue, "shall we see what trouble we can stir up together in the Isle?"

I met his gaze with a grin, feeling a rush of excitement and anticipation. "Absolutely, Hook," I replied, my voice filled with determination and a touch of mischief. "Lead the way."