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From left to right, seven of the most important members of El Corazon Sangrante: Laila, Jacqui (with Pickles/Mr. P the cat), Keean, Captain Rodrigo, Jade, Louis, and Dimitri.
Though El Corazon Sangrante has over 40 crew members total, these seven are the ones mentioned most in fics and talked about the most when referencing Rodrigoâs crew in general.
I was very happy to get the chance to commission @miel-1411 again, and this time for the main members of Rodrigoâs crew! She was great to work with and did such an amazing job on this piece. I love how they all came out and canât recommend commissioning her enough!
In which, Jacqui reminisces on his relationship with El Corazonâs youngest crew member, Keean, and how being a dad is something he might actually enjoy.
The beginning half takes place almost directly after Glitter and Gold, when the crew first rescues Keean, and the second half takes place around 5 years later.
CW: blood and death mention
Title: Keep You Safe by The Crane Wives
3.2k words
Jacqui had never entertained the idea of having a kid. It wasnât practical, for one, when he was on the seas, and he just couldnât see himself ever settling down enough with someone to try to have one. He also didnât think he would be a good parent, though that reason was a bit more hidden in his subconscious.
But the universe, and a certain mousey-brown haired boy, didnât care what he thought.
If anyone asked, of course he would say he cared about Keean. The boy had wormed his way into the entire crewâs heart, even Rodrigo, even Dimitriâthough he would go red in the face denying it if anyone suggested it. And ever since Jacqui had been the one to rescue him from the Strait of Sirens, he had been the one Keean specifically latched on to.
The night after that whole event, Jacqui was sitting at his desk in his quarters, journal open in front of him, lamplight flickering across his face. He was trying to calm his racing thoughts by writing some of them down, and he planned on writing an additional letter to Saoirse just to fill them in on everything that had happened, but he was starting to get a bit of a headache, his left eye still covered by bandages from the cut down his face.
A quiet knock at his door startled him, and he got up from his desk. Louis was standing outside, a tired look on his face, and the boy, Keean, hiding behind his legs.
âWhatâs wrong?â
Louis sighed, glancing down at Keean, his hand in the boyâs hair. âHe canât sleep. I tried to give him some tea, dusted his pillow with lavender, the whole thing, but he wonât sleep. Iâm sorry to wake you, but he asked to see you.â
âI wasnât asleep, donât worry.â Jacqui knelt down until he was at Keeanâs eye level. âYou want to spend the night with me, kid?â
Keean nodded, large, brown eyes watering.
âOkay.â Jacqui stood, stepping back so Keean could detach himself from Louisâs side and enter his room. âIâve got him. You should get some sleep.â
Louis didnât even try to argue, turning back to head to the infirmary, where his quarters were, and Jacqui closed the door behind him. Keean was still standing there, looking around the room curiously. With a sigh, Jacqui went over to his desk and put away his journal. Kicking off his boots, he sat down on his bed, and gestured to Keean to join him.
âYou were giving Louis a hard time, hm?â
Keean shrugged, gingerly sitting on the bed next to Jacqui, pulling his knees to his chest. âI donât want to sleep.â
âOkay. We donât have to.â
Keeanâs head lifted at that. âYouâll stay up with me?â
Jacqui nodded, resting his back against the wall, and after a moment, Keean joined him. âIâm not tired either.â
That wasnât entirely true, Jacqui was certainly feeling tired after the past day and a half of excitement, but he could tell Keean needed company. And, as he expected, after barely a minute of silence, the boy began to speak.
Jacqui looked down at Keean, but he was focused on his feet. âYeah. Iâm sorry.â
âIt was my fault,â Keean said, his voice breaking, words spilling out faster than he could breathe. âI told my dad I wanted to go out and even though I knew it was dangerous we still did, but then theâthe sirens came, and the boat turned upside-down, and he and Mom managed to get me on the boat but theyââ He cut himself off with a choked sob, and Jacqui put his hands on Keeanâs shoulders gently.
âIt wasnât your fault.â Keean looked up at him, tears streaming down his cheeks, and Jacqui slowly pulled the boy into his lap, wrapping his arms around him. âYour parents knew the dangers, and they wouldnât blame you for the sirens. They would be happy that you survived. It sounds like they cared about you very much.â
Keean sniffed, his hand clutching at Jacquiâs shirt. âI wasnât very nice to them, all the time.â
âBut they still loved you, didnât they?â
Nodding, Keean buried his face in Jacquiâs chest. âWhat if theyâthey thought I didnât love them?â
âThey knew.â
âHow do you know?â
âParents justâŠâ Jacqui sighed, thinking back to a timeâmany, many years agoâwhen his father would hold him close, braiding his hair out of his face, saying the same things to him. âParents just know.â
âI miss them. I miss my family,â Keean whispered, his shoulders shaking, and Jacqui tucked a messy curl behind his ear.
âI know. Youâre allowed to miss them, and Iâm sorry to say that youâre going to miss them for a long time, probably. But you have me, have the rest of the crew even, as your familyâyour next family. And weâre going to care about you just like your parents would have.â
âEven Rodrigo?â
Jacqui laughed through his nose. âYes, even him. Just, donât listen to him too much, okay?â
That earned him a small giggle, Keean wiping at his eyes. âOkay.â
They both fell into silence, Keean still wrapped in Jacquiâs arms, and just when Jacqui thought he might have fallen asleep after all, Keean spoke again.
âIâm sorry you got hurt.â
Jacqui could still feel the phantom sting of the sirenâs tail lashing across his face, the cold terror that rushed through his veins as his blood ran into the water around them. But he was lucky, Louis had said so. It missed his eye, only grazing his skin. It would most likely scar, but Jacqui didnât care about that, and he explained as such to Keean.
âBesides, if me getting hurt was the price I had to pay to make sure you were okay, thatâs not so bad. I would do it again.â
Keean was quiet for a moment, playing lightly with one of Jacquiâs locs, twisting it around his fingers. âI was really, really scared out there. But I felt⊠less scared when you saved me.â
âGood.â Jacqui shifted further down the wall until they were lying down, Keean curled on his chest like a cat. âDo you feel scared now?â
Shaking his head, Keeanâs eyes started to droop. âNot anymore. Well, Iâm kind of scared Iâm gonna have a nightmare, butââ
âIâll be right here if you do.â
âGood,â Keean echoed, his voice trailing off into a hum. âI guess I am tired, a little bit.â
Jacqui smiled softly, one of his hands coming up to pet Keeanâs hair gently. âGo to sleep then.â
His eyes slid shut. âCan I⊠can I come in here again tomorrow?â
âYeah. Yeah, you can.â
Keeanâs lips twitched up into a sleepy smile. âYay,â he murmured, almost too soft for Jacqui to hear it, and then he was asleep.
Jacqui slowly reached over to his desk to put out his lamp and settled back into bed as the moonlight shone through his roomâs porthole. Glancing down at the top of Keeanâs head, he wondered if he was really doing the right thing, looking after him. He could have left Keean at the inn in Hinode, left him with the Koizumi twins. At least he would have a better chance at a safe, quiet life. Here, Jacqui was afraid he wouldnât be able to protect him or raise him the way he should be raised. He couldnât go to any kind of school or meet kids his own age except when they stopped at seaside towns and cities.
But he remembered the terrified look in Keeanâs eyes when he thought he was being left behind, the way he had grabbed onto Jacqui and refused to let go. Jacqui couldnât have left him after that. And he supposed he just had to be the one to teach Keean. He, and Louis, even, as another past scholar, could make sure the boy grew up with some kind of education. It was what he deserved.
Keean shifted in his sleep, reaching out, and when Jacqui took his hand in his, Keean stilled again. His hand was so much smaller, Jacqui thought, wondering if he was ever that small. At times it felt like he had always been too big, too strong, too paranoid to do anything right. But Keean didnât think so.
He had sought out Jacqui, had fallen asleep in his arms, not worried that he would hurt him.
Sighing quietly to himself, Jacqui let his own eyes close, willing his anxious thoughts away for once. He could figure out what to do tomorrow, for now, his body was crying for rest, and he wouldnât be surprised if he slept in the next morning.
***
As the years went by, Keean became a part of the crew as if he had always been there, and the rest of the crew adored him. He soaked up everything everyone taught him like a sponge, and was always hungry for more things to learn, more things to do.
He also was hungry to fight, to join the crew on their raids, but Jacqui was strictly against it. Keean wasnât ready, he wasnât strong enough or skilled enough with a particular weapon, and if he was being completely honest Jacqui never wanted him to be ready. But, recognizing that wasnât fair, he simply set a deadline, and watched as Keean would train with some of the other crew members like Jade or Louis until the time he was allowed to fight.
However, that meant that during raids, or surprise attacks from other pirate crews that werenât under the Queenâs Code, Keean had to hide below deck. Paulinaâs kitchen was the safest place there was, as Rodrigo had carved barrier protections into the walls around it years ago, and Keean often hid there with the cook until the fighting was all over.
Every once in a while, though, he took after Rodrigo more than Jacqui liked, and tried to charge ahead with the rest of them.
The crew of El Corazon Sangrante was fighting a rival pirate crew, one who had tried attacking in the middle of the night against them, and though the rival crew was smaller, they were vicious, and the fight dragged on for longer than Jacqui would have thought. He could hear Rodrigoâs grito carry through the night air as he cut through the other crew, the steady beat of drums leading his steps. Dimitriâs cutlass was cloaked in flame, and he flanked his sister, Laila, as she whirled her maul above her head, diving forward. Jade was nowhere to be seen, as was Louis, but that was the point, the both of them moving in and out of shadows as they fought, weaving back and forth. The rest of the crew seemed to be faring well, though they were all getting a bit tired.
Jacqui hadnât even realized Keean wasnât below deck until he heard his voice crying out above the rest of the noise, high and desperate and afraid.
âDad!â
Jacqui wasnât sure what part of him knew, instinctively, that Keean was calling for him, but he still whipped his head around, looking for the boy. He saw him pinned to the railing of the ship, one of the other pirates poised to strike, and Jacquiâs vision went red.
He whipped his gun towards the pirate and shot them in the head, and as they crumpled down and over the railing, he ran up to Keean. The boyâs face was splattered with blood, but none of it seemed to be his, and he was holding one of Paulinaâs knives in his hand. Jacqui cupped his face in his hand, looking him up and down. âAre you hurt?â
Keean shook his head quickly, his eyes widening at he pointed over Jacquiâs shoulder. âLook out!â
Jacqui shoved the pirate advancing towards him, sending them stumbling back to the deck. Trapping them under his foot, he turned back to Keean. âGo to my quarters.â
âButââ
âNow!â
Keean nodded, lips tightly shut, and bolted past Jacqui to get below deck. Jacqui lifted the pirate up and over his shoulders, tossing them into the sea with a grunt, looking behind him just long enough to see Keean disappear below deck, and a small bit of the tension in his shoulders disappeared.
Rodrigo appeared at Jacquiâs side, his dagger dripping with blood, sweat running down his face. âWhat was he doing out?â
âI donât know,â Jacqui said, shooting another pirate before they could sneak up on another crew member. âHow are we looking?â
âThereâs only a handful leftââ They both watched as Laila and Dimitri shoved three pirates off the bow of the ship, and the remaining few pirates either jumped overboard themselves, or swung back to their ship to try and escape. Rodrigoâs eyes glinted, and he spat on the deck. âOh, I donât think so.â
He whistled to signal the crewâs attention, and he pointed at the other ship. âBleed them dry!â
The crew rushed over like a wave to the other ship, cutting down the other pirates in their way, and disappearing below deck to raid whatever supplies they could. Jacqui started to follow behind, but Rodrigo stopped him.
âCheck on the kid. Weâre basically done here anyway.â
Jacqui wanted to argue, but Rodrigo was right. The other ship was small, and though that crew had put up a fight, it was finally over. Nodding, Jacqui turned away and went below deck to his quarters instead.
Keean was sitting on Jacquiâs bed, knees to his chest, face still covered in blood and the knife still in his hand. Jacqui handed him a rag to wipe himself off with and took the knife from him, setting it on his desk. He stood with his arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed as the boy cleaned his face. âWhat were you doing out there?â
âI just wanted to help.â
âI understand that. But both Rodrigo and I have instructed you not to come above decks during attacks, havenât we?â
âWhat if you had gotten hurt? You canât defend yourself with a kitchen knife.â
âIf you gave me a real weapon, maybeââ
âNo. No, thatâs not what this is about, Keean, and you know it.â
The boy tossed the rag to the floor, face blood-free. âIâm sorry.â
âFor?â
âFor disobeying you.â He sniffed, and Jacqui felt his heart twinge in his chest. âItâs just⊠it sounded bad; you know? And I wasâI was scared you were getting hurt, that any of you were getting hurt. And it just seemed unfair that I had to hide while you were fighting.â
âDid you hear the retreat call?â
Keean shook his head, burying his face in his arms. âNo.â
âThen we were alright. You know that. If it was bad, if Rodrigo thought we were really, really in over our heads, he or I would have called it off.â
His voice was muffled as he replied. âI know.â
Jacqui sighed, picking up the rag from the floor, and used it to clean off his own face. âIâm sorry you were scared. It went on longer than we expected to, so I understand it must have felt worse than it was. But I need you to promise me that you wonât do that again, alright?â
Keean nodded, his eyes wet as he finally looked at Jacqui. âI promise.â
âOkay. Thank you.â Jacqui glanced out at the moon through his porthole, worrying at the piercing in his bottom lip. Keeanâs desperate cry of dad still rang in his mind, and Jacqui uncrossed his arms, stepping closer to him.
âKeean, before⊠you called me âDad.ââ
The boyâs cheeks flushed, legs falling down to swing on the side of the bed. âOh. You did hear me.â When Jacqui didnât say anything, waiting for him to continue, Keean sighed. âIâm sorry, I wonât do it again. I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable or anything.â
âNoââ Jacqui knelt down, taking Keeanâs hands in his. âNo, you didnât. You donât need to apologize. I just⊠I just want to know why.â
Keean squeezed Jacquiâs hands, staring down in his lap. âI called you âDadâ because⊠because thatâs who you are. I mean, I know not literally, I do rememberââ his breath shook. âRemember my real dad. Before he died. But itâs like you said, you can have more than one family in your life, and the crew is my new family, and you are⊠kind of like my new dad. And I was scared, andâand I thought you would come and help me. And you did.â
Jacquiâs chest felt tight in an unusual way, and he thought he might cry. Taking his silence as something bad, Keean turned his head away. âI donât know. It sounds kind of stupid when I say it out loud.â
âNo, it doesnât.â Jacqui sat on the bed next to Keean, pulling him into a hug. âItâs not stupid.â
Keean hugged him back, pressing his face into Jacquiâs chest. âCan I⊠still call you Dad?â
âYeah, of course. Justââ He pulled back slightly, looking seriously into Keeanâs shining eyes. âMaybe only around me and the rest of the crew. If weâre fighting like we were today, and someone hears you call for me, that only puts a bigger target on your back. And I donât want you to get hurt.â
âOh.â Keean nodded, sniffing. âOkay. That makes sense.â
âWe might have to get you a real weapon sooner than I thought, though.â
Keeanâs eyes lit up at that, and he stood up quickly, a bright grin on his face, all sign of tears gone. âReally? I get to fight with you?â
âThatâs not what I said.â Jacqui shook his head, but he was smiling too. âThat deal still stands, until youâre 16, orââ
ââor taller than Rodrigo, yeah, I know.â Keean rolled his eyes, but he didnât seem too deterred. âCan I use a gun like you do?â
âHm.â That wasnât a bad idea, considering it would allow him to stay a further distance from the fight. And if he sat in the crowâs nestâ âWeâll see.â
âI know that means yes,â Keean teased, sitting back down next to Jacqui. âOr at least you think itâs possible.â
Jacqui raised his eyebrow. âWeâll see means weâll see, kid.â
âSure, right, of course.â
As the noise above deck started to swell, Jacqui figured that the crew had returned, having looted the other ship for all it was worth, and he stood with a groan. âCome on, letâs go see what they brought back.â
âOkay!â Keean paused, a nervous smile on his face as he reached out, taking Jacquiâs hand in his. âI love you, Dad.â
Jacqui had to bite the inside of his lip to keep tears from welling up in his eyes, and he squeezed Keeanâs hand. âI know you do. I love you too.â
All of the nervousness faded from Keean, his smile only growing wider. Once they left Jacquiâs room, Keean let go of Jacquiâs hand, running ahead of him to see the rest of the crew, but Jacquiâs heart still felt warm as he watched the boyâhis boy run. It made him happy in a way he couldnât describe, but he decided he might try to describe it later in a letter to Saoirse.
what are some things that genuinely make you smile? also happy birthday <3
Jacqui clears his throat. âThank you⊠I suppose.â He hums, glancing around for a moment before answering. âAs to what makes me smile⊠I like music well enough, but not dancingâbefore you ask, no, Iâm not good at it and, no, I wonât give an example.â
âI guess the only thingâor person, ratherâthat makes me smile most often is Keean. Heâs come a long way since we first found him and, well, Iâm proud of him. He still has a ways to go before he can join us on raids, even though I wouldnât be particularly heartbroken if he decided he never wanted to join.â
He rolls his eyes, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. âBut heâs too stubborn for that. And I fully blame Rodrigo for it.â
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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You said Jacqui doesnât care about his birthday, but has Drigo or Saoirse done anything special for him in the past?
Rodrigoâs presents for Jacqui tend to be less physical gifts and more actions - like making sure no one wakes Jacqui up on his birthday, letting him sleep in (even if it means Drigo has to get up much earlier than he normally would, heâll grumble about it all day but still do it) and asking Paulina to make something Jacqui will like for dinner
(Of course, at the end of the day he will offer Jacqui other kinds of services if you get my drift)
In more recent years, as Keean wanted to make/buy something for Jacqui, Rodrigo would take the kid to a pawn shop or a marketplace if they happened to be near one for him to pick something up, but Rodrigo doesnât usually get anything for Jacqui himself
Saoirse usually gets Jacqui books, specifically poetry books, as they know he enjoys them, and heâs never quite sure how, but a new one will always appear on his desk in his quarters before he even wakes up on his birthday
The books are also usually in different languages, and Saoirse will take the time to translate the book into their own language since Jacqui can understand it, so he can study how the poems change over languages and how it effects their forms and meanings