Gilgamesh would not deny that he was slightly disappointed in his own boys. He had thought, once upon a time, that Rexx or Scald would want to take the lead of a raid. Show some initiative. Or even any interest at all. Yet, as he stood atop the dilapidated building, his two boys were nowhere to be found. Of course, he had sent Scald to do some scouting. It appeared the lanky colorful boy of his was more of a socialite, wanting to flirt and talk rather than fight. His other one, that bulky tusked boy that oh-so resembled him, was off galavanting after some girl. Not that he could blame the kid, but c'mon! Deluge and Flurry were definitely prospects, but being the misogynistic asshole that he was, Gil wasn't necessarily going to go out of his way to try. Now, if they had come to him asking, he wouldn't ever tell his baby girls no, but still.

Which left him with... Calico Jack. The boy was eager, energetic, and honestly trying harder than any of the youngsters within the pack. Maybe it was Sparrow's lackluster leadership or the uncertainty of his new position that kept everyone on the outskirts. Whatever the reason, he was here to try and if Calico wanted to show initiative, Gil was going to give him a chance.

With his toes on the edge of the building and a soft autumn breeze rolling in off the ocean, Gil looked about their new island. From this viewpoint, he could see decently far. They had a lot of work to do. Probably more than they could even chew, but hey, at least he would try. First would be to clean up the debris, fix up the buildings, and finish building the permanent bridge that led to the mainland. Swimming every time they needed to go for food or raids was simply too exhaustive. Turning to glance over his shoulder, he would allow a brief whisper of a smile to move across his lips before it disappeared at the sight of the growing Calico Jack.

"speech"

Since the first meeting of the new Raider’s Hallow, Calico Jack has been thinking about… well a lot of things actually. Some of it is the fact that his mother is still drinking, which doesn’t really surprise the boy, but it does cause him a lot of concern. Part of him wonders if, one day, he will awaken to find Sparrow dead in a pool of her own vomit. Ah, but such dark and gloomy thoughts are not that normal for the boy and he much rather prefers to be the carefree persona he usually puts forth. With a certain swagger in his step, the boy sets out to find the Raid King in the hopes of giving himself something productive to do.

The island they have claimed has a dilapidated building and the Raiders have been hard at work cleaning up the area and making sure the crumbling ruins won’t collapse on them. Of course, Calico has been working to help establish Gilgamesh’s pack because… well, if he is honest, he really likes the guy. Having had no father, and no idea who his father might even be, had meant that there was a pretty big hole in the ‘fatherly figure’ aspect of his life. However, Gil and Ignis, were both strong, capable men and Jack tended to try and be like them. Misguided? Maybe. But Calico Jack needs someone to look up to.

Light paws carefully pick their way up the stairs and over makeshift boards that had been laid over gapping holes in the ground, until he spies the familiar mottled form of the man that is now King. An easy grin pulls at his lips as he moves to join the man standing on the edge of the building, the pair remaining silent as Jack looks out over the land below them. After several minutes of enjoying the view, Calico Jack says, “Beautiful place, Gil. Lot to do but we will get there.” Out of his peripheral view, the boy watches the man, trying to judge what he is thinking from the way his body moves.

A gentle autumn breeze ruffles his fur and the boy happily sighs. Finally, he turns his head to face Gilgamesh, a brow lifting as he lightly and jovially asks, “So Gil. You really mean it when you said we can lead a raid? Because I was thinking of taking you up on that.” Calico Jack is not one to skate around an issue when it is better to face it head on. Plus, who wouldn’t want to lead a raid?!


"Calico Jack"

Words do not come as the splotches boy comes to stand beside him. Their silence is easy as it stretches on for a few moments. Instead, the sound of birds calling out over dead crabs and the lull of the waves washing onto shore fill his ears. It is similar to when they lived on the beach so he does not feel the unease of being somewhere new. In truth, he finds the dilapidated building to be more comfortable. And in time, once they have fixed the place up, everyone will have their own spacious rooms instead of small quarters to be shared.

Pulling himself back to this moment, he can tell Calico Jack is observant. Even if there is a joyous tune to his words, Gil sees from the corner of his own eye that he is being watched. This is different. Before, when they were Pirates, the pups would look up to him, but as a father figure. Now, they also looked up to him as a leader. It was a lot of pressure, but he enjoyed it. There were packs to make enemies of and packs to make friends of. The choice now was who.

Gil nods as he lets himself smile again. "I knew it was perfect when I first saw it a while ago," he comments as he keeps his gaze on the island surrounding them. Whoever built this place must have had grand ideas. It was sad to see it in such a sorry state. But once they had built it up, it would look better than that stupid castle to the south of them. His eyes glance in the direction of Auster before squinting. If he tried hard enough, he thought he could possibly see the very tip of their spires, but wasn't so sure.

Content to continue standing in amicable silence, his ears perked when Jack questioned the idea of leading a raid. "I am no liar," his deepened tones are to the point, but there is a hint of excitement lingering somewhere in there. "I would like to see how you do first to make sure you're ready and then the next one, I don't see why you couldn't," his face finally turns to really look at Calico Jack. Honestly, Gil was not surprised. Sparrow, while a drunk, was a good mother and she really had tried to light a fire under their heels. He was glad at least one of them wanted to stick around and show some effort.

"speech"

The pair stand side by side in relaxed, companionable silence as they look out of the land. It is nice to have structure that the pack can fix up to house the pack but, as he looks out the island, Calico Jack cannot help but feel a pang of homesickness for the black sands of his childhood home. Everything has changed and, while he isn’t opposed to Gil leading or this new land, the boy still finds it difficult to adapt to at times. His joyful words break the silence between as he speaks openly with his new alpha and the boy reflects on how proud he is that Gilgamesh is now their leader.

Gil smiles and the boy’s own grin grows exponentially as his icy gaze looks out over the island. Finally, he turns to face Gilgamesh and the boy questions about leading a raid. The King’s words have his smile faltering a moment as he realizes that he might have been insinuating that Gil was a lair without realizing it. However, as the man continues to talk, the boy’s smile once again grows and Calico Jack finds a sense of excitement within the man’s words. Sure, Jack had to search for it but it was there!

The boy’s tail wags joyfully, as Gil speaks and his smile grows to an astonishing level as his alpha confirms what he had said. Weight shifts from paw to paw as Jack’s own enthusiasm grows and he happily barks out, “Thanks Gil! I won’t let you down!” Now, Jack feels like he has a lot to prove to the world and his pack and, truthfully, he hopes that, if he leads a successful raid, Gil and his mother will be proud of him. That is all that really matters to him in the whole, wide world.

After a few moments, the boy stills and his expression takes on a more serious note as he looks at Gilgamesh. Suddenly, the boy says, “Gil, I have been thinking. Is there something… more I can do to help you and the pack? I would really like to take on more reasonability and help out wherever I can.” A grin appears as he speaks and the boy confidently (but humbly) asks Gil for a promotion. Honestly, it is just a title to him but he really, really just wants to do more for his pack.


"Calico Jack"

Gilgamesh is contemplative. There is always something going on behind his eyes. Thinking, considering, questioning. It is a reason why he does not typically speak many words or opt in for much socialization. Yet, he is growing to be more of a … family man, per say. While he may have let his first round of pups down, he would continue to change and adapt. To be a better father and a great King, that was the new goal. Pride was still his main source of push and he did not want to disappoint anyone. He thinks about this as they sit and stare into the distance. His own heart longs for the black sands, but they needed a change. Too many negative feelings lingered there. Sparrow’s downfall, Recluse and Hanako, Azure’s rampage, it all felt too… much for what he wanted going forward. Gil hoped that everyone would one day understand that. Even if he wasn’t open about the plans that formulated within his mind, they would one day see. The Raid King listens to Calico Jack earnestly. His smile has yet to falter and he nods in agreement. “I appreciate your maturity in seeking more within the pack. Do you have a path of expertise you would like to expand on?” He pauses as his eyes turn back to Jack for a moment of consideration. “I do suppose I need an advisor of sorts. Someone who is smart, can lead raids, understand and formulate attack and defense plans, who will help keep the isle in good shape,” a brow raises as he looks away and back to the distance. He wanted to give Jack a moment to think about the offer without being pressured. ”Speech” ’Thought’

The boy might be a bit of a free spirit but, when it really comes down to it, the pack is his life. Whether they are called Pirates of Raiders, Calico Jack knows them all as his family. So, it is only natural for him to try and help out the pack more. That is why he asks Gil about it and why he is now, mulling over the King’s words. He hadn’t really put much thought into what he wanted to do and just, kind of assumed, that Gil would tell where he is needed the most. But now, to have a choice?

Mouth presses into a tight as he considers everything, trying and failing to figure what exactly he wants. Thankfully, Gilgamesh seems to read his hesitation and offers up an idea of his own. Brows slowly lift skyward as the realization of what the King is saying begins to take hold. After a few moments, he says, “Me… an advisor? I don’t know Gil, I’m not the brightest wolf out there.” The boy releases a small sigh as he mulls it over internally talking down to himself and listing a million reasons why he isn’t advisor material.

Icy blue drift off of Gil’s face as a war wags in his mind but, in the end, the optimist wins out. Gaze snaps back up to the leader’s eyes and a grin ticks up the corner of his mouth. Slowly and with great deliberation, Calico Jack says, “I am not smart wolf in the sense of worldly knowledge but I am willing to learn and grow. I want to lead raids and help shore up the defenses of our pack to protect our family. I am ready and willing to put in the hard work and dedication that is needed to be an advisor to you.”

Taking a deep breath, his chest puffs out slightly and head cants to the side as a devil-may-care smirk appears on his face. With more conviction and strength than he has ever felt, Jack says, “I’d like to be your advisor Gil, if you’ll have me.”


"Calico Jack"

His gaze stays upon the watery horizon as he lets Jack wage his internal war. The proposition is not one that can be decided lightly. He would not be surprised if Jack had requested to come back at a later time with an answer. But change was good and as Jack stumbled over his words about not being smart and wanting to try, Gil let out a small laugh. "One does not need to be smart to be successful," he mentions as he finally tilts his chin to look back at Jack. A brow lifts when Jack says he'll be his advisor if he'd have him.

"I'll promote you to an advocate for now as you work and gain experience. Next raid, you'll lead. Pick a pack. I'll follow," he waits then to see what Jack has to say. Will the boy rise to the occasion? Or will he chicken out? Either is fine. If he isn't ready to lead a raid, there were other tasks around the isle that needed completion as well.

"speech"