Astoria Oregon, Monday

[l1ttle_billy]

"Permission to come aboard Captain?" Storm Shadow asked from the dock.

"Permission granted Tommy." Billy's stepfather LeCroix smiled. The ninja had requested to be allowed to come and observe Billy at his training as a sailor.

"Everyone aboard?" he asked his stepson.

"All set dad!" Billy said automatically.

There was a moment of silence.

"What did you just call me?" Sam looked at him with pleased surprise.

Billy was no less surprised. "I think I just called you dad."

Tommy snickered. "I shall endeavor not to be jealous."

[Billy has handwavily extended an invitation to his friends to come visit anytime. They are free to ping into this as passengers or even cremembers on the boat should they wish.]

Comments

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" John Connor called from the dock, a small bag over his shoulder.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Sam shielded his eyes to see who it was. Billy grinned. "Hey John! What's up?"

"Friend of yours I'm guessin'?" the step father asked.

"Yeah."

"Then permission granted son. You know how to swim right?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Like a fish. Hey, Billy, is this a vacation or are you putting me to work?" he asked, climbing aboard.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"With sailing it's not mutually exclusive." Billy grinned.

"What about the training?" Storm Shadow asked.

"I enjoy that too." Billy turned to John. "There might be some ninja training later if you're interested."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Count me the hell in." He grinned at Billy, miming a hook hand. "You teaching classes in Pirate, Cap'n? We'll get you a parrot."

At this point, Sparky the Dingbot climbed out of John's shirt pocket and clambered up to his shoulder, holding on to the collar with one hand and making swordy motions with the other. John facepalmed.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Billy's step father snickered at the pirate thing. He'd heard about the boy's nickname at Eckerd.

But at the sight of the ding-bot, both the captain of the ship and Storm Shadow stared.

Now it was Billy's turn to snicker.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Sparky! Stop making friends!" John not-rudely pushed the 'bot back into his pocket and held it closed. "What did I tell you about scaring the normal people?"

The pocket stopped moving. "So you do remember." He turned to the non-snickering people as Sparky peeped out of the pocket. "Sorry about that."

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Storm Shadow had actually been in Fandom, and so he was slightly more prepared for such things. Captain LeCroix had no such advantage.

"What was that?" he asked.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Uh. It's a toy from a Cracker Jack box." Sparky took offense to that and started trying to leave the pocket, which resulted in a pocket-watched sized dingbot throwing a fit in a shirt pocket, which looked somewhat like one of those old-timey cartoons of a heart beating out of a guy's chest, except not.

"Are you going to behave?" he asked his pocket. It stopped thrashing and nodded. "Okay. Let's make some friends." He pulled the dingbot out of his pocket and held it in the palm of his hand.

"This is Sparky. A Dingbot. Mostly helpful," Sparky bowed, "and occasionally a pain in the ass." The dingbot made a rude gesture at John. "They're mostly harmless, if watched. You," he said at the brass thing on his hand, "behave. We're guests. Best behavior."

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Is it waterproof?" Captain LeCroix asked.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Not...exactly?" he said as the dingbot shook 'no'. "Might tarnish a bit, too. Never really tried to find out if they're waterproof. I don't have a fishtank," he said, as if that explained it.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Better be careful with it. Him. Uh..." Sam looked helplessly at his step son, who clearly was not going to help him out here. "Since we're going sailing and all."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I will. Right?" he asked the dingbot. Sparky nodded. "Stay out of trouble."

He looked at the group. "We'll be good. Really."

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Well, welcome aboard then."

Billy offered a hand to help John climb aboard. "How was the trip?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Trip wasn't too bad. Looks like a nice craft, here," he said, taking Billy's hand to climb aboard.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you." Sam smiled. "Now Bill, you gonna introduce us or what?"

Billy facepalmed. "Right sorry. This is John Connor, a friend of mine from Fandom. John these are my two dads. Storm Shadow,"

"Call me Tommy." Storm Shadow said. "It's less of a mouthful."

"And Captain Sam LeCroix." Sam gave the boy a salute.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Dad. Dad." John nodded at each in turn and saluted the Captain, and stuck his hand out to shake. "John Connor Baum," he said. "You've met Sparky. And I think we all know that pirate over there," he said nodding at Billy with a grin. "Maybe we can make him walk the plank."

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"You can try." Billy smirked. The boat cast off heading for open water.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Ahoy maties? Walk the plank? I'm sure we can rig up hook hands or something. Nifty hats?" he joked.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"I've got my hat." Sam smirked. "As for the hook hands, might make it hard to handle the rigging."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Right. Guess we'll have to stick with Billy the Kid, Pirate of the Seven Seas here," he said, grinning at Billy. "How're the legs holding up?"

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"Well enough." Billy answered. "And now apparently I'm not just a ninja pirate, I'm a cowboy ninja pirate."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"You put a spur on your pegleg?" John deadpanned.

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"No but that might make for an interesting weapon."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"...I'll look into it," he said, thinking.