Chapter 25
The Imperial court sessions held at the Crystal Chamber were always suitably stupendous affairs, given that the Unifier of the Highlands, Master of the Sea Folk, Subjugator of the 5 Kingdoms, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as well as assorted other gloriously and stupendously bombastic titles that were the divine right of His Royal Majesty, Emperor Tsunku VI of the Sharam Dynasty, penultimate ruler of the Empire, was present and presiding over the formal affair.
The sessions were all exquisitely ceremonious and ritualistic, involving all sorts of obscure and vaguely undefinable etiquette that took years to master to its ultimate perfection. The whole court was present, or at least, the upper echelons of it, since the Imperial bureaucracy that ran the day-to-day affairs of the vast Empire was too grossly inflated to fit all in one place at the same time, never mind that the Crystal Chamber was one of the largest audience chambers in that mountain palace (which was large indeed), the pinnacle of Imperial achievement, the center of the civilised world, the crowning glory of the Empire.
The Crystal Chamber bore its name proudly, for the construction of it was such that refracting crystal plates were placed in strategic locations designed specifically to catch and reflect the sun's rays into the chamber, a rainbow opalescence that was made even more beautiful by the shimmering white marble that floored that vast hall. The design was so cunning that at certain times of the day, specifically in the early morning, noon, and at sunset, different crystals would catch the light and reflect it directly onto the massive throne carved from jade and ivory, bathing it in an impressive array of rainbow light, akin to the halo of a divine being.
The room itself was fully 300 paces wide, and the distance from the raised throne on the dais to the elegantly arched main entrance was 3 times as long. It had a ridiculously high ceiling, the sloped upper surface supported by lines of imposing marble columns that ran on either side of that grandly intimidating audience chamber. Each of those marvelously carved pillars bore intricate designs that spoke of the Empire's history, traced and outlined with silver and gold. Images of mounted warriors and sleek warships engaged in battle were most prevalent. Theirs was a nation of warriors, a culture built on and in the tradition of conflict. Even in peace, they were constantly at war with themselves, and within the crystal-sheathed walls of this chamber, the constant struggle was not only etched on the pillars, but played out in that exquisitely formal dance before the Emperor's all-knowing gaze.
A richly crimson carpet, with gold threads embroidered on the edges, stretches out all the way from the foot of the throne all the way to the entrance. Heaven forbid if you let the Emperor's feet touch common surfaces (though how marble could be called a common surface is beyond my imagination). In a typical meeting of the officials for the morning court session, they would line up on either side of that interminably long carpet, civil officers on one side and military men on the other. Armored guards, their breastplates enamelled with gold, flanked either side of the dais, a silent testimony against those who even dared of causing harm to the royal person. The raised platform held the Emperor's throne, as well as lesser seats arrayed in a loose semicircle out from the throne, for those of the royal family (direct descent, not extended family) who usually showed up only for important ceremonies and not the day-to-day sessions.
The coveted spots right in front of the royal platform naturally belonged to the two most important officials of the administration. One was the Prime Minister, and the other would be the Military Chief (in charge of the armies, second only to the Emperor's military power). While there was no overt hostility between the military and civil administrations, the usual jockeying for power and status in front of the Emperor took place, complete with concealed backbiting and subtle maneuvering. No surprises there, since that was the way it had been since the beginning. Inter-departmental rivalry was pretty much a mainstay of any bureaucratic organisation.
Today was no different. The officials presented their cases, submitting summarised reports for the hearing of the Emperor, and all those other little details that kept the ruler updated about the going ons of the Empire. However, the Emperor traditionally did not speak much at such sessions, except to mouth off well rounded formulas that were not only predictable but expected. The idea was that the Emperor was supreme and all-powerful, but the business of actually running the Empire fell much onto the shoulders of the bureaucracy, who took that power much for granted.
The role of Emperor was formal and ceremonial. No drastically radical actions on his part. He simply gave approval of the recommendations on the matters that his subjects brought to his attention. The closest thing that came to actual decision making on his part was probably when, well, if, there was more than one recommendation put forth on a certain matter. Which was in itself rare, and even when there were more than one course of action, the Emperor's choice was so rigidly bound by custom and tradition that it would be obvious what decision would be made. In actual fact, only the most important matters were submitted to Imperial approval, since the rest of the little details would be taken care of by custom and tradition. The bureaucracy was a great believer in custom and tradition. Consensus politics was never an option here.
The usual wrangling ended on more or less peaceable terms, as it always did...at least on the surface. Somehow, they would always come to a consensus after a while. A grudging consensus, it seemed, but even the ornamental Emperor could eventually observe a distinct pattern emerging. It was obvious who was in power and who held sway over the entire court, by simply noting whose interests were best served.
The Emperor kept his own counsel though. He might not be allowed to speak by tradition's dictates, but that did not preclude him from actually forming coherent opinions of his own. He saw no need to share them with his officials though, since it would probably shock them near to death that their dear figurehead of an Emperor actually had a mind of his own. Mental agility wasn't a prerequisite for the position, or at least that was the idea. Apparently they managed to get a smart one this time, one that was actually intelligent enough not to let them know about it. Inconvenient Emperors in the past have been removed, discreetly and politely of course, but removed nevertheless. It was not wise to tempt the authority of the bureaucracy.
The elaborate farce of a court session finally drew to a close, and the officials withdrew even as the Emperor swept regally past. Yet another day whiled away in opulence, even as the bureaucracy stamped their mark all over the administration of the Empire, all amidst the requisite power struggles and political undercutting with each other. War on the battlefield might be a clear cut place with friend and foe clearly defined, but when you moved it indoors into a civil front, it inevitably turned into a shadowy chess game where friend and foe were not only never stated, but also fluid. There was no such thing as an eternal foe in politics. In such a high-stakes game where practicality often reigned over ideology, there were no long-term enemies, only players with either conflicting or concurring interests that would collaborate or connive with and against each other as the circumstances changed.
In the murky halls of that crown jewel of the capital, the center of the Empire, political intrigue reigned. Certainly not the Emperor, and definitely not the people.
Life was like that.
~*~*~
The island appeared as if by magic out of the mist, a pristine paradise mostly untouched by the hands of men. The dolphins had known the way through the deadly fog, which had snared many an unwary ship that had gotten lost in its reach. It had been a secret of her clan, the route to this island, Reina mused as she whistled at the pink dolphins, watching them dart and bob amidst the waves, their high pitched voices trilling in reply.
"Where do we dock?" Yossi asked in a quiet voice, her tone slightly awed by the sight before her. Reina squinted at the shoreline, scanning it for that familiar cove. She finally pointed at a barely visible entrance set against an imposing cliff, off to the right side.
"We should be able to fit in there." The older pirate nodded and went to inform Yuko, who was steering the ship herself this time. Reina turned back to stare at the island, just like the others who weren't busy.
"You look different." Mari observed, strolling up to stand beside Reina. The tiny pirate, instead of looking at the island, was staring directly at Reina instead. "You never did tell us what happened to you before we picked you up at that port." Her tone was reflective, but not forceful, knowing that Reina would shy away from the question if she were too forceful in her questioning.
"..." Reina didn't reply, but her grip around her harpoon tightened as she held it close. Mari sighed at that familiar defensive response, but did not push further.
The Red Dawn slipped into the sheltered cove, the natural rock formation forming a protection against the elements. The crew sprang to work, easing the battered ship into place and tethering it to a few rock outcroppings to keep it steady. It was difficult, but their combined efforts were able to beach the ship in order for them to get to work on the repairs later. The damage to the hull was extensive, although not quite critical. They would be able to patch it up with additional materials from the island, at least well enough for them to set sail again.
However, by the time they did manage to get the ship partly on land, it was already evening, and so they decided that they would leave any repairs until the next morning. They were all tired and hungry after all, and they needed the rest.
There were some still-standing huts that remained from when Reina's clan were still around, although most of the structures further out were in ruins. It had been years since anyone had set foot on the island after all, so that wasn't surprising. There were still useful tools left within some of the huts though, so they made use of that. Since the weather was fine out, they built a campfire out on the beach itself, while some of the others went exploring a little to bring back some wild fruits to supplement their dinner. Fish, naturally, was on the menu again, although Reina noted that there was probably wild game lurking out further into the forests inland, which prompted a hungry look from Miki, the knife-lover almost tempted to go hunting for "real meat", as she put it. However, it was too late to go out wandering in unfamiliar territory, so Miki had to stay put, though she sulked throughout the whole of her meal, clearly displeased that she should be kept from eating something other than fish.
Her apparent grouchiness didn't stop her from engaging in her favorite activities though, that is, groping Aya and arguing with Maki. The former had to end up sitting on the other side of the fire, away from Miki, to avoid incidental gropings, and after a while Miki got tired of trying to chase Aya around the fire (they kept moving in circles until Miki's stomach grumbled loudly) and settled down for grilled fish. Naturally, in between her continuing antics with Aya and dinner, Miki somehow managed to keep on arguing with Maki, much to the amusement of the rest gathered around the fire. Their smilingly delivered insults and underhanded verbal ribbing at each other confused the others at first, since they were amazed by the distinct lack of physical violence between the two.
"Not trying to kill each other today?" Yossi remarked mildly to Miki, who was seated on a log next to her. Miki smirked as she removed her boots, shaking the sand out of them.
"We decided to give that a break for the sake of our continued health." Miki answered, wiggling her toes near the fire. Off to one side, Maki snidely remarked about scorching one's toes "like a red lobster" and said that she wouldn't eat it no matter what. To which Miki shot back that no, Maki had no idea about marine life and would not be able to tell the difference behind a crab and an oyster, and would thus probably choke to death on a sea urchin in the near future. And so on and so forth. That was the kind of "friendly" conversation those two were having the whole evening.
The insults were creative, Yossi had to give them that. After Maki told Miki to go and shove herself into what was probably a physically impossible position, Yuko loudly interrupted by passing out the alcohol, which distracted everyone sufficiently enough that Miki's reply was lost in the subsequent furor. The interruption was probably a good thing. Their mutual insults had been getting a little on the exotic side, almost bordering on the seriously X-rated with their "discussion" of bondage techniques (how that topic came about, Yossi had NO idea) involving lots and lots of sadism and pain (preferably directed at each other). Nacchi had had to cut in to prevent a distinctly perverse turn to their conversation, after she noticed the slightly green faces of Eri, Risa and Ai respectively. The twins looked interested though, for good or ill. Reina was just pale, but that had very little to do with the fireside conversations, for she kept staring out at the foggy sea unmovingly, only moving to eat after Makoto pretty much shoved the fish into her face.
Whilst Maki and Miki were busily engaging in their little diversion, the rest were mostly doing their own thing in between listening in to that amusing insult-filled conversation. Kaori appeared to be discussing something with Mari a little furtively, though the exact nature of their talk was not loud enough for the rest to hear clearly. From what scraps that could be picked up, they appeared to be trying to figure out the odds for something. Whatever it was, it involved a lot of numbers. Yossi would have been a lot less interested in trying to eavesdrop on them had she not picked up her own name and Rika's in the same sentence between those two, but they had lowered their voices even more soon afterwards, and she hadn't been able to catch the drift of what they were discussing. She could only hope that they weren't betting about something involving her again. The last time that happened, it had been about something embarrassing, and she was eager to forget the humiliation of everyone speculating over her virginity (Miki won the bet, but she cheated).
Yossi was not against participating in the betting pools that Kaori tended to organise. In fact, she had a few stakes on certain developments on the ship lately. Life at sea could be boring, and they had only so many things to do while waiting for their next target to surface. Playing cards could only occupy one for a while, and it was not uncommon for them to have betting pools on anything and everything under the sun. Nothing was sacred, Yossi groused silently. She could only hope that either Mari or Kaori didn't have any too devious bets planned in secret. She would be absolutely mortified if they, like Miki did before, tried to manipulate events to suit their bets. She did not need the extra complication in her life right now.
Speaking of complications, Rika appeared to have adapted somewhat well to life at sea, although there were still hiccups along rhe way. Rika was after all, born and bred a lady of a noble house, and she was used to getting her own way. It probably didn't help that she was so good at it too. A life spent socialising amongst the upper classes had gifted Rika with a lot of tricks up her sleeve when it came to manipulating people. And it was definitely to her advantage that she could be absolutely adorable when she needed to be, thus making many a man literally grovel at her feet for a chance with her. Yossi had wised up a little to some of her friend's tricks, but their enforced separation for the past decade had clearly given Rika many more opportunities to practise her craft with the best. Yossi had also hardened up during the last 10 years, but somehow Rika could find a way to slip past those defenses and make the pirate do things her way every single time.
I really need to stop eating out of her hand... Yossi thought ruefully. Miki had already ganged up with the twins to tease her mercilessly about her predicament, much to her utter dismay. Mari was no better, her one-time mentor even hinting that she was going to suggest to Yuko that the captain should just join them in marriage already. It had taken many threats, some pleading, a lot of begging, and finally some bribery in order to make the tiny First Mate shut her trap about it.
She needed more time to reflect about Rika's entry into her life. Yossi had grown used to life as a pirate with Yuko's somewhat unorthodox crew, and even though her family's grudge still nagged at the back of her mind, she discovered that there was very little she could really do anything about it. Her father had sent her away so she could survive, her and her brothers, although as she had learned from Rika, her brothers had not been as lucky as her and had been recaptured and executed as well. There was an acute sense of survivor's guilt eating away at her, but Yossi knew it wasn't productive to keep dwelling on it. She had no clue, no lead as to what caused her family's downfall, although she steadfastly held firm in the belief that they had been wronged. It simply wasn't possible that her father could be a traitor. Rika, who had discreetly investigated the matter during the intervening time, had confessed that there wasn't any evidence for or against the case that could be easily obtained. The Yoshizawa family, for better or worse, was no more than a footnote in history now, supposed perpetrators of a failed coup against the throne.
And that was that, Yossi realised. There was only the present now, and the future. Rika didn't deserve to be living a hard life with her, but there was no way she could send her back to her family. In any case, the very idea that sending her back would result in her getting married to someone else somehow irked Yossi. Rika should be free to choose her husband, not forced into marriage for political reasons. Yossi might no longer be an aristocrat, but she did still have a wide streak of nobility somewhere within her, and it was her opinion that she would respect whatever choice Rika made, within reason of course. Rika had elected to stay by her side, and while Yossi strongly disapproved of that decision based on principle alone, she was actually secretly pleased to have her around. She just didn't think it was a good idea for Rika to stay with her only because she felt that she had nothing to offer.
What could she give Rika? Wealth was no longer in her reach, even though she did make quite an amount as a pirate. A settled life was a joke, since she lived on the sea now, and comfort was even further out of the question. There were no luxuries in the life of a pirate at sea, and it had the distinct disadvantage of being a very criminal profession. Most decent people wanted to hang pirates on general principle, so they were largely unwelcome in certain ports. Yossi simply couldn't think of a good reason for Rika to want to stay with her. Was the girl mad? Yossi decided to wait her out. Surely this was just a fun adventure of Rika, and once she got tired of it, Yossi would personally escort her back to where the young noblewoman belonged.
Life as a pirate didn't suit a lady like her, Yossi decided. Rika would be better off not being with her. The pirate was still reassuring herself of that fact when a soft touch on her arm reminded her of the fact that the object of her thoughts was still sitting right next to her.
"You seem preoccupied. Care to share?" Rika's smile could have lighted up the whole beach on her own, outshining even the pale light of the incomplete moon above them. Yossi's tensed muslces relaxed at the contact, for reasons she couldn't fathom. One more reason to make sure Rika didn't stay by her side, the boyish pirate thought ruefully. She's making me soft on the inside.
"Nothing much..." She fibbed slightly, but Rika obviously didn't buy that explanation, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, making Yossi gulp nervously. Searching for some remotely plausible topic, Yossi's eyes strayed around the campfire, trying to find something to talk about just to distract Rika.
Miki and Maki had stopped trying to verbally murder each other for the night, probably having run out of things to say about each other for the moment. There was no doubt that they would restart their conflict once one of them presented a weakness for the other to attack, but clearly that wasn't the case at the moment. Anyway, Miki was poking distractedly at the sand underneath her feet, while absently taking swigs from one of the bottles of rum that Yuko had passed out to each of them earlier.
Reina was still staring out to sea, hugging her harpoon with her back facing the fire. Kaori was now talking to Kei. Mari was playing a drinking game with Yuko, their beloved captain well on her way to being quite happily smashed for the night, as usual. Further on the circle, Aya appeared to be polishing her gunblade in between chatting quietly with Nacchi and Maki. On Maki's left was that turtle girl, Kamei. Yossi couldn't help the little grin that twitched at her lips. The poor girl probably had to suffer a lot of turtle jokes her whole life. Still, mild on the surface she might be, Yossi couldn't help but remember what Eri did to Reina. The bruises were still vivid. Clearly, this turtle had fangs.
Anyway, Eri was mostly quiet, although Risa beside her did try to involve her in the conversation. Yossi didn't blame Eri though. Risa and Ai tended to unconsciously sink into their own happy little world to the exclusion of all else, although Makoto managed to penetrate it from time to time just to avoid being completely forgotten. Risa's cold appeared to have gotten just a little worse, and she was practically glued onto Ai the way they sat all wrapped around each other on the pretext of keeping Risa warm. Frankly, Yossi felt that those two might as well just slip off into the dark and start making out already. Anyone with eyes could see their evident attraction to each other. Yossi made a mental note to alter her bet with Kaori about just when those two would finally cross the line and do it already. Given the speed of their progression, Yossi expected that it wouldn't take more than a week or two before one of them made a move on the other. Even if Risa was a chicken and Ai was too shy to initiate anything yet, Yossi believed that all that tension would eventually amount to something soon.
But back to Rika, who was still waiting expectantly for her answer. Yossi shrugged casually.
"Just thinking about how life has been with all the new additions to the crew." Rika appeared satisfied with the answer, and leant in close to cuddle Yossi. Yossi groaned inwardly when she smelled the alcohol on Rika. A giggly and affectionate Rika was not going to be easy to fend off. Not that she had any inclination to do so, but it was yet again, a matter of principle. Really, years as a pirate and she still didn't manage to discard all that many of her principles. Yossi sighed. Dang honor.
Even as Yossi tentatively wrapped one arm around Rika, who took the opportunity to clamber into Yossi's lap and snuggle there, much to the amusement of the twins, who were sitting right next to where Rika was earlier and were smirking at the slightly awkward expression on Yossi's face. Tsuji started making funny kissing faces, while Kago sang that little rhyme which started with "Yossi and Rika under a tree...", much to the older pirate's chagrin. If her arms weren't full right now, she'd go over and smack those two. Miki's snide comments next to her wasn't helping in the least either.
Thankfully, she was saved by the lilting tune that suddenly pierced the air, soaring over the sound of the waves lapping gently against the shore. Most of the eyes around the fire were drawn to the source, which turned out to be Kei. A faint smile touched Yossi's lips. Kei was fairly accomplished with the pipes, enough to provide entertainment for them tonight at least. The simple melody was soothing, and then it was abruptly joined by yet another instrument.
Kaori hadn't forgotten to bring her lute along, and was currently strumming away with a practised familiarity on the instrument. The music produced by the two formed a simple yet complex harmony as the two players appeared to instinctively match their tunes with each other. They had practised together before, naturally, but it always amazed Yossi how easily those two found a common rhythm without further discussion.
The melody took a faster turn, and Mari, having abandoned her drinking game with Yuko, was currently beating time quite haphazardly using a couple of sticks. The alcohol was fuddling her senses a bit, but otherwise the tiny woman did an admirable job of keeping up with the increasing tempo of the tune.
Yuko was already quite far gone with drink, and was drinking still more (it took a lot to knock her out). When the music started to speed up and take on an almost exotic flair in the melody, Yuko started singing along quite drunkenly. Yossi wasn't sure what exactly her captain was singing, but at the very least Yuko didn't have a terrible voice. It was a bit slurred because she was tipsy, but the drunken captain did a good job of actually following the music.
Over where Risa and Ai were cuddled together, Risa was frowning thoughtfully as she tried to decipher the lyrics. With a confused pout, she asked Ai.
"Why is she singing about this...sexy island? How can an island be sexy?"
To which Ai just shrugged helplessly. After all, Yuko was drunk. Who knew what was going on in that alcohol-soaked brain of hers?
Makoto, who had uprooted herself away from the loving couple earlier and was now sitting close by Reina, turned to ask the still unresponsive girl.
"Hey, does this island have a name?" When Reina shook her head after a momentary pause, Makoto shrugged.
"In that case, I guess our captain gets to name it..." And it just so happened that right after Makoto said that, Yuko bawled out the song lyrics with plenty of vigor.
"...SEXY ISLAND~~"
A long silence followed. Even the instruments stopped as everyone stared at Yuko, who had broken off her singing to start drinking again.
Miki was the first to break the silence. With a wry look, she scratched at the back of her head.
"Well, I guess that works for a name..."
And that was how that quiet little island paradise somehow managed to get improbably dubbed as Sexy Island. A name it would soon grow to fit.
Funny how things worked out like that.
~*~*~
On a road somewhere, a caravan of farm wagons were moving slowly and steadily along.
Nothing was suspicious about that of course. It was around harvest time, and so it was not uncommon to see wagons full of farm produce heading towards the markets.
However, in one of those wagons of that particular caravan, there were some not-very-ordinary people in it.
"Ugh...so stuffy in here..."
"Boss, your boobs are suffocating me..."
"My glasses..."
"Don't touch my hair, damnit!"
Seems like a fine and dandy trip to me. Mai whistled a jaunty country tune as she enjoyed the fresh air outside while driving said wagon.
It was going to be a long journey (for some people anyway).
~*~*~
The day dawned bright and early...too bright and early for those with a hangover. Those who hadn't drunk that much woke up with ease, but most of the rest were pretty much still knocked out. Late night drunken parties and early rising just didn't mix at all.
Nothing too incriminating happened the night before, that is, nothing that could potentially become future blackmail and/or joke material. It was fairly standard. Yuko got drunk (like that's anything new), Mari was already close and followed after, Kaori spaced out and didn't get too drunk, Kei drank within acceptable limits...at first. Yuko made sure that didn't stay that way for long. Right after that, Yuko started singing the same song from before, this time complete with dance routine. Of course, that wasn't all. Yuko grabbed Kei and made her dance along too, and Mari was already moving to some imaginary music that only the really drunk could hear. Kaori got pulled along too later, much to her confusion. She appeared to have fun though. Maki got tipsy and carried an equally giggly Nacchi off halfway, while Yossi also carried Rika off not long after...but for entirely different reasons though. The twins got a little hyper on alcohol (one reason why they were never allowed to drink that much) and nearly drowned Reina by holding her head underwater. Shockingly, Miki was the one to save Reina, since the knife-loving pirate was an unusually sober drunk (excuse the oxymoron) and was never as nasty as when she was actually sober. Eri had slipped off as early as she could and wedged herself in the nearest small space she could find, which was amongst a bunch of smooth rocks that provided some shelter against the wind. Makoto hauled a coughing Reina back to safety and dried the younger off before going to bed. Ai and Risa had already wisely gone back to the ship and fallen asleep (nothing else!). Miki had curled up like a kitten next to the flaming embers and fallen asleep right there. No one was sure what Aya did since she was one of the few left completely sober and relatively untouched after the majority had passed out or left the fire.
Makoto woke early, mainly due to the fact that the convenient and proverbial "alarm clock" had gone off.......aka Risa waking up to find herself in yet another compromising position with Ai. How Risa managed to partially undress her wife in her sleep was completely beyond Makoto, who watched with a mixture of exasperation and amusement as Risa fell out of bed and was practically banging her forehead on the floor in apology to a red-faced Ai.
After that little moment had passed, the three moved to the upper deck, where Reina and Aya already were, having woken up on their own volition before the others. Reina appeared to be mending the hole she had made on the deck during that storm, while Aya was just climbing on board. They nodded to each other in greeting, and Makoto dragged Ai off to make breakfast for everyone, while giving instructions to Risa to "go shoot a few animals and bring them back". The sharpshooter, eager to clear her head after waking up that way, agreed quickly and ran off with guns at the ready.
As mentioned previously, the vast majority who had been totally drunk last night were still out cold. Miki, however, had not been really all that drunk previously, and so she stirred to wakefulness with a buzzing headache, still right next to the blackened remains of the campfire. She yawned widely and stretched, the blanket on her falling as she did so. Wait, blanket? Miki frowned blearily as she picked up the material that had been draped over her. She didn't remember having a blanket the night before, and she was certain she passed out blanket-less. Glancing around for some sort of explanation, Miki scratched at her head in a confused manner and absently rolled the blanket up before walking back slowly to the cove, pointedly ignoring the bunch of comatose older people snoozing around on the beach.
By the time Miki made it back to the ship, she ran into Reina, who had finished patching up the hole she had made and was currently off to look at the set lines she put out the night before she went to bed, presumably to bring in the catch if there were any. They grunted at each as they passed, Miki being of little words in the morning, and Reina was just grouchy for whatever reason. Reina didn't even look back when a surprised feminine yelp rose behind her. Figures that the groping devil would jump right to work the moment her chosen target surfaced.
Eri had been awake for a while, but she allowed her eyes to remain close and just enjoy the morning sea breeze, as well as the sound of the waves licking at the shore. She liked mornings, especially when she was left peacefully alone to her own devices. Nothing could ever bother her when in this state...or so she thought.
"Oy Kamei, I know you're a turtle and all, but you didn't really have to go find a bunch of your relatives to sleep with you know."
A familiar voice. A familiar, annoying voice. Eri's eyes snapped open abruptly...and found herself staring at a pair of beady eyes. She took in a quick breath and rolled out of the way, her mind trying to come to grips with what she was seeing.
She saw...Reina, yes. In the background, her wonky eyes puzzled and amused at the same time, that harpoon slung on her back. Those eyes she had seen however...were NOT Reina's. For one thing, they were not off-center. For another, they were a lot smaller.
The "stone" under Eri moved, and the turtle girl finally looked around to understand her situation.
Those "smooth stones" she had snuggled with the whole night were in reality, a bunch of sleeping turtles in their shells. Eri didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or just scream. She settled for a stoned silence even as the first turtle she had woken up face to face with shambled over and nibbled at her toes in a friendly sort of way. The turtle she happened to be sitting on settled back down on the sand, withdrawing contentedly into its shell. Some of the stones were real stones, but the rest were a bunch of huge turtles peacefully snoozing and basking in the first strains of early morning light.
"They seem to like you...you really ARE a turtle, aren't you?" Reina grinned fearlessly, completely forgetting how it was dangerous to piss Eri off.
"I'm not a turtle damnit!" Another turtle shuffled over to her. Eri groaned even as Reina snorted. "Relative of yours?"
"Will you please stop with the turtle jokes?!" Eri asked, exasperated, even as she tentatively touched the exposed head of one of the turtles by her side. Reina was about to reply when she broke off to see a bunch of baby turtles crawl out of the sand, their tiny forms tentative in the growing light.
Reina couldn't hold it in anymore. She sat back down on the sand, laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her eyes. Eri wanted to bury herself in the sand, although her eyes couldn't deviate from the adorable sight of the baby turtles crawling out of the nest that must have been hidden in the sand.
"You sure...have...a large...extended family..." Reina coughed out in between her gasps for air. Eri twitched convulsively. If Reina didn't know when to shut up soon, we might get to see the return of the berserker.
However, today might be Reina's lucky(?) day. The berserker didn't have to make an appearance, because some other turtles took care of it.
Eri watched with a certain bemused air around her as Reina was suddenly swarmed by a bunch of snapping turtles. Revenge was sweet, even if she wasn't the one to deliver it personally. It was good to have friends. The turtle girl patted the steady shell of her namesake below her.
Revenge of the turtles indeed.
~*~*~
By the time Reina returned, out of sorts and covered with assorted scratches and rips in clothing, it was just a couple of hours before noon. Eri had ditched Reina earlier and went to bring in the catch from the set lines, and the turtle girl was now busy with Miki and Maki trying to patch up the damaged sections of the ship's hull. Somehow, those two managed to find more new things to insult each other with after a night's rest. Eri was greatly amused as she quietly went about her share of the work.
Speaking of Maki, she had come back not long after Reina had left for the first time, a pleased sort of grin on her face. Nacchi had returned not long after her either, and Aya's question of what they had been off doing the night before only made the older woman somewhat flustered and eager to change the subject.
Yossi had also come onto the deck during that time, leaving Rika to sleep peacefully on her own in the bunk below. It had been difficult to pry Rika off her, but Yossi managed somehow. She then went off to go rouse the still passed out members of the crew on the beach, seeing that they were still not awake despite the fact that the sun was well up already.
Nacchi had joined Ai and Makoto with working on food preparations, while Risa had returned from a relatively successful hunt with some large fowl and a wild boar that she had to ask for help with dragging it back (Aya went with her since she was free). Miki had looked very happy to see the dead boar, enthused by the prospect of having real meat to eat. Aya almost couldn't contain her amusement at the way Miki's eyes lit up and the almost child-like grin that stretched from ear to ear at the pronouncement that there would be roast meat for food later. She didn't smile so much when Miki suddenly slid close to her and whispered something about "wanting more than just meat" and licking Aya's ear before skipping away to avoid Aya's punch.
Lunch time rolled by soon enough. Kei had been rather grumpy about having to patch Reina up yet again, although she had been rather amused by the reason behind Reina's new injuries. Attacked by turtles, literally. Now there's a joke for you.
They tucked in happily, Miki especially, whose whole world lit up with the prospect of meat. Also present was a pot of soup, made with some other kind of meat. Miki dug into that happily too. Meat was meat to her. Fish didn't count at all.
Eri was staring suspiciously at her bowl of soup. She didn't want to eat something that consisted of ingredients she wasn't aware of. Looking at Nacchi opposite from her, who was stirring the pot with a ladle, she asked "What soup was this again?"
"Oh, turtle soup." Nacchi replied quite offhandedly, clearly not really thinking about the implications of what she just said. Maki snorted into her portion, and Miki choked on the soup (because she was laughing). Risa bit her lip and quickly pretended to keep on eating, while her sides shook silently with repressed laughter.
Eri stared in horror, first at Nacchi, then at her bowl. She glanced at the empty shells on the ground further away.
"You killed those turtles?!" Eri sounded horrified. Nacchi blinked.
"Um, they were already dead when I got to them..." Her reply went unheard by Eri, who was still mourning over the deaths.
"My little buddies..." Reina whistled calmly from afar even as she bit into the turtle flesh with a vengeful vigor. Revenge was best served...with soup?
After getting over her little epiphany, Eri stared at her bowl again. It smelled good. Her stomach rumbled.
"Um...if I eat this, does that make me a cannibal?"
Everyone collapsed in helpless laughter at that point. Eri just shrugged and tucked in anyway.
Food was food after all.
~*~*~
Afternoon rolled by like the clouds floating across the blue sky, that is, calmly and unhurried. It was warm, pleasantly so, and most of the crew was getting a little lazy in the sun and neglecting the repairs a little. As Yuko put it, they might as well take a vacation since they were here.
Some were taking the suggestion quite seriously. Mari had been slouched under the shade of a palm tree, quite happily dozing...until the twins came by and started chucking coconuts at her. Kaori watched the 3 midgets of the crew run around on the sand barefooted, bemused and with her spacey expression firmly on again. Yuko was taking a nap in the sun, and Kei was seated right by the shoreline, letting the waves lap over her bare feet.
Yossi and Rika were taking a stroll down the beach, away from everyone else, apparently engaging in quiet conversation. Reina was fishing again, more as a form of relaxation than a real attempt to actually catch fish. She didn't bait her hook for one thing. She wanted to see if there were any fish silly enough to get hooked anyway. Eri wasn't far away from her, surreptitiously eyeing Reina while playing with a baby turtle. The turtle actually seemed to be rather fond of her.
After lazing around for a bit, Nacchi had suggested to Aya that they go take a bath in one of the freshwater pools she found deeper inland earlier. Miki had wanted to go along, but was immediately forbidden by all the others. Now, that wouldn't have stopped Miki anyway, but Nacchi decided that Maki should stay behind to keep an eye on Miki, which prompted a complaint from Maki, who also wanted to take a bath (among other things), but Aya backed Nacchi's decision, so Maki had to back down and babysit Miki just to make sure that the groping demon went nowhere near where they were bathing.
Ai was also going to join them on their bathing trip, and invited Risa along as well, but the sharpshooter balked at the idea of seeing her Ai-chan naked and stammered out an incoherent refusal before running away. The former barmaid only shrugged in response, slightly disappointed by the reluctance, and invited Makoto along instead. The four women went off into the woods together, leaving the others behind. Not the best idea in the world, especially since Maki was bored...and so was Miki.
Miki had initially suggested that the two of them sneak along to peek at the others, but Maki firmly put her foot down on that issue. For one thing, Maki wasn't too thrilled about letting Miki see Aya naked, not to mention Nacchi as well. Even though she was tempted to go along with that just for the chance to gawk, Maki decided she would rather deny Miki the pleasure and derive satisfaction from that instead. Besides, there were always other forms of entertainment in the meantime...
Risa was crouched by a small running freshwater stream which they had fetched water from to make lunch earlier. She was busy splashing water on her face in an attempt to cool down. Her brain had very nearly overheated at the earlier mental image of Ai-chan completely naked and dripping wet...cue brain meltdown again. Frustrated, Risa stuck her head underwater for awhile, fervently hoping that she didn't start to spontaneously nosebleed just thinking about it.
Due to her inward struggles, Risa failed to notice a very clear and present danger heading towards her. Two very clear and present dangers. By the time she did, it was too late to escape.
"Aw, what's my little Nii Nii doing?" Maki had a vicious grin on her face, and Miki, who had tagged along curiously to see what her sometime-rival was up to, smirked as well. Risa spluttered helplessly, nearly falling into the stream, had Maki not hauled her back by the collar in time.
"What? Nothing! I was up to nothing!" Risa babbled in reply, her eyes swirling counter-clockwise rapidly. Maki shot a wry look at Miki, who was beginning to understand what Maki meant by "finding something to amuse ourselves" while they were waiting. The two rivals shared identical evil grins and quietly shelved their rivalry to one side for the moment. This was too fun to pass up.
"Really? Then why are you all red?" Miki very nearly purred, stalking nearer like a hunter after its prey, and Risa managed to turn even redder at the reminder of the reason for her blush. Maki dropped Risa, who stumbled back a little, eyes wide with panic. Maki and Miki had already trapped her in a corner, blocking her escape routes. There was no way she was going to escape this encounter unscathed. She could only hope it wouldn't be too bad.
"I'm not! Not at all! It's nothing! Nothing!!" Risa had already degenerated into panicky squeaks, sensing the evil intentions practically hovering around like a menace around the other two. Miki shot Maki a look. Your turn, it said. Like Maki needed any hint really.
"Oh isn't it obvious Fujimoto? Our little girl's at that age! And she's married to such a pretty girl! Of course she would be thinking those thoughts!" Risa paled so much, she was practically transparent from the lack of blood on her face. Miki smirked again.
"Hell yeah, Ai-chan is hot, I'd do her any day." Miki's grin grew vicious, while Maki suppressed an urge to laugh at the horrified expression on Risa's face.
"You leave my Ai-chan alone!" Risa yelled, reaching for her guns...only to discover that Maki had stolen them earlier. Miki gave a nod of acknowledgment to Maki's foresight, and the taller woman shrugged, tossing the weapons aside. It paid to be prepared for eventualities.
"Yours? What, you marked her already?" Miki drawled in a faux friendly tone, leaning in to rest an arm on Risa's trembling shoulder. "So tell me, how was she in bed?"
Risa gagged on her own saliva at the shamelessly upfront question, blushing to the tips of her ears as she lowered her head, her hair obscuring her face. She mumbled something, and Miki leaned in closer. "What? Speak louder~"
"I mean, um, we haven't, uh, we didn't...not yet..." Risa mumbled, deeply embarrassed. The two older women exchanged mutual looks of shock.
"What, all those times you were alone together, you didn't do anything? Not even a quickie?" When Risa shook her head timidly, Maki slapped a hand to her face in exasperation. Miki tapped Risa's head and flicked the younger's forehead.
"You little fool, why didn't you?!" Miki scolded her in a disapproving tone. Maki agreed with her, while Risa managed to look slightly ashamed of herself.
"Well I don't know...I just couldn't...I didn't know what to do..." Risa muttered half to herself, her hands shaking. Maki sighed dramatically, striding forward to grip Risa's other shoulder almost comfortingly.
"There there, everyone has a first time for something...this is your first time right?" Risa nodded timidly again, gripping her hands together tightly. Miki snorted.
"What, how old are you? I can't believe you really didn't do anything!" Maki smacked Miki upside the head. "Oh be quiet Fujimoto! My little Nii Nii's very innocent! Isn't that so?" Maki nudged Risa, who blushed again and shuffled around on her feet. Miki coughed and muttered "and you fully intend on corrupting her" under her breath, earning her a "so what?" look from a wholly unrepentant Maki. Risa remained blissfully oblivious to the silent exchange between her tormentors.
Maki had a gleeful expression on her face as she prepared for her next line. Miki waited expectantly. Risa still didn't know what was in store for her.
"Since you don't know anything about those things, it seems that it falls on us, the more experienced ones, to educate you about them." Miki grinned evilly, even as Maki took on the visage of the devil itself as she savored every single word coming from her lips. Risa's eyes widened as the words sank in slowly, a faint sense of horror and dread growing stronger in the pits of her stomach. This can't be good.
"Time for you to learn about the more adult side of life~" Maki sounded way too cheerful for her own good. Miki looked completely eager to begin. Risa looked like she was on the verge of collapse. The two partners-in-crime exchanged conspiratorial looks and pretty much hauled a flailing Risa off to start the "lesson".
The next half hour was going to be very long for one Niigaki Risa.
~*~*~
"You know, I have a bad feeling about leaving those two alone. What if they kill each other?" Aya fretted as she soaked in the water, the sound of the waterfall rumbling in the background. Nacchi smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, I told Gocchin that she had better make peace with that Fujimoto woman, or I wouldn't speak to her anymore."
Aya raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so that's why they stopped trying to murder each other lately." Nacchi grinned as she ducked her head underwater, enjoying the cool sensation of the water rushing over her head.
There was a peaceful silence in the clearing for the next few moments. Ai and Makoto were on the other side of the pool, speaking quietly to each other. Aya leant her head back to stare at the sky.
"I wonder what they're doing though?" Nacchi shrugged.
"Probably finding new ways to insult each other." Aya laughed.
"Yeah probably. What else can they possibly be doing?"
~*~*~
Yossi was looking away from her, and Rika didn't like that, so she took steps.
"What are you looking at?" The noblewoman hugged Yossi's arm, and the pirate glanced back doubtfully, before pointing with her free arm at something in the distance.
"That looks like Miki and Goto-san..." Yossi trailed off as she tried to make out what was happening. "They're...dragging something?"
"Dragging someone, more likely..." Rika observed, her interest also piqued. The wind changed direction just about then, and it carried with it the faint sounds of Risa's screaming for mercy, before the trio vanished back into the sheltered cove. A long ominous silence followed.
"Well, that was odd." Yossi noted, coughing uncomfortably. Rika nodded, then leaned her head on Yossi's shoulder.
"Walk with me some more?" Yossi smiled down at her friend.
"As long as you want."
~*~*~
Eri had finally managed to work up enough courage to go speak with Reina, when Risa stumbled past with a very dazed and zombiefied expression, her movements awkward and uncoordinated. Eri caught on to Risa, who was about to stumble and fall flat on her face on the rocks.
"Are you alright?" Eri asked, concerned. Risa looked like she had gone through some major trauma, considering how pale and deeply shaken she looked. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was trembling all over. Eri repeated her question, now really worried. Reina, her attention drawn by the little scene behind her, also abandoned her fishing pole and walked over curiously.
"Risa? Talk to me!" Eri shook the catatonic Risa by the shoulders, trying to get a response from her friend. Reina rolled her eyes and took a more direct approach. She smacked Risa hard across the back of her head. Eri glared at Reina, who shrugged unrepentantly.
That move did do the trick though. Risa's eyes finally refocused back on Eri in front of her. She seemed too shocked to even babble.
"Risa?" Eri tried again tentatively. Risa closed her eyes, shoulders shaking again.
"Just...kill me now." Eri gaped at the sobbing sounds from her friend, but Reina just rolled up her sleeves and cracked her knuckles.
"I can do that if you want." The harpoon girl offered, but Eri shot her a deadly look that her berserker side would have been proud of, making Reina back off a little, gulping slightly. One did not mess with such an expression, especially not after her previous experiences with it.
"What happened?" Eri asked gently, curious as to what had made Risa break down like that. Risa shivered again. Reina was already looking away, slightly bored.
"They...told me...things... A lot of things...oh god..." Risa had sunk to her knees by now, clearly reliving the horror that the combined efforts of Miki and Maki had inflicted on her mental state. Risa's innocence had been totally obliterated in the space of those 30 minutes. Those two never did anything halfway, it seemed.
Eri still wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but had a feeling that it might be about something she really rather not know about. Crouching low by Risa's side, Eri patted her friend's quivering back comfortingly, lending moral support for Risa's plight. It was the best she could do at this time anyway.
Reina was rubbing thoughtfully at her chin with one hand as her eyes followed something in the distance. Whatever she was looking at, it had certainly captured her attention. With a half-frown, Reina glanced back down at where Eri and Risa were on the ground, and remarked offhandedly.
"Ey Gaki, heads up." Risa whimpered as she turned her gaze upwards. Reina pointed idly back to where she had been looking earlier.
"I think Miki's hitting on your wife."
The change in Risa was stunning and instantaneous. First, a wild look settled into her already bloodshot eyes, making them glow almost sinisterly in the suddenly shadowy atmosphere that floated in out of nowhere. Eri swallowed nervously and backed off even as Risa got to her feet, swaying on her feet like she was drunk. There was an undefinable expression on the sharpshooter's face, one that reminded Reina eeriely of Eri in berserker mode, which immediately made the harpoon girl back off to stand with Eri at a safe distance from Risa.
Risa growled furiously and pulled a knife out of her boot. She might not have her guns with her, but she wasn't going to let that devil touch her Ai-chan.
Reina swallowed nervously as Risa stalked off with a murderous intent hovering around her. Turning to Eri, who looked equally unnerved, she remarked.
"Miki's in trouble, isn't she?" Eri looked at where Miki was still unashamedly chatting Takahashi up.
"I'd say so, yes." They watched as Risa attacked a startled Miki, who jumped away and started running, a maniacal Risa hot on her heels. Eri nibbled at her knuckles.
"Do you think Fujimoto's going to make it?" Reina shrugged as Miki adroitly dodged yet another swing from Risa.
"She will, she's hard to kill. She'll live." They both winced simultaneously when Risa's knife managed to slice off a lock of Miki's hair. Reina amended her previous statement slightly.
"Well, maybe not in one piece..."
They stood in an agreeable silence for a bit, before Reina finally said.
"Hey, wanna help me get some fish for dinner?" Eri gave the harpoon Reina was holding a suspicious look.
"Is that going to be involved?" Reina hefted her harpoon. "Only if you want it to be. I can teach you if you want." Eri shot a disbelieving look at Reina, who blatantly ignored it and went on.
"Come on, it'll be fun." Reina said enthusiastically, grabbing Eri's arm. "You'll see!"
Eri let herself be dragged along by an unusually cheerful Reina, both of them momentarily putting out of their mind the scuffle going on between Risa and Miki.
They had bigger fish to catch.
~*~*~
As it turned out, Risa didn't manage to kill Miki, but that was only because Kaori unknowingly tripped the frenzied girl up when she passed by, allowing Miki to escape with her life as Ai caught up and clung on to the enraged Risa, preventing her wife from slicing Miki to ribbons.
Risa had manage to calm down a bit after Ai comforted her with a reassuring hug, while Miki wisely stayed out of sight for the moment. The knife loving pirate was not that suicidal. The others also chose to leave the pair alone, deciding that it was best not to interfere in such matters.
"Are you alright?" Ai murmured to Risa, who was finally breathing normally, though her eyes still had a slightly crazed light in them. Risa didn't answer immediately, since her mind was spinning off center quite rapidly. The talk that Miki and Maki gave her was still ringing in her ears.
If you don't make a move soon, someone will steal your Ai-chan! A chibi Maki wearing a cheap tin halo and white robes popped up in Risa's head.
I'm going to have SO much fun with your Ai-chan~ A chibi Miki, complete with devil horns, spiked tail and pitchfork, appeared with a blast of fire and brimstone.
Can't let them do that...Ai-chan's mine...no one else can have her... Risa's poor, confused mind solidified into one overwhelming desire, to ensure that Ai-chan belonged to her, and no one else but her.
Ai was surprised when Risa turned to her with a desperate glint in her eye. She was even more surprised when Risa immediately glued their lips together in a far more intense kiss she had ever experienced before. When they finally broke apart gasping and panting, Risa embraced Ai tightly.
"Stay with me forever?" Risa asked almost meekly. The older girl, who was still reeling from Risa's kiss earlier, blushed prettily and replied softly and shyly.
"Always."
Her reply had no sooner left her lips when Risa suddenly scooped her up with a surprising show of strength, making her yelp and cling on to her wife's neck. Risa had a silly little grin on her face, although her eyes were still burning with that intense flame.
In the back of Risa's muddled mind, chibi Maki tossed off the fake halo, revealing the pointy horns and equally pointy evil grin on that smugly smirking face. Chibi devil Miki skipped over, and the two chibi devils high-fived each other before disappearing in a sudden whirl of unearthly wailing.
Too bad Risa was far too confused to pay attention to the hinting of her subconscious mind. Oh well, it wasn't too much of a loss. Maki, the real one, stood smirking just as smugly as her evil chibi did in Risa's mind even as Risa ran off with her wife in her arms She was certain that Risa, and Ai as well, would fully enjoy the results of their meddling. Nacchi walked over with a questioning expression on her face, and Maki shrugged eloquently, a single thought on her mind.
Mission accomplished.
~*~*~
Miki scuffed her feet in the sand as she walked down the beach, lost in her own thoughts. It looked to be near sunset, given that the fiery orange disk in the air was slowly descending below the horizon.
Sunset. A dozen of cheap cliches played out in Miki's mind, all involving disgustingly romantic and probably implausible scenarios between couples, and a sneer crept onto her face as she thought about it. Romance was for children and fools. She was too tired, too jaded for love. It was why she had always preferred to take affection wherever she could get it, shamelessly harrassing other girls for her own satisfaction. It was easier not to commit to some fleeting notion that would be gone faster than one even realised they had ever had it. Her way was easier, and less stressful. She wasn't made for love and all that other nonsense it entailed.
Nothing lasted forever, and Miki knew it only too well. Sensing her own downward shift in mood, Miki swiftly pulled herself out of that spiral of thought, not wishing to depress herself even further. Instead, she entertained herself by thinking of her latest target.
Matsuura Aya. What a girl, and what a woman. A slight smirk expressed itself on her face. Spirited, definitely, and interesting. Both worldly and oddly innocent at the same time. Miki was honest enough with herself to know that Aya intrigued her. No one had ever resisted her for that long. Well, with the possible exception of Ai-chan, but that's only because Miki had never really been serious about chasing after her, and also because Ayaka was a scarily overprotective boss. In any case, Miki had never had to expend this much effort to get anyone else in bed. Most of her earlier conquests caved easily, but that might have been because her previous targets had been of somewhat loose morals, and she only had to convince them that it wasn't so bad being with another woman. Miki could be very persuasive when she set her mind to it.
But Aya had steadfastly kept her at a respectable distance. Sure, they shared a bed now, but there were as yet no sexual relations between them, much to Miki's regret. Rape was simply not in her vocabulary, since she firmly believed that if she were to take someone, it would be with their full consent. Aya definitely wasn't giving in anytime soon, although Miki sensed that the younger girl appeared to be slowly growing to tolerate her presence. That was an improvement from the continual looks of disgust that kept being shot her way right in the beginning. They were not friends by any stretch of the imagination, but Aya no longer loathed her very existence in the same area as her. That had to count for something, didn't it?
The chase was fun, Miki had to admit. The more stubborn Aya was about it, the more interested Miki was in her. Had Aya given in more quickly, Miki wouldn't have held her in as much respect as she did now. As things stood now, even after Miki had taken her intended prize somewhere in the future, she would not forget Aya even after leaving her. That was the least Miki could do for such a remarkable target, to actually give her a place in her memories. Not anything else, because Fujimoto Miki had nothing to give to anyone else, least of all her heart, since it no longer beat for anyone else anymore. Not after she had lost it, and everything else that had ever mattered to her, in a single night.
No, Miki could not love. She was simply unable to. How could one love when one's heart was dead? It was just that simple.
The sunset was very beautiful that day.
~*~*~
Miki was on her way back to where the rest of the crew were, when something sharp hurtled past her face, narrowly missing her head and leaving a light cut on her cheek. Miki whirled towards the direction where the projectile had come from, only to see a very frightened pair of girls standing stock still on a rocky promontory. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she stalked closer.
