Title: Sayaendou
Fandom: DGM
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Lavi/Kanda, Allen, Tyki
Warnings: sailing jargon, but I'll try my best to explain everything along the way, shameless self-experience insert, I'm sorry I had to write this
Summary: AU. Lavi doesn't understand how pro sailors Kanda Yuu and Allen Walker think that they can win the inter-school regatta with him. (It's because they're desperate, shhh.) LaviYuu.
Notes: HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THIS BEFORE I DON'T GET IT MAN I DON'T GET IT.
When I awoke, I was in the middle of the ocean, surrounded
A grim pirate yelled at us,
"How long are you gonna sleep? They're almost here!"
It was then that everything started to move;
It was the real thing.
We're in the middle of the ocean; in an instant we're surrounded
In the distance, the pirate shouted,
"I'm gonna go pay them a visit; you protect the ship!"
With my fist raised, I realised we were pirates too.
—Sayaendou, NEWS
"This is a problem," Tyki hums with fingers stroking his chin, legs crossed.
Opposite him are two youths sulking and steadfastly avoiding each other, arms crossed in a simultaneous huff.
"It's his fault!" both of them snap, and Tyki just hums again.
"It's not my fucking fault, beansprout," the one on the right growls.
"The name is Allen," the other retorts immediately with a scoff. "I don't see how you shouldn't be considered at fault here with that lack of brain and you were the one who scared everyone off with your ugly attitude, stupid Kanda!"
"Tch, we don't need weak asses in the team—"
"—except that yes, we kind of do," Allen rolls his eyes sarcastically. "We won't be able to qualify at this rate."
Tyki sighs and lets the other two fall into another round of mindless bickering—he's already used to the petty arguments despite having them both on the same team for less than a month. But Allen and Kanda have known each other for a long time since they're on a professional youth sailing team for years now. He has no idea why the two attends this junior college either, Innocence International; maybe because both of them are decidedly not native to the hot and sunny island of Singapore.
Allen is normally a polite and smiley youth with the most shocking crop of snow white hair—the boy insists that it's natural and the school boards have not found anything to prove otherwise as of yet—Tyki honestly believes it's just bleached beyond hope with the salt and sea and actual bleach. Kanda, on the other hand, is generally the most acerbic teenager he's had the misfortune to handle despite the pretty face and model worthy physique, complete with a gorgeous length of hair that should be flaunting the school rules, but is somehow overlooked.
Tyki himself is just a humble literature teacher for the junior college, shoved to be the teacher in charge of the co-curricular activity sailing just because he has done a little of the sport when he was their age. He's been alright with the arrangement so far—the sailing team is usually small, last year seniors Daisya Barry and Noise Marie could somehow play along with Kanda's irritable moods, and he doesn't really need to do much but to follow them to trainings after school. He can read a book at the beach while the sailors burn their scalps out at sea. It's a good deal.
But this year where Kanda is the only sailor in his year and Allen is a freshman, there is a need to recruit more people into the team. There is a misguided impression that sailing is an individualistic sport—it kind of is, but their school won't be able to compete if they don't form a team, and a minimum of three people is required.
It's hard to recruit people at junior college level, Tyki knows, because there isn't the luxury of time to get them trained from scratch if they have to compete in the inter-schools. They only have two years anyway, most of it burned up from struggling with the final A level examinations at the end of it. He didn't really think they'd find someone from the co-curricular activity exhibition day. Most sailors come in with an overlook to their entry grades via DSA aka direct-school-admission if they have a sport skill to offer. But now in the reality of it, they are kind of screwed.
"Maybe you two should join another club," he says in thought, and the squabbling immediately silences.
"What the fuck?" Kanda's eloquent protest comes first. "I'm not joining another group with a bunch of losers."
"No, no way," Allen nods in assent. "You know that weekend training isn't enough for us."
"Then you have to get someone—blackmail, force—I don't care," Tyki sighs. "Don't either of you have any…friends that might be interested?"
"I just came to this school. I don't know many people, besides my classmates," Allen rolls his eyes with a huff. "And I bet stupid Kanda doesn't have friends."
"I don't need friends," Kanda states with an equally put out huff, though he doesn't seem offended by the remark. "Besides, everyone in year two are already in some stupid club—it's mandatory, idiot."
Tyki sighs again. "Well, you kids have two weeks to bribe someone, or worst case scenario, the school board will close this club down."
"They can't do that!" Allen protest, slightly on the edge of panic. "I joined this school because you guys had a sailing club—"
"I'm afraid they can," he raises his eyebrow at the white haired teen. "If we don't have a qualifying team, the board will see no reason to fund your trainings."
"I knew I should've entered another junior college," Allen mutters.
"As if they would want you, beansprout," Kanda sneers.
"Shut up, jerk. I got a 6 for O levels, unlike Mr-I-DSAed-in."
"What was that?"
"Deaf as well as stupid, I never would've thought."
"You fucking—"
"Children," Tyki claps his hands loudly. "Do it later, out of my office. Allen, try to find us someone by the end of this week, and Kanda," he gives the other a pointed look. "You have absolutely no say about the new member. Got it?"
"So much for a democratic society," Kanda mutters, sour. "And I bet the beansprout will fail."
"Do you even want to sail?" Tyki raises his eyebrows.
"Is that a bet?" Allen grins, eyes narrowing. "Because loser buys lunch. And when I say lunch, I mean lunch."
There must be some kind of history behind that because Kanda actually hesitates for a split second before the expression morphs into an even darker scowl, but Tyki doesn't really want to know. But of course Kanda falls to the bait.
"Fatass," the Japanese says with a scoff. "You're on."
"Keep bugging, beansprout," Kanda smirks.
"Shut up," Allen glares at the other, but he doesn't stop the hand that spoons more rice into his mouth. "The week isn't over."
"It will be by today. Face it, bean. You're gonna lose."
"I have this feeling like you want me to fail," Allen mutters, sour. "Do you even care that we can't sail? Why can't we start practice without a third member? I want to sail," he bemoans.
It's Friday and they're in the canteen during one of their common breaks sitting at table at the far back. Kanda prefers to spend his breaks alone and usually does so in some secluded corner in the school, but he had wandered down to the canteen to get a drink. It was too fucking hot, lately. Allen, who was already there with presumably a bunch of his classmates, unfortunately spotted him and brought his tray of food over—the bean was always eating, fuck their common breaks, ugh—and Lenalee appeared and sat herself opposite them a minute later. Lenalee Lee is a first year in the same class as Allen, but she has known Kanda even longer than Allen has known Kanda for.
Somehow, the circle completes in this junior college.
"You'll find someone," she smiles sympathetically, taking a sip of her ice cold milo. "It's just too bad that there isn't a division for girls. I wouldn't mind learning."
"Thanks, Lenalee," Allen smiles sincerely through his plate of food. "But even if you could, you can't drop out of the dance team."
"It won't fucking help anyway, the races are unisex," Kanda puts in, and Lenalee huffs at him.
"It's the thought, mister," she frowns, and leans on her palm thinking. "It's still tryouts week, so there's bound to be someone who wants to change clubs. Or maybe you should look around in your year, Kanda. Maybe someone who quit a society last year?"
"How the hell would I know?"
"I'm telling you to open your mouth and ask," Lenalee sighs, shaking her head. "I don't know any seniors aside from you and Lavi, and Lavi—" she stops abruptly. "Wait," she snaps her fingers excitedly. "Lavi! He might be able to help!"
"Lavi?" Allen repeats the name with a hum. "Our orientation group leader? Isn't he in the literary society?"
"He is, but luckily for you boys, I caught him by the gate after school the other day and he was saying that he wanted to try something else for his final year. He's bored, I think."
"Who the fuck is this guy?" Kanda interjects, scowling.
Lenalee squints incredulously. "How have you not heard of him? He topped every single exam in your year!"
"Why should I care if someone gets an A on a fucking paper?"
Allen stares. "…But everyone knows—…nevermind."
"What?" Kanda glares. "If you have something to say, spit it out, beansprout."
Before another fight escalates, Lenalee perks up, attention caught but someone in the distance. "I see Lavi! Hold on boys, I'll call him over."
The female student is gone before either of them can say anything. Kanda's gaze trails after his childhood friend, finding her weaving past tables and calling out to a youth just walking in to the canteen surrounded by his classmates. The person in question has the reddest hair Kanda has ever seen—it's red like fire which by all accounts cannot be natural, and also one of his eye is covered by a white medicinal eyepatch, loopy grin lazy on his lips.
Oh, him. Yeah, Kanda has seen this guy before—although vaguely around school. They're not in the same class so it's forgivable that Kanda doesn't know him nor his name, but he has definitely seen that annoying flash of red and the nasal tone of voice that comes with it. Maybe because that guy has spoken at assembly or taken a prize for something (or many somethings), fuck, Kanda doesn't really care.
The redhead brightens when Lenalee stops in front of him and words are exchanged. Next thing Kanda knows is that the other has left his friends and is walking over to their table with Lenalee smiling widely, leading the way.
"Oh, Allen! Long time no see!" the guy—Lavi—grins and waves once they're close.
The fucking accent. Kanda scowls harder.
Allen manages a half 'hey' that's muted by the food he's chewing, but the white haired boy does swallow it down to make a proper greeting later. "How are you?"
Lavi shrugs as he takes the seat right across Kanda as though it's his place there all along. "Same old, same old. You? Settling into JC life? How do you feel about having that math test two weeks into term?" he smirks.
Allen groans. "Don't remind me. I threw away all my trigonometry knowledge after Os—did they really have to do that?"
"Keeps you on your toes," Lavi winks. "If you ever need notes, I've got a bunch of 'em and you're welcome to 'em…if you can read my handwriting, that is."
Allen laughs, and Kanda loses his temper. "If the fucking idiot is of no help at all, I'm taking my fucking leave."
Lenalee grabs his arm with a strong grip before he stands up. "Kanda, that was rude," she glares, and he growls threateningly.
The tension is broken when loud laughter bursts from the redhead. Lenalee has the decency to look apologetic on Kanda's behalf.
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce you to him, he's—"
"Yuu Kanda, I know," Lavi finishes, maybe a bit too quickly. "Everyone knows."
Kanda frowns at the smiley grin sent his way.
"Captain of our esteemed sailing club," Lavi continues, and mocks a bow. "What can I do for you?"
Luckily, Lenalee interjects before actual blood is spilled. "Lavi, you said you were looking for a new co-curricular activity right? Do you want to try sailing?"
"A sport?" Lavi pauses, humming in thought. "I told you it's not worth it—it won't add anything to my CV since I won't be on the team anyway."
Lenalee grins. "You'll absolutely be on the team, I can promise that."
"Really? But you should know that I can't sail."
"It doesn't matter. You can learn, right boys?"
"No fucking way," Kanda states, and both the first years hiss at him.
"Kanda!"
"Kanda, shut up," Allen grinds out. "You have no rights in this recruitment process at all. Remember? None. Zlich."
Kanda sours, and takes one slow look at the redhead. "Tch. Whatever," he mutters, standing up, and this time Lenalee doesn't stop him. "Waste your damn time, then. He'll quit by the first training, you'll see."
The senior stalks away, leaving his empty cup on the table, to which Lenalee scowls at.
"Why is he always like that?" she murmurs. "I'm sorry about that, Lavi. Kanda is...nice, when you get to know him," she finishes, and Allen coughs exaggeratedly into his plate. "Allen!"
"I didn't say anything!" The boy protests, though he is grinning wide. "So Lavi, if you'll please ignore the unpleasantness that was Kanda, what do you think about trying sailing?"
"You guys were serious?" Lavi raises his eyebrow. "Because I was serious when I said I couldn't sail."
"And Lenalee was serious when she said you can learn," Allen replies, hopeful. "We've got a coach, she'll teach you. It'll be…cool, right?"
"Well," Lavi scratches his cheek. "I got to admit that I know jack about sailing, but I guess it's gotta be more exciting than the literary club. Though, I gotta warn you I have no cash to spare whatsoever. I've heard that sailing is expensive, I'm definitely not going to buy a boat and—"
"It doesn't matter! The school will cover it," Allen enthuses. "You'll just need the basics like gloves and booties. You don't have to get them yet, only if you're joining for real. And maybe a lifejacket, but I guess you can borrow that off the centre. The school owns a few boats, we'll all be using those for school trainings anyway."
"Hmm. And you say I can be on the team?"
"Yes! Definitely!"
"…What's the catch?"
Allen laughs, almost nervously. "Nothing! We're just…short on members. A school can typically send ten sailors for inter-schools but we don't that many."
"I see," Lavi hums again, and Allen decides that he needs to bring out the big guns.
"Why don't you just try for one session? No obligation to stay if you don't like it. Please? It'll be fun!"
"Woah, don't use those eyes on me, Brit," Lavi laughs. "But yeah, I guess it does sound pretty cool. How often do you guys train? And where?"
"Twice a week, at the National Sailing Centre in East Coast. It's not too much, right? I mean, the canoeing team trains four times a week," Allen bargains. "Please! I'm not going to lose to that jerkface," he mutters.
"Lose?"
"Kanda will treat us both to a free meal if you agree to join," Allen grins, and Lenalee hides her chuckle.
Lavi chuckles. "Hmm...you're close to Yuu?"
The mention of Kanda's first name throws Allen and Lenalee off guard so much that both of them blink rapidly for at least a minute.
"I wouldn't say close," Allen starts slowly, looking over at Lenalee. It's not wrong to use Kanda's first name but the only people who do it are teachers, and even then most teachers relent to use Kanda's last name because of his insistent preference. "But I've known him for quite a couple of years, unfortunately. Lenalee has known him for…"
"Even longer," she smiles. "Why?"
"No reason," Lavi matches her smile. "All right, all right, I guess there's no harm trying," he accedes. "I've got nothing to do now anyway."
Allen smile sincerely. "This means a lot to me, Lavi. And to Kanda, even if the jerk will never admit it. You'll love it. I promise."
Try sailing, they said.
It'll be fun, they said.
Lavi is a top student—has always been a top student, no matter which school he has been in. It's partly due to his eidetic memory and partly due to his awesome personality. It's also the reason why he doesn't really need to study as much as to do a simple read through of the text. The rest that requires 'critical thinking', he basically bullshits on the exam day. Hence he has a lot of free time, the first year of which is spent typing in boring articles for the literary society. He doesn't even know why he joined it—his society mates were cool and he had a reason to read the entire library collection after school, but once done, it was just too boring for his tastes.
He had thought of changing clubs somewhere in the end of his first year, but as he told Lenalee—sports were a hassle, and so were performing arts. He doesn't have the kind of skills that the team members already have, trained for years in their previous schools. They won't grant him anything but a line of 'member of' in his graduation certificate, so he might as well be stuck as a 'member of the literary society'.
Maybe he should've joined the student council, but he had heard rumours of the kind of work that they were expected to do. Lavi isn't exactly a work committed guy.
And so he finds himself in a taxi the next week with Mr Mikk, Allen Walker and Kanda Yuu. It's then he learns that Kanda and Allen are literally the only members of the sport team, which is weird, because most sport clubs are overflowing with members. But he guesses it's got to do with the nature of the sea sport—it's pretty niche, Lavi must admit that the only sailors he knows are Allen and Kanda. And it's not like he really knows Kanda either.
Because Lavi never forgets—he can't—he's actually seen Kanda around the school plenty of times. The oriental pretty face and long hair on a guy makes it hard not to ignore. Always at a secluded corner, something reading some novel, sometimes lying on the bench napping. Last year Lavi has seen Kanda sitting with two seniors, a large stocky teen with headphones, and another always with a grin and hoodie, but they've graduated with the year above. He's seen them on stage too, when they gave the principal a trophy for coming in second in the sailing inter-schools last year. He remembers the announcement that Kanda was first in place overall and he had wondered why the other's complexion was so pale if the other was a sailor.
It was just one of the many things that he started to wonder.
The mystery of Kanda Yuu makes Lavi want to know him, but in the fifteen minutes in the taxi Lavi has already learnt that Kanda doesn't want to be known.
Kanda strides in front of them with his quick steps after they get out of the taxi, and Lavi looks at the building in front of him. It's more like an open air structure, cement and concrete. A reception sits behind a glass door, while the corridor to the left bleeds into an open covered space. National Sailing Centre reads in big red font above.
"All right boys, go change—I'll have a talk with your coach," Tyki shooes them, hands in his pockets as he saunters off.
Allen beckons for Lavi to follow him and they enter the toilets—the thick smell of salt and sea and chlorine makes his nose twitch. Kanda is already at a corner, school bag and another bag hung on the metal handles above wooden platforms. Allen goes over and puts his things beside the other, rummaging for his change of clothes, and Lavi obediently does the same. The younger cradles whatever he needs and disappears down a corridor. As Lavi picks out the outfits he's brought—an old shirt and beach berms which is what Allen suggested—out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kanda unbutton his school shirt and yank it off his shoulders.
"What the fuck are you staring at?" Kanda snaps immediately at him, and Lavi takes an unconscious step back.
Kanda is even paler under his shirt, like milk—Lavi doesn't understand how. But then again, Allen is also just as pale. Huh.
"What brand of sunblock do you use?" is what he ends up asking.
Kanda actually looks at him in bewilderment before it twists back into its customary scowl. "I don't," he states before turning on his heel, bare bodied and clutching a bundle of fabric in his arm, disappearing into the same corridor that Allen went.
Lavi shrugs and goes off to change. When he comes back, only Allen is waiting for him. He lets himself be led out. The beach is nearby with the sound of crashing waves, but Lavi lets his curious eye linger on the boats lined on the hot stone ground further out. They are empty boats with no sails, sections organised with boats of different sizes and colours. The hard sand sticks to his feet as they walk and come to a small sheltered area with benches and a whiteboard on the side.
Tyki and a short woman turn to face them as they arrive. She has a hard look about her despite her petite frame, and light brown hair that seemed twisted by salt and sea. A whistle hangs around her neck.
"This kid? Seven months?" she raises an eyebrow, tone coarser than most men Lavi has met. "Fucking impossible. Oh boy," she shakes her head.
"But you can do it, can't you?" Tyki says, and she huffs. "Meaningless question though, because you don't really have a choice."
The woman flashes him her teeth.
Tyki shrugs then, seemingly placated. "Good luck," he waves in passing to Lavi as he saunters off, a novel under his armpit.
"So you made it to this school, huh," she grins at Allen as they approach. "I'm impressed."
"Of course," Allen sniffs, crossing his arms. "I didn't cheat, unlike Kanda."
The lady coach grins wider. "Whatever, shorty. Go get your boat rigged. Pretty boy is already on his."
"I'm not that short!" Allen huffs in return, but he does obediently turn on his heel to disappear off.
"Red!" she barks, snapping her fingers. "Move your damn ass to the bench."
"Um, okay," Lavi does so slightly wary. "I'm Lavi—"
"So I've been told a million times by Mikk," she sighs, annoyed. "I don't care. I'm Fou, and I'm your damn coach. I have two rules: one, you kids have a brain, use it. Don't do anything stupid. Two, if you have a legit fucking question, open your damn golden mouth. Clear?"
"Crystal," Lavi nods curtly, slightly intimidated.
"Good," Fou nods, seemingly satisfied. "So, you have seven fucking months of this joy ride, I hope you don't regret it," she smirks. "But enough chit chat. What's this?" she jabs at a marker drawing on the white board.
It's a boat, Lavi can tell that much. "Uh…a boat?"
Fou rolls her eyes passionately. "Yeah, I'm not fucking blind. What type of boat is it?"
"Um. Uh…" he fumbles.
Fou sighs, not bothering to wait for his pathetic attempt to guess. "It's a byte. This is what you're gonna sail, unlucky you," she grins, looking not at all apologetic. "Normally, we start beginners out on an optimist, but you're too old for that. Maybe a laser pico. Hmm, whatever," she jabs at the board again. "First off: do you know anything about sailing?"
A shake of the head. It's better to be honest with this lady, Lavi thinks.
"What about parts of the boat?"
"Well, uh, left is port," Lavi thinks. "And right is starboard."
"At least you know better than shit," Fou nods, moving her pointer to a different part of the drawing.
"Sail," Lavi names as her finger moves. "…Mast?" Another nod and another point. "…I don't think I know any more."
"I hate repeating myself, so listen carefully," she warns. "This is the boom," she points to the beam fixated below the sail, and then moves it further down to point to a rope attaching the bottom of the mast to the boom. "Kicker. It keeps your sail down." Another jab to the front of the boat. "Hull. Daggerboard," she taps a rectangle drawn in the front portion of the boat that sticks out through the bottom of the boat. "This keeps your boat from drifting with the current. Mainsheet," she circles the ropes attaching the sail to the boat. "Stern, and rudder. Got it?"
"Yeah."
Fou looks at him for a moment before smirking. "Test time," she says, and peeks out from the shelter to a figure in the distance. "Pretty boy, get the fuck over here!"
Lavi stares, curious as Kanda drags his rigged boat to where they are as it sits on a cart, scowling darker than ever. "What?"
Fou thumbs a contraception behind her, a black curved frame on a rotating base. "Get it over there. Red, what are you sitting on your ass for? Get to the other side of the boat!"
Lavi hastens to comply, and puts his hands on the side of the boat.
"Hold it properly, idiot!" Kanda snaps at him, and Lavi grasps the side with his fingers, and together they heave it over to sit on top of the frame.
Lavi hasn't seen a rigged sailing boat before—or a byte, as Fou called it. It feels much larger up close, with its orange lined sail towering high. Numerous ropes keep the sail in place with a seemingly complicated system. The inside of the light blue boat is shallow, divided into the front and back. In the middle of the back portion is where two black straps run vertically down, and a mess of ropes lie in it, attached to the boom.
Fou snaps a finger at him to get his attention. "Alright, Red. What's this?"
She starts off simple, and Lavi recites the names the parts of the boat with ease. It's no real mystery why academics is easy for him—he remembers things far too simply, it's almost like doing a multiple choice test with the answers shaded.
"Boom."
"Stern."
"Rudder."
"Kicker."
"Daggerboard."
"Hn," Fou nods slowly before pointing to a small thread stuck to the middle portion of sail. "This?"
"It wasn't on the drawing," he states confidently.
"Oh yeah?"
"I remember."
"Sharp. You'll need it," Fou grins. "These are tell tails. They tell you how much you should trim the sails according to the direction of the wind. When it's parallel, you've got it right," she explains. "The ropes are important too. You'll learn to rig, but for now, get in the damn boat."
Lavi blinks, and vaguely he notes that Kanda has disappeared before his mini test had begun. Because Fou is just waiting impatiently, he clambers into the boat awkwardly and awaits further instructions. She practically manhandles him to sit on the side of the boat.
"Grasp the main sheet," she orders, and he grasps the bunch of rope hanging in front of him. "The end of it," she rolls her eyes, flinging the end of the rope knotted with a figure of eight, and he scrambles to catch it. "Hold it with your knuckles up. Good. Now, pull it in towards with you with both your hands, one at a time. Palms down, I said!" she barks sharply. "See here—when you sheet in, it pulls the sail towards you. Get it? It's called trimming. You hold it in position when you sail. And now let it go."
Lavi promptly drops the rope, which earns him a smack to the head. "You said to let it go!"
"I didn't say to fucking drop it!" Fou hisses. "Don't you ever let go of the main sheet—you'll lose control of your boat. Ease it out!" she commands, demonstrating by loosening her fingers. "This lets out the sail," as she says this, she pulls back the boom, showing its stretch. "Now grab the rudder."
Awkward fumbling occurs as Lavi tries to handle the rope and the rudder handle in his hand, until Fou sighs irritatedly and moves his hands around to hold them properly.
"Always hold it with your palm on top. There. Both hands should be able to sit comfortably on your lap. Watch here," she orders, placing a hand on the rudder handle. "Push the rudder handle forward."
Lavi does so, and watches the rudder swing to a side.
"Point," Fou recites as she makes him do the action again, and then motions for him to push the rudder handle backward. "Bear away. Repeat."
"Point, and bear away," Lavi nods.
"When you point," she explains. "The boat will turn in the direction coming towards you. If you're sitting on port, the boat will turn to the left, and vice versa. When you bear away, the boat will turn away from you. Got it?"
"Yeah."
"Final point: when you turn the boat, changing directions and all that, the wind direction with respect to your boat will change, which means you have to switch sides," Fou runs a hand along the side of the boat to the hull, where she turns the boat 90 degrees to the left.
As she does this, the sail flips over to the right, nearly banging Lavi's head in the process. "This is where you duck, and switch sides," she gestures. "It's called a 'tack over', or 'tacking', whatever. Note your grip on the rudder and mainsheet—you have to switch your hands over."
Just as she says this, Lavi notices that he's holding them in an extremely uncomfortable position, and gets a hard prod to the back of his head.
"Again. Switch it behind your back," Fou demonstrates. "I said don't let go of the main sheet! Again!"
Lavi sighs and clambers over to the other side just as the boom comes swinging towards his face, trying not to trip on the black straps in the boat.
"Faster!"
The boat swivels again with no warning, and he yelps, but at least he does manage to switch his grip the right way this time.
"Hn, remember to keep your palms down," Fou narrows her eyes. "So far so good?"
"I guess. Seems easy enough," Lavi shrugs, and she barks a rough laugh.
"Ha," she smirks, but doesn't say anything more.
Her eyes travel to smaller figure pulling a rigged boat by a trolley towards them, sail flapping with the wind. Lavi squints, and sees that Allen is smiling widely wearing something over his long sleeved water suit. It's like padding—almost like black armour that moulds around his thighs and the criss cross straps hang loosely at his waist.
"This?" Allen cocks his head when Lavi stares at his outfit curiously. "It's hiking gear."
"Hiking?"
"It's when you sit out of the boat to balance it."
"Sit out?
Fou sighs. "I forgot about that. See the straps, Red?" Lavi looks back at the black straps in the boat that was more of a tripping obstacle when he tried to cross over the boat. "If the wind is strong, you hook your feet underneath and hang your ass out of the boat. Well, you'll see," she shrugs. "Where the hell is pretty boy?" she scowls. "It's already three—you boys have less than three hours on the water."
"You don't have to be so loud, woman," Kanda snaps just as he walks to where they are, also decked in a similar armoured outfit like Allen.
It sticks to his fit physique more than it should, Lavi thinks.
"Where the hell were you, putting on make-up?" Fou huffs. "Alright boys. We'll just do a simple triangle course today, because I'm nice," she grins. "I'll place a buoy in the direction of the wind. Leeward down, then a reach across."
"Leeward?" Lavi frowns at the jargon. "Reach?"
Fou sighs and sketches out a quick drawing on the whiteboard. "When you're coming down and the wind is behind you, you let your sail fully out—this is leeward. When you reach the buoy at the bottom, you gotta go across, see? A 90 degree turn. Here, sheet in, keep your sail half way out. This is a reach. You'll watch and you'll learn. Sit with the pretty boy," she states finally. "Let's move out!"
"What?" Kanda snarls immediately. "Why me? Make him sit with the beansprout!"
"Quit bitching or I'll tell your dad," Fou waves her hand, already walking off.
"He's not my fucking dad—and do I look like I fucking care?"
"Wait—" Lavi pauses. "I'm gonna sail? Now?"
"What, were you waiting for Christmas?" Fou raises an eyebrow. "Move it, boys!"
Tyki stands on the sandy beach as he watches his students struggle in the water with their boats. Or rather, Lavi is the one struggling as he tries to hold the boats still so that the other two sailors can affix their rudders to the boats.
"Hold the damn boat still, you useless rabbit!" Kanda's annoyed snap rings loud and clear, and Lavi growls under his breath.
"I'm trying to!"
The waves are crashing pretty hard on the beach, which keep making the boats rock up and down. A triumphant click tells Lavi that Allen has successfully locked his in.
"Thanks, Lavi," Allen smiles, pushing himself easily up onto his boat.
With a slide of his daggerboard down into its appropriate place, Allen sits back and pulls his mainsheet in, catching the wind and steering his boat out from the bay. Lavi watches the boat pick up speed, sailing into the distance.
"Oi! What are you looking at?" Kanda barks at him, apparently all done with the rudder. "Get in the damn boat before we get pushed to shore."
It is a lot harder to get up then Allen makes it seem, the salty water clinging to his pants making them heavy. He does get into the boat, although clumsy, and Kanda waves his hand to make him sit in the front with the daggerboard. Within a second Kanda himself is on the boat, seated at the back—hands move quick to push the daggerboard down and to handle the mainsheet and rudder—and they're off.
Tyki waves at them from shore.
There is only the sound of the waves hitting the hull of the boat as they move, and the slosh of water against the side of their boat. The wind blow against their faces and Lavi looks out in wonder to the vast stretch of the sea. It feels a bit uncomfortable with gloves on his hands and a lifejacket strapped to his frame, but Kanda in contrast looks at total ease, lips pressed into a concentrated line as his eyes look out far ahead. Fou is in a speedboat further out with Allen close to her. Lavi peers over the edge of the boat and gingerly reaches out, skimming the top of the water with his fingertips. It's cool against his sweaty palm, and he would touch it more, except the angle of their boat suddenly changes and the sail comes much closer in. Lavi grabs the daggerboard to steady himself, but he's almost stunned at the way Kanda's hands are tightly gripping the main sheet taunt, feet hooked under the black straps with his whole torso out of the boat, ponytail whipping fiercely behind him. The boat cuts through the surface of the water like the wind, fast and silent, and before he knows it, they're beside Allen who is waiting for them.
"The starting line is from here to the buoy," Fou shouts at them over the water. "One round. Red, watch what pretty boy does. It'll be your turn after. Count down is thirty seconds!"
Almost immediately hands on the sailing boat move to get ready—Kanda steers his boat back down before he dips his boat up to the line, and Allen does the same.
"Twenty seconds!"
The current is pretty strong today, and Allen gets pushed over the invisible starting line. With a sigh the white haired boy sighs and rounds his boat around the buoy to get back into position. Seconds tick by.
"Ten seconds!"
The current is unrelenting and Kanda judges that it's better to round the buoy as well. He points his rudder and he makes to cross over, except, Lavi yelps when the sail comes crashing into his face.
"What the fuck?" Kanda shouts, whole body dangling out of the boat in order to keep it balanced with the uneven weight distribution. "Get to this side, you asshole!"
Allen roars with laughter a few paces away.
"Five. Four. Three—"
"Okay, okay, wait—" Lavi scrambles, catching the other side and pushing himself over.
The boat crashes down with the weight shift, and Kanda is too agitated by the sound of Fou's whistle signalling the start to care. He yanks the main sheet and steers the boat up, but unfortunately catches dirty wind with Allen's sail and lags behind.
"Fuck you," Kanda mutters as Allen gives them a jaunty wave.
Without warning Kanda tacks over and this time, the boom whacks Lavi right on the mouth and he crashes into the water, grabbing the sail along with him. When he surfaces thanks to the lifejacket, he winces at the pain on his lip, uselessly wadding. The boat has toppled half over towards him, and he sucks in a breath—Kanda was sure to kill him for this—but before the thought finishes, the boat is abruptly uprighted with water dripping off its sail.
Lavi just blinks.
"Quit dwaddling and get in the fucking boat!" Kanda yells at him from inside the boat, and Lavi blinks again.
"Right," the redhead coughs, forcing himself to grasp the side of the boat.
Getting up into the boat is a lot harder than it looks—in the end, Kanda grabs him by the back of his lifevest and hauls him in roughly.
"When I tack, you fucking shove over, understand?" Kanda grinds out, expression dark. "Keep your damn eyes on me."
"Yes. Okay." He nods hurriedly.
Kanda sighs and glares at Allen's boat in the distance. He gets the boat moving in no time, concentrated focus creasing a line into his forehead as the boat surges on, faster and faster. Water swim at their ankles due to their capsizing accident, and Kanda absentmindedly flicks a black lock at the bottom of the boat to open a hole to drain the water out. He flicks it shut when it's done, shifting his boat weight forward to push the boat on.
They are moving fast, and Lavi watches keenly for the change in directions—he's definitely a lot slower than Kanda is in moving across the boat, but he starts to anticipate the small twitch in the arm muscle that predicts the movement. Kanda's eyes flicker from the tell tails to the buoy in the distance to the waters around—it seems like the sailor is constantly calculating the fastest possible route and factors into his steering. Within minutes they reach the buoy at the top and Kanda kneels into the boat, loosening his grip to let his sail out just as he bears away.
The movement is so smooth that it catches Lavi off guard when a wave comes up from behind them and bumps the boat forward—and Lavi slips off the edge and crashes into the water. He splutters when he resurfaces and sees Kanda's boat going forward, fast becoming tiny.
Fou's whistle goes up shrill in the air and Kanda grits his teeth before turning his boat around. He's looking more murderous the second time he yanks the redhead on the boat. Honestly he doesn't have high hopes for this guy that Allen has chosen—whoever's stupid enough to join them clearly can't be worthy of high hopes—but he didn't think that having a non-sailor in his boat was such a chore. He snaps at Lavi this much, and the redhead visibly looks taken aback and clenches his jaw, though the other keeps it firmly shut.
Huh. Maybe the redhead would finally realise what a waste his time was being spent.
The rest of the course is silent between them as Kanda sails them back to the starting point, where only Fou is waiting for them. Allen's boat seems somewhere up the distance.
"Switch over, boys."
"I want to get out," Kanda states, but Fou rolls her eyes.
"Stay here and help him."
"He's fucking useless—"
"Of course he is, so fucking guide him." Fou snorts. "Red, ready?"
Lavi sucks in a breath. "No."
"Too bad. Watch your sail," she orders, and Lavi watches the sail flap in the wind. "It's luffing. This means that you're pointing the boat in the direction of the wind. Effectively, it's when you want to stop, but of course there's the waves and current and shit, so you gotta watch that. Anyway," she shrugs. "You want to reach that buoy, yes?"
Lavi squints at the little red dot bobbing in the distance.
"It's directly up north from when the wind is coming from, so you can't sail straight up. We call this area the no-go zone. But you can however, sail at a 40 to 45 degree angle. You saw what pretty boy did just now?"
Lavi glances over at Kanda who looks like he's not listening, staring at the sky, bored. "Yeah, he did a zig zag route up."
"Great. Do the same."
"Uh, okay…" Lavi blinks, fumbling with the ropes.
"Bear away to get some wind in your sails," Fou instructs, and Lavi hastens to comply, until Kanda snaps at him.
"Hold the fucking main sheet!"
"R-right—"
"Bear away more, you fucking—sheet in! Now point! I said sheet in, you fucking idiot! And point!"
"Point at what?" Lavi blinks, jerking forward when wind catches onto the sail, and Lavi immediately grips his palms tight to hold the rope in place.
"Point the fucking—"
Kanda stops in his mid yell because Lavi abruptly slips forward from the force of the wind tipping the boat over, causing the boat to capsize over. Kanda curses as he's caught dangling from the side of the boat that's above the water—he had reflexively tried to keep the boat balanced, but his weight in the front wasn't enough. With a growl he lets himself drop into the sea, scowling darkly.
"I'm not righting the damn boat," he states.
Fou comes up near them but keeps a distance away. "Red, get up on the daggerboard!"
The piece of fiberglass sticks out from the belly of the boat like a knife. Lavi blinks. "How?"
"Climb it from the hull. Pretty boy, just show him how to," Fou commands, clicking her tongue. "Or you can stay in the damn water until he figures it out."
Kanda growls and swims towards the front of the boat, muttering under his breath. First he grasps the side of the boat out of the water and then he uses the other side submerged in water to place his feet. With three edges to the middle he reaches the daggerboard and steps on it, yanking the boat back up.
Water flickers onto Lavi's face.
Kanda doesn't bother to help him up the boat this time, and Lavi breathes heavily when he finally pulls himself on board. The salt water is bitter in his mouth.
"Sit forward. Sheet in. Palms down," Fou recites.
Lavi keeps the rudder straight as the sail catches wind and they start moving.
"Sheet in more," Kanda mutters. "Sit out, the boat is tipping."
Lavi feels the balance of the boat shift as the boat picks up speed and he tries to imitate what he saw Kanda did earlier, except he can't trust his feet to hold his entire body weight out of the boat. The boat tips more and Kanda glares at him.
"Sheet in," Kanda commands, voice dark. "And hike out more. I said more."
Lavi feels like he's going to fall out of the boat as his abdominal muscles tighten to keep him in position. Water spits to his cheek as the boat crashes into the incoming waves.
"Tack."
Lavi grips the rudder handle tighter.
"You're going off the damn course! Tack!" Kanda orders, and Lavi sees that the buoy he's supposed to be heading towards to is behind him now.
Lavi points the rudder, and the boom swings violently in their direction. "Fu—" the curse dies on Lavi's lips as he's only halfway ducking to the other side, and the boat flips over with the momentum. Ugh, salt water is fast becoming a nasty thing to swallow.
The capsized boat floats in the sea as Kanda flicks his wet bangs out of his face in the water.
"I'm really sorry! I…I—" Lavi trails off as Kanda storms away from him pulling their boat in a trolley, anger radiating from his posture.
Allen stands next to him on the sand. "Don't mind him, he's just…embarrassed," he snickers.
It's been years since Allen has sailed with Kanda and it's been years since either of them have gotten hit by the boom. It's a normal occurrence for starting out sailors, and Lavi is a testament to that fact—the side of his lip is bruised and slightly swollen, but nothing a little ice and time wouldn't handle. Allen had seen the disaster when Lavi was fumbling to keep his rudder still and accidently did a 360 turn which caused the boom to whack into Kanda's face, throwing the pro sailor into the sea.
Lavi winces, knowing that it's more than that—he's at fault for marring such a beautiful face, but he doesn't think he can get those words out and not dig his grave deeper. He's dead tired to be honest—he only made it to the buoy before Fou had signalled for them to get back to the shore, not without capsizing a million times in between.
It's depressing when he can't even tack properly. He's much too slow on the boat, tripping over the hiking straps or getting his hands tangled when he has to switch grips.
Sailing is a lot fucking harder than he anticipated.
It'll be fun—who said?
"Lavi," Allen places a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"
"Hmm? Yeah."
"So," the white haired boy smiles. "How did you find it? Wasn't it fun?"
"It was…interesting," Lavi replies after a while. "But I guess…I don't think I'm cut out for sailing," he answers truthfully, stripping off his lifejacket.
"Nonsense," Allen frowns. "You were great."
"Did you even see me out there?" Lavi raises an eyebrow.
Allen laughs. "Capsizing is totally normal—I remember when I first switched to the byte, it wasn't pretty," he shakes his head at the memory. "Never again. Today was your first ever lesson and you're starting off in a byte. It's one of the most unstable dingys ever. Don't beat yourself up over a couple of capsizes."
"A couple?" Lavi blinks. "More like fifty. I can't even tack—the wind is just too strong, I'm not fast enough—how the hell do you do it?"
"I've been sailing for years, Lavi," Allen gives him a pointed look. "Kanda too."
Kanda is already back at the centre spraying his boat with water to wash the sails. Allen grasps his boat trolley and slowly both of them start to make it back to the centre, feet dirty with the sand.
"Besides, we compete internationally," Allen says as they walk. "You can't compare your first lesson to us."
"You guys are what?" Lavi coughs, eye wide. "I mean, I knew you guys were sailors but international pro sailors?"
"Um, we have been sailing for years?" Allen repeats weakly. "What does it matter?"
Lavi narrows his eye incredulously. "You don't need me on the team."
Before Allen can answer, Fou's whistle rings through the air. "Debrief!" she yells, and Allen leaves his boat behind Kanda's before they join the two person circle a few steps away.
"Actually, I have nothing for you two—today was just a warm up," she eyes the more matured sailors. "Go wash the damn boats. Red, stay."
Kanda scoffs and glares at Lavi, a yellow bruise clouding on his right cheek, before he turns heel to his boat. Allen smiles encouragingly and claps a hand on Lavi's shoulder as he too, heads towards his boat.
"You were fucking terrible," Fou begins bluntly, and Lavi swallows. "But everyone is on their first try. If you want to get up to speed in seven months, we definitely have to schedule more trainings, at least until you get the basics down. And work on your upper body strength," she grins. "You're gonna need it if you keep capsizing like that."
"R-right."
Fou barks a laugh and slaps his back before retreating off. "Good luck with the fucking muscle ache tomorrow."
Lavi rubs the area that blossoms with sharp pain, sighing. Now that's he's on land, his feet feels a bit wobbly on the steady ground. He wonders how the other two are so calm without a sweat from what he's just experienced—Allen isn't even wet, having no reason to touch the sea.
Pro sailors, huh.
"Hey, Yuu, I'm really sorry about—"
"Don't fucking call me by my first name," Kanda immediately hisses, eyes blazing.
Lavi steps back, learning that pretty faces come with not so pretty attitudes.
"Okay," he raises his hands in defense. "I'm just saying I didn't mean to hit you with the boom. It won't happen again."
Kanda snorts. "Because you're going to fucking quit."
"Kanda!" Allen interjects once the sentence is spat out, frowning. "Would it kill you, for once, to just—"
"What?" Kanda sneers, hands gripping the handle of his boat trolley. "He's planning to quit—you can see it on his face. I told you fucking so, beansprout. I'm not buying your damn lunch."
Allen shouts after Kanda, but Lavi numbly watches the long haired sailor trudge away, figure mostly hidden by his boat.
"Lavi? Ignore what Kanda said," Allen peers at him. "He's always like that, the jerk. You'll come for the next training, right?"
Lavi rubs the back of his neck, and that's when Allen stills.
"Right?"
A/N:
Some background on the school system: in Singapore we have 6 years of primary school, 4 years of secondary school which ends with a nation-wide examination known as O levels and then 2 years of junior college which ends with another nation-wide examination known as A levels. And then university (19 yrs old entering uni at this point). I wanted them to be older aka legal for most things and hence Kanda and Lavi are 18 in their second year of junior college and Allen would be 17 in his first year.
Shameless self-experience here—I was a sailor in my secondary school days. :D I think in junior college the competing boat type is the laser standard but I was a byte sailor, hence, all my boat jargon is based off what I know. It'd be hella funny to squeeze them into an optimist though, can you imagine :') I have no idea if it's possible to be competent enough in seven months to compete though because I defo didn't lmao
I'm not sure how long this is going to be, maybe a three or four shot?