Hi there again!

Um….I got one review. Ouch. That's totally an all-time low for me. I mean, I know no one likes AlxCa, but one review?

Okay whatever, I'm over it. Here's chapter 2. Two-thirds of the chapter is a flashback. I own nothing. Man, what a boring intro.


"Mama! Didn't you hear? There's a carnival in town!"

"Oh, I heard all right. All those silly performers making such a racket outside my window this morning while I'm trying to do housework. They'll be setting up in the courtyard expect. Eat your lunch, Gorgeous."

The little girl sat down and began chatting excitedly to her mother.

"It all looks so colorful Mama! There were a whole bunch of people and singing and dancing and fancy costumes and they even have horses Mama!"

"Eat your lunch Alvida." said Alvida's mother again, handing her a rather large sandwich on a plate. "Boys don't like skinny girls. And put some shoes on."

Alvida's mother was a tall and very large woman. She was not exactly pretty, but she was a rather handsome woman with thick dark hair, large green eyes and pleasantly shapely lips. She was a very proud woman, and indeed a force to be reckoned with

Alvida herself was very similar to her mother. She was fair in complexion and thus her cheeks were covered in freckles, though not unattractively so. She had the same green eyes and dark hair, and was rather on the plump side due to the fact her mother was constantly chiding her to eat more.

"Boys don't like scrawny girls." she would always say. "You'll never find yourself decent man if you don't fatten up."

"So can I go see the carnival Mama?" asked Alvida, bouncing on the edge of her seat. "Please?"

"Beautiful, all those silly traveling performers do is travel from island to island and town to town doing their silly little acts and robbing innocent people of their hard earned pay." said Alvida's mother, taking Alvida's empty plate and replacing it with a second sandwich. "Gypsies and tramps doing their fortune telling and their acrobatics, and women dancing with their melons hanging out. It's not appropriate for your young and innocent eyes Alvida!"

"I though melons were fruit Mama."

"Eat your sandwich."

Alvida attempted to finish eating her second rather larger sandwich while her mother bustled about the kitchen making a cup of tea.

"Where have all the sugar cubes gone?" asked Alvida's mother, opening up the sugar bowl only to find four left. "I put more in just a couple of days ago."

Alvida shifted uncomfortably in her chair, feeling the little lumps of sugar in her pocket.

"There must be something in this house that loves sugar." her mother grumbled.


"Well that took you long enough." said Buggy upon Alvida and Cabaji's arrival back at the harbor. Cabaji was carrying Alvida multiple purchases, whereas Alvida was carrying the miniature carousel in its box.

"God Alvida, you're taking over this ship." muttered Buggy, as Alvida strode up the gangplank, Cabaji following with armfuls of shopping bags. "I sent Cabaji along to look after you, not to be your slave."

"I don't need looking after." said Alvida, rolling her eyes. "But all the same, it was wonderful to have some company.' she added, giving Cabaji's shoulder an affectionate little squeeze. Cabaji flushed and suddenly became very interested with arranging Alvida's many packages. Buggy looked highly annoyed.

"Well he's such a big help." said Alvida, brightly. "I couldn't buy half the stuff I wanted to without Cabaji's help because I wouldn't be able to carry everything."

Buggy seemed to think it might be a good idea not to send anyone with Alvida on future shopping trips because it might prevent her from bringing back so much stuff.

"So, I'll just bring these to your room?" asked Cabaji.

"Oh sure." replied Alvida.

They strode off across the deck, Cabaji still carrying the majority of packages while Buggy glared after them, looking livid at the thought of the two of them in the same room together.

"You really like that thing, don't you?" commented Cabaji, watching Alvida as she gazed serenely at miniature parade of horses. It had been the first thing she had unpacked and it now sat whirring and chiming its waltz softly on her bedside table. "What's so special about it?"

"I don't know." said Alvida, turning away to hang up a blouse in her wardrobe. "It's just so pretty, and it makes me feel just a bit nostalgic I guess."

"Nostalgic? How so?"

"The song, maybe. I loved carousels when I was a girl, and I just remember this song from one in particular."

"Plaisir d'Amour, you mean?"

"Yes."

Alvida sat down in her hammock and stared at the little horses with a mixture of delight and longing in her face.

"That's everything." said Cabaji, placing a hatbox on the top shelf of her wardrobe and depositing several bottles of perfume on her dresser. "I guess I'll be going. Thanks for lunch."

Alvida gave a little "mmmm" to indicate that she had heard him, but did not take her eyes from the carousel.

Cabaji walked up the stairs from Alvida's room and out onto the deck of the ship.

He'd seen the way she looked at that carousel. There was something in it that just seemed to enchant her, to bring about that bittersweet look of longing.

What he wouldn't give to have her look at him that way.

But what could he do for her? What could he ever produce for to delight her in the same way? What could be possibly do to make her that happy? How could he make those green eyes look at him with that same of enchantment?

He leaned against the ship's rail and sighed.

God, how long had he been like this?

"So how's your girlfriend, Cabaji?" sneered Mohji, sidling up to him.

"She's not my girlfriend you idiot."

"You think she's hot! You looooooooveee her. You want to -"

"Go screw your lion." said Cabaji, walking away before Mohji could figure out what he had said.

"Captain." said Cabaji, approaching Buggy, who still looked disgruntled. "How long until the log pose sets?"

"It'll be in a couple of hours." said Buggy, checking the navigational instrument.

"Can I go back into town?" asked Cabaji.

"Why? Did Miss Prima Donna forget to buy a new pair of shoes or something?" said Buggy irritably.

"No. There are some things I need to get."