The whole Skybound Crew awoke to the sound of a storm, Rizusa sighing as they looked out at the dark dim sky. "Ahh, that's bad…" she muttered. "We're gonna be grounded until it passes." She added, the storm looming over the place their ship was docked. The others bunkered down in the ship, Rizusa making sure the occupants were all comfortable as she took the lower entrance to the galley to prepare their first meal of the day. Rain began to pour onto the ship's deck, the wind blowing hard across the island just outside their window.
"Shukun." Jamil walked into the galley with her, prepared to assist in any way he could manage.
"Jamil, can you boil the water for me?" she asked, smiling a little. "I'm going to make everyone something to eat." She added, Elmott in no mood to cook since it was so cold and rainy outside. Jamil got to his task, preparing the lunch cart and trays so when they were done, they could just take it down to the others. When he was done, Rizusa was putting the finishing touches on their meal. "Alright." She smiled, plating the food and putting it on the cart with Jamil's assistance. The last thing was their drinks.
"Shukun… what are you making today?" he asked, noting two canisters on the table next to where the cups were laid out.
"Hehe, you'll see." She smiled, placing the cups on the upper tray and putting in a couple of spoons of the powdery brown substance in each along with the fluffy little white things. "Try one." She told him, Jamil picking one up with his fingers.
"It… it's squishy…?" he asked, looking confused.
"They're marshmallows, Jamil." She chuckled. "They're sweet." She added as he popped it into his mouth. He nodded his head as he bowed, Rizusa now grinning at her fellow crew mate. "Good?"
"It's… I've never had them before…"
"Hehe, well they're excellent with hot chocolate. I finally got my hands on them the last time we ran into Siero-san." She said, the water boiling before they went downstairs, Rizusa making sure the pot was ready. They stopped in the lower dining space, Rizusa noting all of her crew present. "Ah, good. You're all here." She let them take their meals before pouring the hot chocolate, being sure to dose out the appropriate amount of marshmallows to everyone, giving Jamil a little more since he liked them so much.
"Danchou, why are you spoiling him?" Ayer asked, the rest of the crew growing tense at the teen's sudden statement. Rizusa turned to Ayer, smiling.
"Aww I'm sorry, did you want more too?" she asked, Ayer pausing and turning his head.
"I told you, I don't like sweet stuff…"
"But they're good marshmallows, Ayer…" she pouted. "Ne?" the boy just avoided her stare, Rizusa putting in more marshmallows anyway. "Besides, I only break out the hot chocolate on rare occasions."
"Speaking of…" Vermeil looked up at his captain. "It's today, isn't it?" he asked. "Emira-chan's birthday."
"Hehe… yeah." The rest of the crew was surprised, looking up at Rizusa as she smiled at the ground. "Emi's already 20…" she took her seat between Jamil and Ayer, the two now seeming fidgety as she did so. "My little sister…"
"Have you heard from her recently?"
"No… I haven't written to her in a long time." She sipped her hot chocolate. "I doubt she wants to hear from me anyway." She sighed. "The big sister who left her on an island alone…" she put her cup down. "So much for being a good big sister…"
"You still think about her." Ayer replied. "That counts…"
"Hehe, does it?" she asked, smiling a little. "One day I'll take you all back to Zinkenstill to meet her." She added, looking out the window. "I hope the weather is good where she is…"
Meanwhile, Emira was wandering the streets of Port Breeze with Gran and Lyria, searching for a way off the island. But to no avail. All the ships were booked or full, and along with Katalina and Vyrn, they were stumped. As they looked out across the town from the airship docking area, a voice caught her attention. "Emi…?" she turned slowly, eyes widening at the sight.
"Rackam…?" she smiled, Gran shocked that she smiled so sweetly at this stranger that had been rude to them upon their crash landing. Though he supposed Emira was out cold from the crash, so she didn't see him. "Rackam!" she jumped at him, latching on and making the man grin and ruffle her hair. "It's you!"
"Haha, calm down, geez!"
"You two know each other?" Lyria asked, smiling.
"Yeah, I grew up in this place!" she grinned. "Rackam was like the coolest big brother ever!"
"Oi oi." He sighed. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" he asked. "You kind of just up and vanished, where'd you go?" he asked. Emira's face dropped at the mention of it.
"Onee-sama… went off on her big adventure with Orion-jii… so…" she smiled up at him weakly. "She kind of just made a decision to leave me on another island… said it was safer…" she added, Rackam staring at her.
"Oi, what do you mean she just left you on another island?!" he exclaimed, Emira flinching a little. "You were perfectly safe here, weren't you?!" he sounded irritated, but he calmed down after a minute and decided to show them around a little to calm Emira down and get her mind off it all. 'Rizu… what were you thinking?' he thought as he walked with them. 'Leavin Emi alone like that…' he shook his head.
That night, Emira went with Rackam to see her old home and then the place he was planning out Grandcypher's repairs, pouring her heart out to her old friend. Rackam wasn't angry with the older sister, but he was really upset overall. What sort of danger would have made Rizusa leave Emira in the middle of nowhere? He just put her to bed, sitting on the chair and eventually falling asleep.
The next morning he awoke from that nightmare of being unable to pilot the ship he worked so hard for, hearing someone walking around. "Emi?"
"Oh, are you awake?" she asked, going over to him, smiling. "I'm glad… I didn't want to wake you, but I should get back to Gran and the others."
"Oh… adventuring huh?" he felt a pang of sadness, to be losing her after just getting her back. "… I'll see you then." He added, looking back at his plans.
"… I um… thanks for lending me the bed…" she said, feeling bad. "… I missed you, Rackam." She added, walking over and standing next to him, causing him to turn to her.
"Emi…"
"I know it's stupid to say, but I did… and I…" she smiled up at him, tears coming to her eyes. "And I know you'll get her flying…" she added, Rackam's heart skipping a beat. "So… when you do…" she put something in his hand. "Come find me, ne?" she turned on a heel and rushed out, Rackam lifting the thing in his hand to see what it was. His eyes widened, realizing that it was a good luck charm. The same kind she used to give him when they were kids. He gripped it in his hand, shaking his head.
"Emi… don't waste those feelings on me." He whispered. Rizusa had told him before she and Emira vanished, that Emira's feelings for Rackam were strong… that she adored him beyond reason… it finally sunk in for him, after two years of not seeing her, but he had no right to act on those feelings now. She missed her sister, anything or anyone from home must have been a comfort for her. But… "Don't make her cry, Rackam." He repeated the phrase Rizusa used with him every time he took Emira adventuring while Rizusa would be sick in bed or studying under Orion's tutelage. "Che… big sis knows best?" he asked. "Rizu… did you take her away knowing I would realize it?"
Rizusa sneezed, Jamil immediately turning to her and removing his cloak, draping it over her shoudlers. "Shukun, you should warm up."
"Hehe… sorry… someone must be talking about me. I'm fine." She replied, Jamil almost pouting at her.
"You always get like this, though…" he replied, knowing that Rizusa, despite her normally fair health, used to constantly get sick and often pushed herself to the point of collapse. "Please, Rizusa-sama…" he added, the face he was making too cute for Rizusa to deny.
"Alright alright." She replied, ruffling his hair a little before returning to her room, Jamil following to make sure she would bundle up and rest.
"Shall I get you some tea? Or soup?" he asked, Rizusa shaking her head.
"Your company is enough to warm me, Jamil." She stated, Jamil's mouth dropping open a little at her comment. "… Did I say something odd?" she asked, Jamil immediately shaking his head and accepting his cloak back from her as she got into bed, wrapping herself up in the blankets. "Better?"
"Y-yes, Shukun." He replied, blush coating his cheeks. "I-I'll go retrieve your tea." He added, putting the cloak back on before rushing out, Rizusa smiling a little as she laid back against the wall.
"What a good boy…" she chuckled.
Jamil walked towards the galley, pausing once alone in the hall, pulling the cloak around himself a little. "Rizusa-sama…" he closed his eyes a little, calming himself and enjoying her warmth that lingered on his cloak a little longer before hurrying to get her some tea. Everything about Rizusa was always so warm to Jamil, one reason he started serving as her shadow in the first place. She was so kind… loving, even. It was a warmth and kindness Jamil thought no one could show him.
"Stop daydreaming and move." Ayer stated, carrying a tray of soup down into the hallway. Jamil quirked an eyebrow, wondering why he was helping suddenly. Jamil made it into the galley, seeing the rest of the crew at work as well.
"Is she bundled up?" Johann asked, Jamil nodding. "Good." He smiled.
"Ayer's taking her the soup… help us cut up the stuff for dinner." Elmott stated, Vermeil peeling veggies as Krugne and Feather washed dishes. "If Danchou's sick, we're stuck." He added, Jamil nodding, pausing to stare after Ayer before beginning to help the others. Ayer walked down the hall, arriving at Rizusa's room.
"Come in." she stated before he could knock, the boy opening the door. "Oh, Ayer." She smiled. "What brings you here?"
"… You shouldn't get yourself chilled like that." He replied, going to put the soup down next to her before staring at her. "Worrying over your sister isn't doing anything for you." He added. She pat the bed, Ayer taking a seat next to her. "You care too much sometimes."
"I know." She reached up and stroked his head a little, the boy not moving. "But it's in my nature." She replied, Ayer sighing at her. "Sorry… to be a bother…"
"You aren't okay?" he grumbled. "But you can't just… everyone else worries about you." He added, his captain smiling as he glanced over at her. "So stop making the rest of your crew worry… your sister's strong right? She'll handle whatever comes her way… just like her older sister."
"Hehe…" Rizusa ruffled Ayer's hair a little, the boy not minding. "Thank you… Ayer."
"You're welcome… now eat the damn soup and get warm already." He added, cheeks tinting pink. "Before that shadow of yours gets depressed." He added, Rizusa nodding and picking up the bowl, taking a bite of her soup after blowing it to cool the steaming spoon.
"Mmm… delicious." She smiled, taking a few more bites, patting her stomach once she finished the bowl. "Wehhh…" she leaned back, seeming content. "So warm and fuzzy~" she chuckled. "I love cold days."
"… Weirdo." Ayer got up and went to wander the ship, Jamil watching as he left Rizusa's room. He immediately went in, seeing Rizusa smiling.
"Shukun?"
"Jamil… you and Ayer are both good boys." She said cheerfully, Jamil's face red. "I'm glad… that you're all such good people…" she added, Jamil taking a seat and letting her doze off for a bit, the dark-skinned boy wondering what Ayer said to put her in such a good mood.
Chapter 3 : Fond Memories of The Old Days
END
(It's chapter 3! A little time comparison with Rackam in there, and some backgroound for him and Emira! And Rizusa's got a little tidbit of info too~ How does everyone like it so far?
Reviews are appreciated, thanks for reading! Stay tuned!
-Winter Cheshire)