"What did you tell them?"

A sudden sense of panic gripped Yukari as the Maho Nishizumi, her idol, glared at her. Her eyes almost seemed to pierce her skin, so intent was her vitriol. Had she overstepped? Had she done something wrong in letting Miss Takebe and Miss Isuzu know who she was?

"I-I-I…" she stammered, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. She bowed again in an attempt to hide them. "I'm sorry! I only told them what was publicly known. I would never gossip!" She felt someone hold her hand, and looking up, she saw Miss Isuzu standing beside her

"You can't blame her for talking about your career as a tanker Maho," she said with a slightly defiant but still calm tone, raising her voice just slightly. "It doesn't matter what happened. She's free to talk about whatever she wishes."

"That's right!" Miss Takebe concurred and took Yukari's other hand in her own. "She already said she's sorry, and she hasn't said anything disagreeable ever since we met her."

"I wasn't talking to you," Maho growled, before turning back to the empty glass before her on the counter. "I was talking to her. Did it not cross your mind for a second that I prefer not being known?"

"I-I-I…"

"You don't have a right to not be known Maho." Hana took a step in front of the girl as she interrupted, shielding her from Maho's gaze. "Yukari is a huge fan of you, and was just excited to meet you. We asked her who you were, so she is nothing but innocent in this."

"But why didn't you tell us Maho? You're a hero!" Saori also took a step forward, hiding Yukari completely behind the two of them. "You saved those girls' lives that day!" Maho didn't respond. She just looked away and stared blankly into nothingness. "You...you did save them right? Right?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Maho closed the hand she had resting on the counter into a fist. "I've told you I don't want to talk about my past. And you said I didn't have to." She turned back to face the trio. "So what changed? You find out I'm famous, and suddenly my right to privacy is gone?"

"O-of course not!" Saori protested. "Of course you don't have to talk about anything you don't want. We just thought…"

"Thought what?! That just because you call yourselves my friends that you get to know everything about me?"

"We just thought that if we got to know each other, then…" Hana took a step forward as she spoke, but Maho just broke her off.

"I told you! I told you both why I don't want to get to know people! Or have you forgotten?!" She got off her chair, and steadied herself against the bar, managing to keep her balance. "Everything I care about crumples away! Everyone I care about keeps getting hurt or worse! And I'm tired of it! So just leave me alone!"

"But…"

"There is no 'but'! I'm done! First I lose my friends, then my sister, and then…" The arm she was using to steady herself gave way, not being able to hold her weight any longer, and she collapsed on the floor, tears streaming. "So just… just... go away. I don't want to lose anyone else…" Between the tears she could see the three girls slowly come closer. "I SAID GO AWAY!"

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! How did you get in here?!" The door flew open and crashed into the wall beside it. Another voice bellowed into the bar, and Hana, Saori and Yukari turned to face it. Maho recognized it as Ogin's, and looking up she saw both her and her brunette subordinate standing in the open doorway. "Did you let them in Adrianna?! Huh?!" Ogin snarled to the girl standing guard. Leaning in closer, Ogin reached into Adrianna's pocket and produced the envelope of money Yukari had bribed her with. "That's how little you respect me?!" You let them in for some cash from a filthy topsider?" A wicked smile spread across Ogin's face, as if she was almost impressed by the insubordination. It quickly disappeared however, as she struck the girl square in the stomach. "You disappoint me, you snot-nosed sea slug!" Ogin spat at the floor beside where the guard was lying doubled over from lack of air, and turned her attention to the bar.

"What did you do to the Captain's guest, huh?! I'll beat the living daylights out of every one of ya!" Rum shouted at the three newcomers, twirling the bottle she was holding around so she could brandish it as a weapon..

"RUM!" Ogin roared at her subordinate, smacking her over the head. "I'll deal with these trespassers personally, thank you!" From inside her coat she pulled out a small knife, and made quick strides over to Yukari, grabbing her by the arm. Hana and Saori tried to rush to her aid, but Ogin was quick to react. She twisted Yukari's arm behind the girl's back, and put the knife to her throat. "Ah-ah-ah, no hasty moves now, or I'll be forced to repaint the floor red. Why don't we all just calm down, and you can tell me what the hell you're doing uninvited in my little corner of Ooarai?" She leaned in close, and whispered in Yukari's ear, "See, we don't take kindly to topsiders down here… Perhaps you didn't know..."

"I-I-I-I…"

"Oh I see," Ogin continued, grinning almost seductively. "You knew very well what happens down here, and yet you came anyways. Perhaps you came to join us? I must admit, it's been a while since we had some fresh meat down here…" She let her tongue dance upon her lips as she spoke.

"What do you want me to do with the other two, Captain?" Rum asked from the doorway, causing Ogin to turn back to face her, jerking Yukari wildly along with her.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE FOR, YOU BARNACLE-BRAINED BLOWFISH?! DIDN'T I SAY I'D DEAL WITH THESE INTERLOPERS MYSELF?!"

"A-aye Captain… sorry Captain…" the brunette answered timidly, like an angry bulldog being yanked to heel by a leash.

"Now get the hell out of here you moronic mackerel!" Ogin continued, maintaining her verbal broadside. "Go take a look at the western corridor. Apparently they had a scuffle. I want anyone found guilty thrown in the brig!" Rum didn't move, only glaring at the newcomers in the bar "NOW RUM!" The knife left Yukari's throat as Ogin pointed it in Rum's direction. "Or mark my words, I'll do the same to you! I'm certain I couldn't go five minutes in the hall before I found another sycophantic sardine to replace you!" Rum gave Hana and Saori a final glare, but nodded to Ogin and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Suddenly Ogin, Maho, Saori, Hana and Yukari were alone in the bar, except for Cutlass looking disinterested behind the counter. As soon as the door closed, Ogin released Yukari, and carefully put the knife back in her coat, pulling her pipe out instead. "Now," she took a deep breath, straightened her jacket and shirt, and continued in a far calmer tone. "Terribly sorry about that," she said with a smile, as she lit the pipe and began to smoke. "You're not hurt I hope?" she asked Yukari.

"I-I-I… yeah, I'm… I'm fine."

"Good to hear it. And again, I'm sorry about that." Ogin looked around the room. "So, you're friends of my guest here?" Hana and Saori nervously nodded, while Yukari just looked back and forth in confusion between the four girls. "Well then, pleased to make your acquaintance. Ogin lifted her hat and gave a theatrical bow. "The name's Ogin, and I am the proprietor of this humble little watering hole."

"What the hell Ogin?" Maho interrupted, wiping her eyes dry with her sleeve. "Didn't you say you hated top-siders? These three are as top-side as they come…"

"Well, it's mostly about keeping up a reputation really... Some theatrics, a dash of intimidation, and a soupçon of acting, and you've got yourself a recipe for keeping order without ever getting your hands dirty." She chuckled to herself as she spoke, clearly finding amusement in her scheme. "It's a necessary evil. The minute those girls find out I'm actually quite agreeable, I'd have a mutiny on my hands within the hour." Ogin pointed to the door behind her with a thumb over her shoulder. "So I'd appreciate it if this stayed between the five of us. If I find myself in unpleasant circumstances, I'm afraid I'd have to bring you with me." A malicious grin made it clear Ogin wasn't bluffing. "Anyways," she said, and walked over to Maho, reaching out a hand, "let's get you off the floor to begin with." Without waiting for a response, Ogin grabbed Maho's hand, and pulled her to her feet, putting her guest's arm across her own shoulders to give her support.

"Which part of 'I want to be alone' don't you understand?" Maho mumbled through gritted teeth.

"Well, as you said yourself, I'm used to getting things my way. And right now, 'my way' involves getting you up and off the floor." She dragged Maho over to one of the booths in the corner, and sat her down. Maho's body was too numb to resist. "Now," Ogin said and turned to the other three girls. "I'm sure you four still have a lot to talk about. But I would suggest you leave."

"But we…" Saori began to protest, but was stopped by Ogin shaking her head and putting her hands in her pockets.

"I would suggest you leave," she repeated, giving a sly wink and smile when Maho couldn't see. "In fact, I insist. Cutlass will show you a way to the surface that doesn't pass by any of my girls, so you should be fine. My guest and I need to talk in private." Saori, Hana and Yukari gave each other a few worried looks, but gave in without further protests, and followed Cutlass through another door.

"Now that we're alone," Ogin said as she pulled a chair over to Maho's booth, sat down and threw her boots upon the table, "What's the issue?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad. I do."

"Leave me alone."

"I don't intend to."

"Just let me be alone."

"As long as you're in my bar, you play by my rules, so no." Maho tried her best to get up from the booth, but her body failed her. Ogin leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head, a smug grin on her face. "Yeah, I don't think you're getting up anytime soon. So, what's up?"

"Have you just been messing with me this entire time?"

"Not at all. I've left you quite alone all week, haven't I? Though Cutlass tells me you've been very generous in your use of my bar."

"The 'Hiroshima' helps me think. That's the only reason."

"Uhuh, and I'm Mary Read herself. The 'Hiroshima' is this close to drinking thermite. That's not something you put yourself through a dozen times a day just because it helps you think." Cutlass, who Maho hadn't noticed reentering the room, came over with a tray, putting a cup of steaming light-brown liquid topped with whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles in front of Ogin.

"Your usual, Captain." she murmured, and folded the tray underneath her arm as she returned to the bar.

"Thank you Cutlass," Ogin chirped, and pulled her feet off the table and leaned in to take in the aroma. "Warm Cocoa," she said and looked at Maho with a smile. "Made from the finest beans money can buy. Cutlass gets them special from Grenada. D'you want one?"

"I'll pass thank you." Maho rolled her eyes at the Ogin she saw before her, and gestured to get Cutlass' attention. "Just get me another 'Hiroshima'."

"No," came the reply in almost an instant from the bar. Cutlass didn't even look up from the glass she was polishing to answer. "You drink too much."

"I drink whatever I want. You're just supposed to serve it, not judge me."

"You heard me." Cutlass didn't spare Maho any attention whatsoever as she spoke. "You're running away from your problems. A drink won't help you face them."

"I thought you told me you weren't the type of bartender who helps me deal with my problems?!"

"Perhaps I did, perhaps I didn't. I don't really know."

"That's a little girl's answer!" For the first time this entire week, Cutlass seemed to react to what was going on around her. She froze for not even a second, and calmly hung the now polished glass in its place. In the corner of her eye, Maho saw Ogin grimace.

"You want a real answer? Very well." Cutlass turned to face Maho, speaking in her bored voice, as if she was merely reciting facts. "You're a coward and a weakling. You'd rather drown your self-pity in a bottle than lift a finger to help yourself. You could own up to whatever haunts you and deal with it. But you won't. I don't know if it's because you're scared, or because you're weak, or if it's both. It doesn't really matter to be honest. Either way you're pathetic." Having given her answer, Cutlass turned back to her bar, and began to polish another glass. Ogin for her part just shrugged, and took another sip of her cocoa.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Maho shouted in reply. "I'll make you regret those words!" Cutlass just ignored her, so Maho forced her unresponsive body to stand up. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"She's said what she has to say," Ogin noted. "And you're not in shape to make anyone regret anything." Maho could feel her strength fail her, as if the world itself wanted to prove her wrong, and she collapsed back in her seat. "You might have been both ready and able to take on a dozen and more of my girls when you first showed up down here. But now I imagine even one of those topsiders could knock you down. Hell," she gave Maho a self-satisfied smirk, "perhaps even the Student Council President would prove a challenge."

"Let's face it. This behavior of yours isn't doing you any favors. If you don't want to talk about your issues, that's fine. I can't force you. And if you want to keep coming down here to drink yourself half-blind every day, I'm not going to stop you. Cutlass will keep serving you as if none of this happened. But if you think for a second that I condone how you're dealing with whatever it is that's bothering you, or that coming down here is somehow helping you think and deal with your issues, then you are just deluding yourself." Ogin smothered her pipe with her thumb and returned it to her coat. "Make this place your personal little opium den if you so wish, but make sure that's what you want. Because in another week or two, I don't think you'll have the strength or reasoning to leave." She then drummed her hands on the edge of the table a few times, and got up from her chair. "It's been great chatting with you, whatever your name is. I hope I never see you again." She gave Maho's shoulder a firm pat, nodded to Maho and Cutlass in turn, and left the bar.

Maho didn't remain in the bar for long after Ogin left. As soon as her body allowed itself to be moved, she gathered her strength and left, ignoring Cutlass just as much as the blonde girl ignored her. Once she reached her apartment it was already long past dark, and she collapsed on her bed, drifting off to sleep.

She awoke the next morning, and made herself some passable breakfast. Toast was thankfully not very easy to mess up. Having fed herself, she set to dealing with her mess of an apartment. Her body was still sluggish, and her mind groggy from her drinking the day before, but slowly but surely she managed to clean it all up, dealing with her remaining moving boxes and putting things in their proper place while she was at it.

All throughout her work, her mother's voice teased inside her mind, but there was something else as well. Cutlass and Ogin's words echoed throughout her psyche, drowning out the darkness. They called her a coward, a weakling, and a pathetic addict. She hated it, but what she hated more was that they were right.

Having dealt with the mess, she tried to get some studying done, but her mind wouldn't rest. She tried reading a book, watching a movie, or taking a nap, but nothing worked. Maho knew she needed a distraction, something to dull her senses. Ogin had said she was welcome back down whenever, but no. Maho wouldn't give either her or Cutlass the satisfaction of seeing her return, making them right in the process.

She sighed as she walked over to her desk to pick up her phone. "This means nothing," she said as she began to type out a text message. "This is just to give myself a distraction. Nothing more. There is no hidden meaning, there is no affection. This is nothing but convenience." She looked at the message for a brief second, before reluctantly hitting send. What does it matter… she thought as her phone gave off a swooshing sound to indicate the message had been sent. It's not like they'll reply…

The sound of a small pling quickly proved her wrong...

Author's Notes:

Not quite as monstrous a chapter this week, but still a good length I feel. Special thanks to CrabbyCakes and SharkyCast for helping me with some of the passages.

As always, reviews and feedback are deeply welcome, and I'll see you next week!

/Rihno