previously:
I slowly walked over to my hammock, sluggishly moving my bag out of the way.
As I moved it, I noticed a small (F/C) box slip out from it and land on my hammock. My eyebrows knitted in confusion as I hesitantly pick it up.
The box was roughly the size of my palm, if not slightly larger. If you studied it closer, you could see faint yet rather intricate and elaborate markings all over it. It was honestly hard to believe that someone was capable of creating such stunning designs. But what saddened me was how the beautiful (F/C) paint was faded and discoloured, obviously due to overexposure to water. Beneath the paint, small bits of silver poked through.
But where did it come from I've never seen this box before? As I pondered for a moment, I recalled picking up a box from my bed before making my escape from the castle.
I couldn't quite remember what the box looked like though since I didn't get the opportunity to look at it properly. Even so, it would have to be the same box since there's no other way I could have gotten it.
I can't help but wonder though if the contents are as damaged as the box. If by some miracle the contents are still in good condition then this box did its job flawlessly.
On the side of the box was a latch, I tried pulling it finding that it was rather stiff. It's probably been a while since this has been opened. Eventually, it slowly began to move, giving a small squeak in protest. I pulled the lid open to reveal its contents.
Continued:
Inside the small box rested a small object, submerged in a tiny pool of saltwater. From what I could see, the item didn't appear to be damaged or rusted. But how am I suppose to get it out without getting the water on me?
I leaned down and slowly began to tip the box on its side, making sure it was facing away from me. When I saw the water come flowing out, I stumbled back in a hurry as it quickly crept towards me. I should probably use a cloth or something to pick it up.
Cloth in hand, I carefully picked up the object and gave it a good rub. Once I was sure it was dry, I held it up to the light to get a better look at it. In my hand sat a small, oddly shaped silver watch. I've never seen such a beautifully crafted watch, to be fair I've never seen a watch up close, to begin with. You could tell a lot of time and care went into it, such detailed work. There was a hole in the top of the watch indicating there was another part. When I looked on the floor near the box for any extra parts, I found a small key-like object that matched the watches design. I picked it up and attempted to place it in the hole only to find it was slightly too small to fit. How strange, why would they give me a watch with a piece that didn't fit? It looks like it goes with the watch.
As I turned the watch over to view the back, I noticed a small engraving, that read:
"The heart of man is very much like the sea it has its storms,"
What a strange quote, is there suppose to be more? What's it even mean. Heart of man is very much like the sea, how is a heart like a sea it makes no sense, and what's this about storms. Maybe there's more on the inside. I gently tried to pry open the watch, soon hearing a small click as the watch opened up. But to my dismay, I found a nasty surprise. Saltwater instantly ran down my hands. I didn't even have a chance to process what had happened.
I heard a loud ripping sound as I slowly became unbalanced. I let out a small yelp as I felt myself slowly begin to sway, I tried my best to stay up, but I soon found the floor becoming closer and closer, till I slammed into it face-first with a small thud. A grunt escaped my lips as I rolled onto my back, a stinging sensation spreading throughout my nose. Just perfect. So much for being careful. I looked down at my now ripped pants, my long (f/c) tail peeking through the tears and stretching out past the bottom of the pant legs. My pants never stood a chance. Well, this is wonderful. Can't get any worse than this, could it?
"Night dudes see you tomorrow," yelled a voice from down the hall. My head swung around towards the door, a feeling of dread consuming me as my heart skipped a beat. A cold sweat ran down my back, I recognized the voice immediately, but I prayed I was wrong. I could hear the sound of heavy footsteps coming from down the hall towards the room. Panic quickly filled me as I looked around frantically for something to cover my tail, but there was nothing within reach. Shit, what do I do, maybe he won't notice. What am I saying, my tail's huge, he'd have to be blind not to see it?
As the steps grew closer, I could feel my breath catching in my throat, my eyes darting around the room in search of literally anything that might help me. No matter how hard I tried to come up with a plan, my mind remained blank. I couldn't think straight, the only thing that came to mind was visions of what might happen, when the door opened.
What will he do when he finds me, will he kill me, hand me over to Arthur, throw me overboard, keep me captive, blackmail me.
Or maybe, if I'm lucky, he'd keep my secret? But he has no reason to keep my secret. We barely know each other. He'd surely side with Arthur since they do appear to be pretty close. So basically, I'm screwed.
I jumped slightly when a sudden bang came from the other side of the room's door. It seemed louder than a regular knock, more like someone running into the door than knocking. But that wasn't my main issue. Any moment now, Alfred would walk through that door, and he'd find me sprawled out on the floor, with a fishtail instead of legs.
My eyes lingered on the doorknob in horror as it gave a short rattle, before beginning to turn. My breath caught in my throat as my heart started to hammer in my chest. I could even feel and hear my heartbeat in my ears, which only made things feel even more nerve-wracking.
I wanted to yell out that I was changing or something, in hopes he'd wait, but the words refused to come out. The door flung open, causing me to jump slightly out of fear. Alfred stood in the doorway with water droplets running down his face from his wet hair. He wore the same outfit from before he'd taken a shower.
Alfred looked down at me in confusion, his eyes squinting slightly. He seemed to pause as his eyes slowly trailed over my tail. For a while, there was silence as we just stared at one another. He slowly tilted his head to the side with a confused look.
"What are you doing on the floor?" He questioned, a goofy smile replacing his once confused one. I blinked in confusion, not sure if he was joking, or if he hadn't noticed my tail. "Are you wearing (F/C) pants, where did you get those?"
My jaw dropped, I couldn't help but stare in disbelief he had to be joking right. I was utterly speechless. Alfred trotted over to his hammock, not waiting for my answer, and began drying his hair.
"They were, ah laying around," I answered, my voice very unsure. Alfred Hummed in reply as he continued drying his hair, not paying me a second thought. I-Is he blind, or is he pretending he didn't see anything? There's no way he didn't see my tail. I mean it's kind of hard to miss.
"Alfred, how many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, holding up three fingers. Alfred looked at me in confusion, not sure why I was asking. I watched as his eyes squinted at my hand, he appeared to be slightly hesitant before he screamed;
"Six!" he gave me a confident smile as he waited for my answer. His eyes shone, like an angler fish's light in the depths of the dark ocean, he seemed so sure of himself. Part of me wanted to tell him that he was way off, but another part of me couldn't bring myself to break his confidence. At least not when he looked so sure of himself.
"Correct," I said quietly, causing him to cheer in victory like a small child causing my lips to turn up slightly. I had to admit it was rather cute seeing him so excited over something so insignificant.
"Shoot I left something in the showers, be back in a bit dude," before I could say anything, he was out the door in a flash. He's quite fast when he wants to be, isn't he? Well, at least this gives me time to sort out my issue. I looked over to Alfred's hammock and saw his towel hanging over the edge slightly. I slowly wiggled my way across the floor, probably looking like an eel in the process, and reached up to his towel. I quickly began drying off my hands and arm, waiting a minute before there was a slight poof. I looked down to see my (S/C) legs once more, never had I been so happy to see them in my life.
I need to be more careful, had it been Arthur or Allistor I'm sure I wouldn't have been so lucky. You'd think after years of hiding this secret I'd be a master at keeping it.
Slowly standing up, I placed Alfred's towel on his bed. I went to walk over to the chest beside my bed, before suddenly tripping over my ripped pants. Luckily I caught myself at the last second, probably a first for me. I should probably move these so no one else trips on them maybe I can patch them up or something. As I picked them up, my mind couldn't help but flash back to what happened a few minutes ago. I could have used this to dry my arms and hands, god, why didn't I think of that. I'm so stupid It's astonishing I've kept my secret this long. As I moved the pants out of the way, I noticed some strange metal items scattered on the ground.
Then it hit me. During my panic, I'd forgotten about the watch. It now sat on the ground in pieces, cogs and parts everywhere. If it somehow worked before, it definitely wouldn't now. Maybe I can put it back together, I mean it's kind of like a puzzle right. Yeah, a puzzle with a million tiny pieces. I collected as much as I could find and put them away in the metal box, which the watch had come in. I'll have a look at it again tomorrow maybe it's not as bad as it seems. I'm just saying that to make myself feel better, it's worse than what it seems.
With that out of the way, I wandered over to the chest and opened it up, throwing my ripped pants inside then shuffling through the chests contents to find a pair of pants. Inside the chest were a few pairs of shirt's, pants and underwear. Since I didn't have any clothes with me when I arrived on the ship, Arthur gave me some of Alfred's old clothes. He'd grown out of them, and while they were still a little big on me, it was better than nothing. I grabbed the first pair of pants I found and quickly put them on.
"I'm back!" shouted Alfred as he rushed through the door, slamming it shut behind him. Without another word, he threw something on his hammock and began to unbutton his shirt. Wait, what's he doing, why's he taking his clothes off, he just put them on. Once his shirt was off, he did the same with his pants. He now stood there in his underwear, tossing his clothes on the floor beside his hammock. Noticing my gaze, Alfred gave me a small smile.
"It gets crazy hot so I suggest you sleep in as little as possible otherwise you'll be roasted alive!" He laughed. I gave a small nod in reply, not sure what to say. While I admit that it's pretty hot, I can't go to bed in just underwear. It's too risky.
"Well, I'm going to head to bed, night dude," without warning Alfred launched himself at his hammock, practically jumping head first into it. The hammock was not pleased. With a snap the ropes holding it up broke, sending poor Alfred hurdling towards the ground with a loud thump. It all happened so quickly within the blink of an eye Alfred was sprawled out on the floor.
"A-Alfred! are you ok?" I screeched as I rushed to his fallen form, placing a hand on his shoulder. He let out a small groan as he lifted his head. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Knowing he was most likely going to have a bruise or two in the morning.
"Y-yeah I think so, they don't make hammocks like they use to, do they," he chuckled awkwardly, his cheeks tinted in a crimson red. I held out my hand for him, which he hesitantly took, and helped pull him up off the floor. He mumbled a quick thanks before looking away in embarrassment.
"Do you have any spare rope to fix the hammock with?" I asked. Alfred shook his head and gave me an awkward smile.
"That was the last of my rope,"
"Should we go ask the captain or one of the other crew members?" I questioned, turning towards the door before Alfred quickly grabbed my arm. I looked back at him in confusion to see him looking away nervously.
"If I go ask Iggy he'll get mad again he said last time was the last time he was gonna help me fix it," Wait last time, so this has happened before then. Why doesn't that surprise me?.
"What about Allistor maybe ask him," Alfred just shook his head quickly.
"They'll laugh at me about it," he mumbled, a small frown evident on his face.
"What do you want to do then, sneak around the ship looking for rope," I said, half-joking. Alfred nodded eagerly, obviously not picking up on my half-joking manner. "Ok come on, let's go and look," I said with a huff, Alfred shook his head vigorously.
"If they see me, they'll know!" He whined. He's like a small child.
"Fine, I'll go out and look for you," Before I could even finish the sentence, Alfred had tackled me into a tight hug. He's surprisingly affectionate with someone he barely knows. The next second I find Alfred pushing me out the door, as he chimes things like 'good luck and 'thank you. Before I could say anything, I heard the door slam behind me. Your welcome, I guess.
Where do they even keep the rope, I'm guessing they have a supply room, I mean it would be weird if they didn't. When Alfred gave me a tour of the ship he didn't actually 'give me a tour, it was more like just showing me our room and the eating area. I'm guessing those are the two rooms he knows the best or the only ones he finds important. The only other place I can think of that may have rope is the deck.
Since I know the deck the best, I should probably start there. With that in mind, I began my journey to the deck. Only to be stopped dead in my tracks soon after.
'Help'
It was that voice once again, the one I'd heard while Alfred was giving me the tour. It's hard to explain, but it was like their voice was inside my head yet not at the same time. Their voice was like a faint melody, singing in the back of my mind. A sweet and calming voice with a sound of pain and fear, it was calming yet unsettling at the same time.
'Please, someone set me free,'
Yet now it sounded as though they were behind this door! Their voice was so desperate and scared. My eye's trailed to the door that I'd heard it from earlier. The door had a large lock and chain on the door nob, making it abundantly clear that no one was supposed to enter. There was even a large sign hanging on the door that read 'Do not enter by orders of the captain'. Whatever's in there must be extremely important if they keep it that secured.
'Hurry, before it's too late,'
Once again, the voice sounded as though it came from behind the door. Whatever it is, it gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I walked over to the door and have the chain a hard yank in hopes it would miraculously open. To my disappointment, the only thing that happened was the chains rattling noisily. Did I really think it would be that easy?
"I thought you went to bed?" I jumped in fright at the sudden voice and shot around to find Arthur exiting what I believed was the shower area. Drops of water fells from the ends of his shaggy blond hair as he rubbed it roughly with his towel.
"Oh, I was, but I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd take a walk instead," I chuckled nervously. Arthur narrowed his eyes at me before taking a few steps closer to me.
" I don't take kindly to liers," He growled, leaning down, so his face was inches away from mine. His eyes held a cold and hostile glint to them, like an animal stalking its prey. I couldn't help but shrink slightly in place, I felt like a guppy, the way he towered over me like this. "What were you doing?" he questioned firmly, a faint growl coming from his throat. I looked down to my feet, unable to hold eye contact any longer.
"I was looking for rope," I mumbled sheepishly. Arthur suddenly grabbed hold of my chin and forcefully yanked my chin up to make me look at him. My eyes widened in shock as I stared into his piercing, emerald green orbs. A feeling of dread filled me as his cold glare stared through my soul.
"Look me in the eye's when I'm talking to you, Don't forget you're an outsider here, you're every move is being watched. I don't trust you one bit, and if I find you step even an inch out of line, I won't hesitate to slice you into pieces and use you as fish bait. Now, tell me what you were doing, before I get mad," His voice was practically dripping in venom as he spoke, I could feel the hatred he felt with every single word that came from his mouth. If he wasn't mad yet then, I don't want to see him when he is.
"I promise I really was looking for rope captain," I gulped, my voice shaky and croaky as I tried my best to hide the fear I felt.
"What could you possibly need some rope for and why do you think it would be in a locked room that clearly says no one allowed in?" he hissed as his grip on my chin tightened. I squeaked in pain as I felt a dull pain spread throughout my jaw.
"M-my hammock's rope broke, so I was looking for some more to fix it. Alfred didn't show me where the supply closet was so I was looking around for it," I blurted out in a hurry, hoping this would satisfy him. He narrowed his eyes and stared into mine for a moment, clearly debating whether or not he should believe me. My heart pounded against my chest as I anticipated his next move.
He let out a sigh, before releasing me from his grip, resulting in me also letting out a sigh of relief as I rubbed my chin. I'll admit he's quite strong, which shows that he really is cut out for his position as captain.
"That fatass broke his hammock again didn't he, so he sent you out in his place so we wouldn't know. Fucking idiot," growled Arthur.
"Y-yeah... I promised I wouldn't tell you since he didn't want you to yell at him," I explained with a sheepish smile as I scratched my cheek slightly. Arthur looked down at me with a scowl, clearly not pleased with how casually I spoke to him.
"There's some rope in the closet in the dining room, use that," he stated. Without another word, he turned around quickly and walked off down the hall.
"T-thank you," I mumbled as I hurried off to the closet, not noticing Arthur look over his shoulder to watch my retreating form. He narrowed his eyes before turning back around and heading to his room. With the rope in hand, I walked back to Alfred's room. As I opened the door, I found him passed out in my hammock. He snored slightly as the hammock swayed gently from side to side. He made me get rope so he could steal my bed, didn't he? I shook my head as I watched his peaceful form. Well, I can't wake him up, so I guess I'll have to fix his hammock and use it.
I threw the rope onto the floor as I gathered up Alfred's hammock. I removed the broken pieces, placing them aside as I grabbed the new one. Much to my dismay by the time I'd gotten to the second side I'd run out of rope to tie. Well Shit, what am I suppose to do now. That's the only rope I have. There's no way I'm going back out and risking running into captain eyebrows.
I guess I'll have to settle for sleeping on the ground, untying the hammock I laid it down in hopes it would provide a little cushion. As I laid down against the boards, I curled up into a small ball on my side. The feeling of exhaustion slowly took over me. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. With everything that was happening, I didn't have a chance to process everything. Just a short while ago everything had been fine, not the best but it was at least bearable. I had a home, a loving father, I wasn't running for my life and now I had nothing. Within the blink of an eye, everything was gone. It was like getting a slap to the face. Now that I had time to think about everything, my mind just felt clouded, I could see the memories flashing through my mind vividly, yet I didn't feel anything.
I wanted to cry, and I know I needed to. Yet not a single tear came out. For a while, I laid there in silence, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts, slowly becoming quieter, and quieter, as exhaustion took over my body.
~Time Skip brought to you by captain eyebrows~
THUD
I jumped in surprise, my eyes shooting open as they darted around the room in a panic. I was about to yell out for my father in fear he'd gotten hurt before it hit me. I looked around the room, double-checking if I was still on Arthurs ship and not back home. My heart sank as it became apparat that it was not a dream and, it had all happened.
As my eyes wandered around the room, they happened to land on Alfred, who laid sprawled out on the ground on the other side of the room. He groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing his back in circles. His eyes happened to meet mine to which he gave a sheepish smile.
"Morning," He said groggily.
"Good morning. Are you ok, what happened?" Alfred gave me a chuckle as he scratched his cheek.
"I'm fine, I kinda rolled over too far and fell out," something tells me this also happens often, is this guy accident-prone or something. Though I'm not one to talk considering I sometimes walk like a dolphin high on pufferfish Venum.
"Did you sleep on the floor?" asked Alfred with a concerned look.
"Oh ah yeah, I didn't want to wake you and, I couldn't get enough rope for your hammock," I explained "So I decided to sleep on the floor,"
"gee I'm sorry dude, I tried to stay awake and wait for you to get back but, I dozed off. Are you good?" he questioned with a worried look.
I gave him a reassuring smile as I began to stretch.
"I'm fi-," before I could finish my sentence a sharp pain spread throughout my body as I heard cracks come from my back. I froze in shock, unsure of what was going on. My body felt stiff and sore with every movement I heard crack's come from somewhere on my body.
I-is this normal!? Why is my body making these noises, is it broken? Why do I feel so stiff and sore?
"You good dude?" Alfred gave me a weird look as he watched me silently scream in pain.
"Just... fine," I said as I slowly sat up, pain shooting up my back.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, a little sore and stiff but otherwise I'm fine. Is it normal to feel like your body's about to snap in half?"
"Well if you sleep on the floor then yeah, you'll be fine after a few days," he said with a chuckle as he jumped to his feet, seemingly forgetting about me as he, walked over to his chest full of clothes. Well at least I know I'm going to be alright. How do humans handle this kind of pain though, it's unbearable?
As I slowly got up a sharp pain spread throughout my head, I winced as I held my head in my hands. A feeling of dizziness consumed me as my vision began to blur. It lasted for a moment before going away, leaving a faint headache behind. What the hell was that, is that also due to sleeping on the floor? Note to self, never sleep on the floor again.
I once again got up, stumbling slightly, and stretched out my body. A chorus of cracks came from all over my body, bringing a feeling of slight relief.
"We best hurry, Arthur doesn't like it when we're late for breakfast," chimed Alfred as he buckled up his belt. The captain doesn't like anything.
~time skip brought to you by Alfred hammock, may it rest in peace~
I followed Alfred down the hall into the dining area to see everyone else already seated and eating. The room was filling with loud chattering and laughter as everyone dug into their food. Alfred wasted no time bolting to the kitchen to get some food before it was all gone. He loves his food, doesn't he?
When I entered the kitchen, I found Alfred filling a bowl to the brim with hot soup. He made sure he filled his bowl as much as physically possible before taking a huge gulp then adding more. He then grabbed a small loaf of bread and headed back out to the sitting area. I must admit the soup smelt pretty good. I wasn't sure what was in it, But I could see some carrots and potatoes swimming around. My stomach let out a low growl, urging me to hurry up. Not wanting to make it wait any longer I grabbed a bowl and filled it halfway then broke a small load of bread in half. I probably could have finished a full bowl and loaf if I wanted, but I figured Alfred or one of the other crew members would come back for seconds so, I settled for half.
When I entered the dining area, I looked around for a place to sit. I noticed Alfred was seated to the left of Dylan, who had Seamus to his right. Both Dylan and Seamus were engaged in a conversation with a few other crew members I hadn't met yet, while Alfred was absorbed in eating. Not wanting to interrupt their conversation, I was also feeling shy since I'm still not familiar with them, I headed towards an empty table. Before I could be seated though Dylan called from across the room.
"Hey kid, what are you doing sitting over there? Come and join us, we've got plenty of room," I watched as everyone's eyes shifted to me, causing me to freeze in place. The whole room that was once full of laughter and chatter was now dead silent as everyone stared at me. Some people glared at me, while others gave me a stare of indifference. Dylan seemed oblivious to this, however, and continued to usher me over. I noticed Seamus move over to make room for me between him and Dylan, all while sending me a small smile as he nodded in agreement. The only person who didn't seem to notice me was Alfred, who was too busy chowing down. Feeling nervous from all the stares, I looked down at my feet.
"O-Ok," I mumbled as I walked towards them. I felt everyone's eyes follow me as I walked across the room, but as I sat down, their gazes began to disappear. Eventually, everyone was back to talking and laughing amongst themselves.
"How was your first night on ship?" Asked Dylan
Horrible, but I can't bring myself to say that.
" It was... a new experience," I answered with a small smile. Dylan chuckled as he 'gently' patted my back.
"That bad huh, Ah well, you'll get used to it eventually. Life on the sea isn't the easiest but, with time you learn to love it," he explained. It's not the sea that's the problem it's the ship. Life at sea and life on a ship are two completely different things.
"It took us a few months at least to get used to it," added Seamus before he took a bite of his bread.
"How long have you been on this ship? If you don't mind me asking," I questioned before dunking my bread in my soup and taking a bite. Without really thinking Dylan answered,
"hmmm a century, give or take," Seamus, who was halfway through a drink, suddenly spat it out as his eyes grew wide. He began coughing loudly, causing a few people to look over at him.
"Are you ok?!" I asked in a panic as I placed a hand on his back, Seamus put up a hand, and nodded. He continued to cough and splutter for a few seconds.
"my drink just um went down the wrong way, I'm alright now," he explained. "I'm sorry for the interruption, now what were you saying, Dylan? Something about how long we've been on the ship," questioned Seamus as he continued to glare.
"yeah we've been on the ship for about a centu-" before Dylan could continue he suddenly let out a small yelp. I looked at him in confusion to see him glaring at Seamus, who was also glaring back at him.
"how long?" Seamus questioned again but this time with a somewhat angry tone. Dylan was about to reply before his eyes widened, and he froze. For a moment, we sat in silence, Dylan seemingly at a loss for words. Not sure why he didn't answer Seamus, I decided to answer for him.
" I believe Dylan said a century," this time both Seamus and Dylan seemed to freeze. They both looked at each other in a panic before Dylan suddenly began laughing loudly.
"That's not important right now, look how little food you have. You should be eating more we need to fatten you up so you can grow up big and strong," Dylan laughed before he began to pour some of his soup into my bowl.
"But that's your soup I can't take your food you need it," I protested.
"nonsense I'm on my second helping it's fine, you need more nutrients than I do. You're a growing boy after all,"
"hmmm ok... if you insist," Dylan smiled and pushed his bowl over to me. Both Dylan and Seamus seemed to relax at this. "By the way, how long is a century? I've never heard that word before," I asked. They both froze and looked at me in shock before sending a glance to one another.
" you don't know what a century is?" Asked Seamus quietly, a confused look evident on his face. I shook my head as I scooped some soup into my mouth.
"How do you not know what a century is? That's common knowledge," questioned Dylan resulting in Seamus reached behind me and slapping him on the back of the head.
"I never really got out much as a kid. My father kept me at home because he was scared someone would hurt me or I'd get myself killed somehow. I spent most of my time reading books, which is where I've gotten most of my knowledge from. Though there's only so much you can learn from books. It wasn't until recently that he started easing up on me and letting me leave the house,"
"Damn he sounds like a paranoid asshole," mumbled Dylan, which earned him another slap to the back of the head from Seamus.
I frowned slightly at Dylan's words, "He was far from an asshole. Yes, he was overprotective but it was because he cared. I was all he had, he didn't want me to go through the same pain he had gone through... he didn't want to risk losing me to," Yes he wasn't perfect by any means, but he tried his best, and that's all I could have asked for. As memories of my father came back a bitter feeling filled my chest, while the memories were happy, it hurt knowing I'd never be able to enjoy them with him again. It was a bittersweet feeling of nostalgia and sadness.
An awkward silence settled between us as Dylan and Seamus looked at my pained smile.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. It's not fair of me to say those things when I didn't know him," apologised Dylan as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.
"it's fine, I can understand why you'd see him that way. A lot of people who knew him would say the same thing. They just don't know the full story, he had his reasons for the way he acted. While that doesn't justify some of the things he did I know deep down he meant well and was just doing what he thought was right,"
"He sounds like a good guy, I'm sure he's proud of you," said Seamus with a soft smile as he gently patted my head.
"Thanks, I hope you're right," I couldn't help but give a big smile at the thought of my father watching over me proudly. It made me feel like a piece of him was still with me. Like I wasn't completely alone.
A sudden loud bang caused everyone to stop talking and look over in the direction of the cabin area. We watched as Allistor came stomping down the hall, an angry scowl present on his face. He was mumbling under his breath angrily as he stormed up the steps onto the deck. After a moment of silence, everyone turned back to their food. I was so focused on Dylan and Seamus that I didn't even realise Allistor and Arthur weren't here. I looked to Dylan and Seamus in confusion.
"Probably another fight with Arthur, it's almost like a daily routine," mumbled Dylan as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Do you blame Allistor for being so upset? I mean it's Arthur we're talking about," stated Seamus with a somewhat amused smile.
"Is this normal? Do Arthur and Allistor not get along? And what do you mean 'it's Arthur we're talking about" I questioned. How is fighting normal, should it not be stopped instead of ignored?
"Yeah, it's normal for anyone to fight with Arthur. Pretty much no one on the ship likes him and for a good reason to. He's an arrogant, sadistic asshole who uses and manipulates people into doing what he wants. He disregards what others think and believes and only cares about power," explained Dylan.
"Arthur a very cruel and manipulative person and he can't be trusted at all. I mean me, Seamus and Allistor don't even want to be on this ship, we don't want to spend our lives under that tyrant's control. We'd rather be back in our homelands, free to do as we please, instead of being stuck on a ship being paid little to no wage," he continued, clearly getting more worked up the more he spoke.
"Is he that bad? I mean I get that he seems kinda strict and intimidating but is he that horrible of a person? And what's stopping you from leaving, he can't control your life, you're a person, not an object," How could Arthur control them to the point they couldn't even leave this ship, it's their life, not his.
"He is that bad, ask anyone in this ship and they'll agree. You just haven't seen what's capable of yet. As for why we can't leave that's a bit complicated... and we can't tell you why. I guess in a sense he has something against us that's keeping us here," explained Dylan.
Something against them, what could he possibly have that could force them to give him their freedom.
"But that doesn't matter. What I'm trying to say is you can't trust Arthur, he's a very dangerous and horrible person," stated Dylan. "Arthur is good for nothing asshole who can't be trusted, you should stay as far away from him as possible,"
"Is that so?" Asked a voice from behind us.
"Yes, very much so,"
"I'm hurt you think of me like that,"
Dylan froze in place, his face growing paler with each passing second. His head slowly turned till his eyes met with a pair of angry emerald green ones. A dark aura surrounded Arthur as he glared down at Dylan. I hadn't noticed before but the whole room had become dead silent, besides Dylan's rant. Everyone gave Dylan a pitiful look, knowing he was as good as dead.
"It seems you've forgotten your manners. Perhaps I need to remind you?" Hummed Arthur with a sickly sweet smile. He might have been smiling but he sure as hell wasn't happy.
"T-That's not necessary," stuttered Dylan as he shrunk slightly in his seat, his eyes darting around to anywhere besides Arthur's eyes.
"Oh, but I think it is. You'll be in charge of cleaning the 'head' for the rest of the week as well as swabbing the deck," Dylan looked at Arthur in disgust, much to my confusion. I don't know what those are, but judging by Dylan's reaction, it can't be good.
"Why so quiet? You were so talkative a second ago," chimed Arthur, his voice laced with a sarcastic undertone. Dylan looked down and remained silent, knowing no matter what he said it would only make things worse.
"That's what I thought, also it's CAPTAIN Arthur to you. Don't make that mistake again, or it'll be your head you'll be paying with," snapped Arthur "now why are you all sitting around still? GET BACK TO WORK,"
Without another word everyone began to scramble to get out of their seats, some even falling over one another. Most left their bowls and plates on the tables, whether empty or not. Arthur let out a huff and walked off in the direction of his cabin.
"I tried to warn you he was coming," whispered Seamus as he watched Arthur retreat down the hall.
"You should have tried harder," groaned Dylan as he slammed his head against the table loudly. "I told you he was a tyrant,"
"Do you want him to hear you again? Are swab and head duty not good enough for you?" Laughed Seamus as Dylan sent him a glare. "Either way we better get moving, he seems to be in a worse mood than usual and I don't want to risk making him madder," Begrudgingly both of them stood up ready to leave.
"Oh before we go, do you know if Allistor had any breakfast?" I didn't see him at all during breakfast but maybe he got some before I came out this morning.
"I doubt it, we were some of the first here and he wasn't here," replied Seamus.
"Hmmm ok, I'll see if there's some soup left and bring him some,"
"Awww you are so thoughtful," chimed Dylan as he gently patted my head. I looked away in embarrassment, not use to such praise.
"We'll see you later, take care and if you for any problems come and find us," Seamus added, joining in on patting my head.
"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind,"
Once Dylan and Seamus headed upstairs I started clearing the tables of all the bowls, cups and plates. I headed to the kitchen, arms full of dishes and places them in a tub full of water. I checked the pot that contained soup to find just enough in the bottom to make just over half a bowl. I grabbed a clean bowl and filled it with the soup, then grabbing the last piece of bread from the bench.
I hope this is enough for him, I should have gotten more before the others got into it. With food in hand, I headed out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. And thus a new day had started, it had already been eventful so I feared if the rest of the day would be the same.