May 6th, 1912. Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Two ships had traveled back to the disaster area of the Atlantic Ocean in the span of almost a month. The disaster area was quite a suitable word, though some probably referred to it as the wreckage site, the wreckage of one large luxurious ship, the Titanic. This particular liner had been named 'the unsinkable' ship, what a waste. The iceberg struck with no real warning, it had all happened so quickly; so many lives were lost… they never stood a chance.

On April 15th, around 02:20 am, two hours and forty minutes after the ship hit the ice, Titanic met her horrifying end, along with several hundred passengers and crew members.

There was a purpose, of course, for these ships to travel back to the area, and it would devastate further lives. The first ship was called the CS Mackay-Bennett, it took almost four days to sail over, bringing with it nearly a hundred coffins. Those who worked aboard these ships experienced the heart-breaking task of recovering the bodies.

The Mackay-Bennett recovered over three hundred souls, having discovered fifty-one on the very first day of arrival; this included forty-six men, four women, and a baby boy. Twenty-four of these, however, were buried at sea, too disfigured to be able to identify.

For the time the ship was at the wreckage, a total of a-hundred-and-sixteen were buried at sea, and the crew identified only fifty-six. Bodies that were buried at sea weren't just for the sole reason of substantial disfigurement; there was also the shortage of embalming fluid.

The Mackay-Bennett returned to Halifax to the sound of church and fire bells ringing throughout the town with a hundred and ninety recovered bodies on board, consisting of both passengers and crew members.

The CS Minia was the second ship to dispatch upon realizing the first would need some help. Arriving four days later, the ship spent a further week searching, recovering another seventeen by the end, two of which were buried at sea, unidentified crew members, both were firemen. A total of fifteen were then transferred to Halifax, Nova Scotia, only five of which were passengers.

CS Minia arrived on May 6th.

The fifteen bodies were treated the same as those recovered from the first ship, and laid within the Mayflower curling rink. The rink had been prepared as a temporary morgue. An area had been screened off, that had become an embalming section, those who remained unnamed were then moved onto specially constructed platforms, they would aid the identification. The undertakers were nearby, as well as a nurse, she assisted relatives of the dead in need of comforting.

A young male was standing in the center, he had seen many people break down over the time spent in this rink, and he wondered how they coped, how he would feel upon seeing one whom he had searched for since the recovery began.

"You may not find who you are looking for here," an undertaker spoke to him; of course, he knew what that meant; they had told him the same thing the first time too. The first time was the hardest, he hadn't been prepared for so many bodies; a mixture of first, second, and third class, along with crew members. It was crazy to think that he hadn't found who he was looking for that first time, being so many, he felt he had a better chance.

Belongings of those laying before him had already been notified, untouched though, only to be taken by the relatives. Five passengers were all that remained from the recoveries, what were the odds of finding them now? A sick and dreadful feeling churned within the pit of his stomach, lingering at the forefront of his mind; so far, a hundred and eighteen bodies were already buried at sea; had the one he searched for been too disfigured to identify? It was a very likely chance, but he refused to believe it.

His hopes were quickly diminishing; two had already been identified, and another brought to the screened-off area. Raising a shaky hand, he lifted the cloth placed over the body in front of him, his eyes widened, and a choked gasp left his lips. Swallowing back the tears, he very carefully took the hand of the body with his own. "I found you…."

"May I offer comfort?"

Turning his attention away, he realized the nurse was beside him and that she was speaking to him. He turned back to the one whose hand he was still holding; the nurse lightly touched his arm.

"Did you know this person?"

He knew what she was asking because the real question should have been, 'can you identify this person?' but she was there for comfort, and asking such a question was probably considered impolite.

He smiled, and replied as tears clouded his vision, words that were filled with both a happy and a sad tone, "Yes, I did."

April 10th, 1912. Southampton, England. 11:00am.

Crowds upon crowds of people stood within awe of the ship's beauty and size. Passengers flocked to the gangway, preparing to boardwhat was considered the grandest and luxurious liner to have been built, the Titanic. The passengers varied, evident to anyone who came from where. The first class, boarding first, were treated with high regard, being referred to as 'sir' or 'madam.' The second class, some may rival in appearance to the first, their level of luxury could also match that of the first from other liners.

Kanra Shiraki, aged 17, gazed at the ship with what might be considered sheer excitement. She had never been on a cruise before, in fact, this was the first country she had visited outside of her own. She smiled at its beauty, respecting every inch of it with her eyes; it had to be over eight-hundred feet long. Kanra held a first-class ticket, so her appearance matched what was required of her to wear. She was uncomfortable, given her background and those she was associated with, her attire was one she most certainly wasn't used to. She hadn't always been recognized as wealthy, but she hadn't been judged inherently deficient either.

Kanra's attention was pulled away from the ship for a moment, to the people standing a few feet away from her, third-class passengers, no doubt. Their clothes were often what gave them away, third-class passengers varied widely in nationalities and ethnic families. Mainly, their groups consisted of immigrants, ranging between British, Irish, and Scandinavian. Kanra found herself wondering what kind of lives they had led, what their reasons for boarding this ship was, whether they might have a similar story to her own. She snorted because she highly doubted it, but it didn't mean she was going to judge them, she was sure they had their troubles too.

Kanra looked back at the ship, her eyes glinted in excitement every time, and yet – though she smiled, the reasons why she was here in the first place, had her partially concerned. Kanra's right hand was grabbed, she didn't startle, though she did give the one in question her attention. "There is plenty of time for distraction later, this isn't meant to be a vacation, please stop treating it as such," the man beside her spoke sternly, though Kanra could see the amusement in his eyes. "We must board now."

Kanra nodded and followed him toward the gangway, along with two others that were boarding with them. Kanra glanced at the other first-class women around her, noting with some relief, that her chosen attire appeared to be correct. Of course, even the man holding her hand made sure to fit in properly, topcoats and hats, black and white suits. As if being in first class wasn't enough, they also had to flaunt their appearance in some way just so people knew. The women, and even the female children, wore elegant dresses, some of which were kimono style, and over-the-elbow satin material gloves. Large over-sized hats framed their faces, complete with feathers, bows, flowers, lace, birds, and tulle. Kanra stepped through one of the ship's door's, her dress was kimono style, red silk and white lace athwart the front. Despite its origin matching where she was from, she considered her attire as nothing more than a bother.

A crew member guided them along the bridge; Kanra glanced up at the plaques adorning the ship's wall's, committing what she had seen so far into her memory; a liner this big, one had to be perceptive. Currently, they were on B deck, somewhere amidships. The steward turned to them with a smile, causing them to pause mid-step, he gestured with his arm toward two doors. "Your rooms, sir's, madams; suite's thirty-two and thirty-three, I do hope you'll find them pleasing."

Kanra shared a glance with the other female on her left side, Hotaru Nishida; she was three years older and had been her acting personal servant for two-years now. Kanra gave her an eye roll, and despite being amused by this, the woman was very good at keeping her composure. The man in front of them; Nori Taketa, gave a slight bow once the steward had left them, and retreated to see to his room. The suite thirty-two was double adjoined, space for servants to be situated nearby their masters/mistresses. Kanra suspected that all the first-class suites were the same, many like them probably had servants accompany them.

"Retire to your room for now," the male that was still with them spoke bluntly toward Hotaru, eyes slightly narrowed, and Hotaru bowed and left immediately upon request. Kanra gave a small sigh and turned with a hand to her hip.

"Must you be so forceful?" Kanra said, but she dropped her hand, not willing to risk reproach.

Her question was met with a half-smile, and then a hand cupped her face, fingers threading through her hair. "Whether we are first-class passengers on board this ship, sailing from England, or whether we are back home, among my associated groups, respect is demanded. Nishida is still a servant, no matter the place." The man then gave her a sideways grin of amusement. "Your attire suits you; I could get used to that." Leaning forward, the taller figure, known as Haruya Shiki, placed his lips upon hers.

Kanra gave a slight moan of appreciation, her arm came to encircle around his waist. Pulling away, Shiki lifted the pocket watch from his jacket and said, "The ship will be underway in ten minutes."

"Are you quite sure that he's onboard?" she asked.

Shiki raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question, you are the main reason we are here after all." Shiki stared at Kanra intently, as though looking for any signs of doubt. "Do not speak of your doubts now."

"I'm not. I am very confident, so please don't doubt me."

Shiki sighed and then kissed her lips. "Of course not, I apologize." Kanra flinched ever so slightly because had they been in other's company, she would not have received such a response. No matter where they were, women were regarded as a helpmate for their lovers/husband, holding no rights. However, very few understood how Shiki allowed a woman – even one so young - speak to him in such a manner, especially since the two showed no signs of marriage. Marriage or not, a woman was required to honor their mates, to respect them in every way. Kanra knew that those around them, would not have hesitated to, 'punish' had she been with them. Shiki never did, that is, until a year ago.

Shiki's guard, Nori Taketa, had once suggested using Kanra to gain what information they required - seductively. Forgetting her status immediately, she spoke aggressively and refused the very idea. A hard slap with the back of Shiki's hand silenced her. Apologies came later, once the two were alone, and her young inexperienced mind led her to, 'forgive and forget.' "It will never happen again," Shiki had said, but until recently, it did.

Kanra nodded, watching two crew members as they appeared in the suite's sitting area with their belongings. Once they had left again, Kanra turned to Shiki. "I'd like to watch the ship leave."

Shiki looked at her for a moment, looking as though he would protest, but then he nodded. Kanra smiled, and just as she turned to leave, Shiki grabbed her wrist. "We are not from this country, and though that might be obvious, we need not draw attention, just remember that."

Kanra frowned; she wasn't stupid, and she only wished Shiki would stop treating her as such. Before she could rethink her next reply, the words left her mouth. "Stop treating me like a child, I'm supposed to be your lover."

Shiki narrowed his eyes, but he didn't react, he knew what she meant, and all he could do was agree, while they were alone at least. "Speak English among them."

April 10th, 1912. Southampton, England. 11:15 am.

"This is ridiculous! I don't have goddamn lice!" the twenty-two-year-old male shouted in protest, drawing unnecessary attention to himself. The blond male batted the hand of the one trying to groom him, but the man paid him no heed and continued his job.

"You must stand through the inspection if you wish to come aboard. No inspection, no boarding."

The blond snorted and growled again when the man combed through his hair. "Even if I have a ticket?"

With a stern look on his face, the man pointed his finger at him. "Only if you pass."

Tch. This was seriously getting on his nerves; how could they treat those less fortunate so differently? They were all human beings after all; did that not count for anything at all? He was grateful to his brother for getting him this ticket, his only opportunity to get the hell out of England. Don't misunderstand him, he was rather fond of this country, he enjoyed the simplicity of life among those with a similar status. It wasn't that he wanted to leave, it was because he couldn't stay.

"It's for their reassurance, rather than ours," someone beside him spoke, they spoke English, but he couldn't place the accent. "First-time traveler?"

The blond shook his head and then sighed in relief when the 'groomer' was finally finished. He stepped to the side when a few passengers walked past him, also finished with their inspection. The one who had spoken to him just now stepped toward him, and they started to walk in-step toward the gangway.

"The name's Johnson, Carl Johnson. Third class," the man huffed a laugh as they ascended the ramp.

"Although I'm having a hard time placing your accent, your English is good," the blond commented. The two showed the crew member standing guard at the entrance, their tickets, and tried as best they could to locate their cabins.

"I could say the same to you, my friend," Carl replied as they made their way through the forecastle of D deck.

The blond gave a half-smile as they backed up slightly against the wall, allowing other passengers to pass. "What gave me away?"

Carl shrugged. "Dunno, something about ya. I'm Swedish if you wanted to know, and you?"

The two turn down another corridor, they appeared to have cabins close to each other. The blond found himself feeling thankful, maybe this could be the fresh start he had been looking for, perhaps he could make some friends and just put his troubles behind him. No one on this ship knew of him, he could finally be himself, no discretion. "Japanese," he replied to the man.

Carl looked at him with astonishment. "Really?" he then smiled. "I've yet to meet a Japanese man before! Your English is excellent, I'd never have guessed!"

The blond smiled in response to the genuine compliment. "Should have seen me a year ago," he laughed, "didn't have a clue."

"Ha! I wouldn't know it. So, what're ya reasons for such travels, why did ya move from Japan to England?"

Sighing, the blond remained quiet, maybe some discretion was still necessary after all. "I can't say."

Carl just nodded, not giving the slightest damn. "What about now, ya reasons for coming aboard this fine ship?"

Silence, again. "Um…"

Carl smiled, and with a tilt of his head, he said, "Fresh start?"

The blond smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Carl looked at his ticket and then glanced over to peek at the blond's, his smile brightened significantly. "What luck bestowed on us today," he shouted with glee, "you and I have the same cabin here." He pointed at the cabin number and then at their tickets. "Cabin D18," Carl laughed and opened the door, stepping inside with a light whistle. "Have to say, I expected less, this is pretty neat."

The blond looked around their small cabin, two bunk beds furnished the space, one on either side. There was a small gap by the glass window, barely big enough for one suitcase, let alone four. He looked at the small luggage with a frown. Good thing that I travel light. Glancing between the bunk beds, he wasn't sure if he could share a cabin as small as this with two other people, maybe one, Carl Johnson seemed easy to get along with.

Carl turned to him with a grin, having just enough space to spread his arms out. "It's not The Ritz, but hell, it's the best I've seen. On the bright side, we get first dibs on the bunks; I prefer the top bunk if you ask me."

Smiling, the blond placed his luggage on top of the other bunk. "Me too."

Carl climbed the small step ladder and sat with his legs dangling from the mattress. "So, my Japanese friend who speaks good English, to what name do you go by? Surely that can't be a secret too, right?"