The Day the Moon Shines
By: deep.Indigo

Chapter 9: Omoi no Subete Iemasu ka
(Can You Say All of Your Feelings?)






Vyse grinned as he stepped out into the sunshine and warm breeze, admiring the structures erected across Crescent Isle. Coming home to the start of his own base after making multiple discoveries, including that the world was round, all added up to one thing: Life was good. Life was damn good.

Aika shared his enthusiasm, her excitement was almost visible. "The island really looks like a base now!" she cheered, grinning at her childhood friend.

Fina also looked quite happy, and smiled at her friend's delight. "After everything we've managed to do—making all those discoveries, defeating Bluheim, defeating Valua, saving Yafutoma, retrieving the Blue Crystal, receiving the Book of Polarity, and having this wonderful base—it really seems like an occasion to celebrate, doesn't it?"

"Heck yeah!" Aika grinned. "C'mon, Vyse, how 'bout it?" she asked her captain, elbowing him a bit. "Let's have a party and relax before we head out again!"

Enrique nodded in assent, also admiring the island. "We've worked hard," he smiled, "especially you, Vyse. Besides, it would be good to settle in to the place—get to know it before we head off again."

Vyse grinned in reply. "Sure! Sounds like a good idea to me."

Ramirez watched it all quietly, not bothering to add anything as they started to make plans. The crew members whom Vyse had recruited were also getting involved, until the preparations had some semblance of form: as Ramirez understood it, the common room under the personal living quarters that had been built for Vyse and his main crew (Ramirez was startled to learn that he was considered a part of that group along with Aika, Fina and Enrique) would be the place for the actual celebration.

Ramirez truly saw no reason for a "party". Even though they had three of the Crystals, since they were not utilizing them, it meant absolutely nothing. In addition, there were still two more Crystals—meaning two more chances to fail miserably. There was simply too much work left for there to be sufficient reason to rejoice like that.

He supposed it was just a fundamental difference between himself and these people.

The jade-eyed swordsman leaned against one of the walls, musing briefly on the events that had passed before pushing them aside. He stared blankly at the sky, until he was surprised by a sudden voice.

"Hey."

He turned his head, and saw the man to whom the voice belonged. Vyse. Of course it was him. "Yes?" he asked in response to the brunet man's greeting.

"We need to talk." The young pirate was unusually serious.

Ramirez's pulse quickened, but he allowed no expression to cross his face as he straightened. "About what?"

"Well, about the way things have been going lately. If you want, we can go somewhere private," Vyse replied.

Ramirez ran several possible scenarios over his mind as he nodded curtly. He would learn before long what Vyse wanted, but it was best to be prepared for whatever it might be. Then again, he groused, Vyse had a tendency of surprising him, rendering any internal preparations useless.

"Why don't we go to my room?" Vyse suggested, to which the Silvite merely nodded again.

The walk there was a quiet one—for Ramirez, in any case. Vyse greeted people as they went, smiling and being his usual cheerful self. The young Silvite watched him, painfully aware of the tightening in his chest.

/What does he want with me, anyway.../

When they reached Vyse's room, a bare wooden place with only a bed, a desk and a couple of chairs, the blue rogue sat and gestured for Ramirez to do the same.

Ramirez shook his head. "I prefer to stand," he said quietly. "What is it you wanted to discuss, Vyse?"

Vyse sighed and began, "Well, I realize I've been a bit cold to you these past few days, but...you haven't exactly been friendly yourself. It's difficult to work together when there's tension, you know?" He looked up at the other man, awaiting his reply.

Ramirez blinked twice rapidly, the only outward reaction to Vyse's statement. "I understand your words but not your point."

"You've been cold to people," Vyse stated plainly.

The Admiral frowned slightly. "I would think you've been around me long enough to realize that being cold is part of my character," he responded.

The brunet youth frowned. "I mean, you've been down right rude to people. Including me," he pointed out.

Ramirez shrugged. "And your complaint is?"

"What I'd like is some respect."

The Silvite swordsman regarded Vyse for a moment. Perhaps it was paranoia, or maybe the rush of unnecessary adrenaline that his heart kept pumping into his system, but Ramirez had the distinct feeling that there was more to it than that. "Is...that all?" he finally asked in a neutral tone.

"No." Vyse stood and took a few steps forward until he was directly in front of Ramirez, who refused to back away out of principle. "I meant what I said a few days ago. I do want to be your friend—or at least, I did. You've been extremely antagonistic and unpredictable and I have no idea what you really think about me; because of that, I can't call you a friend yet, even though I'd like to. I'm not going to try if you flat-out hate me and would rather die than be friends with me. I have other things to worry about." Ramirez silently cursed Vyse's height advantage as the rogue stared down at him. "But if you're willing to set our differences aside and be friends, then I am too."

"...Er..." the Silvite stammered, momentarily flustered by Vyse's actions. He had the uncomfortable sensation that his cheeks were beginning to burn. He cursed inwardly again, frustrated at his lack of control over his body's reactions. It was a long minute until he was sure he was collected enough to reply properly. "...I...suppose..."

Vyse furrowed his brows, confused by Ramirez's noncommittal answer. Why was he acting embarrassed? It wasn't as if the silver-haired young man was unused to speaking his mind clearly. "What do you suppose?" Vyse questioned, wanting clarification.

For a third time, the young Admiral swore mentally. /Does he want me to say it? 'I want to be your friend'? ...'Friend' means nothing to me. But still... I can't say it, even if it would allow me to get closer to him.../ He looked at Vyse steadily and said nothing.

Vyse shook his head, starting to get irritated. "Am I wasting my time?"

Ramirez looked away and said quietly, "Perhaps... I could..." He felt the dreaded heat rise again in his face.

Vyse blinked, surprised. "What?"

Again, Ramirez didn't answer, glowering at a corner and hating the blood that refused to flow out of his face.

Slowly, it dawned on Vyse: Ramirez did want to be friends with him. Why else would he be acting so embarrassed? But, he reflected, the other man was in an awkward situation. He didn't want to make Ramirez feel like his loyalties would be tested, so Vyse decided that he would refrain, for the time being, from forcing him to say anything like that.

"Hey," he said, placing a hand on the green-eyed man's shoulder. "It's okay."

Reflexively, Ramirez took a step backwards, and he immediately regretted it. In addition to needing to seem friendly to effectively carry out his plans, he did want to be touched by Vyse, though only a little... He forced himself to look at the brown-eyed rogue.

Vyse didn't seem upset; he was actually smiling at him comfortingly. "All I'll ask for right now is respect, all right?"

Ramirez's eyes widened slightly, reflecting his amazement. /So he isn't as dense as I thought.../ he mused. "...All right," he said quietly with a small nod.

Vyse's smile increased a bit; he was quite pleased that they had reached an agreement. He wondered if the normally asocial man would be inclined to open up to people a bit more now. "Are you gonna go to the party?" he asked, pursuing that line of thought.

Ramirez stared. "Party?" he repeated, as if that was the first time he'd heard of such a thing.

"Yeah," Vyse said, a bit puzzled at the other man's reaction, "we're having a party tonight. I was wondering if you were going to show up or not."

"...Social events are usually not my thing..." Ramirez said, sounding distinctly uncomfortable. He paused, and added, "....But since it's a request from you...all right."

Vyse wanted very much so to ask why that made a difference, especially since he hadn't actually made a real request—at least, not yet—but he knew when not to push his luck. Probably Ramirez was doing it as an indirect apology for his previous hostilities, Vyse reasoned; his pride and loyalty wouldn't let him say anything, so doing a small favor like that made sense.

So, instead of asking for the reason, Vyse said with a congenial smile, "Glad to hear it. It's gonna start as soon as the sun sets, all right?"

Ramirez nodded once, looking a little less distressed. Apparently he had been expecting an interrogation.

Vyse turned to leave, hesitated, then looked back at Ramirez. "There anything you want to say to me?" he inquired.

The Silvite swordsman's heartbeat quickened, but he maintained a straight face as he desperately tried to decipher Vyse's meaning. Did he want an apology? Or was he insinuating that he...knew? Or was it something completely innocent? Deciding that no matter what Vyse meant, an apology, however empty, would probably not out of line, Ramirez cautiously ventured, "...I'm sorry?"

Vyse laughed at that. "That wasn't what I was talking about, but I'm glad to hear you say that anyway."

"...What did you mean, then?"

The young rogue shrugged. "Just...anything else you had to say."

Ramirez frowned slightly. "There isn't anything I have to say in particular..."

"That's okay, too," Vyse said with a slight shrug. "Let's go, then."

"Ah—one thing," Ramirez added hastily. He averted his gaze, hating his body's reaction. This coming apology meant absolutely nothing; he was only saying it to further dupe Vyse, the overly trusting fool. There was no sincerity in it at all. But his body refused to remain calm... "...I am sorry. About...ruining your shirt, among other things."

Vyse was temporarily speechless. Recovering quickly, the young pirate replied, "It's okay. I already got over it." He was curious as to why Ramirez was suddenly apologizing at all, but decided to let it slide. Pushing open the door, he started to leave, but waited for the other man to follow. Ramirez, who had been distracted with beating his unwanted feelings into submission, noticed the action and walked quickly over to Vyse. Together, the two of them left.

As they returned to the ground level, Vyse admired again the job that Izmael had done on the island, and glancing over at his silver-haired companion, asked, "So what do you think of the base, Ramirez?"

The shorter man glanced at some of the buildings, and then replied, "It's functional."

"'Functional'?" the captain of the Delphinus repeated, trying not to laugh. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"It's a statement of fact," Ramirez replied, feeling slightly annoyed.

The young rogue had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. It was just so typical of him to say something like that.

The white-haired man noticed the movement and allowed some of his irritation to show. "What?"

The Air Pirate shook his head. "Nothing, it's nothing," he said, trying to avoid getting in a fight with him now, especially since he had actually been semi-decent of late.

Ramirez glared at Vyse for a few seconds more before glancing away, effectively letting the matter drop. There was no point in holding a grudge over something so petty.

"Vyse!" Aika greeted her friend as he and Ramirez stepped off of the stairs, running up to the two. "Guess what!"

Judging from her mischievous grin and the fact that she was hiding something behind her back, Vyse was certain she had an unpleasant surprise in store. Attempting to discreetly hide behind his companion, he asked, "What?"

Aika's grin widened and she brought out what she was hiding—a large bottle of loqua. "Polly brought 'em with her without telling us!" she cheered. "Said she was saving 'em for cooking, but figured it was better off enjoyed at the party tonight! Can you believe our luck?"

Any worries Vyse had about what she could have had vanished, and he smiled broadly. "That's great!" he said, now happy about her surprise.

Ramirez was considerably less enthusiastic. /Loqua? Moons, no... And I already told Vyse I'd go; if I change my mind now, he'll want a reason.../ he thought, managing to maintain a neutral expression. /...I'll just have to be careful to stay away from it, not drink anything.../

The brown-haired Blue Rogue turned to him then, grinning. "You much of a loqua drinker, Ramirez?" he asked.

"No," he replied quietly. /I stay away from it as much as I can, thank you.../

"Aww, you're missing out. You ever had any before?"

/Yes, and I never want to have even a sip of it ever again.../ "...Not really."

"That so? You really have missed out, then," Vyse replied, misinterpreting Ramirez's words. "You should give it a try."

The Silvite male resisted the urge to squirm. This conversation was not heading in a good direction... "I'd...rather not," he politely declined, trying not to sound too stiff.

Vyse shook his head. "You're way too uptight," he said with grin, and then redirected his attention to his childhood friend. "Aika, do we have enough food for everyone?"

Relieved that the conversation had taken its focus away from him, Ramirez took that moment as a chance to get away from Vyse. Aika and Vyse either didn't notice, didn't mind or didn't care. The snowy-haired swordsman was pragmatic enough to realize that it amounted to the same thing and was simply grateful that he could be left alone. He wandered the island, taking in the new scenery; he personally liked it better when it hadn't been molested by human construction, but there was no helping that now.

Ramirez made his way to the small pool where he and Vyse had...quickly setting that memory aside lest his face turn crimson, the Silvite swordsman focused on Fina, who was gazing at the small body of water. He knew he had yet to apologize for how he had treated her harshly when he had initially (and unwillingly) joined the group; in addition, their last conversation had ended sourly. However much he didn't want to do so, and regardless of the fact that he didn't feel sorry, Ramirez knew he had to apologize.

Approaching her, he decided to get it over with. "Fina," he said, alerting her to his presence.

She glanced at him, startled; apparently she hadn't heard him approach. She cast her eyes downward, her expression sad. "...Yes?"

He gazed over at her, his expression blank as always. "You don't look happy to see me. Why?" he asked bluntly.

"I..." Fina clenched her hands in front of her, hesitant and slightly afraid. "I...it's just that...back in Yafutoma, when we were talking...you seemed to get upset about something..."

He flicked his gaze away from her, gazing into the pool of water. "...Never mind that."

"I'm sorry..." she murmured, her eyes beginning to brim with tears.

He looked back at her, startled by her reaction. Somehow, it triggered memories of how things used to be, making him feel slightly guilty about what he was doing. But he had other, more important commitments. Such petty feelings were of no use to him. So, he bade her, "Don't cry."

"I, I'm sorry," she said again, wiping at her tears. "I just..." She sniffed. "I really wish things could be like they used to be..." She looked at him then. "I miss you, Ramirez. I miss the old you. I...I don't like this person you've become!" She blurted that last part out, and even she seemed surprised by her daring. Fina immediately looked away again. "I...I'm sorry," she whispered for the third time.

He regarded her for a long moment, pushing aside his guilt again, and then said, without emotion, "Things happened."

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it. He didn't want to get into this kind of discussion with her. There was no changing his perspective; his mind was set. He had only wanted to make a show of apologizing, and now it seemed he was caught up in a discussion in which he didn't want to take part.

Fina gazed at him again, and inevitably, she asked the question he knew she would: "What things happened?"

He shook his head. "Let's drop that subject," Ramirez said, trying to keep the terseness out of his voice. "I came here for a reason."

Her green eyes widened. "What?" she uttered.

There was no backing out of it now. Ramirez only hoped that Fina would get distracted from trying to drag his past out of him. "I want to apologize. For...several things," he stated, staring out at the empty azure heavens.

"Why?" she asked softly.

/"Why"? Isn't the act itself enough for her?/ he thought, irritated. "Because...I've been cruel to you," Ramirez lied. "I keep making you cry."

"Ramirez..." she whispered, her eyes filling with tears again. Suddenly, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly and weeping into his uniform.

Of all responses, that was the one Ramirez should have expected yet had not anticipated at all. Staring down at her, bewildered and vaguely put off, he hesitantly returned the embrace in an awkward attempt to comfort her.

After several uncomfortable moments, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. Gazing up at him shyly, Ramirez couldn't help but feel that she was waiting for him to do something, though he had no idea what. /Moons...what does she want from me?/ he grumbled without changing his mien.

"Um..." she murmured, clutching at his jacket, "Ramirez...do you..." She blushed deeply but did not look away. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

The prodigal Silvite could not bring himself to answer that question. Yes, she was a beautiful woman, much like her mother, but... He didn't like where this was going.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to answer. Fina simply shook her head and looked away with a wistful smile. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It was silly of me to ask. Please forget I said anything..."

He felt a sudden wave of relief at that. It was so much easier to not have to deal with this. The reprieve didn't last long, however, because at that moment, Ramirez noticed Aika, Vyse, and Enrique standing several feet away, watching him and Fina, each of them with amused looks on their faces.

The silver-haired Admiral growled mentally. How long had they been there? It was bad enough that she had...but with them watching, too? He felt heat rise in his face along with his antipathy.

Fina, not yet noticing her friends, took a step away, her cheeks pink and stained with tears. She was smiling faintly, though. "...Thank you for humoring me, Ramirez," she said quietly. "And...thank you for apologizing. It really means a lot to me..."

The black-clad man nodded slightly, barely managing to restrain his growing irritation at the others watching them. Did they think this was some kind of show? What was so amusing about this?

She noticed his distraction and stared at him then. "Ramirez? What's—" At that moment, she noticed Vyse and the others, and turned bright red. "...oh."

Ramirez, his vexation reaching the breaking point, glared in the direction of the Vyse and the other two. They at least had the decency to look sheepish.

"Sorry for spying, but we didn't want to ruin the moment," Vyse said with an embarrassed grin.

"You looked like you were getting along so well, after all," Enrique added, smiling.

"Yeah, almost as well as you and Moegi, huh, Enrique?" Aika teased the blond Prince, at which he blushed deeply.

Fina stared at the ground, clearly highly embarrassed. Ramirez, however, left her, and strode purposely past the trio. He didn't want to get involved with this at all, especially since they had all misunderstood completely.

"Ramirez," Vyse called after him.

The male Silvite stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" he replied without looking back at the brunet man.

"Sorry." And Ramirez could tell that, unlike his own false apologies, Vyse meant it.

He sighed slightly and continued to walk away. He needed to be alone.



In the afternoon, Vyse and the others congregated in the meeting room that Izmael had built in the side of the mountain to discuss their upcoming plans, and it was decided that they should try the Lands of Ice, where the Purple Crystal was likely to be hidden. Afterwards, when evening came, the party began, and Vyse and his main party as well as his crew mates, including the girls from Clara's ship who had joined earlier that day, were all enjoying themselves, mingling and eating and drinking. There was enthusiastic talk on what adventures they would all see next, how they would all make their respective dreams come true. Enrique was drinking lightly, wanting to stay sober in case anyone got out of hand; Fina had had half a glass and was as a result extremely giggly. Vyse was on his third drink and going strong, but he was nowhere near Aika, who was on her fifth drink and tearing up the party. Ramirez was standing in a corner, painfully aware of how much he didn't belong here, and not drinking at all. It seemed that Aika and Vyse were having a heated discussion of some sort, but Ramirez just shrugged ignored it. It didn't concern him. None of this concerned him. But then an unexpected, loud outburst from their direction suddenly caught Ramirez's attention.

"AIKA!! Shut the hell up!!" Vyse was yelling.

"Are you denying it?" she smirked, waving a half-empty glass of loqua in his face.

He blushed. "...It's none of your business!" he snapped. "How would you know what my love life is like, anyway?!"

"Vyse, I'm your best friend!" the ginger-haired rogue laughed. "I'm ALWAYS with you! And I know you've never had a girlfriend, so unless your dad got you a hooker when I wasn't paying attention, I know you've never gotten 'lucky'!"

"Aika, you suck and I hate you!" the blue-clad Blue Rogue yelled.

"Hah!" Aika snorted. "You're just jealous that I'm more popular with the boys than you are with the girls!"

"I am NOT!" Vyse denied. "And I could get any girl I wanted if I felt like it!"

"Oho?" she laughed. "And when was the last time you had a date, Vyse?"

Vyse turned bright crimson and mumbled something.

"C'mon, Vyse, louder, so everyone can hear you!"

"I've never been on a date!" he snapped.

"AND HE ADMITS IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Aika crowed. Jumping up onto the nearest table, she posed and spread her right arm out in Vyse's direction with a flourish. "Everyone, let me introduce Vyse the Unkissed Virgin!!"

Vyse groaned and buried his face in his hands as the partygoers laughed at the drunk pirate girl's antics.

Ramirez took a few steps forward; enough was enough, and everyone else seemed to be enjoying the spectacle too much to stop it. "So what?" he asked coldly, drawing the room's attention to him. "Is there something wrong with being a virgin?"

Aika considered the young Silvite male thoughtfully before grinning and shrugging. "Nope," she chirped. "I just like making fun of Vyse! 'Cause he's just so darn makefunofable!"

Ramirez raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Well, at least he'd served his purpose of turning the focus off of Vyse, who looked very much like he wanted to either disappear off the face of the planet or strangle Aika with her own hair. Aika, not noticing or unconcerned with Vyse's anger, hopped down from the table and sauntered over to Fina, who could not stop giggling, and Enrique, who was having a difficult time staying composed. The conversation of the other crew members returned to normal, as they busied themselves with their own private matters instead of the topic of Vyse's virginity.

Ramirez regarded said seething Blue Rogue with a sort of approval. For some reason, Arcadians had the strange idea that men weren't "real" men until they'd slept with a woman, but Ramirez thought it was much better to remain chaste. Also, it pained him to admit, even if it was only to himself, knowing that Vyse had yet to be physically claimed appealed to him.

He was a little surprised when Vyse looked his way and gave him a smile. The young captain grabbed a couple of drinks off of a nearby table and headed towards him. Ramirez backed up against the wall out of reaction, but otherwise didn't retreat as Vyse joined him.

"Hey," the brown-eyed young man greeted him.

Ramirez nodded in reply.

Vyse grinned a little at him. "Thanks."

That puzzled Ramirez slightly. "For what?"

"For helping me out back there. I thought I was going to die of embarrassment." Vyse shrugged helplessly. "Aika's terrible when she gets sloshed."

The male Silvite shrugged slightly. "It was nothing."

"Maybe it was nothing to you, but it meant a lot to me," Vyse said warmly. "Thanks a lot."

Ramirez felt his heart pound in his chest and suddenly he found he couldn't seem to reply to that.

"Here." Vyse offered him a glass of an amber liquid.

Ramirez gave him a quizzical look, hesitating to accept the proffered glass.

Vyse smiled at him. "It's just loqua," he explained, still offering the glass. "It'll help you relax."

Finding his voice again, Ramirez shook his head. "I'd...rather not."

"Oh, come on. Why not?"

"I'm really not interested..."

Vyse laughed. "It's just loqua, Ramirez. One drink won't hurt you."

He remembered all too well what had happened the last time... But, at the same time, he didn't want to have to explain that fact to Vyse. Refusing would certainly lead down a path of interrogation he didn't want to travel. He stalled, then accepted the glass. "If...you say so," he said as he took it.

The brown-eyed Blue Rogue grinned. "That's the way!" he said cheerfully, taking a sip of his own drink. "Nice to see you loosening up for once, Rami!"

Ramirez stared into his drink. He had a sudden and very distinct sense of foreboding.

"So, Rami, later on, do you wanna go stargazing? It's really clear around here, and we could get a good view if we go to the balcony outside the meeting room," Vyse said, trying to start a conversation.

Ramirez nodded, his tenseness causing him to miss the use of the disliked nickname. Anything. Anything as long as he could lose the accursed drink.

"Really?" the young pirate asked, honestly pleased. "I was half-expecting you to refuse. You surprise me sometimes, Ramirez."

The white-haired Silvite shrugged again.

Vyse suddenly felt very awkward. Ramirez sure knew how to kill a conversation before it even got started... "Hey, you haven't touched your drink yet," he noted.

Ramirez's pulse began to race again, and this time for a very different reason. But there was no putting it off anymore. He raised the glass to his lips and took a drink.

"How's it taste?" Vyse asked with a grin, not realizing Ramirez's aversion to the alcoholic beverage, before taking a swallow of his own drink.

The green-eyed man's reply was succinct: "...Bitter."

Vyse waved it off. "You get used to the bitterness after a while," he said. "It's an acquired taste, really. Maybe you need something fruitier?"

He did not reply to that, and took another drink, despite the fact that every rational nerve in his body screamed at him to stop while he was ahead.

"So what made you decide to agree to be nicer?" Vyse tried to start up a new conversation. "If you don't mind my asking, that is."

"...You impressed me. With Bluheim." While that was certainly not the whole truth, it was the most he felt he could admit. The other two major reasons were either too important or too sensitive to reveal.

"Heh, so you're finally admitting I'm not as incompetent as you thought I was?" the brown-eyed rogue grinned.

Ramirez shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Just 'perhaps'? Should I be insulted?" Vyse asked with mock hurt.

"Whatever way you want to take it," the male Silvite said plainly.

"You're no fun," Vyse complained, taking a drink. He was silent for a moment, then grew suddenly and unexpectedly serious when he continued, "Ramirez. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Do you hate me?"

Ramirez stared at him, surprised at the sudden question. "Why?"

He smiled a bit, hopelessly. "Well, it'd make a lot of sense, wouldn't it?" Vyse sighed and stared at the remaining contents of his glass, which he swirled languidly. "I dunno, it's just it's really hard to try to communicate with you. Either you're trying to pick a fight or you're just shutting me out completely. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I've had too much to drink."

Ramirez shook his head slightly, almost, and took yet another drink.

"So do you?"

"No." That much, at least, was the truth.

Vyse glanced over at him, a smile playing at his lips. "Really?"

The male Silvite merely nodded. He noticed that, oddly enough, his face felt warm, but he didn't think that he was that embarrassed.

"Heh..." Vyse laughed a little. "I'm pretty happy to hear that." He took another drink. "I don't know, maybe you think I'm stupid, and maybe I am stupid, but even if you hated me...I think I'd still like you." Vyse drained his glass and sighed, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Whew...I think that's it for me tonight."

Ramirez felt his face grow warmer and knew for sure why this time. Quickly, he took another drink to try and hide it before Vyse noticed.

The captain of the Delphinus stretched, then walked over to the nearest table and set down his empty glass. He glanced back at Ramirez and smiled, then nodded his head toward the door before heading in that direction.

Ramirez took the hint. Finishing his glass, he did likewise, joining Vyse outside. The night air was cool, and the young Admiral was certain that his own thinking became a little less hazy after stepping out. That in itself was troubling, but he didn't have the time to consider why right then.

"Nice out, isn't it?" Vyse commented, gazing up at the black sky. "The Red Moon's just past the new phase, so it won't bother us so much, and there aren't a lot of clouds out, either. C'mon, let's get up to the balcony."

Ramirez nodded and followed the young rogue across the island onto the platform that carried them both up the mountainside to the balcony outside the meeting room. He didn't even notice that he was beginning to stumble, or that thinking had become harder; following Vyse didn't require thought.

When they had reached the top, Vyse meandered closer to the door of the meeting room and leaned against the rocky mountainside, admiring the sea of stars. "Your favorite constellation's Wilwarin, right?" he queried, scanning the heavens.

"...Yes." The fuzziness that the cool air had cleared was beginning to return. Along with it came a distinct sense of nameless dread.

"I can see it right over there," Vyse said, pointing to a patch of the sky. Ramirez tried to focus on that area and failed. "Hey, just curious. What sort of constellation legends did you have back in your hometown? I'm just wondering if they're any different from the stories I grew up with."

"Um..." the male Silvite began, trying to think of a good one. Try as he might, it seemed as if the parts of his mind that remembered those stories were closed off to him. "I...."

Vyse regarded him curiously. "What's wrong?"

Ramirez took a very unsteady step forward, his left hand resting on the railing. "I..." he began. It was too hard to concentrate now, and he felt as his insides were turning upside down... "...I don't feel so good..."

And then he collapsed.

Vyse blinked and stared at Ramirez's fallen form. "Hey..." He kneeled down next to the silver-haired young man and shook his shoulder. "Hey, Ramirez."

It was another moment or so until Vyse realized that his companion had passed out.

He stared in disbelief. "But..." he sputtered, "but you only had one drink!"

Ramirez continued to lie there.

"Hell...I've gotta get you to your room..." Vyse muttered, as if the Silvite swordsman could hear, much less answer. Hesitating for a few seconds, the young rogue tried to pick up Ramirez, and found that he was surprisingly light. Vyse wrapped an arm around Ramirez and began to carry him onto the platform. Vyse was grateful that all he had to do was push a button and they were on the way to the bottom; he didn't know if he could descend a ladder if he had to lug down Ramirez's dead weight, too.

He carried Ramirez to the small room that had been designated for the young Admiral. Light, yeah, he was light, but he was rather awkward to carry for various reasons. So it was not without some relief that he deposited him on the bed.

Ramirez had neither moved a muscle nor made a sound during the entire endeavor. The young captain stared down at him, then sighed, drew up a chair and sat down.

/It was only one drink,/ Vyse puzzled. /Why did he pass out like that so soon? Even if it was his first time, it shouldn't have affected him that badly.../

With a sigh, he got up, drew back the sheets from under Ramirez, then pulled them over his body, not bothering to undress him or even remove his boots first, and tucked him in. Too bad there weren't any blankets... He'd have to go get some, he mused. And a glass of water. Vyse supposed he owed it to Ramirez to stay and watch over him, since he'd been the one to talk him into drinking...

Suddenly the full weight of what he'd done slammed into him. He'd pressured Ramirez into drinking when he didn't want to, and now he'd passed out and would likely have an extremely painful hangover in the morning! Guilt began to gnaw at him like starved rats at a piece of bread.

"Oh, Moons..." Vyse moaned softly. "Moons, Ramirez, I'm sorry..." He shook his head, turned and exited the room. He headed back into the crew's area below, to quickly tell his friends what had happened.

Of the three, Enrique was the only one sober enough to listen to what he had to say. The blue-eyed Prince was also perplexed as to why Ramirez had passed out so soon after so little.

"Maybe his body has a low tolerance for loqua?" Enrique suggested.

Vyse shrugged. "Well, whatever the reason, I owe it to him to make him feel more comfortable," he said, unable to shake the guilt he felt. "I'll see you later, okay, Enrique?"

After a nod of understanding from the blond Prince, Vyse left the room once more. After that, he returned to the Delphinus to retrieve a warm blanket and a glass of water, and careful not to spill anything, Vyse took them back to Ramirez's room, where the Silvite Admiral still slept. Vyse set the glass of water on a small table near the head of the bed and draped the blanket over Ramirez's prone body. He sighed as he surveyed the room one more time; then he left. There wasn't anything else he could do until morning came around. Hoping Ramirez wouldn't hate him by the time he woke up, Vyse retreated to his own room and plopped onto his own bed, for which he'd already retrieved blankets earlier. Vyse wasn't in the mood much for partying anymore...and tomorrow was going to be a big day anyway. With a yawn, Vyse kicked off his boots, also not in the mood to change out of his normal clothes, and settled into his bed, promptly falling asleep.



When Vyse awoke, stretching and feeling refreshed, he glanced out the window and was surprised to see that hints of dawn still lingered in the sky. It was unusual for him to get up that early; he figured it was because he'd gone to bed early as well. The blue-clad rogue stood and pulled on his boots, then left his room. He was startled to see Aika and Enrique waiting for him outside.

The blue-eyed Prince smiled upon seeing him. "Good morning, Vyse," he greeted him.

"What are you two doing up?" Vyse questioned, too surprised to be polite.

Aika smiled a bit. "You know me. I've done worse than this before. Besides, I wanted to get a head start, though with one unconscious person and another sleeping like the dead, it's probably not going to happen, huh?"

"Fina's still asleep?" Vyse queried.

Enrique nodded. "Very soundly. I monitored her drinking, and I'm sure she didn't get more than half a glass, but I suppose her body isn't suited for loqua-drinking. That may be Ramirez's problem as well."

Aika sniggered. "It's a Silvite thing, maybe?"

Vyse shrugged. "That may be it. In any case, we can't go anywhere until they wake up."

She continued to snicker. "Man, I'm never letting those two forget about this. Hey, Enrique, did you know Fina gave Cupil some loqua when you weren't looking?"

Enrique looked at the red-headed pirate in surprise. "No, I didn't. Is he okay?"

"He put on a heck of a show, but other than that, he doesn't seem any worse for the wear. He's currently a puddle at the foot of Fina's bed," she informed him, smirking. "Say, Vyse, you were with Ramirez; how much did he have?"

"One glass, and Aika, I don't want you to bother him," the captain of the Delphinus warned his childhood friend.

The orange-haired rogue pouted playfully. "Why shouldn't I?"

"You know he doesn't like it," Vyse replied. "He's not the type to enjoy jokes."

"He needs to lighten up," Aika laughed. "C'mon, a little teasing won't hurt him!"

Vyse shook his head. "I really don't think it's a good idea. All the times I've made some sort of a joke, he only got angry."

"Ramirez is a very serious person, Aika," the young Prince added. "My guess is that he will not want this incident to be mentioned. You don't want to make an enemy out of him, do you?"

"Hmm..." The spunky pirate girl considered that. "I guess you've got a point." She grinned. "It's still pretty funny, though."

Vyse rolled his eyes. "Not everyone can pack it away like you do, Aika," he commented dryly.

"It's a talent," she smiled.

Vyse rolled his eyes again but grinned, too, in spite of himself. "You maniac. Anyway," and he started towards Ramirez's room, "I'm going to check up on Ramirez, keep an eye on him. I'm the one who talked him into drinking, after all, so I sort of feel responsible for what happened."

The pigtailed girl shrugged. "Whatever you want to do."

Vyse sweatdropped. "Thanks for your support, Aika..."

Enrique laughed, shaking his head. "We'll be waiting for you downstairs, Vyse," he said with a smile as he turned to leave.

"Yeah, see you two later," Vyse replied with a wave, the three of them parting ways.



When Ramirez awoke, he felt disoriented, pained, and slightly nauseous. Unable to suppress a whimper, he thought unwillingly of the last time this had happened to him...

"You awake, Rami?" Vyse's voice sounded then, and it tore through Ramirez's brain like an especially jagged piece of shrapnel. The Silvite Admiral moaned in reply. The cry of pain had confirmed Vyse's fears, and consequently made him feel even guiltier than he had previously. "I'm sorry..." he said softly, though he knew the change in volume wouldn't help. "Do you want something to drink?"

Ramirez's head pounded—no, throbbed, like his heart would if he could feel it anymore. His mouth was amazingly dry. Water sounded like a good idea. He nodded once and stopped; the action made his body hurt.

Vyse quietly handed him a glass, deciding that he should try to refrain from unnecessary talking. Ramirez took it and brought it to his lips, drinking thirstily; his throat felt like dust, and the water, though lukewarm, tasted so good...

When he had drained the glass, he handed it back to Vyse and turned over. At least it was nice and dark and quiet...it made the pulse of his brain not quite as painful as it had been last time.

Last time... That definitely made his head feel worse. Ramirez whimpered a little more and stopped; even that aggrieved him.

Vyse looked the Silvite over and sighed internally. He decided he should just let him be for now. Muttering another silent apology, he stood, walked to the door and left, closing it quietly behind him.



"Good morning, Vyse!" Fina said cheerfully to her brown-haired friend when he entered the lounge below the main crew's rooms as she helped Aika and Enrique clean up the remains of last night's party.

"Hey, you're up already, Fina?" Vyse said, smiling as he joined the three. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" the female Silvite queried.

He shrugged a bit. "I was just wondering," he replied. "Since Ramirez isn't doing so hot, I was kinda worried that you might be hung over, too."

"Ramirez is hung over?" Aika crowed, laughing. "Are you serious, Vyse?!"

"...Yeah," Vyse said, scratching the back of his head. "Don't tell me you're going to lord this over him..."

"Me? Lord something petty like this over him? I wouldn't dream of it," Aika replied, looking as if her birthday had come early.

Vyse sighed. This would be one of those things he would have to deal with later.

"...Aika, please don't tease Ramirez..." Fina begged her friend quietly. "I'm sure he won't like it..."

"All right, I won't," she conceded. "Besides," she added with a grin in her childhood friend's direction, "it's not like Vyse did any better the first time he drank."

"Let's not talk about that," Vyse said hastily as Fina hid a smile behind her hand and Enrique stifled a chuckle.



After disturbed slumber, Ramirez woke for the second time around noon, still feeling awful, but significantly less so than before. He sat up in bed, throwing back his covers, and noted that he was still fully dressed. With an internal sigh, the young Admiral slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, grateful for the cool breeze that swept over his sweaty face. He shouldn't have had that drink. But still, this outcome was arguably better than having to explain to Vyse why he didn't like alcohol. He wanted to forget that part of his past. Besides, it wasn't as bad this time. At least it had been quiet...

Ramirez suppressed a shudder and wiped the sweat from his face, turning to the door. Even comparing the events brought back too many odious memories. Clenching his teeth, he ignored the lingering remains of his headache and left his room. Glancing around cautiously and seeing no one around, he made his way downstairs and into the lounge, where the others were chatting casually.

"Hey, Ramirez!" Vyse called, noticing the white-haired man almost immediately when he entered. "How are you feeling?"

The Admiral winced both at the volume and the instant attention. Knowing that ignoring Vyse would do no good, he said in an emotionless voice, "Well enough."

"We were just waiting for you to wake up," Vyse explained, "so if you're feeling better, we can set off."

"I'll be fine after I get something to drink and eat," the male Silvite replied quietly. "Water and whatever was left over from last night is fine."

Vyse nodded, then stood and walked off to procure the requested items. Ramirez claimed the young rogue's seat, feeling mildly annoyed due to Aika, Fina and Enrique all watching him.

Fina, looking over at her old friend shyly, quietly said, "...I'm sorry about what happened..."

"Why are you sorry?" Ramirez inquired, glancing at her. "You had nothing to do with it."

"...I'm just..." she trailed off, not finishing the sentence. "...Never mind...."

Ramirez regarded Fina curiously, confused. He normally would have written it off with a shrug, but with Aika and Enrique now pretending not to watch, and with Vyse probably listening in, it was probably best to feign concern. "What's the matter?"

"...I... I...worry about you, so..." She was staring at her lap now, obviously embarrassed.

Ramirez was then surprised as well as confused. Worry about him? Why in the world would she feel the need to worry about him? Now interested in learning the reason, he stated, "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Fortunately for Fina, Vyse chose that moment to return with food and drink, and sat down in an unoccupied seat. "Here." He handed a plate of Polly's cooking and a glass of ice water to Ramirez.

"Thank you," the Silvite youth murmured, reaching for them.

Vyse blinked at the sudden politeness from the normally antagonistic man, but decided not to bring it up. Instead, he simply replied, "You're welcome."



As they were boarding the Delphinus again, Vyse glanced over at his silver-haired companion. Ramirez was still somewhat pale, but that was normal for him, and it seemed his hangover had passed. Still, Vyse felt responsible about the entire ordeal. Approaching Ramirez and placing a hand on one of his shoulders, he voiced his guilt.

"Hey," he began, "I'm sorry. About the whole thing, I mean."

Ramirez stared at Vyse's hand for a second, then looked away, red creeping into his cheeks. "Forget about it," he muttered. "I shouldn't have let you talk me into it."

Vyse sighed. "Yeah, I know... Like I said, I'm really sorry about it."

The jade-eyed swordsman shook his head. "If I accept your apology, will you stop being so repentant?"

Vyse blinked. It was a strange thing to hear from him, of all people. "Ah...sure," he said.

"You're forgiven, then," Ramirez declared curtly. "Just stop apologizing."

Vyse sweated at this and removed his hand from Ramirez's shoulder. "Thanks," he smiled at the shorter man before continuing on towards the control room.

The jade-eyed man gazed after the handsome pirate, his heart thumping, and sighed internally. Receiving apologies made him uncomfortable under normal circumstances, and when it was Vyse doing it... That just made it that much more awkward. Hating and being hated made things much more clear-cut; the kindness surrounding him now distorted his perception of the world at a time when he could not afford to be swayed. Lord Galcian was beginning to set into motion his plans for world domination, and Ramirez was supposed to be by his side—yet now his own feelings had betrayed him...

Ramirez hoped dearly it was not a prophecy of the future.



NOTES:
We own nothing except our ideas. Don't take our ideas. All properties of Skies of Arcadia/Eternal Arcadia [Legends] belong to everyone it is to whom they belong.

Ayu: There is a reason for Ramirez's aversion to loqua, which ties in with the extended past that I-chan and I cooked up especially for him, which in turn ties in with the information about his past that we're given in Legends. You as the readers will not find out that reason for a long time, though. SUFFER.

"The male Silvite merely nodded. He noticed that, oddly enough, his face felt warm, but he didn't think that he was that embarrassed."
Ianthe: No, Rami. You're starting to get drunk.

Ianthe: Yes, you can conceivably get drunk after one drink. Happened to me with even less than that.
Ayu: Which is why I do not drink, period.
Ianthe: Unless my family slips me one in my drink, I probably won't again. ^^;;

Ianthe: If you can detect upcoming plot complications, you win....absolutely nothing.

Ayu: The title of this chapter is a line from Akihabara Dennou Gumi's ending theme, Taiyou no Hana (Sunflower), by Okui Msasami. Full lyrics can be found at my lyrics site, Campus Lyrics!, the link to which you can find below.

Contact deep.Indigo: deep.Indigo@negativenergy.zzn.com
Contact Ianthe of d.I: ianthefira@rangersgrove.zzn.com (URL: Ranger's Grove (rangersgrove.tripod.com))
Contact Ayu of d.I: ensoph@goddess.zzn.com (URL: ~ T H E : E T E R N A L : M I N D ~ (theeternalmind.sterlingsylver.net))