Disclaimer- Guilty Gear doesn't belong to me, but if it did, I'd be a really rich girl! XD
Welcome Aboard
Chapter: 4
Preparations
Back at the bathing facilities on the ship, Novel was running the bath water and Octy gathered all the soaps and shampoos. Meanwhile April was preparing May for the bath.
"Ok, Hun, we gotta get you out of those yucky clothes" April said as she smiled at poor little May. May just looked down at herself, her clothes did seem a little disheveled, and damp from the rain.
"Right now?" May blushed and looked at the three girls in the room.
"Well, you can't take a bath with your clothes on!" April giggled. May continued to feel a little uncomfortable.
"B-but…" May started to stumble over her words.
April continued to giggle at the bashful May. "heh, here…" April held out a blue towel to May. "We'll all turn around." April said as she nodded to they other two girls.
"O-ok then" May said as she waited until the other girls turned around. They eventually did turn around and May changed out of her old moist clothes, and wrapped the towel around herself.
"You done yet?" April said, with her back still to May.
"y-yeah…" May stood there nervous, in her little blue towel. April turned back around and grabed May's wrist. Novel had just turned off the water as Octy poured in some bubbles for the bath.
"Alright! In the water with you!" April said with a cheery tone. May was still very hesitant and let herself be dragged over to the bath. Novel went to find more poof-poofs to scrub May with and Octy observed the different bottles, she eventually took one of her hands and lifted her green bangs just enough to be able to read the shampoo label.
"I've got the Shampoo April!" Octy shouted.
"Great! Bring it over here!" she shouted back to Octy. "And you, little lady, go ahead and get in… if you're that bashful take the towel in too!" May just blushed and stepped into the water, towel and all. "Ok, now sit" April chuckled some as she gave May really basic orders. May finally sat down in the water as the three strange pirate girlsapproached her. May started to shake some as Octy pored shampoo into her hands and Novel sorted though the bottles to find the body wash.
April put her hand on May's head "Ok, now we need your hair wet! Dunk!" April said as she pushed May's head under the water. May came back up coughing. The three girls just laughed.
"Look at this hair!" April said still smiling.
May, trying to wipe the water from her eyes, "What about it?"
"It's a mess! That's what!" Novel chirped. May just had a helpless look on her face as Octy started to rub Mays head with her shampoo covered hands. April stood there supervising until Octy's hands got tangled up in May's hair. Octy tried to pull her hands free, but May just cringed with every tug.
"Um.. April…" Octy said as her hands were trapped by May's long, yet tangled brown locks. May just had a look of discomfort on her face as Octy continued to try and pull her hands free.
"Aww, heh, poor girl." April said to May. "Let me in there" April directed to Octy. April and Novel both tried to untangle Octy's hands from May's hair. After about fifteen minutes of tugging and pulling, Octys hands were finally free and April decided to take over.
"Alright, I think that's enough with the shampoo, go ahead and rinse it out." April assured May, who seemed to still be discomforted from all the tugging. "And now for conditioner!" April sang out waiting for Octy to get it.
"Conditioner? What's that?" May hesitantly asked.
"It's more hair products, it'll make your hair nice and shiny and smooth." April replied.
Tears started to form in Mays eyes as she put both of her hands on her head. "No more, please!"
"Aww, don't worry, this is to get all the tangles out! It'll be fine." April tried to comfort the sniffling May. Octy brought the bottle of conditioner over to April. April took it with a smile and decided it'd be best to just pour the product directly on Mays head.
"Comb please." April said holding out her hand, Novel ran over to grab a comb out of one of the bathroom drawers. Novel ran back and slipped it into Aprils hand. "Ok, this might hurt a little…" April started to comb at the tangled mess that was May's hair. May continued to sniffle as April yanked the comb through her hair.
Octy, the only one of the three pirate girls with fairly long hair stopped April. "No, no, you have to start from the bottom, and work your way up! It'll hurt less that way…"
"Do you want to do it?" April asked Octy.
"Heck no! I don't want to touch her hair again… I think I've done enough damage… heh" Octy replied with a grin. May continued to sniffle as the conditioner started to run down her face.
"Alright, let's try this again…" April started from the tips of Mays hair and worked her way up. The conditioner really helped to get some of the tangles out, and let the comb go through May's hair with a little more ease. The combing was now a little more bearable for May, but it was obvious that it was going to be a long process.
"So, what do you think of Johnny?" April decided to start conversation to attempt to learn more about the new stranger.
"Johnny? That's the man in the back coat, right?" May was never actually told what Johnny's name was, but heard the girls refer to him as that a few times..
"Sure is!" Novel spoke up. Novel was now sitting off to the side, along with Octy as April concentrated on May's hair.
"Isn't he wonderful?" Octy replied. April smiled and nodded.
"So, what do you think?" April asked May again.
"He seems like a really nice man." May smiled for the first time since she got into the bathtub.
"So, you were orphaned too then?" April proceeded to interrogate.
"Orphaned? …I don't know what you mean…" May looked confused.
"Yeah, you know… no parents… Left all alone?" April tried to describe it in a way May would understand.
"Oh… I don't know…" May just looked down at the bubbly water she was sitting in.
"It's alright" April smiled, "We're almost all orphans here! You'll fit in perfectly!"
"So you all live together here?" May asked inquisitively.
"Sure do" April replied.
"Ever since the day Johnny picked each of us up" Novel smiled, adjusting the goggles on her head.
"You'll like it here, I'm sure it'll be a million times better then the place Johnny picked you up from… it was for me." April assured May, as she continued to run the comb through her tangled mane.
"Yeah, same here." Octy replied. Novel just nodded in agreement. By this time, April was a little more then half done with May's hair. The talking helped some of the time pass. The girls continued to talk about simple things when the bathroom door suddenly swung up. Mays eyes went wide and she ducked down so all you could see were her eyes peeking above the edge of the tub.
"Here ya go, We've got some clothes for the new squirt." Febe just walked right in without knocking or anything. June was close behind her caring a little pile of folded clothes. "They should fit."
June walked over to the counter with the pile of clothes. "We thought that we should put her in a dress for her birthday celebration!" June smiled as she laid out the outfit that her and Febe picked out.
Febe decided to take a seat on the edge of the tub. "So, tadpole, it's your birthday, huh? How old are you then?"
May just looked up at her, still hunched down and clinging to the edge of the tub.
"Hello… I just asked you a question…" Febe continued in an irritated tone.
May didn't move at all but managed to squeak under her breath "I don't know…"
Febe stood up and started to walk towards the door. "Sure… little brat, it's probably not even your birthday anyways." Febe motioned for June to follow her and the two teft.
April just glared at the door after the girls left. May had a look of distress on her face as she still cowered against the edge of the tub. "Don't listen to them… Febe always get all defensive when a new girl's brought aboard." May didn't respond and April went back to combing out her hair.
Back on the deck, July was slicing streamers with her sword as Augus ran back and forth bringing stuff to the deck such as a radio, paper lanterns and other party necessities. Johnny had decided to walk around and find out how the preparations were coming along. He was amused at Julys unique way of cutting streamers to decorate with. Those two seemed to have things under control, so Johnny moved on to check on the next group.
Oh his way to the kitchen he saw Febe and June leaning on one of the rails of the ship.
"Ready for tonight?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah… the brat'sgot clothes…" Febe retorted with a bit of an attitude. Johnny just raised an eyebrow at Febe's obvious apathy.
June then chimed in, "I'm sure you'll be happy with the outfit we picked out, Johnny!" she said with a smile.
Johnny then looked to June with a smile, "Very good, I'll be looking forward to seeing your selection."
"Yeah.." Febe said as she looked off the edge of the ship. Johnny decided to not even respond to her and continued walking.
He eventually came to the kitchen a peeked his head in. "Hello?"
"Oh, come on in Johnny my dear!" Ms. Leap said with a wave of her hand. Johnny walked in as Ms. Leap was putting frosting on a cake. Sephy was also in the kitchen, but she didn't appear to be of much help. All she was doing was licking the spoon left over from the cake batter.
"How are things coming along, ladies?" Johnny asked with smile.
"Very good Johnny!" Sephy looked up at him with a big smile and some chocolate smeared on her nose.
Johnny chuckled some "So you're almost ready then?"
"Almost!" Ms. Leap replied, "And how's the new little darling? Is she ready yet?"
"Not sure, I'm off to check on them next." Johnny gave a brief wave before he walked off to check the last few of his girls.
Back in the bathing facilities April was now able to run a thin-tooth comb through May's hair. Poor May was a little pruned up from sitting in the bath so long, but at least her hair was nice.
"Wow, that took forever, but it was worth it!" April ran her fingers through May's hair that she had been working on for at least a half-hour. The other two girls watched in amazement. "Now to rinse your hair!"
"I can do it!" May quickly said before April could dunk her under the water again. April smiled and nodded as May took the liberty to rinse out her own hair. She re-emerged from the water as it trickled off her long, smooth locks. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and May quickly hunched down, only peeking above the edge of the tub again.
"Who is it?" April yelled.
"It's just me" Johnny's muffled voice was heard through the wooden door. "How are things coming along?"
"We're doing good Johnny" April replied behind the closed door as May continued to duck behind the edge of the tub.
"Sounds good, We're all ready when you are, meet us on the deck when you're done!" Johnny replied.
"Aye Johnny! See you soon!" April sang in response. The girls remained quiet as they listened to his foot steps walk away and May sat up normal again.
Novel laughed a bit, "You're so paranoid, May"
"Octy smiled, "It's cute though"
April giggled some as well, "Alright kid, you're done! Go ahead and get out!" May stood up with the soaked towel still around her while Octy and Novel smothered her with dry towels. April also approached her with a towel, but that one was to wrap Mays hair in.
"You're still bashful, huh?" April asked with a smile. May blushed some and nodded. "Alright, girls, give her the towels" April directed Octy and Novel. They both gave May their towels and the three pirate girls turned their backs so May could finish drying off and get dressed up. May had slipped into the little light blue dress that June and Febe had brought for her, yet it seemed to take her a while to figure out the dress.
"Having troubles?" April asked as she heard May thrashing about attempting to get the dressed on properly.
"Maybe a little…" May said, a little embarrassed.
April giggled "Let me help you!" she was already turning around in mid-sentence. The first thing she saw was May with one hand behind her back, and the other over her shoulder. April just laughed and approached the confused little girl. "It's simple…" April said to May as she walked behind her and zipped up the back of the dress. She then reached around May's waist to grab the ties to tie a little bow in the back of the dress. "See, that's not so hard!"
May stood there with the towel still wrapped around her hair. "So, are we done then?"
Octy and Novel turned around now too and both started to giggle.
May blinked a few times as April pulled the towel off. "Almost!" April grabbed a hairbrush, Octy went for the hair dryer, and Novel shifted through the bathroom drawers looking for a ribbon to put in May's hair. April started to brush as Octy dried, trying to stay in the same spot as to not tangle up Mays hair again.
"I've got one!" Novel squeaked as she held up a blue ribbon to tie into May's hair.
"Perfect!" April exclaimed as she finished brushing out Mays fairly dry hair.
"So, nowwe're done then?" May said hopeful.
"One last thing!" April responded as she grabbed the ribbon from Novel. May stood still as April tied a little bow into Mays hair.
"Wow" the three girls said in unison as they looked upon the newly transformed May.
"I can't wait for Johnny to see you!" April said with glee.
"Look at that hair!" Octy walked over to May and started running her fingers through May's hair.
"That's amazing!" Novel also walked over and was running her fingers in May's hair.
"Well girls," April spoke up. "It looks like we're set, lets get up to the deck, after all, Johnny's waiting!"
Wow, that was a lot more then I anticipated on writing, hehe, I'm sorry… I hope you still find my story interesting… If I bother updating, maybe It'll be on my birthday, hehe, yay for springtime birthdays:)
