A/N: Hi everyone. Sorry for the long, terrible wait. Thanks to everyone who read the last, poorly-edited chapter and for being patient. You are all beautiful and perfect, so don't ever change your ways, voodoo.
Also, if you haven't read Taken by my wifey killercereal it's probably something you should do, because she's awesome and how can you not like Taken!Brittana? Sheer genius, tbh.
AND ALSO IF YOU MISSED IT FUCKING NEVER TOUCH THE GROUND UPDATED SO WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING READING THIS GO READ THAT AND REPORT BACK.
Actually, read this first, because after you read that, you will be dead. (I'm posting this from the grave.)
Lastly, BRITTANA FOREVER and Keep Hope Alive! :D
Santana leans against the rail of the deck, staring out over the waves, mentally preparing herself to keep a cool head during the impending exchange. The smell of salt and early morning whips across her face with the wind, and the sight of the sun rising in the distance, its warmth and rays spreading across the water, soothes her stormy thoughts.
Today they will return Brittany and her companion. Today they will receive a small fortune for practically no loss. Today she will be free of the infuriating blonde, her universe eyes, and the almost overwhelming hunger for her in ways she is unaccustomed. She has to admit, she's proud of herself for not caving in to her desires, but at the same time, she regrets not caving in to her desires. She will probably- no, definitely- never see Brittany again, and that relieves her. She's never been so paralyzed looking into someone's eyes before, never felt her nerves so on edge from another's proximity, and it scares her that a complete stranger- a beautiful complete stranger- could hold so much power over her.
Honestly, good riddance.
"This's it," Puck says, coming to stand beside her. "After this, we're on our way."
"So you say," Santana grumbles, feeling slightly annoyed at the entire idea of their next long voyage. "But to where?"
"The Kingdom of Lao," Puck answers easily. "According to my very reliable source, that's where the map is-"
"And how do we get it?" she hisses, turning to him, her eyes burning. "You never think these things through, Noah! The Kingdom of Lao is a fucking fortress. If we go blundering in there, we will all die-"
"I know that," Puck sulks.
Santana glares. "Do you? Then what's your plan?"
"I don't know yet," he mumbles, kicking his boot against the deck.
Santana sighs deeply, her expression softening. As frustrated as she is with him, it's only because she does care for him. She doesn't want to see him disappointed if the whole thing turns out to be a hoax, but more, she doesn't want to lose anyone along the way. "Look," she starts, and he lifts his gaze, "I know you're excited about this score. I just don't want it to cost more than we're willing to pay to get it."
"I know," Puck admits. "But we're cunning. We're skilled. We will figure something out- we always do."
"SHIP, HO!"
"In the meantime, let's focus on getting through this exchange." He nods towards the speck in the distance- the approaching ship. Both of them wait for the call from high on the mast, watching the ship grow bigger as it approaches.
"LYCAN FLEET!"
"That'll be our ship," Puck says with a boyish grin. "You ready, Dia?"
"Don't call me that," Santana sighs, letting her hand drift to the hilt of her sword as David moves to stand on her other side.
"I'll cut 'em open if they so much as look at you wrong," he growls, crossing his arms.
"We don't want a fight," she reminds him with an amused smirk. She's grateful David is so protective of her, though. After Puck, he is her closest friend.
"Dunno why," David complains. "If ya ask me, we should cut 'em down, take their money, and then ransom the girl directly."
"Yeah, well, no one asked you, idiot," Mike teases, taking his place on David's other side and completing their greeting party.
Santana laughs. "I like the way you think- but you know we are far more honorable than that. We will dicker with them- until they fuck up."
"Well, they sure look as if they want a fight," Mike comments, gesturing to the Lycan ship, which is approaching them quickly and aggressively.
David chuckles. "Then I guess we'll give 'em what they want."
"No," Puck growls. "We need this money. We'll trade with them."
"Until they fuck up," Santana repeats with a smirk.
They watch, tensely, as the ship comes close enough for them to read the name- Journey- and wait as it slows beside them. Heavy mooring lines get tossed aboard, and Santana takes a deep, calming breath. She doesn't like allowing others to board their ship- it feels too invasive, too much like giving up control. But a quick glance at Puck beside her reveals that he's got a smug look on his face, so she follows his lead of confidence as planks drop into place to form a bridge between the two ships.
A tall man swaggers aboard; the name embroidered on his jacket (a completely different style from Brittany's, Santana notes, confirming that the blonde does not originate from sea) reads Hudson and Santana looks appropriately unimpressed. Two men flank him, both sailors looking confident and powerful, but Santana does not bother to regard them with anything other than irrelevance. She watches Hudson- if anything is to start, it will come by his word.
The oafish man looks around, taking in each of the pirates before him, before he eyes Puck. "I am Captain Finnial Hudson, of the Lycan Fleet ship, Journey. I'm here to meet the demands of your exchange. Hand over the girl, and we will all leave here alive and unharmed."
Puck grins. "I am Captain TigerShark, of The Tide Ripper- Bane of Man, Teeth of the Sea, Destroyer of Worlds and Ladies' Hearts." Santana barely withholds her eyeroll at the pissing contest happening before her very eyes as Puck continues, "I will gladly return my prisoners to you- if you have indeed met our demands."
Captain Hudson's expression hardens. "First show to me that the girl remains alive and uninjured."
Puck's grin widens. "Very well."
Santana nudges David. "Get the prisoners," she mutters, and he nods and slips away. She watches as Captain Hudson and Puck continue to size each other up, waiting for any sign that the Lycan officer is going to attack. But despite the heavy tension in the air, both sides remain where they stand, as if rooted by some silent rule as they wait for David to return with the prisoners.
While waiting, Santana quickly analyzes Captain Hudson's two henchmen. Neither of them are anything she can't handle, and, being on her own ship, she's more than reasonably certain that if this exchange turns into a fight, she'll come out on top.
But we don't want a fight, she reminds herself. Right.
"Do you have to be so rude?" the grating voice of the girl- who's not Brittany- snaps, and David hushes her, making Santana smirk a little. The girl continues to complain as David guides her and Brittany, both with wrists bound behind their backs, into the sightline of Captain Hudson.
"Now, the money," Puck demands, and after a moment's hesitance, the Captain raises his gloved hand. Two more burly sailors carry a solid wooden trunk across the planks, dropping it heavily to the deck. It clinks when it lands, and then one sailor lifts the lid, revealing its contents: gold and silver coins, too many to count.
At the sight of the gleaming coins, Puck nods, smiling. "Do we have a deal?"
The Captain's eyes narrow as he studies the two girls up for trade for a long moment, and Santana can practically see his brain working as he puzzles over Brittany's appearance. She wonders if he can tell that Brittany is, in fact, a woman, or if he recognizes her. She wonders if maybe they sailed together before, regardless of the fact that Brittany obviously doesn't have her sea legs about her.
When Hudson finally shakes his head a bit, Santana knows he's figured out his decision, and his lip curls up into a sneer as he says, "We'll take the girl that we came for. The other can rot."
Santana doesn't have time to wonder further if the Captain discerned Brittany's secret or not as David jostles the loud-mouthed girl forward, leaving Brittany where she stands.
"Not her," Captain Hudson halts him. He points at Brittany. "She's the Duke's daughter. She's the one we came for."
Santana feels her stomach tense, and all eyes on deck look to Brittany, who's standing defiantly, glaring at Captain Hudson, blue eyes narrowed into hard, angry slits. With the exception of her and Kurt, the rest of the crew- including Puck- had been under the impression that Brittany was a scrawny young lad. The revelation that she is not only a woman but also the Duke's daughter in disguise comes as a bit of a shock, and several of Santana's crew offer up curses of surprise.
"You'll take us both," Brittany orders angrily in a clear voice, interrupting Santana's thoughts. "Or I refuse to-"
"Don't shoot your mouth off, foolish girl," he snarls, cutting her off and returning her glare. "You're lucky we're taking you. Your father will see to it you're appropriately rewarded for this- you've wasted a lot of time and resources on this fantasy game of yours, and as I live and breathe, I'll have you returned safely- if only to be dealt with accordingly."
Santana narrows her eyes. She doesn't like the sound of that, but she reminds herself it's not her problem, not her concern. What is her concern is-
"And now, the money," Puck growls. Santana can practically feel the tension pouring off of him, and she swallows.
"Oh, didn't we tell you?" Captain Hudson laughs with a sinister smirk, and Santana feels her stomach sink as she realizes what's coming- "We don't make deals with savages." He looks at Brittany. "Take her, boys." He waves his hand lazily, and Santana watches with barely-contained rage as his sailors draw their swords and advance.
"Fuck."
This can't be happening.
Brittany barely has time to complete her thought before a smooth, caramel hand hits her shoulder hard, shoving her backwards and out of harm's way.
"Get back!" Dia snarls, and Brittany stumbles off-balance; her boot catches on the deck and she falls, twisting so her thigh takes the brunt of her fall. She will be sore tomorrow, but better that than risk her head hitting the deck. Beside her, Sugar is not so lucky as she faints, collapsing in a tangled mess. She can't believe Captain Hudson- Finn, a good friend of her father's- betrayed not only her, but the pirates who've kept her in their care.
The sharp sound of more swords being drawn lures Brittany's attention to the fight, and as if by some magnetic pull, she can't tear her eyes away from Dia. With almost inhuman speed, the woman's swords flash and the shrill clang of metal on metal rings out as she meets a rushing sailor's charge. She hopes that Kurt is somewhere safe, and Lord- who'd kept her company up until Scrap had fetched her- is hiding somewhere below deck. If the pirates lose, what will become of him? She briefly wonders if the Journey has a sea cat-
"BREAK A-WAY!" someone shouts, and Brittany can't tell over the pandemonium around her if it's from her ship, or Finn's-
She shakes her head at her own confusing thoughts. Finn's ship is her ship!
The Tide Ripper rocks to the left and back again, breaking free of the Journey; the mooring lines snap and the bridge collapses to the waves below as the ships quickly put space between them. Brittany's not sure if she should panic at the thought that she won't be returned to her father, after all, or-
A piercing yelp draws her attention back to Dia, who's already fighting a new Lycan Fleet sailor a few paces away. She's impressed with the lady pirate's speed and skill as she watches her fight up close and personal for the first time (since she'd been stowed away in Sam's cabin when the Courage had been taken.)
She cringes as Dia disarms her second opponent- literally. The severed limb hits the deck with a sickening thump a few feet away, and with a twirl, Dia gracefully thrusts her blade through the sailor's gut. When she pulls back, the man drops to the deck, clutching his stomach as his life drains out of him and he approaches death; but all Brittany can look at or notice is the way Dia's tan skin practically glows in the sunlight.
She traces blue eyes down tense legs, studying the way her feet move, light and smooth, as if she's dancing on air. Her gaze scans back up, to the way her bare midriff tenses with the fluidity of her motion, with the way her gleaming swords cut through the air gracefully, extensions of her defined arms. Brittany can't stop discovering the beauty in her deadly movements, and all the while, Dia blocks, parries, counterstrikes, her blades flashing, fatal.
Brittany knows she should be cheering for Finn, but-
"Aaah!" a sailor screams as Dia's blade cuts into his knee. He sinks down hard onto his other one, and all Brittany sees is red as Dia mercilessly opens his throat. The man slumps forward. Blood spatters the deck. Brittany flinches.
The boom of a cannon nearby is just as deafening as it was that first night, and Brittany's ears ring from the reverberation. The sounds of fighting- of screams, of swords clashing repeatedly, of bodies hitting the deck- is drowned out by the explosion of another cannon firing, and this time, the occupants of the enemy ship- no, Finn's ship, idiot!- let loose a shout which is immediately cut off by the sharp whistling of the fired round cutting through the air.
The Journey has precious seconds to react before the projectile smashes into its main mast. The thick wooden beam cracks and splinters, and Brittany watches in horrified awe as it topples and white sails crumple and fold. Brittany doesn't know much about sailing- actually, she knows nothing about sailing, really- but she knows there's no way the Journey will sail away from this battle.
As the main mast crashes to the deck and the sailors scramble to prevent any more damage, Brittany hears Dia's laughter rise up over the distressed chaos.
"Ace shot, Scrap!" she cheers, and Brittany feels her breath catch in her throat at the sight of Dia's smile; had she ever smiled before? Brittany's sure she would've remembered something so beautiful. "Now torch it!"
As if on cue, a nearby pirate launches a burning torch; it hurtles through the air, and the second it hits the deck of the Journey, the fallen sails ignite into a blazing inferno, spreading across the entire ship in moments. Sailors scream, and Brittany feels awful for them- they were just coming to rescue her. Why did so many people die as a result of her one single action to run away?
"LAUNCH!" someone shouts, and Brittany looks up from her place sprawled on the deck to see two more sails unfurling. The sails drop down, fill with air, and within moments, The Tide Ripper is picking up speed, leaving the Journey burning in the distance, with the shadows of sailors scrambling to put out the flames.
"Off my ship, scum!" The Captain grunts from Brittany's right, and she watches as he plants his boot on a Lycan Fleet sailor's behind, sending him sprawling over the railing to land with a splash in the cold water below. Around them on the main deck, the fight has died down. She surveys the immediate area and spies King with Finn, holding a curved sword to his throat.
"And what shall we do with 'im, Cap'n?" King sneers once the pirate draws near.
"Dump his ass in a rowboat," the Captain smirks. "He's Captain of a new ship, now."
King and another pirate drag Finn to the side of the ship, but Brittany's attention is caught, once again, by Dia, who's wiping the blood from her short sword with a rag. The Captain crosses to her, but slides a little in a puddle of blood.
"Gods damn it," he curses, lifting his boot up disgustedly. "SWABBY! Swabby, on deck!"
Boots pound on wood and Brittany is surprised to see a boy, younger than her, come bouncing up the stairs from below. He's cute, and with his dark features, Brittany thinks he could be the Captain's younger brother.
Or son. She has no idea how old the Captain is, after all.
"Yes, Cap'n!" The boy answer obediently, standing at Attention in front of him.
"Get this cleaned up!" The Captain barks, gesturing to the puddle of blood.
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" the boy says before rushing back below deck to get cleaning supplies, Brittany presumes.
"Shit," the Captain grumbles. "This kind of bosh is exactly why we attack other ships and not the other way 'round."
"It's gonna take him forever to clean up," Dia agrees, nodding in sympathy, and Brittany swallows at the smoky tone of her voice. A dead sailor slides across the deck before her, dragged by a pirate, and Dia tosses the rag she's been using to wipe her sword clean on top of the body as it slides by, shrugging with disregard. Brittany watches, a little shaken, as the pirates begin dumping the dead sailors' corpses overboard, going about the routine with detached indifference- and maybe that's what surprises Brittany the most. She knew the pirates were ruthless, but to not care for the dead at all?
It brings one terrifying, all-consuming thought to the front of her mind: what's going to happen to her now?
As if reading her thoughts, Dia turns her cool, calculating brown eyes on her, and the penetrating gaze makes Brittany shiver, but not just from fear. Brittany struggles to get control of her emotions as Dia studies her, trailing eyes down her neck to stop at the hollow of Brittany's throat.
She gulps.
"He's quartered," King calls as he walks up beside Dia, dusting his hands on his striped pants. He follows her gaze and his eyes land on Brittany, then slide over to Sugar, who is still in the same position from when she fainted, sprawled out on the deck. "Now what to do with the girls, eh?"
"Indeed," Santana says lowly, her voice practically purring. Her eyes never stray from Brittany's throat.
"I say we kill them," Scrap chimes in suddenly from behind Brittany, making her jump. She bites her lip. "They lied to us."
"Can't say I entirely blame them, seeing as how we're pirates," another man says dryly, pushing his spectacles further up his nose. Brittany openly gapes at him. She didn't realize wooden legs actually existed, but the man in front of her sports a thin peg attached to his left knee, making her wonder if every tall tale she'd ever heard about pirates is true.
"Get up," Scrap growls, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her effortlessly to her feet. Beside her, King shakes Sugar awake and helps her, a little more gently, to stand. Heavy steps draw Brittany's attention to the Captain, who scrutinizes them carefully.
"Seems like a waste t' dispose of 'em, Cap'n," King says thoughtfully. "We might still collect sum'n for 'em."
"From who?" The peg-legged pirate wonders.
"Maybe The Lioness," someone offers.
"Or maybe The Bieste," another guy jibes, earning some catcalls and laughs. "Sell 'em into slavery."
"I'd buy one!" a man calls down from somewhere up in the rigging, and another bout of loud laughter goes up, making Brittany shiver with dread.
"Hah," The Captain laughs. He looks expectantly at Dia. "Whaddya think?"
"The Beiste might take them," Dia starts slowly. "But they're scrawny. They won't fetch much of a price- not worth the trip, I'd say."
Brittany holds her breath as cold, brown eyes find hers, fixing her with a hard look, and her stomach freezes when she says,
"Throw them overboard with the others."
"What!" Sugar exclaims from beside her, and Brittany's eyes widen.
This can't be happening.
"We have no use for them," Dia continues coldly. "The Lioness won't take them- not now that they've lost their bartering value; we've already collected the money for their return. I doubt the Duke will fall for the same ruse twice." She waves her hand dismissively, and Brittany notices the large trunk sitting in the middle of the deck. Is that her ransom money? "Let us rid ourselves of them and move on."
The Captain looks like he might argue, but he doesn't. He pauses for a moment, waiting for someone to object, and when no one does, he offers Dia a curious smile, and then turns to Scrap. "Well- you heard the Quartermaster," he says with a grin. "Kill 'em."
"Good one, Dia," Scrap smirks. He lays a heavy hand on Brittany's shoulder, and Brittany tenses. Should she fight? Should she struggle? She's not even sure she can swim. Will they at least untie her first and give her a chance? Or will they- "Come on, then, fish fodder-"
"No, wait," Kurt's voice calls across deck in objection as he pushes his way to the Captain's side; Brittany's never been so relieved to see his face. He wipes his hands- which are covered in blood- on a piece of cloth hanging from his waist, and once he realizes he has everyone's attention, he continues, "We can use them."
"For what?" Scrap demands. Dia narrows her eyes, but remains silent as Kurt entreats the Captain.
"Free labor. You said yourself Swabby's having a hard time keeping up with all the tasks. And I could sure use some help in the kitchen."
"And whaddabout this one?" Scrap sneers, stabbing his finger at Sugar.
"She can help clean."
"Excuse me?" Sugar demands, raising a defiant eyebrow. Brittany prays she shuts up-
"I'm not sure that mouth of hers makes for a good keeper," The Captain chuckles, but he doesn't protest.
"So we'll teach her," Kurt shrugs. "Look- we have two free slaves here. I think we should take advantage of this opportunity. We won't get much of a price for them, anyway, right?"
It's silent for a moment, and Brittany chews her lip, waiting for her fate to be determined, and then King says, "I agree. I'll take an extra hand in repairs. 'Sides, we got what we came for- we have the ransom money. This is a good deal."
The Captain smirks, looking a little relieved, and Brittany can't help but think he might have a heart deep down- he might not have actually wanted to kill her and Sugar. "You make valid points."
"So, what're you saying, Sparkle-Pony?" Scrap demands, and Kurt glares at the jibing nickname. "You want to make them one of us?"
"No," Kurt says, slow and barbed. "They're slaves, not pirates. They retain no rank on this, or any of our ships."
King shrugs in concurrence, and the Captain nods thoughtfully, but Dia looks ready to slit Brittany's throat herself, and Brittany's not sure how she feels about being a slave-
"It's not enough," Dia growls. "And two more mouths to feed certainly isn't a good deal."
"Two more mouths for who to feed?" Kurt mutters, but Brittany's heard about enough. Being a slave isn't the most ideal situation, but the alternative- being tossed overboard with the corpses- is far less appealing.
"Please let me stay," she begs, speaking up suddenly, and once everyone's staring at her, she swallows down her fear. "I admit, I know nothing about sailing, or maintaining a ship, or pirating, or-"
"Not helping your case," Kurt cuts in sharply.
"But I do know-" Brittany fumbles for something useful, some skill she might possess that might be viewed as an asset, and blurts, "I know what the symbols of my father's naval fleet mean."
"Why would that do us any good?" Scrap sneers.
"Idiot," King says, hitting him over the head with his fist. "She knows which ones are worth lootin', and which ones we should stay away from because they'll be armed. It's invaluable information."
The Captain's interest has definitely been piqued, Brittany can tell, and after staring at her for another minute, he nods, looking to Dia for her approval. "I accept. What do you say?"
Dia continues to glare, shaking her head slowly. "I reserve judgment; she can stay- for now. She will aid us- until we find a better use for her." Brittany swallows hard at the alluring way she says better. She hasn't even begun to think about what more time with the lady pirate might mean. Her thoughts fly in all directions for a moment before Dia's voice brings her back to harsh reality. "But you'd best not be leading us into any traps, or I promise you will live just long enough to regret it."
"Prove your worth, fish fodder," Scrap growls, acquiescing to the terms, and Brittany feels like a huge pressure has been lifted from her chest.
Despite everything, she can't stop the small smile that lights up her face at having escaped death one more time. "I won't let you down."
The Captain laughs. "You'd better hope not. And Sparkly-Horse-"
"It's Pegasus."
"Right. Well. The girl is your charge from now on."
"Grand," Kurt mutters.
"And what about me?" Sugar demands boldly.
"There's plenty of clothes in need of laundering, wench," Scrap snarls, and Sugar's appalled face makes Brittany smile a little bit wider. It's definitely not what she expected, but again- at least she's not dead. Somehow, she has escaped a terrible fate once again- she thinks.
"Welcome aboard The Tide Ripper," The Captain laughs, before turning away in a flourish and barking orders at some men along the bulwark. The other pirates disperse, moving to attend to their various duties, leaving Brittany standing with Sugar, Dia and Kurt.
It's silent for a moment; Kurt looks sullen, Dia looks wickedly amused, and Sugar looks terrified. Brittany swallows. She feels as if she should say something to break the tension, but she's unsure what to say that she hasn't said already.
"I'll try to be a good slave," she offers softly, feeling nervous for reasons she can't name.
"Excellent. You can start right now," Dia says with a sinister smirk. "Jake!"
The young boy from earlier comes running, and he stands at Attention again before the lady pirate, awaiting her orders. "Yes, Master!"
Dia smirks wider. "Get Her Highness a bucket and swab. She's gonna help you clean up all this blood."
Brittany swallows. "Grand."
By the time the sun sets, Brittany's exhausted. She's never had to do so much physical work- or any physical work- in her life. Her muscles ache in new places- places she didn't know could ache. The white sleeves of Sam's shirt are rolled up past her elbows but even still, the fabric is covered in blood that she knows she'll never wash out on her own.
She's vomited twice; partly because of the gore, but mostly because of the swaying and rocking of the ship as it travels over the rough waves. She hadn't noticed how prominent the rocking was until she had to try and do something other than stand, and the water is especially choppy as The Tide Ripper makes its way back to its home island.
When Kurt finally finds her at the end of the day and escorts her below deck to her normal holding area, Brittany collapses in relief on a familiar pile of rope, sliding her eyes shut. She feels like she could sleep forever and never wake up. She feels like maybe being tossed overboard might not have been so bad. She knows for a fact the other pirates hate her, though she doesn't know why- she doesn't think she's done anything to offend them. The only one who treats her with any kindness is Kurt, and she's starting to believe she was right in her initial assessment about the pirates all being savages.
The sound of Kurt clearing his throat makes her force her eyes open regretfully, and she sighs, sitting up and preparing to be returned to her bound position from earlier. Kurt smiles tightly at her. "You're part of this ship, now, Brittany- so long as you earn your keep- and because of that, I'm not going to tie you back up."
Surprised, Brittany opens her mouth to speak, but Kurt cuts her off, continuing, "Our ship is built on trust. Don't betray mine. Stay down here until I fetch you in the morning." At Brittany's nod, he leaves, telling her, "Get some rest. You have another long day tomorrow."
Once he's gone, Brittany settles against her rope pile, listening to his footsteps above her head and sighing again. She tries not to recall her tasks from earlier, tries not to think about how grimy and dirty she is, caked with dried blood and other bodily fluids she'd rather not remember, and how she must absolutely reek because of it, and instead, tries to find the positives in her situation, but they really aren't overflowing out of her brain, and-
"Britt?"
Her head snaps up at the sound of Sugar's uncertain voice from the blackness. "Sugar?"
Swift, light footsteps greet her ears, and then Sugar's throwing herself against her in a hug so tightly it makes her already-aching ribs ache further. Sugar shakes against her, and Brittany feels a strange sort of bittersweet at being in a position to comfort the girl (when normally Sugar does the comforting) and at being a source of strength for a change. However, the fact that she must comfort her friend under such a grim situation leaves her sad and faltering for words.
"Brittany, what are we going to do?" Sugar whimpers into her shoulder. Brittany tightens her arms around her. "I had to launder clothes, Britt. So many stinking, putrid clothes, and they were so awful-"
"What we've been doing," Brittany answers, before Sugar can get herself too riled up. "Survive. And possibly- eventually- buy ourselves freedom to Argo. I admit, this is a rather large setback; but we can work extra hard, and perhaps Kurt will vouch for us once again-"
"Who?"
"And, in time, we might earn our freedom. Then, we continue on to Argo and wait for word from Samson."
Sugar shifts uncomfortably against her. "Oh, Britt," she says softly, carefully. "I don't think he's-"
"Mow."
Sugar pauses to stare as a large cat- Lord- comes waddling out of the shadows and plops down next to Brittany's thigh, purring immediately.
"Hello, there," Brittany greets with a soft smile, reaching to pet him. She's grateful that her hands are free and she's able to stroke her fingers through his fur, causing him to purr louder. Lord arches into her touch, and Sugar repositions herself against her side, leaning her head on her shoulder.
"That cat looks like he eats better than we do," she grumbles.
"He does," Brittany tells her sincerely. Silence- except for Lord's purring- falls over them for a moment, and Brittany thinks about her- their- future with the pirates. She hopes they won't have to serve the pirates in every manner; she's been terrified of such a fate befalling Sugar, but now that her secret is out amongst the crew, she knows they are both in danger. She can only hope that Kurt, as decent as he seems to be, will prevent such an event from happening.
She looks down at Sugar, who's still holding onto her tightly. The girl is a few years younger than her and has served Brittany her entire life. Brittany feels responsible for her safety, especially since she accompanied her on an insane journey. She tightens her arm around Sugar's shoulders.
"I promise I won't let anything bad happen to us," she whispers. "We'll make it out of this."
Yawning, Sugar nods against her shoulder, and Brittany takes it as a good sign. She doesn't want to think about the worst happening. She thinks, instead, on their current situation. It seems dire- she never imagined she'd ever be a slave, and especially not one on a pirate ship; the very idea seems ludicrous. But despite their predicament, she must admit there are a few positive things, and they come more easily to her now that she's calmed considerably.
She has Sugar with her. She doesn't have to marry Prince Rory. They are both mostly safe. They are alive. She has made a friend in Kurt, at the very least- and Lord. She smiles as she pets the large fluffball curled up next to her. Perhaps, in time, she will earn other friendships. Certainly not all the pirates hate her without reason. Some of them might be indifferent. King seemed promising. And Dia-
She smiles wider. She can do this. She will win the pirates over, and when the time comes, she will be able to buy her and Sugar's freedom. She just has to earn their favor-
And then her stomach sinks as she remembers... she's supposed to identify her father's Fleet ships, which would work out very well, except for one tiny problem:
She has no idea how to do that.
Sea cats~ are actually a thing. Most ships, up until pretty recently, kept a cat on board for several reasons. They helped with the rat population, they were a source of comfort to men out at sea- because really, who doesn't like cats?- and also, cats have been a source of superstition for a long time, in that they can predict when bad weather is coming, and just other general hocus-pocus-y type shit stemming waaaay back from when cats were believed to be gods.
Personally, I think cats still believe they are gods. It's in their ancestry. ;)
See you next time, pals!