A/N: Hello, my dears! I meant to have this chapter up a few days ago buy oH MY GOD DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO WRITE WHEN YOU ARE DROWNING IN CONSTANT FEELS?! It's damn near IMPOSSIBLE. GLEE, PLZ! I'M TRYING TO SURVIVE HERE!
In other news, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, or just read it and didn't review, or whatever. If you're reading this, I'm going to assume you read the last chapter, too, so hey, thanks for doing that! You're great. :D
Okay, I think that's all I've got- for now.
Smooth sailing~
"Up. Get up, Brittany," Kurt says, shaking the blonde awake. Brittany opens her unfocused eyes, blinking into the semi-darkness to find Kurt leaning over her. "Come on. It's time to make breakfast."
"Wha-"
"You're to be my aid in the kitchen," Kurt continues nonchalantly, moving to pick up the lantern he'd set down in order to rouse her awake. "And it would be nice to actually have that aid."
Groaning, Brittany sits up straighter, every muscle in her body screaming at her in protest. On her right, Sugar is curled into her side, still sleeping soundly. On her left, Lord blinks at her, wondering why his slumber has been disturbed. She runs her left hand through her hair, pulling it from her face and inwardly cringing at how wild and tangled it must look, and gently extricates herself from Sugar's sleep-grasp.
Kurt gives her a knowing, amused look as she breaks Sugar's hold and climbs unsteadily to her feet, her legs feeling like jelly after so much work yesterday. Her heels are sore from her boots, which aren't comfortable to wear for any prolonged period, and especially not to do any sort of work in; her calves ache. She gazes down at Sugar, who's still snuggled up against the pile of ropes, and wonders if she should wake her to let her know where she's going. Surely, she will be worried-
"Someone will be along to fetch your companion for her duties," Kurt tells her reassuringly. "We will make landfall soon."
Brittany nods, and Kurt turns, making his way to the ladder. She realizes that he has freely given his back to her- not for the first time- and wonders at the implicit level of trust he has for her, and how she has done nothing to deserve it. She follows after him gingerly, her movements sluggish as she climbs. Kurt leads her up to the second deck of the ship- where the rocking from the waves is more noticeable- and eventually, they enter a wide but cluttered room, lit by oil lamps; they cast a warm glow over the space, making it seem homey and welcoming.
"This is the galley," he explains, hanging his own lamp on a hook near the entryway. He moves to open a small drawer and searches inside it for a moment. Brittany takes his moment of distraction as an opportunity to inspect the room.
On the left wall, near the small, round porthole- which is dark because of the early morning- is a range, and next to it, a large, wide structure made out of brick, which Brittany assumes must be an oven. On the right side is a long counter ending in a wash basin, and on the back wall are open, wooden shelves, holding various containers of ingredients and spices. Beneath the shelves, a small, wooden table with a bench rests, covered in flour and random small cloths. Shoved into various spaces scattered around the room are large, wooden barrels, none of them labelled. All around, hanging on various hooks, are metal pots, pans, spoons, and other cooking utensils.
The entire room looks like organized chaos. Brittany can't believe that any food comes out of such a cluttered kitchen.
"Sorry for the mess," Kurt says sheepishly once he finds what he's searching for in the drawer. He presents her with a thin ribbon of cloth, which Brittany takes gratefully. She uses it to tie her hair up into a low ponytail, grateful to have it off her face for the first time in days. "Now you know why I need some help." He crosses to another shelf and then tosses her an apron, which she catches unexpectedly.
"Not that it will help much," he comments as she slips the loop over her head. "That shirt is unsalvageable, I'm afraid."
Brittany's shoulders sag at his words as she ties her apron strings and stares at the blood stained into her shirt. What is she to do? She doesn't know much about laundering, but even still, she knows anything with blood must be washed immediately, and that certainly didn't happen. Will she be stuck wearing Sam's ruined shirt for the rest of her time spent in slavery, covered with the essence of men whose bodies now rest at the bottom of the sea?
"Here," Kurt interrupts her morbid thoughts, handing her a small knife, which she accepts hesitantly, holding it away from her body at an awkward angle. He points to a small netted sack resting on the counter in the corner. "Cut those limes into eighths. Put them in this," he pushes a large wooden bowl at her, which she struggles to hold onto while still keeping the knife pointed away from herself. She stares down at the bowl, feeling overwhelmed and a little panicked, since she has no idea what Kurt is asking her to do. She's never done any sort of kitchen work, and the only knife she's ever handled is when she's used one to cut up her dinner!
"-and then, once you're... Britt?"
She looks up at Kurt's soft question to find him staring at her curiously, probably wondering why she hasn't moved to follow his instructions.
"Are you okay?"
Brittany bites her lip and nods, glancing at the sack of limes. There's nothing wrong, per se, only-
"Have you never cut limes before?"
She shakes her head.
"Oh, boy," Kurt mutters. "Okay, then-"
"I'm sorry," she rushes to apologize. "It's just- I've never even been in a kitchen before. Sugar would be more useful to you. You've done yourself a great disservice by recruiting me." She drops her gaze sadly, feeling useless and wishing she hadn't led such a sheltered life. She wishes she'd learned anything about taking care of herself instead of having someone do it for her. She feels completely unprepared for the world, and completely awful about letting Kurt down, especially after he risked so much to save her.
Kurt only chuckles, and the sound of it surprises her. "I don't need any sugar for this particular meal."
Brittany blinks at him. "No, I meant- I meant my friend."
"Her name is Sugar?" Kurt raises a disbelieving eyebrow. He shakes his head pityingly. "Someone must have had a terrible sense of humor-"
"It's not her real name," Brittany mumbles, blushing. "I couldn't pronounce her real name when I was younger, so my father re-named her."
"Makes sense." Kurt nods, but to Brittany's relief, doesn't ask for Sugar's real name- she still doesn't know it.
Brittany shrugs helplessly, her feelings of embarrassment and inadequacy growing despite Kurt's attempts to ease her. "I understand if you'd rather return me and acquire her aid- she knows far more, and is much better prepared to-"
"Shh, it's fine," Kurt soothes, coming to stand closely beside her. Brittany feels calmed by his soft scent and presence. "I can teach you. It's not difficult to learn."
Gently, he takes the knife from her hand and reaches for one of the limes in the bag, demonstrating his grip on the blade. Then, slowly, he cuts the lime into eighths, talking her through the cutting motion and cautioning her to keep her fingers out of the way. Once his lime rests in eight pieces in the wooden bowl, he talks Brittany through the process of cutting a second lime, and Brittany's so amazed at her newfound ability, she stands in awe for a moment once she finishes.
All her life, Brittany's been told she was incapable of doing things for herself, and had someone to do them for her. Having to do her own laundry two days prior, causing so many men to get killed because of her actions, and then helping to clean up their corpses- which she was also terrible at- did not exactly put her in the best of spirits, and it certainly didn't boost her self-esteem. But for the first time, someone besides Sugar has put faith in her abilities and her intelligence. Kurt has not only told her she could do it, but has shown her how to do it herself. For the first time, she feels confident that she's not a helpless child. Maybe there is hope for her. Maybe she will make it on her own after all. Her father had always told her she was stupid- but cutting limes proved to her that she can learn. She's not stupid, nor incapable; she will learn how to take care of herself, and someday, she'll make it to Argo and be completely self-sufficient.
"There, see?" Kurt asks with an encouraging smile. "Piece of cake." When Brittany doesn't immediately move to grab the next one, he reminds her, "You can do the rest of them." Brittany nods, coming out of her thoughts, and she smiles as she reaches for a second lime, eager for more reassurance that she's not completely useless. She begins cutting it with enthusiasm while Kurt wipes his hands on a small rag and watches her for a moment.
"It's a shame about your shirt. Once we make land I'll loan you one of mine – at least until we can get you one of your own."
"Thank you, Kurt," Brittany says sincerely. "You've been so nice to me already and I didn't do anything to deserve it."
"Nonsense," he says, reaching above her to take down a large pan. "Everyone deserves kindness."
Brittany pauses in her chopping, and takes a deep breath. "I never thanked you," she starts, "for coming to my aid yesterday. You put a lot at risk speaking up like you did."
"I meant what I said. I do need a hand." Kurt waves around at the mess to indicate, and chuckles. "It's tiring composing all these meals by myself- not to mention lonely."
"Well, I'm afraid I don't know much, but you helped me, so I will help you- as much as I can," she grins. "And I'll try to be pleasant company."
"You are, and, as I've said already, it was nothing," he insists. "Just don't make me regret it, all right?" They share another smile; Brittany stares at him, feeling a familiar warmth spreading in her chest. She hasn't felt this way about someone since Sam, and she wonders about her feelings- they aren't romantic... are they? She thinks about Kurt, and about Sam; she doesn't feel the need to be close to him or to hold his hand or any such thing. She regards him as sort of a guide- a mentor, of sorts, whom she looks up to and regards with respect. She thinks of him as a friend, and one she admires greatly. Perhaps even a big brother.
When Kurt turns away to begin heating up a pan, Brittany returns to her work, and the rest of the morning goes by quickly. The sun comes up, and with its appearance, Brittany hears the sounds of the day crew above her head, starting their morning routines and relieving the night crew. Once they finish with the breakfast preparations, Kurt hands her a bowl of unappetizing porridge, slightly gray and sludgy, and a cup of water as her meal. He apologizes- she hasn't earned the right to eat what the rest of them eat yet- as he leaves to make his rounds to the other pirates, and to feed Lord.
Sighing, Brittany sits at the small table and chews her gruel slowly, waiting for Kurt's return. It's bland and slightly bitter, and she longs for the delicious-looking sausage links and soft rolls she'd helped Kurt prepare for the other sailors. Instead, she obediently downs her lukewarm porridge, wishing for perhaps just a teaspoon of honey to better the taste.
She's just finishing drinking her water when Kurt returns, and he immediately sets to work gathering and emptying food supplies into bags and setting them near the doorway.
"We are about to make landfall," he tells her. Brittany nods and moves to the door in preparation to leave the ship like last time, but the sound of Kurt laughing makes her stop. "Hold fast– where are you going? You work for me now. Here – help unload." He hands her a sack of something- heavy. "Carry that up to the main deck," he instructs. "Then come back- there's more."
Brittany struggles with the heavy bag, but manages to make it up the stairs and to the main deck as Kurt instructed. A pirate she doesn't recognize jostles her and snatches the bag from her hands, lifting with ease, and tosses the bag into a small rowboat located near the edge of the deck. All around her, people shout, moving and preparing for landfall. Sails are raised and secured, mooring lines are cast, and Brittany can hear a loud clanking she recognizes as the anchor moving, preparing to be dropped.
Almost involuntarily she scans the ship for Dia, disappointed when she doesn't find the woman. Instead, she sees Scrap, carrying a large barrel on his shoulder, and at the sight of the wicked scowl he sends her, she reminds herself to return back to the galley per Kurt's earlier request.
When she arrives back downstairs, the pile of supplies has grown bigger. Daunted, she tries not to show weakness as she hauls the bags and crates up to the main deck to be loaded into the rowboat, noticing with each trip that the ship has finally made landfall and most of the crew has already departed it. Once she finishes transporting all of the supplies up to the deck, Kurt instructs her to climb the ladder over the side of the ship down to the beach and begin the draining task of carrying them to the kitchen through the back of the pirates' fortress. It's late in the morning, and the sun is high in the sky, its rays beating down on her skin. She's thankful for the cover the jungle trees provide her as she makes her way across the island.
Brittany tries to take in her surroundings, but the first time she walks into a tree branch and gets a face full of leaves, she pays better attention to where she's going. She doesn't really have time to take in the pirates' fortress, as Kurt has her hustling back down to the beach to collect the next load of supplies as soon as she drops the first one off. Her boots sink in the soft sand, making her already-sore calves ache from the strain, and it doesn't take her long to work up a sweat. She's exhausted, her arms shaking with fatigue by the time they're finished, and when she collapses onto a crate in the kitchen, panting, Kurt offers her a flask of water; it's warm, but she drinks it voraciously, spilling some down her chin and onto her shirt, and Kurt chuckles as he watches her.
When she comes up for air, she takes deep, steady breaths, trying to slow the rapid pounding of her heart, and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand shyly, feeling embarrassed about her lack of manners. She gives Kurt a curious look, waiting for his next orders, and takes in the kitchen around her. It's a lot bigger, with a lot more space, and far more organized than the one aboard The Tide Ripper.
"What's in those crates?" she asks, spying the pile of supplies she'd helped unload.
"Mostly jars and empty containers that need refilling for our next voyage," Kurt answers. Brittany nods, tracing her eyes over the various bags and barrels in the kitchen, guessing at their contents. They can't all contain porridge, can they? Her stomach growls.
"We're finished here for now," Kurt tells her with a smirk, drawing her attention back. "Go out front and wait – our Quartermaster will be along to escort you to your new room... Unless you'd rather stay in your old, familiar cage?" At Brittany's head shake, he laughs a little. "I thought not. Go ahead- I'll come fetch you for supper."
Brittany nods and finishes her water, climbing tiredly to her feet and feeling disappointed in her lack of food, but considering her state of servitude and her previous voyage, she's lucky she received any sort of morning sustenance on the ship. She makes her way back outside and waits, staying in the shade to keep cool. Minutes pass and she sighs, wondering if perhaps the Quartermaster forgot about her. She's still not even sure she knows who the Quartermaster is, though she vaguely remembers Kurt had mentioned she'd met him already, and she barely recalls the Captain referencing him during the argument for her future, though she was a little preoccupied then and can't really remember. It all happened so fast-
She rubs her eyes, feeling tired in too many ways. She looks around, but she's still alone, and no one approaches. Where is the Quartermaster? She sighs, shielding her eyes as she gazes up into the sky. The sun is directly overhead, and Brittany starts to feel impatient. She's sure at least half of an hour has passed by the time she spots Dia walking up to her, and she freezes unsurely, hoping she doesn't get in trouble. She second-guesses herself- Kurt told her to wait here, right? She's not doing anything wrong, is she?
They both stand in silence for a moment, regarding each other; Dia looks unimpressed, despite her intense stare, and Brittany feels nervous and on edge for a multitude of reasons. The lady pirate turns, but when Brittany doesn't immediately follow her, she pauses, giving her an expectant look over her shoulder.
"Well? Would you rather continue melting in this sun?" she snaps. "Hop to it!"
Brittany's eyes widen with respect. "You're the Quartmaster?" She's impressed and surprised that Dia- a woman- holds so much power over a ship of unruly pirates. She had no idea that a woman could even hold rank. She doesn't know much about how ships function, but she does know that the only rank higher than the Quartermaster is the Captain.
Dia rolls her eyes. "Who did you think I was?"
Brittany bites her lip, unsure what to respond with, feeling like she should've known; after a moment, Dia grows impatient with her lack of response and continues walking, leaving Brittany staring after her before scrambling to follow. Brittany quickens her pace to catch up, timidly staying a step behind the woman, and follows her into a dark, damp cave cut into the side of a sheer rock wall. Upon entering, Brittany immediately recognizes the smell, and disappointedly wonders if Dia is, in fact, leading her back to her original holding cell... but as they walk, she notices the familiar open room on her right, and is relieved when they pass it, continuing deeper into the poorly-lit cave.
Dia stops them before a narrow door, and Brittany watches as she turns the handle before pushing the rickety wooden door open. Brittany peers into the room. It isn't much- in fact, it's smaller than her previous holding cell. But the cot looks slightly more comfortable, and there's no lock on the door, which means-
"This one is yours," Dia tells her, her tone short and irritated. She crosses her arms and gives Brittany a glare. Her vicious tone makes Brittany's head spin. "I regret to inform you: you won't be sharing a room with your mistress."
Brittany has no clue what Dia is saying, but her tone sounds a lot like jealousy, which confuses her. Why would she be…? She thinks hard; it takes a second for Brittany to figure out what the woman is implying, but once she does, her face flushes a dark pink. "She isn't," she mumbles, feeling embarrassed even talking about the idea. Did women do such things with each other? She hadn't ever heard of-
"Isn't what?" Dia demands, raising an eyebrow at her.
"My l- lover," Brittany stammers. "She's my- was my servant, but she's also my best friend."
Dia hums in acknowledgement. "Well, she's to be found down the hall. Do not attempt escape. Your life has been spared solely based on our fondness for Kurt. Don't expect such mercy again."
Brittany nods, entering her new room slowly and getting a better look at it. There's a mirror situated in the corner, and she cringes at how awful she looks. She hadn't been able to wash away the blood from the previous day, and new smudges of dirt and gunpowder residue linger from carrying the supplies earlier. She tears her eyes from the mirror and notices a very small wardrobe, though she's not entirely sure what exactly she's to put in it, considering she has no clothes or personal belongings at all, but she remains optimistic. She can always obtain belongings. She presses her fingers to the mattress on her cot- it seems softer, springier, than the one in the cell. And beside it rests a small table with a lit oil lamp. Though a smaller room, perhaps it will work out better. She has privacy, at least.
"You may use the washroom to clean yourself up, down the passageway," Dia tells her, her voice finally devoid of its usual bite. "And you may move freely throughout these caves, but do not exit them, else we will assume you are attempting escape."
Nodding again, Brittany turns to look at the pirate, taking in her features up close in the low lighting. She looks stunning, and Brittany feels that swooping feeling from the previous day returning to her chest. She wonders if she'll always feel overheated and dizzy when she's around her, and why. The lamplight flickers off the top of the woman's ear, and a golden cuff earring catches Brittany's eye.
"I like your earring," she blurts before she can think better on it. Dia blinks at her, and she licks her lips, thinking of something else to say before the pirate disappears to her own room. "Where's your room?" she wonders, genuinely curious, and Dia's shocked expression informs Brittany that she's probably asked the wrong thing.
"No concern of yours," Dia snaps in her usual venomous tone, narrowing her eyes. She turns away, and Brittany wonders why she suddenly seems so furious. Had she upset her so much with just a simple question?
The tapping of Dia's boots on the ground as she walks away echoes down the hall, and Brittany frowns. She watches Dia's retreating back disappear around the corner, and wonders if she'll ever learn the lady pirate's name. She sighs.
Santana's furious – again.
She's starting to wonder if she'll always associate the emotion with Brittany, or if she'll ever be able to not be frustrated whenever she encounters the blonde. She'd thought she'd finally escaped being tormented by Brittany's presence, but now she's stuck with her for however long Kurt fancies. It had been nearly impossible for her to resist Brittany before- but now-
Where is your room?
She might as well have asked Santana to just go ahead and take her. Santana smirks as she remembers Brittany's flustered words as she told her she's not dating her companion, and the way she looked absolutely scandalized at the very idea.
"I'd rock her ship," she mutters to herself as she exits the cave and once again exposes herself to the unforgiving sun. She almost considers turning around, walking back to Brittany's room and having her way with the girl– but then she pictures blue eyes, and something stops her; something in her gut that makes her uneasy with the idea of forcing the innocent blonde to do anything against her will, especially something of a lascivious nature.
Which brings her thoughts to the present– and the current meeting she's on her way to attend. She enters the fortress through the side of the sturdy building and silently makes her way into the meeting room, finding it already filled with many of her ranked crew. She swallows, feeling nervous; she had no idea that so many would want to lay claim on either of the two girls, though she is not surprised, as she is not blind and can see how beautiful Brittany- and even her companion- both are.
As she moves to the head of the room to take her place beside Puck, she worries about what the outcome of this meeting might mean. She sees that Arty and Mike are both present, which surprises her. What could they possibly need a woman for, other than the obvious?
"Santana, can I speak with you for a moment?" Kurt interrupts from her left, speaking in a low mutter and gripping her arm.
"What is it?"
He looks over his shoulder. "Let's talk over here." He guides her away from the other pirates, who are talking and boasting loudly about things that make her roll her eyes at the absolute crudeness of them.
"What?" Santana asks more impatiently. "It's about to start."
"I need you to help me with Brittany."
She lifts an eyebrow and crosses her arms. "Why? Have you finally realized that women are superior to men?"
"Funny, Santana," he says with a roll of his eyes. "No– I just- Brittany is my responsibility now. It would hurt me terribly to see something happen to her that she does not deserve." He gives her a meaningful look.
"Don't tell me you've gone soft," she says, fidgeting uncomfortably with the idea that Kurt has placed in her head and trying to deter their conversation to something a lot lighter. She hasn't started to imagine what the outcome of this meeting would be and what it might mean for Brittany and her companion. She know what Kurt's implying, and she can't stand the thought of someone possibly touching Brittany inappropriately. This meeting is to determine what claim, if any, the other pirates have on Brittany and her servant. They've never had a woman as a slave before- they usually aren't found on ships, and if they are, they actually get exchanged for their ransoms, or they are sold to The Beiste. This will mark the first time they have kept a female in their custody for more than a few days; Santana stares at Kurt and wonders what in the great ocean possessed him to lay claim to the blonde and her companion in the first place.
But then she remembers how Brittany looks when she smiles, and how innocent and likeable she is despite Santana's best efforts not to care, and she doesn't wonder anymore.
"I'm serious," Kurt mutters. "I don't mind her working for the others, but I don't want them having relations with her. I want that off the table- completely."
"Kurt-" she starts uncertainly. She already imagines it's going to be hard to convince the others not to force themselves on the two girls. She's already having a hard enough time convincing herself.
"Don't try to lie to me," he says firmly. "I know you care about what happens to her; so do I."
"This has nothing to do with me."
"Fine," he snaps. Behind them Puck begins to command the attention of the other pirates. "Just take it off the table– that's all I'm asking."
She watches as he turns away to take his place with the others. Puck stands and the room falls quiet as the pirates wait for him to speak; Santana moves to his side.
"We've been through this before," Puck says with a careless grin on his face, shrugging. "So-"
"No, we haven't!" Someone argues from the small crowd. Santana narrows her eyes- she thinks she recognizes Hunter's voice.
"Aye, that's right– we've never had a girl before."
"And just what in blue blazes do you think I am?" Santana demands angrily, crossing her arms.
"Chopped liver, I'd say," Puck teases.
"Gross-"
"We didn't mean you, Master," Thad laughs.
"Aye! You're different."
"Family."
"Blood."
"Whole liver!"
The pirates erupt into raucous laughter, and Kurt stands, placing his hands on the table. "Can we focus?" he snaps impatiently. He looks at Puck. "They are right about one thing– we've never had a female slave before."
"Funny the girl should belong to the only man who doesn't care to have one!" Hunter calls out, and the whole room begins laughing again.
"While that may be true," Kurt starts slowly with a glare, "we still have to deal with a new situation."
"We will deal with 'em the same way we dealt with all our other captives," Puck says with another shrug. "End of discussion."
"But women can offer extra services," Jeff argues.
"Yeah," Thad agrees with him. "What if we want some of those services that only a woman can provide?"
"Unless you're Kurt!" Hunter calls out, to the sound of more laughter.
Santana can tell Kurt is starting to lose his patience- she's on the same route. "You guys are really hilarious, but can we be serious for a moment?"
"Say what you will," Puck concedes, holding up his hand to silence any more comments.
"There will be no extra services," Kurt says loudly, and all of the other pirates erupt into noises of complaint. Their protests annoy Santana, who can't believe how whiny they're being. Thankfully, Mike and Arty both remain silent; she's not sure how she'd feel if they'd been on the opposing side of this quickly-escalating argument.
"Captain, say something!"
"You heard Kurt," Puck says with a shrug.
"This is an outrage! You can't dangle women in front of us like-"
"-we're only men-"
"You're pathetic," Mike comments to the arguing pirates. "If you need to relieve yourself so bad, you know where The Beiste is!"
The pirates try to argue; many of them get loud, complaining. Santana feels her anger rising at the thought of any of them going against Kurt's wishes, or going against Brittany's. Kurt raises his voice, but as a lowly Mate, he doesn't have any authority. Santana looks at Puck, who seems mostly amused at the fact that everyone is so riled up over being denied the right to act like animals. The shouting continues, and finally, she can't listen to it any longer.
"Enough!" She snarls, slamming her right palm down on the table and drawing her sword with her left. She brandishes it threateningly, pointing it at them. "What Kurt says is final. The women are his property. You- not a fucking one of you- will touch a single fucking hair on either of their heads without his fucking permission, or you'll have a lot more important things to worry about than your subdued nuts."
"How 'bout no nuts," Puck says suggestively with a lopsided grin, and the pirates chuckle nervously, knowing full well that their Quartermaster wouldn't hesitate to neuter them without a second thought, should they disobey her. Puck spreads his hands, entreating, "'Sides, we're better'n that, ain't we? Fuckin' slaves? Are you guys touched?"
"Whatever you say, Cap'n!"
"He's right- they probably don't even know what they're doing."
"We'll follow your wishes, Quartermaster!"
Santana smiles pleasantly, sheathing her sword. "Excellent." She looks at Kurt, who smiles gratefully at her. "Go take care of your property."
It's not long after Dia leaves her that Kurt finds Brittany in her new living space, and he makes a big show of knocking on the door and, upon entry, enthusiastically admiring the small room. Brittany appreciates his effort, especially since she knows he's probably seen the room more than a hundred times previously. It's then that he presents her with a new shirt. It's clean and freshly laundered, spotless white and smells like Kurt, though she's not sure exactly how to describe how Kurt smells. Regardless, it's pleasant, and she looks at him gratefully, wondering if there's no end to how kind he can be and knowing she will never be able to repay him for it.
"I can't help your trouser situation yet," Kurt tells her. "So you'll just have to wash them as best you can until you can afford new ones- whenever that will be. I might be able to find you some old boots though- one with a little less of a heel." He examines her feet for a moment before nodding with a sly grin. "I think I can definitely find you some."
"You've already done too much," Brittany protests.
"You can pay me back at a later date," he says dismissively. "For now, go and clean up. I'll return in an hour's time to fetch you for dinner."
And so begins the start of Brittany's new life as a slave.
Over the next week, she's shuffled between the care of several of the pirates, doing work for them in between her normal duties in the galley with Kurt. She's already helped him organize and clean the galley on The Tide Ripper, reorganize the main kitchen in their fortress, and spent an entire day making dough for the next few days' meals, but-
"You aren't free to do as you please, Britt," Kurt explained sympathetically. "You have to earn your downtime."
She has no idea what that means or what to do about it, but soon she finds it doesn't matter, as she's sent to assist several other crew members in their various tasks.
The first one Brittany officially meets is King, who comes to fetch her that very first afternoon following lunch, which Kurt had allowed her to finally partake in- though her meal only consisted of a few crackers. She follows King warily, unsure what to expect. She's still worried for her well-being, after all, but his reassuring smile puts her at ease, and as she follows him into his workshop, he introduces himself formally as Mike.
"The King of Teeth," he says with a little chuckle. He holds up a saw, grinning lopsidedly as if to explain. "Because I'm not only the ship's Master Carpenter, but I'm the acting surgeon, as well!"
Brittany cringes, prompting another laugh from him, and they make small talk as she helps him secure some planks together. Mike tells her he'd been a carpenter since before he was captured and taken by a slaving ship from his homeland, which is located near the Kingdom of Lao- but before it had become the empire it is now. He never actually made it into slavery, however, because the ship was raided by pirates, and he earned the respect of the pirate Captain with his knowledge of timber. When the pirate ship was eventually destroyed, he followed their current Captain aboard The Tide Ripper, and it's then that Brittany realizes Mike is exactly like Kurt- loyal.
"That was much easier with a second pair of hands," Mike tells her gratefully once they finish their day's work, and she inspects herself- she's covered in wood shavings that stick to her sweaty skin. As they go to return her to Kurt's care, Mike rubs her head playfully, mussing her hair, and adds, "You'll fit just fine."
The second pirate who requires her assistance, Brittany did not previously know the name of, but she recognizes him as the pirate with the peg leg, and he introduces himself as,
"Lieutenant Arthur Abrams, formerly of the Joxian Naval Fleet ship, Wave Dancer, and current Chief Navigator of The Tide Ripper, at your service," he greets her with a formal bow.
She looks around uncertainly, feeling nervous about why he could possibly need her, considering she knows absolutely nothing about navigation, and hoping it's not for something dreadful. "I thought I was at your service."
"Right you are, my dear," he agrees with a wide smile. She's a little confused, but she doesn't feel especially threatened by Lieutenant Arthur, so she lets him lead her to a room cluttered with maps, scrolls, and instruments she doesn't recognize and doesn't even know what to name.
"I don't exactly need your help," he tells her, limping into the center of the room. "I just thought you might like a break from being a slave, and have some intelligent company."
She blinks at him.
"You are royalty, aren't you?" he asks gently, and she nods, unsure of what he's getting at. He smiles. "Why don't you just help me tidy up these scrolls, then?"
Brittany nods. She can do that.
Third, she meets Matthew "Sentry", the Boatswain, who she hadn't ever seen before. He's extremely polite to her but doesn't talk much except to explain her tasks. He brings her back aboard The Tide Ripper and has her replacing worn backstays, the long lines that support the mast of the ship. It's a pleasant day spent in comfortable silence, but Brittany enjoys having the time to reflect on her thoughts.
Perhaps her favorite person to be around, besides Mike, is Jake, the Swabby- or Cabin Boy- whom she spends time with when none of the other pirates require her assistance. Because of his young age and his holding of the most inferior rank on the ship, he doesn't hesitate to talk to her or tell her interesting gossip. "I'm just thankful I'm not the lowest crewmember anymore," he says to her as they scrub the marble floor in the fortress. Somehow, his words don't comfort Brittany, but she enjoys his company just the same.
As the week passes, Brittany finds that she rather enjoys getting to know the other pirates and hearing their stories. Each of them teaches her something important. Jake gives her tips on how to clean better and save time, including tricks on how to get stains out of her clothes, which she's eternally grateful for, since she only has one set.
Matt perhaps teaches her the most valuable things, like how to tie useful knots and how to make rope. He also has her help him raise and lower sails for him to inspect for damage, and Brittany enjoys climbing up into the rigging under his watchful eye, without the pressure of actual sailing.
Arthur- who's not really ranked a Lieutenant on The Tide Ripper, Brittany learns from Jake- shows her maps and teaches her how to find her way if she gets lost. "Find Polaris," he tells her. "And you'll always find your way." Brittany's not sure how he distinguishes Polaris from all the other stars- they all look the same to her. But she supposes the more she practices, the better she will get at it.
Mike teaches her about various types of lumber, and their uses. Brittany can tell he's excited to have someone to share his craft with, and she absorbs the information like a dry cloth, admiring his handiwork and asking well-thought-out questions that make him smile at her genuine interest.
"I never asked to be a surgeon, though," he mentions one day as he saws through a piece of wood. "But… it comes with tools of the trade, I suppose."
The thought of Mike using his saw on a person makes her more than queasy, but she reminds herself that she's seen worse things. Mike laughs at her upset face, but explains a few things he's picked up about first aid.
"I'm the one who gave Specs his peg leg," he tells her proudly, but despite her insistent request- even when combined with a pout- it's not enough to make him tell the story, and he laughs. "You'll have to ask him about that one."
"It's rather an interesting story," Arthur admits with a chuckle the next time she's in his company. "As you know, I was a Lieutenant in the Joxian Navy, before it and the entire Province of Jox fell all those years ago to the hostiles. There we were- it was a glorious battle," he says, lowering his voice into a dramatic hush as he tells the story. "A cannonball had torn my leg from me," he taps the wooden peg in emphasis, "but I wasn't dead yet. We managed to damage our opponents enough to send them retreating for repairs, but it left our own ship, the Wave Dancer, completely crippled. Of course- in swooped the vultures."
"Vultures?" Brittany wonders.
"Pirates! They had come to search for spoils in the aftermath, and, well… I don't need a leg to navigate." He smiles sadly. "Mike was already aboard that ship- The Hellish Scream, I believe. Has rather a nice ring to it, eh?" He chuckles, and Brittany shakes her head, scrunching up her nose in disgust. "Anyways, he saved me- gave me a new leg, and I was in servitude quite similar to yours for many years until The Hellish Scream fell and many of us joined The Tide Ripper, under Noah's leadership. I was offered a place amongst the ship for my loyalty, and, well- here I am."
Brittany nods. "Why didn't you return home? To Jox?"
"And do what?" Arthur asks kindly. "There's not much I can do, hindered as I am. I thought about returning, but even if the Joxian Navy still existed, they would never take me in my condition. Here, I can still do what I love- sail. I'm still useful. I have friends, a place here. I would never leave."
Brittany thinks about his words, and wonders how they apply to her future. She remains optimistic- if Arthur was eventually offered freedom, surely she will be, too?
Is her life really so bad as it is?
Certainly, it's a lot of hard work, and most days Brittany doesn't have any time to herself if she wants to get a good night's rest. Most nights she goes to bed stiff and exhausted. But she gets to spend her dinners with Sugar, who's adjusting to her new duties seamlessly, and she does enjoy the company of the pirates she's met- they aren't savages, after all. She'd certainly like more free time, but she's getting more efficient at her tasks, and learning more and more each day, becoming more and more self-sufficient and confident that someday soon, she'll be able to stand on her own as a full crew member, and not a slave.
It's not the life she'd been hoping for when she ran away all those weeks ago, but it's not as bad as she'd feared. She actually kind of likes it.
It could always be worse.
And she believes it could- and will- be even better.
The next morning, she's in the kitchen on her own, in charge of peeling an enormous pile of potatoes Kurt's planning to turn into stew for the week. Kurt has already left her to the peeling and gone elsewhere, and Brittany, bored in her task with no one to talk to, has instead taken to humming and singing to the potatoes, her only company.
She's in the middle of whistling an awful tune that sounds nothing like the song she intended, when Dia's voice breaks her verse.
"Hey, Songbird," she sneers, making Brittany blush as she realizes the woman had been listening to her singing for a while. "Where is Kurt?"
Brittany stares at Dia, who's standing in the doorway of the kitchen, dressed in what Brittany refers to as her non-pirate clothes. She's wearing just her normal, loose white shirt and black breeches, and her soft-looking black hair is down, framing her shoulders. She looks like she might have just woken up, actually, and the thought makes Brittany's heart race for an unknown reason. She hasn't seen the woman all week- that must be why her entire body feels like it's on fire, right?
"He's not here," Brittany tells her slowly, looking around the room to make sure she isn't lying. The last thing she wants to do is upset Dia.
"Shit. When will he be back? Where did he go?" She demands, sounding tense and annoyed. She taps her foot impatiently, nearly vibrating with energy.
Brittany shrugs, staring in disbelief at the woman before her. She's never seen her in such a state. "I believe he went down to the storage cellar to collect some-"
"Shit," Dia repeats, entering the kitchen and moving directly to the pantry, which she begins to rummage through. A loud mow at her feet gets Brittany's attention, and she spots Lord as he impatiently circles and weaves between Dia's feet, rubbing up against her calves as she digs for- something. Brittany smiles at the sight of the cat, whom she hasn't seen in several days, and had no idea he could leave the ship.
"Can I help you find something?" Brittany offers timidly, setting down her peeling knife.
"Kurt forgot to feed the fucking cat this morning," Dia complains, and Brittany blinks at how serious the woman sounds about such an unserious situation. The cat is huge- it could stand to miss a few meals, right? Is Dia for certain?
Brittany swallows her questions, though, and smiles politely instead. "Okay- what does Lord eat?"
"Don't call him that," Dia huffs from inside the pantry.
"Okay," Brittany says easily. "What shall I call him, then?"
Dia turns and shrugs sulkily. "How should I know? He's not my fucking cat."
"Well, he's awfully tubby," Brittany observes, reaching down to pet the feline, who comes to her hand. He sniffs it for a moment, but once he realizes Brittany's not offering him food, he meows impatiently and returns to rubbing against Dia's leather-clad ankles. Dia sighs.
"What if we named him Lord Tubby?" Brittany asks, raising her eyes to find Dia's brown ones. Dia stares at her helplessly, looking like she wants to argue, but she doesn't as Brittany smiles softly at her, endeared by Dia's behavior.
"Mow."
"You're right," Brittany tells the cat, "that's certainly not fancy enough for a Lord of your standing. Hmm…" She thinks for a moment. "How about Tubby- ton. Tubb-ing-ton!"
"Mow!" the cat says impatiently.
"Yes, it's perfect!" Brittany agrees with a nod. She looks at Dia for approval, and finds the pirate staring at her, her brown eyes soft and her expression rather fond-
Lord Tubbington meows again, more insistently, standing on his hind legs and clawing at Dia's leg, and the pirate jumps, cursing as his claw digs into her sensitive flesh through her pants.
Brittany giggles behind her hand and Dia scowls at her. "Okay, so what does Lord Tubbington like to eat?"
Dia looks like she wants to protest the name, but instead she shakes her head briefly. "I don't know," she moans. "Fuck. Now he'll never leave me alone."
"Don't worry," Brittany reassures, climbing to her feet and moving closer, "I'm sure we can find something to feed your cat."
"He's not my cat," Dia snaps, gently shooing Lord Tubbington away with the toe of her boot, who avoids her attempts completely, staring up at her with wide, expectant eyes.
Brittany blinks at Dia again, giving her a curious look, because it's exceedingly obvious that Lord Tubbington belongs to her, or at least, he thinks he does. Maybe he just hasn't told Dia yet that she's his owner- cats forget to do that sometimes, Brittany's sure. The thought makes her smile a little. "Okay, well I'm sure we can find something to feed L- uh. The cat." She thinks better on over-using the new name. Especially since she really likes it. Dia doesn't answer, only stares at Brittany, watching as the blonde leans forward to reach past her. She grabs a tin can containing some strips of cured fish from a shelf over Dia's shoulder. "Perhaps this…"
As she stretches forward, her upper arm brushes against Dia's, and Brittany feels the warmth of her skin, even through two shirts. She looks over into brown eyes, which are boring into her own, and her heart pounds, her pulse throbbing; she's never been so intrigued by someone, so enraptured and mesmerized by everything they do. She feels like she's a tiny magnet, and something is pulling her closer to the pirate, and again, she has no idea why. She stares at plump lips, tracing her eyes over the curve and wondering-
"Hey, Britt, are you done with those- oh. Hi, Santana," Kurt greets, then freezes. His eyes dart nervously to the woman, then to Brittany, who looks a little confused until-
Her stomach tenses with excitement as she makes the connection; Kurt just called Dia by her name, her real name. She finds brown eyes again before the woman pirate redirects her gaze elsewhere, but it doesn't deter her intent stare. She slides her eyes back over her face as if seeing her again for the first time, hearing her name over and over in her mind.
Santana. Santana. Her name is Santana!
"Kurt," Santana snaps, pulling away suddenly and focusing her attention on him- Brittany immediately misses the warmth, "You forgot to feed the cat this morning." Lord Tubbington meows again from his spot at Santana's feet, and Brittany decides that Santana doesn't know that Lord Tubbington belongs to her. She hopes he tells her soon.
Kurt laughs behind his hand. "I didn't forget. I'm out of food for him. I wanted to talk to you and Puck about that, actually- we need more supplies. I think a trip to Perdic is in order."
"Done," Santana snaps. "But in the meantime- is there anything else we can feed him?" Brittany can't help the amused smile that springs to her lips as she watches the exchange. She likes this nice side of Santana. She shivers- she has such a sensual name. "I can't deal with this all day-"
"Yes, Santana," Kurt rolls his eyes, "I will find something to feed your cat. I'll bring it to your room- I trust that's where you'll be?"
"Very good," Santana grumbles, turning towards the door, with Lord Tubbington following hot on her heels. She pauses to add, "and he's not my fucking cat." Then she leaves with a huff, her footsteps echoing down the hall.
Once she's gone, Kurt turns to Brittany.
"Yes, he is."
Brittany just smiles. She finally knows Dia's real name.
Okay, all right, some progress being made… next chapter the action picks back up again as the pirates put Brittany up to her first test… identifying a ship. WILL SHE SUCCEED?! I guess you'll have to wait and find out.
Review if you feel like it, but if not, whatever, I won't cry… much. ;-; I'm in my feels already, okay? Don't perpetuate it! I'm a fragile crab!
FUN FACT TIME:
Contrary to popular belief, the First Mate is not the second-in-command on a pirate ship. Mate is actually a pretty low ranking on the ship, similar to just a normal sailor, and the First Mate is just the highest-ranking normal sailor, lol. The Quartermaster is second-in-command to the Captain, and is elected, along with the Captain, by the crew. The QM pretty much runs things aboard the ship, is in charge of boarding other ships, etc. and has the power to veto the Captain's decisions- unless of course they're in a fucking ship battle or something. Then that's kind of inconvenient timing, wouldn't you say? ;)
The next update might be in another two or three weeks, because I'm going to finish up SOLOSMU, but I promise to have another update before Valentine's Day, at the latest, but probably way before that.
See you next time, pals! :D