She wasn't on his mind for long. There's a lot to keep a Captain busy. Not to mention fine-tuning the plans for tonight's mission, so much could go wrong. He didn't like the thought of going without his trusty sword. He was so engrossed in the details that he nearly forgot about his meeting to hash out his character. He was nearly tempted to skip it entirely. How much practice does a waiter need anyway? But he was expecting his men to put everything into this and so should he.

As he made his way down the corridor to one of the debriefing rooms, he halted mid step at a foreign sound. It was light and merry laughter. He recognized Shirazuki's tone but not the other. He checked his timepiece, this should be his time with Ash, but surely that couldn't be her. He carefully approached the door with soft steps and cracked the door open. A record player warbled an elegant piece, and the pair were going through the complicated dance steps.

He spun her about with the clumsy grace of one totally out of practice. She tripped over his foot, and he caught her in a low dip. "Whoopsie, my bad, again," he snickered as he pulled her upright.

"I'm beginning-think that you're-doing this-on p-purpose," she said between fits of giggles. Law felt his heart stop at the sight of her shining face. Without her usual distain, she was an enchanting beauty. The closest he'd come to inspiring the same was during their rare intimate moments stolen in darkness. Even then it was hardly euphoric, more like breathless wonder that filled her amethyst eyes. But they didn't dare speak then. It was surreal to experience such deafening silence because a single word would damn them both. So much was left unsaid but understood intrinsically. That sort of connection was difficult to experience, let alone explain. It was terrifying to crave the touch of another without shattering your soul.

His gaze lowered uneasily as he withdrew, stepping off to the side. His hands slipped into the pockets of his jeans as he stared hard at the floor. His brow furrowed thoughtfully as he mused upon his past mentor Corazon. What a bizarre, peculiar man but each moment was genuine, and the emotion heartfelt. Once again he wondered what was it like to be so expressive? That sort of openness felt foreign to him, and even now he just couldn't fully relate. His face settled into a scowl as he berated himself for such silly thoughts. What did it matter in the end anyway? She'd be gone before long and who knew when their paths would cross again? What a waste of time.

He blinked in surprise when fingers snapped before his face. It was only then that he was aware of Ash standing before him.

"Geez, don't space out like that," she scolded with a set frown that sullied the shine from before. There was still a measure of color to her cheeks though.

He followed her into the empty room, noticing that the music has since stopped. She gestured towards a chair set before a large mirror. "Let's get your look squared away first," she gestured for him to take a seat.

"I leave myself in your capable hands," he said dryly as he tossed his cap aside. "Though dying my hair is out of the question."

"Or shaving that spot you call a beard, yeah, yeah, I know. You said the same last time," she assured him. She turned aside to rummage through a small box set in the wall. This contained a variety of disguises and other generic costume pieces. He took advantage of her distraction to pull the earring out of his pocket. He flicked it with his thumb, aiming for the box. She jumped back slightly to hear the faint clatter of metal. Did something just fly past? She peered in curiously and cried out in surprise to discover the earring. She grabbed hold of it and pressed it to her lips as she gushed with relief. She'd spent hours looking for this! She had feared it'd been lost for good.

He softened at her reaction; it did lessen its loss a bit. She leaned towards the mirror as she quickly clasped it in place. She let out a grateful sigh before noticing Law's reflection watching her and she blushed at her emotional slip. "About that, it was just, I mean, forget it," she grumbled as she turned back towards the box. She pulled out a wide toothed-comb and a bottle of gel. She removed the cork, and he couldn't help but make a face as the stench tickled his nose.

She gently smirked as he pinched his nose between his fingers. "Now don't be a baby about this, Captain. Surely you've experienced worse torture than this." She tipped the bottle to place a dallop on top of his head. He braced himself as she attempted to tame his wiry hair into sleek submission. She tried to be gentle at first, really, she did. But in the end, she had to put him in a headlock to get the comb through it all, as well as three more applications of the foul-smelling gel. It was worth it though as his hair now gleamed with a stylish slick-backed flair. She wiped sweat from her brow as she stepped back to admire her work. "Huh, not half-bad. You clean up nicely for a pirate," she teased with a smile that held a measure of pride. "But seriously though, we've got to do something about that spot." She gently held his chin in one hand.

He twisted it free. "Don't even think about it. Its gonna take me days to wash this crap out of my hair. It would take me even longer to grow this back."

"Much like that mustache of yours." She countered. He looked confused for a second before her cruel joke dawned on him and he scowled. "So, let's just speed up the process." She turned back towards the box and pulled out a false mustache with some glue. He held still as she carefully applied the glue outline to frame around his mouth. She frowned in concentration. "Close your eyes," she instructed.

"Why?" He muttered, trying to keep his lips as still as possible.

"You're staring at me. It's annoying." Her cheeks burned slightly.

He grunted in derision but complied with her request. This only heightened his senses as her delicate fingertips ran along his skin. It sent a shiver up his spine, and he swallowed hard as he tried to suppress the sensation. His fingers twitched before gripping the armrests of the chair to further anchor himself. She noticed how tense he became and sighed in disappointment. "Just relax, I know what I'm doing." Soon after, she declared the job finished and he opened his eyes. He hardly recognized himself in the mirror, an incredible success indeed. No one would connect him to that wanted poster now.

She looked pleased as well, nodding in approval. "You're halfway there, you definitely look the part."

"But a waiter?" He protested with a brief sulk.

"It's the perfect role for you to take the lead," she reassured him. "No one ever notices a waiter; you'll be able to eavesdrop easily and slip in and out of any room without attracting undue attention." He had to admit that she had a point. "Now stand up, let's work on your walk."

He looked exasperated as he stood up. "Seriously?"

"Hey, don't question my methods," she refuted as she shook a scolding finger at him. "You hired me for my social expertise, remember? I know what I'm talking about."

"Whatever, but lucky for me I'll forget about this while you'll be stuck with such useless information." He gently smirked as he followed her to the center of the room.

"Useless information you're paying me quite heavily for too, I must add," she grinned wickedly at him, enjoying the sight of his face falling at the realization. "Now stand up straight, shoulders back," she instructed. Once in position, she retrieved a large silver tray from a nearby table with props and held it up to him. He held it up to eye level, flat across his palm. She face-palmed as she shook her head in dismay. "No one will ever be able to reach anything from that height." She tugged on his arm, pulling the tray down chest level. "That's better. Now let's work on balance."

He had to admit that it was much tougher than it looked. The difference in weight between finger foods and wine glasses was fairly extreme. Thankfully the glassware was plastic for practice purposes, for it spilled numerous times. She wasn't exactly the most patient teacher but to her credit she was dedicated to seeing that he was successful. At long last, she declared their session over and Oki was waiting outside for his turn. He did a double-take at the Captain's new look and suddenly seemed nervous for what she had in store for him.

"Take courage," he reassured his man with a clap on his shoulder. "Surely you've experienced worse torture than this." He chuckled softly with a grin.

He received a summons from Bepo later to report to the bridge. He ignored the stares and open-mouthed gapes from those he passed along the way. For much for not drawing attention to myself. He did however glare at the one who dared to whistle at him. Upon arrival, he approached the bear. "So where are we headed to now?"

"Stathmore. It's a resort sort of town, lots of coming and going. Even so, we'll anchor the ship just out of sight along their southside." Then he noticed the slick new do and grinned. "Aww, she's made a real prince out of you, Captain!" He praised.

He rolled his eyes. "Far from it, stay on task Bepo," he reminded him. "Where will we rendezvous with this yacht?"

"There's a series of them set for Korenaga's estate," he produced a list from his jacket pocket. "Seven in all, leaving within an hour. Any one of them will do, but they're the only scheduled transport. Anything else would definitely attract attention." He turned aside to punch in a few calculations. "We're set to make the course change, ready on your mark, Captain."

"Very well, then prepare to submerge."

"Aye-aye, Captain!" He enthusiastically responded. This was always his favorite part of sailing the Polar Tang.

The crew about them echoed the saying as they took their positions.

"All systems are clear!" One called out.

"Airtight seal confirmed!" Another barked.

"Open the vents!" Bepo instructed as he pointed at another.

"Roger that," he nodded in turn. "The water intake is good."

Law stood at his leisure with a pleased smile as he watched them go about their task. His crew was a solid one, trust-worthy and loyal, any Captain would be proud to lead such a group. They all turned towards him, waiting for his signal. "Submerge," he directed.

The Polar Tang slowly slipped beneath the surface, bobbing slightly as it adjusted to the surrounding pressure. "Adjust trim 25 degrees," Bepo continued. "Sustain a depth of 100 meters."

"Set a course for the southside of Stathmore and stay sharp," Law added as he turned on his heel. "We've got a schedule to keep."

"Aye-aye Captain!" The crew chorused behind him.

He decided to return to his quarters where he knew a parcel would be waiting for him. Shirazuki had picked up their disguises at the last port and warned them that it could take some time to put on. Apparently, people in this society had time on their hands to add an obnoxious number of buttons, clasps, and snaps to their clothing. What was the point? Once in his room, he found it on his wardrobe trunk, which was bolted to the floor. He unwrapped the paper to find a fairly ordinary set of clothes; stiff white button-up shirt with black trim, black trousers, a pin-striped vest, and a pair of black cotton gloves. That wasn't too bad. Included was a note reminding him to be sure to remove his earrings. He scoffed at that but did so first before he forgot. He placed them in a small box within the trunk.

Unfortunately, dressing wasn't as easy as it at first appeared. Some of the buttons and clasps were tucked out of sight. He wasn't one to lose his patience so easily, but it was definitely frustrating! It was a good thing that he didn't wait until the last minute. Once done, he determined to check on the others progress. Yurata, as the muscle, was going through his arsenal. He made a face at the Captain's stuffy appearance. "Ugh, I'm glad to be sitting out on that party," he sneered.

"That doesn't give you license to slack off," he warned him as he picked through the choices, tossing a few aside in rejection. "Back-up is a necessary evil, but I'd like to avoid any use of force on this one. There's no place for bullets in a ballroom."

Oki, meanwhile, was struggling a bit with his clothes. In addition to the buttons and snaps, there were ruffles and elaborate cuffs to deal with. He gladly welcomed Law's offer of assistance. As the Captain set about securing the stubborn shirt, he suddenly found himself grateful for the lesser role. Oki was to play the part of a nobleman, on par with their target. He gasped as Law fastened the collar tightly. He tugged on it as he gasped for breath and Law narrowed his eyes in warning, silently shaking his head. "But I can't breathe in this!" He squeaked out.

"Deal with it," he said dismissively. "Take shallow breaths and you'll be fine."

His face fell but he nodded obediently. "Yes, Captain," he mumbled.

Now it was time to check in on Shirazuki. He was surprised to find his room empty, and he asked a passerby for his whereabouts. "He went to help that newbie put on that tent of a dress, so he says," he chuckled at the obvious innuendo.

Law's gaze darkened but he also highly doubted such was even the case. He was well aware of the fact that Shirazuki and Ash were childhood friends. Still, they were nearing their arrival time, so he turned to descend down towards the guest corridor. It wasn't more than a hallway with a handful of rooms. He wasn't inclined to host very often, no sense in wasting space for their comfort. At present, she was the only one, assigned to cabin A. As he approached the door, he was startled to hear strange noises. Low rhythmic grunts, groans, and a loud gasp.

"Harder!" Ash hissed through her teeth. "C'mon!"

"Nearly there, just hold still why don'tcha," he snapped in turn.

Law's eyes went impossibly wide as his blood began to boil. What the hell did they think they were doing? They didn't even have the decency to close the door, he could clearly see Ash doubled over as Shirazuki pulled her back against him. With a snarl, Law kicked the door open. Startled, Shirazuki let go and Ash collapsed onto her bed. He took a step backward with his hands held up in surrender. "It's not what it looks like, Captain!" He insisted.

Law frowned curiously as he noticed his crewmen was indeed fully clothed and not aroused in the slightest bit. Ash growled as she struggled to lift herself up from the heavy yards of fabric, ruffles, and petticoats. "Damn it all! They've come loose now!" She stood up, hugging the sagging corset against her chest. "We'll have to start all over again so thanks for that!" She snarled at Law.

He looked between the two as the situation began to dawn on him. "I see," he conceded. "Have you finished with your own preparations, Shirazuki?"

"Nearly, I just have-"

"Go take care of it," he instructed with a jerk of his head. "I'll see to this."

He nodded and hurried out the door. Ash scowled at Law's approach. "I can't believe you over-reacted like that. You're such an idiot!"

He grabbed hold of her shoulders and wrenched her round so she faced away from him. "Anyone else would have made the same assumption," he countered coolly as he took hold of the laces.

"Maybe, but only you would—" She gasped sharply as he yanked hard, cutting off her insult of midstream. His long fingers began to lace up the contraption.

"I didn't think such torture devices still existed," he grumbled under his breath. She grimaced; it was worse than she remembered. She drew slow, steady breaths as she adjusted to the suffocating pressure. It was silent between them as he continued with his task. He was nearly finished when a familiar scent tickled his nose. It made him frown thoughtfully as it was just on the edge of his memory, but where was it coming from? "Are you wearing perfume?"

She shook her head. "No, not yet. I'll do that very last. Why?"

The slight shake increased its faint scent. He leaned forward, drawn to her hair. It was styled elegantly atop her head, powdered with a faint glitter and set with a series of pearls. This was the source. He closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply.

"It's coastal," he murmured absent-mindedly as he secured the last tie. "Some kinda floral…gardenia, I think…white cherry blend?"

She blinked in surprise. "Well, yes," she admitted. "Its…" her breath caught in her throat as his hands came to rest along her neck. She trembled slightly. What was he doing?

He buried his nose into her hair. Oh, the memories that flooded through his mind! It's incredible how much he'd forgotten that was recalled in an instant. This scent was the same as the favorite perfume of his dear Mother. It wasn't something sold on Flevance, it was imported from her home country. How many times had Lami tried to sneak into their room to take a sniff from her vanity? Once he tried to stop her and was sprayed right in the face when he startled her. It burned his eyes so badly! Even after his eyes were flushed clean, it still hurt to blink for a couple of days. His friends teased him about the scent that lingered on, calling him fancy pants for a while there. At the time it was humiliating but now the memory made him chuckle.

Ash held still as he continued to nuzzle with a measure of affection. She was thoroughly confused. Men don't care about scent and Law had just nailed it. She glanced at the bottle of hair styling powder sitting on her nightstand. It was a recent purchase, something she found in a seaside market. It smelled nice so she bought it, that's all. But it clearly meant something to him. "Hey, stop that, you're going to mess up my hair." She pouted as she carefully pulled herself free. She turned to snap at him for the delay when she was stunned into silence. He stood there as if in a trance, his face expressionless as he looked right through her. While that was weird, it wasn't what shocked her. There were tears were collecting in the corner of his eyes.

She'd never seen him cry, ever, and the sight nearly broke her heart. She had to do something to snap him out of this, before the others saw. She inwardly cursed the awkwardness of it all as she cupped his face in her hands. She closed her eyes as she carefully rubbed his with her thumbs. He blinked at the interruption, suddenly aware as the tears fell down his cheeks. He stiffened in embarrassment, but her grip tightened.

"It's ok," she whispered. "I won't tell."

It was then that he noticed her closed eyes, and he appreciated that simple privacy. He closed his in turn, letting them flow freely. His jaw trembled as he sniffled slightly. She kept quiet and still, though she gently wiped the tears as they fell. Even the strong have their weak moments, she mused to herself. She had heard a little about his troubled past, not from him, but the massacre of Flevance was well known. Something that traumatic was sure to leave deep-set scars.

He turned away at last, head lowered as he collected himself. She frowned uneasily at the ground, not sure what, if anything, she should say.

"Don't add the perfume," he muttered softly. "It would ruin it."

She looked up just as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. She looked confused. "Ruin? Ruin what?"

It was just as well though, she was going to need to hurry now.