A/N: Thanks to silent-tanuki for helping me name the pirate ships! And for listening to me ramble as I try to plot out details.
X
Tokaku was already awake when there was a curt knock on the door. She slipped out of bed, still dressed in the clothes she had worn last night. They were the only clothes she had with her on her journey. She was making a point to carry to not carry many valuables.
She had expected Kaiba but was instead greeted by a woman, cerulean blue hair cut into a neat bob. There was an air of maturity about her that enhanced her youthful beauty. Still, the smell of a rotten sea clung to her, and Tokaku knit her brows, arms behind her back, ready to grab the daggers hidden under her clothes if necessary.
The woman regarded the move calmly. "Kaiba sent me. He said you needed an escort."
Tokaku relaxed slightly. "That was quick."
The woman grinned. "As a barkeep, he has many connections." She offered her hand and continued, "My name is Suzu Shutou."
Tokaku made no move to shake her hand, instead brushing past her. Suzu frowned, already sensing this job wouldn't be pleasant. Nonetheless she followed after Tokaku, showing her the way to the dock where their ship was was waiting.
They walked past street vendors and dodged pickpockets with ease, winding their way around alleyways and streets until they could see the high masts of the ships docked in Port Royal. The sails waved in the breeze, promising a good start to their journey, and the sun felt warm against their shoulders. Seagulls squawking above them, badgering the street vendors for their food. Suzu giggled, watching a hapless sailor get hit with seagull increment. Then her laughter was quashed as she felt the shadow of the birds over them. She hoped she wouldn't receive the same treatment.
They stopped at a grand ship, towering over the others docked next to it. Tokaku's eyes widened, surprised that it didn't look like a pirate ship at all, but instead a luxury liner for aristocrats. Its size almost rivaled the Navy vessels she rode on duty. Emblazoned on the hull was the name: Chamomile.
She wondered what sort of pirate captain commanded this ship, with pristine and polished floorboards, almost like marble.
While it couldn't be said that pirates were businessmen at all, Tokaku was sure this pirate captain was more businessman than pirate. She would have to be even more cautious. This captain didn't rely on brute force, but on their intellect and charisma.
She noted the sturdiness of the masts, and that the sails glinting under the sunlight were not mere cloth but silk. Tokaku suspected that the room she was borrowing on the ship would be luxurious as well. Suzu showed her where the room, but was Tokaku merely nodded. She didn't have any belongings that she could drop off there, and it was still too early to sleep.
"You don't mind if I explore the ship, do you?" She turned to Suzu.
Suzu was surprised by the conversation, since she had been ignored since she picked up Tokaku. "Not at all! I'll show you the res-"
"That won't be necessary. I can look around myself, right?"
The other woman smiled, eyes narrowing slightly, "Of course. However. . . guests should be careful not to overstep boundaries."
"Even if I found something, I am not in a position to expose you. I'm sure Kaiba told you the whole story."
Suzu nodded. "He did- and you're right. Fine then, explore to your heart's content. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Me, of course. I'm afraid my fellow crewmates are either not as friendly as me or. . ." She chuckled. "Rather bizarre."
After Suzu left her alone, Tokaku spent the rest of the day exploring, hands running along walls and listening closely to every step, taking note of the density of the walls and floorboards. A solid sound didn't raise her attention but the five hollow sounds were noted. Hidden passageways. Tokaku didn't care to remember the illegal goods stored in the cargo area. Perhaps if she was on duty she would have, but that was not the reason why she had asked to explore the ship. The following week she continued the same route, memorizing the ship down to the recesses. Tokaku had a knack for remembering the layout of her surroundings, finding it necessary in case of emergency. If she closed her eyes she could visualize her and Haru's house. There were more secrets to it than the money stashed in the fireplace. There were two hidden passageways. One was between the bedroom and Tokaku's study. The other was in the wine cellar downstairs that led out three miles from their house, near the beach. The architecture had been all Tokaku's idea when they built the house. That was four years ago, only a few months after they married.
It had not been Tokaku's idea that they marry. "I wish it could always be this way," she admitted once when they were strolling through the market. Haru was about to pick up an apple from a stall and stopped, facing Tokaku directly.
"It can."
Tokaku had sighed. "Haru. . . we can't."
And though Haru knew more than anyone who may be eavesdropping, she still asked.
"Why not?" She didn't ask out of ignorance, only to make Tokaku think, to challenge her hesitation.
Under her breath, so no one could overhear, she answered her, "You could never live a normal life. Have children-"
"Haru doesn't want to live a normal life if it's one without Tokaku."
Back then, neither of them considered that Tokaku's duties would send her farther and farther away from Haru. Tokaku had tried to make it easier on Haru, hiring maids to help her keep up with the house but also to keep her company. She had even allowed Haru to have relationships outside of their own, hoping that would help too. Despite that, Haru's letters, no matter how cheery, carried traces of her loneliness. Sometimes Tokaku couldn't bear to finish them. She often wondered if Haru would have been happier if she had had an arranged marriage over marrying her. She wondered if she could manage to be happy for Haru even if that meant they weren't together.
However, despite everything, Tokaku was grateful they met.
X
"How long is that naval officer going to stay on the ship?"
"My, it's not often that I see Kouko. Did he do something?" The speaker looked up from her book. She had hair down to her knees and was barely dressed, ready to turn in for the night, wearing a silk gown over her chemise. As Kouko unfolded her arms, the long-haired woman reached for her cup of tea.
"Captain Hanabusa." Kouko pushed her glasses up her nose. "I'm concerned that he continues to poke around the ship. Just today I caught him in the weapons storage. He was inspecting our gunpowder and he rotated one of the canons. . ."
Hanabusa grinned. "My, you really don't like your things being touched, do you? You didn't seem to mind him until now."
Kouko's mouth twitched. "I'm just worried our weapons will be sabotaged. After all, we are going to invade that ship."
After taking a sip, Hanabusa spoke. "If anyone should be worried, it should be Azuma. How foolish of him to come alone. Even if he is a friend of Kaiba's, this is a wonderful opportunity for us. We will take the ship Black Stinger, dismantle her crew, and claim their goods. Then we will take Azuma's wife and hold her hostage. If he's come this far for her, it should be easy for him to comply with our demands."
"Are you sure it will be that simple?"
"My, you're always cautious, Kouko." Hanabusa chuckled. "Well, as long as you don't blow anyone up this time, it will be successful." She set her cup down and waved the other woman off. "Shinya spotted their ship before night fell. It won't be long until we enact this plan."
". . .Already?"
"Already. Make sure our canons and weapons are in top condition. I haven't told everyone else yet, but I plan to attack two mornings from now."
Kouko nodded before leaving Hanabusa. As the door closed, two forms slipped out of hiding from under her desk.
"My, I never told you to stop..."
X
"Ah! Did Isuke really cook?!" Nio jumped upon seeing plates of steaming food completely covering the table. Some plates were barely on the edge, balanced precariously.
"It's Isuke-sama!" she corrected, putting her hands on her hips, "and of course Isuke cooked it!" She glanced at Haruki. "Even Isuke knows how to cook. . ."
Chitaru eyed the food suspiciously as they sat down. "The question is if it's edible. . ."
"What does that mean?!" Isuke barked, slamming her fist. The plates on the edge of the table fell.
Nio frowned. "Those looked good and everything.. . ."
"They probably didn't taste as good as they look."
Haruki bent to clean up the dishes while everyone else sat down. Hitsugi sat next to Chitaru, hugging her stuffed bear, making no move to eat, eying the food warily.
"You're not eating?" Chitaru asked, voice flecked with concern.
Hitsugi nuzzled the bear. "I ate earlier."
To everyone's surprise, the food was delicious, and though they had hoped the food would be palatable, this only increased their suspicions. Haruki's more so.
"Ya know, Isuke-sama, normally when you have cooking duty you suddenly go on a diet." She pointed at Isuke's bowl, nearly empty.
"Isuke doesn't need to go on a diet today," she retorted pointedly, refilling her bowl with beef brisket and biscuits.
". . . You didn't make the food," Hitsugi said and for a moment the room was silent.
"How long has Haru been awake?" Nio asked, cutting through the silence. Again, everyone turned to Isuke who merely shrugged.
X
Haru had been laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, listening to the voices of the pirate crew directly above her cell. She could only catch snatches of their conversation but enough to hear that they liked the food. She found herself smiling, the first true smile in a while.
After a while, the voices stopped and she heard a stampede of footsteps rush downstairs to the kitchen. She blinked, standing up to see a crowd of young women trying to cram themselves in the small kitchen. She blushed, realizing they had come to see her.
A blonde pushed through them all, the cell key hooked around her index finger. She playfully twirled it around, staring directly at Haru.
"So, you're awake."
X
A/N: Thanks for reading!