As Aurora passed Charlotte on her way to her table, she felt a tug on the back of the collar of her dress, effectively holding her in place by the hostess podium.

"Charlotte if you continue to do that you're going to end up choking me to death!" Aurora proclaimed as she rubbed her neck soothingly.

"I call him." The blonde said looking straight into her eyes.

"Which 'him' are you talking about? From here it looks like there are three men over there." Aurora searched her new table from afar sizing up each of the males. There was a laughing pair of men across the table from a tinier one. The laughing pair seemed more masculine than the other one who seemed to be engrossed in the menu.

"The little one. He's foreign and looks extremely cute! They have to be from the new crew that came into port this morning. He might even be some kind of royal cargo! Who knows? I surely don't. I'm going to find out though. Or… you could find out for me!" Charlotte said excitedly with a glint in her eyes as she clasped her hands together in a pleading motion.

"Char, I'm just here to get some extra money. I really don't need to get caught up in this…"

"Oh come on! It's for a friend. PuhLEASE! I'll wash your clothes! I'll feed your cat! You can pimp me out and take a quarter of the cut!"

"Woah. Just… fine. You obviously really want this." Aurora said as she folded her arms across her chest considering the situation. "How do you suppose I get this information out of him?"

"I don't know. You'll figure it out! I have a lot of faith in you. A LOT. Now, go before they look over and get suspicious!" Charlotte exclaimed pushing Aurora in the direction of the table before readjusting her shirt to look more presentable.

Aurora sighed before straightening her shoulders and walking over to the table calmly. How she was going to approach the subject of the man's origins she had no idea. Well she might as well get her job out of the way first.

"Hello, I'm Aurora and I'll be your waitress for today. Would you like to order some drinks while you decide on your meal?"

The men all looked over at her each smiling sweetly before ordering their drinks.

"I don't believe I saw you around town last time we were in port, I'm Captain Hook and these are two of my merrier men." The grungier man said as he gestured to his two companions.

Aurora arched her brow, about to respond politely whenever the man beside the Captain spoke more gruffly. "Well when you say it like that, it really does sound stupid."

"It doesn't matter how you say it. The title itself screams stupid."

Aurora smiled at the men trying to stop the argument before it started, "Well, it doesn't sound that bad…"

"Don't worry about Robin, m'am. They are always back and forth complaining like a married couple." The third man said to her reassuringly. He had a softness to his eyes, wise and weary like the other men, but almost more mysterious. The Captain had said that they were men, but those eyes seemed more feminine than any man she has seen. Shaking her head she tried to derail her inner monologue away from the enigmatic person in front of her.

"So where are you guys from, if you don't mind me asking?" Aurora smiled at the three.

"We are fishermen that don't exactly have a particular place to be. Most of us were born in different countries but have decided to explore the world." Robin said with a smile.

"We fight the good fight. Some of our men are looking for any place that happens to be better than where they are from. Others just have nowhere else to go so the sea is their home." The Captain added.

"Well what about you?" Aurora asked inquiring the younger man at the table.


What about me indeed. Mulan thought pensively as she practiced her archery on the ship. It was quickly turning evening and most of the men were currently out getting ready for dinner and a drink at the pub. She had stepped out after lunch, not even needing an excuse for the men. The duo knew they probably wouldn't get much of an answer anyway so they bid her a good rest of the day and reminded her about dinner.

*THUNK*

The arrow she had held in her quiver vibrated slightly in the wood of the target before it settled. She was using her more flimsy arrows in order to save the best for a time where she may need them.

She had been sailing for months and she was still no closer to finding out anything about the fate of her family. Tomorrow she would search the archives of the town while they were still docked. Mulan doubted that they would give her any fruitful information anyway.

*THUNK*

Mulan reflected on her answer to the waitress's question. Soul searching she had said. Not entirely false, or entirely true either.

*THUNK*

It didn't help her blend in though.

*THUNK*

She just sounded like an existential…

*THUNK*

Hare-brained…

*THUNK*

Idiot.

*THUNK*

Mulan reached back into her quiver finding only air. She sighed and climbed down the rigging of the crow's nest where she had been residing before walking over to the target littered with arrows. Discarding the broken arrows into a wood bin, Mulan then filled her quiver back up with what was left. It was about time to walk over to the pub. At least she had taken some time to compartmentalize her feelings on the ship. She didn't understand why the opinion of a random waitress mattered anyway. The smile the girl had given her in return for her information just made her feel… weird. Mulan didn't like it. She didn't like this feeling at all.