Ugh... This is my last week of summer vacation, then I officially start my senior year of high school. ... I am not ready for this T^T
"What the fuck?! How the hell can we STILL not find those damn pirate bastards?!" Lovino snapped as he and Feliciano walked through the streets. "Is this on purpose or something?!"
"Veh, knowing how they are now, that's possible," Feliciano said.
"Assholes… Bet they're fucking hiding somewhere having a good laugh watching us make fools out of ourselves…."
The younger twin shrugged, then yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I'm still tired..." He looked around and smiled lightly. He walked away from Lovino to a large tree that was next to a little tool shop. Without saying anything to his brother, Feliciano laid down in the shade patch, and settled himself down.
"Dammit, Feliciano!" Lovino snapped as he ran over and shook his brother's shoulder. "Don't fucking sleep here!"
It was to late, Feliciano was fast asleep.
"Ugh…."
"There you are, Lovi," Antonio's voice suddenly said, coming up behind the elder Italian. "Did you get your clothes all sorted out? What did you think of Ronaldo? Nice guy, huh?"
Lovino glared at him and crossed his arms. "Bastard's alright. At least HE didn't fucking ditch us."
"If you're talking about Francis, we can safely assume he's probably gone to a whore house or something like that," the captain said, shrugging.
"And you're fine with that?" Lovino asked as he raised an eyebrow.
Antonio shrugged again. "I guess so. As long as he doesn't bring it onto the ship, I don't care. It's his life, he can do what he wants with it."
"… you're too damn different right now…" Lovino quietly muttered to himself.
"What was that, Lovi?"
"! N-Nothing!"
The Spaniard raised an eyebrow at the other, then shook his head. "Alright then." He looked down at Feliciano asleep on the ground. "That doesn't look very comfortable. Oh, and that reminds me, I've reassigned him. It's not his job to clean anymore."
Lovino frowned as he watched the pirate warily. "So… what's his new job…?"
"Lookout."
"He'll be up at that high point and keep watch?"
"Up in the crow's nest, si."
Lovino blinked in surprise. "So that's what the damn thing is?"
"Yes. And it's a simply job; he just has to yell down if he sees anything. From storm clouds to land to other ships."
Lovino nodded and glanced away. "… Thanks."
"I'd say he earned it. And a long brake. Three days. He can have three days to do whatever he wants, then we'll be back on the boat. Someone else has the night shift, so he will work his shift in the day," Antonio said. After watching the sleeping Italian for a moment, he reached into his pocket and took out a small bag of gold coins. "Here, when he wakes up, go get some dinner in the tavern. Tell the barkeep you're part of the Nocturnal crew. The password he will ask for is 'sangre'. You got all that?"
Lovino nodded again and pocketed the money. "Si, I got it. I'll keep watch on the dumbass. I guess you're going back to the ship now?"
"Not quite. Once I find Francis and Gilbert, we have to go do some hunting."
"… 'hunting'?"
"Si. And yes, it's exactly what you think it is."
"… what?"
Antonio sighed in irritation and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You see, Lovi," he began, "when a person is a human, they eat food and drink water to survive. When one is a vampire, they survive off a little thing called 'blood'."
"I fucking KNOW that!" Lovino snapped back. "I mean why are you so fucking calm about it?!"
"Why wouldn't I be? It's a pretty normal thing I have to do. I kind of like living, you know?"
Lovino bit back a sarcastic response and simply shrugged.
The Spaniard rolled his head, cracking his neck. "You might want to get in the tavern soon, or you're going to not have a table and you'll have to sit at the bar with the drunks. Whenever you're ready, head back to the ship. Watch out for anyone following you."
"… why should we watch for anyone?" Lovino asked warily.
Antonio looked into Lovino's eyes, his voice serious. "Because I have enemies, Lovino. And I don't want you two to get hurt."
Lovino stared at him in surprise at the words. "You don't want us to get hurt…? I thought you fucking hated us and shit. And we just do shit for you."
The captain smiled. "Initiation is a bitch." Then, before Lovino could respond, the Spaniard walked away.
"What the hell…?" was all Lovino managed to get out. Then, shaking his head, he turned back to Feliciano and started shaking his brother's shoulder again.
Feliciano grumbled up opened his eyes. "Whaaaaaaaaaaat?" he whined, sitting up and rubbing his eyes to focus them. "Can we go back to the ship and sleep now? Please? Pretty please?" He looked at his brother with begging eyes, silently pleading with him.
"No! We're getting food, dammit! Now get up and come on!"
Looking like he was about to cry, Feliciano dragged himself to his feet. "How far...?" he asked, sounding miserable.
Lovino paused then facepalmed. "Where's the damn tavern again…?"
"The what?"
"…. Isn't that a bar?"
"I have no idea."
"Well let's just go find the damn thing anyway."
"How are we suppose to find it if we don't even know what it is?"
"Uh… ask some bastard where the hell it is…?"
Feliciano looked around the people walking past them. He shifted closer to his twin when he noticed some of the creepy looks the brothers were receiving. "I-I don't wanna talk to them," he said. "They all look scary."
Lovino groaned and dragged a hand down his face. "Ugh… fine…. I'll do it."
"B-Be careful..."
Lovino nodded then looked around to see who would be good to ask.
About half an hour later, the twins finally managed to find their way to the tavern. After talking to a few shady people, and having to run around the town to escape a few kidnapping attempts on them, the two stumbled tiredly into the building.
Luckily for them, there were still open tables and they snatched up one in the corner, glad to be far away from the counter where there was already quite a few men drinking heavily. A bar maid approached them, holding a serving tray. She set down a few beers at a table near them, then turned her attention onto the Italians.
"What can I get for you, boys?" she asked.
"Uh…." Lovino thought out loud as he tried to figure out what to say. "Beef stew?" What did they have back in these times anyway?!
The maid nodded and looked at Feliciano. "And for you?" she asked.
"U-Um, t-the same thing," Feliciano murmured, looking at the table. The girl nodded, then went off to the kitchen.
"H-Hey, fratello? How are we going to pay for this?" he whispered to his twin.
"The tomato bastard explained this shit to me when you were sleeping," Lovino whispered back. "He said to tell the bastard that we're part of the Nocturnal crew. And that the damn password he's going to ask for is 'sangre'. Whatever the hell that means."
Feliciano blinked. "If it means the same thing as sangue, then the password he gave you is 'blood'..."
"….. he is one fucked up bastard."
The younger twin let out a sigh and dropped his head onto the table with a loud thunk. "I don't want to clean any more," he said, deciding to change the topic. "When we finally get back, I'm not doing it any more."
"Well you're not going to anyway. Bastard changed your job. You're the lookout now. You sit up in the tall point on the mast and watch out of shit during the day."
Feliciano lifted his head. "The crow's nest?"
"Si! That damn thing!"
The bar maid reappeared, two large bowls of a rather delicious smelling stew in her hands. "Here you are, boys. Enjoy. And if you need anything, don't be afraid to yell for me," she said. With a flirty wink, she left once more.
Lovino watched as she left. "Wonder what she would do if she knew just how much older she was than us….."
Feliciano was quite for a moment, his head tilted to the side as he imagined the girl freaking out and throwing stuff at them, calling them witches or whatever superstitious thing that was around. He tilted his head to the other side and imagined her sitting at the table with them, asking questions about the future, looking at them in awe as they described even simple things. He smiled, liking this daydream far better than the other.
"… what's that stupid dazed look on your face?" Lovino asked as he glanced over at his brother.
The younger twin just giggled.
"Ugh… never mind, dammit… Just hurry up and eat will you?"
The twins began to eat, the pair surprised by how delicious the simple food was. Once they had finished, the bar maid returned for a third time. She brought them both more stew as they had requested. "Enjoy," she said again, smiling at the two's excited looks upon seeing the meal.
After finishing this second bowl, it was time for them to pay. Feliciano waited at the table as Lovino approached the barkeep.
"Why the hell am I the one doing this again?" Lovino muttered to himself as he made his way up to the bar.
The man serving drinks turned his attention to the Italian when he reached the counter. "Can I help you?" he asked.
Lovino glanced around then turned back to the man and said, "We're part of the Nocturnal Crew."
Instantly, Lovino had the man's full attention. "What's the password?" he whispered lowly, looking at him suspiciously.
"Sangre," Lovino whispered back.
Nodding, the man motioned for Lovino to go into the back room. "I'll be with you in a moment," the barkeep murmured as he moved away from the Italian.
Lovino swallowed but nodded and carefully made his way into the back room. Antonio didn't lead him into some kind of trap right?
A few minutes later, the man walked into the room, then began to rummage around the kitchen, looking for something. He placed a variety of items onto the table, glanced at Lovino, then added a few more. This done, he bundled them up and placed them into a little cloth bag.
"Here," he said, his voice low. "Give this to your captain. Be safe on your trip, watch your back, and do not trust the guardsmen. If you see them, run as fast as you can." His warning given, Lovino was gently pushed out of the room and back into the tavern. Feliciano appeared at his side a second later.
"What happened?" he asked worriedly. "I-I looked away for a moment and when I turned back, y-you had disappeared!"
"Sorry," Lovino muttered. "Let's go… damn that captain… using me as a damn messenger… making me carry shit…" He sighed and glanced at Feliciano. "help me keep an eye out for people alright? Bastard said not to trust the guardsmen and if we see them then make a damn run of it."
Feliciano nodded, a frightened look on his face.
Lovino swallowed then started making his way to the door.
The two slowly made their way down the street, looking around themselves suspiciously, flinching at every shadow.
"D-Dammit… t-this fucking sucks balls….. D-Damn that bastard…."
The younger whimpered. "I-I'm scared," he whispered.
"M-Me too…."
They continued alone a few more yards until they looked at each other and silently agreed to just fuck it and run. The brothers bolted, sprinting for all they were worth towards the harbor, fear powering their legs, making them run faster.
"T-That…. a-asshole…." Lovino gasped for breath as he collapsed on the ship deck before rolling over onto his back to catch his breath. "I-I… am NEVER e-ever... fucking do that… again!"
Feliciano nodded, breathing hard. He fell down next to Lovino, then put his head on his twin's back, using him as a pillow.
"…. I look like a damn p-pillow to you…?"
The younger twin mumbled an answer.
"D-Dammit… you little bastard…"
The Italian lifted his head a fraction of an inch, letting his voice be heard. "Yell at me later... we get sleeps now..."
"Ugh…. Fine, dammit… You have a point…."
Happy to know Lovino wasn't going to smack him away, Feliciano nuzzled his face into his brother's back, then promptly fell asleep.
Lovino rolled his eyes before closing them, started to doze off himself in a matter of minutes.
"Dude, what are we going to do if Feli and Lovi don't get back in time?" Alfred asked, sitting on an armchair in the living room and holding Arthur on his lap as the magician looked threw his spell books, much to the Brit's embarrassment. "We can't just let them die."
"We're not going to have to worry about it because we WILL bring them back!" Arthur hissed as he squirmed. "Now unhand me this instant so I can get back to work Alfred!"
"No way. You've been working none stop since we got back here. You are taking a break."
"I don't care! Now let go!"
"No."
"Alfred!"
"No, Arthur."
"Why you-!"
"No."
"Alfred….."
"Arthur." Alfred's voice was sharp, uncharacteristically so. "I'm not playing this game with you. Not today. You haven't rested as much as you should have since we got back and you know. You're smarter than this, Artie."
Arthur glared at him a bit more then huffed as he glared at the wall. "Fine. But only for a bit! We don't have time to waste!" He went to pull away only to stop and stare at his book. "… that's it. I know how to locate them. Alfred! Let me go!"
The merman hesitated, then slowly allowed him to stand. "Fine. Let's get everyone."
Arthur nodded as he scooped the book up and flipped through. "Alright. And be sure to hurry! We haven't a moment to waste!"