"Cal, I need to talk to you."

I looked up from my scrubbing, the bright sun hurting my eyes after looking down so long. I had to shield my eyes against the outline of Jasper's figure.

Life burst through me as I registered the boy.

"Of course." I hopped up to find my back sore, pausing to hold it.

"What's up?" I attempted to subtly stretch, failing at the subtle part.

"Look around." I did.

To our near right, Cliff, Fay, and Shiloh scrubbed the ground silently, eyes on the floor, wrinkles in their brow. I continued my scan. The other orphans reflected a common funeral mood. Even with the sun shining brightly, there appeared to be a cloud over every single one of them. There was as much life in their stares as the grim reaper himself. Each boy looked like an eighty year old men whose life already passed and was just waiting for that final, pre-scheduled visitor.

"Yikes."

"Yikes is right," Jasper agreed. "These boys are all going stiff like your back."

I nodded and punched at my back again in worry.

"This is worse than the orphanage."

"That may be true."

I hissed in realization.

"We can't let this happen, Jasp! It's too much too quick." Jasper nodded.

"Yes! We need to talk to the Captain," he decided.

"I'm sure Captain Gryphon will understand," I agreed.

We put away our scrubbers and mops and headed for the Captain.

"Could you help us?" We finished our proposal to Gryphon who listened silently to the whole thing.

"I hear you, but I'm not the one you should be asking." We knew where he was headed but Jasper and I were hesitant.

"Raven?"

He nodded. We left, finding "our Captain" easily.

Raven stood predictably on the quarterdeck over the orphans, watching with an upturned nose.

"Captain Raven!" I called to him as we approached.

He turned with a pleased grin and eyebrows that shot up when he registered us.

"The pessimists! What can your Captain help you with?"

"Again, realists," I corrected with a scowl.

"We do need your help actually." Jasper nudged me. I understood; when asking for something don't get on their bad side, didn't mean I liked it.

Raven beamed.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. The orphan's have been a bit down since they started working," Jasper started. "We were used to doing dusting and sponging under the Matron but pirate swabbing is quite a bit tougher- being subjected to the weather all the time and bugs and the lack of hygiene is something to get used to." I nodded fiercely to that. "We would like you to give us better conditions to at least start off; more breaks, less threatening to whip us-" I recalled the couple times he threatened some of the younger orphans when they took a break to chat. "-please let us get more than your scraps tonight, and-"

"Wow that's a lot of demands!" Raven appeared to be experiencing a mix of surprise and displease. He laughed.

"Might I just say that's mighty motherly of you to be looking out for your buddies like that." Raven put on a strange smile for Jasper.

"Thanks?"

"And, Cal was it?" I nodded. "Yes, you really do have a pretty boy face." He grabbed my chin to examine me closer.

Inches from his face, I could get lost in the ocean of blue in his eyes. I mentally revised my ratings of his god-like good looks, which kept going up.

"If their morals get too low you can cross dress for the boys," he chuckled.

I jumped back in uncomfortable surprise.

Instead of aggressive, he only wore an amused and curious grin. I turned to Jasper in shock, but he also wore a thoughtful expression that showed he was trying to look at me like a girl- the last thing I wanted.

"God stop it you two!" Jasper dropped his chin in guilt, whereas Raven just gave an adorable teasing pout. "Our proposal! Will you help?" I tried to shake his pout out of my mind and glared.

Raven sighed.

"I like your initiative but if yuh landlubbers can't even handle that much, you'll be in for a rude awakening." He scowled and walked away.

Jasper and I exchanged a look.

"We could organize a rebellion," I glowered.

"No, I want to keep things civil." I shrugged.

"If that's what you want…" I currently wanted to punch that wanna-be Captain but I respect Jasper's wishes. I had a thought.

"Let's have a party."

"What?"

"Let's host another welcoming party for us, if you can even call that first five minute party one." I grinned.

Jasper thought about it and nodded, biting his lip.

"Yeah. Yes! That is brilliant, Cal!" He slapped his hands onto my shoulders and smiled into my eyes.

I squirmed under his straight-forward appreciation and turned away.

"Anytime." I focused my smile into something more compact that seemed to give the same effect.

"Let's have it tonight! Think we can pull it off?"

"Of course! Leave it to me!"

*Author's Note*

Hello- not much to say for this chapter, look forward to the party chapter tomorrow! (It's one of my favourites)