We all cheered then began to shuffle after our new mentors.

Howler beckoned for me to follow him as we headed up the stairs.

"So we have been reunited," I joked.

"Mm." He nodded smiling. He reminded me of a bear. Howler was frightening to look at but he was really a peaceful person with a sense of humour and a very huggable personality if you got past the claws of silence.

He spoke in a deep yet strangely soft voice, like that of thunder; ominous, yet pleasant to hear. Going over the duties of a quartermaster, I felt it shouldn't be a hard job. I already settled disputes and owned the junior pirates' respect.

Once the sun made its place in the west skies, I got a visitor.

"Ahoy, Cap'n!" I smiled remembering his earlier look of camaraderie.

"Ahoy," he chuckled smile from ear to ear, until that smile was suddenly pushed off his face.

"Are you at a good stopping point?"

Howler nodded.

"Yep, I think I have this job in the bag already."

"Good, good." Raven smiled, not an ear to ear sign of happiness, but a mouth the curled upwards on either end, a grin that didn't reach the eyes.

"What's up?" I asked, my cheer fading as curiosity toward Raven's unusual sombre took over.

He shrugged and shook his head.

"Nothing just felt like chatting with my friend." We began walking away from the railing and toward the navigation room. Since Howler didn't stop us, I figured it was okay.

"What was the orphanage like?" Raven inquired as he opened the door. There was a noticeable hesitation of contemplation between holding it for me or walking in first. In the end, he walked in first to light up a lantern.

I used the time my eyes needed to get used to the dimly lit room with no window to develop an answer.

"Uhm, it was pretty bad. The Matron, the lady in charge, was super mean to us and always made us clean. She'd whip us if we spoke passed curfew and they also only fed us gruel." I grimaced.

"What's gruel?" He asked, genuine curiosity momentarily lighting up his face.

"Nasty, sludgy 'food'." I put air quotes around food for I still believed it was secretly watered down putty or mashed up beetle juice, it tasted so bad.

"But even though it was pretty bad, we were protected by law to be kept well-fed and rested. The Matron never gave us scars either." I began to remember why I didn't hate her so much before. Then my mind wandered to why I did now. "Except she did sell us to pirates, so she's still pretty terrible." I looked back at the pirate boy. "Not that being a pirate is bad, it's been surprisingly fun."

Raven nodded, seemingly in deep thought.

"Have you lived there all your life?"

"Naw." I shook my head. "I only lived in the orphanage for a year." I stopped there, not wanting to talk about my pre-orphanage days for fear of exposure.

"Oh, where did you live before that?"

Damn. I swore silently deciding to tread lightly.

"Well, I never knew my birth parents. Mother and the baker found me in a basket and decided to take me in. I'd been living with them till the baker died then Mother a year after him leaving me to the government who sent me to the orphanage."

"What did you do for fun back then?"

"Uhm, we chased farm animals and star-gazed."

"That's a bit of a girly hobby isn't it, star-gazing?" Raven forced a laugh.

I gave him a funny look.

"Not really… I mean all my friends and me did it."

"Guy friends?"

"Uh yeah, mostly."

"Oh!" He appeared like a kid who found the right spot for a difficult puzzle piece. "So you had girl friends too?"

I shrugged.

"I mean, a couple I guess."

"Oh!" Raven appeared like a spark was catching on a long thread.

"Any girlfriends?" He began smirking.

Was he trying to have a casual guy talk? Or did I have reason to worry?

"No no, they were just friends. I wasn't that close to them anyway." I shrugged, not exactly lying.

"Sure," he rolled his eyes and moved toward me.

Shit.

The fuse neared its end.

"How big is your penis?"

"What?!" I burst out coughing and backed up against the table. "Why should I tell you!?"

I knew it.

Raven suddenly closed in. His hands reached to my pantline. I tried to push his hand away but he was really strong as he tugged. I had nowhere to run as he pulled my pants down revealing my ill-fit briefs. His hand brushed my crotch I tensed but to my relief he didn't dwell. Because he had moved on. To my lips.

*Author's Note*

Oh btw, beware... the chapter you just read was a jump in spice... Yeah, I forgot to mention that beforehand. Sorry...
Yeah so that happened mainly due to my friend wanting some smutty stuff, but I didn't want to do anything TOO much so that's all you get. Actually, I take it back, here's your one warning: proceed with caution.

Look forward to the next chapter! XD