Fantasy The Open Seas (with TheDarkButterfly)

[TheDarkButterfly]

"Two rooms, two beds each." Patrick grinned at them. "We got them for the two weeks we need to be in port, too. Includes a trip to the bathhouse in the back once a day, and evening meals. Breakfast and lunch is on us to find, I'm afraid, but there's plenty out there in the vendor's stalls during the day." He took a long drink of his ale, emptying the glass before waving for another. "We figured you two probably wouldn't want to have to share a bed for that long and we certainly weren't going to share one." He finished his plate and slid it aside, it being quickly being whisked away to be washed and reused.

"Patrick snores too loud to share." Alfred said teasingly, hiding behind his own drink. Patrick just chuckled good-naturedly.

"And you steal blankets, so we're even." He batted right back. "You make it too cold to sleep with you. And there you have it, we shall never share a bed again if we can help it!" He winked at the two young companions. "Although, we can always trade roommates...." He flinched when Alfred swiftly kicked him under the table. "Or not."

 

[Shy2Infinity]

She couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief to find that they'd gotten two separate rooms. It wasn't as if she didn't trust them or anything, but it was habit by this point to stay with Caleb and be alone, off to their selves. She chewed slowly, thoughtfully; and slowly cast her gaze watchfully around them. It was unnerving. She couldn't exactly see if anyone was watching them, or anything of the sort. Shaking off her discomfort, she stubbornly dug into her food. "So long as we get fresh food, I don't care," she grinned before taking another bite. And then her nose abruptly wrinkled at the thought of sharing a bed with Caleb, again. "Nuuh. Caleb talks in his sleep."

This made him narrow his eyes, pausing before he can shovel more food into his mouth. He'd been quiet thus far, but if she really was about to wage war with him... Slowly setting down his utensil, he raised a brow at her. "Yeah? And you toss and turn. I couldn't possibly get any sleep where you're concerned!"

It seemed like bickering was just hard coded into their DNA

However, their attention drew to Patrick as he said, "Although, we can always trade roommates..." He scoffed, "You wish." And he desperately ignored the flush creeping up his neck, the way his heart skipped a beat. Come now. It wasn't like he'd never received attention from an attractive guy! To hide the flush that was no doubt creeping up onto his face, he took a long swig of his drink.

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Patrick chuckled and drained the last of his third drink, Alfred right behind him on his second. "Alright! Well, I think I have had plenty of excitement this past few weeks, and as such I shall take full advantage of a very comfortable bed." Patrick said amicably as he stood, casting another look around the crowded inn. Satisfied that there was no fight brewing that he was leaving them too, he nodded. "Feel free to join me at your leisure." Not deciding to clarify who exactly he was addressing, he casually walked up the stairs to his room.

Alfred could only sigh at his friend's vagueness and press a hand to his forehead, far too used to his carefree flirting. He shifted his chair a little, taking up Patrick's vigil of the room. "Just ignore him. He'll get bored eventually." He said lightly, signaling for a third drink. "He gets like that sometimes. It's harmless, so don't worry about it." The barmaid brought him his drink and smiled flirtatiously at him, Alfred skillfully ignoring her. The poor women had been trying all night, unsuccessfully, to get Patrick to look her way, but having failing that was now targeting Alfred.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Their ears practically perked as Patrick spoke and the two stopped eating for a moment to look up at him. It was obvious to Caleb, at least, that he was wary about leaving them to a crowded inn alone. He was finding that he should never drink or eat around Caleb as his next words were, of course, another flirtatious line. He choked. Setting down his drink, he coughed into the crook of his arm. This time, he couldn't resist shooting the pirate captain a vulgar gesture as he walked up the stairs.

Irissa snickered, hiding her mouth behind a hand. She had no problems dealing with Patrick's flirting. She wasn't interested in him in the least and saw it as good fun for the most part. Besides, she got a lot of that where she was from, so she was used to it by now.

"Not harmless at all," he's almost pouting now.

However, Irissa couldn't help noticing the bar maid trying relentlessly to get Alfred's attention. She might have felt bad, if she wasn't clearly using Alfred as a rebound. Still, she tried to ignore it and set aside her empty cup. "No worries~ I'm good at ignoring things~! Hope you have a good night's sleep, even if Patrick's a heavy snorer!"

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Alfred chuckled a little. "Sorry, Caleb. When you've dealt with him as long as I have, you tend to forget how effective it can be." He took a drink. "Just ah......try not to let him drink too much if you're with him and I'm not there. I can rein him in usually, but I'm afraid that he gets worse the more he drinks." He thought briefly to a night long ago where he had let Patrick have a little too much. The results, while funny in retrospect, were not so amusing at the time. At least the resulting embarrassment from his friend had been quite refreshing. Alfred smiled into his mug at the thought.

"I don't know about you two, but I vote we try to sleep in tomorrow and have a nice hot bath in the morning. They're divided baths, so you won't have to worry too much, Princess." He took another swallow. "Soap's provided too. It'll be nice to have a real bath to clean up."

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Patrick getting worse the more he drank was not something that Caleb wanted to hear about. For a moment, he allowed himself to think about it.... And abruptly the image of a nude Patrick leapt to mind. Flushing darker, he hastily tried to banish the thought. Nope. Nuuh. There was no way he was going to think about that! Definitely not gonna think about what he'd look like beneath those clothes or anything... "You can count on me," his voice took a somber turn but from how red his face was, it was clear what was really going on beneath the surface.

"Oh, now I can't help wondering what he's like drunk," Irissa snickered at the thought. All she could assume was that drunk Pat had the flirtyness turned all the way up. And now, it was her turn to do a double take as Alfred called her 'Princess'. She stared at him for a long moment and then abruptly, "Ah... Right. It would be great to have a nice, hot bath." She'd forgotten that his go to for her was Princess. She wasn't sure how to feel about it.

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Alfred smiled at them both. "After our baths tomorrow, we'll go for breakfast my treat. There's a lovely little place that has excellent breakfast tarts that you can eat while we walk. Pat and I can show you around the town. We'll still stick around the market, though. As we said earlier, the market's safe, but the rest of the port can be quite dangerous. In these coming days, be sure to not stray too far." He warned seriously. "This country's not opposed to slavers nabbing unsuspecting visitors. Especially one's like you. Stay vigilant, alright?"

After his words, Alfred drained the last of his mug as if to wash them from his mouth. "Right. I'm off to sleep as well. I suggest you two do the same soon. I wouldn't linger too much longer down here. Your room is the second door on the left. If you need us, we're the first door." He skimmed the crowd, the same as Patrick had done. Finding satisfaction that the atmosphere still held pleasant tones, he bade them one last goodnight and headed to the room he shared with his Captain and friend.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Irissa couldn't help perking up once more, her eyes widening a smidge to hear about a place that sells breakfast tarts. Already, she couldn't wait for tomorrow. They had two whole weeks to explore the town and sample its food, fun, and festivities! However, Alfred's next words did not bode well. The talk of slavers particularly put her on edge. She opened her mouth, tempted to ask, "What do you mean, 'Especially ones like you'?" But her mouth snapped closed. She didn't want to know. She could feel Caleb boring holes into the side of her head, but she ignored him.

"We'll stay vigilant," Caleb nodded and clapped his hands, shaking off some of the crumbs. He waited up until Alfred left, and then seconds longer before he stood. "We should go." It would easier to stay alert and aware when they were by themselves, not to mention, they could freely talk about what they want to then.

Irissa seemed to have similar thoughts as she didn't even bother to respond and instead, hopped up and headed quickly to the stairs.

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Alfred and Patrick had quietly talked with one another once Alfred had entered the room, staying up making plans for the coming weeks of what to do, and where to take their two young companions. Satisfied with the activities decided upon, both men quietly went to their separate beds. Used to having to be able to fall asleep on demand, both quickly fell asleep.

Patrick was later roused from his sleep by a small noise in the room over. He listened quietly a couple of moments, trying to gauge the time of night. Deeming that it was far too late for their companions to be purposefully moving about, he quietly sat up, the rustle of blankets waking Alfred as well. He looked at his friend questioningly as Patrick quietly grabbed his knife from beneath his pillow and leaned an ear against the adjoining wall, trying to catch what had disturbed him in the other room. Alfred silently joined him, grabbing his own knife as well.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

The two stayed up a while that night, a bit anxious to go to sleep too early, 'lest something happen. All that being said, though, the two eventually decided to lay down and get some semblance of shut-eye. It was the dead of night when something ended up happening.

The door to the room slowly creaked open, heedless of the fact that it was very much locked before. A figure stepped in, shrouded by the darkness, their pitch black clothes did not help that fact. Looking this way and that, they made sure that the occupants were far off in dreamland. They waited for many moments before deciding to creep in. Every step was light, their focus zeroing in on someone: Irissa, peacefully sleeping.

They tip-toed around the bed and came to her bedside. Staring down at her sleeping face, they frowned. She looked so peaceful asleep, they almost wondered if they should leave her be. But no, this was too important. Getting ready to lift her into their arms, they suddenly froze as they felt a cool blade to their neck.

"Whatever he's offering you," a voice hissed into his ear. "It's not worth throwing your life away so I'm giving you to the count of three to leave. Nod your head if you understand." The figure swallowed against the cool blade and swallowed. As he slowly let off, he positioned himself in front of Irissa and watched as the figure scurried to get out, practically tripping over their self to leave. As they ran out, Caleb brushed a hand roughly over his face before seeing Irissa sitting up. "He's getting bold."

"Y-Yeah." She buried her hands into her lap in an attempt to still the trembling. "He is."

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Patrick and Alfred listened to this exchange quietly before both removing their ears from the wall. They shared a look and at Alfred's nod, they went to the room next door. Patrick lightly knocked, not wanting to disturb the other guests, but knowing that Caleb and Irssia could hear them. They could not pretend that the two young companions were not bringing trouble with them after what they had heard. Especially if it had the capability to harm his ship and crew. The kracken was a fluke, but unwelcome visitors in the middle of the night was not. If there were to be late-night visitors again, Patrick would rather be able to expect them. Not only for his and Alfreds sake, but the other two's as well.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

The air was somber, as the two thought over what had just happened in their own way. Caleb was simply worried about what this would mean for the future, Irissa... Well. If he had his way, then she wouldn't have a future. The thought of that... She could feel his hands on her neck all over again, choking her. She subconsciously tugged at the collar of her night shirt. She knew there weren't hands on her neck, nor a bruise on her cheek, but it was hard not to remember that.

All of a sudden, Caleb's head snapped up and there came a knock at the door. Irissa jerked towards it and her heart started up at a rapid pace. Looking back at Caleb, she saw that he was creeping towards the door.

If it was someone bad, he doubted that they would waste the time to knock. Besides, he had the advantage of knowing it was coming. Still, a knife was safely hidden behind his back as he tugged open the door. Only to stop and stare. Patrick and Alfred stood on the other side. His brows furrowed as the back of his neck prickled. "What--" He licked his lips and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Patrick eyed him seriously before waving him away from the door, letting himself and Alfred into the room. "I don't know, maybe you could tell me?" The words were light, but his gaze was weighing the both of them.

Alfred gave them an apologetic smile at the intrusion, mouthing an 'I'm sorry' at Irissa before politely looking away.

"I couldn't help but hear a small.....disturbance....a moment ago, and would rather like an explanation as well as you can give." Patrick crossed his arms, still watching them. "If there is something that can bring harm to my crew or my ship, I'd like to know about it. Secrets are well and good as long as they don't put my people at risk." There was no accusation or anger in his tone, but there was a slight undercurrent of warning that he wanted no lies from them. "You don't have to go into detail, but I'd rather like to know if I need to watch for a knife in the dark."

 

[Shy2Infinity]

"Is something wrong?" He didn't have to ask to know that there was. With the way Patrick was staring him down, he could tell something was. Patrick pushing into the room did not help the fear that was starting to circle around in his mind. He traded an alarmed look with Irissa and winced. This wasn't part of the plan at all and now, all of a sudden, it seemed like these two pirates were stumbling far too close to the truth.

For Irissa's part, she looked guarded. She didn't even seem embarrassed that Alfred was seeing her in her night clothes. She just sat there and regarded them cooly. The only evidence that she was still shaky at all, were her trembling hands.

Caleb pressed his lips together and glanced towards Irissa. This wasn't his to mention. If she wanted to keep it secret, then he'd stand by her.

She reached over to the brooch on the bedside table and considered it in her hands, the blue gem twinkling dully in the dim light. She could vaguely see her face reflected in the gem and even to her, her own face looked ashen. She breathed a sigh and looked up, "No, you won't have to worry about getting attacked. At least..." She chewed on the inside of her cheek, deciding on how much to tell them. How much she was comfortable with telling them. "There's someone... Chasing us. Chasing me. A power hungry freak that doesn't like his trophies getting away." She narrowed her eyes and looked away, angrily balling the sheets up in her hands before relaxing them. "As far as I know, he's only ever paid people to do his dirty work, but he's never picked a fight with anyone me or Caleb's interacted with."

Yet, she hoped that wasn't the case.

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Patrick watched them evenly for a moment, considering her words. "Chasing, eh? I'd say they found you rather quickly...." He studied them for a beat longer before shrugging slightly. "But if chasing's all it is, that's fine then. We know a lot about running." The words, while spoken lightly, carried a far greater weight than perhaps Patrick realized he let on. "Well, I suppose that should be enough for tonight. Let us know if something happens." He eyed them one final time before turning to go back to their room. "Sleep well." He passed Alfred, leaving him alone with the other two for a moment.

Alfred gave them another apologetic smile. "Please be sure to grab us if something happens again tonight, ok?" He reiterated. "And if there's something we can do to help....well, just let us know. Sleep well. It'll be a good day tomorrow." With these words he followed Patrick out of the room and closed the door gently behind himself. He found Patrick already back in his bed and asleep. He quickly followed.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

"Chasing, eh? I'd say they found you rather quickly...." It was true. It didn't matter where they went, he always found them. And that was terrifying, in and of itself. She knew exactly why he kept finding him, but she doubted that would help Alfred and Patrick sleep at night. And then, all she could do was squint at Patrick. They knew a lot about running, hm? She was considering asking him about that, but considering that she also wasn't telling them much, she figured it was a fair trade off. As he eyed them one final time, she couldn't help straightening up. It felt like he was seeing more than she wanted him to.

She breathed a sigh of relief as he left. Thankfully, Alfred was the nicer of the two. She could relax under his watchful vigilance, somewhat anyway. Then, at last, he was gone too and they were once more left alone.

Irissa's hands curled into the blankets as she struggled to get her breathing under control. Panic seemed to be her permanent bed mate. "He wouldn't!" She spun to Caleb, momentarily forgetting to keep her voice down. "He wouldn't go after them just because we know them, would he?"

He couldn't tell her the truth. That he might, possibly would. Instead, he sat on the side of the bed. "You panicking is exactly what he wants. He wants you to give in, remember? That's why he's getting bold, because he knows that the constant threat is making you stressed out." A frown crossed his lips. "He wants you to go back, right? He'll only win if that happens so stay calm. We're going to have a good day tomorrow, okay?"

She took in a deep breath and nodded, looking down at her shaking hands. "I can't go back," she breathed. "If I'm ever put into that situation, I'll die."

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

It was just barely past dawn when Patrick and Alfred woke from their sleep. They stretched, working lose the knots that had formed from sleeping in a strange bed and the discomfort of not having a ship rocking beneath them. Patrick ran a hand through his hair, doing little to flatten the couple of wild licks that sat on his sandy blond head. "I don't know about you, Al, but I'm really wanting that bath!"

Alfred chuckled. "I'm really looking forward to it. A hot bath, a long walk, and a good meal!......We should have a lot of fun with those two today. I think they need it after last night."

Patrick nodded in agreement. "Good thing the market has plenty to see and do. They won't be bored for quite a while. Anyways, I'm off for that bath. Care to join me?" He grabbed a change of clothes, intending to wash what he was wearing now.

"Sounds great to me!" Alfred also grabbed a change of clothes, looking forward to the long soak ahead of them. It would be nice to get some of the salt off his skin.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

That night, neither of the two could get any much needed sleep. With what had happened, they were both troubled. None more so than Irissa, of course. They knew who was after them, that much was certain. But one had to wonder if Irissa knew more than she was letting on. Her dreams were full of terror, of a past she was doing her best to put behind her. Caleb had once asked her if she truly thought he would acknowledge their agreement.

... No, she genuinely didn't think so. Did that mean that she was going to give up hope? Also no. Even if she was in denial, she needed this.

And so the hours passed while she tossed and turned. The morning sun rose and she finally gave up on getting any good sleep. For once, she was up earlier than Caleb, sitting up in bed and giving a big yawn. Blearily blinking over at her companion, she stumbled off of the bed and over to him - where she shook his shoulder rapidly. All that he gave for a moment was a grunt, then his eyes were unsteady on her face. "Time to get uuuuup..." Turning away to yawn, Irissa pressed the back of her hand to her mouth.

"Ah... When did you get up?" All she had to offer was a shrug as she stumble away.

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Alfred and Patrick seemed to have been the first to get to the baths that morning and had taken their time to scrub away the weeks of grime that had built up that only warm water could lift off. While both men had scrubbed with a bucket of seawater while on the ship to lift any filth that built up, the salt itself would stick to their skin. While they were long used to it, they couldn't pass up the chance at a warm bath.

Alfred had finished his washing first and was contentedly soaking in the large bath provided, enjoying the warmth that surrounded him. Patrick was still scrubbing away, trying to lift some of the pitch stains that stubbornly clung to his fingers. "You'll start taking skin if you do any more of that." Alfred warned his friend lazily. "Best to leave it for now and try again tomorrow. Take a soak now."

One of the reasons why Patrick and Alfred always insisted on this Inn in particular was for its intricate baths, a surprising vice of thiers. The Inn had adopted the concept of a large shared bathing room from one of the countries far to the north. It was a feat of ingenuity. Somehow the owner had figured out a way to keep the water warm without burning his patrons, allowing for long soaks without fear of the water going cold. It was set up that you would clean yourself before going to soak, allowing the water to not have to be drained after each patron was done. While the concept of shared baths wasn't widely sought after in this country, the novelty of it allowed the inn to draw a fair crowd.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

They would have to be separated once again, Caleb considered with a frown as Irissa walked beside him. It wouldn't have been so aggravating if Irissa had another person with her, one that was preferably a woman or woman presenting. He would be going to the men's bath with Patrick and Alfred... And on that note, his face flushed darkly.

That's right. Patrick would be there. Unable to tell why the thought bothered him so deeply, he covered his mouth and stared astutely ahead. But no matter how much he tried to not think about it, that only made the thoughts worse. And Irissa wouldn't be much help, as exhausted as she was. .....

There was the distraction! Resting a hand on her shoulder, he waited for her to focus back on him. "Are you okay, after what happened last night?" Obviously not, considering what she'd told him about, well, that guy. He could tell that they weren't a person he'd ever want the privilege of knowing. Any person that wanted to keep Irissa from doing what she had her life set on, deserved to be stabbed. Even now, the exhaustion marked rings around her eyes.

She blinked and waved away his concern, her mouth opening to reassure him. Instead what came out was -- "Am I ever okay?" It seems her own admission caused her to stumble. Her expression squeezed into a bitter wince and she rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably. "I'm... Surviving." A dark cloud passed over her face, and her lips pressed thin. "I'm just thankful that I haven't seen his face at all." Before he could say anything, she perked up and skipped forward. "Oh! Here's the women's baths." A darkish cherry red door was inlaid into the wall, a sign on it saying Women's Baths.

A few steps away, he could see the Men's Baths. "Just be sure to scream if something happens."

A cheeky smile pulled across her lips. "Yeah, nah. I'm not sacrificing my dignity."

"Then die," he huffed and trudged into the men's baths."

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Patrick headed his friend's words and sighed, setting aside the scrub brush. He took up one of the buckets provided by the inn and filled it, using the water to rinse off any of the soap that still clung to him after washing. He shook his head, scattering the stubborn droplets that still clung to the short locks. He was looking forward to a good soak and there was no point in delaying it any longer. He stood and glanced over when the door opened, seeing Caleb enter. While the steam was thickly drifting around the baths, it couldn't quite hide every aspect of Patrick's form nor the scar that crossed from his right hip to nearly mid-abdomen. While it had not been a particularly deep wound, the water still clung to and accented the silvery flesh there.

"Just in time, lad." He said, grinning at him. "Best baths in the whole port, I'd dare say! Definitely worth the stop, if you ask me!" It was clear from the way he was acting that embarrassment was not in his vocabulary, and shame was non-existent.

"Patrick, leave the lad be and get in already." Alfred said, taking a hot cloth and draping it over his eyes, letting his head rest back against the wall. "I don't want to be the only one soaking."

 

[Shy2Infinity]

Abruptly, he froze in the doorway. Sure, he kind of expected Patrick and Alfred to be bathing, but Patrick hadn't even set foot into the bath yet. He should have waited longer. He really should have. Already, he could feel his face coloring and he was extremely grateful the somewhat thick veil of steam that he hoped was obscuring his features. And yet, the steam was not thick enough to completely obscure Patrick's body and for a long moment, his vision snagged on things it most definitely shouldn't have. He decided that the male's scar was the safest place to look.

Or, ya know, I could just look away. He tried to huff at Patrick's wording, looking away with a distinctly exaggerated scowl. "You're something special," the words slip out from surprisingly loose lips and he clenched his jaw out of surprise. He tries to ignore the niggling in the back of his head that tempts him into catching another look at a definitely muscular Patrick. Was it any surprise that he was oozing confidence with a body like that? Having that kind of body should've been illegal!

He trudged over to take a seat and scrub vigorously at his skin, as if through vigorous scrubbing he could somehow erase the feeling of the sea on his skin.

 

[TheDarkButterfly]

Patrick grinned to himself, rubbing his chin. He couldn't help noticing the not-so-subtle stares he had gotten from Caleb. "Hey, Caleb, I could wash your-" His words were interrupted with a cloth heavy with water splatting directly into his face.

"Patrick, get your ass over here." Alfred growled in a tone that brooked no argument from the captain. Patrick came over to him, tail effectively between his legs for now.

"I was just trying to be helpful." Patrick whined lowly to Alfred who rolled his eyes, now without his hot towel. He settled into the water beside his friend. "I mean, we scrubbed each other's backs after all."

"And you and I have lived far too long together and grown too comfortable." Alfred replied dryly. "I would tell you to keep it in your pants, but seems as you're currently without any, I'll just tell you to keep it in your head."

"Oh, I'll certainl-" His reply was cut short again by a sharp pinch in his side, causing him to yelp. "That hurt!"

"Good! It was supposed to! Maybe you'll learn your lesson from it!" Alfred scolded him, settling back again.