Belonging

Theo woke up early and went through the motions of her captain's duties. At first, she was hoping Evana would have gotten started on her project so Theo could have an excuse to not do anything but help. However, when she swung by, to offer her help, she learned that Evana wouldn't be starting for a few suns. With that plan foiled, Theo had no choice but to continue with her boring morning duties. She steered the ship, checked in with all the women she had encountered, ate lunch with Miss Yurwa down in storage and went through the inventory with Xyra. They would have to restock at their next stop on a myriad of things and she was looking forward to having to hassle and negotiate, something she did well. The morning came and went, nothing eventful happened to pass the time.

Being a captain was fun but Theo was never the administrative, sit-down type, hence the choice to enter a life of pirating. Leading people into battle, sinking ships, finding treasure, manipulating men into lowering their prices, that is what she signed up to do when she became a captain. Not going over how many barrels of beer they need, and how much meat they have to find when they dock at their next city.

The sun was beating down on the deck as Xyra and Theo made their way up from the storage room. Xyra was still droning on about supplies and stocking up and Theo felt bad, but she hadn't caught anything Xyra had been saying, because as soon as she got onto the deck, all she could do was think about how it was past noon.

"Theo," Xyra called her attention, "can I do that?"

"Aye. Of course. Do what is needed," Theo said confidently and put her hands in her pockets.

"You haven't been listening to a word I said, have you?" Xyra asked exasperatedly.

Theo felt bad and she tried to give Xyra her most apologetic face, "I'm sorry. It's just been a long morning and I know you don't need me to double-check what we need because I trust you.

"

Xyra rolled her eyes and closed the notebook in her hand, "Whatever. Go enjoy the rest of your sun. I'll take it from here." Theo smiled and hugged Xyra and Xyra pushed her away with a smile, "Leave me alone, you absolute scoundrel."

Theo laughed and waved goodbye to Xyra as she announced the shift change to the rest of the crew. Theo made her way back inside the ship and to the library. She was hoping to find Ava reading there and invite her to hang out during the night like they had been doing throughout Ava's time on the ship. Last night, Ava did not come by after their discussion but Theo was working the ship until late anyway. She enjoyed the new girl's company and found herself missing their conversations last night, not that she would admit that out loud. Once she made it to the library she found Ava curled up with some biscuits and a book.

Theo walked into the room and leaned against one of the bookcases, "What are you reading there?"

Ava looked up, a little startled, "Uh, the history of the first six classifications."

Theo snorted a little, "I'm sorry. My apologies, but isn't that a little boring?"

Ava shook her head and put her book and biscuits on the table, "Not at all. Well, at least not to me. I like reading about the past, it helps us understand where we are now. I think Cooker reminded me of that the other night and so I decided to pick up reading while I'm here."

"Very insightful," Theo smiled, "I just came looking for you to ask if you want to come by my quarters tonight?"

Ava looked quite surprised but she nodded anyway, "Yes, I would enjoy that."

"Great, I'll see you after supper," Theo said with a big grin and walked out leaving Ava to her book.

Ava was taken aback. Theo had sought her out and asked to spend time with her later. She wasn't aware that her company was enjoyed that much by Theo. Enough to have Theo come looking for her to invite her to come by in the night. It crossed Ava's mind that maybe this was because Theo was a nox, maybe she liked Ava. For some reason, Ava felt dirty for thinking that and immediately regretted it. Theo had not done or said anything that even hinted at that and was most likely just genuinely being friendly. As she had been the whole time Ava had been aboard.

She was excited to be able to spend some time with Theo tonight after the debacle from the previous night. Ava wanted to clear the air and put the Jarth behind them. At that time though, she wanted to get back to her book. She opened it again and began reading. It was thick but she was nearing the end of it, she had sped through it. It was so interesting to her. She had only been taught the history and the houses of Elox and even then, her education was limited to reading about things that pertain only to Elox. This book was comprehensive and explained the overall history of each of the five continents. She has begun to discover what the other places were like and how they were formed, and she was excited to be able to go to Dove Island and more places in The Twins.

The way society was rebuilt after the great war and the efforts made by the citizens in the first six classifications was fascinating to her and she found herself flipping page after page. Before she knew it someone was knocking on the doorframe, once again startling her out of her book trance. She looked up at the entrance and saw a large, tall, silver-haired woman standing there with a giant smile on her face, "My skinny friend, are you joining us for supper?"

Ava laughed and stood up brushing some biscuit crumbs off of her clothes, "Yes, I lost track of time. My apologies! How have you been?" Ava questioned as she put away the book.

Morgana began to walk out and towards the mess hall, "Excellent. No sailing duty for me. I was under Aidan's boatswain command this morning. Always a very easy time."

"Well, I am glad you got to be a lazy pirate, Mor."

Morgana laughed at that and brought a large hand to slap her across the back. Ava did not want to show just how much wind was knocked out of her and tried to subtly regain her breath. They made their way inside the mess hall where many women sat around the table, enjoying their warm meals. Ava had noticed during her time on the boat she had been somewhat adopted into a certain group. When she would eat meals or hang around the boat she would do so with Cooker, Morgana, Tuni, Oceane, Iona. Others would join them from time to time, a girl named Eva had joined them one night and Ava found it amusing to have an almost name twin. Just that sun at lunch, she had been introduced to someone new, a girl named Jakur who had been a pirate on the ship for about a length.

The women that she hung out with the most seemed to be made up of many of Theo's inner circle. She was surprised that, so quickly, she was able to adapt and be accepted into what she assumed to be a popular group around the ship. She had noted, during her time there, the different types of groups that everyone seemed to flock to too. The older ladies all tended to stick together, the carpenters, the master sailors, and many other little cliques. It wasn't odd or uncomfortable though, these groups tended to mix and match and meld with each other. No one seemed to ever be turned away or excluded from a certain group and that made sense given the philosophy around the boat. The whole women supporting women because the world won't vibe was something she had grown used to.

Once she sat down with her food and greeted everyone at the table, she noticed Tuni wasn't joining them, "Where is Fortune?"

"Ah, off in her room doing something or other with a plant root she bought in Jarth," Morgana offered the information as she began to slurp down her stew.

Ava nodded and pretended to understand what Morgana had said through a mouth full of food and took note of who was around the room. Navi and Eva were in a corner hunched over a table looking at what looked like sketches of something. Jakur was engaged in a playful arm wrestling match with another younger girl. Pirates were scattered about drinking, eating, and having fun. Amongst the girls she saw Theo, floating between all of the people around the room. Like always, Theo graced everyone in the room with her presence, even if it was only for a few minutes. Theo finally made her way over to the table Ava was at and greeted everyone with a big smile and a hearty sigh as she sat down right between Cooker and Morgana.

"Ah, if it isn't the two smelliest pirates on all the Baethean seas!" Theo exclaimed and nudged both of them with her shoulders.

"Oh, you flatter me, Captain," Morgana laughed and lifted her arm holding it in the air near Theo before Theo swatted it away.

"Where is your better half?" Theo teased and grabbed a biscuit from Morgana's plate.

"Up in the infirmary doing science things," Morgana shrugged, "Don't really understand."

"Ah, so you're just a free roamer tonight? An eligible bachelorette?" Theo prompted and Morgana laughed.

"I am as free as the wind and as dangerous as the ocean," Morgana played along.

"Great. It's settled then, you'll be joining Ava and me," Theo smiled and looked over at Ava for approval as if the invitation wasn't already out there. Ava just smiled and nodded, she didn't mind someone joining them and she loved Morgana.

Morgana raised an eyebrow and glanced between the two of them, "You and Ava?"

"Aye," Theo stood up, "The nightly free as the wind and as dangerous as the ocean meeting is taking place in my quarters and Ava is a part of it as well." Morgana laughed at that, as Theo turned to the rest of the table, "Who else is joining us?"

Cooker and Iona declined due to sailing duties and Oceane simply didn't want to stay out late.

Theo poked fun at all that declined for being boring and sticklers for the rules and began to back out of the mess hall, "The fun ship is leaving port."

"You're an idiot," Morgana stated and stood up, following Theo. Ava took the hint and followed them after she waved goodbye to her friends at the table.

Ava caught up to Morgana and Theo and stayed a few steps behind them, listening to them talk. Morgana was just filling Theo in on something she was planning to buy at their next stop at Dove Island. Ava couldn't understand the word that Morgana had said but from context and knowing Morgana it was probably a new weapon. Theo got visibly excited and Ava was focused on her animated expressions and conversation back to the captain's quarters.

"What are we even doing tonight?" Morgana asked as Theo opened the door for all of them.

Theo shrugged and walked behind her desk, "Ava usually just keeps me company and lets me talk her ear off."

Theo smiled over at Ava and Ava returned the smile, "She does not talk my ear off."

"You're being nice," Morgana laughed and sat on Theo's bed, "If there is one thing Theo is better than anyone at, it's talking."

Theo pulled out a small bag and sighed, "And to think I was going to share this with you, a bully."

Morgana gasped and stood up, walking over to the desk. It was the Dragon's Breath that Navi had gifted to her, "No way. Where'd you get this?"

"Navi gave it to me last time we were at sea. It's good stuff so I couldn't finish by myself. Thought I'd break it out now," Theo tossed it to Morgana who caught it with ease.

"Fucking legend," Morgana said and made her way over to a chair near Ava. Theo dragged over a chair then brought over a long pipe and her candle before sitting next to Ava.

Ava watched as Theo handed Morgana the rest of the supplies and Morgana skillfully began to stuff the pipe with the blue substance inside. Morgana lit the pipe and began taking big puffs and exhaled a big cloud of smoke. It smelled sweet like nectar and Morgana began to cough violently.

Theo laughed watching before reaching over and patting Morgana on the back, "I told you. This shit is intense."

Morgana simply nodded, still trying to catch her breath, and handed Theo the pipe. Theo followed exactly what Morgana did but held her breath for a longer while before finally exhaling in a big puff of smoke. Theo's shoulders relaxed and she slumped back against her chair. There were no signs of her needing to cough and Ava was impressed.

"Ava, you want some?" Theo offered, hoping this time Ava would join them. Ava looked at the pipe nervously and Theo had a sneaking suspicion that Ava had never smoked anything like this before. "It's okay if you don't want to."

"No, I just don't really know what it's like or how to do it," Ava admitted.

Morgana clapped, "A newbie! Yes!"

Theo laughed and made Morgana quiet down, "It's like your head is light and floaty and everything is a bit funnier and your brain is a bit more relaxed. To do it all you have to do is inhale then exhale."

Ava reached forward and took the pipe out of Theo's hands. She had never done any drugs before not because she had an aversion to them but because she would have never gotten away with taking any. If she wasn't allowed to drink at 16 what made her think she could get away with something like this. She felt the excitement to try something new overtake the fear she felt in the pit of her stomach.

She put the pipe to her mouth and imitated what she saw the girls do before her. She saw the wiry grass light red with each puff, she held it in until her lungs felt like they would explode, and she exhaled in a coughing fit. She was coughing for what felt like an eternity and when she finally managed to catch her breath, she saw Morgana and Theo staring at her with grins on their faces.

She blinked slowly and began to laugh, the two next to her joining in. Theo took the pipe and took another inhale and Morgana patted Ava on the back, "Nice one. How do you feel?"

"Floaty," Ava said with a lazy smile and she let out another small cough, "Like the universe is caving in on itself and I am going to be the only survivor."

"And one will be enough for you," Theo said on an exhale and Ava nodded in agreement. One had been more than enough to make her feel like she had ascended into a new world.

She slinked back in her chair and watched the pipe pass between Theo and Morgana for a few times before they set it down, both of them sporting red eyes and funny smiles. Morgana crossed her arms and nodded over at Ava, "What's your plan for Riem?"

"Riem?" Ava asked.

"Our next stop. You didn't have any luck at Jarth finding a place, did you?" Morgana said and Ava responded by shaking her head.

"No, apparently I needed a guardian signature since I'm sixteen. I don't have that, obviously, so they were trying to charge me, like, 30 gold every cycle for a small room," Ava shrugged. "I suppose I'm just going to have to try again in Riem."

Theo shook her head, "I'm afraid not, Red. The Twins law states that any woman under the age of 20 has to have permission to work and reside alone from a male guardian. If not it's like triple the price of anything else."

Ava frowned, "That does not seem fair. Why?"

"Depends on who you ask but mostly because the authorities think that women who are seeking to be independent are either runaways, delinquents, criminals, or prostitutes. They claim it's to ensure the safety of The Twins but that's bullshit," Morgana said with a scowl, "They just don't want women to be independent."

"Men don't need permission?" Ava asked, puzzled. That seemed unfair.

"Fuck no, they don't care about men frolicking about. They can legally acquire their own land at 13 and can begin to earn a salary at 10," Morgana started getting more riled up with every sentence.

Ava kept a frown on her face and shrugged, "Guess I won't even bother trying to get anything in Riem, then. I'll just have to wait until Dove Island. How do you know so much about The Twins?"

"I'm from there. About two hours north of Riem," Morgana said as she picked up the pipe from the floor and relit it taking puffs from it. "I'm visiting my family with Tuni when we dock."

"Oh? You still talk to them?" Ava asked and reached for the pipe when Morgana was done with it. She took another hit from the pipe and this time she coughed a little less. If she had felt floaty before, she was definitely in the clouds now.

"Aye, my dad and my sister. My mum passed when we were younger. I left the house to work in the city and send money back to them but ended up on a pirate ship making more than I ever would have anywhere else. I've got a nice sack of gold for them. Me sister's starting school in the city soon and I have to pay for her school fees." Morgana smiled proudly. She looked happy to talk about them and Ava felt warm and happy for her.

"I wouldn't have thought anyone here still stayed in contact with their families," Ava commented.

Theo finally chimed in from her spot, "Not all the women on here are runaways."

"Are you?" Ava asked and the room went silent. Morgana stiffened in her seat and Theo pursed her lips. Ava immediately regretted asking, "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

Theo shrugged, "No, it's alright. I'm an orphan. No home to run away from, so no."

Ava stayed silent and watched Theo grab the pipe and take another hit. She felt bad for bringing it up. Theo didn't look sad or bothered but Ava could tell by their body language that it was a sensitive topic. Theo finished with the pipe and passed it to Morgana.

"What about you? Runaway? Where are you from?" Morgana asked.

"North Elox," Ava said avoiding naming a specific city, "and yes, I guess I am a runaway."

"Why? We don't see too many girls from great houses become runaways," Morgana observed and leaned back in her chair.

"How do you know what type of house I'm from?" Ava asked, avoiding the question and leaning forward. She raised an eyebrow.

Morgana leaned forward as well, "Your posture, your grammar, your etiquette, how you're so skinny. All of that tells me you're not from a lesser house. That means you've either been born into a noble or a greater house. But no one would be stupid enough to leave a fucking palace and the noble lifestyle for a pirate ship so nobility is off the table. Which means you're from a greater house."

Ava laughed and shrugged, "I guess you're right. Good detective work, Mor."

"It's kind of obvious you're from money," Theo admitted, "Probably also why you were up-charged for that room in Jarth."

Ava's mouth dropped, she hadn't considered that being from a rich background they would try and swindle her out of more money. She also hadn't realized it was obvious that she even had a last name, "So, I've got to act like a pirate to get by?"

Theo laughed and teased Ava, "Aye, the best thing for you to do is just sprinkle in some mates, fucks, and ayes into your conversation and you're good to go"

Ava giggled at that, the dragon's breath was clouding her head and making everything into a joke, "Aye, I'll fucking do that, mate."

Morgana slapped her knee and laughed at Ava, "You've got me convinced. Welcome to the crew."

"Good. Now I don't even have to look for anywhere to go," Ava commented and put her thumbs up, "Pirate time."

Morgana looked between the two of them and stood up, "Pirating is fun. Anyways, ladies, I'm out. I've got a scientist to go bother."

Theo and Ava both waved goodbye to her and Morgana exited the room. Theo began stuffing the pipe again with fresh dragon's breath and stayed quiet for a bit. She looked up and handed Ava the pipe after lighting it and smiled, "I wanted to let you know that If you don't like anything or don't find a place to stay when we get to Dove Island you can stay on the ship. As a passenger, I mean. Until we get somewhere."

Ava looked up at Theo, shocked from the sincerity in her voice, "Thank you."

"I know that with everything that happened yestersun at Jarth that it might be a little disconcerting for you to think about more time on this ship but there isn't a rush," Theo offered then lit the pipe.

"About that... Yestersun was my fault. I'm sorry for the whole debacle..." Ava hoped her apology came across as genuine, "You didn't hide the fact that you killed people. You told me you did on the first sun I was here. You are a pirate after all. I was just in shock I think, never seen something like that before."

"Aye, it can be shocking. Pirating is not a life that lacks any excitement or horror," Theo admitted.

"What does it take to become a pirate anyway?" Ava asked. This ship was more welcoming than any place would be, she thought. But was she even capable of becoming a pirate?

"Each crew does it slightly differently but for this crew, it is pretty simple. The first requirement is you can't be a man if you wanna be on the crew. Second requirement is you have to have a job onboard. Some people are sailors, some are our vanguard, others cook and so on. Third, you have to be able to pass a test that simulates a pirate raid. You'll have to at least know what goes on with each part of the ship and the procedures and at least be able to defend yourself." Theo explained.

"That's it?" Ava questioned.

Theo shook her head, "No, that is just what the Scorned Woman does to confirm pirates. Then you take part in the pirate ritual. We sail you to a special place to swear an oath on a specific night in a specific way."

"What is the place and the oath?"

"That I cannot tell anyone until they are ready to become a pirate," Theo said with a smile. Theo handed Ava the pipe she had stuffed earlier but Ava declined. She felt like every sentence she said had to be carefully calculated and formed before she could speak it. That's how in the clouds her head was, a goofy smile rested on her lips and Theo laughed at her, "You're so high."

Ava guffawed and sat up straight, "Says you! You're so high."

"I am," Theo stated with a smirk. They both looked at each other and started to laugh, "You're good company, Red. I'm practically a stranger you have no obligation to spend your nights with me."

Ava clicked her tongue, "Nonsense. You've allowed me to spend my nights with the captain of a pirate ship. If anything it'll be a hell of a story to tell for the rest of my life. Plus, you're intriguing."

Theo went to say something when the door opened and Xyra appeared on the other side, "We have a sailing concern."

Theo scrambled to her feet and hid the pipe behind her as if that would do anything to help. Xyra looked around the room and then sniffed the air. A frown appeared on her face and she rolled her eyes, "Really, Theo? Come on, it won't be for long."

"Alright, I'll be right back," she told Ava then set down the pipe on the floor. She began walking towards Xyra and she raised her hands in defense, "Listen, Xy, Morgana was here earlier and it was her idea."

Ava covered her mouth to keep from laughing, afraid that she'd give Theo away. It was funny to hear how the captain of the ship acted like a teenager in trouble and told a blatant lie when there were no actual consequences. Xyra just seemed to have that effect on people, Ava would have to ask what the deal was between them.

She stayed in Theo's room for a little while but Theo didn't return. Ava didn't know if it had been a long time or if time was simply passing slowly. She would have left and gone back to her room except she wasn't entirely too sure how to get back in her current state. She walked around the room taking in all the random decorations and knickknacks that Theo had around the room. Her body felt like a stone and her eyes were beginning to feel heavy with sleep and she made her way over to Theo's bed and sat down on it. It felt soft and squishy under her and she flopped backward onto it. She let her eyes close as she sunk into the plush pillows and she made a back and forth motion with her arms.

If it weren't for her being intoxicated, she would have never dreamed of being this intrusive. It was a mistake because she felt unable to get up. Every minute that passed, she told herself she would stay in Theo's bed for one more minute, she needed to get up before Theo came back. But as each minute passed, she felt more and more tired until her eyes sealed shut and sleep overtook her.

Theo walked in about two hours later annoyed with an irate expression on her face. Fuck Xyra for keeping her for so long. Theo just knew it was intentional. There was no way she was needed for that long and Xyra was known for having a petty streak. She was having a good night, even getting new information about Ava she hadn't known before and then Xyra crashed it.

Her aversion to Ava was beyond Theo and she had an apology on her lips the second she walked back in. Looking around though, she didn't immediately see Ava. A second glance around the dimly lit room showed Ava curled up on Theo's bed. Her curly red hair fell into her face and she had a slight frown on her lips. It was probably a bad part of her dream, Theo thought.

Theo walked over to the bed and pulled the blanket over Ava, leaving her to rest. She grabbed a comfortable sleeping ensemble from her dresser and made her way out of the room and into a spare cabin. Ava looked like she could use the sleep and her big bed was certainly more comfortable to sleep in than the cabin ones.

By the time Theo found an empty cabin, changed, and got into bed her body was screaming for sleep after a long sun of sailing and being out. Usually, her mind would race with all of the next sun's responsibilities and she would stay up for a good while staring at the ceiling, but not that night. The comedown of the dragon's breath left her wiped and she found herself dozing off soon after her head hit the pillow.