Suggestion

They had successfully managed to plan a route to Gossem without too much disagreement. A limited number of ports open to them made things a lot easier. Fewer choices meant less fighting. When there was a group of wildly different individuals that had various backgrounds and history, decision making was a difficult task. Luckily, it had been less of a headache that time around. There were only a few hours until everyone was due back on board and most of the women left to spend their last moments in Niveal having fun. Theo was left alone in an empty chamber, nothing but piles of objects surrounding her.

Besides the vote switch between Oceane and Morgana, the meeting went according to plan. She prepared the crew for the cycles ahead and shared everything she needed to. Xyra hadn't stuck around for long, most likely to go spend some alone time in Niveal with Navi. She left without a word which is what Theo expected after the whole Viv reveal. She figured she would get started on what Morgana requested. Theo had promised her that quartermaster was a temporary job and she hadn't made good on that promise.

She searched her drawers for a paper she recognized as a list of her crew members. She took a quill and an empty paper and began to scan the list for potential candidates. After going through the list twice she had three names on there and she was pretty sure none of them wanted it. Quartermasters were usually long time crew members as those were the ones the women tended to vote for. Quartermaster, like every other higher-up position on the ship, was put to a vote. Theo had to make sure whoever they picked to train for quartermaster would be able to get voted in. She was going through the list for the third time when the door opened. It was Ava.

"Welcome back," Theo said glancing up from her list then back down, "Anything I can do for you?"

"No, I was just coming in here to try and search for my books," Ava said, "If that is okay?"

"Go right ahead," Theo glanced back up, flashed a reassuring smile, and looked back down at her list. Ava looked like she was going to ask a question about what Theo was doing but instead she walked further into the mess of the room.

After a long time of sifting, looking, and rummaging, Ava found her books. Theo found herself looking up and staring at Ava so often that she figured she should help. But by the time she offered Ava was already selecting the ones that were hers from a pile. Ava had them all precariously balanced in her arms while she made her way to the door.

"Thank you!" she called out, chin resting on the books to keep them in place, "See you in the morning! I will be swabbing the deck."

Ava did not say it sarcastically but enthusiastically and Theo laughed at that. She was saddened to see Ava leave so soon and Theo was not below asking her to stay, so she did.

"If you're just going to go down to the library and read, you can stay here if you'd prefer," Theo offered, "The light in here is much better."

"You're not too busy?" Ava asked.

"No," Theo smiled and put the papers down, "I was not getting anywhere with what I was doing anyway."

"What were you doing?"

"Making a list of people that would be good to be quartermaster. I've got three out of 30 possible people"

"Is Skins on there?" Ava asked as she walked over.

"Skins? From carpentry?" Theo raised an eyebrow.

"That's the one," Ava said.

"Are you aware of what a quartermaster does? Cause if you did I'm sure you would not have picked Skins," Theo laughed a bit.

"I know what a quartermaster does. I think. They tend to the rooms and look over the cabin girl, introduce new people to the ship, solve disagreements between the crew, talk to the women and they keep you up to date on the crew. Oh, and they count the votes to make sure it goes your way," Ava listed off.

Theo nodded and bowed her head down a bit, "Very well, hats off to you. Who'd you ask?"

"No one," Ava smiled proudly, "I'm very intuitive."

"I see that," Theo laughed, "That's dangerous for me. Means I can't get away with anything as captain. How'd you figure it out then? Oh, smart one."

"Watching Morgana do half of the job and watching Xyra do the other half then complain about doing Morgana's. Plus, at the meeting Morgana complained about having to deal with the crew's issues so, all the evidence was there," Ava chuckled.

"Aye, I don't know why Morgana is the one complaining, she barely does the job. Xyra's been the one running around doing all the heavy lifting," Theo laughed, "Since you do know what it is, mind explaining your case for Skins?"

"All the girls owe her money but she is patient and willing to work with them. A lot of the girls like her and know her because she does lend them money. She's good at solving problems between girls in the lower decks, I've seen it. If you are having a hard time choosing people it's worth a shot," Ava stated her logic.

"Skins is technically not even a pirate yet. We voted her in but she had yet to be initiated at Corinspe," Theo countered.

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"We've never had a quartermaster that has been with us for so little time and we've never had one that hasn't done their initiation," Theo said.

"There is always room for some firsts," Ava shrugged.

She had a point and Theo picked the quill back up and scribbled Skin's name on her paper. Ava asked to see it and Theo handed it over.

"I can't understand this," Ava said with a frown.

"It's in Aelizan," Theo chuckled, "It's more fun to write."

"Do you think in Aelizan?" Ava asked and Theo laughed.

"What?"

"Like your thoughts, are they in Common on Aelizan?"

"I guess depending on the context, so both," Theo shrugged and got up from her chair, "I'm going to go try and find my stuff before others come and in and try and say it is theirs."

"I'll start on my book," Ava said and picked up the one about the different continents.

Ava did as she said and settled into the chair to read. Theo tackled the room by sections, selecting the materials that were hers. All of her things were all specially wrapped and delivered and the twine that kept her packages together were always stamped with a special seal that had her name in Aelizan engraved on it. Theo had managed to stuff all of her new belongings into an empty trunk and locked it with a key. There would be no stealing of her stuff this time around, she made sure of it. When Theo got back to the desk, Ava did not look up from the book.

There was a knock on the door and Theo called the person in. Only then did Ava peek up from the book, looking back at the door. Tuni walked in, eyes a little swollen from crying and Theo flashed a sympathetic smile and stood up.

"Fortune," Theo said softly, "To what do I owe the pleasure."

"You are my patient, Captain Theo, lest you forget," Tuni walked in holding a basket full of stuff, "Come on, shirt off."

Theo sighed dramatically. She always gave Tuni a hard time in hopes it would lessen her intense care and scrutiny over Theo's health. It never worked, only seemed to fuel the healer to push more.

"No peeking," Theo joked to both of the girls before turning around and pulling her shirt off.

Ava didn't return to her book, instead she stared at Theo's back. Without the blood and Theo thrashing about, Ava couldn't admire the work that was put into the ink the night before. Only small pieces of brown skin peeked out from beneath the designs. Tuni worked quickly on undressing, disinfecting, and redressing the wound. Ava's eyes were fixed on Tuni's work, fascinated with how she knew what to check for and what to do. Theo's body would flinch every once in a while but no complaints arose. Tuni did not speak until she was done.

"Keep your arm in the brace," Tuni said, "I am leaving these with you. Use them, please. Do not be stubborn, they will help with the pain," Tuni placed two small cigarette shaped items in front of Theo.

Tuni turned away to leave and Theo reached out and grabbed her hand, "I will do all of those things if you do something for me."

"What?"

"Fill me in on what's going on with you," Theo said and pulled Tuni closer.

Tuni frowned a bit, "I'm just upset. I will be fine. I promise this won't be a big thing. I just need a bit of time."

"I'm not asking because I'm afraid you'll stir up a fuss. If that is what you want to do then that is what needs to be done, I'm not trying to get you to hide your feelings to spare me the headache with the crew. I'm just worried about you," Theo said, acutely aware that Ava was in the room listening. She had gone back to her book but Theo knew she was keeping her ears open.

"Regardless, I'll be fine," Tuni insisted.

"Have you spoken to Morgana?" Theo asked.

"Aye, she's staying in the lower decks tonight. I need some space," Tuni tried pulling her hand away but Theo kept it put.

"Want me to spend the night?" Theo asked. Like Theo, Tuni disliked sleeping alone. Not having Morgana there would be difficult enough without adding on the fact that Tuni was also upset.

Tuni nodded her head yes and squeezed Theo's hand as a thank you. Theo let go of Tuni's hand.

"I'll see you later then," Theo said and Tuni walked herself out, "Sorry about the noise, Red."

"No need. I live on a ship, I've learned to concentrate no matter what rowdy pirate stands in my way," Ava said, not looking up from her book.

Theo waved her hands in the air to see if Ava would look up, she didn't. Theo shuffled papers around, nothing. She tapped her foot on the floor then joined in with her hands by tapping the desk. Ava did not budge. Theo laughed and Ava's head snapped up.

"What are you reading?" Theo asked.

"History of each of the continents. A summary of it. Reading each classification is proving to be too slow. I needed an overview," Ava said and then went back to her book.

"Are you learning?" Theo asked, she knew Ava was fixated on reading but the urge to do everything she could to try and distract the girl was growing. Little Shit Syndrome is what Cooker called it.

"Very much so," Ava said and then flipped the book around and put it on the desk. Ava pushed it towards Theo with a grin on her face, "This page right here talks about the waterfalls in Northern Efriti, it's like I can picture being there."

Theo looked down at the book, staring at the common symbols littering the page. She stared down at the page for a while, eyes not reading a word, "Aye, Northern Efritian Waterfalls are a sight to behold."

Theo handed Ava back the book.

"The author is amazing with words... Is it as beautiful as they describe?" Ava asked, tracing the page with her finger.

"Even more beautiful. I'll take you there one day so you can see for yourself," Theo smiled and Ava ducked her head trying to hide a smile, "I apologize for the distractions. I'll leave you to your book."

"No need, I'd rather talk to you," Ava admitted and continued the conversation, "The meeting earlier, they were at each other's throats for a bit."

"That is the nature of our meetings," Theo shrugged, "They all have the space to express their opinions and they take advantage of it. Thing is with so many backgrounds, there are bound to be disagreements. I think it's good. It can get hostile at times but we do a good job of covering all of our bases while discussion happens. Which is why we have so many people that have voting rights."

"You only vote when there is a tie. Do you think that is fair? Given that you are captain shouldn't you vote more?" Ava asked, she liked to pick Theo's brain about her thoughts on being a leader and her views on the captaincy.

"I usually do not get a vote at all. We usually have nine voters during these meetings to avoid ties. The people who vote are appointed by me and approved by the crew. When our last quartermaster left she left her seat open so now there is a possibility for ties until her seat is filled," Theo explained.

It was rare that people came onto the ship and asked questions. Ava had a curiosity to examine the mechanics of every tradition, system, and set of rules. Theo was more than happy to explain anything Ava had questions about, especially when it came to things Theo had deliberately planned. Theo, Cooker, and Xyra read books on end to formulate what they thought was the perfect way to run a ship. They believed in equality, transparency, and empowerment and they tried to seep their values into every aspect of their ship, Ava took notice and Theo was thrilled about it.

"How do you choose who to appoint?"

"My advisor, the first mate, and the quartermaster are automatic voters. For the rest, I choose someone who takes an interest in the ship and whose judgment I trust. Someone who doesn't just agree with me but challenges what I say and makes me think critically," Theo said.

"You seem to do everything you can to not take power for yourself," Ava pointed out, "If you're chosen by vote to be the captain doesn't that give you a mandate?"

"That is one way to view it. It's how a lot of people do but it doesn't sit well with me. I take it not as a mandate that allows me to make decisions but a mandate that allows me to lead and guide the crew. I will always leave all decisions to them, except for my last debacle," Theo explained.

"You're odd," Ava said in a matter of fact tone.

"Oi, that's my line. You can't turn the tables," Theo laughed.

"You're 17, are the captain of a ship, have all the money you could need, and it hasn't gotten to your head. How?" Ava asked. She had seen families rise and fall out of greed and lust for power.

"I've got a good support system. They don't let me lose sight of what matters. Of our mission," Theo said.

"What is your mission?" Ava asked. She had heard a lot of talk about the future, their goals, and the ship's mission but no one ever explicitly stated it.

"To help disadvantaged women. To protect those we cannot help. To lead by example. To eliminate the threat of corruption wherever we see it," Theo said, "To kill all men."

Ava was silent for a beat and Theo continued.

"That last one was a joke," Theo explained.

"I'm not so sure it was," Ava laughed and Theo joined in.

"You might be right," Theo played along then began to clear her desk, putting away any sensitive information that was left out. She also put away what Tuni has instructed her to smoke.

"Are you not going to use that?"

"Nah," Theo shrugged, "Just makes the pain go away and makes me a bit groggy. Not worth it."

"Isn't it just a drug?" Ava asked.

"Aye."

"So, you'll take multiple drugs for multiple days in a row just for fun but you won't do it because someone says it will help you heal?" Ava was stumped.

Theo tapped her finger to her nose indicating Ava's conclusion was correct.

"Why?" Ava asked.

"I've got a problem with authority," Theo chuckled.

"Clearly," Ava laughed, "Just take it. Tuni is more likely to be right about medicine stuff than you."

"It doesn't even hurt," Theo lied, her shoulder throbbing. A constant reminder of her injury.

Ava set her book down on the table and leaned over. She reached her a handout and pushed Theo's arm ever so gently. Theo let out a noise that she would never own up to making as a bolt of pain shot straight to her shoulder. The reaction proved to the redhead that Theo was not okay.

"Excuse me! I am your captain," Theo laughed but then her face went back to a grimace of pain, "You can't go intentionally hurting me."

"You are intentionally hurting yourself," Ava challenged, "Smoke the damn thing."

"Oh no, Xyra and Tuni, they got to you. Their caring clan has claimed another one," Theo sighed dramatically and pulled out one of the cigarettes Tuni had left.

"Shut up. As you said, you're my captain and I very well would prefer you alive and well," Ava said sternly, trying to emulate the strictness she had seen others have with Theo.

Theo bent forward and lit the cigarette off the candle on her desk and began to smoke it. Once Ava had seen that Theo was following instructions, she returned to her book. Within a few minutes, Theo's pain had subsided. She hadn't realized how much pain she had been in until it was gone. She couldn't fully rest against her chair but she relaxed as much as her shoulder allowed her to.

Theo took short, small drags from her cigarette and stared at Ava. Nothing interesting was happening, the girl was just concentrating on her book, but the medicine Tuni had given Theo had left her with tunnel vision and Ava was all she could focus on. The patterns created by her red curls were particularly interesting to Theo's medicine-addled brain.

Theo lost track of time but she was on the bottom left of Ava's head on her journey to cataloging all of her curls. There was a knock on the door. Suddenly, the curls were gone from Theo's sight and it was replaced with white skin. Ava's face. There was a puzzled look on her face and Theo flashed her a lazy grin and waved her hand. Ava waved back then pointed at the door, reminding the Captain there was someone there.

"Cap, we are ready to raise the anchor and set sail. Do you want me to take the night shift tonight?" Xyra walked in then looked at Theo and raised her eyebrow, "You're high?"

"Tuni gave it to her for pain," Ava jumped in to explain, not wanting Theo to get a lecture.

Xyra walked over, "Did she say anything? Is she okay?"

"Everything seemed to be fine," Ava said.

"Hello, right here. I can answer," Theo complained, speaking slowly, "Can't sail tonight. You do it. Take it off the ten days you owe me."

"No need. It's a freebie, you having just been shot and all," Xyra smiled at her friend, "Please don't exert yourself too much tonight. We've got training in the morning and I want you to be able to be alright for it."

"Aye, Xyrabellis. I will take it easy. Now go do my job," Theo teased and Xyra walked out, "Being injured is the gift that keeps on giving. Free drugs and no work. Ava, when I get better you need to shoot me with another arrow."

"Teach me how to aim and I will," Ava laughed at the high captain in front of her.

"I think that is only fair," Theo stood up and grabbed her second cigarette, "I'm going to go spend some time with Tuni before going to sleep over there. Wanna come hang out with us for a little bit?"

"I won't be intruding?" Ava asked.

"You don't need to ask every time," Theo informed her, "If I didn't think you'd be welcomed I wouldn't invite you. Fortune is very fond of you."

"It's settled then. I will join you. I can't stay too late, though, I've got morning duty with Pearl," Ava reminded the Captain, who hadn't forgotten.

"Aye, I'll make sure you leave with enough time to rest, ship scrubber," Theo teased then offered Ava her good arm.

"I'll be the best damn ship scrubber this place has ever seen," Ava boasted and took Theo's arm.