The Feast

Arm in arm, Theo and Ava walked into the mess hall and suddenly all the noise and chatter ceased. The tables were not set up the way they had been before, they formed a square all around the room and made it so that everyone could see each other. The tables were arranged that way symbolically, to allow all members of the crew to equally to be the focus of the celebration of finding treasure. Everyone in the square was staring at Ava and Theo at the front of the room. Suddenly, Ava felt very aware of it may have looked to everyone else that she was walking in together with the captain, holding arms in the way she had seen her sisters do with their betrothed. She slowly slipped her arm away from Theo's and stood next to her silently.

A woman in the far right corner lifted her cup and yelled, "To our captain!"

The women all around the room raised their glasses and shouted back, To our captain! then took a drink.

Theo laughed and reached forward and grabbed a cup off of a table and raised it back to them, "To you all!"

The women around the room shouted To us all and took another drink. Theo took a drink with them then lifted the cup once more.

"To Ava!"

All of the women clamored back To Ava and finished off their drinks.

With that, the crowd went back to eating, laughing, rejoicing and drinking. Refilling their drinks and loading up their plates. Ava was confused she had talked to only about four people on the ship so she doubted any of them knew her name. They probably had no idea who Theo was talking about.

"Looks like someone has a friend," Theo said and pointed over at Tuni. Tuni was waving her arms around and pointing to the empty seat next to her, "I'll walk you over."

Ava nodded and followed as Theo led them over to Tuni, "Why did they all toast back to my name? They don't know who I am and I certainly didn't help find treasure. Toasts are symbolic and should honor those who the occasion is about."

"Astute observation. What you failed to consider is that they are all piss drunk right now and will toast back with whatever you call out. It's my favorite pastime, really," They arrived where Tuni was sitting and Ava sat down in the open chair.

Theo greeted Tuni with a kiss on the head and a squeeze on the shoulder then dismissed herself. Ava watched her make her way around the room, interacting with and conversing with everyone who wanted a moment of her time. Ava pulled away from staring at Theo and turned to face a smiling Tuni and noticed an equally smiling Morgana sitting on the other side of Tuni.

"Hello, Ava! Oh, it's so good to see you out and about and here at supper with us. I hope I didn't bother you by asking you to come," Tuni took Ava's hand.

Ava smiled and shook her head, "No Tuni, it's alright. I was starving so thank you for calling me down. Hello Morgana. How was treasure hunting?"

Morgana grabbed her drink and took a hefty gulp and wiped her mouth before smiling once again, "Oh mate, the fucking best as always. There's nothing quite like picking up that heavy chest and knowing whatever is inside is going to fucking change your life, you know?"

Tuni grabbed a plate of meat that was circling the table and served Ava some meat as Ava laughed and shook her head, "No, I don't but that sounds amazing. What's inside the chest?"

Morgana shrugged and passed Tuni the potato bowl and Tuni began to serve Ava some potatoes.

"We get to go upstairs after the feast and open it under the moonlight. Then we split the spoils. You should stay out there with us tonight. The rooms are no fun alone but this will be. You might even get a turn in picking something if everyone is drunk enough to feel generous." Morgana invited and Ava felt welcomed, a rare feeling as of late.

"Yeah, okay. I think I will, thank you," Ava looked down at her plate and marveled at how quickly Tuni worked. During the duration of a quick exchange of pleasantries and a short conversation, she had managed to stack Ava's plate high with different foods. "Thank you too, Tuni. You've been so hospitable."

Tuni laughed and clapped her hands together, "Oh you're so polite, child. So endearing. Eat, eat," she encouraged.

Ava did not need to be told twice she began eating the food in front of her. She wondered how old Rose was and how long she had been cooking because dear god it was marvelous. Soon enough she had cleared her plate and was reaching for the meat plate that was making its way around once again. Never would she have imagined that food from something she thought of as the meat plate would be this good. Morgana laughed and raised her drink to Ava, "You eat like a champion!"

Ava laughed at that because what was that supposed to mean? She shook her head and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. She felt full and like she could probably not walk for at least an hour. She felt a burp bubbling in her stomach and before she knew it, she let out a loud belch. It was relieving but she was embarrassed, her mother would have had her hung for that. The whole area around her erupted in cheers and laughs and the woman next to her swatted her on the back. Right, a pirate ship. No manners. She loved it here, with the meat plate and the cheers for every burp they heard. Sign her up. Plus, treasure. She wondered what would happen if she forgot about The Twins and just stayed here.

The room went quiet again and this time, Xyra stood at the front of the room. The whole toast thing happened again and when Xyra toasted back to everyone she actually had a smile on her face. Something Ava had yet to see before then. As soon as everyone went back to their business, Xyra made her way to Theo and once again her face returned to a stern expression. Xyra whispered something into Theo's ear and watched as her face morphed into one of concern.

Theo politely dismissed herself from the conversation she was in and rushed towards the door, Xyra hot on her trail. They left the room and no one seemed to pay it any mind. She shrugged and went back to her food, finishing off the last of what was on there. By the time she finished, her mouth was dry and she needed something to drink. She looked inside her cup and saw what she assumed was beer and around the table, there were different drinks, none of them looked to be water.

She leaned over to Tuni and asked if there was any water just for Morgana to let out a loud and hearty laugh, "No, my skinny friend. Only beer and wine and rum for celebration. Have some!"

She smiled and shook her head, "No thank you. I can't"

"Well, are you older than 13?" Morgana questioned and Ava nodded, "Then why can't you have it?"

"Well-" She tried to find a reason why she couldn't. Most people she knew began drinking once they were of age but she was never allowed to. Her sisters could but never Ava and she had convinced herself that it was because she did not like the taste, not because she never behaved long enough to get the special privileges her siblings did. While they ate cake and drank wine she was sent back to her room where she would then sneak out and play along the walls of her residence. "I suppose I can."

Ava grabbed the cup in front of her and took a sip and she felt like throwing up all the food she had just eaten. This drink was probably beer, bitter and not good at all. She hated it and her face scrunched up in disgust. Tuni took the drink out of her hand, "Oh child. I'm so sorry. This ale is not the greatest to start with. Let's get you something sweet."

She handed Ava her own cup and encouraged her to drink. Ava took a sip of this and then took another. It was sweet and fruity and unlike the other one tasted amazing, "I like this one. Wine?"

Tuni nodded, "My favorite kind. Morgana bought a whole keg of it at Barian when we were there. All for me. Can you believe it? Obviously, I've shared the keg with the kitchen for tonight but isn't that the sweetest of her."

"Yeah. That is very sweet. Also very sweet of you for sharing," Ava commented and smiled, "What was the thing about opening the treasure?"

"Oh. Sometimes when there is a big bounty to open and split we cook a big feast and then gather on the deck to break the lock. We should probably head on out there to get the best spot on the deck. These lawless women will do anything for a good spot, anything but leave their ale and rum early. Come on." Tuni got up, "Morgana, sweets. Come on we are leaving. Gotta get a good spot! I wanted first pick for and I want to make sure no one else has a good vantage point on it."

Ava and Morgana stood up and followed as Tuni led them out onto the deck. The way she moved was almost effortless like she was floating. Morgana was the opposite, loud and sure footsteps alerting everyone of her movements. Strong and soft, it was a fun combination to be in the middle of. Tuni floated around the deck until she settled on a spot. A long wooden crate with another woman she recognized on it.

Tuni beckoned them over and introduced Ava to the strange woman, "Ava this is Cooker, Cooker that is Ava. She's a new passenger on board! Got here from Barian yestersun."

"Oi, it's a pleasure, m' lady," Cooker nodded her hat towards her and Ava curtsied out of habit. Cooker chuckled at that and Ava kicked herself about it immediately after.

"I'm sorry. Habit. It's a pleasure as well," Ava took a seat next to Cooker and Morgana next to her. Someone had come up to Tuni while they were talking and she whisked them away to the infirmary.

"Your girl is in high demand, Mor," Cooker commented and Morgana nodded before drinking, "Put some ointment on my hand earlier and it stopped hurtin'. She's a damned miracle worker."

"What happened to it?" Ava asked, looking at the bandages that were wrapped around Cooker's hands. There was a striking similarity between Cooker and a girl she was friends with as a child. It made her feel comfortable and welcome, Ava couldn't stop staring at her.

"Shoveling is hard work, lass. This is what all morning and aftermorning digging for treasure gets ya."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Well, on the plus side all the digging paid off," Ava pointed out.

Cooker drank to that and Ava was beginning to wonder where she could get a cup of wine when she saw a person at the end of the deck holding a tray full of overflowing cups. She walked up to them and grabbed a cup and thanked them then walked over. It might have been dark but Ava swore that the person handing out drinks was a renouncer. Long hair and a beautiful dress were visible at first glance but looking closer and under the makeup, Ava suspected that the person wasn't born a woman.

She had never seen a renouncer in person before but she had heard all about them. Her father had them jailed or executed for crimes against the founders where she was from. So much so that they fled further down south where laws were laxer. Her father was celebrated as a hero for his work in the North. She learned about them in her history classes. Before the first classification and before the great war, men and women were not the only ones allowed to populate the world. Some people grew up and when they did, they did not feel in tune with the way they were raised.

When Baethos was created a set of rules was written by the founders. A code to live by that would ensure the prosperity of Baethos and the repopulation of the world after the great war. No killing innocent people, no stealing from a neighbor, no engaging in any activity that will bring harm to the masses. Those were some of the rules listed but so were rules governing the way a person married or presented themselves. No longer were people allowed to be present or act in any way that conflicted with how they were registered in The Vaults at birth. Not only that but women and men could only marry one other, something that was never restricted before unification. In the beginning, people who broke all types of rules were called renouncers because by breaking the rule they were renouncing the Baethian code. It became a synonym for criminal or lowlife.

Slowly and after a time, the term renouncer had evolved to only be used for those that looked or acted differently. For those who married someone of the same gender or those who identified differently from what The Vault said. Criminals who broke the law became referred to as criminals but renouncer had morphed into something much worse. Ava, of course, didn't know that it was an insult or even a bad word. So she brought it up when she got back to the crate.

Cup in hand she looked over at Morgana then Cooker and cleared her throat, "This crew is only women, yes?"

"Aye," Morgana nodded, "Why do you ask?" Ava nodded her head over to where she had gotten her drink and Morgana raised an eyebrow, "And what about it?"

"I thought that meant you only accepted women on the ship," Ava said flatly, she didn't see why Morgana did not understand her confusion.

"We do," Morgana clarified, once again.

"But there is a renouncer here."

It seemed as if that was the exact comment Morgana had been waiting for and her usual smiling demeanor shifted.

"Listen, lass, you fancy type always come on here with those kinds of notions. Most everyone that comes through here and is from a rich family has subjected poor Iona to be the subject of this conversation. We don't go by the rules here. We are pirates and those rules are stupid anyhow. Don't use that word again around here or I won't be so friendly about it next time."

Ava nodded, taken aback by how sour things had turned so quickly. She did not understand though. She was taught all of her life that renouncers have no thought for humanity and the longevity of the Baethin society. That they were selfish and cared not for what the founders wanted. Morgana though was defending them vehemently. Ava had suspected, like most of her upbringing, that her education was compromised by politics and falsities and she wanted to know more. Why didn't they use that term?

Cooker could sense the confusion in Ava's head. Her withdrawn demeanor gave it away and Cooker nudged her, "You alright there?"

Ava nodded and then looked at Morgana, "Why? Like, why can't I say it?"

Morgan tilted her head and furrowed her brows, "No one ever asks why. They just do it. You ask too many questions," Morgana shrugged, "I don't know what to tell ya. It's rude. Don't say it."

Cooker shook her head, "No. That's not how it works. You doing that is the same as them telling her it's okay to say it just 'cause they said so. You gotta teach her."

"You teach her. 'M drunk," Morganna drank from her cup again.

Cooker sighed and sat silently thinking for a few beats before starting, "There are layers to why you can't say it but we have to start somewhere, I guess. Basically, a long time ago a bunch of shitty men came up with shitty rules. They decided what was right and wrong based on nothing but their own moral compasses. How is that correct? Why are we killing people, exiling them, ostracizing them because some person 40 classifications ago decided they were uncomfortable with what they didn't understand."

"Oh," Ava felt bad, everything that Cooker had said made sense, "So what do we call them?"

"Girls. Women. Lasses. Ladies." Cooker answered, "It's important to respect each other. All it takes to be a woman is to feel like a woman. Iona is a woman and she is a valuable member of this crew. Respect is the only way to maintain peace."

"Smart, Cooker. Where'd you even learn all that?" Morgana asked.

"A book," Cooker said.

"You can read?" Morgana snorted and Cooker reached over and slapped her arm.

"Shut up. Anyway, Ava, we don't use renouncer because it's a fuck you to those who tell us to use it. We don't need to tear others down to prosper, look at our riches," Cooker philosophized, "I should write my own book? That was good. Whatever. Do you understand, Ava?"

"Think so. It's normal and old men were mean and shitty and now we are all mean and shitty because they tricked us into being. But if we don't do what they tell us to do then we avoid being mean and shitty and instead learn to live amongst our differences. Iona is a girl because she feels like one. We aren't here to police her," Ava finished, out of breath.

"And the student becometh the teacher," Morgana teased and this time Cooker got up and tackled Morgana off of the box. They roughhoused behind the crates as Tuni walked back. As soon as she saw the two tumbling around she ran over.

"Get your hands off her, Cooker! You hurt her, I hurt you," Tuni scolded.

Cooker laughed and got up then took up her spot on the crate again, "There is no way I could ever as much as make your woman flinch but it's cute that you think she's fragile."

Ava watched as Morgana stood up and sat next to Tuni, wrapping a strong arm around Tuni's shoulders. Ava blinked and watched the two interact and it all clicked. The aggressiveness behind the comment earlier, Tuni always talking about what Morgana bought her, her woman. Looking at them now, Ava saw them in a whole new light. Her heart was warm looking at the way Morgana looked at Tuni. It was cute. They were cute.

It was wild, the number of new things she had been exposed to in a matter of suns. There was a couple made up of two girls sitting right next to her. Her father would have a brain bleed if he were on this ship, he was a man steadfast in his beliefs. He was so revered by his political counterparts they all justified his actions as part of the greater good. She saw more clearly than ever that people in power impose their will on others and convince them it's for their own good. It felt like rebellion, simply understanding that people all around her were rejecting what was expected of them. She had done nothing of the sort but the company she was currently keeping were enough of rebels to make her feel empowered by it. After all, she was always taught who you are around reflects one's character.

After the conversation with Morgana and Cooker, nothing else seemed to put a hamper or a serious note to the night. For what felt like hours they talked and laughed and drank. As Ava's cup kept getting refilled, she felt drunker and drunker. It wasn't something she had ever felt before but she was even more talkative than usual and she laughed so hard that she thought she was going to have an accident every five minutes. She heard Cooker tell stories about her old job at an inn before she boarded and Morgana kept poking fun at everything she said.

She drank cup after cup until she felt dizzy. She thought it was best to stop, she had seen what happened to her mother after she drank too much wine. Her head was fuzzy and everything was amusing and she reasoned that she was drunk enough to quit for the night. Music was playing all around her and she felt herself tapping her foot to an unknown beat. Finally, Theo emerged from her captain's quarters with Xyra close behind. She approached the festivities and stood behind the chest.

"First off! I would like to thank you all for the hard work you did on the island. The bounty would not have been as big without all of your help," She started, "Now, Oceane is going to pick the lock and while she does that I want to prepare you all for tonight."

Oceane, a young woman with brown skin and an afro held back by a colorful headband, pulled a small pouch from her pocket and knelt in front of the chest and began attempting to pick the lock.

Theo continued, "As you may well know, Espbar could be anywhere right now. At the island, chasing after us, or halfway across the world. Espbar has always been a problem but now the only difference is now we've got the treasure he is after. Not to dampen your spirits but we must be ready for a fight at any time. Now that the news is out of the way, lets fucking celebrate!"

Everyone cheered and Ava looked around confused. She was worried. They had to be ready for a fight at all times? What kind of fight? Would she be expected to do anything? It was sure death if she was put to fight and she felt her nerves worsen. She barely registered the lock being popped and the lid on the chest opened. When it did open, the deck was silent. Even Theo looked shocked, mouth slightly agape. The whole chest was brimming with gold coins and some rare gems and diamonds peeking out in between the circles of yellow. There was enough there to buy half of a fleet. Ava sat forward in her seat, she would stop at nothing to get this treasure if she was the captain of a boat. The threat of Espbar became more solid, more worrying after she saw the bounty.

"Let's get started, shall we. You all drew numbers before supper started! Let's start with the first five." Theo shouted at the crowd and Ava began to tune out.

She was more preoccupied with the threat Theo had explained earlier. Everyone seemed fine but unlike everyone, she was not trained in the pirate art of not caring. She doubted anyone would expect her to fight, or at least she hoped that was the case. There was nothing to worry about, she told herself. Unless the other boat was bigger, had more people, had better-skilled fighters, had bigger cannons, or any combination of the aforementioned. She was pulled out of her reprieve as Cooker nudged her, "Hey, you're up. You can pick anything from the pile that isn't gold."

Ava got up and looked around, everyone seemed to be holding something and it seemed that they allowed her to take her pick after everyone had. They didn't have to since she contributed nothing to the expedition. She approached the chest and everything surrounding it and reached in the sack full of jewelry for a small ring. It was silver all-around with a blood-red gem in the middle. She slipped it onto her finger and it fit. She turned around and held up her pick and everyone cheered as she sat back down.

The small prize made the threat of battle somewhat fade to the back of Ava's mind as she admired the delicate craftwork on the ring. She showed it off to Tuni and Tuni showed her the jewel she had picked.

"Xyra will count the gold and split it between all of you. She'll find out how much we owe you! Make sure to come by to the treasury before we get to The Twins to claim your portion! Enjoy your spoils, pirates. You did good!" Theo announced and held up her cup as a toast to them.

Everyone, including Ava, lifted a cup to that. Theo waved the crew off and went into her quarters, Xyra turned and went up to the helm. Ava started to feel drowsy and the wine had started to leave her system. She yawned and looked over at Morgana and Tuni who were in their own world comparing their selections. Cooker looked just as tired as Ava felt. She stood up and smiled at the group who had kept her excellent company all night and did an exaggerated curtsy.

"I am going to go to bed. Get some rest before the threat of pirate activity comes and gets you," Ava teased as she headed off in the direction of her room. When she finally got into her room she was so thankful she had left the room barefoot or she would have fallen asleep with them on. The second she made it into bed, she laid down and passed out.