AN: Sorry for an 8k chapter. If I split it, it would have been weird. Enjoy! 

They arrived in Jiomara and the last group of Alenroux refugees that had been staying on the ship had left and now their route could continue as planned. They were still on track to make their shipment deadline in Gossem but their window of error was minimal. One wrong calculation on Navi's part or some wind complication on behalf of nature and they would miss the deadline.

Ava learned all of the details of the rest of their trip the morning they left Jiomara. Xyra had decided to loop her into the happenings of the ship now that she to be quartermaster and Ava had caught her first glimpse into the never-ending sea of obstacles pirating entailed. Planning routes and making good time was not an easy task. Beyond that, Ava did not learn much from the first few suns being a quartermaster. She mainly spent it doing what she had normally been doing since leaving Alenroux but this time with Xyra by her side. She had already gotten the hang of it, training for the job beforehand without even knowing it.

They had been at sea for three suns after dropping the last of the refugees at Alenroux and they were now sailing towards Piril. It was their last stop before Gossem and Ava was very excited to be able to be on land again. It had been close to a cycle since they had been allowed to get down at any port. The trips were just used to send some refugees to the city of their choice and gather necessary supplies. The stops took no more than a few hours and all pirates were strictly prohibited from getting down unless it was their job. Piril was still around 8 suns away and it seemed like an eternity.

The time passed relatively quickly though because, on the third sun of their voyage to Piril, she got tasked with something very important. Xyra, Oceane, and Ava were in charge of training, acclimating, and settling in the new pirate recruits. Xyra spent her days teaching them the details of pirate life, the way things worked, and what to expect. Ava had been there for four cycles already but she still learned some new things every day too. The pirate proficiency exam, as Oceane had cheekily named it, was an easy simulation of a pirate raid. If the recruit in question could defend themselves and execute their job for the raid then they passed. She had known there was some sort of test but the details hadn't been revealed to her until that moment. Since there were upcoming raids planned, there would be no simulation; it would be the real deal. Nervewracking was an understatement.

The other recruits would not have time to complete their three-cycle trial as pirates prior to getting voted in before Corinspe but the inner circle had agreed to special rules for this round of recruiting. Instead of the test, confirmations, and then initiation ceremony whilst at Corinspe the new recruits would prove their usefulness during the raids, get evaluated during them, and skip confirmations. As potential quartermaster, it would be Ava's job to make sure all the women were at ease with the new recruits. Ava wouldn't be spared though, she had been there long enough to not qualify for the different process the truly new recruits would undergo. She had to do the raids and the election.

They formed a makeshift pirate school. Ava checking in with them throughout the suns, like the headmistress. Sometimes, she would stand at the back of Xyra's classes and learn new things. She didn't get the grand welcome they all got, there had been no class for her, so she decided to take advantage and learn what she could then. After their lectures from Xyra on finding a job and ship procedures, they headed off to be trained by Oceane. Ava escorted them from activity to activity, trying to keep energy and spirits up.

Some of the girls were enthusiastic and jumped into the pirate life head first, similarly to Ava. They were ready to put their tragedies behind them and work to exact revenge in their own ways. Others were reserved, they kept to themselves and rarely emerged from the lower decks. One of the quieter girls was Giorina. She had decided to stay on the ship, her grandfather being the only person she had and he was gone. She had mentioned to Ava one night that she hadn't felt safe by going by herself to any of the cities so this was her only option. Ava's heart hurt for her, Giorina didn't want to be a pirate, she simply had no other choice.

Ava assumed that the same sentiment was shared amongst at least some of the other recruits too so she went out of her way to make them feel accepted, safe, and at home. Lower deck parties were all the rage and Ava found herself hosting them every night. They became so popular during the journey to Piril that lower deck parties began to feature cabin dwellers as well, everyone was invited. They worked, or at least Ava thought they did. It served to show the girls that the ship wasn't all just worrying about death and getting captured. There was camaraderie, enjoyable times, and benefits of being a pirate.

"So this is why they keep showing up tired and unwilling to pay attention," Xyra approached Ava one night that these parties were going on.

Ava chuckled and handed Xyra a drink, taking her job as ale pourer seriously, "I simply provide the entertainment. I'm not to blame for whoever fucks up at work or class the next morning."

Xyra brought the mug to her lips and downed it all in several large gulps. She slammed the mug down on the barrel and Ava filled it up once again. Xyra chuckled and took a few more sips then slid next to Ava and leaned a shoulder against a low hanging beam.

"The election has been set," Xyra commented after another sip from her mug.

"Which one?" Ava asked, she was facing two.

"Both. Same night," Xyra said, referring to her pirate election and her quartermaster one.

"When?"

"Night after we leave Piril," Xyra said and Ava's eyes widened.

"That's like four nights away," Ava realized.

"Three," Xyra corrected then chuckled as Ava's face paled, "including tonight."

Ava recalculated. They were docking at Piril the next sun and leaving port the next morning. Tonight, tomorrow night, and then election night. Panic was present and she could feel it in her stomach.

"I haven't taken the test yet. The raid test," Ava reminded and Xyra shrugged.

"Cap felt we could disclaim it at your election. You'll just be tested during later raids like everyone else and if the decision needs to be rescinded, it can."

"Do you know how the votes lie?" Ava asked.

"Aye."

"Will you tell me?"

"Not allowed to."

"I thought you would be a useful ally. I've been wasting our time together trying to befriend you when I should've been finding ways to take you down," Ava stuck her tongue out and then took Xyra's mug and took a sip from it.

Xyra said nothing, just laughed at the amusing display of intimidation, and took her cup back. Granted Ava was a little drunk so her words were more dramatic than she intended but she and Xyra had a humorous back and forth going so she knew it wouldn't be taken seriously.

"What are you going to be doing in Piril?" Ava asked, she had no plans. Now that she was trying to become quartermaster, she was trying to see if they would let her be a part of the pirate business they usually went about.

"Visiting someone," Xyra gave a vague answer.

"Who?"

"Family," Xyra said.

"Who?" Ava asked again, she wasn't aware that Xyra had a family. There were chapters in the books about Theo that delved a little into Xyra's past and Ava had glanced over a section of it. It stated that she had been orphaned as well and not much else was known about her.

"I came down here for a reason," Xyra changed the subject, "Theo needs to see you."

"I have to keep an eye out down here," Ava wanted to go see Theo more than anything though, she hadn't spent a lot of time with the captain since leaving Alenroux but she couldn't leave her post.

"They don't need a caretaker, they are pirates," Xyra said then lightly pushed at Ava's back, "Go see Theo, I will stay down here and make sure nothing gets set on fire."

Ava filled up her mug before saluting Xyra and leaving. She continued to be a mystery to Ava, even after spending many suns together. Xyra never offered any information about herself and even when it was pried out of her, she barely revealed anything. No wonder her and Navi had still been in that weird together-but-not-together, tip-toeing, egg-shell romance. Nobody was fessing up that they liked each other when it was very clear. Ava saw where Theo got her lack of communication skills.

When she arrived at the Captain's quarters she knocked before being told to come in. Theo was sitting on her desk, the balcony door was open and the little girl that she affectionately began to call Kiri, was standing at the doorway. Ava would have made a move to run over to grab her but she looked to be unable to move past the doorway and onto the balcony. There was a rope tied around her chest and shoulders that acted as a harness, the rope trailed back to the desk and she saw it tie around the arm of Theo's chair.

"You tied Kiri to a rope?" Ava asked with a laugh and then went over and shut the balcony door before helping Kiri slip out of the harness.

"No, she tied herself to a rope," Theo informed, not looking up from what she was painting. It was the fish she had been whittling and working on over the last few cycles.

"I am failing to see how someone who cannot speak can tie themselves to a rope," Ava said and carried Kiri over. The little girl fussed in Ava's arms until she was set down and she ran back to the balcony door, staring expectantly at the closed entryway.

"She's been doing that all night, likes to look at the ocean I guess. I can't just spend my suns holding her on the balcony so I tied her to a rope. She is safe and I have some peace and quiet," Theo explained and finally looked up at Ava then over at an unharnessed Kiri with a sigh, "Now I'm going to have to re-tie her."

Theo got up and whistled the little girl over. Kiri ran over with glee and held out her arms as if she knew what was coming.

"She's not a pet, she's a little girl," Ava pointed out as Theo began to re-harness her.

"Children and pets are the same thing when it comes to pirate ships. They don't belong and we've got nothing to keep them safe so there is no choice but to improvise," Theo replied as she led Kiri back over to the balcony and opened the door. Kiri stood at the doorway, a little hand coming up to hold one of the sides of it.

"Xyra said you needed to see me?" Ava asked.

"Aye, I am going to need your help in town tomorrow," Theo said and Ava perked up with a large smile.

"I am ready for whatever," Ava reassured Theo.

Theo sifted through the items on her desk and found what she was looking for, a list. She handed it over to Ava, "This is a list of places you need to go in order to collect payments. Consider it practice for when you get elected to be quartermaster."

"Wait, by myself?" Ava asked and looked down at the list. There were around ten businesses on the list and it seemed like a large task. Checking businesses and collecting payment meant that if anything went wrong she was in charge of it. She had wanted to tag along for the business, not being the one conducting it.

"Aye, is there a problem?"

"It's just a lot of responsibility to give me. I've never done it before, what if it goes wrong?"

"Are you doubting your capabilities to perform duties regularly asked of the quartermaster?" Theo raised her eyebrows and interlocked her fingers in front of her.

"No, I just thought I might have had someone there to run through it with me like how Xyra has been doing," Ava defended.

"I was informed that Xyra taught you the process of how we conduct check-ins with businesses under our protection," Theo stated bluntly and Ava had forgotten that Captain Theo and her friend Theo were not the same person.

Rising in the ranks made one thing clear to Ava, the all-around niceties would not be present like before. Theo had a way of leading those in the lower ranks in the ship that could be akin to hand-holding at times but Ava had observed that those with the closest positions to the Captain were not afforded that privilege. They were expected to be ready to execute commands and adapt to different scenarios, which wasn't unreasonable. Ava had also observed that once the business had passed, Theo was quick to bounce back into a friendly presence. If Ava had to give up being babied to have a seat at the table then that is what had to happen.

"She did teach me," Ava said, trying to show she wasn't incompetent. She had taken detailed notes of the process, "But in the event that the rules are broken and it is too egregious to overlook, how would I approach that?"

"You don't. Walk away and when I am back you will alert me in a report and I will handle it. But that is no matter, we have only ever had that happen the one time," Theo said.

"That was my only worry," Ava lied, she had so many worries, "I've got it."

She shut up before she promised too much.

Kiri ran back over, stepping over the rope on her way and she began to slam her open hand against the wood on the side of the desk. Theo picked her up and placed her on the desk. Kiri settled down and Ava tilted her head at the scene unfolding before her. Theo went back to painting, hunched over the desk, and ignoring everything around her. Kiri reached forward and grabbed a fistful of Theo's hair and tugged on it.

"Hey!" Theo said and brought a hand to try and pull away the tiny fingers latched onto her head, "Kiri, we talked about this."

Theo managed to untangle Kiri's hand from her hair and looked at the little girl straight in the eyes. Theo narrowed hers and the little girl just clapped her hands and wiggled around as she made noises.

"She's hungry," Theo stated.

"How do you know?" Ava laughed.

"I've been with her for a cycle. We've learned to communicate," Theo said and stood up from her chair and put the little girl back down. Kiri sped forward but she couldn't get far, the rope was still harnessed around her, "You see, Red? The rope is completely necessary."

Theo held up the other side of the rope with a grin and Ava rolled her eyes and began to walk out of the room, "I'll come with you."

"You don't trust me with her?" Theo teased.

"Not one bit," Ava joked back.

------

They had gotten Kiri fed, some dried berries, and a bit of goat's milk from the goat in storage that Miss Yurwa kept. Theo had tucked the girl in once she was sleepy enough. Theo then took out a small satchel from her drawer and a candle and walked over to the balcony, opening the door and sitting outside. Ava followed and took a seat on the floor too. Theo opened the satchel to reveal a few different smaller bags. She pulled some of the contents of one out and Ava recognized the smell as ravci. Theo began to stuff the pipe.

"There are children in the room," Ava commented.

"We are on the balcony, Red. She's not going to know," Theo chuckled lightly, "This is not my first time having to hide the smell either. Cooker and I used to be the experts of that on our old ship."

"You should have given a lesson to my brother. He was not subtle at all. The smell would come into my room," Ava said.

"Your rooms were that close together? I thought you rich people had a floor for every room," Theo teased.

"You've been misinformed. It's a floor for every two rooms," Ava played along.

Theo took the pipe and tilted the candle to light ravci and then puffed the ember in the pipe to life, making sure to exhale in the direction of the wind, "How have you enjoyed quartermaster so far? You want to go through with it still?"

"Aye. Thank you for the opportunity. I heard the election was coming up," Ava stated but it was more of a question.

"In a few nights. It will be announced to the crew tomorrow at breakfast. Have any questions?" Theo asked in an attempt to reassure Ava of the process.

"Not about the election," Ava admitted and Theo handed her the pipe then nodded in her direction to prompt her to keep speaking, "Now that I am- that I am hoping to be quartermaster, will you tell me what is going to happen to the children?"

"You phrase it as if we are going to bury them alive or something," Theo pointed out, "When we reach Piril, Pearl will take them to an orphanage in Aeliz. We've been working with them for lengths. The children get incredible care there."

"Pearl is leaving?"

"Just for a bit. She and a few other crew members are chartering a ship to take them there. They'll circle back and meet up with us in Corinspe," Theo explained.

"Are you going to miss Kiri?" Ava teased but Theo looked into the room and over at the sleeping girl with sadness on her face.

Sadness was replaced with fondness and she turned back to Ava and chuckled, "Aye, I think I am. She's helped me."

"What do you mean?" Ava asked and passed the pipe back to Theo after she had taken her turn.

"Pika died," Theo said softly. Ava had known, word got around fast on the ship but Theo hadn't uttered a thing about it yet, "I don't remember the last time I felt loss like that."

Theo paused for a bit and stared out onto the ocean. She took a long, deep breath and Ava could tell she was trying to hold back a flood of tears. Theo shrugged her shoulders a bit and then looked back at Ava, "I don't know how to explain it. She distracted me for a bit. Once that initial distraction passed, I was ready to start handling their death. I was able to process it, ride out my own wave of grief and I think she helped with that. I know she doesn't even speak so it sounds stupid but-"

"You don't have to explain it," Ava reached out a hand and rested it over Theo's, "I'm sorry about Pika."

"I don't think I'll ever come to terms with it but that's just the way death works. The only thing that you can predict about it is that it takes people it shouldn't and leaves people it should," Theo looked down at their hands and instead of pulling it away, she flipped hers over and grasped Ava's rubbing her thumb over the back of Ava's palm.

Ava didn't answer. Her eyes just trailed below to their hands. They hadn't spent that much time together since landing in Alenroux and they certainly hadn't had any sort of physical contact either, not since their kiss atop Pika's rock. Ava was longing for their lips to regain acquaintance but she wasn't sure if that was still on the table. It had been a while since Alenroux and she was itching to talk about it again but it seemed like the wrong time to bring anything of the sort up so Ava didn't.

Theo eventually detangled her fingers from Ava and relit the pipe. They passed it between each other for a bit before they were pleasantly floating amongst the stars, silently staring at the night sky outside. Theo eventually glanced back into the room to check up on the sleeping girl then turned back when she got a visual confirmation that Kiri had stayed asleep. Ava's tailbone began to hurt so she stood up and Theo followed. Both of them looking over the edge of the balcony.

"What are you going to be doing tomorrow?" Ava asked, wondering why Theo wouldn't be coming with her on errands.

"I have to go hunt down some leads, which is Cook's job but she can't do it because she will be busy," Theo replied and rested her back against the railing, facing Ava.

"What is Cooker doing?"

"Going with Xyra to visit Xy's family."

"I thought Xyra was an orphan," Ava quoted the information she had found in the book.

"Aye but that doesn't mean she doesn't still have family out there," Theo rebutted.

"Who is she visiting then?"

"I can't tell you that."

"It's a secret?"

"No, but if I willingly give up any information on Xyra it'll be my ass on the line," Theo chuckled, "Xyrabellis does not mess around with her privacy. She thinks everyone is a spy."

"Because spies are common?"

"In our line of work? They are crawling everywhere," Theo supplied.

"Then I guess I have to keep an eye out," Ava chuckled and began to pace the balcony, in search of spies.

Theo stopped Ava as she was crossing in front of Theo and pulled her in by her forearm, somewhat close to Theo. Theo rarely ever initiated their touches so it was a nice change, it gave her confidence that maybe Alenroux didn't change anything. Ava laughed and looked back through the open doorway to make sure Kiri was still asleep. Theo smirked and pulled Ava closer and wrapped an arm around her waist, "What's so distracting?"

"Just making sure Kiri is asleep. Let go of me I can't get a good angle," Ava swatted at Theo's arms but her hold was tight.

Theo took her free hand and brushed some of Ava's curls away from where they had begun to grow on her neck and placed a gentle kiss there. Ava's swats turned to iron grips on Theo's forearms and a her breath got caught in her throat. Like a gasp was trying to escape but got stuck on the lump in her throat. Theo laughed and Ava felt the breath tingle against her skin as Theo went in for another kiss along her neck. This time the gasp pushed through the lump and emerged as a pathetic squeak-like noise.

Theo pulled away with a cheeky grin, "Sorry, you were saying?"

Ava narrowed her eyes and stepped away. She grabbed a fistful of Theo's silk shirt and pulled her away from the railing. She spun them around and pushed Theo back against the ship's wall and pressed her lips firmly to the captain's. It would have been hot and impressive had they not both broken composure and laughed into each other's mouths. It didn't take long for that to die down though and their lips found each other again.

Theo's lips were pillowy against Ava's and she relished in the warmth that spread across her chest and stomach, even on the chilly, windy balcony. Ava's hand came up to cup Theo's jaw and the other rested at the back of her neck. Theo's hands instinctively fell to where they slotted perfectly on the curve of Ava's waist. Theo rubbed her thumb over Ava's hip as the sound of lips pulling apart and coming back together were drowned out by the wind. Theo's icy thumb eventually finding its way under Ava's shirt.

Ava jumped a bit at the cold then reached down and pulled the rest of her shirt over Theo's hand, it was now touching Ava's bare skin. Ava took the lead again and went back in for another kiss but Theo's hand still did not move from its place under Ava's shirt; it was firmly kept on her hipbone. Ava would have expected Theo to finally get the hint after so long but Theo wasn't understanding the subtly; or maybe she was and had made the choice to not advance. Ava deepened the kiss and brought her hand to grip Theo's wrist as she tried to move the hand to her stomach and up it.

Theo's hand came to a screeching halt when she felt her hands brush over Ava's belly button. She pulled away from the kiss only slightly and whispered, "Ava..."

"Theo..." Ava shot back and opened her eyes, coming into view of Theo's eyes looking back at her.

Theo stayed quiet, Ava didn't know why but her patience had been worn thin. Why didn't Theo want her? Was it nerves or something deeper, was Theo regretting her decision? If she was, why wouldn't she tell Ava? Was it because Kiri was there?

"I can get us an empty cabin," Ava kept her hands pressed up against Theo's cheek. The offer was layered and Theo had to have known that Ava had no interest in finding them a room just to talk and kiss. It was an offer for more.

"We can't," Theo said and licked her lips, her mouth had become dry all of a sudden.

"I can find someone to watch Kiri," Ava offered a solution.

"We can't," Theo repeated, providing nothing else as a viable explanation.

"We can," Ava pulled away slightly, "It's just that you don't want to and that is okay but you won't just come out and say it which is unfair to me."

It was alright. Ava wasn't in the habit of making anyone do what they didn't want to. She just had wished that Theo hadn't made her think it was a possibility to get any further. Being vague and saying she was in Ava's hand was just a deflection tactic because apparently, it wasn't true. Ava went to slip her hands in her pockets but they just slid down her pants, she had chosen to wear ones that didn't have any. At her failed plan, she wrapped her arms around herself instead.

"Ava," Theo pinched the bridge of her nose, "It's not that I don't want to. It's just-"

Theo cut herself off and didn't finish her sentence. Ava didn't think Theo was holding back, she just didn't think Theo knew what to say. Her confidence seemed to falter which was something Ava hadn't seen before. Theo was unwavering when it came to the charisma and poise that she carried herself with but there was a slight hiccup now.

"It's just what, Theo? I just need some answers so I know where we stand," Ava said but it was gentle, not pressuring or abrasive.

"I know that and I am trying to find the right words to say without sounding like a fool," Theo admitted and reached up to nervously tug at her lip.

Ava understood Theo needed time to formulate her thoughts but Ava wasn't that patient. She had already kept it to herself for so long that now that the conversation was happening, she wanted to get to the end of it. She couldn't help herself; she just began to do what she did best, question Theo.

"Do you want to have sex with me?" Ava put bluntly, unsure of what else to say.

"Yes," Theo confirmed and moved her hand back to her neck and rubbed it, "I mean, obviously yes. And I would have already but..."

"But?"

Theo looked like she wanted to bolt inside and lock Ava out on the balcony. Theo's eyes darted everywhere but Ava's gaze and it would have been adorable how nervous she was if Ava wasn't teetering on the edge of a cliff waiting for the answer. Was it something she could fix? Was it something she was doing that people weren't supposed to do? She was out of her depth with this and assumed that because Theo was more experienced that it wouldn't be that hard.

"Gods, Ava. You really know how to put someone on the spot," Theo let out a nervous chuckle.

"Theo, for fucks sake, I want to sleep with you so bad. It's literally on my mind at least once an hour," Ava blurted out, offering up something in hopes Theo would open up too, "I just thought that night when we had that talk that we wanted the same thing."

"We did. I mean, we do want the same thing," Theo provided.

Theo didn't elaborate on her point. There was no explanation as to why they were in the situation they were in. No insight as to what was keeping Theo from taking Ava's hints and running with it. Ava was aware that the whole laying together and emotions things were complicated but she didn't think it was supposed to be this confusing. When Theo didn't add to her non-answer, Ava simply sighed and stepped away from Theo.

"Goodnight," Ava said and began to walk off the balcony towards the inside. She couldn't keep embarrassing herself any longer.

Ava walked inside and then quietly made her way across the room as to not wake the little one. She made it all the way to the staircase, head swirling with thoughts on what to do next when a hand tugged at her own. She was pulled around and was face to face with Theo once again.

"You keep leaving Kiri-"

"There is something about you that makes my stomach get this feeling like I am dropping from the crow's nest into the water," Theo interrupted, "Your smile is infectious and your laugh is too. I think you are stunning. I want to kiss you every time I see you and the number of times you are on my mind is probably not normal but..."

Theo trailed off.

"But?" Ava prompted, trying to encourage Theo to finish the sudden outburst.

"But I'm nervous. I've never been with someone unlaid before," Theo admitted, finally, cheeks a bit darker than normal.

"I don't see what that has to do with- oh" Ava was the one that trailed off that time. Theo thought she was unlaid, she hadn't ever told Theo she had slept with someone in Niveal. Well, several someones. The hesitation, the nerves, it all made sense, "I am not unlaid, Theo."

It had never come up and in the rush of pirate life, she had honestly forgotten that she hadn't told anyone about it. She had told Cooker but she wasn't sure Cooker had believed her. She saw the shock on Theo's face. Head tilted to the side in confusion, brows furrowed, and a focused frown.

"What?"

"Niveal," Ava offered plainly and chuckled at the face of realization that came across Theo.

"Riva, have mercy on me," Theo laughed and sent a silent prayer up to the sky, "Ignore I ever said anything, I am the biggest idiot in Baethos."

"Just to be clear, we've wasted all this time because you thought I was unlaid?" Ava teased a bit.

"You are making it sound pitiful," Theo tried to defend herself, "It wasn't that simple. I didn't want to mess it up or hurt you. I haven't been with anyone without experience and I was afraid I couldn't give you what you needed. I know some people want their first time to be special and I didn't want you to regret picking me."

Ava was warmed by Theo's words. That was deeper than she thought it was and it showed her that Theo did care about her. What Ava had taken as a reluctance to go forward because Theo regretted the decision to involve herself with Ava was actually reluctance to hurt Ava, it was a reluctance to put Ava in an uncomfortable situation. Ava smiled and stepped forward and placed a quick kiss on Theo's lips. They were alone but anyone could have come by so she kept it brief.

"Talk to me next time," Ava whispered and took a step back.

"If I've learned anything from my time with you it's to not make assumptions," Theo had a stupid grin plastered on her face, "In the spirit of clarity, you are trying to fuck me right?"

Ava laughed and pulled away from Theo completely, "I'm not dignifying that with a response."

Ava began to back away and back in the direction of Theo's quarters to check on Kiri and Theo began to give chase, "You didn't give me an answer. You were the one that literally just brought up communication."

-------------------------------

Theo was waiting in her quarters for Ava to show up. They had agreed that they were going to spend the night on the ship training and reading since they had fallen behind on lessons since Alenroux. They had left into Piril on the understanding that Ava would come straight to the ship once her duties were over. It was night time though and Ava was still not back. Theo would have asked someone if they had seen her but the ship looked like a ghost town. Most everyone else was staying in Piril, even the new Safritian girls. There was no presence of Eloxian soldiers in Nefriti unless absolutely necessary and the city of Piril was considered a safe haven for Safritians in the north. Many other major Nefritian cities were more closed off to business, trade, and mingling with Safritians, the prejudice built deep into their society. However, Theo rarely frequented those ports and preferred to forge relationships and connections within ports that were not likely to close themselves to the ship or the diverse array of women on it.

Piril was a booming fishing town and the fishermen hailed from every corner of the world, making it a clash of cultures and customs. Being a fishing town, they cooked primarily fish in a signature style that was a mix of spices from Dove Island and The Twins. Theo loathed their cuisine, happy to never have another bite of fish in her life again. An entire lifetime at sea had nudged her towards a preference for meat and chicken, not scaly, slimy, swimmers. The food was not Theo's favorite but the people were. No one in all of Nefriti could be as hospitable as the citizens of Piril.

However, it was many hours past the usual time it took to do Piril business checks and Theo was beginning to wonder what had happened. Theo would have worried about Ava's safety more, it being her first time doing something alone, but Ava would be fine. Besides the welcoming people, Ava was an Eloxian in Nefriti which was almost instant celebrity status. Theo tried to make herself busy until Ava showed up but there was nothing to do. She hadn't realized how busy they had all been until there was nothing to do. Kiri was gone, their passengers had all disembarked, and there were no pressing issues to attend to.

Kiri being gone left a hole in Theo's soul that wasn't supposed to be there. Curse the little girl and the way she burrowed into Theo's heart and made her care. Theo wouldn't admit it but she shed a tear as she said goodbye to her small friend. Before Pearl whisked her away, Theo gave her the wooden fish she had been working on. She inscribed 'Kiri' on the back of it and Theo knew that Kiri would never remember Theo or her time on the ship but at least she had something to take with her. A child without a toy was a sad sight. Kiri didn't make her exit easy though, she fussed and cried when Pearl tried to take her away from Theo and Theo had to run into port to get away from the wails.

It hurt her to hear but there was no other way to do it. Both for her own sake and for Kiri's it was better if she was out of sight as soon as possible. She had taken that opportunity to just start her day and she made her way around the city to her various contacts. Again, at what seemed to be the hundredth city they went to, there was no information on any pirate disappearances. Her contacts had not even gotten word that there was something afoot. Theo was frustrated as she made her way back to the ship. To alieve the stress she stopped by her favorite restaurant in town. While she didn't like fish, she did enjoy other sea critters and enjoyed them, even more, when they were fried. Full from dinner and emotionally drained after a long day of going around and interacting with people just to be disappointed with their answers, she ended up back in her cabin.

That is where she found herself waiting for Ava. She took the time to push furniture out of the way so Ava had space to train. She decided to forgo the training room that night because it had been arranged by Morgana in a certain way for vanguard training and she didn't want to mess that up. She also pulled out the book Ava used to write words in and also another book that they had been working on reading, just to get everything ready for her arrival. Another hour had passed since the sun had set and Theo had prepared the room entirely, the desk neatly set with all the materials needed. She had grown anxious and began to pace the room before deciding she would set out to find Ava.

Theo was pulling on her coat to leave when Ava came in and the tenseness in Theo's shoulders dissipated. Theo peeled off the coat and hung it back up on her wardrobe.

"You were going somewhere?" Ava was holding many bags, which she set down.

"Was going to look for you. Thought you had been kidnapped or something," Theo said and then made her way back down to her desk.

Ava smiled, "You care for my well being."

"I am your Captain. That is my job," Theo chuckled, "Well?"

"Well," Ava gave a sly smile and then walked to the desk and sat on the edge of it, "I am quite the charmer around the city. Everyone seems to love me, they were all so nice to me."

"It's 'cause your Eloxian," Theo pointed out.

Ava huffed and frowned a little, "Really? I thought they just thought I was charismatic."

Theo laughed, "I mean sure, we can go with that."

"Anyway, I did my job and I did a little shopping while doing my job. Which is why it took so long."

"Can I see what you bought?" Theo smiled and leaned her elbows on the desk.

Ava nodded enthusiastically as she bolted over to her bags. She began to take a long coat out of one and she held it to her body, "They gave this to me at a cheaper price! Isn't it pretty? It's so warm on the inside too."

"It's very nice. You just got clothes?" Theo asked and relaxed back into her chair.

"No," Ava folded the coat back up and put it away, "That bag is coats, that bag is pants, that bag has shoes, and that bag has some gifts for Oceane."

"None for me?" Theo pouted.

"There was no jerky," Ava lamented, "I tried to look."

"Aye, all they have is fucking fish," Theo said with her upper lip curled in disgust.

"I love fish," Ava laughed, "I had the best lunch."

Theo chuckled and shook her head. She hadn't intended to derail Ava from giving updates about her duties but that was the result, "How was the business part of your day."

"Oh! Right!" Ava pulled out the list that Theo had handed her before and began to skim through it, "No rules were broken but Woli's Confectionery couldn't pay. They had a fire and had to spend money on repairs. It's true, I saw the fire damage."

"That's fine, I will go check in with them in the morning then. Do you have the payments?"

"Aye," Ava walked over to one of the bags and she pulled out a leather satchel. It was heavy and filled with coins and Ava placed it on the desk with a thud, "Two other businesses, Ploko and Vereni's said that they included extra gold for the payment they missed last time. Um, an additional 56 from Ploko and 73 from Verini."

"Bringing it to a total of?" Theo prompted.

"Two thousand three hundred and two," Ava answered, "But it started to get too heavy to carry so I stopped at the treasury halfway through the aftermorning and switched it for platinum pieces. So we have 230 platinum pieces and two gold pieces. I'm pretty sure I got stronger because of the weight of it all."

"Carrying around all the money we make is how I got my muscles," Theo joked and stood up and grabbed the sack of coins. It took two hands to easily pick it up and she locked it away in a trunk by her bed.

"Does that go in the ship's fund?"

"Aye, Miss Yurwa will send someone to pick it up after we set sail," Theo replied.

"All of it goes there?"

"Are you insinuating I steal from the ship's fund?" Theo chuckled and put the key to the locked trunk inside her desk drawer.

"No, I'm just wondering why you don't take any," Ava admitted, "There is plenty, and if this is the amount you get in every city I'm sure taking some off the top doesn't make a dent in the fund. I'm not saying you should steal it, you don't have to since you are the captain."

Theo laughed a bit and sat back down, "I have no need for extra money. I have enough."

"How much do you have?" Ava asked.

"Enough," Theo repeated, "come prepare your lesson and then go do your laps."

Ava trudged over, dragging her feet, "Just this once can we skip laps?"

"Not possible," Theo lamented and watched as Ava turned the book to a blank page and began to write.

She did as she was told and went to do laps around the ship. Theo had stopped increasing the number of laps once Ava had hit 15, finding that to be the best place for Ava to stop. If she did any more, she would come into training too beat up to make progress. As Ava took her laps, Theo reviewed her words. Since they had a lot of time to make up on Theo figured she would try and see if she could learn the words by herself and then get help from Ava after.

"The colder it gets the harder it is to breathe when I run," Ava commented as she slowed her jog to a walk once she crossed the doorway into Theo's quarters.

"In through your nose, out through your mouth," Theo offered sagely, even though it was the millionth time Ava had heard her say the same thing.

"What now?" Ava asked, hands on her knees trying to catch a breath before Theo commanded her to do something.

Theo stood up and walked over, "I'm going to teach you a few combos."

Theo showed her a series of attacks mixed with some elements of dodging and weaving. Ava practiced the combo and Theo corrected her technique here or there. For the most part, Ava was executing the moves perfectly. She had gotten better over time, at the start of the training Ava was unable to make a proper fist and now she could knock the wind out of Theo during sparring. There were only a few minor changes needed and then Theo sat back down.

"For every word I read correctly on the first try, you have to do two repetitions of the combo. For every one I get wrong you only have to do one," Theo offered Ava a deal.

"As opposed to how many if I were to just take a flat number?" Ava asked.

"Hm," Theo pondered for a second, "80 seems fair."

"I would disagree," Ava scoffed then paused for a second to do the mental calculations. With the amount of words she had written down it was about an equal amount if Theo got them all correct, "Fine. Two if you get it right."

"First word is grate," Theo said confidently and Ava nodded in confirmation. "Not sure why you thought I would need to learn that one before literally any other word but give me two combos,"

Ava groaned and began to do it. High knees jump, two jabs, a duck, a spinning kick followed by two more punches and a jump. She repeated it again with ease and Theo saw nothing to point out. They continued this back and forth for a while and eventually, Theo began to shout out things Ava needed to change within the combo. Replace the kick with a knee, a jab with a hook, a duck with a jump. Over and over Ava repeated the combo until Theo was finished with the last word, the series of movements completely different from what she had started with.

The redhead was breathing heavily as she paced back and forth with her hands on her waist. She was smiling despite the pain Theo knew was in her chest. After a grueling workout, Theo often struggled to get the breath entering her body to not sting. Sweat dripped down to stain the gray, sleeveless top Ava had on.

"You did good," Theo commented, "You've gotten really good at your form with kicking."

"And you've gotten really good at reading longer words," Ava congratulated in return, "only six wrong!"

"We can rejoice when I get none of them wrong," Theo said, "Take another five laps before we wrap up."

"Theo please," Ava begged and dropped to her knees. She clasped her hands dramatically together and shook them towards the ceiling, "anything but laps."

Theo laughed and got out of the chair before making her way over to Ava, "Fine. A little hand to hand won't hurt I guess. First to three wins?"

"No. This is a high stakes game. One game, one winner," Ava challenged but Theo saw through it.

"I'll ignore that your offer is just a ploy to not have to exercise as much but I will bite, one round," Theo said and she pushed the desk even more out of the way then got into position.

Ava knew better by then than to play by the rules, something Theo regretted ingraining that in her. As soon as Theo had turned around and got into position, Ava made her move. She ran forward and brought out her leg to hook Theo's ankle and pulled. It wasn't enough to catch Theo off balance but it was enough to pull her leg forward into a wide stance as if she was going for a lunge. Ava swung out a fist and Theo ducked. Theo stayed down and drove her shoulder into Ava's midsection and brought them to the ground.

Before Theo could settle, Ava had managed to escape her grasp and flip them over. Theo thudding onto her back as Ava tried to pin Theo down. Theo wiggled her legs free and began to use them to push Ava away. She managed to get herself just free enough to scramble away. She got to her feet and Ava did too. Theo kicked a few times and Ava blocked all of them and then followed up with a punch to Theo's chest, which hit.

Theo regained her breath and laughed, "You're fucked."

She barely finished her sentence when Ava lunged toward her but Theo stepped out of the way. She managed to step behind Ava and put her in a chokehold, one arm coming up to hold Ava's head in place and the other acting as support behind her neck. Theo felt her vision tilt upside down as she was tossed over Ava, she landed on her back with a grunt and moved away just in time for Ava to miss pinning her down. Where the fuck had she learned that?

Theo was still on the ground so she reached out and latched onto Ava's ankle and gave a hard pull, causing Ava to fall back. Ava groaned in pain as she laid unmoving on the ground. Theo felt her stomach lurch and she scattered to her knees and crawled over to Ava, worry apparent in her expression.

"Are you alright?": Theo asked as she hovered over Ava.

As soon as Theo was within reach Ava stopped playing the victim and jutted out both of her arms and wrapped them around Theo's neck, in a choking position. There was no pressure on Theo's neck, Ava's hands just reminding her that there could be. Ava had won the match, decidedly by using unfair means, but she had won nonetheless.

"Cheater."

"Innovator," Ava shrugged and then removed her hands slowly from Theo's neck but rested them on the sides of it, "have we made it to the point in the night where it is acceptable to kiss you? Or are you going to stop me and make me keep training?"

Ava was looking up at Theo with a slight pout to her lips, blinking up at the captain. She was manipulating Theo into ending training. Theo had nothing else planned for the night but she didn't tell Ava that. She just let Ava believe that Theo had made the choice to spare her from extra work as she bent over and kissed Ava.

Theo felt Ava's smile against her lips and without breaking the kiss she repositioned herself so she was slotted in between Ava's legs, hovering over her. Ava's hands tangled themselves in Theo's black hair. Theo's two gold necklaces dangled and hit Ava's chin lightly as their kiss grew more passionate, more heated. This time, Theo was the one to make the first move. She slipped her hand under Ava's shirt, gently keeping it on her side at first before moving it up slightly. Her cold hand snaked its way under her shirt and up her stomach, stopping at the top of her ribs just before where Ava longed for her to go.

"May I?" Theo pulled away to ask, just general permission to carry on and Ava nodded, biting her lip to hide one very excited grin.

Finally.