AN: join the discord for the ball gown art I had commissioned for some of the dresses they are wearing! discord.gg/DxrR6HxQDX or link in bio

Theo was on the way back to the room with the sun dangerously low in the sky. It was not yet sunset, there were less than two hours until they were due to leave for the ball if they were to start the mission on time. Everyone had been dismissed, pair by pair, to go shopping for a dress, or just accompany those needing one. The pairs were created according to who was going to be together on the mission and sent out in a staggered fashion, as to avoid being too obvious about things.

Theo's dress was carefully wrapped and even more carefully handled as she walked back to the inn. The dress wasn't new, she hadn't bought it in the city. In fact, she had brought her own. If she was going to have to be wearing a dress, it would be one that she wanted. This dress had been custom-made for her, as most of her clothes were, along with a suit that was a similar version of the dress. Unfortunately, she would not be wearing the suit that night. She had to go get some adjustments at a tailor Xyra had found that seemed to be off the beaten path enough to be able to slip in without too much fuss. Before leaving the inn, she had let her hair up in a bun and had even swung by Oceane's to have black lines put over her eyelids to make herself look different than she normally did.

It had worked and she was in and out of the tailors with little issue, her way back was the problem. She almost slipped a few times, the slight drizzle coming down made both the stone and mud pathways slippery. After feeling more like a newborn deer than she ever had, she finally made it to the inn and up the stairs without getting caught or seen by anyone outside of her crew. The door to her room wasn't locked so Theo had assumed that it was alright to go in.

However, upon entering, she realized that Ava was not decent. She was in a tub that had been placed in the center of their room. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. Theo quickly turned her face and then the rest of her body, embarrassed at the intrusion.

"Sorry. I just had to drop off my dress, I didn't know you were bathing," Theo said, quickly, before walking to her bed and setting the dress down, keeping her back to Ava the whole time.

"That's alright," Ava replied; her voice was strained yet soft, like she had been crying.

"Red, you okay?" Theo straightened her posture and turned her head a bit so her ear could catch any noises that were made.

Theo didn't get an answer, instead, she heard Ava begin to cry. Theo was confused, Ava had seemed fine during their whole journey. Even that morning, she had been very excited to go out with Oceane. If it were anyone else, she would ask before making the assumption that her help was needed. But Ava wasn't the typical pirate, she liked to share her feelings and talk with people about her issues. Theo decided, then, that she was going to stay to figure out what was wrong. Without looking, she took as many steps backward as it took for the back of her legs to hit the tub. Once she arrived, she sat down on the floor, back still to Ava.

"I don't know what's wrong but I'm sorry you are feeling upset," Theo didn't know what to say or do. Usually, when she was out of words and trying to comfort someone, she would hug them but that wasn't an option here. Maybe it was because Ava had ended things between them but Theo felt wholly inadequate to deal with Ava's emotions at that moment. It made her feel like shit when she could do nothing but sit and listen to Ava cry.

After a few minutes of Ava trying to reign in the tears just for them to keep coming, she managed to get out a broken, "I feel like such an idiot."

"Woah, hey, let's not be too harsh on ourselves," Theo frowned to herself, never liking derogatory language when people talked about themselves.

"I just feel so pathetic for crying over nothing," Ava said with a sniffle at the end.

"It's alright to be emotional, even if it's over nothing..." Theo was having a hard time with what to say, like she had hit a wall blocking the conversational path. It wasn't often that Theo felt this awkward or unable to help, "Would you like me to go get someone for you? Maybe Tuni? She's always good with these things."

"You're always good with these things," Ava pointed out.

"You want me to stay?" Theo asked.

"No, I was just implying that you give credit to others when you can do it just as well..." Ava explained her comment, seemingly winding down from her crying episode, "Sorry for holding you up. It wasn't my intention to offload my crying onto you."

"No, that's totally fine..." Theo rubbed the back of her head, she didn't really want to leave, was the thing, even if she didn't know what to say she wanted to be near Ava, "want me to stay though?"

"Would it be bad if I said yes?" Ava asked.

"Not at all," Theo smiled to herself, happy at the idea that Ava still wanted her around, still wanted her to stay. It didn't mean anything but to Theo's brain, any time Ava willingly spent time with her translated into thinking there was a chance that when all of this was over, they could be together again.

Theo was almost positive Ava was still in love with her. She wasn't undeniably sure but it was hard to miss how Ava looked at her and the way they still gravitated towards each other while on the same ship. Theo wasn't going to push Ava in any sort of direction or pressure her into coming back but it didn't hurt to make herself available to the redhead, to make her know what she was missing. Ava's crying had subsided and so had the conversation. It was peaceful in the room, the rain began to grow heavier and the evidence of that was heard as the drops pounded against the window. Theo could also hear the water behind her move as Ava moved.

Theo looked around the room and her eyes landed on the bed that was next to her own. On the bed was a very detailed, very expensive, very beautiful green dress. It looked to be a similar shade to the dress that Ava was wearing when she turned up at her ship. Except far more extravagant, almost like it belonged in the realm of the faeries, those small idyllic creatures from stories past.

"That dress is really nice," Theo put her admiration for the craftsmanship in simple terms.

Ava was no longer silent, she burst into tears again. Her short breaths were audible as she tried to work through it.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry, Red," Theo felt her stomach flip at not being able to comfort her, nothing she said seemed right. It would be easier to say the right things, though, if she actually knew what was happening. Ava said she was crying over nothing but this didn't seem like nothing, "Is the dress the problem? I get it, dresses fucking suck..."

"It's not even the dress," Ava said, her vocal chords heavy and strained, "I was so excited to get one. I was finally going to get to wear one because I wanted to, not because someone told me I had to. I got the fucking thing and was so excited all the way here and then I got in the tub and it just hit me..."

"What did?"

"The feeling of being in this place, surrounded by the city, surrounded by these people, surrounded by riches and fake smiles and obvious politics. It just takes me back to a place that I never liked..."

"Aye, big cities are not fun..." Theo said with a frown, both understanding and not understanding what Ava was talking about. She did feel guilty though, that Ava had to be here because of a mission she hadn't suggested or voted for, "I'm sorry you've been put in this situation, Red."

"It's no one's fault. I didn't even realize what I felt until now," Ava admitted, "I guess I just haven't ever really fully processed my time at home, my past life... "

"Damn, for being the resident feelings girl on the ship, it seems pretty hypocritical to me that you haven't processed your own emotions," Theo joked.

That got a laugh out of her, one of Theo's favorite sounds. It caused a smile to erupt on Theo's face and a blush to heat up her cheeks as she looked at the floor, unsure of where else to look. Ava cleared her throat.

"The moment I left home, I began to feel like a whole new person... I felt real for the first time. My life before... I was a bland person. I just went through the motions; there was no light or fire in me except when the thrill of causing my latest mischief set in. When I left home, I just never looked back on that time or who I was. I felt like a new person but I wasn't one, I was just becoming different. The old me had feelings, had experiences, had strife. When I left, I mostly just ignored all of my past memories. This has just made me remember how bad it was back there, how much I loathed my family's name and their position," Ava admitted, the mood in the room was solemn.

"For ignoring your emotions, it sounds like you've got it all figured out," Theo pointed out.

"Been in this tub for a while, I've had plenty of time to figure it out," Ava laughed a bit. The room went quiet, Theo dwelling on Ava's words. Trying to imagine what it would have felt like to be raised so sheltered and then experience all of life at once. Theo couldn't pretend to understand what Ava was feeling but she could understand what she meant, she had never let herself feel for her past self. Ava spoke up after minutes of nothing, "Theo... Thank you for being here with me."

"Ah, no worries," Theo smiled even though it couldn't be seen, "I'm your captain. If my crew needs me, I'm there

"Crew or not, you owe me nothing but continue to give me your time..." Ava trailed off, Theo didn't know why she was bringing it up, "I'm not sure why you're so good to me but thank you."

Because I am in love with you. Because I would do anything you asked. Because I would cross all of the Baethan oceans and fight any monster that came in my way in order to get to you, Theo thought to herself.

"Eh, you're not too bad to be around," Theo shrugged, "good company and free entertainment."

"You use me for entertainment?"

"Aye, it is very good entertainment too. A rich girl turned pirate, now a contributing member of a crew at sea. You can't make up some of the shit you say. Honestly, a one-man theatre is what you are," Theo laughed and it earned her a laugh from Ava as well. The mood had lightened considerably, even though the rain outside and the lack of sun made everything still feel gloomy.

"What about you? I want to know how are you feeling about tonight," Ava requested.

"Oo, you want to know how I'm feeling?" Theo leaned back against the tub, her back getting a bit wet, "Red, do you have a crush on me?"

"Shut up," Ava splashed water in Theo's direction, making water spill onto her and onto the floor, "I won't get another chance to speak with you before everything starts and I want to see where your head's at. As a crew member, that is."

"Hm. Well, I'm looking forward to the buffet, rich people always have the best food," Theo only hoped she had time to visit the food tables, "Although, some of you folks really don't know how to season your dishes."

Theo chuckled at her own humor but Ava didn't find it amusing. Theo didn't misspeak though, rich people's food was either amazing or it sucked, if Ava was mad it was probably because her food at home had sucked. Ava wasn't dropping the other subject though.

"What is it you really feel?" Ava pressed on in typical Ava fashion.

"How do you know that's not how I feel?" Theo laughed.

"You are using humor to cope and deflect. Typical pirate," Ava mused before adding, "typical Theo."

It should have not made Theo's heart warm inside that someone knew her that well. It should not have made her blush. She should have been worried that someone she was no longer involved with could read her so well. But Theo just felt like a schoolgirl with a crush. And once again, Ava was pulling the information out of Theo so easily.

"I'm nervous, I suppose, but that is what I feel before everything we do," Theo sighed as she explained what she was truly feeling, "We have no idea what to expect tonight so we just have to flow with the tide of things and I...fucking hate that."

Theo admitted out loud the worries she had about not having control over the situation.

Ava hummed, "Xyra gets shit for being uptight so much that people give you a pass."

Theo gasped, almost turning around in indignance, "I resent that. I'm super relaxed, I can flow with the tide. My god is literally the water for fucks sake."

"Alright, water zealot," Ava teased, "We'll see how good you are with being relaxed tonight."

"Oh, we will see. We will see how fucking amazing at it I am," Theo said as she stood up, reaching a middle finger behind her as she began walking out, "enjoy your bath, rich girl."

----

Theo and Xyra were standing outside, predictably the first to get ready. Theo was in her dress and she felt restricted; like she couldn't properly breathe. It was all in her head, having a fit over the dress even though it was perfectly suited to her measurements. There was very obvious fidgeting coming from her and Xyra seemed annoyed. It hit a breaking point when Theo adjusted the skirt of the dress for the tenth time and Xyra's hand snapped out to grab Theo's wrist, shooting her a glare.

"Theo, quit it, the dress is fine," Xyra said and Theo frowned, yanking her hand away dramatically.

"You said I looked horrible and ugly," Theo huffed, "and that the dress was weird."

"I said I found the image of you in a dress discomforting," Xyra reminded a very dramatic Theo on what had actually occurred, "and then followed it up by saying you still looked very elegant."

"That means the same thing to me," Theo complained and adjusted her bodice, feeling even more restrained by the second.

"Would you like me to tell you that you look beautiful? Gorgeous? Glamorous? A sight to behold?" Xyra pressed, knowing it would make Theo uncomfortable if any of those things happened.

"Shut up," Theo narrowed her eyes and then pushed Xyra for good measure, "where is everyone?"

"Patience," Xyra simply said, her body hidden under the deep blue coat she had draped over her. It was less of a coat and more of an oversized poncho, reaching the floor and covering every bit of the dress she had on underneath it.

Under the coat, however, was one of the finest pieces of clothing that Theo had ever seen. It was so mesmerizing that tears sprang to her eyes when she first looked at it. Her mouth watered at the intricacy of the piece, hundreds of hours of work most likely went into making it. It had been given to Xyra the night before. Agnes had chased them across the gardens in order to give the dress to Xyra. It had been preserved nicely in somewhat of a dress sack and neither of them had dared to open it until they were getting ready that night.

When they did open it, they were both left speechless. The patterns and the details were like a painting. On the dress, laid an embroidered story. Xyra had told Theo all of the stories from her childhood, the ones Xyra's mom would tell her and so, Theo recognized what the dress represented instantly. The creation of the northern mountain range of Efriti, the ones that separated Nefriti and Safriti. It was said to be because of the yellow dragon, differentiated from his family by his blue mane. He was the close friend, ally, and ride for Evisa, the god of nature. One sun, greedy people powered by the lust for dragon blood, lured the Evisa into a trap in hopes of taking the dragon. Dragons had been created by the god of luck, Pelas, and held a powerful connection to him. Because of that connection, the blood of the dragon was said to bring endless fortune to any that consumed it, and thus was highly sought after.

Evisa figured out the plans to attack the dragon once they landed in the people's city and once they deduced what was to happen, they ran away on the dragon. But the god's escape was not that easy; the people's best archer took a shot and the dragon went tumbling from the sky down to the ground. The dragon was fatally wounded and was dying in front of Evisa. In their heartbreak and agony, and trying to avoid the greedy men from getting to their dragon, Evisa erupted mountains between them and the other men. Killing some, and preventing the rest from reaching them until Evisa could get them out of there. That story was alluded to by the dress, which had a dragon towards the bottom of it, winding around the dress until its tail curled around the neck. Mountains were rising up from the bottom of the dress and illustrations of the wind and sky furled across the train and sleeve of the dress.

It was in the style of Xyra's mother's people, with a train in the back, short at the shins, and long flowy arms. The Uriol-Kanya were the original inhabitants of Nefriti. Before the wars of old, thousands of lengths prior, what was now Aeliz and parts of Elox aligned to drive them out of their home. The Uriol scattered, with groups fleeing to every continent. After several centuries away, some began to return home. Xyra's mother's family had been one of those people, close to 20 classifications before. Her mother had broken a long tradition, however, and had been the first one in her family to marry a Nefritian whose family had come over from Elox. While most NEfritians turned their nose at descendants of the Uriol, Xyra's father never had. Her mother had been closely aligned to her culture and Xyra's father had promised her that she was allowed to teach their children Uriol history, even if it was illegal. Whcih was how Theo knew so much about it as well.

Any mention of culture or group or heritage that existed prior to the Great War, before Baethos was united, was prohibited. In an effort to keep violence and old rivalries to a minimum, The Center had argued it was crucial to be united under one common culture and set of values. Which meant that depictions of anything that referred to the time before Baethos, anything that kept the memories of eons past alive were banned. Not only religious imagery but things like the dress too. Not only the design on the dress was illegal but the style of the dress was highly frowned upon as well. The Urul descendants had long been sexualized, their clothing that had been around for ages slowly became associated with debauchery and impurity as they were driven from their homes and introduced to new societies. The style was banned long before Baethos was even formed, unfairly and with no regard for the history behind it. As beautiful as it was, it could land Xyra in jail both in their time and the time before Baethos. As they stared at the dress, Theo felt the tension coming from her first mate. They both understood the dilemma they were facing. Xyra was stuck, Theo recalled watching the exchange of the dress happen the night before.

"Belle! Wait!" Agnes called out and as they turned around, she was running towards them with something in her arms.

Agnes ran over to them as fast as she could and placed the object in Xyra's hands, panting a bit from having to catch up, "I want you to wear this tomorrow."

Xyra held the covered dress in her hands and looked at Agnes in confusion.

"It's mother's," Agnes caught her breath, "I have brought it with me every single length we've attended one of these things and I've never had the courage to wear it..." Agnes admitted, "Mother would be so happy to see this dress in the halls of that place, I know she would. It deserves to be worn. Fuck them for saying it doesn't."

Both of them had been shocked at the subtle act of rebellion. Theo wasn't aware of any animosity towards Baethos coming from any of Xyra's family members.

"Does Quinlin know?" Xyra asked.

"No one knows," Agnes said, "I understand if you can't wear it. But I just know you are meant to."

The risk they would take by bringing in that dress was worth it, in Theo's opinion. As she admired the details, she smirked to herself.

"You think you could run in that?"

"Probably," Xyra answered, "Logistically, it would be faster to have someone cover me for 15 seconds while I disrobe but aye, I can run."

"Then let's cause a fucking commotion with this dress," Theo looked over at Xyra with a nod and Xyra smiled, giving Theo a silent thank you for the permission to take such a risk. Theo barely had to think about it. One side of Xyra's family was originally from Elox; they were a part of the settlers that came after the Great War, at the beginning of Baethan history. They were a part of the group that moved the Nefritian people out of their land.

But the other side of her family had been one of the original people of Nefriti. Xyra had a connection to this land that was never acknowledged, it was always overlooked and she was considered by all means a Nefritian. Barely anyone recognized the Uriol were a group of people, or that they were still around; her mother's stories, dresses, customs, and traditions, had been outlawed since Baethos, and even before then in certain places. The centuries of banned practices dwindled what they could pass down from generation to generation. The dress was truly something beyond symbolic. This was a way for Xyra to show that she wasn't bowing down to The Center, it was paying homage to her mother. Theo wished for a piece that connected her own self to her home, to her people, to her parents; she would have never been able to take the opportunity from Xyra. What surprised Theo was Xyra's own willingness to wear the dress and jeopardize the mission.

That had all occurred over an hour before. And in that time, they had both managed to get ready and go outside just to be waiting on everyone else for what had been a considerable time. Finally, hope for leaving on time began to shine through the gloomy prospects of being late as each person began to file out. Cooker and Iona, who were partners, were getting ready together and jointly walked out of Cooker's room.

The sides of Cooker's head had been freshly shaved and her hair had been slicked back, she was in a deep red suit. Iona was next to her, arm looped within Cooker's, with a matching shade of deep red on her dress. It was more of a slip dress, loose fabric that allowed for movement if need be, pretty and practical. Cooker's tattoos were peeking out of the sides of her collar but they just had to hope that Cook would be careful with who was around to see. Cooker set eyes on Theo and then began to laugh. Theo rolled her eyes and raised a middle finger.

"This is the best thing I've ever seen," Cooker waved her hand over the dress. She kept laughing and looked over at Xyra to gauge her reaction which caused Xyra to break and smile too.

"Oi, fuck the both of you," Theo crossed her arms, which just caused her bodice to squeeze her harder.

"You may look ridiculous but your boobs look great," Cooker pointed out, "you'll be able to get all of Viv's secrets out from her tonight."

"Thing about wearing a dress is that I have more room to stash weapons. Keep pushing me and I'll use one of my many on you," Theo threatened and for good measure, lifted her dress and drove her shoe into Cooker's thigh.

Theo walked back to her place, adjusted her dress, and looked over at Iona with a smile.

"Iona, you look stunning," Theo complimented.

"Doesn't she?" Cooker looked over at Iona, "just have a union with me already, please? I'm begging you."

Iona hit Cooker on the shoulder, "She's been doing that the whole time I was getting ready."

"She's in a relationship, Cook, give it up," Theo laughed.

"I'm trying to convince them to keep it open, give ol' Cook a chance," Cooker smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"She's serious," Xyra commented.

"I know," Iona laughed a bit.

Morgana and Tuni came out of their room as Iona spoke. They were also matching, Tuni wearing a simple black dress, sleek and breathable. She was rubbing Morgana's back who was wearing her version of what a suit was supposed to be. Theo couldn't even comprehend what was going on fashion-wise. Morgan was upset though, her mouth turned down into a frown, and her eyes a bit sad.

"What's with the long face," Theo said, "your wife looks great and so do you."

"She wanted to wear a dress," Tuni provided.

"I didn't fit into any," Morgana complained, "I guess I'm too fucking jacked for them."

"Mor, dresses are fucking shit anyway," Theo tried to rationalize but it didn't seem to help, Morgana was still sad, "if you want a dress, I'll take you to a tailor I know in Niveal. Best in the business, funny guy; you'll like him. He can make you whatever you want. It's on me."

"You can't take that shit back," Morgana instantly looked happier.

"I won't," Theo chuckled.

"Fuck yeah," Morgana smiled, "Imma have a goddamn party just to show it off. Going to be the best damn dress anyone has ever seen."

It was a promise that Theo wasn't sure Morgana would live up to. Shortly after, Oceane and Ava emerged from Oceane's room. Oceane was beaming, her cheeks rosier than usual, and her eyes sporting beautiful inky designs. Her hair was different too, pushed to one side, her tight curls were interwoven with fabric and beads. She was giddy and as she walked out, her dress moved with her. Teal and red tones, warm and reminiscent of a summer morning, mingled throughout the dress and the ruffled layers on her skirt were in the style of a Safritian wedding dresses.

"Oi, you getting hitched tonight?" Theo laughed.

"I am wedded to the night," Oceane spun around in her dress, making her way out of the room.

Behind her, Ava followed in the light green dress that was on her bed earlier. It was a contrast from the kind of whimsy that Oceane's dress brought out. Spring and Summer, the best two seasons. Theo smiled at the both of them and tipped her head, forgetting she didn't have a hat.

Oceane pushed Ava in front of her and towards Theo, lacking any form of subtly. Ava stumbled forward a bit, having to use Theo's shoulder to catch herself. Theo rolled her eyes at Oceane's matchmaking and stabilized Ava. She looked breathtaking, Theo was honestly trying her best not to look for too long because her heart would leap out of her chest. The dress had long, sheer sleeves, a tight bodice, and a wide skirt, the same sheer material was laid over the whole dress. On the material were flowers and laurels, embroidered with such skill that they looked like the real things were just sewed on. The dress looked magnificent by itself, but it was even prettier when Ava gave it life.

As everyone was giving each other compliments or jokes, whichever was granted at the moment, Theo jerked her head towards the stairs and then began walking. Ava was the first to walk after her as they made their way out of the inn. Walking out into the muddy streets, the mission began with a lofty task; getting to the stone street without getting muddy. There was a lot of arm work involved in picking up the heavy-ass dresses and making sure they didn't get dirty. Their shoes were fucked but most of their outfits covered that part of it, so it was fine. Xyra didn't have a dress that covered her shoes, but as always, she had thought ahead and brought an extra pair. It was a short trek to the stone paths and once they arrived there, they were finally able to walk normally. Ava walked next to Theo, everyone else trailing behind them at various distances.

Theo turned her head to Ava with a smile and then looked back at the road, "You look dashing, Red."

"I had hoped the dress would look ugly on me so I would feel less guilt for spending so much on it," Ava confessed.

"In all honesty, I'm glad you said something because I just didn't have the heart to tell you how awful it looks," Theo laughed a bit, "but now I don't feel bad saying it because it will only help your mood."

"You look quite awful as well," Ava joked.

Theo laughed and glanced down at her dress, the details of it should have been obscured by the low light but they only seemed to shine under the moon. It was a dress that wasn't too large, the bodice hugged her torso tight and the skirt only extended a bit from her waist before it fell. The dress had been designed with her input and as much as she hated wearing it, it was one of the best things she had helped create. And it was damned expensive, it was one of the purchases she made that would have Xyra and Cooker both yelling at her if they found out how much she really spent.

She had themed it after the night sky, all of the constellations that she had memorized over the lengths of being at sea. The moon, stars, and sun were littered through the sheer black sleeves that covered her whole arms. Her tattoos still swirled underneath but it looks like a part of the dress. On her neck, moonstones in the shape of Riva's symbol. The skirt of the dress held delicately embroidered gold patterns of the constellations she held dear as they swirled against the backdrop of dark fabric, the color of the night sky. If people noticed the small details on it, like the symbol, it was sure to get her a few stares but she doubted anyone would glance twice.

As the gardens they were due to meet Xyra's family approached, the team began to split up. Each of them going to a portion of the city they were assigned. The constituency ball took place all around the city, it was more of a general festival. The actual ball, however, was held in the great hall and ballroom of the Ammyrett estate. The only people that were invited to the estate were the greater houses and a select few of the lesser houses that the greater houses oversaw. The rest of the lesser houses and those people seeking a last name during the next classification would still come, but they would stay and party in the outer rings of the ball. As the festivities moved away from the estate, the group of people in that area of town became less wealthy. Eventually leading to the outermost ring that just contained local townspeople out for a good time.

If things went wrong, nothing was truly going to help but they still made plans to account for failures. The team was split up in pairs, as they had been that whole time, and each of them were covering a different area of the party. Xyra and Theo, obviously, would be entering the main estate and the ball by tagging along with Xyra's family. Ava and Oceane would be walking around one area of the inner ring of the party, the places directly surrounding the estate. If they saw Theo and Xyra leave, they would be the ones to run and tell everyone else to get ready to leave. If anything looked off with the guards or the party, they would cause a distraction. Cooker and Iona would be around the outskirts of the party, with the more rowdy crowd, making sure everything was in order there. Morgana and Tuni would be stationed near the carts, making sure their ride didn't bail. It was the same people that brought them there; Theo having paid them extra to stick around and bring them back.

If any of them sensed that things were going astray, they knew to cause a scene. They each were stocked with tricks from Missy that were designed to wreak havoc. The only thing that would save them if shit went south was chaos and Theo was relying on that to be enough.

Theo and Xyra waved their goodbyes as they split up and walked towards the affluent part of town, back to where they had been the night before. Xyra's family was standing outside of the garden when they got there, ready to go. Agnes' husband was not there, yet again, but everyone else was, including the children. As they walked, Agnes gave Xyra a look which Xyra returned with a slight nod.

The only perk of wearing a dress was that Theo had an excuse to not have to deal with the rambunctious children that were insisting on messing with her. Using the panic over ruining her dress, a real diva moment, she made Xyra take them away. People usually expected the opposite reaction to children from both of them, but Xyra adored them and Theo really didn't do well with them. Watching them bounce around Xyra, though, was a good distraction as they walked through the city and past the estate gates. Theo made sure to keep her head down, even though she was virtually unrecognizable with the dress, the small headpiece she was wearing, and the small amount of makeup she allowed Oceane to do.

Things went fast, it was usually the opposite when she was this nervous, but time flashed by and suddenly she was at the base of the stairs, looking up the large set of steps leading up to the manor. The steps look familiar and Theo could make them out to be the ones she had been having dreams about. Xyra's family began to walk but it took Theo a few seconds to get going, stilled by not only the dream she remembered but also at the fact that they were about to enter the Ammyrett estate. She had been inside noble and great houses before, she had done many missions in them when she was a child. But it was never easy to go in and walk amongst the people she hated so much. Xyra knew this and hung behind with Theo.

"You know the plan?" Theo asked, making sure Xyra was good to go.

"Aye, will you be okay?" Xyra looked over to Theo, who steeled her face into one of confidence and belonging.

"Aye, let's catch up," Theo said as she lifted her dress and began to walk up the steps, Xyra right next to her.

They made their way up the stairs and got in with relative ease. Quinlin simply spoke their last name and they were in, no security or accounting for who was in their party; nobles really thought they were untouchable at times. Theo and Xyra could have snuck in without Xyra's family; that was information she stashed away for a different time. Xyra and Theo quickly peeled away from Xyra's family, trying to not make anyone draw the connection between them. Xyra slipped off her coat a few steps into the estate, once they were away from her brother. It gained her stares as they walked around and some whispers between people but no one said anything to them.

There were two stories in the main building that they were in, the second story had various rooms and doors, some of them open and some of them closed. It opened in the middle to show the bottom floor, where the food and dancing were. They circled the top floor together, keeping an eye out for anyone that matched the build of Vivexa. After slowly circling the top floor, they arrived at the stairs to go down.

"I will investigate the rooms up here, see if I find her anywhere. You take downstairs," Xyra said, looking around as she said it.

"Is it a good idea to split up?"

"I want to leave here as quickly as possible. There is risk in either way we approach this," Xyra rationalized.

"I'll keep my eyes on the second floor, if you need me just stand around and I'll see that," Theo strategized before hiking her dress up and walking down the stairs.

She was surrounded by people she didn't know, who would turn her in the second they recognized her. She had been petrified of the mission for so long leading up to it, everything was hanging at the edge of disaster and every step she took could be the difference between hanging in the gallows and surviving to see another sunrise. Yet, she was washed over with a sense of calm she knew well. Her experience in situations of high stress was enough to keep her tranquil. The flash of her previous dreams pieced together once again and she saw the dancefloor, one she recognized. This was supposed to be happening, she knew it. Even though she was acutely aware that bad things could still happen, she had a feeling that fate already decided how the evening would go. She just hoped that fate had been working with Riva on this mission.

Theo took a second to indulge in the buffet, sneaking by to slip a small piece of food off a plate, stuffing it in her mouth when she made sure no one was looking. She walked around the ground floor, looking around for any sign of Viv, chewing the god-awful thing she put in her mouth. There was no way to know what it was, she had just grabbed the first thing she saw, but it was something she never wanted near her again. It almost tasted fishy but she was certain there was no fish in it. She forced it down with a scowl and gave herself a second to recover before putting a smile on her face and walking around again.

There was no sign of Viv where she had been. Of course, finding her was something that could have taken all night, but Theo was really hoping to just luck out and spot her quickly. That hadn't happened though and she made her way to the edge of the dancefloor, being drawn to the edge of it. Viv liked to dance; Theo figured she would perch there for a while, checking out the crowd of dancers. No one was there that she recognized. She was about to turn back and head upstairs in search of Xyra, not seeing her anywhere on the second floor, when there was a hand on the small of her back.

"May I have this dance?" a man's voice said, one she didn't recognize.

Her first instinct was to turn around and choke him for daring to put his hands on her, but she was in a place where that wouldn't slide. She remembered the voice had come to her in her dream on the cart, stay for a dance

Against all logic, she nodded and allowed herself to be pulled onto the dancefloor. As they arrived at an empty spot, they settled into their position and Theo took a good look at the person for the first time; only having gained a view of his side profile before. Theo laid eyes upon possibly the worst person she could have seen at that moment. He was the spitting image of his father; she recognized him from drawings hung in city centers around Nefriti. It was Jona Ammyrett, third son of the noble Lord Ammyret. She would have run but something was calling her to stay. Theo's veins were ice cold, though, unsure of what to do. Did he even know who she was?

The next sentence he spoke answered her question.

"Huge fan, Captain, I have been following your work for quite some time," he smiled as he said it. Theo felt sick, a frown appearing on her face, "you are lucky I am the one spotting you and not another one of my family members."

The music started up again and he led the dance, pushing and pulling them in the right directions. Theo held her own though, never being able to forget the ballroom dance lessons she was made to take by Uncilo. It was the worst three cycles in her life. Their onboard tutor that came along for that time hated her guts, with good reason, she was impossible to work with.

"How do you know who I am?" Theo had never met him before and he was able to so easily pick her out.

"If you are asking how I recognize you, one time in Niveal, we were in the same tavern together. I can never forget a face, especially yours," a smile was still on his face, toeing the line between flirting and friendly conversation, "your face is also displayed all over my city, with a ten thousand gold bounty displayed right under your sketch."

"Which is why it seems odd to me that I am here dancing with you instead of being tackled by three of your soldiers," Theo noted, trying to look around the second floor as she danced for any sign of Xyra, but there was none. There was still a slight frown on her face, "what do you want?"

"Nothing, just a dance," Jona said and pulled Theo closer but Theo actively resisted that advance, being only as close as they needed to for dancing purposes, "and then I will let you go."

"How do you benefit from that arrangement?" Theo asked, "you would gain a lot from being the family to find me, so there must be a bigger prize for not doing so."

Jona chuckled and shook his head, "You know how us nobles function, you are as smart as they say you are."

"I'm surprised that my intellect has made its way into conversations pertaining to me," Theo mused, "that is usually not what I hear gets around."

"Ah," Jona laughed a bit, throwing his head back as he did and drawing the attention of some of the other patrons of the floor, "are you forgetting, I know more than what they tell the masses. Your cunningness and intelligence are accepted as a fact in noble circles, that is not to say the acceptance of that fact does anything to improve their hatred for you."

"That is music to my ears," Theo chuckled a bit, deciding to relax into the dance; there was a reason for this, she needed to milk the opportunity, "You said that I was lucky that your other family members didn't find me, which leads me to believe they are not up to speed with whatever it is you have under your sleeve. I will ask my question again, Jona, what are you benefitting from not turning me in?"

Jona's smile faltered for a second, taken aback at being called by name. He also seemed somewhat surprised that Theo wasn't scared or visibly shook from his presence. Theo enjoyed seeing him be at a loss, keeping a light smile on her face. He recovered his own and looked around before adding.

"My father doesn't know how to play the long game, Captain Theo. He is shortsighted. He would see you and give you up, to play into his ego but also to play into what Vaith wants," Jona said the name with contempt, "I'm sure you put together that Lord Vaith was the driving force behind our current world environment?"

"Aye, that one was not a hard one to figure out," Theo answered.

"Well," Jona paused for a second as the dance called for them to pull away. He spun her away from him and then brought her back over, "my family didn't speak out in council about his plan for your kind because we would have been outnumbered. But make no mistake, the Ammyretts hold no positive thoughts about this ordeal. The underworld has been our ally since the inception of Baethos, we have no interest in seeing it gone."

Theo didn't say anything else after Jona took a pause from his explanation. He had yet to fully answer her question, how did he benefit from this? He could tell that was what she was holding out for and chuckled.

"My father would turn you in because he would think that was what was best, but I know that it is not. Letting you go would yield far greater returns for my family in the long run," Jona explained, "This is mutually beneficial, darling, my family grabs his seat as the Head of the Council when Vaith's plan is eventually defeated by you and your pirate friends. You get the glory of defeating him and my family gets power."

Jona was speaking as if this was as simple as a game of Titan. He viewed the conflict that was currently consuming Theo's life as nothing more than a game for power, with the repercussions being minimal for him if he lost. Jona was rich, living off his parent's vast wealth, playing dress-up for the hundreds of parties he attended every length. He spoke of difficult subjects with the kind of nonchalance that was only possible coming from a noble.

"You are letting me leave under the hopes that I undermine Vaith for your benefit, so his reputation is sullied come reclassification. So he no longer is voted as Head of the Council," Theo deduced, "but that is not a guarantee. My capture and death courtesy of the Ammyretts, however, would be."

"Would it though?" Jona laughed, "I heard about what happened with Hoffstater. Which, by the way, you are very welcome; I managed to convince my father to reject his security for the ball."

"Aren't I lucky?"

"Stepping out of your way and letting you continue on your warpath to destroying Vaith's grandiose schemes is a guarantee for me, Captain Theo, I have heard what you are able to do," Jona admired, "I have no doubt that his undoing will be at your hands. If not now, at some point in the future."

Acknowledgment of her abilities usually never came from men, especially powerful ones, and the fact that Jona was able to set aside whatever it was that others couldn't made him a bit more dangerous in her opinion. Jona's type were always the sharpest ones and that was far scarier to her than the honor chasing brutes.

The song ended and instead of letting her go or looking for another partner, Jona kept her in place. She didn't make a move to leave, however, because the conversation was unfinished. She would hate herself if she walked away from this without at least asking a few questions. As others were looking for their partners and Jona had quieted down, careful not to speak when others could hear, Theo looked around the second floor to catch any sight of Xyra. There was no sign of her. No commotion was occurring either so Theo knew Xyra was safe, simply out of sight and looking for Viv. She spared another glance around the dancefloor and over to the tables lined with food to see if she could catch sight of who they came for.

Nothing.

"Are you looking for our mutual friend?" Jona asked and Theo peeled her eyes away from the crowd to look at the man in front of her, shock on her face. The music started again and Jona led the dance, "you may know some things, pirate, but I am a noble, I know all."

"If you know all, mind telling me who my pirate nuisance is?" Theo asked, taking the opportunity to get any information about the rat.

The request caused Jona to chuckle, "Ah, I am afraid I can do no more than step out of your way."

"Fair," Theo hummed, it was worth a shot, "and if I get caught by someone between now and when I leave this city? I don't plan on keeping my mouth shut about your help in leaving this ball uncaptured."

"I am not planning on saying I did not see you, Captain," Jona said, looking around to once again make sure there were no curious ears listening in before continuing, "I will send two people after you to follow and apprehend you. Assuming you will be killing them, when they don't return a search party will be called to go find you."

"You're sacrificing your men?" Theo didn't try to hide the judgment in her voice.

"I would have preferred not to have to send anyone after you, but your second apparently likes to make a scene," Jona referenced Xyra and her dress, "so, I am forced to give up two of my men to keep the illusion of solidarity with Vaith."

Theo smirked a bit at the mention of Xyra and her dress, not caring if it was in fact making a scene. There was not a better feeling than seeing the scandal on others' faces when rules were being broken. Making rich people uncomfortable was her guilty pleasure, getting caught be damned. They were already caught, and it surprisingly was going in their favor.

"I'm assuming the ones you are sending after me do grunt work?" Theo asked, a small smirk still on her face.

"You are asking if it is worth torturing them for information? I can assure you it is not," Jona lamented, teasing her, "I am smarter than that."

"How long will I have once I leave here?" Theo asked.

"I would estimate you have about a half-hour to get out of the city once I send the men after you," Jona helpfully explained, "but until the end of this dance, you are mine and have a proposition for you."

Theo raised an eyebrow, "What is that?"

"Let us stay in contact, give me a good address to send letters. I might need things from you in the future, perhaps you or your friend Cooker may assist me in getting rid of some of my nuisances. I'm sure I have things you need that I can provide as payment," Jona offered and Theo couldn't help but smirk. There was no way she would do as he asked but it was flattering to be considered.

It made her feel powerful, rejecting the son of a noble. Not to mention, she had already rejected the offer to head the rebellion's navy. Apparently, she was more popular than she had expected.

"You seem to know a lot about me and you seem to have many connections. I'm sure you can figure out how to reach me on your own, Lord Ammyrett," Theo responded to the offer.

"I thought you would make it easy for me," he chuckled, "do you not have a desire to work with me?"

"Honestly," Theo reflected his chuckle, "I might be a part of the underworld but I don't think I can sink as low as to work with you."

Jona laughed at that, no anger registered on his face at the comment. Maybe he didn't believe her. He was probably not used to being told no.

Her eyes glanced up to the second floor and her eyes quickly went to the vibrant dress catching her sight. She looked over to see Xyra with her hand gripping someone's forearm. In a sleek black dress that was too scandalous for a constituency ball and a black wig was Vivexa, a smirk playing on her lips. Xyra, on the other hand, looked concerned. It was too far to tell who Theo was dancing with but Theo having been pulled in by anyone was not a good sign. Theo, however, shot her a quick hand motion indicating that she was alright. With another subtle sign from her hand, Xyra was instructed to go ahead and take Viv to their rendezvous.

"Well, Lord Ammyrett. This has been fun," Theo waited for a few seconds, until they were at the edge of the dancefloor, "thank you for the dance."

She slipped out of his grasp and walked away as quickly as she could, leaving him behind. By the time she made it up the stairs, Xyra had left. They had agreed that the plan would be for one person to take Viv to the right place and the other person would round everyone up. With Xyra taking Vivexa duty, she would have to run around like a fucking chicken without a head. Theo lifted the skirt of her dress and dodged her way through people and out of the building, running down the stairs as quickly as she could. A half-hour to get as far from the city as they could meant no second could be spared.

The moment she crossed the large gate surrounding the Ammyrett estate, she kicked her shoes off to the side and began to book it, barefoot, across the city. The first person she encountered was Ava, who she instructed to go find Iona and Cooker and tell them to head to the carts. With Ava taking that job, she ran to find Oceane. She probably looked crazed, searching around for any sign of her archer. It didn't take long, Oceane was in the vicinity of where she was tasked to be a lookout for. Once Oceane was informed of the situation, together, they began to run across the city, attempting to get their dresses to work with them. The weapons she had strapped all over her legs were no help with the matter, it was only slowing her down. Sweat was dripping down her brow from the muggy air and her hair was coming loose from the style Xyra spent a while on; one which hurt a lot to get into place. She was quite literally unraveling with every step they took.

Theo could hear Oceane panting next to her, a frown on her face. She could also faintly hear the clanking of light, metal armor following behind them. It wasn't too close, they were not being chased-- just watched. They would be followed to their location and attacked there; Theo knew the protocol.

"I hate running," Oceane cried from next to her.

"I always tell you to do laps on the ship," Theo replied, "it helps."

"Fuck you," Oceane wheezed out, "there is hope at last. Thank you, Pelas."

Theo looked up from watching her step to see Morgana hanging at the edge of an alleyway, the carts and Tuni were presumably hidden inside. She picked up her pace, making sure to instruct Oceane not to look back or make any sort of acknowledgment towards the people following them. Theo whistled twice, their signal that trouble was incoming.

Morgana slipped into the alleyway and Theo knew that she had understood the signal and was hiding for maximum 'surprise attack efficiency', as Morgana had aptly named her strategy. Theo and Oceane rapidly approached the alleyway and then slowed down a bit, enough to let the other men catch up with them as they turned into the tight space the carts were waiting. The figures followed behind them, maybe ten feet away. As she turned the corner, she found Tuni waiting halfway down the alley with daggers in her hands. She motioned for Theo and Oceane to duck, which they did without hesitation.

No sooner did she duck, a dagger sailed over her head and found its home in the neck of an unsuspecting guard. Another dagger, and then another sailed across the air. Two bodies thumped to the ground and Theo stood up, turning around to see the mission had been accomplished. Morgana climbed out from where she had been crouching down in the driver's perch of the cart with a pout.

"You left none for me," Morgana complained as Tuni walked over to the bodies and began to remove her weapons from them.

Theo watched as she walked back with them and decided to heckle the healer, who had impressively handled the threat, "It took you three daggers to drop two of 'em? Getting rusty with your throwing, Fortune."

"Hold your tongue, pirate," Tuni shot back with a smile and rolled her eyes.

No one else was there but them and Theo's stomach dropped, worry for the rest of their group settling in. Tuni could see it on her face and walked over, rubbing her back.

"Mission go well?" she asked.

"We'll see," Theo replied and crossed her arms, looking at the entrance to the alley.

Only a few minutes went by before Ava, Iona, and Cooker found them, and the dead bodies.

"We are just killing noble guards in plain sight?" Cooker asked, looking down at them as she approached.

"I don't think an alleyway is plain sight, Cook," Morgana shot back.

"When the people we hired to cart us back come to drive us out of the alley, it sure will be in plain sight for them," Cooker replied, she was not going to be questioned.

"Where are they, by the way?" Iona asked, noticing what Theo hadn't; none of their drivers were there.

"Sent them inside the tavern across the street, just in case something like this happened," Tuni provided, always the wise one, "I told them we would go get them when we were ready."

"Maybe you should take over your woman's position as head of the vanguard," Theo teased, then looked around, "get rid of these bodies before someone sees."

She directed the command over at Morgana but it was Cooker and Iona that hopped into action. There were miscellaneous objects of trash in the back of the alley the bodies were hidden behind. It wasn't a durable solution, the guards would be found if anyone came to investigate, but it just needed to be enough to get the drivers into the alley without noticing.

The bodies were taken care of and they could do nothing but sit around and wait. Time was passing by, and quickly, with no sign of Xyra. Theo tried not to show any signs that it was bothering her but it was hard. Looking over at Cooker, she could tell that the same thoughts were running through her head. They kept stealing looks at each other, furrowed brows and tight lips showed their shared emotion of worry. It wasn't that Theo didn't trust Xyra to do her job and be able to defend herself, it was that Viv was a tricky fox and she worried Xyra might have gotten caught up in one of her tricks.

But Xyra was smarter than that and she proved it when she turned the corner and into the alleyway, with her grip on Viv's arm as tight as it was before. When they got far enough, to where Viv couldn't easily make a run for it without six pirates jumping her, Xyra roughly shoved the spy forward.

"Careful, Xy" Viv smirked and shot a glance back at the first mate, "I like it rough. You'll rile me up."

"What took you so long?" Theo asked a bit sharper than she had wanted to. It sounded like she was blaming Xyra when she wasn't.

"We came here for proof. I made sure we walked away with it," Xyra held a stack of papers up, "she said that along the way, she figured out who the rat was. Wanted to make sure we have evidence to back up the accusations we make."

"Xyra took me to my quarters," Viv explained even though no one was speaking to her, "I tried to get her to stay for a bit, maybe finally give in and sleep with me, but she didn't. How sad. "

"I will remove your fucking heart from your chest while it is still beating," Xyra shot back and walked to Theo, handing over the evidence, "who the fuck were you dancing with?"

Xyra whispered the last part, not wanting Vivexa to hear.

"We'll talk about that later. What's more pressing is that we have about 10 minutes to get the fuck out of the city before it's swarming with soldiers on the lookout for us," Theo said and looked to Tuni with a silent command to go retrieve their drivers.

"We've been made?" Xyra asked.

"You're surprised by that? Did you get a look at what you were wearing, because that would be sure to raise some flags," Vivexa interjected from where she had become surrounded by the crew, guarded against escaping.

"Vivexa if you do not shut the fuck up, I will knock the teeth out of your fucking skull," Xyra said without turning around and Theo was stuck between wanting to back Xyra up and wanting to laugh. No one could get to Xyra and make her unhinged the way that Viv could.

Theo took a cursory glance at the papers in front of her then leaned forward and patted Xyra's arm, letting her know she had done a good job. Xyra gave her a nod of understanding and came to stand next to Theo, looking out towards the entrance of the alleyway, everyone else within their line of sight. Fairly quickly, Tuni was coming back with the group of hired men. Theo instructed her vanguard to put Viv in the first cart and to pile into the other ones.

"Want me to be there?" Cooker asked, hovering around the cart Viv was in, knowing Xyra would rather die than be in an enclosed space with Viv. In fact, she had already put herself in a different cart without even being given instructions to do so.

"No, I would rather do it alone," Theo said, knowing Viv would give more up if it was just them.

"Try to avoid sleeping with her," Cooker teased as she walked to the cart Xyra had walked to.

Theo rolled her eyes, ignoring the comment. She could see, though, that Ava didn't ignore the comment, what Cooker said registered on a sour face as Ava followed the advisor into the cart. Theo tried to think nothing of it. Once she had made sure everyone was inside their modes of transportation and had given the command to the drivers to book it for the path back, she entered into the cart that held Vivexa, not looking forward to the conversation she was going to be forced to have.

The cart began to move as Theo sat down, across from Viv. When the other woman noticed they were moving and not that she was going to be questioned in a stationary manner, she began to attempt to fuss. The nonchalance slipped from her demeanor for the first time that night.

"Woah! Hey!" Viv exclaimed and banged on the cart in an attempt to get the drivers to stop, which they didn't, "I do have to get back home, you know. You can't just take me wherever the fuck you are going."

"Don't worry, once I'm done with my questions, we'll let you out and you can walk back," Theo said, "which means the faster you cooperate, the less you'll have to walk. What did you find out?"

"You look very nice, by the way," Vivexa ignored the question, pulling off the black wig she had been adorning, "Not used to this style but, you pull it off. I can't help but think you dressed up for me, which is so nice of you."

Theo had hoped that she would be able to get through the interrogation without having to push Viv, without having to sidestep all of her flirting and deception and deflection. That wasn't happening and she guessed Viv would be having a very far walk back home.

"Viv, make this easy for me and just tell me what you know," Theo sighed and leaned her back against the edge of the cart.

"Captain, can we not have a conversation first? Maybe have a little catch up, get our bodies reacquainted. Mine's missed yours quite a lot ," Viv said, no subtlety in her tone, "you came all the way out here for me; which is just going to make this all of the more special. Why ruin that with talking first?"

Viv was smirking as she spoke, eyeing Theo for any sort of reaction. Theo gave her less than she wanted, only a polite smile as she reached up and unpinned all of the things in her hair. It came falling down and she felt a bit more relaxed, a bit better to tackle the conversation.

"That won't be happening tonight, sweets," Theo replied, "but I will entertain some answers."

"Ah, is Captain Theo taken?" Vivexa pouted a bit, in a joking way, but Theo knew Viv better than the other woman cared to admit and Theo could see the slight upset that her words had caused, the rejection stinging.

"Celibacy pact," Theo used the same lie she had been using for everyone that had thought they were going to get some with Theo.

"Riva's never made you do that before," Viv raised an eyebrow, not quite believing it.

"What can I say? Riva likes to keep me on my toes," Theo smirked, not trying to hide the fact that she was lying. It was fun, actually, to make Viv know she couldn't get everything she wanted out of Theo. Maybe this experience would be some kind of catharsis for Theo, "Viv, come one, just give me a name."

"You have the evidence there, Captain, you can just see for yourself," Vivexa replied, predictably unhelpful, "I was cornered at a very good party, forced to leave, and then forced to turn over the fruits of my labor. I have no desire to continue to just give things up to you."

"I don't have time for your games tonight, Vivexa," Theo held the papers up, "this is a puzzle that I can't put together unless you tell me what it all means. Just make it easy and give me a name, who did it? Who's the rat?"

"Information comes at a price, dear, you know that," Viv crossed her arms, purposely pushing up her chest so it would show through her dress.

"I will have Xyra give you gold once you answer my question," Theo responded.

"I don't need gold. There is something else I want," Viv was being suggestive, her eyes unabashedly running up and down Theo's body, stopping for an extra second to stare at the chest window created by Theo's dress.

Instead of shutting it down and continuing to ask the same question, over and over. Theo decided to play along. A smirk came over her face as she licked her lips and gave an airy laugh, making Viv seem too irresistible to keep the rejection up. Which, in most instances, she wouldn't have had to fake. But Vivexa had lost some of her charm and appeal since the last time they had seen her. Actually, she had lost a lot of that appeal. Someone better had come along, someone nicer, someone more respectful, more supportive.

"Fine, I suppose some fun wouldn't hurt," Theo sighed.

She leaned down a bit and reached for the edge of her skirt, pulling it up slightly. Viv laughed at her and Theo laughed as well, dragging the skirt up her leg; slowly and close to her skin. Theo kept inching the skirt up until her fingers touched what she was looking for. In a flash, she gripped the handle of the hand cannon she had strapped to her leg and whipped it out, holding it to Viv, aimed at her face.

Viv looked shocked at first and then, in true Viv fashion, she smirked. She always liked a bit of a thrill and this seemed to be no different. Except --before the smirk, before her composing herself-- the shock had been a true expression of being caught off guard. Viv hadn't been expecting something of the sort, especially from Theo. It was Theo's turn to smirk, this night was shaping out to be pretty fucking cathartic indeed. Taking back control from someone who had done everything into their power to make sure she, at one point, had none.

"I had a feeling it was you," Viv chuckled.

"I don't know what you mean," Theo said, knowing exactly what she meant.

"An Eloxian cargo ship carrying handguns was attacked by a group of pirates after the ship was beached because of a storm," Vivexa explained, even though Theo had been there, "they made their way out with two crates full of handguns and more crates of ammunition."

"Wish I could take credit for whatever it is youre talking about but I stole this from Cook, who bought it off some pirate in Corinspe," Theo didn't fully lie, Cooker did have a handgun she bought off of someone in Corinspe.

"It's beautiful," Vivexa admired.

"Ironic, it's always the most beautiful things that cause the most damage," Theo cocked the gun, the click almost echoing around the cart. She pressed it to Viv's forehead, "tell me what you know."

Viv looked almost angry, which is something Theo had not seen a lot of. She was not used to being bested, used to being told no, used to being pushed around. She probably never thought Theo would even think of bringing such a dangerous thing so close to her.

"It's Fletching," Vivexa admitted, staring at Theo with a frown.

Theo kept the gun to Viv's head for a tense moment then pulled it away, there was no use in not cooperating at this point and Viv knew that. There was no longer a need for the threat of violence.

"I fucking knew it was him..." Theo scoffed and shook her head, the rage that name filled her with needed to be controlled, she couldn't keep letting him affect her in that way, "how? What did he do?"

"At first, he was hired by some of the noble families in Elox to attack major coastal cities, I guess they wanted some kind of excuse to go after the pirates and avenge those they lost; some fucked up shit like that," Viv explained, "Vaith was one of the ones that hired him; Fletching and his fleet attacked Aubermause. Funnily enough, the attack killed Vaith's daughter and it sent shocks through all of noble society."

"And Fletching sold us out when?"

"Patience, do you want the story or not?" Viv snapped, "I worked very hard to find enough evidence to even piece together a narrative, are you going to allow me to tell it?"

"You weren't even hired for this, you were hired to figure out if The Center was behind it," Theo pointed out, "why'd you even go after this information?"

"Because I wanted to see if I could help you in case you came back for more information," Viv said with a sad smile, looking betrayed that Theo wouldn't consider that Viv was just trying to help. Theo would fall for it but she wasn't that gullible anymore.

"Because you could sell the information to the highest bidder," Theo deduced and Viv's sad smile turned into a smirk, she really was sick, "continue with your story, I will refrain from interrupting."

"Thank you. Where was I?" Viv asked.

"Vaith's daughter died," Theo reminded.

"Ah yes," Viv cleared her throat, "so, the original plan, allegedly, was that there would be a series of pirate attacks in Elox. The citizenry would get really scared and alarmed and all of the sudden, the pirate attacks would stop. It would really just be Fletching pulling his fleet from Eloxian waters but the nobles would each claim that they had handled the pirate threat. That went so well that they also managed to get momentum for another scheme, the complete destruction roamer, trader, and pirate networks."

"Very captivating story," Theo complimented, "Fletching making deals with nobles that ended up helping them doesn't make him a rat though. He did nothing but get paid to attack Elox."

"No interruptions, I'm getting there," Viv scolded, "Fletching was their way in. Apparently, Vaith was able to sell The Council the idea of this all-out war against the underworld because he had that connection with Fletching. Without him, they would be taking wide swings and missing most of the time. They were able to systematically wipe out a lot of the networks because Fletching began to snitch."

"What did he get out of it?"

"Gold, ships, the promise of free passage on the seas without being stopped by the navy," Viv listed, "there were also talks of The Center sending some of its old navy ships and their least skilled men over to some spot near Corinspe for a battle. The idea, I suppose, was that Fletching would lead the battle, defeat them, and look like a hero. Probably a ploy to secure a spot in the political game over there."

"He's gunning for the head of the council." Theo realized with a frown, feeling goosebumps rise on her arms as the pieces fell together.

It was a fucking political grab. It was a way to kill everyone against him for an easy walk to the throne atop the pirate council. It was a way to appear the hero, A way to rebuild the underworld with him as the main player. It was a way to get rid of everyone that threatened him or questioned his legacy.

"That's the story you won't find in that stack of papers," Viv admitted and Theo knew she should have kept pushing for answers. Had she let Viv leave and just relied on the physical evidence, there would be no story; just sentences on a page. "What you will find in that stack of papers is Fletching having to do The Center's dirty work. He had five of his ships registered to a merchant company formed about half a length ago. Put five of his most trusted men as captains and then had a completely hired crew to fill everything else. I don't think anyone else on his crew knew about this but them. Those captains then went to major cities and met with important politicians to give them the information on who to go after. The rest is history."

Viv was being helpful for once, but Theo figured it was probably because she was trying to brag about how much she had figured out.

"Thank you for complying," Theo whistled and called out, "Pull us over!"

"Are you really not going to repay me?" Viv laughed, shocked at the fact that she was walking away without getting what she wanted.

"I told you, Xyra will give you gold," Theo said and Viv rolled her eyes.

"I don't want gold," Viv said and the cart came to a stop, "I have enough."

"Great," Theo hopped out, "I get to keep my money, then."

Viv huffed but didn't get out of the cart. Instead, she ruffled her hair a bit, purposely ripped at the leg slit in the dress, pulled a strap off her shoulder, and then got out.

"How is it possible for someone to not have any redeemable qualities about them," Theo laughed, not even getting upset at her antics. It was so ridiculous, how could she do anything but laugh.

"It warms my cold, bitch heart that you think so little of me," Viv teased and stepped towards Theo, planting a kiss on her cheek as the crew emerged from their carts. Viv lingered on purpose, so everyone could see them close together, before pulling away.

Viv looked towards all of those that had joined them and waved at them. No one really waved back, Cooker did a little bit. But it was without a doubt because she was distracted by Viv's boobs and didn't realize what she was doing. Viv looked around at the lot then made a noise of approval, almost like a purr, and walked over to Ava, gripping her cheeks between her fingers.

"Aren't you a cute one," Viv said, bringing Ava's face closer to her own, lips almost touching, "Are you the Red that she was so caught up on last time?"

Ava pulled a dagger out and held it to Viv's ribs but she only managed to have the knife pointed at Viv for a few seconds before it was out of her hands and brought to her throat. Viv's mastery with getting out of tight spots with a few flashy maneuvers came in handy and Ava didn't even know what hit her.

"I wouldn't mind you joining us next time," Viv smirked as she put more pressure on the dagger, leaning in and whispering something in Ava's ear.

Ava's eyes went a bit wide before she pushed Viv off her. Viv just laughed and flipped the dagger around, holding the handle back out to Ava, who snatched it back.

"I've got a long walk back, so I should be off," Viv said and held her middle finger up towards Xyra and then Theo, "thanks for the fucking ride back."

Viv began to walk away but before Theo could even instruct everyone to get back in the carts so they could leave, Viv called out from over her shoulder, "They are pirates by the way! Bounty on the captain's head is 10 thousand gold.

Theo couldn't control the aggravated yell that emerged from her mouth as she jumped into action, pulling the handcannon back out from where she had put it and climbing swiftly onto the front driver's perch. She held the weapon to the man in the front seat who was still holding the reins. He dropped the reigns and held up his hands, panic on his face. Viv didn't say what she had because she wanted Theo to be caught, she knew the crew would waste a handful of townfolk in a few seconds. She just wanted to inconvenience them. Theo would either have to kill them, tie them up and put them in the back of the carts or sit up front with them with a hand cannon to their heads the whole journey. Logistically, they were in for a nightmare because there was no way she was killing them.

Theo let out a string of curses in Aelizan, not directed at anyone in particular but it was the only way to relieve the frustration instead of going after Viv and strangling her. Looking out to the path to see if that was even an option, Viv was gone. Having disappeared into the dark forest around them.

"I'm so sorry you've been dragged into this," Theo sighed, she was genuine, "we'll take you back to your town but for our safety, we're going to have to tie you up and keep you under watch."

"W-we know!" the man said, hands still held up, "We know who you are. We knew before she told us."

Theo frowned a bit, the not-so-nice part of her rising up. She cocked the weapon, "So, what? The plan was to drive us to the nearest prison? Sell us out after you already got your gold from this job."

"No, we were just planning on finishing the job. Keeping it quiet," the man tried to plead their case. He seemed honest but Theo didn't believe that they would give up so much gold. It didn't make sense.

"I'm not inclined to believe that. It's not that I doubt your character, it's that I know 10 thousand gold is a lot of fucking money," Theo said and jerked her head off to the side, persuading him to get off the perch without a hassle.

"No amount of gold is worth more than finally being free from the clutches of The Center..." the man said quietly and didn't move.

Theo took a deep breath, not wanting to have to hurt this man who got caught up in something he shouldn't have had to. She was about to press the hand cannon to his head, forcing him to move but someone tapped her shoulder. Theo turned around, the weapon still pointed at the driver, and saw Xyra standing with something in her hand. She held it up, closer to Theo's face and she was able to make out that it was a patch of fabric, meant to sew onto something. It held the symbol of a snake, wrapping around the outline of Efriti. It was not the symbol of a group that she recognized but the meaning behind the snake was unmistakable, it was the sign of rebels. Many groups, organizations, and movements since the start of Baethos used the snake to represent their cause. To them and to her, it represented rebirth, self-actualization, freedom from repression. Dozens of classifications had passed since the symbol had first appeared and it had never gone away. It was an image that connected the people fighting against The Center together, regardless of faction or location.

Theo turned around and put the weapon down, going so far as to reach back and hand it to Xyra. She extended her other hand towards the man and offered an apologetic smile, "Captain Theo. Nice to meet you. I apologize for this."

Theo didn't question the patch, there was no need to. Carrying any sort of imagery or symbol that indicated rebellion was punishable by life in prison at best, torture, and hanging at worst. It wasn't likely that anyone would carry around such a powerful piece of fabric if they were not involved with whatever group it belonged to. The group that they had managed to hire was, quite luckily, on their side. Oceane's god of luck had been coming in handy a lot in the past cycles.

"Elden," the man said and shook Theo's hand, "I apologize for not saying anything before. We didn't want to make you think we were going to be a problem. We were just happy to do what we could."

"Understood," Theo nodded curtly then looked at Xyra, nodding at her to get everyone back in the carts, "We should probably get going, there are people after us. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to sit up front, just in case."

"It would be my honor," Elden said.