Archive of Our Own ^beta

 “Let’s see, where’s that old man’s ship…”

Benten walked along the port, scanning the boats. She absentmindedly fiddled with her biwa, light tones echoing out across the harbor. Inside a bag hanging from her shoulder was a small, neatly wrapped package.

 “Hmm… no… not that one… That one's too new... I’m not sure that one’s even a boat…”

 “Ugh, now that one hurts my eyes. And what’s that one, a banana? Get a sense of taste, you fruitcake!”

She continued onward, mocking the various ships, until-

“Ah, there it is!”

A great ship was docked there- one which she had sailed on a few times now. It was none other than the whaling ship commanded by the water-buffalo transient, Captain Ahab.

 “Looks like those rumors were right. Perfect!”

She stepped aboard. The deck and cabins were empty and the only sounds were that of her footsteps on the wooden flooring and the gentle breaking of waves against the hull.

Benten put her hand on the handle to Captain Ahab’s personal cabin, breathed out, then swung it open.

 “I knew you’d be here, you old grump!”

 “Benten? What’re ye doin’ here?”

 “I heard you washed up in town, so I thought I’d come say hi.”

 “Hmph.”

She walked over to where he was standing, looking at a sea chart on a table. Several courses scrawled across the surface, though many were scribbled out. Large, angry Xs were littered across the map, harshly punctuating the weathered parchment. The captain looked down at it, studying the lines.

 “Leaving so soon? Still on the hunt for that dumb whale?”

 “…”

 “Why don’t I come with you? I bet I could-”

Ahab slammed his hand down on the table, knocking over a metal compass onto the floor.

 “Ye’ll stay right where ye are!”

 “Eh!?”

He stopped himself then moved to retrieve the compass, but Benten stooped down and picked it up, then put it back on the table.

  “…Why not? No matter what, you never let me come along.”

Ahab looked away from her and picked up the chart. He rolled it up, then set it next to the desk. When he turned back to her, his eye was hidden by the brim of his hat.

 “This journey be too dangerous fer a green sea-farer like yerself.”

 “What, you think some stupid whale is gonna scare me? Nothing in that sea is more dangerous than I am!”

Captain Ahab chuckled in spite of himself.

 “Maybe.”

 “Then take me with you-”

 “No.”

Benten took her bag off and slammed it down on the table.

 “Stubborn old coot-!”

 “Noisy little brat.”

Ahab pulled out a different sea chart, one with even more markings and slivers where age had taken its toll. It was stitched together with some adhesive like it had been torn by someone consumed with rage. He poured over the markings, running his finger along a path that ended abruptly with a particularly large tear.

 “Don’t you care?”

 “…”

 “If you keep going off by yourself then, one day… you might not come back. I’d never…”

She coughed.

 “Er, we’d never see you again, I mean. Me and all the others. I bet Eita would totally throw a fit!”

 “…Maybe he would.”

He sighed and looked up at her.

 “If'n ye came with me, then they might never see ye again either.”

 “Come on, you know I can handle myself! And I know you’ll be there to help me if things get too hairy.”

 “Aye. That be what me sailors said.”

 “What sailors? There’s no one…”

 “…Oh.”

She shook her head, the flower ornaments in her hair jangling, then slammed her hands down on the table. The compass went flying yet again.

 “Gah! Don’t-”

 “Fine! Whatever!”

She reached into her bag and pulled out the neatly-wrapped gift, holding it out to the old man.

 “Here!”

Ahab looked from the package to her face, confused. He tentatively reached out and took it.

 “What, you’ve never got a gift before?”

 “…?”

He pulled out a sturdy phone, glancing curiously at Benten every now and then. After a solid minute of him frustratedly tapping on various things, he looked back up at her.

 “…Father’s Day?”

 “Ack-! I didn’t think you could use the internet! You’re like 3 million years old, how did you-”

 “That be a wee bit of an overstatement, brat.”

 “W-Well, that’s totally ridiculous! It’s just a present because it’s… Captain’s… Day… yep! Don’t look it up.”

Ahab lifted up his phone but Benten snatched it away.

 “J-Just open it!”

Ahab chuckled and pulled the paper off of a small, wooden box. He opened it up to see a silver harmonica, engraved with his own insignia and a flower identical to the one adorning Benten’s hair. The old man held it up, running his finger along the indent of her flower.

 “But why?”

 “I think it’d be nice for you to get a hobby so you’re not just obsessing about that ridiculous whale all the time. Hell, I don’t know how good a harmonica would sound with my biwa, but I bet we could make it work! Instant viral sensation, baby! The world'll never know what hit it!”

Ahab set it down gently in the box like it was made from precious glass.

 “...I be a bit busy.”

 “Yeah, yeah. You’re always a bit busy. Too busy to send me a notification that you’re here, apparently! You figured out how to google something but you can’t bother to type out a message? Honestly!”

 “Hmph.”

 “Just give it a try, ok? You can just play with it when you’re free. Even a salty ol' sea dog can still learn new tricks!”

Ahab leaned down and picked up his compass.

 “We’ll see. Now, could ye get off me ship? I’ve got work ta do.”

 “Wow, and people call me rude!”

 “I’ll never get anythin' done when ye’re screamin’ all the time…”

Benten stretched and started walking toward the door.

 “Gah, fine. I’ll get out of your fur, dad-”

 “Ack-!”

 “Eh? What was that?”

 “I said… I’ll… get out of your fur,  sad...  old man. Stop hearing things!”

 “Ah.”

She opened the door, a warm and pleasant breeze flowing into the captain’s cabin.

 “Don’t think you’ll brush me off that easily! I’ll be back!”

She slammed the door behind her. Ahab chuckled, ignoring his maps to look at the box that was sitting open beside him.

 “Heh. Father’s day, huh?”

Half an hour after leaving Ahab’s ship, she was still peeved. People and transients alike skirted around her, knowing that if they set her off then they’d be knocked into next week.

 “Pft, where does he get off being so grumpy. He didn’t even thank me! It took ages to get that thing made, and this is the thanks I get!? Why, maybe I should go back and give him a piece of my-”

 “Wait…”

She patted herself down, gradually getting more and more distressed.

 “My bag! Damnit, I had snacks in there!”

She turned around and ran back to the harbor, sprinting by familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, too out of breath to greet them in return. It didn’t take her long at all to near the familiar sight of Captain Ahab’s ship.

She stepped up the ramp to the ship carefully, so as to not attract any noise. She took a peek inside Ahab’s cabin and was pleased to see that it was empty. Carefully, she pried the door open and stepped in. Her bag was right where she had left it on the table.

 “Phew, he didn’t eat my snacks. Then again, can water buffalo even eat chocolate…?”

She looked down at the table. The sea chart he had pulled out earlier was still sitting there, no new marks made on it. Then, her ears twitched as she heard a distinct noise from the main deck- the sound of a harmonica.

 “W-What-”

She stepped outside and tiptoed over to the deck.

Captain Ahab was there, smiling at the gift Benten had given him. He kept putting it to his mouth, blowing through it, trying to get a feel for the silver instrument. The notes he made weren’t pretty, no, but…

 “He looks like he’s... happy…”

She pulled out her phone and took a silent picture to remember this by. She then returned the phone to her pocket and slowly tiptoed away, taking one last look back at Ahab, who had sat down on a barrel. He was shoddily playing some sea shanty, his eye closed.

 “Heh. Happy Father’s Day, Captain.”