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A quick swipe at the feet knocked the man down– a scream ripping from his throat before he groaned from the pain flaring on his shoulder. His back slammed against the concrete, his head following immediately after.
Just before he could sit back up, a hand shot out to tug his jewels from his neck and wrist. A loud snap rang out. Dozens of pearls quickly scattered on the ground– tripping a few people around them. Qi huffed as Tracy scrambled to toss the pearls left behind in her palm, while also slipping on the bracelets on her hand. The box in her hand wobbled as she did so.
The commotion drew the attention of the people nearby, all of their brows furrowing in confusion while small shiny balls bounced and danced around the shoes. Yet none of them bothered to get involved. They had learned to never get involved with this group.
From the crowd, a guard yelled at the top of his lungs– all while wheezing for another breath. “What are you doing!?” He exclaimed, his face flushed from the amount of running they reasonably had to do, “Move your lazy asses!”
Even with that, no one dared move near the group. Nearby people exchanged glances, a man raised a brow, a child looked up to her mother for reassurance, a teen chuckled with his friends, a woman whispering how loud they were being. They merely glanced their way and moved on with their day. The guard couldn’t wait any longer. He pushed through the crowd with force, bumping into everyone with their disgusting sweaty body. Their faces crinkled up in disgust.
They could hear yelping and shuffling from the people, bodies knocked against one another and people catching their loved ones in their arms. They shoved passed everyone– not bothering to step aside or dodge them.
One of them was less fortunate than the others, a young child holding his ice cream before it was knocked out of his hands. He stared at his ice cream in despair before his parents quickly tugged him out of the way– in fear that he would meet the same fate as the dessert.
All of the guards had arrived very late despite it being their duty to appear on time. Even with their late and slow legs, multiple blue uniformed guards had finally appeared in the crowd. Dispersing from the sea of people and finally taking responsibility for the crime. Qi scoffed at their flushed faces and their heaving chests, these are just children in uniform. They did not deserve to breathe like that, they hadn't even laid a single finger on any one of her crew.
They are just giving these jobs to anyone, they are still as useless as they were before they got the job, she thought. She could already feel disgust curling inside her as her gaze landed on a large sweat stain by their collar, just by looking at them already made her feel angered.
Instead of their uniform showing honour or safety, it only displayed the greed of one. Their hats are nothing but a crown of their own self righteousness. The form of authority has shrunk into this, why should anyone obey them when they only fend for themselves?
Luca swore this mission was going to go smoothly, at least that's what she tried to believe. But apparently smoothly means starting a commotion and getting chased by more than 10 guards. His desire to run from the guards and the adrenaline that came along was for some reason so hard to hold back, so that's why he decided to be reckless and risk another capture. Other than that she wasn’t too sure on why he decided to act so carelessly.
Their youngest had been in enough jail cells in her lifetime.
And he had even addressed Qi formally, saying how there was going to be less work for her today so might as well bring a box. But here she was, no box in hand but with a random rod she managed to grab right before they fled. And being the strongest in their group, she was now defending 6 against 10.
Staring at the saddened child made her even more irritated, these were the people who swore they would protect the civilians. The fabric covering half her face bellowed as a quiet sigh escaped her.
These people were supposed to be officials hired to care for the public, yet here they were, treating their future generation like something to be easily tossed aside. This shouldn’t have mattered that much to her, but the thought of people betraying their oath really made her seethe.
Her fingers curled around the unfamiliar rod tightly, the wood digging into her palm. She knew she should have just brought her staff even if Luca demanded she left it. Oh she was going to beat him up when they got back.
Most of them carried boxes of scrap metal–something that was apparently very
important that they needed over 10 guards to hunt them all down.
She can already tell Luca has that sorry grin on his face, why was he even their leader. He was only appointed leader because he knew how to navigate seas and he was bright enough to know how to make a boat on his own, only if it weren’t for Tracy helping alongside.
Her hands quickly moved to sign signals, a flash of gestures that formed a message. The guards stared in confusion, “What are you saying!?” Their gruff voice pierced through the silence, “Tell me! What are you saying– that’s– that is not the real letters-!” One of them yelled out angrily, their voice shook in fury as they tried to decipher the signals.
They had created a whole language for all of them–somehow memorising all of it within a night.
But it was mostly created for Qi, considering the fact she was always the person to get them out of near-death experiences.
The whole group tensed up while the older woman signalled, pointing her index finger towards their ship that rocked from the waves crashing into the bay.
Luca understood it immediately, though the group took a second to realise what it meant.
“Move– Move!” Luca yelled before they all started running. Their smaller accessories bounced as they ran until they couldn’t breathe.
One of the taller ones ran quicker, his breath wheezing but still pushing forward. Sweat dripped onto his brow over his scar, despite losing half his vision he was still perfectly coordinated with his movements in the ship. He glanced behind them to see the older woman taking each one of the guards down in the blink of an eye but he didn’t care; he had no time to feel impressed with a group of guards on their tail.
His gaze was locked onto the rope around a pole. He fell to his knees before tossing the box aside for someone else. The metal clashed against each other, the cardboard square getting pierced through by the sharp edges.
“Get this box!” He yelled towards one of their teammates. She looked rattled, completely out of breath while her low twin ponytails slowly came loose from the ribbons she tied them with. Her hair stuck out in different directions from running, she looked mortified as she stared at the box stacked with layers and layers of metal.
“Norton I don’t think–”
“Do your best! Qi can’t–” He wheezed before coughing, he could feel his chest burning. “She can’t hold off forever.” Norton said one last time with a huff before his attention was now turned towards the rope.
Her chest constricted with fear, she knew she was the weakest among all of them. Why did she have to be the one asked for this job? Despite her weaknesses, her hand grabbed the edge of it and began dragging it behind her. It looked pathetic really, everyone else having a muscular body except her. Her crew ran past her without looking back, she could only grunt helplessly as the box moved only inches from Norton.
None of them noticed her struggling with it. They were all too focused on putting their boxes on board.
Norton worked with mechanical precision, his hands knowing his way around the rope as he twisted the knot free and frantically unwrapped the rope around the post.
As everyone filed in, Luca perked up. He hadn’t seen the flash of short ginger hair when they filed into the ship, he cursed beneath his breath before he peered over the ledge. His eyes widened as he watched Lily work her way towards the slope of the ship.
He had given Norton that box for a reason, he was the tallest and the strongest among them whenever Qi had to take care of other things. And for some reason, he gave it to Lily– the youngest out of all of them– the heaviest box while she was already struggling with hers.
Lily groaned as the box pulled behind her, “Someone– WILL SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THIS BOX DAMN IT!?” She yelled out, her voice strained and tinged with irritation. Before Luca could run down there, a blur of blonde hair ran past him before barks of a pup rang out.
Lily strained as her knees burned, she really wasn’t made for these types of jobs considering the fact she was usually the person distracting every guard. Her chest puffed up while she moved, the more she moved the more prominent her joints ached.
Just before Lily could let go and completely give up, someone grabbed it with her. She gasped and looked up, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. The older man beside her just smiled wordlessly and pulled the box with her, now moving much more quickly towards the ship.
“Vic–Victor!” Lily exclaimed, relief evident in her tone. She had never smiled so brightly in her life, her toothy grin making Victor smile. “Oh thank the heavens for Victor…” She repeated like a chant beneath every heave.
The blonde’s jaw clenched tightly as they pulled with equal effort, their two negatives somewhat trying to make a positive.
Luca looked behind them to see Qi handling them just fine, the staff being her only source of defense she had against the 10 other men. Guilt twisted in his gut, he could see her movements were more slow and a tad clumsy with the unfamiliar rod. That was the only piece of closure she had felt during missions, though it was kind of odd the only thing that comforted her was a weapon.
Qi groaned as swords were thrown her way, the wooden stick was being chipped away bit by bit the more she fought. Yet she couldn’t turn around to run.
By the time Lily and Victor had brought the box on the actual slope, her stick had lost its edge. It had been sliced much shorter and if she kept going, it could split in half.
The pair dragged the box upwards together while the rest of the group were getting the ropes ready to pull once everyone was on board.
Norton had finished untying it and winded it around his arm, and in a swift movement the entire bundle was safely thrown up to Tracy who caught it. He noticed the pair still struggling with the box, so he took it from them– as well as ripping Lily’s box from her arms.
Lily smiled while Victor huffed in exhaustion, “I owe you one– Victor.”
Victor looked worn out, sweat running down his temple while his entire face was almost completely red. Even if he was completely exhausted, he still smiled with a simple thumbs up.
“What the hell are you two waiting for!? Do you want Qi dead!? Get up you two!!” Their leader barked from above, the pair jolted before they scurried up the wooden floor.
Luca felt worried as he glanced back at Qi, he could see her staff had grown flimsy. The bark chipping from it and the edges were nearly sliced clean off. They had to hurry before they could risk Qi getting injured, none of them were the best nurse nor doctor, so their only bet was to try and get out unscathed.
Though it was rare for anyone else to get captured other than Lily, they decided getting thrown into prison was more appealing than fighting to escape, and risk more injuries. Most of the bars of every jail cell were big enough for her to twist out of, just a few dislocated joints and then she was out. It was either her, or Wick, their guard dog.
Everyone grabbed onto the rope connected to the bottom of the slope before they began pulling it, leaning back as it slowly began to lift from the ground. It wasn’t long before one of the officers noticed their ship departing from shore.
By robbing more wealthy people of their property, they had gotten rich enough to afford a mechanism that could pull the anchor up without the entire team’s effort. It was only up to Tracy to repair the machine over and over again every time it broke down from age.
Without it, they wouldn't have been able to flee as quickly.
They all counted before they tugged harder, groans overlapping with the sound of waves crashing below them. All of their heels ached as it dug into the wooden ground, their palms felt raw from pulling– every fiber of the rope digging its way into their hands. Luca kept this struggle in mind, he needed to improve their bridge mechanism.
The wooden plank had finally fallen on board– the loud thunk echoing more louder than it was supposed to. None of the members left unscathed, their hands felt like they were close to bleeding, but nonetheless there was no time to breathe a sigh of satisfaction.
The second it dropped they all sprang back up– scattering to pull the sails down. Tracy ran to the lever while the rest focused on moving the ship away, her hands still gripped the mechanism despite the burning pain.
She placed all her body weight into that last pull before the sound of chains reverberated in the water– rattling noises gradually growing louder. The ship rocked slightly as the anchor below them had finally freed itself from the ocean floor.
A gust of wind brushed against her cheek making strands of hair coming out of her hat dance along, the sails dropped from above before the breeze began pushing the fabric towards the ship direction of the sea. The fabric curled inwards, the wind fighting against it and pushing the ship out.
The ship had moved from the bay relatively quick, the guards yelled from the dock– chasing the boat down. Unfortunately, one of them slipped. Their foot landed on a piece of fish guts laying around and in an instant, they were fully submerged in water. Luca let out a small chuckle as the rest flocked towards one of their members in the water.
From the side of the ship, a hand gripped the wall of the ship. The sound of their palm slamming into the lip jolted Wick, she began barking frantically– alerting the other members of their group.
Wick tried getting someone but they all ran past her, they were too busy fussing over controlling the sails. At any moment, that hand could slip. From the person’s scent, she knew they couldn’t afford to lose her.
She looked around for anyone before her attention focused on a small kid, their wooden limbs not doing anything for the crew and just merely standing there.
As a quick decision, her mouth chomped around a wooden leg. The wooden kid couldn’t react before Wick began dragging him towards the hand, their smile was permanent yet their panic was evident as their arms flailed around– trying to catch anyone’s attention.
Wick heard a gasp as she kept on dragging the wooden boy, a taller man rushed up towards the dog, his hair was frazzled as his eyes widened in worry.
“Wick– let go of Louis! Don’t do that!” He croaked, his voice dry from the lack of use. Wick took this as the opportunity to bark at the hand again, his gaze shifted and he immediately knew who it was.
Matthias waved his arms– catching the crew’s attention before pointing at the hand. He jumped in and quickly grabbed hold of the hand, it was full body weight so he struggled. Qi couldn’t use her other arm since the guards had managed a hit on her.
Lily helped the other man with pulling her up and pulled too hard. The tremble in her arms was evident but she would never miss a chance to help someone in need.
She fell head-first, her head knocking against the wood loudly. Qi groaned before her beaten up rod clattered beside her. Her hand gripped her bleeding arm, a bloody hand print imprinted on the surface as Tracy helped her up.
“Lily… Don’t pull too hard again, okay?” Qi spoke softly despite the amount of blood trickling down her arm. It had basically stained her tunic, the once pale green top was nearly completely crimson.
Lily looked down with a red face, “But thank you. Thank you for helping Matthias.” The younger girl waved her off with an embarrased flush on her face.
Tracy set Qi down on a random box on deck, smudges of blood being visible on the wooden ground. Qi huffed in pain as Luca insepected her arm.
“Does it hurt?” He murmured, his face close enough for Qi to feel his breath against her wound. “What do you think, dickhead.” She replied– puling her arm away from his grasp rather angrily.
He rasied a brow from that response, “Sorry–it really hurts.” Qi continued.
“Well, we all know we are no medics in this crew, and plus we can’t risk Qi getting an infection.” He announced, standing up straight and glancing at the rest of their members standing nearby. “We would have to make a pit stop somewhere else, perhaps over there!” He grinned, pointing towards the other side of the island.
“Are you sure? I mean– words spread fast, what if they knew what happened?” Lily asked, her tone low and worried.
The group paused for a moment, thinking hard while Qi pressed a blood soaked cloth onto her wounded arm.
“I think I know someone there,” Someone spoke up– startling most of them out of their thoughts. “perhaps we could try and visit him?” Norton continued while he rubbed his calloused palms together, a habit he had picked up from watching Victor write all night.
Every letter the blonde finished, he tended to rub his palms together as a way to detect any drop of ink on his hands. Victor hated it whenever his letter would smudge, it was something really sacred to him. It was almost like a ritual.
Norton and Victor had to share a room together, there wasn’t enough rooms available in the ship anyway. But it was really good for security. Incase someone might have gotten on their ship, there were pairs strong enough to protect each other.
Except Qi though, when she first joined she slept on deck just so she wouldn’t have to sleep in the same room with anyone. She was an exception cause for some damn reason, she was able to knock someone out even if she was half-awake.
Despite the two being odd pairs, they still worked pretty well together.
“Who is this someone?” Matthias spoke up, his head tilting in curiosity while he scratched his chin. “Are they a doctor?” He continued. Beside him Louis nodded in agreement, the same unsettling grin plastered on his face while he looked up at everyone else.
It took the crew a long time to get used to Louis and his weird habit of watching them sleep at night. Once, Louis fell through the deck since someone forgot to cover the broken ground, and he had fell on Qi while she was sleeping.
Before Matthias could warn Qi– the sound of wood being split in half rang out from below. Qi sat there with bleary eyes and an annoyed expression as Louis’ cracked head rocked side to side. Right beside it stood the rest of Louis, luckily Qi hadn’t ripped any limbs off of his body; those were the hardest to attach back on.
“I am not sure, but I am sure he knows someone that is.” Norton looked away, his eyes scanning the waters around them.
“Alright,” Luca sighed, “but we have to make sure it is someone who can help Qi. For now–” He glanced at Qi who was slumped against Tracy while clutching the bloodied towel. “Qi, you get a lot of rest okay? It would probably take us nearly an hour before we could dock.”
The woman nodded quietly while Tracy rubbed her back with a frown.
—------
The sun still shone as brightly when they had docked the shore, everyone was equally as exhausted except Luca and Tracy who were still assorting the scraps of metal they had gathered. Matthias guided the boat to the spot with Louis looking out over the edge, making sure the boat had stilled perfectly into the slot.
Qi had her arm wrapped clumsily with another towel Tracy had fished out from her room, it wasn’t as sanitary but it was enough to stop the bleeding until they found this person Norton was talking about. She stood by the side, the smell of the sea hitting her square in the face along with the wind that brought tears to her eyes.
Lily sat leaning against the barrel, quietly talking to Victor with Wick half-asleep on his lap. There are times where she paused and waited for Victor to write something down on a piece of paper, sometimes trying to predict what he is about to write before he would shoo her off with a smile.
The young girl always found comfort in him, always viewing him as an older brother ever since she had lost her own. Victor really resembled him, except he was much more patient and quiet. And Victor was more than glad to have her as his little sister despite their differences, though it was rare for him to show affection towards her or anyone.
Norton had retreated back to his room once everyone had stopped planning what they should do next. In the quietness of his room, he flipped a page quietly, reading to himself while the lamp swayed above his room. The book was well used ever since he spotted this on a shelf during a random heist he and the team was on, it seemed like it was just a part of furniture, so he decided to just take it.
Luca stood up from his position and stretched his back with a groan. Tracy leaned back on her arms– exhausted.
He rolled his wrists in a circulation motion before he noticed Matthias giving him a thumbs up, he then steadied the steering wheel and descended from the platform– Louis trailing behind him.
It had been an exhausting mission for his crew, they had nearly given up on the heist if it weren’t for him urging them forward. They had really whiffed it today, maybe it was because they weren’t as thrilled today, they had sailed surging storms for this. Nearly the entire night involved them running around the deck– desperately trying to steady the boat. He couldn’t blame them, he was as tired as they were.
But all that matters at the moment was getting Qi healed and cleaned up, and getting everyone else good night rest. Hopefully this guy Norton was talking about was able to give them warm meals, he sounded like a great guy when Norton described him.
Though, this day wasn’t an ordinary day. He was really hoping he could run into a certain person today, it was someone’s birthday.
Despite being apart most of the time, they always kept each other updated with letters every month. It was their only way of communication that wouldn’t clash with their busy lives.
Nonetheless, they rarely struggled with miscommunication. Their only struggle was reading each other’s handwriting, Luca could barely read Edgar’s fancy cursive handwriting while Edgar could barely read his squiggly words. Only Victor was there to decode the letter for Luca while Edgar had to figure it out himself.
They cautiously docked the ship, hoping that the word hadn’t spread that quickly within an hour and a half. But thankfully, it seemed like it hadn’t. Sailors merely just glanced at them before continuing their conversation.
Tracy breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders dropping once the ship had fully docked on the bay.
The loud thunk startled the nearby passerbys, Lily swore she heard the board crack beneath its weight.
No one glanced at them.
“It had been a while since I had been to his place before, it might take me a while until we can get there.” Norton muttered, his voice bobbing while he trudged down the ramp.
Qi huffed in annoyance, “I am going to get an infection at this rate, Norton.”
“Okay let’s not talk about it! Don’t jinx it.” Lily cut her off, rapping her knuckles on a nearby piece of wood, unknowingly knocking on an actual door.
They had walked off before the lady at the door could open it.
Norton glanced around them, rows of houses not ringing a bell in him. None of them struck him with familiarity, and none of the faces made him perk up in recognition.
Though he wasn’t even sure if the certain Seer was home at the moment. Maybe he was out with his Fiance or perhaps his wife.
The entire group was exhausted, Lily dragged her body while Wick looked up at her in concern as Victor had a hand hovering her back in case she would trip and fall. Behind them was Tracy and Qi, Tracy had a hand on her shoulder while Qi held a random cape Luca handed her over her bandaged arm.
In front of them were Matthias and Lucas while Norton walked ahead of them. Matthias had Louis in a small cloak, often his appearance would make children burst into tears, so it was best to keep his unsettling grin covered.
The bustling neighbourhood drew less attention to them, they felt rather concealed within the crowd.
Norton scanned the crowd before something clicked inside him. He turned back to Luca and pointed towards a house.
Overgrown weed climbed up the bricked walls, the paint chipping from age. Pots of plants hung beside the front door, swaying gently with the wind. The wooden pillars were slowly darkening and decaying, but at least it became a good place for bugs to walk up and down from.
On the steps leading up to the front door sat an owl. Oddly enough no one bothered the small animal while it stood by the door, but the small owl seemed like she had been expecting them.
With a quiet flutter of its wings she flew up to the window.
The second floor’s window was cracked open, from where they were standing, stood a cloaked man. His eyes were covered by a black blindfold with a random sigil drawn onto the surface of the fabric.
The owl landed on his shoulder, settling down easily like it was second nature.
Norton waved up at the man who smiled back. From below, his wife opened the door. A small confused smile playing on her lips, she ushered the whole group in while Eli descended the stairs.
“Norton, glad to meet you again. I see you have brought company?” He smiled, shaking Norton’s hand. For once the stern looking man had a grin on his face
“This was our only solution, you see– One of my members had gotten injured during a… dispute.” Eli smiled knowingly, already knowing what happened while nodding.
He hummed in response, pulling his hand from Norton’s. “I am sure you can make great use of the things on the table,” He gestured at the table behind him.
“Is that what these were for?” Gertrude glanced at the bandages, needles, threads, and ointments set up on their dining table. Her husband nodded happily while Gertrude nodded, she didn’t mind if he never shared his visions, either way he had sworn an oath.
“Can I see the wound?” His wife stepped forward, offering a hand. Qi stepped up and pulled the cloak from her shoulder, the towel wrapped around her arm was soaked in dried blood. Pulling the towel off her arm was the worst part, the group cringed when the towel clung on Qi’s bloodied arm– the scabs sticking onto the cloth.
The antiquarian’s expression hardened as her jaw clenched tightly, her hands balled into fists until her knuckles were white.
“Eli, do you think we can rest here for now? My group is awfully exha–”
“Absolutely! I insist even, there is no problem. Make yourself at home, I will cook something for you sailors.” The group laughed nervously, they knew the seer knew everything, keeping it covered was mainly for Gertrude’s sake.
—--
By the time they had finished stitching Qi’s arm closed, Luca’s hand was basically broken from the sheer force of her death grip. He had thought that being a supportive member would be a good idea since he dragged her into this, but now he knew it was best to have a hand on her back rather than a reassuring hold.
Seems like the entire crew had already known. They all didn’t dare to hold her hand, more so be near it.
Qi’s forehead was drenched in sweat while her arm shook, Lily reassured the older woman– simultaneously leading her towards the couch.
“Goodness, it is very loud outside.” Getrude grumbled as she gathered the bloodied equipment on the table, “Why is everyone so rowdy for a simple captain?”
Luca instantly perked up, the pain in his hand somehow leaving in a split second, “Captain? Which captain?” He replied too quickly, from the side Eli just smiled quietly while pulling the shutters closed.
“Oh you know– Captain Baden and his crew. Oh that man, always so rude.” Gertrude huffed.
“When are they docking?” Luca asked excitedly, his eyes beaming with curiosity.
Getrude paused, “Hmmm, I am pretty sure right– now? Considering the crowd outside, too many people like that arrogant man.”
“Now, now, Gertrude.” Eli scolded softly nearby, “We might not know what this man has gone through,” He started gently, walking towards her, “It’s best to be nice to him, hm?” The seer chuckled softly before pressing a small short kiss on her cheek.
Gertrude smiled and turned red, fanning her husband away with a giggle.
“So they are docking like– right, right, now?” Luca exclamined– the chair behind him scraping loudly when he stood up abruptly. The pair nodded with a smile.
“Great! I am heading out!” He announced to his team before heading towards the door.
“Wait–!” A voice cut through the air, “Can I come with you? Please?” Lily pleaded, her arms swinging limply off the couch. Luca stared at her for a moment, he reluctantly agreed and the young girl jumped off the couch– nearly stumbling head first to the ground.
She grabbed her helmet sitting on a table nearby and ran out along with Luca.
—---
The side walks were crowded with people pushing and shoving just to see this man, he wasn’t here to see that sarcastic captain, he was here to see his right-hand man. He could not care less about that man who everyone was so in love with.
Luca kept a tight hold on Lily’s hand as they pushed through the crowd, he didn’t want to lose his only companion out here. Once they had pushed through the sea of people, they had finally seen the group of sailors descending from their rightful ship.
It was a crew of 6, in the lead of all 5 stood Jose. The most loved captain despite his constant sarcastic demeanour. The women and the men hollered and waved their hands, desperate to get this one man’s attention. The captain’s gaze merely swept over them before the police walked by this side.
Luca grumbled and rolled his eyes when he heard the faint sound of Lily humming in curiosity over the sounds of screams. His eyes scanned the crew.
At the back stood two taller sailors. One of them had blonde, short, shaggy hair, with bangs swept to the side. Beneath their bangs were tired downcast eyes, their pale blue gaze locked on the ground ahead of them. They were less enthusiastic about docking on the bay, they looked absolutely worn out.
But the woman standing beside her looked much more excited for the both of them, her brunette hair tossed with the wind. Purple petals from her hair flew from her hair while a jade pendant on her hip jumped on her step when she walked. She grinned at everyone and even high-fived a kid when she passed by.
In front the shorter sailors were 2 distinguished men. One with a monocle and one with half their face completely bandaged up with a toothy grin on his lips.
The man with a monocle waved at people elegantly, like the air was something so fragile he couldn’t touch. His hand was constantly on his tie, constantly adjusting it as if he were nervous. His dark brown hair was slicked back with a loose strand resting on his forehead. Seems like he was the 2nd favourite from the reactions of the crowd.
The other man flashed grins at the crowd, and it seemed like he had gotten an injury during their voyage. Yet Luca couldn’t spot any crimson stains on the pale bandages, perhaps it was something he just kept on? He swore he heard something about him being a fire fighter, though he wasn’t sure if he needed to do any fire fighting on deck. Maybe fires were frequent on their boat?
Fires do sometimes happen on their ship, once in a while someone knocks a lamp over and burns a hole on their sheets or clothes. But it was never too big of a fire. Once Louis had caught on fire, Matthias thought he was hallucinating again.
And of course, in front of the crew were the 2 leaders. One shining brighter than the other. Jose walked with a stride in his steps, smiling proudly to the crowd. He ran his fingers through his dark mullet dramatically before turning back to continue walking. He was absolutely bathing in the attention, yet, he hadn’t caught Luca’s.
His gaze stayed fixated on a certain painter, walking quietly beside the glowing man. His face remained stoic, aside from the small smiles he would flash. His red bureau stuck out amongst the 6 members while keeping a humble hand on his back and chest– nodding towards the crowd from time to time.
Their eyes met suddenly, as if sensing Luca’s presence. And in an instant, the once stoic painter had melted into a red faced man with a silly smile on his face. He couldn’t help it when his small smile grew into something wider, it was meant to be a quick one. Luca beamed as his lover struggled with his composure. Edgar pursed his lips and cleared his throat, yet the red flush on his face was undeniable.
The pirate waved at him enthusiastically, feeling a bit more excited than intended. Edgar patted his chest, a signal they taught each other in case one was in public. Edgar’s lips formed a word, “I love you.” Luca made out. Now it was his turn to be completely red.
Edgar laughed to himself before focusing back on walking behind Jose who was parading the entire crowd.
“WAIT!! That’s Tang Si– Hey Tang Si! Over here! Si!!” Lily yelled, flailing her arms wildly.
Despite the noise of the crowd, she perked up at her name and scanned the people around her. It was not long before her gaze landed on the teen. Lily rarely got to see Si, sometimes she would only see Si if she would crash into her and Qi’s so-called “hangouts.” Lily knew more than that, she was old enough to understand their relationship.
The older woman turned fully to look at Lily, and in an instant her mood shifted. Si beamed and immediately ran to Lily, hugging the young girl before the police ushered her back with the group behind them.
“Tell Qi to see me later!!” Si yelled, glancing sideways towards Lily– slightly fighting against the cop’s restraint.
The cheerleader tossed her a thumbs up until Si looked back at her group.
Luca watched Edgar’s back until his group turned a corner, finally leaving him behind.
All of a sudden, Lily yelped. He zipped his head to the side in a panic, but the young girl was fine. She was just standing there.
“Galatea!?” Lily exclaimed over the overlapping voices. A pale hair girl sitting on a wheelchair stared at her in awe, her gaze soft before her lips curled up into a gentle smile. Lily’s face grew red beneath the girl’s gaze.
Unknowingly, Lily’s “friend” had been standing there right beside her the entire time, yet she hadn’t noticed. The shorter girl just gave up on trying to catch Lily’s attention, she just wanted her to enjoy the moment without worrying about anyone looking at her.
“I hadn’t–” Lily began stumbling over her words. “I hadn’t noticed you were right– here!?” But the girl just tilted her head in confusion, her face twisted in confusion as she tried reading her lips.
Lily gestured out, Galatea nodded. Lily tapped Luca and pulled him towards her, she had practically screamed into his ear yet he couldn’t make out a single word. He just nodded before the 2 girls left the area.
Luca stood there for a moment, staring at the corner where Edgar had disappeared into. It had been a while since he had seen his lover, he missed the days where he could just sneak into his home after every heist. Back when Edgar was still training to be a sailor.
Could they be at the brewery? His group always goes to a bar after every voyage, perhaps they were in one at the moment? It wouldn’t hurt to try and look for him.
—-------
The putrid smell of beer assaulted his nose, Luca’s nose crinkled in disgust and held his hand over his face. The entire pub was completely crowded with drunken men, their faces were flushed and their expressions held a joyful smile from the amount of beer they had consumed. Hearty laughs echoed through the entire room, even a few danced around in a circle. And the one leading it, was none other than Jose. Oh who would have known.
Yet Luca knew Edgar wasn’t the type of man to drink any type of alcohol. Despite being a sailor with a loud captain, it would have been expected if he had drunk a cup or two. But he had never touched a drop of it, ever.
Either way, he was a calm man. He had always disliked loud people and had always pursued his interest in art. The only reason he had become a sailor was to make sure his father’s ship didn’t go to someone unworthy of it, Edgar was fine being the right-hand man.
Technically he owned the ship but Jose was just much more qualified to lead, and he was very fine with that.
Luca stood there for a moment. He looked around the pub– his eyes searching for a particular man. But to no avail, he was in fact not here.
He stood there in defeat before someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Luca murmured a quick sorry and craned his neck to look at the person. He froze. The pirate’s eyes widened while his chest constricted from air, his jaw agape as he stared at the man standing opposite of him.
“Surpise! Good to meet you once again, Luca.” Edgar’s lips pulled up into this sweet smile that nearly made Luca collapse with shock. “No need to be so baffled, you saw me earlier at the boardwalk.” He chuckled, the only sound that Luca focused on. It felt so surreal, finally seeing him after months.
“Edgar… Ed– Edgar!” Luca stammered, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears before he threw his arms around the painter. He stumbled back with a laugh and embraced him tightly, his arms wrapped around his torso while Luca’s arms wrapped around his neck.
Luca could smell the sea on him and some faint perfume he had always seemed to have on. The world disappeared around them, narrowing down into this one simple hug.
Though it wasn’t something simple as people saw it to be, it was more than that. A hug that showed the days and months separated from each other.
The once simple days were gone. It wasn’t as easy as it was in the past. Luca still remembered how to climb up to Edgar’s room, he bet he could do it blindfolded. Which he basically did, that pirate was always wide awake at night, staying beside Edgar until his words slurred in exhaustion before letting sleep encapsulate him.
Edgar held Luca close as the shorter man wiped his tears on his collar– hoping he hadn’t noticed the tremble in his voice and the shake on his shoulder. Edgar led him out to the back of the pub, the sounds of the men’s voices fading into the distance.
They ducked into an alleyway, a safe spot for Luca to bawl his eyes out for now.
Luca sniffled, pressing his palms into his eyes roughly, “Urrggh, I don’t even know why I am crying–” He choked back a sob, “I did see you earlier. I don’t know why this is suddenly such a shock to me.” A strangled laugh escaped him, alternating from crying to laughing.
But Edgar stood there, not a bother in the world with an arm around his shoulders– letting Luca rest his head on his shoulder. “I had actually– I had actually brought you something–” Luca sniffled, wiping his tears with a handkerchief Edgar gave him.
“Oh really? Why is that? There is nothing special today,” He thought, his finger tapping his chin while his brain racked through possible events. Luca paused and raised a brow, he knew Edgar had a tendency to forget a few things but that was only occasional.
Even Luca thought he was reading the wrong calendar, what if he was a month too early or a month too late? Qi was always so meticulous with the date, there was no way she would have forgotten to change the calendar on their ship.
“Isn’t it… Isn’t it your birthday?” He started slowly, embarrassment already creeping up his neck.
“Oh! You're right! Oh– I can’t believe I forgot today was my birthday.” Edgar rubbed his temple with a chuckle, Luca let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding before letting his shoulders sag in relief.
“I didn’t think you would remember,” He smiled.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Luca replied. They spoke together quietly, quiet enough for no one around them to hear but loud enough for the both of them to hear. The two left the alley and rounded a corner, the light making the both of them jolt in unison.
The sun shone brightly, the water refracting the light on its surface, glossing over their eyes making them squint. But that had barely concerned them; too engrossed in their conversation about their previous travels.
Luca was here since his crew needed rest, and needed to find a place where Qi could get her arm mended back. Edgar was here because Jose wanted to visit some old friends, hence why he is hanging by the bar for the entire duration of the visit.
Though Egdar wasn’t sure where the rest had gone off to. Wendy and Tang Si usually left together and Orpheus, was probably somewhere secluded or rejecting women of their offer for him to stay the night.
“Would you like to accompany me on my ship, Balsa? It is much quieter in there and I would really appreciate it if you did.” Edgar elbowed him gently. Luca obviously agreed, “Of course, and besides, it would be nice if I can show you the present in private. I really… I really worked hard on it.”
A tint of pink creeped up his face, his usual cocky attitude wearing off.
Edgar smiled, “Oh how exciting, your gifts are always so unique!” He praised him, only making the man much more flustered than he already was.
—--------
The room was absolutely gorgeous. Luca had been here before, yet he was always so baffled by the space of his room, and to think that this was on a ship with only 5 or 6 members. In front of them was his area, Egdar’s painting area with his easel hammered into the ground, pieces of metal surrounding the legs with nails pinning it down to the ground.
Beside the easel was the desk he usually worked on. A bunch of empty canvases were stacked on top of one another tucked beneath the table. Above it, were the paint brushes lined up neatly in a leather pouch, with a few tubes of paint laid near it.
The curtains were drawn closed, making the room look darker than it was supposed to be. The half melted candles were out cold, Edgar extinguished each and one of them before leaving to make his grand entrance with his crew.
Below them, the carpet was absolute glory. Tailored to perfection and designs were jaw-dropping. It really fitted Edgar, this entire room truly reflected who he is. Every crevice of the room was drowning in art, and that's what made Luca really love him.
Not for his talent, but his ability to see art in times when no one can. His eyes glorify any scene, like everything he saw was nothing but a reference begging to be drawn. His love for everything really was endearing.
And in the far right corner of the room was his bed, tucked in and folded neatly. A bed with a few smudges of paint on the cream duvet, small splotches of red and blue appearing everywhere– Nearly blending in as a design.
His bedside table had 2 books stacked on top with each other, along with an unlit candle lamp. Before Luca’s eyes could do another lap around the room, Edgar called out to him. His finger tapped on his cheek gently but quickly.
Luca jerked at the sudden contact, his eyes meeting with Edgar’s unwavering gaze. He looked expectant and gestured for him to walk in, only then did Luca realise how long he had been rooted to the ground for.
“Sorry…”
“No need to feel sorry.”
“It’s just– very grand– wow.”
“Very grand wow? What a reaction.” Edgar chuckled, his fist covering his mouth.
Heat rushed up Luca’s face as he turned his head away, huffing angrily. Egdar moved from his position–tugging on Luca’s arm as he dragged him towards his bed. His curled ponytail bobbed as he sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Luca to follow suit.
The mattress dipped beneath their shared weight while the wooden frame creaked quietly below them. Luca’s head lolled to the side and rested his cheek on Edgar’s shoulder– A soft sigh escaping him.
The silence was soft, slow and gentle. The two sat there, Luca’s cheek pressing on Edgar’s shoulder while Edgar’s cheek rested on the top of Luca’s head. The darkness pressed around them yet they paid no mind to the emptiness and the cold.
Slowly, Luca’s hand snaked up and searched for his hand– his fingers trailing up Edgar’s thigh. Edgar smiled and immediately reached for Luca’s hand. His warmth spread through his palm while he brushed his thumb over Luca’s calloused knuckles.
“So? What's the gift you promised me?” Edgar started, his shoulder jostling Luca’s head.
“Oh, right– Okay I worked really hard on this so you really shouldn't judge, only thanks to Lily I could even get this done.” Luca sat up, his hand reaching into his pocket.
“Lily? What did you even make me?” Edgar asked with a chuckle in his tone, his brow raising in curiosity. Lily was known for knowing the weirdest things, she was the master of having multiple hobbies.
Not always useful facts though.
“Trust me, it is nothing weird. Lily seriously helped me this time, and–! This was my first time so you cannot judge me.”
“Yes– okay, okay. I won’t judge you, though– I am starting to get really curious about this. You didn’t try to cook me a meal again did you?”
Luca’s face turned red as he shook his head, “Oh definitely not– how could I after that.”
His hand pulled a small pouch, its edges frayed from age while some unsettling stains lingered in the middle. Luca bashfully handed the painter the tiny sack, mumbling a ‘hope you like it’ and dropped the sack into his palm.
The rope was tied into a bow, sealing the gift inside the pouch. With gentle fingers, he pulled the string open– freeing the lip of the sack.
He slowly inserted a finger in, feeling around before his fingertips came into contact with something cold. He glanced at Luca who seemed eager to see his reaction, looking at the pouch while his fingers fidgeted on his lap. Edgar reached in, his fingers pinching the piece of metal in there and taking it out.
Inside the pouch were two rings, one of the metal rings that had designs of leaves running across the middle. And in the middle, was a small carved metal flower. It was a dull silver with a few black stains in the crevices of the ring. The other ring was nearly identical, but the design in the centre of the ring was a sun rather than a flower.
Edgar’s eyes widened and set the pouch on his lap and brought the rings closer to his face. “You… You made this..? Goodness, Luca– this..” Edgar trailed off when he noticed the sun on the second ring.
“It took me a lot of tries to perfect…” Luca looked down, rubbing his neck with a nervous smile on his lips.
“It’s like the poem you liked, remember? The one about wanting to be something that will help the flower prosper? I don’t have a clear memory about it but I am sure it was something along the lines of that.”
Luca met Edgar’s eyes. He froze, Edgar’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as his bottom lip trembled. “Woah! Hey– If you don’t like it you don’t– You don’t have to cry!” He panicked, his hands flailing helplessly. But a wet laugh escaped Edgar, he shook his head and waved him off.
“No, no. Luca– I love it, Luca. I love it so much– I can’t believe you still remembered that stupid poem.” Edgar mumbled, reaching up to wipe his eyes with his sleeves.
“Hey, it’s actually not stupid! It’s an amazing poem, though the words are simple it was something I had never thought of before!”
Edgar smiled as he slipped one of the silver rings onto his finger. Stretching his hand out, he admired the ring. The flower sat perfectly on the middle of his index, the small traces of the leaves peeking from the sides of the silver band.
“I made two for you on the other hand, so no matter what hand you use you will forever think of me.” Luca said in a sing-song voice and leaned into Edgar, his hand reaching for his once again.
“For both hands? I thought the other one was for you?”
“Oh– definitely not. I thought that’d be sort of… Narcissistic.” Luca huffed.
Edgar chuckled. His hand pulled Luca’s one up slowly, resting his palm against his and lifting it up. Luca looked confused, his eyebrow perking up in confusion as his gaze shifted from their conjoined hands to Edgar’s face repeatedly.
He hummed in agreement, “Well, it wouldn't be narcissistic if I gave you one, wouldn’t it?” Edgar held the ring between his fingers, looking at Luca who stared back at him wide-eyed.
“Is this like– some sort of proposal of what?” He replied, his voice shaking unintentionally. He broke their shared gaze and decided the carpet beside them was much more interesting.
Then, quietly– Edgar answered.
“Yes, once I finish all of my cargos this month, let’s get married.” Luca paused, before his face burst into flames. Heat rushed up his neck and his entire body basically turned into a furnace.
“Married!?” Luca shrieked, pulling his hand from Edgar’s to clasp over his mouth in shock. “Wait– hold on— Egdar…?” He stammered, words rolling off his tongue before he could stop it.
A shaky laugh escaped Edgar, his hold on the rings tightening around them.
“Sorry… I am just joking around—” Edgar continued, “I am kidding I didn’t– I didn’t mean that.” A flush of embarrassment washing over his face before propping himself back up. Yet Luca knew he had not been joking around. He knew that tone of his, he sounded genuine and he knew damn well Edgar would never joke about something so serious as marriage.
“Are you… sure? I’m sorry– I know that sounded like I was horrified by the idea of being–” He choked on his words, his nervousness bubbling onto the surface. “Married”
Edgar shook his head quickly, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. “What? Of course– I was– I was just kidding. I just want you to wear the ring rather than me having both of them on my hands, it’s like we are married or something. Hence why I brought up the joke about getting married.”
Luca for once saw Edgar shrink back into himself, his posture tensing up while his thumb rolled the ring around his finger.
“Sorry, I hadn’t intended to make that joke to make you feel rushed. I am sorry if it may have startled you, I know you are not ready to cross that bridge and yet here I am making that joke– Luca I–” Edgar began to ramble, forcing out explanations to give him more context of what he really thought.
“Woah, Ed– You don’t have to worry,” Luca moved closer, his hand resting on the slope of his shoulder, a gesture he hoped would comfort him. “Hey, that joke didn’t scare me at all. I was just a bit startled, okay?” His voice dipping quietly.
“I am sorry, again. I– I am sorry I made this whole moment unbearably embarrassing for me.” The tone in his voice made Luca frown.
Luca had never mentioned being opposed to the idea of getting married, in fact, he had even considered bringing it up. It was like the whole month was trying to get him to ask Edgar to marry him. From Qi admitting she wanted to get married, to seeing full on couples getting married by the dock.
Marrying Edgar would be the best decision he would ever make in his entire life, even if they got married in the heat of the moment, there would not be a second where he would regret not thinking it through.
Edgar was an amazing man, his eyes and hands were extremely talented. His paintings truly capture the life once living just by using an empty canvas, and tubes of paint. Watching him paint had always calmed a part in him, a part in him that knew that whatever life throws at them, Luca would do anything and everything to keep everything about him safe.
Even if he had lacked wealth, he would forever stay by his side. Lover, friend, or stranger. He will always remain by him. Willing to be his legs if he could no longer walk, or his hands if he could no longer draw. If it means he would be with him or near him, he would do anything.
The idea of doing so always brought him back to the story Edgar always repeated to him. He remembered that one story Edgar really adored by how complex the myth was, he claimed the tragedy is always misinterpreted. Even Luca misinterpreted it himself.
He had never understood the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, always questioning Orpheus to be an unfaithful partner for turning around despite the warnings literal gods gave him. Though most of it remained unclear, something Edgar said stuck onto him. Usually his mind could not keep up with this much information, but for some reason he had kept every word.
It was just a simple conversation between them when they decided to sneak out together at night, it was Edgar’s so-called ‘act of defiance’ against his father.
He hadn't expected to get on this topic, more so Edgar’s knowledge on this particular Greek myth.
Out of a million memories, he hadn’t expected to remember this specific night.
Luca still could recall that day in detail, he could still remember the way Edgar’s face soured when bugs landed on his face. The way Edgar’s long hair framed his face perfectly, back then when Edgar despised tying his hair up the way his mother insisted. He still wished that the local garden hadn’t been closed off because that was where most of them happened.
It all started because Luca saw this one statue that looked like Athena.
A woman that stood firm with her head held high. On her right hand held a spear, the tip sharpened to perfection while her fist maintained a firm grip on the weapon she harnessed. On her left hand was a round shield, the protective armour guarding her chest. The woman’s curly hair spilled out of the helmet resting on her head, her face locked in a stern expression as she stared off to the distance.
One topic jumped to another, and another, and then another. Until it had landed on the tale of Orpheus and Euryidice.
Though there are many ways that moment could be interpreted, perhaps his doubt and fear, or maybe how it had been a symbolic choice chosen by the author. But one of the interpretations that had mostly stuck to me was his love and longing– even if it sounds really silly and cliché.
A few versions suggest that Orpheus’ love was so intense that he couldn’t resist the urge to look at her– despite the risks that had come with it. No matter what version the story is told in, Orpheus will always turn around because, in every one, he loves Eurydice.
I’d like to think of it that way, either way it will always have a bittersweet ending so might as well spare the story for some happiness, right?
Instead of being stupid, I always thought of him as someone very devoted, and someone very earnest. Everyone only acknowledged his mistakes, and not the other things he had done for Eurydice. I mean– going to the underworld is already hard enough, the fact he had even found her in the world of the dead was always so baffling to me.
But anyway, most people I tell the story to always say he was an idiot for doing so. Yet I think so otherwise.
—--
“Egdar– I…” Luca paused, a lump on his throat choking him. His hand slid up his hair, a gesture he did every time the flutter in his stomach made him feel like he was about to spew.
“Even if you are joking, I would love to– You know…” He swallowed, “Get married someday.” The pirate’s breath hitched on the last part, as if the word was forbidden to be uttered between them.
His eyes stayed locked on the space between them, his eyes occasionally glancing up at Edgar’s hands that had paused its movements.
Maybe this was too sudden. Edgar did say it was a joke afterall. I shouldn’t have repeated that. Edgar still has so many things to worry about tonight but here you are, asking to get married someday like some hopeless man.
I should have said I was joking– but I wasn’t joking, how could I even joke about something like that?
In amidst of his spiralling, a soft voice pulled him out of his panic in an instant. His chest felt like it was about to punch a hole through his shirt, he knew it shouldn’t be physically possible but he found himself praying that it wouldn’t.
“Luca…” Edgar’s voice– so gentle and soft, somehow becoming the only thing Luca could physically hear. “Please, tell me.” Edgar pleaded, “Tell me that you mean it.” His voice wavered, his facade already crumbling that same second.
He had never expected the silence to sound so loud, not nearly as loud as his heart beating through his ears.
Luca’s mouth opened and closed, hesitating and thinking if his words were the right ones to say. But all he knew right now, he wanted to marry him.
“I do. Edgar–” Luca choked, his nervousness making his voice sound wobbly, “Goodness you don’t know how badly I do.” Luca finally answered, forcibly lifting his eyes to meet his lover. “I would love to spend the rest of my life with you, even being able to love this close feels like a luxury.”
Edgar stared at him dumbfounded, genuinely baffled that Luca hadn’t taken his joke the wrong way.
He watched as tears welled up his eyes, the painter’s breathing hitching the same second before his shoulders tensed up.
“Oh Luca.” He mumbled, his voice shook with the suppressed joy. Edgar collapsed into his arms, Luca could feel his entire body shake from the weight of the confession. He hadn’t expected Edgar to be this happy to marry him. Luca always felt like he was just lucky this one time, that the boy he liked had ended up falling as hard as he did for him.
“Wait, are we getting married–? Like this? No kneeling or anything?” Luca chuckled, his palms holding both sides of his face– lifting his head to look at him. Edgar’s face was blotchy and soaked from the tears he had shed.
Luca’s hand reached towards Edgar’s closed fist, inside sat the ring he hadn’t placed on his finger– along with the other ring that had already made itself home in his index.
“Wait, take this off.” Luca asked while already slipping the ring off his finger. “Really? Do we really need to do these– grand gestures?” Edgar let out a wet laugh and wiped the tears staining his eyes and cheeks.
The pirate cleared his throat, “It is not a grand gesture, excuse you. It’s proper etiquette, be lucky I am treating you like a princess right now.”
Edgar rolled his eyes as Luca gave the ring one last final tug before it slipped off his finger. “Oh wow, this is a very princess treatment. Thank you my faithful knight.” He replied in a sing-song tone, his hand resting on his chest dramatically.
“Okay, focus now. I am about to propose–” Luca shifted off the bed, getting in front of Edgar in a kneeling position. He got into position, his hands becoming the box the rings lacked before he cleared his throat once again– forcing a steady and deep voice.
Edgar’s chest tightened as Luca began his ‘prepared’ speech.
“Egdar Valden, you have been my number one supporter my entire life– even if we don’t see each other everyday. Even through letters, your support was clear in every curved line– or stroke.” Luca cleared his throat again, his entire face lighting up in a red flush.
“I truly promise to be by your side for the rest of my life moving onwards, even without this vow, I would still be here either way.”
Even if this speech was improvised, it still made his stomach shift and turn with that pleasant flutter. Edgar could feel his face heat up and his eyes start stinging, he hadn’t expected he would get this emotional during vows.
He had always imagined himself proposing to Luca rather than the opposite, he had already imagined Luca’s face lighting up the moment he got down on one knee and began his speech. Hence why he hadn’t been able to mentally prepare himself for such a moment. Perhaps he should have considered such a scenario, Luca and his recklessness, he should have predicted he was the one who would propose.
“I have loved you from the very beginning of our friendship, you mean so much to me I could not imagine a future without you in it. I love you so much, Edgar. You are such an amazing painter I could not believe I have someone like you in my life.”
Luca moved his palm to reveal the two silver rings sitting on his palm, even if Edgar had already seen his gift, he was still absolutely thrilled to see it.
“Edgar, my beautiful artist. Will you marry me?”
—--------------------------