Chapter Text
Tenou Haruka stood tall at the bow of the Ojiro-washi, her booted feet spread to brace her against the gentle rocking of her beloved ship. A sea breeze swept in and ruffled the light blonde hair that fell over her forehead in a decadently rakish disarray. At the gentle kiss of the breeze, she closed her deep grey eyes and inhaled deeply, the sharp tang of the sea air filling her lungs. A smile curved her lips.
She turned and walked aft, her smile settling into a satisfied smirk as she watched her able crew preparing for their landfall, scheduled for that night. They would be making landfall at the main port of the Tsuki kingdom, Serenitas, where Ojiro-washi would receive her much needed careening. As the pride of Serenity's fleet and the fastest clipper in the world, she was entitled certain benefits, not the least of which was stellar maintenance by the best shipbuilding firm known to any sailor, Zousen. Though her storied voyages were but a handful, Ojiro-washi had rapidly gained a reputation that almost outpaced her speed on the open seas. Over the decade that she'd served as Captain of the Ojiro-washi, Haruka had heard more than a fair few of those rumors. Haruka was highly amused by the supposedly magical abilities that the Ojiro-washi was purported to have. In truth, it was nothing more than the capable nature of her hand picked crews.
On the main deck, her quartermaster and close friend Kirishima Kanna towered over the other sailors in her loose pants and roughly hewn simple sleeveless shirt. Her brawny frame bent to the task of hoisting an anchor, in order to stow it aft, the muscles of her arms bunching and flexing in a salacious display of negligent strength. A light dusting of sweat glistened on her face beneath the afternoon sun, her bright red hair sticking out from her skull at angles of insanity. Haruka smirked as she saw other members of her crew shoot appreciative glances at Kanna's mindless display of physical capability as she hefted the heavy anchor onto her shoulder, the fluke pointing out ahead of her.
Carrying a coil of rope slung over her shoulder, the slimly toned frame of Ryoko ducked around Kanna and strode towards the bow where Haruka stood surveying her crew. Haruka watched as Ryoko paused to belay a loose rope on the port side with practiced hands, looping the woven hemp securely around the cleat. Smiling, Haruka turned her gaze to the ship's gunner, Maria Tachibana. The blonde woman crouched near the third port gun, checking the store of ammunition. She nodded to herself and stood, raising her serious green gaze to meet her Captain's. She shot off a small salute, which Haruka returned. That woman, oddly similar in stature to Haruka though she might be, carried the weight of the world on her slender shoulders. She had been gunner before, for the Kazuar. One night, she hadn't had time to secure the ship's guns before they were attacked. A loose cannon had skittered across the deck, killing the first mate.
After that incident, Maria had nearly drowned herself in grog. Only a fortuitous intervention by an astute bureaucrat in Suishou managed to rescue the talented gunner from reckless death. She had been immediately assigned to duty aboard the Hō-ō, and had managed, like the mythical bird for which the ship was named, to emerge from the ashes of who she had been. The woman still drank like a fish when ashore, and the crew had taken to dropping in to wherever she had chosen to drop anchor so she would never have to drink alone.
Haruka shook her head slightly, sorrow for her gunner's past causing a twinge in her heart. A flicker of movement on the starboard side caught her attention. She turned her gaze to where Mizuno Ami and Taiki Kou sat talking animatedly. The couple had been together for a few months and were beginning to emerge from the first blush of new love. Haruka smirked as she recalled how it had been she who insisted that Taiki join her crew and meet the winsome Ami. Within a month of their first meeting, the two had become inseparable, their discussions often ranging beyond most of the crew's patience or ability to understand.
A whooping cry of excitement drew Haruka's attention to another duo within her crew, Aoyama Motoko and Kitsune. If any knew the constantly smiling Kitsune's full name, they weren't speaking. At the moment, it appeared that Kitsune had managed to best Motoko in an impromptu wrestling match, pinning her girlfriend of over three years to the deck. She leapt up, crowing her victory to all who would hear. Nearby, Minagi shook her head, long since used to the antics of the two active women. Ryoko's daughter of an even more indeterminate age than her mother, Minagi had only recently joined Haruka's crew. She had arrived at the gangplank, duffel and a letter from her grandmother, Washu, in hand.
As though thinking of her had signaled the happy woman, Washu clambered up the stairs to join Haruka.
"Captain! Got a message from Her Majesty for you." Washu waved a piece of paper in front of Haruka's face. Blinking, Haruka plucked it from the youthful looking woman's fingers. Idly, she wondered how it was possible for a woman who barely looked twenty to have had a child who was old enough to have a child of her own. Shaking off the thoughts of the odd family that Ryoko had introduced her to, Haruka read the missive from her Queen.
Your Grace,
It would please us greatly should it behoove you to retrieve our ally, her majesty Princess Aeka Jurai from our neighbor Jurai. We wish for you to bring her to us with all due haste. Should you not wish this honorable task, please inform us when you arrive this evening.
Love,
Serenity
P.S. Bring me back some of Princess Sasami's cake! ^^v
Haruka closed her eyes, smiling. The postscript was written in Serenity's trademark casual scrawl, mostly in kana even after all these years. The rest was in the stately script of courtly documents which were meant to be copied and filed away for posterity as she was sure this had been, directly after it had been faxed to them.
Haruka folded the paper and turned her head to Washu. A smile spread across her face.
"Jurai, Captain?" Haruka's gunsmith and technical whiz had a grin as wide as Haruka's own. There was something about the longtime ally to Tsuki that always inspired Washu's adventurous spirit, as wild as her spiky flowing teal hair.
"Jurai." Haruka turned, seeking the towering form of her Quartermaster. Spotting her over near the port stern, Haruka called out their next assignment loudly, her voice carrying over the light din of ship's business. "Kanna! While we're in Serenitas, plot a course for Jurai! Capitol City!" A cheer went up from the crew. Putting in on Jurai always meant at least a few days of leave for everyone, usually because it took a minimum of three days to get to Capitol City and back to port traveling at a bruising pace. At a humane pace, it was closer to a week.
"What's it gonna be this time, Cap'n?" Jani called out from her position near the helm, where her wife, Jun, stood navigating. Though she was ship's purser, the slight, pale woman displayed as much talent for navigation as she did for manipulating numbers. Her wife matched Kanna in sheer muscle, something that came in handy in the silver haired woman's trade as ship's carpenter.
"Diplomatic. We're bringing back a Princess!" A chorus of catcall's went up at that pronouncement. Haruka grinned. "Stow it, dogs! Her Majesty's expecting Princess Aeka in pristine condition! Any of you goons lay a finger on the Princess and I'll let the Ladies have free rein on you!" Silence fell over the crew. The Ladies of Serenity were infamous for their insatiable appetites and inventive diversions. Some shot nervous glances at the serene and calm Ami. When she wasn't ship's surgeon, Ami attended Serenity as one of her Ladies, and had done more than her share of spreading tales of their exploits. Not a soul on board the Ojiro-washi had not heard how their last victim needed a full month in medical care before she could muster the energy to make a fist.
Haruka smirked. "And when the Ladies are done...I get what's left. And I'm not as nice as the Ladies are."
The only sound on Ojiro-washi was the continued creak of wood and slapping of waves against the hull. Content that the wide eyed fear that lurked in each pair of eyes she connected with was sincere, Haruka broke into a grin. Her crew respected her in part for her wisdom, and in part because she could take any of the women aboard in battle and emerge victorious.
"Glad to see we understand each other. Ryoko!" The boatswain stepped forward nervously, "You're the Princess' bodyguard and personal guide. Keep her entertained and out of my hair."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Dammit, relax! I know you'll be on your best behavior around the Princess." Haruka's disarming grin relaxed her tense crew. "That's better, you jackasses."
"We may be jackasses, but we're led by a wolf! You're more of a lady killer than any of us, who can only hope to someday reach your level!" Kanna's shouted jibe was effective, igniting an immediate raucous cry and holler, the crew laughing and joking as they teased their captain, tension released.
"Yeah, like Juri, last year!"
"What about that leather wearing girl, Tira? She nearly swam after us when we left port!"
"Or that woman with the laugh, what was her name?"
"Gods! Naga!"
"Yeah, and her little 'friend', Lina! We could hear the screams all over town, Captain!"
"Not like that time with those three girls, what were they called? The ones that tried to tie themselves to the mast!"
"Hikaru, Umi and Fuu! I remember, I had to cut them loose!"
Haruka stood at the bow of the Ojiro-washi, her crew calling out her past exploits. She sighed as she resigned herself to many more hours of teasing and rehashing of one and two night stands that littered her past. At least they weren't bringing up-
"And what the hell was with that Red Queen, anyway?"
Did they really need leave while the ship was careening?
---
Later that night, Haruka finally left Ojiro-washi in the capable hands of the Zousen builders. A final caress of the bow and she strode into the bustle of the port, the sound of her booted feet muffled by the din of port city life.
Here in Serenitas was one of the only places in the world where Haruka did not leave a guard with Ojiro-washi. The ship had served her well in their years together, and she was always careful to make sure she was well guarded and cared for. Here in Serenitas, the Zousen shipyard was secure enough to allow her to be able to relax and let her ship out of her crew's sight.
With a smile to herself, she spotted Kanna ahead, standing with her cabin boy, a slight and quiet girl named Reni Milchstrasse. "Oi! Garou!"
Kanna turned to her and waved, grinning. "Cap'n! Glad you could finally join me! I was about to haveta look for some food."
Haruka rolled her eyes as she joined them, laying a hand on Reni's shoulder. "You can't wait until we get on the transport?"
"They never have enough!"
"Oi." A ghost of a smile curved Reni's lips.
"Besides, a vendor came by, so I was able to buy him out." Kanna held up a large bag, with aromatic scents wafting from it's depths. Haruka sniffed experimentally. "Ramen! Best stuff on the planet."
Haruka laughed. "Great. You're sharing." She winked at Reni.
Kanna grinned as they walked toward the transport dock. "Yep! That's why I got extra!"
They walked through the crowd in silence for a moment before Kanna voiced what had been worrying her since that afternoon.
"Cap'n? Does it bug ya when we go on 'bout what you do ashore?"
Haruka laughed. "No more than it bugs you to have half the crew stare at you."
Kanna blinked and stepped around a slow moving couple. "You're kidding!"
"Nope. Jun especially." Haruka excused herself and sidestepped an older woman with a large basket, Reni moving in the opposite direction around her.
"But..."
"Yeah, and you two have the same body type. Apparently, that's what gets her going." They had reached the transport dock. Haruka pulled their tickets from her pocket, handing one to Kanna and the other to Reni. "Besides, Washu's stared at you more than once, as has Maria and Minagi. I think they just like the eye candy, but who knows with them."
Kanna gaped at her captain. "You're kidding."
Haruka laughed. "No."
Kanna collapsed in a nearby seat, her long legs taking up the aisle as she sprawled. Haruka sat next to her friend and mate, crossing her legs at the ankle as she relaxed. Reni sat upright in a chair facing them, her stiff bearing a habit of her military training.
Smiling, Haruka elbowed Kanna in the ribs. "Feed us."
---
As soon as they made landfall, Jun and Jani immediately made their way to their favorite hotel. The beds were always clean, the owners knew them, and the room service was excellent, ensuring an all around stellar experience every time. An experience that usually saw them remaining in the confines of the bedroom and exploring the room service menu in depth. On their way, they passed Ami and Taiki, who were walking hand in hand down a market street. Smiling, they waved at their shipmates before ducking into the hotel.
A few minutes later, Jani glanced over at her wife as they made their way to their regular room. "Did you remember?"
Jun smiled. "How could I forget?" She held up the small bag in her hand. "One schoolgirl, coming up."
Meanwhile, in the market, Taiki pointed out the pharmacy.
"Didn't you say you needed more antibiotics?"
Ami smiled up at her girlfriend. "And bandages. With Kitsune determined to beat Motoko in every style, it's a wonder I ever have any. And don't get me started on those ninjas. It's a battle and a half to get them naked."
Taiki raised an eyebrow. "Really? And here I thought you only wanted to get me naked."
Ami giggled. "No, I want you nude and spread eagled, there's a difference."
A few streets over, in the red light district, Maria hunched over a bar. It had been many months since she had set foot in this place. A warm beer rested near one hand as she cracked open peanuts.
A gentle melody played from the low jukebox. A sultry female voice sang about losing someone which she had held dear. Maria smirked wryly and took a swallow of her warm beer.
It had been a while since she had felt stable enough to drink, or to think of that brave first mate she had killed through her negligence. Tonight...it was a night where she could wallow, could revisit a time long since past. She had forty-eight hours leave and would use them to her advantage.
She took another swallow of her warm beer and raised her eyes to stare into the mirror behind the bar.
The woman who stared back was one whom she barely recognized.
Across the city and a world away, Washu, Ryoko and Minagi ordered another round. The bar wench brought them their shots and hovered as they downed them. A lecherous smile split Ryoko's face as she took in the svelte form of the waitress.
"What's your name, cutie?"
"What do you want it to be?" The bar wench leaned forward, displaying her cleavage to Ryoko's appreciative gaze.
"Mmmm...nice. What'll it cost me?"
"Another round, and a hundred even for an upstairs room."
Ryoko pulled her eyes away from the bar wench's cleavage. "Line 'em up." She turned back to her mother and her daughter, who were laughing. "What?"
"Oh, come on! That was priceless! How did you manage to pick her up so easily?" Minagi pushed at Ryoko's shoulder.
Ryoko grinned. "Keep watching, kid, maybe you'll pick up some pointers."
The bar wench returned with one more round. Ryoko picked up her shot and quaffed it, her eyes closing as the potent liquor hit her throat and slid to her stomach. Her head was thrown back as she allowed the liquor to work it's way into her system, the strong column of her throat exposed. She inhaled deeply, her breasts straining against the linen of her shirt. She opened her eyes slowly, connecting with the suddenly flushed bar wench.
"Where do I pay?"
The bar wench pointed to the bartender. With a self satisfied smirk, Ryoko sauntered over and purchased her time. She returned to the table, where the bar wench had set her tray, and slid behind the woman.
"Come on, then, sweetheart. Time to play."
The bar wench led the way upstairs and into a simple room with a single bed. Ryoko closed the door behind herself, locking it. She stepped forward and slid her fingers through the loose purple strands of the bar wench's hair, reminiscent of another, whom Ryoko had not seen in years. She smiled and looked directly into the woman's eyes.
"Tonight, your name is Aeka."
Downstairs, April had walked into the small bar. In the dim lighting, she had immediately spotted Washu and Minagi, and had joined them after getting herself a drink.
"Hey, April. Hear anything about Aeka?" April shook her head at Minagi's question. Washu was trying to hide her discomfort and was failing miserably.
"What do you know, Washu?"
Washu fidgeted with the damp napkin that rested under her beer, a chaser for the many shots they did.
"Nothing."
"Doesn't look like nothing."
Washu shrugged and looked to the darkened doorway that Ryoko had left through.
"It's got something to do with Ryoko, doesn't it?" For her apparent youth, Minagi was astonishingly astute. Her observation surprised Washu, her eyes widening in shock.
"Yes."
April blinked. "You're not suggesting that Ryoko and Aeka..."
"No. But they would have."
"You're kidding!" Minagi looked at the dark doorway, wondering what had happened to her mother.
Washu sighed, resigned to telling Ryoko and Aeka's story. "I wish I was." She took a pull on her beer and began slowly. It was a simple tale of children and innocent affection that matured to a deeper love as they grew older. It culminated the summer of their thirteenth year, when Washu and Aeka's mother, Funaho, walked in to find Aeka and Ryoko sharing a tender kiss.
The mothers had silently backed out of the room, choosing to leave their children their dignity. They had a brief and heated discussion in the hallway before knocking and entering. When they saw their children again, Ryoko was holding her cheek, tears shining in her eyes as Aeka glared at her with fury in her eyes and a declaration of hatred on her lips.
At that moment, Washu knew heartbreak, for her child did. Ryoko strode to Washu and quietly requested that they leave immediately. Washu agreed with her daughter and left Aeka to Funaho.
Washu never got the full story of what happened in that room, but she could surmise. Ryoko had confessed to the Princess her growing feelings and had been cruelly rejected.
April and Minagi stared at Washu as she finished her tale. They looked at each other, shocked.
"Woah..."
Washu nodded morosely, knowing that upstairs, Ryoko was once again rehashing the cruel rejection of years ago.
"Yeah."
Three streets over, Mutsuki, the miko for Ojiro-washi, crept from shadow to shadow in pursuit of her prey. A lecherous smile and crazed twinkle in her eye did not bode well for the cutie she was following.
A giggle born of madness escaped her as she stepped behind her quarry and captured him in a tight embrace.
"Hehehe! Hello, there, cutie. Would you like to be my little sister?"
The small boy she held looked positively traumatized by the glomping of the woman with the Shotaru complex.
Creeping along in the shadows, Ninja Midori and Ninja Orange followed Kuonji Ukyo, careful to not let her catch them. They paused when she paused, and communicated with hand signals.
Midori gestured to an upcoming house. Orange craned her neck to see it, and nodded vigorously.
"Alright you two. Come on."
Ukyo didn't turn around, choosing instead to wait.
"How did you know? We were quiet the whole time!" Ninja Orange exclaimed.
"Except for that sneeze you let out right after you started following me, yeah, you were quiet. If I hadn't known you were following me, I wouldn't have known you were there. Great job."
Ukyo turned, grinning.
"I managed to track down Maria, so let's make sure she's not drinking herself into a stupor."
Ninja Orange leapt forward and grinned. "Yeah!"
Ninja Midori nodded and followed, grinning.
Back on Ojiro-washi, Toilet Hanako sighed and stared dreamily off into space, thinking about the many cute women who would soon be rejoining her.