Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“♪There once was a ship that put to sea. The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea♪” A man’s voice sang, the swashing waves bouncing the metal ship. “♪The winds blew up, her bow dipped down. O blow, my bully boys, blow♪” Some others joined in as a chorus, sounding out with a ‘Huh!’.

“♪Soon may the Wellerman come, to bring us sugar and tea and rum,♪” Sails helped the ship to sail across the endless waters. “♪One day, when the tonguin’ is done, we’ll take our leave and go♪” The ship’s occupants sat around or kept an optic on the ocean waters.

“♪She had not been two weeks from shore. When down on her, a right whale bore♪” There was someone with a particularly deep voice, reverberating under everyone else’s. “♪The captain called all hands and swore. He'd take that whale in tow♪” Another ‘Huh!’ in chorus.

The sea shanty kept going as winds billowed and waves rushed. Some drones lightly banged their hands against empty barrel tops, helping to give the shanty a little more melody.

Others moved about, stretching their limbs and backs. A few tried to get some sleep in, resting against the railings and masts of the ship. And a couple more busied themselves with card games.

The salty sea wind ruffled their hair, clothes, sails, and the waters carrying them. The sun beat down upon the ship and the light alloys covering the huge whale skeleton making up the vessel’s ribs and keel.

Up by the whale ship’s lifted tail was the crew’s captain, having held his position for quite a few years now. His grey coat hung off his shoulders, accented with bone buttons, edges, and cuffs.

His tricorn hat was similar in color, with an osseous whale skull pin sitting on the right side flap with draping fish fins tucked with it. The hat was angled farther back on his head for vision purposes.

Passing gusts pressed against his stained pants, permanently painted with black and grey splotches among the navy blue surface. His grey shirt was also being pushed against by the wind. It, too, held bony buttons but was stained with dark spatters.

Belts holding an anchor and chain, a dagger, pouches, a compass, cloths, and fish skulls clinked quietly through the sea shanties the crew sang. Dull, metal heads of harpoons hung from where past human ears would be, dangling from magnets.

His long and thick, blue whale tail made the occasional wave, slowly slowly through the breeze. Scraps of patterned cloth were tied around the end, where the base met the fin. Fish hooks and bones hung off the fin itself as additional jewelry, telling of the man’s various journeys.

One of the said man’s heels tapped on the quarterdeck’s flooring. Both of his heels were nothing less than full-on weapons built into his legs. The widened end of a blunderbuss’ barrel helped give him stability.

The pirate crew continued sailing across the endless sea, a far-off island just coming above the horizon. The captain turned the helmwheel towards it. The crew noticed the change in direction, everyone getting up and starting a new tune.

“♪Give me a spade, and I’ll give you a hole, way-oh on the ocean road♪” Someone was clearly excited when they echoed ‘hole’. “♪Dirt on my brow, but steel in my soul, way-oh on the ocean road♪” Multiple Worker Drones went below deck.

“♪Picking up coal and we’re picking up speed. Shovel as much as the engine needs♪” Fuel was being tossed into the propeller’s engine. “♪Sweat and blood gonna earn my pay, all the way to Frisco Bay!♪”

The sails were opened up as feet stomped around in rhythm all together.

“♪Blowing through hills, tryna make up time, way-oh on the ocean road♪” A few drones looked towards the island coming closer towards them. “♪Ain’t nothing gonna stand in the way of our line, way-oh on the ocean road♪”

The whale bones groaned and shuddered as the pirate ship gradually sped up. The waves were separated by the snout of the skeleton, breaking through the swaying waves. The robots on board started tapping their feet to their shanty.

Other crewmates were woken up by their friends. They yawned and stretched, getting up and preparing for landfall. The sun behind them started to bathe the blue sky in warm colors, tinting it pink and purple.

The pirate ship became all the livelier as the crew would finally meet land after so long. And from the looks of it, there was plenty of foliage to scour through and pluck!

“Alright, tripulantes!” The captain’s lightly accented voice called loudly over the rushing water. “We’re hitting land soon! I don’t want ya going too loco, aight?! We’ve got no idea what kinda threats could be on that island!” He ordered.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Everyone saluted in return.

All the robots aboard returned to their stations and previous doings. The captain stared ahead at the small bit of land coming up before them. It still took some time to reach it despite fueling their boat.

But when the island started getting larger and the sandy shore longer, they let the fuel get used up and the propeller sluggishly slowed down. Some sails were lifted and tied up to further slow the boat.

Soon enough, the keel, the chest of the whale skeleton, dug into the sand. An anchor was dropped and the propeller stopped. A ramp was slid down, the end splashing into the water. Drones surrounded the ramp’s edge in curiosity. The caption came down from the quarterdeck, his feet needing to tilt to the side so as to not trip him up. A habit he’s obtained.

His heavy, weighty steps made his various jewelry and tools clink and tink. He stopped in front of the ramp, staring off into the thick foliage of the jungle nearby. He blew out a vent from the blowhole tucked between his shoulder, revealing small slits in the back of his clothing.

The pirate captain took the first step onto the ramp. His footfalls were never once light for he simply weighed too much. But as their captain met the shallow waves below, the rest of the crew followed him.

The carpenter came out with his tools, plopping them onto the sand away from the water. A group was formed to collect some wood, another vines, and one more to stand guard. The captain made sure everything and everyone ran smoothly.

As the crew patched up their ship, the day continued to wane. The sun sank lower into the depths of the ocean and the sky lost its color. The Astral Ocean came into view, creating swarms and schools of starry waves.

But even with the darkness settling in quick, the crew didn’t stop working. Underwater dock lights were turned on, giving the small beach some luminance. The panels were replaced or welded up, nails and bolts screwed back in, some wounds patched up.

One of the groups came back with some native fauna of the island, fruits and vegetables. Everyone cheered and the captain laughed heartily.

“Everyone! Let’s take a break!” He called. “And where’s the maldito chef?!” He asked as his tail slapped against the sand.

The said robot came scurrying from the deck. A couple others hobbled after him with cooking equipment in their arms. It was all swiftly set up, along with barrels, tubs, and logs for tables and benches.

Using a couple of handy tricks, the chef got the grill to start up. There was another round of cheering. The veggies and fruits were cut and diced before being poked onto skewers.

“Come on! Where’s the booze?!” Someone asked jovially.

“Aye! You heard ‘em!” Their grey-blue-haired captain called.

He went with a few others to grab the wine and gasoline. The heavy barrels were thumped onto the ground. Some taps were stuck into the tiny holes and mugs were passed around. The captain took his extra large mug, willed with a familiar mix of wined gasoline, “Wine and Line”, they cheekily called it.

With a soft grunt, the Blue Whale Drone sat onto a rock. Skewers were passed around and more were set onto the grill. The smell of roasted plants filled the air, the dock lights still illuminating the beach and its occupants.

There was a minute where the captain simply stared at his lively crew. Many had lost limbs, or those stolen from their adversaries. For those who couldn’t find robotic replacements, items scavenged from the depths were used.

One drone had the end of a crutch as a pegleg. Another’s hand was chopped off by some other pirates and was carried off by a seagull. Now, a toy machine’s claw replaced it. One more drone had a cracked camera lens replacing an optic, sticking right out of his broken visor.

The captain’s smile slowly wavered and faltered as he stared at his crew. Many wounds this time were fresh, a plunder less than successful. He felt guilty, for his mistake wouldn’t have cost them so much.

‘Like our quartermaster.’ His tail waved again.

“Aye, Captain Nereo! What’s with the frown?!” Someone nudged his side. He couldn’t make him budge even an inch. “You haven’t even drunk anything! Take a swig! Join us!” He laughed, missing denta showing off.

His captain stared at him for a moment. He sighed and gave a small smile.

“Aye, here’s to the new bones in the ocean!” Their captain raised his mug.

His crew all followed with a short cheer. Each one of them chugged down a large gulp of their booze. A round of whoops went around along with laughter.

A sigh left the pirate captain’s lips. He glanced at the Astral Ocean again. The twinkling waves shining down on them. Hopefully they would bless them with safer, more successful travels, at least for a time.

“Let’s all make a toast to the Astral Ocean! Perhaps she’ll give us some suerte when we head out to sea again!” The Whale Drone raised his glass once more. “To the Astral Ocean! May her waves bless our travels!”

“May her waves bless our travels!” His crew replied, flinging their own cups into the air.

Another big swig was taken and mugs were emptied. More booze was poured out, including for their captain. Jovial laughter and talk went about as skewers and kabobs were eaten.

Somewhere on the other side of the island was a small village. With the night settling in, the boats had come back and hauled with them their new yield. Supplies were taken to a storage building somewhere deeper within the village.

Anything like plants were set to be cooked and served. And while everyone was getting ready for dinner, a group was made to go out and pick some of their fruits and vegetables.

Rebecca, Emily, Ashley, and Marina went out with baskets in hand and on their backs to the small farm. They walked around tree roots, hopped over logs, and lit the darkening way with flashlights.

“How much do you think we should pick?” Ashley inquired as they traveled.

“Enough to feed everyone and not have them complain.” Rebecca rolled her eyes at the obvious answer.

“Maybe we should pick extra in case?” Emily spoke up, fixing her wire glasses. “The drones from the diving team must be super hungry! It’s not easy to get solar power under the water, eith- OW!” Emily flinched as Rebecca smacked her upside the head.

“Yeah, yeah! We get it! Shut up!” The blue-haired girl snarled.

The group was quiet as they finished their trek. The four ladies walked about their village’s small farm, fenced with wood and vines and scented with anything foul, like rotting seaweed. There were also a few seagull scarecrows as well.

As the young women collected tonight’s biofuel, Marina noticed something. She went over to a barren patch of vines, trees, and bushels. After a quick inspection, she found that they were oddly empty.

“Hey, did someone else come here before us?” She asked with a quirking brow.

“Not that I know of.” Rebecca didn’t even spare her a glance.

“Is there a problem?” Ashley questioned next, pausing her picking.

“Uh- Well-” Marina stuttered, thinking. “Maybe not…” She turned away from the bushes.

“Then shut it and keep picking!” Rebecca ordered with a huff.

Marina’s expression flattened.

“Did a crab get into her skirt or what?” She muttered to herself, passing Ashley.

“I dunno. I think she just doesn’t wanna do work.” The other girl said.

“Well, neither do we, but at least we aren’t complaining about it.” Marina scoffed. “Not to mention it only takes a few minutes anyway.”

Ashley just shrugged in reply. The two started going back down the path, with Emily and Rebecca following suit soon after.

When they got back, they dropped off the fruits to whoever was cooking that night and returned to friends and family. Rebecca went straight up to her boyfriend, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him away.

“Hey- Where are we going? I was gonna get some food!” Darren asked.

“Forget that for now! Let’s go and have ourselves a little immoral make-out session~” She giggles. “Besides, the food’ll take time to cook, anyway.”

Darren looked at her, then back at the fiery grills. He shrugged his shoulders and followed his girlfriend into the forest in the dark of night.

Captain Nereo set down his mug with a sigh. He chuckled and his tail flopped against the sand. He and most of his crew were right drunk now.

“Aight, mi tripulación! Let’s start putting together our night shifts!” He called.

The crew groaned playfully but obeyed. Nereo stood and stared at his men.

“All wounded go back onto La Fortuna Absoluta. You’ll be of no help with wounds like those.” He pointed to the skeletal boat.

The freshly-injured crewmates hobbled their drunken way onto the boat’s ramp and hopped onto the deck.

“Cook and carpenter! You go as well!” Captain Nereo spoke.

The two walked off, leaning on each other to keep stable. Nereo stared after them for a few moments, optics squinted.

“Who here is borracho off your ass?” He questioned.

Quite a few Worker Drones raised their hands. Their captain sighed, setting his hands on his hips.

“All of you get back onto La Fortuna Absoluta.” He waved his hand.

Some snickers and chuckles left their lips as they got back onto the ship to sleep. Nereo looked at the rest of his crew.

“Aight. Looks like I’ll be up late tonight.” He spoke.

“Aw, don’t do that! We’ll be fine on our own!” Someone objected.

“Aye! We’ll be aight without you!” Another exclaimed with a grin.

Nereo stared pensively for a few seconds. His thick whale tail made a thinking flap.

“Aight.” The captain conceded. “But if anything happens, you wake me up. Don’t matter what.” He pointed with a stern expression.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” The group of a dozen saluted back.

“I’m gonna be getting some shut-optic now. Make sure to stay safe, you locos.” Nereo chuckled, heading for the ramp.

“We could say the same to you, Captain!” A man guffawed.

Nereo just smiled and hopped onto the deck. He went straight to the captain’s cabin and closed the door. Nereo spun on his weaponized heel and fell onto his hammock. He tilted his finned hat over his face plates, blocking out any extra lights.

Sleep Mode wasn’t quite so easy to fall into when you weren’t constantly rocked by waves, but Nereo managed.

Chapter Text

With everyone busy making dinner, Rebecca and Darren snuck into the forest. The former pulled the latter along by the wrist, straying off the usual path and towards someplace more private.

“Hey, Rebecca? Are you sure we should be going out this far? Or even going off the path?” Her boyfriend asked with a quirked brow.

“Ugh, yes, Darren! It’ll be fine!” His girlfriend scoffed. “It’s not like we’re going out to sea, or anything! We’ll be back before anyone even realizes!”

“Uh… Alright.” Was all her boyfriend said in reply.

The rest of their trip was more or less silent. The two pushed plants out of the way and kept a flashlight on them to light the path. Leaves, twigs, and pebbles crunched under their feet as they walked.

It would take a couple minutes for the couple to come across a small tunnel. Rebecca tugged Darren inside, jogging into its even darker depths. The tunnel itself wasn’t even that long, though it glistened all over with residual moisture.

On the other side of the tunnel was a small beach area. The two Worker Drones went over to some trees just beside the entrance and quickly got settled. Rebecca wasted zero time in getting their “immoral make-out session” started.

The current workers on night watch were playing a very intense game of cards. There was a handful in everyone’s grip, and then the rest on the sand. A long stretch of silence passed between them as the camera lens guy made his move.

His lightened optic turned up to everyone else. Some had folded, one had called. His gaze squinted, and with it, the lens in his camera eye contracted.

“I’ll call.” He spoke.

The hands were shown off. His opponent won. There was a cheer and a shout in defeat alongside some laughter. The game was reset as the pirate with the camera lens hung his head in defeat.

As everyone quieted down and one shuffled cards, there was a thump from afar. Each one of the five pirates stopped and whipped their heads towards the noise. Things went dead silent except for the sea beside them.

“Oi, Cammy. Can you see anything over there?” Someone asked.

“I’m looking! Give me a minute!” He exclaimed back.

Cammy turned back around, narrowing the lens of his camera eye. He flicked on night vision mode and stared into the recesses of the forest.

“I don’t see anything.” He commented.

“Maybe we should go deeper in.” A drone with a pegleg stood. “Doubt you can get a good view with all those plants in the way.”

“Come on, Ronan! Let’s just get back to our game! I doubt there’s anything out there!” But Cammy thought otherwise.

“Oi! Do you want the Captain to blow water to us!? I sure don’t!” Ronan turned back with furrowed brows.

Everyone flinched at that. They really wouldn’t want their captain to get mad at them for neglecting their job.

“Let’s go. If there’s nothing out there, good. If there is, we need to deal with it before it deals with us.” Ronan spoke, hobbling away.

The rest of the group got up, packing their cards back into the old cardstock casing and heading into the forest. They took a docklight with them and used branches and their hands to push foliage out of the way.

Cammy kept his camera lens narrowed and looked all around. As they traveled into the jungle, they could hear tiny but unknown noises. There was a rustle of a leaf or bush that wasn’t made by themselves.

Hands snapped to sword and dagger hilts and steps became quieter and careful. Slowly starting to pull their weapons from their sheathes, the pirates encroached upon the noises that were growing louder.

“I see something!” Cammy whispered.

Everyone halted in their steps. He moved ahead of the group and stared intently. He raised a hand and they pressed on. Cammy pulled out his dagger, twirling it in his hand.

“On the count of three,” He spoke softly. “One… Two… Three!” And the group jumped out.

With the rustle of bushes and the thumping of their feet on the ground, the group aimed the tips of their blades at the two Worker Drones hiding within the foliage. They freaked out and screamed, falling right off each other.

“Oi, it’s some workers.” One of the pirates commented. “What’re they doing here? Stranded?” His head cocked.

“Doesn’t matter. Let’s taken ‘em back and see if they have any valuables.” Ronan spoke.

“Or if they know the location of any!” Another pirate barked a laugh.

Rebecca and Darren stared back at the group with hollowed eye lights. Rebecca moved first, tossing dirt and rocks towards the pirates. Cammy recoiled behind someone, not willing to let dirt get into the missing pieces of his visor.

The couple hoisted to their feet and began running off. Ronan shouted after them, calling for their capture.

“Where the hell did they come from!?” Rebecca asked, taking a glance behind her.

There was a pirate right on her tail. She shrieked right as her shirt was grabbed.

“DARREN!!” She called as she was hoisted away.

“R-Rebecca-!” He called from afar, turning back to try and grab her hand.

But a swinging sword had him reeling it right back. Darren was forced to turn tail and run as three pirates went after him.

“He isn’t gonna get far, haha!” The jovial pirate holding the girl spoke.

“Let me go! Who the hell even are you anyway?!” Rebecca started thrashing.

“Not any lot you’ll be remembering anytime soon!” The cheery pirate replied. “Now where’s the damn rope?” He asked his crewmates.

“I don’t think anyone brought any.” Cammy replied.

Darren made a mad sprint back to the village. He jumped over rocks and dodged roots as he sprinted. The pirates were lagging behind, tripping over the trees and being unsure of where they were even going.

Yet the pirates didn’t give up. With someone having seen them, they needed to keep the drones as prisoners! And also extract some information out of ‘em.

Ronan cut down some vines and fashioned himself a rope. He tossed it and got it caught around the young man’s neck. With a hard yank, he came barreling to the floor.

Darren’s vision went fuzzy for a moment as his head met the hard ground. He then yelled as he was dragged back. Darren was then promptly strung up in a tree, dangling a few inches off the ground.

“Listen, kid, we aren’t gonna hurt you if you just comply.” Ronan stuck his sword right near his throat. “We just need information and we’ll set you free-”

“I CAN TRADE YOU FOR HER!!” Darren blurted out.

The pirates stopped and gave him confused stared.

“What?” Ronan cocked his head, his gaze squinted.

“There’s-! No treasure here! I don’t know about any!” Darren spoke, now just ad libbing it. “But I’m sure I could find someone way better as a hostage! She’s- Uh- C-Considered a treasure herself! Yeah!” He smiled nervously and hoped his sweat drops wouldn’t give his bluff away.

The pirates all looked at each other. They huddled close to talk.

“What do you guys think? Should we believe him?” Ronan asked first.

“Well, we don’t know much about this island,” Another pirate spoke, a few scars on his cheeks. “And you’ve heard myths and legends, right? Sometimes small islands will have a ‘girl like a treasure’. Beauty and kindness and all that, right?” He shrugged.

“Uh- When has that ever been true?” The third pirate poke, his eye lights green. “Besides, you said it yourself! Those are myths and legends! Stories!”

“But what if he is telling the truth?” The scarred drone argued.

“I don’t know. All I know is that our Captain would be having us scrub the bowsprit while sailing if what he said isn’t true!” The green-eyed robot replied.

“Alright! Enough!” Ronan exclaimed. “How about we get this guy to bring us the girl he’s speaking of first and let our Captain decide what to do? He needs to be notified about this, anyway.” He suggested.

There was a unanimous agreement, resulting in a nod. The pirates came out of their huddle and faced the islander again.

“We’ve decided to take you up on that offer.” Ronan said.

Darren vented a sigh of relief.

“But,” The pirate’s stern voice had him perking up again. “You bring the girl to us, back to the beach, and we’ll let our Captain decide whether or not she’s truly a treasure.” His smoky grey gaze narrowed.

“R-Right!” Darren nodded fervently.

Ronan stared at him for a moment longer. He huffed and swung his sword. Darren flinched but fell to the ground. Finally, he wasn’t being choked!

“Go on and get the girl. Come back by morning.” Ronan barked.

Darren just nodded and scrambled to his feet. He ran off back towards his village, the pirates staring after him.

“Come on. We don’t want Captain Nereo sending out a search party for us.” Ronan said as he began to walk off.

Sleep Mode, while troublesome to get into on still land, was still nice. So long as you weren’t being woken up by your crewmates in the dead of night.

“Hey, Captain! Captain Nereo!” Someone’s gruff voice spoke, a nudge in his side. “We’ve got some news!”

Nereo slowly awoke from his slumber. He lifted a lazy hand and pulled his tricorn up, turning his semi-grumpy and definitely-sleepy, blue-grey rain-colored eye lights towards his crewmate.

“Me and the other mates on night watch found a couple of Worker Drones.” He said, jabbing his thumb towards the door. “We caught one, but Ronan said the other could bring us the island’s ‘treasure girl’, or something? I didn’t really ask for details.” He rubbed his neck.

Nereo stared at him for a few seconds. He sluggishly sat up whilst taking a deep vent. Once his back was off the hammock, he let out the sigh through his blowhole between his shoulders.

For another moment, the pirate captain rubbed his visor with a hand. His tail made a wave as he woke up. He wished things were peaceful for once…

“Vale, me levantaré.” He nodded.

His crewmate took a moment to piece his reply together.

“The girl’s tied up and being held in the hold. She’s… Astral Ocean, she’s so loud…” He muttered, already hearing her fervent screaming again.

“Sí, sí, I get it.” Nereo nodded again. “Let me wake up and I’ll be down.” He stood up off his hammock.

“I’ll go gag the girl.” His crewmate turned for the door.

Nereo just hummed, setting his hands onto his back and bending over backwards to stretch his spinal ridge out. He straightened again with a huff from his blowhole. Nereo cast a glance to his anchor but decided not to bother.

He put a dagger onto his belt and fixed his hat before going out the door. He found that a few others had been woken by their new hostage, and were clearly grumpy about it. His tired, heavy steps thumped on the deck of the ship as he went down the stairs below it.

Going over to an isolated room by the stern, Nereo saw the girl his crewmate was talking about. Even with a gag in her mouth, she growled and snarled and tried to holler and scream. Nereo could already feel the CPU-ache coming on.

But he straightened his back, set his hands on his hips, and made his presence known by stepping over. The girl with blue hair paused in shock at the sight of him. Her head had to tilt back quite a bit to reach Nereo’s own rain-colored gaze so far up.

“Aye, I hear you had a little amigo when you were captured. ¿De verdad?” Nereo cocked his head.

The girl was silent for a few moments. Seems she was too stunned to speak at the moment. Not that surprising, or uncommon, really.

“I heard you had caught him, Ronan? But let him free?” Nereo decided to question someone else in the meantime.

“I did.” Ronan nodded, stepping closer. “He said he knew someone that ‘would be a better hostage’ than this girl. I told him to bring her here by morning tomorrow and let you decide what to do.” He explained.

Nereo made a hum and his tail waved. His rainy gaze flicked back towards the blue-haired girl. She sure is quiet now.

“I guess we’ll be waiting till morn.” He spoke. “Let’s keep the girl here– And gagged. We’ll take her back out once the other drone comes back.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” The fellow crewmates saluted.

“Try to get some rest before then. I’ll have some others take the next shift.” Nereo waved as he turned around.

His crew replied in acknowledgment as he left. Nereo went back up to the deck, ordered a few Worker Drones around, and went back into his captain’s cabin. He lied back down in his hammock and sat his hat back over his face.

After getting his arms situated under his ratty pillow, he used a foot to gently rock the hammock and lull him into Sleep Mode. From his voice box came his song. It was deep, short, and reverberated in his own chest. It sounded like something you’d hear in the deepest parts of an ocean trench.

But it lulled Nereo back into Sleep Mode, soon fading out with his consciousness.

Chapter Text

Darren ran back into the village he and many others called home. His friends took quick notice of his appearance, feeling relief at seeing him again.

“Hey, dude! Where’d you go-?” Chad tried to ask.

“Who’s the most forgettable drone here!?” But he was cut-off as Darren grabbed his shoulders.

His friends just stared at him like he’d grown two heads.

“Uh- What?” His friend cocked his head.

“I-I need the most forgettable drone on the island!” Darren let him go, starting to pace.

“What’s gotten into you, man?” Braiden asked next, feeling a sweat drop blink onto his visor in worry.

“There’s-! There’s-s freaking pirates! On the other side of the island!” Darren whipped around. “I went out with Rebecca to have an immoral make-out session, and the next thing we know, there’s pirates chasing us!!” His arms flew into the air.

His three friends stared at him in confusion and a lot more concern.

“I told the pirates that there was someone that was our island’s treasure to trade for Rebecca, so now I need the most forgettable drone here!” He finished his rant, panting.

“...Riiight.” Chad nodded. “Uh- I don’t know who’d be forgettable, though…”

Darren growled out and kicked a rock. It flew away into the small jungle.

“I think I remember uhhhh- Some drone who had purple hair??” Braiden scratched his head.

“Oh yeah! And she had like-... Uh…” Prad faltered quickly. “I think she liked black a lot-”

“UZI DOORMAN!!” Darren suddenly shouted, startling his friends. “Where is she?!” He whipped back around.

“Are you sure about using Uzi Doorman as a trade for your girlfriend?” Prad questioned with creased brows. “She’s like, our village leader’s daughter-”

“Khan doesn’t remember her! We all know he likes our diving boats more anyway!” Darren rolled his optics.

His friends couldn’t help but agree with that.

“Doesn’t she like fishing and diving? Especially near the cliffs?” Braiden pointed out. “I haven’t seen her at dinner, so I assume she’s probably by the cliffs.”

“Let’s then get going! We need to trade her off!” Darren began running for the cliffs.

His friends followed, giving each other worried glances.

“How are we even gonna get her to come along? You know how Uzi is…” Braiden asked, jogging after his friend.

“Uh, by lying! Duh!” Darren replied.

“Oh, that- Yeah, I guess that works.” Braiden nodded back.

She was late. She was late and she knew it. But Uzi honestly didn’t care. Diving for scrap was way more fun than eating the same old food for the gazillionth time with the same old drones who never talked to her anyway.

And honestly, Uzi was hoping she’d be getting back to the village by the time dinner was over, or at least being cleaned up. That way, she’d still have plenty of time to herself and wouldn’t have to sit amongst a bunch of drones who couldn’t care less about her.

And as Uzi came up from the water, getting back onto the rocky beach near to her favorite diving cliff, her flipper feet slapped onto the ground. Salty water droplets drizzled onto the pebbles and sand with each step.

Uzi grappled onto her full-face scuba mask to pry it off. She vented in the familiar salty air of her home island. She could feel the water gliding down her bathing suit and plating, further sprinkling onto the ground.

She went over and sat down on a log. She lifted one foot in the air at a time, letting the webbing reel back into her pedes. Her hair was squeezed of the majority of the water. The thick, dark purple and damp chunks fell back against her nape.

Uzi took some more vents of the salty air. She turned to the Astral Ocean, gazing at the many, many bubbles floating in the navy water. She wondered what it was like to swim in it.

But her thoughts wouldn’t get to linger long as she heard some fast footfalls approaching. Uzi automatically assumed it was her dad, coming over to nag her again about how “dangerous” it is to go diving all alone, or just cliff-diving in general.

Yet, to her surprise, Uzi didn’t find her dad rushing over to scold her yet again. She saw Darren, Braiden, Chad, and Prad coming up to her. And Darren looked particularly freaked out.

“UZI!!” The said guy yelled.

“I’m right here! You don’t need to yell!” Uzi retorted with a falling expression. “What do you want? Here to taunt me about liking diving for scrap?” She asked.

“No! There’s something way more important than that right now!” Darren shook his head, stopped in front of her.

“Oh yeah? And what is it?” Uzi turned to grab her towel and dry off a bit.

“Uh- Y-Your dad has a job for you! A very special one!” He lied, his smile damn-near giving himself away.

“Ha! Does he want me to pluck dead birds from the shore again?” Uzi scoffed, rustling her hair with the towel.

“N-No, he didn’t really give specifics. He just said it was important.” A sweat drop blinked onto Darren’s visor.

‘Just fall for the damn lie already!’ He pleaded with growing frustration.

“Well, whatever it is, you can tell my dad that I said he can do it himself.” Uzi retorted, setting her towel around her shoulders. “I’ve got scrap material to take home, and I don’t need to get side-tracked doing some stupid job he’s too lazy to do himself.” She picked up the rope to her small, rickety boat that was carrying her excursion’s scrap.

“B-But Khan’s busy! Which is why he told us to tell you!” Braiden spoke up.

Uzi turned to stare at the four of them. Each guy gave her varying smiles in return. She rolled her lavender optics and turned away to walk off.

“Then do the job yourselves.” She spoke.

Darren sputtered, both from anger and offense. Prad held him back before he could beat the female drone to a heap.

“Well, why don’t we all do the job then? It’ll be faster that way!” Chad spoke up. “Besides, I doubt a little girl like you could get it done on your own, anyway!”

‘There’s the toxic masculinity and misogyny.’ Uzi blew out a swift vent.

“If you’re that confident, then like I said; Do it yourselves.” She ground out, giving the group a glare.

Uzi began walking away again, leaving the boys behind. Darren growled and balled his fists up tight.

“If you come with us, I’ll show you an even better place to find scrap materials!!” He called.

Uzi took a pause at that.

“What do you mean?” She turned back around, a brow quirked.

“There’s-s a place that’s said to hold even better material than where we usually go,” Darren started, hoping his lie sounded real enough. “I’ve only heard rumors, but with so many old human buildings under the ocean, it sounds like a pretty good gamble, right?” Could she tell he was lying out his tailpipe?

Uzi’s gaze narrowed on the guy. The offer did sound very tempting. And she has always wanted to go diving with the dive team. Maybe, if she brings back some stuff from this place, her dad could finally let her?

“I’ll come to check it out–” Uzi agreed.

Darren almost clicked his heel in joy!

“–Tomorrow.” And his joy immediately plummeted. “I’m already exhausted from diving. You can take me to this place tomorrow when I’ve eaten and have more energy.” And she turned to walk off again.

Darren just stared after her as the girl left. He nearly blew up right then and there. But Braiden put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, signaling him to calm down.

Of course, that was far easier said than done. They need to get Uzi to the pirates by the morning, and it’s already so late. Dinner was no doubt done by now.

“We can’t be wasting anymore time!” Darren groaned, his palms slapping to his visor. “Who knows what those pirates could do to Rebecca if I don’t show up with anyone!”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something by then.” Braiden tried to reassure.

“Dude! Nuh-uh!” Darren shook his head, his eye lights voided. “You know we aren’t that smart to think of something so soon!”

“Well, we better get smart soon if you don’t want your girlfriend to die, or something.” Chad spoke up.

“Not helping, dude!” Prad nudged his elbow hard into the guy’s side.

“Ugh, let’s just- Go back to the village.” Darren sighed.

He trudged off as his friends stared in worry. All they could do was follow after him.

Uzi mutely acknowledged Darren and his friends following after her. She kept her gaze on the path ahead, carved out through years of dragging a boat or a sack behind herself. The boat she tugged along bumped over rocks and roots.

And as the group went back to the village, Darren slowly caught up to the boat. His gaze narrowed on the back of Uzi’s head. A hand drifted near to the boat, picking up some solid, hefty thing or another. It looked like a metal table leg.

Darren’s friends stared in even more worry as the said drone sped up his walk just a little more. They had no time to object before Darren lifted the leg and smacked it across the back of Uzi’s head.

Her visor glitched out and a warning popped up onto her HUD as she fell forward. Darren’s friends stared in shock as the said robot took the rope from the boat. He tied up the unconscious girl and began hauling her off.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?” Braiden shouted.

“Getting this loser to those damn pirates!” Darren replied, his brows furrowed.

“ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?!” Prad asked next, jogging after him.

“I’d rather get killed by Khan than by those pirates!” Darren turned around to face his buddies. “What do you think will happen if I don’t hold up my part of the deal?!” He asked, his eye lights hollowing out in fear.

“Those pirates are going to massacre everyone on this island! Forget Rebecca or me! They might be oil-thirsty enough to want vengeance on everyone!” He threw his arm out to the side.

His friends stared back at him in equal fear. They said nothing more. Darren huffed and spun on his heel, heading straight for the shore the pirates were beached at.

Sweat drops began blinking onto his visor as he got closer to the other side of the island. He hoped his girlfriend was okay, that they hadn’t done anything horrible to her. Surely those pirates would be respectable enough to hold up their end of the deal, right?

Darren shook his head and sped up. He avoided any paths towards the village, his friends following behind him. Things were tense and silent asides from their pedes crunching twigs and crumpling leaves.

And with the island being small, it didn’t take long for the group of guys to make it back to the beach. Darren decided to hide out inside the cave nearby. He set Uzi down with a huff and turned to his friends.

They simply stared back at him in silence. No one really knew what to do now.

“Should we tell the pirates we have our ‘island’s treasure’?” Braiden asked, rubbing his neck in nervousness.

“I-... I don’t know.” Darren shrugged. “Maybe… We should wait until morning? We can eat something in the meantime.” He shrugged, glancing at the floor.

“Then… I’ll go get some leftovers from dinner.” Prad spoke, walking through the cavern halls.

His steps made tiny echoes as he left. Things fell silent once more. Everyone sat down and refused to speak. What could they even say?

But it was through this tense, uneasy silence, that Darren finally realized just what he was doing. His optical lights hollowed out again and he turned his optics to the unconscious girl next to him.

Uzi was limp against the wall. Her head hung low and her joints were loose. Darren leaned over just a little to peer at her visor. It was blank. Just black.

Darren could feel fear bubble in his chest like a water vent. He swiftly turned his gaze away to try and remedy it. But the feeling didn’t go away. It continued to burn at his core.

Footsteps echoing out made the boys perk up. They turned to a returning Prad, a tray of food in his hands. He set it in front of everyone and sat down.

No one touched the tray for a few good minutes. Things continued to be silent, the waves nearby creating an eerie white noise. Everyone just stared at the food, both organic and inorganic alike.

The sun began to rise, sluggishly illuminating the ocean. Its rays hit the fauna of the small jungle. And as the warm rays of light started to be reflected by the cavern’s lingering moisture, Darren turned to the horizon with dread in his chest.

Morning had come.

And he could hear the pirates get up and ready for the day.

Chapter Text

As the sun began hoisting itself from the depths of the horizon, the pirate crew got up with it. Drones woke up, rubbed their visors, put back on any prosthetics, and began a morning shanty.

“♪What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor?♪” Feet and peglegs tapped against the deck. “♪Early in the morning!♪”

The boat creaked and groaned as the crew scampered all over it. The gentle waves brushed against its underside. Barrels were brought out and the chef began cooking their breakfast.

“♪Way hey and up she rises! Way hey and up she rises! Way hey and up she rises!♪” The song had everyone in-sync with one another, making the morning work easier. “♪Early in the morning!♪”

Some drones waded into the water and jogged onto land. They collected some vines and large leaves. Others went and cut down some trees, chopping off the top ends. The logs were taken onto the ship and stored away.

“♪Shave his belly with a rusty razor. Shave his belly with a rusty razor. Shave his belly with a rusty razor♪” The chef came up with various foods, metallic and organic alike. “♪Early in the morning!♪”

As the crewmates passed by, they grabbed something to eat-and-work. They continued with the morning chores, scrubbing the deck, retying knots, double-checking wounds, and collecting some materials.

And with their singing, it had alerted the boys in the cave tunnel nearby. Darren stood up, gazing around the foliage to spot the busy ship. He could hear the echoes of their singing, so jovial and chipper.

It was a stark contrast to how Darren himself was feeling. But he swallowed the static bubble in his vocoder and turned to Uzi. He picked up the leftover rope on the ground and dragged her towards the ship.

His friends got up and followed, just as nervous as Darren. But they revealed themselves from the jungle, making the pirates stop and stare. A familiar one came down the ramp and up to the young men.

“Is that the girl?” Ronan asked, wiping his hands with a rag.

“Y-Yeah.” Darren nodded, hoping the stutter in his voice didn’t give him away.

Ronan’s intense gaze flicked up to Darren’s. He could feel a sweat drop glide down the side of his visor. It was a silent and tense minute.

But the sound of heavy footfalls made everyone turn once more. The captain’s cabin door closed with a groan and a click. The heavy steps continued towards and down the ramp. The water splashed as heeled and weaponized feet approached the boys.

Darren and his friends grew even more fearful. They tilted their heads back as the impeccably tall drone came up to them. Darren took a step back, just about ready to run off.

“Aye, is this the señorita?” The huge robot asked.

Darren could only nod.

“Bien. Ahora ven.” He nudged his head towards the ship and turned away.

The village Worker Drones just stared at his back for a moment. Ronan shoved Darren towards the boat. He had no choice but to tag along.

Going into the hull, Darren was taken to a room near the stern. Inside was Rebecca, who perked up at his presence. Though, it also quickly soured at seeing an unconscious Uzi.

“We had a deal. Here’s your amigo.” Nereo gestured to Rebecca with a hand.

Darren dropped Uzi’s rope and ran over to his girlfriend. He quickly took off her bonds and gag, to which Rebecca was quick to speak up.

“Ugh! That thing tasted disgusting!” She spat onto the floor, much to Ronan’s displeasure. “You could’ve also made that rope a little looser! My wrists are gonna ache for days! Not to mention all the scratch marks now on them!” She complained.

“Captain, can we gag her again?” Ronan turned to Nereo.

“No, Ronan. She’s not our prisoner anymore.” Nereo waved his hand.

Ronan growled as his expression turned even more bitter.

“However,” Nereo’s gaze turned to the villager couple, catching their attention in the process. “Is your word true? That this girl is the ‘treasure of your village’?” He questioned, gesturing to Uzi.

“Uh! Y-Yes! She is!” Darren nodded. “There’s tons of guys after her! They say she’s so beautiful, her looks rival a statue!”

Rebecca whipped around to give him a confused look.

“What are you- Mphf!!” Darren was quick to slap a hand over her mouth.

Nereo didn’t seem to like his girlfriend’s reaction.

“She-e also likes diving! And likes to make things! So she’s useful! Far more than my girlfriend!!” He added in a hurry.

Nereo still didn’t look too convinced. He turned to his crewmate.

“Ronan. Go ask those other boys that same question. Tell me what they say.” He ordered quietly.

“Aye, Captain!” Ronan saluted and ran off.

Nereo turned his rain-colored gaze back to the couple. It then fell onto the girl beside him, leaning against the wall. He crouched down, his knees groaning in protest. His thick whale tail stretched out across the ground as he lowered.

“Aye, mira lo que te hizo.” He commented with pity in his voice. “Y esa chica dijo que éramos bruscos con las cuerdas.” Ronan returned and Nereo stood back up.

“The others said something similar. Girl seems popular enough to be well-respected and praised.” Ronan confirmed. “One even talked about how she enjoyed crafts-making, mostly of the engineering type, surprisingly.”

Darren held in the relieved vent. Thank Robo-God his friends clutched for him.

“What should we do now?” Ronan asked his captain.

Nereo took a moment to stare at the couple, then the girl being offered in return. His tail waved as he let out a thoughtful sigh.

“We made a deal.” He answered. “Let them go. We’ll take the girl and head out once we’re ready-” A soft noise made his pause.

Nereo, Ronan, Darren, and Rebecca all turned to an awakening Uzi. A loading icon blinked onto her visor. Her fingers twitched and she released a vent. With it, her frame relaxed a bit.

After a couple of minutes, the loading icon disappeared. In its place came some eye lights. The lavender lines fluttered open into lavender purple ovals. Uzi looked around for a few seconds and took even more to process where she was.

When Uzi realized she wasn’t at home, in the jungle, or on the beach near her favorite cliff, her eye lights hollowed out. She whipped her head around, quickly landing on the monstrously tall robot standing next to her.

Uzi stared for a solid minute before the tiniest ‘Huh?’ left her mouth.

“Looks like the lass is up.” Ronan commented a little dryly.

“Sí, ya lo veo.” Nereo nodded in return, his own eye lights wide.

“ALRIGHT! LOOKS LIKE ME AND REBECCA NEED TO BE GOING NOW! SEE YOU GUYS NEVER AGAIN I HOPE!!” Darren shouted and sprung to his feet.

He hoisted his girlfriend with him and tried to run past the pirates. But Nereo’s hand stopped him by the scruff of his shirt. Darren was plucked up off the floor and spun around to face the pirate captain.

Nereo’s gaze was unreadable. Darren couldn’t tell if he’d seen through his lies or was angry or what.

“The least you can do when trading someone away is say goodbye, lad.” Nereo’s brows rose.

“R-... Right…” Darren’s voice was tiny.

“Wait- What do you mean ‘trading someone away-’?” Uzi asked, her brows furrowing.

“It was nice knowing you, Uzi! Hope you have a good time with these guys! See you probably never again!!” Darren patted her shoulder with a nervous laugh.

He and Rebecca ran up the stairs and off the boat as quickly as they could. Rebecca was still confused, asking what the hell Darren did and what he was talking about. He didn’t answer her, just told her to keep quiet until they got back to the village.

Meanwhile, Uzi was left facing the pirates she was traded off to. A thick lump of static prevented the use of her voice box and sweat drops had formed on her display. Nereo turned towards her, making Uzi push herself against the wall.

The pirate captain crouched down again and Uzi turned her frame away as best she could. She gave a defiant glare to the Blue Whale Drone, who simply stared back at her in silence.

“So, you’re this island’s treasure, eh?” He lifted a hand to gently take her chin.

Uzi became so confused that she didn’t fight him turning her head towards him.

“What the hell are you talking about?” She asked. “We don’t have any sort of ‘treasure’ on this island! Unless you count dumb heirlooms, or something!”

“Ah, but a drone herself could be a treasure now, can’t she?” The pirate captain’s voice, accented in Spanish, was quiet.

Uzi’s brows creased further in puzzlement.

“I’m still not sure what you’re talking about.” She tugged her chin free of his loose grip. “There’s no treasure on this island, and even if there was, I wouldn’t be telling you where it is.” A scoff left her lips.

Nereo sighed, letting his arm fall.

“Come now, don’t  be humble.” He spoke again. “Or is that simply a staple of top island beauties? They need to be as humble as they are beautiful?” He smiled.

Uzi’s head snapped back to him, eye rings emboldened.

“Who in the hell told you that?!” She asked. “I’m no ‘island beauty’! I’m the damn island freak!” She shouted, almost offended by the insinuation she’d be anything but.

Nereo and Ronan blinked at her.

“Uh- What do you mean by that, señorita?” The captain cocked his head, a raindrop on his visor showing his worry and unease.

“I’m not any sort of ‘island treasure’, like you like to believe. Everyone there hates me at worst and dislikes me at best.” Uzi explained with a huff. “Whoever told you that is a big, fat liar.”

Nereo sat there for a moment, taking her words in. He slowly stood back up. Ronan watched and waited for his next order. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or not.

“Aye, is that so?” Nereo questioned as he tilted his tricorn lower.

“Captain-” Ronan tried to speak.

“Ronan,” Nereo’s voice made him pause. “Have we set sail yet?” He asked.

Ronan stayed quiet, listening. He could hear waves and feel the ship bobbing.

“It doesn’t feel or sound like it-” He went to answer.

“Go up and check.” Nereo ordered.

“Aye, Sir.” Ronan nodded.

He scampered up the steps and took a peek outside. The island was in the distance, but not too far.

“We’ve set sail like ordered, but we aren’t that far away from the island.” He told his leader.

Nereo tilted his head up, covered his face with his tricorn, and sighed into it. More air left his blowhole, escaping through slits in his clothing.

‘We shouldn’t go back. We’ve already been side-tracked and put off-course so much as it is.’ The captain thought. ‘But that lad lied to me. I can’t exactly take that lying down.’ His foot tapped on the ground.

Uzi finally noticed the blunderbusses making his heels. Her eye lights hollowed out again and she tried to scoot away some more.

“We made a deal…” Nereo spoke to himself quietly. “But that lad…” His grip on his hat tightened.

Nereo turned his head back down and put his hat back on. He turned his rainy gaze back to the girl sitting in front of him. She surely didn’t look like she wanted to be there right now.

“Oi, señorita. Is it true that you like crafting things and diving?” His head cocked and his tail waved.

“Ha! I’m not gonna tell you!” Uzi spat with a smirk.

“Aye, but you would if it’d save your life, no?” Nereo questioned with a smile.

Uzi’s snark faltered. She stopped smiling and leaned away from him again.

“I… Sometimes go out to dive.” She answered meekly. “And I… Sometimes make stuff with the scrap I find.”

“What kind of things?” Nereo crouched down to better meet her optic-level.

“Just… Stuff. Nothing that useful.” Uzi turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze.

“But you know how to do things like weld, screw, place wires, and more, right?” Nereo inquired.

A sweat drop blinked onto the young woman’s visor.

“If you’re going to use me as a slave, just say so.” She spoke. “I’d rather you’d just tell me straight to my face than keep it some sort of secret.” Uzi’s voice turned a little sadder and her optics narrowed just a fraction.

“I always find out no one ever likes me, anyway…” The sentence was probably just meant to be a thought, but she spoke it by accident anyway.

Nereo was quiet in response to that.

“I’m not gonna make you a slave, señorita.” He told her, his tone suddenly gentle. “Contrary to any popular belief you might have about pirates, we’re only cold-cored when we need to. We don’t take slaves.” He grinned at her.

Uzi refused to look at him still. The ship croaked as it gently bobbed on the water. It was then that Uzi realized they were truly sailing.

She felt tears prick at the corners of her optics. She tried to blink them away or shake them off, but they were stubborn and stayed put.

“I’m guessing you aren’t gonna let me go back home though, are you?” She asked, hating how her voice turned whispery.

“Me and that lad made a deal. You are mine and his girlfriend is free again.” Nereo shook his head. “Even if he lied about you being an island treasure and some popular beauty, he didn’t lie about your skills.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better about being kidnapped?” Uzi snipped, glowering at him.

“Course not, señorita.” Nereo replied, his gaze turning down. “I don’t think there’s any words that I could give you to make this situation any easier. But I’m a pirate, and I made a deal. And we pirates keep our deals.” He told her truthfully.

Uzi just glared at him. She scoffed and turned her side to him.

“Well, if you’re not gonna make me your slave, then get lost.” She spat to the hull’s wall.

Nereo gazed at her for another couple seconds. He sighed and straightened, obliging the request. Just before he left, he took off her bonds and closed the door. His heavy footfalls made the old stairs creak with each step.

And with the door closed and no one around, Uzi was allowed to be angry and sad and distraught. She punched the wall and tried to futilely swipe at her visor. But still, the tears ran down her visor anyway.

Uzi curled into herself and hugged her knees tight. She hated that she couldn’t stop the sobs. But she hated Darren even more for trading her off to these damn pirates, all because his girlfriend got caught first.

“♪A curse upon you. Sorrow fall thick and fast♪” Uzi quietly sang to herself. “♪Your days have been numbered, each hour your last♪” It was what Darren deserved for doing this to her.

“♪May the land, sea, or turn to swallow you whole♪” A hiccup bubbled from her throat. “♪And fore’er ne’er forget what you stole…♪”

Chapter Text

Once morning chores were done, there wasn’t much else to do. Pirates sat around deck, playing cards, talking, or taking a midday nap. The ship rocked and made an occasional croak as it sailed across the waves.

Nereo stared off into the sea, his elbows manning the helmwheel. With his chin propped on his forearms and a bored look on his face plates, he hummed a lyricless tune. His tail waved, somewhat urging for the feeling of water on it.

“Oi, Marq, how’re our supplies?” Nereo asked, if only to quell some form of boredom.

“They’re alright, but I don’t think we could take another attack like before.” The small Worker Drone replied. “It wouldn’t do us any harm in gathering more metal or turning those logs into planks.”

Nereo hummed and closed his optics in thought. His tail made an even bigger arch.

“Do we have the tools to do that?” He inquired next.

“Uh… Maybe?” Marq shrugged.

Nereo sighed and sat his face on his forearms. There was a moment of quietude, only broken by the waves.

“Go check and see if we have the tools to make planks.” He ordered.

“Right!” Marq nodded.

He trotted down into the tween deck and Nereo sat his head back up. As much as he loves the deep blue sea, it can sure be boring when you’re traveling to a far-off destination. Or to anywhere, really. Depends on who else is sailing by.

With another swift sigh, Nereo sat up and took the wheel into his hands. The winds were moderate, so it wasn’t like they were going anywhere fast. Though, it’d be nice if there were some sort of trading vessel around.

'Mm. Me pregunto cómo le irá a la joven.’ His rain-colored gaze wandered.

“¡Oye! Come take the wheel!” He called to someone by the railing.

Nereo left as he took charge of the wheel. The pirate captain went down below deck, stopping by the kitchen first. He picked up some drift fruit and scavenged wires before heading to the stern.

“Señorita? I got some food for you. Figured you haven’t eaten yet.” He knocked on the door to announce his presence.

“Go away.” Uzi returned through the door.

Nereo’s expression turned a bit more guilty. He opened the door anyway, making the girl flinch and scream.

“I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY, NOT COME INSIDE!!” She shrieked, hiding her frame.

Somehow, despite having seen her be brought into the room and having taken off her restraints, Nereo didn’t realize she didn’t have any clothes on. Just a bathing suit. And he’d accidentally barged in on her as she was adjusting it, the top not even on her.

But Nereo sighed and pulled his tricorn just over his optics. He came closer and crouched down, offering the food.

“I know it ain’t much, but it’s something.” He started. “I’m not sure when the last time you ate was, so-”

“I don’t need your damn food!” Uzi huffed, quickly putting the top of her bathing suit back on. “So you can take it and put it back where you found it! Or even better; Toss it in the ocean!”

Nereo was quiet. He set down the food and got up. He pulled his tricorn back up once he’d turned around.

“I’ll leave the food here for you, señorita.” He told her.

Nereo said nothing more as he left the room. Uzi stared at the door as it clicked closed. Her lavender gaze fell down onto the fruit, rolling around as the ship rocked. The boxes and barrels around her were tied down with ropes.

Uzi turned her gaze away from the food. She tried hard to ignore the shudder of her tanks and the window that popped up on her visor. Even as her mouth started to salivate just knowing there was food there, she held true and didn’t give in.

For all of five minutes.

Nereo opened up crates and dug through barrels. Others in the hold watched as he moved from crate-to-crate, searching for something. Every time he couldn’t find whatever it was, his tongue clicked and his tail slapped against the ground.

It got to a point where his crewmates were getting worried. They gave each other concerned glances whilst sweat drops blinked onto their facial screens.

“Uhm, is there something you’re looking for, Cap’n?” Someone asked.

“Clothes.” Nereo replied curtly, shutting another box.

“Did yours rip?” Another asked.

“No. The girl we traded for doesn’t have any.” Their captain told them, digging deep into another crate.

The crewmates glanced at each other again.

“Uh- I just remembered I-”

“Si vas a intentar fisgonear a esa chica, te colgaré boca abajo del bauprés.” Nereo gave the man a nasty glare from over his shoulder.

“A- Aye, Sir…” The crewmate sat back down, sweating bullets.

Nereo rolled his rainy optics and turned back to searching for clothes. The other crewmates stood up to help him.

“What size do you need?” One of them asked.

“The smallest we can find.” Their captain returned, staring at a scrap piece of cloth.

Without saying a word, the crew went about searching for the smallest clothes. A few went to the berth deck to see if there wasn’t anything there. It still took some time before there was a tiny pile of clothing and cloths on the floor.

“This is about as much as I could find.” Cammy said as he tossed a spare shoe into the pile. “I think our spare clothes are just as low as our current supplies.” He added with a worried look sent his leader’s way.

“You think the lass will even want to wear any of this?” Another worker inquired.

“Well, if she doesn’t want to be wearing her bathing suit for the rest of her life, she’ll have to.” Nereo set his hands on his hips. “For now, I can take them to her and she can pick out what she wants to wear.” He bent over to collect the pile in his arms.

“And if she doesn’t want to wear anything at all?” Another crewmate questioned.

“Then I guess she’s stuck wearing her bathing suit.” Nereo shrugged.

He walked off back to the stern. He knocked on the door and asked to enter.

“What do you want now?” Uzi asked from the other side.

“I have some clothes here for you to wear. It was the smallest me and mi tripulación could find for you.” He answered.

There was a moment of quietude. Soon, the door opened just a crack. Uzi peered up at him with a defiant look in her optics. It was amusing, that glare on her face plates.

“There’s an assortment of clothes in there. Find whatever you like to wear.” Nereo handed her the pile.

Uzi took it carefully and retreated back a couple steps. She gave Nereo one last glower before the door slammed shut.

“Did you also eat the food I gave you?” He asked.

“Why does it matter to you?” Uzi questioned back.

“Well, I don’t want the little señorita I picked up to die on me now, do I?” Nereo crossed his arms.

“Surprising.” Uzi commented dryly.

“¡Oye! ¡Seré un pirata, pero aún tengo moral!” Nereo exclaimed in offense.

“Whatever you say!” Uzi replied, not even knowing what he spoke.

Nereo had a feeling she didn’t understand him, his gaze falling. But he let out a sigh and turned from the door.

“If you want, you can come out whenever you like!” He told her as he began walking off.

“...I thought I was a prisoner?” Uzi’s quiet murmur just barely hit the Blue Whale Drone’s audials.

Nereo paused in his step, going silent.

“‘Course you aren’t, señorita.” He told her, almost just as quietly. “I may have traded for you, but you are not my prisoner.”

“Then what are you going to do with me?” Uzi inquired next. “If I’m not a slave and not a prisoner, then aren’t I just some stowaway?”

Nereo sighed, gripping the edge of his tricorn. He turned back to the door and gave it another knock.

“Mind if I come in?” He asked quietly.

“Not yet! I haven’t gotten dressed…” Uzi shouted before quieting down.

The captain’s expression turned a bit incredulous.

“How could you not be dressed yet?! We’ve been talking for a solid seven minutes!” He exclaimed.

“It’s hard to when I’m in the middle of a conversation!” Uzi argued. “Besides, these clothes still don’t even fit! And they smell, too.” She added.

Nereo was stunned into silence for a moment. He then pinched his visor and let out a sigh.

“You’re going to have to put up with the size and scent, señorita. They were the smallest clothes we could find, and we don’t exactly have access to washing materials or machinery.” He explained.

Uzi was quiet for a moment. She was quiet for a long moment. Nereo started to wonder if she wasn’t giving him the cold shoulder all of a sudden.

“I… I need help…” But her meek voice finally came through the door.

Again, Nereo was stunned into silence. But it wasn’t nearly as long as last time. He shook his head to snap himself out of it.

“What do you need help with, señorita?” He asked.

“I, uhm… I don’t know how to- To put this all on.” The female Worker Drone answered. “We don’t- We don’t have these kinds of clothes on my home island.”

“...” Nereo’s mouth was agape. “Ah.” He finally hummed.

“Then… Would you mind if I come in to help you?” Nereo offered.

Uzi was quiet again. Nereo heard the door creak before he saw it open. He stepped back and saw Uzi’s flushed visor and averted gaze. Her bathing suit was gone but a shirt at least adorned her torso.

“Don’t look too much, okay?” She asked. “A-And don’t touch anywhere I don’t say you can!” She added.

“Por supuesto, señorita.” Nereo nodded.

Uzi finally turned her stare towards him. She gave the much taller drone a once-over. She became hesitant and apprehensive. He’d so easily overpower her…

But she let him inside, slowly opened the door. Nereo stepped over and crouched by her clothes. Seems she picked out the least-dirty ones.

“Putting on these clothes is easy, señorita,” Nereo began as he moved to sit on his knees. “You’ve already got the first part down.” His smile towards her was gentle.

Uzi stayed near the corner of the room, still looking so defiantly at him. Nereo let out a sigh but didn’t let his smile fall. He gestured for her to approached as he picked up the pants she picked out.

“Come put on the rest of your clothes and I can help you tie them up.” He told her.

Uzi just stared. She then slowly shuffled over and swiftly took the pants from his hand. Nereo turned around to give her some privacy. Uzi didn’t move for a few seconds. She quickly put on the pants.

She then put on the wool socks and the boots. She swiped a belt from the ground and put it on. Uzi then looked at herself.

It was certainly a new look for her, that’s for sure. No more simple shirts and skirts or shorts, no more straw sun hats, no more sandals. Just pants, a shirt, sturdy boots, thick socks, and a big ol’ belt.

“Are you done, señorita?” Nereo asked, startling her.

“U-Uhm, yeah.” Uzi nodded despite him not being able to see it.

Nereo turned back around and let his gaze trail over her. A bigger grin formed on his face plates.

“Aye, you’re looking like a real pirate now.” He chuckled.

“Not that I ever wanted to be a pirate.” Uzi scoffed, holding the open chest of her shirt closed.

“Come. I can help you tie it.” Nereo gestured with a hand.

Uzi shuffled closer. When she was close enough, Nereo took the strings of her shirt into his hands.

“There’s a few knot techniques us pirates use for our clothing,” He told her, holding the strings wide for her to see. “For you, I’ll use an extra-tight kind, so that your shirt doesn’t come open too much.”

Nereo pulled her shirt as tight as he could, then slowly made the knot. He tried not to let his big fingers get in the way of the lady’s view too much. Once he was done, the shirt was still a little loose but covering her chest much more now.

“As for the pants, we tuck our shirts in and let our belts keep them tight against our waists.” His gaze turned to her said belt.

Uzi quickly tucked in her shirt, stepping back from his gaze. Nereo pulled her back in by the hands and tested the tightness of her belt.

“Aye, señorita, I think this may be too tight.” He warned as his gaze narrowed.

“I don’t think it’s ‘too tight’.” Uzi scoffed, her hand slapping to his wrist.

“If you’re worried about anyone touching you, don’t. I’m going to make it a point for them not to bring any sort of harm on you, no matter the kind.” He reassured with a grin.

Uzi’s gaze on him narrowed. She pulled her hands out of his loose grasp.

“What next?” She asked.

“Well, your boots can use the same tying technique as your shirt. Same goes for the strings on your wrists.” Nereo pointed.

Uzi sat down and did as told, replaying the memory file of his tying of her shirt as she did so. Once everything was tied, she turned up to the captain for his next instructions.

“Since it can get pretty chilly out on the sea, us pirates tend to keep warm and dry with other spare cloth.” Nereo picked up some striped cloth. “I suggested putting this around your waist. It’ll further help you from any drifting hands as well.”

Uzi took the cloth and stood up. Nereo tried to help her by taking off her belt first. But Uzi gasped in shock and slapped his hands away, stepping back to the wall.

“Señorita, we usually put the cloth underneath our belts.” He told her.

“You couldn’t have told me that before?!” Uzi shouted.

“You put on the belt before I could!” Nereo argued.

Uzi growled at him. She turned around and undid the belt herself, then wrapped the cloth around her waist. She tied it and re-did her belt again.

“Anything else?” Uzi growled back.

“If you want, you could put a hat on.” Nereo shrugged. “Not sure if we have any, however. But there’s still tons of cloth to use.” He picked up a small piece.

“Fine.” Uzi spat, coming close again. “If only to keep my hair out of the way.” She swiped the cloth from his hand.

Uzi tied it around her forehead snugly and tightly. With it fastened to her head, she’d finally gotten all dressed.

“I will try to look for some smaller clothes for you on the next ship we raid.” Nereo spoke as he stood. “Or at the next port. Whichever comes first.” He chuckled.

Nereo stretched as he walked out the door. Just before he disappeared, he turned over his shoulder to speak.

“You don’t have to stay down here forever, you know.” He told her. “And also; El look te sienta bien, señorita.” With that last comment, he left.

Uzi stared after him through the open door. Nereo retreated back up to the deck, probably to bark some orders or something. Uzi’s arms came to hug herself and her optics drifted downwards.

No matter how she looked at it, she definitely looked the part of a pirate. And despite being traded off like goods, she wasn’t his prisoner or slave.

‘Which really just confuses me more.’ Uzi’s gaze turned back to the door. ‘If I’m not some sort of prisoner, what am I?’

Uzi wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer. Was it good? Was it bad? Would she regret it if she found out?

With a shake of her head, Uzi figured it was best to not think too much about it. She swiped up the clothes she didn’t want to wear and dumped them onto some crate or another.

She put a hand on the doorframe, as if to test if there was an alarm or someone waiting to scold her for daring to step out. But no one was there with her, not to her left, not to her right.

Uzi turned back to the steps leading up towards the deck. Finally, she took her first step out of the room.

Chapter Text

Uzi emerged from the tween deck, glancing around at the top deck. Some Worker Drone pirates lazed around here and there. They weren’t really doing anything, just sleeping, playing cards, or staring out at sea.

The female drone tried to walk quietly past everyone to some lonesome corner. Of course, some still glanced at her. A sweat drop blinked onto her visor as Uzi quickly moved on by.

“You positive you wanna just hide away again?” Nereo’s voice spoke.

Uzi startled with a loud gasp and fell onto her butt. She stared at the pirate captain leaning on a railing from the quarterdeck. He barked a laugh at her expense and came down the steps.

“Sorry, señorita! I didn’t mean to scare you!” He grinned at her, helping her up.

Uzi backed away from him after she was set back onto her feet. She went the captain a mean glare, the meanest one she could muster.

“Aye, don’t look at me like that.” Nereo sighed, setting his hands on his hips.

“And why shouldn’t I?” Uzi questioned back. “I’ve been kidnapped by pirates and can’t return home! Not to mention it was all because some dumbass got himself into trouble and decided to shill it onto someone else!” She yelled.

“I know, I get it.” Nereo’s shoulders sagged. “But we made a deal, and pirates must follow those deals.”

“Says who?” Uzi questioned further.

“Says the code, of course!” Nereo exclaimed with widening eye lights.

Uzi didn’t look convinced or impressed.

“Though, that little friend of yours did still lie to us.” A hand came up to Nereo’s chin. “It was a partial lie, but pirates still don’t like being tricked. We might just return if I feel offended enough by it.” His tail waved.

“Considering we haven’t looked back once, I’m gonna take a gander and say that’s never gonna happen.” Uzi scoffed.

“You never know, señorita! We might stumble across your island again and I might enact a little revenge!” Nereo waved his hand. “I in particular don’t like being lied to, you know.” Something more dangerous crossed his optics.

Uzi stared at them in silence. She ignored it and turned away.

“What do you guys even do on here? Everyone looks so bored.” She decided to inquire instead, turning towards the deck.

“We wait until we meet land, really.” Nereo answered, staring at his crew. “I’m not sure how much you’ve heard of us pirates, nor what, but most have the belief that we’re always up to something.” He took a seat on the steps.

They creaked under his weight, even the metal one he sat on. Uzi glanced at the stairs with another sweat drop on her visor. She wonders if that’s ever going to give out on him, or if it ever has before.

“So you just wait around doing fuck-all until you hit land?” She clarified.

“That’s one way of putting it.” Nereo huffed in amusement. “Though, we also sometimes raid merchant ships, if we come across them.”

“But you aren’t going after any now?” Uzi asked.

“No, our ship is damaged from a battle with another pirate tripulación.” The captain shook his head. “We still need to do some repairs, but we’re also low on the stuff to repair the ship with. We’re heading to a port to find some.”

Uzi hummed in acknowledgement. Her gaze cast back onto the ocean, its waves rocking the boat as the winds pushed the sails.

“It shouldn’t take too long to get to this port,” Nereo spoke, catching Uzi’s attention. “A few day’s time, with clear skies and seas.”

“And if there isn’t?” Uzi asked.

“Then it takes longer.” Nereo shrugged.

He then stood up and stretched. The segments of his spinal ridge groaned and shifted as his hands pressed against his back. The pirate’s thick whale tail made a light slap on the ground as he straightened with a puff.

“Well, since we’ve got time, why don’t you meet the tripulación, señorita?” Nereo suggested, stepping off the stairs.

Uzi didn’t follow for a moment. Nereo turned and waited for her. Uzi let out a groan and tagged along begrudgingly.

“Up in the crow’s nest is Cammy.” Nereo pointed up to him. “We’ve also got Ronan, our temporary quartermaster.” Nereo pointed to another man playing cards.

“What happened to the first?” Uzi interrupted.

“He died.” Was Nereo’s flat reply.

“Oh…” Uzi recoiled a bit at that.

“Anyways, that’s Josh, Freckle, Sid, and Rusty sleeping over there,” Nereo pointed to a small group of drones. “And just on the other side of them is Marq, Twain, Bumpernickle, Eracion, and Twig.”

Uzi stared at the pirates, lazing about and sleeping. Some were playing some games with one another, cards or the knife game. She couldn’t help but think the names were a bit… Odd, sometimes.

“There’s more below deck.” Nereo’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.

Uzi followed the captain down into the tween deck and over towards the stern, where they walked into the kitchen. Uzi looked around at the messy, discombobulated place. It could use a good organizing…

“This is our kitchen! We hold and prepare foods here! Mostly, anyway.” Nereo gestured to the room with a hand. “Our cook is Cuca. ¡Hola Cuca!” He waved excitedly.

A cleaver slammed down onto a thick sheet of aluminum. Cuca snapped his head towards his captain, his stare less than friendly. He grunted and nodded before turning back to dicing up the metal sheet.

“He seems… Nice.” Uzi hid herself behind the far larger robot.

“He’s a wee bit mute. His voice box doesn’t work properly.” Nereo told her quietly. “We should let him get back to work for now. We’ve got more rooms to see, anyway.” And he turned out the door.

Uzi glanced at Cuca one last time, noting the oil-stained clothes and the many scars on his neck and cheeks. She turned around and jogged after the captain, wanting to get out of there before she was the crew’s next meal.

“Just a note, but if you ever need to take something from a crate, always tie it back down.” Nereo told her as they walked to the other side of the boat. “The waves get rough sometimes, and the weight of the crates and barrels aren’t enough to hold them down. Drones get crushed by them.”

“Right…” Uzi just nodded, feeling anxious at the thought of being crushed.

The two made it to another room, where Nereo knocked on the door. There was an old, rusting nameplate that Uzi could barely make out. But the door opened before she could mimic the name.

“Hey, Captain! You aren’t hurt today, are you?” A much friendlier man opened the door.

“Nah, just showing the new señorita around.” Nereo patted Uzi’s back, perhaps a little too hard.

“Oh! So this is the little lass I’ve been hearing about! The unknown drone smiled at her.” Well, the name’s Ron! I’m this crew’s surgeon and doctor!” He held out his hand.

Uzi stared at it, noticing all the dried oil freckles between his joints. She hesitantly took his hand, to which Ron eagerly and energetically shook it. He had a strong grip.

“I’m Uzi, and it’s, uh, nice to meet you, too.” Uzi nodded with an uneasy smile.

“If you ever get hurt or need an amputation, come straight to me! I’ll sort it all out for you!” Ron beamed at her.

More sweat drops popped up on the girl’s display.

“Right…!” She could only say.

“Since we’re here, you might as well get a check-up done.” Nereo spoke.

“What?!” Uzi whipped towards him.

“It won’t take long, señorita. And it’s for the best.” Nereo told her. “I don’t want my new compañero de tripulación to be hurt or sick.”

“I can tell you now that I’m not sick or hurt!” Uzi exclaimed, her hands set on her hips.

“Better safe than sorry.” Nereo shrugged.

“It won’t take long, Uzi! I’ll just check a few vitals, give you a once-over, and be done!” Ron reassured, opening his door wider.

Uzi still wasn’t all that sure. But Nereo gently pushed her inside, much to her offended chagrin.

“I’ll be right outside, señorita!” Nereo closed the door before she could speak.

Uzi just stared at the entrance in shock.

“Okay! If you could sit down, please!” Ron said to her, already busy with other instruments and tools.

Uzi looked over, finding a low cot. She went over and carefully sat on it, trying to avoid all the black splotches. She felt gross sitting on this thing…

“I’m not gonna do anything too invasive, so just relax!” Ron said as he came over. “I just need to give you a quick physical and everything will be fine!” He smiled at her.

“I don’t need a check-up or anything.” Uzi huffed back. “I’m fine. It wasn’t like I was fighting for my life on my home island.”

“That may be true, but it’s never bad to get yourself a check-up every once in a while!” Ron argued.

“We do! Annually, even!” Uzi retorted with furrowing brows.

“Even so, it’d at least be nice to have a record of your health and functionality.” Ron still argued, his voice somehow remaining calm. “If I can get a baseline for your current good health, it can help me determine if something is wrong in the future.”

Uzi didn’t reply, just gave him a defiant look. She can’t get a check-up or physical or anything! Not around these guys…

“Can I at least get your vitals? Just some readings?” Ron inquired, a dog-like, pleading look in his optics.

Uzi felt her resolve weaken at that. The umpteenth sweat drop marked her facial screen as Ron continued to silently beg. Though, his stained clothing kind of ruined it…

‘But what if something does happen to me?’ Uzi thought as her gaze narrowed. ‘It might be hard to fix me up if Ron doesn’t know what I look like when healthy. And I’d rather he not base my good health off older guys.’

A hum left Uzi’s voice synthesizer as she debated her options. Eventually, she let out a short groan in defeat.

“Fine!” She spat. “But no physicals! Just vital readings!” She pointed into the man’s face plates.

“That’s fine!” Ron smiled right back in a silent cheer. “Let me get some of the tools and my log book!” He turned around.

Uzi watched him put some things together for a few seconds. She could feel her core start to speed up. Her fingers clutched the bed’s edge and anxiety coursed through her.

‘Readings shouldn’t be able to tell him anything.’ She hoped, at least.

A few minutes passed before the door finally opened. Nereo perked up and glanced at it. Uzi stepped out, pouting and not looking nearly as happy as before.

“She’s got good health, Captain!” Ron said cheerily. “It’d be great if we could keep it that way, so make sure not to mess it up!” He warned.

“¡Ya entiendo! ¡Ya lo sé!” Nereo sighed, leaning off the wall.

“Just saying.” Ron defended with crossing arms. “Anyways, you be careful, Uzi. It’s dangerous being a pirate, after all.” He turned to the said drone.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Uzi scoffed quietly.

“Well, we should get going. There’s still a few rooms you need to learn about.” Nereo said. “Buenos días, Ron.” He waved to the drone behind himself.

“Same to you, Nereo!” Ron waved back. “And you, too, Uzi!”

Uzi just grunted and followed the Blue Whale Drone. They went even deeper into the ship, into the hull. There were even more crates and barrels, filled with who knows what.

“This is the hold, our storage deck.” Nereo explained. “Everything must be tied down, else it start moving around with the ship.”

“We also have our prisoners, but the cells are all a bit damaged. Doubt we’ll be taking any anytime soon.” He added, glancing at some destroyed metal bars down the way.

Uzi stared, too. She rubbed her arm in nervousness. If she weren’t a prisoner, what would they have done with her, then? Where would they be putting her?

“There isn’t much down here, so let’s go back up.” Nereo spoke, already moving past her.

Uzi started and followed. She noticed how there were some hammocks and mattresses here, along with what seemed to be some sacks of personal belongings.

“This is where the tripulación would sleep at night.” Nereo told her. “I won’t force you to sleep down here, though. That room you changed in can be yours, if you so wish.” He turned to face her.

“I’d like that, thanks.” Uzi nodded, glancing around.

She’d much rather not have to go into Sleep Mode among a bunch of unknown men who are also just as dangerous.

‘Though, Nereo is being strangely kind. Does he want something from me?’ Uzi’s suspicious glare turned to the taller robot.

“Just make sure to lock your door when you change or go into Sleep Mode.” Nereo warned. “Even I need to sleep sometimes, so I can’t always watch my tripulación.”

“Yeah, I know. I had already planned on it.” Uzi sighed.

“Just making sure.” Nereo shrugged. “Anyways, that’s about it. I’ll get a hammock for you and put it in your room. I’ll also make sure to move those crates down to the hold.” The two emerged from below deck.

“And what am I supposed to do now?” Uzi questions, giving him a wary glance.

“Aye, you got me, señorita.” The Blue Whale Drone shrugged.

‘Wow, way to be helpful.’ Uzi wanted to remark, her gaze falling.

“We’ll be hitting port in a few days, so maybe just take the time to get to know everyone and get comfortable.” Nereo suggested. “I’ve got some work to do, so don’t cause any trouble.”

Nereo then walked off, heading for the captain’s cabin. Uzi felt a rush of fear course through her at the prospect of being all alone with zero friendly faces on the ship. She doesn’t like Nereo anymore than anyone else, but at least he has been nice to her.

“Can I-!? Come with– You?” Uzi asked, masking her fear just as it slipped out.

Nereo paused and looked over his shoulder at her. Uzi realized she’d grasped onto his coat out of reflex. She let it go and dusted her hands off.

“Va a ser aburrido, señorita.” He warned.

Uzi took a moment to piece his sentence together.

“That’s fine.” Her optics cast down to the deck floorboards, not even sure she translated that right.

Nereo took another minute to gaze at her. He sighed and turned back for the cabin. He opened the door and waited for her to enter.

Uzi stared nervously but obliged. She stepped into the messy cabin, lit up with a dock light on the ceiling. The door closed behind herself, making her startle.

“Sit wherever you like. I’ll be busy with paperwork. Unfortunately.” Nereo muttered at the end.

Uzi just nodded with a hum. She took a seat on the floor, leaning against some discarded, velvet pillows. Nereo took off his coat and set it on the back of his chair before sitting down. It creaked under his weight, and looked like it barely fit him.

For some time, Uzi just watched the pirate captain write into books, type on tablets, read them both over, and furrow his brows in frustration.

Chapter Text

The croaking of the pirate ship was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps, more creaking, and voices. Uzi’s sleep notification blinked away in favor of her optical lights. She booted up her optics and blinked them into focus as she woke up.

A few seconds were taken to look around. Uzi then sat up in her hammock, blinking blearily. Her voice box started to warm up with a yawn. Uzi got out of bed and put on her boots and headscarf.

She left her quaint room and went up to the deck. She saw some other boats floating next to docks, shocking her for a few seconds. Uzi then registered all the pirates moving about, one needing to pass right by her.

‘I guess we’ve finally made it to port.’ Uzi thought.

She stepped onto the deck and walked around, staring at everyone. A sigh left her lips as her gaze fell. If only the “port” was actually her home…

“¡Buenos días, señorita!” Nereo’s voice called, catching her attention. “You still look tired! Better get some breakfast and oil before there’s none left!” He laughed, hauling a couple of barrels over his shoulders.

“Right…” Uzi just nodded, watching him walk off.

Uzi shook her head and went back below deck. She knocked on the doorframe to the kitchen, peering at what Cuca was doing. He gave her a glance and a grunt in return. A sweat drop blinked onto Uzi’s visor at it.

“I’m just gonna… Get some breakfast.” She notified.

Cuca grunted and nodded. Uzi took a few steps closer to grab a cup and some fruit. She then quickly shuffled back, turning back for the stairs.

 Uzi found a seat in some corner and began eating her breakfast. She filled up her cup with the oil barrel beside her. She then watched everyone around her run about getting ready for the day.

Things went like this for an hour or so. Uzi watched the crew go about with their crates and whatever else as she sat in a corner. She sighed and set her chin onto her knees, hugging them.

“Aye, señorita, what’re you doing?” But the captain came up to her again.

Uzi just hummed and shrugged. There wasn’t anything for her to do.

“Well, why don’t you help us instead of just sitting here? You ain’t gonna get any pay by lazing about!” His tail waved as his blowhole huffed.

“I get paid?” A brow quirked high on the woman’s visor.

“If you work for it, you do.” Nereo shrugged. “Besides, you’ll have to get off the ship soon, anyway. We’re getting repairs done and eating out for dinner tonight.”

Uzi looked away to think. She decided to just go along with it. Maybe she can scrounge up enough money to find her way back to her home island.

“What am I supposed to do?” She inquired as she got up.

Nereo just smiled at her.

Uzi wanted to kill these pirates.

“Aye, señorita! Put on a smile! You’re scaring away the customers!” Nereo told her with a teasing grin.

Uzi slowly turned to stare at him. It was a little difficult with this stuffy dress on. Where did he even find this?

But Uzi tried putting on a “smile.” She showed all her teeth, gritting hard and grinding against one another. Her grip on her dress’ skirt tightened considerably.

“Can’t it be a little friendlier?” Nereo huffed as his arms crossed.

Many anger ticks blinked onto Uzi’s visor.

“How about you go choke on your own sword instead?” She gnarled back.

Nereo recoiled and stared at her with hollowed eye lights. He looked genuinely scared at that.

‘Good.’ Uzi thought bitterly.

“I’m just trying to sell some of our loot, señorita. I figured having a pretty lady out front would attract more customers.” Nereo argued as his brows furrowed and his lips pursed in a pout.

“Not all ladies like being used as objects, thank you!” Uzi exclaimed. “But fine. You want me to look friendly? Then I’ll look friendly.” She turned back around.

Uzi reset her voice box in her fist. She then took a few vents and adjusted her stance. In the next second, an uncannily wide simper spread across her face and her eye lights began to sparkle.

“OH WOW!!!” She exclaimed loudly, startling the pirate captain. “You look SOOOO handsome, Sir!! Would you like to see our wares?! It would REALLY help lil ol’ me out!” Uzi put on a cutesy pout.

The passing Worker Drone looked at her in shock for a moment. Some blush lines then marked his display as he smiled and stepped closer.

‘You can’t be serious-’ Uzi’s facade nearly broke as more anger surfaced underneath it.

“You have quite the good optic, little lady!” The rich man spoke, twirling his fancy ‘stache. “Perhaps if you, ahem, persuade me a bit more, I might buy a ware or two.” He averted his gaze.

Uzi wanted to kill him.

She turned to Nereo. He stared back. With a hand, he gestured towards the rich man. Uzi was going to kill him next.

But she hopped down from her crate and latched herself onto the man’s arm. His visor went a little brighter at it.

“We have many things for sale, Sir!” She said. “By the way, what’s your name?! I’m Aurora!” She smiled.

“I-It’s Oliver. And you have such a beautiful name, Miss! Much like you!” He returned.

“Aww! You jest!” Uzi giggled. “But yours isn’t so bad, either! Makes me think of nice green silks and fabrics!” She then kicked open a crate, showing off some fabric.

“Well, olive is a good green color.” Oliver nodded in agreement.

“Then perhaps you’d enjoy these fabrics?! It’d make my day if you bought one!” Uzi laughed again.

The man nodded and looked at the available fabrics. Meanwhile, Nereo held a hand to his mouth and stared at the dolled-up Worker Drone flattered and buttered up the rich man.

‘She’s good. Has she done this before?’ He had to wonder.

“Thank you for your purchase, Sir! You’ve just made my entire week!” Uzi gushed giddily, holding a small bag of pearls in her hands.

“Well, it’s no problem, Miss! I’m just doing a little bit of charity for someone so beautiful!” He flushed harder, rubbing his head.

Uzi giggled in return, thanking him as he went on his way. She then snapped back to Nereo, her cutesy attitude gone in favor of a mean glower. Nereo startled at it, not expecting such a sudden switch.

“Here’s your damn money.” Uzi stuffed the bag into his torso. “Are you happy now? Now that you’ve gotten a nice little customer to pour his pockets out to you?” She then cooed, her hands on her hips.

“I am, actually!” Nereo laughed as his tail waved gleefully. “I didn’t know you were so good at this! How long have you been able to butter someone up?” He asked.

“It was my first time, thank you.” Uzi crossed her arms with a huff.

“¿De verdad?” Nereo was shocked again.

“Yes, it was!” Uzi exclaimed.

“Santo Robo-Dios…” The pirate captain muttered to himself, staring at the sack of pearls. “You’re damn good at it, then. All I really wanted you to do was smile and wave.” He commented.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t even work in the first place.” Uzi scoffed and turned her head. “Unfortunately, drones are stupid. And rich drones are especially stupid.” An anger tick was present on her visor.

“Which makes them all the easier to swindle and squeeze money out of!” Nereo added with a sly grin. “I wouldn’t have been able to make nearly as much with just one purchase if not for your acting, señorita!” He added.

“Then maybe you should learn to smooth-talk better.” Uzi retorted with an unamused grin of her own. “But can I go now? Or do I need to stay longer so you can line your damn pockets?” She leaned a little closer.

“Of course you gotta stay! We’ll make more money that way!” Nereo exclaimed and smiled wider.

Uzi kicked him in the shin with her heel and stomped off.

“¡Hijo de puta!” The pirate screamed, holding his leg. “¿¡Estás puto!?” He whipped around to the female worker.

Uzi flipped him off as she went back to the ship to change.

The first night on the port fell. Nereo’s crew had gathered back up, putting away their remaining wares and all the new pearls they’ve made off them, and got ready for dinner. Tonight, they headed into one of the many taverns for some booze and grub.

Uzi didn’t much like the atmosphere of the place they chose. It was loud, it was messy, it was crowded, and she kept getting stared at. Uzi tried to hide her face plates with her hands and by keeping her head down, but she’s positive it wasn’t really working.

‘Maybe if I kept the dress on they wouldn’t be staring at me so much.’ She wondered as she sighed. ‘Ugh, but then I might get cat-called. I really don’t want to deal with that.’ She closed her optics as a sweat drop blinked onto her visor.

Uzi took one of her hands away from her face to grab her mug of diesel. She doubts it’s of an actual good grade. The stuff her village makes is the best, in her opinion. Of course, it’s the only kind she’s tasted.

‘The wine is so good though…’ Uzi could taste it on her tongue already.

But she sucked it up and brought the mug to her lips. The bitter and grainy taste made her startle. Uzi swallowed the mouthful down and stared into her cup with mild disgust.

‘Piss water.’ The disgust turned to disdain quickly.

“Hey! Is a little girl like you even old enough to drink yet?” Someone suddenly spoke.

Uzi turned to the random drone beside her. He clearly wasn’t part of the crew, as he didn’t look like anyone she recognized from Nereo’s ship. Also, he was very drunk, and the crew has only been here for about half an hour.

“I don’t know, aren’t you old enough to be dropping dead yet?” She questioned back with a quirking brow.

The man was stunned by the reaction, clearly not expecting it. Uzi just scoffed and stood to sit somewhere else. But the man caught her arm, forcing her to stop in her tracks.

“You’re wearing pirate clothes, yet you’re a woman.” He noted. “Are you a stowaway perhaps?” He was wobbly on his feet.

“Unfortunately, no, I’m not.” Uzi answered. “But I am a part of a crew, so would you kindly-” She tried to tug her arm from his grasp.

“If you aren’t a stowaway, then why don’t you come with me?! I’m sure I could treat you well but in a room upstairs!” The man laughed, his hold on Uzi’s arm tighter.

Another sweat drop blinked onto her display. Her other hand grasped onto the man’s, trying to pry it off.

“N-No thanks, I have a crew already!” Uzi exclaimed, her heels digging into the floor. “So if you would kindly leave me alone–! I’m sure another lady would like to be treated well by you!” She smiled nervously.

“Ah, posh! They’re all old and rusting! But you!” The man smiled. Uzi could see a few missing teeth. “You are quite the–!”

“–Member of someone else’s crew!” Uzi suddenly shouted, smacking her mug into the guy’s face.

The stranger yelped and finally let her go. Uzi stumbled back but landed against the table. The man stumbled back up from the floor, wiping beer from his face. He felt around the new dent in his cheek. He then turned his pissed gaze up to Uzi’s defiant one.

“I see we’ve got a little whore here.” He spat.

“Oh? Your mom is here? She must be so disappointed in your behavior towards another lady, then.” Uzi smiled back, gritting her teeth.

Rage ignited in the man’s eye lights. He swung a messy left hook that Uzi quickly dodged. His fist smacked right into another man’s. The said man glared at Son-of-A-Whore’s before leaping onto him and getting into a fight.

As the tavern suddenly erupted into chaos, Uzi ducked and scrambled under the table. But that was quickly tossed away, so she had to run for cover elsewhere. Unfortunately, the table that she was hiding under was also the one some of her crewmates were using.

“Ha-ha! We made lots of pearls tonight! Let’s celebrate with a fe–!!” Including Nereo.

He had to stop mid-sentence when the table suddenly disappeared. His crewmates stared at the missing table, food, and drinks. They then turned to their captain, awaiting orders. The tavern’s explosive volume filled the tense silence.

There were quite a few anger ticks that made it onto Nereo’s visor.

“Consígueme el valor de mi maldito dinero de esta pelea.” He ordered coldly.

And his crew joined in on the brawl, too.

As they ran off to fight their money’s worth of food and drinks, Nereo grabbed his anchor from his waist. He chucked the end towards some poor sap’s face, breaking his visor entirely. And maybe killing him, too.

Uzi didn’t know, she was too busy getting to safety outside. She slammed the front door behind herself and panted. She almost eased her panic before a sword’s tip stabbed through the wood of the door right next to her hip.

She was quick to run off again, heading for the ship. And as she made her way to the docks, letting the raucous roar of fighting pirates fade behind herself, she finally relaxed. Uzi let out a stressed vent and slowed into a walk.

‘Fucking pirates.’ She grit her teeth.

As she made her way back to the ship, she spotted some barrels sitting by the side of the tavern. Large labels reading ‘BEER’, ‘DIESEL’, and ‘WINE’ were stamped onto their sides. Uzi stopped to stare for a couple of moments.

She knocked the wine barrel onto its side and began rolling it towards the ship.

Chapter Text

The boisterous noise of the tavern calmed down as the night waned. Pirates and townsfolk came stumbling and bumbling out of the doors, heading to the nearest mechanic or their homes.

Nereo’s crew laughed as they took home an entire table of food, finally getting their money’s worth. Nereo himself was quite pleased, as he spent quite a pretty pearl on the feast.

“Let’s make sure to clean off all the oil from our hands before eating, mi tripulación!” The Blue Whale Drone exclaimed.

His crew replied with cheers.

They made it back to their ship, still in the midst of repairs but looking a lot better. The table was set down and drones picked up rags to wipe off their hands. Others went to get some chairs or barrels to sit on.

As Nereo set down his anchor and took a rag to wipe his hands, he spotted their newest member in the corner. Uzi was slumped over next to a wine barrel, a cup in her hand. Nereo smirked in amusement, his tail slapping against the floorboards.

“Hola, señorita, you doing alright?” He chuckled as he tilted her head up.

Uzi opened her optics to stare at him. Nereo notes the familiar squiggly blush lines of tipsiness. His smirk only widened at it.

“Why don’t you come eat with us? Otherwise, you’ll be drunk off your aft.” He suggested, pointing a thumb towards the table.

Uzi’s optics flicked over to it. She groaned and stumbled to her feet. Nereo took her cup and helped her over, sitting her in a chair. Uzi swiped her cup from his hand right after.

Some of the other crew members began filling their cups with the wine, as well as diesel and oil. The table became lively as food was taken from plates and large dishes. There was a cheer and the feast began.

“Aye, señorita, you should eat.” Nereo told the female worker.

“I know…” She grumbled back.

Uzi took a memory card covered in liquid silicone. It crunched in her mouth and a hum left her lips. As she took another look down the table, she realized she’s never eaten most of the foods laid out.

Her curiosity grew a bit at it. What did all these chips taste like? The metals? And there’s even some fruits and vegetables she’s never seen before. Just how much has she been missing out on?

“Was there any reason you were drinking all by your lonesome in the corner, señorita?” Nereo spoke up, catching her attention.

“I just thought it’d be better than drinking in the tavern.” Uzi shrugged, plucking a very yellow and spiny fruit from a bowl. “I had some guy trying to hit on me, and I smacked him with my mug to get him off my ass, but he got angry. Damn jackass…” She muttered disdainfully at the end.

“That was you who started the bar fight?!” Nereo asked. He then tilted back to bark some laughter at the Astral Ocean. “I would’ve never guessed! You were so pretty and polite just hours earlier!” He exclaimed loudly, his tail slapping on the ground.

“Because you wanted customers!” Uzi huffed back. “I even told you that I was hoping it wouldn’t work, but it did!” She munched on some cobalt nuggets.

“It’s still hilarious!” Nereo chuckled. “But I guess I have to keep a better optic on you if you’re gonna be starting bar fights.” He waved a hand.

Uzi turned her gaze to stare at him.

“We almost didn’t have a feast, you know! Our whole table was used as a weapon by some other drone!” Nereo explained as he grabbed his mug of dark rum. “I spent quite a bit on it, too.” There was a slight pout to his tone, clearly still upset about it.

Uzi huffed a small laugh of her own in return.

“Maybe you shouldn’t hold feasts inside pirate taverns, then.” She told him. “Find someplace nicer, and without so much rabble and creepy old guys.” She sipped from her mug.

“Usually, there aren’t many ports that appreciate pirates stopping by.” Nereo told her, stuffing some sea lettuce into his mouth. “So, it’s a bit hard to find someplace to dock, not to mention stay for a prolonged period of time to sell our goods or sit down and eat.” He spoke through a full mouth.

Uzi nodded and turned back down to her own food. She ate some ovular, purple thing. It was sweet on her tongue, and very juicy.

“What is this?” Uzi picked up another one of the fruits.

“That’s a red grape.” Nereo answered, admittedly a bit taken aback. “Do you not know what grapes are?” He inquired with a quirking brow.

Uzi shook her head, devouring more of the grapes. Nereo felt a shocked and nervous smile etch onto his face plates.

“Is that so…?” Nereo muttered as he watched her reach for other foods.

‘She looks to have never eaten quite a bit of these.’ He noted, watching Uzi’s face scrunch up in a grimace after trying a chili pepper.

“What was your island like?” Nereo suddenly asked, leaning onto the table.

Uzi turned to him, her mouth stuffed with small berries. She hid her lips with the back of her hand to chew and swallow before answering him.

“What do you mean?”

“Your island, its drones, its cuisine, its trade, what was it like?” Nereo set his chin in his palm, giving her all of his attention.

Uzi stared at him from the corner of her visor, sipping on her wine. A sweat drop blinked onto it at how focused he became on her.

‘Is he trying to gather information to go back to attack my village?’ She had to wonder.

“Why do you want to know?” Well, if they were playing that game, then fine! She will, too!

“I’m just curious.” Nereo shrugged and took another sip of his rum. “It’s clear you haven’t eaten a lot of the food laid out on this table. Makes me wonder if your island isn’t a bit isolated from others.”

Uzi was quiet for a couple of seconds. She stared at the emptying plates and the other pirates enjoying the feast.

“We grow our own fruits and vegetables, but that’s about it.” She answered. “We don’t trade much since we don’t really need to.” She drank the last of her wine.

‘Not to mention my father’s too cowardly to try and open up trade with others.’ The thought turned her expression into something more bitter.

Nereo noticed the change, his gaze narrowing just a fraction in thought. But he let it be and put more sea lettuce into his mouth.

“Your island is missing out on a lot, then.” He commented instead.

“Tell me about it.” Uzi huffed and set her cup down. “But I guess what we have going on works, so it’s whatever.” A slur started to appear in her voice.

Nereo turned back to the female Worker Drone. Uzi’s mood changed drastically, like she was angry but sad. Maybe disappointed? Nereo wasn’t sure. He only knew that she was drunk.

“How many glasses have you had, señorita?” He questioned as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

“Like… A couple.” Uzi returned, though not his gaze.

“And a couple would equate to…?” Nereo urged further.

Uzi’s optics flicked around for a second. Her cheek was pressed against her arm as she lay on the table. Nereo waited patiently for her reply.

“Two. Maybe three?” Uzi shrugged.

The Blue Whale Drone sighed and stood up. He noticed that a few other crewmates were getting ready to hit the hay.

“Limpiad todos el banquete. Tengo que acostar a la señorita.” He ordered with a vague motion to the table.

The crew nodded and started packing up and sorting things to throw away. Nereo finished off the few specks of food from his plate before officially getting up. He chugged down the last gulps of his rum before turning to the young woman.

Nereo sighed as he stared at her. Uzi was definitely drunk, lying on the table and a bit out of it. He has a feeling she probably drank more than “two or three” glasses.

“Vamos, señorita. A la cama.” Nereo nudged her shoulder.

Uzi hummed but straightened up. She grabbed hold of Nereo’s offered arm to get to her wobbly feet. He led her down the steps carefully and into her room.

There was minimal furniture, just a hammock and a bag hanging from hooks on the walls. The bag was empty for the time being, but Nereo’s sure it’ll fill up with personal belongings and money with time.

Uzi climbed into her hammock and pulled up her flimsy blanket. Nereo bade her goodnight and left, making sure to close the room’s door. Just one look to everyone nearby told them not to disturb her or try anything funny.

Nereo then went back up to the dock to help finish cleaning up. The table was taken below deck to keep and the trash was marched onto the dock for someone else to dispose of. Tomorrow, the floors will be cleaned, but for now, everyone is off to bed.

The captain cabin’s door clicked closed and Nereo let out a tired sigh from his blowhole. He could feel the heat of his own tipsy, squiggly blush lines on his cheeks. He took off his hat and coat and slumped into his hammock.

It rocked for a couple of minutes as he lay there. More work will need to be done tomorrow. Their ship will also need the repairs finished soon.

‘Where should we go after this though?’ Nereo wondered as he stared at the ceiling. ‘Maybe another island? Or go straight back to plundering trade vessels?’ His tail made a bored wave.

‘I also need to pay mi tripulación soon, too.’ A sweat drop blinked onto his visor as he sighed. ‘Maldita sea. I wish I still had my quartermaster.’ His tailfin slapped against the ground in a bout of frustration.

A groan left Nereo’s lips as he sunk lower into his hammock. If he doesn’t cough up the money soon, his crew will start getting on his tail about it. But Nereo is still sorting out all the math for it, not to mention managing everything else.

‘I also have to take into account the new girl, too.’ He reminded himself. ‘Though, she hasn’t done much and hasn’t been here long. So do I even pay her as much as the others?’

Nereo rubbed his face plates with his hand. He then ran his fingers through his grey-blue bangs. His thoughts were quiet for a couple of minutes.

“I’ll figure it out tomorrow.” Nereo eventually ended up sighing. “We’re still selling things, anyway. Might as well wait until we’ve made all the money we can before dividing it up between us all.”

With that, Nereo let the thoughts die and turned off his systems one at a time. The ocean waters outside made a slight rocking sensation, easing the captain into Sleep Mode. The rest of the night was quiet, thankfully.

The next day, the stalls were as busy as ever. Not many rich men came by, they never liked pirate ports, but those with exceptionally exquisite tastes and knacks for having sharp optics always loved stopping by every once in a while.

But today, Nereo had no “fair maiden” to latch onto rich men’s arms and wrap around her fingers. So instead, he pulled out an old guitar and decided to try and pull in customers that way.

‘Besides, a little music in the shopping alley is always nice.’ He told himself as he grinned.

It worked well enough in getting him some customers. Robots came and went, stopping by and purchasing things. Pearls and shark teeth were traded for goods and Nereo became all the happier.

And in the middle of the day, a new ship strolled in. Nereo took quick notice, much like the other vendors here. His fingers paused and the music stopped in an instant.

The ship was discrete at first glance. In fact, it looked beaten up and old. The flags held no symbols, icons, pictures, not even any colors besides white. They were just patchy and stained.

The vessel stopped at the dock on the far side of town. Vendors took another minute to stare before erupting into work. Nereo just kept leaning back in his chair, waiting for the merchant to arrive.

But since he had time, he might as well put out a couple more of his better wares. Stolen jewelry, silk fabrics, fancy rugs, and blank books. After that was said and done, he sat back into his chair and let out a content sigh.

“Oye, Ronan.” Nereo called, to which his crewmate hummed. “Where’s the señorita?” He questioned.

“On the ship, still in Sleep Mode. At least, she was the last time I checked on her this morning.” He replied, sharpening a pocket knife on a whetstone.

“Mm.” Nereo hummed. “Do you think she’d dress up for us again and try those vixen tactics of hers?” He wondered.

“If you’ll let her stomp your shin again, maybe.” Ronan answered over the scraping of his knife.

Another hum left Nereo’s lips.

“You think you could grab her?” He turned.

Ronan turned his smoky grey optics up to him. There was a long minute of silence.

“Ron isn’t going to fix you up for this, you know that, right?” He asked.

“¡Ah! ¡Actúas como si no pudiera arreglarme!” Nereo waved off with a huff. “¡Ve a por ella!” He then jabbed a thumb towards their ship.

Ronan blinked at his captain. He then sighed and pocketed his knife, heading to the ship.

“¡Deprisa! ¡Deprisa! ¡El comerciante llegará pronto!” Nereo urged louder.

Ronan rolled his optics and groaned, jogging off. Nereo let out a puff of his own with his blowhole, some watery mist spraying out.

‘I can just tell the señorita that this will be the last time. It’s an important time, anyway!’ Nereo reassured himself as he turned back around. ‘After this, she can ditch the dress forever!’

‘I just know this merchant will be worth the kick in the shin.’ A grin formed on his face plates as his tail waved in anticipation.

Chapter Text

Uzi stomped through the marketplace, clear displeasure and hatred displayed on her face plates for all to see. Drones quickly noticed her approach and hobbled out of her way, vendors tried not to make optic contact, and Ronan looked indifferent to it all.

But as Uzi approached, her heels clanking loudly on the ground, Nereo perked up. He turned over his shoulder, giving her a shit-eating grin.

“Aye, señorita! You look lovely in that dress!” He complimented as he stood.

“Go drown yourself.” Uzi retorted harshly.

“¡Eh, no hace falta ser malo!” Nereo chuckled. “This’ll be the last time, I promise!” He added with a grin.

Uzi stared at him silently for a moment. “I don’t believe you.” Her voice was flat.

“Well you should! There’s a real important drone that just docked. They’ll probably be here any moment now!” Nereo barked an excited laugh. “Anyways, just stand on this crate and look cute, or something. We need the money!”

Uzi was picked up and plopped onto the crate from before. Her expression fell as she stood there, waiting for some mystery drone to arrive.

“Look friendly, señorita! You’re gonna scare away the customer again!” Nereo ordered.

Uzi let out an aggravated groan but did as told. As the woman put on her best smile, someone started coming down the pathway. Everyone turned their heads, the vendors looking especially eager.

Uzi turned her smile towards the bobbing cart. Though, it quickly fell when she saw who was coming by. She knew Nereo said this guy was important, but he seemed more than just “important.”

A large couple of carts, decked out in gold and silver accents, little ornaments standing at the front of the carts, servants pulling them, a few bags of money inside one of the said carts, and the mystery drone leading them decked out in nice clothes.

“Ahh, I knew he was loaded.” Nereo commented quietly, propping a foot on a box. “You better get him to cough up a bunch of money, señorita.” He nudged her side.

Uzi gave him a glare and a growl in response. But she quickly schooled her expression as the robot came closer. The man’s gaze flickered from stall to stall, eyeing up everything they had to sell.

Vendors put on their brightest grins as he passed. Some went even shinier as the merchant stopped by their stall and inquired about their goods. He exchanged good pearls and shark teeth for whatever caught his fancy.

Uzi felt a sweat drop blink onto her visor. Her smile threatened to falter but she held strong. She carefully watched the man zig-zag through the row of stalls, look around, and buy things.

And as he passed by Nereo’s stall, their optics connected. Uzi nearly broke their gaze and lost the staring contest but refused. The man stopped to stare further. Uzi kept his gaze locked with hers the entire time.

“...How much for the woman?” He inquired, his voice just a bit gruff and just a bit dark.

Nereo chuckled in reply, leaning forward onto his knee. “Lo siento, amigo mío, but she isn’t what’s on sale. She’s our little sign lady.” His tail made a light slap on the ground.

The man’s gaze flicked back to Uzi. Her head slowly tilted up, showing her chin to him. Uzi swore she saw something of a smirk form on his lips at it.

“A shame. She’d fetch a fair price, including with the dress.” The man said.

“Probably. But I didn’t let go of a hostage in exchange for her for nothing.” Nereo returned with mild mirth.

The man laughed quietly. “I can’t argue with that.”

He then turned away, intending on leaving. Uzi snapped from her observing at it.

“You aren’t going to look at any of our other wares?” She inquired with a cute cock of her head.

The man paused again, looking over his shoulder at her. He gaze but a sparing glance to what they had laid out.

“I’ll pass.” He decided.

“Well, it’d really help me out if you did more than just glimpse at them.” Uzi pointed out, puffing out her cheeks in her cutest pout.

“I’ve bought much of the same stuff from other vendors.” The man returned, still walking.

Uzi cast a glance towards Nereo. His gaze was narrowed on the merchant, slightly disappointed. But his rain-colored optics snapped to hers and Uzi had the feeling he wasn’t going to let her give up just like that.

The woman’s focus returned to the wealthy merchant. Another sweat drop marked her facial screen. Uzi’s hands gripped tighter another her dress as she debated her options.

‘I’m not sure if Nereo is the punishing type, but he certainly doesn’t look happy right now.’ She noted with another glance his way. ‘At the same time, if I don’t put in the work, I won’t get paid well. And considering I need money to get home, I should put that work in.’ Her heel tapped on the crate.

‘But I don’t– It’s dangerous to do that…’ She swallowed the static in her voice synthesizer.

There were another couple seconds of hesitation. Uzi let out a soft sigh before taking a deep vent.

‘I hope the sun’s rays shining directly at me will provide enough cover for this…’ Uzi opened her mouth.

“The Captain has told you that I was traded off, so won’t you help me get home, kind Sir?”

The man paused again, the small basket in his hands gleaming in the sunlight. There was a bout of a couple of tense moments, filled with nothing but silence and the ambience of nearby waves.

“It would really help me out if you came over to give a better look at my Captain’s wares.” Uzi continued, the sun drowning the inside of her mouth. “And seeing as I’m a lone woman on a ship of thieves, I’d like to return home as soon as possible.” There was a gentle smile on her lips.

The merchant was silent for a couple more seconds. He set down the basket and turned back around to her. Uzi’s smile became more relieved as he walked over.

“Will you show me your best wares then, Miss?” He returned the small smile with one of his own.

“I think my Captain would be better suited to do that.” Uzi told him.

The man’s optical lights made a slight narrow. One of Uzi’s sweat drops glided down at it.

“Very well.” He said. “Show me your best wares.” He turned to Nereo.

Said pirate captain stood up and brought out a few more items. Uzi let out a hefty sigh of relief. A hand came up and rubbed the side of her neck, where her voice box was.

Sending one last glance Nereo’s way, Uzi decided she had enough standing around and being used as a sentient billboard, so she hopped off the box and began going back to the ship.

‘This dress is getting on my nerves.’ A small anger tick blinked onto her visor as she lifted the front skirt, clacking away in her painful heels.

Night fell again and Uzi had no desire to head to another tavern just to be harassed again. Unfortunately, everyone was intent on taking her out to celebrate her assistance in giving them a new fortune.

‘Well, at least they picked somewhere nicer to eat.’ The woman thought as some brandy was poured out for her. ‘Though, I wish we could’ve ordered some wine, or brought our own stuff.’ She stared into her drink.

“Cuca brought the fruits!” Someone shouted excitedly.

Uzi looked up, watching the pirate chef set down a large dish of chopped and diced fruits. Crew members were digging into the plate, grabbing fruit by the handful. Uzi grimaced at their dirty hands getting all over the food.

“Are you going to spice up your drink a little, señorita?” Nereo inquired, putting some green grapes in his.

“Not after all of your filthy, grubby hands smeared dirt all over them.” She huffed, sipping her drink.

“You better get used to it, señorita! Hygiene is hard to come by on ships!” Nereo told her, swirling his rum. “Anyways, just take from the bottom! There’s still plenty of fruit to use, you know!”

Uzi gave him an unamused look. She then turned to the platter of various fruits. She’s tried most by now, and many were quite good. But her favorite is probably the red grapes.

Plopping a few of the said fruit pieces into her drink, Uzi gave it a good stir and took a swig. The juices of the grapes mixed moderately well with the strong  distillation of the brandy.

“You should eat more than grapes, señorita.” Nereo chuckled behind his glass.

“Bite me! I like grapes…” Uzi muttered.

“I’m not sure you want me to do that, señorita.” The man’s tail slapped on the ground.

“You know damn well that was just a term of phrase!” Uzi exclaimed.

Nereo chuckled again. “Do I? Or am I just that dumb? Who knows.” He shrugged in a tease.

Uzi glowered at him and growled. Nereo set down his cup to smirk at her. His tail waved playfully on the ground. The two had to stop as the food finally arrived.

Everyone took their dishes and wasted no time in digging in. As the lively chatter continued and grub was eaten, Uzi couldn’t help but notice how nearly everyone didn’t hold a fork properly.

Some were understandable, their dominant hands replaced by claw machine grapples, reach extenders, or tongs. Uzi had to wonder if that last one really worked all that well, but she shook her head and decided not to question it further.

But in the corner of her visor, she could see Nereo was the same way; Holding the entire fork handle with his palm. Uzi’s expression fell a bit flat seeing him do that, even with a grill fork.

‘Yet no one seems to have a problem with it besides me.’ Uzi let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging.

“Is there something wrong, Lass?” The man next to her asked.

“Your mouth being full while speaking, for one.” Uzi shielded her face with a hand.

The guy quickly swallowed. “Sorry.” He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

‘And the sleeve-napkin, for another.’ Uzi looked even more disgusted.

“She probably just hates your ugly mug being right in her face plates!” Someone across the way laughed. “I would be, too, to be honest!”

“You’re one to talk, Bumpernickle!” The first guy slammed his fist on the table.

Uzi decided to ignore them, not wanting to get into another fight two nights in a row. Her attention turned back to Nereo, who was enjoying his dinner and rum.

‘He’s still holding his fork wrong…’ Uzi noted again.

She couldn’t take such improper manners anymore. She grabbed Nereo’s hand, plucked out the grill fork, and had him hold it properly. With a huff, she stuffed a little food into her own mouth, trying to ignore the sudden silence that fell on the table.

Nereo took a couple seconds to stare curiously at his fork. His tail waved in a similar manner.

“What’s this all about, señorita?” He questioned.

“I can’t stand you not holding your fork properly. It just bugs me.” She told him.

Nereo turned back down to his fork. His thumb smoothed across the cracked wood of the grill fork’s handle. He poked a copper nugget onto the end and took a bite.

The Blue Whale Drone chuckled as he chewed. “I’m not used to holding forks like this. It feels weird.” He commented.

“Well, it’s how you’re supposed to hold them. You aren’t a child anymore.” Uzi replied, twirling wires onto her utensil.

“Is this some sort of islander thing?” Nereo cocked his head.

“No. It’s a maturity thing.” Uzi answered.

Nereo hummed. He turned back to his food and continued eating. His hand felt weird as he continued holding the fork in this way.

The crew members watching the two turned to stare down at their own forks. Most turned them to “hold properly.” Others couldn’t with their prosthetics.

The table in the tavern was quiet as everyone ate. Uzi noticed the newfound silence, giving everyone a questioning glance. Her eye lights went void at seeing how they all tried to hold their forks differently.

Uzi swallowed her wires as a sweat drop blinked onto her display. They didn’t all need to do that, even if she’d prefer it that way. Honestly, she was even expecting Nereo to be stubborn and return to holding his fork like before.

‘Well, at least they’re trying, I guess.’ Uzi let out a soft vent. ‘I doubt this’ll last long, though. I give it till tomorrow–’

Her thoughts were interrupted when Nereo suddenly stood. Everyone turned their attention to him, watching him raise his mug. His crew followed suit right after, smiles spreading across their face plates.

“¡Mi tripulación! Today, we had a very successful sale!” He started. “Not only did we sell out of our stolen wares, but we made plenty of money in doing so!” Nereo laughed jovially.

His crew cheered in response.

“But I have to admit, I doubt we would’ve been able to make so much money without our newest crewmate!” He turned to Uzi, making her perk up. “¡Levántese, señorita!” He motioned upwards with a hand.

It took Uzi a couple seconds to recognize the request. She stood up, feeling her nerves rise a bit with it. She took her glass and stared at everyone, their stares all eager on her.

“I want to personally give you my thanks, señorita. Our funds are set for a while now!” Nereo laughed again, his tail slapping on the ground. “I’m glad we made an exchange for you!”

“I’m sure you are…” Uzi could only nod.

“I’m a bit surprised you could get that merchant to take a better look at our stock. He seemed intent on ignoring us after finding out you weren’t for sale.” The Blue Whale Drone went on.

Uzi made a tiny flinch. She stopped her eye lights from going void, though her smile was more nervous. She swore even Nereo gave her somewhat of a skeptical look, as if trying to find out her secret…

But she didn’t let the look phase her, “I just know my way around words, unlike a certain someone.” Uzi shrugged back at him.

Nereo laughed boisterously again, along with his crew. “Well then! Let’s all have a toast to our newest member!” He raised his glass.

Everyone cheered and clinked their cups together. A big swig was taken right after, everyone letting out one more whoop. Uzi brought her cup from her lips, the taste of sweet red grapes and strong alcohol lingering on her tongue.

‘I can’t do that again.’ Uzi told herself. ‘No matter what, I can’t do that again.’ Her hand came up to the side of her neck again.

And her pinky brushes under her purple locks, where her audial is. She could still feel the remnants of-

“More brandy, Lass?” The man next to her asked.

“Yes, please.” Uzi nodded, handing her cup to him.

Chapter Text

The realization she should probably stop drinking so consecutively occurred to Uzi early the next morning. The hangover hit her like the boat she was stuck on. And the constant rocking didn’t help.

So before she could vomit up anything still not processed from last night, she scurried off the ship and onto solid ground. Uzi took a minute—or five—to try and keep everything down. A couple dry heaves had her jerking forward, but she thankfully was able to keep the ground from being sullied.

Uzi lifted her head and glanced around. She let out a sigh and straightened, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

‘Maybe I should skip breakfast today.’

Uzi turned to look at the ship. She didn’t feel like getting back on that thing if it was going to make her puke again. She turned for the forest instead, intending on getting some peace.

‘And maybe the walk will help me sober up a bit.’ A sigh left her lips.

Leaves and twigs crunched under her boots as she walked through the forest. It reminded her of home, how dense all the vegetation is and the pathways her village had to make. It was nice to walk through in the early morning, when the sun was just rising.

‘It’s… Not that bad here, either.’ Uzi figured as she looked around. ‘The plants could be a little more vibrant, though.’

Birds cawed and chirped as she passed through the woods. Uzi dragged her fingertips along the surface of large leaves. She took in the scent of the foliage around her. It was nice and did indeed sober her up a bit. Even more so when she came across a short cliff leading to the ocean.

Uzi stopped to stare at the glistening waters reaching beyond the horizon. Birds flew overhead across the waters from high above. There was no doubt some sort of sea life also swimming through the calm waves.

Uzi’s pedes began to tingle from the inside. She took a step back and retreated back into the woods. The cliff lay silent and staring at the gleaming waters. But its peace was disturbed again as the woman returned.

Kicking off her boots and shrugging off her clothes, Uzi swiftly put on her bathing suit and took a running leap right off the edge of the cliff. She dove hands-first into the blue sea, droplets of water spraying out.

More water splashed about as Uzi’s head broke the surface. She kicked her pedes, her flippers having come out. They were shaped a lot like a fish’s tailfin.

Shaking her head to rid her locks of some water, Uzi looked about. The ocean felt nice and cool on her plating and the rocking was far gentler and comfier than the boat’s. Uzi felt right at home in the water.

Said drone took another dive below the water’s surface. She shut her vents as she did so, keeping the fluid from getting inside. Her vision switched to something much more suitable to the water’s dim depths.

As Uzi swam, she watched the fish around her glide through the waves with her. Seaweed drifted in the currents and coral stuck up from rock and the ground. Uzi went a little deeper, a little farther off, to gaze at the ocean life.

It was truly breathtaking, the sights below the ocean. Old and eroding human settlements, massive coral beds sitting upon cement buildings, fish making their homes within small crevices, and old human creations sitting on the ocean floor among more.

Uzi swam towards one of the coral beds. The sea anemones sitting upon the rocky formation slipped back into their soft bodies. Uzi poked one out of curiosity. She moved on quickly, swimming over to a broken window.

Inside the room was more foliage and rocks. The floor above had collapsed and the wood was heavily rotting. Uzi swam past it and explored the other rooms the apartment had.

More fish swam away in spook and sea moss clung to the walls. Uzi headed into a bedroom and sifted through the rotting drawers. The clothing was no good. But! She managed to find some gold jewelry!

Plucking it for herself, Uzi left for the kitchen. She pushed some old floorboards away and searched the pantry and cupboards. She took a rusting kettle and a lid, setting the jewelry inside. Uzi left the house not long after, returning to the outer ocean.

She broke above the surface of the water with a splash. Uzi combed her bangs from her face plates and emptied out the water from her kettle. She then began making her way to the tiny shore made of rigid rocks.

And as her wet and finned pedes slapped onto the ground, Uzi took a moment to look around. Still no one in sight, thankfully. With a relieved sigh, she sat down on a random rock.

“If I dive down there again, I’m sure I could find more stuff to take!” Uzi spoke as she grabbed her necklace. “This isn’t too damaged, either! I could probably sell it for a good price if I spruce it up! Or maybe just sell it to a jeweler somewhere and let them do the work!” She laughed.

Uzi set the necklace down and leaned back on her palms. She retracted her flippers and stared out at the horizon. The day was getting warmer the longer it went on.

‘I probably shouldn’t be gone too long, either.’ Uzi tilted her head back. ‘Those damn pirates will get their frickin’ panties in a twist, I just know it.’

Uzi sat there for a couple more minutes, letting the sun and ocean breeze dry her off. She enjoyed soaking up the warm rays of light. It was even a bit of a favorite pastime of hers on her island.

‘Not as much as diving for scraps, though.’ She inwardly giggled.

Letting out a vent, Uzi finally got up and picked up her kettle. She began making her way back up the cliff, following a small trail. The birds had become more lively, some seagulls diving into the ocean for food.

As Uzi made it up the cliff, she picked up her clothes and started making her way back. Cold droplets fell from the tips of her darkened and drenched locks. Uzi squeezed them, letting water fall to the ground.

The closer she got to the town, the more she could hear that drones had been getting up for the day. Uzi wasn’t quite sure if she was ready to do any sort of hard labor right now, or ever, really.

But she sucked it up with a deep vent and exited the woods. She spotted some Worker Drones standing along the docks, chatting or carrying things. Uzi snuck her way on over to Nereo’s whale skeleton ship and boarded it.

Uzi skipped down the steps into her room to change. Her bathing suit was draped onto one of her hammock’s ropes to dry and her dirty pirate clothes were shrugged on. She struggled for a few minutes on the knots but eventually gave up after the fifth failed attempt.

But just as she turned and opened her door, Nereo was there to greet her. Uzi startled with a loud gasp and a hand landing on her chest. Nereo’s grin only turned wider and more amused.

“¡Buenos dias, señorita!” Nereo greeted. “I’ve been looking for you all morning!” His tail waved.

“I-Is that so?” Uzi vented out.

“¡Aye, lo es!” Nereo’s brows perked upwards. “And I would ask ‘where have you been?’, but judging from your wet hair, I think I can already tell.” He chuckled.

Uzi had the feeling he wasn’t that pleased about her sudden disappearance.

“When I woke up this morning, I had a bad hangover. Thought getting some fresh air would help a little, along with not puking in my room.” Uzi informed him with a cross of her arms.

“If you had a hangover, you could’ve gone to Ron! He has some sorta mixture or soup or whatever that could’ve helped.” Nereo argued.

“Well, I didn’t know that! But thank you for informing me!” Uzi returned with her own smile.

She then tried to walk past Nereo, but he gently pushed her back with his large hand. Uzi gave him a light glare, a sweat drop blinking onto her visor. Nereo continued to stare down at her with a smile.

“The next time you leave my ship without telling anyone, señorita, please do.” He spoke to her quietly.

Uzi stared in silence for a moment. “Sorry that I left without saying anything. Like I said—I had a bad hangover and couldn’t stand the ship’s rocking.” She turned her head away.

“Then come back onto it after purging your tanks and tell someone you intend to go out for a while.” Nereo countered. “All that I am asking, señorita, is for you to notify someone when you go off on your own.”

The Blue Whale Drone, making Uzi look back to him. “You may not understand, but as Captain of this ship, it is my duty to make sure my crew is safe and healthy.” He told her, his voice gentler. “You are a part of my crew now, so that means I need to make sure you don’t get yourself hurt. And if you are, that you get the help you need.” He set a hand on his hip.

Uzi was mute as she stared at him.

“Being a Captain is more than just telling everyone what to do or saying where we are going.” Nereo went on. “We are still a crew—still ragtag drones just trying to make a living—and that means looking out for each other–”

“Why are you even bothering so much?” Uzi muttered.

Nereo’s eye lights went void. He blinked at her, admittedly stunned into silence at that. Uzi realized too late what she said, her own optical lights going void.

“I-I barely even know you! And you barely even know me! So why go through all this effort and care for a stranger you were forced to pick up because someone got caught!” She turned her head away, trying to save herself from this fumble.

Nereo had to take a moment to pick and choose his words. “Because you are still part of my crew, señorita.” He decided on. “And being part of my crew, or any crew, means you are treated like the rest.”

“Still doesn’t explain why you’re so damn nice to me.” Uzi huffed.

“Contrary to whatever beliefs you might have about pirates, señorita, I am not a monster.” Nereo told her. “I am just trying to get by on these dangerous waters, just like everyone else here.

“Just like you.” His brows had creased.

Uzi was quiet for a couple minutes. She refused to look at him. She could tell well enough from the corner of her visor the kicked puppy look he had on right now.

“Just tell someone when you leave the ship, please.” Nereo begged. “You can do whatever you want, but if something happens to you, it’s my responsibility to address it and take it.”

Uzi perked up at that. She let her posture untense a bit and stared up at him. Nereo had turned his gaze away this time.

“What do you mean by that?” The worker questioned.

“Pirate Captains are the ones responsible for everything revolving around the crew’s wellbeing. If you get hurt, I have to give you compensation. And if I let you get hurt, knowing I could’ve avoided it, I can and will be blamed for inaction.” He explained with an arch of his tail.

Uzi took in that tidbit of information for a couple seconds. Her gaze turned thoughtful and fell to the floor.

“...Okay.” Her voice was a whisper. “I’ll–... I’ll be more careful next time. And tell someone if I’m going out.” She nodded.

Nereo let out a relieved sigh. “Gracias, señorita.”

There was a moment of silence between the two. Nereo stared at the female crewmate.

“Would you… Like me to tie up your shirt again?” He questioned, unable to help but point out the messy knot with a finger.

Uzi’s visor began to burn. But she nodded anyway. Nereo grinned and knelt down, taking the drawstrings into his hands. He was swift when tying up her clothing again.

“You should really learn how to tie these yourself, señorita.”

“Bite me! I know!”

“Just saying.” Nereo chuckled as he stood. “Well then, I need to make sure I get supplies for the ship. If you’ll excuse me.” He then turned.

Uzi watched him turn around. Her mouth gaped like a fish as she tried to speak. But her teeth bit onto her lip and she shied away.

But upon hearing the creak of footsteps, she finally spoke, “I-I–!! I picked up something while diving.” She confessed.

Nereo stopped midway up the stairs. He gave her his full attention with a turn of his head. Uzi retreated into her room for but a second, walking up to him with something in her hands.

“I don’t really have a use for this. I-In fact, I was just going to sell it. But maybe you’ll find more use for it.” She handed him her jewelry.

Nereo lifted a bracelet from her palm. The gold didn’t have too much water damage, and most of the gems were still there. It could use a bit of fixing and sprucing up, but could still catch a fairly decent price.

The pirate captain chuckled and set the bracelet back into her hands, closing them. “Aye, you found it first, señorita. You keep it, sell it like you said, get some pearls or even shark teeth!” He smiled. “I have enough money as it is. You’re new, so you have basically nothing. Keep it.”

Uzi stared at him. Her brows then furrowed and something of a pout formed on her face plates. Nereo startled a bit at the look, not expecting that to be her reaction.

“So I went through all that embarrassment for nothing?” She grumbled to herself as she retreated back into her room.

Nereo just watched. He then broke out into a quiet fit of laughter just a second later, a hand covering his visor.

“Dios mío, ¿qué voy a hacer contigo?” He wondered, turning back to the deck.

Chapter Text

With merchandise sold and supplies bought, it was time for everyone to get their share of pearls and shark teeth. The deck was filled with drones eager for their pay, having traveled so long and fought so hard.

Uzi herself was even a bit excited. She didn’t think she’d be getting paid, ever, so to know that she is now has her antsy. She couldn’t quite sit still, swinging her legs as she sat on a railing.

‘I wonder what I should buy first?’ She wondered to herself. ‘New clothes? Food? Or should I go a little more practical and get myself a toolkit?’ She cocked her head in thought.

‘Of course, I still need funds for my own boat to get back home. Maybe I should just save up everything and focus on collecting money…’ Her optics squinted on her boots.

The captain’s cabin door creaked. Everyone turned to their captain as he exited. Setting down the chest, he opened up a worn book. Drones straightened as they awaited his verdict.

“¡Muy bien, mi tripulación! Today is payday, as you all know–” Nereo started.

His crew gave a big, loud whoop in reply. Nereo flinched back a bit at the sound. Uzi couldn’t help but notice the sweat drop barely hidden behind a lock of grey-blue hair.

“–Which means! Everything we’ve gathered and sold will be divided among us all!” Nereo spoke above the excited roars. “And this time, we all get a bit of an increase! Seeing as our quartermaster is, well…” He trailed off, looking away.

The excitement died down in favor of solemn grief. There was a moment of silence among the crew, wishing their friend safe travels in the Astral Ocean.

“Anyways!” Nereo broke it not long after. “I first want to go over our profits, to ensure that we work hard for better ones in the future!” He grinned.

His crew roared again, the mood lifted once more.

‘I’m not sure if I should be worried they can shift moods so fast or not.’ Uzi felt a sweat drop form on her display.

“First up: Loot from ships! We got a hefty amount this time! Lots of pearls, though not many shark teeth!” Nereo read off his list. “Second: Sold wares! We were lucky this time with our hauls, as we sold out in the market!” He spoke loudly.

The pirate ship exploded in more cheer.

“However!” Nereo called, calming them. “The next thing on our list is the cost of repairs! And unfortunately, our ship was very damaged and cost us a lot of money!” The crowd’s mood dropped like an anchor in the ocean.

“We are not in the red, however! So we’ve still made a profit!” Nereo smiled.

His crew made some murmurs in reply.

Nereo turned back down to the book. A hand rubbed his neck, looking at the costs of everything. It wasn’t like this was a big ship, but it still cost them so much for such hefty repairs…

‘Not to mention that I now need to pay my crew.’ Nereo let out a sigh through his blowhole. ‘I just– Hope I got everything right.’ The drop from before scrolled down his visor.

Uzi saw his apprehension. There was something up with him, and it must be about the pay if he’s suddenly looking so nervous.

‘He isn’t trying to rip us off, is he?’ Her gaze narrowed disdainfully.

“B-Before I give out all of your paychecks, I want to take a moment to thank a certain crew member for helping us stay in the green zone regarding our profits!” Nereo spoke up, stirring everyone from their conversations. “Our newest crew member, Uzi, has helped us quite a bit just the past few days!” He pointed a hand in her direction.

Uzi stiffened. Suddenly, all optics snapped to her. She giggled nervously and gave them an equally nervous wave.

“Without her and her convincing words, we would’ve never had that merchant stop by our shop and pick up some of our goods!” Nereo beamed. “¡Así que gracias, señorita!”

The crew all whooped for Uzi. Her visor began to burn brightly in embarrassment. She turned away before they could see it. Though, it only made the crew laugh.

Nereo kept up the praise as long as he could. But it still died down sooner than he wanted it to. And when faced with the silence and awaiting stares of his crew, he felt nervousness crawl up his spinal ridge.

It made his tail slap onto the ground. But Nereo turned back down to the list. His large thumb smoothed across the paper, crinkling and yellowed.

‘This… This is fine! I’m sure it’ll be fine!’ Nereo told himself. ‘I did the math! I made sure we made profits! We’re still getting money!’ And yet, he felt he was still wrong.

“Something the matter, Captain?” Someone suddenly asked.

Nereo startled, whipping his head up. “AHAHA!! ¡En absoluto! ¡Revisando la lista!” He waved.

He turned back down to the said book. His waving hand had come up to his neck, clutching onto it. His voided eye lights wouldn’t leave the large numbers scrawled across the yellowed parchment.

‘This… This isn’t right–’

“They’re off.”

Nereo shrieked and jumped just about ten feet in the air. He ended up falling onto his butt, heaving through mouth and blowhole alike. The crew got a good kick out of Uzi scaring the wits out of their captain.

The Blue Whale Drone just stared at the young woman. She stared back with hollowed eye lights, not expecting such a strong reaction. But she was quick to blink the color back into her optics.

Uzi approached and picked up Nereo’s book. “Is this why you haven’t given out the paychecks yet?” She inquired quietly, keeping close to the captain.

Nereo opened his mouth to deny her, but… “Aye, señorita.” He whispered back.

Uzi made an acknowledging hum. She continued to stare at the book for a couple of minutes. Someone tried to come up behind her to peek, but Nereo flipped to shield her back. Uzi barely acknowledged that.

“Your numbers aren’t quite right.” She noted softly.

“¡Ya lo sé! ¡¿Pensé que ya lo habíamos establecido?!” Nereo huffed with a slap of his tail.

“I can fix them for you.” Uzi spoke without thinking.

Both her and Nereo’s eye lights went void. Uzi schooled her shocked expression and turned up to the captain.

“Just give me a couple of minutes. I’ll have the right numbers for you so everyone can be paid the equal amount.” She told him.

Nereo stared down at her for another couple of seconds. He sighed and nodded.

“I will stall the crew until then. Don’t take too long.” He whispered to her.

Uzi nodded.

The two got up, with Uzi heading into the captain’s cabin. Nereo turned to his crew who stared curiously back at him.

“The señorita has gone in to grab something. For now, I want to see those who have been previously injured in battle. You will be first to get your paychecks, as you will also be given the proper compensation.” He spoke.

Uzi ran the numbers in record time. It probably helps that the math wasn’t super complicated, though. But she came back out of the captain’s cabin in just a few minutes, the proper numbers etched down onto the notebook.

Nereo was quick to stand in front of her, startling the poor woman. “Are they right?!” He asked in a hushed voice.

“Yes, they’re right. You don’t need to worry.” She puffed. “Can you hand out the paychecks yourself, or do you need help with that, too?” She smirked.

“No se ponga insolente conmigo ahora, señorita.” Nereo flicked her visor. “Recuerda: sigo siendo yo quien te paga.”

Uzi pouted at him, trying to decipher his words. Nereo ignored the look and took the book from her hands. He gave it a quick read-through before nodding, smiling, and turning back to his crew.

“Alright, mi tripulación! I know you’ve been waiting long and hard, so let’s line our pockets with some pearls already!” He laughed with a wave of his tail.

The ship exploded in cheer and chatter once more.

“First on the list! The wounded! You will get your compensation and paycheck at the same time!” Nereo kicked open the chest beside him. “I’ll call your names one by one! Come up to get your pay!”

Uzi let the captain do his work, walking back to her seat on the railing. She gazed out at the town buildings just nearby. She still wondered what she should buy first.

“And the last of the treasure goes to me!” Nereo finished up. “Alright! Did I miss anyone?” He turned to his crew.

Everyone shook their heads and glanced around.

“Then all the paychecks have been handed out!” Nereo pumped a fist into the air.

There was a short round of cheering that followed.

“The rest of the day is yours to make! Let’s all meet back up here by sundown!” Nereo told his men. “Do with your pearls and teeth whatever you like! Just don’t go causing trouble!”

The Worker Drones continued with their loud chatter, filing off the ship to spend their funds and have a day off. Nereo sighed with a smile, watching them go. He only turned away when he spotted Uzi following behind everyone.

“¡Oi! ¡Señorita!” He called, stopping her. “I want to thank you for your help today—and the other days. Not only would we not have made as much money, but I also wouldn’t have been able to give everyone their proper share of our profits.” He grinned down at her.

Uzi stared up at him. “I mean– It’s nothing, really.” She shrugged, turning her sheepish flush away. “I just saw that you were nervous and thought you might be trying to rip everyone off. I wasn’t going to get shirked on my going-home seawans!” Uzi crossed her arms with a huff.

“Aye, sorry about that, señorita. I wasn’t trying to rip my own crew off.” Nereo rubbed the back of his head. “But still, thank you. A-As you can probably tell, I’m not the… Greatest, with mathematics.” He chuckled.

“That’s one way of putting it.” Uzi smirked.

“Oi! At least I was trying!” Nereo argued, a furrow to his brow.

“Well, your attempt was bad.” Uzi commented. “Anyways, I’m gonna head into town, maybe get myself some personal supplies. Have fun with your own seawans!” She waved him off, heading down the ramp.

Nereo watched for a couple of seconds. His tail made a thoughtful wave as her feet met the wooden dock.

“Will you become the new quartermaster, señorita?” He asked.

Uzi paused. She turned back around to him, confusion clear on her face plates.

“What?”

“Become our new quartermaster.” Nereo repeated. “We lost our old one and need a new one. You’ve already proven that you’re quite capable with numbers, and we need someone like that.” He smiled gingerly at her.

Uzi again just stared. Her brows twisted and creased. The small sack of pearls and shark teeth hung from her hand. She could feel its weight.

“I’m not gonna stick around forever, you know.” She told him. “I still plan on getting home. I just want my pay and want to be out of here.” Uzi sighed.

“Well, you’re still gonna be stuck here for a while. You don’t get paid every day, you know.” Nereo argued. “And even if your stay is temporary, that’s fine. I’d rather have a short-term quartermaster than no quartermaster at all.” He added.

Uzi turned her optics up to stare at him again. “What? Are you really that desperate to have someone do all the math for you?” She snickered in return.

“A Captain’s job isn’t to do math or watch our funds.” Nereo told her as he came down the ramp. “We’re supposed to lead our crew into battle, secure goods and wealth, and keep the morale up. We’re the figureheads—the leaders. And a leader can’t do everything himself.” His weaponized feet met the dock’s creaky wood.

Uzi stared up at the tall captain. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Her father said something similar before.

‘Just because I lead the village, doesn’t mean I can do it all myself! Which means I cannot have anyone finding out that you’re–!’

“All you need to do as a quartermaster is manage the numbers. I can lead everyone along the seas and into the fights. I just need someone to make sure we don’t go under in other ways.” Nereo chuckled, stirring Uzi from her thoughts.

The woman gave him a pensive stare. Uzi’s gaze flicked away as she thought about it.

“If it helps to convince you, quartermasters get paid more than regular crewmates~” Nereo sing-songed as he leaned forward.

“Deal.” Uzi snapped her hand up.

The Blue Whale Drone barked a few laughs and took her hand. “Aye! ¡Seguro que te convenció!” He turned back down to her. “But… It’s nice to have a new quartermaster again, señorita.”

“It’ll be nice to get more money to save!” Uzi giggled in return.

“I’m sure it will!” Nereo chuckled, letting her hand go. “Anyways, I think you should run along now. The day only lasts so long, you know.” He told her.

“What? But what about the rest of my money?” Uzi’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Aye, what about it?” Nereo cocked his head.

“I’m your quartermaster now! And I get increased pay!” Uzi set her hands on her hips, cheeks puffing out in a pout.

“You did! After you already got paid! You really think I’m gonna give you another paycheck?” The pirate captain smirked.

Uzi sputtered, her eye lights going hollow. Nereo laughed again and walked past her.

“Sorry, señorita! But you’re gonna have to live with your current paycheck! Your share will increase in two weeks!” He said as he walked into town.

“YOU LIAR!! YOU TRICKED ME!” Uzi shouted after him.

“Creo que usted es la mentirosa aquí, señorita.” Nereo waved off. “I never said I would pay you again.”

Uzi growled, her voice glitching in rage. She ran after him and tried to kick his shin again. Nereo lifted his leg away just before she could. And as Uzi went in again to kick him, the Blue Whale Drone hoisted her right over his shoulder.

“PUT ME DOWN, YOU LYING, BILGERAT BASTARD!!” Uzi screamed as she thrashed.

“No si vas a patearme las piernas otra vez.” Nereo replied.

“I have no idea what you said, but I know it was something about not putting me down! SO PUT ME DOWN ALREADY!” Uzi retorted.

“Sí, puedes ser un grano en el culo a veces, ¿lo sabes, señorita?”

“FUCK YOU!!”

“Estoy seguro de que no tienes las piezas para que me hagas eso.” Nereo laughed.

Uzi screamed in frustration before letting her frame go lax. Nereo chuckled again as the two made it into town.

“Es muy divertido burlarse de ti, ¿lo sabías, señorita?” He questioned.

“Go die.”

“Eso no es muy agradable.”

Uzi just growled and crossed her arms in return, unable to truly understand the guy. Nereo just laughed again, walking through the town’s streets.

Chapter Text

The town was lively after the merchant ship had come by. Stores were busy and drones were smiling wide. Taverns seemed more eager to cut their prices in half while shops raised them. And in the time of being hoisted over Nereo’s shoulder, Uzi had climbed to sit upon them.

Uzi looked around at the shops and the drones passing by. She could see many pirates combing through the area, much like Nereo’s crew. She even spotted a couple of other Bestial Drones of various animal species.

Turning around, Uzi glanced down to her pirate captain. He didn’t seem to have a destination in CPU, just wandering about with a dumb grin on his face plates. Uzi huffed and turned her head away with a fold of her arms.

Some of the other crew members passed by them, saying hello to their captain. Nereo waved back and continued to walk along the stone pathway. Uzi just kept quiet and on Nereo’s head, not really wanting to get lost.

‘Well, maybe getting lost would be more fun than walking aimlessly around.’ She thought.

Uzi glanced around at the various shops again. For once, one caught her attention. Uzi suddenly climbed off her captain and walked over to the window. She gazed at the items on display, various things obviously dredged up from the sea.

Jewelry made of fish fins and precious metals, some even having gems. But fish bones, teeth, and other parts of the creatures were used as well. Some jewelry or accessories were inspired by various fish species.

‘Hermit crab shells, painted crab shells, lobster claw earrings, entwining eel scarves…’ Uzi listed as she gazed at the display. ‘Fishing hooks and tackles used as clasps and pendants. Even fishing line being used as thread and string.’

Her optics fell upon some fish fin earrings. Butterfly koi fish fins hung in layers, dangling with a glimmering sheen in the sunlight. The fins were black and white, with the latter on the tips. The earrings were beautiful, and would match any monochrome outfit.

Uzi’s hand subconsciously lifted up to her head. Her fingers snuck under her locks, rubbing tenderly around her audial. She could feel the cut remnants of her–

“You find something you like, señorita?”

Uzi gasped loudly and spun around. Nereo blinked back at her in his own bout of shock. Uzi was first to snap out of it, hitting the taller man in the arm.

“You scared me, jackass!!”

“¡Lo siento! I didn’t mean to!” Nereo raised his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t realize you were staring so intently at the jewelry!”

Uzi glared at him before huffing and turning away. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”

“Are you not going to buy something from here, señorita?” Nereo cocked his head.

“No. I was just window browsing.” Uzi replied curtly.

The Blue Whale Drone stared at her back. He then turned to the window to observe the jewelry and accessories. His rainy gaze squinted as he stared at all the fin-made jewelry. But he left ‘em be and followed after the small lady.

“Do you intend to buy anything today, señorita?” Nereo asked as he caught up with Uzi.

“I dunno. I was hoping to save money to get back home.” Uzi shrugged back.

“Well, maybe you should buy some supplies for yourself? You’ll need tools and food on your way back, right?” The taller man asked.

“Considering I’m gonna be stuck here for a while, I think I can worry about those later.” Uzi retorted.

‘Though, getting myself a toolkit wouldn’t be a bad idea…’ She didn’t dare to admit out loud.

“Aight. Suit yourself, señorita.” Nereo shrugged.

The two fell into some silence. Uzi looked around at the windows of stores and Nereo gazed out at the watery horizon. The town stayed ever-lively around them all the while.

“I think it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some clothes for yourself, señorita.” Nereo suddenly spoke up.

“Oh? And why is that?” Uzi asked back.

“Well, those don’t really fit you, now do they?” Nereo grinned back at her. “And it might be more comfortable to wear your own clothes that actually fit you.” He chuckled.

Uzi’s visor went a bit flush in embarrassment. “Well– Fine!” She huffed. “Let’s go to a clothing store.”

“This way then, señorita!” Nereo walked off.

Uzi jogged after him and his stupidly huge stride. The two entered a shabby-looking clothing store, having definitely seen better days. Uzi winced at the look of it.

“Is this really a clothing store?” She asked.

“It’s the kind we’re looking for!” Nereo returned with a grin. “¡Eh, tendero! I’ve got a señorita who needs some clothes!” He then waved.

The old owner turned up from his wood carving. He set it aside to pull out a measuring tape and notepad. The man came over and Nereo pushed Uzi towards him. He gave her a mild once-over before speaking.

“Where’d this young lady get such drabby, huge clothes?” He huffed in dislike.

“We only had so much on hand, señor.” Nereo replied.

“Well, you better get more next time you pick up a girl.” The old man snorted. “Hold still while I get some measurements.”

Uzi didn’t even get to reply before her waist was being sized. The old man noted down each measurement he took, even her chest.

“Aye, mind telling me her sizes, señor?” Nereo inquired cheekily.

He got a kick in the shin from Uzi for that one.

“I think that should tell you enough.” The aging drone laughed. “Anyways, let me go grab some stock from the back. Wait here.” He promptly turned and left through a door at the back.

Uzi and Nereo stood in the middle of the dim, dreary shop for a few seconds. Uzi then turned her pissed gaze the Blue Whale Drone’s way.

“You know, for as much of a pirate as you are, I was starting to think you weren’t such a pervert!” She huffed with a glower.

“It was a joke, señorita! Calm down!” Nereo gestured with his hands.

“I don’t think I want to calm down if you’re asking for my damn sizes!” Uzi yelled.

‘Though, it’s not like I really have a size to begin with. I’m the smallest in our village aside from kids or pillbabies.’ She added mentally.

“You don’t need to take that joke so seriously! I already know that you won’t really have much of a size, anyway!” Nereo smiled nervously. “You have no genitalia.” He then added quickly.

He got another kick in the shin by the woman.

The back door opened up before Uzi could do anymore damage to his legs. The two perked up as the old man came over, some clothes sitting in a box.

“I got some stuff that should fit you far better than those old things, Miss.” He spoke. “Take your pick.” He then laid them out onto a table.

Uzi took a look at them, noting that they were certainly pirate’s clothing. While she was mildly disappointed about it, part of her knew this was coming. But she sorted through the clothing anyway, picking out what she liked best.

Once she had some spares, the old man packed up the rest and set it behind his counter. Uzi paid him with some of her new money before having her items sacked up and handed over.

“Thank you, Mister.” Uzi nodded at the older guy.

“You’re welcome. Stop by again if you need any more clothes.” He spoke back as he picked up his carving again.

‘Doubt we’ll be coming back here often, but okay.’ Uzi wanted to say.

She and Nereo left the shop and began their way down the stone pathways again. The heat in the air heightened, making others virtually sweat. Uzi could feel the sun’s heat penetrating through her baggy clothing and warming up her internal machines.

“Aye, hace bastante calor fuera, ¿eh?” Nereo noted with an outward vent.

“Makes me wish we stayed inside that shop longer.” Uzi replied.

“De acuerdo.”

The two drones kept on their way through the heat and humidity. Carts were pulled and pushed along by other drones and pirates snacked on small foods on the tops of barrels and crates.

Uzi counted her money. She made a small wince at how much she spent on her clothes. But she sighed out a hot vent and pocketed her money.

She followed Nereo as he turned to enter a store. Uzi waited around as he bought a few small items, pocketing them within his coat. The two went on their merry way again through town.

The process repeated a few times. Uzi didn’t really care to see what the pirate captain bought. For all she knew, it could’ve been magnets. Either way, the longer they spent outside, the hotter it got.

‘I’m not sure how much more of this heat I can take.’ Uzi thought through her pants. ‘I have to wonder how Nereo is handling all this damn heat.’ She glanced at the said pirate.

Nereo didn’t seem all that bothered by it. Uzi groaned and lowered her head. She stopped in the middle of the street and leaned against her knees.

“Are you alright, señorita?” Nereo inquired as he stopped.

“No, I’m not alright!” Uzi hollered back. “I’m fucking hot! How can you even stand all this heat and humidity?!”

“I suppose you just get used to it after a while.” Nereo shrugged. “But if you’re that hot, why don’t we head into a tavern and get something to eat? It’s almost evening time, anyway.” He suggested.

“Fine.” Uzi couldn’t argue with that. “But you’re carrying me!” She pointed.

The tavern Nereo walked into was clamoring with noise and pirates, though it wasn’t all that surprising. Uzi only hoped that no one would try to hit on her again.

Nereo walked past other tables and towards the back. Some of his crewmates greeted him cheerily and with a raise of her beer mugs.

“Aye! The Captain has joined us!” Marq exclaimed loudly.

“And the lass has found herself a seat already!” Bumpernickle snickered.

Uzi glowered at him as her visor went flush. She hopped out of Nereo’s arms and took a seat as far away from them as possible. The crew just laughed at her embarrassed expense.

She ignored their laughter as best she could by ordering herself some food and drink. Nereo did the same and the table fell into comfortable chatter. Well, for the male pirates, that is.

“Have you all spent all your pearl and tooth already?” Nereo asked his crewmates.

“Some, but not all!” Bumpernickle replied. “We’ll probably end up spending the rest drinking tonight, though!” He laughed again.

“Aye, you should save a bit in case! Pension can only get you so far!” Nereo laughed back.

“Yeah, but our money can get us booze tonight!” Marq argued.

“You know, this is the exact reason why you’re all pirates.” Nereo huffed amusedly through his blowhole.

“And what’s wrong with that?!” Twig exclaimed. “It’s how the song goes! ‘A pirate’s life for me!’” He swung his beer mug.

Uzi could only roll her optics at it. A pirate’s life was not for her, thank you!

“That may be, but we’re in it for the money, remember? Otherwise, what’re you gonna do when you decide to retire?” Nereo shrugged.

“Retire? In this day and age?” Marq scoffed with a smirk. “If we retire, we’ll be dismantled by the nearest non-pirate port!”

“I’d rather die fighting for pearls and treasure than from microwaved or short-circuited.” Bumpernickle spoke behind his mug.

“¡Muy bien, muy bien! ¡Ya entendí!” Nereo motioned placatingly with his hands. “Perhaps a pirate’s life is the only life we can live now.”

“You’re just finding that out?” Twig inquired as his brow quirked.

“No. Not really.” Nereo shrugged.

The crew burst into laughter again. Nereo’s tail slapped against the ground and his and Uzi’s food finally arrived. Some other crew members finally arrived as well, the sun’s light dying outside.

“¡Parece que vuelve más de mi tripulación!” Nereo called to the approaching robots. “How was your day off, mi tripulación?!”

The crewmates gave varying responses. Uzi just scooted closer to the table and ate silently. It felt all the more crowded at the table with the rest of the crew having finally arrived.

‘Maybe I should just move to my own table.’ She wondered with a huff. ‘At least I’ll be away from all this testosterone.’

Uzi grabbed her plate and stood, intending on moving away. “Aye, señorita! Where are you going?!” But Nereo caught sight of her, of course.

The woman’s brows made a slight furrow. “To some table where there’s less testosterone to overdose from.” Uzi retorted back.

“Aw, do you not enjoy our company, lass?” Freckle asked, his hand landing on her arm.

Uzi slapped it off, glowering hard at him. “No, I don’t. So don’t touch me.” She all but snarled.

“Aye, okay. Don’t have to be so mean…” The pirate pouted, rubbing his hand.

“I’m not sure what you were expecting, Freckle. It’s rude to touch a lady without her permission.” Nereo said as he took a sip from his drink.

“Says the man who was helping to dress her.” Ronan chuckled through the food in his mouth.

“¿Quieres repetirlo un poco más alto, remolón?” Nereo’s brows furrowed.

“I said; Says the man who was helping to dress her!” Ronan shouted over the clamor of the tavern.

Nereo’s brows twitched and his tail slapped hard against the floor. Uzi’s visor went flush and she quickly scampered away to another table. She did NOT need the entire crew to know that!

But suddenly, Nereo’s face plates split into a smug grin. “Well, at least it’s more than I can say for any of you lot, now isn’t it?”

The whole table exploded into a fit from that one sentence alone. Nereo just laughed at his complaining and arguing cremates, returning their angry expressions with a smug one.

“And no matter what any of you say, spending the night with a harlot does not count!” He shouted.

“You’ve spent time with ‘em, too!” Twig countered.

“¡Una vez!” Nereo slammed his fist on the table.

“My aft!” Ronan rolled his optics. “Ain’t no way a pirate who knows how to dress a lady has spent only one night with a prostitute!”

“A lo mejor es que soy así de entendido.” Nereo shrugged smugly.

The table exploded into even more raucous clamor.

Uzi just kept her back turned to them and tried to block out all the talk about their sex lives.

Chapter Text

Just as the sun rose, Nereo’s pirate crew was back on the sea. The whale skeleton ship rocked as it bounced upon the waves. The bright sun shone down upon the deep blue water, making it glisten and glimmer blindingly.

The pirate crew on the aforementioned ship lazed around. Some watched seagulls squawk on by in the air, others played cards in groups, and a few took the opportunity to sleep in. With the waters so calm, it was hard not to take advantage of it.

Nereo stood at the helmwheel, looking a bit bored himself. He laid his chin on his arms, leisurely keeping the wheel still. His blue whale tail hung just above the floor of the ship and a knee was slightly bent.

His crew made idle chatter as they sailed on towards anything that might grab their attention. Though, it may not be for a while more if things are this quiet.

“Aye, Captain, is there any place in particular we’re going?” A crewmate asked, standing behind him to watch their flank.

“Not particularly.” Nereo admitted. “But it would be nice to catch a trade ship off-guard.”

“So we’re heading towards the Treasure Tideway?” He inquired with a glance over his shoulder.

“Aye, we are.” Nereo sighed back. “It’ll take a while, though. That pirate port is quite the distance from the tideway.” He added just before yawning.

“If only it wasn’t…” His crewmate sighed forlornly.

“Sí, ojalá no lo fuera.” Nereo agreed.

He then straightened up and set his hands onto the helmwheel. Nereo took a deep vent before he let out a low whistle.

“♪Oh, we'd be alright if the wind was in our sails. We'd be alright if the wind was in our sails♪” Nereo began to sing. “♪We'd be alright if the wind was in our sails. And we'll all hang on behind♪”

“♪And we'll roll the old chariot along. We'll roll the old chariot along♪” His crew joined in in a chorus. “♪We'll roll the old chariot along. And we'll all hang on behind♪”

“♪Oh, we'd be alright if we make it round The Horn. We'd be alright if we make it round The Horn♪” Nereo went on, gazing out at the sea. “♪We'd be alright if we make it round The Horn. And we'll all hang on behind♪”

“♪And we'll roll the old chariot along. We'll roll the old chariot along♪” A few crew members tapped their heels to the song. “♪We'll roll the old chariot along. And wе'll all hang on behind♪” The crew went on to sing the hours away.

It was at least something they could do out on the boring sea front.

As the morning rolled around to the early afternoon, Uzi found herself booting up for another day. She opened her optics and stared into the wooden walls of her small room. She could faintly hear a multitude of voices from above deck.

Uzi vented as she sat up in her hammock. She could feel the boat rock and sway the hammock. She took another couple of minutes to regain her senses and let her systems boot up before stepping out of her hanging bed.

She grabbed her clothes and put them on before leaving her room. There was no pirate in sight waiting for her. Uzi felt a mild sense of relief, though she would never let her guard down.

The Worker Drone made her way to the kitchen where she found Cuca cheffing away, or something. “Morning.” Uzi greeted as she stood in the doorway.

Cuca gave her a glance out of the corner of his optic. He grunted and curtly nodded in reply.

Uzi just stared at him for a few seconds. “...Think I could sneak something for breakfast?” She inquired after a moment.

Cuca set his knife down and opened a cooler next to him. He pulled out a can of oil and some fruit. Uzi took the food with a quiet thanks. Though, her gaze lingered a little on the flexible printed circuits sitting on a simmering stove.

The pirate chef was quick to notice. He let out a soft sigh and took out a plate. He put some of the circuits onto it and handed it to the young woman.

Uzi stared at the plate for a moment. She didn’t expect him to be so generous, or to even notice her staring…

“Thank you.” But Uzi took the plate anyway.

She then left the room and made her way onto the deck. She peeked out to find most of the crew lounging around on the deck. A sweat drop blinked onto her visor and she hesitated to come up.

‘I don’t really feel like dealing with them today.’ She opted to go back down.

Uzi returned to her room and sat on her hammock. She bit into one of the fruits first, the sweet juice dripping down her chin. Uzi could feel her mouth start to salivate.

‘I wish we had fruits like these back home.’ She wanted to sigh.

Though, the thought of her home had her pausing. Uzi’s arm lowered until her fruit was sitting in her lap. Her gaze fell to the floor as its juices ran down the side of the bright fruit.

“I wonder how everyone’s doing back home.” She muttered to herself. “I hope Darren and Rebecca are fucking happy now that they’ve ruined my life!” Her teeth grit hard.

“Hmph! They’re lucky I don’t know any voodoo! Otherwise, I’d have cursed them so hard!” She exclaimed to herself.

Uzi took a swift bite of her fruit. She was quick to chew and swallow it. Though, the tantalizing taste of its flesh couldn’t distract her for long. Her expression was quick to fall again, right with her posture.

“...I wonder if dad’s even noticed, yet.” Her voice turned quiet again. “I bet he hasn’t. Knowing him, he’d probably be happy I was gone. All he ever cared about was keeping my heri–” She didn’t get to finish her sentence as a loud commotion exploded on the deck of the ship.

Uzi startled hard. The ship made a sudden rock and she dropped her food. Uzi hopped out of her hammock, only to fall flat on her face as the ship rocked again. Uzi clambered onto her hands and knees, hurrying out of her room.

She made it to the stairs to see what the hell was going on. At first, she thought maybe they were being attacked. But it turns out that wasn’t the case at all.

“¡Esta caminata se está poniendo muy interesante, chicos!” Nereo hollered at the top of his voice box. “¡Prepárate para las olas!” He called with a manic laugh.

He turned the helmwheel to ride along the suddenly rough water current. Uzi fell back down the steps as other pirates grabbed hold of anything sturdy they could find.

The ship rode upon arching waves and crashed back onto the water’s surface. More of the liquid spilled onto the ship and sprayed into the air. Nereo was unbothered by the water, only smiling maniacally as he steered his crew out of the rough currents.

Uzi held onto the steps for dear life as the boat swayed and rushed through the water. The noise of the fierce waves drowned out everything else, even the pounding of her own core.

Yet the turmoil was over before she even knew it. In just a couple of minutes, Nereo was already getting them out and away from the ferocious currents. The waves reached out to bite at the ship’s sides as it sailed away.

And as the noise and movements died down, the pirate crew looked up and around. They let go of their stabilizing objects and let out a sigh of relief. Pirates got up to check for any damages and reorganize whatever fell over.

Nereo let out a boisterous and haughty laugh and his tail slapped against the floor in mirth. “Aye, lo siento chicos! That rough current came outta nowhere!” He called.

His crew just mumbled back, still regaining their footing. Nereo let out another mirthful vent from his blowhole as he counted his crew.

‘Well, no one is missing. Though, I should check on Cuca, Ron, and the señorita.’ The Blue Whale Drone mentally noted.

“Aye, take the wheel!” He called to someone, stepping away before he could even get to it.

Nereo went over and trotted down about three steps before pausing. His eye lights widened by a fraction as he saw their newest female crewmate huddled and clutching for dear life onto the stairs’ post.

“Oi, señorita, the waves are over now.” He spoke, getting down to the second floor.

Uzi didn’t budge. Nereo let out a guilty sigh as his tail lowered.

‘Guess she got quite spooked after that sudden fight in the current.’ He mused.

“Señorita, there’s no need to be afraid anymore. We’re in calmer waters now.” Nereo kneeled in front of her.

Uzi finally peeked an optic open. She saw Nereo first, kneeling imposingly in front of her—though mostly due to his sheer size. But Uzi finally took in the sounds and movements around her, finding that everything indeed went back to normal.

A shaky sigh left her lips and her grip on the stair post slacked. A hand rested over top of her core, still pounding hard in her chest.

“Are you okay, señorita?” Nereo cocked his head.

Uzi swallowed and nodded hers. She turned to stare up at him again. In the next moment, she punched him in the arm.

“You jackass! You could’ve given us a warning!” She hollered in a newfound rage.

“¡Sí, sí! ¡Lo siento! ¡Lo siento!” Nereo reeled back in spook, his eye lights hollowed. “La próxima vez os avisaré mejor, ¡lo prometo!” He leaned away from another swing of her fist.

Uzi’s brows furrowed deeper and she glared harder at him. But she huffed and turned her head, getting back to her feet and swiping the dust from her bottom.

“I’m going to make sure nothing in my room broke.” She notified before walking off.

“D-De acuerdo…” Nereo nodded back.

He watched as she left, retreating back into her room with a slam of her door. He was barely able to get back to his heeled and weaponized feet when Uzi shouted. Nereo startled and whipped around to face her door.

It slammed open just as he did. Uzi snapped her head in his direction. It was safe to say that her anger had turned into full-blown rage.

“YOU RUINED MY FOOD, DICK!!” Uzi bellowed with emboldened eye rings and multiple anger ticks.

Uzi stopped over before Nereo could reply. She kicked him in the shin as hard as she could. Her heel dug into the Blue Whale Drone’s metal and he yelped. Nereo retreated back up the steps with Uzi hot on his blubbery tail.

The crew perked up as the two ran around the deck. Nereo stood behind masts and crewmates as Uzi all but snarled at him. Nereo made a break for the captain’s cabin. Uzi ran after him at full speed, unwilling to let him get away.

Nereo hopped over some crates and swung onto a rope, getting a little distance from Uzi. She growled as she watched him fly onto the other side of the ship.

“HAHA!! I’ll see you when the sun goes down, señorita!” Nereo saluted her, setting his hand on the cabin’s doorknob.

A knife was then thrown right into the wall next to him. Nereo’s eye lights went void again. He then let out a shriek and ducked just before another knife could pierce right through his visor. It stuck his hat to the wall instead.

Uzi ran over with her fist raised. Nereo managed to roll out of the way. He stumbled back onto his feet, running around the ship’s deck again. Uzi recollected her knives and tossed them the captain’s way.

The crew was of no help whatsoever to their captain. They just cheered on the chase and made bets amongst each other.

Nereo managed to tire Uzi out. She huffed and puffed and leaned against a mast. Nereo let out a triumphant cackle, standing proud amongst the ship’s crew.

“You have quite the tenacity, señorita! You’ve thoroughly impressed me, just as you have terrified me!” He praised loudly. “Unfortunately, this was a battle you were never going to win! No one can defeat this ship’s Captain!” He jerked his thumb to his chest.

Uzi was quiet for a couple of seconds. She then began to giggle. It was quiet at first, but was quick to pick up in volume and mania.

Nereo’s lips pursed as his pride and joy faltered. A few sweat drops blinked onto his visor as worry began to overtake the pompousness.

Uzi tossed one of her knives into the air. It cut through a rope holding some crates. She then kicked one down the steps, another rope sticking out of it and gliding down with it.

Nereo turned down to his feet. The rope was quickly running out.

“Ah.” He hummed. “Resulta que este Capitán puede ser derrotado.”

The pirate captain fell onto his back as the rope caught onto his ankle. He shrieked as he went sliding down into the lower floors of the ship. The crew flinched at the loud crash and thud that resounded within the hull.

Uzi kicked the hatch closed and turned back to the crew. They all stared at her in silence. Uzi huffed and turned to the other crates sitting on the ship. She climbed on top of them until she was standing on the top-most crate.

“I AM YOUR CAPTAIN NOW!” She shouted and raised her arms high into the air. “IN FACT, I AM YOUR PIRATE CAPTAIN GOD, NOW!!” She laughed maniacally.

The crew was silent for a few seconds longer.

Everyone was quick to accept it and hail their new “Pirate Captain God.”

Chapter Text

Nereo grumbled as he finally kicked off the last of the rope. He fixed his coat and went back up the steps, slamming the hatch open and getting back onto the deck. Though, he found it to be in a rather peculiar condition…

Uzi, lounging on a bed of crates with plush pillows and fabrics sat atop them. His crew, treating her as though she were some sort of queen or divine deity. And also Uzi, wearing not only a bunch of gold jewelry but his hat.

A huff left Nereo’s blowhole and he stepped forward. Uzi took notice of him when his shadow loomed over her. She turned her head to stare at him from behind her sunglasses.

“Aye, comfy there, señorita?” Nereo quirked a brow and sat his hands on his hips.

“Very!” Uzi returned.

Nereo’s brow twitched and his tail slapped against the ground. “That trick you pulled was quite mean, you know.” He went on.

“Is it anything different than what you would have done?” Uzi inquired back as she sipped from her can of oil.

“Well– No–” Nereo stuttered, averting his gaze.

“Then why are you complaining?” The Worker Drone puffed in return.

Nereo’s brows furrowed this time. But he put on his best smile and turned back to her.

“Aye, I admit that trick you pulled was quite clever! You’re starting to act like a true pirate!” He told her.

“I don’t think I have any other choice.” Uzi retorted.

“Maybe so! But I still should give you my praises!” Nereo laughed.

Uzi scoffed and turned her head away before he could see the sheepish lines of blush marking her display.

“But, onto another topic…” The Blue Whale Drone then spoke. “I believe it’s time I got my hat back and the quartermaster gets to work–” He went to swipe his hat.

But Uzi slapped his hand away and gave him a mean glare. Nereo recoiled and held his hand, like he was a puppy just kicked.

“It’s Pirate Captain God to you!” The Worker Drone shouted.

And for a solid minute, Nereo just stared at her. “¿Disculpe?” He vented.

“With the defeat of the old Captain, I have taken your place! And now I am this ship’s God!” Uzi explained briefly, using a hand to gesture to all of the ship.

“Aye! She is!” Agreed a crewmate.

“You lost, Sir! She’s our new Captain!” Another chimed in.

The “old captain” just blinked at her and his crew. He then busted out laughing, making his whole chest rattle with how hard it was. His tail even slapped against the ship’s deck in his sudden burst of joy.

“AYE! Good joke, señorita! You almost had me fooled for a moment!” He chortled.

“Who said I was joking?” Uzi inquired right back.

The rest of the crew had similar sentiments.

Nereo’s laughter stopped just as suddenly as it started. He slowly turned his head back down to her and stared at her.

“Creo que la broma ya ha durado bastante.” He hissed as his brows started to knit together.

“I’m not sure what you said, but I know I don’t like your attitude, Cabin Boy.” The woman sneered back.

Nereo’s tail made a hard slam against the deck. Uzi jumped and whipped around to him. Nereo slammed his hand against the crate behind her head. He used the other to slide the sunglasses down enough to reveal her optics.

“Creo que se acabó el tiempo de las bromas, señorita.” The tall robot smiled. “Así que si me devuelves mi sombrero, podremos retomar el rumbo.” His fingers dug into the crate, scraping across the wood.

Uzi was the one to blink at him now. Soon enough, sweat drops began to litter her facial screen and her arms came up to shield her frame. Just as she was reaching to take off Nereo’s hat, a hand landed on the said robot’s shoulder.

Ronan hauled Nereo away from the smaller Worker Drone. And although the captain had his complaints, Ronan got him away from everyone else on the other side of the ship. Well, except for Ron, who seemed to also want to talk to him.

“¿Qué significa esto? Sé que tuvimos una pequeña discusión, pero esto es llevarlo demasiado lejos–!” Nereo shouted.

“Captain, with all due respect: Shut the hell up.” Ronan spoke bluntly, a slight glare to his face plates.

Nereo audibly gasped and held his hands to his mouth, recoiling with his optical lights voiding in fear. “¡¿También llegó a ti?!”

“Just listen to us for a minute, Captain!” Ron spoke up, far more gentler than Ronan.

“Hmph! If it’s about how I’m suddenly not the Captain anymore, I don’t want to hear it!” Nereo turned his head away, about to walk off.

“It’s not about that! Will you just hear us out for two seconds!?” Ronan nearly shouted.

Their captain turned to glance at them over his shoulder. He let out a sigh from his blowhole and dragged a barrel over.

“Fine.” He said as he sat down. “What is it that is so important? I need to get my hat and status back.” Nereo crossed his arms.

“Just– Look at Uzi.” Ron’s hand gestured towards the said lady. “Can’t you leave her alone for the day? Just until we all go into Sleep Mode and forget this ever happened because we got too drunk again?” He questioned with a hopeful smile.

Nereo stared at Uzi. She laughed with some crew members as they drank their cares and boredom away.

“Do you seriously want her as your Captain? She isn’t any more experienced than a Powder Monkey!” Nereo argued with a slap of his tail.

“That’s not what we’re saying!” Ronan chimed in. “We want you to see how happy she is! How she doesn’t look like some cornered animal!”

Nereo stared at his crewmate. He then turned back towards Uzi again. True to Ronan’s word, she did look happier. The happiest he’s seen her yet, even.

‘Unafraid of talking to the crew and having a few drinks with them…’ He noted as his brows creased.

“I don’t think anyone truly believes her when she says she’s our new ‘Pirate Captain God’, but she looks so much friendlier and relaxed when indulged a little bit!” The surgeon smiled. “We do the same thing to you all the time, you know!” He pointed out with a wagging finger.

Nereo’s posture faltered a bit. His rainy gaze turned down to his lap, a little dusty from broken wood and dirty hull floors. He let out another sigh, a little more defeated this time.

“Sí, tienes razón.” He nodded. “I much prefer her out on the deck and socializing with the crew than hiding away in her room all day and night.”

“Then why not play along for the day? Just one. It won’t kill you to do so.” Ronan spoke up again.

“¡Sí, sí, lo entiendo! ¡Te seguiré el juego!” Nereo replied with a little exasperation.

Ron and Ronan’s shoulders deflated a bit at the agreement.

“Then perhaps you should go back down there and apologize? I’m sure she’ll be feeling her fullest again when you do!” Ron smiled cheerily.

Nereo’s lips pursed and he let out a whine. He didn’t want to go down there and apologizeeee!!

But Ronan stomped on his foot and he yelped out a few Spanish curses. He hobbled off in a new huff, sending a mean snarl the crewmate’s way. Ronan just rolled his optics and crossed his arms.

Uzi was poured another drink when Nereo came walking back up to her. The woman’s eye lights went void and she stuffed the cup into another drone’s hands. She was quick to take off the captain’s hat and begin shuffling off the decorated crates.

“H-Here’s your hat! I’ll cl-ean up the deck so–!!” She rushed to say, thrusting the said object to Nereo’s chest.

“Aye, it’s fine, señorita.” Nereo interrupted calmly. “You can be Captain for the day. Just today, though.” He set his hat back onto her head.

Uzi turned to stare up at him in confusion. The hat tilted on her head, covering a fourth of her face. Nereo chuckled and fixed it, letting it sit farther back on her head.

“I thought it over for a few minutes and decided to let you try being a Captain for the day. Maybe it’ll give you good insight and experience.” The real captain explained. “But… Make sure not to overstep your reign of power. We can still vote you out of your rank.” He chuckled with a waving tail.

“...R– Right…” Uzi nodded, a hand grasping onto the tricorne.

“So, Pirate Captain God Uzi, what would you like your new Cabin Boy to do?” Nereo bowed before her like a servant.

Uzi was a little caught off-guard by it. Her visor went flush in embarrassment.

“Let’s put him to work, Pirate Captain God!” Someone suggested. “Make him scrub the deck!”

“Make him reorganize all the crates and barrels!” Another shouted.

“Nay, put him in the crow’s nest! I’d like to see him scream when a ship comes by!” A third laughed.

“If we want him to scream, we should just make him our new figurehead!” One more pirate barked out in a laugh.

“Oi! Todavía me estoy desahogando, ¡ya sabes!” Nereo shouted back with a sharp point.

“Don’t worry, you guys! I think I’ve got the perfect job for our new Cabin Boy!” Uzi waved their suggestions off.

She then turned her devious look Nereo’s way. For some reason, it made chills run down his spinal ridge.

‘¿Esto es lo que tenía en CPU?’

Being used as a personal butler? And did she really need to add the collar?!

‘Aye, it’s for her, Nereo. It’s for her!’ The Blue Whale Drone had to remind himself with a huff.

“A little bit to the left.” Uzi told him.

Nereo obliged, moving his hands a little more to the left. His thumbs and palms dug into her shoulders as he massaged them. Uzi let out a pleased hum, lying on her crates as her "masseuse” got the tension from her frame.

“Here’s your lunch, Pirate Captain God.” Ronan spoke as he set a plate down near her.

The called drone lifted her head. “Thank you, Ronan!” Uzi said back.

“Is there anything else you need?” He inquired as he set his hands on his hips.

“Mm– Not right now. I can always get Nereo to do it, too.” She returned, popping a grape into her mouth.

Nereo growled. Uzi whacked him with a swatter. Nereo recoiled with a small yelp.

“Less complaining, more doing what I say!” She yelled.

“Yes, seño– Pirate Captain God.” He sighed back, trying to keep the agitation from his tone.

Uzi audibly puffed and sat up. She popped another grape into her mouth as she waved Nereo closer. He kneeled down beside her to listen to what she had to say.

“I’m getting chilly. Give me your coat.” She ordered.

“¡¿QUÉ?!” Nereo screamed in offense. “¡Ya soy tu mayordomo personal! ¡Y tienes mi sombrero! ¡No tienes mi abrigo también!” He hollered.

Uzi turned to glare at him. Nereo returned it in full.

“You have more than enough blubber to keep you warm. I don’t have that.” Uzi argued back.

Nereo’s teeth grit hard as he growled at her. Ronan reset his voice box behind his fist. One of his brows rose up as he stared at him. Nereo let out a defeated sigh and slouched.

He took off his coat and draped it over Uzi’s shoulders. She fell forward at its weight but got back up quickly. She slipped her arms through the sleeves, though there was still a considerable amount of length they didn’t fill.

“Now! Put me on your shoulders, Cabin Boy!” Uzi demanded with a raising hand– Er– Sleeve.

Nereo rolled his optics but obeyed. He sat her onto his shoulders and let her get comfortable. She had him turn towards the deck and its crew.

“Listen up, all you scallywags!!” Uzi called loudly, catching their attention. “I say we have a feast and dance tonight! It’s way too boring on this ship!” She called.

The crew agreed without hesitation. Nereo rolled his optics again and his tail slapped lightly against the ground.

“I want lots of grapes at this feast! As many as we can fit in a big bowl!” Uzi added. “And wine, too! Lots of wine!”

The crew got right to work putting together a feast. Uzi giggled mischievously from atop Nereo’s shoulders. He looked up to her, a brow quirked.

“Why throw a party all of a sudden?” He questioned.

“I just told you! This ship is way too boring! It needs some more excitement!” The woman returned.

“Well, maybe a little bit of boredom is a good thing every now and then.” The tall pirate argued.

“I don’t disagree, but since it’s my first day as Pirate Captain God, I want to spend it well!” Uzi countered with a grin.

Nereo wanted to argue with her, but he only kept silent. He closed his optics and sighed, letting a smile etch onto his face plates.

“Aye, I can’t argue with that!” He agreed with a wave of his whale tail.

“Of course you wouldn’t! You pirates love getting drunk!” Uzi scoffed with a smirk.

“Oi! That is sailorist!” Nereo pouted.

“You made that up!” Uzi yelled back down at him.

“You don’t know that.” The man mumbled.

“I do, too, Cabin Boy!” The woman bopped him on the head. “Just–! Shut up and take me around the deck! I want to see it from high up like this.” She muttered with pursing lips.

Nereo snickered and did as told, taking a quick trot around the ship. Ronan and Ron stared after them, the latter smiling.

“At least he’s getting her to open up a little.” Ron spoke.

“Doubt it’s going to last long, though.” Ronan sighed back.

“Well, it takes time getting used to being a pirate. And for someone who’s the only woman on board, I don’t blame her.” The surgeon replied. “I just hope I can eventually get a physical in. She’s so… Not defensive about her frame…” His gaze shifted around in thought.

“Secretive?” Ronan suggested, a brow quirking.

“I-I guess that works.” Ron shrugged. “Either way, she doesn’t like others seeing her without clothing, not even for a check-up.” He said.

Ronan just hummed, staring at the female Worker Drone sitting on their captain’s shoulders. He couldn’t really do much except respect the space and walls she’s put up around them.

“Maybe she just doesn’t like men seeing her naked.” He spoke.

“Probably…” Ron rubbed his neck nervously.

“Well, we should get back to work, otherwise our ‘Pirate Captain God’ is gonna yell at us for slacking.” The other drone said, already walking off.

“R-Right!” Ron perked back up, following after him.

Uzi laughed even louder as Nereo took a sudden leap from the quarterdeck and onto the main deck, grappling tight onto his grey-blue tresses. Nereo’s coat flapped as he sprinted across the ship once more.

For once, Uzi wasn’t pushing everyone away and hiding in her room all alone. She was ordering them around in prideful glee instead. Which was just fine with Nereo.

So long as she doesn’t let it get to her CPU.

Chapter Text

The whale skeleton pirate ship was loud as it calmly sailed through the night. Candlelight and deck lights made the ship glow on the surface of the water. Cheering and loud chatter filled the quiet of the night sky.

Uzi laughed loudly at the head of the table, holding a mug of wine in her hand. Nereo’s coat was slipping off her shoulders and his hat was tilting on her head. Yet it didn’t deter her joy and pride.

“TONIGHT!! We feast so that luck may bless us with gold and health!” Uzi spoke loudly. “And tonight! We feast so that we aren’t bored out of our CPUs!!”

The crew all cheered back and thrust their mugs in the air. After a loud clink, they chugged their alcohol down in one fell swoop. Uzi had to take a moment longer to drink all of hers down.

When she finally relinquished the mug from her lips, the crew cheered even louder. Uzi joined them with laughter, propping a foot onto a stool.

“Glory to our Pirate Captain God! May ‘er reign be unforgettable and inspiring!” Someone shouted.

“Aye! I hard agree, fellow crewmate!” Uzi nodded, a big grin on her face plates.

“Glory to our Pirate Captain God!” The rest of the crew mimed.

Nereo just sighed and sipped at his drink. Ronan sat on a barrel next to him, offering a fruit. Nereo took it and bit into it as he stared at his crew having fun and goofing around.

“Are you still pissed that someone took your spot as captain for the day?” Ronan inquired, staring at the crew as well.

“Ehh, not as much.” Nereo answered with a shrug. “But this ‘reign’ of hers isn’t going to last very long, either.” He added as his tail waved.

“I wouldn’t think so.” Ronan replied with a smirk. “Just don’t go too hard on her, alright? She’s been through a lot—even you have to realize that.” His smirk turned into a mildly pointed look.

“I know, I know! You’ve told me a million times by now!” Nereo turned his head away with a scoff.

“Just nailing it in one last time.” Ronan chuckled.

The two fell into a bout of silence. Staring at the sole female Worker Drone of the ship, she’d moved onto partaking in the feast with everyone.

“Is there a particular reason as to why you were so angry when she took up your mantle for the day?” Ronan asked through the clamorous chatter of the ship.

Nereo’s gaze fell to his mug. He stared into the beer sitting inside it. The liquid rippled with each rock of the ship. It molded to the cup’s form every time it swirled from the motions of the waves they rode on. It reflected back Nereo’s face and his bright and rainy eye lights.

Voices hollered at him in faint echoes, and phantom hands threatened to push him overboard. The sudden freeze of the waves melded with the gentle breeze of the night that ruffled his hair. The air left his vents as the ocean’s darkness overtook his memories.

“Just– Not used to someone trying to usurp me in such a way.” Nereo finally answered, never once looking at his crewmate.

Ronan just stared back at his captain. He turned his head back towards the feast. Pairs had formed to dance and a band played instruments. Uzi smiled and laughed through it all, still wearing Nereo’s accessories.

“Then I guess you know how it feels to be just a regular ol’ crewmate. You know how we feel.” Ronan chuckled.

Nereo didn’t laugh, didn’t even crack a smile. His gaze just narrowed into his cup, the beer still staring back at the Blue Whale Drone with his own optics. Ronan’s smile quickly fell as he turned to stare at his captain.

“Maybe we should get something to eat. Just one fruit won’t fill us up. Especially you, right?” Ronan suggested, giving his captain a nudge.

“Uh– Yeah. Right.” Nereo finally snapped out of his thoughtful daze.

He began walking towards the table with Ronan taking a minute to stare at his back. His smoky brows creased in worry but he said nothing.

‘It isn’t like he’d tell me what was wrong even if I asked.’ Ronan thought to himself, finally hopping off the barrel.

He followed his captain to the table, plucking some food from the plates and bowls. Nereo just finished downing the rest of his drink, setting his mug on the table to grab some nickels. He popped them into his mouth and munched on them.

“Aye, Cap– Nereo! Why don’t you dance after eating?!” Cammy asked from his partner’s arm. “It ain’t a real feast if the whole crew isn’t having fun!” He grinned.

“¡Oi! ¡Dame un minuto!” The Blue Whale Drone retorted. “Can’t a drone eat?!” He added with a tail-slapping huff.

“You’re missing out on the party!” Bumpernickle exclaimed.

“I’d rather not starve, thank you!” Nereo chuckled.

He returned to eating some more food before wiping his hands on his shirt and joining his crew. The band struck up a new song for them all to prance around to. Hands slapped against barrel lids and fingers plucked at strings while feet thumped on the deck and laughter rang out loud.

The pirates exchanged partners every other minute. Food was slowly but sneakily swiped from the table with each passing around it. Ronan joined in on the fun as he finished eating up. His partner happened to be Uzi.

“Are you having fun being the ‘Pirate Captain God’ for the day?” He smirked.

“Of course!” She replied cheerily. “I could get used to it, honestly!” She added with a prideful expression.

Ronan chuckled, spinning her around. “Well, I don’t think Nereo could get used to being a little peon like the rest of us.”

“Ah, screw him!” Uzi rolled her optics. “He could use being chopped down a few pegs! Just because he’s Captain doesn’t mean he’s immortal!” She huffed as her feet thumped against the deck.

“I could say the same thing to you, you know.” Ronan argued.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Uzi huffed. “You should just be glad that I gave this place a little liveliness and cheer! It was so boring, I thought my CPU was gonna fry just to entertain myself!” She went on.

“Alright, alright. Thank you for hosting this feast, Pirate Captain God.” Ronan laughed as he grabbed her hand to extend their stance. “But you shouldn’t let the power get to you, either. Despite his looks, Nereo does his best to make sure he doesn’t turn into some sort of tyrant.” He advised as he pulled the shorter robot back to his chest.

“You make it sound like having one day of power is gonna set me on some sort of self-destructive path.” Uzi’s gaze narrowed on him.

Ronan just shrugged. “For some it does.”

“You have experience with that?” Uzi inquired as the two danced around a mast.

“You could say that.” The man replied.

The two carried on with their dance as another song began. During the party, Nereo caught sight of the two robots dancing with each other. Their hushed voices had his gaze narrowing onto them. Their constant proximity had him subtly dancing towards the pair.

As Uzi and Ronan parted to take on new partners, Nereo stepped in front of Sid to take Uzi into his grip. She startled at the large hands suddenly falling onto her side and taking one of her own limbs.

“Are you having fun, señorita?” Nereo asked with a polite smile.

Uzi hummed in faux thought. “A little.” She giggled.

“Oh? But you’re the one who hosted this party! How could you not be having fun?” Nereo faked the shocked look on his face plates.

“I think I’d have more fun if you begged me to dance with you.” She told him with an utmost smug look on her face.

A brow came down to twitch on the true captain’s visor. “Aye, you’re just making it your life’s mission to torment me, aren’t you?” He inquired as he spun the small lady.

“It only serves you right after taking me as a trade for some wench.” Uzi shrugged as she grasped tightly onto his extended hand.

“I was only following through on a code!” Nereo defended, bringing her close again. “Besides, I’m not mistreating you here. I know damn well you’d be treated far less savory than on any other pirate ship.” His tone turned serious, as did his gaze.

Uzi stared back up at him with a narrowed but wary look. A sweat drop blinked just beneath her bangs.

“You really like scaring women, don’t you?” She questioned.

“I’m just putting into perspective how you got lucky that we were the ones who picked you up, and not anyone else.” Nereo said, his hand pulling her closer. “I’m sure you’ve heard many horror stories about pirates and what they can do to others, right?” He cocked his head.

The sweat drop on Uzi’s visor glided down it.

“It’s why you hate us so much, among other reasons.” Nereo waved some other dance partner away with his tail. “Which isn’t unfounded, actually.” He chuckled.

Uzi said nothing, just turned her gaze to their feet. She couldn’t help but notice how large Nereo’s were compared to hers.

“Aye, señorita. My optics are up here. Only my crotch is down there.” Nereo snickered.

Uzi’s visor went completely flush. “I-I WASN’T LOOKING THERE!!” She shouted.

“Just making sure.” Nereo smirked.

Uzi growled and bared her gritting teeth at him. Her gaze flicked around and caught sight of a stool they were nearing. She used the momentum from a spin to kick it right towards his crotch.

“¡OI! ¡OI! ¡Sólo estaba bromeando!” Nereo shouted, narrowly dodging the chair.

“Just making sure~!” Uzi gave him a strained smile.

Nereo stared at her. He then huffed through his blowhole.

“Well, if you want to play it that way.” He spoke.

The Blue Whale Drone raised a hand, snapping his fingers twice. The band stopped their song and let the sounds register. They then started up a new song—this time far faster than the ones previous.

Nereo started dancing before Uzi knew what was going on. He took the lead and stomped his weaponized feet all across the deck. The crew cheered and followed in his footsteps, filling the night with even louder noise.

Uzi had to stare down at their feet to try and keep up. Nereo’s heavy coat wasn’t making it too easy, especially with it being so long on her.

But the true captain just smirked and picked up the pace even more. He spun Uzi around and had her walk backwards in the dance. Her grip on his arms tightened, trying to prevent herself from falling before it was too late.

Nereo spun her right back, continuing to prance around the whole of the ship. The many pairs of stomping feet echoed out in the night and kept pace with the band’s rhythm. Some Worker Drones sang the chorus to the song, wide smiles on their face plates.

Uzi couldn’t take even a second to try and understand the lyrics. Nereo was intent on getting her to trip on her own two feet. And for as much as Uzi was trying not to trip and fall, it was becoming increasingly hard with how fast the song was going.

“I-I can’t keep up–!” Uzi tried to say, her eye lights going hollow.

“¡Tonterías! ¡No te esfuerzas lo suficiente!” N argued as his grin grew.

Uzi whipped her head up to send him a glare for his cryptic message. It didn’t last long as Uzi nearly tripped over a fallen bottle. Nereo saved her just in time by spinning her around and taking the lead of the dancing line.

“¡Ven! ¡Pisa fuerte! ¡Mueve esas piernas! ¡No dejes que el fuego de esta fiesta se apague todavía, señorita!” Nereo laughed as he guided Uzi in a circle around the mast.

“I can’t understand a damn word you are saying!” Uzi shouted back with furrowing brows.

“¡No es necesario!” Nereo told her, taking her up the stairs to the quarterdeck. "¡Sólo baila! ¡Si no, esta fiesta no habrá servido para nada! ¡Jaja!”

The two twirled by the wheel before stomping their way back down to the main deck of the ship. The crew followed like some sort of conga line, holding hands, hooking elbows, and tromping all along the wood and metal of the ship’s flooring.

Uzi tried to keep pace with the pirate, her shorter steps just making it harder on herself. Nereo laughed at her expense, taking her around the whole of the deck again. And as they came near to the bowsprit, he jumped back onto the deck.

The woman grasping tightly onto his hand yelped as they fell. Nereo’s feet thumped onto the ground and he caught Uzi within his arms. He eased her fall with a low dip, the song coming to an abrupt end with it.

“Aye, señorita, you don’t need to squeeze your optics closed that hard.” Nereo chuckled quietly from above.

Uzi waited a second before finally squinting an optic open. She gazed at the pirate above her. She could see her hands gripping onto his arms with scared vice. Uzi opened both of her optics, her eye lights gazing back at him in hollow.

Nereo made another soft laugh. “¿Está bien, señorita?” That much Uzi could decipher.

“I would be better if you didn’t drag me around like a madman!” She huffed.

“But it was fun, wasn’t it?” Nereo questioned back with a quirking brow.

Uzi’s cheeks puffed in a pout. Her visor went a bit flush as she turned her head away—she refused to admit that it was fun!

Though, it at least let her realize she was still being held in this low dip. Her brows furrowed and she growled as she pushed at the Blue Whale Drone’s chest. Nereo laughed louder and straightened, letting her go.

“You could’ve just asked, señorita.”

“Bite me!”

“Probablemente sea una mala idea, jaja.”

Uzi rolled her optics and stomped her way back to the table. She inspected her win to make sure it didn’t look or smell funky before downing the rest of it. Once empty, she filled it right back up again.

“Everyone! Another round to close out this night on a high note!” She called as she raised her large cup.

“Aye-aye, Pirate Captain God!!” Everyone shouted back.

They all reached for their cups, filling them up and making a toast. They chugged down their booze and whooped into the night sky. More alcohol was passed around as the food was finished off.

Nereo watched as Uzi made multiple toasts with the other pirates. His hat was just about to slip right off her head, yet she didn’t seem to care. She only focused on drinking the rest of the night away—and perhaps her embarrassment from earlier.

A snicker left Nereo’s lips at the flushed expression she wore when she realized she was still in his grip. It was honestly a bit priceless.

‘Perhaps I should make her fluster more. It might make all the boring times on the water a bit more fun.’ He thought as his tail waved amusedly. ‘Though, for now, I should start cleaning up.’

As everyone started singing some shanty or sea tune or another, Nereo began cleaning up the feast. Ron and Cuca joined him in doing so, speeding up the process while everyone else got drunk far into the night.

By the time the table was cleaned, put back along with the chairs, and the booze barrels that were brought out were all but dried up, the whole crew was falling asleep against each other and the ship.

Nereo grunted as he pushed the last crate back against one of the ship’s corners. Swiping the sweat from his digital brow, he turned to stare at his crew. He cracked a smirk at seeing them sleep and snore loudly.

Walking across the deck, he walked up to one pile of crates that had been previously set up for the “Pirate Captain God.” A hand combed through Nereo’s bangs as he stared down at the woman sleeping on the blankets and pillows sitting on the said crates.

He let out a sigh as he leaned over to brush some strands of purple hair from Uzi’s face. “¿Aye, qué voy a hacer con usted, señorita?” He whispered to her.

Uzi gave no reply. Nereo didn’t expect one. He just carefully scooped her up into his arms and started on his way towards the hatch. But just as he got there, Nereo paused.

His gaze flicked between the hatch and the woman in his arms. His coat made a sufficient blanket for her in the chilly night. With another—albeit semi-defeated—sigh, Nereo turned on his gun heels.

Entering the captain’s cabin, Nereo carefully set Uzi down into his hammock. He took off his clothes from her frame and pulled out a blanket instead. Uzi curled up tighter in her sleep, easing into the large hammock.

Sitting his hat and coat onto the back of his heavy desk chair, Nereo took a seat and laid his head onto his forearms. The ship remained quiet as it rocked along the sea waves. Nereo cast one last glance Uzi’s way, feeling exhaustion tug at his consciousness.

“Te juro, que a veces no sé si das más problemas de los que vales, o si los problemas valen la pena.” He muttered just before shutting his optics off for the night.

Chapter Text

For once, her hammock wasn’t so scratchy or itchy. It was actually soft for once!

Which is weird, because Uzi knows her hammock isn’t nearly as nice as this.

Booting up her optics, Uzi took in the dim yet sunlit room around her. She could tell already from the chair and table just a few feet away, plus the chests and the papers on the light grey walls, that this was not her room.

Uzi’s optics finally focused and she shot up. The soft but slightly stained hammock she sat on swayed with her movement. Uzi’s head shot around to stare at what appeared to be the captain’s cabin.

The woman’s hands then flew to her clothes. Thankfully! They were still there and weren’t any less messy than last night.

Uzi let out a relieved sigh. ‘Though, now I have some questions.’

Getting off the hammock, Uzi cracked open the door. She peered at all the pirates working on the ship, singing some sort of shanty and being surprisingly in-rhythm with each other. But, seeing as they were all distracted, she decided to sneak out.

The door was closed quietly as she slipped out. Uzi made her way over to some crates to make her way to the downstairs hatch. Just as she was about to come out from her cover, someone plucked her right off the ground.

“Aye, there’s no need to be so jumpy, señorita!” Nereo laughed.

“Th-Then maybe don’t scare me like that!” Uzi shouted back.

“Ha! ¡Vale, vale!” He set her back onto the deck. “But I’m glad you’re up! You’ve got some work ahead of you!” Nereo then smiled as his tail waved.

“Like what…?” Uzi asked as her posture deflated.

“Since you’re the new quarterdeck, you need to help us out! Make sure things run smoothly and we have good stock!” The pirate captain exclaimed jovially. “Just make sure things don’t go to shit, basically.”

“Okay… Seems easy enough.” Uzi nodded.

“Good! You start right away!” Nereo exclaimed.

“W-Wait! I just woke up! And I haven’t even eaten anything!” Uzi’s eye lights went hollow with the shout.

“I’ll get Cuca to bring you something. For now, let’s get you acquainted with your new job!” Nereo gently pushed her towards the hatch.

Uzi couldn’t say anything more until she was taken down below deck. Nereo led her to a room just under the captain’s cabin, where another table and chair sat, along with boxes filled with books and notes.

“This, señorita, is the warrant officer’s cabin! Here, you’ll be doing all of your work!” Nereo introduced with an outstretched arm. “Or– Most of your work, anyway.” He added.

“Either way, this is where the old quartermasters’ logs and notes and such lay! Use them however you’d like!” He said as he opened a box.

Uzi looked around with voided eye lights. She stepped further into the room to gaze into the various boxes. Picking up a book, she saw that there was a bit of water damage.

“There’s quite a few boxes. How many quartermasters have you had?” The woman inquired as she turned to the pirate.

“Almost half a dozen, but that also includes the couple of Captains before me.” Nereo answered, letting the crate lid drop.

“So, this isn’t your original ship?” Uzi went on, tossing the book onto the desk.

Nereo suddenly went quiet. Uzi turned up to him to stare at his back. The silence began to feel heavy the longer it went on. Uzi opened her mouth to brush off her last inquiry before Nereo finally spoke up.

“...You could say that…” He muttered.

Uzi just stared at him.

“Ah, but let’s not worry about that now!” Nereo suddenly spun around to give her a big grin. “Since you’re the new quartermaster, I suggest you take a good look at those books! You don’t need to read every single log, but I’d suggest reading the most recent one!” He dropped a book onto her new desk.

Uzi picked it up and stared at it. She flipped it, feeling the dried leather against her fingers. The edges of the papers were yellowing and crinkled. Uzi opened up the log and skimmed through a few pages.

“I was never a quartermaster, so you’re better off looking through the books and logs of the old ones to get more information on what to do!” Nereo went on.

‘I could kind of tell…’ Uzi kept the thought in her voice box.

“Thanks.” She said instead.

“Aye, no hay problema.” Nereo grinned. “Anyways, I’ve got to get back to my crew. If you need anything, just ask! I’ll most likely be at the wheel steering.” The Blue Whale Drone left the room.

Uzi watched the door creak closed. Once alone, her optics turned back to the most recent log book in her hands. She flipped through the book again, listening to the edges of the pages crinkle and wrinkle.

‘Whoever was quartermaster last had some nice handwriting.’ Uzi noted. ‘But it also looks like these guys had quite a few big battles.’

“These expenses are outrageous…” She muttered out loud, spotting some pretty big numbers.

But Uzi’s train of thought would be cut off as she got to the end of the logbook. Her eye lights went wide as she noticed the sudden change in handwriting.

“This is barely even legible!” She huffed in aggravation. “Who the hell was the last quartermaster?! An alpha-stage neural network?!” Uzi rolled her optics.

She then sat back in her new desk chair. It was comfier than barrels or crates, though still very creaky. And flaky. But ignoring that, Uzi tried to decipher the horrible handwriting abruptly presented to her.

{Todae, ouer qu quert qwuartermasteer has died.} The first line barely read. {I will taek over fore him} the punctuation was spotty at times.

A brow lowered on Uzi’s visor at the message. But she continued reading.

{Wee took a lot of looses. The ship is baerly saeiling.}

{Moorale is lowe. Will pick up wheer qwuartermasteer left in the logs.}

{Im sorree Li Lai Liamme}

{Dae 1: supplies low, foode short, ship dammaged, and crew hoppless}–

Uzi shut the book right there. “Well, not only was that barely legible, but also extremely depressing.” She huffed to herself. “At least I now have an idea of what I’m working with, regarding the last quartermaster.”

She set the logbook onto the desk and got up to look around. She first searched the old desk, finding some simple supplies, including empty books and even an abacus. And when she searched the crates, she found a couple of spreadsheets and piles of notes.

Uzi set them onto her desk to investigate. Very few papers were actually dated, and she wondered if the pirates had any sense of the date at all. But Uzi shook her head and scanned the math on the sheets.

“Looks like they still get decent profits despite any bills and expenses.” Uzi noted to herself. “Though, recently they haven’t been getting quite as much.” She looked at the book Nereo gave her again.

As she stared at the neater handwriting in the beginning of the book, she couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the “Liam” guy the ending pages talked about.

‘He’s probably the old quartermaster. Though, that now begs the question of who the new one was before me.’ Her brows knitted together.

Uzi flipped back to the end of the logbook. She scanned through the messy handwriting and vague details of supplies of treasure. Whoever was in charge of this stuff last wasn’t very good at it. But she noticed that the handwriting slowly got better, at least!

Mostly…

‘Of course, that’s also quite an understatement.’ Uzi mused.

Uzi flipped to the last page. Her optical lights went wide again. But the more important thing was–

{I axidentally picked up a gur girl today. I feel bad becauz I traded for her. The other one was veree annoeing.} Uzi’s eye lights slowly went void. {But the other girl with purpl hair looks prommising. Maybee I can make her the new qwuartermaster.}

{Itz hard being both captin and qwuartermaster.}

Uzi stared down at the last sentence in pure shock. She snapped her head up to the door, where the pirate captain left through some time ago.

“Right…” Her brows shot up. “He was the one who had to do the math for the portions, right? A-And he was bad at it…”

Uzi let out a stressed sigh and leaned back in the chair. It groaned and rocked backwards. Uzi kept silent for some time, just thinking.

“Well, now it all makes sense.” She blew out a vent.

Sitting back up again, Uzi took an empty notebook, a pencil, and got up. She left the room, making a bee-line for the kitchen. Cuca noticed her presence quickly, a brow raising at the items in her hands.

“Hey, I know you’re busy, but I need to know how much food we have.” Uzi greeted. “Mind if I come in and take a look?”

Cuca nodded mutely. Uzi walked into the tiny kitchen and opened up the crates holding their food. Uzi did a quick count and wrote everything down within her book. She even noted down how much oil they had and the kitchen supplies available.

“Thanks. I’ll get out of your hair now.” Uzi said as she started leaving.

Before she could, Cuca tugged on her sleeve. Uzi turned, being presented with a few pieces of aluminum jerky. Uzi took it with a quiet thanks and left the cook to cook.

Uzi’s next stop was Ron’s infirmary. He gave her a warm greeting despite currently working on someone’s prosthetic. Uzi barely acknowledged either of the pirates and rummaged through the cabinets, noting down the numbers of everything.

“You know, you never let me give you a physical! Think you could–” Ron began over someone’s scream.

“No thanks. Cya.” Uzi was quick to leave.

Ron stared hollow-eyed at the door for a few seconds. As the pirate let out a pained whimper, the surgeon sighed and chopped off the rusted part of his arm.

Uzi went into the cargo hold and counted their barrels of booze. Other supplies, like for battles or recreation, were also counted. She wrote down everything she could, making quite the lengthy list in her notebook.

‘It’ll be worth it, though! Perhaps we’ll be able to save more money now that we have a much more concise list of materials.’ The woman thought as she moved on.

Making her way back up to the deck, she saw that things had calmed down. Pirates were napping or otherwise lounging around on the ship as it sailed quietly through the waters. Uzi let out a sigh and emerged from the hatch.

Ropes, hooks, cannons, crewmates, their prosthetics, and more were counted as Uzi made her rounds among the deck. As she went around the place, the crew found mild interest in her actions.

“Looks like the new quartermaster is already hard at work.” Marq snickered.

“Good! She needed to start pulling her weight around here!” Twig huffed as he smirked.

“Give her a break!” Sid waved off with his machine claw hand. “It’s only recently that she’s beginning to open up! Literally last night!” He went on as his brows furrowed.

“I was just saying! She’s been here for some time already! There isn’t a pirate on here that freeloads off the others! Not even the Captain!” Twig defended with mock surrendering hands.

“Give her some time to settle in, Twig! It isn’t easy going from island life to sea life!” Sid puffed.

“Yeah, yeah! I’m sure it’s not!” Twig rolled his optics.

“Enough, both of you.” Ronan’s voice said as he passed by. “If you aren’t going to help her, then just watch in silence. There’s no use getting into a fight over something as trivial as who’s doing more work.”

“Hah. That’s easy for you to say, Ronan.” Marq just about sneered.

Ronan’s gaze narrowed into something more annoyed. “Why yes, it is easy for me, a drone who’s been created and raised on the sea, to say.”

“Then why are you trying to dictate what we say and do? It isn’t like you’re the Captain, now, are you?” Marq’s brows furrowed deeper. “Or did Captain Nereo suddenly retire and leave you in charge?”

“I suggest you let this conversation drop, Marq.” Ronan warned, his fist balling up tight.

“And why? Are you really that offended over a simple fact-?!”

Bang!

Thump!

Marq was suddenly socked in the mouth by Ronan. The former fell to the floor with a loud thud. The whole ship snapped towards their direction.

“Y-You son of a–!” Marq snarled as he hobbled back to his feet.

Another, even louder thud, suddenly rocked the whole boat. Everyone turned to the new sound. Their captain rose back up and fixed his grey coat.

“No empecemos a descargar todo este exceso de energía entre nosotros, ¿vale?” Nereo turned his intense and rainy gaze towards the feuding crewmates.

Ronan and Marq flinched at the tone. They nodded in silence. Nereo let a huff out from his blowhole. He turned to the new quartermaster, having been startled hard enough to fall onto her rump. Or maybe that was from Nereo’s heavy leap onto the ship’s deck.

“Sorry about that, señorita.” Nereo spoke first, setting her back onto her feet. “Sometimes the crew gets a bit riled up and there’s a bunch of stored energy that they can’t quite get out. It causes a bit of trouble from time-to-time.” He explained as he brushed off the dust from Uzi’s clothes.

“Uh– Y-Yeah, it’s whatever.” Uzi stepped back from his hands.

“Anyways, how are things looking? Were you able to check out some of those logs and notes?” Nereo stood up straight again, setting his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, I skimmed through some stuff. As for supplies, they aren’t too bad.” The woman told him. “I suggest getting new equipment for the kitchen, however. That stove is old and all the utensils Cuca uses are rusting.” She went on.

“Ron could also use some stuff—namely bandages, electrical tape, and spare metal sheets. We’ve got plenty of booze, plenty of rope, and plenty of ship repair supplies.” Uzi listed off of her notebook. “I’m not sure whether or not the crew’s size is good, though. But we have thirteen crew members in total, including ourselves.” She finished.

Uzi turned up to Nereo, awaiting his response. He just stared back down at her with eye rings and a stunned grin. He reset his voice box behind his hand and nodded.

“¡E-Eso es bueno!” His thick tail waved. “You’ve done very good work today! Your pay will be much better next time around!” He smiled wider down at her.

“Hmph. It better be.” Uzi pouted back.

“Aww, don’t tell me you’re still hung up on that, señorita!” Nereo laughed. “I even went out and got you some new clothes! Didn’t that make up for the lack of pay?” He cocked his head.

“The more I’m paid, the sooner I can get back home. So, no. Not really.” Uzi shook her head, giving the pirate captain a flat look.

Nereo’s smile fell and something close to a pout but not quite replaced it. But he let out a sigh and turned away.

“Aye, fino. Sé así, pequeña gaviota.”

Uzi’s face fell into anger and annoyance. “You know, I may not be fluent in Spanish, but I can tell tones, jackass!” She shouted at his back.

“Seguro que sí.” Nereo waved her off.

Uzi’s teeth grit hard and her grip on her book and pencil strengthened. The latter item snapped in her hand.

“Pendejo!” She barked.

“¡Ah! ¡Así que sabes español!” Nereo turned to grin at her, his tail waving in amusement.

Uzi flipped him off, much to Nereo’s delight.

“Maybe if you ask me enough, I might teach you some more Spanish!” He called back as he made his way back to the helmwheel. “And maybe I’ll teach you a few choice words~!” He winked at the woman, another chuckle leaving his lips.

“I’ll teach you a few choice words, dick!” Uzi shouted back.

“Ah-hah!! Sure you will, señorita!” Nereo laughed.

Uzi groaned and rolled her optics. She spun around and stomped her way back into the hold. Nereo laughed again, his tail swaying jovially.

“Es demasiado divertida para irritarla.” He spoke to himself, his laughter dying off.

Chapter Text

The voyage across the seas continued on for some time. Uzi had no idea how long, too caught up in her new work to check. There was so much to do and an unknown amount of time to get it all done.

But just when she figured she might take a quick break, a loud roar of cheer erupted from the deck of the ship. Uzi was startled and dropped her book. She whipped around to the door with hollowed optics. The next thing she knew, cannons were firing off.

The female Worker Drone slammed open her door, being greeted with pirates running about.

“Load the cannons and fire! Don’t let them get away!” Someone shouted.

The pirates filled the said cannons and fired them off portside. Uzi fell onto her butt when the ship made a heavy rock, throwing many others off-balance.

“What the hell is going on?!” Uzi shouted as she stumbled back to her feet.

“A ship, that’s what!” Sid called back. “Now get your flank in gear and help us! There could be treasure on the ship!” He laughed jovially.

‘A little too jovially.’ Uzi wanted to comment.

But she shook her head and made her way to the deck. Uzi poked her head out of the hatch, watching more pirates run about. The ship made a sharp turn that made the entire vessel lean to the side. Uzi nearly got bonked hard on the head from the hatch door swinging.

After narrowly avoiding cranial damage, she was hobbled onto the deck by some pirates pushing her out of the way. They held weapons in their hands, along with hooks and ropes. With a loud cry, the ship’s captain came running down from the quarterdeck.

“BRING A SPRING UPON HER CABLE!!” Nereo bellowed, taking his anchor off his hip. “Get me as close as possible!” A manic grin spread across his face plates as he propped a foot onto the railing.

Nereo then lifted his anchor in a swing. He let some of the thick chain slide from his palm to let the anchor fly in a circle. He swung it around over his head as the La Fortuna Absoluta chased the ship’s flank.

As soon as the opposing ship was within range, the twirling anchor was cast out. Nereo used all his strength in the throw, making the heavy object fly like a bird. It was quick to arc down into a straight descent, crashing into the quarterdeck of the ship.

With his weaponized heels digging into the ship and his upper body giving one strong tug, the other vessel was unable to gain any sea. Nereo’s joints and pistons groaned in protest as he held on tight to his anchor’s chain.

“Ready the hooks!” He called as the wind picked up.

His crew set up crossbows and even a whole harpoon.

“Aim!” Nereo turned back to the panicking robots on the other ship.

The pirates lifted their crossbows, their grins as devilish as their captain’s.

“Belay!!”

And with that, the weapons were shot.

Grappling hooks flew through the air and caught onto railings and ropes. Some drones on the opposing ship hurried to cut the ropes. But arrows firing at them had them halting and scurrying for cover.

Nereo’s crew began climbing over to the other ship. Uzi only watched in fear as they raided the innocent vessel, striking terror into its sailors.

Nereo himself fastened his chain onto his ship. As the other vessel was brought close, a catwalk was placed between them. Nereo stomped on over and hopped down onto the smaller ship.

“FELLOW SAILORS!!” The Blue Whale Drone called loudly. “We all have our places to go! So I’m offering a one-time deal!” He pointed as his other hand landed on his hip.

“You give us all your valuables, and we leave without a drop of oil shed!” He exclaimed. “Or, you try to resist us, and we give no quarters.” And suddenly, his look turned dark.

The said sailors just stared at him. It didn’t take them long to make a decision. Nereo grinned in utmost joy as they began pulling out barrels and sacks.

“Tripulación ¡Busquen en el botín!” Nereo gestured to the sacks.

His crew did as told while Nereo went about to explore the ship. He took a sword sheathe from his hip and taped along the deck. Hollow sounds rang back at his audials.

Meanwhile, Uzi was still reeling after such a display of giddy chasing. She felt as though her core was going to burst through her chest plates at this rate. But she swallowed and took a few deep vents to recuperate.

‘It’s… What pirates do.’ She reminded herself. ‘Just be glad you aren’t on the opposing side.’ A vent was let out.

Uzi picked herself up and looked around. The ship was mostly empty, except for the last pirate steering the vessel. Uzi went over to get a better view of the opposing ship and the two crews upon it.

“You look spooked.” Cammy commented with a knowing grin.

“Ugh. Who wouldn’t be spooked?” Uzi retorted with a sigh.

“Fair enough!” The missing with a prosthetic camera lense agreed. “How’s your first time seeing a raid, though? Think you can get used to this sort of thing?” He wondered next.

“I’m gonna have to if I want to survive out here.” Uzi said back. “Though, I’m not the biggest fan of all the manic fanfare around it, that much is for certain.”

“Ah, it’s just how pirates be! It’s one of the only things one can take enjoyment in when you live pretty much your entire life on the sea.” Cammy returned.

Uzi gave him a worried glance but said nothing. She turned back to the catwalk, watching some drones haul the loot onto La Fortuna Absoluta.

“Looks like I’ve got a lot more work cut out for me, though.” She sighed to herself.

“That’s the life of a quartermaster for you.” Cammy replied, even though she wasn’t talking to him.

“Is that the only thing you say in reply to that sort of comment?” Uzi’s brow quirked down as she turned to him.

“Better than saying nothing at all.” Cammy shrugged.

Uzi just rolled her optics. She went down the stairs and stared at a barrel. With a tired rub to her neck, she took a deep vent and opened it up–

–Only to get nearly stabbed in the head.

A yelp bubbled past her lips and Uzi fell onto her butt yet again today. The sword swung around wildly as the sailor got out of the barrel. The pirates pulled out their own weapons in response.

More armed sailors emerged from crates and sacks. The ship the pirates were just pillaging suddenly burst to life with various weapons. The sailor that nearly put Uzi’s head on a sword swung the said thing right at her.

She screamed again and rolled out of the way just in time. That one move made the two ships burst to life, guns firing off, weapons swinging, and battle cries ringing out across the sea and sky.

Uzi managed to get over to the captain’s cabin. But she couldn’t quite take cover within it with the sailor trying to lob her head off. Uzi clicked her tongue and spotted Nereo’s anchor chain.

Making a bee-line straight for it, the sailor followed. Uzi ducked below some swinging swords and grabbed onto the links. The sailor swung his sword down on her just for Uzi to hop over the chain.

The sword clanged against the tough metal and threw the sailor off-balance. Uzi used the chain to kick him in the chest and knock him back. The sailor nearly fell overboard, but grabbed onto the anchor’s rackle.

Uzi swiped his sword from his hands and began making the chain bounce. The sailor held on for dear life as he bobbed up and down. Uzi groaned and rolled her optics.

“Just fall into the ocean already, loser!” She yelled.

“Up yours!” The man flipped her off.

Uzi growled at him. She stopped bouncing the chain and turned away from it. The sailor sighed out in relief. But it didn’t last long as Uzi came over with a cannonball. The guy’s eye light went void and his mouth opened to yell out.

He only got to scream when Uzi hauled the ball over the edge and let it fall onto him. The sailor was quick to plummet into the ocean with a splash. Letting out a vent, Uzi turned to the chaos on the boats.

The sailors were being beaten pretty hard, and Uzi thought maybe that was understatement. Either way, the opposing forces were quick to try and retreat–

“PLEASE! HAVE MERCY! WE WERE ONLY DOING AS TOLD!!” Someone from the smaller vessel yelled.

Nereo stomped his heel right onto his face. The Worker Drone stared up at him with emboldened eye rings, filled with horrified tears.

“Dead bots tell no tales,” He hissed. “Y menos aún de los que deciden engañar con el diablo.” He finished with a deadly narrowing of his gaze.

And just when the fighting died down and the ocean waves replaced the screams and cries of battle, Nereo’s gun heel fired off. Oil flew into the air and splattered onto the ship. Metal rended and shredded open as glass shattered and the shards scattered.

Nereo’s intense and dark gaze didn’t leave the mutilated head of the corpse. He slowly lifted his heel, oil droplets dribbling onto the body and floorboards quietly. The sea fell quiet around the two ships as the pirate captain shook some oil from his foot.

A snuff left his blowhole and Nereo spun on his oily heel. He walked calmly across the catwalk and stepped down onto La Fortuna Absoluta. His crew stared at him with unphased expressions, awaiting his next order.

“Check for any loot or materials we can use. Let the bodies rust in ol’ Jones’ locker.” The Blue Whale Drone spoke.

A short and faint round of acknowledgements and the crew was off. Uzi just stared with eye rings. Her hands shook and the plating on them rattled. Suddenly, she had no voice nor courage.

Nereo’s rain-colored optics flicked over to her. Uzi couldn’t help the involuntary flinch. Nereo looked surprised for but a second before the expression was wiped away by neutrality.

“Señorita,” Nereo called, making Uzi’s voice box tighten. “I hadn’t realized you came up. Are you injured?” He questioned.

Uzi couldn’t even open her mouth. Her hands balled up into fists as they slowly and subconsciously drifted over her lap. Her hands wanted to shield her face from his view, or perhaps her core from his sword.

A soft sigh blew from the taller robot’s blowhole. “You should go back into the hull. You’ll need your logbook for the new loot.” Nereo told her.

For as much as Uzi wanted to move—to get away from these pirates and hole herself up in some room or another—her motor functions wouldn’t listen. No matter how many commands she sent out, her system never picked it up.

The Blue Whale Drone’s gaze fell into what Uzi swore was guilt. He turned and stepped towards her. Uzi finally moved—but she only fell onto her butt from the scare.

Nereo paused mid-step. He took a moment to think. He let out another sigh from his blowhole, stressed and worried. Nereo resumed his trek over, but tried to keep his pace slow.

When he neared the woman, he sluggishly kneeled down in front of her. His tail curled around his knee and his back was hunched. Nereo kept a gentle look in his optics, hoping it’d make her feel better.

“Siento que hayas tenido que ver eso, señorita.” Nereo began softly and with an apologetic tone, Uzi noted. “I hadn’t realized you were up here. If I did, I would’ve sent you right back downstairs.” He gave her a small grin.

Uzi just stared at him. It was hard to vent.

“Señorita, I can assure you that you will not be hurt so long as you are a part of my crew.” Nereo went on. “W-Well– You will not be hurt by me or my crew, that is.” He chuckled nervously.

Nereo reset his vocoder behind a fist. “A-Anyway, I am not going to hurt you. That you can be sure of.”

He turned back to the female Worker Drone. Uzi seemed somewhat calmed by that reassurance, yet she still stared at him with fear. Nereo didn’t feel like he was really getting anywhere…

“You must understand, señorita, being a pirate is going to be oily and scary.” He decided to take a different approach. “I cannot guarantee you won’t get hurt by other drones or that you won’t see horrific things. Even I have been scared by this life, many times!” He laughed again, to ease her nerves.

“But… We all must face scary things every now and then, yes?” His rainy brows creased. “You, and me, and Ronan, and Ron, and Cuca, and this whole crew—even the other one. We’re all out here being scared and facing our fears.” He glanced at the other ship, now silent.

Uzi blinked at him. She could feel some air returning to her vents. Her posture was still stiff, but it was slowly unwinding. What Nereo said is right. This is unavoidable.

“The sea is an unforgiving lady. She takes what she can and never gives anything back. You have to go down to her depths and find it.” The pirate captain went on. “In fact, if I am being honest, it’s part of what makes traversing her so fun.” He laughed as his tail waved.

“Getting to know her, being guided by her, trusting her, loving her—it’s all what makes the pirate life so gratifying!” His smile grew. “Risk and reward—she gives it all! And the way she’s so unpredictable, I love it! All of it!” He threw his arms into the air.

“Without the sea, I’d just be waltzing around on some island; No fun, no love, no trust, no adrenaline zipping through my circuits! And I wouldn’t have met such amazing friends and family!” He turned to gesture to his crew, searching the barrels and sacks for any more sneaky sailors. “And…” He turned back to Uzi.

“No habría conocido a una gaviota tan luchadora.” He smirked at her with another wave of his tail.

Uzi’s brow blinked onto her visor to twitch down. Nereo chuckled but extended a hand.

“Come on, señorita. Let’s get up already and make sure everyone’s okay. Even if we’re a little bit spooked.” He offered.

Uzi’s optics flicked to his hand. Finally, she got her motoric functions to listen to her again. She took the large hand offered to her and was carefully lifted to her feet. Uzi let out a deep vent, still a bit shaky from lingering fear.

“Ven. Quiero que Ron se asegure de que no estás herida.” Nereo said.

He took the woman over to the surgeon, helping a few others out with their injuries. Thankfully, they were all minor or superficial.

“Thank you.” Uzi suddenly muttered.

“Hm?” Nereo hummed, turning to stare at her over his shoulder.

“Just–... I’ve never seen someone be killed so mercilessly, so…” Her words slipped off her tongue before she could finish.

Nereo blinked at her. He then gave her a reassuring grin.

“Aye, it’s alright, señorita. It’s going to take time to get used to.” He gently patted her back. “Even me and the rest of the crew had to get used to it. You aren’t alone in that.” He added on.

Uzi nodded. “Thanks, I guess.” She wasn’t sure what to say.

“Por supuesto, señorita.” Nereo grinned wider. “Ron ¡Ven a revisarla!” He then turned to the surgeon.

Uzi’s gaze turned back up to the pirate, getting into a mild argument with the surgeon. She had to turn her optics away as her visor began heating up.

‘He cares too much for his crew.’ She thought. ‘But he’s still an asshole sometimes. He’s too jarring…’ Her brows furrowed at the second thought.

“I hate him…” A pout formed on her face plates with the mutter.

Chapter Text

The aftermath of the battle was a quick clean-up of bodies and the storing of new treasure. Once things were said and done, an uneasy quietude fell upon La Fortuna Absoluta. It took another couple of minutes before their captain finally spoke to his crew.

“Everyone! Line up, portside!” He called loudly.

Sweat drops blinked onto the men’s visor as they did as told. Nereo slowly walked in front of his crew, rain-colored optics narrowing on each and every one of them. Reaching the end of the line, he stopped.

“Señorita, Cammy. Go and count the treasure below deck.” He ordered with a nudge of his head.

“But we just counted–” Uzi began to argue, a brow quirking down.

“Come on. Let’s just get it over with.” But Cammy was gently grabbing onto her shoulders and leading her away.

“But we just counted all the treasure! I have it logged!” Uzi said, trying to get out of his grip.

“Let’s just recount it to be safe! Who knows if we might’ve missed something!” Cammy retorted, pulling her down the steps.

“Wait–! But–!” Uzi stumbled over her own words.

She glanced back above the hatch, catching one last glance at Nereo. As she was pulled to the bottom of the stairs, the hatch was closed and the rest of the crew were left atop the ship.

Nereo kept his sights on the hatch for another minute before whipping his head towards his crew. A deep and darkened glower formed on his face plates. His men stared off at the, hands behind her backs or to their sides and their voice boxes silent. Nereo turned to pace in front of them again, his tail making an agitated wave.

“I thought I had told you to check the hauls before transporting it onto the ship.” He growled as his hands stuck behind his back. “I had given you an explicit order! Was it not clear enough?!” And his voice began to rise.

His crew stayed silent as Nereo paced behind the row of Worker Drones.

“I did not give out that order for no reason! I did not tell you to check the loot because I thought it’d be funny!” He shouted, making some of his crew flinch. “I do not tell you to have caution, or be careful, because I like to see you scurry around like robo-roaches!” A snarl formed on his lips, his teeth bearing.

“I had given you all that order to prevent a fight from breaking out! And guess what happened?!” He growled at his crew’s faces, making more flinch. “We could have lost our new quartermaster! We could’ve been left without one again!” He threw an arm into the air in indignation.

“In fact, we could’ve lost our treasure! Our ship! Even our lives!” He went on loudly. “To give your life to the sea is one thing, but to throw it away because of a disobedient folly?!” His eye lights had hollowed out by now.

His crew merely stood there in complete silence. They had no qualms about his scolding—they clearly had disobeyed his given order.

“What would we have done if we lost our quartermaster?” Nereo then asked.

Still, silence. He let out a furious growl and spun around to face his men.

“¡¡TE HICE UNA PREGUNTA!!” He bellowed. “¿¡QUÉ HUBIÉRAMOS HECHO SI HUBIÉRAMOS PERDIDO A NUESTRO INTENDENTE!?!” His tail slammed hard against the deck.

A loud and rumbling thud startled Uzi from her counting. She turned up to the ceiling with hollowed eye lights.

“The hell was that…?” She whispered.

“Maybe a storm’s coming in. Just ignore it.” Cammy replied, unperturbed by the sound.

Uzi turned to stare at him. A sweat drop scrolled down as she simply nodded.

“We don’t know, Captain!” His crew replied all at once.

Nereo went quiet. He tilted his head up to stare down his olfactory sensors at the band of crewmates. The minute of muteness that passed only made the crew more uneasy.

“‘No lo sé’.” Nereo then mimed. “Hah. Of course.” He then released a dry puff.

He began to pace once more, his gun-heeled feet stomping circles around his crew. Nereo’s gaze bore into their frames, front and back.

“Soy tu capitán. Obedece todo lo que te diga. Aye?” He asked his crew.

They all gave each other unsure glances. They guessed at what he said and nodded mutely.

“¿Eso significa que cuando te digo que compruebes el botín, lo compruebas, aye?” Their captain asked next.

Again, his crew mutely nodded in agreement.

“Es bueno ver que todos lo comprenden.” Nereo’s brows rose. “Entonces, ¿por qué demonios no sigues unas simples órdenes, joder?” His thick tail slammed against the deck again.

The row of men in front of him flinched once more.

“Of all the orders you could’ve ignored, this one is of the most appalling!” His shout echoed through the sky. “What do you think could’ve happened if those sailors were more patient?! If we took those crates, and those barrels, and those chests, and put them in the hold?!” He turned to a random crewmate.

Nereo waited for a reply. Marq tried to swallow the static lump in his throat.

“They–” He reset his voice box anxiously. “They could’ve stolen our treasure.”

“¿¡Y?!” Nereo urged him on.

“They could’ve killed us.” He added.

“¡¡EXACTAMENTE!!” Nereo spun on his heel again. “They could’ve waited until we were in Sleep Mode! They could’ve stolen our treasure or our ship! Bound our wrists and ankles and tossed us into the ocean!” He went on in a continued yell.

“Those sailors could’ve slit our throats while we were in Sleep Mode! We could’ve been killed if they were any more patient or smart!” He cut the air with his hand. “But lucky for us all! They’re about as smart as you all have proven yourselves to be!!” Not once did his snarling lip ease.

“¿¡Qué ha pasado con todo el sentido común?! ¿¡Con toda la inteligencia que tenías antes?! Hah?!” He questioned furiously. “I can’t even believe that you all would botch this so atrociously!” He let out another growl.

Nereo pinched his visor as his other fist balled up tight. He had to take a moment to try and quell his anger, yet it refused to die down. It just kept flaring up like crashing waves in a storm.

Ronan, despite the sweat drop on his visor, stepped forward to speak. “Captain, not all of us had disobeyed that order. I can say for certain that I had checked all of–”

“¡¿CUÁNDO DEMONIOS TE HE PREGUNTADO SI LO HAS COMPROBADO O NO?!” But Nereo wasn’t having it as he snapped towards his crewmate. “¡¡EL HECHO ES QUE ALGUNOS DE USTEDES SIGUEN DESOBEDIÉNDOME E IGNORANDO MI PUTA ORDEN!!” He stomped onto the ground as he approached the Worker Drone.

Ronan was shoved back into the line. Nereo cast his irate glower towards the rest of the crew. They wouldn’t dare try and meet it.

“Does anyone else have any ‘defenses’ they want to give me?! Does anyone else want to try and excuse their own stupidity?!” He questioned as he returned to stomping along the deck.

No one said a thing or stepped forward. Nereo’s blowhole huffed. He then heard someone reset their voice box. Nereo snapped his head in his direction.

“C-Captain Nereo, I believe you are taking this a bit–” Ron swallowed. “A bit far…” He dared not raise his voice above a whisper.

Nereo was mute for a few seconds. He stepped over to the surgeon, stopping in front of him. In the next second, his hand slammed against the mast, making the wood crack. Ron flinched as his eye lights went void. Nereo leaned down to close some of the distance, his voice low and threatening.

“So I am taking the threat of being disobeyed and nearly killed by some low-life, useless, worthless, tow-rags too far, is that right?” He questioned.

He waited a couple of seconds. When Ron didn’t respond, his curling fingers pierced into the wood.

“¿Es eso cierto, Ron?” Nereo asked once more.

Ron just about whimpered. “It is.” He whispered, fearing for his very own life.

Again, the crew’s captain went mute. Nereo straightened up and his hand left the mast. He turned to walk quieter along the row of Worker Drone men.

“Vale.” He spat. “My anger is just so unfair and unheard of that you feel the need to protest about it! And you have every right to challenge me on it!” He went on as he returned to stomping along the deck.

“But if you truly challenge my rage at this act of insubordination, then come forward! We can choose a new Captain right here and now!” He turned to face his crew, spreading his arms. “You all realize you’ll just have to follow the rules and fight me for it, right?” He then questioned as his voice lowered.

“The next time I give you an order; You follow it.” He hissed darkly. “¡¿Me estoy explicando bien?!” He turned to shout at his men one more time.

His crew nodded in reply and gave verbal confirmation. Nereo was tempted to click his tongue, yet he was just too angry to.

“You all have disobeyed your Captain,” He began again, trying to ease the rage in his voice. “You all have disappointed me and endangered this entire ship. You have endangered yourselves, myself, Cammy, and Uzi. You have gone directly against my word after I gave a clear order!” His tail smacked against the floor again.

“I–...” Nereo was about to speak, yet his voice box refused to work.

He rubbed his visor with a hand, gritting his conical teeth hard. Another growl rumbled from his chest. It didn’t take long for him to explode out in a throat-tearing scream.

“¡¡¡TODOS USTEDES DEBEN HABER SIDO RECIÉN ARRANCADOS DEL VIENTRE DE SUS MADRES PUTAS SI NI SIQUIERA PUEDEN–!!!” Nereo’s voice gave out on him, turning into a garbled mess of static and warbles.

The Blue Whale Drone slapped his hands to his hat and pulled it over his face. His screaming and unintelligible oscillations were marginally muffled by the accessory. But he had such a hard time stifling his fury that it came bursting from his back. Nereo’s blowhole made a large and fierce expulsion of water, soaking the back of his coat as the droplets fell back into the ocean.

After another solid minute of gripping his hat and howling his vices into it, Nereo suddenly stopped. He took a deep vent, held it, then let out into his tricorn. His grip on it loosened as he took a few more vents, his posture untensing.

Nereo straightened up, the crew’s gaze never leaving him. They all waited for his next move or words. After another handful of seconds, Nereo tilted his head down to put his tricorn back on. He then turned to his crew, a becalmed yet ever-furious look in his rainy optics.

“I do not care if you checked half the loot, all the loot, or none of it. You all were given a job and it was blatantly ignored,” The intense look in his optics only hardened. “¡¡TODOS Y CADA UNO DE USTEDES SERÁN CASTIGADOS POR MIS PROPIAS MANOS!!” He then suddenly thundered.

His tail slammed into the floor one last time at the scream. The floor couldn’t take anymore abuse and it cracked and indent under the limb. Nereo turned to glance at the damage, a calmer huff blowing from his back.

“Rusty, fix the deck.” For once, his voice was moderately leveled.

Uzi gasped when the ceiling was slammed into one more time and the floorboards above cracked. Dust and splinters fell to the floor as late evening light tried to peek through the tiny gaps.

“When the hell is going on up there?! This isn’t normal! And it sure as hell isn’t any storm!” The woman turned to the only other drone in the hold.

“Not right now, it isn’t.” Cammy replied, packing up a crate again.

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Uzi huffed, setting her hands onto her hips.

“It means that you just haven’t experienced this yet.” The man replied, his voice growing a little darker. “This isn’t exactly uncommon on pirate ships—not even Captain Nereo’s.”

Uzi quirked a brow at him. ‘He’s being awfully cryptic.’ She wanted to puff again.

“Well, an explanation would be nice.” She said as her arms crossed now.

Cammy let out a sigh, somewhat tired, somewhat annoyed. “You don’t need to worry about it!” He turned to face her. “Just be glad that Captain Nereo is sparring you from witnessing it.”

Uzi was just left even more confused. It showed on her face plates, much to Cammy’s chagrin. But he wouldn’t say anything more on the matter, no matter how much Uzi bugged him about it.

“Let’s just finish up recounting everything. Then, we can take a caulk or something.” The man said.

For a few seconds, Uzi just stared at him. She turned her gaze back up to the ceiling when another shout bellowed from up top. A drop of worried sweat scrolled down her visor at the unseen commotion.

Nereo then walked away as Rusty went to get his tools, picking up a barrel and digging through a crate for some cuffs and chains. He walked back over to the other side of the deck, setting down the barrel and attaching the chains to the railing.

The Blue Whale Drone then disappeared into the Captain’s Cabin. His crew waited with dread and fearful anticipation. They all flinched when they heard the door creak open and click shut.

Nereo stopped next to the barrel. “Turn around.” He ordered.

His men all spun around at once, like men in the military. Nereo’s dark eye lights bore into them with utmost ridicule and lividity.

“Bumpernickle.” Nereo called.

The said man nearly puked at his man being called. He slowly trudged over, trying to revel in the few painless seconds before they were ripped away from him.

“Shirt.” Nereo’s voice was even colder than the arctic seas, it felt.

Bumpernickle carefully took off his shirt. He neatly folded it up and set it on the floor. He stood in front of the barrel, back presented to his captain and crew. Nereo attached the cuffs to his wrists, forcing the man to lean against the barrel.

Bumpernickle’s core gradually picked up the pace as he prepared for his punishment. The static lump in his voice box wouldn’t leave and the hammering pulsations from his core was drowning out all sound from his audials.

“The punishment for disobeying my orders!” All except Nereo’s. “Is flogging!”

Nereo then pulled out a cat o’ nine tails, all nine ropes tipped with sharp metal diamonds. The crew’s optics were glued to the cat, each pair of optics hollowed out at the sight of it.

“All of you will receive one taste of the cat per sailor that was brought onto the ship!” Nereo yelled for all of his men to hear.

‘Tha-at’s…’ Bumpernickle’s eye rings emboldened. ‘That’s twenty whole whips!’

“If anyone has any objections, then come forward!” Nereo turned to his crew and held out his arms invitingly. But the look in his optics was anything but. “In turn, I’ll give you a flog for every sailor that we killed instead.”

No one said a thing. They didn’t even move. Nereo let out a vent from his blowhole. He turned back to Bumpernickle, tremoring in place over the barrel with his arms stretched towards the railing. He couldn’t move but couldn’t give out onto his knees, either.

Nereo straightened the cat’s tails in his hand as he stared at the pirate’s back plates. He then raised his arm up high, the tails following suit.

“Entonces hagámoslo rápido.” And the flogging weapon was brought down with a loud clang and a seaman’s scream of pain.

Chapter Text

The ship was quiet as the ocean waves carried it across its surface. The sun was on the verge of setting and turning the skies orange and yellow. The sound of a sparking welding torch filled the salty air.

Ron swiped some sweat from his digital brow. He blew out a sigh as he checked over his work.

“You’re all patched up now.” He patted the man’s back.

“Thanks.” Ronan replied flatly. “Is your back alright?” He questioned with a glance.

“It’s not any worse than anyone else’s.” The surgeon huffed in mild amusement. “But I honestly can’t tell if this was a light punishment or not. All I know is that I certainly don’t want to incur Captain Nereo’s wrath again.” He chuckled.

“None of us wanted to incur his wrath in the first place.” Ronan chuckled back.

“True.” Ron agreed. “I can tell you for certain that despite not understanding half of what he said, I knew exactly what it was about.” He added.

“I don’t think he was trying to hide it.” His crewmate argued as he picked up his shirt.

“No, but it’s certainly an interesting phenomenon, don’t you think?” The surgeon questioned.

“Sure, if you enjoy getting verbally berated like that.” Ronan mused.

The two chuckled again as Ronan got his shirt back on. His new wounds flared in pain but he sucked it up easily. Ronan got up and glanced around at the rest of the crew.

“Nereo still doesn’t look all that happy.” He noted.

“I don’t doubt it.” Ron responded, his hands busy packing his tools up. “To be honest? I would be, too, if my crew disobeyed a direct order.”

“Even if some of them still followed it?” The nonchalant crewmate’s brow quirked.

“Is it any different than punishing a whole class because one kid thought they’d try and be ‘funny’ and pull a less-than-stellar ‘prank’?” Ron retorted quizzically. “Let’s also not forget the lengths some of us will go just to spare ourselves and our well-being.” He added right as he stood.

Ronan couldn’t argue with that, even though part of him wanted to. He opted to sigh and nod in defeat.

“For now, let’s just focus on what comes next. Nereo’s at the wheel, so he’s got a destination ahead of him.” The surgeon spoke again.

“Just because he’s at the wheel, doesn’t mean he’s got some place specific in CPU.” Ronan pointed out.

“Well, he looks intent enough.” Ron countered with a point to the captain.

Ronan turned to stare at the Blue Whale Drone. Nereo’s grip was still bordering on tight on the helmwheel, and his gaze squinted through the evening sun. The constant breezes from the traveling vessel made his messy locks, coat, and flowy fin decorations drift.

“Well then, let’s just hope it’ll be a place we can take a break at.” Ronan sighed back to the surgeon.

“I’ll try.” Ron grinned playfully.

Ronan rolled his optics but grinned back. The two were stirred from their conversation as the hatch door creaked open. Uzi and Cammy finally came back to the deck. The former paused at the odd silence and pained looks on everyone’s face plates.

“Uh– Is the– Storm? Over?” The lady questioned as a brow came down.

For a second, Ron and Ronan were confused. But with a side glance from Cammy, they immediately caught on.

“Yeah, it’s– It’s over.” Ronan nodded.

“A few of us almost got knocked off the ship! Glad we’re all okay now!” Ron laughed.

Uzi didn’t look convinced. At all. Her gaze turned to the rest of the ship, noting its very much-so dry nature. The pirates on board, however, looked worse for wear.

“Must’ve been little rain, huh?” Her suspicious gaze fell back onto the two men.

“Some– Storms are like that.” Ron rubbed his neck, sweat drops blinking onto his display.

“How were the counts?! Is everything checked? No wrong numbers, no nothing?” Ronan cut back into the conversation, moving it on.

“Well, like before, everything was accounted for. And correctly.” Uzi sighed back before her gaze narrowed. “We have a good amount of supplies and treasure. Though, it probably wouldn’t be bad to invest in some better meals.” She crossed her arms, her clipboard dangling from her hand.

“That’s good to hear. I’m sure the Captain would think the same thing.” Ronan nodded in affirmation.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell him. Don’t have to beat around the bush about it.” Uzi waved him off with her clipboard.

“That’s not quite what I– Okay.” Ronan wanted to argue, but decided not to.

Uzi moved past them, still glancing around the boat with suspicion, and went towards their captain. The two men stared after her, admittedly a bit worried.

“Hopefully her recount will lift the Captain’s mood a bit.” Ronan blew out a sigh.

“I hope so, too. For the sake of the crew, mostly.” The surgeon nodded in agreement.

Nereo stared angrily out at the sea. The sun tried to blind him by getting in his way, yet he wouldn’t let it get the best of him. Besides, their next destination was down this route. He couldn’t just stop and turn around!

“Nereo.”

However, it was hard to look forward to such a spot when his own crew was disregarding his orders. He knows this life isn’t easy or safe, but are they really going to throw them away like that!?

“Nereo…!”

‘My pirates should know better!’ Nereo’s teeth grit beneath his lips. ‘Not to mention that it’s simply common sense to check one’s plunder! Not even just for sneaky sailors, but for pests!’ His tail slapped against the floorboards.

“Nereo!”

‘And yet they still had the gall to try and defend themselves and their foolishness!’ The furrow to his brow deepened. ‘And what kind of example would it set to punish only some but not them all? They’d turn into savage K-9s over time!’ His grip on the wheel tightened even more–

"HEY, DICKHEAD! I’M TRYING TO TALK TO YOU!!” Uzi kicked him hard in the shin.

“Hijueputa!” Nereo recoiled and shot his leg into the air.

He hopped from the wheel to whip to the new quartermaster. She looked about as pleased as him, crossing her arms to boot. Nereo let out a tired huff and straightened, albeit with a bent knee.

“What is it, señorita? I am a bit busy trying to sail–” He spoke, about to pinch his visor.

“I finished that damn recount!” Uzi interrupted, pushing her clipboard into his chest. “And like I had counted before; Nothing was missing! That whole thing was worthless!” Her brows knitted even more.

Nereo took the object and glanced at the numbers written onto the paper. His tail made a small wave as he checked the number comparisons.

“Our supplies are in good condition and we have plenty of them. Though, I would like for us to get some better food. Maybe it’d help with your ‘pirate morale,’ or whatever.” She waved her hand about. “Either way, that whole thing was stupid! I was better off using that time to take a nap–!”

“Aye, gracias, señorita.” Nereo pat her head as he kept staring at the clipboard. “I’ll take this all into consideration on our next restock.” He turned back for the wheel.

Uzi growled as she tried to swipe his hand away. When Nereo didn’t give up, she resorted to biting him. He exclaimed another Spanish curse, yanking his hand away. Uzi growled like a feral animal, glowering at him all the while.

“¡¿No se supone que eres una dama?! ¡Las damas no muerden!” He waved his hand about, trying to soothe the ache.

“I don’t know what the hell you just said, but I know I didn’t like it!” Uzi pointed. “And I also know damn well you weren’t listening to me just a second ago! I’m not stupid!” She snarled.

Nereo clicked his tongue. It nearly cost him his toe joint as Uzi tried to stomp on it. He hopped back from her, protecting his poor feet.

“I would much appreciate it if you would try not to harm your Captain!” He hollered.

“And I would appreciate it if you actually listened to me!” Uzi retorted.

“And what could you possibly have to say?!” Nereo yelled back, getting fed up.

“That this whole recount was useless! Unlike someone,” Uzi’s finger jabbed into his chest—or as high up as she could get, anyway. “I actually know how to count! And my count wasn’t wrong!”

Nereo’s tail slapped against the quarterdeck. “It was just in case! Those sailors had caught us off-guard! Maybe you could’ve messed up your counts from being scared!” He argued right back.

“At that point, I wasn’t scared, thank you very much!” Uzi’s hands planted onto her hips.

“My point still stands!” Nereo huffed back through his blowhole.

He gave the clipboard back and turned back to steering the ship. Uzi’s glare on him didn’t leave. She still had a few choice words to yell at him!

“I am not done with this conversation, Nereo!” She shouted as such.

“Well, I am!” He returned without even a glance at her.

“Then I guess you have to suck it up! I have more problems than that useless recount, anyway!”

“You can write them down and save them for another day!”

“I think I’d like to address them today!”

“I’m not in the mood, señorita!” Nereo’s optics closed in an attempt to tune her out.

“Well, too bad! Because my first damn problem is the fact that I was hearing screams as I was doing that recount!” She went on anyway. “And for as much as Cammy likes to think he’s good at lying, I know that there was no ‘storm’ that rolled through!”

Nereo’s teeth grit harder and anger ticks began to pop onto his display. He tried his damnedest to focus on the ocean ahead of him. Yet his already sour mood had proved that to be futile.

“I also think it’d be a good idea—if for your own sake—that you become a bit more– Uh– Literate!” Uzi whispered at the end. “It’d make discussing these counts far easier on the both of–” A squeal interrupted her as Nereo suddenly flung her onto his shoulder.

Uzi’s clipboard dropped to the floor with her flails. Nereo grasped her legs tight and made his way down the short stairs. The crew watched as he barged into the captain’s cabin and slammed the door shut. The lock clicked and they prayed for the woman’s well-being.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Uzi kept flailing and cursing the pirate captain out. She was all but slammed onto the large table, a hand rubbing at the back of her aching head. Before she could recover, Nereo’s hands slammed beside her, causing her to look up.

“¡¡Te dije que no estaba de humor, Uzi!!” He shouted into her face. “I was already in a foul mood from having to punish my crew’s stupidity! ¡No necesito más problemas en este momento!” His tail slammed against the ground.

The Worker Drone below him just stared with emptied eye lights. For a long time, only silence remained within the captain’s cabin.

“Punished…?” The whisper slipped from her mouth.

Nereo’s scowl faltered. He took in a deep vent and let it come back out through his blowhole. He leaned off his desk to sit in his plush chair. A hand rubbed his visor tiredly.

“Aye…” He finally admitted. “I didn’t– The reason I had you do that recount in the first place was because I needed to punish them.”

Uzi sat up, still a bit rattled. She could feel a small lump of static having formed in her throat.

“You couldn’t– Tell me that before?” She questioned.

“You had been scared by those sailors.” Nereo argued. “And I figured that seeing that so soon wouldn’t make your situation any better. Pirate punishments are… Unsavory, to say the least.” He turned back to meet her gaze again.

Uzi hummed as her own fell to her lap. “You know, I–... I think I might’ve just liked it better if you were more transparent.” She said.

“Hah. Evidentemente.” Nereo huffed.

Uzi gave him a weak glare. “I can still piece some words together, thank you.”

“¡Lo siento! Lo siento.” Nereo rose his hands in mock surrender. “Either way, I still don’t think you should have to see something like that. Besides, you had no reason to be punished anyway, like how Cammy didn’t.” He went on.

Uzi’s brow quirked. “And why is that?” The woman inquired.

“You two were on La Fortuna Absoluta when the order was given out, so it wasn’t directed to you.” He answered.

“So everybody else disobeyed the order and got punished?” Uzi questioned some more.

“Aye.” Nereo nodded.

Uzi stared at him for a minute. She let out a sigh and slouched.

“Well, thanks for explaining, I guess.” She shrugged.

“Well, I had no choice now.” The pirate captain retorted.

“Still would’ve been better if you just told me right away, even if I didn’t like it.”

“¡Lo sé, lo sé! ¡Lo entiendo, ¡¿vale?!” The captain puffed as his brows twitched.

Uzi giggled at his expense. Nereo gave her a light scowl, not that she cared.

“Well, I guess I should be getting something to eat. Hopefully Cuca isn’t out of commission due to that punishment.” The woman went to stand.

“I would hope not.” Nereo grinned. “Though, he might take some extra time to get things prepared.” He added.

“Then I guess dinner will be a little late tonight.” Uzi shrugged back, on her way to the door.

Just as her hand fell upon the handle, Nereo spoke up once more. “¡Señorita! ¡Un momento!”

Uzi turned back to him, a little curiosity on her face plates. Nereo opened his mouth, but found no words. He took a few seconds to put together a sentence. He sighed and got up to join her for dinner. He’s hungry, too, anyway.

“I’m sorry for lashing out at you like that.” He began. “While it is true that I am not in the best of moods—and you really weren’t helping,” Uzi’s expression fell at that. “It was still rude of me to haul you off like that.” He spoke.

“And yell.” He added. “I guess.” He added once more.

Uzi blinked at him with an unreadable but certainly not-too-pleased face. “Uh-huh.” She nodded.

“I’m serious!” Nereo exclaimed as the door opened.

“I’m not saying you aren’t.” Uzi retorted. “But I don’t know if I’m going to take an ‘I guess I’m sorry!’ as an apology.” She made a poor impression of his voice.

Nereo huffed through his blowhole. “Well, I think you should be grateful I apologized at all! It wasn’t like you were helping my already sour mood!” He pointed right back, the two heading for the lower decks.

“Maybe you should be more transparent from the get-go! At the very least, I’d get more used to this rugged pirate life!” She smacked his hand away.

“¡Oh, estoy seguro de que lo harías!” Nereo rolled his optics.

Uzi tried kicking him in the shin again. Nereo jumped out of the way just in time.

“HA-HA!! ¡Hoy no, pequeña gaviota!” He cheered victoriously.

Uzi rolled her optics. She then let the pirate go first down the steps. But not before tugging a nearby rope taut and letting him trip down them. Nereo grunted until he met the bottom, groaning in pain. Uzi just smirked smugly from the top.

“How’s the salt water and barnacles taste, pirate?” She called.

“Chingate…” He muttered back.

Chapter Text

As a new day lit up the endless ocean blue, La Fortuna Absoluta began to wake up. The crew inhabiting her woke up from their hammocks and fixed up their clothes. Prosthetics were put back on and optics were adjusted for the early morning light.

A few pirates took instruments from crates and found spots on the deck of the ship. They started up their music as others began work for the day. It filled the pirate ship with some much-needed life and helped the sun rise higher.

“♪I’m the son of a son of a sailor. And I spend all my time on the sea♪” Ropes were dragged around and boxes moved back in place. “♪On a tall clipper ship named the Rover, she’s home to me shipmates and me♪” The waves picked up with the song.

“♪We’ve sailed her through all kinds of weather. Through waves that were high as the mast♪” The kitchen within the ship was busy as Cuca made breakfast. “♪And she brings us back safely to Ireland♪” The smell drifted through the hull and the hatch leading to the deck.

“♪To our home in the port of Belfast. And we’ll drink to the health of the Rover♪” Things only got busier as the captain’s cabin opened up. “♪Likewise to the captain and crew. May kind providence shine upon them♪” Nereo stretched his arms over his head, his jacket hanging off his shoulders.

“♪Whenever they’re out on the blue!♪” The ship only got more lively as chores were done and robots woke up.

“¡Buenos días, mi plantilla! Glad to see you all working hard so early in the morn!” Their captain grinned wide. “Our destination isn’t too far off! Just in the distance over there! So let’s make the rest of this trip quick!” He exclaimed loudly.

His crew shouted back in confirmation. Their work turned harder and the sails were unraveled in full. As the ship picked up in speed, Nereo went about to help his crewmates.

The deck was washed, the railings polished, old sails were fixed, ropes were refastened, and the music continued still. Everything was as orderly as one could get it. And since their destination wasn’t far off, their morale was high.

Finally, Cuca came up from below deck. The crew cheered loud as breakfast was ready to be served. And they spared no time in snatching plates from the cook. The pirates sat on various perches and stuffed their mouths, talking loudly as their morale got ever-higher.

And from the hull came the last drone of the group. Uzi yawned and rubbed her visor. She looked around at the raucous and energized group of pirates. A sigh blew from her vents and she had the urge to just go back downstairs.

“¡Señorita! Glad to see you’re up, too!” But Nereo had already spotted her.

“It’s kind of hard not to when everyone is so loud.” She retorted with another yawn.

“Well, that’s pirate life for ya! Have to get up as soon as the sun does to get everything done!” The pirate captain laughed. “Anyways, go and eat something! There’s plenty to go around!” He nudged her forward.

Uzi nearly tripped but caught herself. She sent a mild glare Nereo’s way before walking up to Cuca. She gazed at what he had to offer—or what was left, anyway. Uzi took a random plate and went up to the quarterdeck to find a quieter place to eat.

There was a cozy corner right between some railings. Uzi took the spot and stared at her food. Part of her was hesitant to eat it without any utensils. Even if it wouldn’t be “unusual” since everyone else wasn’t using any…

‘I don’t feel like getting my hands dirty this early in the morning.’ She got up to get some.

While Uzi was back in the tween deck to get her utensils, she noticed that it was far quieter down there. But the stomping around was making dust and dirt fall all over the place. A scoff made some blow away from her lips, her hand trying to cover her food.

“This place needs a thorough dusting, if not a whole powerwash.”

Moving deeper into the ship, Uzi found an even quieter, more secluded place in some sort of storage room. She took a seat on the top of some random chest and blew as much dust and grime from her food.

While the stomping, music, and other busy sounds weren’t drowned out entirely, it was enough to be comfortable. Uzi focused on her food and trying not to fall into Sleep Mode again.

‘For a pirate, Cuca is a good chef.’ She thought as she put some fruit into her mouth. ‘And this fruit is… Tart. Sweet but tart.’ Uzi’s sights stayed on the yellow fruit piece on her plate.

After a few more seconds of staring, Uzi put another piece of the fruit into her mouth. The tartness pierced through the sweetness despite its subtlety. The smaller center part had more of a hardness—or perhaps crunch—to it than the softer outer and bigger part.

Uzi closed her optics and savored the food. She listened to the waves trying to embrace the boat but never finding success. She listened to the muffled music above, the way the songs changed fluidly and kept a gentle but chipper tune. She listened to the pirates some levels above going about eating breakfast and doing their pirate chores.

Without even realizing it, Uzi began to hum her own tune. She set down her fork to bask in the music and melodies. Her head tilted up with her humming. Her voice box created a dim glow within her mouth yet hidden behind her lips.

The world around her was washed away by a soothing darkness. Like ocean fog rolling in to surround her and obscure her form. Uzi felt like she was sitting out on the sea itself, like she was perched on a rock or tiny plateau.

The fins hidden within her pedes slipped out and a tingling sensation formed over her audials, the center of her back plating, and the back of her hips. The glow of her voice box grew brighter as her humming continued.

Uzi’s hands slipped up into her tresses. Her fingers traced against her audials, trying to feel for something that wasn’t there. As her sensory pads failed to find her missing links, Uzi’s brows began to furrow.

Her calm and contented harmonic started to turn displeased and worried. The steady melody tensed and the careful lengths turned discordant and messy. Uzi’s brows furrowed and twitched deeper as her fingers continued to search for something that wasn’t there.

The serene fog around her turned into a near-suffocating smog. Swashing waves began to crash into her perch. Thunder rumbled above, waiting for the perfect moment to bring lightning down upon the seas.

Sapphire blue waters turned dark and opaque. It was impossible to see anything that wasn’t the very rocky plateau she sat on. And the ocean around her only got rougher and more frantic as her search remained fruitless.

Through the growing ferocity of the waves and the skies, Uzi felt a sharp pain over her back. She keeled over with a short shout, her hands clawing as close as she could get to her spinal ridge.

All the tingling she felt before turned into sharp pain. Resonating deep into her wires and reminding her of that she’d lost. Tears pricked at Uzi’s optics as she kept clawing. As if she could wrench out what her father had—

A hard rock of the ship startled Uzi from her reverie with a sharp gasp and a snapping open of her optics, halting her glowing voice box in the process. She looked around and noticed her fervent panting. The pain settled back into tingling before fading out altogether.

More quick and shallow vents huffed out of the lass’ mouth as she stared ring-eyed at everything around her. Once Uzi felt something tap against her pede fins, she snapped her head down.

Uzi made a strangling noise as she finally noticed the flippers she released. Quickly reeling them back in, she whipped her head around some more. No one was around. The crew’s footsteps above deck solidified that.

And seeing that she was all alone, Uzi began to calm herself down. She closed her optics and took some deep vents. The frenzied ocean waves were soothed with her vents and calmed with her racing core.

Once the shake in her plating stopped, Uzi released her back and shoulders. She could feel the sting of her previous scratches even through her shirt. But it was easily ignored in favor of self-soothe.

After making a swallow, Uzi turned her sights down to her abandoned plate on the floor. The food was scattered on the floor and ruined. Uzi was lucky the plate didn’t break.

But she let out a steadying sigh and got up onto trembling legs. Uzi piled the filthy food onto the plate and made her way back up to the tween deck. She discarded the food in a trashcan—or what she assumes is a trashcan—and went to see what happened above.

Which would be quickly figured out upon seeing the island La Fortuna Absoluta was docked at.

Uzi emerged fully from the tween deck and glanced around. Some previous crates were gone and most of the crew was missing.

“I see you finally came back up, señorita.” Nereo was not one of them.

Uzi turned to the pirate captain. She noticed how he held a mighty big barrel on his bicep with ease. Part of her was jealous. She was never that strong… But Nereo’s cheery expression swiftly turned mildly confused as he caught sight of her face.

“Aye, is everything okay? You look like you’ve seen Davy Jones’ locker.” His tail made a wave at the inquiry.

Uzi was admittedly startled by the question. Was it that obvious?

“I– Don’t worry about it. Just couldn’t really get back to sleep, is all.” But she brushed him off.

Nereo didn’t look all that convinced. “Are you sure? You look more scared than grumpy.” He pointed out, setting down the barrel.

“I told you, I’m fine! Stop worrying about it!” Uzi snipped back with baring teeth.

But the captain just puffed an amused laugh. “Aye, there’s no need to be rude, señorita! I was just making sure my matey was alright. It is my job, all.” He smiled at her.

Part of Uzi was flattered that he cared enough to do that. The other part was only getting more annoyed the more he tried to pry into her business.

“Well, you don’t have to make sure of anything. I just need to wake up and get moving, or something. Nothing to concern yourself over.” Uzi turned away from him.

“Uh– D-De acuerdo entonces, señorita. Si tú lo dices…” Nereo murmured back. “But uh, if you’re looking for something to do, there isn’t much. We’ve stopped here for a few days to get some rest, so I suggest just using the time to relax.” He told her.

“I didn’t think pirates ever got R&R.” Uzi commented back.

“Most don’t, but I think we all need it right now.” The Blue Whale Drone sighed back. “Besides, I’ve got a couple of personal chores to do anyway. Might as well get them done here before I can’t for a long while more.”

“Uh-huh…” Was all Uzi said in reply. “Well, good luck I guess. I’ll find something to do on my own, since everyone else up and left.” She turned for the ramp leading to the docks.

“Well, you were hiding out below deck! Can you really blame them?” Nereo chuckled with a waving tail.

“A little bit.” Uzi giggled teasingly.

The captain’s hands planted onto his hips. “¿Oye, es así?” He cocked his head.

“I have no idea what you just said, so I’m gonna go ahead and take it as a ‘Have fun!’” Uzi gave him a lighthearted wave as she walked down the ramp.

Nereo just scoffed as her form disappeared behind the ship. “Esa pesada gaviota pequeña…” Yet his grin didn’t fall.

With a shake of his head, Nereo picked his barrel back up and walked down the ramp himself. He went straight into the small town situated within the trees. Uzi went astray to find a more secluded place to take a relaxing dive.

Chapter Text

The tiny island town bustled despite its small population. And even though it didn’t get too much business, it made enough to be lively throughout the day.

Cargo went back and forth along the dirt paths. Drones did their chores while children played. Unless those kids had chores of their own. But older robots went about manning stores or preparing for diving expeditions.

Any pirates currently on the island cruised about doing whatever they wished. Or had funds for, at least. Nereo was one of them, holding his barrel over his arm. He spotted a couple of other Bestial Drones as he walked, giving them silent greetings.

He then entered a tavern and went straight to the bar. “Ahoy, Mr. ‘Tender! Is this tavern’s chock-a-block, ain’t it? Must be getting lots of business right now!” He smiled warmly, his tail waving.

“Agreed. It seems almost unnatural if you ask me.” The bartender smirked back. “Anyways, you lookin’ for some grog?” He asked in turn.

“Not right now, but thank you!” Nereo chuckled. “I’m actually looking to see if this here tavern’s owner is in? I need to talk with ‘em.”

“I haven’t seen him yet, but he might just be hiding.” The bartender replied. “PEARLICA!!! GO SEE IF THAT OLD SEA DOG IS OUT BACK!!” He shouted over the loud clamor, making Nereo flinch.

The prostitute left the man she was seducing and went to the door marked off-limits to non-exployees. The bartender turned back to Nereo and grabbed a bottle for another patron.

“You gonna have any drink at all? What about some oil?” He inquired.

“Aye, fine! Give me a small glass of oil! But no gasoline.” Nereo chuckled.

The other male robot pulled out another glass to fill with the black fluid. Nereo took a sip of the warm liquid and nodded.

“Aye, it’s good.”

“Thank you kindly, picaroon.” The bartender smirked back.

Pearlica emerged from the back and came over to the bar. She latched onto Nereo’s arm and gave him a sultry grin.

“The old sea dog is waiting for you. And so will I when you’re done~” Her voice was barely loud enough to hear over the tavern’s ambience.

“¿Aye, es que sí?” Nereo smirked back down at her. “Then I’ll be sure to come back when the sun is down. It makes the experience even better if you ask me.” His tail waved as he had to unfortunately let her go.

“Well, I can’t argue with that~!” Pearlica called after him, giving him a wave.

Nereo laughed and took his barrel with him. As he entered the back-most room, his grin became a beam.

“Took you long enough to get here.” The sea dog spoke in greeting.

“¡Oye! ¡Dame un respiro! It takes a long time to cross the Endless Seas!” Nereo argued as he sat in an old chair. “Anyways, I got what you wanted from me. Do you have what I want?” His rain-colored brow quirked up.

“There’s plenty of prostitutes out there. Just pay ‘em for a night!” The sea dog waved off with a grin.

“You know what I mean!” Nereo laughed.

The drone across from him laughed with the pirate. “Yes, yes. I have what you asked of me.” He reached into his desk to pull out a large paper. “This map leads to some sorta treasure. But I can’t guarantee it’ll be worth anything, or even there by the time you get there.” He handed it over.

“Aye, that’s fine. At the very least, we might be able to ‘purchase’ some booty along the way, and from the island itself.” Nereo returned. “Either way, here’s your barrel. Filled to the brim with high-grade, just like you wanted!” His hand patted the lid.

“Thank you.” The older robot nodded. “I assume that’s all?” He then questioned.

“Unless you wanted to trade some more.” Nereo shrugged.

“Then this transaction was a success.” The man grinned.

The two shook hands and went their merry ways with their loot. Nereo went right back to his ship to hide the map within his cabin. As he stepped back out, he took a deep vent.

“Looks like we’ll be sailing the seas for a while! It’d be good to stock up on supplies!” He told himself. “And by the time I’m done and worn out, it’ll be the perfect time to head back to the tavern and have a drink!” He trotted down the ramp with joy.

“And after that, I can get to know little Miss Pearlica some more, teehee~!!” His whale tail wagged in delight at the prospect.

The water always felt soothing on her plating. Its cool temperature cleared her CPU and its natural white noise made it easy to fall asleep to. But more than that, Uzi felt like she was at home within the waves.

‘More than my home island, even.’ She thought once.

Uzi breached the surface and gasped for air. She swiped her soaked bangs out of her face plates and held up her new plunder. Nothing much, like always, but these oysters might hold some pearls!

“And seeing as it is always good to have some pearls on you, I’ll be checking each and every one of you later!” She grinned at the animals.

Uzi turned around and swam back to shore. Her pede fins flowed unusually elegantly in the water. Though, it was never something Uzi noticed. No one else she knows has pede fins, so she can’t compare.

‘And dad always wants me to hide them whenever anyone else is around.’ She thought with a slight, bitter scoff. ‘Though, I guess the fear isn’t unfounded. If what he was always warning me about is true and all.’ Her scoff turned into a sigh.

Uzi’s flippers met land and she waddled out to the rock where her clothes lay. Uzi dropped her old wooden fishing trap—borrowed from the ship—and took a rest on the large rock. Her sights turned to the sunny sky above. She could feel the humidity in the air around her.

“I wonder where we’re going next.” She spoke to herself. “And I wonder when we’ll be off again. Hell, I wonder if I’ll ever get back to my home island again.” Her optics narrowed on the light blue of the sky.

Another sigh blew from the young woman’s mouth. She checked the contents of her bag and found room for some more items. She dumped her trap’s contents into the cloth sack and turned back for the ocean.

Wading through the swashing waters, Uzi dove back under the surface and swam out. The sun’s bright light pierced through the surface to light up what lay underneath. Unlike most other places, this one didn’t have an uncountable number of buildings.

Old trees with rotting wood stand tall within the water. Their leaves were plucked off by fish and currents, leaving the branches barren. Any and all grass either died and decayed a long time ago or is buried beneath the sand, pebbles, coral, and other underwater structures.

Film, algae, and moss grew on the decaying trunks of the trees. Fish nibbled on the algae and crustaceans cut away at the moss for their own meals. Uzi gave them short glances as she passed by, swimming deeper into the ocean.

She used the trunks as leverage to push herself faster through the water. Getting back to where she was before, Uzi swam down to the sea ocean. She watched some tiny crabs crawl along the sand and searched for more oysters.

Her hands sifted through the loose grit and made it cloud up the water. She plucked a few tiny oysters from the ground and let them drift lazily into her trap. Uzi’s search continued as she swam away to find more.

The sun’s rays were dimmer down by the floor. The fish that were around avoided Uzi as she passed by. Uzi’s lavender optics trailed around in boredom as she swam. Sometimes she saw a couple of colorful fish, other times she stared as sea weed and other sea fauna drifted with the light currents.

After a few minutes, Uzi found her way to a rocky sea camp. She swam up to it and trailed all around. Barnacles and coral sat attached to the sides. Tiny fish swam away to hide. Uzi plucked a few more oysters from the rock and dropped them into her trap.

Uzi decided to end her search there. She swam back up to the surface and broke through. Salty water cascaded down her head and she whipped her hair about. Turning for the shore, her trek wouldn’t be long.

Her pede fins slapped against the sand and the particles clung to the bottom of her feet. Uzi sat back on her rock, dumped her last haul into her sack, and leaned back on the rock to rest and dry off.

The sun’s rays did a good job of the latter, slowly evaporating the liquid from her plating. Uzi closed her optics and lied on the rock for a while, her pede fins receding back into her feet.

Things were quiet as she lied there. The day was nice and quiet, and the ocean made for a good white noise. Uzi felt like she was at home—her true home. Even more so when she was in the water itself.

A forlorn sigh escaped her lips. Uzi’s optics opened back up and she stared at the sky. Her hand lifted to shield her optics from the bright rays. A couple more minutes were spent relaxing and warming up from the ocean’s chilly, deeper waters.

‘The sun’s already reaching past its noon peak.’ Uzi realized with a squinting glance at the orangening sky. ‘I should head back to the ship, get something to eat. Maybe start on checking these oysters.’ She sat back up.

Uzi pulled on her clothes over her bathing suit and picked up her trap and bag. She walked back towards the docks, glancing around at the scenery all the while. Loose water droplets fell from her darkened locks and pattered onto the sand beneath her feet.

And as Uzi made the short trek back to the ship, she put everything in her room and went straight to the kitchen. But Cuca wasn’t there, and she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to touch anything without permission.

‘I’d rather be safe than sorry. Guess it’s time to find a restaurant.’ She sighed to herself, turning away.

Uzi picked up her small sack of pearls and shark teeth and made her way into town. Her boots clacked against the ground and her gaze traveled all around. Most buildings were small yet busy. There weren’t many drones around, but there were a couple she recognized.

She passed by them without a word and walked up to a tavern. Upon entering, the noise outside became even louder. Uzi flinched and nearly slapped her hands to her audials but refrained.

Instead, she walked up to the bar to sit down. A tired sigh blew past her lips as her head sat in her hands.

“It looks like you had a long day.” The bartender commented.

“Not really, but it somehow feels like it.” Uzi replied. “Anyways, can I just get a shot of cider and a cup of oil? I don’t feel like getting super drunk tonight.”

“Coming right up, lass.” The bartender chuckled.

Two glasses were placed in front of her and filled. Uzi shot down the cider first. A short tingle ran along her spinal ridge as the bittersweet taste lingered on her tongue. Mostly the bitter taste.

Uzi began sipping at her oil not long after. The shot of cider calmed her nerves and made her tense shoulders relax. She heard the bartender chuckle again, making her optics turn up.

“Are you sure you’re alright, lass?”

Uzi shrugged. “Hell if I know anymore.”

The man laughed at her reply. “Maybe you need more than just one shot.”

“No thanks. The one was good enough.” Uzi denied with a shake of her head.

She took another sip of her oil. She listened to the cacophony of the tavern around her. A few glances were sent the various patrons’ way.

“Well, if you’re not gonna order some more grog, why don’t you order some food instead?” The bartender suggested.

“What do you have?” Uzi inquired right back.

The man gave her a menu. Uzi looked down at it, reading the scribbles. Her finger pointed to a dish she took interest in.

“I guess I’ll order the device wire wrap. With some apple slices and coagulation gel sauce.” She spoke.

“Good choice. I’ll put it in for you.” The man nodded and took the menu.

While Uzi waited for her food to be prepared, she turned back to the tavern again. She leaned back against the bar to continue sipping on her drink as she drone-watched. Some men talked loudly with prostitutes while others scarfed down their meals like they hadn’t eaten in ages.

A few musicians played some energetic music to help set the tavern’s mood. Chefs took out food to tables and the heat from the kitchen wafted into the main room. Uzi heard some glass shatter somewhere and a round of loud laughter echo after it.

‘For such a small island, it sure is lively.’ She thought, her cup hiding her lips.

“Your meal, lass.” The bartender caught her attention again.

Uzi spun around and spotted her meal placed right in front of her. Bright cropper wires were coiled up into a cone shape. Aluminum sheets kept the nuts, salt, apple slices, and sauce contained within the wires.

“Would you like a refill as well?” He held up a carton of oil.

“Yeah.” Uzi nodded.

As her cup was refilled, a few familiar faces filtered into the tavern. Uzi glanced over at her captain, cook, and some musicians. For a second, she saw that the sun outside was nearly gone.

Uzi stayed silent as the group passed right by her, seemingly not even noticing her. She began eating her wrap as they sat down at a booth and loudly ordered some drinks and food.

Things were peaceful despite how deafening the place was. Uzi found that the wrap, while not the best, wasn’t half-bad, either. Part of her wondered how Cuca’s cooking would make it taste.

‘Eh. At least it’s edible.’ Uzi mused, taking another bite. ‘I wish the apples were fresher, though–’

“It’s nice to see you come back, Mr. Picaroon~!” A woman’s smooth and sultry but cheery voice managed to pierce through the crowd.

Uzi glanced over her shoulder. She spotted a woman with cream-pearl hair sitting herself next to the pirate captain. Nereo’s hand made itself comfortably at home around the small of her back. The woman giggled and laid a hand onto his chest. She was dwarfed by his size, yet she didn’t care in the slightest.

“Aye, of course! I told you I’d be back!” Nereo laughed at her. “After all, how could I stay away from such a pretty little pearl~?” His own grin turned sly.

The woman was flattered, laughing at him as her visor went flush in a color similar to her hair. “Oh, you’re too kind, Sir!”

“It’s only right to treat a señora with respect!” Nereo shook his head and shrugged.

“Oh. I guess I’m not a lady then, huh?” Uzi grumbled to herself, her expression bitter.

“My, if you keep talking like that, I’m gonna have to give you this night free~!” The woman cooed back with a grin.

“Then I guess I have to keep going, huh~?” Nereo simpered right back.

His hold on the prostitute’s waist tightened. She squealed as he brought her into his lap and allowed her to sit on his knee. The woman laughed louder, her heeled feet making small and excited kicks in the air.

Uzi’s tongue clicked and her knitted brows twitched. She turned back around to scarf down the rest of her meal, finish her drink, and order something else.

“On second thought; Give me your strongest whatever. I think I do want to get drunk tonight.” She told the bartender.

He just laughed in reply as he handed another beer to someone else. “Alright then! It’ll cost you a pretty pearl, however!” He warned.

“I found a bunch of oysters earlier today. I think I’ll be fine.” Uzi waved him off.

“If you say so.” He smirked.

The bartender pulled out a small bottle. Three large Xs were painted onto the sticker on its side. He poured out a glass and slid it over to the young woman. Uzi didn’t even glance at it as she caught it in her hand and shot it right down.

An extreme bitterness washed over her tongue like stormy waves onto a cliffside. But Uzi let out a vent and lifted her glass in triumph. She was quick to flip it and sit it upside down onto the bar top. A few shark teeth and some pearls were slapped onto her empty plate as she got up.

“Thanks for the grub. Good luck with this rowdy crowd.” Uzi waved the bartender goodbye.

“Good luck to you, too, lass.” He chuckled back, taking the money.

Uzi left the loud tavern and made her way back to La Fortuna Absoluta. She went downstairs and hauled a barrel of grape wine up onto the deck. Uzi moved around and lit up various lights on the ship, giving it a warm yellow glow.

And after she cleared away the clutter from the deck and loosened the ties of her flowy pirate blouse, she took a deep vent. Uzi flicked the tap of the wine barrel and let the red fluid pour into her glass.

Uzi shot it down and yelled loud right after. Some birds were startled and flew away on instinct. Others still traversing the town during the darkened hours snapped their heads towards the docks.

Uzi’s head leaned forward as her frustration was let out into the sky. As her echo faded, Uzi was left in the silence of the ocean. As seconds turned to minutes, Uzi’s lavender optics opened again.

A soft glow lit up her voice box and mouth as she let out a soft tune. “♪Between the here, between the now. Between the North, between the South♪” Her voice was as soft as the waves swathing onto sand. “♪Between the West, between the East. Between the time, between the place♪”

“♪From the shell, the song of the sea. Neither quiet nor calm, searching for love again♪” Her toe joints tapped quietly onto the old wood and metal of the ship. “♪Between the winds, between the waves. Between the sand, between the shores♪” Uzi’s steps were graceful, as if she were walking along the ocean floor.

“♪From the shell, the song of the sea♪” Her head tilted up towards the stars and moons. “♪Neither quiet nor calm, searching for long again♪” The Worker Drone made her way towards the railing overlooking the water.

Her feet carefully stepped up onto some crates and barrel. Uzi walked along the railing, her cup held over the sea. She turned her head to stare out at the darkened ocean and the glint of the double moonlight wobbling over it.

“♪Between the stones, between the storms♪” She lifted her cup to her lips. “♪Between the belief, between the seas♪” Her voice faded out, dying with the night.

Uzi drank down the rest of her wine. As the last drop fell into her mouth and was swallowed down, the glow of her voice box faded out. Uzi was left standing on the railing and staring at the night sky.

A vent blew from her lips as she closed her optics. “I need another drink.” Was all she muttered to herself.

Chapter Text

The morning sun was blocked by light grey clouds today. The morning became chilly and foggy, and the townsfolk weren’t quite as energetic. Seagulls cawed in the sky and crickets continued to chirp despite the lack of darkness.

With the morning tide still reeling from the pull of the moon, some merchants and pirates returned to their ships. The docks rumbled with quiet voices and hungover drones. There probably wouldn’t be any commotion until the morning fog lifted.

And as the crew of La Fortuna Absoluta returned to their ship, they were surprised to find one of their own sitting against a barrel, deep in drunken Sleep Mode.

The group—consisting of Twig, Cammy, Sid, and Cuca—took a moment to stare at the female drone. Quietly, they stepped onto the ship and walked up to her. Still, all they could find themselves doing is staring at her sleeping form in silence.

“Someone shake the barrel. See how much she drank.” Cammy then spoke up, voice low.

Sid did as told, finding it much lighter than usual. “She drank quite a bit, that’s for sure…” He then popped the lid open and nearly choked. “Yeah,shedefinitelydid.”

The other pirates gave each other worried glances. Their optics returned to the sleeping woman lying at their feet. Uzi was none the wiser to them, curled up with drunken, squiggly blush lines on her visor.

Twig nudged Sid’s side as a smirk formed on his face plates. “Hey. What do we do with a drunken sailor?”

For a second, Sid just gave him a confused look. Then, it clicked, and he had his own grin forming on his face. The two picked Uzi up by her arms and legs and started hauling her off.

“Where are you two going?” Cammy asked, looking unimpressed.

“Just gonna do what we usually do with a drunken sailor!” Twig answered.

“And that is…?” Cammy’s brow rose.

“Don’t worry about it! We’re not gonna hurt her!” Sid chimed in with a smug look.

Cuca grunted as his brows deepened over his eye lights. As Twig and Sid made it to the captain’s cabin, he walked over to shut the door again.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?!” Twig exclaimed.

Cuca just shook his head. The two other pirates rolled their optics at him.

“We’re not gonna do anything! Just put her in Captain Nereo’s hammock!” Sid explained.

Cuca still didn’t look impressed or happier. The other two pirates rolled their heads with a groan.

“If you’re gonna be like that, just go back to the kitchen! I’m sure everyone else will be hungry when they return!” Sid huffed as he opened the door again.

Cuca’s expression quickly turned into an offended glower. But Cammy’s hand resting on his shoulder had him turning away from the two idiots.

“Come on. When Nereo sees the prank, it’ll be them getting whipped, not us.” Cammy spoke.

Cuca still didn’t look too sure about this. He gave one more glance inside the cabin, watching Sid and Twig lay Uzi into the giant hammock, before sighing and turning away. He can only hope this dumb prank won’t cause too much trouble.

After setting the young woman up on the hammock, Sid and Twig swiftly left the room and silently closed the door. They giggled to themselves like school girls and scampered off to do a few chores.

The morning was quiet other than that. Merchants filed onto their ships and left the docks. Pirates returned to their vessels and waited for their crew to board. Others loaded supplies onto them. A few talked over the morning waves to each other.

Overall, things were quiet and quaint. The sun’s light was still blocked by clouds, but it grew brighter behind them the higher it rose. The town got a little more lively with it. A hustle and bustle began within its dirt roads and drones came out to start the day.

One of these drones was Nereo himself. Although the tavern was quieter during daytime hours, it held a few occupants looking for breakfast inside. Their chatter was drowned by the closed door of the bedroom he resided in.

Upon finally waking up, Nereo yawned and sat up. The thin sheets fell to his lap, letting his upper body breathe in the morning chill. His back felt a little stiff after sleeping on the crappy tavern bed, but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to.

‘Not sleeping on a hammock is another story, though…’ He thought to himself.

“Hmm. Is it morning already? What a shame.” Pearlica had woken up, too.

Nereo chuckled at her pout. “Buenos días, preciosa. ¿Has dormido bien anoche?”

Pearlica didn’t look to understand him, but she smiled nonetheless. “You know, I like it when you speak Spanish, but I wish I actually knew the language.” She giggled.

“Ah, sorry! I said good morning and asked if you slept well.” Nereo laughed, his tail falling off the side of the bed.

“Well then, yes. I did sleep well. And good morning to you, too.” Pearlica smiled warmly.

“That’s good to hear.” Nereo returned the grin. “But, I should be getting dressed now. Me and my crew have a long way to go on our next journey. Better not to waste anymore time.” He got out of the bed, stretching his arms over his head.

“Aww, but Nereo! Can’t you still just one more day?” Pearlica asked as her brows creased, hiding her carriage with the sheet.

The Blue Whale Drone shook his head. “Lo siento, señora, pero no puedo hacerlo. I mustn’t leave my crew too long, otherwise they’ll get restless and reckless.” Nereo spoke as he pulled on his boxers and pants.

Pearlica whined again, her pout becoming deeper. “It’s a shame you have to leave so soon. I was really enjoying our company.”

“Aye, me too!” Nereo laughed, buttoning up his shirt. “But how about this; I give you a tour of my ship just before I sail off, so that we can spend just a little more time with each other?” His rainy brow quirked up.

Pearlica pretended to think it over for a moment. Her face plates broke out into a grin and she nodded.

“Sounds like it’ll be fun! I can’t wait to see it!”

“Then get dressed, señora! My ship won’t be here forever!” Nereo laughed as he pulled his coat over his shoulders.

The doxy laughed with him as she leapt out of bed. The two swiftly put on or finished putting on their clothes and made their way downstairs. As they got out into the town, Nereo’s hand found its way onto Pearlica’s hip. Said woman cuddled up into the Bestial Drone’s side, giving him a sultry and eager look.

The docks were starting to get busier once they got there. Most of Nereo’s crew had returned, already working on their chores and preparing to sail off again. As their captain and the harlot he held with him walked onto the ship, they turned to glance at them.

“This is where most of us pirates hang out!” Nereo’s free arm motioned to the deck. “Unfortunately, the sea is very boring most of the time, so we’re napping or playing music, or playing cards.” He chuckled.

“Sounds like you all could use a little more company.” Pearlica giggled.

“Perhaps, but we get by without some.” Nereo returned the laugh. “Either way, up there is the quarterdeck and helmwheel. And all the way on the other side is the fo’c’sle and bowsprit.” He pointed to both ends of the ship.

“Does the entire ship have designated names for each section?” Pearlica wondered with wide eyes.

“¡Sí, lo hace!” Nereo grinned widely. “All the way to the finer details, even!”

“That sounds like quite a lot to remember!” The harlot commented.

“Well, when you live on the sea and a sea ship long enough, you come to remember it all.” Nereo shrugged. “Anyways, let’s go and introduce you to all the rooms the ship has.” He began walking her over to the captain’s cabin.

Twig and Sid went stiff as he did so. They both stared with eye rings as Nereo led the prostitute over to his personal part of the ship. Cammy came over to watch the captain and gauge the two’s scared looks.

“You know, me and Cuca were warning you two.” He commented flatly.

“We didn’t think he’d bring a whore here!” Twig exclaimed.

“Then you should’ve thought of that sooner, considering he spent the night in a tavern.” Cammy retorted with a puff.

He left before either drone could say anything more. Sid and Twig whipped back around to the captain’s cabin where Nereo was going to show the harlot around. As sweat drops began pouring down their visors, they quickly went down into the lower decks to hide for a while.

“This room is a very important room, as it’s where I do a lot of my work and sleep at night.” Nereo told the woman, his hand resting on the handle.

“It sure sounds important!” Pearlica laughed. “I’m going to assume that it’s usually off-limits, however?” Her head cocked to the side.

“You’d be right about that!” Nereo beamed as he opened the door. “But its name is the captai– ¡AY! Pensándolo mejor, ¡no entremos allí!” And the door was quickly slammed shut.

Pearlica startled and turned to the tall pirate. Nereo stared at the door for a few seconds, his eye lights wide with shock.

“Uh– Is everything alright, Nereo…?” The woman questioned nervously.

“AYE! Everything is just fine!” The pirate quickly schooled his expression and gave her a big grin. “The room was just messier than I remembered! Don’t want a nice woman such as yourself seeing all that, HAHA!!” He scrambled for an excuse, no matter how dumb it was.

“Ah… I see…” Thankfully, Pearlica took it without question. Or too much of it, anyway.

“I-I should probably be getting you back to the tavern now! I still have a lot of work to do before setting off again, and I shouldn’t be making my crew wait so long!” Nereo turned her around to start pushing her away.

“B-But what about the rest of the ship?!” Pearlica asked in her startlement.

“It’s pretty boring and gross, you really don’t want to see it! Not that it’s all that different from any other ship, haha!!” Nereo quickly replied. “Anyways, it was lovely meeting you, señora! But I’m sure you’re also quite busy with the tavern, right? Right!” The two were all but running back to the tavern.

Pearlica couldn’t even get a word in before she was stationed in front of the restaurant. She whipped around to the pirate captain to grab onto his hand. Nereo startled but gave her his best not-nervous grin.

“If you have to leave sooner than you thought, at least tell me you’ll be back sometime?” She asked.

Nereo stared at her for a moment. He then let out a sigh, pulling his tricorn down a few inches.

“Aye, I can’t quite make that promise.” He said truthfully. “But I’ll at least try to. Maybe when I come down these waters again, I’ll be able to stop on by.” He gave her a warm grin to ease the saddened pout on her face.

Pearlica, while not quite liking the truth, knew that it was coming anyway. She sighed and nodded, giving the pirate a small grin of her own in return.

“Well then, it was nice meeting you Mr. Pirate Captain. I hope that you’ll stop by and visit again one day. I’ll be looking forward to it~” She laughed.

“¡Estoy seguro de que lo va a hacer, señora!” Nereo nodded back, letting her hand go. “¡Adiós, Pearlica! ¡Que las olas del Astral Ocean te otorguen bendiciones!” He waved her off as he turned and left, his tail waving as he did so.

Pearlica waved back at him, saying her own farewell. Nereo chuckled and turned back around to let out a sigh. His grin was quick to fall, however, settling into something more peeved.

It lingered until he returned to his ship, stomping over to his captain’s cabin. But before he could barge in and scold the new recruit, Cuca came up from the tween deck with Twig and Sid in tow.

He stepped in front of his captain, the two held by the scruffs in his hands. Nereo’s brow rose but his angry expression didn’t falter.

“Move out of the way, Cuca. I need to tell Uzi that she cannot just sleep anywhere she likes–” Nereo barked as his tail slapped against the deck.

Cuca loudly grunted him into silence, a gnarl forming on his face plates. Nereo’s eye lights went void and he flinched back. Cuca then hauled Sid and Twig towards their captain, the two still sweating bullets.

With another commanding grunt from Cuca, the two flinched and spoke up, Albeit, they didn’t dare look at their captain.

“Y-You shouldn’t be mad at Uzi, Captain!” Twig exclaimed first.

“Yeah! It isn’t her fault she’s in there!” Sid shouted next.

Nereo’s brow rose again. But he let out a sigh that made his tense shoulders sag.

“Make sure to look at your Captain when talking to him.” He scolded.

Twig and Sid did so reluctantly. Nereo’s unhappy face only got unhappier as he noted their unusually meek and anxious behavior.

“Uhm, so, this morning, we found Uzi in Sleep Mode on the deck.” Twig spoke up again.

“A-And she was definitely very drunk.” Said Sid.

“We thought it’d be kinda funny if she woke up in the captain’s cabin, similar to the Drunken Sailor shanty.”

“But we didn’t know you’d be bringing a whore around to tour the ship with. So it kinda ended up not working.”

“We also kinda thought Uzi would wake up sooner, which also didn’t happen.”

“And, well, since Cuca–” A smack to Sid’s head made him correct himself. “S-Since we didn’t want Uzi to get unjustly punished, we thought we should tell you the truth!!”

“YEAH! So, uhm! Please don’t punish her! And maybe us, too.” Twig finished.

Nereo just stared at the two for a solid minute. He took in a deep vent and pinched his visor as he let it out of his blowhole. He turned back up to his pirates, opened his mouth to say something, but ended up closing it. Nereo took another minute to think of something, but he still ended up closing his mouth—this time with a soft groan.

“Microsoft, dame fuerzas…” He ended up mumbling to himself. “You two; I’ll deal with you later! Go and do your chores!” Nereo jabbed his thumbs towards the rest of the ship.

Twig and Sid nodded, saluted, and took off. Cuca watched them leave before turning back to his captain.

“And Cuca–... Thanks. For stopping me from punishing our new quartermaster.” He sighed to the cook.

Said voiceless man just hummed before walking off. Nereo stared over his shoulder at him. He then turned to his cabin. Nereo opened the door and peeked inside.

Uzi lay peacefully in slumber in his hammock. It swayed gently to the slight rocking of the waves.

‘She doesn’t look so frightened or tense like this…’ Nereo noted.

With another, softer sigh, Nereo stepped into the cabin and took off his coat. He draped it over the female Worker Drone, brushed some stray hair from her face, and left the cabin to let her sleep away the rest of her drunken blush.

Chapter Text

The ocean was as calm and quiet as ever. Sea birds flew overhead or landed on the foreyards, fish hidden by the blue water’s coloration swam underneath, the wind pushed into the sails, and the crew busied themselves with cards or naps.

It was calm enough that Uzi slept through most of the day. Of course, it also helped that she got suuuuper drunk the other night. But now her drunkenness had worn off and the gasoline had been fully processed out of her system.

With the squiggly blush lines gone, her sleep notification was replaced by closed and dim eye lights. They scrunched before fluttering open and granting her the unfocused view of a familiar room.

Uzi rubbed her visor, noting the ache in her CPU, and took a deep vent. She sat up and blinked around the room. Her optics came back into focus and the blurry everything sharpened.

For a few solid seconds, Uzi was left staring at the contents of the captain’s cabin. ‘Okay… I know I was not here when I got drunk last night.’

Uzi hopped out of the hammock and onto her shaky legs. She took a moment to get used to the rocking of the ship before making her way outside. She shielded her optics as she opened the door and bright sunlight filtered into her face.

“Look who finally woke up.” Eracion smirked. “Did you get enough beauty sleep, lass? Heard you were as drunk as a dolphin on pufferfish venom.” He chuckled, his hands mindlessly sharpening a dagger.

Uzi opened her mouth to reply. “Uh.” Fantastic.

Eracion laughed again and turned back down to his short blade. Uzi rubbed her visor again and decided to get something to eat.

“You know, I didn’t realize you could drink so much.” Freckle commented as she passed by. “I’m tempted to challenge you to a drinking contest!” His grin grew bigger.

“Maybe when she’s not hungover.” Marq spoke up.

“I didn’t mean right this moment!” Freckle scoffed.

Uzi just ignored them with a roll of her optics. She headed down to the kitchen and found Cuca there cleaning some cooking utensils.

“Hey. Think I could nab something to eat?” Uzi inquired as she leaned on the doorway.

Cuca nodded and stood up. He opened a random crate and took out a few fruits. Uzi took them with thanks and left for her bedroom. It was quiet and had no random pirates to comment on her bender just last night.

Uzi began munching on an apple as she sat on her hammock. The green skin ripped apart and the cream-colored flesh was sweet with a nice overtone of tartness. Uzi stared down at the perfectly ripe fruit, her eye lights going wider.

‘It’s a lot like that yellow fruit.’ She noticed.

Uzi kept munching on her lunch– Early dinner– She wasn’t sure. She just enjoyed the fruit and ate it down to the core. After that, she popped some screws into her mouth. Just as she finished off what Cuca gave her, a knock echoed from her door.

“Señorita? Are you in there?” It was Nereo.

“Yeah. Come in.” Uzi replied.

The door opened and Nereo ducked inside. He closed it as softly as he could and took a seat next to a crate sitting against the wall. The pirate captain gave her a warm grin as he addressed her.

“How’re you feeling? The hangover giving you trouble?” He snickered, the sound on the quieter end.

“It’s there, that’s for sure.” Uzi puffed back. “But otherwise, I guess I’m doing fine. Still kinda tired, though.” She shrugged next.

“Aye, eso está bien.” The Blue Whale Drone nodded. “I hear you went on quite the binge last night. Drank over half a barrel!” He held back his laughter with his smile.

“Yeah. So I hear.” Uzi’s shoulders slouched in defeat at the ever-constant reminder.

“I see you’ve taken a real liking to wine, however. But I think you should try some other stuff, too.” The pirate spoke.

Uzi shook her head however. “No thanks. Wine is just fine.”

“¡Venga ya, hombre!” Nereo nudged encouragingly.

“I don’t even know what else you have besides rum and beer.” Uzi smacked his elbow away.

“Well, we’ve got grog and diesel!” He answered.

“No thanks. Wine sounds better.” The woman just turned her head away.

Nereo went quiet, gazing at her. A sweat drop blinked onto Uzi’s visor and she returned the stare from the corner of her visor.

“What? Forgot what else you have on the ship?” She snipped.

“You like the stuff made from fruits best, don’t you?” Nereo grinned oilily.

Uzi just blinked at the random analysis.

“¡Sí, lo haces!” Nereo snickered.

“Ugh! So what?! At least the fruit makes it taste good and not like piss water!” Uzi scoffed back, kicking at her captain.

“Oi, oi! I didn’t say it was a bad thing!” Nereo blocked her boot with his hand. “I was just pointing it out. It honestly makes it easier to know what’s gonna run out first, heheh.” His tail waved in amusement.

Uzi rolled her optics and scoffed. “Oh please. I’m not gonna drink you out of water and sea.”

“At the rate you were going last night, I’d have thought otherwise!” Nereo laughed back.

Uzi tried kicking him again, only for the taller robot to grab her ankle this time. Uzi flinched and tried tugging her foot free. But Nereo kept a firm enough grip on it that it didn’t slip.

The pirate captain watched for a few minutes as the Worker Drone attempted to free herself from his not-so tight grasp. Uzi tried yanking her leg free, she tried slipping out of her boot, she tried kicking his hand with her other foot, but none of it worked.

After some minutes, she tuckered herself out and stopped. Perhaps she’d have gone on longer if her hangover wasn’t hindering her. Nereo tittered at her failed attempt.

“Shut the hell up. It’s harder than it looks trying to free yourself from a certain asshole when you’re hungover.” Uzi sneered.

“Ah, tienes razón, tienes razón. Mis disculpas.” Nereo hummed, finally letting her go. “Pero en ese caso, vamos a hacer que no te moleste intentar dejarlo todo~!” His voice held a sing-songy playfulness to it.

Uzi was picked up with a short yelp and placed into the man’s lap. Her visor went flush as the two were even closer than before. But her brows were quick to furrow and her voice box was quick to growl at him.

“Let me go, dick!”

“Hmph. ¿Sigues siendo maleducado, eh?”

“Whatever the hell you just said, I know I didn’t like it!”

“¿Alguna vez te gusta algo de lo que digo? ¿O es solo porque estoy hablando en un idioma que no puedes entender?” Nereo’s teasing grin widened.

Uzi growled again, her teeth bearing. “Let me the hell go already! You had fun grabbing my foot, so why keep agitating me?!”

Nereo sighed back at her. “¿Puedes ser una gaviota muy traste, ¿lo sabes?” His head cocked to the side.

Uzi attempted to punch him. Nereo caught her fist instead. Uzi’s teeth grit, but her expression soon fell when Nereo’s hand moved to open her fist. His large thumb took up the space of her palm, rubbing against it.

His rain-colored optics fell onto her hand. “Ay, tu recubrimiento es tan suave. No está desgastado como el de un pirata…” Nereo noted quietly.

Uzi couldn’t tell just what kind of look formed on his face. Sadness, solemness, thoughtfulness, maybe a mix of all three. Uzi only knew that his tone had suddenly changed.

Nereo kept thumbing her palm and feeling the smoothness of her plating. His tail made a vertical wave and flapped gently on the floor. After what was becoming an uncomfortable amount of time, Nereo stopped his ministrations and turned back to Uzi.

“Señorita, I came here to do more than just check up on you.” He spoke.

“Uh– And what else was it for?” Uzi snapped out of her thoughts.

“Well, you’ve been a part of this crew for a while now. But there’s still lots you haven’t learned yet.” He began. “I feel that, if you are to survive out on the sea, then you should really start learning how to do so.”

Uzi’s brow rose up. "What are you getting at?"

Nereo huffed. “What I am saying is that you need to learn how to become a real pirate. Not just in name, but in action, too.”

“I’m not becoming a pirate–!” Uzi wanted to argue.

“It’s far too late for that when you’ve already become the quartermaster, drank some of our booze, engaged in a fight, and have slept in my cabin multiple times!” Nereo countered sternly, his brows furrowing.

“GAAH!! Don’t say it like that!” Uzi shoved his face away as hers went flush.

“It’s true!” The Blue Whale Drone returned.

“I don’t care if it’s true! Just don’t make it sound like I’m actively sleeping with you!” Uzi exclaimed.

“Oi! I am wonderful in bed, thank you very much!”

“I DIDN’T ASK FOR FREAKING DETAILS!”

“And why not?! Maybe if I do, you won’t be so uptight!”

“Bite me! Like hell I’m ‘uptight!’ I’m just not a big fan of becoming a pirate like yourself!”

“Haha, well sure! You don’t even know all the joys of becoming one.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

Nereo’s grin turned beguiling. Uzi felt a sweat drop blink onto her visor right as her own expression shifted to something a little more uneasy and startled.

“Like spending the night with someone while your ship is docked at a port or harbor.” He answered. “Though, seeing as you lived on an island with only a village inhabiting it, maybe you simply don’t know how.”

Uzi scoffed in mild offense. “We could still reproduce, you know! We had pillbaby machines and stuff!”

“Oh, I’m not talking about those.” Nereo chuckled.

“Fine then! What were you talking about?” Uzi’s brows furrowed deeper.

“Pirates have more than one way to have fun. Mods are a great way to do so.” The Blue Whale Drone replied.

The Worker Drone rolled her optics. “Yeah right. I doubt you have freaking mods–”

Nereo pushed her down onto his pelvic plating. Immediately, Uzi felt something that really shouldn’t be there.

It made her display go flush all over again. Uzi whipped her head down to the pirate’s crotch. She could see a bulge there, feel it against her own clothed plating. Uzi became stuck staring at it, realizing what it was.

“Y– You… You’re ins-sane…” She mumbled.

“Not insane. Just a criminal who has nowhere to go but the open sea.” Nereo corrected with a grin. “But I’m also a generous Captain, so I don’t mind explaining further and letting you get a feel of things.” He slowly lowered Uzi to the floor.

She was planted on her back. The pirate’s hands found places beside her head. Uzi’s facial screen went entirely flush as she gaped up at him. Nereo’s grin turned downright erotic.

“So, señorita? Do you want a feel of things? A real good, firm feel?” The Blue Whale Drone inquired, his tail making a wave in the air.

Uzi couldn’t even reply. Her mouth was open, but her synthesizer refused to work. Nereo chuckled from above and she swore his voice was smoother yet lower than before. She had to swallow before she could speak.

“I–... You–...” Yet she couldn’t say anything.

Nereo let out a quiet laugh and sat up from the floor. “Sorry. I teased you too much, didn’t I?” He took Uzi with him, sitting her up and letting her reeling head continue to spin and heat up.

“Well, I should let you get some more rest and get over that hangover.” The Blue Whale Drone spoke up. “Once you’re better we’ll start training you some more. You’ll need to know how the ship works and what everyone does, as well as how to fight.”

“If you need anything, you can find me at the wheel. And by the way, dinner will be coming around soon. Just something to look forward to, haha.” He smiled at her as he turned.

Nereo said nothing more as he left. As soon as the door clicked shut, Uzi snapped from her daze. For the most part, anyway.

She got onto trembling legs and stumbled her way over to her hammock. Uzi stared into space for a few more minutes. Things remained silent as she tried to wrap her CPU about what just happened.

Nereo said he was just teasing, but it honestly felt a little too real for that. Why go to such lengths just to agitate and toy with her like that?

‘Hah. This is a pirate we’re talking about. Of course he’d go that far just to amuse himself.’ She quickly thought, her brows furrowing. ‘He’d probably go even farther if he so wanted. I’m just lucky that he didn’t.’ Her tongue clicked with the turn of her head.

Uzi lied back into her hammock and stared at the ceiling. The rocking of the ship made the cot move on its own. It was soothing, though not very helpful for her hangover.

‘I sure as hell didn’t feel it when Nereo was being a jerk, though.’ A sigh blew from her vents.

“To hell with him and his ‘teasing.’” Uzi then mumbled, turning onto her side.

She closed her optics and tried to get more rest. But it was far easier said than done when she felt the phantom touch of Nereo’s mod on her pelvic plating.

Uzi turned her face into her pillow to scream into it. Unfortunately, it made her head hurt worse.

Chapter Text

A few crewmates pushed away the last of the boxes and loose ropes—tucked against the sides of the ship or put below deck. Everyone then sat around the edge of the main deck with mild anticipation. Quiet snickers and murmurs passed among them as they waited.

It needn’t take long for the hatch leading to the tween deck to open up. Uzi stepped out and quickly noticed the barren deck and the way everyone was staring at her. A sweat drop blinked onto her visor as she walked onto the wood and metal deck.

“Señorita! Glad to see you up for another day!” Nereo greeted jovially.

Uzi just nodded back, staring at his crossed arms, puffed chest, and toothy grin. It only made her even more unsettled.

“Uhm, what’s the occasion? You find another ship to raid?” The young woman wondered.

“Nothing like that! But you could say that it’s a special occasion!” He replied, his tail making a wave.

“And what, exactly, is this occasion?” Uzi’s sweat drop glided down her visor.

Nereo’s grin brightened even more. “Why, it’s time for some training!”

Uzi’s brows knit and she blinked at him. She was soon snapped out of it when a wooden object was thrown her way. Uzi fumbled but caught it.

“A… Wooden sword…?” She questioned.

“Aye! It’s time you start learning how to defend yourself!” Nereo nodded back, picking up a wooden sword of his own.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I already know how to defend myself.” Uzi rejected with a wave of her hand, moving to set the sword down.

Nereo used the opportunity to bolt forward and swipe with the item. Uzi shrieked and stumbled back, barely avoiding getting her visor smashed.

“WHAT THE HELL–?!”

“I don’t think you understand, señorita!” Nereo interrupted as he straightened. “Maybe you know how to throw a dagger–!” He tried swinging again, to which Uzi sidestepped it.

“–But that’s not gonna save you when your life is on the line!” Nereo kept stepping forward as Uzi backed away.

Said woman couldn’t reply before her back met with another mast. Nereo’s wooden sword jabbed into the trunk and his other hand planted against it. Uzi stared up at the Blue Whale Drone as she became trapped.

“There’s only so far a dagger is gonna take you, señorita. On top of that, a well-trained and experienced pirate will be able to knock that thing outta your hands in no time!” He grinned down at her. “So I suggest you pick up that sword again if you ever wanna buy a little raft of your own to sail back home.”

Nereo leaned off the mast and stepped back. His tail bat the second wood sword Uzi’s way. She caught it much better this time, though she was still nervous. Her lavender sights turned down to the word object.

“When you hold a sword!” Nereo’s loud voice startled her into turning up. “You want to keep your grip firm! But not tight!” The pirate captain held out his sword for example.

“Keep your wrists loose! Too stiff and you’ll hinder your movements! Like throwing a ball!” He went on, swerving his hand around. “Similar for your elbows, but make sure they won’t be flying back every time your sword makes contact!”

Uzi glanced down at her weapon again. She held it with her dominant hand–

“Both hands!” Nereo ordered in a stunningly stern voice. “I want both hands on that weapon! Until you can hold it and swing it properly, you will not be sparring one-handedly!” His brows furrowed with the stern tone.

Uzi did as told; Holding it with both hands. Nereo stepped back over and adjusted her grip on the wooden hilt.

“Just as a reminder, a real sword is going to be heavier than any wooden mimic.” The captain spoke. “Until you are ready to hold a real sword, you’ll be handling this imitation. We’ll also work on your strength as training goes on.”

Uzi scoffed. “I carried and dragged around a lot of heavy shit in the past. Even in the water.”

Nereo’s brow rose up but he made a quiet laugh. “Well, that’ll make handling the real deal easier, then.”

The captain stepped back and gave them decent distance. He held his blade in one hand and aimed the tip at the female Worker Drone. Nereo held his free hand behind his back, fist clenched loose.

“For the time being, I’ll only be sparring with one hand.” He told his opponent. “Over time, I’ll put more strength into my swings! This training will result in injuries!” His grin returned, somewhat challenging, somewhat joyous. A sadistically pirate type of joyous.

Uzi nodded, more sweat drops blinking onto her visor.

“Then let’s cut the chatter and start this sparring session!” Nereo shouted.

The boat erupted in cheers and shouts. Uzi startled and snapped her gaze around. Nereo swung as her focus was taken away. Uzi had to react quick to block the blow.

She fell onto her butt from the force Nereo used against her. He gave her no room to recover as he flipped the sword to point down and slammed it Uzi’s way. She shrieked and rolled out from under him before her hand was punctured.

Nereo whipped around and swung his blade again. Uzi noticed that he’d started using both hands against her. She avoided another blow by stepping behind the mast. A loud bang rattled off the thick wood.

“What the hell happened to ‘not using both hands?!’” Uzi shouted, managing to swipe her sword up again.

Nereo’s tail smacked into her side and forced her to stop and turn towards him. With another swing of his blade, it connected with Uzi’s. She used all her strength to fend him off, her hollowed eye lights pointed onto his wooden yet surprisingly dangerous weapon.

“Aye, I did.” Nereo agreed as he grinned. “But unfortunately, pirates like to fight dirty.”

Nereo’s tail slipped from her back and he pushed Uzi to the floor. She dropped her artillery once more while her HUD went fuzzy for a split second. Nereo’s blunderbuss-heeled foot slammed down beside her head, stirring her once more.

“You should get used to this, señorita! Our sparring sessions aren’t going to be very friendly!” He warned with a short laugh. “Not only that, but right after this, you’re going to help out with the chores!”

Uzi’s teeth grit as she panted. The salty sea air stung her ventilation systems and made them burn. Her hands balled up tight into fists as Nereo beam down at her in triumph.

“It’ll be a while before you’re ready for any real fights, but I give you my praise for this first one!” Nereo went on. “Perhaps one day you’ll become experienced enough to win, but for now, I’ll glady–!!”

Uzi’s legs coiled up and slammed into his exposed crotch.

“¡¡HIJO DE UNA MADRE PUTA!!”

Scrambling out from under the recoiling man, Uzi swiped her blunt blade up once more. She whipped around to the Blue Whale Drone, clutching his precious pearls as his forehead planted onto the deck.

The entire ship had exploded in noise when Nereo was kicked. Many laughed while others flinched and held their hands over their own laps. Ron just blew out a sigh at knowing he’s gonna have to fix that later.

“How’s that for playing dirty, huh!?!” Uzi shouted, her eye lights going void and frenetic.

Nereo growled and slammed a hand to the floor. His fingers curled and dug into the wood as his entire frame trembled. Uzi just laughed at his downed form.

“If you want to play dirty, then fine! I can play even dirtier!” She hollered.

“Aye, seguro que puedes…” Was all Nereo grumbled back.

He slowly stumbled back onto his feet, still trembling but now grinning with far more dangerous intent. His grip on his sword turned tight as he picked it up. Uzi held hers up in challenge at him.

“Come on, Moby Dick! Is that all you’ve got?!” The woman urged further.

“Oho, you really like pissing others off, don’t you?” Nereo questioned back, resuming his fighting stance.

“Well, it’s the thing I was known most for back on my home island.” Replied the shorter Worker Drone.

“Puedo ver por qué.” Nereo chuckled.

There were no more words spoken as the taller robot charged back in. Uzi ducked under the first swing and aimed for his legs. Her swipe was messy, lower than she wanted it. Nereo’s tail slapped her away like a bug.

Uzi rolled onto her hands and knees just before the larger robot could try and pierce her. Uzi’s sword aimed for Nereo’s. It stood sturdy and took the hit.

“¡Vas a tener que esforzarte más que eso, señorita!” Nereo laughed as he kicked his leg out.

Uzi grunted as she was smacked away again. Nereo followed with a turning skip. Uzi pushed herself under his legs and towards his tail. It lifted up just to smack down onto her.

“You aren’t thinking of trying that trick again, are you!?” The captain questioned as he twirled around and let his limb fly.

“No! I’m not that stupid!” Uzi scoffed back.

“Oh? Then how stupid are you?” Nereo inquired right back as he ran for the mast.

“Enough to do this!”

Uzi’s teeth came crashing down on Nereo’s soft silicone tail. He yelped and instinctively slammed the appendage into the mast’s trunk. Uzi held on tight, her fingers digging onto the grey-blue material.

When she didn’t come off with the slam, Nereo physically plucked her off. Uzi latched onto his arm next, kicking him square in the face. He flipped his sword and used the butt-end to finally get her off.

Uzi didn’t linger on the floor, despite the ache in her face plates. She scrambled away before Nereo could stomp on her. Uzi swiped some rope off the floor and used it to block his blow from his sword. The rope nearly gave way.

“Using your environment! How clever!” Nereo praised with a manic expression on his face plates. “But it’s not going to save you forever!” He pulled his sword away to elbow her.

Uzi moved her head away just in time to avoid her. But she still felt the point of his arm scratch into her cheek. And she couldn’t gather any distance when Nereo’s tail prevented her from doing so, tripping her up as she tried to back away.

The woman’s core was racing before, but a spike of fear made it leap. Uzi turned her hollowed gaze Nereo’s way. He was beaming at her like she was some sort of prey. The fear in her core only rose as Nereo righted his weapon. Before she even knew what she was doing, Uzi opened her mouth to speak.

“Stop!”

Nereo halted as soon as the word slipped from her mouth.

The whole boat went silent at it.

Uzi stared up, panting and growing fearful, at the larger Bestial Drone. The soft glow within her voice box died out.

“I… I give up. You win.” She conceded.

Nereo was still for a few seconds more. He blinked and nodded. Uzi’s posture slumped as he straightened up and lowered his sword.

“That was good. Better than I was expecting.” Said the male drone.

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Uzi could barely reply through her pants.

Nereo’s gaze narrowed onto her. He set the sword down and crouched before her. Uzi stared at back him, a hint of defiance in her optics.

“A little sore about losing?” Nereo snickered.

Uzi rolled her optics and turned her head away.

“I’m going to take that as a yes.” The Blue Whale Drone hummed. “But hey! You did quite well for your first sparring match! Certainly more than I was expecting to come out of you!” He nudged her arm encouragingly.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure it was.” But Uzi just waved him off.

“I mean it.” Nereo’s tone turned serious. “Even if we got, err… A bit caught up in the moment, you did real well! You should be proud of the fact you survived so long!”

“You make it sound like you were gonna kill me.” Uzi commented flatly.

That made Nereo nervous. “Uh– Well– Y-You know how pirate life is! Everything is always life-or-death, haha!” His rain-colored gaze flicked away as sweat drops popped onto his display.

Uzi just gave him a minor glare.

“F-For now! Let’s rest a little! Get Ron to check us and make sure nothing is broken!” He quickly moved on, standing up.

Nereo made a flinch as a warning symbol flickered over his visor for a moment. He took a deep vent and stopped himself from clutching his crotch again. Uzi snickered at him as she stood up as well.

“You might want to be careful when sitting down for the next few days. Don’t wanna hurt your pretty little pearls anymore than they already are.” Her grin turned mocking.

A glare formed on her captain’s face plates. “Oi, they wouldn’t be hurting in the first place if someone didn’t try and bust them.”

“Sucks when the opponent plays just as dirty, huh?” Uzi giggled.

“Ha! Just be glad we were using fake weapons and not real ones!” Her captain replied.

“Uh-huh.” Was all Uzi said in reply.

The two made their way down below deck. The rest of the crew cheered them on, congratulating Uzi and sending their condolences Nereo’s gential’s way.

“You’re still helping with chores by the way.” Nereo spoke.

Uzi let out a loud groan towards the sky.

Chapter Text

Although Uzi still refused to let Ron give her a physical, she was deemed functional enough to help out with the ship’s duties. And while Uzi wasn’t looking forward to it, she followed her captain’s command and went back above deck. Meanwhile, that said captain lied on a cot as the ship’s surgeon checked his precious “jewels.”

“I know I said us pirates fight dirty, but did she have to fight that dirty?!” Nereo exclaimed as his hand waved in the air. “She’s lucky we were just practicing! Otherwise, I’d have done more damage to her than a few patches of scraped paint!” His tail thumped on the cot.

“Stop moving your tail.” Ron spoke from between his legs.

“Lo siento.” Nereo quickly replied. “¡Pero todavía!” And his tail shifted again.

Ron sighed and shoved the thick limb out of the way. “I’m not sure what else you expected. You showed her that us pirates have genitals, and then told her we don’t play fair. There wasn’t anything saying she couldn’t do the same and target your weakest point.” The surgeon argued back.

“Well, she could’ve done it to an enemy! Not me!” Nereo huffed right back.

“I don’t mean to come off as rude, Captain, but at that moment, you were her enemy.” Ron gave him a flat look in return. “Anyways, your penis is fine. Might ache for a day, or just a few hours, but there’s no damage. Just be careful when sitting down.” He straightened to take off his gloves.

“Aye, thanks, Ron.” Nereo nodded as he sat up.

He almost winced but got onto his feet to save himself the pain. As he shoved his boxers and pants back on, the surgeon spoke again.

“Uzi still isn’t letting me give her a physical.”

Nereo sighed at him, adjusting his buckle. “I don’t think there’s much I can do.”

“You can order her to let me give her a physical.” Ron suggested, tossing the gloves into some cabinet or another.

“And what do you think would happen if I did that?” The Blue Whale Drone questioned. “All the progress with her—gone!” His hand made a motion to emphasize it.

“And Uzi herself could be ‘gone’ from wounds she won’t let me treat!” The surgeon’s brows furrowed and his hands planted onto his hips. “Even if she isn’t hurt now, she could be in the future! And if she still isn’t letting me see her frame, then she could very well die!”

“But she isn’t hurt right now!” His captain retorted sternly. “I know it’s frustrating—it is for me as well—but let’s not forget how she got here and who she’s here with!”

“I know that! But at the same time, I don’t think she’s ever going to fully trust us if we cannot prove to her we won’t touch her while alone or ‘vulnerable’ in front of us!” Ron’s voice grew louder, more desperate.

Nereo stared at him, mouth agape with words on the tip of his tongue. His tail made a small movement and a sweat drop blinked onto his display. He had to sigh to ease his growing frustration with the other drone.

“I– I know. I want her to trust us, too. But that won’t happen if we force her into it.” Nereo repeated. “Just– We’ll continue this conversation later. I need to get back on deck and get this ship cleaned up.”

Nereo turned before Ron could say anything more. As the door closed, the surgeon let out another stressed sigh. A hand rubbed at the side of his head, optics turning to his logbook of medical records of the crew.

He doesn’t know why Uzi is so secretive about her frame, but it’s getting to a point where he might have to take more drastic measures to ensure her health. And he really doesn’t want to do that.

Nereo quietly closed the door to Ron’s office. He stared at the handle for a few more minutes, deep in thought. With a shake of his head, he turned for the steps. Still, Nereo couldn’t help but be caught up in his head.

‘I know why Ron is worried, but… We just can’t do that to her.’ His brows creased over his optical lights. ‘But I can’t lie, it certainly is odd why she’s so secretive of herself.’ His gaze narrowed on the hatch above.

‘She wasn’t exactly keen on letting anyone see her without even a smidgen of clothes. And she always looks to tie them very tight. More so than needed, I think.’ The hatch creaked as he opened it up. ‘And then there’s the weird happenings whenever she talks to others.’ His thoughtful look stuck onto his face plates as he paced the deck, his crew staring at him.

‘I swear, that day that the merchant came, he was intent on not even glimpsing at our items. But then she somehow does? When she failed multiple times before?’ His tail waved as he stared at the ground. ‘And even just an hour ago, with that sparring match… I swear I lost all of my senses for just a moment–’ His rain-colored gaze hardened on the ground.

“Uh, Captain? Are you alright?” Cammy inquired, his brow above his eye light quirked.

Nereo startled from his pacing and thinking. He shook his head before replying.

“Uh– Yes, just thinking.”

“That much was obvious.” Twig commented. “What was it about?”

“No hay nada importante.” Nereo shook his head at him. “Anyways, where’s the señorita? She needs to know how to man a ship with the rest of us!” He looked around for the said woman.

“Aye, aye! She’s over here!” Ronan called, dragging Uzi over.

She pouted as she was brought in front of the captain. Nereo chuckled at her, already knowing what she’d been trying to do.

“Aye, you can’t hide, señorita! It’ll just be a futile effort!” He teased as his tail waved.

“I can still try.” The woman retorted quietly.

“¡Vale, vale! ¡Es momento de empezar a limpiar La Fortuna Absoluta, vosotros, perros!” Nereo called loudly to his crew. “I want crates and barrels tied down extra tight! Anything valuable goes below deck!” He ordered.

“And Twain, check the mast for any damages.” He then whispered to the carpenter next to him.

“Any loose ropes should be stored away! The helmwheel should be greased! And I want some polish on the railings! We can polish the deck later!” He then yelled to his crew. “Savvy?”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Everyone else saluted.

“Good! Now get to work! Let’s try and get this done before nightfall!” Nereo swung out an arm.

Everyone dispersed to start working on some chore or another. Uzi watched them spread out and start manning things in orderly fashion.

“Aye, señorita. Follow me.” But Nereo caught her attention with a wave of his head.

Uzi followed, still glancing at everyone else. The took not even a handful of paces to the masts and the large sails propped onto them.

“One of the most important things on a ship is its sail. Or sails, if it’s big enough.” Nereo began, staring up at the said things. “I’d argue and say it’s the most important, as without any paddles, your boat will only coast along where the currents push it.”

Uzi’s brow rose. “And why are you telling me this?”

“Because, if you intend on sailing back home in your own boat, you’ll need to know how to maintain it.” The Blue Whale Drone replied. “If you can’t sail on your own, or can’t keep your boat afloat, then you’re as good as dead.”

‘He… Does have a point. I never really thought of that.’ Uzi realized, a sweat drop blinking onto her display.

“So is this my first step in manning my own ship?” She then questioned.

Nereo nodded. “In a way, yes. Basic information about the boat itself and what you’re looking at will be very helpful.” He then turned to some ropes keeping the mast straight. “Take those netted ropes there. That’s called the rigging, and it’s used to keep the sails straight.” Uzi stared at the ropes with him.

“However, there’s also two kinds; Standing and running, and they both do different things.” Nereo then turned back to the Worker Drone.

“I-I see…” Uzi nodded slowly.

Nereo chuckled at seeing her pensive look. “Don’t worry about remembering everything all at once. You’re still a ways away from getting a boat for home, so take your time learning it all.”

“Yeah, yeah. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” Uzi scoffed with a wave of her hand.

“I’m just saying.” Nereo held his up in mock surrender. “Anyways, let me show you just how these rigs work and what the difference is.” He offered, taking a step towards the ropes.

Uzi could only nod and follow after him.

The business of the day made it pass by in a swift blur. The sky was dark and the stars reflected off the ocean’s surface. The moon cast its silver light onto the water, making it bounce back, too.

La Absoluta Fortuna sailed on the calm waves. Warm yellow lights illuminated the deck for the few still on it. Others lay on their cots in Sleep Mode below it.

Nereo stared out at the ocean and the stars mirrored on its surface. Ocean breezes made his fishfin accessory on his hat drift. Loose strands of his grey-blue hair followed the wind’s path.

A sigh blew past his blow hole and he turned down to the railing he was leaning against. The new polish was dried by now, the sun helping it to harden. Tomorrow, the deck will have to be done.

‘I’ll have them do it when the sun is setting. That way, it can dry overnight.’ The Blue Whale Drone thought to himself. ‘For now though, there’s something else I want to do.’

Nereo moved to his cabin on the deck. As the door closed and he was left in dim quietude, he took off his coat and hat. They were hung onto his chair. Nereo then united and took off his shirt. After that came his pants, boxers, and any other accessories.

A pair of swim trunks were plucked from a drawer. A little bit form-fitting but loose enough for all types of movement. After the smoky blue trunks were shrugged on, Nereo left the cabin once more.

He took a Jacob’s ladder and let it fly over the side of the ship. Nereo himself didn’t use it, instead using the railing as a ledge to jump off. The water splashed as he crashed into it and made bubbles swirl.

Nereo took in the sight of the dark ocean. With a blink of his optics, a special form of night vision was turned on. More of the ocean’s water and what it holds greeted him.

As the pirate ship kept moving, Nereo turned to follow beside it. He kept a safe distance so he wouldn’t be caught under it. But it did allow him some time to himself and to gaze at the scenery.

Old buildings eroding from the water, nocturnal fish fluttering here and there, large rocks and growing corals sticking up towards the surface, oceanic fauna drifting gently in the nighttime currents.

And with Nereo’s pace being as leisurely as the ship allowed him, he was able to take in much of the serenity of the sea. For once, he could get a little bit of reprieve from being a pirate captain, if only for an hour or so.

Nereo let out a sigh, making bubbles flow from his vents. He batted his thick tail in the water and rose towards the surface. As he arched his back and let the chilly night air brush against it, some water spouted from his blowhole.

He dove back under the surface, his tail breaching the top. Some more minutes were spent under the water; Taking in the scenery and relaxing. Nereo did not want to think, not right now. This reprieve was too precious to do that.

But since he had the time to himself, and the whole wide ocean to swim in, Nereo closed his optics and let a deep hum echo from his voice box. It reached deep into the ocean, fading out as the currents carried the sound.

‘I wonder… If I shouldn’t do this more often.’ Nereo wondered as he continued his whale song.

He kept following his ship as his song drifted through the waves. He breached his back again to let out another burst of water. His tail lifted just above the surface as he dove back down.

The quietude was nice enough to fall into Sleep Mode. But Nereo knew that was a very bad idea, so he didn’t. But he allowed himself to get a little sleepy and calmly swim next to his ship.

And when he was getting so sleepy that he was staring to fall asleep, he decided it was time to get out. Nereo breached the surface again, blew out some more water, and grasped onto the Jacob’s ladder.

He hauled himself up onto the deck and shook off some loose water. More of it dripped onto the deck’s wood and metal. Nereo ignored it and tilted his head over the railing to squeeze out some water from his short and messy tresses.

Once he got off as much water as possible, Nereo turned back to the moon. It stared back down at him in silence. Only the swashing ocean waves created any noise.

Nereo turned away from the moon and lifted the ladder, rolling it back up and storing it away. He then returned to his captain’s cabin and took a towel from a chest. The rest of the water was cleaned off his frame, leaving him chilly but dry.

And for a few minutes more, Nereo just stood in his cabin. His rain-colored optics were closed and he vented in the scent of the old wood, metal, and the salt water on his towel. One more huff came from his blowhole, surprising him as some unknown water came sprinkling onto the floor.

“Supongo que no lo saqué todo...” He commented quietly. “Bueno, se secará por la mañana. Debería irme a la cama antes de no dormir nada de nada.” The Blue Whale Drone then told himself with a grin.

Nereo put on his regular attire—excluding his hat and coat—and fell into his hammock. One foot was planted on the floor to rock him gently. Nereo placed his hat over his face to block out any other light.

And after some time of rocking and resting, Nereo fell into Sleep Mode.

Chapter Text

Wooden swords clacked against each other while grunts sounded out. Birds and pirate members alike watched as two drones went at each other relentlessly. Of course, those said pirates also made sure to do their chores—when their captain was looking.

Uzi sidestepped a jab aiming at her hip. She smacked her wooden sword against her opponent’s and went back in for another swipe. Ron banged her weaponed off-course easily, grinning gently at the woman.

“Come on, how are you supposed to defend yourself if you can’t even beat a surgeon?” He teased lightly, stepping back from a jab of Uzi’s own.

The said female Worker Drone growled and hopped forward. She flipped her sword to face her back and swung her arm out. Ron ducked under it and tripped Uzi up, knocking her onto her butt. With the tip of his wooden sword pointing at her neck, he’d won the match.

Uzi scowled at his sword while she huffed and puffed. Ron pulled his fake weapon back and offered his hand instead. Uzi just smacked it away and got up on her own.

“Another match! And this time, I’m not losing!” She challenged with a point.

“Are you sure? I think it’d be better if we took a break.” Ron replied, leaning onto his sword.

“Yes I’m sure! I want one more match!” Uzi hollered, feeling sweat drops scroll down her facial screen.

Ron just quirked a brow at her. He opened his mouth to retort, but someone else beat him to the punch.

“Oi, señorita! A word of advice for you!” Nereo called jovially, sauntering on over. “First; Good match! I can see you improving already! Second; Pirates doesn’t simply want. They need!” He laughed as his tail wagged.

Uzi became confused, the emotion showing on her face plates. Nereo sighed and had her hold up her sword. It was pointed at Ron and his neck, as if to threaten him.

“If it’s another match you’re asking for, then take it. Don’t just want another match. Need another match!” He told her, his grin large but playful as he stared at his surgeon.

Ron just scoffed and rolled his optics, but a smile of his own was spreading across his face plates. Uzi blinked at him for a few seconds. Her expression hardened and her grip on her sword turned tighter.

“I need another match! And if you won’t give it to me, I’ll take it!” She departed from her captain to swing at the other male robot.

The surgeon spun around her to take advantage of her blind spot. Uzi’s lavender optics snapped to the corner of her HUD, intensifying on the male Worker Drone. Uzi fell to one knee as Ron swung his wooden blade and stuck out her other leg.

Ron couldn’t react in time before the woman’s leg was tripping him up—just like how he did her. But even though he was downed, Ron rolled out of the way of the wooden sword being thrust for him.

Nereo stepped back to watch the two continue their sparring match, crossing his arms and smirking. Eracion came up to him to watch as well, though to also ask a question.

“You don’t think you should let her take Ron’s advice and rest a little? Lunch is gonna be done soon anyway.” The pirate said.

“Aye, she should,” Nereo shrugged. “But it’s far more entertaining to goad her to keep going.” His smirk turned mischievous.

Eracion couldn’t agree more, returning the evil grin in full. Though, it quickly fell as the sound of a clattering sword rang out. Nereo and Eracion turned to see Uzi standing triumphantly over Ron.

“HA! Beat you now, didn’t I, Surgeon Boy?!” She taunted, swiping some drool from her chin.

Ron held his hands by his head in mock surrender. “Aye, that you did, lass.” He chuckled back at her.

The ship’s crew began to clap at the victory. Uzi took it all in with a haughty laugh and a puffed chest. She thrust her wooden sword in the air and spun slowly to take in their praise and cheers.

“¡Uzi! ¡No dejes que esta victoria se te suba a la CPU!” Nereo warned as he came back over.

The said female Worker Drone turned to him right as her brow quirked down. Nereo sighed and reset his voice box.

“You should always take pride in your wins, but don’t let it get to your CPU, señorita. Otherwise, it’ll just end up being your very own weakness.” He clarified.

“Hmph. Don’t worry. I’m just celebrating my wins where I can take them.” She brushed off with a pat to his torso.

Nereo’s rain-colored brow rose at the touch but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he pat the woman on the back in support.

“Well, I just thought I’d warn you anyway!” He smiled.

“Yuh-huh.” Was all Uzi flatly replied with.

“But! If you’re done, let’s get ready for lunch! There’s an island in the distance that we can berth at! Might be nice to rest the ol’ sea legs for a night!” Her captain pointed out to the distance.

Uzi followed his finger to see the aforementioned island. Quite small in her opinion, though lush with a forest and perfect for taking a one-night rest at.

“Alright, everyone! Let’s prepare to settle for a night!” Nereo suddenly called loudly, startling Uzi. “I want this boat ready to drop anchor within the hour!”

The ship sprung to life as pirates began getting ready for their pit stop. Uzi looked around at all of them with a mild bout of surprise. Nereo grabbed onto her shoulder and took her sword for her.

“Señorita, why don’t you help out Cuca in the kitchen? He’ll need help bringing out the tables and such for lunch.” He advised.

Uzi stared at him before a light scowl formed on her face plates. A scoff huffed past her lips as she shrugged out of his hold.

“I think I can help out around here just fine. I’m not so dainty that I’d snap a wire hauling up a mast.” She remarked coldly.

Nereo blinked at her in surprise for a moment. He then sighed, smiled, and nodded all at once.

“¡Aye, está bien! Go help out Bumpernickle and Josh!” He ordered.

Uzi trotted off to aid them in whatever work they were doing. Nereo watched the female Worker Drone for a moment before turning to the quarterdeck. He took the wheel from his crewmate and turned his gaze to the island not far off.

The anchor fell into the ocean blue with a splash. As a ramp was lowered into the water, the pirates eagerly clambered off into the shallow waters. More of it splashed around as they swarmed the beach.

Uzi hopped off and carried with her a box of utensils. Just as a table was set up, she placed the box down. Food was placed onto the furniture as a few members of the crew went into the forest.

Trees were cut down and chopped into chunks to make sturdy stools able to stand in the sand. Leftover branches were used to make a sizable fire ring, as well as some rocks being collected for the same reason.

Cuca got off the ship with a crate of food in his arms. As someone else plopped out a portable grill, another couple of crewmates hoisted barrels onto the beach. Lively chatter filled the air as the pirate crew prepared their meal.

“Señorita! Come help set up the seats!” Nereo called.

Uzi startled out of her thoughts and jogged after him. She took wood stumps and rolled them to form a circle around the fire. She then helped them light the said fire before standing up to pop open a few crates.

Mugs were passed around as barrels had taps shoved into small holes. With booze now going around, things had gotten all the livelier.

“Are we staying here long, Captain?” Uzi inquired as she was handed a mug of beer, just to hand it off to the said Bestial Drone.

“Only for the night. We can’t stay in one place too long, especially not when treasure’s on the line.” He replied, taking the offered mug.

Uzi just hummed. She declined another mug of beer and got an empty one for herself. She filled it with some mid-grade and took a careful sip.

The sound of sizzling turned her attention away from her drink. Uzi spotted Cuca putting some skewered fruits onto the grill. Metals and veggies were skewered as well, though not always on the same stick.

With the sizzling food came its scent. Uzi could feel her mouth water, especially at the metals and sweet fruits. The other members of the crew were getting just as hungry, crowding around the grill.

Cuca grabbed a knife and waved it around at the others. They shrieked and laughed, hobbling away to let him do his job. Nereo chuckled and took a sip from his cup.

“How many times are you all gonna crowd around the poor sea dog? Do you just hate learning lessons?” He wondered with a waving tail.

“We can’t help that his food is so good!” Twig argued. “And when we haven’t eaten anything since breakfast at dawn, can you blame us?!” He added with a lighthearted huff.

“No actúes como si estuvieras pasando hambre, ¡tío!” Nereo retorted with an equally teasing laugh.

As the crew began lightly berating each other, Uzi took a seat on a wood stump. She turned to the sea, deep blue and endless. The urge to dive into its infinite depths tugged at her very core.

Through the sigh passing beyond her lips, Uzi habitually tried to twitch a missing part of herself at hearing a loud squabble. But nothing happened, and she lifted a hand to the side of her head.

Still, it was missing. And still, she remembered what her father told her.

“You doing okay, lass?” Marq questioned quietly.

Uzi startled and gasped. She spun around to the man with hollowed eye lights. A relieved vent blew from her mouth as Marq burst out into a fit of laughter.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t know you were that deep in thought!” He waved in reassurance. “Anyways, you’ve got an awfully long face. Something on your CPU?” Marq continued with a cock of his head.

A sweat drop blinked onto Uzi’s visor as she decided on what to say. “I’m just… Missing home.”

“Ahh, homesick. I get it.” Marq nodded, glancing into his beer mug. “I’m sure that, after you get paid a few more times, you’ll be able to get your own ship home, or maybe find some voyage that’ll carry you there.” He said.

“I don’t doubt it, but it doesn’t mean I can’t be homesick before then.” Uzi replied.

“I never said you wouldn’t!” Marq laughed. “But don’t worry too much. You’ll get back, I’m sure of it!” He nudged her side in attempted consolation.

Uzi wasn’t sure what to say so she didn’t say anything. She just turned back to her cup while Marq walked off. As she was left alone by the fire, she took a few deep vents. Uzi closed her lavender optics to listen to the swashing waves and loud pirates.

Though, it was mostly the waves she was listening to. Their reach for dry land and their resulting recoil when they couldn’t stretch far enough. Gentle rolls on the surface that the wind urged on. Birds cawing overhead as they flew over the water and from the beach.

Unfortunately, a tap at her shoulder had stirred Uzi from her peaceful listening. She turned to see Marq again, this time with a plate being offered. Uzi took it while the man sat back next to her.

“I hear that there’s gonna be some treasure at our destination,” Marq spoke up, making Uzi glance at him. “However, wherever there’s treasure, there’s also trouble. Think you’ll be able to wield a sword by the time we get there?” He asked with a grin.

Uzi finished her fruit piece before answering, “Of course. I haven’t been busting my aft all this time for nothing.”

Marq laughed heartily. “Is that so?! Then I’ll be sure to watch you fight!”

“What? So you can make bets among the other pirates?” Uzi rhetorically questioned.

“Obviously!” Though, she should’ve seen that coming… “But of course, if you ever need help, I’m here! And so are the others, I guess…” Marq added, giving a glimpse to the others of his crew.

Uzi glanced at them as well. As she turned back around, she could’ve sworn that Marq was slightly further away. Probably about an inch. But Uzi shrugged it off to focus on her food and scarfing it down.

Some silence fell between them as the two ate their food. The other pirates goofed around and scarfed down their own meals, all while chugging down entire mugs of diesel. It made for a decent atmosphere, in Uzi’s opinion.

‘Not too different from home and our big feasts.’ She thought. ‘Though, maybe with less swearing…’

As Uzi finished off another skewer and her drink, she got up to get a refill. When she sat back down with a filled cup, she noticed that Marq was even closer. Still not by much, but it was noticeable to her.

A sweat drop blinked onto Uzi’s visor and she took a swig of her mid-grade. The bitter taste had her sticking out her tongue for a moment, wishing they’d brought out the wine.

“Not a fan of the mid-grade?” Marq questioned with another chuckle.

“Not the bitterness. I like wine more.” Uzi answered as she stared into her cup.

“You could always pluck the fruits off your skewers and dunk them in there. It might not taste the best still, but maybe it’d get rid of the bitterness?” The other man shrugged with his suggestion.

Uzi nodded and took a couple fruits from her skewers. They were plopped into her cup and swirled around to let the grilled juices mix with the mid-grade. As Uzi took another drink, she thought it was slightly better.

While she blew out a sigh, Marq reset his voice box. Uzi peered over to him from her corner of her HUD. Marq chugged down the rest of his drink before speaking up.

“You know, if it’s too loud, we could go elsewhere.” He offered.

Uzi’s gaze on him narrowed in confusion. “Uhm, it’s fine. Thanks.” She let him down easy, mostly from confusion.

“Really? I always took you for the type to like peace and quiet.” Marq tittered.

“I mean, I do. But it’s not terrible right now.” Uzi shrugged back.

“Well, it could be even better if we found someplace quieter.” The man countered.

“I’m alright, thanks.” Uzi still declined the offer.

Marq blinked at her, taking a few seconds to think of a reply. “W-Well, instead of going somewhere quieter, we could do something other than sit here.” He said.

“Like what?” Uzi glanced at him again, though she looked disinterested.

“There’s a lot we could do! Especially without any of those guys around.” Marq’s thumb pointed to the crew.

The lady’s brow rose. Marq felt a sweat drop blink onto his visor.

“We could have fun on the boat. Doubt we’d be disturbed with everyone prancing around the island.” The pirate suggested next.

“I’m not interested in cards.” Uzi retorted flatly.

Marq’s sweat drop turned into an anger tick for a second. He took a deep vent and decided to be a bit more direct.

He lifted a hand to set it on Uzi’s shoulder. Her optics immediately sharpened and snapped over to it.

“There are more games than cards we could play on the ship, you know.” Marq said next, staring right into Uzi’s optics. “And they don’t have anything to do with cards, either. So it won’t be boring.” He grinned at her, too.

Again, Uzi just blinked at him. Although her gaze was sharp, it was still confused and slightly unsettled. Marq’s hand slid down her bicep and onto her side. Uzi stiffened as it slowly rolled down to her hip.

“Lass, I think it’d be a lot more fun if we went onto the ship and spent some time together.” Marq spoke, making Uzi finally go flush. “And if need be, I can show you the ropes. You know, let you get a good feel of things–” But he was cut off before he could finish.

Uzi stood up, letting her silverware and food fall to the sand. As the diesel in her mug splashed onto the fire, making it hiss and smoke, everyone’s heads turned to her. She whipped around to the pirate with a disgusted and offended snarl on her face plates.

“I DO NOT WANT TO ‘FEEL’ ANYTHING!!” Uzi bellowed.

She picked up her fallen mug to splash the remaining diesel and the accumulated sand into his face. Marq yelped and tried rubbing the wet grit off his face plates as Uzi stormed off, her visor entirely flush.

“By the way; FUCK YOU!!” She shouted from the water.

With that, she hopped onto the deck and disappeared into the tween deck. Meanwhile, everyone was left speechless and befuddled. The awkward muteness quickly turned wary as Nereo let out a strong huff from his blowhole.

“Oi, Marq.” He called coldly.

Said drone flinched, hesitant to turn around.

“Mind explaining what that was about?” Nereo questioned, his tail slapping displeased onto the sand.

Chapter Text

Uzi stormed into her room, letting a bucket full of soapy water hit the floor. Suds spilled over the side and water droplets pattered onto the wood floor. Uzi took off her clothes with a huff and tossed them onto some crate by the wall.

Sitting down, Uzi dunked her rag into the bucket and wrung out the excess. Wetly slapping it onto her shoulder, Uzi began wiping herself down. Her neck was scrubbed and her shoulders ran over. Suds and water glided down her plating and to the floor.

As the woman washed herself, the rag ran over scars and frayed tidbits of limbs lost. There was an urge to move something that wasn’t there and will never be there again. It made Uzi’s angry mood simmer down into a longing mourn.

The rag was slid over her chest plates and black waistband. More water and bubbles floated down her frame and onto the floor. As Uzi moved the rag over her legs, she slipped out her pede fins.

Delicate purple webbing clung onto thin rods creating a fish fin-like look. The tips made a teardrop shape, ending with a point. Water slid off the material with ease, dribbling between the rods.

A sigh blew past Uzi’s lips as her hand lingered on her flippers. Taking a vent, she opens her mouth to sing. And with it, her voice box glows dimly in her throat.

“♪We lay my love and I, beneath the weeping willow♪” The woman’s voice is soft and airy. “♪But now alone I lie, and weep beside the tree♪” Her hand finally leaves her foot.

“♪Singing ‘Oh Willow Waly,’ by the tree that weeps with me♪” Uzi continues to clean herself, her back and hips tingling over the scars. “♪Singing ‘Oh Willow Waly,’ ‘till my lover returns to me♪”

Uzi’s voice drifts through her small room as the rag she holds is dunked into the bucket. With excess water being wrung out, and the wet slap of the rag piercing through her song, she closes her optics to focus on the sounds of her own voice and the water La Absoluta Fortuna sits on.

Grime, grease, dirt, and whatever floats off the water from sea travels is wiped off her white plating. The fluid in the bucket grows darker as the woman gets more filth off herself. It leaves her far more refreshed than before.

“♪We lay my love and I, beneath the weeping willow♪” Uzi wrings her rag out once more. “♪But now alone I lie♪” Her hands reach for her back, running the cloth and soapy water over her scars and the very last remnants of her–

“¿Señorita, estás aquí?” Nereo’s voice interrupts her song.

Uzi goes silent, admittedly startled by the knock and muffled voice. She resets her voice box, dims the glow, and turns to the door.

“Wh– What?” She stutters.

“I asked if you were in there.” Nereo chuckles from beyond the barrier. “I wanted to check on you after Marq was being rude.”

Uzi scoffs back. “Hah. ‘Rude’ is one way of putting it.” She tosses her rag back into the bucket and hides her pede fins within her feet again.

“Lo entiendo, lo siento.” Nereo replies. “Think I could come in?” He asks next.

“Give me a couple minutes. I was in the middle of washing myself.” Uzi answers, plucking a towel from a crate.

“Ah, I didn’t know. I can come back later?” Her captain offers.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll wash my hair some other time.” Uzi shakes her head out of habit.

Nereo just hums. Uzi dries herself off and swiftly puts on some clothes. Just enough to be presentable to her captain. And as Uzi opens the door, Nereo peeks at her from the corner of his visor next to her door.

He ducks inside and sits on the floor while Uzi takes her hammock. There’s a bout of quietude between them for a minute as Nereo’s rainy optics scan the room.

“Sorry for interrupting your bath. Like I said; I didn’t know you’d been washing.” He repeated.

“And like I said; It’s fine.” Uzi returned sternly.

Nereo chuckled and took off his hat. “Anyways, I wanted to come here to see how you were doing. I had Marq tell me everything, so no need to give any details.” And he got right to business.

Uzi let out a frustrated sigh, her lips forming into something of a pout. Nereo’s optics flicked up to her face plates, immediately catching onto her mouth and her puffed cheeks. His tail made a wag and his fingers twitched, optics unable to snap away from the expression.

“I kind of want to kick him in his precious little pearls.” Uzi spoke, stirring Nereo from his staring. “I mean– How long have I been on this ship!? Been a part of this crew?! And he’s trying to get into bed with me!? Have you pirates no shame?!” She turned to her captain.

“Eh, pues, la verdad no–” Nereo shrugged back.

Uzi groaned and turned her head away again. “I don’t know what you said, but I’m sure I wouldn’t like it regardless.” Another pout made her cheeks puff up, rounding out her face plates even more.

“Probably not.” Nereo let out a breathy laugh as his tail made one more flap. “But don’t worry. I’ll make sure Marq—and everyone else for that matter—knows not to treat you like a whore.”

The female Worker Drone just huffed again. “They should know not to treat every woman like a hooker regardless.” She argued, her arms crossing.

Nereo opened his mouth to retort, though he found himself staring at her puffed cheeks again. A grin formed in his face plates. His hand lifted up to turn Uzi’s head towards him. And when he did, Uzi’s eye lights went wide.

The Blue Whale Drone’s hand was gentle on her chin. And it was hard not to notice how huge it was compared to her, well, everything!

“How about this, señorita?” Nereo spoke up, snapping the woman from her thoughts. “Since you’re clearly still very upset about this, and this transgression was against you, why don’t you punish Marq this time?” He suggested.

Uzi blinked at him. Her brows creased as a small bout of confusion came over her. Nereo chuckled at the look, his thumb sliding around the curve of her face plating and stopping just at her lip.

“I cannot just let Marq get away with–” Nereo was about to explain his suggestion.

“I’ll do it.” But he got a response before he even got one sentence out.

Nereo’s optics snapped open and turned to the Worker Drone. Uzi stared back at him in complete seriousness—brows slightly furrowed, lips forming a small frown, and her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

Her captain blinked at her a few times before busting out into a fit of loud laughter. His hand reeled back to his knee as tears began pricking at his optics. Uzi’s brows shifted into a confused look once more.

“Bueno, si estabas tan emocionado, ¡no tendrías que haberte visto tan confundido!” Nereo spoke, only leaving Uzi even more puzzled.

But she ignored it and shook her head. An unamused expression crossed her face plates as Nereo caught his vents and swiped the tears from his optics. He reset his voice box as he sat up straight again.

“Aye, if you’re sure, then be my guest.” He told her. “Just know that you can’t do any keelhauling or nothing. I get that Marq was in the wrong, but he had only given your hip a touch–” The pirate captain suddenly paused.

Uzi’s brow quirked at his abrupt stop. Nereo stared at the room’s floor before his optics turned to the woman again. It was hard for Uzi to tell what he was thinking, even with his gaze narrowing on her.

But she swore she saw a flash of perplexity cross his metallic features. Nereo sighed and let the expression wash away before Uzi could question it—in her CPU or otherwise.

“U-Uhm, don’t go too hard on Marq’s punishment. No executions or anything.” The Blue Whale Drone waved with a hand.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Uzi sighed back, her face falling.

“And uh, sorry for his behavior. Almost forgot to say.” Nereo chuckled once more.

“I’d rather get the apology from Marq himself, but thanks.” The woman retorted.

“Lo imaginé.” The male Bestial Drone puffed some laughter. “Anyways, I should be getting back to my crew. Don’t want to leave them alone for too long.” He spoke louder as he slapped his knees to get up.

“Alright. I’ll be back out once I wash my hair.” Uzi told his back and tail.

“Aye! We’ll be doing some chores, so you might want to wait!” Her captain warned with a wave.

Uzi groaned and slouched over her legs. Nereo laughed as he ducked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Or, it would’ve if he didn’t stop just beforehand. Nereo turned back into the room to address his quartermaster one last time.

“By the way, you’ve got quite the pretty little voice, señorita.” He smiled.

With that, the door closed and the Bestial Drone left. Uzi just stared at the door with hollowed optics. Her hand slapped to her mouth, a spike of fear striking her core. Uzi’s gaze at the door turned wary as a sweat drop blinked onto her display.

Nereo stood outside Uzi’s door for another minute, just staring blankly at the ground. He couldn’t quite shake the odd feeling in his chest after fully realizing what Marq did. It made his tail sway and his brows furrow.

‘On top of that, her voice… I swear I was just about losing my senses as I was listening to it.’ His hands balled into loose fists. ‘It was just like when we sparred for the first time.’ His stare on the ground narrowed.

Letting out a sigh, Nereo decided to leave it be and get back to his crew. He put his tricorne back on and headed out of the tween deck. He stared off into the watery horizon for a few seconds, feeling the winds brush against his clothing and face.

“Hey, Captain! You alright?!” Someone asked from the ramp leading to the beach.

Nereo turned around to head down it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just checking the sun is all!” He returned as his weaponized feet met the water. “Has lunch been cleaned up? Has everyone eaten?” He questioned right away.

“Aye, Sir!” His crewmates saluted.

“Then let’s start cleaning the ship! There’s barnacles we need to pluck off and polish to paint onto the bones!” Their captain called.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” His crew called once more.

Just as they ran off to get supplies, Marq walked up to Nereo. The smaller Worker Drone rubbed his neck nervously while a sweat drop scrolled down the side of his facial screen.

“Is, uh, is Uzi alright? Mad I’m sure, but not, well, I dunno–” He started to ramble.

“Aye, she’s fine. Like you expected; She’s rightfully mad.” His captain returned coolly.

Marq tittered in defeat. “Yep. Didn’t expect anything less from a lass like her.” But the man straightened up, looking at his captain in the optics. “So what’s the punishment? Another flogging, Captain?” He inquired, admittedly dreading the answer.

“Dunno. Ask Uzi. She’s the one who’s gonna give you a right wrath.” Nereo shrugged.

Marq sputtered for a moment, taken aback by the reply. “She-e’s gonna what?!”

“Aye, you heard me.” Nereo huffed, setting his hands on his hips. “I offered for her to punish you instead since it was her who you offended. Figured it might just lift her mood, haha!” The Bestial Drone smirked.

“Captain–!” Marq went to argue.

A large dagger—that might as well have been a shortsword—was thrust into his face. Marq stared down at the sword-turned-knife with hollowed optics and a sweating facial screen.

“Te sugiero que cierres la boca y escuches bien, ratas de ancla,” Nereo’s tone turned cold and stern in mere seconds, his look just the same. “You should be glad it isn’t me who’s going to set you straight. Otherwise, you’d be subject to what pirates have for punishments, not whatever an islander could do.”

Marq’s uneasy gaze trailed up the dagger to his captain’s face plates. He shakily nodded in silence. Nereo’s rain-colored eye lights narrowed on him before he finally pulled his dagger back. As the weapon found its way back to its sheath, Nereo turned to the ship.

“Once Uzi’s out of her room, go and apologize. I already tried for you, but she said she wanted to hear it from your mouth.” He told his crewmate. “Once you’re done with that, see if she’s decided on a punishment for you. If not, then return to me and I’ll get you started on chores.” With that, Nereo left.

Marq turned to watch his captain board the ship again. He barely remembered to give a quiet “A-Aye, Captain” in reply as he did so. Marq tried swallowing down the static in his voice box afterwards, but was unable to.

With more anxiety and apprehension settling in his tanks, Marq decided to just get his apology and punishment over with.

Chapter Text

Despite the afternoon scuffle, the day went on. The pirate crew went about fixing up old wood boards, polishing railings, adjusting mast ropes, and counting their supplies. The crew’s captain had taken it upon himself to scrape off the barnacles from the ship’s hull.

Amidst the chores being done, Marq had found himself quite tense and uneasy. His sweat drop wouldn’t leave his visor and he couldn’t get his CPU off the crew’s quartermaster. Marq turned to glance at the said woman again; Doing her job as always.

Uzi rationed out their supplies accordingly and kept track of what remained. Marq had to wonder if she’d be too busy to think of a punishment for him.

‘I hope not. In fact, I’d rather she forget all about it so I can be let off the hook sooner!’ The pirate thought with worry.

Marq turned back around to tighten the rigging ropes. A soft sigh blew past his lips as he turned up to the netted cords. Some sea birds flew overhead and cawed as they passed by.

‘The sun’s already going down? Astral Ocean, I didn’t realize how fast time was flying by.’ Marq moved on from the ropes.

He leaned over the railing to check on his captain. Still working diligently to cut barnacles off from bone, wood, and metal. Twig was down there with him, carefully prying off the sea life with his prosthetic tong hand.

Turning away from the two, Marq went over to help move some supplies around. The ship bustled as the entire crew worked on keeping the vessel nice and afloat. The swashing waves made the thing rock gently, a motion everyone has long gotten used to.

“I keep telling you, you don’t need any more nails! Just use the ones you have!” Uzi barked with furrowing brows.

“But we’re running out over here!” Bumpernickle complained back.

“Then use that damn motherboard in your head and place them better!” Uzi flicked his visor. “I know damn well how you like to use your supplies for the wrong shit! I’ve read the damn logs!” She went on.

Bumpernickle pursed his lips and whined but opted to turn away. A lot like a sad dog with its tail tucked between its legs, but Uzi digresses.

With a sigh and a roll of her optics, Uzi turns to the two pirates handling some ropes. “Hey! If you have any excess, make sure to put it back! We can use all the rope we can get.” She warns.

“Aye, aye, Ma’am!” The two called back.

Uzi makes a quiet huff. “I’m not that old…”

“Sorry, lass!” They called back.

Uzi waves them off and turns back to her log book. She writes down a few more things, makes a few notes, determines what materials they should look for next, and glances back up at the ship.

La Absoluta Fortuna was already looking much nicer and sparklier with the practical deep clean she was undergoing. But if Uzi had to guess, it wouldn’t last long.

‘At the very least, we can prepare it for storms and attacks.’ The woman sighs at her book. ‘I should also make sure the stores, cargo hold, and whatever other places under the deck get organized and cleaned, too.

‘I’m not sure if I want them to do it now or just wait until our next stop, though.’ Uzi wondered, her gaze turning to the orangeing horizon. ‘It’ll be dinner soon, and I doubt anyone will want to do even more cleaning after having just eaten.’

‘Not to mention that I’m not sure if I want a bunch of drunks trying to carry heavy boxes and barrels.’ A sweat drop scrolled down her visor.

Uzi let out another huff and turned back to her book. She watched the rope-cutters place some rope into a box and shut it. Uzi wrote it down and kicked Bumpernickle’s hand away from the carton of nails.

“I told you to get back there and use those nails wisely!” She shouted with snarling lips.

“And I keep telling you we need more!” The pirate argued just as loudly.

An anger tick blinked onto Uzi’s visor and she snapped the book shut. She picked up the carton and plucked out a few nails. Grabbing the pirate’s shirt, she pulled him close and almost punctured his face with the sharp pieces of metal.

“Well, if you ‘need’ them that badly, then tell me where you want them! Because I’ll gladly give you a few new piercings so you can look all ‘pretty and plush’ for the whores at those pirate ports!!” Uzi hollered, her eye lights hollowed.

Bumpernickle just stared at her with voided optical lights. As the ship fell into silence and the rest of the crew turned to stare at them, he spoke.

“I need them in the planks over–” He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Uzi was giving him lip piercings.

When she was done with him, she tossed him aside and put the nail carton into another crate. She took a seat on it and made another note in her log book. And as Bumpernickle tried crawling his way to the hatch leading to get to Ron’s office, Uzi kicked him.

Meanwhile, Marq was sweating bullets. ‘Yeah, I don’t think I’m getting out of this punishment.’

He had to swallow the lump of static in his throat and keep on doing his chores. He can only hope it isn’t as bad as what just happened to Bumpernickle.

With a few hours of doing her job passing, Uzi was able to cool down a little. Still frustrated from pirate stupidity, but at least things had—mostly—settled down.

‘Of course, there’s still one pirate I need to take care of.’ Uzi’s stare on Marq hardened. ‘I haven’t thought of a punishment for him—not one I like, anyway.’

Letting out a vent, Uzi closed the log book and let someone else take it to her office for her. As she let her gaze wander around the ship, she took note of certain items here and there.

Ropes, buckets, knives, metal whatevers to stabilize and reinforce, nailed wooden floorboards, a few crates and barrels filled with supplies, some utensils that had just been cleaned, and the stringlights hanging from the railings.

Uzi’s optics lingered on all the sharp objects lying around. She even caught onto the numerous swords and daggers hanging off hips or being used to cut rope. Uzi had even spotted the small toolbox Twain uses for his carpentry.

With the sky getting darker and darker, Uzi knew she had to think of a punishment before either everyone forgot, or Nereo did it for her.

“Hey, watch where you’re pointing that damn thing!” Someone exclaimed.

“Sorry! Didn’t know you were there!” Another pirate laughed.

Uzi watched the two watch themselves around a knife. Dull, a bit rusty, but still dangerous nonetheless. Yet it was giving Uzi the perfect idea…

She hopped off her perch with a loud thump onto the deck. The ship went quiet as she sauntered on over to Marq, a devilish smirk playing on her lips. Uzi made a sudden point at him, making the man grow a few sweat drops onto his visor.

“I’ve finally decided on a punishment for you!” Uzi declared.

The ship blew up with laughter and excitement. Murmurs about what she could possibly do started going around. Marq felt that static lump from earlier pop back up in his voice box.

“Well, it took you long enough, señorita!” Nereo smiled as he hoisted himself back onto the ship.

Uzi turned to him, only to almost reboot her optics out of sheer shock. She stared up at the pirate captain who wore just a pair of swim trunks. Uzi could feel her facial screen going flush at the sight.

“You seem pretty excited about it, too! I hope it’ll be just as exciting for the rest of us!” Nereo spoke.

Uzi snapped out of her ogling. “Uh–! Yes! Definitely! If it’s gonna be fun for me, I’m sure it’ll be fun for you, too!” She replied, trying to control the fluster on her display.

Nereo chuckled as his tail waved. “Then I’m looking forward to it! Just make sure not to disappoint!” He told her.

Uzi laughed. “Don’t worry! I’m sure it’ll surpass your expectations!” She returned with a challenging and eager grin.

“¡Claro que sí, espero que sí! Anyways, I’m going to dry off and get dressed. Prepare this punishment you’ve chosen while I’m gone.” The captain said.

“Will do!” Uzi returned.

As Nereo walked off into his cabin, Uzi spun back around to Marq. He startled and went tense. He went even more tense when Uzi’s devilish grin returned.

“Pirates! Light up a few candles around the mast! Tonight, we’re going to party!” The woman called.

The ship exploded in cheers and excitement. Uzi took it all in, laughing as she did so. Marq could only worry more.

Night had fallen fully. The Astral Ocean glimmered onto the waves below, mirroring the water. La Absoluta Fortuna sat quietly, lit only by some candles sitting on a mantle around the mast’s width.

The ship’s crew stood around the mast, giving some space to Marq who stood by the structure. A few whispers went about as Uzi moved through the crowd and placed a box onto the ground.

“Alright, everyone! Listen up!” Uzi called loudly.

The whispers stopped.

“I want each and every one of you to take something sharp from this box! Or hell, use whatever is on your hip! Doesn’t matter to me!” The woman spoke, her boot setting onto the box’s edge. “After that, return to making a circle around the mast!”

“And you!” Uzi pointed to Marq. “Strip! Now!” She barked.

“Wh–! You want me to get naked?!” He asked back incredulously.

“No, no! Not completely! Just down to the boxers!” Uzi waved.

“Still! This is insane!” Marq argued. “What the hell is even the point of this–?! Uh– Captain!” He turned.

But Nereo just examined the carving knife he picked up from the box. “Do as she says, pendejo. If this is the punishment she’s chosen, then do it.” Nereo’s gaze finally turned to Marq, though it wasn’t at all friendly. “Or will I have to make this punishment even worse because you won’t just take it?”

Marq went silent at the reply. He turned back around to Uzi who waited impatiently for him to do as he was told. With a begrudging sigh, Marq finally took off his clothing. He left on just his underwear, tossing his other clothes aside.

Uzi’s grin returned. She picked up a fire poker. She tested its weight in her hand before turning back to her victim.

“Here’s how this is going to work!” She spoke loudly, catching everyone’s attention again. “Marq here is gonna run around the mast! And in order to keep him running, we’re all gonna use our sharp objects and stick ‘em out at him!” She explained.

The crew turned to their weapons, a little confused. Uzi just stepped forward and jabbed her poker out. Marq shrieked and hobbled away in a hurry.

“Go! Run, pirate, run! Git, git!” Uzi shouted, jabbing her poker out further.

“¡Aye, has oído a la señorita! ¡A correr, perro inmundo!” Nereo joined in, thrusting his carving knife at his crewmate.

The others were quick to join in, too. Their weapons, utensils, pokers, and prodders all turned to their crewmate with threats. Marq stumbled out of their way, being forced to run around the mast.

As he ran, the drone encircling him laughed and cheered. The candlelight provided by the mast made it all the more, centering the attention onto the ne’er do well.

With all the excitement, the only next logical step was to bust out the booze! So while Cuca passed around mugs of grog, wine, and rum, Marq was made to run even faster. Everyone else quickly got drunk, both off the diesel and from power.

Sweat poured down Marq’s visor as he kept hobbling around in his skivvies. Cuts, gashes, holes, and dents were left all over his plating and rubber waistband. Some oil dribbled from nicked tubes underneath. A couple of wire insides were exposed from lunging weapons.

But from afar on the ocean, another pirate ship passed by. On it, someone peered out from the railing with an eyeglass. The black fox Bestial Drone’s expression contorted into confusion as he watched.

“What’s with the face? You look like you’ve just seen a pirate give away treasure like charity.” Another drone walked up to him.

“Uhh, just… Watching these other pirates.” The Bestial Drone replied.

“What’re they doing that’s so interesting?” His buddy asked, leaning against the railing.

The Bestial Drone made a click as he opened his mouth, but wasn’t quite sure how to describe what he was seeing. “The crew is, uh– Is poking someone as they run around the mast.” He finally answered.

For a few seconds, his friend was quiet. “...Give me the spyglass.” He reached out a hand.

His buddy complied. The Worker Drone looked into the scope, witnessing Marq running endless circles around the ship. For a minute, things were silent.

“...It looks kinda fun.” The worker admitted, his brows raised.

“Aye, it does.” The fox Bestial Drone nodded in agreement.

Another minute of silence. The taller man’s fox ear twitched towards the raucous cheering of the other ship.

“You want to see if the Captain will let us do it, too?” The Worker Drone inquired.

“AYE! LET’S GO!” The Bestial Drone replied excitedly.

The two laughed and ran to the captain’s cabin, banging on the door with utmost “emergency.”

Chapter Text

Ocean waves crashed around the bow of La Absoluta Fortuna. A black flag was hoisted up for the smaller vessel across the waters to see; Adorned with a big white whale skull outfitted with scars and a pirate captain’s hat.

The ship just a short distance away and closing dropped anchor and stopped. Nereo smirked as he stood at the fo’c’sle, the winds making his clothing billow. La Absoluta Fortuna strolled up and turned to face portside to the trader ship.

“Are you ready for your first real raid, señorita?” Nereo turned to his quartermaster.

“I’d like to think so, considering you aren’t letting me not help out.” Uzi returned, her hand on her hip’s sword.

“Then show me what you’ve learned. But make sure to stick close by in case.” Her captain returned.

“Try not to make me out to be too much of a damsel, would you?” Uzi retorted playfully, her smirk just the same.

“Only if you prove to me otherwise.” Nereo shrugged.

The opposing ship’s crew emerged to face the bigger ship’s members. Nereo jumped right over the gap overlooking the waters and onto the deck of the smaller ship. The captain was there to contest him, a Bestial Drone much like Nereo himself.

“Tell me, are you going to do this the easy way or the hard way?” The pirate captain hoisted his anchor over his shoulder.

Sweat drops scrolled down the face of the trading vessel’s captain. “The easy way.” He sighed in defeat.

Nereo laughed, his tail perked up. “¡Ay! ¡Eso es lo que me gusta escuchar!” He then turned to his crew. “¡Salva a los marineros y llévate el botín! ¡No hace falta el cobertizo de aceite!”

His crew just stood on the ship. Nereo groaned under his vents before addressing his company again.

“The spoils! Get the spoils!! And spare the sailors!” He shouted angrily.

Finally, his crew perked up and began heading below the vessel’s deck. Nereo let out a tired groan to the sky. He heard Uzi snickering behind him, making him turn to her.

“Oi, don’t act like you understood me any better, señorita.” He scolded.

“Whoever said I did?” Uzi shrugged back. “I’m just laughing at the fact that your crew still can’t understand you despite how long you’ve been sailing together. At least, I assume it’d be a long time, from how you all like to phrase it.” She leaned on her sheathed sword, grin teasing and smug.

“You keep making comments like that, and I’ll be forced to punish you.” Nereo warned with an irked grin of his own.

“For what? For poking fun at the big, mean, Captain of the ship?” Uzi poked his side.

Nereo grabbed her wrist and leaned over to hush his voice. Sweat drops popped onto Uzi’s visor as he did so. Nereo leaned in close, right up to her audial.

“Aye, perhaps so. Or maybe I’ll just trim your next pay a little. Though, if I’m in the mood, I might make you run around the desk with only your undergarments on. Who knows. It depends on what you say next.” He whispered, Nereo’s warm vents brushing against Uzi’s hair.

She slapped her hand to her audial, making the captain startle and pull back. The look on Uzi’s face changed quickly to one of fear, entirely erasing the joyful teasing she’d been pulling just seconds prior.

Nereo blinked at her. “S-Sorry, señorita. I… Didn’t quite mean it like that.” He let go of her wrist, setting both hands onto his anchor.

Awkward and tense silence fell between them. Nereo kept glancing at Uzi, though she never seemed to do the same for him. Her hand had lowered, though she still looked uneasy.

“I– I’m not going to make you do that. It would… A lady like you doesn’t deserve that.” He spoke again.

Uzi didn’t reply, didn’t even look at him. Nereo couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but he doubts it’s good. It was probably best that he repress this whole conversation and move on.

“Let’s not take too long, crew! We’ve still got a long way ahead of us!” Nereo called loudly across the vessel.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” The male Worker Drones called back.

They hoisted bags and chests over their shoulders and backs, carrying their loot onto their own vessel. The exchange was quick and easy, with not a single drop of oil shed.

Nereo turned to the cowering traders and sailors who were just trying to do their job. The Blue Whale Drone gave them a sharp-toothed smirk and waved them goodbye.

“¡Gracias por el trato, amigos! You be careful now!” Nereo returned to his own ship, happy with their plunder.

He skipped onto his ship’s deck and helped his crew reel in the catwalk. Hoisting anchor, they turned back onto their original course, sailing speedily through the waters once more. It took a few minutes—when the traders were long behind them—before Uzi came back up to her captain.

“That… Wasn’t so hard this time.” Uzi noted quietly as Nereo walked back up to the quarterdeck.

“Usually it isn’t. Most ships are actually afraid of us pirates.” Nereo replied with a shrug. “But there are going to be those who think they can defeat a crew of sea salt-hardened pirates! Which amuses me, because those drones haven’t been through half of what we have!” He let out a boisterous laugh and a slap of his tail.

“What? You mean rampant scurvy and STVs?” Uzi huffed in amusement. Though, Nereo wasn’t sure it was as genuine as usual.

Nereo’s tongue clicked. “I am free of such diseases, thank you! And so are my crew!”

“Uh-huh.” Uzi just hummed.

“I’m pretty sure Twig has scurvy, actually. He just got it before joining our crew.” Bumpernickle commented.

Nereo turned to glare at him, to which Bumpernickle immediately realized his mistake and turned away to whistle some sea tune. Uzi laughed at them.

“Well, at least only one crewmate has scurvy!” Nereo argued.

“Yeah, yeah. Just wait until the rest of you do.” Uzi snickered.

Nereo’s tail waved in agitation. “Well, I would hope that our quartermaster would help prevent that by getting us plenty of electronic material, aye?” He leaned over her, letting his shadow cast over Uzi’s back.

“I dunno. Maybe I will for your crew, but not for you. Depends on how you treat this pretty little lady.” Uzi giggled as she leaned against the helmwheel. “Same goes for your crew, too. We might just not have enough electronic material for lil ol’ Marq when dinner comes!”

“¡Blimey, eres malvado, jajaja!” Nereo patted her back a little too hard.

And while Uzi was jerked forward, her eye lights went void. “I– Don’t– Know– What– You said, but I doubt I’d like it.” She fixed her twisted shirt.

“Probablemente.” Was Nereo’s simple but smarmy response.

Uzi rolled her lavender optics and turned back to the helmwheel. It was heavy in her small hands—just another thing to curse her short stature for. But she kept it steady as the waves carried the ship to their destination.

“Avast, you’ll have an easier time steering if you hold the wheel like this.” Nereo’s hands gently took her wrists.

The Bestial Drone flipped Uzi’s hands to grab the knobs of the wheel from the underside. Uzi tightened her grip again and continued to keep the ship straight. Nereo’s hands landed on knobs near hers.

With silence falling between them, Uzi could feel how close the tall pirate captain was. Practically on her tail. His shadow loomed over her and his arms trapped her against his torso and the wheel. Well- Mostly. Their height difference wants to say otherwise.

But it left Uzi with blush lines popping onto her cheeks. She ignored them as best she can to focus on her steering. But Nereo’s constant presence on her back was just that distracting.

“Do you, uhm– Do you know when we’ll get to our destination?” Uzi inquired, if only to distract herself further.

“Another week at best. But there should be a small town we can stop at to sell our treasure and restock on anything.” Her captain replied.

Uzi gave a hum. Things fell silent again.

“I-I think I’m gonna go double-check some supplies if that’s the case!” The woman ducked under Nereo’s arm.

“A-ye, señorita.” Nereo was a little startled at her sudden exit.

Uzi scampered off before he could say anything more. Nereo’s gaze loitered on the steps. His tail made a wave as he let out a sigh.

“You wanna bust out the booze?” Bumpernickle questioned from his perch on the railing.

Nereo thought it over for a second. “Aye. Let’s let our three sheets out into the wind.” A playful smirk formed on his face plates.

Taking a breather below deck allowed Uzi to ease the heat in her visor. She took one last deep vent and prepared her logbook. She stepped out of her office and moved to the hold. It was dark and dingy with air thick with musk and salt.

It wasn’t the most pleasant stench, but Uzi’s been growing accustomed to it. She brushed off the scent and walked through the crates, barrels, and chests of supplies and treasure. Her logbook was filled out slowly.

The quietude of the hold was peaceful, Uzi thought. Much less rowdy than the rugged pirates lounging on the deck above. A nice little get-away if she ever needs it.

‘And if my room or office isn’t enough.’ The woman added in her head.

Writing down more numbers, Uzi compared them to her last routine check. Slowly, some of their supplies were being used up.

‘I should check the kitchen after this, too. We’ll probably need more food.’ The woman made a mental note. ‘On another note, though, we’ve got tons of treasure. Maybe I can convince Nereo to give us a bonus…’

The sounds of clacking and clambering from above caught Uzi’s attention. She heard muffled voices talking about booze and livening up the trip through the floorboards. Uzi rolled her optics and returned to counting.

“Of course those guys bust out the booze in the middle of the day…” She muttered.

Though, her eye lights would go void when an idea came to her. Uzi turned back up to the wooden ceiling. The clambering faded out and left her in silence once again. Only the muted swashing of the waves against the hull filled the air.

“If Nereo gets super drunk… I might just have an easier time convincing him to give us a bonus.” Uzi spoke to herself quietly.

A handful of seconds passed without a word. Soon enough, an evil grin was marking her metallic features.

Getting drunk off your ass was an effective way of exciting your time on a pirate ship out at sea. Everyone was bubbly and friendly, tensions were let loose, the wobbling of the ship wasn’t any worse than the wobbling of a drunk man, and the best part; You wouldn’t remember any embarrassing shit you did the next morning!

Nereo chugged down his third mug of mead. He let out a tail-slapping laugh and leaned against his helmwheel. His crew were just as joyful. Card games were in full swing, chatter was lively, and basic chores had a fun challenge to them due to drunken imbalance.

“Ayyyee! This town is a pirate town! Run by pirates for pirates!” The bestial captain exclaimed to some of his crew. “I’m hoping we can get some goods for a cheap price! And that we can sell our plunder for an expensive price!” He laughed.

“You gotta watch out, though! You know that cheap items have cheap lifespans.” Cammy pointed out.

“Aye, aye! I know!” Nereo waved his concern off. “But there are some things there that you can’t quite get elsewhere.”

“Like?” Freckle inquired through his sip.

“Honestly? A couple more crewmates.” Nereo replied. “With our big ship, it’s better to have some more amigos on hand to help out.”

“Are you willing to give up even more gold to cover their expenses?” Cammy chuckled.

“Oi! ¡Eso es curioso, teniendo en cuenta cuánto costó esa óptica tuya!” Nereo pointed at Cammy’s camera lens eye.

Uzi came up to the quarterdeck as the crew laughed. She had not a clue what could’ve gotten them so gleeful, but she didn’t let it distract her.

“Looks like you guys are having fun.” She announced her presence, putting her hands on her hips.

The crew turned to her and quieted down. “Aye, señorita. Would you like to join us?” Nereo offered.

“No thanks. I’d rather not destroy my tanks and filter with alcohol.” Uzi denied with a wave of her hand. “Though, I’ve finished checking our supplies. We’re mostly good, though we could use more food and less pearls and teeth. We’ve basically got a surplus in the hull.”

Nereo returned with a hum and a sip of his refill. “We’ll be hitting a town soon enough. Think we’ll make it another day or two?”

Uzi nodded.

“Good. And thank you for your work, quartermaster.” Nereo smiled at her, more teasing than grateful.

Uzi hummed with a compressed smile back. “Well, I’ve got a question of my own, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Hm?” Nereo’s brow quirked.

The female Worker Drone stepped a little closer, putting on a more thoughtful expression. “Well, since we have a surplus of money, I was just thinking that instead of spending it all on supplies, you could be a little, you know, generous?” She leaned onto his shoulder and pursed her lips in thought.

“How so?” Nereo peered over his shoulder at her from the corner of his HUD.

“Seeing as our ship has no repairs needed, I believe that we’ll still have quite a lot of money after leaving the town. Even accounting for the fact we’d be spending some of it, there’s going to be much more left over!” Uzi went on. “And I figured that us crewmates have been working real hard. It’d be really nice if our generous and kind and tall and powerful Captain could give his sea dogs a treat or two.” Uzi fluttered her eye lights in silent plead.

Nereo just stared at her for a solid minute. “I’m not giving you a raise.”

Uzi turned away to click her tongue and snap her fingers. The rest of the crew by the helmwheel burst out into another round of boisterous laughter. Nereo even laughed at her expense. Though, Uzi was busier mentally cursing him.

‘Maybe I should’ve used my voice instead.’ She internally huffed. ‘At least that way I’d have a guaranteed chance of convincing him. Of course, it’d be a huge risk, too–’

“You know, I didn’t think you’d be quite so bold as to act all pretty and ladylike just to get another tooth from my pocket.” Nereo spoke up, his hand wrapping around Uzi’s waist. “And I’m really not sure what made you think acting like that would make me say yes.” He placed the smaller woman on his knee, hand secure around her waist.

Uzi’s display went flush again despite her best efforts to stop it. She turned up to Nereo, who was taking another drink from his oversized cup. Uzi puffed in annoyance and turned her head away, trying feebly to free herself.

“If anything, just asking me outright would’ve given you a better chance of me saying yes–”

“Can I get a raise?”

“No.”

“DAMNIT!!”

The crew laughed again, some members choking on her booze and coughing. Even Nereo couldn’t not laugh at that. Uzi wasn’t as amused, however.

“You’re quite bold, aren’t you?! That eager to get home, huh?” The captain chuckled.

“Of course I am!” Uzi pouted back. “I don’t think you’d enjoy getting tricked, knocked out by your own island villagers, and then traded off to a gang of random pirates now, would you?” Her brows furrowed to challenge him.

Nereo hummed in thought. “Supongo que no.” He shrugged.

Uzi growled at him, making the Blue Whale Drone chuckle. Uzi turned her head away, long given up in trying to free herself. And as the crew talked amongst themselves and cracked jokes, Nereo spoke again.

“I’m sorry for that conversation earlier. On the trader’s ship.” The Bestial Drone’s voice was soft.

Uzi looked up at him again.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I was just trying to tease you back. I guess… Estaba siendo un idiota.” He shrugged again. “Lo siento mucho, señorita.”

Although Uzi didn’t catch all of what he said, she got the last part well enough. “It’s fine. Just… Don’t joke about that again, okay?”

“Sí. Claro que sí.” Nereo nodded.

The two fell into a bout of silence. Nereo finished off his cup and set it down. He didn’t let go of Uzi. Part of him just really didn’t want to. It felt comfortable having her there.

‘Hopefully she doesn’t mind sitting there for a while longer.’ Nereo thought, resting his chin on the woman’s head.

“Okay, I didn’t say you could do that.” Uzi told him.

“¡Dije que lo sentía! ¿No puedo al menos quedarme con esto?” Nereo whined back with the rapid flapping of his tailfin.

“Whatever you said–!” Uzi began pushing his head off. “–It’s probably gonna result in a no!”

Nereo’s tail flapped against the floor. He was stubborn and pulled Uzi against his chest. She yelped as she was hugged, with her arms sitting awkwardly over Nereo’s own.

The position made her really feel like a cat.

But she sighed and figured not fighting would make him let go of her sooner. So while her face went a little flush again, Uzi allowed it.

‘Just this once.’ She told herself. ‘And then never again, because I know damn well the rest of the crew aren’t letting me live this down.’ She sent a glare towards her said crewmates’ way as they tried holding in their drunken laughter at the two.

Chapter Text

“¡Lo conseguimos!” Nereo laughed boisterously from the bow of his ship. “Let’s weigh anchor and set upon the sand!”

Although his crew didn’t quite know why he was so excited, they dropped the anchor near the shore and furled the masts. A ramp was set down into the water, allowing Nereo to jog into the seas.

He swiftly made his way onto the land, letting out another chipper laugh. Some sweat drops blinked onto the visors of his crew as they stared worriedly at his back.

“Should we set up some camp on the land?” Cammy inquired.

“¡Claro que sí! ¡Hagámoslo ya!” Nereo motioned with a hand to follow.

A few pirates glanced at each other. All they could do was shrug and get some supplies from the ship. They propped up tables, chairs, and portable grills. Crates of food and barrels of booze were dropped onto the sand, too.

Uzi walked up to stare at the island. A mountain stood tall before her, with the foliage stretching to accommodate for its size. Even so, there are flat sides of pure rock, and the top looked more like it was tipped with moss.

For a good minute, Uzi had lost all vents. Her head had to crane up to see the tip of the giant rock formation. Even the biggest pirates ships, the largest animals, and the most enormous of submerged buildings she’s seen couldn’t compare.

“It looks like it even touches the clouds…” Uzi whispered in disbelief.

“Aye, you look entranced.” Nereo chuckled as he walked over. “Say, is it your first time seeing a mountain?” His head cocked.

“This is what a mountain looks like…?” Uzi vented. “I heard they were big, but I didn’t know they were this big. It makes my island feel tiny in comparison…” A sweat drop blinked onto her visor.

“There are indeed islands and patches of land that reach for the Astral Ocean. I even once heard that before the Collapsing Pluvial, lands had stretched so far across the planet that you’d see the slow change of each region.” Nereo said as he, too, stared at the mountain. “I also heard that so much of the land was filled with lights and colors of all kinds. Not just the animals, but the settlements and everything the humans created.”

“It sounds kind of daunting.” Uzi commented.

“Aye, it does, doesn’t it?” Nereo laughed. “But I suppose that’s just what happens when you’re unable to see the other side.” A soft sigh blew from his lips.

Uzi turned back to the mountain towering over the island. She’d seen it from the ship before, but it looked so small when you were still half a day’s away.

‘But now that I’m up close, I feel like I’m sitting on the back of a horned leviathan…’ A sweat drop scrolled down her display.

“Welp! We should finish setting up camp! Then, we can explore the island and get some resources!” Nereo’s chipper voice snapped Uzi from her thoughts.

She let out a sigh and followed after him. Uzi cast one last glance the mountain’s way, still intimidated by its sheer size. Thankfully, doing chores helped to get her CPU off it for a while.

A couple of campfires were started and some crates of weapons were set out to do some maintenance on. The barrels of booze were bust into with no surprise to anyone. Even Uzi wasn’t phased by it now.

‘Though, it doesn’t mean it’s not kind of disappointing.’ She sighed out.

Uzi shook her head. She set up the last of the stools, tables, and whatever else. Birds cawed above and from trees. Nereo turned to his crew with a big simper on his face plates.

“Aye, my crew! Who wants to go with me to explore the island?!” He called as his tail waved.

“I’ll sit this one out. I don’t think I can do much exploring with this pegleg here.” Twig waved the offer off.

“Same here. I’ll make sure to watch the ship and camp.” Marq spoke next.

“Cuca? Are you going to join?” Nereo turned to the chef.

The said robot glanced around for a moment. He shrugged and grunted.

“Great!” Nereo smiled again. “Let’s take a quick rest, drink some oil and booze, then get our weapons and get out there! We’ll have to do a bit of walking, so be prepared!”

“Glad I’m sitting this one out.” Twig muttered in relief.

Uzi watched for a minute as everyone drank some oil or grog. Nereo stood next to her and watched for a few seconds as well.

“Are you going to come along, señorita?” He asked quietly.

Uzi was startled but schooled her expression quickly. She gave it some thought, swirling her cup of oil.

“I guess so. It’ll at least give me something to do.” She shrugged.

“¡Ay! ¡Es estupendo oír eso! ¡Estoy seguro de que va a ser divertido y provechoso!” Nereo patted her back, unaware of his strength. “Make sure you’re all prepped before we leave! Daggers, swords, oil, rations, ropes, whatever!” He advised before walking off.

“Uh– Yeah, sure.” Uzi replied.

She stared at his back for a few seconds. Letting out a sigh, Uzi finished her oil and went to get some supplies. A lot of what Nereo mentioned, but also some other stuff.

‘I hope we aren’t going to spend the night out in the woods.’ She thought to herself as she pocketed knives. ‘Though, I do wonder why he’s so excited to be here. It’s unusual for him.’

Sheathing her sword, Uzi looked to the ocean. It sparkled in the sunlight and rippled against itself. Turning her gaze to the island, forestry and the call of birds surrounded her back.

‘Asides from the mountain, it reminds me of home.’ Her gaze softened as a small frown formed on her lips. ‘I still need money for a small ship of my own. And on top of that, I’ll need supplies like food and oil. But will that be enough to get me home?’

“Have I gotten too far to even get back home?” She whispered as her frown fell deeper.

It was a scary thought. Uzi has no idea just how far she’s traveled by now. And she has no idea if it’s too far a distance for her to get back home.

‘Maybe I can stick around until I’m somewhere familiar. Then, I can buy a boat, a map, whatever else I need, and finally return to my island.’ The woman’s brows knitted in determination.

“Aye, be prepared, men! We’ll be heading off soon!” Nereo called.

“For now though, I should focus on getting money.” Uzi told herself.

She picked up some rations and a couple cans of oil. She stuffed them into a small sack, then some rope, and then a lantern. She also took some medical supplies just to be safe.

Tying the sack, Uzi made her way over to the group. Over half the crew was going, the others all staying behind to rest and watch the ship. Nereo took a quick headcount of both groups, then grinned at his traveling one.

“Alright! Are we ready to head out?!” He hollered chipperly, smile included.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” His men shouted back.

“¡Bien! ¡Vamos a salir!” The Blue Whale Drone spun on his gun heel.

He took out his sword to cut away plants and vines in his path. Bugs, birds, and lizards watched the robots travel through the foliage. The drones themselves took a good look at the scenery they passed through.

“I’ve been wondering for a while, but what about this island has you so excited?” Ron questioned with a quirking brow.

There was a round of similar agreements and questions. Nereo tittered as he cut away more plants.

“This mountain has something very important to me. On top of that, there’s a specific place on it that I want to visit.” He replied rather cryptically.

“Well, could you be a little specific?” Twain huffed as he clambered over a log.

“It’s something for the ship! More supplies, ones that’re hard to get.” Nereo replied. “And this place–... Ah, I don’t even know how to explain it. But it’s warm and foggy, with tiny pools to sit in that are also warm and foggy.”

“Warm water? Is there a port town here?” Someone inquired.

“No, this island is uninhabited. But there’s been rumors that the mountain creates this hot water.” Nereo answered. “I don’t know if it’s true, but I figured while I’m here, it wouldn’t hurt to check.” He chuckled.

The crew made it out into a less tree-heavy area. A short cliff overlooked the inner parts of the islet. Nereo and his crew turned their heads to stare but kept walking.

‘This island is so flush with life. It makes my island look barren in comparison.’ Uzi couldn’t help but keep staring.

She bumped into the pirate in front of her. It created a short domino effect that stopped with Nereo. He didn’t even flinch, just turned over his shoulder to give a quizzical look.

“You all be careful, here! We may not be too close to the cliff, but one wrong move can still make you fall.” He advised before walking again.

“Sorry, Captain.” His crew replied.

Much of the trek after that was mostly silent. There were instances of quiet chatter here and there as the robots jumped over logs, cut down ferns and vines, and traveled down a slope to a river.

As the crew hopped onto the rocks to pass, Uzi stepped right in. The waters were refreshing on her feet and calves, pushing lightly against her plating. The crew gave her an odd look as she passed right by them. It was only when she caught a glance of them from the corner of her HUD that she realized her mistake.

Uzi quickly hopped up onto a rock and gave a nervous laugh. The crew blinked before Ron hopped into the water himself.

“Why the hell do we care about some river water anyway? We’re pirates, we live on the sea!” He exclaimed as he skipped through the river.

“Because rock-hopping is fun.” Josh retorted.

Ron turned around to kick water into his face. He sputtered and the rest of the crew laughed. Some jumped into the water while others continued to jump along the rocks. Uzi found herself laughing with them, stepping back into the clear stream and making it to the other side.

Their journey kept going. Nereo checked behind himself often to be sure his crew was all there. The mood stayed light the entire time. It was distracting enough that they didn’t notice their exhaustion growing.

But, after some time, Nereo started to slow down. He came out from another thicket of trees and stopped. A big grin formed on his face plates. Before the rest of his crew could catch up, he was jumping down the slope into some crater.

Uzi made it to the edge of the incline only to stop herself. She stared down into the place Nereo bounded off to. A pond or lake of sorts sat nestled within the island’s mass, just at the base of the mountain.

“Are those… Skeletons…?” She asked.

“It looks like it.” Ron affirmed.

“They’re– They’re huge!” Uzi exclaimed to him.

“They’re whales.” Was the surgeon’s response.

Uzi paused. Her optical lights went wide and she turned her head back to the caldera. She could see Nereo slow his steps as he made his way to the skeletons. The water the group of four skeletons sat in looked more like a pond compared to them. Uzi swallowed and she finally moved to meet her captain down there.

She slid along the slope, stepping carefully and grappling onto the rocks and grass. A few others followed suit. And as Uzi made it to the bottom, she was even more breathless.

“I knew some of the animals pre-Collasping Pluvial were big, but– Wow…” She vented. “It makes me wonder if there still isn’t anything similar surviving today.”

Uzi turned her sights to her captain. Nereo stood just before one of the skeletons. He stared up at them with a smile on his face plates. But it felt off. It strained and wavered just the littlest bit.

Nereo lifted a hand to touch the whale skeleton’s jaw. His hand fell so delicately onto the bones, as if afraid they’d crumble to dust with the tiniest of disturbances. But they didn’t. The bones, bleached white by the sun, stood tall and strong before him.

The rays of sunlight—starting to burn orange with the onset of evening—made the shallow lake glisten. There was barely even a ripple to its surface. The family of whales sat silently within the serene grotto.

“Sometimes, I wonder just how these whales found themselves in this place.” Nereo’s soft voice stirred Uzi from her staring. “Surely this is no place for a group of creatures as big as them, no? So how did they get here? What happened to them?” He craned his head to try and meet the eye socket of the skeleton he pet.

“Or, did this island come about around them?”

Uzi could not reply. She didn’t know the answer to any of those questions. But she could not deny the curiosity of their predicament herself.

“I like to think that it was the latter.” Nereo spoke again, turning down from the eye sockets. “This family must have died together, someway, somehow. And the ocean and land wanted to keep them safe and together, so they created this mountain to house them in peace.” A sigh blew past Nereo’s lips.

He leaned forward to plant his forehead against the jaws of the giant creature. His other hand raised to charily rub its lip. Nereo took in a deep vent, the fauna, fresh lake water, and bone filtering into his olfactory sensors. His tail swayed just a little closer to his heels.

“Mar Astral, concédeme este deseo en tu pozo inagotable; Que garantices que esta familia—la que solo relaciono en especie—nunca se separe, nunca encuentre discordia y nunca sea alterada.” Nereo muttered in a pleading whisper.

Nereo took in one last deep vent before separating from the skeletons. His forehead left first, then his hands, and then he stepped out of the lake’s edge. The Blue Whale Drone gazed up at his long-lost relatives. The silence held such a fragile weight, no one dared to speak.

Finally, Nereo let out his deep vent and turned away. “Let’s take a rest before heading back. Maybe we can find some fruits to take back, too.” He walked past his crew as he walked.

They all turned simply to stare at his retreating back. After a moment, they followed one-by-one. And as they went back up the hill, Uzi gave one last glance the pod’s way.

The orangening sky made the water glisten even more. The bones cast long, huge shadows onto the grass below. Uzi could only marvel at the pod. But she turned to catch up with her crew and take a rest.

Chapter Text

Night waned over the jungle island. Nightly birds sang quiet lullabies while bubbles glowed in the Astral Ocean. The pirate crew sat against trees and rocks to get some sleep. The only one not doing so was Uzi, who stared out at the whale skeletons below.

The pond they resided in sat still, reflecting the navy ocean above. Beaconbugs hovered among the flora, slowly hovering in the air and lighting up their abdomens. They floated near Uzi and her crewmates, landing on them or shying away when they moved in their sleep.

Uzi stared as one beaconbug drew near. She held out a hand to let it land. The tiny insect crawled along her digit before taking off again. It mixed in with the rest of its kind, joining them and letting its butt fade in and out with its glow.

Returning her gaze back to the skeletons, Uzi remained quiet. She glanced at her crew. Some soft snores could be heard from a few. Uzi took in a soft vent and stood up. She carefully made her way down the slope to the pond.

Grass crunched under her feet. Uzi took off her shoes and left them sitting by a bush. She rolled up her pant sleeves and removed her socks. Standing near the pond, Uzi looked up to the skeletons once more.

‘Three big ones and… One small one.’ She noted.

Uzi took another deep vent. Carefully, she lifted her hand to touch the smaller skeleton’s jaw. The bone was rough and hard under her sensory pads. Uzi petted the young whale, staring into its empty eye sockets and wondering just how these guys got here.

“Must’ve been scary, huh?” Uzi muttered. “I wonder if you’re still scared. All of you. Lying somewhere unknown and unable to see the beautiful ocean you once roamed.” Her hands slowed.

Uzi turned to the other skeletons. The beaconbugs drifted around and gave their company to the stiff bones. Uzi could feel her core twist in guilt.

“You know… I can sort of relate. Not being able to swim around like you once could, trapped inside a place unfamiliar…” Her voice trailed off. “Not even being sure you’ll get back home…” Her optics began to sting.

Uzi sniffled and swiped at her visor before anything could form. She turned back up to the young whale who had been listening to her short rambles. Another vent was taken as Uzi controlled her emotions.

“This is no place for a whale pod like you to rest.” She vented out. “But at least this place is nice and quiet, right? Nice and peaceful, with no one to disturb you.” She smiled softly.

The skeleton gave no response. But Uzi felt like it could only somewhat agree.

Uzi’s hand and smile fell. She stared for another minute and stepped back. She turned to the other whale bones. Beaconbugs kept the place alight and serene. Birds calmed the skeletons with their nightly songs.

‘Who’s to say these guys are really “resting.”’ The woman thought mournfully.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you rest peacefully from now on. No fear, no worry, and no sadness, either.” Uzi reassured with a short nod.

She took another step back and deep vent. Uzi gave one last look towards the bigger skeletons. Resetting her voice box, she opened her mouth.

“♪The night bends, soft and slow. A cradle made of skies♪” Her voice was soft as she sang, only meant for the bones to hear. “♪The river holds the peace, floating by your side. The moon will guard your sleep, with silver in its eyes♪”

“♪The river knows your name. Whispers as you drift by♪” A subtle glow faded in the back of her mouth. “♪A fragile thing to brave the water. The dawn will meet it there with honor♪” Her hands returned to the young whale.

“♪My little paper boat, don’t be afraid. No wave can turn the course you’ve sailed♪” Uzi walked away from the young whale, turning towards the others. “♪The stars above, they linger and guide you on your way. I’ll hold you close through the tide and bring you home today♪” Her fingers traced gentle lines across the jaws of the whales.

“♪The night has weighed on you. The shadows left their mark♪” Her voice carried high up, filtering into sleeping audials. “♪I know the streams you've crossed, within the dark. The storm will press its hand and try to drag you down, but still your light is found♪” Nereo’s tail twitched, his eye lights coming back onto his visor.

“♪I know you’ll shine it out. Be safe and sound♪” The pirate captain opened his optics, confused at the voice drifting through the air. “♪A fragile thing to brave the water. The dawn will meet it there with honor♪”

‘That’s… Uzi.’ His optics widened through his half-asleep stupor.

Nereo got up onto his heeled feet. He walked to the edge and spotted the female Worker Drone sitting near the skeletons. She couldn’t notice him watching her from above with her focus on the skeletons she was singing to.

“♪My little paper boat, don’t be afraid. No wave can turn the course you’ve sailed♪” Beaconbugs surrounded her, giving her an almost ethereal demeanor. “♪The stars above, they linger and guide you on your way. I’ll hold you close through the tide and bring you home today♪”

As Nereo stared, he felt the air be sucked out of his aeration systems. The woman’s voice carried so daintily through the air he thought that a mere breeze would drown it out. But it was so enrapturing and soothing that he sat down just to listen to it.

“♪Now that harbor lights are near, your journey’s coming to rest♪” Nereo closed his optics, just listening to her beautiful voice. “♪Safe at home from where you came, you’ve always been your very best♪”

“♪Now that harbor lights are near, your journey’s coming to rest♪” Uzi gazed at the whales one more time. “♪Safe at home from where you came, you’ve always been your very best♪” And her voice and synthesizer’s glow faded out into the night ocean.

Silence fell upon the pond and surrounding jungle. But it wasn’t tense or uneasy; It was serene and tranquil. The perfect mood to fall into Sleep Mode.

Nereo opened his optics to stare down at the female Worker Drone. Uzi gazed silently at the whale skeletons from her perch on a rock. Sitting on her side, legs bent but held together. A familiar form that Nereo wanted to ignore so very badly.

‘It would be fine to ignore it just this once, right?’ He wondered as his tail sluggishly swayed. ‘She has not done anything. Perhaps it’s just most comfortable sitting on that rock like that.’ He let out a sigh.

It isn’t like women don’t sit like that when wearing dresses or such anyway. And unlike the rest of them, Uzi actually has manners.

‘But… I wish I had woken up sooner. Just so I can hear the rest of her song.’ Nereo took in a vent and stood.

He hopped down the slope and onto the grass of the incline. The grass crunched under his heavy feet and startled the woman into gasping and whipping around towards him. It made the both of them just sit there and stare at each other.

“Your song was very pretty, señorita.” Nereo spoke first, giving the woman an additional grin.

Uzi blinked at him with voided eye lights. Nereo huffed a laugh and stalked closer. Uzi was tempted to retreat further away.

“May I ask what it was for?” Her captain questioned as he stopped by the bones.

“It– It was for the skeletons.” She replied softly.

Nereo’s brow quirked.

“I figured… They were probably scared when they died. Stuck in an unfamiliar place without the ocean to accompany them. They can’t even rest in their own home.” She elaborated. “I… I wanted them to rest easy.” Her hand smoothed along the top of the rock she sat on.

Nereo hummed. “That’s very kind of you, señorita. I’m sure these elegant creatures are feeling much better about their resting place now.” His tail made a small wave.

Uzi stared at the rubbery limb. Her gaze drifted up to her captain’s face plates. He stared at the skeletons. She couldn’t quite read his expression.

“Well, I figured it was the least I could do for them. And it gave me something to do on this trip.” She shrugged and turned her gaze away.

“So you decided to sing to them in the middle of the night, when you could’ve been in Sleep Mode?” Nereo chuckled as he turned back to her.

Uzi’s display went bright in embarrassment. “I couldn’t sleep…” She pouted through pursed lips.

Her captain laughed quietly, making sure not to wake his crew. “¿Es eso así?”

“You know I can’t understand you, right?” Uzi retorted with a puff.

“¡Aye, lo sé! Pero es divertido hacerte enfadar hablando mi lengua materna, jaja.” Her captain replied teasingly.

Uzi growled and slouched over. Nereo laughed a little louder, patting her back. Uzi recoiled from his touch, startling the both of them. Nereo’s laugh stopped short as he stared at her. Uzi realized a little too late she flinched and just made things awkward.

“Sorry. Just– I don’t want to be touched without warning, please.” She requested quietly.

Nereo sputtered dumbly for a moment. “A-Aye. Mis disculpas, señorita.” He nodded and let his arm fall.

Things became awkward. The tranquil atmosphere Uzi’s lullaby created was now tarnished, and Nereo was feeling guilty about it. He opted to sit down a foot away and stare at the skeletons. Uzi turned on her rock to stare with him.

“...Gracias, señorita.” Nereo whispered.

“Huh?” Uzi’s brow quirked.

“For giving these whales something to rest easy with.” He explained. “I’m sure it must have been terrifying dying in a place like this. Even with the company of each other–...” He trailed off, brows creasing.

The pirate didn’t need to finish. “It’s okay. I just figured these whales needed it.”

Things went quiet again. The Astral Ocean twinkled down on them. The island sat quiet, with only birds filling the silence. There wasn’t really anything else that needed to be said, but Nereo couldn’t sit there idly with the quietude.

“Vale, vale. Deberíamos descansar un rato ahora.” The Blue Whale Drone moved to stand.

“You don’t want to stay a little longer?” Uzi questioned.

“No. We still need to head up the mountain tomorrow. Best to get as much rest as possible.” Nereo replied, stretching his arms above his head.

Uzi huffed but smiled. “I was kinda hoping we’d be able to go back to the ship tomorrow. I’m not in the mood for too much walking.”

“Well, you decided to come! That’s what you get!” Nereo smirked back.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Guess I’ll get some sleep, too.” Uzi waved him off.

She picked up her socks and boots to put them back on. Nereo waited patiently for her. Beaconbugs danced around slowly as he did. The stillness of night eased the once-strange atmosphere.

Uzi hopped off her rock. She and Nereo climbed back up to the others and took their places amongst the foliage. More silence settled between them, now somewhat disturbed by the other crewmates’ snoring.

Letting out a vent, Uzi turned her gaze up to the night sky. The Astral Ocean sat just as silent as ever, its stars gleaming amongst its navy expanse.

“Thank you again, señorita, for sending those whales to rest someplace easy.” Nereo spoke again.

“Don’t mention it. They deserved something to soothe them in their death.” She returned, adjusting her spot against a tree.

“Not very comfy?” Nereo chuckled.

“Barely.” Uzi sighed out.

Her captain lifted an arm. Uzi’s brow quirked. Nereo motioned her over with his hand.

“I’m positive my frame will feel far more comfy than some tree.” He urged more.

Uzi rolled her optics. After another minute of trying to get comfy, she huffed and decided to take his offer. Her captain chuckled and earned himself a smack to the side with it. But Nereo was unperturbed and let the female drone curl against his side.

“If you touch me, I’m keelhauling you.” Uzi warned sternly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll only keep you warm, señorita.” Nereo promised, letting his arm fall around her side.

Uzi let herself be subtly held. Nereo tilted his hat over his face to help lull him into Sleep Mode. Uzi glanced at him from the crook of his arm. His frame was warm and indeed far more comfy than her tree.

As her visor started to brighten with blush lines, Uzi let out a huff and turned away. She caught sight of the whale pod once more, wishing them a silent journey to a nice harbor in the Astral Ocean.

‘Hopefully they can rest easy now that they’ve been sent off.’ Uzi relaxed in Nereo’s arm. ‘And… Hopefully Nereo can rest easy with their departure, too.’ She closed her optics and started shutting off systems.

Nereo’s arm tightened around her. His finger slid into her palm while his thumb smoothed along the back of her hand. His tail made a good knee rest for the woman.

‘Aye. No sé si puedo agradecerle lo bastante a esta gaviota.’ He let himself fall into Sleep Mode with the thought.

The pond the whale pod sat in rippled, showing their organic forms swimming calmly under its surface and singing their thanks as they drifted towards the reflected Astral Ocean.

Chapter Text

Through the dark and lown of Sleep Mode, Uzi’s systems began booting up one at a time. Among them was her hearing. She could catch the sound of birds, rustling leaves, and an off chitter-chatter that sounded out of place from the natural ambience around her.

It was enough to further stir her from Sleep Mode. Her optical lights came back on and the lenses beneath her visor opened up. Although her vision was still coming into focus, Uzi quickly found out what the out-of-place noise was.

“Oi, looks like the lucky lady’s up.” Twain nudged Josh’s side with a snicker.

Another round of barely-muted laughs went around the waking group. Uzi blinked dumbly for a solid second. She turned her head to see Nereo lying just beside her, arm wrapped securely around her and all. By all accounts, it looked like he was still asleep.

But Uzi realized she was lying on his chest—enough to make her captain a pillow, at least. And that all of the chitter-chattering was really just the crew laughing at them and trying not to wake their captain at the same time.

Uzi bolted up and out of her captain’s arm. She whipped around to glower at everyone, her look dampened by the furious flush overtaking her visor. Finally, all the laughter everyone was holding burst out all at once.

“Aww, don’t be embarrassed, lass! The Captain had to be more comfortable than a tree, right?!” Josh patted her back, to which Uzi smacked his hand away.

“Aye, at least they kept quiet last night!” Twain joined in with a hoot and a holler.

“WE DID NOT–!!” Uzi was about to argue back.

“I’m surprised it took this long. I thought he’d charm you sooner!” Freckle guffawed as he put on his boots.

“Who knows? Maybe it was the other way around.” Ron chimed in.

“RON!” Uzi shouted.

The crew laughed even louder, much to Uzi’s flustered chagrin. But the cacophonous noise had woken up their captain. He sat up with a grunt and moved his hat out of his face to look around blearily.

“Oi! What has you all being so loud?! I don’t even think the animals can sleep with all this hollering!” He exclaimed with a grumpy look on his face plates.

“Nothing! Just teasing the little lass.” Freckle quieted his laughter.

Nereo’s brow rose. He turned to Uzi who refused to look at anything but the ground. There was a fierce flush on her display.

“Well, whatever you’re teasing her about, avast. You’re gonna make her overheat.” Their captain stood up, his joints groaning.

“We should be saying that to you.” Twain snickered.

“And that’s supposed to mean…?” Nereo questioned back as he fixed his hat.

“Don’t be daft, Captain! We know what you did last night!” Rusty nudged his leg.

And while Uzi flinched and her fluster faltered for a moment, Nereo just raised his other brow. “I’m surprised you didn’t wake up, then.”

“I’m surprised, too! You both were surprisingly quiet!” Ron grinned at him. “This might even be a record.” He giggled to himself behind a hand.

Nereo wanted to reply, but he honestly wasn’t quite sure how to. So for a few seconds, he was left standing there gaping like a fish gasping for water.

“Her singing wasn’t that quiet.” He finally said.

That took his crew off-guard.

“Singing? What singing?” Rusty inquired as a sweat drop blinked onto his visor.

“Uzi’s! She was singing to the whales last night to give ‘em a good send-off. It–...” Nereo trailed off for a moment. “It was pretty, that song…” The tiniest of rain-colored blush lines marked his visor.

His crew was speechless. What song? Uzi was singing?? Last night?? When???

“O-Okay, okay! I think it’s time we keep going with this damn trek!” The said female Worker Drone exclaimed. “We’re wasting sunlight, and it’s going to be hell trying to get back to the ship at night!” She moved to pick up her bag and check its contents.

“Ay-ye! The señorita has a point! We need to keep moving!” The pirate captain startled.

While the two hurried to get their stuff, the rest of the crew stared quizzically at them. It seems that whatever they first thought the two were doing last night was anything but…

“¡Vamos, mi gente! ¡Aún tenemos mucho campo que atravesar!” Their captain shouted.

Finally, everyone was startled out of their confusion. They gathered their supplies and followed after their leader. Some gave one last glance to the whale skeletons sitting peacefully in the pond below.

With a final farewell, the pirate crew pushed into the bushes to climb the mountain.

With all the teasing and embarrassment dying down from the morning, the crew focused on trekking through the forest once more. Nereo led the group and cut down any loose foliage in the way. Everyone else made sure to stick close to one another so as to not get left behind or lost.

“How long do you think it’ll take for us to reach that hot pool place you were talking about, Captain?” Ron inquired from near the back.

“We should make it there today. All we have to do is look for a thick blanket of fog.” The Blue Whale Drone replied.

“This place better be worth it, Captain! Cutting down other pirates and sailors for their treasure is one thing, but taking a hike is another!” Freckle complained loudly.

“You could’ve stayed back!” Nereo turned over his shoulder to frown at him.

“I didn’t think it’d be this bad!” Freckle exclaimed back.

Nereo rolled his rainy optics. He cut down some more vines in their path and hoisted himself over a short ledge. Helping the rest of his crew up, they conglomerated in a small clearing.

“I don’t know if it’s just me, but it feels like it’s getting hot today.” Ron swiped some sweat drops from his visor as he panted.

“Aye, I was thinking so, too!” Rusty agreed as he sat on the grass.

“If it’s getting hot, it might not be a great idea to visit some ‘hot water pools.’” Uzi commented.

“If you’ve got complaints, take ‘em up with the Captain. We only got in over our heads over here.” Rusty chuckled.

Uzi turned to her captain, though he seemed a little busy. Not really doing anything busy, but preoccupied nonetheless.

“Hey, Nereo! You doing alright over there?” Uzi questioned.

Her captain came back to reality, turning from his staring at the sky. “Aye, I’m fine! Just trying to figure out what time it is!” He smiled in return. “We should keep going, though. It looks to be around noon, and I want to get to those hot pools before sundown!”

His crew groaned in fatigue. His captain rolled his optics again.

“We can all rest at those pools! Now come on!” He urged with a smack of his tail.

While everyone else begrudgingly got up to follow, Nereo continued on his way.

“He sure is excited for these, huh?” Uzi muttered under her vent.

“He gets like that sometimes.” Ron sighed back.

The group’s trek continued up the mountain, taking a relatively flat trail. Boots dug into the slanted ground leading up the side of the formation. Eventually, they left the forest and traveled a less-grassy trail.

And while it took another hour or two, the fading wisps of fog could be made out among the dark mountain rock and tall tropical trees just a little higher up. A big, beaming grin formed on Nereo’s face and he picked up the pace.

“We’re almost there, crew! Just a little further up!” He called loudly.

“Could you wait for us, Captain?!” One of his crewmates hollered back.

Thankfully, Nereo came back for them. Though, he rushed them even more. But they all climbed the rest of the way up until they finally reached their destination.

“HA-HAAA!! ¡Lo hemos conseguido, todos! ¡Las piscinas termales!” Nereo hopped on his heeled feet in cheer.

“Aye, we sure did.” Twain panted back. “Can we take a break now?” He questioned.

“Aye! Take as long a break as you need!” The Bestial Drone laughed, his tail waving in joy. “In fact, let’s set our stuff down for the night! We can sleep up here, then go down sometime tomorrow!” He added, already jogging towards the rocky pools.

His crew let out a relieved vent. As they moved to find spots to sit down and rest up, Uzi moved through the foggy pools of water.

‘The water is so clear. Way clearer than the ocean.’ She noted. ‘And I can feel how hot they are from the steam alone. What even causes this?’

Shaking her head, Uzi turned away from the many pools of heated water. She turned towards a little outcropping by the side of the area.

‘Perfect! A nice and private space for me!’ The female Worker Drone skipped on over.

With a rocky overhang and some bushes and stones to give her cover, Uzi set down her bag and took a seat. She sighed in relief, her feet aching and needing this rest. And she could even busy herself by watching the steam clouds roll by!

“Maybe I’ll take a dip later today, when it’s gotten darker and cooler.” She spoke quietly to herself. “Of course, I’d need to find a more secluded area for it, but from the looks of it, there’s more pools a little higher up.” Her gaze turned towards a short waterfall at the other end of the area.

More steam and fog lifted into the air as the water fell. It’d probably make for a nice shower, to be honest.

“If only I had soap on me.” Uzi sighed.

Spending plenty of time resting had the crew starting to get hungry by the time the sun was setting. Thankfully, Cuca came along, so he could prepare something quick for everyone to chow down on. It mostly consisted of fruits and some cans of oil everyone brought. But the hot water helped to heat up the oil.

“How long do you think we’ll be staying here, Captain?” Freckle inquired as he sipped on his drink.

“Not too long, I don’t think. There’s still some supplies we can gather from this island. I’m hoping Ronan has that settled already, however.” Nereo answered.

“Do you know where our next destination is?” Twain spoke up next.

Nereo made a thoughtful hum. “I have a few ideas…”

“I think it’d be nice to plunder some more ships for a while. It’d give us something more fun to do than this damn hike.” Sid snickered through his mouthful of food.

“I have you all the option to stay behind with the ship! But you didn’t!” Nereo countered back with a slap of his tail.

His crew laughed in return. Nereo fondly rolled his optics. He finished up the rest of his food and drink before standing.

“If you’re all going to keep complaining, I’m going to find a nice pool to sit in. Do whatever you wish so long as it doesn’t kill any of us.” He told his men.

“Aye aye, Captain!” They waved at his back.

Walking off, Nereo took his bag with him. He walked towards the waterfall and climbed up the side. Thankfully, it wasn’t too steep of a hill. But up top sat more pools, bigger this time.

“Looks like they can fit me.” Nereo chuckled to himself.

His bag was dropped and his clothes would come soon after. With his hat being carefully set on top of his bag, he turned to the larger pools steaming by his feet. Nereo crouched and slowly stepped inside, the water reaching his knees.

The heat made him shiver in delight and his tail to accidentally smack the water. He chuckled as the droplets met his back and side. Nereo then sat down inside the pool and leaned back against the stone edge.

A mellow sigh blew past his lips, disturbing some of the steam rising lazily into the air. Propping his elbows against the top of the edge allowed the Blue Whale Drone to lounge even further.

“Aye, definitivamente lo necesitaba.” The male pirate vented to himself.

Nereo went quiet and closed his optics. Things remained quiet if not for the faint but cheerful talk from his crew below the waterfall. Nereo let out a quiet chuckle at hearing them splash about.

‘I hope the señorita is okay down there. Unless she’s found a spot for herself.’ His tail lifted up from the water, letting droplets slide off.

It dipped back below smoothly, enveloped in warmth once again. Nereo adjusted himself to lean back more comfortably against the rocks. Tilting his head back let him rest his neck, too.

Soon enough, Nereo’s mind began to wander. From where their next destination will be, to wondering how his other crewmates at the ship are doing, even to what everyone was howling about this morning.

‘What were they talking about? Uzi looked mighty embarrassed about it, whatever it was. And Ron said something about “being quiet…?”’ His brow twitched. ‘Judging by the fact that they didn’t wake up from Uzi’s singing last night, I can only assume they meant–’

Nereo’s optics opened. “Ah.” He hummed before letting out a tired sigh. “Oye, esos malditos idiotas…” He pinched his visor.

“Of course they’d think that. Though, I guess I can’t really blame them.” His tail made a small slap against the water.

Dropping his hand and letting his fingers dip back into the warm pool, Nereo let out another sigh. It was probably best that he didn’t think about how dumb his crew’s assumptions can be sometimes. Though, all that remained for him to think about was their quartermaster.

‘Her display was so bright with blush lines! I’m surprised she didn’t combust from their teasing!’ Nereo chuckled again.

Blowing out another vent, Nereo sat silently in the pool once again. His mind continued to wander around, though now it was stuck on the woman. Memory files of her aid with paychecks and her training cropped up. Along with them came all the times she didn’t like being touched.

‘Still wonder why…’ Nereo wanted to mutter.

It almost made him want to touch her, just to see her reaction. At the same time, he also wanted to see her all flustered again. Admittedly, it was cute.

‘And it isn’t like the flushes the prostitutes at the ports. Not even her pout is the same.’ His fingers twitched. ‘Aye, her pout…’

Puffed cheeks and a defiant glare. Or at the very least—look. Uzi never really did look anything but defiant, did she? Nereo doesn’t think she ever did, not unless she was singing.

But what turned from a pout on the woman’s face formed into blush lines again. Not embarrassed and angry, but sheepish as she lied under him. Much like the time he teased her a little too much and told her about his modification.

This mental image was far different, however. Uzi wasn’t just surprised—she was bashful, too. And her shirt wasn’t tied as tight as usual. No, the tie was let loose so her chest could breathe for once, the collar open and the strings draped along the sides of her chassis.

Even her pants were a little messy. The hems of both her shirt and pants moved just enough for a little taste of her black waistband. But Uzi made sure to still keep it modest and only let the button of her pants free while her fly stayed zipped tight. And somehow, the modesty only made the imaginary sight prettier—

Nereo opened an optic, finally realizing his visor had gone flush. He turned his sights down to the water and spotted a very familiar pointed "buoy" floating before him. It left a chill on the "buoy" despite the steam floating around.

“Oye, mira lo que me has hecho, señorita.” Nereo huffed through his flush. “¿Cómo arreglas algunos problemas pero luego provocas otros completamente distintos?” His tail jerked in the water as he grabbed the "buoy".

Thank the Astral Ocean above that Nereo found himself a spot isolated away from the rest of his crew.