The Ryang Jeong docked by the port. It was one of their usual stockpiling for supplied as the crew was about to embark on a long trip and there would be fewer chances of finding neutral ports where pirates were welcome. Seung was always careful with these things, besides it was never a good thing to draw too much attention to themselves. The last thing she wanted was for them to be on the run. Life was already difficult enough as a pirate, there was no need to complicate things.

It was also a good place to get new clothing as the tailors were efficient, cheap and their skills were made of good quality materials. And the food was also astounding. Seung always got her favourite pasties from one of the local shops and her favourite deserts. She had a light weakness when it came to food but particularly deserts. She would need admit that though, but once Hai became a member of her crew he was the very first person to discoed that weakness of hers and treat her to some delicious deserts. Turns out Hai had quite the talent in the kitchen, among his many other talents. It did not take long for her crew to make him feel at home.

Some of the crew members took it to heart that Seung accepted a stowaway as a new member the crew but Hai proud himself time and time again and in the end everyone decided to welcome him as the newest member of the crew.

Seung walked along the streets looking at her list, there were a few things she needed to do before she returned to the ship. She smiled as she saw children running around playfully, adults chatting with friends and neighbours and some people trying to agree with merchants on lower prices. She was not sure when it happened but, not only did Hai sneaked into her ship and was welcomed as part of the crew, he also managed to find a way to her heart. Seung could not belle it, even now. She had been determined on not falling in love with anyone, on living a lonely life due to the traumatic events of her past and yet here she was. She was deeply in love with Hai, Fifth Prince of Zenchi, and he loved her back.

She blushed lightly as she thought of this, a charming Prince had managed to seduce a pirate captain, she smirked. It was a bit ridiculous, wasn’t it? She smiled nonetheless, she could not complain for having bumped into a man who was her equal in eery possible way. She stopped for a moment in front of a merchant and examined his wares. There were two necklaces that looked very similar, they were silver on the outside but had a beautiful gem on the inside, one was of a golden colour and the other was blue. Thinking about their colour of eyes she blushed softly but managed to agree on a price with the merchant. She put her purchases inside the bigger bag she was carrying with the exception of the necklaces which she put in her pocket. She would die one to Hai as soon as she got back to the ship. She hoped he would not think her too sappy for such an idea. She smirked, a ruthless captain was being matching necklaces for her love and herself. She really had it hard.

She heard some music and got closer to have a better look. There seemed to be a festivity of some sort and she wished they could stay for longer for she would love to take Hai with her. They could enjoy the show together, make fun of the eccentricities of rich people and discuss whatever could be missing in the food they would taste. Yes, she had fallen deeply in love. She sighed and shook her head, she wondered if Ryang Jeong would shake his head at her now.

She was about to turn around and finally head back when she bumped into some of the members of her crew who offered to carry the big bag for her. She smirked and shrugged allowing them to do as they pleased. They were young pirates always looking for a way to show off or compete. She did not mind truly, thee was a good balance of ages, wisdom and experience in her ship. One of them handed her a message from one of the female crew members and she found that rather strange. She read the message and told them she would return to the ship later. Why would one of her pirates ask to speak to her in private? It made no sense whatsoever. She sighed and then shrugged, maybe she was about to excuse herself from the crew and start a new life, some people did that and she never held any members in her crew against their wills.

She reached the street and was a bit uncomfortable, no member of her crew would ask her to walk into an alleyway. Had this message been faked by someone who wanted to find her on her own and as far away form her crew as possible? Well, she was not about to let anyone intimidate her and she certainly was no powerless woman. She sighed and decided to enter the alleyway anyway. Both hands on her weapons.


***

Isamu decided to come to this city port with Hotori following a lead they had on one of her Seishi. He was not sure if they would truly find anyone here but it would be easier to move two people than a full group. He was holding her hand and ensuring not to lose her in the sea of people. Also, he stood in front of her to protect her from being elbowed, etc., by this overwhelming crowd, “Stay close, Hotori, I don’t want to lose you.” He turned to smile at her rather affectionately before he continued to walk. He wondered if she was hungry at all. They had been walking for a while now.

“Would you like anything to eat?” She might not be hungry but he did not want to risk it. He lifted the hand he was holding and kissed it gently, “I’m sorry that there are so many people here, I have never seen a busier port.” He blushed lightly, he should have studied this city before bringing Hotori along, what kind of a bodyguard would not do his homework?

He had a feeling that this small error might have repercussions and he nearly berated himself for being such a fool. He stopped at a stall that seemed to be selling cooked seafood and he asked Hotori to stand in front of him as he ordered, he noticed a young man staring at Hotori and he placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him going him a glare that nearly froze the man. He looked away almost immediately. Isamu ordered their food and guided her to sit by the very docks away from the people so they could enjoy their food together. He watched her eat her food for a moment and as soon as she looked away he took a sneaky bite from her food and then excused himself saying, “Your food always tastes better.”

After sitting for a little bit longer right next to each other he gently helped her to her feet, “Let us go meet this so called Seishi, after that we could go have a look at the show they have prepared at the main square. He caressed her cheek and smiled gently before he offered her his hand.

As soon as they go back into the crowd he nearly regretted suggesting looking for this Seishi. It was a lead but not a certainty that they would find one of the remaining Seishi.

Hai had managed to be very productive as he planned out his actions for their relatively short shore leave. He recalled that this port had a very highly acclaimed smithy, and he wanted to get Seung a little present. Of course, he couldn’t let her know that he was getting her a gift - she would blush and grump that he shouldn’t have spent his money on her.

So that morning, he had given her a gentle goodbye kiss, and promised to meet her back at the ship that afternoon, saying he wanted to send a message to his beloved mother to let her know he was still doing fine.He sent these notes almost any time they stopped in port, so it wouldn’t raise suspicions.

That said, his first stop was the smithy where he paid more than he should to get a set of custom made chopsticks done in a rush. Then he went to send his note to his mother, and finally he settled into shopping for some supplies. He had discovered that his Pirate had a sweet tooth, and so any time they stopped like this, he got the supplies to make her something nice, usually asking locals for dessert recipes so that he could let her try specialties from all of the places they stopped.

By the time he had done his shopping, grabbed a bit of lunch, and gone back to pick up the chopsticks, it was just about time for him to meet Seung back at the ship. Returning there, he took a moment to examine the gift for his beloved. They were metal chopsticks, deadly sharp and elegantly carved with a mix of scenes of the high seas, and some of the lovely mountain views from his homeland of Zenchi. Each was also decorated with tiny amber and light blue stones. He was sure she would love using them to pull up her lovely white hair, and also appreciate that they were also handy as a weapon. Smiling, he tucked them away in the box he’d been given to carry them in, and stashed that beneath her pillow. It was then that he saw a couple of their men come back and put a large bag away for Seung. Upon questioning them, he started to feel uneasy. Someone had asked them to pass her a note, and she had sent them off, saying she would be along soon. Something about this didn’t sit well with him, and he set out to try and find her.

~~~

Hotori was enjoying this alone time with Isamu. She loved her other Seishi, but it was nice to be able to just hold his hand and snuggle up to his side as they walked. She already loved this man with all of her heart, and could only hope that Suzaku would let them find a way to remain together. If she had to leave him after summoning Suzaku…

But she didn’t have to worry about that just yet. Yes, they followed a lead to find another one of her Seishi, and she was glad to know they were so close, but for now she just wanted to enjoy her rim with Isamu.

She smiled when he aced just a bit possessive., and she couldn’t help giggling when some ladies they passed watched them go asif they couldn’t understand what a child was doing with such a handsome man. Feeling just a bit cheeky, she stretched up and kissed his cheek as they walked.

They enjoyed a nice lunch, and she swatted at him when he stole a bit of her food, laughing. “You’re as bad as Nii-chan…” She said. She giggled again, thinking of how her unofficial big brother always stole food from “Papa” Haru when he wasn’t looking. Seeing that they were alone for a moment, she stretched up and gave him a simple, proper kiss, only blushing a little as she rested back to finish her lunch.

They were heading off to find this supposed Seishi of hers when she heard some commotion ahead. Apparently some teenage boys had shoplifted, and took off running through the crowd. They tried to dart between her and Isamu, and hit their linked hands with enough force to knock them apart. Hotori turned to watch the boys go, and although she had only looked away from Isamu for a moment, she was dismayed to realize that she now couldn't see him in the crowd. “Isamu? Isamu, where are you?” Thinking that it would be best to wait by a building where he might more easily spot her, or perhaps to find something to stand on to see over the crowd, she began to fight through the crowd to get to the nearest building.

She was approaching an alleyway between two buildings when she saw an older, taller woman with beautiful white hair heading between the two buildings. She had the passing thought that the woman really was quite lovely when she saw several suspicious looking men slinking into the alleyway as well.

Hotori suddenly felt very concerned for the lovely woman…. But it didn’t seem that anyone besides her had noticed the situation. Biting her lip and feeling the urge to help this woman, she reached behind her and drew her bow and a single arrow from her quiver before she moved to the mouth of the ally. Perhaps if she approached armed, the men would be frightened off. Or at minimum, they would draw the attention of more passersby and perhaps she wouldn’t be alone trying to help the woman.

Three men were just advancing on the lovely white haired woman when Hotori fired her arrow. It sailed between them and hit the hard packed dirt on the ground of the alley. “Whatever you think you’re doing, you’d best reconsider!” She spoke in a loud, clear, firm voice, and she hoped these men would think she was more of a threat than she really was. She drew another arrow and took aim. “This is your last warning!”

“You’re as bad as Nii-chan…”

Isamu smirked and turned to look at her, “If Meian ever stole directly from your food he would lose a hand and maybe some of his teeth.” He chuckled softly before his eyes softened looking down at her and he leaned down and kissed her lips softly pulling her body closer. He treasured moments such as these where he could openly show her the depths of his affection. When they were with the other Seishi they had to keep their distance and even at night sometimes other Seishi would look after Hotori so they did not have as much alone time as he would like. He pulled from the kiss and looked into her beautiful eyes for a long moment, “You have no idea how important these little moments with you are for me, I feel like whenever we are with others I long to touch you…” He ran a hand through her beautiful long hair, “To feel you…” He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her gently to kiss her lips a couple of times while his other hand embraced her warmly. He opened his eyes only to look at her as he broke the kiss, “To watch you blush, to see the joy in your eyes at exploring new things. You have me wrapped around your little finger, my Miko.” He took her hand gently and caressed it with his thumb before he kissed the back of it. He never wanted to let her go, if Suzaku would not let her stay he would be broken-hearted. He would ask to be taken to her world instead, or dye trying.

A lie without Hotori meant nothing to Isamu. He would have done his duty by the time that comes and he would want nothing else but to be with his beloved. He leaned down to kiss her lips for a long moment, it was a slightly passionate kiss, he did not wish to overdo it as they were still in public but he could not help himself. He missed her when they were with the others, these were the only moments he could spend time like this with her and he would make the most of it. Nothing anyone said would dissuade him otherwise, “I love you my little nightingale.” He whispered breathlessly and closed his eyes as his forehead touched hers for a moment. “No matter what happens, I will move heaven and earth to find you, remember that.”

He still managed to blush lightly whenever Hotori surprised him and kissed his cheek and lips, as he always thought her to be a rather innocent young woman but he always welcomed the affection for that meant she shared his feelings and there could be nothing sweeter than that. And then, just as he was considering all this, he felt her stretch up to kiss his lips. And then she blushed, there could not be a more adorable woman in his opinion. He chuckled lightly and once she finished her food he leaned down to kiss her lips for a long moment scouring this moment, the proximity of his beloved and the sweetness of her lips. He then whispered in her ear, “You are breathtaking when you kiss me like that and then blush, my love.”

As they walked along the streets his fears were confirmed when a group of boys slammed between him and his beloved Miko. He was pushed further inside the crowd by the shoe force of the impact and he looked around frustrated.

“Isamu? Isamu, where are you?”

He looked around and could not see her, her lovely green hair nowhere to be seen. “Hotori!” He pushed through the crowd a bit too roughly but he did not care, “Hotori I’m here!” It was futile, he could not see his beloved and he face-slapped. How could a bodyguard, an expert on the job, lose the most important person in Konan and the Queen of his heart? He would have smacked himself if he did not need to make haste and look for her. He began to move with more determination and even tried to run through the crowd to the very last place where both of them had been together when he hit something or someone and he fell on his backside with a thud and a quiet noise of surprise. He slowly got up looking around, he moved toward the other person he had bumped into and offered a helping hand, “Apologies, I lost my charge and was looking for her…” He stopped mid sentence, he recognised that hair and those bright blue eyes, “Hai-san?” He could scarcely believe it, he looked happy he wondered if he had finally persuaded his family to let him lead a different life or if he had run away. But this would have to wait, “What are you doing here? You look great and might I add, happy?” He smirked, he wondered if Hai had a lady in his life. Or had he accepted his engagement and called for the lady?

Seung waited for a moment, her back toward the outside of the alleyway, her body facing the wall. She wanted to concentrate and count how many men had followed her into the enclosed and dark space. She could count, fifteen? No, sixteen, Fan had to be somewhere alone them. He would need stop until she unlocked his Seishi abilities but she knew well that she could never do such a thing. The man was a murderer and he did not deserve such abilities. She would sooner die than to grant him such power once more. He had killed his own young and innocent Miko, that could never be forgiven. And she did not care to what lengths she had to go to ensure he was aware of what a monster he truly was. She tried to relax her whole body, it was going to be a rough fight but she had her own Seishi abilities, sixteen men, including Fan, would not be able to do anything to her.

Now she needed to be aware of her surroundings, there were a few bins nearby, some wooden bits she could use and the wall was not too high so she could easily jump up and get away if need be. She wondered why Fan had chosen such a terrible location to ambush her, was he that desperate? She could not believe this had been arrange by anyone in her crew because everyone was her family. But she would ask just to be sure once she got back. She finally turned around unimpressed and shaking the note for their eyes to see, “Falsifying the writing style of a member of my crew and dragging me into such a resourceful alley, someone is getting quite sloppy, wouldn’t you say… Fan?” Her eyes burned with anger, if he wanted to be sent back home with his tail between his legs she would gladly oblige.

She could not believe the audacity of this man, the depths he would go through just to get his powers back. He made it quite clear he did not need his powers to commit atrocities, his dark deeds were known above and beyond. It was overwhelming really because, even though she put on a strong front and faced her nemesis, the things Fan had done to her made her fear him greatly. Of course she did not show this, she was a pirate Captain, if she faltered her people would lose morale and then her family would be utterly destroyed, upon Ryang Jeong’s death she took her the mantle of leadership and swore she would protect the with everything she had and that included threads from scum like Fan and if that cost her… her life, well she had trained a few members of the crew to take over for her if needed. She cracked her knuckles if she used her earth splitting Seishi skill she would take care of everyone and the buildings around them would not be damaged, she had taken her time to examine everything while they gathered behind her. She was prepared to show them what happened when they faced a powerful and scorned Seishi. However, she was not ready to have any innocent bystanders involved.

“Whatever you think you’re doing, you’d best reconsider! This is your last warning!”

Seung saw the arrow that was hastily shot and the men turned to look at her. Seung admired the young woman because she could easily tell she was not sued to fighting or standing up to others during squabbles. And she did look proficient with the bow and arrow, however, these men were lowly pirates, and the kind who did not mind having a bit of fun and hurting women who get involved in things that did not concern them. She nearly facepalmed at the lady’s last words, did she not see the dirty and raging men? Before she could shoot an arrow they would be upon her and then she would be unable to escape their wrath. And so she told her, “Run! These dogs are bad news!” As she warned the girl she decided to do something reckless to get their attention once more and the symbol of “Star” shone on her forehead and she sprinted toward the group of men and with one super strong punch she sent several of them flying and hitting their backs against the wall. Even though she did not use her powers often she would show Fan that she could fire on all cylinders. “Focus on me you scum!” She punched with her other hand in the other direction hitting a few more men. There was something about this young woman that reminded her of... She shook her head and focused on the task at hand.