”…I'm standing on a bridge, I'm waitin' in the dark… I thought that you'd be here by now…”

OOC: This thread will include both Leiko and Kenki accordingly.

IC:

Link to Leiko’s kimono

The plan was simple, they had been told that a Byakko Shinzaho was located on a resort island, it was a rather touristic one according to their informant and so the best course of action would be to have two thieves dress up and stowaway on the touristic boat. Both Leiko and Masao had volunteered, although Leiko was deeply scared of water she did not want Masao to go at it alone with how naive and inexperienced she was. Leiko had become quite protective of the princess and they soon became the best of friends. Besides, should things go south Leiko could shapeshift to her big dragon form and fly the both of them to safety. She had requested Masao to carry an extra set of clothes for Leiko should the need arise as the kimonos they were wearing were normal pieces of clothing and would not withstand the heat of Leiko’s transformation.

The plan was to hide inside empty barrels and be transported to the ship. After that they could get out of the barrels as carefully as possible and mingle with the rest of the tourists and everyone would be none the wiser. The most important thing was to not get caught when they were transported inside the ship.

Leiko put on her silver kimono with navy blue stripes and red flowers, she wore a red obi and some red and white flowers decorated her hair tied in a big bun with her lovely fringe decorating her forehead and some locks of hair on each side of her face. She put on some light touches of makeup and perfume and some sandals. It would be a simple enough task to get to the island and look for the Shinzaho.

Since they would be doing this early in the morning she did not feel the need to carry a cloak, besides her fire powers would be more than enough to keep them warm should they spend the night at the island in order to find the Shinzaho. She was more than capable of hunting for food and ensuring they both slept comfortably in the wilderness if it came to that.

She smiled and then turned to look at Masao as they reached the barrels, “If we get separated first thing we must do is look for each other, I’ll make this noise when I’m out of the barrel. She mimicked the sound of mice and then ensured Masao remembered the whole plan.

Both got inside the barrels and covered the lids. After waiting for thirty minutes Leiko felt her barrel being lifted and she winced when she was roughly placed on board. Perhaps the person in charge had a rough day or something. She waited fifteen minutes and once ensuring there was no one nearby she lifted the lid and got out of the barrel. She made the sound she indicated and waited for Masao’s reply before she helped her get out of the barrel. “Please stick close to me my lady.” She smiled at her, she knew Masao wanted to hide her identity so once they found the tourists she would address her by her name with no honourifics.

It was a chili morning but, as usual, Kenki was the first person up and running. He liked to make sure everything was ready for their trip, he double-checked their supplies, the state of the wood on the ship and any small details necessary for an optimum trip. He then ordered the men to bring in the last of their supply crates and was about to check up on those crates when he spotted movement and he hid leaning his back against the wall. He then watched two beautiful women get out of the crates and almost smirked. He bet they were hoping to stowaway on that other touristic ship.

He did not notice them wearing any weapons and so, for now, he would let them think no one knew they were on board. The ship had set sail around fifteen minutes ago so dropping them back would be a pain. He pet Lee, his yellow cockatiel parrot, and then beckoned him to stick to the Princess. He turned toward the Captain’s cabin and knocked gently waiting to be allowed inside.

Once he closed the door behind him he said, “Captain, I’m afraid we have two very naughty ladies stowaway in crates. I assume they were hoping to sneak inside the boat that takes tourists to that resort island nearby. They were unarmed, what would you have me do? I have to admit, they were very pretty ladies. I know you have a thing for red-heads.” He smirked, no one would dare tease the Captain, except for Kenki. The other lady thought… he could never forget a woman as beautiful and charming as Masao, he wondered why a Princess would find the need to sneak on board a ship but then again maybe she had her reasons.

Lee obediently flew toward Masao and perched on her shoulder and whistled before rubbing his feathery forehead against her cheek in affection. Leiko looked at the bird suspiciously but since he did not hurt the princess she did not give him much importance although she thought it strange that there was a parrot inside the ship. Could it be that their informant had made a mistake?

Masao was nervous. It was true that she had volunteered for this task, and had argued with both Rindou and Mari to be able to go, but she was still nervous. She wanted to prove she could be useful to her Miko and her fellow Seishi. She didn’t need to be protected all the time. She also felt bad that Leiko had come with her - she loved the redhead like a sister, as she did the others - but she knew she didn’t like water, and would be anxious the entire time they were on the ship.

It was also true that she could have simply booked them passage on the ship and they could have pretended to just be enjoying a nice vacation, but she didn’t want to draw too much attention. Surely her parents and brothers were looking for her and Miyuna by now, she was not about to let her sister go back to that dangerous situation with her mother… And she had no desire to go back to being a pretty bird in a gilded cage. So no, booking passage on the ship would attract too much attention. That meant that stowing away was their best option.

She looked down at her kimono and hoped that it wouldn’t get dirty or snag on a splinter while they were hiding in the barrels. It was a lovely blue and green kimono with a floral pattern and a light green obi. Her coppery hair was tied up in twin buns, tied off with light green, lacy ribbon and each bun also had a fresh blue lower pinned in among the hairShe had light makeup and perfume, and her sandals were new and comfortable.

She had a bag with a few changes of clothes for each of them, as well as a few provisions and some medical supplies, just in case. She dropped that into her barrel before climbing in. She made sure she knew the signal, and the proper response and gave :eiko a gentle smile. “It’ll be just fine, Lei-chan. I promise. You’ll be safe on the ship with me.”

It was not long after they fitted the lids back into place before she felt the barrels being lifted and carried.

“What's in this thing? Rocks? It’s awful heavy…” One of the men carrying her barrel complained, and she scowled at him even if he couldn't see it.

“Says water, but I don’t hear no sloshing…” The other replied. “Reckon we ought to open it and have a look?”

Masao’s eyes widened in panic, and she quickly used her abilities to summon some water, letting it slosh and splash naturally in the confined space between her hands, careful not to get herself wet in the process.

“You’re crazy.” The first man said. “I hear it splashing around in there. Come on, Captain will get impatient if we’re not loaded soon…”

The two men carrying Leiko’s barrel were also chatting as they worked. “This is apples… Should we put it with the rest or just take it straight to the Captain’s room?"

The second man laughed. “Put it with the rst. Even he couldn’t eat this many apples in one voyage…” This seemed to be some sort of inside joke, as both men laughed heartily.

Before too much longer, they were settled on the ship, and Masao allowed the water she’d been manipulating to reabsorb back into the air around them. She waited silently for the signal, and gave the proper response before she finally climbed out of her barrel. She spent a few moments straightening her clothes and hair, and then smiled at Leiko.

“Please stick close to me, my lady.”

“Worry not. I have no desire to do anything too foolish on this trip. I know that I am not very experienced with tasks such as these…”

She was surprised when the little yellow bird appeared on her shoulder. “Where did you come from, my little friend?”” She asked softly, reaching up to scratch its feathered head gently. She loved animals of all kinds, and had tamed a few of the birds back in the palace gardens. She thought for a moment before she carefully reached back into the barrel to grab her bag, making sure that she didn’t disturb the bird by leaning over too far. It was a quick task to break off a small piece of bread and hold it up for the bird to inspect, giggling softly as she did so.

Arashi was seated in his cabin reading a letter he had received from Lian while they had been docked in Sailo. It seemed his sister was doing well, as was little Sakura. He rolled his eyes when she ended the letter - as she always did - by teasing him that he needed to get out and look for a pretty wife so she could have nieces and nephews soon. “I don’t see her in a rush to marry…” He grumbled good naturedly to Ishii. The white fluffy kitten simply yawned and curled up more comfortably to sleep on his pillow.

He looked up when a knock came, and put the letter aside as he called them to enter - odds were good it was Kenki with a status report on the supplies and such. He was glad he was right about the visitor, but he didn’t expect the message the younger man gave him.

“Captain, I’m afraid we have two very naughty ladies stowaway in crates. I assume they were hoping to sneak inside the boat that takes tourists to that resort island nearby. They were unarmed, what would you have me do? I have to admit, they were very pretty ladies. I know you have a thing for red-heads.”

Arashi shook his head with a smirk. The irony of the fact that a lovely redhead had snuck onto his ship, just as he finished reading the letter from his sister was not lost upon him. He thought silently for a moment before he stood. He took his time to strap on his sword and put on his hat and jackey - striking quite the dashing and intimidating figure - and then he nodded to his friend. “I think we’d best go greet them, don’t you? They are lucky they made it on our ship, instead of one they would be less safe, but I think it may do to scare them just a bit… to help encourage them not to do such silly things again in the future.” He and his men were used to ladies - as Lian had only recently stopped traveling full time with them, and both she and Sakura would occasionally come aboard for a short voyage, just to visit their brothers - but many pirates were less considerate of women, and it had been a very dangerous idea to get into barrels and hope that they’d end up on the right ship.

He nodded to Kenki, ignoring the tease about how lovely the young women were, and he started for the supply hold. He pushed the heavy door open with a low squeak of hinges that sounded oddly ominous in the still air, and he spoke out in a booming, gruff voice. “Aye, let’s have a look at those stores. Think I’ll help myself to an apple while we work…” His icy blue eyes sparkled with amusement as he moved slowly toward where the girls were hiding.

Masao’s eyes widened when she heard the men enter, hearing the rough sounding voice of the man who spoke up. She looked at Leiko, but did not dare to speak. What should they do now? They could get back in the barrels, but the men would find them when they checked supplies, and that door seemed to be the only exit…

“It’ll be just fine, Lei-chan. I promise. You’ll be safe on the ship with me.”

Leiko could not stop herself from smiling when Masao told her she would be safe aboard the ship, they were such good friends and both helped each other last the things they struggled with. She wanted to teach Masao the ropes so that she was more at ease whenever they were on a task and Masao wanted Leiko to feel more at east on water. No matter how hard she tried, though, she could not forget the torture she had undergone when she was younger and at times she would sign back in terror and would have to start all over again. She sighed for a moment, she did not want to make Masao worry unnecessarily over her, she was already nervous enough at it was and so she said, “Of course, I will be safe with you, my friend.” She made sure both were hiding comfortably enough in the crates before she did her best to listen in on everything and the conversation the two men were having were rather alarming. This did not sound like a touristic ship at all!

“This is apples… Should we put it with the rest or just take it straight to the Captain’s room?"

“Put it with the rest. Even he couldn’t eat this many apples in one voyage…”

She nearly kicked the crate when she realised that either their informant had lied or he had made a miscalculation as they were on board a pirate ship. She could tell by the way they spoke. She was relieved when she was not taken to the Captain’s room although she found it strange that he should like apples that much. Now she had to think of the best way to confirm her suspicions and explain Masao that their plan had to change a little bit.

“Worry not. I have no desire to do anything too foolish on this trip. I know that I am not very experienced with tasks such as these… Where did you come from, my little friend?”

Leiko looked at the parrot and sighed, this confirmed her suspicions, “Masao-chan? There is something you should know, that informant either sold us the wrong information or made a mistake. We are inside a pirate ship.” She turned to look at her and then said, “We will have to change tactics and wing if. Unless they find us out and come looking for us we should have enough time to steal one of their lifeboats and row toward the island ourselves. But we need to be careful and as silent as possible. Albeit, the fact that this bird perched on your shoulder tells me they might already know we are here.” She placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Do not worry, I won’t let anything happen to you, just follow my lead.” She had to protect her friend no matter what the cost.

Kenki smirked when the Captain put on his finest garbs, “I see you are already looking to impress Captain?” Although there was a brotherly atmosphere on board no one dared to tease the Captain as much as his second in command, Kenki, did. “I’m surprised the boys did not place the apple crate in your room.” He clapped him on the back with a smirk and then followed behind the Captain glowing him to have a bit of fun teasing the ladies.

“Aye, let’s have a look at those stores. Think I’ll help myself to an apple while we work…”

So they had indeed been caught. Leiko sighed and then sat on top of the apples crate with a shiny red apple on her hand. It sparkled with a light of its own, she waited for the men to enter the room and then she said with a smirk, “No so fast, I’m sure these apples are quite ripe for the taking.” She tossed the apple before she held is close to her lips eyeing the Captain carefully. She had to admit that he was quite handsome, elegant and rather an imposing figure compared to many other Captains she had met throughout the years. She looked deeply into his eyes unsure as to why she felt curious about him but also as if something were pulling at her, it was a strange sensation she had never experienced before and it almost made her blush. “IF you would be so kind as to grant us passage to the nearby island we shall be on our way, and you can enjoy you… snacks… What say you, Captain apples?”

Leiko knew how alluring she must look with the apple so close to her lips but her eyes did not leave the Captain, she wanted to know what kind of man he was, and the best way to do this was to test the waters. Kenki was so surprised at what the lady had said, her demeanour and the nickname she had just given his Captain that he could not stop himself from bursting out laughing as he moved to stand to the left of the Captain. He clapped him on the shoulder and said, “What did I tell you… totally your type.” But then Kenki’s eyes moved to Masao and his feathers friend Lee, "I see you looked after your Highness here, well done Lee.” He tossed a small cracker at the parrot and it caught it and began to nibble still standing comfortably on Masao’s shoulder. Kenki decided to allow the Captain some time alone with the fiery red-head and he decided to have some quality time alone with the Princess.

Leiko noticed the way the other pirate moved toward Masao, and since she did not sense any ill intent she did not turn to look his way, but what he told the Captain did make her blush a little. Had he alerted the Captain of them sneaking on board? And what did he mean when he said that she was his type? It made her blush a soft tone of vermillion but she did not look away from the Captain. her scarlet eyes shone in a challenging way as she stood up from her seat and took a couple of seductive steps toward the Captain, “You are not the typical pirates…” She did not get ill intent form him either, she smirked and ran a finger down his cheek, “Were you expecting a couple of scared ladies that would scramble and hide as soon as you walked into the room, Captain apples?” Her finger moved to tease at his lips before she moved the apple she was holding close to his lips in an attempt to tease him but also tempt him to take a bite.

Kenki reached the Princess and Lee jumped to his shoulder. He bowed elegantly and taking her hand he kissed the back of it. His eyes never left hers, “Never in my wildest dreams did I foresee the pleasure of seeing you once more, Princess Masao, pray tell, what are you doing sneaking on board the ship and with a thief nonetheless?” He moved a bit of wood from her lovely hair, it was as soft as silk. He winked at her and said, “You are lucky that you landed on his ship, this crew greatly respects women.” He was standing quite close to her teasing her unknowingly. “Would you like some water your Highness? Or perhaps some food?” He could not help it but be a gentleman in front of the Princess. She had always had such power over him even when they first met back in Zenchi. He then smiled at her and said to her ears only, “That would mean we could also catch up and Captain here will get some alone time with the Lady.” He winked at her, yes he was a tease and he had no trouble at all being honest and playing match-maker even if the friend he wanted to help out was his Captain.