Drifting Away // Lego City Adventures

Chapter 7: Understanding

The sun shone through the small circular window. Duke stretched in bed to wake his body. He got a decent amount of sleep, especially compared to the previous nights. He'd worked some of those nights, but even on his nights off, he would lie awake in bed, constantly checking his phone to see if there were any updates about Daisy. But here, away from internet connection, his phone was useless except to check the time.

Duke pushed the covers off to the side and got out of his bed. A loud thump on the ground made him slightly jump. He looked over the side of his bed and saw that his journal lay sprawled on the floor. He journaled most nights to write out his feelings, but he must've fallen asleep last night while writing.

He picked it up from the floor and looked at the last page he wrote. Similar to past nights, he'd ranted about Daisy and his situation. Normally he found journaling to be therapeutic, especially since he didn't usually have someone he could share his feelings with, but now it just left him with a lingering sense of frustration. He closed his journal and placed it in a small drawer in his nightstand.

He pulled out his small suitcase from under his bed to pick out his outfit. He remembered that it was pirate day, and while he didn't really feel like dressing up, he also didn't want to be the only person who wasn't dressed like a pirate. He put on a tight white shirt, and tucked that into some jeans. He grabbed a bandanna and tied it around his forehead, then put in a singular hoop earring, going for a minimalist look. Once he was completely ready, he opened his cabin room door and made his way down the hall to the breakfast buffet.

Everyone he passed was dressed as a pirate, as he expected. Some were subtle like him, but others went all-out in crazy costumes. The passengers were also participating in various pirate-themed activities, like sword fighting, shooting cannons, and dodging barrels. He was not interested in any of these activities, so he walked right by them. His plan was to eat some breakfast and go back to his room.

Once he grabbed his breakfast, he sat down at a table far away from everyone that overlooked the ocean. The sea stretched as far as the horizon, where it met the equally vast sky. Everything was blue as far as he could see. He quietly ate his food as the sounds of cheering in the distance signaled the other vacationers having fun on board.

He heard someone approaching and saw Captain Facepatch making his way to his table. The captain pulled out a chair and sat next to him.

A slight concern crossed Duke's mind. "Aren't you supposed to be steering the ship?"

"Not now. I've got the ship on autopilot. I like to come out here and see everyone dressed as pirates and having a good time. You are only doing half of those things. What's bothering you?"

Duke shrugged. "Nothing," he said before taking another bite.

"I respect it if you don't want to say anything, but I assure you, it'll make you feel better if you do."

Duke sat there for a moment before he sighed. "Captain, how are you not angry about what happened? I still don't get it. Daisy destroyed your ship, tried to steal your treasure, and nearly killed you, yet you seem unfazed."

Facepatch leaned further in his seat. "I like to give those who wrong me the benefit of the doubt. And I've just learned that dwelling on the dreadful things in life doesn't do me any good."

Duke couldn't process how Facepatch could say all that. How could he just freely give Daisy the benefit of the doubt when everything she'd done seemed so intentional?

Facepatch seemed to sense Duke was still bothered. "Here, come with me for some tea."

He reluctantly followed Facepatch through the carpeted hallways up to the bridge of the boat. Facepatch opened the door to the room where he controlled the vessel. The room itself looked clean and inviting, and the large windows let in natural lighting that brightened up the atmosphere. The large windows also offered a great view of the deck and the surrounding ocean. Duke even noticed a gold doorknob was placed on a table nearby. Facepatch probably brought it onboard to keep a part of his treasure close.