SEASICK

6 ☠︎︎ 𝕀𝕧𝕠 ☠︎︎

[[I do NOT own the music or the photos. Please enjoy! And let me know if you want more photo references to the pirates]]

Ivo's room was slightly larger than hers, definitely a lot more decorated. It was full of different things from his travels, intricate fabrics acted as draped tapestries on his walls, Alana recognized where the fabrics came from, as she often received gifts from all the kingdoms and countries. Ivo busied himself with retrieving a new set of clothes from his chest at the foot of his bed.
"Sit." He pointed to his bed, and the girl complied with hesitance. She had never been in a man's room before, not even her father's quarters. She did not quite understand what made her so nervous about the situation, but she figured if she did as he said she would less of a burden. She sat on the edge of his bed, holding her own hands tightly on her lap, she stared at her fingers to preoccupy her mind.
"I will be bathing; you know the feeling of blood drying on your skin is quite unpleasant." Ivo shined a smile. Alana shot her head up.
"Do you need me to get your bathwater?" She offered quickly as an escape for this awful nervous feeling.
"No need," Ivo lifted his hand to decline. "I had my bathwater boiled and filled this morning; it is a lucky thing I was already planning to bathe."
Most pirate ships do not have the means, some nor the care, to maintain hygiene needs due to the lack of fresh water. But the Scorched Bones had more than enough cargo room to carry barrels of the substance, all four men dreading to look like the two-toothed dirt-covered pirates they often come across.
"Oh, okay."
The girl sank deeper into the bed as Ivo stepped behind the short room divider meant only to cover the bath area.
It was quiet and all the girl could hear was his clothes hitting the floor and the water ripple as he slipped into the brass tub.
It was so uncomfortable Alana felt she could die and be happy about it.
"So, little dove..." Ivo spoke, his bittersweet voice somewhat muffled by the divider.
"Tell me about yourself."
Alana's heart started to race. I am so stupid! The whole time here and I haven't even thought of a fake back story?
"Uh- there is nothing really to tell, I am just me." Alana dished out quickly.
"That is quite obvious, I meant about your life." The water rustled as he moved in the liquid.
"Again, that is pretty boring." She nervously chuckled.
"I didn't ask your opinion on it, I simply asked to hear. It will help pass the time." Ivo began to wash.
"Well- what would you like to know?" Alana figured it would be easier to produce quick answers than a whole back story, and with him guiding the conversation with questions it will take the pressure off herself.

It was silent for a moment as Ivo was thinking of what he would ask.
"What were you doing down at the docks when you first arrived on the ship?" He firstly asked. Alana was thankful that it was an easy and truthful answer.
"I was there to touch the ocean." She simply said satisfied.
"To touch the ocean?" Ivo quizzed.
"Yes!" Alana immediately cheered up. "I also saw the ships and wanted to see them up close, but I ended getting too close to this one." She joked.
"Did you get to?" He asked as the water shifted again
"Get to?" She echoed.
"Touch the water." He explained.
"Oh, no, no I didn't get the chance." She softly said sad thinking of failed mission.

It was quiet again for a moment too long and her nerves began to tighten again.

"What do you think of us?" Ivo asked, it was quiet but enough for her to hear.

Alana pondered the question thinking of all her possible answers. The longer it took her to respond the more frustrated Ivo became.

"Well," Alana sighed, Ivo's ears perked. "I think Leopoldo is gentle and kind, but he seems like he is in pain somehow. Leven says unkind things, but I can tell he does not mean them, I can see he is kind like his brother. Kazumi is stern and strong, he is a great leader, and I am grateful to him for showing me mercy knowing he could've done much worse."

"And me?" Ivo asked. Alana felt uneasy, she did not know if he would like her answer.
"I think... I feel bad for you." She was honest.
"Excuse me?" His tone was almost threatening.

Oh, great.
"I only mean that you seem to be hiding behind a kind face and tone. I feel bad that you are holding something in, only because I know how it affects you when you wear a fake smile."

Silence loomed over the room. Ivo was frozen in his water, wondering how in only a week this girl saw right through him.
Tears brimmed his eyes as memories of why exactly he is like this flooded his mind, and they began to eat away at him. Unknown to Alana behind the divider the pirate was breaking apart being tormented by his past.
Just as the memories were becoming too much for him to handle a soft, lovely spoke again as if chipping at the chains of his mind.

"But I like you, a lot," Alana admitted. "I have never really had many friends before, but I can tell if you didn't want me around you, you wouldn't be around me. So, I am also grateful to you all for letting me feel like I belong with you." She finished.
Ivo however was wide-eyed and on edge.

Do not stop talking, please let me hear your beautiful voice say it again, 'I like you, a lot.' Please.
He was captured by her, her genuine smile, her voice that could snap him out of his episode, and her beauty.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," Alana muttered feeling like she went too far since she could not see his expression to gauge his emotion.

"No, you didn't." He replied but never commented on her words to him.

He stood from his bath and began to dry himself off. Faintly Alana could smell citrus and vanilla, it must have been his soaps.
It took a moment to get dressed, but he eventually came from around the divider. He wore a black high neck tank top that displayed his arm muscles nicely, loose gray trousers tucked into his black boots, and a red, gold-embroidered sash wrapped around his waist. His brown hair looked dark when it was wet, rested heavily on his collar bones.

"Stay here, I need to oversee the cleanup and examine the damage on deck." He ordered, his green eyes traveling up and down her sitting figure.
She smiled and nodded.
"Okay, Ivo."

Why does my name so sound sweet on her tongue? Tell me, Alana, how does it taste to you?
"Don't go through my things, little dove." He smiled sweetly and left the room.
He is definitely mad at me, Alana thought to herself.