SEASICK

22 ☠︎︎ 𝕃𝕠𝕤𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕝 ☠︎︎

[[ I do NOT own the art or music. Please enjoy - L RANDY ]]

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It had been a week since Alana thought she saw Mamoru in Ekapan, and also a week since Leopoldo had kissed her. When he was close Alana's whole body heated up, but Leopoldo acted as if nothing had happened. It confused her greatly, she worried how he could take her first kiss like that, and then act as if it were something so trivial.
The pirates were planning to dock again, apparently to stay for a few nights.
Alana was standing alone on the main deck, purposefully separating herself from the pirates so she could worry to her heart's content without a million questions.
A few lower crew members were rushing around her to prepare docking, and she tried her best to stay out their way.
As Alana gazed at the town, they would be stopping in her worry grew tenfold. The Kingdom of Bizia was in sight and Alana felt like she could vomit.
Bizia was Taycia's enemy, both royal families loathed each other. They still attended the same annual banquets, supposedly to keep a peace treaty in place. Though both families looked for ways to discreetly destroy each other. She was worried that she would be recognized. The royals here are known to tour through their city, and even some guards had seen Alana before at the banquets.
Alana gripped the railing of the ship tightly, trying to calm her nerves.
A hand on her shoulder made her jump and almost yelp. She looked to see a smiling Ivo.
"You look horrible, little dove." He said with a sweet smile.
She released a dry chuckle.
"Thank you, Ivo. You always make my heart quicken with your kind words." The ex-princess joked, she was getting better at teasing, after a month with Ivo, she had to be.
"Honestly, tell me what is bothering you and I will remedy it." Ivo leaned against the banister.
"Nothing is wrong," She smiled her sweet smile. "I am just caught up in my thoughts."
Ivo did not believe her, but he did not press her any further, he looked down at her looking over the kingdom.
The sun shined off her dark chocolate brown hair that waved just above her shoulders, and how her caramel skin looked even more flawless in the bright light.
She is so beautiful, nothing can compare... How can just one girl make me so vulnerable? I wonder if she is oblivious or If I am eating out the palm of her hand.
Alana did not notice the lustful stare Ivo was eyeing her with, instead, she decided to ask him something.
"Do you think I can stay on the ship while the rest of you stay in town?" She asked, not looking up to him.
His neat brows furrowed.
"Why would you want that?"
Is she getting tired of us? Is she sick of me? Or one of the others? His thoughts were going rapid-fire, he could not keep them straight.
"I just don't feel like staying in the town, I enjoy my room." Alana lied unaware of the frenzy she had made in Ivo's head.
"Well..." He huffed, he never usually lost his composure.
Alana curiously looked up to him.
"I will talk to the Captain." He finally spat out and stormed off.
Alana was once again left bewildered by the pirate's actions.
I did not think it would upset him; it would only be for a few days. These pirates are so confusing.
Ivo marched below deck, distressed with jumbled irrational thoughts.
She wants to separate from us. So, she could leave? She must be getting sick of us, of me. She is going to leave us, leave me.
He barged into the meeting room where he left the three others with the excuse that he only needed fresh air.
Kazumi glared at him coldly for his rude entrance.
"Ivo, what a dramatic entrance. The fresh air was that good?" Leopoldo joked leaning back in his chair.
Leven watched Ivo closely, noting that he looked almost demonic, surmising that something must have upset him too an extreme extent.
"Who..." Ivo grumbled.
"Excuse me?" Kazumi stood taller, seeing the red eyes as well.
Ivo had never attacked any of them before, but the demon inside of him would be much stronger than the relatively calm men.
"Who... upset... Alana?" Ivo almost growled her name, he staggered further into the room.
At the mention of the girl, the three men became very concerned.
"What are you talking about? Alana?" Leven questioned, masking his concern with the best-annoyed voice he could muster.
The veins in Ivo's arms began to bulge, his breathing became erratic. He did not have control over his thoughts, he did not have control over the demon.
If the host has a weak mind, they are easily overpowered by the primal demon inside them. If they let it run rampant in their bodies too long, they become a shell for the mindless demon.
These incidents were known as the Possessed, humans who lost themselves to their demons.
The four pirates were so successful with their demons because they had strong resolve and sound minds.
Right now, however, Ivo was too upset to even care about his demon and too far gone to notice he was in the middle of a possession.
"She..." Ivo thought back to how the sun hit her skin and how lovely she looked. "She ...wants to ... leave us..." He gripped the back of a chair at the table, squeezing so hard the wood splintered beneath his hands.
"Ivo, you need to calm down," Kazumi warned flatly.
"Calm... down?" Demonic Ivo quizzed, seeming to forget the meaning of those words.
Leven and Leopoldo stood from the table, coming to join Kazumi at the back of the room.
"I'd rather not kill a good friend." Leopoldo sighed.
"He just needs to calm down," Kazumi muttered to Leo. Kazumi was close to Ivo, they have known each other since early teens, and have been together every day since.
"Ivo," Kazumi spoke firmly, not fearful of the demon's presence. "What would Alana think if she saw you like this?"
Ivo's body tensed.
Alana... Alana... Alana... After a pause, Ivo balled in his fists and placed them over his eyes, applying pressure.
I need to calm down... If I let this demon take me over Alana would never smile with me again... Ivo staggered back into the wall, calming himself and clearing the muddy thoughts. That is right, her smile, her beautiful smile... that is my happiness, as long she is smiling, I will smile.
He released a breath, moved his hands to his temples, and began to massage slowly.
Finally, he looked back at his friends who stared back at him. Ivo's eyes returned to their brilliant pale green, and he flashed a big, false, smile.
"Did I scare you all? I apologize." He chuckled. "Especially you Levy, you look terrified." He teased; Leven's jaw dropped.
"What?" Leven shouted. "Who is terrified?!" He raised a fist in the air.
"What were you so upset about? You said something about Alana." Kazumi cut to the chase.
Ivo's anger almost flared up again, but he remained calm.
"Our little dove has asked to separate from us."
Everyone's heart stopped, it was like their whole world came crashing down, and they completely understood why Ivo had lost it.
"She... wants to leave?" Leopoldo muttered, he thought back to the other night. Did I scare her?
Ivo smiled bigger. "Well, she didn't say that exactly, perhaps I overreacted." He shrugged.
"Quit playing around!" Leven snapped. "Just tell us what she said!" His heart was breaking, and if he did not get it together, he felt his demon would come out as well.
Ivo sighed loudly, dramatically.
"She wants to stay on the ship as we stay in town, I have no other way to take that then she doesn't want to be with us," Ivo said, using his right hand to brush his shoulder-length hair back.
The men were quiet, trying to decipher an alternate meaning.
"Maybe she just doesn't want to walk through another town, what's the big deal?" Leven crossed his arms.
"Being the curious girl that she is? No, I don't see her growing tired of visiting new places." Ivo thought aloud.
"She has been acting strangely the past few days," Leopoldo spoke. Naturally he thought it was due to the kiss, in reality it was because a few days ago was when she learned they would be stopping in Bizia.
"She is a prisoner." Kazumi finally stated firmly. "She cannot leave even she wanted." He said this but his heart ached. What if she did want to leave? Could I really hold her as a prisoner now that I feel this way? I wonder what her tear-stained face would like... how would her voice sound, begging me for something... breathtaking, no doubt.
"She will join us in town that is final." Kazumi turned back to the map he was looking at before Ivo's episode.
The discussion was over, but they silently agreed on the same thought. Alana will always be ours, no matter what.

[[Ivo had a tantrum...]]