Underneath the Silk

Too Close

It has been 2 days since we have been out in the ocean. A few more days and we are at Inazuma.

I am in my cabin, drinking a bottle of rum and staring at the paper Ningguang gave to me back there. We have been doing this for a very long time. Ningguang hires solely me to get the hands dirty for her. Some cases are just tax evasions, others more serious like this one. This is our secret, although it gained some rumours around.

I honestly don't mind doing this, I never really got caught and not even my crew knows about this. I always get well paid, enough to organize parties on my ship and buy supplies for the trips. Ningguang is actually my main source of Mora, but no one really needs to know that, do they?

Someone knocks at the door. I immediately save the paper in a drawer of my desk.

- Come in. - I say.

- Captain Beidou. - Furong walks in and closes the door.

- Any news about the weather?

- The skies continue to be clear, we should have a calm day.

- Excellent.

- Captain Beidou, may I have a word?

- Aye, sure, go ahead.

Instead of sitting in the chair in front of my desk, Furong gets behind me and starts to massage my back.

- You have been so busy, Captain, more than usual. Is everything alright? - Her voice sounds calming.

- I just want to keep my mind occupied. - I finish the bottle and place it on the desk.

- I am sure Lady Ningguang misses you too, my Captain, but she probably wouldn't like to see you drunk like this.

- She is used to seeing me drunk. - I laugh. - Although she always lectures me, never realized that she just cared about me until I understood what was going on between us.

- She cares a lot about you, and I do too. - Furong begins to caress my arms. - Will you private yourself from the hookers now?

- I will. No more bohemian life, I want to leave it behind. I am settled now, I have a woman I can call a girlfriend.

- But the trips sometimes can be very long. Won't my Captain feel lonely? - Her hands lower to my waist.

- I won't cheat on Ningguang. If you touch me once more I will throw you off to the sharks, I mean it. - I aggressively speak.

Furong immediately lets me go and walks backwards.

- I am your Captain, you should have respect. - I continue. - Do any similar shit one more time and I will let the crew know you are a harasser. Do we understand?

- Y-yes, Captain. - She looks intimidated, as she should. - I apologise, I thought you might want to...

- No, I don't want to. - I interrupt her. - I am taken, and we are still crewmates. I never sleep with Crux Fleet crewmates, and you should know that since a long time ago. Now get out of my sight, before I regret giving you a second chance.

Suddenly, the ship begins to wave violently, and the roar of the thunder is heard pretty loud.

- You said the skies were clear. - I get up immediately.

- They were, I swear! Everyone can tell you they were! - Furong insists.

I go outside as quickly as possible, the crew is getting ready for the storm, which it seems to be actually abrupt.