Transient Waters

17

HongJoong would have to talk to the Omega about more than just his cabin...although, he had to admit it was the tidiest that he had ever seen it...well ever. He would say confidently the Omega knew how to clean. Even just glancing towards his scrolls, he could tell that he was also clearly trained in reading, considering he had organized them by type and the written scrolls by form. He shook his head before something that San had talked to him in whispered worry came through his head once more.

SeongHwa was in the medical bay as HongJoong had come out, WooYoung quickly being fetched and it was not long before he had gotten waylaid by their scout. He seemed to be somewhat worried, but not overly so, and not anxious, so HongJoong knew that there was nothing immediate that needed his attention. Instead, the scout asked a question. "How is he?"

"He...is getting there, but it is going to take some calming down before he really feels comfortable at all." HongJoong admitted with a sigh and his fingers running through his hair. the dark strands slid through his fingers easily. "I do not think it is a good idea to separate him and WooYoung yet, though, considering he seems quite attached him." San nodded, he had noticed that, but HongJoong also realized that it was sort of stupid a thing to say. The entire crew had a first hand account of just how much that their navy captive had cared for WooYoung.

"Hyung, you know that the Navy don't just take anyone Captive." San began, his voice carrying tentatively. HongJoong had turned his eyes on the boy, narrowing them slightly.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I am not saying that he is bad or anything!" San immediately backtracked, his eyes wide hands up in surrender. "Besides, it is not as though we have much to go off of in terms of the moral high ground." He shrugged, slowly lowering his hands when he saw his Captain was not going to question him further regarding his careless statement. "I just meant, he has to be someone of some kind of import for them to justify it. It takes resources to keep a captive alive, food and water, and that sort of thing adds up, even on a navy fleet. They may have more resources, but even then...to actively take a prisoner?" San bit his lip glancing towards where WooYoung was still with the guest of their ship.

"You think there is more to him then meets the eye?" San sighed heavily shaking his head slightly.

"Not necessarily, I just think that he has some sort of importance that we are not seeing yet. I do not know what it would be, or why it is that the Navy would want to keep him, but he has to. They do not pick prisoners lightly. Especially on the sort of boat that we captured. The only reason WooYoung was on the boat still I will bet was just by chance. Those fleet boats don't normally hold prisoners for more than a couple of weeks at a time. They are not equipped for it. They can hold a couple of prisoners if they perchance come into one of them, all Navy fleets can, but...that boat was not a boat for prisoners."

"I know, you are right, we shall have to be careful how we handle WooYoung's new friend."

"I am not saying I think him dangerous, or anything!" San stated quickly. "Just that it is something to bear in mind." HongJoong sighed and nodded.

"of course, thank you Sannie," San had bowed his head and rushed off to wait for WooYoung and HongJoong had put the thought from his mind.

Such thoughts came back to him now. San had been correct, of course. Navy Fleets, boats, merchants, none of them idly took prisoners. Sure, they could hold a couple of prisoners, all boats of the navy could barring the prisoner boats which were built for transporting prisoners. For them to keep Seonghwa there for any extended length of time...HongJoong knew that he had to have been a somewhat closely guarded Prisoner. Furthermore, it was made evident in that WooYoung had admitted that SeongHwa had already been settled in despite having plenty of time and ability to off load SeongHwa to a proper battlement. It meant that SeongHwa required a smaller guard, and closer watch on him. He shook his head.

Realizing that Seonghwa had the ability to read...whilst it may not necessarily be all that shocking, it was not commonly found outside of families that had money. There was a possibility that SeongHwa had taught himself, but that was even rarer.

HongJoong himself was not the best at reading the common script, however he could pass by well enough and that was really all that mattered. It was not common to find someone, and HongJoong's own past was of a higher breeding than the rest of the crew. He had cut his ties quite quickly, hence his struggles at times to read through some of the scrolls, but he knew the art well enough to use it suitably. SeongHwa managing to read as well meant that he was probably of a higher family. The thought left HongJoong wanting to sigh and feeling this weird mix of worry and pity.

SeongHwa was a male omega, he doubted that he would have been treated all that greatly, despite his clear high breeding status. The nobility were not kind to males that presented as Omegas. It was not as badly as how Beta's were treated, but it was also harder to really get any use from male omegas in a noble family, and everything was a political strategy with those bastards so, HongJoong shook his head.

That was a depressing thought process. Something he definitely did not need to be going into when he was not even entirely certain that SeongHwa was from the higher form of society. It would not surprise him, but the only way to really be sure was to ask him, and HongJoong was not going to ask him that yet. It was not right, he was not that close to him yet.

As though to contrast his stern thoughts he gently pulled the Omega from the floor and deposited him into his bed, pulling the blanket over him and staring down at his face, allowing a finger to trail a stray strand of hair behind his ear, a small smile playing at his lips as he stared contentedly.