"If I win, do I have permission to slap you across the face?"
"Why-"
I sigh loudly, burying my face in my hands. Apparently we were supposed to finish loading up the new inventory by this morning and leave Port Spire, but due to ahem, me, the Captain needed to do some extra digging for information. Wooyoung swore that the Captain didn't tell him anything else, so it seems that no one knew for sure what the man was actually doing. Nonetheless, it was now late afternoon, and because no one had anything else to do, Wooyoung, San, and Mingi had taken it upon themselves to sit down with me and play cribbage all day. I never really played board games as a kid, so I had absolutely no idea how to play this game, but I grasped it enough to play decently after a few minutes. I had tried to put up a protest, but it quickly died upon realizing how horrible it would be to sit alone in the sweltering heat. Begrudgingly, I agreed to pay with the three men, who took the game way too seriously for it to be called healthy.
I sat crisscrossed flush against the cell bars, and the other three sat in a half circle on the other side, the odd shaped wooden board laying in the middle of our janky circle. Wooyoung had just finished wiping the floor with the rest of us, San drags a hand through his hair in frustration, and Mingi looks like he might jump Wooyoung if the younger boy even looks in his direction.
"If I win," Mingi eyes San as he re-shuffles the cards. "Can I slap Wooyoung across the face?"
"And why do you feel the need to do that?" Wooyoung retorts.
"Because you deserve it, you scheming bastard."
"I'm not scheming, I'm just better than you."
"You wanna go?" Mingi moves forward but is roughly yanked back by San.
"Guys we all suck, Wooyoung sucks the least so get over it." I huff, crossing my arms and glaring at Mingi. He frowns.
"Ok guys." San starts dealing out the cards again. "Next prize is... slapping Wooyoung in the face, Goodluck to the players."
"WHAT!" Wooyoung hollers, and I snort and cover my mouth in an attempt not to laugh. Mingi gives everyone a shit-eating grin and picks up his cards with enthusiasm. I pick up my own cards, terrible hand. As expected with my luck.
The game continued on with nail biting tension, Mingi barely being able to control his expressions, eyebrows furrowing, then shooting back up. I feel a bead of sweat run down my neck, the summer heat has been atrocious as of late, and it doesn't help that I'm not allowed to get some fresh air. Wooyoung told me—much to my utter despair—that once they left the docks, they wouldn't likely dock again anywhere until the 'Trading Festival', which he still refuses to elaborate on. He also told me that there were missing person signs for me nailed to every board and lamp post in the entire town, and I would be lying if I didn't say it rubbed me the wrong way that now was the only time my father seemed to care about me, when im kidnapped and his precious heir is gone. Checks out unfortunately.
I stare in unmasked interest as Mingi actually manages to get his little pawn the closest to the finish. And with a whoop of victory, he slams his cards down on the mahogany floors and lunges at Wooyoung, who abruptly stands up and bolts down the hallway. I watch as Mingi hurdles down after him, leaving me and San sitting alone, stunned into silence. San breaks out into an infectious laugh, and I find myself laughing alongside him.
"There's no way Woo is escaping that wrecking ball." San wheezes, and we anxiously wait for a few minutes for them to return. I hear the telltale sign of footsteps, but find myself confused at the sound of a third set. Who did they bring down here?
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𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓲𝓭𝓲𝓪
Fanfiction"If I was given my wish, you'd be dead before your head hit the ground, filth." Maeve Bloodborne hates pirates. Unfortunately, being kidnapped and dragged onto the only pirate ship she is certain would be her death, was not on her...
