Motley (#Wattys2016)

9: Be Careful When Gambling

The water was frigid and pressing. Salt stung Nori's eyes. She propelled herself to the surface and gasped for air, looking around for her crew.

"Hey, captain," Reiko said. The Marziale Motley were clustered around her. "What's the plan?"

"Get to the ship. We can sneak on if we climb up the rudder and in through the window," Nori said. They all swam to the Oxblood and very carefully climbed onto the rudder, dripping wet. Nori wedged her fingertips and toes in the spaces between the planks and climbed up the side very slowly, and finally found the window ledge into the sleeping quarters. She pulled herself up before helping the rest of the crew.

"Ugh, I'm freezing!" Satoru said, rubbing his arms to warm himself. "Pass me a blanket, would you, Masa?"

Masa, who had come in last, threw a blanket from the corner to Satoru, then found one himself. "I'm... not... a... good... swimmer," he panted. Nori noticed that the cut Ryota had given Masa had completely vanished.

"That's obvious," Ryota said.

"We should wait a bit before we head back outside. I want to make sure Kei got the harpoon out okay," said Nori. She took a blanket too and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Kei said that in return for rescuing us, we need to help him take down the Rose Marquis. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"I didn't want to get involved with them," Reiko groaned.

"Did you listen to a word I told you about relocating to Anima?" Masa fumed.

"Hey, calm down. The captain made an executive decision, so we should all respect it," said Satoru.

"Thank you, Satoru," Nori said. "But we're going to need some help."

~❁~

"No," said Ryota.

"Ryota, come on!"

"No."

"Listen, if we don't get help, we don't stand a chance!"

"No."

"We're almost there anyways, so it's too late now!"

"No."

"Ryota!" Nori yelled. "Get a grip on yourself!"

"Colla Voce doesn't agree with me. I hate that place and I always will," Ryota said. "You know I grew up there! You know I left to join your crew! And now we're going back?"

"Yes we are! It's the city closest to us right now. And there's so many people there that we might be able to spread the word about the Rose Marquis. It might get people's attention."

Ryota glowered at her. "On one condition. I don't want to leave the ship."

"You're acting like a child!"

"Do you promise?"

Nori sighed. "Yeah, I promise. You don't have to get off the ship for the whole time we're at Colla Voce. I hope you're happy."

Ryota's countenance became less grumpy and he asked her if she wanted some food. When she told him yes, he left to go to the kitchen and make toast. Reiko, sensing somehow that Ryota was going to get food, crept along behind him.

Nori decided she had better stay on the deck. They were a few minutes from the port of Colla Voce and she wanted to get in safely.

Although it was a big city and could provide cover, her crew might be recognized and arrested. The first idea to solve this problem was that they all wore hoods to cover their faces. This however, as Satoru pointed out, was downright creepy. Masa suggested that they all split up once inside the city, so there was less chance that one person would be recognized. Nori shut this idea down at once, because if one of them got in trouble, they would have no way to contact the others. Their final solution was simple; they would dress up as doros, lowlifes, and pray that nobody would have anything to do with them since they would look so pitiful. They all found some dirty old coats in the storage compartment, and put on their oldest and most raggedy clothes. Nori even decided put on a fedora.