Legends

Chapter 3~TransAtlantic

May 31, 1921
RMS Olympic, Mid-North Atlantic

The woman sitting alone at the barstool was unseen and unnoticed by the people milling about. All of them first class passengers, all extremely wealthy, all lacking a crucial sight. Except for one. She was extremely wealthy, the result of marrying a rich husband who died in the war. The wealthy widow, who only looked to be in her late teens, bore a striking resemblance to the woman currently occupying a seat at the bar. Both had pale skin. Both had flaming red hair. Both were equal in build and height. Passengers who wanted a drink subconsciously avoided the spot she was sitting at, even if they didn't know why. But Tiffany knew. She knew exactly because unlike her fellow passengers, she could see the woman. The woman who was not just her sister, but her twin. Olympic herself.

Olympic's spirit was eyeing the bottles behind the barman with a bit of longing. She didn't dare touch one, not while people were still about and would freak at the sight of a liquor bottle seemingly floating in mid-air. It may've been the 20th century, but on board a ship, there was always a level of superstition present. Tiffany, dressed in an evening gown, waited and watched, conversing with anyone who came her way. Until they had all either retired to bed or wondered into the smoking rooms. Now only Olympic and the barman remained.

"Something catch your fancy miss?" He asked Tiffany as she sat down at the stool beside Olympic. She deliberately avoided looking at her, so as not to alarm and scare away the spirit before they had a chance to talk. "2 glasses of Irish whiskey please." She replied. As the barman gave her the glasses she shooed him off. "Now go make yourself useful somewhere else. If I want another, I'll get it myself. Go on now, shoo!" The barman, like any trained White Star steward, knew better than to argue with a wealthy woman of society and quickly fled leaving the bar empty besides the two woman. Tiffany's chance at at last come. Taking a sip off one of the glasses, she grabbed the other and pushed it slowly with her knuckles until it bumped against Olympic's right hand. The kanmusu half reeled back in shock at the sudden touch, seemingly unaware of the woman who had parked herself beside her. A woman who was now staring right at her and it was almost like looking into a mirror.

"Hello again, Oly." Tiffany's warm smile did nothing to relax Olympic, who looked like a coiled spring, ready to pounce.

"Don't call me that." Olympic snapped, more out of reflex than anything else. Her blue eyes were wide as reality caught up to her. From her perspective, a passenger speaking to her should have been impossible. "Wait, you can see me?!"

"Most certainly can." Tiffany replied, "You down in your cups?" She asked, keeping herself relaxed in the hopes that her calm attitude would wear off on her twin. It started to work and Olympic accepted the whiskey, taking a generous gulp and emptying half the glass.

"You might say that." Olympic replied.

"Care to tell me why?" Tiffany's question was only half rhetorical. She knew she herself was the cause but she needed to hear Olympic's thought process. That would give her a better indication of where her twin was at mentally. And that would help Tiffany work with her better.

"Shouldn't you know? Everyone else knows." Olympic sniffed.

"Do they? I thought humans weren't aware of ship spirits." Tiffany pointed out.

"You can see me."

"Ah, but who ever said I was human."

Olympic looked at her more closely for that and Tiffany cut her off before she could ask. "You give me my answer, and I'll explain my existence the best I can." She said.

"You drive a hard bargain. Get me another glass and you've got a deal." Olympic said, draining back the last of her whiskey.

"I'll get you the bottle. Trust me, you'll need it before we're done here." Tiffany said, standing up to go around behind the counter for the bottle. As she did so, Olympic began her story.