"It was pure luck, really, that this hadn't happened sooner. Two years of keeping out of his reach had really been testing the limits of fate, and the sane voice inside her head kept telling her she would have to face him eventually. The world was b...
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The Albatross may have been small, but it held a certain sense of soulfulness that Sanem had never felt from any other ship, perhaps it was simply due to the fact it was hers, due to the fact she intimately knew every thread of rope in the rail lines, every inch of creaking floorboards, and every salt rusted rail holding the hull together. She was certain the vessel had a mind of its own at times, in moments like these when the sails would drop so easily, eagerly catching hold of any trace of wind it could find to carry its crew away from those that threatened to do them harm. It could be equally stubborn at times. For the sake of her reputation, she attempted to refrain from yelling and swearing at her boat in the instances where it refused to cooperate.
Sanem could almost feel its quietening heart beating under her feet as she retreated to her cabin, calming down now that the battle was won. Though perhaps it was just the echo of her own bloodstream.
Her quarters sat tucked under the raised platform of the helm, encased behind a set of sturdy oak doors that also provided entrance to the navigation office to the left and Deren's own modest quarters on the right. Though 'modest' was no the term Deren herself would have used.
Just like Sanem's ship, her room was small. But it was cozy.
A double bed took up most of the space, pushed into a corner as far as it would go to make room for a small desk, currently housing a haphazard pile of her cherished sketchbooks, jammed into the space between the foot of the bed frame and the large window overlooking the tail end of the ship. She could see the remains of the Kızıl Yılan through the salt-stained glass as the Albatross sailed away. The triumphant smile on her face didn't seem to want to leave her cheeks.
Sanem opened a thin door to the left of her room - a wardrobe. Intending to change out of her now tattered green dress into her nightgown, but was instead startled by the sound of a still unfamiliar, surprised yowl.
Bandit had been living on the ship for less than a day, Sanem still wasn't used to having the presence of a cat on board again so when she heard his noise, almost like a reflex, her heart subconsciously expected to see a little black and ginger face gazing back at her.
Instead, she was comforted by the yellow glow of Bandit's eyes, the rest of his body blending in with the wardrobe's shadows like an Anaigan void demon - though perhaps a particularly soft and small version.
"Good. You're still alive." Sanem greeted the little, certified rat catcher. A pirate's cat sensible enough to hide from the sound of cannon fire and clashing swords was always a good thing.
He cautiously stepped out from where he'd been hidden amongst a pile of her clothes (disguises mostly) with bristled shoulders and a spiked tail. But he didn't seem too startled by the recent commotion and the ruckus of battle, his forehead met her shin in greeting before he confidently jumped up to curl himself on top of her bedding before staring at her with expectant eyes, his chin resting on his front paws as he blinked at her.
