The Fires of Summer (first draft)

Smock finds that his energy and fighting spirit is completely worn out of him a while after walking up the steps. Quickly he understands why Gore never came under attack in the civil war - an army would be exhausted by the time they got to the palace, if the blood forest and on-ground soldiers didn't thin them out until they retreated first. He can't help but think that this place is the exact opposite of accessible.

They arrive at the top, where there sits a garden and a pretty fountain, and head into the entryway of the palace, where there are guards taking care of peoples' weapons. Axel ignores them, acting as though he's got nothing on him, and they head on through to the throne room.

The throne room is a sprawling room with a huge carpet, resembling a peacock feather, leading up to the throne, which sits empty at the moment. The room itself is made of black crystal and stone, and the windows are all stained glass, making the light filtering into the room come in various colours and keeping it all dim. It's made up of the same pillars as down in the city, and the roof comes into an arch like those on the sides of the smaller buildings. There are guards lining the way to the throne, and the group is ushered to one side, where the free space would usually be if not for the congregation.

Smock doesn't like the crowd. There's too many people, and too many conversations going on, and Axel seems to notice his tension.

"Hey, you're alright," Axel says, his voice loud enough that it doesn't fade in to all the other conversations happening all around them. He lifts his arm as to welcome Smock under it, but doesn't force the touch upon him.

Smock decides to take the offer, getting in close to Axel, feeling the way their bodies press together among the crowd. When Axel holds him in, there's a pressure in the way he does it, and the pirate focuses on the feeling, drowning out the rest of the world and closing his eyes. Axel doesn't say anything about it, happily standing and keeping him close.

After a while, the halls seem to reach their maximum capacity, and the guards block off the entrance, forcing any stragglers to watch from the outside. Everyone falls silent at the sound of something metal hitting the ground, and far ahead of them the figure of King Corvus Sanguis steps out, showing himself at long last to all of the visitors. Smock can see him well from here, and how little he's changed.

Corvus is wearing white robes with shoulder pieces that flare out like feathers. The lower half fans out at the back over his own peacock feathers, mimicking them. His eyes are painted with white as to resemble the facial markings of a peacock. Smock feels furious just seeing him again. He can see his figure against the flames, just a slip of him, but enough. In one hand he carries a sceptre with a peacock's wings on the top, no doubt what he'd used to gather everyone's attention. He doesn't sit on the throne, instead standing just in front of it, where everyone can see him. He regards the crowd with his critical golden eyes, then speaks.

"Thank you all for making an effort to attend this great gathering. It pleases me very much to receive such support from the public," Corvus begins, addressing the crowd with his orange and blue wings open. "As you all must be aware, the fight against the pirate scourge and the outlaws has been ongoing for as long as I have been King. The past seven years have brought us the most progress we've ever seen, with the destruction of Captain Undying's ship and crew, and the many pirates that have taken pardons and returned to society as dignified citizens."

Rage bubbles within Smock's chest. He wants nothing more than to jump out there and strangle Corvus, but he has no choice but to stand there and listen.

"Well, I have heard some quite shocking news that forces me to take further action. Captain Undying is alive," he announces, and the crowd erupts into noises of dismay and upset. He waits for them to calm before he shouts over the few that remain. "Fear not. Others do not know his face, but I do. I will be able to neutralise this threat, but in order to do so, I need to be harsher. No longer will these callous criminals have any chance for redemption. We will kill on sight, until no more of their plague remains on this land. Outlaws of other kinds, too, will have the same treatment. I will be moving more Sanguis forces into Riloris, where the main population of them settles, and I will be sending out more armoured ships to address the issue at sea."

Now the crowd cheers, pleased to hear of the ruthless slaughter that will pirates and outlaws will be subjected to. Smock feels unwell.

"Most importantly, I will be launching an attack on the home of these criminals: Pirate Island," the crowd cheers again, but Smock's stomach completely drops.

He knows where Pirate Island is. Someone's gone and told him where our safe haven is.

First Whitmore comes to mind, but surely Corvus would've attacked Pirate Island sooner if that were the case. Someone must have tipped him off recently, perhaps someone with a more intimate knowledge of the island. He knows his dads would never give anything away, and he knows Blackbeard would rather die, but the other famous pirates... he can't be too sure, not anymore.

Corvus continues, "I will capture the Pirate Lords before the end of summer and bring them here to question and execute them. Then, I will give the pirates one last chance to turn themselves over before I dispose of the rest of them. Aldelis will be safe from them once and for all."

If not for Axel's arm around him, he'd probably have left by now, and ran to get back to his ship so he can warn the pirates and, most importantly, his dads.

"Last but not least, I would like to remind everyone of the ball tomorrow night. There is a list of approved guests, however there is an entry price for those that were not invited, if anyone wishes to attend. I will be there, alongside my Emperor father, and some of my siblings and children," Corvus finishes, finally taking a seat on his throne, where he lifts his feathers, presenting their beauty to the hall, the robe falling against his body now. "Now I will be holding audiences for all that require anything or would like to ask any questions. Please, if you are interested, start a queue with the assistance of my guards."

Smock rips himself away from Axel as the crowd starts to disperse and runs for the exit, where he takes a gulp of fresh air and rests his hands against the fountain, staring into the water, feeling helpless. I'm stuck here until Axel decides to leave. We need to go now, I can't let this happen.

Axel follows him soon afterwards, leaning over the waterfall beside him and lowering his head to Smock's level, looking at him with concern. "Haley? That was unlike you."

"We need to go to Pirate Island," he demands, trying to push down the panic building inside of him. "I have to tell my dads. I can't let anything happen to them."

"Hey, it's alright. He said 'before the end of summer', he's not going for them yet," Axel tries to reassure him, but he just feels frustrated.

"We can't wait until the end of the summer! They need all the time they can get," Smock protests, his breaths spiralling out of control.

"Someone's gonna hear you," Axel warns, looking side to side before leaning in closer. "Haley, we need to go to the ball, and then we can leave, I promise. Then we'll have at least a day on Corvus, probably longer. But there's something at that palace that I need to get, or else all my work will be for nothing."

Smock doesn't realise he's crying until he feels a tear drop onto his hand. He doesn't know what's wrong with him, but everything feels so wrong. The marble under his hands feels wrong and the air on his skin feels wrong and the idle chatter of people all around him feels wrong. He wants to curl up into a ball and disappear, but he can't - there's nothing he can do, he's completely out of control now.

Axel frowns beside him and says something, but Smock can't tell what it is. He forces himself to take deep breaths, though they're still ragged. Axel goes quiet, but then he hears him speaking again, not to him though, to someone else.

When Smock eventually does calm, he turns around and wipes his eyes to see that the only person there is Axel.

"Where are the others?" he says, his voice croaky.

"I sent them ahead. I figured they'd want to make a start," Axel answers, flipping a coin between his finger and thumb and catching it perfectly each time, as though he does it often.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Smock frowns, guilt washing over him.

"Don't worry about it. I understand," Axel offers a smile. "If that were my gang I'd be upset too. I promise we'll leave the morning after the ball."

"Okay," is all that he says in response, starting on his way down the steps.

Axel follows behind him, letting Smock keep the pace. Probably for the best - with how fast Axel would go down the stairs, he'd soon find himself falling down them rather than walking. Smock doesn't like it. He doesn't want to ruin Axel's plan, but he wishes he could take the ship and just run away to the Pirate Lords and tell them everything. Logically, he knows Axel is right - Corvus probably has no intention to be speedy about this, and seeing as he's going to need to send out patrols and make sure his ships are in top shape, it's going to be a long time before anything is ready. Still, he can't stand it all, being so helpless against Corvus. It's just not fair.

Somewhere along the way down, Axel takes Smock's attention off the huge distance between them and the ground, when he says, "Would you like to go clothes shopping, for the ball?"

That's certain to cheer Smock up a little bit. One thing he loves is fashion, and already he has an idea for clothes he might want to wear. "I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about it," Axel chuckles lowly, "I've got plenty to spare. My business brings in a lot of cash."

"How are you getting all of this money?" Smock quickly realises he's never asked what exactly Axel does for work.

"Would you be mad if it was shady?" Axel asks him quietly, looking at him with a somewhat innocent expression, which always means that he is not at all being innocent.

"Depends on how shady," Smock raises a brow, possibilities running through his mind.

"Well, I run a sort of... I guess mob would be the world," the changeling confesses. "You know, murder, drugs, that sort of thing. Oh god, it sounds a lot less serious when I put it like that-"

Smock stares at him blankly, blinking. "Y'know what? I'm not all that surprised... Were you in this business before you joined my ship?"

"Yeah. I travelled with my wife at times, and worked others - I had people handling things for me while I was away," Axel answers, shrugging. "It's horrible business but it pays very well."

He has to admit, it is a little strange to think that the money he's about to be spoiled with could've come from shedding blood, or dealing with illegal substances, or carrying out generally harmful acts against other people. He tries to reassociate it, telling himself it's just Axel's money now. "That's why you were always so well-dressed, I suppose."

"Indeed," Axel smiles, perhaps not anticipating that he'd have such positive reception to his work. "You really don't think any differently of me?"

Smock thinks for a moment. "No. It explains why you fight like you do, and besides, I know there's not a target on my head."

"No! I'd never hurt you, Haley," Axel says seriously, crossing his arms as he walks. "All of the others work under me, but they do different things too, and they have their own pursuits too."

He can't help but wonder what exactly they must be doing. Some are obvious: Keaberos must be a doctor and Julien said himself that he's a scientist. The others he can't be too sure on. "That's good to know, Ax, though I hope you're not wanting me to join in, 'cos I'm not killing anyone."

"Not at all. If you did want to join me, I'd be happy, but you don't have any obligation and I won't ask you to," Axel assures him.

"Good," Smock says, focusing back on the steps.

They reach the bottom soon after, and Axel insists he doesn't need to sit down, although Smock knows better than to force him to push himself. Anthoalgiaemia is known to cause exhaustion and weakness, and while the changeling finds himself being able to withstand more than others, he's only a man. Besides, Smock also needs a break, his legs aching from the massive journey.

Once they're rested, Axel leads him down a shopping street, where a bunch of people are window-shopping, and pulls him into a shop with mostly unconventional clothing, befitting of Axel's fashion. At first, Smock isn't sure this place will suit him, but as they both start browsing, he quickly realises that it's got a lot more selection than he'd anticipated.

He looks around at some shirts and suits at first, but they don't appeal much to him - they're too much of Axel's thing. Next, he decides to look at the dresses.

Immediately an avenue he can work with opens up to him. The dresses are all unique and beautiful, some with flowers and roses in their theme and others, much to his joy, with feathers. Some have lace and some have dangling jewellery.

Smock finds one that sits perfectly in the middle. The waist is decorated with black roses and foliage that branch up to the shoulders and cover the chest. The shoulders and back are adorned with jewellery, some hanging and connecting to the other side elegantly. The back rises to a neck strap that holds the whole thing up. He thinks as he looks at it that he could take some inspiration from the feathered dresses, and could adorn the lower half of the dress with blue-black feathers. He scouts out some boots next, finding some with lace patterns at the top and on the heels. Then he finds some matching jewellery, a golden hand piece with a rose on the side, and a choker with a similar theme, rose in the middle and chains hanging down from it, adorned with onyx. He maps out the outfit in his mind, figuring out if it will look good, and concludes that yeah, it absolutely would.

And then he goes to find Axel.

Axel is looking at some fancy jackets. They're formal while still fitting his style, most leather with fancy collars and long tails at the back.

"I think I found what I want," Smock tells him, drawing his gaze away from the jackets.

Axel widens his eye in interest. "Great. Want to try stuff on?"

"Yeah," he nods, beyond thankful for Axel's money in that moment.

Axel heads for the nearest worker he can find, and draws their attention first to some things he would like to try on, before coming with Smock to show them what he wants too. The employee nods and ushers them back into a measuring room.

Smock goes first, allowing them to take all the numbers they need, thankful that he doesn't have to completely strip to have it done - the person clearly knows what they're doing. Smock admires how quickly they go about their work, writing down the measurements and speedily retrieving clothes for them to try. While it's not all tailor-made specifically for them, it does take Smock back to his days as a tailor, measuring his clients and taking down all the numbers so he can make them their clothes. They bring out a privacy screen that's attached to the wall for each of them to stand behind as they get dressed.

Axel goes first this time. Smock can see his faint silhouette behind the screen, still dark enough that he can see each motion as he takes off his clothes and puts on the new ones.

He comes out with the first outfit and does a turn for Smock and the worker to observe it. He's wearing a black jacket with some spikes on the shoulders, less than his usual amount, with some pretty regular trousers and a red shirt and waistcoat beneath. He's also chosen out some decorative rings to accompany his wedding and engagement rings, and a low-necked choker with a ruby in the middle. He looks a lot more normal.

"Not half bad, Ax," Smock smiles, earning a smirk in return. He hadn't expected Axel to have a decent fashion sense.

"I agree. It's a good look on you," the worker says.

"Thank you both," Axel chuckles, his cheeks a little red, before he goes back behind the screen to put on another outfit.

This one is that leather jacket he'd been looking at before. The collar splits into three overlapping pieces at the top, and the jacket has twin tails at the back. It's got no studs, but still suits him quite perfectly. The trousers have small chains on the sides, further fulfilling the subtle punk touches. Accompanied with the jewellery from before, he looks very good.

"This one is perfect on you," the worker says first, looking quite pleased.

"Yeah," Smock agrees, "absolutely fitting. I think you should get that."

"Really?" Axel looks at himself with a small smile, his cheeks even redder than before.

"Yes," both Smock and the employee say at the same time, and Axel seems to solidify his choice.

"I'll have this then," Axel says, going back to get into his regular clothes and then setting his chosen clothes in one pile and the others in another. "Thank you both."

It's Smock's turn next. He takes his clothes and takes his place behind the screen, taking off his masculine clothes and switching them out for the dress. He doesn't struggle to put it on, having worn much more difficult things for his drag, and settles it over his figure within just a few minutes. He adorns himself in the choker and hand jewellery, puts on the shoes, and then steps out, feeling perfectly feminine.

Immediately he sees both Axel and the employee's eyes widen.

"Beautiful," the worker says, clasping their hands together. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah," Axel sounds breathless, but he gathers himself quickly. "It's a perfect choice."

"This it is, then," Smock smiles, knowing already that he was going to look good but appreciating the praise. He returns to his regular clothes, feeling as though he's lost something in the much less interesting outfit, though this one does have some sentimental value to it. When he comes out, he turns to the worker. "Those black feathers that were on the dress next to that one - do you have any I could buy? And maybe a needle and thread?"

"We do have DIY stock, yes. I'll get some for you," they answer, hurrying off and returning with a bag full of feathers, and a small box with a needle and black thread to accompany it. "Will this do?"

Smock examines it, then smiles. "Yes. Perfect."

Axel buys their clothes and a large over-the-shoulder bag for them to carry everything in. The worker folds it all and puts it in bags to keep it protected inside of the bag, and they leave after many thanks, and a tip from Axel. He seems quite happy with himself, and Smock must admit that he feels quite good about it too, though there's just one thing that weighs on him. It's not the first time it's happened, but it's the first time it's happened when he's been alone with Axel, and so he stops him as they walk, a hand on his arm.

"Ax, can I tell you something?" he asks, averting his eyes.

"Anything at all," Axel nods with a warm smile, waiting patiently for whatever it is he has to say.

Smock thinks of the best way to phrase it. He's not very good with words or feelings, especially not specific or personal ones like the one he's got right now. "The dress... it's got me feeling sort of more like a woman."

"Ah, I see. It's been a long time, huh?" Axel chuckles, his voice fond. "It's no problem. How do you want to be addressed?"

"Femininely," Smock decides, feeling like a huge wait is off his - no, her now - chest.

"Not a problem, Hales," the changeling ruffles her hair, and they proceed on their way.

Smock thinks through how she's going to prepare for the ball. If this feeling remains, and tomorrow she wakes up wishing to be seen and addressed in the same way, then perhaps something more feminine will do just fine for the ball. She could shave the hair from her body - at least, where it still is, since the burns on her legs have singed off all the hair, and it doesn't seem to be coming back - and face, and see if any of the others have some makeup to use, to make herself look just that bit more feminine, though when she's shaven it isn't completely necessary with her androgynous body and face, so it's more for enjoyment.

"Can we get a hotel room?" Smock tells Axel as they near the hotel. "So I can attach the feathers to my dress."

"That's fine by me," the changeling agrees. They look around for a hotel that doesn't look like it's brimming with people, eventually finding one at the edge of a street that seems quiet but still nice enough inside that she feels safe staying there. Axel asks how many rooms they have, and reserves three this time, giving them enough space for everyone to rest, assuming Axel and Kallisto will share a bed again. Axel takes her up to the room and hands her the keys. "Have fun. If you need anyone, you'll probably see us around, but I'll come get you for dinner later if you're not done in time."

"Thank you, Axel," she says, smiling to him, before taking their bag and heading in. Right away she hangs up Axel's things in the wardrobe, not wanting them to stay folded up for too long, and then she settles the dress over the top of the bed she decides is hers, kneeling in front of it with the feathers, needle, and thread.

She gets to work quickly. The feathers need to be tightly-packed in order to get the same appearance as the other dresses, making the work quite tedious, though it's nothing that she hasn't done before. She recalls with a fondness the many hours she spent doing this as a tailor. Sometimes the more complex commissions were her favourite. She could sit and work forever some days, her needle becoming an extension of her arm, or her machine being like an extra piece of herself. She remembers many times when the bell to the door rang as she was in the middle of something, and rushing to finish it so she could greet the latest customer, or hand over an item to someone that had already paid.

Very rarely were there any problems with just about anything; most people were simply appreciative of the work. Some came asking questions, wondering if she really was that drag queen from the shows. Sometimes her fellow drag queens and kings would visit, seeking something new for their next show. Those requests were definitely up top in the rankings for 'most enjoyed tailoring jobs'.

She gets through more feathers than anticipated, and with a flair of genius she opens the little trapdoor that keeps the window closed and waits for a while, knowing that she won't be alone for very long. As she weaves a few more feathers through the dress, she hears the familiar 'caw' of a raven at the window.

When she looks up, she's pleased to see her companion is none other than Baguette. "You must be having the adventure of your lifetime, huh? Stay right there, I have a job for you. If you do it, you'll get seeds."

Baguette tilts his head in interest. Smock gets up and starts going through the drawers in the cabinets of the room. There's a few items lying around, probably left by former visitors, and much to her relief, there's a pen that seems to be on its last legs in the bottom. She takes Lukas' report note and rips a strip from it, scrawling down a note.

Need lots more feathers please. And sunflower seeds.

Thanks,

Haley

She reads over it, making sure her writing is legible, before handing the note to the bird. "Go find Axel and give him this, please."

Baguette doesn't leave until he is given a small pat on the head, and when he does, Smock returns to her work, using up the last of the feathers. She stands up and steps back, looking at her work so far and deciding it's going pretty well. It's starting to resemble the bottom of the other dress she saw, with its elegant feather design, and with any luck the full thing will look just as good when it's all done.

She sits and waits. At some point she moves to the window, staring out onto the main street. People are roaming around, many in fine clothes but some clearly travellers. She sees a guard patrol pass, looking quite focused and vigilant, though they leave the passers-by alone for the time being. With a shudder she remembers the guard that had chased her through Wolf's Rest. The strange eyes still alarm her when she thinks about them, as though their startling quality followed her all this way. Something had been so very wrong about him from his huge stature to his strange speed. As she watches the guards turn on to the main street, she finds herself feeling very thankful that they are, as far as she can tell, completely normal.

After a while, there's a knock at the door. Smock answers it to see both Axel and Kallisto there, holding boxes full of the feathers, and an extra two bags. Smock didn't ask for two lots of seeds, so she stares a little confused at the bigger one as she directs the two to her makeshift workspace.

"The dress is looking really good," Axel observes as he sets down his box. Kallisto puts his on top, then plops a tiny bag of sunflower seeds on top of it. "I'm impressed you've gotten through that much so quickly."

"Once a tailor, always a tailor," Smock chuckles, pouring the seeds onto the window, where Baguette appears very soon afterwards.

"We decided to get you a gift," Kallisto says with a smile as Axel retrieves two slim boxes from the other bag. "Well, it was mostly Axel's idea, but I was like, 'that's a really great idea and you should do it', so I deserve a little credit."

Smock comes back over and observes the boxes, trying to make out what they are. She figures the best way to tell is to open them, and as she does she feels a little bit emotional, finding the gift to be a little bit touching. The first box is a set of makeup, an assortment of many eyeshadow colours though it has an extra range of dark ones, as well as a few other bits and pieces like blush that would suit her skin tone, and highlighter. The second is a set of brushes for her to use. "This is too sweet..."

"I thought you might want it for the ball, so you can go all-out," Axel rubs the back of his neck, looking away. "You don't have to use it, though. I just remember you doing your makeup when you were Captain Undying."

"Aww, Axel," she sets the makeup down on top of one of the room's cabinets and when she comes back she gives him a tight hug, and then gives Kallisto one too for good measure. The two of them melt like idiots, their cheeks red.

"I hope you like it," says Kallisto before his attention turns to the dress. "Hey, can I sew on a feather? Just one, to make the dress special, y'know."

Smock laughs, opening the first box and pulling out a feather. "Do you know how to sew?"

"Yeah, I have to fix my clothes sometimes," he smiles, taking the needle that she offers him and finding a spot with all the other feathers to put it into. As he stated, he does know what he's doing, weaving it in just fine and ensuring that it's secured just the same as the others. "C'mon Ax, you do one too."

"Why not?" Axel kneels down next, taking the needle and doing the exact same as Kallisto had. Smock half expects him to mess it up, but the man does just fine. "Haven't done this in a while. I used to be the go-to for sewing my kids' clothes up when they got ripped, or patching them up. Little rascals always seemed to have me perfecting my skills."

Axel doesn't speak of his children often. Smock knew of them, but other than that, the man is a closed book when it comes to his family. She knows that they were taken by the Sanguis family, but she doesn't know anything else, not even their names. Them constantly damaging their clothes may very well be the first thing she's ever actually found out about them as people. Smock smiles. "Sounds like they were troublemakers."

"Troublemakers is an understatement," Axel says fondly, smiling at the new feather. Smock remembers the location of them on the dress, hoping that she'll be able to point them out sometime in the future and laugh about how Axel and Kallisto put them there. "There. Now your dress has even more love put into it."

Well that's the end of the children conversation, Smock figures, though despite her curiosity she doesn't pry further, respecting when he decides to pull things to a close. "I appreciate it. You guys have really made my day."

Kallisto beams. "Good!"

"Yeah, I'm glad," Axel chuckles, resting his hand on his friend's arm. "Come on then. We better go find the others and explain what we ran off for."

Smock almost expects to hear some sort of retort from Kallisto, so used to people reacting poorly to her fluid gender, but he says nothing of it. "Right! We'll leave you to get back to work, Haley."

"You two take care, then," Smock watches them both go again, leaving her alone but with a warmth in her chest at their energy and kindness. She looks over to where she put the makeup, smiling to herself as she gets back to work.

Later, when Kallisto comes to get her to join the group for dinner, she's a good way through the dress. She'll have some time to finish and perfect it tomorrow before the ball, so she's happy to leave it as it is.

Smock follows Kallisto downstairs and listens to him rambling on about this dog he befriended on the streets. He has a melodic, sleepy voice that she could listen to for hours, so it doesn't bother her to hear all about it for as long as he wants to talk. The group is waiting outside of the hotel, and as she comes down they start to ask questions.

"Axel said you've been sewing decorations onto a dress," Grey says.

"Yes, I must say I'm curious," Julien adds. "What are you adding?"

"Just some feathers," Smock almost blushes. "I'm just putting them on the lower half now, but I might add some to the shoulders."

"Intriguing," Julien hums. "I think I'll just be going to the ball in something similar to my usual attire. It's comfortable and formal enough."

"I think you'd fit in fine," Smock smiles, though she's not sure if she's seen many plague masks at parties.

"Anyway," Axel interjects, "let's go get some dinner, I'm hungry."

They head along the streets until they arrive at that restaurant again. This time they're able to get a table outside as the afternoon sky begins to darken little by little, and when the waiter approaches, Smock orders a tea called 'tsai tou vounou'. It's described in the little subtitle as having a floral, earthy, and sweet taste, which are three things Smock can absolutely get behind, especially at this time of day. For dinner, she settles on 'shrimps à la spetsiota': shrimps in a tomato sauce, with added feta cheese and oregano. Her craving for seafood hasn't settled and she's not sure if it ever will, which is more than fine considering that this restaurant seems to have an abundance of seafood dishes.

"You guys don't have to come to the ball," Axel says at some point after they get their drinks. "Don't feel obligated because I got you invitations. Do whatever you like."

"Oh, no, we've all decided that we're going to go. You're going to need people to gather information while you go on your mission," Grey tells him. "I'm just not very fashionable."

"I can buy you something," Axel offers, "or I'm sure Keaberos won't mind taking you out clothes shopping. He has a decent sense in fashion."

Keaberos smiles that friendly smile, sipping from the same tea Smock ordered. "Yes, it wouldn't bother me to go out with you to get something nice."

"I'll take Keaberos. No offence, Axel, but you'll having me dressing like some sort of emo if I go with you," she laughs, a smirk on her face.

"Emo? You think this is emo?" Axel gasps, clearly not taking 'no offence'. "I've known you for how long? And you still call this emo. You wound me."

"I don't wound you enough," the wood elf snickers, touching her hands to the table before reaching for her drink.

"Ugh," Axel rolls his eye, though it's a little hard to make out with the whole thing being white. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't have you as an informant, in case you decide to reword something and it ends up being totally wrong."

Grey just chuckles at him, her ears perking as the waiter reappears, bringing their food out on a wheeled rack and then handing it out to each of them. They eat together, Smock thoroughly enjoying her shrimp and tea, a sweet reminder of the ocean and all the places on the edge of it that serve this kind of food.

"What exactly are we looking out for at the ball?" Julien asks after most of them finish, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Anything you think is important, but information on Corvus' plans or the royals in general is good," Axel responds, one of the only people still eating. He still eats ravenously, but today he seems to be struggling a little to finish.

"Are we allowed to romance any of them?" Kallisto asks, excited.

"What? No!" Axel almost chokes on his food, shocked by the question. "No romancing the Sanguis family! Or their guards, either!"

"Aww," Kallisto pouts, and Smock sees the infamous puppy dog eyes that Grey had been complaining about when she first met her. He emulates the look perfectly, his drowsy eyes widening a little and a little sparkle from the light swimming within his green irises.

"You can flirt with the nobles instead," Axel averts his eye from the pleading werewolf. "I'm not letting my best friend get in bed with the Sanguis family, even if it's only for information."

"Fine," Kallisto agrees when he sees that he's not convincing anyone.

"I think we should let him break their hearts," Rabia says with a tone a little too light for her statement. "Those eyes would make a grown man crumble with ease."

"See! Rabia gets me," Kallisto smiles to her, his eyes returning to their regular drowsy look. "The best way to a man is through his feelings."

"Kallisto is smart enough," she continues to defend him.

Axel has a faint smile on his face now, over his initial surprise. "You two are terrible sometimes. I stand by what I said."

Kallisto and Rabia deflate, defeated by their boss, though there's a scheming look about the both of them when they exchange glances.

Axel finishes his meal at last, and asks for dessert menus. He doesn't seem interested in having anything, but the others certainly do, and Smock caves, deciding to have a look. She's drawn in by the chocolate mascarpone baklava, which comes with some coffee syrup - a perfect mix in her honest opinion. While she's more for alcohol, coffee is usually the next go-to, and she hasn't had anything with the taste in quite a long time.

When the desserts come, Axel sits back and closes his eye. Smock can't help but feel as though he's a little left out, so she says his name to get his attention, and offers a piece of her baklava. He stares at it for a few moments, then smiles with a great warmth before leaning in and drawing his lips to the fork. Smock watches as he takes it from her fork and eats, a glint of appreciation in his eyes.

"Thanks," he says, leaning back again, though this time he looks as though he's actually relaxed, that soft smile remaining on his face.

They finish sometime later, when the sky is dark. Smock hadn't registered just how much time had passed since they arrived. The sunset in Gore is somehow prettier than the other sunsets she's seen, with more colour, like the whole galaxy is on display, and all of its stars. Directly above the palace there's an odd constellation that she can't quite make out the shape of, but she feels as though it's watching her, and can't shake the feeling for a while, even when conversation begins to spark.

A proper distraction comes in the form of the group leaving to retire for the night. Smock gets up last, her mind coming back to her slowly, and then follows them on the way to the hotel, listening to their idle chatter and plans for the ball tomorrow. Truthfully, she's not sure what to do with herself, supposing that she fits into the category of 'informant' with everyone else. She knows she doesn't have it in her to talk to Corvus, but the others might be an option. The idea of talking to the Emperor makes her a little uncomfortable, though, feeling as though that's a little bit too bold; he's said to have immense power that will certainly not allow her to go without recognition, no matter how much she looks like a woman.

It won't hurt to get some intel from the nobles, at least. They always seem to have interesting chatter and know more than they logically should, which is a good combination. Besides, she has the ears of a high elf, which should get her into some good circles with the juiciest gossip. As bad as high elves can be to others, and as high as they hold themselves above other people, they are amazing at spreading rumours and information between one another.

When they get back to the bedroom, Smock hangs up her work-in-progress dress in the wardrobe. It looks even better stood up, and she's tempted to try it on already, but sleep weighs on her heavy, so she gets changed into Axel's pyjamas while him and Kallisto are getting undressed and gets under the covers, not turning over to see whatever position they've chosen to sleep in this time.

As she snuggles into the sheets, which are almost as comfortable as the ones Axel has back at his cabin, a gratitude settles over her for these new friends. Axel has been nothing but kind this entire time, and Kallisto too, plus the others are delightful. They'd shared so much within just a few days of knowing her, down to their personal histories, and a trust in her upon the ship to be able to lead them and give them jobs to do, which they did without question (with the exception of Axel, who very much did question it) and did well, too.

Her mind wanders to the ball tomorrow. It's been a long time since she's been at any events on land. The last ones must have been on Pirate Island many, many years ago, and that was with people like her, who get her, and speak like her, and share the same hatred for the Sanguises like her. This one is going to be full of the exact opposite of that.

At least Axel will be there. He wouldn't let anything happen to me, Smock reassures herself, finally allowing herself to turn over. Axel is tracing circles on Kallisto's chest. It's not a sensual gesture, more one of boredom that Kallisto isn't even awake to register. He looks pretty with his lips pursed in thought, the flowers on his eye no longer covered with bandages, the faint moonlight from the still-open window accenting the edges of each petal. His hair is a complete mess, and Smock thinks that she'll have to brush it before they go to the ball, so he looks presentable.

She manages to sleep thinking about it. He'll probably squirm and protest like a child, and it'll probably be a total mess after the ball again, but she thinks it'll be nice in the end. She thinks he'll look like a true prince with his hair done up. Maybe she can even put some braids in it, and make him feel like a true Sanguis, like a boy that was never shunned, like a boy that was born with the world in his hands.