Sparks *

If the old man ended up angry at my outburst and for leaving so suddenly, I didn't know. I spent most of my time in my room, sitting on the bed with my arms and legs crossed, back straight, and furrowed brows as I eyed the wall in thought.

Sadly, it left a bothersome ache in my body when I decided to leave my statue-like state. Sometimes I'd pace, sometimes I'd lie in bed with my back to the door and trace patterns into the bed sheets with my fingers. And sometimes I'd sleep and wait for someone to tell me to beat it, because it wasn't like I was exactly part of their little fun group.

This is exactly what I have been thinking about for two days now.

One part of my brain was saying yes, since I'd be safe with these people and I'd get the chance to heal. The other was saying no, my pride as a captain not allowing me to call myself anything else but that. 

But maybe I wasn't even worthy of that title. Maybe I'd be better as a follower, fighting under someone else's wing and raising a drink in their honour, and not mine.

I shifted, my head falling against the wall with a thud as I sat on the floor, knees pulled to my chest. The position did not help with the uncomfortable and itchy feeling around my torso and back. I had bandaged my chest in hopes of flattening it out so I'd look more masculine.

Putting the bandages on had been… an interesting experience, to say the least. I spent a good 20 minutes with my eyes fixed on the material, having an internal war with myself. In the end, I exhaled a sigh of resignation and began the long process, knowing that it was probably for the best. Then, I spent another twenty minutes trying to bind it properly so it wasn't too galling.

I tugged the collar of my undershirt forwards, looking down at my work with slight displeasure, a frown tugging my lips downwards.

It was.. uncomfortable, to say the least. It was necessary, but it didn't make it any less bothersome. 

Still though, I supposed it was for the best. And who knew when I'd encounter marines again? Getting someone to recognize me was not on my list right now or even in the near future. I wanted things to be simple for a while so my troubled mind could set to work and come up with a plan. Maybe even find some peace along the way.

Letting my shirt fall back into place, I patted my chest gently.

Blinking slowly, I stared into the darkness of the room, glancing at the door once or twice. Being in this room for long periods of time, I noticed, was starting to become the opposite of peaceful, since I'd usually succumb to thoughts that left me drained.

Inhaling deeply, my eyes snapped to the bed not too far from where I was. I didn't feel like sleeping anymore, and I'd already checked over my injuries (I never returned that box) so there was no point in doing it again. Sighing, I let my eyes wander around the room again.

I knew it was a bad idea and that I shouldn't be wandering around—hell, I probably shouldn't even be out of bed, but I just didn't feel like being in this room anymore. Besides, I could use the exercise.

With that in mind, I pushed myself off the floor, standing and dusting myself off. I placed my hands on my back, stretching with a quiet groan. I didn't know who or what was going to be outside, but I didn't really care either. I would gladly leave this place as long as I didn't have to sit on my behind 'til it became numb and I didn't have to be in the dark anymore.

Once I opened the door and stepped outside, I scanned my surroundings, although it was a bit more difficult on the eyes since it was night time. There were some people nearby, talking and laughing loudly, but other than that I was on my own.

I had never seen anything past this part of the ship and my room, and I had always refused the idea of exploring. Now that it was night time, though, the idea seemed much more safe, and appealing. So long as I could enjoy the silence and no one made any moves to approach me, I'd be fine.

Fiddling with the hem of my shirt, I briefly glanced left and right, uncertain of which way to turn. My face was scrunched up in thought, and with one last sigh and shrug, I headed left, sticking close to the wall. My fingertips brushed the surface of the wall, still not fully trusting my body. I felt a lot better, which I was more than thankful for, but there was always that dull twinge in my side or shoulder that grew into something more hurtful if I moved around too much.

The light, quiet thumping of my boots on the floor was the only noise to be heard as I put more distance between me and whoever was making all that ruckus. I figured it was just some people enjoying the night, much like myself, with each other, although I preferred to stay away from them for obvious reasons.

I somehow ended up on the large deck that I had only seen once (thanks to Thatch), the vast area only making the hairs on my neck stand. There was shockingly no one around, which I found very suspicious.

I could just turn back and go the other way, but seeing as there were people there, I didn't want to risk being caught. Not that they'd be able to do anything without losing an arm, but sometimes relying on my fists wasn't enough. Yeah. Totally because of that one reason.

Deciding to just keep going, I cautiously made my way around. There was nothing that really caught my eyes; it looked like a plain old ship—except this vessel was ten times bigger than any other I've seen. Staying close to the ship's railing, my eyes followed the movements of the waves below.

The ocean was not the bright blue I tended to see when it was day time though. It looked scarier than ever when it was night time. From my position, it looked like it was just an endless hole, ready to swallow me up if I fell into it, never to be seen by anyone again. The thought of falling sent goose bumps running along my skin, and a shudder shook my frame.

A bit spooked at my ruminations, I nervously side-stepped and put some more room between me and the wooden railing, the only thing lingering on it being my fingers.

Eventually, after a bit more walking, I stopped and just watched the dark expanse of the ocean that surrounded me move along. I appreciated the gentle breeze that brushed my skin, the atmosphere so calm and so quiet I was afraid to make a single sound as I stood there, a feeling of tranquillity washing over me and freeing me from intrusive thoughts.

I let my eyes flutter shut, the smooth wood beneath my fingertips keeping me from stumbling backwards.

It felt like I stayed there for an eternity, but I didn't mind that at all. It was nights like these that cooled my blood and settled my mind.

And all the while, I could feel a pair of eyes burning holes into the back of my head.

The feeling threw my mind back into reality, and I opened my eyes, my body tensing up in the process. Lips drawing into a thin line, I waited for the person to leave and for the strange feeling in my gut to fade.

I made it crystal clear that I did not want to socialize with my actions, which included isolating myself from the rest of the world.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly spun around, eyes searching the area to see who the hell was staring at me. My gentle hold on the wood turned into a tight grip that had my knuckles turning white and fingers digging into it painfully. Scanning the area as best I could through the darkness, I paled when I saw Thatch standing not too far away from where I stood.

He looked just as amiable as my last meeting with him, a grin curling his lips upwards as he approached me.

"Finally decided to go outside for a bit?" He asked, oddly quiet for his usual booming voice, an eyebrow raised as he leaned against the railing.

Meanwhile, my heart's pace was beginning to pick up again, hands a little clammy. Biting my lip, I nodded slowly, avoiding his eyes by turning to the sea in front of us both.

If he noticed my uneasiness, he didn't seem to care. Seeing that I wasn't going to do anything else, he too turned to the waves. It was awkward on my part, but he didn't seem to mind. Heart pounding in my ears, I quickly snuck a glance at his face.

He looked relaxed, his eyes doing the same thing I was doing before he interrupted.

Sensing my eyes, he looked at me and spoke again, "So what's your story?"

I paused at the question, blinking rapidly with furrowed eyebrows as I fully faced him. He chuckled at the look on my face, waving a hand.

"It's alright if you don't feel like telling me." He said, shrugging, "I understand that most of us have had it tough."

I raised an eyebrow at his words, silently questioning him, but not having the guts to actually speak.

Before I could stop myself, though, my mind drifted to the possibility of having a friend around here. I knew it'd be a while before I stopped at another island, whether it was for supplies or for business, so having at least one person to talk to wouldn't hurt, right?

I groaned internally, before closing my eyes with a sigh. I didn't know why, but I had the strange urge to just tell him what happened-leaving out the fact that I was indeed the supposedly dead captain, of course.

But then there'd be more questions, and I didn't have the energy to deal with questions just yet.

Glancing at him again, I saw him looking back at the ocean again, that smile still on his face. And before I knew it, the words tumbled out of my mouth in a low baritone voice that I hoped was convincing enough.

"Marines. Marines happened." I murmured bitterly, before my eyes went wide, surprised at having spoken. I shook my head, eyes rolling to the waves so he couldn't see. Why, oh why did I have to talk?

Thatch's eyes moved to me again, and he was silent for a while.

"I'm sorry," His voice was smaller now, and I looked at him in shock. He sent a sad smile my way, before he stood up straight, "Who was your captain?"

'Curious, isn't he.' I thought, not really in the mood to talk anymore. Eyeing him, I relented with a sigh. Nerves rattled, I played with the jacket weighing my shoulders down.

"Haruka. She was known for her love for gunpowder." I kept my sentences short and quiet, giving him a look once or twice to see if he noticed anything weird in my voice.

Groaning internally once more, I searched my mind for possible names that suited me, seeing as my real identity was now off limits. Finding nothing in that brain of mine as of now, I decided to put my new identity to the side. Whoever asked for a name was going to have to wait.

"Her? Really?" I raised an eyebrow at his words, eyes narrowing slightly before he continued, "Heard about her. Didn't think she'd go down so quickly. A shame, really." He said with a thoughtful wrinkle in his brows.

I wanted to roll my eyes and scream 'I'm not dead, I idiot', but I held my tongue.

Seeing that I wasn't going to say anything else, he spoke once more, "Well, that's that. I should get going." He smiled at me, before leaving me to my own thoughts with one last wave my way. I didn't return it, but I nodded my farewells.

Meanwhile, not too far, a boy with freckles dusting his cheeks had listened to my every word without me knowing.