If Ava had unlimited time and invincible hands, rigging would have been right up her alley. But Ava only had three suns and her hands were quite delicate, as was apparent by her many blisters. As she had expected, Oceane broke it to Ava on the third sun of rigging that it probably wasn't for her. Riggers needed to be fast, able to think on their feet if something on the ship went wrong. If a rope broke or a pulley malfunctioned, Ava would have to know how to quickly find a solution and execute it and she just did not have the know-how. Oceane encouraged her to request to be put on sailing, Ava was sharp and could learn that.

Oceane offered to once again train Ava but this time for sailing and Ava wanted nothing more. Theo gave Oceane the approval and Ava found herself learning about sailing. It was interesting and Ava felt like she was keeping up for the first few suns. Throughout her time training under Oceane, she had gotten closer to the pirate. Even if she was shit at every job she had, at least she was making connections. Forging her place on the ship in case she couldn't rely on a job to prove she was useful. Ava was glued to Oceane's side the entire time from the morning they started. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and their nights were spent together.

It had been so long since she had someone she could just be young and dumb with. Oceane was mischievous, sly, hilarious, and generally fun to be around. Ava had gotten a small glimpse of her personality in Niveal but this was a new level. She had opened up to Ava and Ava witnessed the oddball that was Oceane. Ava embraced it and found herself closer than ever to the young Safritian girl. Oceane had been with Theo since the beginning, she joined during Theo's original recruitment push the first time the crew visited Safriti. However, Oceane had been at sea for much longer. Her father had been a fisherman and had taught Oceane how to sail. Her father also taught her the traditional Safritian way of fishing, with a bow and arrow.

Sailing was Oceane's first job and then she moved up to rigging and then became a full-time vanguard member. If Navi ever needed extra hands though, Oceane was the first person they'd call. Ava learned a lot about Oceane and in turn offered her own information, like always sticking as close to the truth as possible. Oceane had a lot of questions about Ava's wealth and how she was raised and Ava was more than happy to answer them. Morning, aftermorning and night they spoke about their upbringings, the culture they knew, and the traditions they each had. No book Ava read could replace hearing about places from real people. Oceane and Ava grew to be like birds of a feather in a short amount of time and Ava was ecstatic. She hadn't had a friend like this since her chambermaid, almost half a length before.

She had friends on the ship, that much was true, but the nature of her relationship with Oceane was different. It was lighthearted and silly but with the ability to be serious. With the others it was different, she was still herself but a bit more reserved. One on one time with Oceane drew out her childish side, her carefree side. Ava had experienced a lot of emotions since she left home but the overarching feeling had always been a worry. Oceane's company allowed her to take her mind off of all of the questions and what-ifs about her life and allowed her to enjoy her time.

Ava felt a bit guilty once night time would roll around though. Like her brain was on a timer and every night at around the same time a pang of guilt would hit her. It wasn't like she wasn't allowed to hang out with other people, she was. For some reason though, skipping out on her nightly time with the captain was taking a toll on her. She missed Theo, missed her teasing and her knowledge, her calm exterior, and her air of charm. Fuck. The Captain had buried herself inside Ava's head and made no move to leave any time soon.

Even though she missed Theo, she didn't give in. A different side of her, not the side that wore her heart on her sleeve, was distancing herself from the captain. After two nights of being told by Theo that her company was not needed Ava decided to make herself a scarce commodity. If Theo could cancel on Ava, Ava could do the same. She never actually canceled though, she simply didn't show up after dinner. Theo never came to find her though and the longer Theo ignored Ava's absence, the more she was driven to make sure Theo noticed it. It was petty but Ava never claimed not to be.

Ava only saw Theo briefly every day. She saw her during general training and Theo would often pass by while Ava was working on the deck with Oceane to have a light conversation or just to greet them. Dinners were also enjoyed in the company of each other but with the other pirates in the inner circle. However, besides that Theo and Ava barely saw each other. The longer went by the more Ava convinced herself that Theo never actually wanted her company and the more resilient Ava was to stick by not going to Theo. Ava was not going to cave, if Theo wanted to see her then the captain would show it.

It had been nine whole nights since Theo and Ava last spent the night in each other's company and Ava did not know how long she could keep her resolve. It was the sixth night of her time sailing and she was due for an update. Oceane and Navi had convened on the third night of her sailor training and took her on for another three suns. She hadn't completely failed at sailing but she was not confident she would get picked for the job. She was due in Theo's office for an update and was dreading it. Both because she was nervous to see Theo and also because she would most likely end up jobless again. She gathered her courage and set out to Theo's quarters to hear her fate.

---------

Theo was in a foul mood. Everyone could see it and everyone knew to back off. Everyone except for Xyra that is, who would not stop badgering her. Granted, Theo was being unhelpful and rude when all Xyra needed was approval on a few items. They had been nonstop preparing for all of the upcoming threats, known and unknown. Preparations were being made to the ship but it was hard to anticipate what a storm would do to them. That plus the constant stress of an impending force claiming victims leading to a series of missing pirates was also weighing on Theo. To top it all off, the part of her sun that she usually looked forward to the most was gone.

Ava had not been by in nine whole suns. She had done this before, disappeared for a few suns, and didn't say anything to Theo. But that was when she had a lot on her mind, she had just finished her first raid and Theo's secret had just come to light. Theo wasn't aware of anything she had done to upset Ava so she just assumed Ava stopped wanting to come by. She often saw Ava running around the ship with Oceane and Skins but Theo never made a move to go see her or invite her up. If Ava wanted to come to see Theo, the door was always open.

To say her foul mood had been caused by a lack of Ava would be ridiculous and Theo would deny that accusation. It had been mentioned a few times by some of her circle and it just made her angrier. It had been a growing grumpiness for a few suns but that particular day the grumpiness had turned into full-blown crankiness. She had put in the minimum amount of effort about her day and even skipped out on training. There wasn't a reason, Theo didn't think, sometimes she just got cranky. Xyra was cranky fifteen days out of a cycle and no one ever said anything, it was Theo's right to get a few suns too.

It was in those times, Theo's sulky periods, that Theo really got to appreciate her crew. They did allow her to be moody and Theo loved them for that. Furthermore, they went out of their way to not be a bother. Her sun had been relatively easy. Everyone had their instructions and they were each preparing in whatever way they were instructed. Questions were sparse and when they did arise they were directed towards someone else. No one on the ship needed help so Theo found herself in the newly built training room. Evana and the rest of the carpentry had just finished it that morning and Theo was given full permission to use it as she pleased; Theo got to be the first one to use it and damn, it felt good to be in charge.

It was gorgeous. There were weapons lining the walls, straw dummies, target practice, and small wooden obstacles meant to set a course through the room. She got lost in there and didn't emerge until dinnertime. At dinner, Theo greeted the tables, stole some bread off of Iona's plate, and left. Theo went right back into the training room and picked up the daggers on the wall once she had finished her bread. Evana had stocked the room with weapons from the armory. Theo had made a last-minute request of finding out a way to secure them in case of bad weather but Evana had already thought of that. Each weapon could be tightly secured to the wall with only a few minutes' notice.

Theo's wound had healed but her shoulder still had a while to go before it was back to peak functionality. She was starting to use it again, trying not to overexert herself. She wanted to try her luck with the throwing daggers. It was something Tuni had taught her the first length they were at sea together. Theo rarely used it in battle but it was a good skill to learn, one she had to polish up every few cycles. She was working up a sweat, throwing the daggers, jogging to collect them, coming back and doing it all over. Her left arm was as shit at aiming as it always had been and her right shoulder burned everytime she threw with it. It just made her more upset, every time she missed the target her frustration would grow. She had just finished hitting way left on a target when the door to the training room opened.

"What?!" she snapped then looked over. It was Ava and she suddenly felt very bad, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you."

She hadn't. The only people that knew she was in here were Cooker and Xyra.

"That's alright," Ava offered a smile, "I was just seeing if you had talked to Navi. Oceane said they were going to come talk to you about what's next."

Theo walked over to the rag she had draped over an obstacle and she wiped her forehead and her hands, "No, I haven't spoken to them. I'll touch base soon. Come by my room later and I'll let you know what Navi says, okay?"

"Should I bring my book...?" Ava let the question hang in the air, it was loaded.

Theo knew what she was really asking, 'Is that an invitation to stay?'

"Aye," Theo nodded a bit and smiled for what felt like the first time that day and dammit why did Ava have such an effect on her?

Ava backed out of the room, not unlocking her gaze from Theo's until she was out of sight. Theo figured that it was a good time to finish up in the training room. She had spent a little too much time in there but time flew when she was having fun. It was a great way to take out all the pent up aggression she had in her. She was a pirate, after all, emotions were dealt with through combat and violence and it had been quite some time since they had a good raid on their hands.

She grabbed her coat, bypassing putting it on in order to spare it from her drenched back. She made her way up to the deck and looked around for Navi. Theo found her huddled close to another tall figure at the helm of the ship. Theo put her fingers to her mouth, blowing out a sharp whistle. The two figures turned around, Xyra and Navi.

"Oi! My office," Theo called out and walked to her quarters without another word.

Theo sat behind her desk and shortly after Xyra and Navi came in.

"Our presence was requested," Navi said and sat on the edge of the desk.

"Just yours, actually. Xyrabellis was not asked to come."

"To be fair, that was not clear in your instructions so I'm going to stay," Xyra said.

"Nosy," Theo bit.

"Impudent," Xyra retorted with her arms crossed.

"Uptight."

"Immature."

"Alright, well if children's time is done can I know what's needed of me?" Navi interrupted.

"Where are you on Ava? She's been with you for six suns, are you ready to make a decision?" Theo asked.

"It's going to be a no," Navi said and Theo groaned and threw her head back.

"Can't you give it another chance? I don't want to have to tell her she's been passed over yet again. Poor girl can't catch a fucking break," Theo pleaded, "Three more suns."

"I'm sorry Theo. Three more suns aren't going to help matters. Look, she's really smart but she's got zero experience and with sailing just being smart doesn't cut it. Having her nose in books all day might be useful in some areas but certainly not for pirating," Navi shrugged and opened Theo's drawers and rummaged through them.

Theo tried stopping Navi and closing the drawers on her hands but Navi was persistent. Theo swatted at the invader, "Stop going through my things. And be nicer. She'll find something."

"I'm not being mean, Captain. I'm stating a fact. I like Red, don't get me wrong. I'll vote for her to stay whether she has a place or not but mate, it's going to be a tough thing to find her a job," Navi defended her earlier statement.

Xyra chuckled a bit and shrugged when fixed with a scolding look from Theo. Xyra stood in front of the desk, "Sorry, I'll take her around to be a cabin girl tomorrow and teach her the ropes. If we have a new quartermaster soon they're going to need a cabin girl to oversee."

"She would be doing nothing. We have no need for one right now," Theo said.

"You want to find her a job, right? This is probably your best bet," Xyra explained herself.

"Fine," Theo sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "She's coming by to get news about your verdict later, I'll tell her to find you in the morning for the job."

"Oh so you are finally going to start being in a better mood," Navi laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Theo sat up in her chair.

"She's just drawing the obvious comparison between the amount of time you have spent away from Ava and how much of a pain you've become. Night four is when we really noticed," Xyra started to tease and Theo groaned.

"Please not you too," Theo stood up and covered her ears, "We are not having this conversation right now."

"When you are ready to talk about your feelings towards Red, you know where to find me," Xyra said.

"Under Navi's sheets," Theo stuck her tongue out childishly.

"And that is our cue, come on," Xyra took Navi's arm and walked out. They bumped into Ava on the way out and exchanged greetings.

Ava walked in but left the door open behind her, "Hello."

"Welcome," Theo said with a smile.

"I've been let go haven't I?" Ava said.

"Aye," Theo admitted with a frown on her face, "How do you know?"

"Navi's face," Ava said and cleared her throat, "Thank you for telling me."

Ava didn't say anything else, she just clutched her bag close to her and quickly walked out of the room. At first, Theo was too confused to go after her. She thought maybe she was going to say something to Navi and then come back but a few minutes rolled by and Ava never came back. Theo found herself exiting her room in search of the girl.

She checked the deck and Tuni's room. Next, Theo casually strolled by the lower decks to see if she was in her hammock without anyone suspecting what she was doing. Finally, she checked the library. Granted, that is probably where she should have checked first. She cracked the door open and almost didn't see Ava. She was curled up in the corner on the floor, her face buried in her knees. If Ava had heard the door, she made no indication of it.

"Red," Theo called gently.

Ava lifted her head only enough to get a phrase out, "Go away, Theo."

Theo walked in instead, closing the door behind her, "Don't think I can. When one of my crew is upset it's my duty to help."

Theo walked over to Ava and sat down next to her, staying quiet to avoid pressuring Ava to speak before she was ready. Theo heard a sniffle every few minutes but besides that, Ava made no noise. It would be stupid of Theo to ask what was wrong, she knew the answer. Ava thought her spot on the ship was getting further and further away from reality as the jobs kept slipping out from under her. Ava was making no move to speak and Theo figured her best bet would be to try and comfort the upset girl. Theo draped her arm around Ava's shoulders and she felt the girl lean in a bit.

Ava lifted her head but turned it away from Theo, not allowing the captain to see Ava's face, "Thanks for being here but I'm fine."

"The way you ran off would indicate something else," Theo said softly and squeezed Ava's shoulder, "You are going to be fine but it's okay if you aren't right now."

"I'm not going to be fine. I'm going to be on the streets in a cycle," Ava muttered.

"Ava, your position on this ship is not compromised. I won't let you not get the votes to stay," Theo said, "It's my mission to protect the women on this ship and that is not something I take lightly. You will find your place here."

Ava put her forehead on her knees and groaned, "I must look so pathetic."

"You don't."

"A rich girl who can't keep a job? The jokes write themselves."

"No one is judging you, Ava. That is not what we do," Theo reasoned, "If you don't find something that sticks you can still stay."

"Promise?" Ava asked with a small sniffle, finally turning to face Theo. Theo could see her red-rimmed eyes from crying.

"I promise," Theo said confidently. Ava could still stay if she was voted in, even without a job. It had only been done a few other times but it could be done. The crew seemed to like her and those she had ended up working with had nothing but good things to say. Ava just lacked the experience but the passion and the willingness to learn were there. Theo couldn't penalize someone for being sheltered.

"I will try my hardest to do my part for the ship. I don't want a free ride," Ava said, panic seemed to be rising in Ava. Despair went and replaced with worry about her perception on the ship.

"Oi," Theo rubbed Ava's shoulder a bit, "I know that, Red. I trust you."

Ava's shoulders seemed to relax a bit and Theo felt the redhead lean further into Theo. Ava was resting in the crook of Theo's arm, head laying back against Theo's shoulder. It was the closest they had ever been besides that morning at the inn in Niveal. Theo could count the times they had been in close physical contact on one hand. She was holding in her breath, afraid to move and ruin the moment. There were growing butterflies in her stomach and she was forced to face what Xyra and all the others had been telling her for a while.

Fuck.

The wave of tingles that filled her chest could only mean one thing. It hadn't hit Theo until Ava was this close, Theo's line between friendship and pining was getting dangerously thin. Theo was able to push away any thoughts or feelings up until that point but the floodgates had opened. Theo's heart began to race and she hoped Ava could not tell the effect she had on the captain.

Ava was more than a recruit or a crew member to Theo. Theo had once again found herself in an unfortunate romantic situation. She couldn't ever seem to catch a break. She was falling for a rich girl, naive and unaware of how their world worked. Worse than that, Theo was falling for a koldi.