Drifters

Inti's Watcher

Saturday passed very quietly. Most people were nursing injuries, or just sleeping off the excitement of the tournament. There wasn't a review of the tournament, as everyone who cared about who'd won had watched live.

Sophie was, possibly for the first time in this place, bored. She'd passed the day alone, ate supper alone, and it seemed like she'd spend the whole night alone.

She broke into Peter's room, but he was asleep. Sighing, not even bothering to hide his boots, Sophie turned to leave. And paused, looking at the bathroom door.

As far as she knew, Razan hadn't eaten all day. That probably wasn't good. It would be kind of her to check.

She went into the bathroom and walked to the door opposite Peter's. A quick flip with her spear, and Razan's door slid open.

The lights were all on. Razan was sitting on the floor at his low desk, painting. He looked up at her, face neutral, then continued his art.

"Is knocking an unheard of concept where you're from?" he asked.

"No, I just didn't want to wake you if you were asleep," she shrugged, walking over. "What are you painting?"

"The mountain we climbed when we first arrived."

"Lovely." She sat down, watching.

After a few more strokes with his brush he sighed, turning towards her. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you'd had anything to eat today. As you didn't come out at our usual mealtimes."

"I have eaten," he said. "I also made myself tea, in case you wondered. I've simply been moving less, as I have three cracked ribs, a wounded shoulder, and several significant bruises."

"Right. That makes sense." Sophie looked back at the painting. "Is- Frankly, I'm bored."

"And I'm the only person you can bother?"

"Peter is asleep, I don't know where Marie is, and no one I really know is in the common area."

He lifted his brush. "I wish you luck in overcoming your boredom."

"Razan, please, do anything with me!"

He stopped, eyes still on his painting. "Anything?"

"Anything!"

Razan set his brush down, a low laugh escaping him. He turned towards her, a dangerous look in his eyes. "Anything."

Sophie hesitated, suddenly nervous. "Anything within reason."

Faster than she could react, he reached out and pushed her down, leaning over her. "And what is reasonable to do with a woman who breaks into my room at night and asks I entertain her?" he asked, grinning as he moved closer.

"Wait, stop," she said, scrambling to her feet. "I didn't mean-"

"I'm aware," he said, his face and tone neutral again as he sat up and lifted his paintbrush. "Be careful what you ask, thief."

Sophie stared at him, her heart racing as he calmly continued painting. "So, you wouldn't…"

He shrugged. "Not without your permission."

She watched him for a few seconds, not quite sure what that meant.

Razan glanced at her, amused. "What's that game Captain Marie is always playing with Peter?"

"Cribbage."

"Do you know the rules?"

She shook her head. "Not by heart. Nop has them written down, though."

"I wouldn't mind learning how to play, if you have no better ideas about how to spend the evening."

Sophie stepped towards the door. "I'll get the cards, then." She left, feeling his eyes on her.

Peter woke up Sunday morning being stared at by a bird.

Or at least, his hand was being stared at. He lifted the hand in question, checking if there was something wrong with the mitten. It still itched, but not insanely.

"Oh, you're awake," Nop said, hopping back. "I called to you several times with no effect. The healers say they are done."

"The healers?"

"Inside the mitten," Nop said, as if that explained it.

Peter nodded slowly, looking the mitten over. "Is it time to take it off?"

"Yes. I will release the locking mechanism, then you need to remove the mitten and perform a few exercises to make sure everything was repaired properly."

There was a soft click, and he felt the faint pressure on his wrist release. His hand crawled as he pulled the mitten off, but there wasn't any pain.

The palm of his hand had a fresh, raw scar across it. It was tender to the touch, but didn't hurt. Nop had him stretch and flex his fingers, as well as a few other movements. Nothing felt off. Peter was given permission to leave the mitten off, as long as he took care to not do anything stupid with his hand.

Promising the raven he wouldn't be stupid, he got up and got dressed for the day. After breakfast they'd announce next week's contest; he was hoping it wouldn't involve fighting.

He finally left his room and went to the kitchen to cook. The coffee had just finished when Razan came out of his room and began cooking as well. A few minutes later Marie and Sophie wandered out of their respective rooms. Marie started tea and went to the table while Sophie poured herself a cup of coffee. Peter took two plates of grits and sausage to the table, one for himself and one for Marie, expecting Sophie to make herself toast and jam as usual. Instead, Razan shoved a bowl of whatever he'd made at her and sat down at the table with his own bowl.

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"How do I eat this?" Sophie asked.

"Pour it directly over your head," Razan grumbled.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Spoon? Chopsticks? Would I offend your ancestors if I were to eat it with a fork?"

"Words cannot express how little I care what utensil you eat your food with."

Peter caught himself staring, and cleared his throat. "You… made her breakfast? Why?"

Razan gave an annoyed sigh. "I lost a bet." He paused. "Several bets."

Sophie sat down and smiled at Peter. "He has to make me breakfast for two weeks. And it has to be food that I'm willing to eat; had to specify that detail."

"Well done," Marie said quietly, finishing her food.

Peter wasn't sure how he felt about that. "I would have made you breakfast."

"It's fine," Sophie said, poking something mysterious in the bowl with a fork. "You make Marie breakfast. So Razan can make mine." She took a bite. After chewing once, her face turned red and she squeaked.

Razan gave her a bland smile. "I may not have mixed in the wasabi well enough. I apologize. Not quite awake this early in the morning."

Marie looked at him. "Wasabi is spicy, I assume?"

"A bit." He continued eating. "It's very healthy. Helps wake one up."

Sophie swallowed, looking on the verge of tears. "It's delicious," she managed, and angrily took another bite.

Peter shook his head. "I'd really prefer if you just let me make you breakfast."

Marie got up. "Don't spoil their fun, cowboy." She took her bowl to the sink. "Besides, Razan has to honor his bet."

Razan nodded. "I must honor the bet."

Peter shot him a glare, then finished eating.

Sophie sat on the couch between Peter and Marie as Nop put a set of pictures on the coffee table. Razan sat on the floor, helping the raven organize them.

"This week we have a rescue mission," Nop said, looking at the three on the couch. "They aren't uncommon, so we just rotate from youngest to oldest for who gets to be 'captured'. For this contest, Sophie will be tied up and placed at the top of this cliff, in Bolivia. The other three will be set down here, some ways away in a ravine. The 'win' button, which must be pressed by Sophie and one other person, will be placed at the bottom of the cliff. We anticipate this event taking all day, so each team will have their own cliff and ravine. I have chosen this area for you."

Sophie picked up the picture of where she'd be tied, a smile growing on her face as she imagined climbing in the vegetation-covered terrain. "Yes."

"Tied up?" Peter repeated, worry in his voice. "How will she be tied?"

"With common rope," the raven said. "We make sure the knots aren't complicated or overly tight."

"Any equipment?" Marie asked.

"The rescuers are allowed to take anything they please. Sophie will only be allowed what she can carry in her pockets or attached directly to her body."

"We're joining," Sophie said, beaming. "Or, I am. I don't care if you join or not. I'm in."

Razan smirked. "I'll join just to have a nap in the forest."

"I don't know," Peter said, taking the picture from Sophie. "It looks dangerous; you've never climbed something like this before."

"I know!" she cheered.

Razan shook his head. "As I said before: you show a surprising lack of trust in your lover's abilities."

"It's not a lack of trust, I just don't want to shove her into danger!"

"It's climbing," Razan said. "You do know what she does all day in the climbing room? You have seen her? No, you have met her?"

Nop tried to interject, "The bail devi-"

"What she can or can't do isn't the point," Peter snapped at Razan. "I care about her, and want to think before risking her life and safety!"

Razan rolled his eyes. "I see; this isn't about the contest. We had a plan."

Marie stood and went to her room.

"A plan that failed miserably!"

"Because of a cursed cat! No one could have predicted the only pet on the whole damn ship would be in those rooms!"

Peter got to his feet, glaring down at Razan. "But if there'd been two people there, it could have been caught! Instead of Sophie being caught!"

"I don't know what you expect me to do, apologize again?" Razan snapped, jumping up. "We had communication devices, we were as prepared as I thought we needed to be!"

Marie came back, smirked at Sophie, and stepped between the men, shoving a pistol at each of them. "Settle this like gentlemen. Shoot at each other from twenty paces."

Razan looked confused. "Do what?"

Sophie couldn't keep the wide smile off her face. She knew this wasn't precisely a duel over her… But it felt like a duel over her. Her sisters would be so jealous.

Peter sighed, adjusting the pistol in his hands. "You don't have duels in Japan?"

Marie interrupted whatever comment Razan was about to make. "Sophie, the pool room is more than twenty paces long, aye? If Peter wins, Razan is an inconsiderate bastard. If Razan wins, Peter is an overcautious, untrusting bastard. Can we agree to those terms?"

Razan looked at the pistol, then bowed slightly as he offered it back to Marie. "Peter is a better shot than me. I forfeit before making a fool of myself."

"Very well." Marie took the weapon, looking at Peter. "Razan is an inconsiderate bastard. Happy?"

"I still want to shoot him," Peter grumbled.

"Pity," Marie snapped. "Nop: we will be joining. Peter, go with Sophie to figure out what she needs to stuff into her pockets if you're so worried. Frankly, I agree with the samurai that she'll do fine. Razan, with me."

Razan followed her to her room as Peter took Sophie's hand.

He looked at her. "I don't… It's not that I don't trust you, I do, I just worry about your safety."

"Which is very sweet," Sophie assured him, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "I'll be perfectly safe, I promise."

He smiled, and they left the room.

Marie saw Razan glance around her room as they stepped in, and she realized he'd never been in here before.

"How does it compare to your room?" she asked, motioning for him to take the chair.

He sat down after a slight bow. "All the designs are fairly… alien. I have learned that tables can look strange to me."

Marie smiled, then sat on the edge of her bed. "I'd just like to know when you made your plans with Sophie to inspect the Mask's rooms."

He shrugged. "Three weeks ago? Or possibly four."

"Yes, but when?" she repeated. "When did you meet alone to discuss it?"

Razan hesitated. "She broke into my room one night and I caught her. I asked if she could get anywhere, and the conversation progressed from there."

"There was no other time?"

"No, other than a brief meeting after we bought the communication devices, to decide how to test them."

Marie nodded. "So it's not that you went to her, or she came to you, but it was a casual idea that came up at some strange hour of the morning when you happened to see each other?"

He nodded.

"I see. I still don't approve of not informing us, but I understand better why you didn't think it important enough to bring up."

"And I apologize again," he said, his tone neutral.

"Good." Marie started to ask a question, then stopped. She hesitated, wondering if she should bring it up. As she watched the young man in front of her, she decided life would be more interesting if she did. "You see through Sophie's idiotic flirtations and seem to appreciate her strengths, but I'm not sure Peter has realized how competent she is. Do you think Peter actually likes Sophie?"

The question caught Razan by surprise. He almost answered, paused, then gave a short laugh. "No. I don't."

Marie sat back. "I wonder what will happen when they figure that out."