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"This week, we're going to play Underwater Treasure Hunt!" Nop announced. "Some love it, some hate it, and some ignore safety regulations and nearly drown! That's what makes it so exciting! This time, only three out of each group are required to join. If someone really doesn't know how to swim, but the rest of your group wants in, that's fine! All that matters is the number of shells you collect."
"Who doesn't know how to swim?" Razan asked under his breath.
"As usual, you will be provided with breathing devices and bags," the raven continued. She turned to the wall and four images of shells appeared. "Blue shells are worth one point. Red shells are worth two points. Purple shells are worth three points. And gold shells are worth five points. We have scattered shells of all colors throughout the area. For this event, we're allowing fighting and stealing. If a shell isn't on a team's platform, it's fair game. Don't kill anyone! And as always, let us know by tonight if you’re joining or not."
Nop grew still. Razan sat back, looking at Marie.
She was watching Sophie. "Do you know how to swim, girl?"
Sophie shook her head. "Swimming is not a proper ladylike activity."
Marie raised her eyebrows at Peter.
"I grew up in a desert," he said. "There wasn't enough water anywhere near me to swim in."
"On a ship, if you're swimming it means something's gone horribly wrong," Marie said. "I know how to swim. I'm not sure how well I can fight underwater, though."
"I can fight effectively," Razan said. "There are a few tricks to it, but it isn't hard."
"Sophie, do you want to join?” Marie asked.
“It sounds fun,” she said. “If it turns out swimming is hard, I can always just stay on the platform thing they mentioned.”
Marie nodded. “Peter, want to join?”
He thought it over. “If there’s an area here where I can learn to swim before being dumped into the ocean, sure,” he said slowly. “If not, I’m not too keen on the idea.”
“Very well,” Marie said. “Nop, we will join.”
The bird hopped. “Thank you. Your platform shall be Platform… 5. Please go to the tailor room attached to the common area and acquire proper swimming clothes as soon as possible.”
“We will,” Marie said. She sat forwards. “Razan, for this I want you to stay with Sophie. Don’t bother with shells, just protect her. Sophie, focus all your energy on finding shells. Peter, if you come, you’re with me. We’ll collect shells, and if we see anyone alone we’ll take theirs. Understood?”
“Understood,” Razan said, nodding.
Sophie echoed the word.
Peter frowned. “I understand, but I’m not sure I want to steal. Maybe I should stay with Sophie.”
“Stealing is allowed, and it’s just a game,” Marie said. “Before we debate further: Nop, is there a place here where we can swim?”
“Yes,” Nop said. “However, due to its small size, you are required to reserve a time to go there. Would you like to reserve a time?”
“Multiple times. An hour each morning until Friday, for the entire group.”
“Done. I will give you the schedule as soon as you have ordered proper clothes.”
“Thank you,” Marie said, standing. “Peter, let’s talk in my room.”
Peter slowly got to his feet. “Yes, ma’am.”
Sophie beamed at Razan. “My own personal bodyguard, how exciting.”
“Do you know anything about the ocean?” he asked.
“It exists,” she said cheerfully. “I saw a painting of it once.”
Razan purposefully turned towards the bird. "Do you always switch the days when you announce each week's competition?"
"No, it's usually announced on Sunday," Nop said. "Last week it was announced on Tuesday so our newest contestants could join."
"That's nice of you," Sophie told her. She turned to Razan again. "Oh! There are fish in the ocean. I know that, too!"
He sighed.
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Marie sat on her bed, motioning for Peter to take the chair. “Have you ever stolen anything?”
Peter became very focused on adjusting the chair’s position. “Yes,” he said softly.
She watched him. “You were desperate.”
“Yes.”
“Were you caught?”
He fiddled with the edge of his poncho. “Seen, not caught.”
“While you were in the army?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t ask what country he’d been in when he’d stolen. “I never tried to hide that I was stealing. I announced it to the world and dared them to do anything about it. You didn’t want to be seen. For me, being seen was the point. But you were trained as a soldier, were you not?”
He finally looked her in the eye. “Yes.”
“So you know how to follow orders, even difficult ones.”
“...Yes.” He fiddled with his poncho again.
“All I’d like you to do is say hello, aim a weapon at their heart, and ask they hand over their shells,” she said. “I’ll do the rest. This isn’t like stealing food or clothes. It isn’t them or us. If someone loses all their shells and comes in last, they still gain enough credits just by entering to eat for a week. No one will die or be at risk of dying because of our actions. Besides, we are not going to be the best fighters out there. If someone is alone, they’re either incredibly stupid or incredibly competent. In one case they deserve to be stolen from, in the other it’ll be a fair fight.”
“Still, I’d prefer to be with Sophie,” he said in Spanish. “I’d prefer to be the one not stealing.”
Marie sat back, switching to that language well. “No, you’d prefer to be with the pretty blonde who keeps flirting with you.”
His cheeks colored as he stuttered out a denial.
She laughed softly. “Peter, Sophie is brilliant at seeing things. When she walks into a new room, she looks up. She notices entrances and exits where I see a wall. In this game, she will find every shell there is to find, and a dozen more. But, like most people who are brilliant, she’s also an idiot. As soon as we get into the water, she’s going to be so excited about all the colorful shells that she’ll forget people want to take them from her. If she sees someone, she’ll probably wave and try to start a conversation. Sophie needs someone serious, who thinks she’s a bit annoying, to stay vigilant and protect her. The more shells she finds, the bigger a target she becomes, the better the fighters who will try to attack her. I trust Razan to be able to protect her. I wouldn’t trust you.”
Slowly, he nodded. “I understand.”
“For the last contest you were Peter,” she said, going back to French. “For this one, I’d like you to be a soldier, following your commander. Last time, I was Marie. This time, I will be Captain LeFleur. Is that acceptable?”
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Peter sat up, giving her a military salute with emotionless eyes. “Yes, captain. Sergeant Peter Lopez, at your command.”
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Sophie looked through all the options for swimwear, her eyes wide.
Her. Mother. Would. Kill. Her.
"Hi Sophie!"
Sophie squeaked, spinning around to hide the screen.
Rani giggled, bouncing. "I'm not that scary, am I?"
Sophie laughed, relaxing. "No, sorry, I just… was looking at swimming clothes."
Rani squinted thoughtfully, then knowingly patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Your mother will never know."
"I know, but…" She pointed to the item on the screen that appeared to be two triangles and a few ribbons. "How can anyone wear that in public?"
"It's simple. Once you're in the water, looking for shells, fighting enemies, you don't even think about what you're wearing," Rani told her. "And when fighting men, it's an advantage to have them distracted by your clothing's lack of yardage."
Sophie laughed at that. "I see you've thought this over thoroughly."
"Always." Rani grinned, then looked at the screen. "I'm getting new clothes for this contest too. Why don't we pick something out together? If you wear the same thing as me, then at least you'll know you aren't alone with your scandalous outfit."
Sophie hugged her. "You're the best. Also you probably know what fabric to use."
"Naturally."
They spent the next twenty minutes happily discussing clothes. Razan left after five, Marie on his heels. Peter finished choosing his outfit after ten minutes, tried to see what Sophie was doing, and was chased off by Rani.
Finally they paid for their outfits and wandered to the climbing room.
"Rani, have you ever been outside the areas we're allowed to be in?" Sophie asked carefully, following her friend up the wall.
"Outside?" Rani repeated. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… Places we aren't supposed to go."
"I don't think there's any way to get places we aren't supposed to go," Rani said. "This ship has been here over fifty years at least. People say every five years there's an upgrade in security and they change any wall or floor panel that could be breaking. If there was a way out of the allowed areas, they've gotten rid of it by now."
"I see," Sophie said slowly. "When is the next upgrade?"
"If they keep to the schedule, the end of this year." Rani looked at her as she moved to the ceiling. "What did you find?"
Sophie gave her an innocent smile. "Nothing. I was just curious."
Rani laughed. "Well, speaking of 'just curious', are you going to claim Peter or is he of no interest to you?"
Sophie nearly fell off the ceiling. "What?"
"Sorry, should have waited until you were on the swing to ask that," Rani said. "I'll wait for a reply."
"You're so kind," Sophie said, lunging for the swing and dropping onto it. She settled herself, then looked at Rani. "I am now ready for any question."
A dangerous glimmer sparked in Rani's eyes. "Any question? Very well: do you plan on spending a night in his bed?"
Sophie felt her face catch fire.
"I'll take that as a yes. Will you be actively trying to get him to kiss you, or will you let him set the pace?"
Sophie squeaked.
"How experienced are you? Do you have everything figured out, or would you like some suggestions?"
"I was not ready for any question," Sophie blurted out.
Rani laughed. "Poor little Sophie, am I being mean?"
"Yes," she answered, turning away.
"Fine, I'll stop with the fun questions," Rani said, kicking her feet to make the swing move. "He likes you. Or at the very least he doesn’t like it when you flirt with other men."
"What should I do?" Sophie asked softly. "If we were in England I'd know exactly what to do. And if I didn't, there are books by the dozen willing to explain. Here… I know how to flirt with him but I don't know… what to do."
"Well, you're a thief, right?" Rani countered. "Steal things."
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Marie looked over the rectangle filled with water, waiting for her team to change into proper swimming clothes. She was in a tight-fitting shirt made of fabric that claimed to not hold water. The sleeves went to her wrists, and somehow made her feel like she could move easier. Her shorts, looser things that were cinched at her hips, did not help movement but were very comfortable.
Razan emerged from the dressing stall first, dressed only in shorts similar to what Marie was wearing, but with colors reversed. He nodded to her, then dove soundlessly into the pool. Marie was mildly impressed with how quickly he moved through the water.
Peter came out next, wearing a loose shirt and somewhat tighter trousers. Marie realized this was the first time she'd seen the cowboy without a poncho. He hunched under her gaze, clearly not sure what to do with his hands.
Razan slid out of the water and jumped effortlessly to his feet. "Peter, you are a man. Take your shirt off."
Peter flinched. "I, uhm…" He straightened up to his full height, looking down at the samurai. "No."
Marie smiled, fully prepared to enjoy this fight.
"Marie!" Sophie called from her stall. "Please help?"
Marie sighed, turning away from the glaring men. She went into the stall to find Sophie in a very short skirt, holding two ends of what looked like a long scarf. She'd looped the blue-green fabric over her neck, crossing it to cover her breasts, then around her back and across her chest. Her dark blonde hair, usually pinned up, hung in a thick braid down past her bare waist. The girl turned red as Marie's eyebrows went up.
"Rani's wearing the same thing," she said quickly. "When we're in the water no one will notice."
"They'll notice," Marie said flatly. "I presume you'd like me to tie those at your back?"
Still blushing, Sophie turned around. "Yes, please. In a bow, if you can."
"Of course." Marie took the ends and carefully twisted them into place. "A word of warning, though, your back will hurt like hell Friday night."
"Why?"
"How many days have you spent since reaching puberty not wearing a corset?"
Sophie frowned. "A handful. Why?"
"Corsets support your back. You're not only getting rid of that support but will be swimming," Marie explained, tightening the bow. "I speak from experience when I say you've got some muscles that aren't used to having much expected of them."
"Oh. I'll ask Nop if they have something for pain," Sophie decided. "Thank you for the warning. And thank you for tying my bow."
Marie smiled, patting the girl on her bare shoulder. "Anything to help a fellow woman render a man useless."
Sophie frowned again, about to ask what she meant, but Marie threw the door open and pushed her out.
Peter and Razan, in the middle of a struggle Peter was losing, froze and stared at Sophie. She glanced back at Marie, nervous, then beamed at the men.
"Ready to swim?" she asked brightly, bouncing over to the pool's edge. Her braid swayed with the movement.
Razan pointed. "See, she's wearing less clothes than you are."
The pointing hadn't been necessary. Peter was practically drooling as he watched Sophie tap the water with her bare foot. He didn't reply to Razan, and Marie doubted he'd even heard the man.
"You're going about this the wrong way," Marie told Razan, walking up to them. "You need to demonstrate why a loose shirt is a bad idea."
Quick as lightning, Marie grabbed Peter's collar and a fistful of fabric over the center of his chest. With two solid steps she forced him backwards, and sent him into the water with a shove.
"Yes, I see," Razan said loudly as Peter flailed. "It would be impossible for you to use that maneuver with me, as I have no shirt."
"Indeed."
Sophie scrambled into the water and grabbed Peter's arm, helping him find his footing in the chest-deep pool.
Marie moved to the edge and slid into the water as easily and quietly as if she were stepping down a flight of stairs. She calmly walked to Peter.
"If you prove you can fight me in that shirt, you may keep it," she said, her voice cold.
He moved away from Sophie, slowly raising his fists into position. Marie shook her head, and then struck. She grabbed the fabric on his upper arm with both hands and swung herself around. Peter stumbled in the water, trying to keep balance as he grabbed her wrist.
Marie kicked his knee from the side, forcing him down. He grasped uselessly at her, barely keeping his head above water. She let go of his sleeve, took the back of his collar, and yanked it over his head.
Fully panicking, Peter forced himself upright, put his hands around her neck, and fell over on top of her. Marie took a deep breath of air as he forced her underwater, bringing her knees up to her chest. She easily tore his hands away, then kicked him hard in the stomach.
Her back hit the bottom of the pool as Peter flailed again. She flipped around and swam away, putting herself behind him. As soon as he had his footing she pushed herself off the bottom, hitting his back with both palms. Marie grabbed his shirt as he stumbled again, swinging to put her feet on his hips.
She straightened out, pulling the collar of his shirt tight against his throat. Peter fell over backwards, but Marie knew she could hold her breath longer than him. She twisted the shirt, tightening it around his neck.
Peter clawed at his collar for a few moments, then went still. Marie let go, pushing herself away and up. He twitched upright, pulling his shirt off as he gasped for air.
Marie immediately understood why he'd wanted to keep it. The man wasn't just thin or lanky, he was one meal off from emaciated. Skin clung to protruding ribs as he breathed heavily, rubbing his throat. She saw a scar on his arm from a bullet and another on his side from a blade. Faded bruises on his chest, back and stomach told her he’d been knocked down and kicked.
Still, the point had been made. Peter could not wear a loose shirt.
Razan, sitting on the pool's edge, caught Marie's eye and motioned to Sophie. The girl was staring at Peter, hands over her mouth.
Marie cleared her throat. "As entertaining as that was, we are here to practice swimming. Razan, Peter needs to learn how to move without flailing: teach him. Sophie: stick your head underwater, I need to know how long you can hold your breath."
Sophie vanished underwater with a splash as Razan silently dove into the pool.