Cedric carefully stepped onto the dark grating of the Ravager, clan Greyskull's flagship. For a flagship, it was actually quite small - no larger than a frigate. They hitched a ride on one of the cramped boarding pods used to board the UKE Bachelard - compared to one of the UKE's premier corvettes, the Ravager and the pods seemed no more than a pile of bolts and duct tape. This ragtag group of pirates though, even with their rudimentary designs forming the structure of their vessel, were able to take down a high-end combat corvette manned by the UKE's elite KAA forces and technology. That ingenuity spoke volumes about their skills.

The interior of the Ravager was utilitarian to its core, removable grates dominated its floors and walls - wires, pipes, and small components were plainly visible and exposed beneath them. Orange lighting was easy on the eyes, and reminded Cedric of the Hwain Gus. The memory stung. He observed the interior as he fell in line beside Captain Garerra, his unusually silent footsteps following their previous conversation. She was his captain after all, and demanded respect. A few of the crew came to greet them, Kipper and a couple others he didn't know. Both were female canidae, with one being a vulpes and the other a grey lupus. Pretty standard fare he was slowly discovering. Cigar still in-muzzle, she issued her orders.

"This is Sleaze. One of us now. Get him something better than prison rags - if he needs something for his mask, get it. Show him the ropes, we're celebrating our haul."

"Can do, Cap." It was Kipper. She walked up up to Cedric and patted her paw against his stomach.

"Alright big guy, what's your size."

He shrugged, "Whatever will fit on a big ass urine, I guess."

She nodded, "Okay, I can work with that. Got a color preference?"

"Crimson. Like blood red."

"Man, you really are a fearsome machine. What's the deal with the mask?"

"Keeps me alive."

"Damn, that sucks. What drugs you need?"

"Just oxygen."

The vulpes woman spoke up, "Oxygen? Are you shitting us?"

He shook his head, "Nope. If I don't breathe oxygen regularly, I die. Simple as that."

"They use that shit in magitech. You telling me you're powered by magitech?"

"In a way, I suppose I am. Can't be pure oxygen though, needs to be mixed with Nitrogen. Seventy-nine and twenty-one percent, respectfully."

This time, the lupine spoke - she had a soft, somewhat skittish voice.

"That's specific."

"It is, but that's what I need."

Kipper spoke again, "I can do you one better - that mask of yours is attached to an atomized container right? We pilfered some shit like that in the past, never had a use for it. We can put together a less bulky one that'll be more comfortable to use, even slap a latch on it so you can separate the top from the bottom when you wanna smoke. You happen to know how much you need?"

He shook his head, "No. I used to know a Korellei that was good with this kind of thing, she filled up the container and said it was supposed to last three months, but only lasted one."

"Okay, yeah we can do something like that. Could make it take atomized capsules instead, lot smaller. Just gotta remember to swap them out every other week. Can't put that much in one capsule."

"I'll take it."

"I'll get you some clothes, but on one condition."

"Hm?"

"I get to put them on you." She sneered.

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Ooh, too embarrassing?"

"Fuck off Kipper, I'll get him some." The lupine woman freed him from the thirsty otter.

"I appreciate it.'

"Mm-hmm. Kipper get that new mask for him."

"Oh what, you can just order me around now?"

"Just do it."

"Fiiiiine." Kipper skimpered off.

"Biz, talk to Killer - make sure she doesn't challenge this guy, he'll destroy her."

"What? How do you know?"

"I saw him dust one of the imperials to literal mush."

"Oh, holy shit - yeah okay I'll go do that."

"Killer?" Cedric inquired.

"As you are aware, we get new names based on how we are here. Killer challenges a lot of new guys to five-paw fillet. She always wins. When we're on a job, she never leaves survivors. She'll lavish the opportunity to challenge you. You'll lose most likely, but I am more concerned about her losing - just in case."

He shrugged, "If I lose, I lose. Hell, I just won't accept in the first place."

"You got a death wish?"

"Maybe I'm thinking of something different, but five-finger - er 'paw' - fillet is rapidly stabbing a knife between your fingers right? Assuming you're not asinine, you'll just get a nasty cut, those heal back easy."

"Cuts don't heal back, guy."

"Ah, they do for me."

"You're not joking."

He shook his head.

"What I wouldn't give to have that. My name is Grey, welcome aboard Sleaze."

"Good to meet you, really pulled the short straw with my nickname."

"You got it for a reason."

"I know - I'm uh, not very good at speaking Korellei."

"You sound just fine to me."

He didn't have a response.

"Whatever, not my business to pry. Come on, I'll show you the quarters and get you something more comfortable."

"I appreciate it."

"Yeah, no problem."

He followed Grey through the winding, grated corridors. It really wasn't anything interesting, in fact it was actually one of the most intuitive ships he had been aboard on. Corridors were straight, with minimal branches leading to clearly marked areas such as the the mess, cargo, command, armory, and quarters. There was more than enough space within the hallways to move quickly and comfortably- no matter the species. There was some graffiti here and there, but as far as dirt was concerned the hull was clean. Maybe not shined and polished clean like the imperial interiors, but well-kept. He recognized dozens of Korellei species aboard the Ravager. Wolves, foxes, dogs, cats, cheetahs, tigers, raccoons, mice and rats, a few black bears and the occasional grizzly, ferrets, otters, mormots - the list went on and on. Many wore differing attire adorned with whatever personal touches they decided on. Skulls, medals, pouches - they all were incredibly individualized. Crazy hair styles, original (and sometimes skimpy) outfits, dyed fur, a couple same-sex relationships - all out in plain display. What really struck home to Cedric was the fact that nobody gave him strange looks or cowered in fear - in fact many greeted him and Grey during their exploration. Of all the places he had been, this one was where he was most comfortable.

"I love this place." Cedric said suddenly as they were traversing the last segment of their corridor.

"Really?"

"Of all the places I've been, this is the one I've felt most comfortable. No more slave collars and leashes, no more whispers, no more looks - I'm just... Another person walking through the corridors."

"That's why most of us stay." Grey stated, "Don't be fooled, a lot of crew are messed up in their own way - but at least here, it's not seen with constant distain - unlike in the Empire."

"What little I saw of the Empire, I thought it was beautiful and rich - but over time, it proved itself to be anything but."

"And that was just the core systems. I take it you've never been beyond it."

Cedric shook his head, "No, I haven't."

"The border, and especially the outer colonies have it real bad."

"Just how bad, exactly?"

"Well..." Grey guided him to an offshoot of the main corridor, a large room filled with a plentiful assortment of different uniforms and clothing graced his vision. He immediately set out to compile an ideal outfit, taking inspiration from the other crew he saw and personalizing his appearance to the fullest. He found a small pocket in his orange jumpsuit he failed to notice before, finally stashing his cigarettes and lighter within in to keep his hands free.

"So bad that some of them see us as heroes."

"Pirates? As heroes? That's insane."

"It is, the Empire doesn't give a shit about the colonies. The wealthy and elite only care about their own agendas and status - you of all people should know that."

"I guess news travels far."

"Not just far, try the whole damn Empire - you're public enemy number one. On the bright side, if you hadn't killed those two nobles - you wouldn't be here with us, and found a place you like."

Cedric tried his best to keep cool, but the mere notion of Faring and her mother angered him greatly - his emotions were prominent on his tongue.

"I didn't have a fucking choice, I had to kill her - her mother just got caught in the crossfire."

Grey threw her paws up in surrender, acknowledging she had accidentally perturbed him.

"Sorry, didn't mean it like that."

Cedric inhaled deeply to settle himself down, then exhaled.

"It's... Fine. It still pisses me off is all."

She pat him on the shoulder as he collected a rather nice set of jack boots from their apparel collection.

"Hey, don't go crazy thinking about it. A lot of us have done some messed up things, and a lot of us have repented and hate ourselves - but the Empire doesn't give a shit about that."

"I appreciate that. You know, being on a pirate crew like this - it's way different than I thought it would be."

"Oh yeah?"

Cedric continued carefully exploring the area, securing a decent, sturdy black tactical backpack to hold his clothing collection - as well as several thick socks, designed to keep Korellei claws from penetrating their shoes. He also procured a large set of black cargo trousers - his outfit was coming together nicely.

"Yeah, thought it would be more... Borish."

"Borish, huh? Well your vocabulary is already way better than ours."

"Another Korellei taught me, I've been absorbing every Korellei word I can. Still don't know how to speak High Korellei worth a damn though."

Grey shrugged, "Eh, that goes for the most of us. This crew is still borish, as you say, but we keep our rowdiness tempered. All that anger and sadness gets directed to the Imperial ships we hijack. When you start going on raids, that's when you'll see the crew go off the rails."

"Are all crews like that?"

"Afraid not. The blackfur gang from the Kinshin Triad are especially nasty. Rape, pillage, destroy for fun - that's what they do. The Kinshin Triad are an odd group that operates within the colonies. There's a lot of crews that do as they please, the Triad do a good job of reigning them in - but not always. There's independent crews that are particularly messed up on their own, like the Reaver Fleet. Even Greyskull doesn't bother them. As a general rule though, the other crews tend to keep to themselves."

Thumbing through a collection of shirts, Cedric collected a fine black shirt that would be somewhat tight on him, it'd probably feel more like a compression shirt. It was made of a soft, airy material - it would easily wick away his sweat. Cedric also acquired a comfortable set of black leather fingerless gloves, then set out to the coat collection eyeing the trenches.

"Seems like I lucked out here. You said this crew has their own problems, anyone I should be on the lookout for?"

Grey thought for a moment, before replying, "For starters, don't mind Kipper. She's one of the most lush on the crew, but she's a monster when it comes to magitech. The Man-Maker is another female on board you should watch for. She's fucked more men on this crew than I can count. If you see a white-furred felidae that's a barbary* - don't let her seduce you. She especially likes virgins. Unless I guess, you're into that sort of thing."

"No, not really." Cedric blushed, recalling his rendevous in the past.

He spotted a particularly juicy piece of clothing, a large black leather trench coat with a hood and a zipper that spanned the length of it. It would fit him perfectly. He removed it from its sturdy hanger and draped it behind his neck. He shifted his way to what appeared to be an accessory box.

"I thought you said you liked crimson as a color?"

"Hm? I do."

Grey pointed to his growing collection with a furred finger, "Everything you've picked so far is black."

Looking to his collection, then back at Grey - he responded, "Hm, well I like black too."

"I think we got some stuff that would look better on you, if you are fine with that."

"Uh, sure?"

Cedric wasn't sure how to respond more precisely, but the natural conversation scored plenty of blissful points to the concept of normality. Just friendly banter back and forth - it was a breath of fresh air, so to speak. He thumbed his mask - wondering what Kipper was going to come up with. Needing to swap out capsules more often than his tank was a tad annoying, but if it made his mask less bulky he'd be more than happy to accept it. He sifted through the box as Grey wondered off, eyeing several lovely pieces of steel (or something like it), silver, and gold accessories.

"Take your shirt off, try some of these." Grey had already returned with some articles of clothing.

He did as he was asked, relieving himself of the top half of his orange jumpsuit suit and his sullied white t-shirt.

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"Whoa! On second thought." She covered her nose with an available paw, "You need to take a goddess-damned shower first. Get what you want from that box, I'll show you to your bunk and the showers. I'll just bring you some shit to pick through."

"Ah, right - being cooped up in a tiny box for a while with no freedom screwed me over."

"Yeah, well you're somewhere you can take a damn shower now, so do that yeah?"

He nodded, throughly embarassed. He hadn't even considered it, but lupines had a very strong sense of smell - just like typical canines. She had most likely been dealing with his smell this entire time, but said nothing of it - but it seemed that upon taking off the top half of his clothes, she couldn't hold back anymore. He loathed to think what his crotch might smell like right about now.

Sifting through the collection faster now, he spotted some earrings that featured a silver wolf head howling with a slice of moon in the background, it didn't appear to be Korellei in appearance. Interesting, he thought - he scooped them up then guided his vision to some necklaces as well. None really caught his interest save for a silver chain and a purple diamond-shaped pendant. He scooped those up and gingerly stored them in his recently acquired tactical bag, taking care as to not lose them. All outfits needed accessories, after all. He rested the bag on his shoulder, and double checked the black leather trench he acquired was snugly around his neck.

"I'm done, where am I staying? The sooner I store these things and shower - the better."

"No kidding." Grey replied in a stale manner, clearly still bothered by his smell. Grey gestured him to follow her, and again they made their way through the well-organized corridors. Grey looked back to him, walking backwards as they proceeded - her comfortable black leather jacket rippling with the motion.

"You lucked out, got your own room. It's tiny, but yours. Most of us stay in the quarters - but because of your size and weight, that wasn't really viable. That being said, it's just barely enough space to move around. Basically a big supply closet turned bedroom. You're near the showers too, big area - coed. Get used to seeing lots of naked peeps."

He shrugged, "I'm sure I'll deal. The coed part is interesting. It'll be awkward, but I'll get over it."

"As you should. Though uh, sometimes some of the crew like to fuck in there. So there's that."

Cedric shrugged again, "If they want to do that in a public area, that's their prerogative. Can't say I'm not surprised though. Goes with the territory being coed I imagine."

"Yeah, showers make it easy to clean up after I guess. Still, figured I'd let you know. Ah, here we are."

She whipped back around, facing what seemed to be a randomly placed door in the main corridor that also connected with the mess hall and a large commons chamber. He'd check those out later for sure.

"Oh wow, you weren't kidding."

"Nope, it's literally a big supply closet."

"Will I fit?"

"Oh you will, there's space to move and you won't bump your head - just not a lot to work with."

"Okay then, let's see it."

She nodded and opened the wide sliding door, revealing an incredibly plain room. Instead of grating, clean metal plates adorned the walls, floor, and ceiling. A bed fit for his size was on the right side towards the back of where they were facing, and a sizable brown faux-wood closet lay opposite of it - on the left side of the room. A small desk with some kind of computer rested easy to the back left of the room. As she stated, there wasn't a lot of room to move. About twelve feet wide or so, he'd have to stand in place to open and bend backwards to clear the closet doors. It was cozy and clean, and that's all he could really ask for. A plain mattress laid on a sturdy black metal frame, with a tiny bundle of bedding resting on the head. Pillow, fitted sheet, regular sheet, and a scratchy brown wool blanket were folded in place. He was convinced that the entire point of the top sheet was to avoid feeling the rough material of the thin and seemingly wool-bound blanket. It reminded him of the bunks in basic**, actually.

"Looks comfortable, couldn't ask for more."

"Good thing you aren't, you're getting special treatment because of your freakish size to begin with."

Cedric tossed his bag and trench on the bed.

"And the showers? Also soap and the like."

"In your closet. Grab a change of clothes, I'll be back after you shower so you can pick through some clothing I've scrounged from storage. One other thing, this door doesn't lock."

"Lovely. So long as random crew don't barge in, I don't care."

"Right well, you can find your way to the showers right? Out, left, down a bit past one of the crew quarters, left again. Shitter and showers are there."

"Thank you, Grey."

Cedric swore he saw some blush forming on her muzzle as he crossed her arms, "Yeah, no problem."

Grey twirled around and left Cedric to his devices, her grey tail swishing back and forth. Was it doing that before? Opening the closet, he spotted a single cylindrical bottle and a towel with a scrubber. Must be it, he surmised. Unlike the hotel and the Empire as a whole, there was no dedicated hair/fur shampoo, conditioner, or body wash. Whatever this was must be some basic liquid soap akin to simply using lye as a base. Luxury for a pirate, he imagined. He also spotted a couple very large jumpsuits suitable for his size. They were plain as plain could be, a black and a grey suit that covered the body - feet included. It looked more like a onsie, probably for work. It would be quick to get in and out of for a shower trip. He collected what he needed and slid open the browned hex door that lead to his room, and made his way to the showers. Finally, true freedom he thought. When was the last time he was able to just go where he pleased without a leash or watchmen? It was a truly liberating feeling. He wondered what job he'd have onboard, there was clearly a lot more crew aboard the Ravager than what was necessary to operate it. Given the nature of their 'profession', most of them probably relaxed until a raid was called.

He methodically made his way through the main corridor, noting a few Korellei were avoiding him. Not out of rudeness, he imagined. He smelled like shit, after all. The delicate glow of orange lighting bathed the corridor in a soft light, making navigation easy. He noticed quite a bit of commotion upon passing the quarters, he was aware they were planning a party of some sort. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't actually sure what time it was. He assumed more than halfway through wake time, he doubted they'd all stay awake during the majority of sleep time. Then again, these were freedom loving pirates - it could very well be the equivalent of midnight, or at least somewhere close to it.

Cedric arrived at his intended destination, and walked through the off-shot corridor from the main hallway. A large illuminated sign near the double sliding doors marked the location as the shitters, established so by spray painting over the previous wording - restrooms. Cedric honestly felt it was comedic. This crew was full of individuality and life, they did as they pleased - ironically, he had nothing but respect for the crew onboard the Ravager for truly making the place their own. It was a far cry from the sanitized, and systematic workings of the Empire. He seriously considered the possibility of living out the rest of his life here, however - he had only just arrived. They raided and pillaged to survive, life was more likely than not a high-value commodity here - which is why they all lived every day to the fullest. How nice it would be to be allowed true freedom without prejudice or price, Cedric mulled.

Upon stepping near the doors, they slid open - revealing a line of sinks and stalls for use. Scanning the area, he found an opening to his right - the tiled brown flooring was marked with a bright yellow dots guiding users further inside. He followed this dotted path, eyeing a very large public showering area that was wide open - rows of shower heads dotted the walls, providing lovely (but most likely recycled) hydration and water pressure to would-be shower goers. A few male and female Korellei of various species were taking showers, seeing them all fully naked was a bit awkward - coed or not, the others didn't really seem to care. Surprisingly mature, he concluded. He scanned the area for somewhere to place his belongings when a showering ferret female pointed to his right. "Oh, you're the new guy - Sleaze right?"

Cedric nodded, and attempted to shift his gaze away from her modest, naked form.

"What, I'm not pretty enough for you?"

"No, it's-"

"You get used to it. Would you rather be filthy and smelly, or catch some looks at the guys and girls here on the side?"

"Given the option, I'd much rather catch some looks."

She gave a hearty giggle, "Cubbies are over there, the others won't take your shit. If they do, beat the crap outta them."

"Fair enough." Cedric replied. The ferret returned to her cleaning, and Cedric found an open cubby to place his belongings. It was a very large and tall row of squared boxes, made of the same metallic material as the rest of the vessel. It spanned most of the length of the wall, allowing plenty of areas for shower-goers to temporarily store their belongings. He found a cubby far off to the side, and stuffed his jumpsuit and cigarettes within it. He stripped bare, taking careful steps to ensure his soiled clothing was far separated from anyone else's. As he feared, his crotch reeked of ball sweat. Lovely.

"Holy shit dude, when was the last time you showered?" It was the ferret girl.

"It's... been a while." He admitted, defeatedly.

"Well hurry up then, hell."

Cedric sheepishly collected his wash cloth and shampoo bottle and made his way to an open shower head. It was controlled by a central knob, red and blue markings indicated hot and cold water. He quickly turned it to the red side, laying down his showering items. The water came out cold at first, and he instinctually jumped out of the broad stream - testing the water every few seconds to assure it had heated sufficiently. Satisfied, he stood straight and tall under the shower head - he barely cleared the distance between the tip of his body and where the head rested. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back in bliss - letting the hot, cleansing water soak every nook and cranny of this soiled body.

"Fuuuuuck, that's nice." Cedric exasperated, already feeling the magic of a hot cleansing. The water turned brown as it reached a lengthly inlet that guided water to various drains. He shifted his hands through his long hair and beard multiple times - it was caked with dirt, and constantly catching itself on other bundles of hair. Cedric opened his eyes and took hold of the soap bottle - it felt so small in his hands, but was plenty large enough to hold all the soap he'd possibly need to ensure he was squeaky clean. He graciously poured soap directly through his hair, attempting to spread and claw it throughout. It felt like a great battle of resistance between his caked soil and the virtuous soap, gloriously sacrificing itself for the honor of cleanliness.

Knowing he'd have to do it again once or twice, he rested his head underneath the blissfully hot water once more, the water that ran off as a result was almost black. Cedric breathed steadily as he felt the grime retreat from his body, losing their vicious battle against the cleansing, noble soap.

Cedric poured more product into his hair and beard, this time it slid and spread significantly easier across the strands - it even began to lather. Pleased, Cedric scratched vigorously to ensure all his hair was thoroughly lathered, and ducked his head beneath the hot water once more - the soap had claimed a glorious victory against the dirt, and he already felt partially revived.

Cedric bent down to collect the rag that had been relaxing on the ground, and realized that maybe he should of hung it up on the knob or the head - it was soaked in grime. As he somewhat irritatedly cleansed the rag under the water, he spotted a vulpes male stepping beside him, claiming the neighboring shower head. He was a striking black and grey, and he caught a glimpse of his radiant blue eyes. He also sported salt and pepper hair combed to the left side. Mottled red fur dotted itself across his body, forming large splashes of color.

Cedric looked around the showers, there was plenty of other shower heads available - why did he choose to be near his? Should he say something, or?..

The vulpine man turned his muzzle to Cedric and smiled, catching him off guard.

"Sleaze right? I guess so, because you're the only guy that could be."

He had pearly white canines complimenting a set of well-cared for teeth, Cedric hadn't even considered how long it had been since he brushed his own - his smile probably had a disgusting yellow hue now - not that many would notice, due to his mask.

"Yeah." Cedric replied quickly.

"I'm Soft, nice to meet you."

"Soft?.."

Soft ran a paw up and down one of his arms. "Got soft fur, so they call me Soft."

"Sounds like you wouldn't be the only one with soft fur though."

"Oh I am, it's like downy feathers."

Cedric was struck with a realization - he hadn't seen any avians yet.

"Oh, I see. I haven't actually seen any avians yet. Where are they?"

Soft redirected his attention to his task at hand. "Oh, they're kinda rare. Lot of them got wiped out during the resistance a long time ago. We got a few onboard, you might meet some at the party this evening."

"Hm, I see." Cedric mulled. He also redirected his attention to his own task - a body wash. He squirted soap on the now cleansed rag, piling it on. He'd have to wash his body twice too. He guided his lengthly hair to the back of his body, feeling it rest on his back. Now that it was clean, it had much more freedom of movement.

"Party huh. Those common?" The idle conversation did wonders to diminish his feelings of awkwardness. He'd get used to this, as the ferret girl informed him he would. Not that he really had a choice not to.

"Only after big raids. We got a lot of top notch gear from that Imperial corvette, lots of cash on the market there."

"I see, feast and drink to profit."

"Pretty much!"

Cedric glided the rag all along his body, taking particular care to thoroughly clean his underarms, crack, and crotch. His crotch too had hair grown long, he'd absolutely need to trim that later. It was gross. Finishing up his first cleaning, he once again stepped under his water - like with his hair, the water sported a dark brown color - and he felt almost instantly revitalized as he physically felt the grime sliding off his body. The only spot he wasn't able to quite reach was it back - it annoyed him.

"Want me to wash your back?"

"Hm?" Cedric turned around to face the ferret that had been showering before - full frontal in his gaze.

"Uh, y-yeah sure."

"Stop being awkward. They call me Ace."

"Ace? So, what, you're really good at card game?"

"Nah, best fighter pilot here."

Cedric could not restrain his eyes from growing large in response, seeing this naked woman saw something else grow large as well, somewhat to his chagrin.

"Oh, damn. That's cool." He replied awkwardly. Cedric hastily squirted some soap onto his rag - handing to her and facing forward as much as possible to hide his growing prick, and crossing his arms to give her full reign. As Ace began to methodically scrub his back, he felt heat rising throughout his body - it seems that this gesture easily turned him on - he noted it.

"What drinks do you think they're going to have at the party tonight?" Soft asked.

"All of them, I hope." Ace responded.

"I'm thinking about it now, man I hope Rainy-B is one of the bartenders, her mixed drinks are fantastic."

"Rainy-B?" Cedric asked.

"Rainbow, she's actually an avian. Real colorful feathers, her booze mixes are great. Lots of the good stuff in them."

"You guys have a bar onboard?"

"In the mess hall, yeah - big bar. In fact the whole mess is huge, converted from a storage cell I think."

"Is the Ravager a freighter?"

"Used to be, but it's our home now."

"That's fucking impressive."

"Are you sure you're using that word right?"

"You can use it for a lot of things."

"All done, did you like it?"

Ace had finished srubbing his back, he graciously took the rag and made a snap effort to face forward once more.

"I think he did." Soft chided, noting Cedric's fully erect boner.

"Fuck off, blame hormones."

Cedric was duely embarased, but attempted to hold a front in light of the pair being casual in their approach to him. It was just a shower, just a shower he had to remind himself.

"The three of us could get together later?" Ace suggested. How shameless!

"I'd rather not." Cedric answered.

"Your loss." Ace shrugged.

"I'm down." Soft responded.

"I'm not." Cedric stated plainly.

"Eh, well the offer is there. Fucking is fun, ya know?" Ace pushed again.

"I'm not interested." Cedric reinforced, beginning to grow angry.

"Alright, alright fine - won't push it. See you two in the mess hall."

"Bye!" Soft replied with a light and airy tone.

Cedric began the penultimate phase of his cleansing, soaping up his body once more - pleased with the fact it now lathered, hinting that his body would be completely done after he finished. Soft was about halfway done with his shower, most of his time was spent shampooing his fur. He noted he had two bottles - one of them was most likely conditioner.

"Soft, you happen to know where I can put my dirty clothes?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Across from here is another storage cell, holds a lot of stuff. Grab a big bag from there, stuff your dirtiest in. There's a place to do laundry further behind the ship."

"And detergent?"

"Detergent?"

"Yeah, to clean the clothes. You know, wash them?"

"Oh! That's a colony thing. We got vaporizers here."

"Vaporizers?"

"Yeah, throw your clothes in and the magitech cleansers laser them - vaporize all the dirt and grossness."

"What about the smell?"

Soft shrugged, "My clothes never smell when I take them out."

Cedric realized the purpose behind sterilizing the clothing and it having no odor. Given the Korelleis' strong sense of smell, being surrounded by good-smelling textiles probably wreaked havoc on their oral senses.

"I see, makes sense."

"Need someone to scrub your back again?"

"Sure, thanks."

"Ah, there's a price though!"

"A price?..."

"Gotta get mine too."

"Ah, too easy. Sure."

Soft nodded, and Cedric handed him the rag - he got to work, somewhat struggling on his paw-toes while starting with the top of his back.

"You prefer males?" He asked nonchalantly.

"No, I don't."

"Aro? Aro-ace?"

"No, not those either."

"Okay, so you don't prefer males - you're not aromantic, and you're not asexual. What's your deal then?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Just idle conversation - no harm."

"I'm just... Waiting, I guess." Cedric admitted.

"Oooh, no way. You're a virgin?"

"Seriously dude?" Cedric harried incredulously.

"Sorry, just a rarity. Everyone onboard finds stuff they enjoy, and for a lot of us that's enjoying others."

"Where I'm from, such shameless behavior is... Frowned upon."

"I think that should be good. Were you born in the core?"

"In a way, I suppose I was."

Soft handed Cedric back his rag. He cleansed it once more, but this time let it rest on the knob. Soft then handed Cedric his own rag, and awkwardly he got to work - taking care to scrub and lather proper just as they had done for him.

"What part of the core do you come from?"

"I'm... not actually sure."

"Oh, were you an orphan?"

"Yes." Cedric conceded. By all definitions, he could be considered an orphan adopted by House Kilik. Just remembering the name of the house stung Cedric. From waking up, to meeting Faring and her mother, to reviving the Phage, to being imprisoned for two years and killing so many Korelllei to get a death sentence. Just a couple years and a few months, and now he was washing the back of a fox man onboard a pirate flagship surrounded by horny animal people. What a wild ride he had been on up to this point. A stirring of anger he couldn't explain began to well, nothing happening right now angered him - so why was he getting upset? Since he was already halfway done with Soft, and because he was the only one he was talking to - he figured just asking couldn't be harmful.

"Can I ask you about something?"

"Sure, ask away."

"I'm feeling... Angry. But I don't know why."

"When was the last time you had a cigarette?"

"Uh, when I boarded a while ago."

"That's why."

"That's it? I'm just jonsing for another cigarette?"

"Pretty much."

"Guess I shouldn't have taken the first puff..."

"That's what a lot of us say, worth it for the stress relief."

"Hm, this place doesn't seem that stressful."

"Wait until you go on a raid and one of your buddies drops dead. It's why most of us smoke and drink. Helps cope, ya know?"

"I suppose that makes a lot of sense... Anyways, here you go."

Soft gingerly took the rag from Cedric's large hand, large at least in comparison to his paws.

"Thanks."

Cedric relaxed underneath the water once more, its heat permeating every tired pore of his body.

"Man, I'm surprised you can handle water that hot." Soft noted.

"That seems to be a common thought to have."

"Well yeah, nobody wants to singe their fur off. Well, I guess you only have some fur to singe - crazy that you can handle it just fine though."

Cedric took an explorative look at his own body. He was covered in hair indeed, if he was a star in an ancient movie maybe he'd be a stud. He didn't mind though, it was just part of him - he hadn't given it much thought. He noted he absolutely needed to trim and get a haircut though, he could barely see his own flaccid penis - that was a problem.

"Well anyways, I'll see you at the mess hall!" Soft broke Cedric from his perusing.

"Yeah, see you at the mess hall."

Soft took his leave, and Cedric now stood alone in the showers as hot water ran itself through him. It was a comforting silence, if somewhat eerie. Just the sound of the water rushing and his own breathing. He felt like a new man, cleansed of all the dirt and grime that had built up during his incarceration. There were showers in the prison, but inmates were only alloted shower time once a week. He got used to it, as did the other inmates. When they were escorting him on the Bachelard however, they didn't give a damn. He was barely even fed. He wondered how his mind hadn't broken yet. Or maybe it did break, he was suicidal after the events of Saint Amelìon. He still didn't feel like his life was deserved, but it would be the ultimate insult to deny the kindness that Captain Garerra showed him. He'd make the most of his second chance given to him, even if it was eking out a life of piracy. Given their great degree of freedom and independence, he honestly preferred life here as to in the Empire. The cost of that though, the price of freedom as it were - had yet to rear its ugly head.

Cedric switched the water to a more cool temperature, closing his pores and and accentuating the rejuvenating feeling of a well-cleaned body. Time would only tell, he supposed. This new phase of his life was just getting started, and he knew it wouldn't be an easy one.