Batten Down the Hatches [Mature]

[Flamebird]

Felicity had been enjoying the lesson. When it first started, she had struggled not to blush at his bare chest. She struggled not to laugh when he used the ore to straighten her out, though she certainly smiled. As her feet caused the wooden boards underneath to groan, she had to ask, Is this the same man?

She was a fast learner, easily taking on the proper form and copying his moves. That was, until, he changed.

Felicity was taken aback when he motioned with his pinky. She... she could tell what this was about. Her left hand had the pinky removed.

The comment stung.

Felicity visibly flinched, taking a step back like a dog that had just been scolded. Why? Why has he just insulted her again? Had she gotten a move wrong?

Tears flooded her eyes, once again. Instead of lashing out, however, she simply turned around and dashed below deck. She was reminded once again that this was the jerk who mocked her forehead and pinned her down with no consent.

Once below deck, Felicity had made it to the storage room. Still feeling wounded, she huddled atop a long stack of barrels and started a light nap. She had barely slept last night, and she was so tired that she had fallen asleep without processing her very confused emotions.

Why had she snuck outside?

Standing outside her front yard, the three year old girl stood in front of an older looking man. Gruff and covered in grime, he glared through the falling snow with a face of spite. She had seen this expression before, aimed at her by countless people as her uncle lead her through town on a shopping trip. This time, however, something was different. She was alone, and she felt very, very scared. Furthermore, the man extended his hand towards her.

Everything inside her told her to run.

She turned, her heavy clothes swaying as she raced through her yard. However, she felt a hand grab her pinky. Terror and physical pain caused her to scream as the man shouted, twisting and yanking her by her pinky. How long was it, how short was it? Time seemed to break as she bawled, the man pulling her away from the door as she ate snow and mud. As soon as it started, however, it stopped. She looked up, mud coating her face. Her cousin stood over her, battle ready as she heard footsteps moving away from the yard. She was strangely numb as he looked down with panic and concern.

"How did she get outside! The door was locked!" Her uncle shouted from behind her.

Her cousin bent down and held up her ice numbed hand. Something looked very wrong, however. Her pinky was twisted and contorted. Panic rose inside her. It should not look like that!

"Who cares!" Her cousin shouted, "Something's wrong with her finger!"

Years later, Felicity had cut off the dead pinky that had been dead weight to her since she was a child.

And this cruel bully she had met on the ship called her out on it.

Tears fell from her closed eyes as she hid away in the barrels.

~~~

As the ship sailed along, the days fell into a regular routine. A routine which perplexed Felicity and made her feel so uneasy. No matter where she went, she could not escape him. The guard, who she learned was named Leoric Blackwell, was relentless in his insults. On a morning the clouds blocked the sun, he wasted no time in finding a way to insult her again.

"I think it's the redhead! Her forehead is so large, it's blotting out the sun!"

No matter how many times Felicity elbowed or punched him to shut him up, he never stopped. Of course, there were times he seemed to be... nice... In the mornings he was always waiting for her to wake up from her nightmares.

"I've noticed you never eat when you wake up."

"I don't need to. I need water and sleep, but I make my own energy through my magic."

"Here," he tossed her a sweet looking candy bar, "This will help with the morning jitters."

He took her above deck every morning. It would still be dark, and there he was forcing her onto a high beam to teach her better footing and balance in combat. He was stern, but gentle then. Eventually, of course, the insults would come. For the rest of the day, he would do things like rudely awaken her from a nap to humiliate her.

"Why can't you snore quieter? You sound like a constipated boar with a cold!"

She hated it. Why was he like this? He was so complex, and he soon was on her mind just as much as her haunting past and mission to find Shinsou.

What's wrong with you! It hurts! It hurts so much...

She simply could not wait for this trip to be over.

Aside Leoric's jabs, nothing major happened on this trip. At least nothing happened until the midday of the first Wednesday at sea...