Big booty Fish

From the very moment, Remi picked up the job flyer he had been feeling anxious. Sure after waking up one morning in his room at Silver Wolf dripping sweat off his body he knew he had to try and deal with this. This fear of the ocean had been plaguing him from his journey to Fiore. It wasn’t long before he had it in his hands. Even here, waiting right outside the port in Cedartown he could still feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up. He's back on a corner wall he inadvertently left himself open, not watching his surroundings as much as he usually does. He needed something to get his mind off what he had signed himself up for, it wasn't healthy to focus on it. You know the consequences of his own actions.

Pulling out his Ilac he quickly shuffled through his contacts, mentally thanking Vali again for showing him how this worked. Back home things he could have were very restrictive so it took some getting used to. Speaking off he quickly pulled up the witch's contact and typed up a quick message, letting her know that he would be on a job for a few days and suggesting perhaps the pair could investigate that library once he returned. Sure it was strange to try and forge a friendship with the first person he met after getting into the country but there was something about the girl that put a smile on his face. He couldn’t exactly bring any friends when he came to this country so it was nice to start making new connections.

Taking a moment to look down at himself in an effort to get his mind on the mission, he frowned softly as he looked at his armor. Sure having his sword on his hip was fine but he wasn’t dumb enough to think wearing any amount of heavy armor on a boat was a good idea. He was going to have to remove it once they got underway, probably not long after he got aboard too. Though frankly, he supposed the increase in mobility might be worth it. And that he remembered he brought a swimsuit. Better to be safe than sorry. Sure the plan was to stand on the deck and shoot lightning into the water but that might not work out. Smirking softly to himself he held up his hand as channeled a little magic, letting electric sparks dance across his fingers. “La foudre frappe à chaque fois qu'elle bouge.”

WC:425

Blip blip!

Valentina's iLac chirped brightly from within her bag and she paused to check it. It was Remi, telling her that he'd be going on a job for a bit but still wanted to go to the library in Oak Town when he got back. Grinning, she was pleased to have made a new connection. It wasn't as if she was alone and without connections in Fiore. A few of her friends from back home had traveled here as well, and she had Santiago, of course. But to make friends with someone new was always a warming experience, and as far as she was concerned, one could have too many friends on a journey. She texted back a reply about looking forward to it and rounded one of the buildings in Cedar that would reveal the ocean's port to her. It also revealed something else that was just a delicious coincidence!

"Minstrelois is fascinating. What did you say?" came a distinctly female voice from his left. There she stood, Remi's new friend he met in Hargeon, mere feet from him. She looked different from that day. While her hat was still wide-brimmed and floppy, it was not her witch's hat from before, but instead a beach one. Her bikini was hidden under an oversized, sheer white coverup that slipped carelessly off one shoulder. How she had snuck up on him despite the gentle flapping of her flip flops against her fleshy soles was unclear, but all the same, she was smiling at him. "What are the odds that I get a text from you about the same job I've taken myself?" she asked, clutching her striped duffle bag that held her towel, a few changes of clothes, and other necessities for life and the trip. They'd be job buddies!

"Perhaps after this, you'll be too sick of me to want to adventure to the library?" she asked next, though it was a tease. Valentina doubted such a thing would happen, but it couldn't be helped even if it did. This was a new friendship. Working together for a few days could either expose incompatibilities or strengthen their bond, and Valli was excited to see what the fallout would be. The thrill! The risk! A sailing adventure with a salty captain to fight a massive pesky sea beast all the while forging the power of friendship in the white-hot fires of adversity! The pig-tailed adventurer could hardly contain her excitement. This would make for an exciting chapter, she could just feel it.

Cocking her head and taking a closer glance at him, she couldn't help but notice that he was wearing armor while she was clearly in swimwear. Not only was she intent on getting a tan on the way out to sea, but she also anticipated having to get wet to fight their target. Her magic would probably work better underwater, where she could follow it. Most fish didn't stay in the air long from jumping. "As the great fantasy writer Bobo Houchamp once said, 'Armor is all well and good until it drags you down into the well good and deep.' I hope you've brought something more...swimmy, Remi?" she asked, reaching out to give the armor a soft tap with her knuckle.

[wc: 544 || total: 969/5000]

Remi blinked in surprise when Vali’s voice reached his ears and stood up from where he was leaning, a wide grin forming on his face as he took in her appearance, noting that she was better off for any beach or ship going than he was. Mentally giving himself a kick for being so unaware that someone in flip flops would sneak up on it took him a second to answer the witch’s question. When he did he smirked softly as he slipped his Ilac back into his pocket and reached down for his bag at his feet, which contained many similar things that Vali’s own did. “La foudre frappe à chaque fois qu'elle bouge? It means “lightning strikes every time she moves.” You caught me considering my approach on a job I am about to undertake…” He stops for a moment as he takes a second glance at what she was wearing, before smirk forms on his face. “Though I would wager people have said something similar about you, mostly all the admirers I bet you leave in your wake. And that it would seem that it would be our job, not mine. I must be lucky to have you with me in this, someone else with a love of adventure.”

Remi smiled as he considered the good fortune of meeting up with the large hate wearing witch for this job. Sure new companions were always welcome but having someone watching his back that he was already at least familiar with was much better. Besides being in a more professional setting with her would give him a chance to see more of her character, something that he truly appreciated given his… experience with the fairer sex, both as friends and something else. He frowned softly for half a second as his thoughts turned to her for a brief moment, thankfully when Vali quoted an author he was very familiar with, he smiled from ear to ear. “Oh, you have read Sword of Kings as well? Truly one of the greats.” Glancing down at his armor he smiled at her sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand while holding up his bag. “I do, the armor is just a habit really. While I am willing to keep my sword on me while out on the waters my armor would be more a hindrance than a help." Flashing her a smirk as he turned to make his way toward the docks proper he flashing a roguish smile over his shoulder at his shorter companion. “Besides if I get a look at something more revealing on you it’s only fair I return the favor.”

Glancing around at the docks as he walks Remi bites his lip, briefly wondering how bad it would be on the boat for him. During his last extrusion out on open water, he was mostly on edge and couldn’t relax. Hopefully, the anxiety of knowing he was going to throw himself at another beast like the one that damn near killed him wouldn’t make it worse. It should be fine, Vali was probably a better mage than he was and he was stronger than before. Nothing to worry about. Right?

WC: 536
TWC: 1505/5000

She'd only known him for a short time, but this was one of the things she liked about Remi. He just rolled with whatever she said, and now she knew he liked one of her favorite authors, which was major points in her book. "You're right. It's only fair," she repeated, wrinkling her nose as she gave him a mischievous grin. She quite enjoyed compliments from guys who weren't creeps. They earned a little something extra. Perspective. She really did have a nice butt, which he had earned a small glance at as far as she was concerned. Skipping around in front of him, she turned her eyes toward the port, trying to locate the vessel large enough to haul a two hundred foot fish carcass back in. It was easier than expected since most of the other docked ships were too small. "I guess that's our home for the next couple of weeks," Valli chirped, pointing it out. Her glance back at him revealed something unexpected.

Pausing before she got to the gangway, her cheeky expression melted into one of concern. The witch wasn't sure exactly what was troubling him, but clearly something was. "Are you nervous about the job?" she asked, being rather perceptive and good with people. She angled her body to half face him again instead of making a dash onto the boat. "It'll be fine. As long as you don't strike me with lightning every time I move in the water, we'll be eating sushi by dinner time," she said, voice soft with caring but also tinted with humor. A lot of people responded less awkwardly to reassurance laced with a joke than to outright earnest support. "In about five days, the hardest part will be over one way or another," she smiled, not knowing it was his fear of the ocean itself that had him nibbling his lip. She patted him on one of his armored shoulders, hoping she was helping. "We just have to make sure we don't get the worst sunburns of our lives."

[wc: 342 || total: 1847/5000]

So tied up in his musing Remi never noticed the truly exceptional view in front of him, the girl and the ship both. It wasn’t till she had spoken to him the second time did he snap back to reality. Briefly wondering why he had missed out on something, Remi blinked down at his smaller friend and opened his mouth to wave off her concern before it snapped shut with an audible snap. He had been hurt deeply by lies, he refused to let any that weren’t absolutely necessary. Gazing at Vali he frowns softly before making a decision, deciding if anything he will keep his own personal sense of honor. Really before landing in Fiore it and his magic were the only things he had left. Flashing her his best attempt as at a reassuring smile he nodded up the gang blank. “... I will tell you in private later alright? It’s not the job itself that worries me.” Reaching up he gently pats the hand she used to do the same to his shoulder, forcing the self-doubt in his eyes away for earnestness instead. He even smirked, seemingly following her example.“I don’t know about sushi but I certainly wouldn’t mind helping you put on a show for the sailors while getting that tan. Between the two of us, we should have all of them getting yelled at for slacking off.”

Feeling a little better now that he decided to confide in Vali he followed her up the blank, eyes drifting around the deck as he forced himself to at least appear relaxed. It likely wouldn’t fool someone who was familiar with him but at least he would appear functional. To that regard, he had to quickly look away from Vali once he could, because while his mind might be elsewhere it certainly wasn’t far away enough to not notice something that was practically forced under his nose a second time. Seriously why were all female mages so freaking hot! He’s fairly certain her rear alone would make all the ladies back home seeth from jealousy, even if her personality wouldn’t have already done the job. Seeing one sailor (Fisherman?) notice their presence and run off Remi assumed the sea dog was going to find the captain. Turning to his companion now that he was positive most of the blush was off his face he clapped his hands behind his back and smirked again. “Any bets on the captain? I am thinking of a giant of a man with a fatherly disposition. You?”

WC: 424
TWC: 2,271 / 5000

Tilting her head, she wondered what it was other than the job that had him troubled, but she let it go in favor of discussing it later. She'd hold him to that, as she was ruthless about finding out details she wanted to know. Well, within reason. If it was too hard to pull out of someone, then soon she'd get bored and move onto something more interesting.

Speaking of interesting, the deck of the ship was a sight! It wasn't like the vessels back home! Ca-Elum was known for their ships, both for shipping and for wartime. Both were impeccably made, but looked nothing like a fisherman's boat! It wasn't that the large ship wasn't well crafted, she was sure it was, but...it was just so... manly? The term escaped her. She could clearly see there was enough room to pull out a couple of reclining beach chairs and relax, but everywhere else seemed to have hooks and nets and other fishing paraphernalia haphazardly thrown over it. One each of the railings on either side were large crane-like apparatuses with nets waiting to scoop down into the water and bring back a haul. The center of the boat had a large trap door, no doubt to catch said netted fish. On the front end were huge industrial fishing poles, and spotted here and there were harpoon launchers.

Everything smelled like fish. Gross!

The sailors and fisherman milling around the deck rubbernecked at the two mages standing there waiting for the captain, but Valli hardly noticed. All she could think about was grabbing that deck chair and heading to the back of the ship, where she hoped there'd be less fishiness. At least, according to the flyer, the below decks were set up a little nicer to entertain mages that might accompany them. A decent room to sleep in, apparently a full bar, and a rec room with activities for both them and the fishermen on break. If not for wanting a tan, she might have decided to stow away down there for the five days. But wait! That wasn't the adventurer's spirit! Maybe she'd watch them fish a little. She just didn't want to watch them clean or gut them. The thought alone made her cringe.

"Remi, as soon as we talk to the captain, I'm gonna head around to the back of the ship to get settled. I think I saw a nice place to sit back there from the docks. Otherwise, these ten days are gonna be full of having fish slung at us..." she said, smiling sheepishly as she gripped her bag. It was her turn to look uncomfortable. She wasn't afraid of the ocean, but she wasn't completely sold on touching slimy, cold fish. Until this moment, she really hadn't considered that her fear of cold-blooded animals would bother her. Beating up some sea creatures to help an old man was one thing, but touching them and watching the wiggle and suffocate out of water and seeing their glazed, wide eyes was making her a little nauseated. Nonetheless, she'd square her shoulders and put on a brave face, much like Remi had. "Everything'll be fine!" she announced suddenly, determined and encouraging to herself...and to Remi, if he needed it.

[wc: 544 || total: 2815]

Wrinkling his nose at the smell Remi glanced over at Vali as she spoke, blinking as he noticed her distress. He opened his mouth to return the calming words she had given him not long ago before freezing in place when she suddenly proclaimed that everything would be fine. Frankly, it was comforting to know that he wasn’t alone in having some insecurities though what could she be… oh. The fish themselves. Flashing her one of his smiles, this one flavored reassuring Remi reached over to give her a pat on the shoulder, taking half a second to gather his thoughts. “Of course it will, how else could it go between the two of us?”

“I hope you two brats can surely pull out something better than fine, especially considering what I am paying you lot.” Turning to the source of the gruff sounding voice Remi saw a man who could only be the captain. If his appearance and gruff demeanor didn’t give it away the way the sailors all around them picked up their speed once he made his presence known was pretty telling. Looking the two mages up and down he nodded quickly before waving them off with a dismissive scoff. “So long as you stay out of my crew's way then you can do as you please. I will make time to give you the rundown on our quarry but for now, I have to get us underway.” Without so much as another word he turned and began barking orders at the crew, leaving Remi looking at the shorter man with a slightly surprised look on his face.

Shaking his head in an effort to make sure he doesn’t start thinking about how soon they would be out on open waters, Remi turns to look at Vali. Giving his heavy armor a knock he flashed a sheepish look her way. “How about I check things out below the deck while you go look around the… stren? Aft? Something like that. Get into something more appropriate you know?”

WC: 340
TWC: 3155

Well, he was just what she’d envisioned when she thought of a salty old sea dog. An amused smile crossed her lips as he barked at them, and she didn’t blame him for reminding them how much they were being paid. “You’re right, we’ll be great,” she corrected herself to give the old man peace, accepting that they’d be told more later. That was fine. They had four and a half days before they needed the rundown.

Remi made a suggestion for their next plan of action, and the pig-tailed author agreed. She could definitely prep the area for relaxation while the man put on some shorts or something. “It’s the aft. I always remember because it reminds me of a—...the other word for butt,” she grinned, waggling her fingers at him in a sparkly wave before they separated. It was good he was getting out of his heavy armor. It’d be a tragedy if he fell overboard. He’d sink like a rock! The thought was terrifying.

Moving to the back of the ship as she’d said, Valli went about setting up their little resort area for the trip. She was glad that the captain wanted them out of the way and not helping. The mere thought of touching a fish made her want to scream. Grabbing the wooden reclining chairs and unfolding them, she arranged them facing out toward the sea, but slightly angled toward each other so they could converse easily if they wanted. The skies were a perfect blue with only the occasional fluffy white cloud floating by. They almost looked like sheep. The dark-haired girl watched them as she placed her hat on the deck near her chair and slipped out of the sheet covering. It was a great day to get a little sun, so she pulled out her lotion to ward off burning and started to rub it into the skin of her legs. Proceeding to cover all the patches of skin she could reach, a crafty smirk crossed her face. Hopefully a useful pair of hands would arrive soon to help with her back.

[wc: 351 || total: 3506]

After asking for directions Remi was soon pointed towards the soon found section of the ship that he was betting Vali and himself would spend most of their time. The so-called rec room was beyond what the mage had expected for something on a ship as not only was the fully stocked bar that was promised but it actually had a piano. Briefly forgetting about just about everything, Remi almost ran right up to it, thankful that it was in decent condition. Perhaps the captain was a fan of music? Considering there were various instruments scattered around the room it was likely. Not to mention a few things for sailors to use to pass the time, from board games to cards. That made Remi smile as another sailor briefly paused from a game to point Remi in the direction of the “guest” quarters. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time mercenaries or mages had been on board as the captain had taken on contracts to transport mages on some quest or another.

Opening the appointed door Remi let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into their sleeping quarters for the next couple of weeks. Two beds thanks to all the gods. The room itself was simple, as the captain has seemingly focused most of the “fun” budget on getting the rec room up to his standards. Beyond the two beds on either side of the room there was a desk and a table, probably to be used by Vali for her and not much else. No matter Remi had spent nights out on the road in worse conditions and well this was all for the adventure right? Smiling to himself he quickly began changing, stepping out of the room a few minutes later, having made a point to leave his armor in one corner, leaving Vali the pick of the beds.

Not long later Remi turned the corner to where his companion had gotten set up a froze on the spot. Thankfully it wasn’t the sight of land leaving them behind that caused it, instead of getting a proper look at Vali in her swimsuit. For a brief moment, he wasn’t a mage on a dangerous job, a man with what he considered a healthy wariness for the sea or a wayward son with a lust for adventure. No, he was a young man simply stunned by the sight of a pretty girl. Before now he had respected her privacy and didn’t stare too much but now that he could see a lot more he had been caught off guard, his eyes lingering on her legs and smooth skin for longer than he would normally allow. “I....”

Shaking himself out of his daze Remi decided that he wasn’t gonna take this lying down and flashed Vali another one of his wolfish grins, his anxiety briefly pushed aside for getting even. Pulling off the loose shirt he made his way over and sat down in the chair next to her, more thankful now than ever that his years of swinging a heavy metal blade around and general exercise had left him far more sculpted than one would expect. Giving his friend a wink despite the light blush dusting his cheeks he almost laughed as a thought came to mind. "You know I take back what I said before if any of the sailors got sight of you they wouldn't’ have to worry about not working because they would have a heart attack instead. You certainly left me breathless."

WC: 588
TWC: 4094

As he returned, the girl looked up and twinkled. There he was. He looked way more relaxed, at least garment wise. Now this could officially be a pre-work vacation! Sometimes she may act coy about her looks just to tease, but she knew what she was doing. It wasn’t malicious or anything, but who could blame her for enjoying the occasional stare or compliment? She wasn't so vain that she had to have them all the time, but if she was going to wear a bathing suit, she definitely wanted to feel good in it. Remi definitely made her feel good about it.

“Ah, you’re so honest. It’s refreshing to meet a man who can give a woman a compliment without having a panic attack,” she praised him. Equally confident in her abilities to do what she liked being done to her, she gave him a once over and grinned. “I’m glad there aren’t more fisherwomen, or they’d be congregating back here and blocking out all my sun. You should show off more often,” Valli grinned, picking up her bottle of lotion and taking the two step journey to the chair he was sitting in. Perching on the edge of the leg portion of his reclining chair, she offered the sunscreen to him. “You should put some on or you’ll be miserable with a sunburn later,” she suggested, though it was clear she had a motive for moving closer. Valentina had no intentions of getting a painful burn on her back simply because she couldn’t reach it. “Maybe once you’re finished, you could rub some on my back? I can’t reach it, and if I burn today I’ll have to spend most of the way there inside. I’ll do yours too, I promise,” she said with a small pout. That would certainly be no way to spend an adventure. Plus, she really wanted a nice tan to enhance her looks. However, she’d understand if he declined. Some men were weird about these things and it wasn’t her desire to make him feel awkward or anything. “It’s alright if you don’t want to. I’m sure one of the aforementioned sailors would gladly give their life to save me from the sun’s harmful rays.”

[wc: 372 || total: 4466/ 5000]

Biting back a comment about how he was fairly certain that she could give him a panic attack if she actually wanted too he actually blushed a little more at her compliment. He would never claim to be a stranger to that but up till his more recent escapades, it was always more for who his parents were than anything he had done. Even when he was partaking in his homelands dueling tournaments and doing very well he might add… It was always: “Your father must be so proud” or “You do your family name justice, young man.” So to have someone who knew nothing of that pay him any kind of complement was rather nice.

Though all thoughts of that crashed and burned when the pretty little mage perched on his chair and asked him to that. He froze for a full second before sighing mentally. Two weeks of no privacy with her? May whatever gods above give him strength. Deciding he might as well make the best of it he took the bottle and smirked at her. “Miss Capricho, you are a dangerous one aren’t you?” Putting sunscreen on his hands he began to apply it, making a note to not check if she was paying attention to him in particular. Given the way he had just been admiring her legs she deserved to watch him rub his muscles down with the white liquid. That didn’t stop him from blushing though when he slid off his chair and motioned for her to lay down, giving her a wink for good measure. “Well we can’t have you get burned, to deny the world more chances to gaze upon your beauty would be such a shame. And while I think it would make some sailors year to put his hands on you… I would rather not risk some kind of misunderstanding.”

WC: 311
TWC: 4777

Dangerous? Oh, he had no idea. In two different ways, she imagined. Those who crossed her got to taste her magic and would think twice next time before crossing her, and those she liked got the full Valli treatment...which sounded a lot more nefarious than it was. She was just a very loyal and protective friend who loved both platonic and romantic cuddling and gifting food when she could afford it and had access to a kitchen. While she was confident in her looks in adulthood, she was more of a flirty tease than anything actually dangerous to a man. She'd hardly even dated! "Only to people I don't like or like too much," she grinned back in response, flipping a pigtail behind her back. She really enjoyed their back and forth, and she enjoyed watching him rub himself down with lotion even more. It was no easy feat to make someone like Valentina Capricho blush so he’d not be blessed with such a sight now. However, she’d keep her eyes on him and his hands intently, a teasing little smirk tugging her lips. Remi was a cool guy. She was glad she met him, even if she had been held at gunpoint to do so.

More than eager to have her back rubbed down once he was finished, she wasted no time laying down on her belly, wriggling a little to get comfy and folding her arms under her chin as a pillow. He wouldn't have to worry about much fabric from her suit on her backside. It basically barely covered her cheeks and that's it aside from the thin black strings that held it on her at her neck and mid-back. "Thank you, Remmiii," she said in a sing-song voice, pleased he’d agreed to her request with little hesitation. If his hands were as smooth as his talking, she was in for a short but still enjoyable treat. Most of the time when she sunbathed, she’d only had various siblings around to help, and they were either purposefully rough to be annoying and unhelpful, or it devolved into some sort of sibling wrestling match. Any other time had been her girl friends helping her, and thank god for friends or else her back would always burn. “Don’t worry about being gentle. I’m tough,” she said, then closed her eyes and waited. Honestly, she anticipated that how he applied her sunscreen would tell her a lot about him. Actions spoke louder than words.

[wc: 415 || Total: 5192/5000|| B rank FF turned in! || 192/5000 toward next job.]

Remi didn’t realize what he had done till Valli had already laid down on the chair and started to shift around. While he had been fairly close with a woman before outside of one particular… event there had always been chaperones around. Well unless she decided to give them the slip but those times were always too short for anything other than some heavy kissing. Regardless Remi wasn’t as prepared as he would pretend to be for when his eyes were drawn downwards. It was at that moment he squeezed the bottle he had been holding far too hard and shot some of the white liquid up into the air. “Comme une déesse parmi les mortels.”

Shaking himself out of his stunned state he bites down on his tongue, focusing on the pain for a brief moment to avoid making a fool out of himself. It was especially necessary she said those words and what remained of his objective mind laughed out loud as this was starting to sound like a scene out of one of his mother's steamy romance novels. “Don’t be afraid to point me in the right direction, I am afraid this will be my first time… doing something like this.” Smiling softly and feeling the burn from his massive blush he lathered up his hands and began to apply the sunscreen to the girl, trying his very best not to think about it too much. Doing his best to keep his hands from lingering too close to any suggestive areas he did his best to rub the cream along her back, giving her a little massage as he went along. He did his best to try not to think about how soft her skin felt on his hands, given the calluses from all the blade work he knew his hands might be a bit rougher from the average guy.  

WC: 313
TWC: 505/5000

Valentina giggled almost evilly when a splatter of lotion went across the deck in her field of view. "Oh ho, don't get too excited back there," she said coyly before nuzzling her face into a more comfortable position.

Oh, now that phrase sounded like one she could understand. Minstrelois and Encan must have a common root somewhere, which was probably covered in history if she'd bothered to break from her daydreams and pay attention. If it really was anything like 'Como una diosa entre los mortales', well then, she'd just grin and bask in his charming compliments. He had such a chivalrous vibe, unlike those rough and rowdy shipyard boys back home. The only one that had been of any interest to her was a certain dark-haired boy, one of the brothers to one of her best friends. He could be rowdy, but he was generally refined. Remi couldn't look more different. It was literally day and night between them, not that Paddy had ever shown her any interest.

The callouses felt quite nice, actually. She'd anticipated his hands being as smooth as his baby face, but they were the hands of someone who had trained hard. Strong. It was a little like having the white knight's personality and looks with the hands of those rough shipyard boys, which was a combination she hadn't considered but didn't hate. "Mmm," she hummed in bliss, not needing to give him any direction at all. "I think you lied to me. This can't be the first time," she sighed, unintentionally sounding suggestive this time. Had her shoulders always been so tense? It was probably all of this crap with Santiago...and being poor in a new country. But hey, adventures had struggles and stresses. She just didn't realize how much she retained it in her body until his fingers pressed into the constricted muscles. If she'd known him better, she'd definitely have asked him to keep rubbing even after the lotion sank in, but no. She'd reserve this knowledge for a more appropriate time, once they were solid friends and she could extort him for favors.

"Ah, alright! That was wonderful. Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, suddenly energized. Once his hands left her skin, she rolled and stood, taking the bottle and motioning for him to lay down so she could do the same. "My hands aren't as strong as yours, but I'll do my best!"

[wc: 403 || total: 908/5000]

Despite the motions of his hands he couldn't help but give a small chuckle when she called him out. In truth, he had been given a few books on such things when his beloved instructor decided he was both mature and old enough. The old hound had responded to his embarrassment with a barking laugh and by saying 'trust me, laddie, any future flowers of yours will appreciate it. Don't go off half-cocked like some farmer boy.' By the grace of whatever gods there are, Remi hoped the old man was doing alright, he hadn’t seen him since he left home. Instead of admitting all the truth once she stood up, he flashed her an apologetic smile, despite the raging blush still showing on his face. “What can I say? I have been known to crack a book from time to time. The things you can find in the pages can be very… informative.”

Forcing himself off of any thoughts of his old mentor he instead laid down on the chair, closing his eyes as he took a moment to get comfortable. Perhaps he moved a little more than he had to, in an effort to get even with her. He knew it was likely for naught because truly what mortal man could compare with what she had? With his eyes still closed he let out a sigh as he took a second to momentarily feel the wind around the ship, it being something of a comforting presence despite not being able to touch it magically till recently. The wind swirling through the air, the bird floating on the wing. It was comforting in a way that Remi could not explain, even if personally he distrusted the ocean itself. The sky above felt much safer to him, though he would be the first to admit his control of storms probably had something to do with that.

WC: 316
TWC: 1224 / 5000

Looming over him, she squeezed some of the cold lotion directly from the bottle onto his back, just out of pure mischievousness. Valli really enjoyed messing with him (and most people), but the liquid wouldn't be cold for long. Soon her warm hands were in it, smoothing it all around his back while she basically felt him up. "Oooh, these muscles," she grinned, repaying his massage with her own. Maybe she took a little longer than she should, but she was probably enjoying it just as much as he was. Truth be told, Valentina was a very touchy-feely kind of girl. While most preferred either actions or words, she was a woman of both. She was also a very confident and comfortable someone, so interacting with others even in some close situations was easy for her.

Since it looked like her distraction technique to ease whatever his worries had been was at least a moderate success, she finally finished applying the sunblock by giving his lower back a gentle pat. "All done. Now may neither of us fry," she fake prayed, standing up and returning to her chair to sprawl out like the sunkissed goddess she hoped to become. The distant voices of the fishermen working and hollering orders back and forth mixed with the crashing waves were oddly comforting. At least she was certain no slimy fish would be flopping onto her any time soon.

"So," Valli prompted, looking at this as the perfect time to get to know her new friend a bit better. "You train a lot? Is that for fun, or because you have some epic grudge match to settle?" she asked, of course approaching this like the plot of a novel. With that bright blond hair and youthful face, surely those muscles were built on heroism and willpower.

[wc: 303 || total: 1527/5000]

It took Remi biting down onto his tongue to stop from squealing like a pig when suddenly felt the cold liquid and frankly given how he almost jumped straight out of his chair he didn't do that great a job of it. Despite that mild annoyance, he couldn't help but soon relax into her touch. Letting out a content sigh he relaxed completely onto the chair, even going so far as to close his eyes. This was the closest to a professional massage he had ever come through if they were supposed to better than this perhaps he should look into it. His large hatted friend certainly was taking more time than strictly necessary, not that he cared. What's a little give and take between friends?

Doing his best to not look disappointed once she was finished Remi adjusted in the chair, mildly chiding himself for not bringing sunglasses. Laying on his back he was in the middle of guessing how much power it would take to conjure a cloud if they wanted some kind of shade when he heard Vali's question. Turning to look at her he flashed another one of his open smiles, jokingly patting his abs as he talked. "Well, I don't know about some grudge but I wouldn't have called all the training fun, at least at first. I was given a list of well..." For a brief moment, his smile no longer reached his eyes, instead of glaring off in the distance to a man who looked remarkably similar to him miles and miles away. That look turned to pride when began speaking of his siblings. "Let's call them "esteemed hobbies." Things that you could eventually perform in public or compete in. Things the extremely wealthy like to brag that their children could do, you know for prestige or some other nonsense. I picked dueling and music, my sister is a talented artist despite her age, and well... some days it is more common to see my brother on his horse than off it."

Laughing softly as he rambled on he took a moment to adjust his chair flashing an apologetic smile Vali's way. "The muscles and exercise came from all the sword training or to push my body to be stronger. I was often told that I had to make myself into a weapon before I could be trusted to wield one reasonably. Such is the life I suppose. I didn't care much for it till my first sparing session. There is just something about combat that gets my blood flowing. After that, I kept pushing myself harder and harder. I was a terror on the youth dueling circuit back home. I didn't win every time but I got more than my fair share of medals." Taking a moment to smile softly in a nostalgic sort of way mimed holding his sword both hands, swinging the imaginary blade at a foe. "It was a point of pride for my mother, used to say that I could sing like an angel and fight like a devil."

WC: 505
TWC: 2039 / 5000

"Ah, so you have a wealthy family, too, hm?" Valli hummed, laying in her chair with her eyes closed to the bright ocean sun overhead. She could almost feel her skin soaking it in, warming her to her core but in a pleasant way. There were some similarities between the two friends, which she couldn't say surprised her. Remi had a vibe that just felt familiar. The kinship between two runaway rich kids. "Siblings, as well? Our lives are similar in those regards! My family has a thriving winery so we're loaded, but I have more siblings than you do. Nine others. It's a bit chaotic," she grinned, though there was a little bit of pain in it. It hurt a little to think about them or to think about her family at all. She loved them dearly and missed them, but also had an aversion to thinking about how they were also her cage. It was a complicated thing, not even including the little Hero Agency her parents ran and the unpredictable natures of her brothers and sisters.

The mage glanced over at him, watching him pretend to wave a sword around and giggling. Valli had had her own share of training, though it wasn't for family bragging rights or anything like that. She was surprisingly okay in hand-to-hand combat, but she'd never been a fan of weapons. If she had to fight seriously, she relied way more on her magic to carry her to victory, or at least survival. "Well, all that training did you good as far as I can see. I've never seen you fight or heard you sing, but I hope to remedy both of those things soon. You're an interesting guy," she told him, making a mental note to add it into her notes for the character based on him in her book. "So are you the oldest of your siblings?" she asked, turning her face back to the sun in hopes of gaining natural rosy cheeks. He had big brother vibes, but she could never be certain. Her own oldest sibling was so much older that sometimes he felt more like an uncle, especially with how serious and responsible he was. Remi wasn't either of those things as intensely as him, but she still got the feeling that he carried the responsibility for both of his mentioned siblings in the same way she shouldered Santiago. Well, maybe not the exact same, since his brother and sister didn't sound traumatized into...whatever Santi had become.

[wc: 420 || total: 2459]

Listening intently Remi's eyes went wide as he took in the notion that she had so many siblings, dropping his hands down for a moment from his previous fooling around. Did his friend's parents have any hobbies? That was entirely too many kids in his opinion. Frankly, he couldn't imagine having that many siblings to begin with either. Shaking off his surprise he flashed her a grin as he centered himself, happily listening to her talk. It had been some time since he could just enjoy a pleasant conversation with a friend, even more with a beautiful woman. Having to lie tended to kill his enjoyment the other times this had happened since coming here. But he didn't have to do that with his new friend. "Well, that's certainly more brothers and sisters than I could handle. Two is enough for me. Essayaient-ils simplement de voir combien d'enfants ils pourraient avoir?"

Blushing softly despite himself when she complimented him, he took a half-second to respond. After of course mentally kicking himself for letting such a simple compliment get to him. It was mostly because he respected her as a fellow adventure and mage as well as the simplicity of it. He could flirt with highborn women all day and have it mean nothing but those were typically about his appearance, very rarely about him as a person. Clearing his throat he briefly and playfully narrowed his eyes at her, vowing to get her cheeks red later to get even. "I am the eldest by about two years, followed by my brother than sister a year after that." Keeping a frown off his face he pushed down any thoughts about how they were doing. After all mother and father always treated them much better than himself. Surely they would start forcing responsibilities and family honor onto them, not when they likely thought he was in the middle of some youthful rebellion. "What of you? While I bet you were the most beautiful flower in the garden by your own admission you weren't the only one. One of the younger siblings I am guessing?"

WC: 499
TWC: 2958

Valli giggled as Remi balked at the size of her family. "I don't know if I can say I handle them or not, but I didn't really get a choice. It wasn't up to me and that's just how it always been, since I'm the second youngest. So I'm the baby sister and your the older brother. Much different perspectives, I imagine," Mused the sunbathing girl, unaware that she was about to receive quite the unwelcome surprise.

If she'd ever heard of flying fish before, perhaps she'd have been warier of turning her back to the fury of the open seas. She thought herself safe from the cold-blooded slimy scalies being yoinked out of their homes to be consumed by seafood enthusiasts. "Beautiful flower?" she asked, giving him a grin. "I'm not su--" Her words were cut off by a wet slapping against her bikinied bottom. "Ay!" she called, momentarily thinking that Mr. Suave over there was getting a bit braver than she'd anticipated, but as she turned to swat him, the long-finned offender sailed past her head and started frantically flopping across the rear deck. Valli's pale jade eyes met one of the round, soulless ones of the gasping fish for a quiet moment before she launched off of her chair in the opposite direction. “¡Joder!” she cursed in fear, wanting as far away from the creature as possible while also keeping an eye out for more. "Is nowhere safe?!" she asked, about one second away from bolting into the cabins below.

[wc: 253 || total: 3064]