SEASICK

48- Do Not Touch

"She is old, what is she going to do to you?" Leven almost laughed himself.

"She has a shifty eye." Ivo shrugged with a smile.

Everyone but Kazumi laughed at Ivo's comment.

I hate to think of leaving them one day, they are all so important to me. But I will do what I have to fix what has been done. So, I will enjoy every minute with them for as long as I can.

"Dear, excuse me but I need to get another," Leopoldo whispered to Alana, raising his empty mug.

Alana sat on the outside this time after Ivo complained about wanting to sit by her for his birthday.

"Oh, I will go get it." Alana beamed at him, she wanted to stretch her legs anyway.

Leopoldo smiled back.

"How sweet of you, but I will go."

"No, I will be quick, I want to." Alana slipped out of the booth and began towards the bar before Leopoldo could say anything else.

Leopoldo sat blinking rapidly at her behavior and was disappointed that she was serving him.

I do not want her to strain herself for me in any way, even if it going to just get another drink... perhaps in other ways though.

"I wonder how long it will take her to realize she needs money." Ivo chuckled. "I say one minute."

"I say two!" Leven betted as well.

"Thirty seconds," Kazumi stated.

Leopoldo only chuckled at his comrades placing bets on such a trivial matter and remained quiet. All four set their eyes on the girl walking to the bar, carefully weaving through standing patrons.

And so the bet began: when will Alana realize she needs money to get Leopoldo another drink?

Alana finally made it to the bar and stood between the two stools, one empty and in the other sat a lone man. He had dirty blonde hair, and a scruffy beard, which reminded Alana of hay when she glanced over to him.

"What can I get you, pretty lady?" The bartender, a big burly man, asked with a grin.

Alana smiled as well.

"An ale please." She sweetly asked.

The bartender nodded once and grabbed a clean mug from the shelf.

As soon as the bartender reached for the mug, she felt a nudge on her arm. Alana looked down to her arm first, then flickered her eyes to the man with a hay-like beard. He was simpering a rotten-yellow smirk and looking her form over with prying pond-water shaded eyes.

"Don't I know you?" The man finally asked.

What? Alana became nervous right down to her bones as she searched the man's face for any recognition.

Could he be an old guard? An ex gardener? How could he know me?

"N-no?" Alana replied shakily.

"Oh, well that is too bad, I would love to get to know you."

Alana's shoulders promptly dropped in relief followed by a quiet sigh.

Oh, he is just attempting to flirt.

"I am sorry, I know too many people already." Alana laughed him off, focusing back on the bartender feeling the glass with ale.

"Aw, can't you make a little room for me?" The man pouted, used his index finger to teasingly trace a circle on her shoulder.

Alana wanted to wretch at the contact, and her skin crawled with disgust.

The pirates, still watching, saw this and immediately stood ready to get rid of the pest that dared touch their woman. But Alana did something they were not excepting, and their eyes widened.

Thank you, Silas.

Alana thought happily to herself as she gripped the man's palm, twisting his arm in the opposite direction, manipulating his wrist to ache with extreme pain.

"Argh! Let go, you bitch!" The man hissed in pain, slapping the bar with his free hand, trying not to move the other one in her grab.

"Oh, you don't like me touching you without permission?" Alana faked a pout.

Silas taught her this hold when she began courting at ten years old. Since Silas was not allowed to be close during her 'dates', he figured teaching her a few mild self-defense techniques was his best option if he could not be there in time to stop a touchy encounter.

Alana had only used it was once before on a grabby prince, but she remembered it well. She had no reason, nor opportunity to use this particular grab since then, but she was thanking the gods and goddesses she could still pull it off.

She stood coolly at the bar as if she were not one extra bit of pressure away from breaking a man's wrist, watching as the bartender came back with her ale.

"There you go, pretty." The bartender sat the mug down. "On the house." He winked.

Alana gave a thankful smile back to the bartender.

"Thank you, you are so kind." She complimented.

"This man here was harassing me; do you think you could make him leave for me?" Alana batted her lashes at the blushing bartender.

"You are the one harassing me!" The man snapped his face bright red with anger and perhaps slightly from the alcohol.

The bartender immediately sent a sneer at the man, grabbing him by the collar.

"You trying to run off my clientele? This ain't a bar for pervs!" The burly man raged, reaching over the bar to pull the man out of the bar.

Alana finally released her grip.

"Thank you so much," Alana waved to the bartender grabbing the mug and making her way back to her table carefully.

"Look, he gave me 'on the house', is that the kind you like?" She smiled at Leopoldo.

"Wha-what?" He stammered still shocked from watching her twist a man's arm at an unnatural angle with one hand.

"The bartender said this was 'on the house', is that a type of ale?" Alana sat the mug down on the table but realized they were all standing.

"Are we leaving?" She asked disappointedly.

"No," Kazumi said, sitting back down in his seat. "Are you alright?"

Alana furrowed her brows.

"Yes, I am fine." She smiled.

"You almost broke a man's wrist." Leven pointed out, not at all troubled by it, more so proud.

Alana sat down as well.

"I wasn't going to break it, but I didn't like him touching me."

"Where did you learn something like that?" Kazumi quizzed.

"Oh, my friend taught me, for all those dates I was talking about earlier." Alana smiles wider.

Leopoldo ruffled her hair.

"I am sad to see you won't need my protection all the time."

Shouldn't that be a good thing? Alana thought to herself.

"I am going to go get some fresh air." Ivo smiled. "I will be right back."

"Take your time..." Kazumi said knowing exactly what Ivo was planning.

"Oh, I will." Ivo's smile into an evil grin that made Alana knit her brows. Ivo sauntered out of the tavern without another word.

I guess I will have some real fun on my birthday after all.