"the moon and me are like this 🤞"
ᴍᴇʀᴍᴀɪᴅ ᴏᴄ
A tale of two impoverished sisters.
Luna and Marina were once nobles in an underwater kingdom formerly known as "Esdelle." That was until one day, humans came and wiped them out in what is now known as...
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⋆.ೃ࿔*:･₊ ⊹
Luna tentatively walked out of the alleyway after changing into the clothes Dazai had given her; a pair of slacks and a worn out shirt that was slightly torn at the sleeves. It wasn't much, but she figured it was better than the big hospital gown.
She looked around, searching for the others, but all she saw was villagers passing by. It was mostly women and children, carrying baskets of bread, tending to their daily tasks and errands, and all of whom looked friendly for the most part.
She was about to start looking for the carriage when she spotted a familiar figure walking towards her from the right. Dazai. The uniform made him stand out from the villagers–so official. A couple of them were eyeing him as they walked along the streets, probably wondering what a military official was doing in their village.
"Where's everyone else?" Luna asked as Dazai stopped in front of her. He stared at her for a moment, then a smile crept on his face.
"You see this sign?" He pointed upwards at a small sign hanging above the village establishment they stood in front of. The sign creaked a bit, swinging back and forth with the gentle wind.
'Le donneur de mort' it read in white, fancy cursive letters.
"It's a tavern. And since this curse.. We have quite an interesting way of trade now," he said, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head slightly.
"It's a system we've implemented with some of the employees here. It'll only take a little while, all you and me have to do is keep the bartenders busy."
He grabbed her wrists, and, before she had time to react, dragged her into the establishment.
Upon entering, Luna's eyes widened. Her heart began to race a little. Older men filled the seats while bartenders' hands were busy at work. No one in here looked normal. They all wore dark clothing, and more than half of them had piercings and tattoos. Some of them had hooks for hands. Some even had eyepatches, covering scars. Luna felt a few of their gazes on them as they went and sat at the bar.
Luna's eyes nervously darted around, then landed on Dazai, who didn't look the slightest bit fazed by the atmosphere. The bartender approached just then.
"You can bring your finest wine for the lady and bring me a black coffee please." Dazai said, emphasizing his last words.
The bartender looked at him for a moment before nodding and slipping into the back.
All they had to do was keep the bartenders busy? That didn't sound like too much of a feat. A thought began looming in Luna's mind as she recalled Dazai's words. She turned to him.
"I wanna know more about this 'system' you were speaking of."
Dazai stared at her for a moment, the corner of his mouth tugging into a smile and his eyes wide.
"Right.. that. It's quite simple, really. This village is home to ex-pirates. 'Hakai Village'. They were raided a few years back and lost nearly all their vegetation. So we simply bring them food supplies, and they give us weapons in return."
"Weapons?" Luna repeated, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Yup... weapons," He said, his gaze fixated on a random spot on the wooden countertop. "Rifles, ammunition, cannon powder, nets, anything that can fit in the cart, really."
So they were loading up on weapons. Like they were preparing for something. But for what?
Luna didn't want to pry too much and raise suspicion, so she kept silent for now. Dazai seemed to notice this. The slightest smile slowly crept on his face as he studied her expressions a bit, but that short moment was soon interrupted.
"Lord Dazai." A deep, gravelly voice suddenly came from behind. It sounded like a bass drum. Both Dazai and Luna turned, feeling the vibrations in the stools they sat in.
The man was broad, towering over them. His eyes were dark, his expression giving away no signs of his intentions–none of which could be good.
But then the man suddenly bowed, kneeling down before them.
"Lord Dazai, please... please dance with me!" He pleaded out, sounding almost on the verge of tears, extending his hand towards the brunette man.
Dazai stared wide eyed at the man's hand, then blinked a couple times, as if snapping out of his thoughts, a bright smile replacing his expression.
"Ah, John. How I've missed you! You can skip the formalities, by the way." Dazai accepted his hand, getting up from the stool and allowing the man to drag him toward the small stage.
"Luna, do me a favor and stay put, 'kay? I swear I'll be back. Oh, and watch this for me." Dazai turned to the woman, placing his hat down on the counter and waving her a prompt goodbye, as if nothing was happening.
