Brass Skies vol 2 (Draft)

Fulfilling Dreams part 9

When he woke up the early next morning, a section of the room was already divided off by a sheet strung up at the end near the latrine. Another sheet was strung across Angel's bunk.

Angel herself was nowhere to be seen. Jonathan quickly got dressed and headed towards the main deck. He had just stepped off the ladder onto the deck when he was almost knocked down by someone colliding into him from the side.

He turned to see Angel glowering at him, hands on her hips. She was dressed in brown pants and boots, a white blouse, and a brown vest and a thick belt. Various straps built into her clothes buckled into each other and contained a series of D-rings at various places such as her waist, her chest, her back, and her shoulders. Attached to one of those D-rings was a heavy rope line that led to a slider on another rope.

As Jonathan stood there, Angel tapped the line and then the ring. She then pointed to a similar line positioned by the hatch and then to Jonathan. When he looked at her in confusion, she repeated the motion.

"I don't see why I need a rope," the boy muttered. "We're going to take off soon, I want to see." He tried to step around Angel, but she moved to block his path, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

When he attempted to push past her, she reached out to grab him by his arms and spun him around so he could take in the deck. Gradually, he realized that everyone on the deck—sailors, officers, and everyone else—all had lines. Most wore clothing like Angel's that had rings on them. Others wore harnesses over their clothes.

Then Angel spun him back toward the hatch and marched him to it. He tried to struggle, but she was stronger and her anger only magnified her strength. After a few moments, he realized his efforts were futile and he quit resisting.

Angel dragged him back to their cabin. Once inside, she kicked the door shut behind them. She shoved him towards his bunk and motioned for him to stay with a scowl.

Dragging her trunks out from under her bed she went digging through first one and then the other. Her scowl increased and she abandoned her attempts to be neat as she the minutes dragged out.

At last, she breathed a sigh of relief and allowed a momentary grin as she held up her find in front of her and turned so Jonathan could see it. A leather and brass steel harness dangled from her hands. She held it out to him and motioned him to take it.

Jonathan looked at it, a skeptical expression on his face as he examined it.

Angel rolled her eyes and sighed theatrically before holding out her hand. She took the harness back and then motioned for Jonathan to stand up. Once he did, she helped him put it on, starting with putting his legs through the thigh loops and working up.

Once the harness was on, Jonathan felt a bit uncomfortable. The harness was obviously designed for a girl. The straps around the crotch pulled and pinched in ways that were painful. Furthermore two of the straps across the chest were too loose, and the realization that the strap that connected them was designed to go between a girl's breasts made him blush and fidget awkwardly.

That awkwardness only grew as Angel began adjusting the straps, especially the ones around the crotch. It didn't seem to bother her nearly as much as it did him. She didn't even blush until she saw how he was blushing. At last, she was finished, and he had to admit that though the harness still felt awkward, it was no longer painful.

Just then, they heard the loud snap-hiss of the burners and felt the ship shudder. Angel opened the door and then grabbed his hand. Together they ran towards the ladder to the deck. Angel climbed of first, and was already waiting with a line snapped to her clothing and another already in hand. The moment Jonathan reached the top of ladder, Angel snapped the second line to his back. She also took a smaller line and snapped it to each of their waists.