Morning had come and despite the pirate's headaches from the previous night, everyone was still woken up by Biskit telling them to get to work.
It was a group of zombies, they were groaning due to their hungover, complaining about the noise they were making while fixing the ship- Gary JUST knew that the tiny ventraxian was doing it on purpose to get back at him, that had to be it.
"How are you OK?" The blond whined as he leaned over the edge of the ship, squinting at Avocato who stood with his back straight, gracefully watching over the others
"I have a high alcohol tolerance" the ventraxian didn't bat an eye to the human "I'm surprised you don't have one though, with the way you drank I had assumed you would never get drunk" he smirked, finally looking at the state of the human before him
"Oh shut it" Gary huffed, his hair was a mess- it had a few flowers still knotted in between and it stuck up different ways, his eyes were puffy with some eyebags due to staying up late and crying over every little thing just before he passed out.
Avocato remembered yesterday clearly, although he knew the human would most likely remember nothing.
The sun was just ready to leave, darkness eloping the sky, leaving the ocean to reflect the sun's dying light. Avocato was helping Gary walk back to the tent, turns out that he gets easily drunk and energised but after a few more drinks he turns into a crying mess.
When drunk, Gary had no filter- he'd say whatever he thought or wanted to without a speck of a lie- making the ventraxian have to babysit him and forcefully shut him up when he was about to spill the fact that he lied to the others about being a pirate too or when he'd nearly call Avocato "Bartolomew" instead.
"Let me go" the human cried for some unknown reason, an arm hooked around Avocato to support him even though he insisted on walking by himself.
Being constantly pushed away, Avocato sighed and gave in, allowing the human to walk a few steps and trip so he'd learn that he simply couldn't walk without his help.
As Gary fell face flat on the floor, not a single step taken, there was brief silence before he began to cry again
"Ow" he whined, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes, a waterfall of tears falling once again
"See?" Avocato sighed, kneeling before the other "I told you-" he shook his head, regretting allowing the other to drink as he had a headache now.
He watched the human cry, slurring in-between hiccups some nonsense Avocato could not understand
"Nose hurts" "No go back" "scared" "hungry"
It seemed whatever he cried about seemed to change every hiccup he took.
"Why do you cry?" Avocato asked, expression softening in a mix of confusion and sympathy as he reached out to clear the never ending river of tears "what upsets you?"
As he held Gary's face in his hand, he noticed how smooth his skin was, taking the time to give it a few more strokes in amazement- it was ALMOST as smooth as a dolphin's and as someone who has fur, Avocatow as quite curious.
"StoOooOop" Gary whined, his tear ducts acting up again, so much for wiping the tears away
"Don't cry..." Avocato brushed Gary's hair out of his face, playing with it inbetween his finger tips for a moment before trying to tidy his hair futher.
Gary's eyes stared at Avocato, they were shiny from the tears which brought out the blue in them- his lip still wobbling in a pout had more of a tint to it just as his face did from both the alcohol and tears.
"...you look ugly when you cry" Avocato said, hoping this would finally make Gary stop
"I'm not uglyyyYyyYy" but he only cried more
"My boots still smell like barf" Avocato took the tool Gary had been holding and continued whatever the blond was working on
"You smell like barf!!" Gary shouted, his face red as he recalled Avocato waking him first just to tell him that Gary had puked all over his shoes last night.
The blond stomped away, failing to notice the other's short quiet laugh of amusement, as he huffed and decided to sit next to Little Cato to help him with fixing a certain hole on the ship with a temper.
"Something happen?" Little Cato asked, chuckling quietly as Gary only huffed in reply before letting out a startled "mrow!" When Biskit came by to scold him to keep working.
Soon enough, their hard work had payed off and the ship was fixed allowing the others to have some rest at last.
"My ship!!" Tagnag cried happily hugging Biskit who tried to scramble away with all his power but ultimately failed "this calls for a celebration!!"
"You just want to get drunk, don't you?" Avocato sighed, remembering how much louder it had gotten because of him being drunk last night
"Correct!" Tagnag held Biskit under his arm and laughed
"We haven't even set off" Avocato shook his head
"We'll set off THEN celebrate!" He decided, finally dropping Biskit to go give his crew their commands
Avocato watched before his eyes scanned the ship for the blind human, noticing he seemed to be leaning on the edge- watching the land they were leaving.
The gypsies were now gone, their horses being given to them as a gift as they couldn't bring them onto the ship. There were pieces of burn firewood, food scraps that wpuld get decomposed as well as the marking of their tents that were slowly being erased by the rising tide.
"Don't stand too close to the edge" Avocato said, chuckling with amusement when Gary pulled away from the edge with an angry pout
"What do you want" Gary crossed his arms, glaring at Avocato
"Are you still embarrassed?" Avocato asked, lifting his brow in amusement "or is it because I made you clean your own vomit"
"Just tell me what you want!" Gary shouted but it sounded like a whine, his face visibly more red
Avocato paused, coming to lean his back against the edge of the ship as he peered at Gary, trying to understand him before he finally asked
"What the hell are you planning?"
"What?" Gary blinked, surprised by the sudden angry tone- he felt something in his chest tighten as he realized Avocato had been only teasing him over being drunk but wasn't exactly angry over his dirty boots
"Shouldn't we get off now?" The ventraxian lift his brow "we're done helping them- that what you wanted, right? So let's get off" he stood properly now, his posture straight as he stepped closer to Gary who shrank slightly under his gaze
"What?" Gary repeated in confusion "No! You guys need a ship" he said
"That doesn't mean you get to decide things" Bartolomew glared down at Gary "we share opinions and decide whenever we should or shouldn't go with the crew" he explained further, taking another step towards Gary but the other took a step back "just cuz we need a ship doesn't mean we get on other people's ships- they want their own ship, Gary. They want their home, not someone else's"
"We-well...yeah-" Gary stuttered
"Or are you perhaps planning on stealing their ship?" Bartolomew continued, stepping fowards until Gary walked back enough to hit the foremast of the ship "hm? Thief" he questioned
Gary widened his eyes at the familiar name, somehow....for some odd reason- he had expected Avocato to never call him that again.
"I--" Gary tried to get his words out, deciding now to use his excuse to calm the other down "I saved you guys, can't you trust me a little?"
"Saving us doesn't mean you get us as slaves, human" Bartolomew growled seeming to prick Gary with his words as the blond's eyes widened and he stood there, against the pole, unable to escape Bartolomew's gaze
"That's-- That's not what I--" he stuttered wanting to go back further but unable to.
Captain Bartolomew stepped closer, their nearly touching. He glared down at the human, he could tolerate rude people so far- in the end he was still a captain and he disliked not having respect. His orders are absolute because he calculates and thinks it through with his crew....This man, Gary, simply goes on a whim--
"In Greece..." Gary muttered very quietly, seeming to tremble under the pressure "in Greece there's someone who builds--builds good ships...he-- he owes me so...I just thought...that may-maybe" he stumbled over his words, looking down at the floor as he was unable to meet the other's eye "I'm sorry- we can get off if you want"
What a funny way to say things, Gary...
"We"....
Since when is Gary part of a "we" situation? If the crew really does decide to leave, then who is he to go with them?
Afterall they are superior
Bartolomew IS superior
And you...
You're just a slave
"I'm sorry--" Gary quickly apologized again, making the other uncomfortable with the unusual behaviour- but that's what Bartolomew wanted right? To be respected by the other?
No...this wasn't respect....
"Gary--" Avocato tried to reach out but the other had flinched in reply. Frowning, he took a few steps back, allowing the other to flee.
He shouldn't feel bad, he was doing what was best for the crew....but even so Avocato accepted the ride to Greece, using "we have to leave the capital as soon as possible" as an excuse.