WHAT THE CAPTAIN WISHES

Rivra's threat kept bouncing around in his head. He jumped every time footsteps passed his door. He wrung his hands, waiting for her to return and end him.

His eyes darted around the spotless room. A citrus-y perfume hung in the air. Much different from his dingy apartment. He missed his guitar, though. Usually, he'd calm down by strumming chords or learning new songs.

(I rarely did that, though. I'd always get frustrated when learning solos…)

A set of footsteps approached. Every muscle in his body tightened, as if on cue.

This time, there was a beep as someone used the keypad on the outside of the door. Milo shot straight up. The door hissed open, and in walked a girl with bushy green hair. Her skin was dark brown, her eyes a rich amber.

Her eyes widened as she spotted Milo.

(Shoot! I'm still in my robe! I couldn't find any clothes that fit, though…)

The girl cleared her throat. "Aye, you must be the captain's new guest. Sorry. Didn't realize you were already here." She bowed her head a bit. "Name's Tereine. I clean the ship."

(She seems pretty normal…A lot more than anyone else so far.)

"Don't worry about it. I'm Milo."

She nodded. Her eyes flicked over his robes, and she cleared her throat again. "Sorry for the lack of duds. I hear Earthbound humans get sick easily in space. That's why Faith asked me to bring you this."

She held up a one-piece cat suit with silver trim. "This'll protect you from the radiation and vacuum of space. Wouldn't want you popping like a cyst!"

Milo winced, but he chuckled a bit. "That sounds unpleasant."

She walked up to the bed and set the suit, along with a pair of matching boots and gloves, at the foot of the bed. From this distance, Milo could make out the grooves and bumps in her skin. They reminded him of a tree's bark. A pleasant, pine-y scent tickled his nose.

(She seems really nice. Maybe she can tell me more about everything going on.)

"Tereine…"

"Hmmm?"

"I, uh, I'm not really sure what's going on."

"Well, we all go through fits like that, don't we?"

"No, what I mean is…I'm completely lost."

"Aye, seek Faith's advice. She's quite the accomplished doctor."

(How dense is this woman?!)

Tereine reached out a hand and touched Milo's knee. Her smile radiated a gentle warmth that made his heart ache. Though he wasn't really sure why.

"I'm just the maid around here. I know a lot of things that go on. But keep in mind, I don't know you very well. No one does. But…you seem like an okay kid. Just try not to stir up trouble. Especially not with Rivra. She'll make you regret being born!"

A chill settled in the pit of his stomach.

(Well, fucked that up already. Should've let that robot carry me off…)

She patted his knee. "But don't worry! I'm sure Rivra will warm up to you, eventually!"

Her smile was contagious, and Milo couldn't help but return it.

(I only hope you're right, Tereine…)

***

The suit Tereine brought hugged every inch of extra fat on Milo's waist, and no matter how he sucked it in, he couldn't hide the cushion, as Lucianna had lovingly called it. He fell back on the bed and heaved a sigh.

(Is this what they call letting yourself go? I look like an overstuffed burrito.)

Though the fit was tight, it didn't feel uncomfortable. After he wore the suit for a few minutes, he hardly noticed it. His new boots cradled his feet perfectly. When he stood to admire himself in the mirror, he swore he stood a few inches taller.

(Has my posture really been that bad this whole time?)

There was a knock at his door, and he yelped.

"Darling~? May I come in?"

(Lucianna?)

"U-uh, sure!"

A beep, and the door hissed open. Lucianna sauntered in. Milo stared at her, his lips slightly parted. She wore a small cloak that matched her black cat suit and boots. It perfectly outlined her breasts, which swayed to and fro as she approached him. She hadn't replaced her right arm yet, but her new left hand touched her lips as she greedily devoured the sight of Milo.

"My~! That suit fits you perfectly!"

Milo rubbed his arm. "Y-you don't think I look a little…?" His eyes wandered down to his waist.

"Oh~? Worried about what I think?" She adopted a cat-like grin.

"N-no! Not really. Never mind. I said nothing."

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, practically shoving his face into her left breast. (NO NO NO I NOT IN THIS SKIN-TIGHT SUIT!)

"I think you're absolutely delicious~" She breathed into his ear, and goosebumps rose along his neck. "I could just gobble you up!" She clicked her teeth together, barely a hair's-width from Milo's earlobe.

The syrupy sweet perfume of her breath made his stomach twist. His arms felt heavy and suddenly he forgot what his name was.

"I-I. u-um, I can't, uh…"

"Captain."

Rivra ducked in through the doorway. She took in the sight of Milo's face, practically wedged in Lucianna's cleavage, and backed her way out of the room. "Dinner is ready. Please don't keep Albany waiting. She's especially eager for our…newest crewmate."

"Oh~? I almost forgot it was dinner time!" She looked down at Milo's beet-red face. She smiled so hard the corners of her eyes crinkled. "Too bad for you, darling! So close to Promised Land! But not quite!"

She grabbed him by one of his wrists, and spun him around, as if they were participants in some twisted dance competition. Milo's uneasy stomach lurched, and he slapped a hand over his mouth in advance. Lucianna practically skipped toward the door, blowing a kiss back to Milo as she slipped into the hallway.

(She's…she's so crazy!)

He straightened himself up and locked eyes with the deadly bodyguard, Rivra. She drew a thumb over her throat. Milo thanked himself for going to the bathroom shortly before.

"What's the holdup?" Lucianna shouted. "Dinner's waiting! Albany makes the best grub!"

(She's…like a child…)

"Yeah, come along…esteemed guest…"

(AND SHE'S PLAIN SCARY!!!)

***

A veritable feast spread along the table set for eight. The menagerie of aromas dancing in the air roused saliva from Milo's mouth like a geyser. At the center of the table sat a roasted chicken of some sort, its skin the perfect crispy brown. An assortment of sides circled the main entrée. One looked to be a pudding with fluffy white chunks. (Marshmallows?) A large saucer of dark, rich gravy waited with a porcelain ladle resting inside.

Milo's stomach groaned and whined. He couldn't remember the last thing he ate. So much had happened, he never gave a thought to being hungry.

A cute woman with long, wavy blonde hair dressed in an apron hurried about, checking that everything was perfectly set. She stopped when they entered, and her eyes fell on Milo. She stood, and the first thing Milo noted was the two-inch long horn protruding from her forehead.

"Oh ho! Lucy was right! You look just like him!" Her tail, the same color as her hair, swished back and forth behind her. "It's been so long since I cooked an Earthbound-style meal! I hope you enjoy!"

(She…she cooked this all because of me?)

Lucianna nudged him on the shoulder. "Hear that? Better eat your fill! Don't want her to chop your hands off…"

Milo jumped. "W-what?!"

Albany waved her hands, her face going red. "Oh, Captain! Don't tease him like that! I just want to him to enjoy the food, that's all!"

They seated themselves. There were eight chairs, two on each side. Naturally, Lucianna insisted Milo take the spot next to her. Rivra then took the other spot next to Lucianna. Milo tried to avoid crossing gazes with her. He couldn't forget the image of her dragging her thumb across her throat. Earthbound human or not, that gesture held a pretty universal meaning…

Tereine and Albany sat on the side next to Milo, with Albany directly at Milo's side. As he filled up his plate, Milo couldn't help but notice Albany's eyes tracing his movements, as if she were taking notes on what food he grabbed, what order he grabbed it, and how he built his plate.

Lucianna chuckled. "Don't forget to actually eat, Albany…"

"R-right, Captain!" Albany then filled up her own plate. Milo smiled a bit.

As they ate, Milo noted there were three empty chairs: two across from them, and one next to Rivra.

"Where's Faith?" he said.

"Oh, uh, I brought her a plate," Albany said. "She's very dedicated to her work!"

Tereine giggled. "Aye, doesn't help the Captain keeps breaking her arms. Poor Faith's working harder than me!"

Lucianna rubbed the back of her head. "Okay, listen, I can't help it. A robot attacked me. And I got a little carried away…"

"I'll say!" Tereine leveled her gaze at Milo. "Probably just trying to show off to your little boy toy here!"

Milo, Rivra, and Lucianna all choked on their food. Albany's eyes widened. "Oh, no! Did I do something wrong?"

Milo forced down a juicy chunk of chicken, gasping for breath. "It's not like that!" He turned to Tereine. "What makes you think I'm her…her…?"

Tereine snickered. "Oh, Faith told me some things."

Lucianna rested her chin on her prosthetic. "Oh, really~? Last time I say anything to that glorified super computer…" She shook her head. "Milo here is our ticket to finding Waylon! That's all there is to it!"

(Oh, right…She said something about trying to find my father. But…)

Albany cocked her head. "How does he help with that, exactly?"

Rivra tore into a sizeable chunk of meat, slurping it down. "It'd be nice to know what our esteemed captain has planned for us. Especially since you took in a complete stranger…who looks like the man we're hunting."

He avoided her gaze, but there seemed to be a solar-level heat radiating from Rivra's direction. No doubt her eyes were trying to bore straight through him. He set down his knife and fork.

"I don't even know my father. I never…even knew he'd left Earth. Let alone any of this." He gestured at all the girls. "I'm really just a guy."

"Dead weight's more like it," Rivra said.

Lucianna glared at her right-hand woman. "Hey, lay off him."

"Oh? Is teasing him a privilege reserved for the captain?"

"That wasn't what I'd call teasing," Tereine said. "Sounds more like you don't care for him."

Rivra gulped down her drink, sighing loudly. "All I'm saying is if we went to my father—"

"Enough." Lucianna stood. "We won't turn to him. Don't need to! We have Milo."

"And what's a weakling like him supposed to do? If I didn't show up, the robot would've carried him off like a helpless princess!"

(Ouch. I mean, true. But ouch.)

Lucianna crossed her arm over her chest and peered down her nose at Rivra. "Sounds like someone else I knew. A long time ago."

Rivra jumped to her feet, her glass clattering to the floor. "I've grown since then. I bet right now I could kick your sorry ass. Without your gems, you're just as helpless as him!"

Lucianna clenched her fist. "Not anymore!" She moved behind Milo and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "The power Milo and I have together could easily take you down!"

Milo felt his right wrist pulse. It almost felt as if someone—Lucianna, perhaps—had squeezed his right hand. He lowered his head.

Rivra planted her hands on her waist. Her head turned toward Milo. Though she didn't have eyesight, something about the way she turned her head in his direction, like a predator echo locating its prey, terrified him more. He swallowed the lump in his throat. His chest felt extremely tight as his heart pounded.

"He's scared." She turned her head back toward Lucianna. "You expect me to believe you and this coward could beat me? Ha!" She crossed her arms. "I don't know what kind of power you think you've found with this human, but I think you've lost your mind."

Tereine looked between them. "Aye, don't you think that's enough?"

"You think I've lost my mind? Okay then, how about this…You against Milo and me. If we beat you, you drop it. If you beat us, then we'll do what you want."

Rivra shook her head. "If I win, we get rid of that pest." She pointed a thick finger directly at Milo. His heart sank. "And you step down as captain."

Albany's mouth formed a small o. "But if Lucy steps down as captain, who'll fill her spot?"

"I will," Rivra said. "Meet me in the training area in one hour. Hope your pet grows a spine by then."

Rivra turned and left the dining room. After a few minutes, everyone released a breath. Albany turned toward Milo. "S-sorry. I wanted to make your first meal welcoming. It must've not been good enough to please Rivra…"

"O-oh no! Don't worry about. The food was great! I loved it!"

Albany's eyes lit up. "You mean it? Oh, that's great! I'm glad! You should tell me what you enjoyed so I can make more of it for you!"

Tereine chuckled. "Aye, if he survives Rivra's wrath."

Lucianna glared at her, and Tereine cleared her throat. "Anyway, I'll help you clean up, Albany. Let's leave the lovebirds alone."

Milo furrowed his brow. "L-lovebirds…?"

Without offering further explanation, Albany and Tereine began tearing down. Lucianna nudged Milo, and he rose. She led him back to his bedroom, shut the door behind them, and led him to his bed. She sat next to him, and they sat there in silence for a few moments.

Her eyes floated somewhere off in the ceiling. She played with a lock of her hair and mumbled something to herself. So close, the heat between them caused sweat to bead on Milo's neck.

After a few minutes of silence, Lucianna heaved a sigh.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

Her eyes lowered until they met his.

"Do you…know how to combine us?"

Realization struck him: they only combined once. He wasn't sure how they'd done it. Worst of all, they needed to do it again to defeat Rivra.

Lucianna chuckled, shaking her head.

"Ohhhhhh, I really messed up this time."