“Time to wake up.”

Kenzo opened his eyes to a rather unpleasant sight. It was Vic, glaring at him from above. 

As he clumsily got up, Kenzo noticed sunlight shining through the windows. It seemed everyone else had woken up, as they were the only two there.

“Still feeling sick?” Vic asked.

“I’m feeling a bit better,” Kenzo replied, as he held back a yawn.

“Good. You’ll be helping around the ship starting today. Go see the chef, he has something for you to do,” Vic said.

He then left, which gave Kenzo some time to yawn and stretch before heading to the kitchen. The swaying of the ship still made him a little nauseous, but it was now easier to hold back the urge to throw up. 

When he reached the kitchen, the chef handed him three bowls of food with a spoon in each. It reminded Kenzo of the oats he’d recently been buying.

“You can read right?” the cook asked.

“Yeah,” Kenzo answered.

“Okay, you see this list here,” he said, as he pointed to a piece of paper on the counter with names written on. “You need to give everyone—starting from the top—their breakfast.”

“I don’t know most of those people,” Kenzo said.

“Then ask around,” the chef replied.

Now out the kitchen—awkwardly holding three warm bowls, Kenzo wondered what direction to go in. Luckily for him, the top three names on the list were ones he knew. It was the three captains, with the top one being Lady Social.

Finding her wasn’t difficult, as he noticed she stayed above deck most of the time. When he approached her from behind, the person she was talking to alerted her to his presence. She turned, and a smile formed when she noticed it was him.

“Morning Kenzo. Feeling any better?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered, “I have your food for you.”

She looked down at the bowls, but frowned. “I’m sure I told him to serve the guests first,” she said. “Oh, but never mind that. Thanks for getting it to me.”

He couldn’t quite give her the bowl without dropping the others, so she took one herself. With a warm smile, she turned to continue talking with her subordinate. 

Kenzo hesitantly left, as he worried about encountering the next two on the list.

His next destination was the lower levels, as he remembered hearing the captains were stationed there. Once there, he saw someone keeping watch in between two rooms. Kenzo slowly approached the one closest to himself, as it was already open.

Inside, was Captain William sitting at his desk alongside a crewman of his. They were discussing something as he wrote down on a piece of long paper.

“Captain, are you sure? Requesting help from the Valric Sister’s is—”

But the crewman paused as he noticed Kenzo at the door. Captain William then looked up as the man tapped his arm.

“Come in,” he said, as he flipped the paper he was writing on.

Kenzo walked in and lifted a bowl. “I have this for you.”

The captain gestured him to place it on the desk. Both men carefully observed Kenzo as he approached and placed it down.

“A stowaway with amnesia correct?” Captain William said. “I’ve heard you only remember your name.”

The captain then lifted his eyes from the bowl—to Kenzo, as he waited for a response.

“Y-yes,” Kenzo replied.

“How odd,” the captain said, as he looked at his crewman.

This atmosphere made Kenzo rather uncomfortable—as he was stuck in a room with two people judgmentally staring at him. The urge to leave was lingering inside him, but it felt like he had to be ‘officially’ dismissed by the captain.

The captain leaned forward. “So. Are you up to no good?”

“No,” Kenzo said.

“Good. Theo doesn’t think you are, so I’m inclined to believe you,” Captain William said.

He then nodded at Kenzo. This was the ‘official’ sign of dismissal he was waiting for, so he began to leave.

“One more thing.”

With freedom an inch away, Kenzo secretly rolled his eyes, then turned back round.

“No hunter survives out here alone. So it’d be wise for you to continue making yourself useful in the Lady’s company,” Captain William said.

Kenzo nodded, then left the room.

To the side, now out of view, he let out a deep sigh. To him, that was obviously the more reasonable captain out of the two. Yet, he felt mentally exhausted just from that encounter alone. He dreaded to think he was now about to meet the alcohol ridden captain in a one on one.

The guard watched, as Kenzo walked to the next door. There was a moment of silence once he reached it, as he mentally prepared himself for what was waiting on the other side. 

Kenzo knocked once. There was no answer, so he knocked again. But still, no answer. He looked at the guard who signalled him to just walk in. So, he pulled the handle and slowly opened the door.

As it creaked open, it stopped—hitting something on the floor. Kenzo peeked through and saw Captain John with his legs up—sleeping at his desk. He looked down and saw a basket of bottles blocking the door. With a little extra force, he pushed the door open enough to get in.

The situation in front of him was perfect. All he needed to do was to quietly leave the food on the desk, and quietly walk out. So he carefully walked up to the desk and looked for the best place to put the bowl. 

Putting it in the middle would avoid the captain knocking it off the desk, but what looked like a closed pocket watch—occupied the centre. Kenzo wanted to place the food not too close to the captain, so he reached to move the watch.

Suddenly, a small knife sunk its way into the desk, right next to his hand. His chest now pounding, Kenzo slowly looked up and saw the captain staring at him.

“Looking to lose your hand?” he said.

Time froze as their eyes met. An overwhelming urge to run hovered over Kenzo’s mind. But he remained still, with his hand inches away from the knife.

The glare from the captain eventually moved downward to the bowl Kenzo was carrying.

“Oh, you brought my food,” the captain said, as his eyes softened.

He let go of the knife, picked up the watch and placed it into his jacket.

“Come, give it here,” he said.

His hands now shaking, Kenzo clumsily placed the bowl onto the desk.

The captain grabbed the bowl. “Good, it’s got a spoon in it. Sit down. You can take the bowl with you when I’ve finished.”

Kenzo cautiously sat on the chair at the opposite end of the desk.

No words were exchanged for the next few minutes. The captain would frequently look up while he chewed, to observe Kenzo—who was silent throughout. It was difficult for Kenzo to decide where to look during this awkward situation.

“Not much of a talker are you?” Captain John said, as he continued to chew.

The question confused Kenzo as the captain was being just as silent himself.

With a loud burp, Captain John put the bowl down and crossed his arms as he sat back on his chair. There was a few more seconds of silence as he stared at Kenzo.

“Alright, you can take the bowl back,” he said, nodding his head toward the door.

Kenzo got up, took his bowl, and retreated to the door.

“Hey kid.”

Kenzo shut his eyes and quietly sighed. When he turned round, a small flask was thrown at him. As he caught it, he could feel that it was full.

“You’ll know when to drink it,” the captain said. “If you need to spit it out, spit it back inside.”

He then grabbed the knife and wiggled it free from the desk. “Don’t waste it,” he said, pointing the tip toward him.

Kenzo nodded and left the room. The day had just started and he already wanted it to end. 

Knowing it was most likely alcohol in the flask, Kenzo didn’t bother to check and placed it into his hoodies pocket. He then walked past the guard, who silently watched him leave.

Back in the kitchen, the cook ticked off the top three names. Kenzo then looked at the next few, as he was handed more bowls to deliver. He was then sent out the kitchen to repeat the process.

As the morning went by, Kenzo had made several deliveries. It was a stressful task, as he’d frequently forget the names he read and had to return to the kitchen. Eventually, the list led him to people he knew, like Bron and Theo. Bron was given two bowls due to his size, but even Kenzo didn’t know if that would be enough for such a giant person.

Next, it was time to find Theo. While searching, he came across the three children playing on the deck. They said that Theo had gone to the kitchen, but weren't sure why.

When Kenzo returned, it was like the kids said. Theo was there, and was haggling the cook to give Bron another bowl of food.

“You must know Lady Social’s fondness of Bron. I’d think she wouldn’t mind if one extra bowl went to him,” Theo said.

The cook gave an annoyed look. “Take it and get out already,” he said.

Theo took the bowl and turned to leave, but noticed Kenzo coming in.

“How’s the job?” Theo asked, as he walked up to him.

Before he said what he was really thinking, Kenzo looked at the cook and then back at Theo. “I don’t mind it,” he replied.

He then gave Theo the bowl he was holding. “This is yours.”

“It’s kinda cold but thanks,” Theo said. “You almost done?”

“I think there’s one more,” Kenzo said, as he walked to the list.

Theo followed him and checked the list himself. “Hey cook. Who organised this list?” he asked.

“If I tell you, will you leave?” the cook said.

“Yeah, why not,” Theo replied.

“The captain decided most of it,” the cook answered.

“Explains the bottom of the list. It’s surprising how childish those two can be,” Theo muttered to himself.

Kenzo wondered what he was talking about and looked at the last name on the list. ‘Captain William’s Quartermaster’ was written down. This was the only person on there that wasn’t addressed by their name.

“That’s Jetta, the angry woman you saw at the beach,” Theo said.

The gears in Kenzo’s mind turned, revealing a scene of rage in his memory. That day on the beach, she was the only person who seemed more troublesome than Captain John himself. 

“Oh,” Kenzo replied.

“Don’t worry. She’s too focused hating someone else right now,” Theo said.

“Do you know where she is?” Kenzo asked.

“In the living quarters next to us. Look for the curtain in the corner,” he answered.

The cook then passed him the bowl. “Good luck.”

As Kenzo left the room, he reassured himself by remembering this was the last person he had to serve.