Keep sailing.

On the next day, the sun still shines brightly, though there are several puffy white clouds like balls of cotton rolling in from over the horizon. It isn't too hot, given the breeze, and the fact that it's now been autumn for awhile. You still haven't seen a hint of land, however, so there'd be no other way to tell the season apart from memory--no trees, no flowers, no grass, so it's for the best Peony didn't come on this one. There is a special allure the ocean carries, though a dryad would be more comfortable at least occasionally seeing green. For you, the most beautiful view comes not from what's in the distance, but those aboard the ship itself.

The crew passes time as they do, whether that be playing cards, snacking, exercising, or simply enjoying some time away from the stresses of everyday life. Fava, Amara, and Snow stand not far away from you chatting, just beneath the shadow of the center mast.

"Your hat really is very cute," Snow says to the elf as she tugs down her mask.

Amara giggles and returns the compliment with a smile to warm one's heart. "That is very sweet of you to say. I always thought your outfit was adorable as well."

"It can't be too fancy. My duty tends to be unseen. Attracting attention would be counterproductive."

Fava shrugs. "If you're worried your clothes could draw people's eyes, then simply sneak around in the nude."

"I think that would make the problem worse."

"You can't know unless you try."

"Not again. Not since I locked myself out of my room when I was younger."

You lean against the port-side as you watch and listen. Niki doesn't stand far off, though her attention is on the sea. There's an entirely different beauty about her during moments of vulnerability, whether it be in silence or passion, like a suit of armour which occasionally vanishes, and as she stares to the distance, the breeze wafts through her head of short, black hair, and the sun radiates down over her dark, shining skin. Suddenly she gasps, however, and casts her gaze to the waves.

Your eyes follow hers, and you turn to see what she's looking at. Two gorgeous women with dark red hair and turquoise scaled tails like fish are swimming by. When they notice you looking, they briefly stop. Their breasts are bound by shell-made bras, and one returns your attention with a wink. They giggle to one another, and then disappear back beneath the ocean's surface.

Niki finally notices you near and scoots herself closer. "The world is a pretty magical place, huh?"

"If you're saying that, imagine how I feel."

"Oh yeah! You don't even have boats and whales and stuff, do you?"

"Where did you get that idea? Of course we do. We just don't have mermaids, magic, and things like that. I guess it's hard to explain given that a lot of it is normal to you. And I'd have all sorts of stuff you'd be amazed to see if we were back on Earth."

"What would be the most incredible thing you could show me?"

"Well, on Earth, every house has The Tickle Machine."

She hangs on your words closely, and stares back intently as if truly desiring to hear more, though a few moments pass before her brow furls and realizes you weren't telling the truth. "Don't tease me like that!"

"In all seriousness, I don't know where to start."

Across the deck, Lalarin waves her hand up high. "Niki! Can we spar a little again? I need to make sure I'm ready to fight when we get there."

"Of course!" Niki responds with a grin. "See I'm a great practice opponent. You can hit me as hard as you can, and I'll be fine."

"If you were anybody else, I'd be really troubled to hear that," you say.

After she heads off, you wander about.

It seems everybody is up on the deck somewhere, not to be left alone somewhere in the depths of the ship away from the sunshine. You wander by, stopping to chat or merely saying hello. As captain, you seem to be doing a pretty great job, at least so far. The ship is sailing strong, and your crew looks to you with respect as you pass. Next you step up the stairs leading to the mast and the farthest back mast, wondering if all is going well with Eva, though she's not the only one present up here.

At the farthest part point of the upper deck, an adjustable lounge chair has been set up to rest flat, and a woman lays upon it. Malakae Vraelion, the haughty dragon, has her horned head resting upon crossed arms, and otherwise is flat on her stomach. Her ass is barely covered by a small, tight pair of golden bikini bottoms--not just in colour, but they also shimmer with a reflective material as if truly made from precious metal. The top of the swimsuit is undone, so her bare breasts press down against the cushion of the lounger, but she seems to be in bliss under the warmth of midday.

Dixby leans back against the edge of the ship nearby, though she's so short that her head doesn't even reach the top of the railing. Her goggles are down over her eyes, perhaps to shield her eyes from the sun.

"So are you going to start or not?" Malakae mutters.

Eva stands with a bottle in her hand and frowns.

You step over to the helm and lay your hand upon it, and then look to Dixby with an inquisitive brow. "What's going on?" you ask.

The gnome looks up. "Eva lost in a game of cards, and the bet was to rub suntan lotion on the person who won."

"I didn't think this quest would turn into a vacation so quickly too. Who even brought these loungers?"

"No idea. I brought the lotion, but that's it."

You look down at her suspiciously. "Oh did you?"

"Always be prepared. That's my motto."

"I've never heard you say that before."

Eva hangs her head. "All right, fine. Here it comes." She opens one of her hands, and squeeze the bottle. Thick, white cream oozes down to her palm. After placing the bottle down, she rubs the lotion between her hands, and then presses them carefully down against Malakae's bare back. The dragon flinches. Then as the hands begin to knead into her skin, Malakae can't help but sigh softly at the sensation.

You cross your arms and inspect the gnome closely. "What are you up to?"

She shrugs. "Want to watch?"