Next Stop, Foosha Village

A couple of days later found us in a bar in some small, windmill-surrounded village on Dawn Island. The Calm Bubble had only lasted a few more hours after my failed attempt to control the wind; it had picked up abruptly, almost like my Normality had worked, just on a delay. In any event, we were here for a cooked meal, neither of us able to resist after days of plain fare aboard the ship. Both of us were terrible cooks, and the little boat hardly had a galley anyway. It was true Goa, the city, was only an hour further up the coast, but our stomachs had made the decision to stop early.

So we’d strolled right into this sleepy little village, Foosha, the sign had said, and found the first place open for business. I had taken the opportunity to set up a little Normality on the way through, a test to see if I could score some free birth control later. I’d mentioned to a local greeting us that it was "normal for Foosha Village to be widely known as a source of potent birth control herbs and medicines." The guy had just nodded like it was common knowledge.

But right now, herbs were the last thing on my mind.

“Another!” Alvida bellowed, her mouth half-full of what used to be a roast chicken.

The few old fogies nursing their midday beers near the window jumped in their seats, staring with wide, bewildered eyes. They couldn’t process what they were seeing. To them, Alvida was a stunning, raven-haired goddess with skin like polished porcelain and curves that defied logic. She looked like high-society royalty, yet she was currently tearing through the bar’s entire pantry with the ferocity of a starving sea beast. Grease slicked her perfect chin, and she licked her fingers with a loud, unladylike smack.

I leaned back in my chair, picking my teeth, watching her with a grin. The Sube Sube no Mi had changed her body, but it clearly hadn’t touched that bottomless pit of a stomach.

“You gonna ask the kitchen for a trough next, Your Majesty? Maybe try chewing. Or a napkin. The table’s starting to shine.”

Alvida didn’t bother looking offended. She licked her thumb slow, then pointed the gnawed drumstick at my lap. “Save the etiquette lesson, chaplain. The only thing misbehaving is that cannon you’re smuggling.”

I glanced down. Yeah. Still pitching a tent big enough to camp in because I was getting excited about doing something sexy with a new lady.

Alvida grinned, that kind of grin that meant she knew exactly what she was doing; smug, lazy, dangerous. “Besides,” she said, licking her thumb slow, “don’t act like you’re not starving for something yourself. I see you eyeing the barmaid.”

I followed her gaze.

The woman behind the counter was pretty in a simple, natural way that reminded me of some of the ladies back home in Ochre Cay. She moved with that mix of easy confidence and maternal warmth that made you forget yourself. Even the old men drinking looked at her like she was the one reason to keep living.

Alvida took a long pull from her ale, eyes on me over the rim. “Go on,” she said finally. “I expect my man to have a harem of bitches eventually. But until we find ones worthy of breathing my air, you might as well practice your technique on the local wildlife.”

That snapped my attention back to her.

“My man?” I said, but it came out more like a protest than I meant.

My man. When exactly did she decide she got veto power on where I docked my cock? Then again, that tracked. Alvida walks into a room and crowns herself; it’s just who she is. I didn’t feel the itch to argue anyway. The earrings meant I could nod, let her enjoy being queen of the harem roster, then do whatever I wanted the moment it suited me.

Oh shit. I’m going to have a harem!

She smirked, tossing the bone onto her plate with a clatter. “You’re mine until I get bored. And you haven’t managed to bore me yet.” Her eyes flicked to my lap again. “Now quit pretending you’re shy. She’s cute. Go ruin her day.”

I pushed my chair back, the legs scraping on the wooden floor, and stood up, trying not to look too eager. I don’t know what she meant by that. I wasn’t intending on ruining anything. Alvida had certainly enjoyed having sex with me.

"I don’t ruin days," I muttered. "I improve them."

"Tell her that when she can’t walk straight," Alvida shot back, already reaching for the next platter.