#part 74

Shells | Part 74 (shelliott stardew fic)

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i missed that silly goober

thanks to cutethulu and mongoosingisme for the proofreading!

He pulled the blindfold off and you were blinded by the sun for a moment. As your eyes adjusted, they were filled with the sight of thousands of cherry blossoms, traditional Korean architecture, and people walking around together happily.

“Jaehyun what the fuck?” You whispered.

“Do you like it?”

“Where are we?”

“Bukchon Hanok Village. Think of it like… Colonial Williamsburg. But Korean.”

You laughed. “I’m surprised you’ve been there.”

“I went once when I lived in the States.”

You looked around. “It’s all so pretty.”

“You like it?”

“Of course I like it, what’s not to like. There’s so many cherry blossom petals I feel like I’m in an anime.”

He chuckled.

You turned to him, smile beaming. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have come here if you hadn't brought me.”

He didn’t respond for a second and stared at you. His ears went pink like the petals that spiraled around his face and you finally understood the manga/anime trope of flowers and flower petals surrounding the very bishie male lead. He cleared his throat.

“Don’t thank me just yet.”

“Oh god, what?”

He laughed.

“Just tell me what it is, I’m ready for the disappointment,”  you sighed.

He laughed louder this time. “So, you passed your Korean class last semester, right?”

“I’m getting the feeling I should tell you ‘no’?” You viewed him with suspicion.

“So this is your test--”

You made like you were going to walk right back down the stairs and he caught your hand and pulled you back. Some stupid, stupid, part of your brain betrayed you and you felt your heart thunk against your ribs. You looked at your hands together, knowing that was what caused it.

You looked up at him.

“S- sorry.” He pulled his hand away.

You turned away, suddenly feeling very warm despite how cool it was outside.

“Okay, I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I thought it would be fun if you speak Korean the whole time we’re here. Like a practical test but… with cherry blossoms and good food.”

You turned back and stared at him.

“See? I’m bribing you with food, like Anna said.”

You narrowed your eyes at him and then looked around at everything there was to see and do. It was all the things you liked: food, art, plants to look at, food. You grumbled at him.

“Was… that supposed to be words?”

You sighed. “What if I don’t want to speak Korean to people? Out loud? Where they can hear me? And judge?”

“Well, you’ll see the cherry blossoms but I won’t order anything for you. So no food.”

You pouted, stomped your foot and puffed out your cheeks like a bratty child.

“So you’ve learned what aegyo is.” He said matter-of-factly.

You narrowed your eyes at him again.

“It’s not going to work on me.”

“Why not?”

“I’m the master of aegyo.”

“I’ve never seen you do it.”

“You can ask Johnny. I don’t do it often because it’ll make everyone in a ten-mile radius instantly fall in love with me.”

You sighed and stopped. 

“The best way to exercise language skills is to use them.”

“UGH I guess.” You groaned loudly, drawing looks from a few people as they walked by.

“If you speak only Korean the whole time, I’ll pay for everything.”

You stared at him blankly for a second before you pretended to remove wax from your ear with your finger. “Pardon? I appear to have lost my hearing for a moment. Can you repeat that?”

“I’ll pay for everything, all you do is have to speak Korean the whole time.”

You looked at him suspiciously. “What if I need to ask a word? Or what if there’s a word I don’t know?”

“I’ll help you.”

“Even if I have to speak English to ask what the word is in Korean?”

He nodded. 

You held out your hand to him.

“What?”

“Since I can’t get it in writing, I want you to pinkie swear on that promise.”

He laughed and locked his pinkie with yours. “Speaking English to ask a question doesn’t count.”

You nodded. “<Okay.>” Like the intrepid explorer you were, you moved to lead the way, but he pulled back on your hand.

“<But first…>”

You suddenly found yourself in the aisles of a hanbok rental store. Everything was extremely pretty and you were having trouble figuring out what to pick for yourself.

“<Do you need help?>” A woman in hanbok came over and asked.

“<Yes-- uh.>” You looked at Jaehyun and he gestured to you to speak to her and stood behind you. You felt yourself shake a little as you thought of what you wanted to say, and how to say it since you didn’t want her to think you were rude. 

“<Um…>” 

You laughed awkwardly for a second before you felt him slide his hand into yours. The shock of what he was doing snapped you out of it.

“<Hi, good morning. I’m not sure which to pick… they’re all so-- so pretty.>”

She nodded, seeming to understand that you were still struggling with the language. “<What colors do you like? That makes it easier.>”

“<Um-- >” You blanked and took your hand out of Jaehyun’s so you could show her. “<This one? I don’t know it.>”

“<Ahh, the purple one?>”

“<Yes. And... this one,>” you gestured to another one.

“<Pink.>” She smiled.

You smiled back and nodded.

“<Those would both look lovely on you. I think we have one that has both…>” she guided you over to another area. “<Are you learning Korean?>”

You nodded again. “<Yes.>”

“<Your pronunciation is very good.>”

“<Oh-- thank you.>” You nodded. “<I’ve been-- >” The word escaped you and you turned to Jaehyun.

His eyebrows ticked up.

“Practicing?”

“<Practicing.>”

You turned back to the employee. “< --practicing.>”

She nodded. “<It’s a good thing you have such a helpful friend.>”

You nodded awkwardly. “<Yes. I’m lucky.>”

You turned to see what he thought of what you said and he was looking at a kind of overcoat, face turned away but you could see his ears: pink. You laughed and turned back to the employee as she found what she was looking for.

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Chapter 26: Trial

The Dark Dragon arrived while the unsetting Arctic sun was at its nadir, producing a ghostly light that filtered through low, broken clouds. The powerful hunter ship’s proud sails were filled tight like claws full of wind.  The huge war catapult was carefully unloaded and released from its tension.  All of the other preparations for conflict were undone with the same care and hunting blocks were again placed into the smaller catapults, rendering them nearly useless for battle.  Long Wing Ray fang knives were handed back into the ship’s armory along with pikes, spears and crossbows.

Sula knew exactly how her ship was disarming and Sarfin now had some idea of what was involved.  He had seen much of the arming after all, and had watched a similar process of disarmament aboard the Soaring Bird.

Two other watchers had some idea of what they were seeing and were vastly relieved that this ship was coming in peace.  Barad and Captain Tanlin.  “Remember, Luve, wen ye said t’at we ‘ad naught t’ fear so long as t’ese twain were nae ‘unting us?” Tanlin asked thoughtfully.

“Indeed I do,” Barad replied soberly, “and now they are both here and we are the hunted.  Yet I fear them less than the Naral fleet judge.”

That ‘morning’ as the sun climbed up and the light got better, tables and benches were set out on the deck of the Soaring Bird.  One table was for Sarfin to sit at, the sole judge, as requested by Kurin’s note.  Another table, close to the first, was for Sula, at Dark Iren’s request.  A third table was for Captains Urson and Farrol. Urson as witness to the trial for the Council and Farrol as prosecutor.  Kurin, Barad and Tanlin occupied a fourth table at the focus of the other three.

The formalities of the opening droned on, who was there, the purpose of the meeting, and all of the rest that the official record needed. Kurin listened, fidgeted and wound her fine white hair about a finger, and leafed through her impressive stack of case notes.

At last came the meat of the event.  “The Specification of Charges against the Ship known as Grandalor and her Captain Barad, officers and crew,” Sarfin read.  Kurin became very still, listening intently.  Quietly, so as not to disturb the humans at their works, Great Sea Dragons began to surface about the Soaring Bird.  In only moments, all five of the Greatest of the Great Sea Dragons were staring intently at the trial being played out before them.  This audience made Captain Sarfin as edgy as a crab out of water.

Still, he forged ahead, “The First Charge is of the attempted murder of Kurin Behar Longin and the murder of the sailor Garfin Halin Grython by means of a poisonous Ord spine.  The Second Charge is Flight from the Justice of the Naral fleet.  The Third Charge is of piracy against the Fauline.  There is also a Council Requirement for Knowledge ordering the opening of the Grandalor’s logs and all other records to determine what other charges may be in order.”

Kurin got to her feet and faced Captain Sarfin, the judge.  “If it is alright with you, I can settle that last point now.  As I know that you are aware, I never forget anything that I read.  I have read every written thing aboard the Grandalor.  I will stipulate the necessary charges.  Specifically, and first, the counterfeiting of Naral fleet ship’s scrip.  Second, for the last twenty two Gatherings, the Grandalor has traded in Human Indentures with the Arrakan fleet.  Thirdly, the Grandalor has attacked two ships of the Naral fleet.  The Fauline was rammed shortly before the recent Coriolis storm.  The repairs that enabled the Fauline to survive were done by the Grandalor.  The charge of piracy is denied entirely.  The Longin was attacked here in the Dragon Sea, just days ago.  Repairs to the Longin are still on going, financed and supplied by the Grandalor.”

The stipulations appeared to bother Sarfin a great deal.  “If you are going to be the Grandalor’s advocate in these matters, Kurin, shouldn’t you try to minimize this?  These charges of slavery and piracy will force executions and Scattering if they hold up at all.”

Kurin answered briskly, “Our defense will show both the reason and the legality of the issues in each case.

“In regard to the charge of counterfeiting, the Grandalor will plead guilty.  Captain Barad, Mister Morgu, the Purser, and a few of the crew under his direction carried out the operation.  Many sailors passed the notes.  Though they suspected that the notes were counterfeit, they simply followed orders.  Only those who ordered them to pass the notes and those who made the notes were actually guilty.

“Now, Captain Sarfin, I have a question for you.  At which Council were the counterfeits declared illegal?”

Sarfin was dumbfounded.  “It has been discussed for the last five Gatherings but there were technicalities in the way of a resolution. It is theft.  It was never declared illegal, per se.  The Pursers met to discuss a means of ending the problem since the Council seemed unable to accomplish anything.”

Kurin leaned back in her chair, well pleased that her first point had gone home.  “Hence, this issue is a civil matter.  I have ordered that the Grandalor pay immediate restitution to every wronged ship.  You are in the proper legal position to levy appropriate fines.  I suggest that each wronged ship receive twice their losses with a like amount going to the Naral fleet.”

Sarfin shook his head, “Kurin, you are the Grandalor’s advocate.  You can suggest payment.  You cannot require it.  Only the Court can do that.”

At this, Tanlin raised her hands for recognition.  When Sarfin indicated that she might speak, she said, “Wit’ due respect, Ca’tain Sarfin, ye are wrong.”  She held out for Sarfin’s inspection a bound sheaf of parchments.  “We all surrendered our ship, possessions, accounts an’ every ot’er t’ing on t’e Grandalor t’ Kurin as sole owner an’ possessor.  We also rendered personal surrender documents, surrenderin’ t’ ‘er an’ ‘er alone.  I’ we refuse any order o’ ‘ers ‘twould be a mutiny an’ we ‘ave already suffered ane o’ t’ose.”

Sarfin looked over the bundle of parchment as if it might explode.  He said critically, “The Council still has a one share legal interest in the Grandalor, as it does in every other ship in the fleet for taxation purposes.”

Kurin lolled back in her chair and said, “Look at the date of those papers.  When the surrender was taken, the Grandalor was still under the Edict, as no copy of the rescission of warrant had arrived here. I quote from the Edict, ‘the reward for capture shall be the ship itself and all goods and accounts aboard, whatsoever.’  As she was stricken from the fleet rolls at the time, the Naral fleet has no claim whatsoever on her resources.  When my ship is properly reinstated under command that is satisfactory to me, I will happily cede the proper single share to the Naral fleet.”

TO BE CONTINUED

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