Legacy's Wake

The hour Nathaniel mentioned passed, and right on cue with Temoshí's words, "Is that it? Cerulean Tide?" a brand-new island appeared on the horizon, drawing closer with every moment.

"That's it," Nathaniel confirmed, pointing ahead. "You can already see the gateway leading in."

As the island loomed larger, Tarot squinted at the imposing structure. "What do we do when we get to the reception? They're not just gonna let us stroll in. You know, because... pirates."

Temoshí turned toward the group, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He cleared his throat dramatically, then announced with exaggerated flair, "Clearly, the solution is obvious—I'll disguise myself as a seductive lady and charm our way through. I am the very picture of femininity, after all." He struck a bizarre pose, fluttering imaginary eyelashes.

The group stared at him in dead silence, blinking in unison.

"Let's not risk whatever that is," Nathaniel muttered, breaking the awkward pause. "Joker, you got a plan?"

"Of course," Joker said, snapping his fingers as a puff of air conjured up a stack of concealing outfits. "We'll wear these to stay incognito. Our names are way too famous across the Vast Expanse."

He passed the clothes around, and everyone started gearing up—until Temoshí held up his outfit with a blank expression.

"Uh… Why do I get the lady's outfit?" he asked, eyebrows twitching as he examined the long skirt and frilly top.

Joker smirked without missing a beat. "Well, you were so confident in your feminine mystique, Captain. Consider this your moment to shine."

Temoshí opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. Finally, he sputtered, "Shine?! This thing has a corset! How am I supposed to breathe, let alone seduce anyone?"

"Relax," Joker teased, waving a hand dismissively. "It's temporary. You can go back to being a man after we're past the guards."

Temoshí groaned loudly, tossing the outfit over his shoulder. "Forget the disguise—just tie me to the mast and sail through! That's less humiliating than this!"

The crew erupted into laughter, Tarot wiping tears from his eyes. "Captain Temoshí, Master of Disguises! You'll kill them at the gate—for all the wrong reasons!"

No one responded. The crew simply watched him in unison, their faces painted with the most nonchalant and carefree expressions, though wide smiles betrayed their amusement.

"You know," Temoshí grumbled, glaring at them, "you guys are the exact reason why, sometimes, I'd rather just do things my way."

Before anyone could reply, he planted his foot firmly on the wooden floor and spun in place. A sudden burst of azure flames swirled around him in a vortex, casting fiery light across the deck. As the flames grew higher, so did his form begin to shift.

Temoshí's short, rugged frame softened, his broad shoulders narrowing as his build grew more slender. His hair lengthened dramatically, cascading down his back in silken, white waves, shining like moonlight. His chest expanded as delicate curves took shape, his waist cinching inward while his hips subtly flared.

By the time the flames dissipated, Temoshí stood transformed—a striking, statuesque figure of feminine grace. The crew stared at him—or rather, her—silent for a moment longer before Tarot finally broke into a snicker.

"Well, Captain," Tarot quipped, "if this pirate gig doesn't work out, I'd say you've got a bright future in theater!"

"What the hell does that even mean?" Temoshí's voice, now much softer and sweeter, carried a sharp edge as she glared at Tarot, her face twitching with irritation at his strange—and idiotic—comment.

"I forgot you could just... do that anytime," Nathaniel muttered, watching as Temoshí inspected her oversized uniform, which now hung awkwardly on her slimmer frame.

"One thing's for sure," Temoshí huffed, gripping the hem of her loose shirt, "I am not wearing a skirt!" She jabbed a finger at Joker, her fiery irritation making her new voice sound unintentionally adorable.

With a puff of air, Joker conjured a more practical outfit—a pair of fitted blue jeans and a stylish white jacket—and handed it over. "Maybe this suits your taste a little better," he said, holding up the clothes, which also included... underwear.

Temoshí's eyes twitched as she stared at the garments, her fury boiling just beneath the surface. "Why do I have to wear that?" she asked through gritted teeth, her fists trembling.

Kyora stepped in, crossing her arms with a smug grin. "Let's put it this way: every woman out there wears it. You're no exception. And don't worry, Temoshí—there's a bedroom you can use to figure out how to put on the, uh... upper part."

Grumbling, Temoshí snatched the clothes and stomped toward the bedroom like an angry duck, muttering under her breath.

"I can't believe this... A pirate captain, reduced to figuring out bras. This is humiliating. I fought Yipsiv, damn it! Bras weren't part of the deal! And who even invented these things? Some evil mastermind, that's who!" She paused mid-step. "And why does the jacket smell like Joker's cologne? Is this some sort of joke?! If they make fun of me when I come out, I swear, I'm launching someone overboard!"

Her complaints trailed off as she slammed the door behind her, leaving the crew on deck stifling laughter.

"I can't believe this... trying to figure out how to wear this ridiculous stuff. Why does it even have to be so complicated? Couldn't they just make it simple? And what's with all the layers? I'm going to spend half the day just putting this on!"

She paused mid-step, holding the bundle of clothes in front of her. "And why do I even need a new outfit? My old one was fine—well, aside from being too big now. Someone's getting kicked off this ship!"

Her complaints continued to echo softly as she disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a frustrated thud. On the deck, the crew exchanged amused glances, but wisely decided to keep quiet.

Several minutes passed, and Temoshí still hadn't returned to the deck. The crew's patience was running thin.

"How long does it take to put on a few pieces of clothing?" Kyora groaned, arms crossed as she scanned the group. "Someone needs to go check on her."

Immediately, all the men exchanged glances before collectively pointing at Kyora.

"Why are you all looking at me? I'm not going in there with a man! That's not happening!" she snapped, throwing her hands up.

"Well, I'm not going in there with a woman! That's even worse!" Tarot countered, sticking his tongue out dramatically like a kid refusing vegetables.

Joker cleared his throat, raising a finger. "Unfortunately, I'm programmed to remain child-friendly. My system doesn't allow for such activities. Sorry." He even coughed into his hand, trying to sell the excuse.

"You're not an AI, Joker! And you definitely don't have some family-friendly protocol in your circuits! You're just lazy!" Kyora shouted, veins practically popping from her forehead.

Amidst the chaos, their collective gaze slowly shifted to Nathaniel, who stood silent and stoic.

For a long moment, he didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't even breathe. He was a statue of resistance. Then, with a defeated sigh, he straightened his coat.

"No," he said flatly.

Eyes remained on him.

"I knew I should've stayed retired..." and trudged toward the cabin like a man heading to his doom.

As the door shut behind him, Kyora dusted off her hands with a satisfied grin. "Good. Now that's settled, let's get ready for the gateway."

The rest of the crew burst into laughter, watching Nathaniel's sacrifice as the tension on deck finally eased.

The crew finally approached the massive gateway leading into Cerulean Tide. The imposing structure loomed ahead, its towering gates adorned with intricate carvings of ocean waves and mythical sea creatures.

"Now that our identities are supposedly hidden and covered up, there's probably less chance we'll get shot on sight when we arrive, right?" Temoshí remarked, leaning casually against the ship's railing with her elbow, a smirk playing on her lips.

Around her, the rest of the crew stood scattered across the deck, each sporting their hastily modified disguises to conceal their faces and identities.

Kyora had wrapped herself in a flowing navy-blue cloak that draped down to her ankles, complete with a deep hood that shadowed her face. Beneath the cloak, she wore a simple tunic and boots to appear like a traveling scholar, her staff hidden but within reach.

Nathaniel, ever the minimalist, wore his usual attire but added a plain, dark scarf that he pulled up to cover the lower half of his face. His calm, collected demeanor somehow made the simple scarf disguise seem more effective than it should have been.

Joker had taken a more theatrical approach, donning a long-tailed coat with muted colors, paired with gloves and a wide, rounded hat. He had also applied face paint in earthy tones to disguise the metallic sheen of his cybernetic features, making him resemble a wandering performer from a distant land.

Elliott, as always, kept things simple. He wore a dark gray jacket with a high collar that he pulled up to hide most of his face. A pair of goggles perched on his forehead gave him the appearance of a low-profile engineer or mechanic.

Finally, Tarot had gone overboard with his disguise. He wore a patched-up poncho over his usual attire, paired with a comically oversized sombrero that cast a shadow over his face. He even added fake sideburns and a mustache, grinning at his own creativity.

"You all look like we're attending a poorly planned masquerade ball," Temoshí teased, her white hair flowing freely in the breeze. Unlike the others, she hadn't bothered to hide her face, her confidence and flame-powered abilities making her feel untouchable.

"At least we tried," Kyora muttered from beneath her hood.

Temoshí only laughed, spinning a small flame between her fingers. "If anyone has the guts to call me out, they're welcome to try."

Everyone couldn't help but exchange glances, visibly annoyed at the fact that Nathaniel made the least effort to disguise himself, simply wrapping a scarf around his neck as a cosmetic gesture.

"I'm calling it now," Kyora groaned dramatically, throwing her hands up in the air. "Nate is going to be the reason we get busted. Then we'll all end up as fish food for electrifying piranhas or something equally ridiculous." Her tone carried a mix of exasperation and resignation, as if she had already accepted their fate.

Nathaniel, unbothered by the growing irritation directed at him, calmly adjusted the scarf like it was a perfectly acceptable solution. "If we get caught, it's not going to be because of me. You're the one with the suspicious hood, Kyora. You look like you're about to pull off a heist."

"Excuse me?" Kyora shot back, her hood flipping slightly as she whirled to face him. "This 'suspicious hood' is the only thing keeping us from looking like a ragtag circus crew. Unlike your decorative scarf."

Meanwhile, Elliott stood off to the side, looking entirely out of place and thoroughly irritated. "Why did you guys wake me up just for this nonsense?" he muttered, clearly still groggy. He shifted uncomfortably in the uniform Joker had crafted for him. "The second we get past those gates, I'm ditching this ridiculous outfit. I look like I'm about to fix someone's airship."

Joker, unfazed by the critique, tilted his head with a smirk. "You're welcome. That's called blending in, my friend."

Elliott's eyes narrowed, his glare locking on Joker. "Blending in? I look like the mascot for an engineering convention. If we get caught, I'm blaming you and this stupid jacket."

Tarot, observing the bickering with an amused grin, leaned against the mast. "If we're caught, it's probably because Joker overdid it with my disguise. I look like I wandered out of a Western drama and got lost on the wrong set." He tipped his oversized sombrero and struck a ridiculous pose for emphasis, earning a collective sigh from the group.

Temoshí, leaning casually against the railing with a smirk, finally broke in. "Relax, everyone. If something goes wrong, I'll just take the lead. You're all just my eccentric entourage anyway."

Tarot squinted at Temoshí, tilting his head like a confused puppy. His human ears twitched slightly, as if trying to catch the meaning behind her words. "Whoa, whoa, slow down there, captain," he said, waving his hands in mock surrender. "Using all those fancy words—'eccentric entourage' and whatnot—you're frying my brain here. Speak normal pirate or something! I didn't sign up for a vocabulary lesson."

The crew collectively sighed as Tarot added, "Seriously, what does 'eccentric' even mean? Is it like... a type of dance?"

Without missing a beat, Tarot stood up and struck an exaggerated pose, his arms flailing as he began to shuffle from side to side. "Like this?!" he yelled, doing what could only be described as a combination of a monkey shimmy and a confused crab walk. "I'm just being eccentric! Watch me go!"

Nathaniel, grabbing the bridge of his forehead, muttered, "It means 'weird,' Tarot. Like you."

Kyora groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is a disaster waiting to happen."

To be continued...