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It was a rather cool morning for summer, yet still the wind felt good. It would most certainly warm up, the blistering heat hitting mid-day. And he would mostly be stuck in the bowels of the ship, where the heat seemed to hang in mid-air, almost suffocating. So Leo closed his eyes and let the wind blow through his hair, a small smile appearing on his face. This life was like nothing he could have ever imagined for himself. His heart began to beat faster just at the thought. Every kid dreamt of being a pirate, and yet he got to BE one. His home was a flying pirate ship, and he got to be a clown in a circus. He was living a childhood dream. Sure, he missed his dad. There wasn't a day that went by where his father wouldn't pop into his head at hearing a certain phrase or seeing something that triggered a memory. And yet, he could just imagine his father looking down, happy his son was living out his dreams. Even if he was a pirate that helped steal from the rich.
Of course, during all the heists, he had to stay on the ship with a babysitter. Leo huffed out a breath of frustration - knowing that his aunt was just trying to look out for him - but still, he wanted that adventure. Even if she would let him go just once. But, she always refused. And, being the 'good' little boy he was, he obliged. When he snapped out of his thoughts, the sun was higher in the sky than he expected. Panic began to overcome him. He was going to be late. And Annie hated it when he was late. Immediately he took off, running across the deck, his shoes clip-clopping against the hard wood. There weren't very many people up and about yet, but the few that were received a wave and smile from the young boy. He may be running behind, but he certainly wasn't going to be mean!
Suddenly, a crew member stepped out in his path, and the pair almost collided. Leo expertly slid his feet out in front of him, his bum sliding on the dewy deck of the ship, right between the legs of the man. The man gave out a yell as Leo stood up and kept running, but he looked back with the biggest grin on his face. Annie's cabin was towards the back of the ship, located on the highest level. Leo's room was right next door, though considerably smaller. Of course, she was the captain. She got the best spoils of the group. As he approached the door leading down below deck, he slowed his pace, but only slightly. He threw the door open, not bothering to close it behind him, and leaped down the staircase, landing at the bottom with cat-like grace. He took off at a sprint once more, dodging between crew members who had finally woken up and were reporting to their duties.
When he reached her door, he came to an abrupt halt, then opened it slowly, peeking his head inside. Annie was sitting at her desk, papers strewn out before her. She picked one up, then another, hand running through her hair. After a moment, Leo slid inside, closing the door softly behind him. "Auntie!" he exclaimed, holding his hands out in a big gesture.
Annie lifted her head, then swiveled her chair around to greet him. Her face gave away nothing. "You're late," she said simply.
"Yeah... he said, holding the syllable out for longer than he should. "But not too late!"
Annie couldn't hold a straight face any longer, and a smile appeared, turning her face set in stone to one as bright as a ray of sunshine. "You silly little boy," she said, standing up and approaching him, wrapping her arms around him lovingly. She gave him a good squeeze for a few seconds before releasing her hold on him. "I have a job for you already," she said, walking back over to the table to consult the pieces of paper once more. "I need you to go and fetch Zizi, please. And be polite. I just need to ask her one more time about this choice of location..." He noted a bit of worry creeping into her voice. Leo's aunt was always very honest about her plans and ideas. She didn't hide anything from him. After all, he was thirteen years old. He could handle anything she had to say.
"You got it!" His voice was exuberant and joyful, his teeth showing through his smile. He ran to the door, opened it, then turned back to face is aunt. "Captain!" he shouted, then gave her a goofy salute, before exiting her cabin. He took off at a run once more, only stopping at an intersection to wonder which way he should go. Where exactly would Zizi be this early in the morning? Guessing, he took a right turn, making his way to the inner part of the ship. And, coincidentally, the direction of Amalia's cabin. Perhaps he would conveniently run into her on his way...
Meanwhile, Annie was bent over her table, staring at the maps. Zizi had given her clear direction on their first target. A rather wealthy young gentleman in the field of politics, who wished to put the poor down even more. Moving them away from the inner city, pushing the slums farther from resources. She slammed a fist down on the table. Her only plan had been one of seduction. Distract him long enough to drain his wealth dry, and then take off back into the night. Yet, that plan didn't seem solid enough to her. Too much could go wrong. And this was their first operation as a team. If they failed, it wouldn't bode well with most of her crew, she had to guess. And so she had called on Zizi, who she hoped would have some insight into this whole predicament. Annie knew she worried too much, but this was her crews safety on the line, and failure couldn't be an option.
She considered calling on Blayke. She could certainly use him to destress. Yet, she figured he was busy, and it was early. Not to mention, if Leo was efficient, Zizi would be coming sooner rather than later. And if Blayke was present, that would be an awkward conversation to have.