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Most of their supplies had been stolen during the raid so the Bizare Wonders were going to have to earn their share of the supplies. But what was worse was that they had to spend three more months with these people.

Yuna rolled her eyes at the Captain's insulting comment, she didn't feel like bad mouthing anymore since it was getting them nowhere. Charlotte shuttered uncomfortably as he grinned at her. This wasn't the first time a man has given her that look, but they never took her as a prisoner.

"Well, the best we can offer is to work as a member of your crew until we arrive at Anya, " Cicero explained.

"We can even perform little acts to keep your men entertained when night comes. Perhaps your men could use a little positive morale." Cicero put on an awkward grin as he knew he was reaching with that last offer.

"Some men will have to work a little harder if they want to watch the show." Yuna snickered at the captain with a mischievous grin.

"Please don't antagonize him..." Charlotte muttered.

Dealt smirked, they had no idea what was in store for them. "That is a very light sentence. What can you even do for entertainment? Some dances? A few tricks? Cast a few spells perhaps?" A toying remark directed at Yuna.

"My men don't need entertainment. Well not the kind your offering. Because let's face it you have seen them. They're pigs. Three months of sea travel and your entertainment would begin to bore me and trust me, my palate is of higher quality then they could hope to dream."

He pondered silently. Finger tapping his chin, then stopped. "Alright. I will accept this agreement but at a cost. See this is a very agreeable deal for you and your troupe. You will do light work. Be fed better than my men. And most importantly be safe from any harm. And nightly entertainment since you brought it up. But in exchange I will be taking one of you as my cabin servant." He would toss a look at Yuna's direction.

"Hmph." Yuna crossed her arms and legs and turned her head away. "With that attitude, you will never get the pleasure of seeing us in action, " Yuna sassed.

"Oh, will you hush up..!" Cicero said in a hushed tone to Yuna while placing a finger to his lips.

"Anyways...we will take your offer. I will keep my group away from your crew so we don't have any clashing." Cicero declared.

"Wait what about this whole cabin servant thing? What is that about?" Yuna shot up from her chair when the Captain tossed a glance at her.

Oh, no...Charlotte's face darkened. Yuna was a stubborn girl which is clear as day, but he must be crazy to make her serve him after everything that happened.

"Wait, may I swap with Yuna..?" It pained Charlotte to ask such a thing but she didn't want them poisoning each other.

Dealt smiled in delight at the agreement of his terms. He ended up getting the better deal as he tends to. He chuckled at Yuna's attitude. "You have already proven you have fire in you. Now summer down before it goes to waste."

As she burst up and heard Charlotte chime in he was secretly delighted. He wanted Charlotte all along. Frankly if for no other reason than to piss off Yuna. To have Charlotte ask instead was just gravy on top. He put on a face of annoyance and brushed it off.

"It seems like she will keep paying your tab, you really don't know when to be respectful of those around you. But I guess I will allow this trade. Charlotte will be my cabin servant and Yuna will work with her troupe, as promised."

With a wave of his hand a contract appeared outlining the terms. Safety, well fed, and a drop off in exchange for light work, nightly entertainment, and for Charlotte's subservience.

"All I need is a signature from Cicero and we can get started with your new lives among my crew, unless there is another problem, Yuna?" A wry grin directed her way.

Yuna's eyes widened at Charlotte's proposal, "Wait...Charlotte you don't have to swap with me." That was twice she saved her skin, but she was afraid of what the captain would do to poor Charlotte. She had always been a girl of few words and rarely put herself into the spotlight of anything.

"It is alright...this will only be a temporary arrangement." Charlotte smiled warmly at her weary friend then turned to Captain Dealt.

"This is temporary until we get to our destination, yes?" Charlotte wanted to confirm one last time.

"I assume it is..." Cicero added reassure Charlotte and to make sure he had both of girls content before signing.

"But...but...alright." Yuna sat back in her seat in defeat, she was stubborn but Charlotte was almost if not more stubborn despite her meek appearance.

Cicero gave one last glance at the girls who gave him a light nod giving him the 'okay'. Cicero turned to the paper, grabbed the quilt that was already dipped in ink and neatly signed his name.

Dealt brushed off the questions and remarks. Once Cicero signed he took the contract and put it into a hidden pocket in his cloak. He then stepped out and barked some orders. Returned he answered their questions.

"Yes it is temporary, unless you try and go against the contract at which time we would have to renegotiate. And that is something you truly do not want." He looked to his liquor cabinet and sighed. He really didnt know why he had the damned thing.

He sat back in his seat and smiled. "Then again if you want to make it permanent I do have a different deal I could offer any of you." That wry grin of his returned giving himself a smug appearance. "But three months is a long time from now, who knows we might even become friends!" He chuckled to himself. A demon lord doesn't have friends.

Shortly some men came in. "Alright Cicero and Yuna these are... Not and Important, they will help you around the ship and give you work. All of your troupe will report for duty immediately, after being fed. As agreed no harm will come to you and you needn't fear my men, they follow me to the ends of the earth or where else we sail that day. As you should be aware they are not safe at any point and each would rather square off with the leviathan with no arms and blind before cross me."

He motioned to his men to begin to escort the two out before they left he started. "Primarily you will be doing upkeep and beautification, simple tasks that are above the dullards of my crew. I expect good work. It may be easy, but that doesn't mean their aren't expectations. And keep yourselves safe as well, dont forget the nightly performances!"

"Also I wouldn't trust the doc for any medical care" he muttered quickly before smirking and waving them off. Looking towards Charlotte he gave her a smile. "And now we are alone."

Yuna and Cicero listened intently as they were given their orders and expectations. Charlotte felt a little pity for his crew members when he referred to them as such mean spirited names. She knew he probably rules them by fear but why would they want to follow such a person?

Charlotte placed a finger over her mouth as she thought that maybe they made a deal beforehand and failed to hold up their end of the bargain. The thought of it made Charlotte wrap her arms around herself and shutter in fear.

Charlotte and Yuna gave each other one last look before they were officially separated. Yuna didn't want to leave Charlotte alone with him and vise versa, but someone had to take one for the team.

Once they were alone, Charlotte turned her face as to not make eye contact with the man as he was intimidating as hell. Which wasn't usual since she found looking strangers in the eye to already be intimidating but the Captain was on the next level. What's worse it seems like he gets off to have this much power over people.

Hopefully, this cabin servant job will not make her do anything that would cross the line.

Charlotte quietly awaited her orders from Captain Dealt.

Dealt took off his cloak and hung it up, giving a big sigh of relief like a great load had been lifted from his shoulders and he could finally breath. "You tend to get quiet very quickly, your shyness is rather adorable I have to admit. But its also refreshing, I don't see much innocence in this world anymore." He paused for a second. "Or many other worlds for that matter."

He stepped towards her and sat in the chair beside her. "You don't need to worry, its just you and me right now. I have no intention of hurting you, or forcing myself on you, your forcing you to do anything unsavoury. I just wanted to toy with your friend a bit, she can be fairly rude it seems and I do have an image to maintain after all." He would offer his hand to her to shake.

"You may not believe me but I am a man of my word, er demon I guess." A slight chuckle. "Your duties will be simple, you will be at my side at all times, and do odd jobs for me. Its more important that you look the part than actually have to do it. It's to keep things in order, as long as your troupe believes you are suffering for them, they will stay in line, and as long as they do that, I make sure you all make it to your destination safe and sound." He smiled warmly at her trying to come off as earnest as possible, for it was true, he was trying to make her more comfortable.

'Adorable' would be the last thing she would describe her introverted nature, an obstacle would be a better description. Charlotte listened quietly to the man's words while still curled up against her chair.

Charlotte turned his eyes to see he was offering a handshake, she hesitantly reached out her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. There was a little disdain in her face when her hand touched his own.

Charlotte quickly reverted back to her meek self, placing her hands to her chest, she did her best to focus on what he was saying as she wanted to perform her own duties to the T. It was a relief he mentioned be wouldn't be treating her like some mistress.

However, all that stuff he was saying about being a demon made her mentally remind herself to keep her guard as she doesn't know what he is capable of doing if he were to become angry. As much as he wanted Charlotte to have his trust he was going to need a lot to do in order to earn it.

"Do you have something for me to do right now?" Charlotte inquired.

Dealt noticed her reluctance, but he understood he did kidnap them after all. He smiled warmly at her. "No I just want to talk, about you. Tell me about yourself. Why did you join this troupe? What is your skills?" He poured himself some water and took a drink. "Would you like to know more about me? I am doing my best to make you feel as comfortable as possible. I know you are a captive, technically, but I don't intend to make you feel like it."

He enjoyed shy girls, but they always were tough to crack, one wrong step and they go back into hiding, he needed to be as friendly as he could. Even though she was his captive, he was also going to spend three months with her as well, no sense in both of them being miserable about the ordeal.

He looked at her and took in her features, she was very lovely, he knew the crew would be lecherous, but he knew they wouldn't act as well. "Is there anything I can get for you? I may not look it but I can get my hands on some rare things even here at sea."

Well, there was no point of keeping quiet as she was going to be an assistant for the next three months. She wasn't going to give him her whole life story but some basic information would suffice. Besides, ignoring him would be seen as uncouth and rebellious.

"Uh...um...well, I do the singing and dancing in our group and I joined because I really like the performing arts." That last part wasn't the total truth of why she joined the Bizarre Wonders, but she thought the information would suffice.

Charlotte didn't want to say anymore as too much information would make her more vulnerable, but since she didn't have any secrets to tell maybe she was being a little too cautious.

"Oh, and thank you for the offer but I do not need anything. Thank you for asking."

Charlotte looked over her shoulder to see that the office door was cracked open, her face said that she wanted to get out of this room. But if she came out and said she wanted to get out of this room that it might offend the Captain. She turned her eyes from the door and looked down at her hands.

She quietly cupped her hands in her lap, "sorry, but I am not a social butterfly like my friend's. I have been described as 'a girl of few words' by most of my companions." The apology wasn't really necessary since it was understandable that she was placed in a tough situation but it was one of her bad habits.

While she was sitting in her chair quietly something the Captain had said about her job had her wondering, "excuse me, but what are these 'small jobs' you mentioned before?" Charlotte looked up at Captain Dealt to await his answer.

Dealt nodded as she spoke taking it in. "I see, well dancers are very talented if they are a part of a troupe, so I can only assume you can back that up." He smiled towards her. "I hope I can see that someday." He noticed her longing to leave and smiled at her question. "The small jobs are just that, keeping me happy in however I ask, could just be running below deck to get me some food, or just having some small talk, like this." He stood up and walked over to his cloak that was hung behind his desk, threw it on and let it cascade over his body draping along the floor.

He stared out the bay window behind his desk to the vast empty sea and smiled. "I may be a demon, but I am not a monster." He looked back at her. "I just thought you should know that, I am not really very different to any human, I just have the power to back up my words." He walked over to her. "The only caveat is you may not leave my side on your own will without my say so." He offered a hand to escort her.

"You may not be talkative, but we will work on that in time. For now would you care to go for a walk? You seem to want to leave this room." He would escort her out by hand if she accepted, but trail behind her after they left and let her lead.

Hearing a demon portray interest in your dancing didn't sound as flattering as she had hoped. For most of this conversation, the captain had seemed mostly sincere with his intentions. But as extra precautions, Charlotte wasn't going to let her guard down as she still doesn't know what he is fully capable of doing.

From what he is describing, Captain Dealt seemed more interested in a friend than an actual servant. Is it safe to say that even demons or monsters seek companionship too..? Charlotte thought to herself.

Charlotte stood up from her chair as she wanted some fresh air, but she didn't take his hand as she was capable of getting up himself.

To be honest, Charlotte wanted to get over her shyness without the help of a demon, but if he thinks he can help then what's the harm in that?

"Shall we be going then?" Charlotte asked ready to finally get out of the room.

Dealt was content, she wasn't really opening up and he knew that, but she was relaxing slightly. If he played his cards right maybe she would fully open up to him. He opened the door for her. "After you, its a nice day out we can go wherever you like. I need you to know where to go in case I ask for something." The wind seemed to pick up as he left the cabin, giving the sturdy ship a quick jolt that made even some of the pirates stumble a bit.

He took in a deep breath of air, that scent of sea salt was his home, he enjoyed it far more than the brimstone and ash of his home realm. He stepped behind her and let her lead the way. Any of his crew that stared at her too long was given a stern look and promptly went back to work, they knew she was his and they knew to give her a wide berth else they draw Dealt's wrath.

She ship wasn't that worse for wear, it was kept up with repairs and maintenance with the added help over the next while its bound to look better still

Charlotte eagerly picked up the pace when Captain Dealt opened the door, finally, fresh air! She liked the warmth of the sun as it touched her skin and the beautiful blue across the sky felt so calmly. If she wasn't Captain Dealt temporary assistant she would dance out in the sun until her feet ached.

She believed times like this was a great opportunity to hang out with friends, but perhaps that could happen some other time in different circumstances. But there was one little thing that bothered her about this little walk, why was the Captain walking behind her?

Shouldn't he be the one showing her around? Charlotte thought for a moment and concluded maybe he wanted her to figure out how to navigate the ship on her own. Yeah, that was it.

Charlotte wandered around the deck watching the various workers carry heavy cargo while chattering amongst one another.

Since he was giving her control of where they were going to go maybe she could take the opportunity to find her companions. They were nowhere to be seen on the deck so maybe they were below the ship.

Charlotte noticed an opening from where the men were entering and exiting with various items in their hands. She decided that she would first look there as her first destination.

Dealt noticed the perk in her step and was pleased with himself, he stayed close to her but not right beside her. He wanted her to feel some freedom. He stayed close in step with her as she moved along the ship. His men made way for them both so she could move unfettered, he figured she was looking for her troupe, they probably hadn't finished eating yet, taking there time and letting the situation sink in. Maybe he would buy some favor from Charlotte and let them have the day off. There would be no breaks for her however.

He noticed her interest in going below deck and he stepped ahead and opened the door. "Watch your head and watch your eyes, it's low here and the dark can be jarring at first, lean on the walls if you need but I can help if you lose your balance too. I am sure your troupe would like too see you safe and sound." He would help her if she needed, but the waters were fairly calm.

Charlotte placed her hand on the wall of the deck, ducked her head and watched her step just like Captain Dealt had instructed. He wasn't joking when he said she needed to get used to being down here because she could hardly see. Some of the torches on the wall weren't even lit making it even more difficult to navigate.

But while wandering below the deck, Charlotte stopped for a moment to listen to her surroundings. She could hear the sound of chatter in the distance, they were voices that she recognized.

She followed the sound of voices with excitement in every step, first, her walking gradually grew into a sprint. Those were definitely her companions she just knew it, in her excitement she forgot about Captain Deals warnings about being careful. She almost fell over from running so fast on the boat but she was able to pick herself up before she fell face first on the floor.

Eventually, Charlotte was able to find the source of the chatter and just as she hoped it was her companions. They were all sitting around a small table, with wine and cheese laid out in front of them.

Yuna was the first to notice Charlotte and give her a tight squeeze.

"Charlotte! Are you alright!? Has that Captain tired to corrupt your mind with some evil voodoo or something?" Yuna placed her hands on Charlotte's tensed shoulders to see if there were any scratches.

"I am doing fine and the Captain has not attempted to do any 'voodoo magic on me or anything like that. Actually, he has been very hospitable." Charlotte explained.

"Hospitable...hm..?" Yuna gave a suspicious look, she didn't trust that crook one bit and that 'hospitality' was probably another one of his manipulation tactics.

"Anyways, how is everyone fairing?" Charlotte asked.

"Alright." One said.

"Terrible." Another complained.

"At least they fed us." Someone was trying to be a little bit optimistic.

Dealt watched her, it was hard to get used to even he had a hard time adjusting at times. As she sped up to her friends he lingered behind to eavesdrop in on them. Sitting just out of sight he listened to them. 'At least she is saying nice things about me.' He thought to himself, stifling a laugh about his "voodoo".

Listening to their comments on their situation Dealt stepped out from the shadows and walked up behind Charlotte and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. Giving a smile towards Yuna he said. "No the voodoo magic comes later, figured I would ease her into it tonight." He then got a little closer and whispered to Charlotte. "Not too far, I can't have them thinking I am too nice or they might slip up." He stood back up straight and looked to the crowd.

"To those who are happy, I would like you to know that you are taking a bit from my own private food stores, your leader negotiated very well for you.. the wine however seems to have been a mistake, but its here now so enjoy it! To those of you unhappy, that's life for you, one day your an entertainer and another your a captive." He smiled sweetly towards them all.

Making sure everyone could see Dealt he placed himself behind Charlotte so they knew the stakes.

While they were having a leisurely conversation, Charlotte could feel someone placing a hand on her shoulder. The touch made her face go pale as she slowly turned her head to see who it was. She let out a shriek when the Captain whispered into her ear without warning.

She jerked away from him and hid by Yuna, using her as her shield, in the midst of her excitement she must have forgotten he was still following her.

"You did something didn't you!?" Yuna shouted pointing to him accusingly.

Once Charlotte realized who it was she knew she had to speak in order to defuse the situation before Yuna escalated things.

"I-It is alright Yuna I was just being jumpy, he has not done anything. He was just making a joke about the voodoo thing, you were joking right, right?" Charlotte asked innocently because his comment about easing her into voodoo was quite unsettling. She didn't know if he was serious or getting a kick out of making everyone uncomfortable, hopefully, it was the former.

Everyone sitting at the table glanced at the Captain with fear and suspicion in their eyes. Some even pushed their wine away when be mentioned that they weren't even supposed to have it.

Dealt laughed at her fear, it was amusing to see someone so frightened easily and using her friend as a shield. "And if I did mage? What could you do? She is taking your place after all, her punishment is on you and you would do well to remember that." He pointed his finger accusingly at her. Dealt looked down at Charlotte's unsettled face. "Yes the voodoo was a joke, I don't know voodoo, but I know other things that could be much more fun, voodoo is borrowing powers from other worlders, I AM the other worlder!" He laughed heartily.

Dealt noticed that everyone seemed a bit put off, and stopped drinking the wine. "Drink it, it's opened and you wouldn't believe how bad opened wine gets on the open sea, if it was in my cabin different story but in this situation, please I insist you drink it. There was no foul on your part just a misunderstanding from my crew, in a way I am a bit impressed they even thought that far ahead." He could tell it wouldn't be much of a comfort to them but he extended the gesture anyway.

"Since this seems to have been an emotionally taxing day on you all, take this day to acclimate and rest. Tomorrow your work begins, that goes for the entertainment tonight as well. You have near free-range of the ship, just stay out of the food storage and out of my men's way, they still have jobs to do. My cabin is off limits, but if you need to see me, knock and then only when I have answered you may enter." He glanced at them, they seemed to be honest people but he didn't like risking losing his possessions.

He glanced towards Charlotte. "I hope you found your troupe in good enough spirits. As I said they all will be treated well enough. I hope in time you all enjoy the time aboard my ship, it has a calming effect to those who just let things be." Dealt patted at his cloak insinuated the hidden pocket from before, when in reality there was no pocket he just lets people believe that so he can store things in his pocket dimension. "I have a deal with Cicero, as long as everyone holds up their ends, these three months will go by quickly!"