You woke at 0600 sharp, of course. You moved through your morning routine briskly, got showered (Hot running water! As long as you wanted it! On a ship!), got dressed, and then stood uselessly in front of the cabin door out in the corridor. Aiko was still asleep.
What were you doing today?
… Breakfast. Breakfast was going to be served soon, but Aiko tended to be a late riser when she was allowed to be and with a total lack of anything else to do, it didn't really matter if she got up at mid-morning and exercised then or got up early and trained at that time. There was nothing
but time onboard the
Asakusa Maru, which felt wrong to you when combined with being at sea. You should have things to organize, work parties to check on, sailors to yell at for slacking and dusty shelves to get angry about. Instead, you had
nothing. Just a big empty schedule. Sakai was no help--they seemed content to appear when needed and otherwise you weren't quite sure where they went.
Well. If you were going to have breakfast, you supposed that you ought to have the best breakfast you could. You tried your best to stroll instead of march down to the dining room through finely appointed corridors. A liveried steward held the door open for you, bowed.
"Madam," he said. It felt normal, or at least what normal had been before you joined the navy. Finally. You settled yourself at one of the empty tables and picked up the menu. Hmm. First, there was the side in Albian:
Baked Apples, Fresh Fruit, Stewed Prunes, Quaker Oats, Puffed Rice, Fresh Herrings, Findrum Haddock, Smoked Salmon, Grilled Mutton Kidneys & Bacon, Grilled Ham, Grilled Sausage, Lamb Collops, Vegetable Stew, Fried, Shirred, Poached or Boiled Eggs, Plain or Tomato Omelettes, Sirloin Steak & Mutton Chops, Mashed Sauteed or Jacket Potatoes, Cold Meat, Vienna & Graham Rolls, Soda & Sultana Scones, Corn Bread, Buckwheat Cakes, Blackcurrant Conserves, Narbonne Honey, Shepford Marmalade, Watercress
Oh. That was… a lot. You turned it over and found the other side printed in Akitsukuni characters. It included many of the options from the other side along with several Akitsukuni dishes, including rice with various seasonings, eggs, grilled fish, miso soup, pickled vegetable salads and various other staples of the Akitsukuni breakfast spread. Apparently they didn't think any of them would be popular with the foreign passengers.
It was a dizzying array of choices. You weren't really
used to that much choice, truth be told. As a child, you had eaten what you had been served and in the Navy you had been limited by what was available on board ships or at your distant postings. This was…
What were you going to
eat? A waiter suddenly seemed to materialize at your elbow.
"Have you made a choice, madam?" he asked in impeccably polite language.
"Absolutely not. May I have a cup of coffee, though? And some more time," you replied.
"Of course, madam." He vanished, leaving you to agonize over a choice of breakfast. Caught in the throes of indecision, you were startled by a polite Albian voice.
"
Pardon me, but may we join you?" You looked up, startled, and found yourself looking at a pair of what must have been Albian gentlemen, probably in their late fifties? Or maybe early sixties?
The man who had spoken was clean-shaven, a narrow, sharp looking man with a beak-like nose and pointy looking elbows along with dark hair that was starting to go gray. He seemed more like a stork than a man, honestly--an impression not helped by the spectacles perched on his nose, and you noted a lapel pin in the shape of a four-pointed star. A doctor, then.
The other man was shorter by a scant few centimeters and broad shouldered with a bristly salt-and-pepper mustache. Despite his age, he was still a rather impressive looking man that had no doubt been supremely athletic in his youth. Even as he was, you wagered he could give Hideaki a run for his money. Notably, he had an anchor tattooed at his wrist, the ink just peaked from beneath the cuff of his shirt.
"Ah, pardon--may we join you?" The taller man tried again in Akitsukuni. He spoke fairly well, but it sounded like he had learned from a book rather than speaking. You smiled, then replied in Albian.
"
You're welcome to--I don't mean to take up the whole table myself," you said. Each table was circular and sat half-a-dozen, which meant that one had to be used to rubbing elbows with other passengers.
"
My thanks. I'm rather famished and if you couldn't tell, Mister Waters has quite the appetite."
"
Most sailors do," you replied, your attention turning back to the menu for a moment. You would have to choose
something. For some reason there was a snort of laughter from the taller man at your response and the mustachioed man just sighed.
"
Pray tell, how did you know my esteemable friend Mister Waters was a sailor?" You glanced up again and looked between them. The slender man seemed overjoyed while the other (Waters) just looked disgruntled.
"
He has a tattoo of an anchor on his right wrist. I saw it when his cuff moved," you said. "
Unless there are people who aren't sailors getting tattoos of anchors put on them it seemed obvious, Doctor…?" You waited for a name. He slapped the table, apparently in delight, and Waters laughed this time.
"
She's rather stolen your thunder, hasn't she, old boy?"
"
Hollins. Doctor Hollins, yes. Will you indulge me and tell me how you deducted that particular bit of information?"
"
You have a lapel pin of the International Red Star on your jacket. The four-pointed red star is an international symbol of medicine to most people."
"
I do? Oh, I must have left it on from the conference. Excellent! Quite so. And you are, if I am not mistaken, Lieutenant Haruna Arisukawa--" His pronunciation was a bit off, but he didn't butcher it at least. "--
of the Akitsukuni Imperial Navy. Though you are obviously traveling on civilian business rather than something more official." You blinked at him. You weren't surprised to be recognized, really, but foreigners recognizing you outside of uniform was a bit stranger.
"
...Now it is my turn to be surprised," you said.
"
Ask him how he's done it," said Mister Waters. "
He loves being asked how he's done it."
"
I'm used to being recognized," you said. "
Just not out of uniform."
"
Your bearing when you entered the room was part of it," said Hollins unprompted. "
You are clearly used to being at sea, but walked with a martial bearing that meant you could not be a mere sailor or stewardess. You are in the first-class dining room, which means that you must have some means--such as the income available from being a member of the Akitsukuni Imperial Family. There is a scar at your hairline towards the right side of your head, the sort that one usually comes by through violent means. A bullet from a Caspian machine-gun, unless I miss my guess. And… your hands, while not rough like those of the common sailor have seen decidedly more work than one would expect of the upper-class women of Akitsukuni society. And of course, you are the only actively serving woman officer in the Imperial Navy, which narrowed the field considerably." You stared at the doctor. He seemed to have a penchant for observation.
"
Ah. Well spotted," you said.
"
Not merely spotted… deduced," said he.
"
Can I have breakfast before you start talking about deduction?" said Mister Waters, "
We're on holiday."
"
I have to admit, I was struggling to decide on breakfast," you aimed the comment at Waters. "
And I don't know either of your full names yet…"
"
Oh!" Waters looked sheepish. "
Simon Waters. And this is my friend, Doctor Bertrand Hollins."
"
Well, a good morning to you both," you said and peered at the menu again as the waiter reappeared to set down a small pot of coffee as well as cream and sugar at your place. You reached out and poured out a cup of coffee for yourself, then finally made a decision on food as the waiter hovered attentively.
"
...I'll try the haddock, I think," you said and he smiled and bowed before turning to the other two men.
"
Gentlemen, what can I get for you?"
"
A pot of black tea for the two of us, please. Cream, but… no sugar. I'll have the kidney and bacon," said Waters.
"
You ought not to. You shouldn't be eating so much rich food, it's bad for your heart."
"
My dear--my dear doctor, I know you're concerned for my health, but we are on holiday. And we did pay for first class tickets. I think I'm allowed to have an unhealthy breakfast now and then. If shrapnel couldn't stop my heart, bacon surely won't."
"
Have it your way, then. I shall have a tomato omelette, please. With whole grain toast. No butter." Orders taken, the waitress vanished again, leaving you to chat with your tablemates.
You were curious, so after a few minutes trying to determine if it would be rude, you decided to ask anyway. What were you going to talk about now?
"
If I may, how did you become wounded, Mr. Waters?" Maybe a bit personal, but in your experience, it would be something he wouldn't mind discussing with another military person.
"
Oh! '81 in northern Cathay, some blasted rebellion or some such. I went ashore to oversee a landing party and we were moving a naval gun. We were trying to haul it over a wall, and next thing I know I'm lying on the cobblestones. Bursting shell caught me, put an end to my naval career--I recovered though, obviously," Waters said as the tea service arrived at the table and the two men set about pouring themselves tea. "
Metal all through my shoulder and chest. Still have some of it."
"
Fascinating. I've had a few in my time, myself--Caspian bullet across the scalp, as the doctor said, shrapnel cut open one of my arms… It's dangerous work on the deck of a warship. But..." You shrugged, glanced sidelong at the doctor, "
What do you do for work now that you're no longer a sailor?"
"
I'm a private detective. Er. Was? I'm technically retired now." He said as a server appeared to set down the tea service for the two men and then promptly vanished back into the periphery where servants went when you didn't need them.
"
Oh, that sounds exciting," you said.
"
It's actually much duller than people think. A lot of standing in alleyways and watching people." he admitted.
"
Nonsense, Mister Waters," interjected Doctor Hollins. "
Your cases usually prove most interesting."
"
Only when you stick your nose in," replied Waters. "
You always manage to find six crimes when I'm trying to find out if someone's husband is stepping out on them or what have you. He has an uncanny ability to stumble across murder."
"
I only observe!" Hollins protested as he poured cream into his tea and stirred it furiously. "
And of course, offer advice when it is requested."
"
Or when it's not," muttered Waters.
"
So, how long have you two been involved?" You asked with a bit more bluntness than you might have used back home. That was only, of course, because Westerners were incapable of subtlety.
"
Involved?" Waters sputtered helplessly.
"
I think Her Highness has us dead to rights, Simon."
"
Look," you said, "
There are only a few reasons same-gender pairs of Westerners travel to Akitsukuni. And since you're retired--" you nodded towards Waters, "
that narrowed the field considerably." You could see that Mister Waters was turning distinctly red behind the moustache and decided that switching the subject away would save them the embarrassment.
"
But never mind that, tell me more about Cathay--I've never really been there properly." As you spoke, the waiters returned once more, bearing your breakfast, which proved to be a smoked haddock covered in melted butter to which had been added black pepper, lemon, and roasted potatoes along with a selection of toasted bread. It was quite good. "
I understand that there was a great deal going on during the rebellion."
"
Er, yes." Waters seemed to have recovered to some degree following the arrival of food and a large gulp of tea. "
Quite a spot of bother. Didn't see a lot from sea, of course, just bombarded a lot of forts that couldn't quite shoot back. Once the actual fighting died down a bit though, got to spend some time further in the country. Beautiful landscape, lovely."
"
With the way things are going I may have a chance to see for myself." you mused aloud.
"
Do keep an eye on your sailors if you do. If they're anything like mine were, they'll nick anything not nailed down."
"
Speaking of stolen treasures, I do believe that is the Countess of Kildrummy, and that garish stone around her neck is the reputed Black Star of Kollur, quite famously plucked from the Sultan of Bisnegar's corpse by a common soldier."
You turned in the direction they were looking and saw an older woman taking a seat for breakfast, and sure enough around her neck was the largest, shiniest jewel you'd ever seen in your life. And you'd seen some stones.It was a brilliant black sapphire set in golden furniture and ringed with small white diamonds that only served to highlight the fascinating dark color of the stone. Beautiful, but it seemed ostentatious to you to wear such a thing to
breakfast.
"
Quite a history on that, you know." Hollins continued, clearly pleased to exposit on something he knew about. "
Fascinating, if you're at all interested in stories of crimes both great and small. The stone's history is sordid, littered with murders and thefts for the sake of its possession. I believe her father conned it off the last owner, which makes her quite daring to be simply wearing it on display."
"
I think you're reading a bit too deeply into a bit of polished stone." Waters mused.
"
Perhaps."
"
Personally, I just don't think it much fits her outfit." you said. "
Rather tasteless breakfast wear, at that."
---
On her way back to her cabin, Haruna meets another person who will be relevant in an upcoming scene. Please, choose from these off-brand public domain characters. Also fun fact, that is the actual First Class breakfast menu from RMS Titanic.
[ ] Famous cat burglar, now retired and on vacation.
[ ] Teen kid detective who, at 16, is too old for this shit.
[ ] Some asshole Albian army officer who honestly might be the worst person on earth
This was delightful, thank you!
