Chapter Text
"Milady," San says. "You look absolutely stunning tonight, if I may?"
Wooyoung stifles a laugh. It’s textbook San, the flirting is so transparent, but the young woman must be starved for positive attention. That’s an assumption. God knows most of the people at these events typically are, as well as an absolute bore. Although, she may be the only lady at the ball in typical menswear, more so typical Indian menswear, reducing the chances of her being an absolute bore.
The lady offers a gentlemanly bow in response to San, as well as a gloved hand out and Wooyoung couldn’t make out what she says, but he assumes she asked San for a dance. One of her hands ends up on San’s waist, hooking a finger around his belt, and the other holding his other hand and she leads them into the crowd, which sure, was a little strange, but times are changing and nothing was too strange in a world where one could travel into alternate universes.
Wooyoung shifts his position from a Roman-style column to the food table to give himself a better view of them – a bonus of the large dome-like open layout of the venue despite the packed atmosphere. Wooyoung is also, if he could say himself, pretty damn good at blending into a large crowd.
He grabs a particularly large man and spins them into the dancing crowd, being so sure to hide behind his partner not only from San’s partner, but from Hongjoong too, so he doesn’t get yelled at to make sure he doesn’t “fuck up the mission”, whatever the mission even is.
Catching San’s eye from across, he winks and manages to confuse San, before sliding back around his dance partner to avoid the lady’s gaze.
Wooyoung was so lucky to love dancing because these events are mind-boring, if he hasn’t mentioned that enough – he could be doing something better like shining his brand new cannon or instigating something he’s aware of.
“Oh dear, I’m feeling faint, would someone get me a glass of water?” Is what he hears, colored with a light (maybe Indian?) accent, from San’s direction and maybe Wooyoung could instigate, and possibly get reprimanded? But sometimes the cure for boredom is Sacrificing For The Mission.
He leaves his partner motioning to the water, and grabs a cup as fast as he can, spinning his way around the other dancing pairs.
“Here you go milady, I do hope you do not mind me overhearing,” is all he offers, and San scoffs from the other side of the lady. “I only happened to be right near the waiter as I heard – are you keen on a seat?”
And San earns a sly jab to the side for that scoff. He’s tough, he can handle it.
“Ah! What a dear you are, I feel it is naught but a spell, kind sir,” She steadies herself on San’s arm, taking the water from Wooyoung. He feels he should remark on the glint of something that shouldn’t be in her hand as her fingers wrap around the stem of the glass, but as soon as he goes to, a flurry of colors and hoops flutter around the lady. They all start sputtering about, and she reassures them, to make it obvious they are her girlfriends there to assist her.
Wooyoung briefly thinks maybe it is inappropriate and unfair to accuse a woman in a recovery for theft and he simply grabs San’s arm and swings them into the dancing crowd.
“Do you feel you are missing anything, San?” He asks, just to see if his vision was right, as it should be for a pirate.
“I don’t believe so… You think she stole something, don’t you?” San knows him so well, as if living and pillaging together wouldn’t warrant that in the first place. “I feel like if she did I, a fellow pirate, would notice–”
There it is. The morphing of San’s face as he realizes that he did in fact, not notice as a fellow pirate, that another pirate has stolen off of him. And Wooyoung just sighs, dragging them out of the circle and towards Hongjoong, who stands there wallflowering with Yunho. As they see Wooyoung and San approaching, Hongjoong’s posture visibly tenses and Yunho seems to shrink (if he even can) as if they could practically smell the fuck up in the air.
“For the record, it was not me this time,” Wooyoung pipes. Yunho shifts uncomfortably, inching towards the doors, before Hongjoong grabs him by the arm and pulls him back.
Now, San may tower Hongjoong, in both build and height, but in manner, one could practically feel the fumes radiating from Hongjoong. If he was a monster, he’d probably be the hydra, all those heads and teeth… Hongjoong continues with whatever he’s lecturing San in regards to the mission, in which mind you, Wooyoung isn’t even informed for some reason.
“I cannot believe you managed to be robbed by Sarai! Of all of her crew, you ended up dancing with Sarai? How do you not know what she looks like, she was literally the only one not in a dress?!” A few grey hairs might have materialized on Hongjoong’s head. He’s lucky he’s blond right now.
“Wooyoung, shut the fuck up, you’re next” Oh. That inside thought wasn’t inside as it should’ve been.
“What the fuck do you mean next? I didn’t even do anything!” He whines.
“Exactly. Wait your turn,” Hongjoong turns back to San, and Wooyoung throws himself on Yunho, sulking while so very nicely waiting his turn to be yelled at. “Keep it down, you’re going to draw attention from the crew we are, or were, so skillfully trying to avoid! Also, you cannot let Seonghwa hear about Sarai’s crew being involved, no matter what. Even if it was only Sarai involved…"
Wooyoung groans, and San finally decides to be of use as he fishes out a compass from his pocket.
“Oh, but I got this!” The compass looks like a normal compass, but again, as do all pirate compasses. It would be really stupid of a pirate to keep their secrets in plain sight. San flicks up the top disk of the needles, revealing a mini map of something that looks like ugly squiggles to Wooyoung. “It’s a map of the last Isle we have been trying to find! It seems like it was made for her reference, but I think Yunho can fill in the blanks!”
Hongjoong takes a deep breath, running a hand over his face.
“You should’ve said something earlier? What did she even steal from you?” Serves him right. That’s what you get for jumping the gun all haughty.
“Wooyoung.” Oh. That also did not stay as inside as it should’ve.
“Anyways… she only took the waist band from me. I think that’s when she stumbled and said she was feeling faint, so it must’ve slipped my notice since I panicked… Sorry…” He pulls the pout, and Hongjoong just sighs again.
“Okay well, the belt was just, expensive, but at least it wasn’t something of great importance,” Hongjoong straightens himself up and tosses the compass to Yunho. “Let’s just get back to the ship so Yunho can check out the map.”
“Um… I also might’ve lost the locket ring…” And there it was. Wooyoung could practically see steam coming from Hongjoong’s ears, and his neck got so red it was concerning. What was even more concerning was how he just walked out of the hall without saying a thing, or even turning around to glare at San.
And maybe that’s why all hell broke loose and someone decided to fire their cannon into the hall.