Bastian would have loved to board his vessel already, in more ways than one. However, he had to book a room from a seedy inn using what little gold he had left, and all the girls said that he could sleep in there, too, if he wouldn't get handsy.
Bastian was a gentleman, but he was very much determined to see if the women desired him. He liked his chances. Lia had already shown a clear interest in him, and the rest of them gave him funny looks. It was also almost as if they were competing about him. When one of them got too close, the others found an excuse to pull the selfish one back into the group.
There was little to be said about the room itself, except that at least there was no fresh urine on the floor. On the contrary, there was such a thick layer of dust that they could hardly sleep at all, since someone was constantly sneezing.
The pale morning woke them up abruptly, since there were no curtains. Bastian celebrated the fact that he didn't have a hangover.
The women yawned and stretched profusely. There had been some issues with getting two extra mattresses, and they had eventually just decided to pay an extra fee.
"Good morning, ladies," Bastian said. "I really think I need some tea."
They went to the dining space of the inn. An old curmudgeon was mopping the floor, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the customers.
Bastian wondered about what he should do in order to make someone notice him. He assumed that coffee was not cheap in this world, but he really needed a cup. Or two. Or thirteen. He called out for the old man to bring them breakfast and coffee.
He didn't know what he had expected to find on his plate that morning, but it certainly had not been an unnamed and unidentified mammal that had been sliced up with such care that the actual slices were less than one centimeter thick. It was a bit unclear whether these had been meant as steaks, or whether there was an ambitious attempt to make bacon out of capybara meat going on here, but even despite the delicious taste, Bastian felt more than a bit uneasy about eating something he couldn't name.
The coffee made up for it, though. Bastian had never realized just how badly the normal world had treated him, until now. Even coffee was somehow…better. Like someone had turned up the volume. Like someone had given him a better headset. Or like he was finally coming home. The earthy taste of this beverage was nowhere near the dull and bitter drink that humans of Earth called coffee.
Bastian had a stray thought about his mother that forced his more sensitive side to consciously retreat.
He shook himself, smiled at Em (the other girls took this as a challenge, as his smile was quite charming in its crookedness) and began to devour the side dish that at least resembled a normal breakfast item. Eggs. They seemed like they could have feasibly come out of a chicken just this morning.
This world was better than the one he had been born in. After getting so terribly immersed in this pirate adventure, he truly doubted whether he had ever belonged to Earth at all. It was not merely because here he had a chance to deal with Roy his own way, it was also because everything in this place was…on steroids. Bigger, older, stronger, or when talking about women, had better breasts. Everything was more handsome. Or prettier. Even the clothes people wore were less boring.
"We have four," he said. "Me, and then you girls. And we need about five or six more. Depending on how much I will participate in the duties of the crew."
This seemed to astonish the women. They looked at him and then at each other.
"But there should be someone doing only captain duties," Amanda finally said. "I think you are better off finding us another six so that you will be free to lead."
"Amanda…" Lia shook her head. "Can't you see that he already likes you?"
Indeed. Bastian made a mental note of this – Amanda, of them all, was fond of him to the point where she voluntarily took up more work than she had to if she could only make his life easier. She was a gem, and he had to treat her well to retain her lovely shine.
"In any case, you ladies will also feel glad about having enough crewmates," Bastian said. "You belong to the toughest, quickest, strongest part of the female population, sure. You are the smartest and the most cunning, too. But you should be able to rest, to relax, to enjoy the sea. I don't want to push too much work on you people or you will start to resent me. That would not be something a good captain does to his women."
What he didn't say was the thing that kept him this jolly. The reason why he was able to be such a good boss to them was that he was constantly considering which way they liked to be taken against the gunwale of his ship.
That was a matter for another conversation. From the memories of the old owner of this body, Bastian knew of a certain phenomenon, much like cabin fever, that settled in during long voyages with no land in sight for weeks or even months. It was a form of madness that could probably be alleviated…but no one had been brave enough to try to assembly a crew consisting entirely of women.
Someone entered the inn, and Bastian almost looked away at that exact moment. He recognized the pirate. One of those middle-income people from the meeting. He looked anxious and his long beard was all tangled up.
"I am looking for Captain Bastian Black," he said to the man with the mop. "Can I find him here?"
"Here," Bastian hollered. "Sit down, Captain Scarm, and tell me what bothers you so much this fine morning."