I watched Kori as the boat lurched, alerting me that the vessel was finally moving.

"You sure you don't wanna come, Kori?" Shinzo called down, scrubbing a hand through his hair.

When the aforementioned man shook his head, Shinzo grinned. "All right, Shinji- fire her up!"

I heard the shifting of gears and a curse from Kin ('Dammit, Matsuno! Do you not know how to start a damn boat?') before Shinzo spin on his heel to face me.

"Aren't you excited, Teki-kun?" He questioned, wringing his hands in excitement.

Ferphina, who had been sitting nearby, twisted so that she also faced us. "This is the first time Shinzo-kun's been on the sea," she informed me.

My eyes flicking between them, I crossed my arms. "Very well," I said. "I'm fine with that, just keep one thing in mind..."

Shinzo looked delighted in learning a tip.

"...don't fall overboard."

My words were greeted by an eerie silence before Shinzo let out a laugh.

"I like your brother, Ferphina!" He told her with a grin, and my sister shot me a huge smile.

"I'm right here, you know," I grumbled, a hand touching the hilt of my weapon. He, in response, backed away, holding his arms up in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry- Teki-kun."

My eye twitched.

Taking another step back, he touched his needle-shooter. "Sorry~!" he repeated.

"Jaxson! Shinzo! Ferphina!"

I glanced up at the call of my name only to be greeted by Shinji, who stood on the deck above us. I was surprised he raised his voice, and even came out to get us.

"We have visitors."

What?

"What?" Shinzo voiced my thoughts, his brow furrowing. "Visitors? What do you mean?"

"Come up here, I'll show you. I found both of them."

I sent a fleeting glance at the swirling, dark sea as the boat rocked before bounding up the stairs up to Shinji's level.

As we arrived, he turned away, walking towards the shack that seemed hastily built ontop of the boat. The three of us followed, and I frowned as Shinji offered no more information.

"Oh..."

A small boy peeked out from behind an older man's legs, his blonde hair falling shaggily into his eyes. "Papa, have they come to take us away?" he questioned, his voice soft.

"I'm sure that they aren't," the man assured him, clamping a big hand on his son's shoulders before making eye-contact with us.

His grey eyes held a flicker of uncertainty along with unease.

"We aren't," Ferphina whispered, crouching to meet the boy's eye-level. She held out a hand, extending it to him. "We'll supply a home for you."

"Wait," Shinji injected sharply. "Who said-"

"R-Really?"

She nodded, and the little boy creeped out from his hiding spot behind his father. "Are they telling the truth, Papa?"

The aforementioned 'Papa' mutely nodded, his gaze meeting mine for a fraction of a second. "I am terribly sorry for this- is there any way to repay you to earn forgiveness for being upon your ship?"

Shinzo's lips twitched into another wide grin as he watched the boy amble over to my sister. "Nah, it's not needed."

"I insist!"

"As Shinzo said, it's not needed," Shinji muttered.

The old man blinked before he broke out in a crooked smile that revealed he was missing two teeth. "I'm Araya Jin. This is my son, Kiyohisa."

"I'm Ferphina," my sister chirped, and I looked over at her, cradling Kiyohisa. "The dark-haired man is Shinji-kun, then the silver-haired is Jaxson-kun, my brother, and the last one is Shinzo-kun!"

Jin cocked his head, scratching at the stubble on his chin. "Aren't there six of you?"

"You knew this was for the Tyrhungs?" Shinji questioned, his expression turning guarded. I saw his hand touch the holster that held one of his silver pistols (he had gotten the other one after Ferphina changed weapons).

"He knew!" Kiyohisa piped, pulling at my sister's sleeve.

His father cast him a quick glance, making sure he was okay, before returning his grey-eyed attention to us. "As he said."

I decided to answer his questioned, cocking my head to the side as I nodded. "Yes, there's six of us."

"Where are the two others?"

Sighing, Shinji pinched the bridge of his nose. "I believe we're the one who has the rights to ask questions, not you. After all, you are the intruder. Shall we take this to somewhere more...presentable for conversations?"

I could see why he said that. With a distasteful glance around the room, the marksman left.

"...I'm sorry for him," my sister said, pulling herself to her feet. Still, Kiyohisa remained attached to her side, his small hand holding onto hers. But her sullen words remained unnoticed as she smiled, a bright gleam in her eyes. "He's just like that, ya know?"

Jin shot me a smile and I lifted my shoulders in a careless shrug in return before tucking my hands into my pockets. "Come on, Kiyohisa, let's go."

It was then when his son removed himself from my auburn-haired sister, trotting alongside Jin.

"Kiyo's cute," Shinzo remarked as he walked beside me. "It's a bit sad Jin and him have to survive by living in places like this."

"Yeah," I agreed.

The two of us were the last to leave, going down the steps after Ferphina into the lower level.

OoO

"Who the hell are they?"

The words were spat, and Chiko tightened his grip on Kin's wrist, restraining her from throwing a punch.

Shinji was already seated, his cheek resting against his knuckles as he flicked through a book. His glasses rested ontop of his nose instead of his breastpocket or his head, and Shinzo did a double-take at the sight of him.

"Some people Shinji-kun found," Ferphina responded.

Inching away from the redhead, Jin sat on the edge of one of the seats, as if to take flight at the slightest notice.

"Can you cook?"

The question came from Shinji, whose's eyes were still directed downwards to his book.

"Yes."

He lifted his gaze, midnight-blue eyes narrowing. "Excellent. I suppose you can make enough for eight, and your son can help, too?"

"Shinji-kun, isn't this a bit-"

His hand dropped to rest on his thigh, and he glared in her direction. "I at least think they should have some worth."

"Heartless," Shinzo murmured.

"I can cook! Papa taught me how!" Kiyohisa puffed out his chest proudly, and Shinji flicked a disinterested look at him.

"It seemed we've landed ourselves some chefs..." I said under my breath.