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"Open," Ivo demanded firmly. (Y/N) blushed out how embarrassing this must look.

"Ivo..." She muttered wanting to deny him outright.

"I said. Open." He spoke more clearly.

She reluctantly parted her lips and opened her mouth for him.

My gods, she is so beautiful like that.

Ivo thought to himself as he plopped it on her tongue. Instantly (Y/N)'s eyes widened, this is so good!

She began to chew the doughy ball; sweet and salty flavors coated her mouth, and the dough was bouncy.

Ivo licked the licked sauce off his slender fingers as he watched the girl enjoy her Dango.

They stood at a food stand, adjacent to the festival activities.

The sun had set, and the town was lit with many lanterns, the lights from storefronts, and a large bonfire in the middle.

Ivo had essentially kidnapped (Y/N) from the others when the crowd grew, to have alone time with her at the festival.

"See, I knew you'd enjoy it, little dove." Ivo smiled and (Y/N) reddened.

She did not understand where Ivo got his nickname for her, but she did not plan to ask him.

"Thank you." She said with a small grin and began to look around for the others.

"Of course." He smiled, using his hand on the small of her back to guide her through the river of people.

Ivo and (Y/N) finished the Dango quickly, splitting the last piece between themselves.

"I have never been to a festival before." (Y/N) confessed loudly, to be heard over the activities taking place.

"I haven't stopped to enjoy one either." Ivo leaned down to speak into her ear.

(Y/N) was a little surprised by that. She did not think a pirate spent their time just going to festivals of course, but to be able to do whatever you wanted and not enjoy one in all your travels? It perplexed her but she did not press on why he never did.

"Hey!" She heard a familiar voice shout.

She, Ivo, and a few other bystanders looked in the direction of the shout to see an angry and pointing Leven. Behind him stood Kazumi, who was expressionless as always, and Leopoldo with a threatening smile. Leven marched up to the pair, Kazumi and Leo following close behind.

"Why'd you run off like that?" Leven said to Ivo as soon as he got to them.

"Whatever do you mean, Leven?" Ivo said innocently, naturally with a smile.

Leven gritted his pearly white teeth.

"We looked back, and you weren't there!" He accused. "And you took her!"

Leven pointed at a confused (Y/N).

Ivo said they were going ahead of us to do something else. And it was then she realized she had been kidnapped so easily.

She looked to Ivo shocked, who was still smiling at Leven.

"No, we were separated by the crowd, we tried looking for you," Ivo said, scarily sounding sincere.

How can he lie so easily? It is almost impressive. (Y/N) thought to herself, watching the brunette deceive his way out of the argument.

"Well, no matter, we are together now." Ivo clapped once, Leven did not say anything else on the matter, but he did not look very satisfied.

"Are you enjoying yourself, (Y/N)?" Kazumi said, placing a hand on her head.

She looked up to him with an honest smile.

"Yes, very much." She replied.

His heart melted in his chest at the sight of her looking up at him with that smile, but of course, his expression did not change.

The group began to stroll down the row of booths, the four men surrounding (Y/N) like always. There were many different booths, all with attendants trying to get the attention of the people walking by, it was overwhelming to the girl.

It was different from Oldkeep, instead of people already flocking to the stalls, these people seemed desperate for someone to approach their booth. She felt horrible walking past all the hardworking people but was comforted by the hand secretly slipped into her own.

Leopoldo held her fingers gently, though it was not obvious, he looked straight ahead with a plain expression. She was thankful he noticed her nerves getting to her and made an attempt to soothe her.

"You there! With the white hair! Little guy!" A shouting stall owner made booth Leopoldo and Leven stop in their tracks, in turn causing the whole group to stop.

It was a middle-aged man with peppered hair and a beer gut. They were only a few feet away from the stall, but the man was shouting like they were fifty feet away.

"Come on over! Try your hand at my game!"

The game owner motioned his arms at colorful balloons behind him.

(Y/N) thought they would ignore him but was surprised to find them moving towards the man, rather they were following Leven, and Leo released her hand.

The stall owner looked ecstatic, but Leven looked annoyed. (Y/N) figured it was because the man used the term 'little guy'.

"All you have to do is try to POP the balloons with these darts." The man showed off bright yellow color, three-inch darts with a dull tip.

The girl looked behind the man, the balloons were barely filled with air, and spaced far apart, in all it looked difficult, maybe even rigged.

"I don't want to play your stupid game," Leven snapped, causing the man to flinch. "I came to carve your tongue out your mouth." Leven was usually harsh, but his aura completely changed.

"Excuse me?" The stunned man asked.

"Who are you calling little, huh?" Leven looked ready to jump over the booth counter.

"Now, now, brother." Leopoldo cooed but made no move to hold him back.

The man was stuttering an apology when Leven clicked his tongue and turned abruptly.

"You better be lucky I am busy with our girl." He called over his shoulder.

Our girl? (Y/N) blushed.

When Leven walked by (Y/N) she smiled.

"It looked like too hard of a game anyway." She commented, trying to make him feel better but he froze in place.

"Leven?" She asked worried she struck another nerve.

Instantly Leven turned on his heel and marched back to the stall, scaring the man.

"I want to play!" He snapped as if there were an argument about it, slamming down a few coins from his pocket.

The man hurriedly placed five darts in front of Leven and scurried out the way.

Leven turned; his face looked angry, but (Y/N) did not feel that vibe from him.

"You better watch closely!" He ordered, to which she just smiled and quickly nodded.

She stood to the side with the others, who did not seem to mind Leven's outburst at all, Leopoldo looked almost proud.

(Y/N) eagerly, and nervously watched.

The first dart Leven picked up he tossed up and down testing the weight, as he eyed the pitiful-looking balloons on the board. If (Y/N) had blinked a moment too soon, she would have missed it, and her eyes widened with shock. Leven threw the dart with such speed she barely saw his arm move. The balloon board wobbled from the force of the impact of the dart, as a blue balloon shattered to pieces.

"Wow, Leven, you're amazing!" (Y/N) cheered, and clapped when she recovered from astonishment.

Leven did not look to her, but he heard her praise loud and clear, his face was a bright red. The others heard it too, swimming in jealousy, she had never cheered for them before if only looks could kill.

Amazing? She says I am amazing. He was on cloud nine as he picked up two more darts and threw them, just as fast and accurate.

He followed them quickly with the last two. He threw them so quickly you would have thought the balloons were popping on their own, but the darts and wobbling board proved Leven was truly just that fast and accurate.

They walked away from the booth; (Y/N) was holding a small keychain with a small, pink plastic teddy bear hanging from it. She was holding it up in front of her face, using her pointer finger to swing it back and forth.

"A keychain, brother?" Leopoldo sighed.

"Shut up! It was the first thing I saw." Leven retorted, mumbling the last part.

The truth was, Leven was so flustered and distracted by (Y/N)'s praise when the stall owner told him he could choose praise from the top shelf, he grabbed the keychain in the 'at least you tried' box for children.

"I like it! Thank you, Leven." (Y/N) smiled, causing the young man to blush harder.

He was thankful for the red lanterns lighting the path.

The three other men were sick to their stomachs they did not play the game instead, envious that Leven received such high approval. Since (Y/N) did not have any keys, she wound the key ring around her belt loop.

"(Y/N)," Kazumi beckoned for the girl's attention, she turned to meet his intense golden eyes. "Would you like to watch?" He pointed over to where a small skit was being performed, the girl had completely overlooked it.

I did not know Kazumi liked plays; we should go watch just for him. She thought, but Kazumi truly did not care, either way, it was just something he thought she would enjoy.

She smiled big, "Yes!"

She grabbed the Captain's hand and led him over.

Ivo, Leopoldo, and Leven followed after standing still out of envy, as they walked, they felt like arrows were lodged in their hearts.

(Y/N) settled into a bench in the second row, Kazumi beside her. The other three men silently glared at each other beginning to walk quickly in order to get to the seat on her other side.

At last, Leopoldo won, easing onto the bench.

(Y/N) looked up to Leopoldo as he sat, and he smiled as if he did not just trip his two friends. Leven sat by his brother, and Ivo beside him as they waited for the skit to begin.

Kazumi did not mind at all that (Y/N) still had her fingers intertwined with his and looked straight ahead, relishing the sweet moment.

The crowd was not large, townspeople clustered about the benches, and some standing to watch from the side.

"Do you see those men? They are beautiful!"

"They're so handsome..."

"Do you think they would talk to us?"

(Y/N) heard whispering, that maybe could not even qualify as whispering, and she looked over her shoulder to different women who were watching the pirates she sat with.

She glanced up to Kazumi who did not seem to hear or care, and then she glimpsed up to Leopoldo who was also just watching the stage.

When she peeped at Ivo and Leven, who also did not seem to notice, she blushed, almost embarrassed to be sitting with such handsome when.

They are so beautiful... and I am so plain. Is it okay to be so close to them? I do not want anyone to think I am courting any of them and embarrass them.

She looked down to her lap in shame. (Y/N) slowly opened her hand to release Kazumi's hand, but was surprised to feel his grip tighten on her.

"Do not let go of me." His smooth, deep voice whispered in her ear, his breath ghosting over her skin before he sat back up and focused on the stage.

(Y/N)'s cheeks felt like they were on fire as she too looked to the stage, a smile playing on her features.

She felt her other hand become intertwined; Leopoldo gently held her fingers as well. Her heart was going wild in her chest, she felt overwhelmed yet strangely at peace.

"Ladies, and gentlemen!" A man in a stereotypical pirate outfit cheered.

(Y/N) could almost hear Leven's scoff.

"Tonight, we will present the tale of the siren!" As he said that, a group of other pirate actors pushed a poorly made pirate ship model onto the stage, a smaller man sitting on the small deck.

"A siren is a beautiful monster!" The narrator dramatically bared his teeth at the word monster. (Y/N) peeked up to Kazumi.

Is he enjoying this?

"It has a voice of fine silk, wrapping around sailors in a mesmerizing embrace,"

A man dressed as a mermaid came running out onto the stage, his hairy chest on display through a seashell bra, and a teal long skirt covering his legs. A small chuckled rolled through the crowd at the sight of him, but (Y/N) and her friends were quiet.

In the 'mermaid's' hands he held what looked to be a silk scarf, which he lovingly wrapped around the 'pirate's' neck, who acted like he was being swooned as flutes played a tune in the background.

"Before they drag you to your death!" The narrator shouted; the flute players blew harshly into their instruments for effect.

The 'siren' quickly pretending to pull the scarf harshly and he and the pirate fell behind the prop ship- More laughter.

"Into the ocean!"

Now the other pirate actors threw water onto the crowd, to which many laughed but some gasped or screamed.

(Y/N) was thankful she was not drenched, and she looked at the others to see how they reacted to it.

They were not impressed at all with the performance. They looked miserable. They remind me of me during tutoring sessions.

(Y/N) stifled a laugh and looked back to the stage.

"My! I think our siren is a little on the ugly side though!" The narrator sighed; the mermaid man shot his head up from behind the pirate ship to toss a plastic conch shell at the narrator.

(Y/N) thought it was a very silly skit and was not impressed by it, but she again looked at her friends.

They were quiet and watching but she knew they were just as unhappy with the play as she.

She smiled to herself.

Everyone looks they are getting their nails ripped off, but they are here, with me... for me. Everyone is doing their best to make me happy.

She lightly squeezed the two hands she held.

Kazumi brushed his thumb along the back of her hand, and Leopoldo lightly squeezed back. She was happy, content, and felt like she belonged again. She realized it did not matter if she had something to do or not, it was the pirates who took her in that made her feel free. At that moment she felt if she were with these four men everything would be all right.

As (Y/N) was lost in thought, she heard a peculiar sound.

*Ting-Tink*

A bell? It sounds so close.

(Y/N) looked behind her instinctively and her heart almost jumped out her throat.

She saw it if only for a split second passing behind the crowd, she saw it.

A kitsune mask.