It was late when the two stumbled back into their room from the open mic event, Karina’s arm around Winter’s shoulder. Winter, despite being shorter, basically carried Karina all the way as Karina’s legs had all but liquified. Winter didn’t seem to mind though. Karina wasn’t sure if that was indicative of just how strong Winter was or just how light Karina was. It hardly mattered, it was impressive all the same. God, Winter was so strong. And Karina was certainly drunk enough to admit Winter supporting her through the halls and passages of the ship was more than a little attractive. Though she felt like she was forgetting  something. Like she was supposed to be happy about something. Something. 

The pair collapsed onto the bed just as Winter’s phone began to ring.

Winter struggled to turn it on for a few moments before putting it to her ear. “Mmm?”

“Winter unnie?” crackled out a voice, tinny and distorted through the phone’s speaker.

“Ningning?” asked Winter, eyes closed, arm draped over her forehead like a sweatband.

“Is that Ningning?” Karina shook Winter’s arm, the one with the phone in it. “Ask her about my axe.”

Winter nodded. “Ningning, do you have Karina’s axe?”

“I—what?” Ningning let out a laugh. “Are you two drunk?”

“Maybe,” Winter admitted sheepishly.

Karina glared at the phone. “No.”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Ningning sighed. “I...I should probably call back tomorrow. Don’t want to spoil the fun.”

Winter sat up and fluttered open her eyes, frowning. “No, it’s alright Ningning, don’t go.”

“We’ll miss you,” added Karina helpfully, getting close to the phone as to be heard. “And you still haven’t gotten back to me about my axe.”

“True,” noted Winter. “She hasn’t.”

“I, unfortunately, do not have your axe, sweet Drunk Karina. I’m sorry unnie,” Ningning admitted, sounding appropriately saddened by this.

“‘S all right.” Karina grimaced. “I guess.”

“I actually called bearing a message from Dongwook.”

Winter looked ill. “Ow.”

“Yes, beloved Drunk Winter. Unnie, he apparently got a call from your love boat’s captain Park Siwon about you two quote ‘grossly fraternizing with the staff’ and ‘spying like a...’ and then he proceeds to say something that I think is insulting but is honestly too old-timey to be anything other than confusing,” Ningning paused to find the thread of whatever she’d been trying to say. “Point is, Dongwook wants you two to stop investigating”

“What did Giselle say?” asked Karina. 

“Giselle, our beloved boss, bless her, told Dongwook that he wasn’t her boss. I mean, he is, he’s the big double boss, but it was very satisfying to watch. I’ve never seen a man turn purple before.”

Winter’s lips twitched. “Did you get a picture of it?”

“No, just a video that I will be sending over after the call. But I think that means that how you proceed is up to you. I just thought you should probably know that your trip on The Infinity from now on is not Dongwook sanctioned.” 

“Dongwook can off,” Karina declared, and Winter snorted. “What’s he going to do about it?”

Winter nodded emphatically. “International waters.”

“Yes!” Karina hadn’t even thought of that. Winter was so intelligent. Intelligent and lovely and kind and strong; the full package. “There are no laws out here.”

Ningning laughed too. “ Stay safe then, alright? Don’t do anything too stupid.”

“When have we ever done anything stupid?” demanded Karina. Though for some reason she felt like she did something today. Whatever it is, she affronted, “Winter’s too clever.”

Winter smiled fondly at her, eyes going all stary and far away. “Unnie is too smart.”

“See?” said Karina into the receiver. “We don’t do stupid things.” But they did something. 

“You two are adorable and very, very drunk. God, I should have recorded this call to show Giselle.” Ningning grumbled something on the other end about hindsight and something else barely audible. Finally, she returned to normal speaking voice and annunciation. ”Drink water. And eat something. And get some sleep.”

“Bye Ningning,” said Winter.

“Bye, you guys.” Ningning’s -eating-grin was audible. “Enjoy your hangover unnies.” It was lucky Ningning ended the call because Karina didn't think Winter would have been able to press the little button.

Karina flopped onto the bed, properly too, with no part of her even dangling off of it. She resolved to enjoy her hangover, just to spite Ningning.

The next day.

No matter what she had resolved the night before, Karina was not enjoying her hangover.

Did she turn into a vampire? Light...hurt. Like, the concept of it. And her eyes felt like she was pressing them against a pin art board, and her head felt like a goddess was trapped inside of it trying to get out, and her tongue felt like it was coated in a thin veneer of lard. Or maybe not lard, per se. Just the way the word lard felt. For some reason, the Earth’s gravitational pull had increased tenfold, and so the minute Karina was presentable she’d collapsed bodily into the little circular table in her and Winter’s room. And speaking of Winter… 

“How are you so bloody okay?” Karina grumbled from the table, voice muffled and slightly garbled. Winter, it seemed, did not have a hangover. Because she was perfect. Or at least she was better at dealing with it. Winter was just bustling about, being loud, doing things. 

Winter patted Karina’s shoulder conciliatory. “I did drink water. Regularly. And most importantly, I didn’t drink an entire bar, unnie.”

Karina opened and closed a few times before just accepting that her brain was not going to act out its basic jobs and tasks. “If I just say ‘nice’ will it count as a meaningful contribution to this conversation?”

“Usually no,” Winter sighed dramatically. “But you look like death so I’ll make an exception.”

“Very kind of you,” said Karina dryly.

“Mm. Tea?”

“Yes. Please. Caffeine sounds delightful right now.”

Winter paused and reconsidered. “I can’t imagine that it would if you’ve got a headache.”

Karina waved away her concerns with a heavy hand and her forehead still firmly on the tabletop. “Yes well, it’s your tea and your caffeine so it should work wonders.”

“Oh.” Winter set down a steaming mug with a dull thunk , sounding incredibly pleased with herself. “Well if you need anything else—”

Karina painstakingly raised her head from the cool plastic wood of the table and slowly wrapped her fingers around the mug. She squinted at Winter, considering, and shook her head. “Not unless you can tell the sun to quiet down.”

Winter smirked. “I’m afraid that’s outside my powers.”

“Just tea then, thank you, Winter.”

“Anytime, unnie.” There was a beat while Karina took a sip. It was without flaw, as always. Winter’s tea always was. Even when Karina had loathed Winter she couldn’t deny that her tea was without equal. If anything, having such a clear and pronounced skill only added to Karina’s dislike. “I’m proud of you, by the way.”

Karina blinked and looked over at Winter. “Why? What for?”

“You made a friend.”

Karina set the mug down and furrowed her brow. “Is this about Dohee?”

“Yes, unnie. You made a whole friend all on your own.” Winter was positively glowing with pride.

“Don’t be patronizing.”

“It’s not meant to be!” laughed Winter, taking the chair next to Karina and smiling. “I’m just glad you have someone.”

“I already have someone,” Karina reminded her, giving Winter a significant look. “Several someones, really.”

“You know what I mean,” said Winter. “We all sort of forced you into friendship.”

Karina snorted. “Ryujin did say something to that effect a while ago if I’m not mistaken.”

“That does sound like something she’d say,” Winter agreed, leaning back in her rickety metal chair. “Anyway, I bring it up because I’m going to talk to Ms. Lim Yoona about the fog now that we’ve experienced it first hand, and you’re far too hungover to not bite her head off. But I don’t really want to leave you alone after Captain Siwon’s less than subtle threats.”

Karina gave her an affronted look. “I don’t need a babysitter, Winter.”

Winter held up her hands defensively. “I didn’t say that you did. I just want you to be safe. And to not vanish into depression fog, ideally.”

“Well then, you too. You can’t be alone. But I’m sure you could steal away a member of the staff,” Karina assured her.

Winter snorted. “You make me sound so charming.”

“Aren’t you?” Karina asked, setting her mug down and leaning against the table. “After the orientation, I’d be surprised if you hadn’t stolen the hearts of half the passengers.”

Winter smiled softly at her. “Too bad my heart already belongs to you, then.”

“Only as long as we’re here anyway.” Karina tried to keep the note of sadness out of her voice at that, though she doubted she was successful. She didn’t even notice Winter was staring at her lips. There was a very tense, quiet beat. “Something wrong?”

Winter stood, her chair making a ghastly scraping noise in her haste to move it. “Yes! I mean, no, nothing wrong. I should, um, I should probably be going, then.”

“Oh. Okay.” Karina bit her lip and let her eyes flicker over Winter. “Good luck.”

“Thank you. I’ll just...right.” Winter shifted awkwardly on her feet. “Try not to get eaten by depression fog?”

Karina cracked a smile. “You too. That single on a couple’s cruise thing goes both ways, and I very much doubt I’ll have the same luck seducing the staff.”

Winter hummed in disagreement. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

Karina snorted and rolled her eyes, fingers gently tapping against the tye-dye ceramic of the mug. “Goodbye, Winter.”

“Bye, unnie. Take an Advil.”

That was how Karina ended up with a subsiding headache on the doorstep of Guwon and Dohee’s cabin, nervously knocking on their white polished door.

Dohee opened the door and frowned, which was not a great sign. “Karina?”

“Winter’s off doing work things and she’s decided I can’t be left alone,” she explained, fidgeting with her hands.

“I see,” Dohee said. “She’s pawned you off on me, has she?”

“It would appear that way, yes.”

Dohee shrugged and opened the door wider, stepping slightly to the side. “Come on in then.”

Karina blinked. “Are you sure you and Guwon don’t mind?”

“Guwon’s off talking with his uncle about something or other, and I certainly don’t,” she said, waving her off and leading her into a room that looked identical to her own, down to the fraying suede curtains and baby blue wallpaper. “This boat gives me the creeps. Though I suppose you’re the expert in that department.”

“On creeps?” Karina did her best to sound scandalized. “I don’t know whether or not I should take offense to that.”

Dohee smacked her arm. “You know what I mean. Your job, you deal with like, haunted stuff.”

“On occasion,” Karina admitted, sitting in a chair that could have been a carbon copy of the one she had spent her morning with Winter in, save for the chipping paint at the armrests. 

Dohee nodded, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “So tell me about it.”

“There’s not much to tell,” shrugged Karina.

“No, there’s not much to tell about my job, and yet we spent almost three hours talking about it all the same. I’m sure you can spend some time talking about werewolves and ghosts and aliens.”

“I suppose,” Karina sighed. “Though we haven't actually had to deal with any aliens.”

“Really? I would have assumed you got loads of cases about them. Your institute takes anybody’s report, right?”

“It does, and we do certainly have loads of alien statements. But I’ve never dealt with any. Though I did know someone back who insisted on having met some.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t put too much stock on it though.” Karina made a face. “Yuta was a liar and worse than that, a shoddy researcher.”

“Oh.” Dohee looked disappointed. “But you and Winter still investigate the supernatural, right?”

“Yes. Together, actually,” said Karina, fully aware of the sappy expression she was no doubt wearing was. “That’s how our boss has us look into things in case things turn sour, which they usually do. For me at least.”

Dohee laughed at that, albeit a little nervously, like she wasn’t sure that was really something to laugh about. “I can see that.”

Karina glanced over at her hands and hummed. “I’ve got more scars than this, actually. I’ve been stabbed twice at this point. By a door monster and a YouTuber, though I promise the last one had far more supernatural influence than it sounds. Well, mostly. She didn't particularly like me before she was cursed, though I think our relationship was good enough she wouldn't have stabbed me normally.”

“Has Winter?”

“What, been stabbed?” she asked. “No. Thankfully she’s too smart and too fast for monsters to attack her like