The gentle creaking of wood was what slowly roused Byulyi from her sleep, groaning mutedly to herself as her eyes fluttered open. She patted around her and was met with an empty bed, the dragonkin nowhere to be found next to her. She sat up, the blanket falling from her body as she surveyed the little room she was in. Deciding to look for Yongsun Byulyi got up and shuffled out the room, venturing outside. Warm sunlight greeted her as the sun shone high above. She must have slept until noon if the sun was that high already. A refreshing sea breeze blew past her face, whipping her hair around her as she took in the vast ocean. 

“Afternoon Princess. Surprised you woke up at this time, I thought you’d be asleep until evening.” 

A cheerful voice remarked and Byulyi turned her head to see Jeongyeon walking towards her. She gave a slight bow, greeting the captain. 

“Oh no, no need to bow. I ain't having none of that formality here on this boat. Royalty or not we’re all casual here.” 

“I’m no longer royalty any longer I’m afraid.” Byulyi said, slight bitterness lacing her words as she stared at the sea. Jeongyeon cocked her eyebrow up at that, catching onto the tone, raising a hand and giving a gentle pat on her shoulder. 

“Maybe not to you, but to her you still are one.” Byulyi perked up at that, suddenly remembering why she went out of the room in the first place. Jeongyeon pointed to the front of the boat, a small knowing smile on her face.

“She’s right there.” 

Byulyi gave her one quick smile before Jeongyeon shooed her off towards the hull of the boat. Byulyi bounded her way there and spotted Yongsun just sitting on the deck, wings spread out she gazed up into the sky. Her hair was matted to her body, where little droplets of water rolled off of her to drip onto the deck. Byulyi sat herself next to her, Yongsun turning to look at her and murmur a greeting. 

“Why are you so wet?” 

“I was hungry so I went for a little hunt in the ocean. Fish taste really nice out here compared to the rivers back there.” Yongsun replied as she resumed her gazing at the sky. 

“You didn't think to share some with me?” 

“I doubt you’d like the taste of raw fish love.” Yongsun chuckled as she faced Byulyi, pecking away the small pout that formed on the younger’s face. Byulyi made a face at the kiss, her lips as the taste of salt reached her tongue. 

“You’re salty.” 

Yongsun merely stuck her tongue out at that, a mischievous smile on her face as she hugged Byulyi and began peppering wet kisses all over her face. Byulyi squealed at that and tried to dodge and escape, laughing together with Yongsun. 

Byulyi, after eating her late lunch, wandered into the bridge of the boat where Jeongyeon was steering, the captain keeping a sharp eye on the vast ocean. Jeongyeon noticed her coming in from the corner of her eye, giving a small hum as greeting. Byulyi watched her in fascination, gazing around at the many maps that littered a table filled with multiple pencil markings, some clear while others were illegible. While Byulyi had been on ships before when she was younger, she had never seen up close and personal how one would conduct it. It was the first time she was even in the bridge of a boat. 

“Would you like to give it a try?” Jeongyeon offered, gesturing to the steering wheel. Byulyi lit up like a child, excitement seen in her eyes as she nodded eagerly and walked towards the wheel. Jeongyeon guided her, telling and explaining everything about a boat from how to read maps to how to manage the boat during a storm. Byulyi listened attentively, unaware of a subtly glowering presence behind that watched and growled softly with displeasure when Jeongyeon shifted her hand onto her waist. 

Yongsun left the bridge, quelling the the familiar rising feeling in her stomach. Jeongyeon was just a friend, actually a stranger if you factor in how long they’ve known each other, and was in no way a threat to Yongsun. But she still couldn't help but bare her fangs the slightest at how Jeongyeon seemed to get affectionate with Byulyi. Her Byulyi. To be specific. 

But Yongsun wasn’t one to get worked up easily over things like this, especially with someone they just met. Maybe it was the poison starting to really get to her, making her more moody and snappy than usual. Maybe not. But really though, the poison was starting to show it claws now on Yongsun. Just this morning she was woken up by the irresistible need to throw up. She scrambled out of bed quickly, careful to not wake Byulyi, and hurled over the side of the boat once she made it out onto the deck. She had held onto the sides with shaky arms, panting slightly before straightening up and wiping . She was about to head back to bed but decided against it, already feeling her stomach churning with another need to throw up. Instead she stayed out on the deck, watching the sunrise while huddled against the mast of the boat. 

It was late morning when her stomach growled in hunger, the feeling of throwing up long gone. Jeongyeon was out and about on her boat, checking the ropes and sails. She gave a friendly nod to Yongsun which the dragonkin returned. Deciding that maybe a little hunt would help distract her mind, Yongsun spread her wings and jumped off the boat, gaining height before flying around. She flew a distance away before plunging down into the waters, diving deep to locate the fish. She burst back out for air before diving back down again, making quick turns with her wings and tail to snag a small fish with her fangs. She exited the water and clung onto the side of the boat, consuming her little catch. Jeongyeon saw and whistled her approval, something that made Yongsun blush slightly. She wasn't used to other people seeing her hunt, especially not in the oceans. 

Leaving Byulyi to Jeongyeon, Yongsun resolved to catch up on the lost sleep from this morning, curling up in a sunny spot on the deck and closing her eyes. That was how Byulyi found her later in the evening, shaking the bleary dragonkin awake to bring her in for dinner cooked by Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon and Byulyi joked around as they ate, having somehow gotten closer together during their time in the bridge, Yongsun watching silently as she chewed on her salted fish. 

It was a good thing that Yongsun didn't wake up early in the morning again the next day to throw up over the side of the boat, however it seemed to make up for that with a throbbing headache. Byulyi was concerned when she saw how Yongsun had winced one time when they were talking in the afternoon. 

“I think I’m just seasick or something. I haven't really been a boat before so yea.” Yongsun excused, Byulyi buying it though albeit hesitantly. 

As the hours and days went by the headaches got worse as did the urge to throw up. Yongsun took to flying as a means to ease her mind off the pain and worry. Which thus often left Byulyi in the care of Jeongyeon, who took the chance to play around with the former princess.