(no subject)

[rumisabang]

Character(s): Tenten and Deidara
Date: Summer
Setting: Singapore
Summary: Deidara comes to Tenten seeking his old map left in her father's possession.
Warning(s): Language (I think), nekkiness, sexy massages

[ooc note: I haven't color coded it, but i will later no worries]



Time on Tenten's ship was far more relaxing then he expected, especially when food was given for free and so was rum. The crew didn't like sharing with him at first, but after several lessons well taught they let him do what he wanted. He enjoyed being persuasive. Tonight though wasn't going to be spent smoking and drinking, his presence had been requested by Tenten in her cabin. He didn't know what for exactly, but he hoped for good news on the search through the many logs of her father.

Approaching the door, he knocked and politely waited to be invited inside. If it would help get him what he wanted, Deidara could be a saint... until he actually got what he wanted, then he could turn nasty... if he didn't like you too much.

It had taken longer than expected to sort through her father's log books. Just as Deidara had stated, Shirou had been meticulous in his records, making an entry at least once a week if not every single day of his voyages. The problem had been in finding the right date. Years would be easy to figure out as the blonde captain had pointed out. They had only sailed to the Atlantic twice in her entire lifetime, and Shirou had always been too fearful of going too far from China when she was still living there with her mother in the seaport village. It was just a matter of searching through months of information in order to confirm her father's connections with her new acquaintance.

All the while, Deidara had been allowed to stay on the ship for the duration of her search, eating up the food, drinking all the rum, and terrorizing the crew until they learned to leave the guest alone. As expected, Naruto had been hard pressed to learning that lesson, but a quick threat to his precious Kyuubi, and the young deck-hand knew to stay clear of the explosive blonde captain.

It was of little consequence to Tenten if he chose to take her up on the offer or not. She was not the one who had spent the past two or more years seeking the single most valuable map in all of the seven seas. Even if he chose to wait somewhere else, he would come seeking her again eventually. It would only make sense for him to stay near his target. "He's not going anywhere until he gets his map."

As if to emphasize her point, there was a knock at the door of her quarters. No doubt it was the destructive captain, himself, answering her request for his presence. Leaning back against the edge of her desk, Tenten closed the book in her hands and called out to him. "Come in."

"Good evening miss Tenten, how are you doing on this fine night?" he asked, giving her a nod in greeting. He shut the door behind himself and smiled at her. He wanted to jump into the subject of the logs, but waited patiently for Tenten. The dancing around answers they were so good at doing was what he expected if he did so. Instead he wandered into the room towards the window they couldn't see out of anyway. Either they were too dirty, or it was too dark and glanced around. "Might I inquire as to the invitation, un?"

"Things are good, considering there hasn't been any explosions on my ship for the past few days, small and contained as they were." She gave a slow and gracious nod in return, hinting at an underlying message while dripping with sarcasm. "The Siren thanks you for saving her captain from paying any more repairs than she already has."

Easing off of her desk, the young captain reached over the scattered paper and poured herself a small cup of sake. She held up the container in plain view for Deidara to see and gave it a little shake as a silent question before continuing. "I have not seen much of you since this arrangement had first been settled. For that, I apologize severely as I am sure you were expecting me to at least entertain your company occasionally. As you can imagine, I have been a bit preoccupied with other matters."

Glancing over the lip of her cup as she drank, Tenten watched the blonde's reaction to the implication. It would be an understatement to say that he had been eager to hear news of her progress through the ships log books, his impatient footsteps softly burning a hole into the deck just outside of her quarters. A pity such stress would be placed on the shoulders of a young man like him. But then again, Tenten would admit she found some sick pleasure making him fidget and wait. "But simple curiosity has prompted me to wonder how you were fairing. I do hope that you have been enjoying your stay in Singapore."

The way she was going on wouldn't tell him one way or another if she actually found anything in the logs. The way she was talking made it sound as though she was simply wondering how he was doing. Flattered as he was, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Stepping farther into the room, Deidara smiled and took the cup from her after she'd taken a sip. Without waiting for her fingers to fall from the porcelain, he brought it to his own lips and took a sip before responding to her. "Even though I've been to Singapore before, it's mysteries never cease to amaze me, un," he told her, giving her cup back. He paced around her to the other side of her desk, still farther into the room and leaned against one of the few bare spots of wood. "I wouldn't disrespect someone such as yourself who's gone through the trouble of putting all her other affairs on hold just to look thought her father's logs."

He brushed the hair over his left eye away a moment, though it fell right back into place as though he'd never touched it. "Your absence is forgiven," he assured her, "though I don't believe that many of your crew appreciate my presense, un." The words wore distraught, but Deidara couldn't seem to care less about the fact.

Watching him move throughout the room with smooth and casual strides, she finished off the last of the sake in the cup and placed it soundlessly back on the desk, right beside a stack of books. They were frayed and a bit burnt around the edges, doing well to show their age, and to any other they would most likely have gone unnoticed. But for one in Deidara's situation, one who had been waiting for quite some time to hear that his connection to her father had finally been confirmed, she was sure he would note the Chinese inscription scrawled across the spines. "My crew tends not to give out their trust so easily, especially to one with your reputation. You understand, I'm sure. We all can be overcautious at times. It comes with the territory."

And indeed, his story had proven true from what she had read in her father's logs. Both he and Deidara had gone on an adventure in search for the map when she was, for the most part, still a naive child of fifteen playing at pirates. And the young man who was now known to the world as 'The Phoenix' was nothing more than an adventurous lad who had yet to make a name for himself, though it was certainly an interesting and ambitious start to his career. "But since you seem so...captivated with the mysteries of Singapore, as you so eloquently stated, I would like to extend an invitation to you, if it is not too bold a suggestion. Take it as part of my apology."

"Boldness is the only way to acquire what you want without dancing around like a drunken sailor, un," Deidara commented, smiling at her. "I would like to accept this invitation, Miss. Tenten, but I'm curious to know what it is first." He was very willing to go with her. Her choice of words made him very curious, so it was most beneficial he wasn't born a cat. "Shall we then?" he asked, motioning towards the door.

"Hm...Well said, Captain." She could not help but smirk at his choice of words, a ghost of the phrase she had used only a short time before during their first meeting of sorts, though her use of it had been more bitting and defensive. But Tenten supposed anything that came out of Deidara's lips could be made to sound smooth and playful, such was his intent.

Already garbed in the proper clothing befitting of a woman who belonged to the village, she picked up the hem of her robes and proceeded to exit the cabin without a word, trusting that he would follow after. The soft soles of her shoes were almost soundless against the wooden deck of the ship and the sea breeze was cool against the skin of her exposed neck. It was a sort of attire she was not so unaccostumed to, but something she would indulge in when necessary.

"There is a place in the hills overlooking the village that I wish to take you. The setting is...very theraputic and relaxing." As the rickshaw she had called for earlier pulled up in front of the ship, Tenten glanced over her shoulder at the blonde captain and waited for him to catch up. "You will see what I mean soon enough, and I assure you, you will not be disappointed."

He was very curious now as to where they were headed off too that night. His boots gave off soft thunking noises as he followed her over the wooden deck, stepping off onto the peer. The dimness of the cabin hadn't allowed him to see her outfit, but the lantern light of the evening gave some form of the feminine impression. "Miss. Tenten... you look more womanly then ever tonight, un," he said, grinning as he followed her down onto the streets, restraining himself from asking where in the world they were going.

There was a soft sea breeze blowing, giving air to the wispy fabric of her robes. And with her face accentuated by that ever faint smile that held all the world's emotions in one simple quirk of her lip, she created a vision to behold. She merely painted the abstraction to tease the imagination. What he would take from it was his to decide. "Well, captain, suffice to say, I am a woman after all. Is it so surprising for me to look the part every once in a while?"

When the driver of the rickshaw held out his hand to her, Tenten took it with a graceful nod of her head and stepped into the seat built for two, waiting quietly for the blonde captain to join her so they could be on their way. The journey there would not be a long one, but the sooner they started off, the quicker Deidara's curiousity would be satisfied.

A grin spread over his face as he climbed up next to her, sitting down next to her, not being remotely shy about how close they were, being shy never got a man anything. "You are indeed," he said in a murmur of agreement. He had gotten a nice look at her backside when she'd been stepping into the rickshaw. "And I am a man, which unfortunately means that little is expected of me... except from a woman, un." He smirked slightly, glancing absentmindedly at the passing scenery. "What is expected of me from you?"

The rickshaw gently bounced and rocked with the gravel of the street, making it almost impossible to avoid intimate touches, feeling of Deidara's arm against her shoulder or the cage of his rib brushing against her elbow. That was not to say Tenten was trying avoid such contact in the first place, only that it would be a difficult feat to manage. Eyes trained to the scene in front of them at the forest path that would lead them up into the hills to their destination, she tilted her head just a fraction in thought to his question before answering smoothly. "I've learned not to expect much of people that I have just met...other than deception and betrayal. One cannot be too careful with that sort of thing, as I said before."

"I can assure you, I haven't made any move to deceive you since I've met you, un," he murmured, lounging back against the back of the bench seat they were on. "As for betrayal... our business transactions have shown nothing that could be betrayed. Your crew has made sure that I haven't gone through any of your things, despite the fact that I have no interest in them, so there's nothing that I can betray you with, un." He gave her a sideways grin, then turned his head to peer out into the darkness, wishing the special scope over his left eye, covered by the loose blond hair sweeping the side of his face had some sort of night time vision so he could see the area around them better.

"Tch, loyalty among pirates. You'll forgive me if I find that concept hard to swallow." Amused at his statement, she turned her head ever slightly and spared him a side glance while returning the grin. "However, you are correct. My crew has assured me that you have been the perfect guest on my ship, save for a few incidents with Naruto, but I'm certain that could not be avoided."

All around them, she saw dark figures flitting through the shadows between the underbrush and the trunks of the trees, heard their silent footsteps and whispered growls. Too dark to see clearly, Tenten could only make out the sharp eyes staring back at her from their hiding places, a familiar sight from the many times she had made this journey into the hills though still disturbing to know that all the forest was watching her with this man they only knew as a stranger. Even when they finally emerged from under the canopy of leaves aind pulled into the lantern lights of the onsen, the eyes were still watching with interest.

Looking up at the building in front of them with heavy curiosity, he ignoring the watching figures and started up the stone steps. What was she doing bringing him to one of these? He let the surprise show on his face, much more then the devious part. "Ah... the wonders of Singapore, un," he mumbled to himself, playing with a piece of hair before making a show of letting her go first. "After you."

One last glance at the eyes and the fangs glinting in the shadows, she bowed politely at Deidara's gesture and led the way up to the doors of the onsen. Made in the traditional design, the doors slid open with ease at their approach and Tenten was greeted by two elegantly dressed women with low and respectful bows. "Jiao, Shu, this is Captain Deidara. He will be here as my guests tonight. Make sure that he is properly attended."

That said, she turned to address the young Captain, all the while gesturing with a delicate hand to the two women behind her while she spoke. "Follow them, they will take you where you need to go and provide help should you have need of it. I will meet you in a moment." And before he could say a word in question or protest, Tenten had disappeared behind a curtain to strip herself in preparation of entering the onsen.

Deidara watched her leave him alone, then turned and smiled at the two women, following them into a bathing house where they helped him strip out of his clothes. Though they did it with an air of professionalism, Deidara couldn't help but feel a small smuggness in himself as they put on a thin robe on his shoulders to lead him through the hallway to the bathhouse. They washed and rinsed the dirt and grime living on a ship gives to a body, even scrubbing through his hair. He couldn't be allowed in the hot springs dirty, it would ruin the pure water.

"Thank you," he said to them with a grin, amused that despite their professionalism, he caught them grinning girlishly behind his back. When they were finished cleaning him, they wrapped a towel around him, replacing the robe for him to wear on the way to the hot springs. Leaving him alone, they bowed away from the steaming room, letting him slide out of the robe once more, picking out a clean cloth he could use to tie his hair off his neck and slipped into the water, removing his towel before sliding under, heaving a sigh of appreciation of the relaxing water.

Having spent years in the company of men with very few (if any) women drifting in and out of her life, she easily slipped herself of her garments and prepared to enter the onsen. Knowing the sort of expectations most men would have at such a place when in the presence of a woman, especially when invited by a woman, Tenten was ready for any and all consequences that may come from this last minute arrangement. She secured the towel around her body and slid open the door, stepping out to join the young Captain and instantly feeling the warmth of the room.

"Enjoying yourself, captain?" A few quick strides and she was standing beside the heated water, slowly seating herself at the edge and only dipping her legs in for the moment while keeping her arms held firmly at her sides to hold the towel in place.

"Very," he told her, watching her enter into the water. So elegant for a pirate. He sank lower into the water to relax, closing his eyes a moment before opening them again. "You people sure know how to relax and pamper yourself out here, un." He grinned at her and stretched his arms over the rocky sides, tilting his head slowly to study her quietly.

She returned the gaze with her exotic eyes and reached into a nearby basket placed at the edge of the pool. It was filled to the brim with flower petals smelling of sweet jasmine with just a hint of vanilla mixed in as well. Taking a handful or two, she spread them over the surface of the water, letting the heat of the hot springs and the steam that rose from the surface bring out the soothing scents trapped inside of each petal. "Sometimes it is a necessity to simply take a moment to relax and forget all your cares, even for a moment, would you not agree?"

That done, Tenten slowly eased herself into the warmth of the water, keeping her towel wrapped around her to keep some form of modesty in the presence of the young Captain.

Nodding, Deidara smiled at her and nodded. "I do agree, it's just not often that it's allowed, un," he admitted to her, watching the flowers petals float around in the water. "And what do you do for that simple moment when you're out on the great open sea? Many sailors would pay for that knowledge, un."

"Very true. But you find any means possible to achieve that goal of solitude for the sake of your own sanity." Gently, Tenten glided her hand across the surface of the water and watched as the ripples traversed out in beautiful uniformed rings towards the edge. So artful; nature's masterpiece. Repeating the motion again, this time she cupped a small handful in her palm and slowly poured the scented liquid over the gentle curve of her bare shoulder. Spreading it over the damp skin of her collar with purposeful and delicate fingers, she added in regards to Deidara's question. "I have learned in my lifetime that if you want something badly enough...nothing will stop you from getting it."

Long lashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly and earthy brown irises followed the slope of his chin, his cheek, his nose up to the ocean of blue that stared back. Whether he was enchanted by her charms or not had yet to be seen. But she would play her part for as long as necessary to find out more. After all, knowledge was the key to all the treasures of the world, if one know how to gain it. "Is that not the very core of piracy, Captain?"

Was she coming on to him? It was hard to tell if she was seriously doing it, or was just trying to butter him up. For what, he hadn't the faintest idea yet, but he was sure he'd find out if he was patient. He was actually more confused then anything. Deducting that the change in her character from business to flirtatious was not just his good looks, he was sure she was up to something. Even his good looks couldn't make someone change so fast with just alone time in a hot spring. Maybe he was just being suspicious.

"It is," he said with a nod. He decided that if she was going to flirt, whether it was for real, or for some scandal, he was going to make her keep guessing if it was working or not. "Is there anything you want so badly that you'll stop at nothing for, un?"

A cool smile was Tenten's response neither threatening nor telling of her intentions. What good was spending half a life in a society that taught women to hide their true emotions in the presence of men if she could not call upon the necessary skills to play the part of the charming and accommodating hostess? Being a pirate Captain, he would no doubt be wary of her behavior, always constantly on alert for any trick or scheme that would pose as a danger to his life. That was the life they lived and the risk they took daily to remain living it. Friend and foe alike were not to be trusted, knowing how easily loyalties could turn in an instant for the right price.

But he had sought out the map to World's End for a purpose, one that could very well effect them all in the long run. And that was enough reason for her to at least try to find out more ofDeidara's plans. So with a slight tilt of her head and a light smile in his direction, she lifted her arm from the pool and continued to spread the sweet smelling water along her skin. "That is for me alone to know...at least for now."

"How boring," he commented with grin. His stretched his arms over his head then let them rest over the stone edge of the water, looking over at her as she played with the scents and petals. Only bad thing about this situation was that he was definitely going to smell like a frilly pin head at the end. But the rest of it all was outweighing that. "Can I at least get a hint, un?" he asked, sliding a little closer.

"Perhaps, but not everything in this life has to be exciting." Smoothly she turned her hand over, palm facing up to the sky so that she could examine the pale skin of her wrist, damp and scented with the warm spring water, slender fingers brushing over the thin veins that laid just beneath the surface while she stared at them with some interest. It was an innocent gesture perhaps, but one that might perhaps draw the blonde's interest. If not then she would simply have to move on from there. "You will have to do more than simply ask to get anything out of me, Captain Deidara."

"Yes, I'm sure, un," he said softly, watching her. "You know... I'm well versed in culture... especially around places with pirate ports. And I also happen to know... that just the tiniest glimps of bare skin on the wrist is pretty suggestive, un." He grinned at her, sliding closer to her and slid his arm around her shoulder. "But that's not how we do it where I'm from," he informed her, leaning closer to whisper breathily in her ear.

"Is that so?" A thin brow raised curiously while she felt the soft breeze of his breath against the wet surface of her shoulder and neck, cooling it to give off a light trail of goosebumps along her milky-white skin. She smiled gently in response, turning her head in his direction to show that she was addressing him, just far enough to see the blonde tips of his bangs hanging over the gentle curve of her shoulder. "Well, it entirely depends on the culture of which you are addressing."

"And with that in mind do I ask, what would be considered suggestive where you are from?" Slick fingers drew a wet line across the side of her face as she brushed aside her own bangs. At the rate this was going, she would find nothing out about the map to World's End and only come out of this meeting with nothing more than wrinkled fingers and a mixed smell of jasmine and vanilla on her skin. "Or better yet, what would a woman have to do to find out the deepest secrets of your mind, Captain?"

"That, Miss Tenten... is something no one's ever found out, un," he told her. He leaned forward like he'd kiss her, but instead moved to her ear again. "But you didn't bring me here to learn what I would consider... suggestive. But my secrets... what or whether... which secrets do you want to know, un? Since that's obviously what you what... right?" He grinned at her, sitting back against the wall of the hot spring.

All that came in reply to his inquiry was a soft scoff as her plump lips stretched out in an amused smirk of sorts. And for a while there was nothing else but a soft drip of water in the distance as the two sat completely contented in the warmth of the hot springs. She knew it was not easy to fool the young man, that it had been pointless to attempt it especially because of his position as another Pirate Lord of the Brethren Court. Yes, indeed, Tenten had placed it on herself to know more of this man that had captured her father's attention so many years ago, enough to grant Deidara his trust in keeping this item secret and safe until the blonde returned to ask for it back.

It was no wonder she had not recognized him at first. She had been left behind on that particular hunt, then only a young fifteen years old girl still playing at pirates under the protective thumb of her father. And with Deidara not much older than she, he had no doubt been the young sailor that had set out to make a name for himself by aligning with the most powerful and influential pirate that had been available to him. What a stroke of fate and luck to have found himself in the company of the Dragon of the East in one of his rare campaigns to the Western world. Shirou must have seen great potential in the young man to have agreed to such a deal. "My father's logs confirm all that you have told me, Captain Deidara. I know now that there is no lie in your story."

Cool eyes darted to the side where he sat beside her and Tenten turned her head just enough to see the golden fall of his hair, the pale color of his skin. "That campaign he had gone on with you five years ago...it was to search for this map, wasn't it?"

Pleased that she'd gotten to the point of the night, Deidara leaned back, more relaxed then before. Without that thought nagging him, then he'd love to continue on the night with perhaps more privacy then the peeking hot spring staff was allowing them, but she still wished to talk. "It was," Deidara replied with a nod of his head. He reached up to tuck a few loose strands back into the tight that was keeping all his hair out of the water. "But you could have simply asked me that for yourself, un."

Azure eyes looked over her now, from the murkiness the water made, to her bare shoulders and finally to her face. It's amazing what people don't see when they have other things on their mind. He let his eyes turn from being cautious to warm and welcoming, though he was still on guard as he stood up in the water that barely reached his hips. He offered his hand without shame of his nakedness for her to stand too. "Your skin will be like a raisin if you stay in any longer, Miss Tenten, un," he said.

A faint smirk appeared across her lips, enchanting eyes ignoring the offered hand, ignoring the fact that there stood a naked man in front of her with the body of a young soldier (though it was still very much in her field of vision). She had seen a good number of men unclothed and exposed in her lifetime, but his was one of the few that she could and did find some pleasure in seeing. "I've lived all my life in the water, Captain Deidara. You've no need to worry about me."

Tenten stood on her own without any aid, giving the blonde captain a charming smile in return as she did. And in one smooth motion, she unwrapped the towel that covered her body and tossed it playfully over the young man's face as she walked towards the door, quietly sliding it open while he was left fumbling through the folds. "My skin has received harsher treatments than a simple case of over exposure to water and I've managed well enough in keeping it...healthy." Jiao and Shu were already waiting for her with a clean robe to wrap around the young woman's slim form.

Looping one end of the belt over the other and pulling on both to secure the flaps, the young mistress turned and waited for his full attention before continuing, eyes twinkling in amusement at the expression on his face. "Now if you will please, follow me."

He followed her out, catching the towel to move it out of the way so he could at least get a bit of an eyeful before the woman wrapped her in a towel. When she was wrapped, they came for one with him, though he could have gone without. He gave them a grin, which they hide their own behind their hands as he tied the robe. "Where are we off to now?" he asked, with mock childish curiosity, following after her like a good puppy.

His feigned enthusiasm was amusing at best, causing a genuine smile to slip across her lips for the briefest of moments before she willed it away with a light cough. "As I stated, the services of the onsen have been extended for your use in apology for my poor performance as your honoured host." Stopping in front of another door, Tenten turned and gave a small bow of her head and a elegant sweep of her free arm as she slid open paper screen. "And what experience is complete without a relaxing massage to release a little bit of tension on your muscles, Captain?"

She said nothing more, letting him roll the concept about in his mind a bit further while she ushered him inside. "Feel free to get comfortable, I will be right with you." And with that, she slid the door closed, encasing him into the room with his own thoughts until she had fitted herself with the proper attire to continue.

"....." This was unheard of to Deidara. Taking a bath with a girl then getting massaged by one... There had to be a catch. She was up to something. Grumbling to himself under his breath, he laid down on the pad provided, crossing his leg over his knee, uncaring to the fact that he was only wearing a robe and stared at the ceiling. What could Tenten possibly learn from him? Was she interested in the map? If she was, that wasn't good. He couldn't let his guard down at all. Damn, this was horrible. He flopped over onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. A night out with a girl - a female captain at that - and he wasn't about to relax at all.

Tenten's shadow played across the paper-thin screens of the onsen while she walked quietly down the halls, her feet bare and hardly making a sound against the wooden flooring. She was dressed from heat to toe in an elegant shift robe, lighter and thinner than her usual garments to give better movement while attending to her guest. Her hair had been brushed to smooth out the strains and tied back up so that it would be out of the way while she worked, decorated by a steel hair ornament to add just an extra touch of beauty and grace to the picture she created.

Calm and collected, she held the basket of rubbing oils in one hand and turned the corner to find Shu and Jiao hovering just outside of the room she had left the blonde captain in, whispering and snickering between themselves as they stole a peek (or three) of the young man. Unsure what to make of the scene (whether she should be angered for their foolishness or chuckle at their display of childish curiousity), Tenten settled on simply clearing her throat loud enough for them to hear. The two women instantly paused in their playfulness and stepped back with their heads bowed to regard her. "Honestly, the both of you are like this every time I bring someone here."

"Oh mistress, why must you get all the handsome clients?" Jiao protested in a quiet whisper of excitement, "May we tend to him instead?" She was the younger of the two, only having been working at the onsen for three months. Shu, who had worked there for a total of two years knew that statement to be false and kept her mouth shut.

An even sigh passed her lips as Tenten walked by them to open the door, not in the mood to negotiate anything and so came to a quick compromise. "...If he is interested, you may have him when I am done." And with that final statement, she stepped inside and wordlessly closed the door.

Glancing up as the door opened, he smiled at her and sat up, knowing he should bow when a lady walked in, but he was sure he had to stay on the mattress for this endevor. "You look very exotic, Miss Tenten, un." he informed her, examining her from head to foot. He definately wasn't going to let her get through the night without getting at least some action. Just until he found out what it was she wanted to know for real.

Sighing at the how amusingly overtaken the two young women could be about a handsome man, the piratess shook her head with a soft chuckle before turning to give all attention to Deidara. Tenten returned the smile he gave (though perhaps hers was a hint more devious with intent) and added a small bow of her head as she approached the table, gesturing for him to lay down again. The bottom of the robe trailed and flapped behind her as she walked, carried by the breeze of her movements. "I suppose everything would seem exotic to you, Captain Deidara, being a foreigner in this land. But I assure you, this is standard. After all, we want our guests comfortable."

Stepping around to place the basket of oils nearby, she trailed her fingers over the skin of his arm, further easing him to lay down on the table. "...Are you comfortable?"

"Mmm.... yes, very comfortable, un," he murmured, obeying her by laying down. Reaching up, he slid his fingers feather light over her cheek to her neck and pulled her down as though he would kiss her, but paused inches from her face. "Want guests to be comfortable? Or unguarded?" he questioned. She was a pirate, she'd understand his question and suspicion he was sure. If not... well, then she was a woman indeed. "I'd be more comfortable to know where the map is, Miss. Tenten. And if you'd make me do something to get back what is mine."

"If people are careless enough to let their defenses fall, even to the charms of a woman, then it is no fault of mine that they chose to do so, Captain Deidara." Brown eyes looked deep into shining blue as the young woman read his underlying message loud and clear, though the smile remained. It was not as bright and false as before, watered down to a fainter but genuine rendition that told of her ability to adapt to any situation coolly and without falter. Thin fingers trailed along the skin of his arm, thumb brushing over the bone of his wrist and knuckles before curling around his fingers. And just as easily, because his hold was not that strong or fierce, Tenten freed herself from his grasp, gently easing the arm down to rest on the massage table. "You will get your map in due time."

Stepping back, she gestured for him to turn over on his stomach so that she could begin the massage, that is, if he still wished for one. All the while, the young Pirate Lord of the East reached into the basket for a bottle of rubbing oil. "It's written plain in black and white. The map rightfully belongs to you. I've no reason to keep it." A thin brow quirked up curiously, in plain view of his searching eyes. "Do you not trust me as Shirou's daughter to give it back to you?"

"Trust a pirate?" Deidara nearly barked out a laugh as he flopped onto his stomach, stretching his back out to let it crack before settling down. He could get the map if he had too, no matter what she did. The way she worded her question made her youth in the pirate world, despite being a lord more apparent then she usually let on. She looked genuinely confused and it amused him.

"You trusted my father enough to place it in his care for all these years." Opening the bottle and with careful fingers, she poured out a bit of oil over his strong arms, watching as muscles stretched and shifted with his movements. Perhaps Jiao and Shu had good reason to spy on their guest, Tenten could not very well blame them and could only smirk at the idea as her palms glided across Deidara's skin, kneading the tightness out of his stressed limbs, slowly working her way towards the shoulders, and ultimately his back. "Why not me as well? Have I given you reason not to?"

"Hmmm... I never said I ever trusted Shirou, un," Deidara reminded her, closing his eyes as he felt her fingers glide over his skin. He hadn't had a massage in a long time... since he was last here in Singapore actually. The western countries hadn't quite adapted the practice yet. Shirou... no, he'd never trusted Shirou, but there was some loyalty to the code that pirates had to keep too. Singapore also had their own codes and morals they kept to, pirate or not. He did not trust Shirou, he trusted the morals people in the orient seemed to cling too.

"Hn. Fair enough. But something must have compelled you to place the map in his keeping." Pausing a moment to push back the edges of her sleeves, Tenten leaned in further to carefully feel out the tightness of his back with the pads of her fingers, almost hovering over him while she worked. Every so often she would stop again and again to pour out a bit more of the oil over the pale surface of his skin, letting the light scent fill the room and soak through in a dull heat to further soothe the blonde's muscles. Her mood had changed slightly, perhaps not noticeably at first, but there was a distinct difference while the young woman took into consideration Deidara's suspicion. With the palm of her hand, the piratess pressed down gently and eased her hand along the center of his spine, starting there and working her way outwards. "I suppose it makes no difference you reasons. You will get your map soon enough. What you'll do with it is another matter."

"Why would any pirate leave a possession anywhere, un?" he asked twirling his finger around a lock of hair. Her hands felt so relaxing he could just die in a puddle right there. "Shirou was a pirate, but those in Singapore have their own honor codes they honor. I didn't trust him, but the code. I've seen and heard of his followings of that code, un. At the time it was either to entrust the map to him or to allow the Navy to get their hands on it." Sitting up, he leaned over towards her, no shame at all for his uncovered body and pressed his forehead against hers. "And would you really trust the map to the other side with them, un?"

Brows knitted together just slightly in understanding while she regarded the young man's words, all the while continuing with her light massage, only a thin layer of oil separating the young woman's palm from the faint scars of his skin while it moved and rubbed over the tense muscles in the man's back. What Deidara stated was true, of course. There was an honor code wholly separate than that of piracy Shirou had followed for a majority of his life (though sometimes it was simply easier to take the pirate's way out on matters). Born in the cradle of the Orient Nations, it had been a moral lesson taught to every single child and had stayed with him even through his darker years in this most deadly of professions. That alone had been enough to gain the man some level of respect and...dare she say trust. Whether or not it directly or indirectly applied to her father's own character mattered little in the grand scheme of the idea, as the blonde captain was making apparent from voicing his own opinions. But even as Tenten's fingers slid away from his body to give him free reign to move as he pleased, she could not help but wonder why place trust in another at all?

"Those who possess a common enemy can call themselves allies when it is convenient." The corner of her mouth curved up a fraction in the beginnings of a smirk, never once shying away from the young man's advances, if indeed that was what they were. She would play his game, just as he was playing hers, and then they would see who would end up the victor. "You have been to these waters before, Captain. What you say of my father's character and the code he chose to follow is true for most in this region of the world." Keeping her forehead pressed against his a moment longer, she let her gaze trail up the slope of his stomach and chest, finally meeting the deep blue hues of his eyes and the challenging gleam that seemed to give them their cunning glow. "So, my question stands, why him and no one else? As a Pirate Lord, I would think he would prove the most untrustworthy among legions of miscreants who see it fit to call themselves pirates, honor code or not."

Another blink and she was pulling herself back just a fraction, still regarding him in her usual manner while the slender digits of her fingers reached to rub over the chords of his arms. If he was trying to make her fluster with their close proximity and the nakedness of his form, he was failing miserably. Though it was still just as bit entertaining to see him try. "Personally, I would not trust the map to anyone and would sooner lose it to the crashing waves of the oceans and the sands of time than allow anyone else to have it, such is the influence of its legend." And with that, Tenten paused for just a moment, a twitch of movement while her head tilted, giving her an air of indifference that he was free to believe or disregard. "But that is merely my choice and thought on the matter."

"The sea doesn't always give back what you've lost," Deidara told her. "Everything else does."

He laid back down on the bedding letting her fingers work over his skin. He was suspicious of her, having such a thing in her possession with out wanting to use it. The map was known for the course to and from the Locker, but few knew that it also contained keys to other legends. Other greed's of men. The Fountain of Youth, the Hand of Midas, and many others. Who knew if they were true or not, but the adventure was what was the important part. He was a pirate lord of the Mediterranean, but he was rarely there. He was a lord, but not over anyone except his crew when he had one. He didn't stay in his territory, but roamed the earth looking for his own adventures. This was just another he'd put off until the time was right. "Do you consider yourself free of such influence's?" he questioned her statement that could be taken as underlying arrogance.

"If you would seek to place such an item in the care of a person you don't even trust, you might as well throw it to the waves and let the gods decide if you should get it back," Tenten retorted smoothly in a calm tone that was both teasing and amused. And yet her light comment held a deeper weight to it still that underlined how seriously the piratess believed her words, an interesting quality that not many could portray in the razor-sharp edge that came with a pirate's life. Such was the experience the young woman held with the art of speaking with charm and grace, though not much of a surprise when taken into consideration her early days spent behind the walls of the onsen when she was not out on an adventure with her father. "You'd be taking the same risk either way."

It was both a learned gift and a terrible curse of women to be able to bend the wills of men with a mere word, honey sweet with what was expected of them while laced with a deadly chill of hidden truth. And as if to tauntingly flaunt such talents, the young Pirate Lord let a silky smile spread across her plump and full lips, only adding as an afterthought, "And at least with one, there's no chance of being stabbed in the back."

Lightly with a careful touch only a women could possess, Tenten ran her short nails down along Deidara's spine to emphasize her point, moving from the base of the neck to the small of his back. Pirate Lord or not, already suspicious of her intentions, he was still in a vulnerable position. With their close proximity, they both were. But she was determined to have the upperhand if only for a moment. "There is something to be said about the nature of humans. No one is free of its influence, whether they be strong-willed, curious, or merely greedy to the very marrows of their bones." She shifted her eyes along the muscles of his skin to watch for a reaction, expecting little to none but still closely observant all the same. "We both know where the map leads. And to possess the means of finding such a place is something a great many would kill and betray for, honor code or not."

"Yet you've kept it in your hands without doing anything," Deidara said, shrugging. "I care not on chances. I like absolutes, un. And this one... there is no chance of being stabbed in the back, un." He grinned a little out of her sight before letting it slip as he turned back. He leaned up, sitting before her with his legs crossed a look of pure arrogance on his face. "You could not stab me in the back even if you tried. A stab in the back will not kill me and it would be worse for you if you did, un. You may be a woman with only a few years experience but you're no fool. And I may be a man, but I am not one of your own. You don't frighten me, you don't intimidate me, you think you can hide your secrets from me.... but I see."

"Your father was taken into the locker," he reminded her, laying casually onto his back. "I'll be sure to tell him how you're fairing when I see him, un."

"Tch, that is because I've no wish for a young death, though it is more than likely to happen sooner or later in this profession." Coating her fingers in another scent of oils, she continued with the massage with some strained control, pretending as if he had not completely disclosed all her plans by calling her out. In fact, her tone seemed that of a friend speaking with another after a well placed jest to her pride, though still there was some bitterness in it concerning the subject matter. On all matters concerning this, Tenten held a practical mind-set despite all that she had hoped to find out in the end, despite a small glimmer of disappointment at thinking that perhaps she could have fooled him. There had been a small chance from the beginning of him falling for her charms, so there should have been no remorse...only there was, and she silently cursed herself for allowing hope to breed, cursed him for dashing them away. Perhaps that had been his aim all along. "However, the want to seek out the gateway to Davy Jones' Locker and the knowledge that my crew is not ready for such a deadly endeavour are two different matters entirely. You may not care what happens to your crew when you've use of one, but I, on the other hand, have no such luxury."

Whether he would believe it or not, Tenten took her role as captain seriously, proving such when she carefully applied the specially crafted oils to Deidara's skin with a level of satisfaction, knowing that the secret effects were already working its way through the skin and into the young man's body. Soon it would cast a drowsy and sluggishness spell through his limbs, lulling the young man into a deep slumber. "As their captain, it is placed on me to ensure their survival, a code of ethics that once saved your life if my father told the story truthfully, though he never did use your name."

She had learned little from their encounter, but still it was enough. The lure of treasure and perhaps something much more was what drew the young man to the gates of the Locker, more than enough reason to seek her out for the past two years in order to get the map back. "I am not here to frighten or intimidate you. I've no need of such conventions, even if I were a man and could incite such a tactic to my advantage." And indeed he would get it back, as she had promised once confirming Deidara's agreement with her father. But what feigned truce they held was laced with mistrust and suspicion as were all deals concerning pirates. And so Tenten was forced to take precautions in her own manner. "As it is, I am a woman, seen as little more than a pretty doll for men's eyes. And I'll use that to my advantage." At this, she could only smirk knowingly, a reaction of sorts to his digging remark towards her father's place in Davy Jones' Locker. "What point is there to stab you in the back when there are other means in my possession?"

Deidara listened to her, taking in what she was saying. After a few minutes of thinking in silence, he pushed himself up to stand, gathering his robe and slid it on. He didn't care if she wasn't finished or not, or that his body was very oily. The robe would gather that up. "You, Miss. Tenten," he said, leaning down to give her a kiss atop her head, "are a coward, un." He stood upright, facing the door. He could feel what she'd done to his body and he'd allowed. Fool, he muttered in his head. Though not as much as she. He walked to the door, trying to keep control over his muscles, but it was hard. Impossible really. Gripping the door post, he leaned against it, eyes closing.

"Pathetic, un," he muttered, glancing back at her. "I don't know what you think you'll obtain with this, but you'd be better off stabbing me in the back....Feigling." He spat at her in his own foreign tongue, slipping to the ground.

Alarm had been her initial reaction, which soon subsided to the passive demeanor the moment she took note of his sluggish movements, though he covered it well. Even with the amount of herbal drug she had used on him, the piratess could not help but be impressed with his drive and resolve. He's a determined one, I'll give him that.

Still, Tenten made no attempts to stop him when Deidara pushed past her on his struggles to reach the door, only stepping aside to give him free reign to do as he pleased. All of the young man's weapons had been taken away when Jiao and Shu had prepared him for the onsen. And the natural muscle relaxer Tenten had put in the rubbing oil she had used was already quickly coming into effect. Soon it would overwhelm all of the nerves in his body, rendering the blonde unconscious. He would not be able to get far. Perhaps he realized that, finding it enough reason for him to spew out insult after insult regarding her acts of conduct. And the Pirate Lord of the East felt inclined to listen, if only to give her reason to believe her decision had been justified, though each word he spat out was was slowly chipping away at her own pride.

...And then Tenten could hold on to her patience no longer.

A few short steps across the room had her kneeling down beside the Captain from the West, whispering softly to him, yet with so much scorn. "Call me what you will in whatever tongue you wish to entertain, but I'll make it clear to you: I will not be underestimated, Captain Deidara. True, I am still a child and perhaps my concern for my crew makes me a coward. It is not the first time someone has accused me of that and it certainly will not be the last. But at the very least, I am not the one struggling to gain control of my own body."

"No, but wouldn't it give you the edge on the conversation, un?" he questioned, relaxing against the wall, no longer fighting against his relaxed muscles. "Unless of course someone was sure of themselves enough not to care." He looked up at her, his blue eyes wide with fake innocence. "I'm not called a Demolition artist for nothing Miss. Tenten. I learned in China, I'm sure you're familiar with the use of colored gunpowder. But do you know it's properties? It's ability for timed releases? Your ship could be in danger... your precious crew... one false move to set the trigger off and they die, un."

He laughed loudly, letting his head rest against the door post as he looked up at her. So so innocent that he wouldn't have his own escape route.

"You think I would spend all this time searching through my father's log books and not utilize the delay to find out more about you as well? How stupid do you think I am?" Jaw set tight and her gazed fixed on the long strands of Deidara's hair, she easily glided her fingers into the long locks, taking a strong and firm grip. With a tug, she brought his head back just far enough for her to whisper into his ear in a low and malicious tone. "I did not spend these two years as Pirate Lord playing childish games."

Tenten was in a state of anger, alarm, and amusement, each one blending into the next as they flitted by like a fast moving river. It had been one matter in tossing about insults towards her own abilities, but it was another when threatening the lives of her very crew, most of which were still young and had full lives ahead of them. A number of them were from the very crew who had served under her father, closer than family and more trusted than other in the world of the living. The thought of losing them after a lifetime of loss would be the last push to send her careening over the edge of helplessness and life. "China is under my rule and her...charms are well known to me. My men have faced worse threats and I already had my suspicions of you, which is why I had the crew search the ship as soon as we left for the onsen. However, you are renown for your resourcefulness and tact which is why I took my precautions."

With a rough shove, the Pirate Lord of the East flung his limp body away to let it land where it would while she made to stand, stepping around him into the hall that stood just outside of the sliding doors. "It's only a matter of time before you fall completely unconscious. Destroy my ship and crew, and I'll make sure you never wake up again." Again she knelt down beside him, careful to brush aside the hair from his eyes so that she could look into their crystal blue hues one last time before they would close in sleep. "I promised you the map, and by the honor code that you have placed all your trust in, I will hold true to it. But I said nothing about keeping you alive."

Deidara lay on the ground, half listening, half plotting. "Have you checked the map it's self?" he questioned softly, maybe too softly for her ear, resting his head on the floor. He had no intentions of destroying such a pretty ship, but her crew? Tenten herself? He had no problem with that. He listened to her walking out, her soft footfalls sounding like a giant's step in his ears. In and out he blacked until he finally drifted away into unconsciousness, a smile on his face for the factor's she hadn't thought of or worked in. She had researched on him, but apparently only his methods. Or perhaps she just failed to noticed the little side note that mentioned how much he hated to loose and how he'd do just to not loose. Tenten had kept the map hidden, but as much as she loved her crew, they needed discipline. The map was safe. Safe from her at least.

"You're a stubborn one indeed, Captain, albeit an interesting challenge," she whispered softly, sparkling brown eyes clouding over at a distant memory from deep within her shadowed past, "Then again, I suppose all men are that way."

He was already slipping in and out of consciousness when the young Pirate Lord stood from her crouched position and made to leave, light footsteps padding down the wooden halls to where her ladies waited patiently for their mistress. Jiao and Shu eyed the foreign captain, both with a tragic expression on their faces as they mourned the wasted beauty, their chance to have their fill of him long past. Surely, they would not have a chance to play with him now. But still they waited for their orders in silence like they always had, well accustomed to dealing with the discarded aftermath of the woman's dealings. But Tenten's thoughts were elsewhere and she had no words for them as she stepped silently past, recalling another equally stubborn man with the same beautiful eyes - No, not the same, a similar shade but not the same. Never the same.

"Mistress?" Jiao called gently in her girlish tone. Or was it Shu? It was hard to tell for sure with her mind so muddled with other matters long forgotten, or so she had thought. Closing her eyes to them, Tenten turned to regard the two and waited for them to continue their curious inquiry. The look that passed between the two at her change in behavior did not go unnoticed, but the piratess was willing to let it pass if it meant a faster exit for her. "What shall we do with this one?"

With a mask of indifference devoid of emotion, Tenten cast one last glance towards Deidara's now lifeless body before turning on the heels of her feet. As she slipped down the corridor towards another part of the onsen, she muttered only one final order for them to follow. "Dump him in a skiff with the map and a month's worth of food and water...and then send him on his way. That should be more than sufficient enough to hold him until he finds land again."