Kiss it Better

Tao clicked his tongue as he leaned his back into the railings of the upper deck, star gazing in the stillness of the night. Most of the crew had stayed behind on the ship, feeling guarded enough to not mingle in the city. 

Tao was curious about the palace, but then again, meeting new people and staying in a heavily guarded place always rubbed him the wrong way. He loved freedom and outdoors – even if it meant being homeless and hungry.

A bath would do him good though. He gave his armpit a sniff and shrugged. Eh, it could be worse. The air was freezing, carried inland from the sea with the wind, but Tao liked it. 

His skin was thick enough to endure most cruelling weather. Having lived outdoors most of his childhood, this was quite comfortable. Not to mention he could easily manoeuvre the wind to curve away from him.