Using The Soap

Aria's hands flew over the claw hook controls. The mechanical arm whirred, snatching debris from the waves with brutal efficiency. 

Luca watched the resource counters tick up:

[Wood: 62/1000]

[Cloth: 35/600]

[Steel: 43/200]

"Four hours. That's all I could get," Aria snapped, slamming the joystick. The claw hauled up a waterlogged crate, splintering it into [Wood x2]. 

Luca rubbed his aching eyes. His Sanity had inched up to 40/100 after sleeping, but dark circles hung under his eyes. 

Aria's wasn't much better—45/100, her movements sharp but twitchy. The system's countdown loomed:

[62:14:03 Until Global Check]

Lucas watched Aria flinch as the claw hook scraped up another bundle of seaweed. Her shoulders trembled, sweat dripping down her neck. She's breaking, he thought. We both are. The system's warning about sanity loss wasn't a joke—every nightmare, every jump scare from a fish monster chipped away at their minds.

He glanced at their inventory. The pink vial of [Perfumed Soap x1] glowed mockingly.

"We need to use it," Luca blurted.

Aria's head snapped toward him. "Use what?"

"The soap. The one that restores sanity. If we're both hovering near 40, we're one bad night away from losing it."

"And how exactly do we use it? Rub it on our foreheads? Eat it?"

"The description says apply," Luca said, reading the system prompt. "Probably means washing up. Sanity boosts usually come from self-care actions. Sleeping, eating, cleaning…"

Aria's nose wrinkled. "In case you haven't noticed, we're surrounded by disgusting black ocean water."

Luca pulled two canteens from their supplies. "We've got 2 canteens of Fresh Water left. We can spare some. You take half a canteen, I'll take the other."

She glared at the soap. "So your genius plan is for us to… take a sponge bath? Together?"

He stiffened, his ears turning red. "No! I mean, not together together. Maybe just some backrubs for each other… increased affection will generate more canteens for our next batch."

Aria stiffened. "No."

She didn't need the floating numbers to tell her she was fraying—her hands hadn't stopped shaking since the merman attack. But the idea of using some sketchy magical soap?

"Aria—"

"I said no." Her fingers tightened on the joystick. "I'm not stripping for some cheap soap scene."

Aria's eyes narrowed. The corset dug into her ribs, the stupid navigator outfit leaving her far too exposed. The tank top she'd worn earlier was crusted with salt and fish guts, so she'd reluctantly kept the cursed sea foam corset on. Without a bra, every movement made her hyper aware of the lace brushing her skin.

"Aria. We don't really have much of a choice. Working this much with sanity this low is practically suicide."

"Fine. But I scrub myself. You stay on your side of the deck."

"That would work. But we are not taking full advantage of our ship's system. This is a great way for us to build affection, which means more canteens of water generated, which means more valuable resources we can trade for, which means a better chance of survival for us."

Aria crossed her arms. "So scrubbing my armpits with magic soap will magically fix everything?"

"In a way… Yes. At least, this is how our system works." 

Luca tossed the soap in the air, catching it one-handed. "You've carried us this far. You fought off that merman. You upgraded the ship even when it meant…" He gestured vaguely at her corset.

"Don't." Her cheeks flushed.

"[Affection +1 (Current: 46/100)]"

Luca pressed on. "You made the hard calls. Now I'm asking you to trust me. Not because I'm some lewd person that covets your body, but because math. We use the soap now, boost our stats, and grind faster. Or we keep limping along until the Mist eats us."

[Ironheart Charisma Activated]

[Experience: 10/10]

[Ironheart Charisma Level Up!]

[Level D → C]

[Effect: Charisma +3 (Total: 11)]

[New Ability Unlocked: "Silver Tongue" – Slightly higher chance to persuade others.]

Aria stared at the soap, her jaw working. The wind tugged at her short skirt, and Luca deliberately locked his eyes on her face.

After a lifetime of silence, she snatched the soap. 

"Fine. "

Aria gripped the perfumed soap like it might bite. The pink bar glowed faintly, smelling of roses and saltwater. Luca stood five feet away, holding a half-filled canteen. The deck felt suddenly smaller.

"You first," she snapped.

Luca nodded, turning his back. "I'll face the mast. Just… call if you need help."

"I won't."

Aria waited until she heard the creak of the mast before peeling off her boots. The sea breeze prickled her bare thighs. Her fingers fumbled with the corset's laces—stupid system outfit. The fabric loosened, sliding down her torso. She kept her tank top on, though it reeked of sweat and seaweed.

The soap fizzed as she dipped it into the canteen's water.

[System Notice: Perfumed Soap Activated!]

[Effect: Restores 15 Sanity per use (split between users).]

Aria scrubbed her arms first. The soap suds shimmered pink, dissolving grime and leaving her skin tingling.

[Aria's Sanity +8 (45 → 53/100)]

"Your turn," she said, tossing the soap at Luca's back.

He caught it, turning slightly. "Keep the water. I'll use mine."

"Whatever."

Aria watched from the corner of her eye as Luca peeled off his band shirt. His back was lean, muscles shifting as he poured water over his shoulders. The soap slid down his spine, suds pooling at the waistband of his cargo pants.

[Luca's Sanity +7 (40 → 47/100)]

"Not enough," he muttered. "We need to maximize the effect."

Aria froze. "Meaning?"

Luca rubbed his neck. "The system split the Sanity boost. If we… help each other wash, maybe it'll stack."

"No."

"Hear me out. The soap's description says 'apply to hard-to-reach areas'. If we scrub each other's backs, it might count as teamwork. More Affection, better bonuses."

Aria's cheeks burned. "That's the dumbest—"

[System Notice: Affection-Based Bonuses Unlocked!]

[Shared Hygiene Activity Detected!]

[Potential Sanity Gain: +20 each!]

She glared at the floating text. "Fine. But only the back."