#*butler voice* ahem... cringe sir

[cry-ptidd]

something something andercard wallpaper collage

[voidfirenate]

Journey pt.2

(WARNING: this shits long.)

Cosico never made trips like this. He'd normally have a deckhand or earn boy deliver messages and things because he was too busy. .  But also because he hated giving bad news. It'd been two weeks since his ship, The Lerona, went down in a pirate attack. Damn heathens somehow got their hands on a submarine and hade been raising hell ever since. In that attack he'd lost several good men and several more passengers. Including the one for whom he held his belongings. At least what he could find. If he hadn't been a close friend to Zhai he wouldn't be here but with that one connection he felt he'd better give more. Following the path down the Gobbler, the large roe came upon the Orders home. Brow pinched as he steels himself.

Jarvis would be the one to answer, keeping himself in the doorway to prevent any wayward robberies. "Good day, sir. How may I be of assistance here at the Order?" Cosico cleared his throat before seeming rather stone faced when the butler answered the door. "Evenin. My name is Captian Cosico Veriliano. I'm with the ship. . . I was with the ship Lerona. We had some trouble at sea and unfortunately the boat was sank. Some made it to safety while others were not so lucky.  One. . . One of the unfortunate passengers was a member of this establishment. A Nathaniel Castor. I've come to give his belongings to the Order. It's not much but it is all we could recover." The roe extended his hands to show a leather satchel with Nate's initials burned into it as well as a water damaged journal.

"Oh dear", the elder said. "In a manner of speaking, I'm not surprised master Castor fell to some bad luck. If you permit, I would like I fetch the Lord of the hall. He oversees sir Castor. I'm sure he would wish to speak to you." The man hid his cringe well under his mask, only inclining his head. "Of course. Mind if I come in?" He asked, preferring to wait inside rather than out in the desert heat. It was particularly over bearing or perhaps it was just him as the man was more custom to the breezes of the sea with the occasional heat.

"Indeed. Please make yourself comfortable. The Lord is in his workshop at the present", Jarvis answered inviting him inside. The Butler would then bow and see himself to the workshop in the back.

While the man waited in the foyer, Jarvis pushed the door open to an Oni working on hammering out some plate sheets. "Master De Phor. I have some unfortunate news." The hyur turned his head up, hair tied back by a bandana. He would blink with worry stabbing him in the chest.

Soon enough, the white haired man, dressed in smithing protection, pushed past Jarvis, "What do you mean sank?" The captain had just sat himself down. The shelter of the house gave him a reprieve as he pulled a hankie from his pocket to wipe the back of his neck. However when Oni entered the room, Cosico was back on his feet in an instant. For a moment he was queit, processing his words before clearing his throat. "Sank as in its at the bottom of the ocean. We were attacked by pirates while on our way to Othard. " He explained before extending the satchel and journal to him. "We combed the area after the attack for survivors but none have been seen in two weeks. A couple of coasts have discovered the drowned but mister Castor was not among them to my knowledge. I'm sorry."

"Th-", he stopped. "That can't be right. How long have you been looking? Nate Is the most stubborn one we have here. Even with one arm he can power himself across the ocean! I'm part of the Limsan navy! I have ships. I can help!" He seemed to be losing himself to his emotions. "Please. Anywhere but those waters", he nearly whimpered. The man hard seen this a hundred times so he wasn't surprised nor was he pleased. "He started the search about two days after the attack. Ships have been on high alert over it since this was the first severe attack.  . .  I hate to say it but had he survived he'd have come back to you or he would have starved at sea. You're welcome to search but realistically. . . I believe it would be a waste of resources." He said with a mornful voice.

"Waste of resources? You talk like Nate is some common guy! He could be stranded somewhere right now", Oni quickly reasoned amid the denial. "If he gave up on me like that, I'd be at the bottom of the ocean still, too!"

But Nate didn't have an oxygen respirator.

Oni seemed to sober up in that moment. He swallowed hard. The man reach forward to pat his shoulder, "I know it's hard to process. Should his body turn up I'll have it delivered here for a burial, unless you know of any other family." He said with a awkward soothing tone that suggested he was not used to this. Oni seemed to slack under the man's hand somewhat. "No I, I only know of a father and brother." Part of him wondered if he drowned because his other arm was lost. Part of him wondered a lot. All at once. "Thank you. Sorry", he whispered looking down to what the man had carried in.  He didn't believe it, but he couldn't blame the man for it.

The satchel was a bit worn, but seemed to hold up well to the salt water damage. A relic of Nate's first starlight with the Order, meanwhile the journal was warpped with the more recent writings unlegible. Other than that Nate's chicken scratch rested on the wrinkled paper, "It was the least I could do. I was there on deck with him when I. . . When he fell over board. We did what we could in the moment but I still can't get over failing him. " He said with his gaze falling to the floor before he shook his head and returned to the stone faced Captian. "Ahem. Anyway, I'll trust you to pass along the news."

The white-haired man had such a sadness in his eyes that the icy blue seemed slightly more sky at the moment. It was the sense of determination in his gaze however because a piece of him wanted to go out on a ship all on his own to try and find where his friend maybe. A piece of him believed that even with one arm Nathaniel could have swam anywhere. He could have hunted any fish with his fire. He could have picked up any stick and made it into a spear worthy of fighting. He knew the man was resourceful. He knew the man could not breathe underwater.

Oni looked up finally after taking the effects and bowed slightly. "I will take care of everything. Thank you. He was a good man. I only hope that his Spirit still clings to his body out there somewhere. I have hope", he said as a final affirmation of his denial. The Roe nodded his head as he stood there for a moment for a moment before patting the mans shoulder one less time. He offered him a smile, "I did not know him long but he did seem to be a fine young man. " he saw himself to the door, glancing over his shoulder a moment before moving to open it. Breathing a soft sigh the man moved out of the house, heading back toward the aetheriyte to begin his trip to sea once more.

( @onidephor for mentions and rping this little bit with me.)