It was a sigh silent in its audible noise, but loud enough in Dolphus’ mind to wake the dead. Dodged THAT blade a bit too close, I’d think. Heh. Sometimes I feel like half my thoughts are the Swordmaster’s.
He took extra care to watch his path this time.
Dolphus blinked for a moment and thought about potentially wiping his eyes to make sure he wasn’t befuddled still.
He sleeps in coral? Well, I… Hold on, Dolphus. He slightly bit his lip as Mariner started working on the concoction. You made a faulty assessment or five about him already; let’s not start anything else just because he, um…
Okay, I hope he at least understands this is weird as all get-out.
Dolphus nodded along instinctively despite Mariner not looking at him. He was barely standing past the doorway, and had half a mind to back right out of it. But I can’t do that. This is my only chance to not permanently destroy the moment he shared on deck.
He trusted me then; I can’t go demonstrating to him how worthless of an endeavor it was. The cane was gripped tighter again. I’m not like father.
“Oh! Er, thank you,” Karl said, swaying unsteadily. He hadn’t quite retrieved his balance from the disorienting trip. What were those things, he thought, remembering the creatures.
“I– I guess I should speak to the captain about signing on with this ship.”
Karl walked away from the ghosts, heading for the door of the cabin. As he walked, he realized that he was stumbling slightly with each step, an average reaction to going from stable land to a ship at sea in an instant. Still, not exactly what one wants if you’re a mercenary with a job to do, he thought. He reached the door, and headed for the hallway leading towards the deck. He heard someone talking nearby. Finally, a sign of life. Maybe they can inform me of the Captain’s whereabouts?
“Oh yes, the feeling of unceasing forward movement. Wreched memories of wreched times left behind to drown in the under the crashing waves of the great blue. It invigorates me.”
Excellent response Rooky ol’ boy! Aye, but I couldn’t have done it without you, Rook!
For the next moment, Rook was captivated by the comically pathetic scene playing out before him, that was Dolphus attempting to take a single step, immediatley crumpling to the floor in agony, and then promptly being taken away for medical aid.
He turns to Alexis again, silently, but meeting her eye, and gives her a look that is all too telling. If we aren’t due for a miracle, we’re due for a watery grave. With that, he heads down the stairs to the lower deck to get breakfast, dissolving into the darkness below.k ,
Dolphus’ internal dialogue had carried him into a land of ifs and buts where history had played out differently, going far beyond the concept of if he had not fallen like an idiot down the steps and given himself a concussion to if the explosion had never occurred and he still had a functioning arm.
Which reminds me, I really need to take some of that medicine with m-
Creaking of the floor.
A step, two steps. Three.
His head was still throbbing, and the voices of the stupid magic ghost crew made it hard to tell when something important was happening, but hours in the swordmaster’s halls had taught him to appreciate footsteps above everything else. And those ones were approaching.
But Mariner seemed so absorbed… Perhaps he wouldn’t be offended if Dolphus just took a slight peek to see who it was? It was probably just a ghost sailor, nobody important, so it probably wasn’t even worth looking, you don’t have to look, you’re wrong about the footsteps sounding different than normal, don’t look, it’s not that important-
…
Karl Benz would notice someone in one of the other cabins peek out to stare at him.
“Ah, hello. Would you be so kind as to tell where I can find the captain? I have some matters to discuss with him,” Karl says to the person. If only there were some others around, he thought. I need a bit more information before I can begin operations.
He began walking towards the doorway, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious as he remembered the metal attachments visible on his arms when his sleeves moved. Seeing as the person peering at him was of a younger age, he was afraid he might be too intimidating to remain unnoticed by any gossip among the crew.
A quick glance told Dolphus a good amount of information, but left even more questions than it answered.
He was short, although still at least a few inches taller than Dolphus. It was odd seeing someone that comparable to his own height but also so much older. Or was he? The stubble almost looked greyed, but it was likely the light playing tricks. Maybe.
He was also rather heavily dressed for someone so casual, with his choice of attire being very muted and compact, like he didn’t want to be noticed in a crowd. Or noticed much on board… There were too many shadows on this ship. Too little light got in. And what did seemed to reflect off his metal arms… Granted, not much of them showed, but it was enough to notice.
His eyes fluttered briefly back to the room he was mostly inside, and quietly grabbing the handle, he mostly closed the door to avoid disturb Mariner, which required him to step out into the hall, finally revealing himself to the newcomer.
Dolphus drifted the cane in front of his body and looked as down as he could on the man who was still taller than him. “When did you arrive?” His voice was dripping with a suspicious superiority, as if he was almost repulsed by someone of this stature suddenly deciding to speak with him. But the truth?
This man had appeared from out of nowhere, inexplicably, seemed perfectly casual, and had absolutely no idea what was going on with the state of things. If there was any comfort, it was not having to stare up at him in conversation which made Dolphus feel a little braver.
“I came aboard a few minutes ago,” Karl said casually. “The decks seem rather devoid of officers at the moment. Do you know someone I should talk to?”
He looked back at Dolphus’ stare, noticing the cane and the wariness of Dolphus’ manner. The contrast was violent, but what really caught his eyes was the limb hidden by Dolphus’ cloak. A withered arm? Possibly disease, or a deformity, he thought. Whatever the case, he’s got a reason to hide it. Best not to ask, I guess.
Seeing as no one was visible, other than some of the ghosts at the end of the ship, Karl leaned slightly against the wall, his demeanor and appearance becoming as casual as possible when one is being interviewed by a kid a good few years younger than oneself.
“…I see.” His glance grew ever so subtly sidelong. Has he been on this ship the whole time? And if so … How much has he witnessed? Or has he witnessed anything? A stowaway, perhaps? Or perhaps…
Karl’s eyes fluttered briefly, obviously eyeing his subject. Okay, he’s clearly more than he seems. But if he thinks he can hind behind that casual demeanor, he won’t be getting very fa-
…This is a clever one.
“You have much difficulty in arriving?” Dolphus asked, his manner loosening slightly. After all, if he wanted to play this game, why not let him play?
“Certainly,” Karl replied. “It’s tedious work catching up to a ship that’s left port, though I was given the last place the ships anchored. The weather was what helped me find your fleet from there. In its state, there were only three courses that the fleet would have taken. I got lucky and was picked up by a current. It saved me many hours of rowing.”
He’s good. Dolphus gave the slightest of nods accompanied with as respectful a blink as could be managed - although how a blink could be perceived as respectful outside of Dolphus’ mind was open to debate. But there is no fleet. It’s just the one ship.
“Listen-” Dolphus pressed his eyelids together - hard - as a fresh wave of pain came and went, his hand slightly lifting the cane as e suppressed the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He immediately returned to a state of cool superiority, as if the brief episode had never been. “I assume you have the necessary papers with you? It would be shame to have another Setroth situation.”
There’s no way this klutz or anyone else on this boa- SHIP paid any attention to what happened to Sickle Setroth. Dolphus blinked out a slow blink to emphasize how much of a bother this Setroth must have been.
“Well, for that matter, I shall have to see. It will depend on what the captain says regarding me signing on at this point in our trip. Hopefully there will be some use for someone skilled in manual labor,” Karl said. I hope he didn’t see some of my possessions, he thought. It won’t be good when- if they discover who I am.
He then asked, “Where is everyone? It seems unnaturally quiet here.”
You won’t have to worry about that. Dolphus nibbled his tongue to avoid the scowl his face wanted to make. If Mariner can’t find something for you to do, I’ll surely think of something.
A silent stare.
Followed by a casual tipping of the eyebrows and a slight hand movement, as if he had never paused. “Oh, you know how it is when everyone is involved on a vessel of such a size. Were it not for meetings and the vote, we may not see each other for days.”
“Oh, on that note.” Dolphus tried to snap his fingers, but simultaneously holding a cane did not help him very much. “I’m afraid the position of Captain has not been filled just yet. However there is a mutual understanding shared by those on board that our responsibilities will be fulfilled in the meantime, until an agreement is reached regarding the position.”
“I’m terribly sorry if this is an inconvenience for you.” The slightest of bows. I’m getting tired of trying to outdo him with pessimistic approaches, so let’s see how he handles a kernel of truth.
Mako,realizing there was nary a bird in the sky,
Decided to delve back down within the ship, and happenend to come across dolphus conversing with a stranger. In attemp to sneak by, or perhaps to eavesdrop, he slowly moved forward. While doing so, unaware to Mako, his bow was slowly coming loose, and with quite audible clatter, it fell to the ground. He froze, expecting Dolphus to yell at him for some rabid excuse. @Ghid@DuneToa
“Well, so long as I’m not thrown overboard, I’m sure whoever becomes captain will be a good leader. Now…”
He broke off midsentence, as he heard a clatter down the passageway, near the stairs. He turned around, half-expecting it to be someone come to see what the noise was. What he saw was a man wearing armor more patched and mottled than the best camouflage he’d ever encountered, and also wearing a mask and bandages that completely obscured his face. Beside the man, at the base of the stairs, lay a bow that was quite obviously the cause of the noise.
“Ah, hello,” Karl said. “Is there everything all right?”
The thought ran through his mind that perhaps that was not a good way to start if the guy had only recently acquired the need for the bandages.
Dolphus’ mouth twitched slightly at the thought of that. I doubt it’ll be the result of Alexis’ orders as captain, pal. Because she’s going to be captain. Not the other guy. Her. Get it?
At the sound, Dolphus slowly reeled his head around with the flattest glare humanly possible at Mako, a very slow blink following the motion. Is he magic? Because I hate him.
“This is…” Dolphus had to bite his tongue to keep himself from introducing Mako as some unfortunate name we won’t be repeating here. “…Mako. He’s the…”
“Um…”
What is it he doesn’t do that he’s supposed to again?
Mako froze. A part of him, somewhere in his mind, wanted to stand very still and hope that this stranger would go away. Another wanted
To demand how the stranger got on the ship.
However, a final part of him decided. He retrieved his bow, before meeting the strangers eyes with an icy stare, as if they were attempting to freeze him. His stance became relaxed, his body only slightly tense. He gripped his bow in one hand, the other slack.
Mako turned his gaze towards Dolphus, his eyes alight with churning fury, like a tidal wave, roiling beneath the sea. “Hunter. It would seem you haven’t forgotten your maps,or a captain’s position, and yet you’ve forgotten that. “ He said icily. “ And, who is this? I don’t believe any of us have seen this face, though i would assume you would’ve forgotten about that too.” He clenched his jaw. “Furthermore, you seem to have a premeditated problem with me. And I don’t believe in secret,or silent, grudges. Speak.” He demanded.
Dolphus turned to glance at Karl, then slowly at Mako once more, and, finally, back at Karl again. “You get used to it, I’m told.” He whispered, not particularly caring whether or not Mako had overheard.
“Well, since you appear to be hunting the… Floor,” He scratched at his nose, hoping his alluding to Mako fumbling the bow got across, “I shan’t keep you from your prey. Although I would appreciate if you didn’t butt into conversations like that; it’s bothersome.”
He turned away, to face Karl once more.
That’s all, Dolphus. It was respectful enough; just leave it at that.
…No stop what are you doing WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP-
“…Premeditated?” Dolphus looked back, his eyes squinting in confusion at the very concept. “I would assume you could remember any such grudge, if there was one worth having. Or maybe it’s just me being forgetful again; I think I remember most things, if there’s anything worth recalling.”
He turned back to Karl, his face cold. “I do apologize for this intrusion.”