Post by Celina Zabinski on Dec 5, 2021 15:58:41 GMT
Co-Written with the amazing Varga
An old sloop meets its last day being anchored off the main pier of the Old Port. The small ship is long past its due date, with nails and planks protruding from the places they shouldn’t be in. The rigging and sails hang limply, only periodically worried by a gust of seaward breeze. There are two figures on board. One of them is looking around studiously.
“So, you’re being paid to wreck a boat?” Glint asks incredulously, his ungloved fingers sliding down a massive oak mast.
"Yes, I am getting paid to destroy this thing. I am a nice person who does things like this all the time, Glint. Some person needs help destroying something, how could I refuse?" Celina says with a wink.
“Indeed.” The genasi chuckles with an effortless smile. “To be fair, this was one of the most unusual invitations I’ve ever got, and I am no less surprised to find myself here. But well… I guess I just needed to get some fresh air,” he says as his fingers start tapping a nervous tune against the railing. He finally stops, picks up his staff and grins at her. ”Anything for the good of the community.” He winks, knocking an empty crate overboard.
“Of course, good of the community...” she says trailing off. “It’s not like I have any other purpose being here”. She picks up another crate and throws it overboard. “Good Celina.” She goes over to a plank of wood at the stern and stomps down hard, smashing it further. “Yup… that’s…. me”. She draws her rapier and stabs through a block, catching the wizard’s surprised gaze on her. After a few moments, she takes a deep breath and turns back to Glint. “So… how are you, Glint? Any news?” She says, forcing herself to change the tune in a blink of an eye. “How are things with Root? Any progress there?” She adds with a grin.
Glint gives her a long hard look, and puts away his staff with a slight thoughtful frown, trying to decipher her mood. He averts his eyes, and when he looks back, there’s an unfamiliar warmth in his expression. He looks around to double-check that they’re alone.
“Progress… You bet! He… he said he wanted to be more than friends,” Glint says tenderly, as if afraid to believe in it himself. “I’m trying not to rush him, but I confess it takes all my self-restraint, and I must confess I don’t have much of it,” he chuckles guiltily.
“Well, if it’s anything like what I was picking up when I was with you two last… I think he wants it as much as you-”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that,” Glint interjects in a raspier voice. He takes a deep breath and, turning around, releases a cone of blue and orange flames from his joined palms. It’s intense, but only catches a couple of steering wheel segments on fire before going out. He turns back with an apologetic smile.
Celina cocks an eyebrow at the display. “Hey well, I was there in that room. The energy between you two… could have set that whole place on fire…”, she adds with a teasing grin. “Ha, good for you pal… and that restraint…” She trails off suddenly, staring at the genasi and mulling over his words. “Wait… so tell me… have you slept together yet? No? Glint… that... must be hard,” Celina says, barely holding back laughter. “Have you even kissed yet? Tell me you’ve kissed at least!”
As a way of reply, Glint blushes (which is a tremendous fit for someone with his complexion), raises a hand and clenches his fist. The bowsprit of the boat flexes and cracks, tugging at the rigging, boards and lanyards snapping, forming a huge hand that snatches at the sailyard before tumbling into the sea in an explosion of water droplets and wooden debris.
“Barely. Just… a couple of times, nothing to write home about,” he grumbles, but still takes a deep breath of salty sea air to calm himself. He chuckles heartily and gestures around. “Look at me, twenty years of sleeping my way through courts and dens, but give me a couple of days of meaningful conversations, and I’m blushing like a youth! I can’t screw this up,” he said with finality, before relenting. “Well, actually I can! I don’t trust my instincts here. That’s why I’m letting him lead. I told him I’m interested, so now, I guess I just… hope?”
After a dreamy pause, he reaches into his new suitcase and gets out a large piece of pink quartz, roughly tear-shaped.
“I got this… came across it by accident. Was trying to help out Root with a creep who went after him. Oh, no, he’s fine don’t worry,” he adds quickly, seeing Celina’s eyes going round. “But I ended up with this rock, and I can’t stop thinking… I got acquainted with Root by accident too, and I just want him to know how much I value that, and him, so....” he casts an illusion and the piece of rock becomes a large ring, large enough to be worn as a bracelet or to fit on a tiefling’s horn. The rough edges disappear, instead turning into an intricate pattern of orchids flowing in the wind, interlaced with golden branches of tumbleweed. “What do you think?” He elbows Celina. “Too on the nose or…? Do you think he’ll like it?”
Celina examines the design and thinks back to Root’s place with all the plants. “That gift is... perfect. If that doesn’t get you laid… I’m not sure what… else...”. Celina stares at the ring more, and images of her and Sammy’s rings pop into her head uninvited. They hit her like a ton of bricks, she glances down to her hand where her ring used to be. The genasi’s eyes follow hers, and he gives out a small ‘o’ upon noticing a patch of skin that is almost imperceptibly lighter than the rest of her finger, quickly hiding the stone back into his bag.
Tears form in her eyes, she looks to Glint trying to ignore her emotions. “He’d be crazy not to like you anyway.” Celina can feel the tears starting to flow and she reaches up to wipe her eyes, turning away from Glint for a moment. “Stupid dusty old boat causing my eyes to water”. She pauses for a moment before descending into rambling. “You know, one day you wake up and find you have a boat and you decide I am not sure I want a boat. Had a boat before and it died. So for now all you really want are tiny boats. Boats you don’t really care about. Then you take some time and think about what you really want and you decide ‘Hey I really do want that one specific boat’. So you go try talking to your boat, you’re honest to it and in the end because you weren’t sure at the time what you wanted the boat has gone away. Now you have no boat. No boat, Glint!” Celina sighs and goes to throw another crate over the railing. “Boats come into our lives and then they’re gone. Stupid boats...”
The rigging cracks and moans under the gusts of rising wind, as if counting the painful moments. She stands there, watching how the rotten wood is broken against the stern by the waves. Suddenly, two warm hands hug her from behind.
“I guess I’m lucky not to know how that feels,” Glint whispers with a sigh, rubbing her shoulder in comforting circles. “All I’ve ever had was tiny boats, and now I’ve come across a fully decked out cruising yacht and I don’t know what to do with it. But being thrown back and forth between the two… it must be painful. I’m really sorry. Anything I can do for you? For either of you?”
“Can I tell you something, Glint?” Celina says and pauses for a moment. “The boat... is Sammy”. She grins for a moment, knowing he knows, before her face falls again as she’s looking out to the water.
Glint takes a long labored breath, staring into the ocean over her shoulder.
“Yeah, I figured,” he says patiently. “With a small stipulation that boats are not widely known to change their minds. Give it time. It’s hard to finish right something that started wrong. You’re doing well if you manage to end on neutral terms.”
“Things may not have ended neutral. I may have walked out. God, Glint it was a mess. I tried to be honest… for once. Where did that get me?”. She sighs and turns around to face Glint. “You know… I am not just an apple shop seller, Glint. I am in fact...”, she takes a deep breath “an incredibly talented piano player”. She smiles nervously and then adds. “No… that’s not true. But you’re one of the few people who knows what I actually do. You know my special apple services.” She grins and then continues on. “Stealing stuff and gathering information. Anyway, I received a letter, an invitation in fact, to a place in Daring Heights looking to hire me… I think? It seems different to other jobs. I’m not sure. I need to bring some people. There’s a chicken I need to talk to… Actually never mind, would you be… interested in coming?”
Glint releases her shoulders and visibly tenses.
“I didn’t realise you were still on the payroll,” he says, brow furrowed in contemplation. “Thought you went freelance. Mind telling me who your regular employers are?” He asks nonchalantly, but the air about him is completely different, as if he is wearing a mask.
“I am freelance,” she says and sees Glint relax visibly. “This job would be something different. Seems crazy for me not to go… at least look what they want. Right?”
He’s hesitant to answer outright. “May I see that letter?” He asks, outstretching his hand.
Celina considers it briefly. “I... eh… don’t have it…” she lies automatically, but surrenders quickly under Glint’s unmoving gaze. She sighs. “Ok… fine. I do… ”. She reaches into her bag and hands over the last letter she received. Celina turns her back and starts slicing through the sail with her rapier with frustration in an effort to avoid eye contact with Glint for the moment.
As the rigging is promptly turning into shreds, the genasi ignores the carnage in favor of turning the piece of paper in his hands. There’s an unpleasant familiarity about it. Finally, he sighs, his frown deepening, as he hands the letter back to Celina. She takes it from him and watches on, curious about what he will say.
“I’m sorry for going back on my word so quickly, you must consider me a coward and I would be the last person to deny it. Although I admit this is one of the few occasions I’m ashamed to be one,” he says quietly, averting his eyes. “Please, try to understand. I’d gladly risk my life on your account, you’re a very dear friend to me, Celina. But this… I can tell you a couple of things about this letter.” Glint turns towards the sea, putting both of his hands on the railing to support himself. He stares into the watery depth beneath him, as the rolling waves remind him of the dunes. “Firstly,” he starts confidently, as if he was relaying information on a unique beast or location. “You’re right in saying it would be crazy for you not to go.There are enough veiled threats in these three lines to catch the sender’s drift. Secondly, I know it hurts, perhaps you couldn’t have left Sammy at a better time. Whatever this letter is about, it seems serious, and more than one interest is involved. You don’t want him to get caught up in all this. I’d certainly be terrified of entangling anyone I care about in my mess,” he says to the side and, forcibly returning himself back to the present moment, shakes his head.
Celina feels panic rising in her chest at the mention of Sammy, only realising then what her actions might have caused. She agrees it’s better that Sammy’s not involved in her mess.
Glint finally turns to look her in the eye, his expression guilty and almost resentful. “And thirdly, unfortunately… I can’t go with you. If there are two parties involved already, the last thing you want is to bring in a third, and I might… still be associated with one.”
Celina perks up and is curious Glint mentions his past. But she doesn’t say anything more. She decides she’ll ask about it again another time as the genasi continues.
“I suggest you bring some muscle with you. I know a couple of adventurers you can trust - Kavel, Toothy… I’m sure you know people, too. People who are definitely not on a payroll,” he says with meaning. “I’d ask them, not me. I’d do anything for you, but I can’t do this. I’m so… sorry!”
As guilt strangles him completely, he storms towards the trapdoor that leads below the deck, and kicks it open. The fire leaves his eyes and travels down his hand, erupting in a ball of inferno that hits the barrels in the hold, covering the entire space under the deck in flames. He looks at the raging fire, and slowly calms down.
Celina joins him. “You feeling better now?” She says with a grin, putting the letter back into her bag. “I’ll be sad you can’t make it but I get it. I know… some other people I could ask. I guess the only thing I could get your help with it is...” She pauses dramatically and smiles widely. “destroying this boat! However, I think you did a good job with that fireball. Damn… maybe we should move back a bit”. As she follows her own advice, she adds: “Oh, what if I throw a crate in the air and you set it on fire? Could be fun?”
Glint mirrors her smile. “Thank you for understanding… And if we’re blowing things up out in the open, I suggest we go ashore before doing it. This old wreck doesn’t look like it can handle another fireball and stay afloat.”
Celina giggles and follows Glint off the boat. They spend quite a lot of time making different parts of the boat explode and laughing...
An old sloop meets its last day being anchored off the main pier of the Old Port. The small ship is long past its due date, with nails and planks protruding from the places they shouldn’t be in. The rigging and sails hang limply, only periodically worried by a gust of seaward breeze. There are two figures on board. One of them is looking around studiously.
“So, you’re being paid to wreck a boat?” Glint asks incredulously, his ungloved fingers sliding down a massive oak mast.
"Yes, I am getting paid to destroy this thing. I am a nice person who does things like this all the time, Glint. Some person needs help destroying something, how could I refuse?" Celina says with a wink.
“Indeed.” The genasi chuckles with an effortless smile. “To be fair, this was one of the most unusual invitations I’ve ever got, and I am no less surprised to find myself here. But well… I guess I just needed to get some fresh air,” he says as his fingers start tapping a nervous tune against the railing. He finally stops, picks up his staff and grins at her. ”Anything for the good of the community.” He winks, knocking an empty crate overboard.
“Of course, good of the community...” she says trailing off. “It’s not like I have any other purpose being here”. She picks up another crate and throws it overboard. “Good Celina.” She goes over to a plank of wood at the stern and stomps down hard, smashing it further. “Yup… that’s…. me”. She draws her rapier and stabs through a block, catching the wizard’s surprised gaze on her. After a few moments, she takes a deep breath and turns back to Glint. “So… how are you, Glint? Any news?” She says, forcing herself to change the tune in a blink of an eye. “How are things with Root? Any progress there?” She adds with a grin.
Glint gives her a long hard look, and puts away his staff with a slight thoughtful frown, trying to decipher her mood. He averts his eyes, and when he looks back, there’s an unfamiliar warmth in his expression. He looks around to double-check that they’re alone.
“Progress… You bet! He… he said he wanted to be more than friends,” Glint says tenderly, as if afraid to believe in it himself. “I’m trying not to rush him, but I confess it takes all my self-restraint, and I must confess I don’t have much of it,” he chuckles guiltily.
“Well, if it’s anything like what I was picking up when I was with you two last… I think he wants it as much as you-”
“Oh, I seriously doubt that,” Glint interjects in a raspier voice. He takes a deep breath and, turning around, releases a cone of blue and orange flames from his joined palms. It’s intense, but only catches a couple of steering wheel segments on fire before going out. He turns back with an apologetic smile.
Celina cocks an eyebrow at the display. “Hey well, I was there in that room. The energy between you two… could have set that whole place on fire…”, she adds with a teasing grin. “Ha, good for you pal… and that restraint…” She trails off suddenly, staring at the genasi and mulling over his words. “Wait… so tell me… have you slept together yet? No? Glint… that... must be hard,” Celina says, barely holding back laughter. “Have you even kissed yet? Tell me you’ve kissed at least!”
As a way of reply, Glint blushes (which is a tremendous fit for someone with his complexion), raises a hand and clenches his fist. The bowsprit of the boat flexes and cracks, tugging at the rigging, boards and lanyards snapping, forming a huge hand that snatches at the sailyard before tumbling into the sea in an explosion of water droplets and wooden debris.
“Barely. Just… a couple of times, nothing to write home about,” he grumbles, but still takes a deep breath of salty sea air to calm himself. He chuckles heartily and gestures around. “Look at me, twenty years of sleeping my way through courts and dens, but give me a couple of days of meaningful conversations, and I’m blushing like a youth! I can’t screw this up,” he said with finality, before relenting. “Well, actually I can! I don’t trust my instincts here. That’s why I’m letting him lead. I told him I’m interested, so now, I guess I just… hope?”
After a dreamy pause, he reaches into his new suitcase and gets out a large piece of pink quartz, roughly tear-shaped.
“I got this… came across it by accident. Was trying to help out Root with a creep who went after him. Oh, no, he’s fine don’t worry,” he adds quickly, seeing Celina’s eyes going round. “But I ended up with this rock, and I can’t stop thinking… I got acquainted with Root by accident too, and I just want him to know how much I value that, and him, so....” he casts an illusion and the piece of rock becomes a large ring, large enough to be worn as a bracelet or to fit on a tiefling’s horn. The rough edges disappear, instead turning into an intricate pattern of orchids flowing in the wind, interlaced with golden branches of tumbleweed. “What do you think?” He elbows Celina. “Too on the nose or…? Do you think he’ll like it?”
Celina examines the design and thinks back to Root’s place with all the plants. “That gift is... perfect. If that doesn’t get you laid… I’m not sure what… else...”. Celina stares at the ring more, and images of her and Sammy’s rings pop into her head uninvited. They hit her like a ton of bricks, she glances down to her hand where her ring used to be. The genasi’s eyes follow hers, and he gives out a small ‘o’ upon noticing a patch of skin that is almost imperceptibly lighter than the rest of her finger, quickly hiding the stone back into his bag.
Tears form in her eyes, she looks to Glint trying to ignore her emotions. “He’d be crazy not to like you anyway.” Celina can feel the tears starting to flow and she reaches up to wipe her eyes, turning away from Glint for a moment. “Stupid dusty old boat causing my eyes to water”. She pauses for a moment before descending into rambling. “You know, one day you wake up and find you have a boat and you decide I am not sure I want a boat. Had a boat before and it died. So for now all you really want are tiny boats. Boats you don’t really care about. Then you take some time and think about what you really want and you decide ‘Hey I really do want that one specific boat’. So you go try talking to your boat, you’re honest to it and in the end because you weren’t sure at the time what you wanted the boat has gone away. Now you have no boat. No boat, Glint!” Celina sighs and goes to throw another crate over the railing. “Boats come into our lives and then they’re gone. Stupid boats...”
The rigging cracks and moans under the gusts of rising wind, as if counting the painful moments. She stands there, watching how the rotten wood is broken against the stern by the waves. Suddenly, two warm hands hug her from behind.
“I guess I’m lucky not to know how that feels,” Glint whispers with a sigh, rubbing her shoulder in comforting circles. “All I’ve ever had was tiny boats, and now I’ve come across a fully decked out cruising yacht and I don’t know what to do with it. But being thrown back and forth between the two… it must be painful. I’m really sorry. Anything I can do for you? For either of you?”
“Can I tell you something, Glint?” Celina says and pauses for a moment. “The boat... is Sammy”. She grins for a moment, knowing he knows, before her face falls again as she’s looking out to the water.
Glint takes a long labored breath, staring into the ocean over her shoulder.
“Yeah, I figured,” he says patiently. “With a small stipulation that boats are not widely known to change their minds. Give it time. It’s hard to finish right something that started wrong. You’re doing well if you manage to end on neutral terms.”
“Things may not have ended neutral. I may have walked out. God, Glint it was a mess. I tried to be honest… for once. Where did that get me?”. She sighs and turns around to face Glint. “You know… I am not just an apple shop seller, Glint. I am in fact...”, she takes a deep breath “an incredibly talented piano player”. She smiles nervously and then adds. “No… that’s not true. But you’re one of the few people who knows what I actually do. You know my special apple services.” She grins and then continues on. “Stealing stuff and gathering information. Anyway, I received a letter, an invitation in fact, to a place in Daring Heights looking to hire me… I think? It seems different to other jobs. I’m not sure. I need to bring some people. There’s a chicken I need to talk to… Actually never mind, would you be… interested in coming?”
Glint releases her shoulders and visibly tenses.
“I didn’t realise you were still on the payroll,” he says, brow furrowed in contemplation. “Thought you went freelance. Mind telling me who your regular employers are?” He asks nonchalantly, but the air about him is completely different, as if he is wearing a mask.
“I am freelance,” she says and sees Glint relax visibly. “This job would be something different. Seems crazy for me not to go… at least look what they want. Right?”
He’s hesitant to answer outright. “May I see that letter?” He asks, outstretching his hand.
Celina considers it briefly. “I... eh… don’t have it…” she lies automatically, but surrenders quickly under Glint’s unmoving gaze. She sighs. “Ok… fine. I do… ”. She reaches into her bag and hands over the last letter she received. Celina turns her back and starts slicing through the sail with her rapier with frustration in an effort to avoid eye contact with Glint for the moment.
As the rigging is promptly turning into shreds, the genasi ignores the carnage in favor of turning the piece of paper in his hands. There’s an unpleasant familiarity about it. Finally, he sighs, his frown deepening, as he hands the letter back to Celina. She takes it from him and watches on, curious about what he will say.
“I’m sorry for going back on my word so quickly, you must consider me a coward and I would be the last person to deny it. Although I admit this is one of the few occasions I’m ashamed to be one,” he says quietly, averting his eyes. “Please, try to understand. I’d gladly risk my life on your account, you’re a very dear friend to me, Celina. But this… I can tell you a couple of things about this letter.” Glint turns towards the sea, putting both of his hands on the railing to support himself. He stares into the watery depth beneath him, as the rolling waves remind him of the dunes. “Firstly,” he starts confidently, as if he was relaying information on a unique beast or location. “You’re right in saying it would be crazy for you not to go.There are enough veiled threats in these three lines to catch the sender’s drift. Secondly, I know it hurts, perhaps you couldn’t have left Sammy at a better time. Whatever this letter is about, it seems serious, and more than one interest is involved. You don’t want him to get caught up in all this. I’d certainly be terrified of entangling anyone I care about in my mess,” he says to the side and, forcibly returning himself back to the present moment, shakes his head.
Celina feels panic rising in her chest at the mention of Sammy, only realising then what her actions might have caused. She agrees it’s better that Sammy’s not involved in her mess.
Glint finally turns to look her in the eye, his expression guilty and almost resentful. “And thirdly, unfortunately… I can’t go with you. If there are two parties involved already, the last thing you want is to bring in a third, and I might… still be associated with one.”
Celina perks up and is curious Glint mentions his past. But she doesn’t say anything more. She decides she’ll ask about it again another time as the genasi continues.
“I suggest you bring some muscle with you. I know a couple of adventurers you can trust - Kavel, Toothy… I’m sure you know people, too. People who are definitely not on a payroll,” he says with meaning. “I’d ask them, not me. I’d do anything for you, but I can’t do this. I’m so… sorry!”
As guilt strangles him completely, he storms towards the trapdoor that leads below the deck, and kicks it open. The fire leaves his eyes and travels down his hand, erupting in a ball of inferno that hits the barrels in the hold, covering the entire space under the deck in flames. He looks at the raging fire, and slowly calms down.
Celina joins him. “You feeling better now?” She says with a grin, putting the letter back into her bag. “I’ll be sad you can’t make it but I get it. I know… some other people I could ask. I guess the only thing I could get your help with it is...” She pauses dramatically and smiles widely. “destroying this boat! However, I think you did a good job with that fireball. Damn… maybe we should move back a bit”. As she follows her own advice, she adds: “Oh, what if I throw a crate in the air and you set it on fire? Could be fun?”
Glint mirrors her smile. “Thank you for understanding… And if we’re blowing things up out in the open, I suggest we go ashore before doing it. This old wreck doesn’t look like it can handle another fireball and stay afloat.”
Celina giggles and follows Glint off the boat. They spend quite a lot of time making different parts of the boat explode and laughing...