03 . boat log!

[necrolord]

Who: necrolord and existing CR. If your character has met the Emperor and would respond positively to an invite, jump on in. (If you're not sure, ask me at ochrona!)
What: A voyage out to sea! This is a mingle log; feel free to toplevel and tag around.
When: Ambiguously around New Year's.
Where: The Pthumerian Ocean.

Content Warnings: Undead sailors, flesh-eating crabs, tentacles, corpses; Deer-standard levels of inherent fleshy horror. Note all the usual warnings of this character.

[ See John's toplevel for prompts, and feel free to tag in brackets or prose! ]

Comments

[terriblepurpose]

Paul averts his eyes at once towards a point on the horizon, looking for all the world like he spotted something out at sea of great interest.

There are many types of vulnerability. Paul knows enough about necromancy (not enough, a whisper from a punctured compartment sealed behind bulkhead doors) to understand that despite Harrowhark's unimpressive physicality, her fearsome guise is not a false warning. She is a terrifying warlock, a grim master of death, an adept of uncanny forces beyond his ken - and he has the impulse to cover her up with a blanket, to put up painted screens around her and that I know.

"She was emphatic about you," he says, shading his eyes and peering at the nonexistent excuse just out of sight, "I thought anyone who could inspire that kind of loyalty must be worth meeting. And you're our first mate, I understand?"

[necrosaint]

The tiny part of Harrow who is aware appreciates it all: the understanding, the respect, the pretense of looking at something more interesting than her tendering an emotion.

"I am," she says distantly, trying not to think about what Gideon might have said. Trying not to wonder. Trying not to focus on how much loyalty she does not deserve. "Somewhat by default. His other Lyctors are—not here to fill the role, I would otherwise have been last choice, I am certain. But I do my best."

Her loyalty is stretched thin between two parties. In the end Gideon would always win it, but the struggle is beyond real.

"I strive to do my best by them both," is quieter, again, but not so soft as to be a confession, a true deep emotion; it could be, but with this tone it's more of an observational statement.

[terriblepurpose]

To an extent, Paul doesn't need to look at Harrowhark to picture her expression. He's seen its kin reflected back at him before. Heir and Saint and Lyctor, and Paul knows a few things about trying to answer to more than one name.

"...I've sailed before," he offers, "Gideon also mentioned a few things about the Ninth's environment."

He'll elide the mentions of anything else for - a variety of pressing, and present (like a knife on the back of his neck), reasons.

"If you'd like any assistance learning the ropes." An ancient seafaring saying he thinks appropriate for the occasion. He's not going to reassure her that she is doing her best; he assumes she is, but it's not his place to say something so egregiously personal. "I am at your disposal, Lady Nonagesimus."