EXNIHIL: Created page with "“Capn’s cracked.” Falfina said, shutting the door to Gwynek’s quarters behind her as she walked into the pissing rain to take a position with Grimsif against the gunwale on the FFZ’s deck. “Aye?” the halfling grunted and spat over the railing into the harbor. “Aye,” Falfina answered, and spat over the railing herself. Strange habit they got into with that, but with their captain laid up and in need of an attentive presence, what else could they do b..."

2026-08-20T19:52:37Z

Created page with "“Capn’s cracked.” Falfina said, shutting the door to Gwynek’s quarters behind her as she walked into the pissing rain to take a position with Grimsif against the gunwale on the FFZ’s deck. “Aye?” the halfling grunted and spat over the railing into the harbor. “Aye,” Falfina answered, and spat over the railing herself. Strange habit they got into with that, but with their captain laid up and in need of an attentive presence, what else could they do b..."

New page

“Capn’s cracked.” Falfina said, shutting the door to Gwynek’s quarters behind her as she walked into the pissing rain to take a position with Grimsif against the gunwale on the FFZ’s deck.

“Aye?” the halfling grunted and spat over the railing into the harbor.

“Aye,” Falfina answered, and spat over the railing herself. Strange habit they got into with that, but with their captain laid up and in need of an attentive presence, what else could they do but spit into the rain and wet?

“Bad?”

“Bad.” She sighed and scrubbed at the shaved sides of her head with her fingernails. Bad and weird - muttering constantly about the turns and exits, fits of screaming about the mast, unexplained rope burns on his hands, the paranoia, the stink of sweat as if he’d been on a hard march despite being confined to quarters. It was real bad.

“Need me to stab him?” Grimsif said, a bright tone in his voice as if he’d found the best and simplest solution. One he thought himself quite for purposing.

Falfina narrowed her eyes and glanced at him sidelong. While not a champion eye narrower like some elves she’d seen about, who unlike her had centuries to practice the art of making others feel stupid with naught but a look, she considered herself highly proficient in the practice. But the halfling seemed immune to her nonverbal efforts, probably because he was too stupid to understand. “Not every problem in the world can be solved by sticking a damned knife into it, you dunce.”

“Pffft.” He dismissed her observation with a desultory wave of his hand. “Not with that attitude.”

“Why do I put up with you?” Her hand twitched with the urge to cuff him.

Grimsif sized her up, still grinning that silly, idiot grin. “Because I’m charming,” He said with a wink.

“By the -” She grunted, leaning down to shake her fist in his face, “I’ll rudding give you charming you ungracious lout.”

“Spirits, Falfina - not every problem can be solved with your fists.” He admonished her and elbowed her in the thigh in a way that he surely meant as companionable, but still forced her to shuffle a step. Gods, he was strong for his size.

Truth was, after eating the hurts of others for as long as she had, Falfina just didn’t like most people. The snarky brute beside her, though, for whatever reason, was tolerable. He didn’t simper, or beg, or wheedle, or expect much of anything from her, but he was always grateful, in his own monosyllabic way, when she healed him or did him some other service. He expected nothing, and in turn, she was happy to give him anything - not that she would tell him, and not that he’d ask.

Falfina mussed his hair because he hated it, and danced back a step from his reach.

“Oi! Uncalled for!” he scowled, broken nose wrinkling.

“I’ll quit funning when you listen and take this serious. Cap’n needs our help.” No lie in that. “And not the stabbing kind, neither.” Falfina warned.

Grimsif hissed, then spat over the railing again. “Fine.” He sighed. “What do you need from me?”

“I need you to keep an eye on him in his quarters while I go and stuff his weapons in a locker. Don’t need him doing anything daft with the sharp things, and need to make sure he’s getting some good rest.” She explained. The whole situation reminded her too much of what happened to her little sister, perhaps because Gwynek reminded Falfina or her. He was kind, bright, and naïve, despite his occasional bouts of wisdom beyond his years and equally seldom pretenses of being a hard bastard - much like her. And much like her, he was fine, then a little off, then in a bad way… then it was too late. She wondered if whatever had hold of him would force his spirit to depart and pass through the Ebon Gate - just like her sister… and if he would leave her gripping a cold hand while staring into glassy, vacant eyes, pleading through tears for a return that would never happen - just like her sister.

“Right.” Grimsif pulled out his hip flask. Falfina slapped it from his hand. It bounced, then slid on the deck, hung precariously half way through a scupper, and was sent tumbling into the harbor as the boat rocked, sinking into the depths with a quiet plonk.

“Don’t go feeding him booze neither. He’s lunatic enough right now, we don’t need him being a drunk lunatic.” She scolded.

Grimsif’s mouth hung open in shock as he locked eyes with her. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly pulled another hip flask from his belt, unscrewed the top, took a long drink, replaced the top, and put the flask away. His look of shock shifted into a broad, dung eating grin.

“You unbelievable brat.”

The halfling shrugged. “Unbelievable, ''charming'' brat,” he corrected her, and walked off to the captain’s quarters.

Inside, Gwynek howled. She heard glass breaking and wondered how badly cut he’d be when she got back, how wild those violet eyes of his would be as she ate his hurts - if he’d know her, or see her, or ever find his way back from the folly that led to his madness. She sighed again, gathered up his haversack and sword, spat over the gunwale into the harbor and strode down the gangplank. Some questions are only answered by time, and the knowing of that fact did naught to dissolve her anger at it.

Gwynek (prime)/Outside the Maze - Revision history