Befitting
Characters: Tagger, Kentar
Location: Oceans End; Main Deck
Its night time. And not, just after dusk, night time. No, its a few hours. Before dawn, type of night time. Nobody is really out, except for the helmbeast and the lookout in the crowsnest. Everybeast is, or should be at least in their hammocks. Except for one beast. An otter. A Tagger, sort of otter. He leans against one of the railings near the bow of the ship. He looks down toward the cold blackness of the ocean below. He is wearing only his sleepy things, which consists of his shorts and nothing else. But also in his paws are a few items. One is a dried lily. The other, is a book, the otters journal. And the last thing. Is his necklace. Or, technically his fathers necklace. Which he was wrapped the chain tightly in his paws to keep from dropping. The otter takes a deep sigh as grips the metal tightly. Tagger, looks... depressed. Which is really odd for the normally excited beast.
Well this scene needs a stoat. But what stoat is it? Is it Bucky stoat? Oldy Stoat? Young stoat, or father stoat?! Well, probably to Tagger's dismay, its an OLDY STOAT...Kentar, who really should be asleep, is out being OLD instead. The stoat hobbles up on deck with a yawn, wearing a vest, and some sleepy shorts, and leaning heavily on his cane. He was about to just take a light jog-hobble around the deck to tire himself out, but as he starts to hobble, he spots Tagger. His head tilts to one side before he decides to head over, leaning on the rail next to him only a few moments later. "Evenin' Tag. Something on your mind?"
Tagger is in his own little world right now, as he rubs a claw over the foreign engraving. Plus, he didn't figure any other beast to be up at this hour. So it comes to a bit of a shock to the otter, as he hears somebeast call his name, "Whoh! Oh. Hey Kentar... You are certainly up early" Now, the otter would normally chuckle here. But it seems to be lacking in his conversation vocabulary this morning. Whatever has got him down, has hit him hard, "Oh... Its just...." he kinda wishes that he could discuss this with Garo. But, he didn't want to wake her, plus she would find out eventually, "Its just... Well. I'm remembering..." As today is a special kinda day. But sad all the same.
The stoat tilts his head a little bit to the other side now, shrugging. "Eh, I couldn't sleep. Feeling too old today." he jokes a little bit before he hms, eyeing the young otter. "What is it, Tag?" he asks, trying to figure it out in his head, though the gears are just too stuck right now.
Tagger takes a deep breath as he turns back to the ocean and looks off. He seems very quiet for a minute before he says, "Aikuen... Dad. Passed away two years ago, tonight..." he takes another deep breath and then ritually starts rubbing the amulet again, "I did this last year. Though mum was with me that time... The start of spring always does this to me..." he then huffs through his nose, like he about to chuckle. Before just shaking his head.
Kentar listens carefully and then ahs, glancing down towards the deck, thinking a few moments. "Ah...wow, has it really...been that long?" he glances around for a few moments, and then to the sky. "Well, I don't know what it is you guys do, but...if you'd like, I can be here...y'know, for you..." he says quietly. "I mean, its not as meaningful I suppose if your mum is the one to do anything special, but...your dad was like my brother...I'd like to think I'd be...y'know...just as good." he smiles. )
The otter smiles slightly, "Yeah... Its been quite a while. I mean. I've grown up a lot since then... I... think he would have been proud of me..." he takes a deep breath and crushes his eyes close, trying to stop a bit of the flood that might ensue. After a second he looks back toward the ocean and nods slowly, "Thanks. And don't worry. She was just there last year... And i ended up comforting her after a bit. From the last letter i got from her. She still cant get over losing him..." he takes a deep, as he cant either. But Fira is having even a harder time. He then looks to the stoat, "Just being here is enough. And ill show you what i do..." he takes the dried, flattened lily and holds it up, its the same species of lily that they covered Aiks grave back at Moledeep, "Mum taught me this... Its from the old world... And i like it... Seems... Befitting." he nods and holds the flower over the ocean.
The stoat watches the otter for a few moments, nodding his head slowly. "Its...different. I mean, obviously it was and...is harder for your mum than myself, clearly, but its still hard. I do miss him too." he says before staring at the lily for a moment, watching it over the water. "If it helps, Tagg. Sometimes I feel like he's not gone...because you're more like him than you'd ever think." he whispers.
Tagger smiles weakly, as everyone tells him that he is a spitting image of his father. But hearing it from the older stoat, who knew Aikuen better then most. Puts a nice warm feeling in the bottom of the young otters stomach, "Thank you mate... Alright..." He takes a deep breath as he opens his journal to a page that he has folded over. He looks at it under the moon and lantern light as he says, "I translated this from an old text. So it might be slightly off..." he holds the flower out to the ocean and then recites in a very old language, "Nam Bellator qui nunquam dormitat..." He then drops the flower into the ocean and watches it drift and continues, "Sit tibi in aeternum requies tranquilla..." He takes a deep breath as he closes the journal and then translates it, "For the Warrior that never sleeps... Let your forever rest, be peaceful..." he takes a deep breath again and looks to the stoat.
Kentar smiles a little bit before he just closes his eye for a few moments, listening to the otter's words, humming quietly to himself as Tagger speaks. He opens his eye in time to see the lily fall from Tagger's paws, watching it drift down towards the water before it lands, starting to drift in the open seas. "Very beautiful." Kentar finally says after a little bit, patting his shoulders gently. "Christopher and I have...a similar tradition for Garnet...well, I mean...we don't have flowers, but we mark the day at least." he then goes to settle down, sitting with his back against the rail. "Y'know...you have to think of Aikuen differently, I think...than what you do now, I mean..." he says quietly, trying to make that sound not completely nutters. )
Tagger tightens his book with the leather straps as he goes to sit down next to the railing, like the stoat. He places the book in his lap as he leans back and taps his head against the wood, "What do you guys do?" he asks closing his eyes breathing in the still cool night air. He then stops tapping his head as he looks to the stoat, "What do you mean?" he asks. He doesn't remember much of his father. Except from stories and the occasional memory chunk that likes to fly through his mind at times.
"Well..." Kentar starts. "Robin wrote us a song...Chris and me, I mean. About our life together. He loved Garnet as much as we did, but for some reason, he doesn't feel like she was his mum, despite having her love for a great number of seasons." he then pauses before continuing. "Chris and I bake her favorite desserts...and sing the song together." he nods slowly, glancing up. "And then we go out side, rain, snow, cloud or clear, and we stare at the sky until dawn. That was something the three of us did a lot together." he explains before glancing back to the younger beast. "You have to think of him...different. Like, rather than thinking he's dead, and buried forever, think that he's just...moved on...like he's there, in the sky, watching you." The stoat nods, glancing up to the sky. "If you look closely, you'll find him...somewhere."
Tagger looks to the sky as the stoat speaks. And at one point, it actually causes the otter to laugh slightly, "Heh. Maybe i should have rum and Hardtack..." he grins and sighs. Still listening to the stoat. The otter is starting to feel better already. He guesses that he just needed someone to talk too about it. At the next part he then looks toward the stars. Astronomy has never been a fun part of anything. Way to many to count or remember. Though at the mention of his father watching him. He starts to look around. He smiles as he then points to Ursa Major, and the points at the bright star, "That one... That one must be him..." he smiles. He then slides on his back, his book on his stomach as he looks to the darkened sky. Maybe looking at the stars till dawn is not that bad after all.
The old stoat chuckles quietly, shaking his head. "The rum idea isn't bad, but stay away from the hardtack. Your dad ate way too much of that stuff. Ruined his tastebuds, couldn't taste anything in the end." he shakes his head slowly. "Missed out on a lot of my wife's cooking." he smirks a little bit before glancing around the empty deck. "Y'know Tagger..." he says quietly. "As much as I miss your father, in a small way, I'm glad he's gone..." he glances down. "Because at least now, he'll be around forever...protecting you in ways I'm sure weren't possible while he was here...Probably sitting around on his butt, being lazy of course, but he'd come to you when you need him most...when no one else can..." he lets out a quiet sigh, staring now at the deck planks.
Tagger chuckles and taps his claws on his chest, "Well. With just flour and water. Doesn't leave much room for flavor..." he then thinks if there is any more of Aikuens Rum that he made before he passed. He thinks for a few seconds before looking to the stoat when he says that last bit. Wanting for the stoat to explain. He then smiles warmly and grins, "Aye. I guess that true..." he then chuckles, "I don't think he was THAT lazy... Was he?" he blinks a bit before chuckling as he cant remember, "Thank you Kentar. I needed this." he smiles.
The stoat shrugs a little. "Nah, not THAT lazy...but he doesn't have to be doin' much now, y'see." he laughs, patting the otter once more on the shoulder. "I'm here for you....whenever you need to talk." he smiles before yawning a little. "Bah...stupid...late night...tired." he smirks.
Tagger chuckles slightly as he sits up, "Heh. Guess thats true. A much needed rest, from what adventures ive read..." he then smiles, "Thanks mate... Uncle... Whatever you are" he grins before the yawing get contagious and the otter yaws as well, "Ahhhhh.... Oh you jerk... Now you get me doing it..." he chuckles as he gets up and holds out his free paw for the older stoat, "Well come on... I guess its time to get some sleep before dawn in a few hours..."
The stoat reaches up and accepts Tagger's paw, standing up after a few moments, giving a huff. "Righto...yeah, sleep is probably a good idea. We'll hit land tomorrow I think." he smiles. "Then only a three day travel home!" he grins. "Ooh, I wonder what it'll be like..." he starts off towards the cabins. "I'll see you in the morning..."
Tagger chuckles, "Good. Ill be glad to get off this tub. The sea water stick to me like glue...Grumble Grumble..." he chuckles. He then hrms, "Three days!? That is way too long! You will have to carry me about halfway through..." he smirks before heading off toward below deck as well, "Whelp. Ill see ya tomorrow. And thanks for being here..." he grins as he watches the stoat walk off before the otter looks toward the big star, "Night dad..." he smiles before he disappears as well.
