When Ro smiles at him this time, it's the first time in months that Orym doesn't feel alone. He's not the only one missing people, who doesn't know where he belongs. Who's searching for something unknown. For this leg of his journey, at least, he has a companion. And so does Ro. His smile is uneven, but grateful. "Might've found one already."
He learns a few other things from Ro that day. He doesn't have to work, but he likes to. If he's going to be in Vesrah for any length of time, he figures he should know a few things about sailing, anyway. And it's especially helpful to learn from someone his own size, because they often have to do things a little differently from bigger folk. It's nice not to have to figure out the workarounds himself, for once.
That night, he's just settled into his hammock--human-sized, so practically big enough to swallow him--when he spots Ro trying to find a place for his, the rest of his things in tow. He'd come aboard well after the rest of the crew (and their two passengers), so space is limited. Making a quick decision, Orym leans out and waves to catch his attention.
"We can share, if you want," he offers quietly when he comes nearer, keeping his voice low so they don't disturb anyone already sleeping. "There's enough room for at least two of me up here." His smile reaches his eyes, gently amused. The idea of not sleeping alone for once is also just...nice. He'll leave it at that.
Ro glances up when Orym appears and waves him down. A wry smile tugs at his mouth and he nods. No sense in putting up a fight when he knows room is tight. He stows his things near Orym's - including a small shield (or rather, a halfling-sized one) and a staff.
"Usually it's not a problem finding somewhere that'll fit me," he says quietly. "But it's a full crew."
And a few extra. Ro undresses down to his tunic and trousers, leaving everything else carefully put away and his shoes next to the post holding one end of the hammock.
"Give me a hand so I don't land on you." Ro reaches up, and as soon as Orym has a hold of him, he hops the rest of the way with the ease of practice. The hammock says with the extra momentum, but they don't go flying and they don't flip, so Ro will consider that a little victory.
Orym reaches down and their hands lock, steadying Ro as he leaps up. They don't tumble into each other, and while the hammock sways, it remains otherwise steady. Two halflings with good balance seems an easy load to bear.
Smiling, Orym releases Ro's hand to clap his shoulder instead with a smile. "You know, I wasn't totally sure that would work, but I'm glad it did."
He's dressed--or undressed, really--for bed already, armor and extra clothing shed to leave him in just a pair of linen pants, flared and roomy until they tie around the ankle. Customarily, he doesn't tend to wear a shirt to bed, but he might have to amend that if it gets any colder during the night. At the moment, he's more conscious of the way it leaves his tattoo on display than his torso; body-shy isn't a thing he's been in years, but the ink is personal.
The hammock naturally sags toward the middle where they kneel facing each other over the blankets Orym's piled on. "I figured it'd balance out if I take this side and you take that one," he says. The extra body heat will also be nice, and even if it isn't the same, sleeping next to someone does help to ease the lonely ache he inevitably feels each night.
Though Ro still wears a tunic, the sleeves are short and they reveal almost the full length of the waves tattooed on his right arm, climbing high to disappear beneath the short sleeve. There's the flash of a smaller tattoo on the inside of his left wrist, perhaps a compass or guiding star. Peeking out from beneath his left sleeve are intricate knots and swirls in a deep blue ink.
Ro tries very hard not to stare too much when he realizes that Orym is shirtless. He's grateful for the dim light from a single low lamp, hoping it effectively hides the warmth in his face.
"Yeah, should keep us from sliding into each other," he says with a little grin. He moves back to give Orym some space. "Thanks," he adds. "I appreciate not having to find some rope to curl up in."
Shaking his head to brush off Ro's thanks, Orym insists, "It's nothing. There's plenty of room to spare. And it can't hurt to look out for the only sailor aboard who's my size, right?" he jokes.
As he moves back himself to start getting beneath the blankets, he adds, "I should be thanking you, anyway, for today. I learned a lot." About ways he can be useful on a ship like this, and about what he might be able to expect in Vesrah. Knowing that he's heading there with someone who's fast becoming a friend is really invaluable, too.
He also can't help noticing the ink on Ro's body now that he has a clearer view. He'd caught glimpses earlier, but now it's clear that the piece covering his right arm is in traditional Ashari style, like his. Water, fittingly, instead of air. But there's an echo of a shared identity there that really speaks to him. This artwork means enough to Ro that he would have it cover a whole limb, enduring the time and the pain of that process. Orym would know; he's done the same thing with the same limb, for a piece that means everything to him.
"No, it certainly can't hurt." Ro smiles as he settles, resting his head against the hammock. He looks at Orym looking at him, realizes the other man is taking in the more visible tattoos.
"I already had a couple before I made it to the Ashari," he admits. "And I was there a little while before I got the big one done." He moves his right arm to indicate which big one he means, given that the other shoulder is impressive, though not as far-reaching.
"Are there a lot of halflings in Vesrah?" he asks curiously and quietly. They're close together now, no need to speak louder than necessary.
It isn't like he was being very covert about looking, so he shouldn't be surprised when Ro mentions his tattoos directly. But all he manages at first as an understanding nod when he elaborates. Inching under the blankets, Orym feels their ankles brush, then his foot nudge the side of Ro's knee where they meet in the middle. There's no real point to shying away when laying in a hammock means they're always going to get pushed together in the middle, so he lets the contact remain.
"Some, but not a lot. Zephrah is a majority half-elven, with a scattering of others," he answers, speaking just as softly. "My blood-related family was always just me and my mom, so I've spent most of my time with bigger folks."
With a nod of his head he indicates the hold of the ship around them, and the people filling the hammocks strung up throughout. "I guess that's part of why I was surprised to see you today. I don't actually know many halflings."
"Most of the Water Ashari are elves and humans and half-elves," he says with a wry smile. He sinks in more, content to let their legs rest together. There's no avoiding it. "There's some dwarves. A handful of half-orcs. Not many halflings, either. And the only family I know is human."
So, he spends most of his time around tall folk, too.
"I didn't meet many other halflings until I started sailing. I did meet the ones in Vesrah, but..." He trails off and looks away with a half shrug. "I didn't grow up there. Even if I was born Ashari, I think it took a while for anyone to see me that way when I came back."
It's a thing that's stuck with him, difficult to shake and difficult to forget.
One thing Orym has learned while traveling in the last couple of years is that it's easy to tell when someone their size, halfling or gnome or otherwise, was raised in a community of their own versus being one of a few in a community of mostly taller peoples. For those like him, most of the world being too big is just a fact of life, something they've long since adapted to. For others, it's an adjustment that doesn't always come easily. So it's not surprising at all, after learning from Ro today, that he's also one of the former, used to being half the size of everyone else in the room.
Ro's struggle with belonging is clearly more than that, though. A disconnect from a people that are his, but who didn't have a place for him when he returned to be with them. Orym's brow knits down as he considers.
"New faces are rare in Zephrah, like they probably are in Vesrah. It's hard to get to, and not a place most people choose to live without existing ties. People are mostly kind and well-meaning, I think, but Ashari culture is...guarded. There's a tendency to treat anyone who wasn't raised among us like they're just passing through, which can be the opposite of welcoming. No one wants to be a guest forever."
"Some of the people there now are sailors that've been rescued over the years. They decide to stay, but it takes a long time until any of them are treated like Ashari. Everyone just waiting to see if or when they move on."
Ro absently fidgets with a small pendant he still wears, turning it over between his fingers. He glances up to meet Orym's gaze and there's something a little sad in his smile.
"I guess I'm proving them right. I lived there exclusively for years, then--I couldn't anymore. I've been going back and forth across the Ozmit Sea ever since."
Orym nods, encouraging, though his heart stings at the melancholy slant of Ro's lips, and the much deeper hurt that must be behind it. Their circumstances are very different, but...he knows what it's like for home to not feel like home. How isolating that feels, and how painful it is to realize that leaving is the only choice left. He knows.
"Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people are always treated like outsiders, they'll eventually decide to try somewhere else."
Beneath the blankets, his foot nudges Ro's knee more deliberately this time.
"It's not on you to prove or disprove anything, regardless of what they'll believe. You're just doing what's right for you."
His smile grows a bit when he feels Orym's foot against his knee.
"Are you joking? I was the smallest in a family of six, I'm always proving something." There, he breaks into a brighter grin and he nudges Orym back. "Thanks."
It's not a story he tells often, not one he cares to share, but. Orym understands in ways others won't, he thinks. Not just being a little fellow in a big person's world, but--well. He's Ashari. Even if he's not experienced when Ro has, he knows what the culture is like and can imagine.
"I'll have to get you on a sailboard before you leave Vesrah."
That Ro's smile is so bright and infectious makes it that much harder to see his sadness dimming it. While Orym is certain he's not said or done anything important, he's glad that it's enough for Ro to feel a little better for tonight, at least.
"I'll have to find someone to complain to if you don't," he threatens playfully. "None of my sisters would forgive me if I didn't at least try it." Lita especially. "I have three older sisters. Triplets," he explains. He can relate to having something to prove. "Not blood, like I said, but I grew up with them. I was the smallest too, of course, but that just made me more determined to do everything the girls and Will did."
Sometimes he doesn't even think about it, conditioned by a lifetime spent together. His name just slips out in conversation like he's still here, like he could wander in at any moment. The joy of his existence, of remembering him, outweighs the sorrow of his passing for at least a little while. Though they are rare, these are Orym's favorite moments. He feels closer to him, somehow. His smile has a bittersweet edge, but it's still warm, and his eyes are soft, lids lowering to focus on the blankets between them.
"He loved skysailing. So if I don't leave Vesrah at least a decent sailboarder, he'd really never let me hear the end of it."
"I was the middle. Two older siblings, three younger." And him still the smallest of all of them once the younger ones hit three or four years old. "Don't need blood to be family."
He doesn't miss the more fragile look to Orym's smile at the mention of Will, and Ro wonders who he is - or was - and why Orym speaks of him in the past tense. But he doesn't need to ask now, because the other man looks happy otherwise and that's nothing to spoil with a darker cloud.
"Well, the advantage of sailboarding is it's not as far to fall," he quips. "Can you swim?"
Orym relaxes back into the hammock's hold, hands folded behind his head. Looking at Ro across from him, feeling their legs brush under the blanket, it really does feel like he's known him longer than a day. He's never this comfortable with people right away. But there's something disarming about Ro, and plenty in both their history and circumstances he finds relatable.
They'll have a few weeks at sea for him to decide if his first impression was right.
"Yeah, I can swim. By Air Ashari standards, I'm pretty good. But I've never done it in the ocean." Which has to be a lot different than the ponds and streams where he learned, and even the bigger lakes he's jumped into since. "I should probably give that a try before I jump on a sailboard."
"We'll take care of that, too. You'll be half aquatic before we send you on your way again." Ro grins and rests his head against the side of the hammock where it cradles him. "With the reefs around Vesrah, there's a few good places to get comfortable before we go past them."
The ocean is a different creature than lakes or river, no matter how big they were. He doesn't doubt Orym will find his legs, though.
"My mother couldn't keep me away from the water, and she tried," he says with a little laugh. "Not that she didn't want me in it. Just not on my own. I'd run for it whenever she turned her back long enough."
Since they met, Ro's painted a few different pictures of how he grew up. This one makes Orym smile, reminded very much of Nel trying to keep him out of trouble. "I'll have a good teacher, then." He already has been, letting Orym shadow and help him out since he came aboard.
"Thanks again for today, by the way," he says, thinking of everything he didn't know how to do yesterday. He'll need more practice, but he's learning. "Makes me feel better if I can pull my weight around here. Even if that's less than most people." That kind of humor hits different when he knows his audience gets it from his perspective, for a change. Literally from his perspective. There's no forgetting that they're small in a world made mostly for people twice their size, which just means they have to work twice as hard.
"Sure," he says with a little shrug, then a grin flickers to life. "Every pair of hands count, even if they're as small as ours."
Ro's used to being one of the smaller people around. He's sailed on a lot of crews now, some more varied than others, but the number of halflings and gnomes taking to the high seas is relatively small, all things considered. He's been delighted to have crewmates his size, or smaller, a few times a year.
"Besides, my motivation isn't entirely selfless," he confesses. "It'll be just you and me on the little boat."
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He learns a few other things from Ro that day. He doesn't have to work, but he likes to. If he's going to be in Vesrah for any length of time, he figures he should know a few things about sailing, anyway. And it's especially helpful to learn from someone his own size, because they often have to do things a little differently from bigger folk. It's nice not to have to figure out the workarounds himself, for once.
That night, he's just settled into his hammock--human-sized, so practically big enough to swallow him--when he spots Ro trying to find a place for his, the rest of his things in tow. He'd come aboard well after the rest of the crew (and their two passengers), so space is limited. Making a quick decision, Orym leans out and waves to catch his attention.
"We can share, if you want," he offers quietly when he comes nearer, keeping his voice low so they don't disturb anyone already sleeping. "There's enough room for at least two of me up here." His smile reaches his eyes, gently amused. The idea of not sleeping alone for once is also just...nice. He'll leave it at that.
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"Usually it's not a problem finding somewhere that'll fit me," he says quietly. "But it's a full crew."
And a few extra. Ro undresses down to his tunic and trousers, leaving everything else carefully put away and his shoes next to the post holding one end of the hammock.
"Give me a hand so I don't land on you." Ro reaches up, and as soon as Orym has a hold of him, he hops the rest of the way with the ease of practice. The hammock says with the extra momentum, but they don't go flying and they don't flip, so Ro will consider that a little victory.
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Smiling, Orym releases Ro's hand to clap his shoulder instead with a smile. "You know, I wasn't totally sure that would work, but I'm glad it did."
He's dressed--or undressed, really--for bed already, armor and extra clothing shed to leave him in just a pair of linen pants, flared and roomy until they tie around the ankle. Customarily, he doesn't tend to wear a shirt to bed, but he might have to amend that if it gets any colder during the night. At the moment, he's more conscious of the way it leaves his tattoo on display than his torso; body-shy isn't a thing he's been in years, but the ink is personal.
The hammock naturally sags toward the middle where they kneel facing each other over the blankets Orym's piled on. "I figured it'd balance out if I take this side and you take that one," he says. The extra body heat will also be nice, and even if it isn't the same, sleeping next to someone does help to ease the lonely ache he inevitably feels each night.
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Ro tries very hard not to stare too much when he realizes that Orym is shirtless. He's grateful for the dim light from a single low lamp, hoping it effectively hides the warmth in his face.
"Yeah, should keep us from sliding into each other," he says with a little grin. He moves back to give Orym some space. "Thanks," he adds. "I appreciate not having to find some rope to curl up in."
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As he moves back himself to start getting beneath the blankets, he adds, "I should be thanking you, anyway, for today. I learned a lot." About ways he can be useful on a ship like this, and about what he might be able to expect in Vesrah. Knowing that he's heading there with someone who's fast becoming a friend is really invaluable, too.
He also can't help noticing the ink on Ro's body now that he has a clearer view. He'd caught glimpses earlier, but now it's clear that the piece covering his right arm is in traditional Ashari style, like his. Water, fittingly, instead of air. But there's an echo of a shared identity there that really speaks to him. This artwork means enough to Ro that he would have it cover a whole limb, enduring the time and the pain of that process. Orym would know; he's done the same thing with the same limb, for a piece that means everything to him.
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"I already had a couple before I made it to the Ashari," he admits. "And I was there a little while before I got the big one done." He moves his right arm to indicate which big one he means, given that the other shoulder is impressive, though not as far-reaching.
"Are there a lot of halflings in Vesrah?" he asks curiously and quietly. They're close together now, no need to speak louder than necessary.
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"Some, but not a lot. Zephrah is a majority half-elven, with a scattering of others," he answers, speaking just as softly. "My blood-related family was always just me and my mom, so I've spent most of my time with bigger folks."
With a nod of his head he indicates the hold of the ship around them, and the people filling the hammocks strung up throughout. "I guess that's part of why I was surprised to see you today. I don't actually know many halflings."
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So, he spends most of his time around tall folk, too.
"I didn't meet many other halflings until I started sailing. I did meet the ones in Vesrah, but..." He trails off and looks away with a half shrug. "I didn't grow up there. Even if I was born Ashari, I think it took a while for anyone to see me that way when I came back."
It's a thing that's stuck with him, difficult to shake and difficult to forget.
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Ro's struggle with belonging is clearly more than that, though. A disconnect from a people that are his, but who didn't have a place for him when he returned to be with them. Orym's brow knits down as he considers.
"New faces are rare in Zephrah, like they probably are in Vesrah. It's hard to get to, and not a place most people choose to live without existing ties. People are mostly kind and well-meaning, I think, but Ashari culture is...guarded. There's a tendency to treat anyone who wasn't raised among us like they're just passing through, which can be the opposite of welcoming. No one wants to be a guest forever."
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Ro absently fidgets with a small pendant he still wears, turning it over between his fingers. He glances up to meet Orym's gaze and there's something a little sad in his smile.
"I guess I'm proving them right. I lived there exclusively for years, then--I couldn't anymore. I've been going back and forth across the Ozmit Sea ever since."
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"Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people are always treated like outsiders, they'll eventually decide to try somewhere else."
Beneath the blankets, his foot nudges Ro's knee more deliberately this time.
"It's not on you to prove or disprove anything, regardless of what they'll believe. You're just doing what's right for you."
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"Are you joking? I was the smallest in a family of six, I'm always proving something." There, he breaks into a brighter grin and he nudges Orym back. "Thanks."
It's not a story he tells often, not one he cares to share, but. Orym understands in ways others won't, he thinks. Not just being a little fellow in a big person's world, but--well. He's Ashari. Even if he's not experienced when Ro has, he knows what the culture is like and can imagine.
"I'll have to get you on a sailboard before you leave Vesrah."
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"I'll have to find someone to complain to if you don't," he threatens playfully. "None of my sisters would forgive me if I didn't at least try it." Lita especially. "I have three older sisters. Triplets," he explains. He can relate to having something to prove. "Not blood, like I said, but I grew up with them. I was the smallest too, of course, but that just made me more determined to do everything the girls and Will did."
Sometimes he doesn't even think about it, conditioned by a lifetime spent together. His name just slips out in conversation like he's still here, like he could wander in at any moment. The joy of his existence, of remembering him, outweighs the sorrow of his passing for at least a little while. Though they are rare, these are Orym's favorite moments. He feels closer to him, somehow. His smile has a bittersweet edge, but it's still warm, and his eyes are soft, lids lowering to focus on the blankets between them.
"He loved skysailing. So if I don't leave Vesrah at least a decent sailboarder, he'd really never let me hear the end of it."
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He doesn't miss the more fragile look to Orym's smile at the mention of Will, and Ro wonders who he is - or was - and why Orym speaks of him in the past tense. But he doesn't need to ask now, because the other man looks happy otherwise and that's nothing to spoil with a darker cloud.
"Well, the advantage of sailboarding is it's not as far to fall," he quips. "Can you swim?"
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They'll have a few weeks at sea for him to decide if his first impression was right.
"Yeah, I can swim. By Air Ashari standards, I'm pretty good. But I've never done it in the ocean." Which has to be a lot different than the ponds and streams where he learned, and even the bigger lakes he's jumped into since. "I should probably give that a try before I jump on a sailboard."
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The ocean is a different creature than lakes or river, no matter how big they were. He doesn't doubt Orym will find his legs, though.
"My mother couldn't keep me away from the water, and she tried," he says with a little laugh. "Not that she didn't want me in it. Just not on my own. I'd run for it whenever she turned her back long enough."
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"Thanks again for today, by the way," he says, thinking of everything he didn't know how to do yesterday. He'll need more practice, but he's learning. "Makes me feel better if I can pull my weight around here. Even if that's less than most people." That kind of humor hits different when he knows his audience gets it from his perspective, for a change. Literally from his perspective. There's no forgetting that they're small in a world made mostly for people twice their size, which just means they have to work twice as hard.
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Ro's used to being one of the smaller people around. He's sailed on a lot of crews now, some more varied than others, but the number of halflings and gnomes taking to the high seas is relatively small, all things considered. He's been delighted to have crewmates his size, or smaller, a few times a year.
"Besides, my motivation isn't entirely selfless," he confesses. "It'll be just you and me on the little boat."