Ialdia was already proving miserable, yet they were still on the ship. Between the rolling waves to rock the boat all day and night, the lack of anything in sight besides the rest of the fleet and more water, and the lack of any true company besides the thirteen year old Emmeric called his bonding partner, the tanned man of the desert was driving his deprived self insane. 

At the moment, he was arguing with himself. Debating as to whether he should be talking with anyone else besides Youn. On one hand, he told himself, not many were willing to associate with a former criminal like him. On the other hand, he told himself still, he had come to this cursed land to turn over a new leaf, so this was perhaps the perfect opportunity to introduce himself to new people… It still just didn’t feel right to Emmeric; he hardly knew Youn, so in essence, it was as if he was alone out here. It was a strange fit of bashfulness he had never expected to come with a new place and brand new people.

In the end, he, on wobbly legs, went to go bother his partner once more.

___

The sea, even after all this days passed she still couldn't believe how much water there was in just one area. Though, after Emmeric explained to her what the difference between salt- and Drinkwater was, the sea was a lot less amazing; but still enough to keep her above the deck for the majority of their time on the Verrus-Mund.

However, was this entire situation really what she wished for? She was just a little girl after all, not to mention that the lack of contemporary companions made her feel uncomfortable, but feelings of regret were just a waste of time. Youn had to look forward, forward to all those riches and the better life she would build herself.

Lost in her thought, the pink hair nearly failed to notice her approaching fuel source: Emmeric, a guy she once thought of as a fool, now her closest ally. Giving him a look of expectancy, she waited, as he surely didn't seek her out without any reason. 

___

“Ah,” he said, standing there. [i]To think, I had thought this had become easier.[/i] “Nice weather we’re having?”

Demonstratively taking a look up into the sky, Youn responded. "Nice weather? I hoped I would see one of those storms the sailors were talking about! But most of the time it isn't even that different than back home." 

Emmeric chuckled. The girl was right; the weather had been fair their entire way to Ialdia, despite any sort of foreboding symbolism that the man would have much rather preferred. He moved over to the rail where Youn was looking over at the waters, leaning his back against it. He was staying out of everyone’s way while being able to watch every person on deck, an old habit it seemed. “True,” he finally said to her. “None of those fantastical maelstroms from the sailors’ tales we’ve been told [i]have[/i] been seen, hm?”

Youn nodded multiple times in quick succession. "Mhm, mhm, pirates, Giant Sea Serpents, beautiful woman of the sea whose songs are supposed to lure you into the dangerous waters, ghost-ships, a gigantic Octopus, or whatever that thing was called, able to black out the sun and so on. They told all those amazing things, yet I haven't witnessed a single one! They are probably bigger liars than me, those sailors!"

Emmeric gave his best effort to laugh again, but found himself simply sighing instead. “Ready for danger already?” The tone of the question was serious and flat; nothing jovial about it like the last one. [i]That’s right…[/i] The reason he had come up here was because they were already so close to their destination. “Youn, are you ready? Ready for Ialdia? We-” He found his voice wavering. How do you tell a child that she might die? “We need to be, if we- when we face whatever this continent has to throw at us…”

Hm? It seemed like she made her partner-in-crime worry. Right, Youn had no right to be surprised about that, even if partners, they were still strangers to each other. But did she really see him as a partner? Sure they made the contract and all, but first and foremost she saw in him something akin to a [i]resource[/i]. Maybe that was also the reason she was pretty okay conversing with him, he was a man after all. Lost in her own thoughts she followed his example with a sigh before proceeding in a way more serious manner than before. "It's not a question about being ready or not, we [b]ARE[/b] ready, simple as that." Making a small pause she also added. "And if a giant octopus would have been all that it takes to destroy the fleet, we would suck anyways. The only real threat would have been those singing women, boys only think with their dicks after all." What might have been a bad joke was actually in a dead serious tone.

Emmeric chuckled in earnest again this time. This little girl was as couth as many of his former associates, which was really not at all. At first, the vulgar language she used surprised him and made him feel uncomfortable, but the days that followed their initial meeting had left him adjusted and fine around the language she used. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“True,” he joked, “but perhaps you should experience more of life -- the finer points, that is -- before passing judgment, hm?”

Youn looked at Emmeric in slight surprise. Finer points? The girl wasn't exactly sure what he meant with [i]finer points,[/i] so she could only guess. Maybe he took offense in her vulgar remarks? But even then, the only thing coming to her mind was yet another stereotypical trait. "Finer points? Like what? Alcohol? I swear that stuff makes those dumb idiots even dumber, though I won't complain, it makes it really easy to fool them after all... Guess how I got the information that allowed me to take that gem without any trouble from you in the first place."

“...Not exactly what I meant, but you’ll find out when you’ve put a few more years behind you.” He smiled at her, even though the girl had brought up a miserable time for him. “Here’s a bit of advice though,” he stretched his arm while speaking, “don’t go through life always so negative. You’re a lot less likely to make it if you feel life is only full of the bad stuff.” He flashed her a smirk. “With that said, please don’t die on me.”

Always so negative? He was the one who got all serious in the first place! Before the genius magician could nag about that however, he put the conversation into pretty much the opposite direction. A moment speechless, she abused the relatively [i]smooth[/i] movement of the ship and jumped on the railing, keeping her balance wasn't much of a problem for the agile girl after all. "Listen Fool! I am deemed immortal as long as there are still riches to be found on this cursed land we call now our home!" While she failed to sound ominous she was at least pretty loud, adding quietly. "So don't say such awkward stuff."

Air escaped his clenched lips before transforming into a small fit of laughter. “Aye, my merciful, and all-powerful goddess; I shall refrain from such slanderous use of words whenever you are in my presence.” Emmeric let his laughter settle down. Still, were she to die…

With a self-satisfactorily nod Youn jumped from the railing onto the ground. "Good, good, if you speak about such stuff again you must serve as my pet for a day, meaning I can experiment as much magic as I'd like to!" Speaking about magic, Youn gazed at the ocean: she just had a genius idea! "If we get sick of all this, couldn't I just turn the sea into ice and we make a run for it?!"

“Only if you think you can carry my collapsed body while running over a trail of ice,” he said, only half serious. “But come on, we’ll be making landfall soon. We still have to prepare what little stuff we have for that moment.”

"Hmm, or maybe I can split the water and...Oh? Prepare what little stuff we have? But I have everything with me!" She pointed towards a brown bag-like thing safely stuffed between two barrels. While she wore her poor-woman's clothing the rich stuff was all packed away in that 'bag', which also happened to be her blanket. Not to mention she didn't make a secret out of her weaponry attached to her belt.

“Well fine; come help me pack [i]my[/i] stuff then, [i]partner[/i].”

"Eeeehhh? But I don't wanna, 10 bucks and I am in!" That said Youn was already moving towards her self-made bag before tagging alongside her partner.