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Despite his easy-going, sometimes naïve way of being, Hoary Boulder was more than often underestimated by his foes, something that he considered an advantage rather than a slice to his ego – he was somewhat of a mixed breed, a feisty Roegadyn with no fear of showing his emotions, no matter what they were, and yet be focused enough to end the mightiest of foes. And while yes, perhaps to some at first glance he seemed quite obtuse, Hoary Boulder was not stupid, not even close, and he knew very well how to interpret the most different of signs, specially when they came from himself.
It wasn't the first time he felt like this, heart speeding in his chest and stomach fluttering with moths when he stared at his partner in adventures for too long, when he saw the elezen with his brows furrowed in concentration, when the conjurer smiled at a child they were aiding in their quests, when Coultenet stared at him with that cute, confused look on his face. In their three and a half months of partnership, Hoary was very well aware of his own feelings towards his friend, and how they leaned a bit beyond simple friendship, far away from the starting partnership – it was almost like destiny, Hydealyn herself had sowed their paths together, like they were two parts of the same soul. As such, he couldn't help himself from wanting to protect him at all costs, even thought technically Coultenet was his healer and it was his job to keep Hoary alive.
They worked well together, was the thing, and he never wanted this partnership to break apart, leading him to stay at the Black Shroud much longer than he had previously anticipated, but also not making him willing to leave. He would wait for Coultenet to be ready to adventure out in another region, such as Thanalan or La Noscea, and they would go together.
Another reason he was surprised when, one morning, Coultenet woke him up with a determined look in his eyes, one that woke him up better than any cold water on his face.
"I wish to go to Limsa Lominsa."
Those were... some words alright.
"Good morning to you too, my friend" Hoary said, groaning and sitting up while stretching, feeling as if he had not slept at all. One look outside the window confirmed this, it was still as dark as when he had laid. "How long since we have slept?"
"You rested for two hours. Forgive me" Coultenet said, only now seemingly aware of the time. Hoary shook his head, a sleepy smile curling on his face.
"No problem. So, Limsa? Why?"
"I had heard rumors about a new group of pirates that had been terrorizing some villages, but after this report I stole from the Twin Adder I am certain-"
"You stole a report from the Twin Adder?" Hoary asked, his eyes widening, but Coultenet shushed him and sat down next to the roe, showing him the paper.
"Listen! It says that indeed a small contingency of guards are being sent to deal with the situation, but I'm sure the Seedseer would rather keep her troops home in case of another attack, so I believe we should volunteer for this mission! We could go to Limsa in an airship and then fight the pirates!"
"I thought you were not ready to leave the Black Shroud so soon" Hoary said, tilting his head, the elezen looking at him with surprised eyes before he turned away, shaking his head.
"I am more than ready to leave these woods, they hold no challenge for me anymore."
"Are you certain? What about your family? Your sister?" he insisted, noticing how Coultenet tensed up at their mention. "I mean, Limsa is far away from Gridania, and who knows if we will be ready to fight those pirates? Shouldn't you at least warn them?"
"They would try to convince me not to go" Coultenet mumbled, and throughout the time they had known each other, a few pieces of the puzzle Hoary had been able to decipher on his own – a well-endowed family, parents who disapproved of their son's adventures, a controlling household. Still, he did not know much else, and leaving one's family was never easy despite the hardships. "I will send them a letter, and we leave the day after tomorrow."
"Do not make a rushed decision, there is much we can still do for the Shroud" Hoary advised, the elezen looking at him with a frown. "Sleep on it, today, tomorrow. We will speak again when you have thought this through, and if it is still your wish, then we head off to the pirate city."
Coultenet, although unsure, gave him a smile and a nod, standing up and returning to his own bed while Hoary watched him fondly, wondering what went through his closed off head. It was never easy to read an elezen, let alone one so cold and logical as Coultenet, but he was starting to see through the cracks, and what he saw was beautiful.
He was, however, biased.
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While Coultenet thought his plan over, Hoary used the next two days to gather up supplies just in case. He did some missions around town to gather some extra gil, bought and scavenged some supplies from the woods and the merchants around, and allowed his friend all the time alone he would need. By afternoon he returned to the guild, heading to their shared room and dropping the bags down on the floor to start separating the essentials from the rest, when Coultenet walked out of the bathroom, looking at Hoary and frowning.
"I have finished my letter, we leave tomorrow in the morning."
"Alright" Hoary nodded, offering him a sandwich he had bought in the market, one he had noticed Coultenet enjoyed quite a bit. The elezen took a moment to take it but eventually did, taking a bite and sitting down next to the roegadyn. "Now, should we put aside the cheese or the ham?"
"The ham, I do not like the taste of it in the morning" Coultenet replied, helping Hoary to separate all their supplies while taking bites of the sandwich. "How much gil were you able to get?"
"A few thousands, good enough for now. Each ticket is five hundred, correct?" he asked, the elezen nodding next to him. "Then we have enough for the trip there and back, and some more for eventual inns."
"The adventurers guild will allow us free stay, from what I know, the rest is up to us. These pirates seem to be attacking Upper and Outer La Noscea with more intensity, which takes us far from the city proper, but it is also an opportunity to get to know far newer places" Coultenet mumbled between bites. "Have you been there before?"
"I did not spend too long in La Noscea, I focused my work mainly in Thanalan, the pirate city is filled with adventurers trying to earn some money. But what I did spend over those lands was enough to get to know Upper, but I never adventured further out than that" he said, smiling at the conjurer. "We will both get to know new lands."
"This is both reassuring and also not, at the same time" Coultenet replied, a shy smile curling on his lips while Hoary laughed loudly, gently but firmly tapping the man's shoulder.
"Don't worry, we will be fine on our own, and no one will beat us to it! Now let us get some good sleep, we need to be prepared for tomorrow. Did you bathe already?"
"The bathroom is all yours" Coultenet nodded, and Hoary left him to finish organizing their bags to take a good shower and relax. They would have a long day tomorrow.
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If Coultenet thought that sending the letter late at night would allow him to avoid his parents, he had sadly been mistaken. The two of them woke up early and headed down to the airship launch underneath the adventurer's guild, and by the time they were heading to the airship, tickets in hand, a loud voice crashed down like thunder in the facility, calling out to him.
"COULTENET DAILEBAURE!"
It was so loud even Hoary winced, and he was used with Roegadyn families screaming for and at each other all the time back in his home.
All the passengers waiting for the airship to open its doors looked over at the family coming down the stairs – two elezen adults, Camille and Linda, plus two other men that looked like body guards. It was clear that they were important in Gridanian society, since Hoary noticed all the people looking away as they approached. He did not, however, and neither did Coultenet.
"Father... dad..." Coultenet said, one title quieter than the other. Hoary took a moment to watch the two elezens approaching, one that was uncanny to Coultenet, the same grey eyes and blond hair, his semblant uncertain and bothered but also clearly upset with his beloved, who in contrast was nothing like Coultenet or his sister – he had harsh lines in his face from stress, probably, his hair still light in color but approaching more of a honey shade instead of the off blond the others possessed, his eyes bright green and flaming in anger. They approached Coultenet and he in quick steps, the guards stopping by the stairs, Linda and Camille also by the side. Hoary was unsure what to do with himself, so he stayed at Coultenet's side, and would remain there unless requested to leave.
"This is outrageous! The letter you wrote, this decision you're making! You are completely reckless, Coultenet, and this time you exceeded your limits! What are you thinking, leaving Gridania like this in the bloody morning, thinking you would not have to handle the consequences of your childish, thoughtless actions! No, young sir, you are mistaken! You, and I, are going home this instant!" the honey haired elezen said – well, screamed, and Hoary felt Coultenet shrinking next to him, as if his whole soul was turning smaller. His mother had always taught him not to get involved in family matters, but this one was hitting too close to home.
"Beloved, please-" the other elezen spoke, in a calmer voice, but his eyes seemed to hold the same resolve as his partner's. "Let us solve this at home over a nice breakfast, and talk."
"I am tired of talking, your son is not prone on listening to reason!" he replied, reaching out to hold Coultenet's arm. "You are coming home right now, you hear me?"
"... no" Coultenet muttered, so quietly that they almost did not hear. The green eyed elezen narrowed his eyes, taking a step closer to the conjurer.
"What did you say to me?"
"I said no!" Coultenet yelled back, pulling his arm away from his father's hold and stepping back. "I have made my decision and it is no thoughtless one, I can assure you! I am going to Limsa Lominsa, I am going to La Noscea, I am going to become an adventurer and there is nothing you can do about it!"
"You are a little brat is what you are" the man responded, growling deeply. "Maurice, Robert, take him home!"
The guards that had been waiting for a call back against the stairs gave a nod and started to move towards Coultenet, who clearly without thinking yelped and jumped behind Hoary. This however made the roegadyn more than glad to finally do something, taking his shield out and staring as the guards and the parents stared at him wide eyed.
"I am sorry but I cannot allow anyone to take Coultenet away without his permission" he said, firmly, and the angry elezen stared at him with eyes burning.
"And who do you think you are to go against the words of the Dailebaures? Are you some kind of body guard my son requested to watch his back? Only he to choose such a monstrous being such as yourself, huge beyond measure just to scare off those less fortunate, built like an ogre should not even be called a man" he said, angrily, but these words did not reach Hoary at all, he had been called much worst in his adventures and he knew they meant nothing.
"I am not a body guard, I am his adventure partner and his friend" he clarified, taking out his sword and ignoring the gasps around him from the audience in the airship landing. "Now I would advice you to leave before this escalates any further, I am sure mother Miounne would not be pleased to see fellow Gridanians passed out on her floor."
"Indeed, I would not."
They all turned their heads to see the lady walking down the stairs, elegant and firm as always, followed by two adventurers that were acting as her guards. Her eyes fixated on the Dailebaure pair, and Hoary was quick to put his weapon away.
"You cannot be serious" the honey haired elezen complained, but she stared at him with such force he held his tongue.
"I will not enter the merits of a family argument, this is far beyond my reach – but as the owner of this establishment, I will not allow its good name to go to waste for such a meaningless demonstration of power. For what I know, parents are supposed to care and aid their children into following their dreams, and for what I have seen, Coultenet is way more talented at adventuring than whatever tasks you required of him on his youth. For that and that alone, I will request you to leave, and if he wishes he shall leave as well. If not, the next airship to Limsa Lominsa leaves in half an hour, you may acquire a ticket and speak to him there."
"This cannot be happening, you... Gridania is lost! Lost to adventurers and people of bad faith like you, who accept them on our lands without a second thought!" the man yelled, making his way to mother Miounne and pointing a finger at her face. "If my son returns harmed, or rather never returns, this fault will fall to you, and you will pay for your bad faith!"
"Send the bill to my retainer" she replied, coldly, and he huffed in distress before turning to face Coultenet, who was still half hiding behind Hoary.
"And you, mister. If you take this airship, I never wish to see your face in this Shroud again! You are no son of mine!"
He left slamming his foot with every step, the guards rushing after him. His partner looked over at Coultenet with remorse or even guilt before following the other, leaving only Linda and Camille behind. The child rushed to them, hugging Coultenet tight while the passengers started to get inside the airship, quietly.
"I'm gonna miss you Coult! Don't listen to father, you can always come back" she said, digging her face in his belly until he kneeled down and hugged her firmly.
"I will miss you too, little flower" he whispered, kissing her head and then looking at Linda. "Please take care of her."
"I will" the hyur smiled, waving at him as she took Camille's hand and headed over to the stairs. "Goodbye!"
"Bye Coultenet! Goodbye! Send me letters! And gifts! I love you!" his sister yelled, making him chuckle and wave right back.
"Love you too!" he called, sighing and returning his eyes to Hoary, who had felt his heart grow ten sizes. After a deep breath, Coultenet's eyes seemed determined. "Ready to leave?"
"If you are" he smiled, and looked back at Miounne who was still staring at them. "Goodbye my lady! We will return soon!"
"And so I hope! Take care!" she replied, waving at them while the embarked.
As they sat down on their spots and watched the airship take flight, Hoary could not help but admire Coultenet quietly, his face shadowed by his hat, fingers tapping lightly on his staff, humming a quiet song the roegadyn did not know. He seemed relieved, and happy, as if the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
By the time they started to feel the salty air of La Noscea hitting their noses, Coultenet was already napping against his shoulder, making Hoary blush in delight.