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In all, the man had considered himself quite clever. He assumed that he had every avenue of logic covered—with every question, an answer; with every rejection, a reason to rethink it. Not a single stone of verbal conversation had been untouched or unaccounted for... for the most part.
Daniel Van Heler considered himself a very well-spoken man, and moreso one of an ineffable sense of charisma. If he wasn't, then he couldn't understand how he could do so well as an author in the first place; the written word to him was as a sword is to a duelist, a cane to a conjurer, the very lifeblood of inspiration that kept bards singing into the dark hours of the night. Truly so, when it came to the power of putting together all the right words in the right way to communicate his thoughts, Daniel could surely fashion a fantastical scene of any sort within the short span of two leather covers.
Or so he had assumed, up until his proposal was shot down—rather abruptly, in fact.
"What... do you mean?" the words slip from the man's mouth like a leaking faucet; unkempt and messy. Not a moment of mental editing to make them sound any less as frustrated as he feels. "I don't see how there isn't plenty of room aboard your ship to-"
"The Misery—my ship—is far more complicated than you seem to give it due credit, Mr. Van Heler."
The elezen that Daniel speaks to is tall, but what gives his words a sword-sharp edge is less physical stature and more in the silver-bright eyes that stare pressingly over the young hyur's shoulders; it doesn't take much more for all the confidence of reason and logic to shatter into tiny bits of broken syllables.
Captain Carvallain of the Kraken's Arms is known to be the most amicable of deals across the Lominsan crews, but Daniel didn't ponder what he would do if the privateer had patiently listened to his business deal of sorts, details and all, and had still rejected it outright.
The captain crosses his arms even more firmly across his chest. Behind him, one could see the rest of his crew busily moving cargo and supplies about for their next voyage out to sea—to Kugane, no doubt. None of the crew seemed to offer Daniel even a moment of attention. Had they heard any of the conversation? If they did, were all of them curious as to what their captain would have answered with?
Suddenly, Daniel felt his face grow hot, and hotter still when the elezen continues to speak.
"I am of the understanding that you are a name of your own right, however-" Carvallain glances over his shoulder for a moment, as if directing Daniel's attention to the crew and the massive ship behind him. "-a name in itself means nothing on the sea. To take you on as little more than a sightseeing passenger is a risk, you must understand, a risk I am a fool to take when it is obvious you know next to nothing of how a Lominsan crew operates."
"Sightseeing?" Daniel's embarassment flickers to a flash of annoyance. "I hardly think the first-hand research and note-taking I would be doing could be called something so frivolous as that. In fact, it would be an absolute disservice to you and yours if I were to attempt to write my book without a better knowledge of this world I apparently know so little of."
A moment passes. Carvallain raises a brow in what almost looks like amusement—or annoyance? Daniel can hardly tell the difference, given that he scarcely knows how to read the man at all.
"I respect the work of artisans," the captain says, tone careful and measured. "And, whether you believe me or not, I find yours no less valuable than anyone else in our fair city. You may see me as a pirate, Mr. Van Heler-" he raises a hand to silence a half-hearted word of disagreement from the other man. "-but, pirate or privateer besides, I am a businessman above all else."
He allows a few moments for the words to settle over the air. Then, Carvallain gestures a hand back towards his ship and bustling deckhands.
"The Kraken's Arms operate on the simple concept of deals and profits. You cannot run an effective business without both. If you are going to stay aboard the Misery and make extra work for every member of her crew, then you must assure me that you will offer something of value—something beyond pretty words and aimless promises of virtue."
Daniel blinks. He had not planned nor expected the conversation to turn out quite like this. Once Carvallain had turned down his careful reasons to allowing him aboard the ship for the voyage to Kugane and back, he assumed that would be the end of the discussion, and the hyur left to figure out if he wanted to try his luck with the captains of the other two major once-pirate crews in Limsa Lominsa. But Daniel was left unprepared and wordless, a combination of feelings he rather loathed and avoided like the plague.
Silver-sharp eyes lay upon him in expectation, waiting for an answer that took what felt like an eternity to find.
Daniel clears his throat, then says, "I... don't have very much gil to give you outright. I have training in the arcane and some understanding in magicks, but they aren't all that strong."
"I surely hope that's not the best offer you have for me," Carvallain's expression softens in amusement that is finally a bit more obvious to read. But the author continues after a breath, finding a semblance of confidence 'neath the heat of his cheeks and the swirling of his thoughts.
"You... could take me on as another member of your crew. I wouldn't need any special attention, no babysitting whatsoever. I will still be able to do all the research I'd need for my book, and..."
Carvallain looks at Daniel expectantly as the words, unfiltered and utterly insane, fall from his lips—he barely knows where they are coming from, but can't find the sense to stop them.
"...I will let you have a portion of my book's profits upon publication for the troubles I've yet imposed upon you and your crew."
Now that seems to get the captain's avid attention. His eyes widen for just a flicker of a moment, quickly hidden behind an experience poker face but not quick enough for Daniel to realize he had offered something quite appealing indeed.
He raises a brow, then chuckles. The gentle sound echoes across the salt-laden wind as it whips and whirls between the two of them. Only after Daniel starts to feel a new wave of heat blossom across his face does Carvallain settles into an expression of satisfaction.
"It seems you are very quick to catch on to how things work with the business of pirates. In that case, lets get a contract drafted up to sign—and then you can start regretting your decision."
He gestures before turning on his heel and moving towards the ship, fully expecting Daniel to follow behind. The hyur does, momentarily wondering if he had just made a horrible mistake; still, there is something about the feeling on the air that assures him otherwise.
Maybe it's the warmth on the wind, the crashing waves against the dock... or perhaps it is the handsome sound of Carvallain's chuckle still echoing in the back of his mind.