#restoringthelost

“Who calls me?” came the raspy response, barely a hiss upon a breeze.

Katherine felt a shiver run up her spine. ‘That must be him,’ she thought to herself and pursed her lips. If she hadn’t known better she might’ve thought it had been a ghost or some other such apparition. But she did know better and was right steamed at the creature’s spooky antics.

“Katherine Shepherds,” she replied firmly, “and I’d like to have a word with you.”

There was a moment of silence before she heard the heavy clack-clack of the creature’s footsteps. Slowly they made their way around the crates, through the darkness of the basement, until they finally reached the stairs. Katherine stifled a gasp of surprise as the 6 foot tall sea monster stepped into view, his shelled helm glinting under the dim stairwell light while his tattered cloak swayed with every step. Between the barnacles and crust of dried sea salt on his clothes, this “Baribus Thatch” appeared to be every whit the ‘demon sailor’ Gray described him as.

‘Huh. The one time he’s not telling tall tales,’ she thought and blinked when the monster did the most unexpected thing. He bowed. Not just the regular pseudo-bow she saw so often, but a full and proper from-the-waist-down bow.

“Miss Shepherds,” he croaked, straightening up again.

“Mister Thatch, I presume?” Katherine asked, folding firmly across her chest despite her surprise.

“Yes,” he replied, his voice no more than a croaking rasp.

“I’ve been informed that you gave one of my patience a right good scare a few nights ago and I’d like you to make amends with him.”

There was a low growl as Baribus straightened indignantly. “Whatever fright Gray received was purely his own doing,” he rasped defensively. “I cannot be blamed for his insecurities."

“No, but you can be blamed for enflaming them!” Katherine snapped back. Realizing she was losing her temper, the young woman took a deep breath and glared up at Baribus' boney helm. “Mr. Groves depicts you as a fine gentleman in bad straits,” she remarked, trying to restrain her temper as she earned a barking laugh from the former sailor.

“Bad straits? Well if that’s not the vastest understatement I’ve ever—“

“I wasn’t finished,” Katherine interrupted, her expression hardening. She watched Baribus straighten, clearly taken a-back, before continuing. “You both have lost a good deal more than anyone in this here building. You’re the only two who could hope to understand what the other is goin’ through, but instead of understanding each other, you’re too busy trading spooks and insults!”

“You speak as if Grey and I are alone in this,” he growled again, leaning forward so that she could see his golden irises peering out at her.

“Oh, I know you’re not,” Katherine retorted hotly. "You have Mister Groves and Hopkins has me. But you and I both know there’s no true way for me or Mr. Groves to ever understand what you two are going through. Because when it comes down to it, Hopkins has lost as much as you have, maybe more since you still remember your own name. Doesn’t that deserve some kind of pity, even from you?”

Baribus fell silent, the brunette’s words seeping deep into his mind. He wanted to argue that no, although they were similar, Gray’s trials were nothing compared to his life as a nadder. They were nothing compared to the self-hatred he felt, the disgusting, boglish urges he felt, and the threwd that periodically pulsed from his very body!

But as he looked down at the young woman, the hardness of his heart began to soften. She was Gray's friend. More than that, she was an immortal -or as close to one as he had seen- like him with Grove’s lot in life. She had seen Gray, known him before his death - before he lost everything, including the memory of who he once was.

In truth, there had only once been a time when he had almost lost himself to his curse, when he had almost become a complete nadder with no humanity left. It was the night he had rescued Lavinia from her sea rogue captors, when Vini herself had to hold him back from murdering the captain as he had planned to do with Hebers. In that moment, he had lost all reason and become a beast of the sea. It was only through the efforts of the young Viscountess that he was brought back and his humanity preserved.

Baribus’ helm closed and turned as he looked away from the young woman. After several minutes, he slowly turned back and nodded. “Alright. I will send my apologies—“

“No,” Katherine said, cutting him off flatly. “You’ll go apologize to him in person like the gentleman you are, and show him you don’t mean him or anyone else here any harm.”

There was a low rasping sound as the former sailor inhaled and exhaled deeply. “You do like to make great demands of others, don’t you?”

Katherine smirked, probably the closest thing Baribus had seen to a smile that entire encounter.