gruffsharptooth

[gruffsharptooth]

Griffin “Gruff” Sharptooth

“Why do people keep assuming that I’m a good person? I’ve done good things in my life, sure, but I’ve been a pirate for longer than I haven’t. Those good things were accidents on the way to me getting what I want regardless of what it takes for me to get it.

I’m not a good person nor do I ever plan on being one.”

Character sheet designed by  @oh-atlas​ and here’s theirs.

[gruffsharptooth]

Types of Ships

Parts of the Ship

Wind Directions

Sides of Boats

[gruffsharptooth]

“Here, Gruff, drink this for me,” Erros said with a friendly smile that hopes at being helpful, holding out a bottle filled with a glittering liquid. “I made it last night.”

“Last night when we were attacked by the ghost ship?” Gruff asked in confusion. Looked down at the tiny old gnomish wizard. Erros wasn’t usually very fast on his feet. Gruff could usually outpace him easily. Did he figure out a spell to make him go faster so he could use spells and spend time brewing concoctions in his room?

“No, Gruff,” Erros laughed. Not in a mean way though, just in amusement. Still friendly. “After that. Before I went to sleep.”

Gruff crouched down so he’s at eye level with Erros before carefully taking the bottle. “What’s it do?” They’ve just finished clearing out a third of a full-Orc army, Gruff didn’t think he could take drinking a poison without going down. Again.

“Should make some of those cuts and bruises you’ve got go away big guy.” Erros said while patting Gruffs knee carefully.

Gruff nodded. Erros hadn’t tried to hurt him on purpose yet. He uncorked the bottle, smelling it with Erros watching on. Should heal he’d said so he’s probably watching to make sure that it actually does that.

It only takes one swallow to down the entire bottle and it did make Gruff feel a tiny bit better. Not as much better as Istaval’s potion had but even the slightest bit better is something Gruff is okay with.

“How d’you feel, buddy?” Erros asked, peering through his old man glasses as if trying to spot a cut that had disappeared or a bruise that had gone away.

“I think I’d need about thirty more to get anywhere,” Gruff said, handing the empty bottle back. Erros could reuse it. Waste not, after all.

Erros looked disappointed but that’s not something Gruff needed to worry about. He just picked his Greatsword back up and trudges over to where Cinn thinks he’s well hidden on a roof to throw rocks at him.

[gruffsharptooth]

A thing based on something that happened a while ago in one of my D&D campaigns.

"I'm gonna kill them," Erros says angrily. All three feet of the old gnome is shaking with fury and around a dry cough Gruff laughs at the sight. It's funny to see someone so small look so displeased with something that they can't stay still.

Cinnibari flits across the open entrance to the room, twigs and leaves that make up the elves clothes rustling in the breeze caused by the movement, and shoots two quick arrows at chieftan barking orders at the guards trying to get past Gruff.

Gruff doesn't let them past. Not one.

The only person in his group that's going to be hit in this fight is going to be Gruff. From his mouth to Umberlee's ears.

Gruff claps his smallest companion on the shoulder and throws Erros a smirk. "Not if I kill them first," Gruff says while pivoting around the corner on his good leg. His hands adjust their grip on the hilt of his greatsword, Toothpick, so that they won't slip as he raises them up and lets the rage that's constantly simmering in the back of his head start to sweep forward -

- but he stops in his tracks because a shifting changing ever-moving swirl of coloured lights appears in front of him. The tip of Toothpick falls to the floor. Gruff stops moving to stare at them because they're the most mesmerizingly beautiful thing he's seen in ages.

"Wow," he says quietly under a sighed breath. He's not the only one to air such a sentiment. The sound of the chieftan and the guards all wondering in awe is easy to hear.

"Goddammit, Gruff!" Cinnibari curses and slaps Gruff in the back of his head, dodging under and away from the elbow that his half-orc teammate swings reactively.

With a rageful snarl Gruff starts forward again, cutting through one-two-three guards in one single swing of Toothpick while barely stopping in his path towards the chieftan giving the orders. The chieftan yells orders for backup in Orcish. For someone to do something useful. Gruff grins and raises Toothpick again to swing at the chieftans head.

Or he tries. He freezes mid-swing and the culprit is easy to identify. The shaman is finishing off a string of arcane gibberish while running one hand along a short, straight piece of grey metal. Gruff tries to fight it, tries to force his body to go against the magical orders that the shaman has given but he just ... can't ... manage.

"Shit, no!" coming from Erros is the last thing that Gruff hears before an explosion of fire throws Gruff sideways onto the floor. Parts of him are still burning. He can feel it but he can't do anything about it because still he can't gods be damned move.

Two arrows fwip-thwip through the aftermath of the explosion as the guards are picking themselves up off the floor of the castles undercroft and suddenly Gruff can move again. "There you go big guy!" Cinnibari says with a cheerful laugh. "You've gotta stop getting yourself into trouble, I'm not always gonna be here to pull your ass out of the fire!"

Gruff doesn't reply. It'll only encourage the skinny little twig.

Instead he stands up and swings at the chieftan, beheading the asshole in one easy swing that leaves the next one free for that asshole shaman.

[gruffsharptooth]

A thing I did to procrastinate on chapter two of my novel over the past two days.

Gruff showing off the only thing he’s proud of about himself - his muscles.

[gruffsharptooth]

The Game Is Afloat: Part 1

Know Your Shit, Know Your Ship

There are a lot of reasons to put your party on a ship: adventure, exploration, raiding, saucy pirates, running into cyclopean ruins in which elder gods sleep, and just plain getting from Point A to B. Plus, the only thing stupider/more amazing than mixing boating and alcohol is mixing PCs, boating, and alcohol.

Obviously there are lots of books like Stormwrack that can give you all the mechanics you’d need, but I thought I’d outline the kinds of fundamentals that give you access to all the most exciting parts of shipboard adventuring. I want you guys to be able to have thrilling sea chases, cunning deceptions, perilous storms, sneaky attacks, and some of the goddam sexiest ships afloat. I haven’t really found a book that gives good examples of this stuff, so here I go!

(Nota Bene: the basic rule of thumb for the difference between a “boat” and a “ship” is that you can put a boat onto a ship, but not the other way around.)

There are two very important things to know about ships:

1. They make leeway. When the wind blows on a ship, it will push the ship sideways in the direction the wind is going. The deeper and sharper the bottom of your ship, the less leeway it will make. The shallower and smaller the bottom of your ship – or, rather, the less draught (UK/CA)/ draft (US) she has, the more leeway she’ll make.

2. They can’t go directly into the wind. If you try sail a ship directly into the wind, she’ll eventually just stop and begin to drift backwards. This is called being “in irons”. If a sailing ship is trying to go in the direction that the wind is blowing from, she has to zig-zag back and forth across the wind. Depending on the type of sails she has, the ship makes broader or more acute-angled zig-zags. The bigger the zig-zag, the less actual progress the ship is making towards her goal (especially with leeway in operation!). 

Got it?

Bitchin’.

Holding fast to your sparkly, new-found knowledge, prepare for the next thing you need to know: 

There are two(-ish) types of sails.

1. Fore-and-aft sails: These are what you usually see on the average sailboat these days. They run from front to back of a ship, and their design lets a ship point closer towards the wind (i.e. where the wind is blowing from). These sails are attached to supporting poles called “booms”. If you pull in your fore-and-aft sails close to the centre line of your ship, it’s called sailing “close-hauled” or “full and by the wind”.

2. Square sails: Think Pirates of the Caribbean and Treasure Island. These sails sit roughly athwartships a.k.a. at right angles to the centre line of the ship. These sails are attached to horizontal poles known as “yards”. They are extremely effective at sailing generally downwind-ish, which is known as “sailing large”.

(3. Jibs: technically run fore-and-aft, but they don’t go on masts or booms, but rather the “stays”, which are ropes that hold masts in place so they don’t fall out. )

Fun fact: if a ship is good with both styles, you’d say that “she sails well, both by and large”.  And that, shipmates, is where the expression “by and large” came from. 🌟NOW YOU KNOW.

With most tall ships (by which I mean wooden ships from the Age of Sail), you get a mix of these sails:

Also: note that, when we’re being technical, a ship in the general sense of “it r a big boat” may not be “ship-rigged. Because nautical jargon is like, 90% things being confusing.

   Now, let’s boil all this down to some broad generalisations:

Big draught/draft/fat-bottomed girls ≈ makes less leeway, but can’t go in shallows.

Smaller draught/draft  ≈ makes more leeway, but can zoom into rivers and shallow waters.

Fore-and-aft sails ≈  sails better going upwind.

Square sails ≈ sails better going downwind.

Big ship ≈  can carry more/bigger guns, which can shoot farther, but goes slower. Hard to row in a calm, if at all.

Little ship ≈ zippy like a bunny on crack, but smaller/fewer guns. Plus, being lower to the water, in heavy seas (storms, big swell/waves), she may not be able to open her gunports without getting her guns soaked so they can’t fire. Easier to row in a calm.

You can add magic sails that go directly into the wind. You can shape wood to change draught/draft. You can have guns that fire underwater, or can get wet. You can give a ship harpoon guns to pull the other guy in. You can make your ship fireproof. You can do anything you want, because magic.

But before you even begin to indulge in fantasy ship fantasies, you need the ship you’re going to modify.

⭐ So you go shopping. ⭐

Because you’re not just limited to the basic, Golden Age of Piracy galleon:

You can get a galleass, and row your way to ramming the other ship when they’re becalmed:

You can have a party-sized crew, and cross oceans in a Polynesian proa (feat. outrigger):

Forget putting your junk in the trunk, put your trunk in a junk (Zheng He’s junk!):

And much, much more!

_________________________

But let’s talk pretty simple shopping, and what you can do with it:

Say you have Big Ship, which is a larger, heavy draughted/drafted mostly square-rigged ship. Playing the role of Big Ship today is a smallish frigate:

Big Ship is chasing Little Ship, a sharp-hulled but shallow-draughted/drafted, mostly fore-and-aft ship. Meet the sexy, sexy xebec [pronounced: /ˈziːbɛk/ or /zᵻˈbɛk/], feat. lateen sails, which are the hottest kind of fore-and-aft sail, IMHO, if not always practical:

There are so many ways this encounter can go, even if you don’t drop a kraken, mutinies, fires, and/or huge storms on them:

If Little Ship wants to escape and is upwind of Big Ship, she can point herself as close to the wind as possible, and her zippy fore-and-aft rig will help her escape the lumbering foe, and she can show the Big Ship her ass with a cheeky wink and a wave.

Or, if Little Ship knows there are underwater obstacles around like reefs or sandbanks, or a shallow channel between islands, Little Ship can lure Big Ship towards those obstacles and cause Big Ship to run aground. Then Little Ship can zoom around and rake Big Ship with cannonfire at her leisure until Big Ship surrenders.

However, Big Ship will be able to carry heavier guns that can shoot further away: at any moment, Big Ship could blast away one of Little Ship’s masts, and then Little Ship is seriously boned. Superior gunnery and training in aiming prevail, and the rewards of hard work are repaid with $$$.

And what if Big Ship has Little Ship downwind? What if there are very light winds, which Big Ship’s taller masts allow her to catch, since she can spread more sail? Then Little Ship is in serious fucking trouble, and will need to start throwing her guns, water, food, and possibly even (*sob) treasure! overboard to survive. And if she gets away, she will now find herself without the ability to fight, probably in the middle of the ocean, with nothing to eat or drink. This is usually about when bigass white whales and elder gods can add a little zest to your time afloat.

This is just one scenario, with two ships, no magic, no monsters, and no inclement weather.

Plus, I’ve left out my most favouritest part of sailing ships, like, ever: deception, disguise, and generally outsmarting the other guy.

Next time on Captain Doesn't Shut Up About Boats: 

Luff & Bluff: The Sneaky, Lying Bastard’s Guide To Tricky Sailing and Sailing Trickery

[gruffsharptooth]

Sick

@pretttydemonboy I was bored here’s a thing.

It starts one morning with a cough.

It's been a long time - easily years but he doesn't count - since Gruff has live on board any kind of ship. Cassa still roams the seas, oceans and various waterways of the world but with the coming of his fiftieth year of age the leaving of his hearing started. The cause, according to the doctor that Racquel and Cassa dragged him to upon figuring out why he wasn't answering their calls? Too many hits to the head. Too many cannon blasts too close to his ears.

Oh well.

His kids enjoy him not being able to put himself in danger any more, at least.

But it starts one morning with a cough.

Just a small one. It's barely enough to even be called a cough to be honest. But Gruff has always been a simple man who doesn't like to call things what they aren't and this is definitely a cough.

The cough sticks around, though, unlike his usual bouts of sickness. Usually he gets a sore throat and that's it.

The next morning, the morning of the day that he's promised to teach Kilil how to skin a rabbit, Gruffs nose is stuffed enough that he has a hard time breathing through it. Mirendian notices immediately, having been in Gruffs life for nearly twenty years now.

"You feeling alright?" she asks with a small knowing smile, tiny halfling hands nimbly weaving threads together into ... something. It looks big and red. Gruff will find out eventually, Mirendian likes to show off everything she makes.

Gruff waves off her concern and leads Kilil's bouncing form out the back door where the rabbit hutch is kept. He's fine, it'll go away soon enough. Kilil hasn't stopped talking about learning how to cook a rabbit from scratch since seeing Racquel kill and skin a deer two weeks prior.

(He wonders when Kilil will start sneaking out to ask Racquel about things only another full-blooded Tiefling would know. Hopefully no time soon.)

Two days later Gruff is in the middle of fixing a hole in Little Ed's roof with Adriswen and Gelas when he starts coughing and can't stop for a full five minutes. When he's able to let go of the roof to regain his bearings Adriswen is gone and Gelas has a tight grip on Gruffs arm with both hands.

"I'll finish this, Cap'," Gelas says quietly. "Adri ran to get Racquel and Big Ed, they should be here soon."

"I'm fine," Gruff shakes his head and goes to finish attaching the board he'd been working on. Gelas scowls but doesn't say anything else.

Probably because she knows that she doesn't need to. Adriswen appears mere moments later, elven feet faster than Gelas' human ones could ever possibly be, with Racquel and Big Ed trailing behind him.

"Gruff get down here or I'll make you!" Racquel shouts up.

It's a promise, Gruff knows, not a threat. Ze has made similar ones before and more than happily followed through when Gruff tried to call zir bluff. So with a sigh and a quick prayer for Umberlee to finally take him so he doesn't have to put up with any nagging he hands his hammer to Gelas.

He doesn't use the ladder to get down. None of his youngest are there to see him at it so there's no need not to have a little fun.

Racquel rolls zir eyes at the display when Gruff lands in front of zem. And then laughs when he doesn't manage to stick the landing and instead ends up on his ass.

Worst sibling ever.

Adriswen jumps over with a worried "Captain!" as soon as Gruff starts falling because while the boy is nearly an adult he's also just young enough to not remember having spent any time on a boat. Only Mirendian and Gelas get that dubious honour.

"I'm fine," Gruff insists with a groan as he stands up. Gelas is watching with an eagle eyed frown from up on Little Ed's roof. Adriswen hovers, hands out like he wants to try and help Gruff stand but knowing that it will neither be needed nor wanted.

Big Ed steps forward. Gruff dislikes being around Big Ed - Big Ed being a Goliath and taller than Gruff by a good two feet.

"One of these days you're going to break a leg doing that," Big Ed says while rubbing his hands together, then gently touching his fingertips to Gruff's throat when a soft white light starts to glow around them.

"Just so long as it's the left one I'll be fine," Gruff grumbles. "I'm fine, they didn't need to bring you over,"

"You were coughing so hard you nearly fell off the roof," Racquel says in a tone that says that ze will not accept any statements from him as anything but lies. Because ze knows him entirely too well after so many years.

With a shake of his head and an amused smile Big Ed takes a step backward. "You should take it easy for the next few days, friend. You've got the flu."

"No I don't," Gruff shakes his head and waves Big Ed off, turning to climb back up onto the roof -

- only to be stopped by Racquels hand on his arm. "Come help me set some traps, these two have things handled."

Racquel will never need help setting traps. Ever. Especially seeing as ze knows how bad at sneaking around Gruff is. So what is ze really doing? Trying to trick him into a less dangerous situation?

"Captain this is nearly finished anyway," Gelas shouts down between swings of the hammer that Gruff had left up there.

"Fine," Gruff huffs. Adriswen is visibly relieved and Big Ed smiles.

"If you start feeling worse don't be afraid to come get me," Big Ed says to Gruff, then turns to face Adriswen. "You make sure he doesn't try and tough it out. If he won't then one of you guys will, right?"

Adriswen, the traitor, nods quickly and without even a pause to consider otherwise.

The next day Gruff can barely get out of bed.

He does. But it's hard. Everything hurts and his body feels like it's moving against a fast moving current but he's got things to do so up he gets.

Breakfast is made. Scrambled eggs and sausages and toast with some wildberries that Acadia and Gilan and Gang collect from the edge of the woods once a week in a bowl. It always makes the three youngest smile proudly to see them on the table.

All the kids filter in and none seem to notice that Gruff isn't moving as fast as he usually does. He's hoping they all chalk it up to it still being early. None of them mention it at least.

Before everyone even finishes eating Thelann is up from the table and starting to wash all the dishes that were dirtied. It's nothing out of the ordinary.

But then Adriswen is taking Gang and Gilan and Acadia back upstairs and into the room that the three youngest all share to get them ready for the day. Then Mirendian stomps in through the front door with a bagful of freshly picked mushrooms that she dumps onto the table that Thelann has just freshly wiped clean.

"Captain I'm making stew tonight and I need your help with these," she says while sitting down in the chair right next to him. The chair that Gruff needs to get out of because he has too many things to do.

Adralith is having a baby and asked if he could make her a cradle. Cirakor and Braedda and Legaev all suddenly need idols for Helm and Lathander and Waukeen. He wants to fix up Racquels front doorway because the door warped through the winter and sits crooked now. And so many other things besides.

But he doesn't want to get up because even the thought of standing up is exhausting. So he takes the excuse that Mirendian has helpfully handed to him on a silver platter and starts helping her to prepare mushrooms. Then the potatoes and carrots once the mushrooms are cut into acceptably small sizes.

Gruff only grumbles a little about it. If he didn't the kids would all know that something was wrong and they don't need to worry about him.

As soon as the carrots are finished Mirendian releases him from her clutches so Gruff stands. He immediately regrets the movement from the ache that pulls at every muscle in his body but all that he allows himself is a small wince. So small it could be mistaken as being from standing up after sitting for so long.

A short search through the woodpile later and Gruff is sitting instead on the well cushioned seat in the main room of his home, his woodworking tools piled beside him while he starts working on one of the idols. He isn't sure which one yet.

Kilil comes over not long after Gruff sits down and curls up into Gruffs side with a book that Gruff vaguely recognizes as having been a gift from Racquel on different animals. The kid isn't in the way even with the way they're practically on Gruffs lap so he lets Kilil be.

The idol in Gruffs hands slowly starts becoming shaped less like a log and more like a humanoid being. Arms bent at the elbow and hands cupped in front of the body as if holding something. It'll be a good Waukeen.

Between one long blink and another, though, Gruff nods off to sleep without meaning to.

Wakefulness briefly takes him only for a moment when three small bodies replace the slightly larger one of Kilil standing up. Gruff falls back asleep even as he feels his tools and half-carved piece of wood being gently taken from his hands.

He wakes up again to a pair of small hands touching his face and a groan escapes before Gruff can hold it in because the hands feel cold and he wants them off.

"Marryyyyyyyy!" Gangs voice splits through Gruffs voice like a worm through freshly laid fertilizer.

"Shhhh!" Acadia isn't any quieter.

"But-!"

The three small bodies covering his and the two tiny hands on his face start to get lifted away with stern whispers. The lack of extra bodies around him is cold. Why is everything cold? Gruff struggles to move enough to grab at least one of the kids that had been napping on him, any of them at all.

"Captain, go back- oh gods above," Gelas' voice cuts off as she first triest to stop Gruff from getting up and then, upon taking hold of his arms, traces her hands up his biceps to lay her hand against his head.

She's cold too. He'd been hoping she wouldn't be, she always used to be warmer than his other kids. Warmer than everyone but Kilil at least.

"Mirendian go get Racquel. Adriswen get Big Ed." Gelas orders entirely too loudly. She's usually not one to yell why is she yelling? And why isn't Mirendian yelling back? His two eldest were always yelling at each other for the smallest slights. The biggest slight being yelling at each other.

Always the first to defend the other if they saw someone picking on them though. His kids are the best.

"Only because we have the best Captain," Gelas replies softly. His kids are able to read his mind? "Stay there, we've got everything handled." she continues.

Gruffs eyelids are heavy enough he suspects that an ancient dragon is sitting on them but he manages to crack them open, one at a time, little by little. The window shutters are closed and the only light source in the room is the fire in the fireplace. Why? It's not night. It's only barely the afternoon!

Gelas is taking a blanket from Kilil just as the front door opens again with Mirendian and Racquel rushing through it.

"I knew that I should have come and forced you to take things easy," Racquel grumbles unhappily. Ze is in zir soft sleeping clothes with a cloak thrown over top of them to protect from the wind. Gruff wants to say something about it, to make fun of zem for not being dressed, but all that he can manage is a series of coughs that won't stop until hands help him lean forward.

Once the coughing finally stops Gruff tries to think of something witty to say. Now would be the perfect time, he thinks, to make a joke - if only he could think of something funny. All he can manage is an exhausted groan while letting his head fall onto the shoulder of whoever is in front of him.

It's an adult sized shoulder so that narrows it down a bit. Gruff is too tired to think on it further, though.

"Go to sleep, old man," Racquel sounds like ze is trying not to laugh, zir voice fond. "I'll get my I told you so when you're more sensible."

Racquel hasn't ever led him wrong before so Gruff manages one small nod and an even smaller grunt before he lets himself be helped up by a pair of hands bigger than any of the kids actually have. Fear wakes Gruff up enough to start struggling against them because no, they aren't going to take him away from his family again! He won't let them!

"It's just me," Big Ed says, even and calm and sure of himself like always. "I'm getting my I told you so in now and getting you to your bed. You're safe,"

Gruff sags in relieved recognition, energy completely spent. Big Ed sags under Gruff suddenly no longer holding his own body weight and Gruffs vision starts blacking out as exclamations of worry are shouted out into the room. More hands grab hold of his arms and Gruffs eyes blink closed.

He's not fine. He's far from fine. But he's safe, and that's good enough for now.

[gruffsharptooth]

Depressing Discovery

@pretttydemonboy​

The boarding party returns home to the Fintir victorious. None of them are without injuries - the crew of the captured ship put up a vicious fight - but all of them are moving mostly under their own power.

Mostly.

As Cassa watches her people file back over the gangplank a few people are being helped to limp across without falling overboard. Pebble stumbles across with the help of Lyle. Anastrianna and Sariel seem to be leading each other and Direcriss is helping Gruff, who seems to have somehow broken the wooden bottom half of his left leg among many other injuries.

Add to that the twenty slaves now safely out of the hands of their abusive masters hands and Cassa is almost giddy. Dare she risk jinxing things and calling the day a good one?

No, she doesn't. Better not to risk it until the day is properly over.

Direcriss helps Gruff down below to where Cassa knows his bunk - and therefore his things - are kept. She can't remember if a spare leg is one of those things but she hopes so. Getting a new one made is always frustrating for everyone involved.

Oh well. If not it'll be a weeks shore leave for everyone she supposes. It might even be good for morale.

"Captain," Lyle walks up to her after Pebble waves the Firbolg away. She looks concerned. "A word, please?"

Dammit. Cassa knew it was too good to be true.

"What's the matter?" Cassa asks after leading Lyle into the captains cabin.

Lyle wrings her hands for a moment, staring at them. Likely gathering and arranging the words before she says them. She's careful like that. Finally Lyle looks up and takes a deep, cleansing breath before speaking.

"We might have a problem," is what Lyle starts with, immediately making Cassa worried for the safety of her ship and crew. "Gruff needs to be taken off the boarding party rotation."

Cassas immediately reaction is to want to deny it because there's no possible way that her boy is the weak link in any chain he's a part of. Before she jumps down a very loyal crewmans throat, though, Cassa takes a breath of her own.

"Why is that?" Cassa asks, leaning on a table spread with maps and charts and navigation supplies.

"He's a good fighter. One of the best I've seen in a long time and he can take a hit as if Ilmater and Loviatar themselves are on his side in every fight he's in. But he's reckless and..." Lyle pauses for a moment. Two moments. She seems reluctant to continue but Cassa just waits her out. Finally, "and I don't think he has any fear of death."

"Some would consider that a good thing in our line of work," Cassa points out but Lyle shakes her head.

"No, not the way he does. I think he actively wishes for it. You haven't seen him really fight before because whenever the two of you are fighting together you're unbeatable. He isn't able to throw himself into a fight the same way when you're at his side." Lyle tries to explain.

"How do you mean?" Cassa asks.

Lyle takes another moment before answering. Sorting her words. "When you're not beside him he fights like he doesn't have anything to live for. As if there isn't a person on the planet who would truly miss him if he fell."

"Thank you for telling me," Cassa says. "I'll fix this."

"I just don't want to lose a crewmate where we don't need to. He's a good boy," Lyle says while letting herself out of the cabin.

For the next week Cassa watches Gruff closely, both when he knows she's there and when he doesn't and she's saddened by what she sees. When he's with other people he puts on a good mockery of happiness ... but when Gruff thinks he's alone is when he lets the mask fall. The sheer amount of despondency and sorrow in his expression makes Cassa wonder how she could ever miss it.

The Fintir doesn't meet up with anymore slaver ships and so no more boarding parties are put together but they do make port in Beachshore.

Having grown faster than her human friends herself Cassa is well acquainted with the phenomenon of humans not being able to read the age of anyone other than more humans. So when Gruff, who she knows to be only sixteen years old, walks into a tavern and is able to buy himself a round of drinks without being questioned even slightly she isn't surprised in the least.

She buys herself a mug of the shitty house brew they call ale at this tavern and sits in the empty chair beside him. Immediately he starts pulling down a layer of false cheer but now that she knows the truth Cassa can see how fake it really is.

"You know the belief among sailors that a Captain knows about everything that goes on in their ship has more truth in it than some believe, right?" Cassa says after a small drink of the very bad drink in her hand.

"Dunno what you're talking about, Captain," Gruff mumbles into the bottom of his own freshly emptied mug, flagging down the bartender to get a refill. All it takes is a single glare from Cassa to keep the man away - Gruff scowls at her but doesn't argue.

"Yes you do." Cassa states, turning the glare off of the bartender and onto Gruff. "If you have a wish to meet Kelemvor early that's on your head but you're not getting back on my ship if you're going to actively try and make his job easier."

Gruff fiddles with his empty mug for a few long moments. Turning it on its base left and right and left again. "The others ... they're important. They know things, they've got uses. I'm just big."

"Who told you this?" Cassa hisses, her grip on the mug in her hand tightening and making it creak dangerously. "Who said this?"

"No one," Gruff shakes his head, "They don't need to. I'm big, that's my only use, I've always known that."

"Was it your old captain who made you think this? Your old crew?" Cassa slams the mug in her hand down onto the bar top and makes the drink inside it spill over all the sides of it at once with the downward force of the hit.

"No you leave Captain Sutha alone, she's a good lady!" Gruff protests. "Took me in when I was even more useless than I am now. Didn't even know how to tie a knot let alone sail a ship."

Cassa starts opening her mouth to argue that point, to yell at the boy - the child - in front of her that the good captain Sutha couldn't be all that good if she'd missed one of her crew members being suicidally depressed let alone leaving him behind on his own after a traumatic experience like losing a limb. Instead of yelling she takes a breath and lets it out slowly the way that Anastrianna is always telling her to.

"Gruff," Cassa says softly, covering one of his shoulders with her hand, "You're far from the most useless member of my crew. Good sailors are hard to come by and you're one of the best I've met." Gruff tries to interrupt her but she doesn't let him, continuing to talk over him until he stops. "So what if you can't read well? Books don't know how to look at the horizon and start trimming the sails for coming weather. Books can't look at the sky, then at a map, and know exactly where we are on it."

"Everyone on the ship can do that," Gruff shrugs.

"You, Pebble, and I can do it. That's it," Cassa states. "Reading a nautical map isn't a common talent."

"I'm expendable." Gruff  says. "It's fine."

There's nothing that Cassa can think of to say that will change his mind. So she says nothing.

She stands up, dusts her hands off on her jacket, and punches Gruff in the face hard enough to knock him sideways out of his chair and onto the floor. The effect is just what she wants - finally she gets an emotion out of Gruff other than self-pity and misery.

He roars in sudden anger as he jumps up onto his feet and crashes into her in an attempt to throw her to the floor. Seeing it coming, though, she easily sidesteps the attack and Gruff goes crashing head first into the side of the bar. The damage to the bar is negligible but the bartender jumps over immediately with a frightened scowl.

"No fighting inside, take your disagreement out onto the streets where the Guard can deal with you!" he orders Cassa with a sharp hand movement pointing to the nearest door.

Gruff is still sitting reeling from colliding with the bar so Cassa grabs his arm and helps him up and out of the building. Idly she wonders how long it will take the bartender to realize that neither of them have paid for their drinks ... but she doesn't really care. It's just a thought to amuse herself with as she makes her way down the pier to where the Fintir is docked for the night.

After a few moments of stumbling along with the help of Cassa, Gruff stands on his own to walk along beside her silently. She can almost feel the depression fall back down onto the boy like a heavy blanket smothering him.

But he's following her, and keeps following all the way back onto the ship. She'll take her victories where she can get them.

This is going to take a while. She's never been afraid of hard work, though. She wouldn't have become a pirate otherwise.

[gruffsharptooth]

An End of One Worry

The docks for The Cuts are as ramshackle as the rest of the city in that they're thrown together haphazardly as they're needed. Added on in bursts in odd places when time and building materials allowed, it's not always an easy endeavour to navigate them without having to backtrack.

But they need to get to get across the Baltinglass Bay so the docks is where they are.

Doom is walking just ahead of Gruff, head high with his nose in the air and trying to look important. Also probably taller, seeing as how Doom is a full two heads shorter than the person closest in height to him in their ragtag group.

The kids head is held in such a way that he can't watch the ground in front of him so he's only barely keeping from falling into the water. Gruff's has to grab the boy a few times, having been ordered specifically to not let Doom fall off the docks.

Longrunner and Scratch are walking just behind him. He can hear their careful footfalls on the old wooden boards, Scratchs bare paws a soft thumping counterpoint to Longrunners heavy armoured boots. Both are silent as they walk but Gruff can feel the daggers that the two are staring into Doom's back without even turning to look at them.

They need Doom alive, though. And Gruff has been given a neverending order to protect the kid with his life if Doom is attacked. Longrunner might be armoured enough to take the hits Gruff will no doubt land on her and Scratch is spry and wiggly enough to not even be hit in the first place but neither is willing to kill him.

A mistake on their part but he's not going to tell them that.

A loud multi-tonal roar springs up from the ship they're walking next to. Gruff has only enough time to think he recognizes the noise before Doom screams in fear.

"Pirates! We're being attacked!" Doom needs say no more for his previous orders to spring into effect. Gruff isn't even given time to protest, to tell Doom off for being stupid because this is The Cuts of course there's pirates, before Gruffs mind is being forced to go blank.

They're being attacked.

He needs to protect the Master like he was told.

A firbolg walks forward, fuzzy body tall and a golden brown to match old tree bark, arms outstretched and teeth bared. Gruff rushes forward with a snarl and grabbing for the Greatsword strapped to his back - but his arms are held tight by someone bigger than him.

The Master is yelling for Gruff to kill the pirates, that Longrunner needs to fight them too they're pirates they're all dirty rotten scoundrels who kill everyone they see Scratch no don't help her!

Gruff snarls and twists and rages against the two, three, four sets of hands that are working together to drag him off his feet and pin him to the wet docks. Words that he can't understand through the blood pounding in his ears are shouted over his head.

("Doom, you remove order now!"

"No, they're going to kill us! Let him up so he can protect us!"

"So help me if you don't release my boy from whatever asinine order you've given him I'll do worse than kill you!"

"See?!")

One arm manages to get free and he immediately grabs for whoever is closest and fling them away from him ... but three more bodies throw themselves into the task of keeping him still before Gruff can manage it.

A roar of anger reverberates off the boards of the docks. He can't move and it's getting hard to breathe. He needs to fight, needs to kill all the pirates because the Master demanded it or else.

The world starts swimming.

He can't breathe.

Where's the air gone? He can't breathe!

Slowly the Masters voice wavers through as Gruff tries desperately to bring air into his lungs.

"Swear to me we'll be allowed to walk away unharmed!"

"Yes, we swear, just let him go!"

A pause. Gruff can feel the world starting to slip away from him. Then a tiny hand on his forehead.

"Gruff you don't have to protect me from these pirates right now."

The tiny hand on his forehead is ripped away as Doom is pushed backwards and the crowd of bodies holding Gruff down becomes a mob of people pulling him up and gently feathering touches over his arms. He allows it. No matter how light the fingers are being they're all that's holding him up right now while Gruff waits for the world to stop spinning so fast.

Someone is saying something to him but Gruff ignores them. Golden scales shimmer to his left and he immediately shifts to grab hold of Cassa and pull her into what would be, to most others, a bone breaking hug.

Cassa returns it then holds him out at arms length, looking at him with narrowed eyes. The crew members around them, blocking out Longrunner and Scratch and Doom easily, start to disperse to their tasks.

None go out of shouting range, though. All keep a close watch on Doom. All of them have their swords hanging loose in their belts, easy to pull out fast.

Once enough people have returned to their work Longrunner starts carefully moving closer to where Gruff and Cassa are still sitting on the dock gripping each other as hard as they can. Kneeling down she whispered just loud enough to be heard by Gruff.

"You are okay?" she asked.

Gruff starts to talk but is cut off by Cassa.

"Of course he isn't, how long has that brat had mastery over Gruffs collar and not removed it?" Cassa demands in a snarl that Gruff can't help but snicker at. He knows that snarl, has been on the receiving end of that snarl many times in his life. It's a snarl that you do your best to avoid.

"Too long. He did ... thing ..." Longrunner pauses to wiggle her fingers and wave her hands in the way that all spellcasters do with their spells that need it, the proper words she needs escaping her in the foreign language from her birth. "when all were asleep in Pesaro."

"Didn't know till three days later," Gruff nods. "Kid ordered me to go hunt for dinner, couldn't come back to camp for three hours till I caught a brace of rabbit."

He doesn't realize it's a mistake to tell Cassa this until she's leaping up and starting to storm over to where Scratch is making sure that Doom keeps his overly large prepubescent mouth shut. Gruff and Longrunner both hurry to stand and stop the Dragonborn captain but she's always been faster than her large form looked. By the time the two of them have caught her Cassa is already wrenching Doom from Scratchs hold and dangling him over the edge of the pier.

"Unhand me you brute!" Doom screeches.

"Cap'n put him down." Gruff says, trying to gently force Cassa to do as she's told. She's as stubborn as ever, though, and refuses.

"Take that collar off my crewmember or you'll be meeting your maker sooner than you want," Cassa hisses.

"No!" Doom looks at Cassa like she's lost her mind. "It's the only way to keep him in line and make sure he keeps his word!"

"Cap'n put him down!" Gruff makes another try and forcing Cassa, this time with Longrunner helping, but even the two of them working together only manage to make Cassa take a single step back before shaking them off.

The collar around Gruffs neck starts getting uncomfortably tight.

"Gruff Sharptooth ain't neva broken a promise 'cept when 'e was in no fit shape ta take care a 'imself let alone somebody else," Pebble appears from nowhere on Cassas other side and if Gruff had the breath to greet the Tabaxi he would.

Scratch steps forward to be beside Pebble and narrows her eyes disapprovingly at Doom. Gruff feels a hand grip his arm and help him stay standing on the dock. He hadn't even noticed himself starting to list sideways as he tried to pull some space between the collar and his neck to breathe easier. Longrunner looks at him with silent concern and carefully starts taking more and more of his weight as it gets harder and harder to breathe.

"And might I remind you, hmm, of your own very humble origins?" Scratch says in her typical soft tone that still nonetheless cuts through the surrounding noise. Doom immediately stills at her words, his attention fully upon Scratchs slitted golden eyes. "One wrong roll of the die, hmm, and you would have been in a similar position to Gruff."

"Mom!" Gruff gasps, desperate.

"Remove it." Cassa orders, dropping Doom harshly on the wooden boards of the pier nearest to where Gruff is only barely still standing.

It immediately gets easier to breathe, though, which is a relief.

"He called you 'mom'." Doom says inanely, staring between Gruff happily gasping in the air he'd been struggling for and Cassa moving to take some of his weight from Longrunner.

"Yes he did," is all that Cassa replies with.

There's an edge to the words but Doom is as clueless as ever. "But he's an orc. You're a dragonborn."

"Half-orc," both Cassa and Pebble correct immediately but Pebble is the one that continues with, " 's an important distinction." Cassa, instead of speaking, continues with glaring at Doom and motions for him to do what she'd told him to and remove the collar from around Gruffs neck.

"But if-"

Gruff cuts off whatever it is that Doom was about to say. "Get it off. Please."

"But you'll leave," Doom protests quietly.

"No I won't." Gruff stands up on his own, taking his weight off of Longrunner and Cassa now that he can manage it without falling over. Stands up to kneel back down on the wet dock in front of the eleven year old Tiefling. He hooks a finger underneath the edge of the collar and pulls it out away from his skin as far as it will go and repeats himself. "Get it off."

Doom looks down at his own feet for a few very long seconds that feel like hours but then finally. Finally. Finally he reaches up to take the collar in both hands and start saying a string of arcane gibberish that means nothing to Gruff.

A shiver of tense anticipation wavers its way up Gruffs body as the seconds pass. The thought of how long it's been since Master Kildrak put the collar on, how long it's been since the threat of having no choice in his actions if he runs into the wrong person hasn't hung over his head... He doesn't even remember.

Decades.

Finally the mumbling stops and Doom takes his hands away, the collar coming with them in two halves.

As soon as she sees them Cassa is taking them and flinging them into the bay as far as she can throw them. Gruff just runs his hands over his neck, smooth and unhindered for the first time for as long as he can remember.

Pebble steps forward and examines the discoloured ring around Gruffs neck. "It'll take some time ta get colour back, but you spend so much outside shouldn' be too long."

"You promised remember!" Doom very obviously tries to sound stern, like he's in charge, but the effect is ruined by the way he just reeks of new fear.

Gruff just rolls his eyes and claps a hand onto one of Dooms slim shoulders. "I'm not going nowhere," he says. "We'll get your sister back."

"First we celebrate," Cassa announces, helping Gruff up with a toothy grin.

"You're the captain," Gruff shrugs and waves for the others to follow onto Cassas ship.

[gruffsharptooth]

Loss

The gods are angry.

Dark clouds of rain roil and burn across the sky and needle a constant sharp and heavy patter against Gruffs back. He knows that he should feel cold, that in the coming days he's likely going to be sick with a fever - but so will most of the crew. Everyone is out trying to fight the pounding seas waves from tearing the ship to so much floating timber. Even Captain Sutha.

Melech and Jonjon and Sammy all haul on the line behind Gruff, the thick rope slick with salty seawater and fresh rainwater and sweat from their hands and blood from Sammy's still forming calluses. They all grip and haul and pull with all their combined strength to try and control their section of the sheets. To capture just enough wind to get them away from this monstrous storm.

A flash of lightning attacks the water just ahead of the bowsprit. Close in front of them, and a count of only two is all that Gruff gets to before a rumble of thunder threatens more to come.

"By the hells!" Jonjon swears "Umberlee needs to calm the fuck down, we ain't done nothin' to her to deserve this shit!"

All Gruff has time for is to grunt in agreement before the line in his hands snaps forward with a sudden angry howl of wind. Melech and Sammy hit the deck with a pair of thumps audible even over the storms furious screaming. Jonjon keeps hold for a moment before falling as well - but Gruffs grip stays true. His feet skid across the slippery deck boards.

Gruffs feet slip and slide over the deck as the sheet he's been hauling at, fighting with, controlling for hours rips itself to and fro and ever closer to freedom.

Lightning, Crackling thunder even sooner after it than before. The middle of the storm's even closer.

Another lurch as the storms winds catches the sheet properly and forces Gruff off his feet as the line is ripped out of his hands. At the same time a boom of thunder and a flash of lightning and an ominous creaking.

Then nothing.

-------------

Pain.

("We've got to get his leg straight.")

So much pain.

("Is it supposed to be turning that colour?")

Too much pain.

("He's too warm, get Morn in here now!")

Make it stop.

("Hells, he's awake, hold him still!")

No, stop!

("Morn! Finally, your spell wore off, put him under again!")

Make it stop.

("It's okay, Gruff, we've got you. Sleep.")

-------------

The world is awesome. Everything is great.

"Gruff, I need you to listen to me."

Sutha's face swims into view from the right and Gruff grins widely, reaching a hand up for her. He misses, his hand not going where he'd wanted it - but Sutha takes hold of it in her own large ones all the same with a fond smile.

"Cap'n!" Gruff exclaims. She's the best.

Snickering to Suthas side brings Banjanx into view, a Dragonborn and the only crew member of the Tide who's bigger than Gruff.

"Bastard ain't gonna remember any of this, Cap." Banjanx says with a wide grin showing off every single tooth. Very sharp teeth.

Like Gruffs name!

Wait a second did he steal Gruffs name?

"Shut up Banjanx," Sutha sighs while holding Gruffs hands hostage. "Gruff there was an accident. We need to leave you behind before the Guards wise up to who we are. Understand?"

Gruff gives Sutha a thumbs up with his hands that she's just released, then uses that thumb to scratch at his teeth because they suddenly feel like they're about to float away. He needs to keep his teeth in his head - without them it won't be nearly as easy to intimidate people. No one would be afraid of someone with no teeth.

"Umberlee preserve me," Sutha sighs. Movement to Gruffs other side catches his attention. Did some of his teeth escape without him noticing?!

A small elven kid is standing to Gruffs immediate left. Golden copper skin and the robes of a cleric in training. They look nothing like Naivara. Still, the coincidence is too big.

"Naivara has a daughter?" Gruff reaches toward the scowling preteen, who slaps his hand away harshly.

"I'll make sure he knows when he's awake proper." The tiny elf says, swatting away another of Gruffs attempts to grab hold of a hand, a piece of shirt, something to pull the kid closer.

Banjanx flips a couple gold pieces through the air at the kid, who catches them eagerly. Sutha nods as she turns and leaves, Banjanx following closely behind with a wave.

"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better." the kid says while holding up a small bottle that looks like it's holding the night sky itself. Is it the night sky? How did they steal the sky?

Gruff holds his hands out for it and the kid hands it over, a doubtful expression on their face. He swirls the bottle back and forth and in circles to make the specks of starlight shimmer and sway, watching entranced as it does.

Another sigh. "It tastes like strawberries, you know," the kid says.

Strawberries taste good. And the Captain says they're fruit and that fruit are important to eat. So that means the night sky is good for you?

Makes sense.

Gruff tips the bottle over into his mouth, downing the contents easily with only one swallow.

And immediately splutters in disgust because that does not taste like strawberries!

He isn't able to complain about it, though, because suddenly his eyelids are shutting and he can't stay awake and sleeping sounds like a really good idea...

-------------

Arms flail, blankets go flying, and Gruff rolls sideways to stand up off the bed and run away from the figure (probably a guard, the bed isn't moving so he's probably in prison) hovering over his other side.

Or at least he tries to stand up because he quickly discovers it's extremely hard to stand with only one leg.

He only has one leg.

Where is his other leg?

"Gruff!"

He pulls away from the guards grasping hands and scoots away backwards with his hands and only one leg.

He only has one leg.

Gruffs back hits a solid wall of something that stops his retreat from the tiny halfling guard. A pair of human sized hands take hold of his shoulders and start lifting him up - and none of Gruffs struggles get him free again.

"Gruff, calm down!"

The hands finally - finally - let go of him so that he drops down onto the soft padded surface of the bed he'd just fallen out of. After trying to stand up on a leg that no longer exists Umberlee preserve him the Captain's going to be angry!

"Augustus!" An adult voice, deep and commanding but still gentle, cuts through Gruffs spiralling panic. That's a voice that's healed him before. It's a voice that's saved his life when Master Kildrak or Lady Philomena went too far in their punishments.

"Salis?" Gruff sounds every single one of his sixteen years and his tongue twisting the pronunciation does the situation no help at all. Because of his size people tend to think he's older than he is and it's something that Gruff puts to good use ... until he has to talk and the effect is completely ruined with the damnable lisp he's never been able to get rid of.

But wait.

If Salis is here...

Then it isn't a halfling guard trying to take him in to be hung - it's someone much different.

"Racquel!" Gruff finally looks properly at the body attached to the small hands that had been trying to keep him from hurting himself. A tiny preteen tiefling with bronze skin is standing with hands on hips and a worried scowl.

"Yes you massive oaf!" Racquel says with all the annoyance and ire that a ten year old tiefling can put into four words. A single slim foot is stomped before ze walks forward to wrap zir arms around his neck in a hug. "I got a letter from someone with very pretty handwriting that was too curly for me to read saying that you were left here half dead!"

"Ivor, probably," Gruff mumbled into Racquel's shoulder. Maybe if he doesn't look for long enough his missing leg will turn out to be a very good illusion. "Used to be a scribe."

"It was very nice handwriting," Salis comments idly. "But the wording was bad, it sent the both of us into fits of worry. Racquel demanded we leave immediately."

Gruff squeezes Racquel as tight as he dares, only stopping when ze squeaks like one of the mice that live in the bowls of the ship...

The ship he's probably not going to see ever again. Because he's lost a leg. So he's useless.

Gruff tries to let go of Racquel to pull at his hair, tear at his ears, do something - anything - to distract himself enough that the headache just behind his eyes doesn't spill out in tears but Racquel doesn't let him. Ze fights his hands away from his head at every turn as best ze can. And then Salis is there too. The bed dips to the side with the elfs weight and takes hold of one of Gruffs hands in both of his while Racquel wraps zirself around Gruffs other arm.

"You'll be okay, Gruff," Racquel says into his shoulder just as fat rolling tears start to trace away from his eyes and down his face.

He tries to tell them to let him go and leave him to be useless and worthless alone - what use is a sailor who can't stand up? what use is anyone who can't stand on their own? - but instead all that comes out is a softly hiccuping wail that Salis lets Gruff muffle in his shoulder.

One large hand pats the back of his head and another smaller one pets the side of his arm. Both Racquel and Salis are speaking - to each other, Gruff thinks but he can't tell through the sounds of his own depression and pointless existence.

[gruffsharptooth]

Hello there! I've come with a follow - because this blog is really great - and a question. I want to write a character with ADHD, do you have any advice on how to properly go about that?

Be mindful. ADHD is a real thing—real people are affected by it. Thus, be careful on how you portray your character. Don’t use it to make a character “different.” Don’t ignore facts because they “don’t fit” your character. Don’t give in the stereotypes seen in popular media and dramatize those.

ADHD should not be the defining factor of your character. I suggest to build your character without the label “they have ADHD.” Get their background thought out (at least the general story of it). Give them relationships—what do they think of their parents? Are they romantically involved? Do they make friends easily? Give them an education; give them interests and hobbies and skills; give them a personality with quirks and faults. After that, research on ADHD and look at how ADHD can affect your already developed character. If there are some facts about ADHD that might go against your character’s traits, understand why and think of how to handle them. Don’t ignore these conflicts. Yes, ADHD affects people differently, so it’s possible some symptoms or traits won’t be apparent in your character, but never ignore these facts. Address them. Understand why these symptoms aren’t there. 

Some links:

On tumblr

actuallyadhd

adhdtricks

lifewithadhd

Writing a Character with ADD (part 1) - fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment

Writing a Character with ADD (part 2) - fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - fuckyeahmedicalstuff

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - houseofmind

Writing a Character with ADHD - loganlerman-rpc

Hunter’s How To: Writing a Character with ADHD - parrishable-rpc

An Inside Look on ADHD - psicologicamenteblog

A Guide Sort of Thing - ADD/ADHD - tomhanksrph

How to Write a Character with ADHD - vlogbrothershelp

Recommended Books on ADHD - actuallyadhd

“Could you please explain what ableism is, and how people with ADHD are affected?” - actuallyadhd

“I’m at the point where I just don’t know how to respond at all and I’m starting to doubt my diagnosis as well. Maybe I am just lazy? I dunno. Do you have any advice?” - actuallyadhd

“How do people with ADHD show different symptoms of ADHD?” - actuallyadhd

“Now, the problem I have with this diagnosis is if I have ADHD why is it I can focus on some things so much that I forget everything else. It’s like the rest of the world is gone and I can only focus on what I’m doing.” - actuallyadhd

“What are all the main types of adhd medications and how are they different? How do they affect people?” - actuallyadhd

“I was thinking of writing a character with ADHD, but I’ve never known how to go about it, and I don’t want to do it wrong, could you give me advice on it?” - twh-disorder-division

Outside tumblr (general)

What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? - nimh.nih.gov

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - cdc.gov

Research on ADHD - cdc.gov

Facts about ADHD - cdc.gov

What is ADHD? - psychologytoday.com

ADD and ADHD Health Center - webmd.com

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - thesite.org

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Fact Sheet - psychcentral.com

Myths and Misunderstandings - chadd.org

What Do You Want to Know About ADHD - healthline.com

Attention Deficit Disorder Library - psychcentral.com 

ADD and ADHD in Children Health Center - webmd.com 

An Introduction to ADHD in Children and Teenagers - psychcentral.com

ADD/ADHD in Children - helpguide.org

ADHD in Children - healthychildren.org

ADD and ADHD in Adults - webmd.com

An Introduction to ADHD in Adults - psychcentral.com

Adult ADD/ADHD - helpguide.org

ADHD - Man of DistrAction - blogs.psychcentral.com

ADHD from A to Zoe - blogs.psychcentral.com

ADHD makes you different, not defective (video) - cnn.com

ADHD as a Difference in Cognition, Not a Disorder (video) - TEDx Talks

Outside tumblr (specific topics)

ADHD Diets - webmd.com

Wellbeing - Diet - addstudy.org

Study Guide - addstudy.org

How to Get Organized When You Have Adult ADHD - ivillage.com

Other Concerns and Conditions - cdc.gov

ADHD in the Workplace - webmd.com

ADHD in Marriage and Romantic Relationships - webmd.com

ADD/ADHD Medication - helpguide.org

Yes, Girls Get ADHD, Too - webmd.com

Outside tumblr (infographics)

ADHD - Looking at the Numbers - pinterest

ADHD and Your Child - pinterest

ADHD and the Hemispheres of the Brain - pinfographics

ADHD Classroom Tips - pinterest

ADHD Parenting Tips - pinterest

ADHD Tips for Parents - pinterest

Back-to-School Success - pinterest

Forgotten Children - pinfographics

How ADHD Affects Children Across America - pinfographics

How Stress Affects the Body - pinterest

Hyperdiagnosis Disorder - pinterest

Understanding ADD/ADHD - pinfographics

What is ADHD? - pinterest

What is ADHD? - pinterest

What to Feed Your Child with ADHD - pinfographics

I’m terribly sorry for the wait, but I hope that helps! And thank you for liking my blog~

[gruffsharptooth]

ACoM - A Series of Incidents

Character exploration at its finest. @pretttydemonboy

Wherein a child is taught the hard way that being mean isn’t nice.

Doom turns back to where Gruff is leaning against the wall next to the door that the group needs open. Racquel is standing in front of zir brother with Cassa while everyone else is standing watch for guard patrols that circle the property.

"I can't get it, Gruff I need you to break the door down. Quietly." Doom says.

Gruff nods, stands, and stretches. Quietly the kid says. Sure. Break something quietly. That's doable. He exchanges a look of amusement with Cassa before giving the door a closer look, checking for where it might be weaker.

Then, with one massive swing of one massive fist Gruff sends the door crashing down out of its frame and onto the floor behind it.

"I said quietly!" Doom exclaims, all need for quiet lost now that alarms are being raised. Oops. "Ugh. Orcs are so stupid." the kid quickly storms forward in a huff, heedless of the danger he's running away from in the form of a very angry Tiefling and Dragonborn.

:::::::::::

Gruff is kneeling quietly, waiting where the others told him to wait with Cassa and Sam and Franz. This particular bit of work needs a set of quiet people and none of them are able to move without being seen. For one reason or another. So they all sit, Gruff and Sam playing Bloody Knuckles while Cassa and Franz watch on in amused silence.

Suddenly Doom appears from around the corner of the building they're all hiding.

"Gruff, come on, we need someone that looks like a brute and you're perfect!" Doom whispers, waving his hand to motion Gruff forward.

Gruff looks from Cassa to Sam and back, wondering how Doom could think neither of them were able to look properly brutish, before a small hand is grabbing his wrist and pulling him forward.

"C'mon! I know orcs are slow but we need to do this fast!" Doom says quietly. Gruff counts his stars that they're already out of earshot of Cassa.

:::::::::::

The guards let them all pass through the gate and into the city - but not before giving Gruff a thorough search for hidden weapons or stolen items.

Like he'd be stupid enough to keep them anywhere easily found by the city watch.

Cassa gets a similar treatment and Racquel just watches the two of them with amusement plain on zir face from inside the gate. Where ze has been since the guards easily let zem inside. No searches, no doubts on the truthfulness of their papers, no attempts to bait zir into a fight. Just a polite welcome-to-our-city and a wave on through.

Doom stands even closer, worrying his fingernails nervously as if he's the one being searched. Franz and Sam and Whisk are all deeper inside, looking for an inn and beds for them all to sleep in for the night.

Gruff looks away from Doom to where Cassa is standing again and crosses his eyes at her. She responds with a smirk and a stuck out tongue that touches the tip of her nose. Only one of the guards seems to notice scowls at the two of them in response - but the ones surrounding Cassa and Gruff back off in that moment.

"Alright, go on through. No funny business, either of you!" a female guard who looks thin enough to snap with one hand says. This city must be desperate, she looks sick.

Cassa stomps forward and slaps Gruffs shoulder with a friendly grin that he returns.

Up until they reach where Doom is standing.

The kid sighs in relief as Cassa and Gruff stop to stand in front of him, both wondering why Doom is blocking their path. They're both hungry. What reason could he have to stop them from tracking down the others and getting food?

"I thought that would take forever. Thank the gods you figured out how to behave for once!" Doom says while grabbing Gruffs wrist and tugging him down the road. Either missing or ignoring the fact that Gruff could easily toss him most of the way down the street.

"The others are this way, Franz sent me a Message with the name of the inn. Try not to eat the kitchen bare. I know your kind eat a lot but be polite for once." Doom says.

Gruff sighs and waves Racquel and Cassa both off. He can defend his own honour, thanks.

:::::::::::

The outpost is directly in front of them when they're all caught.

A roaming war band of orcs literally stumble across their group, not one of them noticing the orcs approach - and apparently the none of the orcs having noticed the group they were about to find.

The fight is fast. It doesn't go well.

It's only a matter of seconds for Doom to be knocked unconscious, just a single blow to the temple. Franz is the next down with two hits. Whisk disappears into the trees, Levitating herself out of range and out of sight and leaving Sam to take three massive hits at once.

Gruff goes down with Cassa at his side and Racquel's arrows zipping between them to hit every target ze aims at. When he goes down he doesn't expect to get back up again.

Yet he does.

He's tied to a post, but he wakes up.

"Welcome to the party," Sam mumbles from behind Gruff. They're tied to the same post, it seems. To the left Doom and Cassa are tied and to the right are Franz and Racquel. Doom is awake as is Cassa but Franz and Racquel are both still slumped forward in their bonds.

Gruff pulls out against the ropes holding him down and hears a sharp straining hiss from Sam. The ropes aren't attached to the post, they're tied in a simple circle around the two of them. No breaking them without breaking Sam.

Dammit.

"Gruff, none of them speak Common!" Doom complains as quietly as he can.

"You sure?" Gruff grunts. He wouldn't put it past them all to just be playing stupid. It's not possible that all of them in the war band are dense enough to only speak Orcish - every tribe has a few smarter members specifically raised for what few negotiations the tribe is willing to go through.

Doom rolls his eyes and sighs. "Yes I'm sure. Now. You're an orc-"

"Half-orc," Gruff interrupts. It's an important distinction.

"You're a half-orc so you should half know them all." Doom continues with another sigh.

"Doom that's idiotic," Sam huffs a laugh. "Gruff wouldn't know every orc on this plane anymore than you'd know every tiefling."

"Can still get us all out, though," Gruff says while watching their captors that are closest to the six of them. "Cassa, remember when we first met Max?"

Cassa laughs loudly. It's one of their favourite stories to tell in bars.

They'll be free soon enough. Maybe after they tell the story.

:::::::::::

It's the first major city they've been to as a group. Separately most of them have been through them but together they've been skirting around or heading away from them entirely. With two of them openly Wanted by various groups it's been safer.

Now they need to be in a city though. It's the only place with a dense enough population to lose the people tailing them.

Luckily The Cuts is a city whose people don't really care who is amongst them - a good deal of the residents of The Cuts being lawbreakers themselves. It's a city stuck together with a haphazard mismatch of houses held together with sticks and the prayers of people with no where else to go.

It's Gruffs favourite place to be on land.

All the worst parts of a society jammed together in one place, getting along and running things the way they should be rather than how a bunch of rich snobs want it to be.

Which ... can be a problem now that Gruff is actually back in the Cuts and remembering certain aspects of the beliefs of the people that live there.

"Hey, keep your hands where we can see them you dirty Tief," a stall owner sneers at Doom as the boy wanders over to look at the baubles for sale.

"Excuse me?" Dooms face screws up in confusion. Gruff stays put, a solid wall between Racquel and the insolent human being ripped apart with zir bare hands.

"You heard me you vile little demon spawn, you keep your hands where I can see them or I'll call the Watch down on you." the stall owner sneers.

Dooms shoulders inch a little closer to his ears and he turns away from the shop, looking just a little hurt and more than a little confused at the treatment as he walks back to the rest of them.

He doesn't get far, though, before a group of teenagers run past and knock into him. The collision is hard enough to send the boy sprawling into the dirt of the road and Gruff can't hold Racquel back any longer because he's stomping forward, too. The kid might be annoying but there's been quite a few occasions where he's saved the entire group from being killed.

The teenagers run off laughing about the horn-head being put where it belongs.

Racquel chases after the teenagers - who immediately start running as fast as they can, seeing an adult Tiefling following them - while Gruff stoops down next to where Doom is still laying on the ground. With one hand Gruff picks the boy up by the scruff of his neck and stands him up on his feet, Gruffs other hand gently beating the dust off.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Gruff grumbles quietly while carefully kneeling down to make sure he got all the dirt. Doom only sniffles as a reply - but Gruff has a feeling the message is understood.

Gruff stands back up, satisfied that Doom is as clean as a preteen child with no set home can be, bringing a suddenly shrieking Doom with him.

"Put me down you gigantic oaf!" Doom demands, ineffectively pounding tiny fists against Gruffs back.

Instead Gruff shifts Doom so he's sitting on Gruffs shoulders.

Doom goes quiet for a moment. A twist of one of the rings on his fingers and Gruff starts off in the direction that Racquel is in, almost able to feel the child on his shoulders trying to decide if he's too old for this kind of treatment.

The silence continues.

"When we catch up you're gonna need to hold on tight," Gruff says. "Gonna need both my hands free."

No verbal answer is given but two small hands wrap around the top of Gruffs head and hold on as tight as they can.

[gruffsharptooth]

ACoM - Racquel Threatens a Child

@leeferal Most of the reason this is so long is because I did a bit of stuff leading up to when Racquel and Cassa meet up with Gruff and Co.

Keep reading

[gruffsharptooth]

ACoM - Casa and Racquel Join the Party

A future part to A Company of Miscalculations because I wanted to write this scene. @pretttydemonboy​

With the town of Bridgecliff behind the five of them there should be nothing but smooth sailing for the rest of their journey to Kildraks mansion. Barring any raids by bandits or any particularly brave creatures.

Gruff hopes there's an attack. A family of owlbear, that would be a good way to die so that the collar would come off.

(He pulls at it again, knowing nothing will happen, but needing to at least try as the tight, itchy, feeling slowly shivers its way farther up his spine the longer the slave collar is closed around his neck.)

There's whispering on the cart behind him but he pays it not attention. It's up front where all the others have sat, leaving him the entire back half of the horse-drawn cart to himself. Whether it's because they think he needs this much space or because they're afraid he'll attack them is still something that Gruff is trying to figure out ... but he isn't willing to ask. That might make them think that he wouldn't hurt them for staying too close to him.

None of them can be trusted.

Gruff plays with the rings on his fingers, twisting them around and around. Twisting, turning, pulling, and pushing. It's all the movement he has the energy for right now having not slept well in three days. His body feels like iron bars have been attached to it without him noticing. Gruff is sure it shows but he's also sure that he doesn't really care.

How can someone sleep when they're caught in a constant nightmare caused by one of the people they're travelling with?

"We should find a place to camp soon," Whisk says over the others whispers, as if to end an argument that she doesn't want to listen to anymore. What are the others fighting about, then?

Gruff shrugs one shoulder uncaringly. Twisting, turning his rings.

(Slaves aren't supposed to have personal possessions as expensive as he has. Do the others know? Gruff isn't going to tell them.)

The cart shifts contrary to the ruts in the road so when a hand falls lightly onto his shoulder Gruff isn't surprised. Neither is he surprised to see that it's Franz. The human is the only one not afraid to get close to Gruff. It's entertaining, to be completely honest.

"We shall take watch, friend," Franz says quietly. "You look barely a step from collapsing. Get yourself some rest."

"...maybe," Gruff mumbles back. It's enough to please Franz, though, because he nods in acceptance of the half-promise and moves back to his place at the front of the cart.

Away from Gruff.

Gruff lets go of his rings to pull at the collar again (too tight, it's too tight, he needs it off) when the smell on the wind catches his attention.

Burning.

Whisk is on alert, too, when Gruff looks at the others. Doom, Franz, and Sam haven't reacted yet but Whisk is looking back at where Gruff's sitting and she's readying her shortsword for a fight. He grabs hold of his twin handaxes, one in each hand, and gets ready to jump off the back of the cart to fight as well.

As well as he can at least. Probably the most he'll be able to do is take some hits away from the others.

The sooner he dies the sooner the collar comes off at least.

The smoky smell gets stronger, strong enough that first Franz, then Sam, and finally Doom perk up and notice it.

"Maybe it's just a campfire?" Doom says with a hopeful twist to the words. "Someone cooking their supper!" None of the others look like they want to dampen the boys spirits and Gruff can't be bothered enough to.

The cart turns a bend and a small clearing on the side of the road comes into view with a large campfire in the centre of it. Two shadows are moving around the camp of two small tents.

A shadow slinks out from between two trees and Gruff puts his handaxes down. Pulls a bottle of terrible goblin wine out of his pack and pops the cork to start downing it instead because a situation like this deserves to go into it without all of his sensibilities intact.

"What are you doing?" Whisk demands hotly. "We're coming up on a group that could attack us and you're getting drunk?"

"They're friendly," Gruff shakes his head and downs another long swallow from the bottle in his hand before recapping it and stuffing it back in its hiding place. He can't remember how long he's had it. It's doing its job though because the sight of the long black panther following stealthily alongside the cart isn't putting spikes of discomfort into Gruffs joints.

"How would you know?" Doom asks, eyes narrowed in suspicion and tone filled with accusation.

The cart reaches the campsite and Gruff immediately feels his muscles start to relax without him even needing to think about it when he spys the two people standing with their backs to the fire.

"Because I told them to be here," Gruff says while letting himself fall off the cart. The golden Dragonborn and bronze skinned Tiefling immediately run towards him even as Gruff starts stumbling towards them.

He can hear Whisk fumbling with her things, probably trying to swap her shortsword for her crossbow. Sam has nothing useful for any range longer than his arm but Doom is mumbling frantically and even Franz is mumbling arcane nonsense.

None of that matters though because Gruff reaches the two newcomers.

Racquel reaches him first, zir bronze skin shining with sweat in the fading light. The two of them must have run themselves ragged to get here before he did but it only shows on the Tieflings skin. Casa and her dragon scales shows no signs of the hard work of moving at speed without a horse.

Gruff pulls Racquel into as close to a bone-crushing hug as he can manage, putting his body between his sibling and his travelling companions. Demjin, Racquels panther familiar, circles around their legs and Gruff can't even bring himself to care about the cat that is Entirely Too Big being so close to him. He can't. There's too many other things for him to be worried about for Racquels overlarge pet to be one of them right now.

Casa moves in to replace Racquel as soon as ze gives her space to do so.

Strong arms wrap Gruff into a hug that's tight enough to make stars appear on the edges of his vision. It's tight enough that he can feel tightened joints in his spine pop loose in a staccato of relief up and down his back. He tries to return it as best he can ... but knows that he falls far short of the strength he can usually put behind his holds.

When Casa lets him go she seems to take all his remaining strength with her because suddenly Gruff doesn't have the energy to keep standing. His knees hit the ground and Casa lets herself fall with him to keep him from collapsing completely.

"Gruff!" Racquel shouts in worry and he can feel zir hands grab hold of him on the other side of Casa.

Gruffs eyes ache from being open for so long. His body feels like lead with the lack of sleep he's been allowing it. His head a mountaintop boulder that once it starts falling onto the nearest shoulder to it won't stop its downward path no matter how much Gruff tries to stop it.

"Mom," Gruff breathes relief with every letter. Then, a quietly desperate plea, "Get it off, I need it off."

A wordless noise of momentary confusion. Racquel and Casa haven't noticed it yet but as soon as Gruff tugs at the collar marking him as a slave owned by the child in the cart behind him there's unbridled outrage pouring off Racquel. Casa is similarly angry but she stays with him, keeping him from collapsing to the ground entirely.

Racquel storms off in the direction of the others.

"Come over to the campfire and go to sleep, Gruff. I'll watch your back," Casa says, helping him stand back up. He follows her gently prodding hands with eyes only half open, his exhaustion finally allowed to catch up with him now that he can trust someone to keep the monsters of the night at bay.

What Racquel is yelling is beyond Gruff's ability to pay attention to. Whoever ze is yelling at probably deserves it.

Casa's gentle hands help Gruff down onto a ground packed soft with grass. Sits down with him and guides his head into her lap. "Racquel will handle those assholes you've been travelling with. You go to sleep."

He can feel the dragonborn pulling the braids out of his hair. He wants to protest - he hasn't been bothered to do anything with it - including clean it - for at least a couple weeks. He's been too busy.

Instead Gruff does as he's told and goes to sleep, Casa humming softly above him.

[gruffsharptooth]

A Company of Miscalculations

A thing I wrote because I wanted to have all my dnd characters meet and interact because they’re all idiots and it’d be funny. @pretttydemonboy

It's a horrible day to die, really.

Dark clouds envelope the sky as rain plummets down from the heavens, Silvanus and Chauntea probably dancing invisibly amongst the farmers fields to help the crops grow into bountiful harvests. It's still early enough into the season that it might even have an effect. Who knows?

Not Gruff. In a few minutes he won't know much of anything, really. The executioner will make sure of that.

Jonjon would have him unshackled in seconds. Naivara and Melech would have distractions made in the next and then the four of them would all make an easy escape to the Tide where they'd all get to come back and burn this port town to the ground another day. It'd be easy. It'd be something they've done a good dozen times before.

It's something they'll never do again.

Gruff kicks forlornly at the straw scattered over the floor of the cell he's been locked in, an ache in his chest. How could his crew - his family - have left him behind? Was it a decision made only by a few or by everyone on board?

Did Morn agree to it?

A pit of angry fear opens up in Gruff's stomach at the thought. Morn wouldn't. He wouldn't agree to leaving Gruff behind for dead.

Right?

Clanking metal coming down the hall catches his attention as well as the guards posted outside the door. Gruff very purposefully doesn't look up away from where he's playing with the edges of the straps keeping his wooden leg attached to the rest of him. An overcomplicated series of belts and straps that Gruff only barely knows how to keep in working order.

Banjanx was better at it. The dragonborn lost an arm and designed the replacement himself.

A blonde man, a human in heavy plate armour stops outside Gruffs cell. Scratches and badly-cleaned dirt stains the metal pieces that have a look to them that they were once very impressive. Once. Possibly long ago before this newcomer actually started using it.

"This prisoner is hereby remanded into the custody of the church," the man says. His tone is strong and deep and one that isn't used to being disobeyed. The sword at this warriors side is just as dirty and scuffed as the armour he wears ... but it's also in possession of a gleaming edge that tells of the blade being well maintained and sharpened.

Despite all these points going in the new mans favour the guards don't immediately jump to obey. Gruff wonders if they're too stupid or too well trained. Either tends to be possible with guards stationed inside a city.

"Under whose order?" The elder guard demands. Gruff shifts his full right leg into a better position to jump up at the first sign of needing to defend himself. There'd been talk of not letting Gruff keep his wooden leg for fear of him using it as a weapon or having something stashed inside it.

That talk had been easily put to rest when Gruff asked which of them were going to help him walk without it. The damn thing isn't just a cosmetic choice - he actually needs it to move around. At almost am seven feet tall and strong enough to lift both the guards at once if needed (with the muscles to show for it) neither of his guards had been willing to take on the task.

"Lady Baroness Amaryllis. If you wish to question her on her choices of gifts to her priest take it up with her," the man scowls. Annoyance and disgust are clear in his voice and Gruff can guess why. Noblemen are all the same. None of them want to put up with the common rabble for too long and all of them think they're better than everyone else.

Just like the new man probably intended the guards both quickly jump to open the cell door. Whoever this Lady Amaryllis is Gruff will need to remember her name to try and use it to get himself even further away from the hangmans noose. Maybe all the way back onboard a ship?

Not likely. It never hurts to dream though.

The younger guard enters the cell and puts Gruffs wrists in heavy iron manacles with chain thick enough that even Gruff knows that he wouldn't be easily breaking them. Not without help at least.

Gruff follows the guards out as they accompany him and this strange armoured man to the front gates of the prison. Who is he? Why is a nobleman doing the dirty grunt work usually put to servants and slaves? So many questions but Gruff doubts that any will be answered. Not any time soon at least.

The pack holding Gruffs things is handed off to the strange newcomer by the elder guard as soon as they all leave the front gate.

The guards stay. The strange but well armoured newcomer grabs hold of the chain keeping Gruffs hands tied and leads the way down the street.

They turn one corner, then another, and a third before entering one of the many old and ramshackle buildings in this part of town. No money on taxes for this borough - only the pretty ones nearest the Lady Baroness and her loved ones.

One thing's for sure, though. This place definitely isn't any kind of a place of worship.

What's going on here?

Gruff stops moving and digs his right foot in so that he can't be dragged. He's got at least five inches on this guy. Gruff isn't going anywhere he doesn't want to go.

"Where you takin' me?" Gruff growls lowly. No one else is visible on the street. None of the other houses have signs of life happening inside them.

Other than himself and his rescuer Gruff seems to be alone.

Could be a good thing. Maybe.

It usually isn't though, every time that Gruff and his crew run this con. Not for the person it's being pulled on at least.

Gruff snarls and swings out at the grimy breastplate of his kidnapper but the blow does nothing. The man doesn't even seem to feel it - his armour really is well made apparently. If anything the hit seems to annoy the man.

Instead of hitting back the man just crooks a finger at Gruff and says "Follow" and yeah. That actually sounds like a really good idea.

So he does. Gruff follows the mystery man through the doors an into the ramshackle building that certainly isn't any church as far as Gruff can tell. None he's heard of anyway. Aren't churches usually on the main thoroughfares? They're easier to get to that way.

"I've got him," the man calls out while motioning for Gruff to sit on an overturned box in the main entrance. The inside of the building is as run down as the outside, most of its walls being in some form of having fallen down into rubble. It makes the approach of two more people easy to spot.

Just as Gruff shakes a dizzy feeling away from his head and realizes that he's been bespelled by the no-good rotten asshole that lead him here. With an angry snarl he strains against the iron binding his hands together to try and break them, but can't quite manage it.

"Here, let me!" one of the two newer figures bounces over with an energetic abandon that Gruff can't ever remember anyone aiming towards him. Only when the person gets closer can Gruff tell through the dusty gloom that it's not a halfling or a dwarf coming towards him. It's a child. A tiefling kid who is pulling a set of lockpicks out of his pocket.

What in the nine hells is going on?

The asswipe who lead Gruff here is standing off to the side of the room with the other newcomer, this one nearly the same size as him. The two of them are whispering something ... but they're too far away to make out. Damn.

So Gruff stays where he is with a gods damned child picking the locks on his manacles.

"-and then Whisk promised, she said 'Doom, we'll try and find a pastry shop to get some cake' and while Sam said that we didn't have time for it I know he'll make some because he likes cake as much as I do. Whisk said once that half the dirt on his armour is from frosting he's dripped onto himself. I don't know if she's lying or not but I've never seen him eat anything very neatly, maybe his parents didn't care?" the boy continues rambling but Gruff tunes him out now that no more new names are being mentioned.

Whisk and Sam. Gruff would be willing to be one of the bottles of thrice-aged dwarven brandy that are buried securely in his bag that the dickhead that kidnapped him is the one called Sam. So that would leave the last newcomer (also extremely well armoured) to be Whisk.

There's a few races that would give their kid a name like that. A few more who would even choose to go by a name like that. So which one is this Whisk person?

Sam and Whisk turn and walk closer just as the manacles fall off Gruffs wrists to the hard floor with a loud clang that reverberates around the room. None of them wince at the noise but Gruff can see that even the other two adults are keeping one eye on the door. None of them want guards to find them.

Interesting.

Whisk comes close enough that Gruff can properly see that she has blue skin and even more blue hair. That could still be a couple different races but he doesn't think Tieflings come in blue so that knocks at least one off the list.

"Gruff Sharptooth?" she asks. When all she gets as an answer is an even deeper scowl, almost bordering on a snarl, she continues without even a single care that he's close to attacking everyone in the room. "We need to talk. You lived with a guy called Kildrak? We need you to draw us up a map of the inside of one of his houses."

It's enough to shock Gruff out of his emerging fury. How'd they connect him to his old master? He'd thought that he'd covered those tracks well. Apparently not.

"Get me out of the city and I'll help you out," Gruff crosses his arms, narrows his eyes. Sam still has hold of Gruffs stuff so there's no weapon to be used ... but there was a long span of time where the Captain hadn't deemed him worth spending money on to get him a proper weapon. Gruff can take these two on without a weapon - a nice bladed edge would just make it easier.

Whisk starts shaking her head, her lip raising into a snarl of her own, but Doom jumps in front of her to block the step she tried to take closer to Gruff. The two of their bodies are close enough that tips of Doom's half-grown childish horns clink against Whisks armour. "Yeah, sure! We can figure something out! Fair's fair after all, that's what Mom always says at least, she said once-"

"Yeah. We'll get you out of town," Sam cuts the kids chatter off before he could really get going, for which Gruff is grateful. A glance at Whisk lets him know that she's grateful for it too.

Damn. He doesn't want to have anything in common with her.

"Lets get to planning then!" Doom grins widely and darts over to one of two packs abandoned in the dust not far off to dig through. "I can't cast Invisibility, I haven't figured that spell out yet. Most churches don't like their followers to learn stuff like that either so I doubt that Sam can turn invisible either. Whisk can you do any spells?"

Gruff sighs and follows his captors closer to where the kid is clearing the dust from a portion of the floor so he can start making chalk lines. Looks like it's gonna be a while before he's able to get back to the ship and kill Melech.

One thing at a time. Melech will still be there later.

[gruffsharptooth]

A very late xmas gift to @pretttydemonboy​. Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

This would take place not too long after Demjin died and assumes that our characters would be well known to each other, that they’d met and figured out their relationship when they were younger.

“How do you do it?”

Gruff looks up from the piece of wood he’s picking away at with a tiny chisel that looks even smaller in his overlarge hands. A dog. He’s trying to make a dog but it’s looking more like a horse. No, he’s not ready to make any attempts at carving Umberlee yet. Yet.

Racquel is sitting on the other side of the campfire, inspecting zir bow for damage. Ze isn’t looking at him at all but he can tell ze is watching him. Eye corners aren’t so hard to look out of if you’re sneaky enough.

Keep reading

[gruffsharptooth]