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[ Puts half a potato down next to him. Sharing. ]

Uh, thanks. Why a potato?

B... because... maybe you are hungry? [ He doesn't get much dinner but he wants to share it. ]

No, I'm not hungry. How about you, you need a meal?

[ The Swede shyly held the second potato half out. ] Oh... oh no, I have dinner.

Looks like that can pass as a meal. Can always give you a couple of bucks for something to go with that, if you need it.

Ooh, really? For me? [ He's a deckhand on a pirate ship and barely gets paid. He's instantly a lot happier and holds his hands out expectantly. ]

[Adrian retrieves a twenty dollar bill from his wallet and hand its over. He knows better than to give money. Sometimes that’s all that can be done.]

That's not a lot, but it’s enough.

[ The Swede can't count but he knows that funny paper money will get him a lot of drinks... but he was supposed to get a meal with it. He guiltily eyes his feet. ]

.... ....I think.... I going to buy drinks with that... [ He won't lie about it. ]

Yup, I kinda figured as much. Just promise me you'll use some, not all of it, for a meal.

M... maybe I get another potato... it is cheap. [ He has no idea how to take care of himself, he already has two missing teeth. But he's very grateful for the money all the same. ]

Mister, you are so nice! A... and handsome, as well? You have a lot of wives? [ He has no idea what normal people do. ]

We have yet to properly meet. Adrian, yes?

I’ll take that as a promise, then.

Well, that got awkward fast. Why don’t we start with names first? I'm Adrian. [Adrian has no idea about normal anything either, so there’s that.]

Yes, Ma’am.

I have never been called ma'am. Please, call me Selene.

Would you like to come inside? Let me show you around. The full moon comes at week's end.

You do not have to put the cigarette out. Come.

It’s all good, I’m not staying. Armarus asked me to do a check-in call and go to another job after. You ready to let him go for the end of the week?

Another job? Might I be of assistance?

I will let him be what the moon calls him to be and see him through it, always at his side. I will not let him go. I will go with him.

I can handle the job.

Didn't expect you wouldn't be there, to be honest.

Not saying you can't. Just that I would be honored to support you.

Then it isn't letting him go. He isn't gone. It is who he is. The other side. I will not let him face that alone.

You were a hunter?

Thanks.
I was convinced there's nothing of him in there once he shifts, it's his turning back that convinced me otherwise. And, yeah, pretty much about the size of it.

He's still there. I know it. I will not give up on that belief.

What changed that for you? What stopped you from trying to take a man like Nathan from this world.

A few of us aren’t going to give up.

I saw the human.

I will not either.

He is more then even that. Human? How trivial.

Is... is it bad... that I say that? I am sorry... [ For a pirate he's very well-behaved but sometimes he'll blurt things out. He is about as smart as he looks. ]

Oh... I don't have a name. But I am from Sweden. Everyone calls me the Swede?

Yeah, we’ll just stick with introductions to keep things simple. [And, he’s not one to judge a book by its cover…but he’s reconsidering at the moment.]

Swede. About the only thing I know to say in Swedish is, Hej. Hi. Even then that’s bad.

Probably. But it's enough for me.

[ He is amazed to hear his native language, even if it is just 'Hej'. ]

Hur är det? Jag är glad! Oh- oh... you say... you only know one thing?

I know a lot of words in English. Almost all the words. My crewmates teach me. [ It is the one thing he managed to learn but then his brain was full. ]

What happens when he does something that makes you stop seeing the human?

Don’t let my heart harden.

Sage advice. I just want to know what happens to Nathan if you no longer see his human side.

Tell me if I got this right, Hur ar deet? Jag ar glad. [The words are spoken from an English speaker and not exactly right] What does it mean?

[Look that that they have something in common, a full brain, most times. Shocking to know. His full brain is mostly from thinking too much. So little distractions like this is always a good thing. Sometimes.]

Crewmates? Like on a ship?

There you go. You know now.

Oh yes! That is very good! It means, 'how are you? I am happy'. [ Very happy. This is more money than he's had in his entire life.

But then... uh oh... now he has to confess. ]

Y... yeeees... maybe... I am a pirate? But this is ok? [ If he smiles big while saying it, it is ok! ]

There you go, you taught someone something.

[The sort of confession at least gets a chuckle.]

It is okay for me, don't know about anyone else.

I... I did... [ He fidgets nervously, though. ]

It is ok... if somebody doesn't like it... I hope they still be my friend. But my crewmates always say I shouldn't tell people. [ That's going well. ]

Your crew have their reasons and it’s understandable. When it comes down to it, you’ll have to figure out for yourself what is the right thing to say.

[ He keeps fidgeting with the money, smiling again. ]

But you are my friend... my best friend now? Because this much, I have to work all week. And- and you just gave it to me?

Ooh, no, I can't tell lies to my best friend!

How about friend. And it looks like you want to go do something with your new found…uh, riches, go do that then. You take it easy.

You don't like being best friend? D... do you already have a better friend?

[ He is going to get even more drunk now, mister. ]

Just saying, getting to best friends is something that needs a little time to work on. Kinda like not eating all your potatoes at once?

[He'd say, don't forget to buy that potato and not spend all the money getting drunk.]

O-ooh. Oh, ja! How many potatoes do I have to eat until I can be your best friend? [ It comes off creepy but he's just very lonely. His crewmates don't really talk to him. ]

Not what I meant. It’s just a way of saying there are things that need time to happen.

[And now, he’s never eating a potato again.]