End of Day, 26 Dentis, 2719
By the fourth day, he was mostly left on his own to attend to crates as he checked the shipments. It was simple work, which led to his mind wandering constantly while he went through the motions. Despite the mention of the bonus, Meraki hadn’t used any magic in the job. Not like the spokes who seemed more than willing to push and pull and all the other basic things that helped things along at a quicker pace. He didn’t get along with those wicks either, other than trading smokes and the occasional Tek-burdened chat. They recognized him quick enough as a tsat and so, what more was there for them to talk about? He wasn’t like them and he didn’t think he wanted to be like them… not that he gave much chance to it, skittering away before conversations got too much or too personal.
Most dockworkers didn’t care for small talk, he found, but there were some who had things that put them in better moods. Like Sam, the foreman who appreciated a smoke and black coffee to ward away the morning mist. Meraki had figured that out, on the second day. On the third and fourth morning, he brought a smoke and a coffee with him, for Sam, when he arrived. It resulted in assignment to certain ships, on certain docks, as not all shipments were the same in difficulty or importance or pay. Some paid more than others, depending on what the captains were willing to give for extra attention or quicker pace.
Then there was Ash, a broad lady with a face that looked like it had got hit with a brick at some point. She seemed to get a smile out of Meraki’s antics and chattering. After he’d helped her when she needed to run off for a bit, and he took over her crates until she got back, she’d gotten the foreman to place them next to one another. Meraki didn’t mind. He liked her well enough, and she had a tongue on her too, and she answered plenty of his questions in an honest manner. So, he got to asking her whatever he could and she answered almost all of it…
…but she knew nothing about Gideon.
No one did. Ever since meeting the menacing tall human, Meraki couldn’t get it out of his head. Why did he get such a bad feeling about that man? It wasn’t just their interaction. It wasn’t anything he’d said, like the talk of drowning men. It wasn’t even the threatening postures, or shaking hand, or touches to the hook. He couldn’t say what it was, and that bothered him... a lot. Meraki didn’t like such an obvious unknown, so he’d asked around. But no one knew anything about Gideon. Not the dockworkers, not the tavern-goers, no one. It was as if he were a ghost who didn’t actually exist.
But he did exist. Meraki could see him, when he arrived in the mornings and through-out the days, when he glimpsed the tall tanned figure moving about. He observed when he could, from afar, and caught more shows of that perfect grin and the way that people tried to distance themselves from the man. No one seemed keen to talk to him, and Gideon didn’t seem all that interested in others either.
Meraki had managed to switch position with Ash on their assigned dock, in the late afternoon, so he was able to watch Gideon. There were a couple ships between them, and a stretch of water, but he could see the man moving about. The harbor bells clanged, as the sun started to set, and Meraki quickly gathered up his items.
“See y’ tomorrow, Ash,” he told the woman after they reached the waterfront and collected payment from the foreman together.
“Y’ wants to get a drink?” she offered.
Meraki shook his head, “I got somethings I gotta take care o’.”
He didn’t linger to talk anymore than that. Nor did he look back as he hurried past the other dockworkers. Meraki didn’t want to lose sight of Gideon. The tall man had a clockin’ quick walk. Had he already gotten his wage for the day? Meraki had hoped he would have gotten to the foreman first, but Gideon was already heading away from the docks.
The spry wick skipped around a trio of smoking workers, then jumped over a mess of boards that were piled to the side. He clung tight to his toolbox while he sprinted after the other man.
“Oy!” He called out. “Oy, oy, Gideon! Oy! Gideon, it’s me! Stop a moment, will ya?”