"Hoo-boy! Just look at this place!"
Partitio's eyes were sparkling as he spun around, taking in his first look at Clockbank. Oresrush seemed so…tiny in comparison, and the scent of commerce was thick on the wind.
"It is impressive indeed," Hikari commented, and Agnea nodded vigorously next to him.
"It sure is! Ain't nothing so grand as this back home!" She grabbed Hikari's and Castti's arms and dragged them down the street. "Let's have ourselves a look around!"
Partitio laughed as he watched them go, glad that his friends were happy to be here too. Throné and Temenos rushed after Ochette, who had run off, mentioning that she smelled meat; she really did think with her stomach most days. That left Partitio with-
"Hmm."
Partitio turned to see that Osvald was glancing around, his brow furrowed as he tugged on his beard, as he was wont to do when he was deep in thought. Partitio found that extremely alluring about him, and he felt his cheeks heat up as he bit his lip.
This little crush of his was turning out to be a bit of a problem. It seemed like whenever he was with Osvald, he found something new about him that he was attracted to. For example, the little hums of approval he gave Partitio when he improved his fire magic, or how he glanced at Partitio over his glasses when he was reading while they talked over breakfast, or the way his lips moved when he was mouthing magic-enhancing equations to himself…
"Partitio."
Jumping a foot into the air, he looked over to find Osvald staring at him, arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow raised. Partitio let out a nervous laugh as he tugged at his collar, suddenly feeling warm, before he slapped a hand to Osvald's shoulder.
"Whoops, sorry 'bout that, partner! What's on your mind?" he said, and Osvald shrugged.
"I've heard that Clockbank is home to a large company that rose to fame in just a short time. I think that aligns with your interests."
"Oho, well, that does sound like something' worth investigatin'!" Partitio smacked a fist into his palm, "What'dya say we go do some exploring of our own?"
Osvald nodded in response, and the two set off to see what Clockbank had to offer. Partitio was curious about this company; he wondered what kind of business they conducted that had propelled them to prosperity so fast.
"This is unacceptable. You will pay, and you will pay in full."
Partitio stopped when he saw that a man had cornered a young boy, and his eyes narrowed as he listened to their conversation. What in tarnation? Unless his ears were deceiving him, it sounded like this man was trying to extort a child, and his mention of a 'Roque Company' made Partitio's eyes widen.
When the man threatened to break the boy's kneecaps, Partitio was reminded that he wasn't alone when he heard a low growl beside him. He turned to see that Osvald looked incredibly pissed, if the snarl on his face and the way that he cracked his knuckles before pushing up his sleeves were anything to go by.
"H-Hey, hold your horses," Partitio placed a hand on Osvald's arm and moved in front of him; if he let Osvald handle this, there was a very high chance that the man would not walk away from the ensuing scuffle, "I got this." Osvald glanced at him over his glasses - and damn that was attractive to Partitio even when he was angrier than a swarm of hornets - before he snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hurry then, or I'll take care of it myself."
Partitio noted the impatience in his tone, so he quickly stepped in and managed to get the creep to leave the boy alone. Partitio made sure the boy was alright, while Osvald stood with his back to them, and when the boy ran off, he whistled and took his hat off.
"Shoot, partner," he said, running a hand through his hair and wiping the sweat from his brow before replacing his hat, "That was a close one. Thanks for keeping watch for us while I talked to the youngin'."
Osvald didn't respond, and had a deep frown on his face. Partitio laughed and threw his arm over his shoulders.
"Don't look so disappointed! If I had let you have your way with him, he would have been burned to a crisp with a snap of your fingers!"
Osvald snorted and shook Partitio's arm off. "It would have been well deserved."
"Yeah, yeah. Tone it down, tough guy," Partitio said, laughing as he shot Osvald a wink, "You'll get us kicked out of town if you're not careful!"
"Hmp."
Osvald fell silent and Partitio chuckled as they continued their tour of the town. Osvald really was full of surprises. He was the bookish, magic-focused type, but Partitio had seen him give a couple of bandits and even a few monsters a wallop with just his bare hands. It was yet another thing about Osvald that made Partitio's heart flutter.
"You there! Yes, you!"
Partitio blinked as he turned to see a young woman running up to them. He listened as she introduced herself as Ori, a scrivener for the New Delsta times, and gave him an odd card.
"What's a business card?" he asked, and he heard Osvald bark out a laugh, which caused Partitio to stare at him, eyes wide with shock.
"How can you call yourself a merchant if you don't know what a business card is?" Osvald said, a rare, amused smirk crossing his face. Partitio's face flushed, for more than one reason, and he shrugged as he rubbed at his neck.
"Aw, c'mon Osvald, cut me some slack! I just started my journey to become more worldly and learned and whatnot."
"You should have been studying business instead of fire magic while we've been traveling, then."
"But I reckon I enjoy our magic lessons too much!" Partitio grinned as he jabbed a friendly elbow into Osvald's side, and the latter grunted and rolled his eyes.
"Well, if you two are done shamelessly flirting right in front of me here…" Partitio gawked at a smirking Ori as she looked between them with an eyebrow raised.
"F-Flirting?" Partitio sputtered, and the smile fell from Osvald's face as he snorted.
"Preposterous," Osvald said, his tone annoyed as he crossed his arms and averted his gaze. Partitio frowned at how adamant he sounded, but he cleared his throat and continued his conversation with Ori. So, it was the Roque that he knew that this town's famous company was named after, and this steam engine of his was mighty intriguing…
As were the heavy taxes that his company apparently forced onto the townsfolk. That left a bad taste in Partitio's mouth, and he decided that he needed to have a little chat with Roque. He bid Ori farewell, and turned to Osvald.
"So, partner, wanna go investigate this steam engine with me?"
"Yes, actually," Osvald said, nodding as he tugged at his beard, "I must admit, this new technology intrigues me as well. The sheer variety of its applications is impressive."
"Sure is!" Partitio rubbed at his chin as they headed in the direction of the factory that Ori had pointed out. "Something like that could make everyone's lives better!"
"Indeed."
After being redirected to the Roque Company's office and unsuccessfully tracking down Roque there, Partitio and Osvald found themselves back at the entrance to the factory.
"Sheesh, didn't think it would be this hard to track down Mister Roque…" Partitio mumbled.
"This Roque…He's important to you?" Osvald asked, and Partitio closed his eyes as he nodded.
"Yeah, he founded Oresrush with me and Pops, back when I was just a little chickadee," Partitio said, opening his eyes and looking at Osvald with a determined look.
"I learned most of what I know about being a merchant from him. I…really looked up to him. But…" Partitio frowned as he rubbed the brim of his hat. "He tricked us and caused our hometown to sink into poverty. And here, with the extreme taxes on everyone…Well, it makes me more than a bit uneasy."
Osvald's hand fell onto Partitio's shoulder, startling him, and he turned to see Osvald giving him that damned enticing look over his glasses again.
"We'll get your answers from him…one way or another." A dark look appeared in Osvald's eyes, and Partitio frowned and shook his head.
"Let's try and get them without resorting to violence first, partner."
"If you insist."
Partitio sighed as they entered the factory, and his jaw dropped at the sight before him. Huge, metal machines filled the room, which was hot and humid due to the steam pouring out of them.
"Impressive…" he heard Osvald mutter, and Partitio wandered to a machine that looked different from the rest. Huh, it seemed to be…smoking?
"It's dangerous! Get away from there!"
When the panicked voice hit his ears, Partitio immediately turned around and launched himself away from the rogue machine, slamming right into an unsuspecting Osvald and sending them both tumbling to the ground.
"Oof!" Partitio cringed as he landed on top of Osvald, who grunted on impact, and he winced when he heard a loud booming noise come from the steam engine he had been closely examining only moments before.
Partitio felt something tickle his nose, and his breath caught in his throat when he realized that it was Osvald's chest hair. His face had ended up pressed against the exposed skin that his shirt failed to cover, and Partitio's cheeks flushed red as a tomato.
'Gods have mercy please,' was the only thought that pierced through the fog that had filled his head. He had never been this close to Osvald, and had certainly never touched this part of him, no matter how many times he wanted to…Gods, this crush of his was driving him insane…
"Partitio…Get off me now."
The seething voice of Osvald snapped Partitio back to reality, and he quickly scrambled off of him, not wanting to invoke the wrath of the scholar upon himself. He shrunk under the weight of the glare that Osvald was shooting at him, and he pulled his hat down to cover his beet-red face, while he reached down with his free hand to help Osvald up.
"S-Sorry, partner…I was, uh, j-just a little dazed from the e-explosion there…"
"...'s fine," Osvald mumbled, his eyes narrowed as he brushed his hands over his own shirt, "...Glad you're okay."
"S-Same here…" Partitio said, and luckily Floyd chose this time to rush over to them and stole his attention. As Partitio conversed with him about his problems with the steam engine, he came to terms with one thing:
He needed some major help sorting out his feelings for Osvald. And fast.
After Partitio had managed to help Floyd solve his dilemma with the steam engine, the sun had set and he found himself at the tavern, trying to drown his feelings in ale. Floyd had joined him for a few drinks before retiring for the night, leaving Partitio alone with his thoughts, most of them about Osvald.
Sighing deeply, Partitio took a long drink out of his fourth mug, slamming it harder than he needed to onto the table. He let out a groan and folded his arms in front of him, letting his forehead fall against them. This was hopeless. He could barely think straight when he was with Osvald, so how the hell was he supposed to focus on his mission to defeat poverty? The easy solution would be to avoid him, but Partitio couldn't do that; putting aside his romantic feelings, Osvald was his friend first, and a damn good one at that.
"Oh dear, I don't think I've ever seen you look so down before, Partitio."
Partitio lifted his head slightly and saw Temenos take a seat at his table, followed by Ochette and Throné.
"Yeah, Parti! What's wrong?" Ochette said, leaning across the table to give him a once-over, "Oh! Are you hungry? 'Cause I just finished making some delicious jerky-"
"Naw, Ochette," Partitio said, sighing as he sat up, taking another generous swig of ale to finish off his mug, "I've been eatin' fine."
"Then what troubles you?" Throné asked, pushing a full mug of ale towards him. Partitio looked between the three of them, wondering if he really should burden them with his troubles. But then again, they were his friends, and friends were there to help each other out, right?
"It's just…" Partitio paused to take a drink for courage. "I've caught a bug, y'all."
"Oh, are you feeling sick?" Throné tilted her head at him. "I can go get Castti if you want-"
"Nah," Partitio shook his head and waved his hand in front of him, "Not that kind of bug,"
"Then what is it?" Ochette asked, and the three watched him with bated breath as Partitio rubbed at his temples.
"Well, it's…a love bug. I've got a mighty crush, and I don't know what to do about it."
Temenos' eyes lit up at that, and a mischievous smirk crossed his face, which was never a good sign. "Oooh, how thrilling. Well, don't keep us in suspense; who is it?"
Throné was staring at him with wide eyes, and Ochette had both hands on the table, an excited grin on her face as her tail vigorously swished back and forth. Partitio took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Er, well it's...Osvald," he said, wincing as he waited for their surprised reactions.
"Obviously."
"I knew it!"
"How predictable."
Partitio gawked as the three spoke in unison. Wait…they already knew about his crush? How in tarnation…
"Are y'all yankin' my chain? You knew?"
"Oh, of course we did," Temenos said, chuckling as he set his hands on the table, "It is rather obvious to anyone with a working pair of eyes."
"...Really?"
"Sure is!" Ochette chimed in, "You two are always spending so much time together, more than you do with the rest of us!"
"And," Throné said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest, "Osvald seems more…open with you than the rest of us."
"Huh, you know, Lady Clarissa said something similar back in Conning Creek." Partitio hummed thoughtfully as he tapped the side of his head with his knuckles. "She said he…trusted me."
Temenos nodded and laced his fingers together. "So, what seems to be the problem?"
"Er, well…I just…" Partitio rubbed at the back of his neck as he struggled to find the right words, "I can't stop thinking about him. And when we're together, I get flustered at the littlest of things, like if I catch a rare smile on his face, or when he has that cute look on his face when he's thinking, or-"
"Okay, we get it, lover boy," Throné said, her face a bit pink as she averted her gaze, and Temenos burst out laughing.
"Oh, you certainly have fallen hard for him. But fear not, Partitio," The mischievous grin that spread across his face had the opposite effect, "For I am going to help you court our violent scholar friend."
"You?" Throné raised a dubious eyebrow at him, and Ochette stood up on her chair.
"Oh, oh! I wanna help too!" She whipped out a large hunk of jerky. "You should give Pops some meat as a present!"
"Oho, and I know exactly what kind of meat he would like-"
"Temenos!"
Throné smacked the cleric upside the head, and Ochette tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. Partitio sighed and dragged a hand down his face; this wasn't helping in the slightest.
"Look, I appreciate the offers y'all, but-"
"Now, now, no buts." Temenos shook his head and wagged a finger at Partitio. "These two will just get in the way, but I really will try to help you the best that I can, Partitio."
"Well, alright then…Thankee kindly, Temenos. And you too, Throné and Ochette." Partitio smiled as he lifted his mug into the air, "Letting me vent to y'all like this is mighty kind of ya."
"Anytime, Partitio." Throné said, lifting her own mug into the air, "That's what friends are for, right?"
"Yeah, to friendship!" Ochette yelled, smacking her own mug into theirs and almost spilling them, "Oops, sorry!"
Partitio smiled as he took a swig of his drink. He did feel a lot better after venting his problems to his friends (or maybe it was just because the alcohol was starting to kick in). He still wasn't so sure how to feel about Temenos' declaration of help, but he decided to push that to the back of his mind and enjoy the rest of the night.
"Thank you again for helping me with my shopping, Osvald."
"It was nothing."
Castti nodded as she took the bags from him and stored them in her room at the inn that she shared with the other women in their group. "I need to inventory this, so you don't need to stay. I think our other companions are at the tavern now if you want to join them."
Osvald rolled his eyes. Taverns were not his favorite place. They were loud and full of people drinking themselves stupid. He didn't see the appeal of a substance that numbed one's mind and caused them to make idiotic choices and feel terrible the following day.
"...Partitio will be there."
Osvald glanced at Castti with an eyebrow raised, "..And?"
She lifted a hand to her face to suppress a giggle. "Well, you two are always hanging out together, it sometimes seems like you're attached at the hip!" Osvald's face scrunched up with annoyance and he snorted.
"You exaggerate. What's your point?"
"I just thought that you might want to…enjoy each other's…friendly company is all," Castti turned away to rummage through her satchel, "Also, he is known to go overboard with his drinking sometimes. He might need some help getting back here."
"...Fine." Osvald grumbled, a sour look crossing his face as he turned to leave.
"Thank you!" Castti called after him, and soon he was walking down the street at a brisk pace towards the tavern.
Partitio was a bright man with a gifted mind for business, but Osvald couldn't help but think that his habit of drinking the night away whenever they stayed in a town with a tavern was blocking him from reaching his true potential.
When he reached the tavern, Osvald ran into Throné and Ochette as they were leaving.
"Heya, Pops! If you're looking for Parti, he's still inside!" Ochette said, grinning from ear-to-ear as she grabbed Osvald's hands and gave his arms a shake. "He'll be really happy to see you!"
Osvald blinked slowly at her, confused, and Throné cleared her throat as she grabbed Ochette's hand.
"Anyway, have a good night, Professor," she said, tugging Ochette along with her down the street.
"Did I help, Néné?"
"Shh, he'll hear you…"
Osvald heard them mumbling to themselves as they left, and he decided that he didn't want to know what they were plotting. Sighing as he rubbed at his temples, he entered the tavern and went straight to the bar to order a coffee.
"Ah, good evening, Osvald."
As the bartender handed him his drink, Osvald turned to find Temenos grinning at him. Great, was he plotting something idiotic too?
"What do you want, Temenos?"
"Oooh, someone's got a temper tonight." He chuckled as he swirled his wine glass and pointed away from the bar with a jerk of his head. "I just wanted you to know that Partitio has something very important to discuss with you."
"...Does he now?"
"Yes, very important." Temenos downed the rest of his drink and set the empty glass on the counter. "He has had quite a few drinks though, so do keep that in mind." With that warning, Temenos bid Osvald farewell with a wave and left the tavern.
"What the hells has gotten into everyone tonight?" Osvald asked himself, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He then turned to look around the tavern, his gaze stopping when he spotted Partitio at a table in the middle. When their eyes met, a blinding smile crossed Partitio's face as he waved his arms. Osvald contemplated just walking out, but he knew that Castti wouldn't be pleased if he did, so he steeled himself and went to sit next to Partitio.
"Howdy Osvald!" Partitio said, his voice a few decibels higher than it needed to be.
"Partitio." Osvald took a sip of his coffee before folding his hands in front of him. "Temenos informed me that you have something important to discuss with me."
Partitio's flushed face seemed to pale slightly. "He, uh -hic- d-did?"
"Yes." Osvald narrowed his eyes and frowned. "So what is it?"
Partitio's gaze darted around everywhere except to meet Osvald's own, and he swallowed thickly as he scratched at his chin.
"Er, w-well, I just…Why're you drinkin' that stuff in a tavern?" Partitio blurted out, pointing to Osvald's cup of coffee. Osvald let out an exhausted sigh; this is what was so important?
Osvald took a drink of his coffee as he stared at Partitio, and he could see him squirming under his scrutinizing gaze. "Alcohol numbs the mind and slows the wits."
"H-Hey now…almost sounds like you're takin' a -hic- jab at me." Partitio slurred, a goofy grin crossing his face.
"If the shoe fits…" Osvald mumbled under his breath. Partitio didn't seem to hear him, and he took a slow drink of his ale.
"So, it's for the science and stuff? That's a laudable attitude. But," Partitio's eyes slowly gave Osvald a once-over, and Osvald noted that his gaze paused when passing over his chest and arms, "Does that mean that strapping physique of yours is also for the science?" The intense look in Partitio's narrowed eyes gave Osvald pause and he cleared his throat, which had become dry for some odd reason.
"...Of course." He nodded as he took a drink to try and chase away the dryness. "Every good scholar possesses a trifecta of strengths: discipline, stamina, and willpower. Regular exercise is an indispensable aid for improving all three."
"Hooo-ey! I knew there was a good reason for all those muscles!" Partitio said with an eager enthusiasm as he reached up and grabbed Osvald's upper arm, giving it a good squeeze. Osvald felt his face heat up slightly - an odd sensation - and even odder still was the lingering warmth that was left in the wake of Partitio's touch when he pulled away.
"S-Speaking of which," Osvald quickly said, taking note of his uncharacteristic stuttering, "you are lean but strong, with not an ounce of wasted sinew. How do you train?"
"Me?" Partitio hummed as he took a drink, his face somehow flushing a deeper shade of red, "I just -hic- work hard, and the muscles come along for the ride."
Osvald tilted his head, tugging at his beard as he nodded slowly. "The triumph of practical application over theory…You have given me valuable insight today." Partitio had once again given Osvald much to think about with yet another vastly differing approach to a subject than his own. A small smile crossed his face as he took a sip of his coffee; his relationship with Partitio was certainly shaping up to be valuable in his never ending pursuit of knowledge…
"It's closing time, fellas. Pack it in."
Osvald glanced over at the bar as the bartender's announcement resonated throughout the tavern, and he stood up as the other patrons did the same.
"Uh oh…" Osvald turned to see Partitio struggling to stand, and he quickly moved forward to catch him as he stumbled over his own feet.
"...Just how much have you had to drink, Partitio?" Osvald said, his face scrunching up with annoyance as he firmly gripped Partitio's arms to steady him.
"Uh…I -hic- lost track after seven…or was it eight?" he mumbled, wincing as he reached up to clutch at his head, "I don't feel so good, Osvald…"
Sighing deeply, Osvald contemplated his options. Leaving Partitio here was strictly out of the question, and he really couldn't walk in his current state. The most logical course of action became clear to him, so Osvald crouched down to slip his arms behind Partitio's knees and back so that he could lift him into his arms.
"O-O-Osvald, what're you doing?" Partitio stammered, letting out a shocked yelp as he was lifted into the air with ease. He flailed around a bit, and he managed to smack Osvald upside the head with the back of his hand, knocking his glasses askew.
"Hold still, or I am going to leave you here," Osvald growled, and Partitio obeyed, grinning from ear-to-ear as he fixed Osvald's glasses for him.
"Golly, Osvald," Partitio said, running a finger down the exposed area of Osvald's chest as he rest his head on his shoulder, "You -hic- really know how to use those muscles of yours~"
'Gods help me.' Osvald clenched his teeth and slowly counted to ten as he carried Partitio from the tavern, successfully suppressing the urge to drop the merchant and let him fend for himself.
The walk to the inn was silent for a bit, and Osvald wondered if Partitio had fallen asleep. He was proven wrong when Partitio shifted in his arms so that he was looking up at him with half-lidded eyes.
"Hey, Osvald?"
"Yes?"
"I'm just…really glad that we met, you know?" Osvald came to a halt and looked down at Partitio, noting the uncharacteristically sad look in his eyes, "I…care about ya, and I just…Wish I could…take away all your pain, partner…"
A tightness suddenly rose into Osvald's chest as he watched Partitio's eyes slip shut, his breathing evening out shortly after. He wanted to chalk up Partitio's bizarre behavior to the alcohol, but the earnest look that Osvald had saw in his eyes told him that he was speaking from the heart.
Confusion clouded his mind as he tried to make heads or tails of the weird feelings that were bubbling up within him, and Osvald still hadn't figured it out when he reached their room at the inn.
Hikari and Temenos were already asleep when he entered, and he set Partitio onto one of the empty beds as quietly as he could. He almost left him there as is, but he decided instead to at least take off Partitio's hat, jacket, and shoes. Osvald made sure that he was covered with a blanket before he turned to retire himself, but he froze mid-step when Partitio's voice hit his ears:
"Osvald…"
He glanced over his shoulder to find Partitio still fast asleep with a small smile on his face. Osvald was even more befuddled now; of all the things that he could dream about, why was Partitio dreaming about him?
Osvald let out a frustrated sigh as he lay on his own bed and closed his eyes, falling into a restless sleep as one last thought ran through his head:
'Alcohol numbs the mind indeed…'
"Shee-oot, my head is throbbin' something fierce today…"
"It is truly a mystery as to why."
Partitio pouted at Osvald, who had his arms crossed over his chest and a disapproving look on his face. "Yeah, yeah, no need to be a smartass about it…"
"I had the misfortune of having to drag your drunk ass back to the inn, so I feel like I've earned the right."
"...Alright, alright, you've made your point."
Osvald snorted at that, and Partitio winced as he rubbed at his temples. Try as he might, he couldn't remember a damn thing about last night after he had talked about his troubles with Temenos, Throné, and Ochette. When he asked Osvald about it, he was vague and only said that he was the one who made sure he got back to the inn safely. He was grateful for that, sure, but Partitio had a feeling that something else had happened, from the way that Osvald was avoiding eye contact with him…
"Anyway, we should get going. You wanted to check up on Floyd, right?" Osvald said, and Partitio nodded as they left the inn and made their way back to the factory. They wouldn't be going alone this time; Castti and Throné had expressed interest in seeing the steam engine for themselves, and they would be meeting up with Partitio and Osvald after they had gone out for breakfast.
When they entered the factory, Partitio scratched his head when he walked up to where the steam engine that Floyd had been working on should have been. It was missing, however, and he glanced at Osvald.
"That steam engine…I'm not misrememberin', right? It was right here when we left last night."
"It was," Osvald confirmed, his eyes narrowed, "I think something is amiss. Floyd isn't here either."
A nervous pit formed in Partitio's gut, and he quickly turned around when the sound of footsteps hit his ears.
"You there!" one of the two guards said as they stopped in front of Partitio and Osvald, "What're you doing here?"
"H-Hold on a sec! There's a good explanation for this-"
"Save your breath, Partitio." Osvald's voice was cold as he pushed past Partitio, cracking his knuckles before pushing up his sleeves. "Leave them to me, unless you'd like to protest like last time?"
"N-Nah," Partitio said, his face flushing as he swallowed thickly, "I reckon these two won't listen to reason. Have at 'em, partner!"
"Gladly." Osvald wasted no time in closing the distance between him and the first guard, who had no chance to block the devastating punch to the face that Osvald delivered him. He was hit so hard that he was knocked off of his feet, and the way he immediately crumpled to the floor told Partitio that he wasn't going to be getting up any time soon.
"You'll regret that!" The second guard charged at Osvald, who turned and crossed his arms over his chest to block a punch. Before the guard had time to react, Osvald clocked him in the chin with an uppercut, and finished with a kick to the gut when the guard doubled over. He joined his companion, unmoving on the floor, and Osvald snorted as he cracked his neck.
"What a joke," he growled, and Partitio finally managed to snap his jaw shut; he had been gawking at Osvald's incredible display of physical strength the entire time.
"Hoo boy, Osvald! You sure gave them a good wallop!" Partitio said, his heart racing when Osvald shrugged and averted his gaze.
"Oh dear, just look at this mess you two have made."
"...Nice work."
Partitio looked up to see that Castti and Throné had finally decided to join them, and he laughed as he pushed up the brim of his hat.
"Howdy you two! You're just in time to help us track down a missing steam engine. Ready?" They nodded and Partitio turned to Osvald, "You too, partner?"
"Of course. That was just a warm up." Osvald glanced at Partitio and grinned, and the latter let out a whoop and the group ventured deeper into the factory.
Osvald had not expected to find a formidable fight in the form of a guard dog, but here they were, deep inside the steam engine factory after claiming victory against the boss of the Roque Company's favorite hound.
He winced slightly as Castti tended to a small burn on his arm, but his eyes never left Partitio, who was finally confronting his former mentor, Roque himself. Osvald couldn't help but smile at Partitio's determination to share this technology with everyone in Solistia.
"You look nice when you smile, Osvald." He turned to Castti, said smile falling from his face, replaced with an annoyed frown. "It's curious though…"
"What is?"
Osvald's eyes narrowed when Castti exchanged a glance with Throné, who quickly averted her gaze. "Well…You don't smile much, but when you do, it's usually directed at our optimistic merchant friend."
"I don't follow."
"Oh Osvald…It's just a silly observation. Don't worry about it." Castti smiled sweetly at him, which only made him more suspicious of her. She looked like she couldn't hurt a fly, but Osvald knew that the apothecary had a mischievous and deadly side that was not to be underestimated.
However…as much as he hated to admit it, she might have a point. Osvald turned his attention back to Partitio and Roque, who seemed like they were in the midst of making a business deal. Out of his seven traveling companions, Partitio was the one that he felt like he was the closest to. Osvald found that listening to him talk was soothing, and Partitio didn't seem to mind if he didn't do too much talking back. Partitio took his magic lessons seriously, and they were as much for Osvald as they were for him, as they allowed him to take his mind off of his quest for revenge, even for a small moment. He was turning out to be a very important person in Osvald's life…
"...Did he just say what I think he said?"
Throné's shocked voice snapped Osvald from his thoughts, and he looked to see that her jaw was hanging open, and even Castti was staring at Partitio with wide eyes.
"Hm?" Osvald questioned, but as he refocused on the conversation between Partitio and Roque, his own jaw dropped with shock as his face paled.
Eighty billion leaves?
"That Roque is a real piece of work."
"Heh, you can say that again!"
"Okay, I'll say it to you then."
Osvald crossed his arms over his chest and turned to face Partitio, his disapproving gaze boring into him. Partitio's felt sweat begin to bead at the back of his neck as the two men stopped walking in front of the fountain near the entrance to Clockbank. After his business deal with Roque had been ironed out, their group had left the factory, with Castti and Throné heading to the inn to tell the rest of their companions what had transpired.
"You are a piece of work," Osvald continued with a scowl on his face, "How in the hells are you going to obtain eighty billion leaves? It's absolutely illogical. Impossible."
Partitio let out a nervous chuckle and pat Osvald's arm. "Aw c'mon, have a little faith in me, would ya, partner?"
"Partitio…"
"Hey, yellow guy!"
Partitio sighed with relief at the interruption, and he smiled when Will - the boy that he and Osvald had rescued when they had first gotten to town - waved them over.
Partitio walked over and sat down on the stool. "Hey there, kiddo! Mind shinin' my shoes?"
"Sure thing!"
He heard Osvald let out a sigh, and Partitio chuckled as he continued to chat with Will. Partitio admired the youngin's work ethic, and he couldn't help but think that he could do whatever he set his mind to if given a proper chance.
"How 'bout you, Osvald?" Partitio said when Will had finished with him. He had expected him to protest, but instead Osvald nodded and sat down, letting Will shine his old, worn-out shoes; Partitio would have to try again to convince Osvald to get new ones.
Partitio learned more about Will as he worked, most importantly that his dream was to travel. Osvald was silent the entire time, his gaze fixed on the young boy, and Partitio raised an eyebrow when he saw him push his glasses up to rub at his eyes.
"Osvald, are you cry-"
"I'm fine," he snapped, and he quickly stood up, as Will had finished his job. Partitio's shut his mouth, and he wisely decided to not push the subject. Osvald then reached into his coat and pulled out a hefty sack.
"Here, my payment." Partitio's eyes widened with shock, and Will's jaw hung open as he shook his head.
"W-Wait, this is way too much!" he said, waving his hands in front of him. Osvald snorted and shoved the sack into his arms.
"You did an excellent job, take it." Osvald stared down at Will, looking more intimidating than he probably realized, and Will's eyes grew large and he nodded slowly.
"Wow..thanks mister!" The young boy's eyes seemed to sparkle, and Partitio left him with a promise to change the world so that his - and everyone else's - dreams could come true.
"Where'd you get all those leaves, Osvald?" Partitio asked when they were out of Will's earshot.
Osvald averted his gaze, and Partitio tilted his head when a light blush crept up on the former's cheeks. "...Those thugs back in the factory didn't seem like they needed them."
"You're a hoot, Osvald! Don't tell Throné, or she'll think you're out to steal her job!"
"Hmp."
"But that was mighty nice of you," A fond smiled crossed Partitio's face as he placed a hand on Osvald's shoulder, "That kinda coin will help him and his family for a while now."
Osvald glanced over his shoulder with a pained look of longing in his eyes. "I want him to be able to achieve his dreams…for those who do not have the chance anymore."
"Osvald…"
"Don't think that you're off the hook yet, Partitio." Osvald turned, knocking Partitio's hand from his shoulder as he jabbed a finger into his chest. "What's your brilliant plan to accrue your eighty billion?"
"Well," Partitio placed a hand on his hip and rubbed at his chin, "That kooky scrivener gave me a hot tip on where to find that much money."
"Oh?"
"Yep! In a town called Wellgrove, on the western continent." Partitio held his hand out to Osvald. "Well partner? You've got a promise to keep, so I can count on you, right?"
Osvald sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, before reaching out to take Partitio's hand. "I guess I have no choice but to participate in this fool's errand of yours…"
"That's the spirit, Osvald!" Partitio beamed as he gave Osvald's hand a good shake, before throwing an arm over his shoulders. "We'll have to work on your enthusiasm a bit, but this is a start."
"Hmp." Osvald rolled his eyes as Partitio waggled his eyebrows at him, and he let out a chuckle and shook his head.
"You're…an enigma, Partitio. I don't know what to make of you sometimes." Osvald turned and started walking down the road towards the inn, and he paused to glance over his shoulder at Partitio. "I'll need to study you more closely in order to truly understand your perspective."
"S-Study?" Partitio felt his cheeks heat up as his heart started to race. He bit his tongue to keep himself from telling Osvald that he could study him in any way that he wanted, and Partitio moved to catch up to him as he tried to keep his thoughts from wandering further into…inappropriate territory.
He could definitely use a drink to distract himself from his thoughts right about now.