Work Text:
Home is an unfamiliar word for Gideon Coal. He recalls fondly the small farm he grew up on with his father, but most if not all of those recollections are tinged with grief. If he were truly home, the hobgoblins couldn’t have attacked.
Sometimes a smell will send him back to the time before his father had passed, when he was younger, and he had the room to make quite a bit of trouble. He would get his chores done, before going off to create some mischief. When he got home, in the evening when the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon, his father would be waiting. Perhaps he had more chores for Gideon to do, perhaps he was going to have Gideon work on the machinery with him.
After he escaped that damned train, and he ran into Kremy Lecroux, he was almost always on the move. Kremy Lecroux was a busy gator and where Kremy went Gideon went. Kremy was kind enough for someone who had hired Gideon. Always made sure he was fed, full if he could manage it. Sometimes he would rent the both of them a room in an inn. Those were always nice nights, away from the elements and the cold.
The carnival was probably Kremy’s longest running business venture. They had been partners for close to a decade at that point. He got to build rides and games, proving that he was more than just some muscle. He was very proud of the games, rigged just right so Kremy would make the most amount of money before it was frankly just theft. If they had maybe a couple more weeks, he could have perfected the harris wheel and it would quit breaking down.
Sometimes he wonders if his father would have approved of Kremy Lecroux. Gideon considers Kremy to be a big part of what made him the man he is today. They should be able to travel to Yona, back to his little farm, and his dad would welcome them in for a short stay. They would have dinner, chatting all the while. He imagines that the dinner would be pleasant, and his father would tell him he did good. He wonders if he can miss home and feel at home at the same time.