It was deep loss that drove her into the furious obsession. Loss that filled her heart and sent her into a wild spiral, playing at the role of rescuer. Loss that had caused her to sink down into the shadowy recesses of her heart, a place not even her sweet pink bonded could shine within and find her. Riviera had drawn away from Gerry, Neri, and all of her crew to an extent, remaining polite and civil to everyone but nothing more. She wouldn't allow herself even a brief moment to try and be close to anyone, not again, not until she found the one she had lost. Neri had become quieter and had lost her bright spunk as she watched her bonded fall into a dark space. She tried as best she could to comfort Riv, but found that more often than not her happiness only drove her best friend further into the shadows. Riviera was determined to win this game of hide and seek and Neri was just along for the ride.

Yet, even though her search was fueled with a deep passion spurred on by a deeper loss, in the back of her mind the Captain knew that she wasn't going to be able to save the only one she wanted to save. Since Milo's disappearance after their cold last meeting, she had sailed the seas taking every bounty she possibly could in hopes that Milo would be on one of those pirate ships. However, with each new job and each secured ship, her hopes began to sink lower and lower that she would ever come across him again. Not to mention the fact that the corruption was becoming more prevelant amount the pirates and each bounty came with slight more danger and risk of being infected. She had lost two of her men in the past six months to the corruption, and it devestated her heart each time she laid a man to rest in the sea. She loved her crew and each and every mission they took she gave them the option to sit it out. She would never force a man to risk his life for her obsession.

Her eyes stared off at the line of caves before her, her hand pausing in the air as she watched her crew load the cannons. They were all waiting for her hand to fall signaling them to fire upon the hideout that they had discovered. Her eyes looked out over the water, watching the sky turn colors as the sun began to rise, there was something about this bounty that unsettled her, something about it that rattled her to the very core. Slowly her other hand moved to the little puzzle box where Neri had settled, gently rubbing it in a manner to not only console herself, but also reach out to her little friend. "I'm still here Neri, you haven't lost my yet" she whispered into the sea breeze. She felt the box slowly come apart in her hand, sliding open as two little eyes peeked out. "I love you, Rivvy." Came the gentle reassurance. Riv cast her eyes down to the box and gave a gentle nod of her head, her lips mouthing the words back before she allowed her hand to fall.

It was hours later that the ship docked, the smell of cannon fire still coating the air, the silence welcome after the array of screams that had once filled the air. Her hands settled around the notebook hugging it to her chest as she left the safety of the ship and made her way down to the debris, eyes falling upon the dead bodies that littered the path. Her hand moved to her pocket but Neri had beat her to it, grabbing the pen for her and placing it between her fingertips. She offered the little octopus a smile, before setting her mind to the task at hand. Her hands moved, sketching the faces of the once again humans that littered the ground. She would compare her sketches to the details and names she had later, matching them up so that she could report back to the families the fate of their loved ones. Her white blonde locks catch in the wind as they hang around her shoulders, no longer in the braid that was normal for her. A few of her men were walking around the debris as well, careful to look for survivors or treasures that could be returned to their rightful owners.

She was walking down the line, working on a woman's face with particularly unique features, studying to make sure that she got every detail accurate when she heard the growl. Her pen dropped from her fingertips and Neri made no move to retrieve it having hidden within Riv's blonde hair. The growl came from near her and slowly, Riviera moved a hand to her sword hanging by her hip. She slipped it out of its sheath, turning on quick feet to face the threat. As she turned to look upon the monster before her, her breath caught in her throat as her sea blues met the creature's unique orange orbs. A single tear began to form in her eyes as the breathless whisper of a name left her lips "Milo...."