[The Wilmot Manor] Passing over a "Hello!" (Alric)

[Bob Barton]

28rd day of Winter 511 AV

Finally! Bob reached Alvadas after the long journey. After discussing with the government people that brought him here he went out looking for other friends especially since he never could trust people in power. In Syliras they were too rigid, in Ravok they were too scary and in Sunberth they were just too corrupt. But in a new place, who exactly can he trust? His efforts was only a whole lot easier because he was given a name to look for from Wrenmae back in Sunberth. Before the both of them parted ways, the shipwrecked adventurer told Bob that if the midget ever ended up in Alvadas he should tell Alric "hello" just as Bob hinted about some other people to know in Sunberth. Who would have actually thought that the opportunity for that would come this fast? Still there was no better time to take advantage of visiting the former noble's home than the present though Bob would have liked meeting him when they still actually had their influence. Maybe if he made a good impression he could find a nice place to crash for a while until he found some proper lodging too. Government protection was good but then again Bob did not quite trust them either.

"You don't know who I am looking for and who told me about him either do you Jinsen?" he asked the dog that was with him. Bob took Jinsen along with him on his search hoping that the dog would be able to help him track down the familiar scent until he realized that Jinsen never met Wrenmae in the Wildlands at the time since found it was still not properly trained enough to bring along. Now after more than a season he could, but it was too late but he can still make use of Jinsen in the present. "Wrenmae described him as a former noble. They have nice clothes you know?" which were something like Bob's own that he was tugging on to show the dog. Since today Bob did not have the disgusting opportunity to pass by a tempting trash pile as well "as presentable as me too" but he will be really surprised once he finds that run-down manor with its distinctive musty smell for what it really was as the rest of the Alvads told him when he asked "where can I find the Wilmot house?"

Their reputation should have made Bob's search a lot more easier but from what he heard, he was reconsidering. Who was Wrenmae but someone he briefly met to act on his advice to closely? But Bob was already so close and with a sigh he told Jinsen that "I guess we are going to meet these queer people...Do you think you can find invisible clothes Jinsen?" The dog would not know what he meant of course and this time Bob was not going to show it an example in the middle of the streets unless he wanted to be known as one of the queer folk too but he felt that a lot of people are already looking at him that way when he asked for them to "point me in the right direction to the Wilmot house" because what they knew that Bob should know is that the streets in Alvadas are always shifting. Someone told him about it once but then being a person who never experienced anything like it Bob just brushed it aside like a stupid story that the foreigners like to tell new people to add the mystical allure of their hometown.

The people just sent Bob away with directions that he needed to take like a turn to the left or right, straight down the street or a bend that he missed. Bob followed it all trekking down the streets with Jinsen finding places that he would have went into if he was not already set on going to meet Wilmot. His eyes lit up when he saw the magnificent Colosseum and found out that they took bets as well. "I am going to need a lot more research into the fighters if I am going to put some money in" he told himself so that he would make his way. When he saw the Ionu's Wager, he wanted to run right in for a game but "I had to bring you along with me did I Jinsen?" The dog could tell that Bob did not want it around and started to walk away but a quick tug on its leash and the command to "stay" to stop it in its tracks followed by a "come" got it to follow Bob again. After a lot of coercing and apologies that "I'm sorry" and "you know I don't mean that" so gentle that it went against the sarcastic tone he had used on the dog earlier.

With a whole mess of twists and turns that Bob would never bother to remember once he learned the truth about Alvadas his queries would finally be answered when a passerby told him that the Wilmot Manor was right in front of him but "it looks so...old..." and not in that good long line of nobles way. "Are you sure that there are actually people living in there?" When Bob got closer to the door Jinsen started to turn away to run smelling the stench that emitted from the house. Bob could not detect it and only made a grab for the dog's body after he reeled it on the leash telling it that "you are not going anywhere." After pressing it down hard on the ground until it was forced to sit and having a staredown to let it feel the pressure, Bob gave it the advice that "you are going to behave in there." No monkey business for Jinsen "unless you want to be stuck in that lonely room with only one meal a day." Even that prisoner Dhalvasha's treatment would be considered a whole lot better than that.

Bob slowly released the dog to see what it would think of that fully prepared to make a grab for the leash if it tried to run again but it looked that it understood, this time. After a few more moments of looking at the dog which showed no hints of trying to escape Bob casually took the leash and stood up to knock on the door. To whoever answered it he will say "hello!" since it was polite only polite to pass a message "that was from Wrenmae by the way" so that Bob will not seem too much of a stranger. After that only he introduced himself as "Bob and Jinsen" showing to the two that were at the doorstep.

[Alric Wilmot]

Alric had not done much this Winter. It was mostly filled with long workdays and long walks. And while both were all well and good, they both grew very boring very quickly. And so, he took the day off from both to do something both needed and fun. He was cleaning the main manor. Now, most people did not consider cleaning fun. But Alric was not most people. Alric was fascinated by appearances and the power they held over people. People judged and learned based on how things appeared, rather than how they really were. Which Alric found wonderfully entertaining. It was part of the reason he wore a mask, and part of the reason he worshiped Ionu. Appearances were not deceiving, they were puzzles. They did not hide or distort reality, they merely presented it in a fashion many were not able to readily interpret. Which would explain the state of the Wilmot Manor. Alric did not actually live in the main house, instead opting to live in a small guest house next to it. His father on the other hand, had lived in it up until last season. He had left abruptly, and had not bothered to tell Alric until the day of. The note he left behind indicated a chance at securing wealth for the family again, though he did not say this specifically. At the time, the old house was clean, even if a bit rundown. However, with Alvin Wilmot's departure, the house had no one to keep up maintenance and soon become as dirty as it was old. Which is to say, very much so. And so, Alric took the day off to clean it and make it more presentable, so that people who passed by might judge it (and by extension, the Wilmot) with more favor. After all, whether it was true or not, people thought that clean people were good and dirty people bad. Considering Alric's fondness for interaction, and people's fondness for interacting with good people, it seemed only natural to clean the place on his Father's behalf. He had started inside of course, so that he would be the first one to enjoy his hard work. He had started by scrubbing the chamber bot his Father had neglected to empty before he departed, which was rather revolting. However, he was surprised to find it was not the worst part of it by far. He had to rip out a back closet covered in mold, which stunk very badly. It wasn't the nice musty odor of rotting wood either. It was a putrid smell like that of a dying cat. Alric wanted to get it out of the house quickly, but it took him nearly an hour to remove it from the house because he was constantly gagging. Once that was done, he spent the majority of his time dusting and sweeping. He did not bother hosting a funeral for the closet either, as he had not really known it that well.The odor had mostly gone after an hour, and was replaced the familiar poignant smell that he used to find his home amongst the shifting city. As Alric finished up inside, he heard a knocking. How very strange, who would interact with Alric before the outside of his home was clean? Granted, the inside was what was most important, but only very rare people judged things on such invisible qualities. Still, Alric mused, he supposed just because a person was rare, did not mean they did not exist. He put his broom aside and walked towards the door, curiosity written across his face. The worn door opened with a faint creak, and revealed a very short man. In fact, Alric was surprised to notice, the man was even shorter than himself. He said hello, and then said somthing Alric did not expect to hear in the least. "That was from Wrenmae by the way." Alric's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped for but a second. Wrenmae? his old friend from back when he was a child? He hadn't been seen in Alvadas for years, what did this peculiar man know about him? Alric, always a sucker for a mystery, smiled widely and hid away his surprise. There would be time later to wonder at it. Right now, he'd have to discover who this man was, and his connection to Wrenmae. "Well then, I gladly accept it, and return it in kind. Please, do come in. I've just finished tidying up the place." with that he struck a pose that welcomed the man, and Alric just noticed, his dog. "You are a most welcome guest, Mr...." The man responded, "Bob and Jinsen" Alric nodded, "Mr. Bob. It has been a very long time sine I've had company. Come, I have a pair of chairs in the kitchen. We can discuss things in there. And I must say, I am very eager to discover how you know Wrenmae of all people. He was a good friend of mine you know. Anyway, please come and sit. I might even have a little something to eat if I recall correctly." oocSorry for not posting last night. I accidentally hit save draft instead of submit.

[Bob Barton]

It was amazing just how it was as Wrenmae said it. All Bob had to do was say his name and viola, he was invited right in. Now what was he supposed to do...be polite but when was Bob not? "Thank you very much Alric, but I think you can just call me Bob since we have a mutual friend or do you prefer to be called Mr. Wilmot too?" This man was truly different from his strange pose to his speech and Bob thought he knew nobles, like the one from Ravok or something like that. Probably something to do with the locale. He was in a different region after all. Stepping through the door he tugged on the leash calling Jinsen to "come along" but it kept moving its nose away like it was trying to avoid the smell. The dog's nose was just a lot more sensitive. He got down to the dog's level staring it in the eye as he growled "you are not going to make Alric feel bad are you?" and pushed Jinsen through the door with his own two hands before following Alric into the kitchen.

The deeper Bob went into the manor the more he had the feeling that the location had nothing to do with it. Even a blind man would notice that something is off when there is nothing for him to stumble over but for Bob, what he saw was just at the sides of a whole lot of empty space. Noble or not people would at least keep some luxuries to display in their home. In fact, the space was just so unnatural and unexpected that he just could not notice that Alric has been cleaning up the place thinking that it was just how the manor was meant to be. "Now I know what Wrenmae meant by ex..." Bob commented quietly to himself when he scanned around the manor until he caught sight of Jinsen at the side trying to mark...its... "no!" he called out as he ran over to make a grab at the dog to lift it up only giving the explanation to Alric that "it was about to knock over something, sorry. Good thing I stopped him right?" Once he had the chance of a brief moment with Jinsen he stared it down in a stern voice to "nev-er tr-y tha-t a-gain." gripping its ear firmly not enough to hurt it but enough to make it want to listen and hold it in place.

At the table Bob would just talk a little since he was company after all as the man put it. With his ignorance he expressed hos impressed he was with "Alvadas, its such a big city. It was so hard to find your home even with the help of some people. I thought Wrenmae was just joking when he said that a map would be useless with so many twists and turns. I even thought I passed that colosseum...thrice. Is that the center of the city?" With any luck, from two people maybe Bob will finally find out how things really were but moving on he wanted to know a little more about his host and his "impressive home you got here. It certainly is...big?" That was the only word that Bob could find to describe it. "What do you do here in Alvadas to maintain this house? From what I can tell, it has quite a history" meaning that it looked really old and worn in his eyes. Alric probably has a hidden noble stash of treasure somewhere to last him the lifetime. Not too interesting to his guest unless he wanted to gamble it off.

Obviously Bob would answer and questions about Wrenmae too sticking to the simplest fact that "I met him in the wilderness outside Sunberth. Your friend must have made the twins happy or something because he actually survived" alone, but there was no need to make it sound so gloom and doom. "We actually split up near the city which was such a bad thing since he owed me a few games. Tell me Alric, do you play?" Bob asked while he was juggling some dice in his hand before giving a laugh that "I think Wrenmae used up all his luck in his travels that time. Maybe he would have recharged it the next time we meet?" if there was a next time? Bob sure hopes so. After all the man owed him a chance to take his money away. Of course Alric would have more questions about Wrenmae and maybe his quest. The only question was about what and whether Bob was capable of answering them.

[Alric Wilmot]

"Thank you very much Alric, but I think you can just call me Bob since we have a mutual friend or do you prefer to be called Mr. Wilmot too?" Alric nodded, silently agreeing with the stranger. He let the man behind to stare at his freshly dusted home. Instead he looked through the cabinets to find a nice snack for the two of them while they talked. He wasn't sure what he would find as all of his groceries were in the guest house. Still, he imagined his father would have left something behind. Although he desperately hoped that whatever it was that he left behind was well preserved. Otherwise, he'd have another mess to clean. The cabinets were mostly empty, save one jar of canned peaches. Alric quickly grabbed it and placed it on the counter. The jar was glass, which was rare. Most of the Wilmot's glass jars had been sold to pay for Alric's education. For the most part, they had clay ones. He supposed his father simply did not have it in him to sell them all. He opened up the jar and took out a slice of peach from the preservative goo, and took a bite. It was... less than spectacular, but it was still sweet and somewhat fresh. Alric allowed Bob to stop his dog from soiling the Manor before he spoke. He was quit glad he stopped the thing. Alric did not particularly feel like cleaning the inside of the Manor again. He nodded at Bob's horrible lie, (after all, there was nothing to knock over) and gestured to a stool at the end of the warped wooden table that lay in the kitchen. Alric stood leaning on the same table with the jar of peaches between him and the chair. "Here you are Bob," said Alric as he gestured towards the jar, "Help yourself. We can discuss things while we enjoy a morsel." Bob went over to the table, though he did not sit, and began to ask questions about the city."Alvadas, it's such a big city. It was so hard to find your home even with the help of some people. I thought Wrenmae was just joking when he said that a map would be useless with so many twists and turns. I even thought I passed that Colosseum...thrice. Is that the center of the city?" Alric smirked a bit as he realized that Bob was not only a stranger to the Wilmot Manor, but also to Alvadas. It reminded him of the two characters he had met last fall, who also had trouble with the way Alvadas moved. Honestly, he did not know what was so strange about it. if anything, it was odd that the other cities didn't move. Didn't they ever get bored? Anyway, Alric answered Bob's questions, all too glad to have someone connected to Wrename visiting him. "I imagine it would be incredibly difficult to find the Wilmot Manor by asking directions. It is a useless endeavor in Alvadas I'm afraid. I hope it did not trouble you too much, though. The city can be quite meddlesome at times, especially when it's bored. And no, actually. The Colosseum is just one of our many attractions. the center of the city is the one part that doesn't move. We've come to call it the "Sanity Center" if I recall correctly, though I haven't been there in ages." Alric laughed a bit at his own joke, though Bob did not seem to notice. He was too busy admiring the Manor it seemed. At last, Bob spoke again, this time about the house. "Impressive home you got here. It certainly is...big? What do you do here in Alvadas to maintain this house? From what I can tell, it has quite a history" Alric smiled then, flattered at Bob's words. He did not stop to consider who Bob was, or why he was here, or any of the other many things a normal person might consider. Instead, he was concerned only of entertaining this new-found stranger who claimed to know Wrenmae. "Oh yes, the Wilmot family is a very old one here in Alvadas. You see, we were here since its founding, before Ionu was the patron god of the city. This house, in fact, belonged to the very first Wilmot, a legendary healer by the name of Amos. He was renown for his ability, and helped Alvadas survive several early famines and attacks. It's thanks to him that we're considered noble really. You see there isn't a true nobility here in Alvadas. Instead, when we say a man is a noble, we mean he comes from a very good and wise family. Usually, that also means rich," Alric said this rather flippantly, a bit perturbed at that definition. "But, for the most part, it is referring to the character of his ancestors." Alric left it at that, not wanting to give anymore away. Though, really, he had gone a bit rambley. He had thought he had conquered that little habit of his. Apparently not. It escaped his notice that he did not actually answer Bob's question. Alric cleared his throat, "So, tell me, where did you meet Wrenmae exactly? Is he doing okay?" Bob answered Alric quickly,"I met him in the wilderness outside Sunberth. Your friend must have made the twins happy or something because he actually survived. "We actually split up near the city which was such a bad thing since he owed me a few games. Tell me Alric, do you play?" Alric blinked. He had been afraid he had not been making sense. Apparently he need not have bothered. All he gathered off of Bob was that Wrenmae was alive and in Sunberth of all places. That was fine with Alric, he was happy to hear about him. But who on earth were the twins? Bob hadn't said. Though, he di seem interested in playing a game of some kind. Alric noticed a pair of dice in the diminutive man's hands. "I think Wrenmae used up all his luck in his travels that time. Maybe he would have recharged it the next time we meet?" Bob said. Alric raised an eyebrow at the man. Sunberthians were an odd bunch. Who asked a question and went on as though they hadn't asked it? Odd, very odd. Still, the man was rather polite, so Alric supposed it could have been worse. He did not bother to comment on Wrename's luck, he seemed to have it in spades back when they were children after all. Instead, he inquired as to Bob's purpose for being in Alvadas. After all, it did seem rather strange for man to be traveling the world of Mizahar for the fun of it. "So, Bob, you have told me your connection to Wrenmae, but not why you are here. Would you mind telling me? I'm quite curious. I'm wondering both why you are in Alvadas, and why you sought me out of all people. I do realize it might take a while, I have a problem with rambling myself. So if you'd like, we can play that game you were speaking about earlier while we talk. That is, if you'd like."

[Bob Barton]

Given Bob's height it was not surprising if a casual looker could not tell whether he was already sitting or not. A random telltale hop into the air and onto the chair was all there was and Bob's head could still be on the same level it was on previously even if his legs might be dangling above the ground. There Bob looked at the slimy peaches which were floating in the goo appearing like some sort of disgusting lava lamp but that did not bother him much since he has eaten much worse during his travels. The thing was his uncle back in Zeltiva forbade him from taking too much of the peachy gloop since as he was told it will make his teeth rot and get a little bit too crazy to control as all children would be when they get too much sugar. Bob was a lot more smarter and experienced now but the idea of getting rotten black teeth like a lot of other people he has seen around Mizahar was not something he looked forward to but it would be rude to his host if he did not accept it so he could only say "thank you" taking one for himself just for a taste.

It was quite sweet and fresh compared to what Bob had to eat since early last season so he could not help himself but take another piece for himself while Alric was explaining about Alvadas. "I had no trouble finding the manor" like what everyone would say in a new place that they are not familiar with but that would change if Bob wanted to make any extra visits to the Wilmots. Bob just gave Alric the same dumbfounded look the other people he asked directions from gave him earlier when he questioned "meddlesome...when bored?" What Alric was saying now was pretty unbelievable because "you're suggesting that the city is alive?" At least now it has some other thing backing it up like what Bob thinks that "the talking gate should be its head right? The one that I have to pass through right before I want to reach this Sanity Center you are talking about." How could Bob not remember that strange building which boasts providing housing in Alvadas? He needed to in case he wanted to stay in Alvadas for an even longer time than he initially intended.

Bob would not really say that he was admiring, just that he was surprised at how bare and worn the place was so he was looking to see if maybe everything was hidden away but there was no signs of anything like that happening being freshly cleaned up and all. As interesting as whatever it was that Alric told him about his family, notably that Bob would remember about Amos and nobility being the character of ones ancestors, Bob would not be able to pay close attention because somehow he noticed that Jinsen was sitting on the chair right beside him. Trying to ignore the strange dog, Bob looked at Alric with a smile while nodding at anything which sounded nice about the Wilmot family as he gave the char Jinsen was on a swift and sharp kick but then...the dog was still there. Bob's eyes quickly went to the end and looked at Jinsen again which was just sitting doing nothing before he tried another kick, slanting his body to the side for a moment if Alric was paying attention to his guest to notice. At a loss, he tried to hide a command he stressed on Jinsen with two kicks while he asked Alric "Did Amos pass down any of that knowledge to you if he did not pass down his fortune?"

It was not that Bob was planning to rob Alric or anything with that question but since Alric neglected to mention anything about his job, Bob just assumed that the man was just living free and happy with whatever his grand ancestor left for him. It was a nice thought to distract himself with while he was still struggling to get Jinsen down. Hopefully Alric had not noticed yet that there was a furry white head popping out the top of the table. Since the commands have failed as well, Bob had to try another method and tried to find what got his dog so interested and...well behaved? On closer inspection, Bob saw that Jinsen had its eyes trained on the glass jar probably attracted by the sweet smell coming from it. That was bad if he did not act fast there will be a gloopy and glassy mess about. Bob quickly took one more peach for himself and had it at his mouth, taking a bite to chew. After that he slipped it into his sleeve the same way he did with cards sometimes but the fruit proved too big forcing him to take another bite and then it was gone, as if he finished off that fruit with that big mouth if his. "Maybe with your history you might know some other legendary healers in Alvadas as well?" Bob asked to distract Alric while he swept his hand in front of Jinsen's nose and then to the ground between them where he deposited the peach on to the ground which the dog followed to greedily consume. That was a really close one but another few hidden commands in "unless there is one staying in this building right now. Maybe even sitting in front of me too" would not hurt especially when accompanied with Bob's own foot brushing on the dog's fur each time like the kicks to the chair from earlier.

Fortunately Alric was satisfied with what little Bob gave him about Wrenmae. Just going on about what had happened did its job to allow Bob to hide the more alarming facts of things. As for why Bob is in Alvadas, it was not something to be hidden that "I came here with some other...friends" at least some of them he knew were, which he needed especially "because someone needed us to help them with work." As for what work, Bob could not say because he did not know much about it either. All he knew was that it has to be important since the people were important to Alvadas too. Trying to not say anymore, Bob rolled the die as an example where "we only need to call what number we think it is. Why don't we start the amount at five sin-" Damn. Does Bob really want to go further with that since it might remind Alric about Wrenmae? But it will be even more suspicious to continue this pause so as though nothing was wrong Bob explained the perfect lie of "-ce Wrenmae lost his belongings in the shipwreck."

To start the game for real, Bob took out the leather cup which came with the dice and put the six-sided die into it. While shaking it Bob explained why he sought Alric out which was not to collect the debt but because "Wrenmae said you can help show me around and get acquainted with the city? Better than looking for someone else to help that I completely do not know right?" and from how Wrenmae talked about Alric, Bob just assumes that the man before him would be able to do that if he wanted to. At least better than those untrustworthy bureaucrats. Bob called out the number he thinks will show up when he pressed the cup on the table as a "five" before confirming that "you don't mind do you?" Even if Alric did not, Bob could just put in the day as a nice visit. There was always other people in Alvadas if he was lucky.

[Alric Wilmot]

"meddlesome...when bored?" Bob said incredulously. Not truly understanding Alric's point of view. And then he said,"the talking gate should be its head right? The one that I have to pass through right before I want to reach this Sanity Center you are talking about." Alric could not tell if Bob was joking or not, though it seemed likely that he was. After all, who said anything about a head? "No, no my good man. A city doesn't have a head. That's nonsense! I only mean that it has thoughts and feelings, much like you and I do. All things do, I believe. Though, I admit, many people do not seem to share that view..." Alric trailed off then. Not wanting to comment further on it. After all, he did not want to turn his guest away with his odd philosophy. Luckily, Bob did not comment on it, and instead began to ask additional questions. "Did Amos pass down any of that knowledge to you if he did not pass down his fortune?" Alric did catch the odd way in which Bob spoke, and turned to face him then, to ask him about it. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the man's dog eyeing the peaches. Alric thought to call attention to it. But then realized that Bob was trying ot keep the situation from interrupting their conversation. Or, at least, that was what Alric assumed. So he let the dog be, and focused his attention on Bob yet again. "Oh, well he did pass on his fortune, though not his abilities. Much of it was sheer talent on his part, and I doubt it could ever be replicated. But as far as riches are concerned, a few generations ago, my great grandfather to be exact, was rather... unwisewith how he invested the family fortune. As a result, we're... not quite as well off as before." Alric said this very hesitantly, as he did not want to reveal the family shame. However, due to his own philosophies and commitments, he could not lie to the stranger. As such, his answer was unusually short and devoid of explanation. Because of this, Alric was rather uncomfortable, and so did not catch Bob's antics while he disciplined his dog. "Maybe with your history you might know some other legendary healers in Alvadas as well? Unless there is one staying in this building right now. Maybe even sitting in front of me too" "I'm afraid not. I know of many that are dead, but none that are living. So do be careful while you're here. Depending on Alvadas's mood and Ionu's mercy, it may take you a long while to reach a proper medical facility." Alric listened intently as Bob explained why he was in Alvadas. He had met many travelers before of course, but stories of the outside world always seemed fascinating. Buildings that didn't move, large predatory beasts, and even people who had never seen an illusion before. He wondered how Wrenmae could have adapted to such odd places. However, Bob did not enthrall him with captivating tales of the world beyond the city walls. Instead, he spoke quite plainly, and avoided detail. A normal person might catch on that Bob was being dodgy, and evading any real explanations. However, Alric was not normal, and he did not catch on. He thought simply that Bob was one of those few who were polite, but boring. And he did not wish to mention it, in case it might offend him. "I came here with some other...friends" said Bob "Because someone needed us to help them with work." As for what work, Bob did not say. Instead, he explained the rules of the game that the two were to play. "We only need to call what number we think it is. Why don't we start the amount at five sin-" he paused then, for a short moment. Alric rose an eyebrow in response, as this was quite obvious that he had started to say something he did not want to say, which even Alric could catch."-ce Wrenmae lost his belongings in the shipwreck." Alric blanched at that. A shipwreck? Good gracious, what on earth was going on with Wrenmae? Bob obviously did not want to talk about it, but really, that was all Alric wanted to know. Granted, he felt flattered at being asked to show the city to Bob ( no matter how useless it would be to go on a tour.) But now he suspected, at last, that there was more to this visit than Bob let on. He decided however, that he'd have to make Bob much more comfortable before he pried it out of him. He could use his hypnosis, but he had been very careful about avoiding using it unless he absolutely had to. He had abused it for a good long while before he realized that it was a very stupid and dangerous habit. It took a good mugging, and a run in with a curious fellow with silver eyes to teach him that. No, instead he would make the man comfortable using his own devices. Right now he wanted to play a game. So Alric would oblige him. Whether he won or not was of little concern to him. All that mattered was getting the proper information out of him. And if it turned out that Hypnotism was the only way to do that, then so be it. "So, this is a gambling game is it? And you said the first bet was 5 Mizas? I wonder, did you mean silver, gold or copper? I'd prefer silver, but I'm willing to play for gold. That is of course, if we continue our discussion while we play? I am still intrigued with you I must admit. I do wonder if you could tell me more about this work? Is it a private venture or is it on behalf of one of our governments? And, if you feel like it, I'd also like to hear more about you. How did you get all the way from Sunberth to Alvadas? It is quite the journey. Or, at least I believe so. I've never made the trip myself mind you. Oh, wait, I still need to guess the number eh? Let me see, how about 5? That seems like a nice number. Yes, I'll go with five. And um let me see." At that, Alric took a coin purse from his pocket and opened it up. He retrieved 5 gold Mizas then, and laid them on the table. He would have laid down silver Mizas, but he suspected Bob preferred gold. And, after all, he wanted to make Bob as comfortable as possible. oocLoved the scene with your dog. It made me laugh. Also, i believe on your next post you'll post what number you are guessing? and then after that I post he roll? Or will you? I'm actually not sure how we'll do this. =/ Anyway, I'm sure you've got it figured out.

[Bob Barton]

What else was Bob supposed to think about when not one, but two people tried to suggest to him that the city was sort of alive like him? And when things were alive, especially being capable of having thoughts and feelings they obviously needed a head too. However instead of protesting he contended with ignoring what Alric said about the head and the nonsense about thoughts and feelings unless he saw and experienced it himself the same way with the maw he traded words with. As much as he wanted to learn the city he saw that it was more important to learn about this man Wrenmae kept talking about in his time of need and there was a lot to learn about a man after you knew where he came from. Bob gave a laugh when he heard what Alric had to say even with Jinsen being so difficult because "my family could be said to be unwise in their investments as well" which is gambling as most Bartons would take up in the end. Bob too but he liked to keep a good outlook that "we are the ones that have to fix it don't we?" but knowing the midget's luck with the skills that has been passed down, it was going to be a long and hard road if he could even see the end. At least Alric did not have to worry about that.

And it did not look like Alric has any worry about his friend Wrenmae either to Bob at least from what he sees as not so good lighting in the house based on the already strange impression of the house. Bob was not paying too much attention to Alric either to notice the change in his expression since he was already so focused on the die as a distraction for his slip up. "Yes..." it was a gambling game. One of the things that Bob actually enjoys doing sometimes for fun and sometimes for profit. He actually intended it to be for fun this time, only using Wrenmae as a way to get Alric to agree to the bet which he intended to be as he will correct on what he counted through the glass jar as the remaining "...peaches. But I always believe that mizas makes the game more exciting so I am game if the host really wants to." There was a whole slew of other questions that Alric gave him but Bob answered none of them right until the man pointed out his number. "Five?" he asked with a laugh realizing that he was so disturbed he was unable to lead up to the usual tricks. "Alrighty, how about a four?" Bob asked choosing the same number he did to beat Wrenmae with since Alric ignored his previous bet of five and took it as his own.

Rubbing the cup against the surface of the table Bob was really tempted to open it right away especially since the day went so well in the beginning in his search for Alric but after how Jinsen has been acting and how Alric turned out not as he thought he was feeling a bit hesitant. Even more once he heard Alric's guess that was spot on about who brought Bob to Alvadas. He was just raising the cup slowly to reveal the die like how a man would see a guillotine slowly fall on him at the last few moments of his life but suddenly he pushed the cup down and jerked his body straight up. "My work?" Should Bob actually tell Alric or not? Granted he was so tired that he was not paying attention to them during the explanation and decided that it would be a lot simpler to find out only when he needed to do it, he did not think that they would appreciate him letting the cat out of the bag but then it would make him seem a lot more important to this ex-noble...Without revealing anything directly Bob said with a grin that "you are right Alric" especially with the private bit because "I am anywhere with the promise of fortune."

And what did Bob have to say about himself after that? "Well, I did try travelling throughout the whole of the Sylira region to try and get it" but there was not so much luck. Zeltiva would always be home, Syliras a place to grow up, Ravok a creepy place, Nyka even more strange, Mura just for the women, Sahova for the experience of barely living and "Sunberth is the worst place I have ever been to. That in itself was good enough motivation for me to come to Alvadas as soon as I heard about it" from agents. When Wrenmae talked about it Bob was still skeptical thinking of the place as only suitable for tourists. "I traveled with some friends so the journey was a lot easier and safer but, if you are thinking of a trip to Sunberth you better make sure those friends stay with you" and with the dour expression that Bob had on him that has to be saying something. Bob's expression changed as quickly again when he continued on about the actual journey.

"It was nice passing through Zeltiva to meet my uncle and some of my old friends in Syliras." Those were of course the easy parts since Bob has traversed the same routes before. "The ship ride on the Suvan was pretty good too. Just ah...make sure you know how to swim a little bit" because Bob nearly drowned there himself so yes, "it was quite the journey." Now that Bob answered Alric's questions he asked "how about you? You are not a healer or an investor..." hopefully because it would be depressing to think that the house lay bare for so long. "...what do you do in Alvadas?" With any luck it might give Bob a little hint of what to do as well in case he decided to stay in Alvadas for the long run. Living off gambling was only good when he had a good run of luck. More importantly in case Bob ever got injured, "How do I make Alvadas in the mood to let me get to this Mercy" or anywhere else "when I need to?" Bob could not believe that he was asking this crazy question himself but he had nothing to lose did he? At least until they found out the number on the dice now that he had opened the cup.

OOCYeah actually thought you would have done it before mine since I already know what number I wanted and could save time by putting the reactions straight but I can work with this too. You roll still

[Alric Wilmot]

"my family could be said to be unwise in their investments as well" Alric nodded in agreement. He could certainly relate. It seemed to be a curse among those who were born into wealth. They just did not seem able to hold onto their money. Either they were exceedingly foolish, of exceedingly greedy. In both cases, they always seemed to lose the inheritance their ancestors had worked so hard for. It was a sad thing, Alric thought, but not terrible. Alric doubted he would be the same person if he hadn’t learned to suffer. Granted, it was a very slight suffering, but he knew the value of a Miza. Or, at least he thought he did. Gambling away a day’s worth of pay to make someone comfortable was rather foolish, but he didn’t really see it that way. He had lived on little before, so he could do so again. As Alric contemplated the burden of inheritance, Bob spoke up. "we are the ones that have to fix it don't we?" Alric nodded slowly, a look of bewilderment on his face. It was their duty wasn’t it? Yes, yes it was. His father had sacrificed what little wealth he still had for him. So shouldn’t he also be willing to do the same for the future generation of Wilmot? Granted he may not have any offspring now, but who was to say he never would? Bob was right, he mused. He did need to reclaim the Wilmot’s Wealth, If not for himself, then for continuation of his family. "Alrighty, how about a four?" Alric shook his head as he came back into the conversation. He filed away his agreement with Bob to be acted on later. At the moment, he had company and he needed to be attentive. Bob spoke then of his adventures, and his opinions of the cities he had visited. Apparently, Sunberth was a nasty place. Alric had heard others speak of it before, but only in passing. He almost asked why it was so bad, but decided better of it. Instead, he was content to listen. Bob gave the impression of an Adventurer. And Alric's opinion of him swelled slightly because of it. Alric nodded as Bob finished speaking,"It sounds like an exciting life, I must admit. I have never left the walls of Alvadas, actually. It makes me wonder, you know, what's out there. It must be rather exciting." Bob seemed to agree with him,"it was quite the journey. How about you? You are not a healer or an investor...what do you do in Alvadas?" Alric didn't waste a second, he had gotten much better at concealing the truth without lying. "I suppose I am a healer of a sort. Although, I do not heal the flesh. You see, I run a booth down in the bizarre. I heal men's minds. I rid them of unwanted compulsions, desires and personality traits. I'm not sure if there is a proper name for it though. Anyway, the work is honest, and the pay is good. Better than anything my father had surely...." Alric trailed off then, not wanting to speak further Luckily, he didn't have to. Bob continued the conversation himself. "How do I make Alvadas in the mood to let me get to this Mercy when I need to?" Alric rose an eyebrow,"Oh? Well, I... I had never thought about it before. Well, I suppose you could pay homage to Ionu. Ionu is the patron deity of the city, so I imagine it listens to Ionu. And, if Ionu likes you, then it is far more like to intervene on your behalf. At least, I think so. Tell me though, Bob, how is Wrenmae now? I'm sorry if I keep asking, but I haven't seen him in such a long time. And, if I remember, you said something about a shipwreck." He observed the die then and found them to be in his favor. They had indeed rolled a five. Alric smirked and took back his Miza. "Heh, seems like I won." said Alric. The win had put him in good spirits, however, he did wonder if Bob losing had defeated what Alric had intended to do. He decided to act as though he had forgotten to ask for Bob's money. People generally liked conversing with people they were cleverer than. Maybe Bob was one of those people? oochttp://sadpanda.us/images/835644-SQWJ9ZZ.png

[Bob Barton]

By the looks of it Alric seemed easily excitable when it comes to his family and with the concern he displayed for Wrenmae so far, Bob felt that it was not a waste in meeting the man. Granted they do not share the same beliefs on the value of a miza they had a calling for the sake of their family name and probably the wellbeing of those around him. Different lifestyles easily remedied by the suggestion that "you should try travelling if you have the chance. It is a very good way to learn new things, meet new people, see new sights..." bla bla bla. Everyone knew the good things about travelling so it was actually a waste of time to repeat it. That being said "I think that the best place for you to visit first is Syliras." What else is needed to say about that city conveniently located across the across the Suvan other than "the knights make it the safest place to be around and some of them are very exciting too." Mostly Bob knew squires but the knights he knew were not too bad either.

But why would Alric leave a great job like he described just for some travelling since "I am sure that you have already met a lot of exciting people yourself already." If Bob was thrust in that sort of a position to control compulsions, desires and traits of other men, he would have put them into dishonest use so it was a good thing for the Alvads that it was Alric and not Bob who was doing the job though "maybe I will visit you in the bizzare one day to have a look" and probably get in on the action. It was too good a chance to pass up and once Bob was able to find out just exactly what is going on he would be able to make his decision. Right now the only thing he had on his mind was hopefully to make a lot of winnings gambling but that the results of that has yet to be seen. "Just what sort of people you work with Alric?" Politicians? The law? Rich and wealthy people? The thoughts of that were so tempting and better compared to the people Bob always worked with. Ruffians, scums and scoundrels the lot of them.

Bob started thinking about Ionu who is "the god right?" Unfortunately he was not one to really pay homage to any god since they are nothing but trouble according to his experiences unless of course they did something for him since it was not the Barton way to be in anyone's debt. If he took the initiative and paid homage first who is to say that Ionu would really intervene on his behalf? "I'll keep that in mind Alric. So how have you been trying to get Ionu to like you?" A better question that Bob wanted to ask was how to not get Ionu to not like a person but he figured that it was something that a person like Alric would never want to know himself. It was so simple with the other gods like for the twins, all Bob wanted to know was how to repay them according to the Barton ideology of debts and for Sagallius well...the god who was once mortal just impressed Bob a lot with his accomplishments.

There were more things that Bob wanted to ask but it should be the right thing to tell his host what he wanted. "Well Wrenmae..." is probably in a whole load of trouble and possibly dead in a gutter somewhere in Sunberth was not what Bob wanted to tell Alric and he did not need to yet because the dice was shown as a "five? I told you so" but he did say four in the end even if his choice was taken away from him. What to do now...what to do now... Yes, he would try to distract Alric from these results a little by talking about Wrenmae as he wanted. "Peaches?" Bob asked holding out the jar which held the balance that remained to try and make Alric recall what he said earlier about their bets to see if it can be used to his favor. At worst he only had to give up five mizas...five-gold-mizas. Bob must not be as good as his ancestors as he believed himself to be after his conversation with Alric.

After taking some time to think about how to break in the news Bob finally told Alric that "Wrenmae should be good in Sunberth now if he had the chance to find my friends which I told him to, the same way he told me to find you" and that was the closest that Bob could get to claim that he was telling the truth. As far as Bob knew however likely it was that Wrenmae is dead since "we were forced to part ways just before going back," he did not even see the body despite the blood. His conscience was clear because he was passed out and could not do anything. It did not even seem like a robbery since nothing of his was taken so their assailants must have had a specific...goal...in-oh shyke. Alric is definitely not going to know about that now. What should he say now...oh right facts always work. "Just like me, if he took my advice he might even be having peaches of his own with someone else like Mok." Then the realization hit him which was evident on his face. Not that "Sunberth has nothing nice like peaches" which is what he would say if Alric pointed it out but in his excitement that day he went straight to Mok to tell the brute to look out for one weary traveler named Wrenmae who might have taken advantage of Bob.

Oh well on the bright side Wrenmae might be dead enough to avoid that to was that a bad thing? Bob was getting a little bit confused with trying to not tell the truth while telling everything he needed to and he wanted to try and change topics. "Is there anything special in Alvadas I might want to look out for?" Places, activities, people because "I am still a little bit lost even with all the help you have given me." Of course if Alric had anything else to say other than that Bob was all ears.

[Alric Wilmot]

"you should try traveling if you have the chance. It is a very good way to learn new things, meet new people, see new sights..." Alric nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. He very much agreed that to understand something you had to experience it. In fact, it was very much his intention to travel around all of Mizahar one day. Although, that day was rather far off for the moment. "I think that the best place for you to visit first is Syliras." Syliras, that name sounded familiar. Had he read about it before? "the knights make it the safest place to be around and some of them are very exciting too. Knights? Oh yes, he had read about that place before. Syliras was one of the safest human cities in Mizahar. It was also, supposedly the birthplace of civilization. He wasn't quite sure if he believed that, but he'd definitely visit the place if possible. It sounded interesting enough anyway. "I am sure that you have already met a lot of exciting people yourself already. Alric smiled, recalling the many strange encounters he had had since opening up his booth. "Oh, yes. I have met quite a few characters. It seems when you advertise yourself as a healer of the mind, you attract those who are sick in the head. Why, the most interesting case I've had so far was one with an old beggar that stunk like you wouldn't imagine..." "maybe I will visit you in the bizzare one day to have a look" Alric nodded, "I think I'd like that. It would most certainly be entertaining. Might even help you understand the dynamics of Alvadas." As Alric continued to converse with Bob, relating that he worked with all sorts of people, from the filthy to the filthy rich, he was becoming more comfortable. He still worried about Wrename, but suddenly, he thought that Bob would not be nearly this chatty if Wrenmae were dead. Or, at least he hoped Bob would not be chatty. As Alric relayed his worship of Ionu, Bob inquired about details that Alric had not divulged. "I'll keep that in mind Alric. So how have you been trying to get Ionu to like you?" Alric thought for a moment, as that question was truly beyond anyone's ability to answer. However, Alric did not know this, and attempted to answer anyway. "Truly? I have no idea. What might entice one person to Ionu, might drive another away. Ionu is finicky, or, at least appears that way. The only pattern I've noticed is that Ionu enjoys interesting characters. So, just... be yourself I suppose? No, be... more than yourself. Yes, yes that's it! Be more than yourself. Do what others don't expect. Do what you don't expect." Alric noticed the look Bob was giving him, and coughed to cover up the awkwardness. "Tell me though, Bob, how is Wrenmae now? I'm sorry if I keep asking, but I haven't seen him in such a long time. And, if I remember, you said something about a shipwreck." "Well Wrenmae..." Bob offered Alric some more peaches before he continued, which Alric did. "Wrenmae should be good in Sunberth now if he had the chance to find my friends which I told him to, the same way he told me to find you. We were forced to part ways just before going back. Just like me, if he took my advice he might even be having peaches of his own with someone else like Mok." Bob paused for a bit, before he continued, "Is there anything special in Alvadas I might want to look out for? I am still a little bit lost even with all the help you have given me." Alric nodded. As a newcomer, Bob would be wise to learn the laws. "Yes, the Womiyu is Alvadas's personal security force. They maintain the peace here. It would be best if you could find a book of the law. They give them out in all government buildings. All you need to do to get one is prove that you can read. That used to not be a requirement, but with so many homeless using it as toilet paper, they decided to change it. Oh, and don't bother trying to be sneaky. No one's quiet sure how many there are, but the Womiyu has a special branch that is always watching the populace for misconduct." Alric glanced out the window, and noticed the sun was drifting away, heading for its bed. Something he should probably be doing soon. He took the jar of peaches, which had barely been diminished, and resealed it. "Well, Bob, it has been a lovely chat. However, the sun is going to bed, and I'm afraid I must do the same. If you'd like, you can sleep here in the Manor. You are perfectly welcome to. Your dog is too, so long as it doesn't defecate anywhere. I-, yawn, I'm not sure why, but I feel like tomorrow is going to take a lot of my strength."