Closed Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Garland and Dovey hang out, the morning after a night of heavy drinking.

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Dovey on January 12th, 2017, 9:01 pm

"I'm not going to take your money, Kova! Don't curse me," Dovey called down the well. Her voice bounced between the narrow walls, echoing down the well shaft. She turned to smile at Garland.

She gasped when he unbalanced, throwing out a hand reflexively to catch him, though she couldn't possibly have prevented the heavier warrior from tumbling into the well. Upon regaining his balance he just laughed it off, though, and she relaxed when she saw he wasn't hurt; he entwined his fingers with hers and she squeezed his hand. The silver miza tumbled down from his grasp, and she watched it fall, spinning end over end until it was swallowed by darkness. "It was for me?" she said softly. "I guess you can't tell me what you wished, or it won't come true."

She let her hand settle back to the rim of the well when he released it, and followed his gaze toward the gardens just visible beyond a small stand of trees. "The Stone Gardens, hm? Let's head over, I'd like to at least see them." She let him lead the way, taking deep, would-be steadying breaths of the warm winter air as she followed behind. Something was different, something was shifting once again inside her, something to do with the lump in her throat and the lead in her stomach.

They moved beyond the trees and she stopped dead when she saw the gardens properly. They were less wild than she had imagined, large sections set with paving stones in artistic patterns, each terrace surrounding a small fountain. There was flora too, of course, slim trees and tall flowers, spotting the place with cheerful blotches of yellow and orange and blue. A crumbling wall to the side of the garden was nearly swallowed in ivy. It was green here, and silent and peaceful, and filled with stones like the markers of graves - she felt her breath catch at the sight, and then some thread within her snapped and she was crying.
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Garland on January 13th, 2017, 12:51 pm

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Garland smiled at Dovey, she seemed a bit happier now, and that's an achievement without the use of alcohol, but his wish was just a bit more than finding momentary happiness.

Garland looked at the stone walkway, the stone memorials and the pattern the fill on the ground. Garland stepped forward, in front of Dovey, taking in the sights. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, it was much needed.

He paused, and thought about the sacrifices that the knights have gone through, yet they were not remembered, they were just stones on the ground, not even a symbol carved into the stone to signify where they were from or which company they were in.

Of course there were probably records somewhere, but Garland could replace a stone with one he'd find anywhere else, and this was somewhat saddening. The phrase 'unsung heroes' come to mind.

He turned around and saw Dovey tearing up, she just stood there and cried. Garland rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her tight, showing her that she wasn't alone in this city.

"I can't even begin to understand how you feel... But you don't have to be alone." Garland whispered softly, trying to calm Dovey down. He just stood there, holding her in his arms, letting her cry, she needed to grieve, she needed to let it out, or it would just fester and boil and kill her from the inside.
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Dovey on January 14th, 2017, 12:58 am

Dovey clung to Garland, scrunching the cloth of his shirt in her hands and crying into his shoulder. It was a different kind of crying than last night's bout; she was quieter, more lucid, a steady flow of cool tears slipping down her face and dampening Garland's shirt. Why is this happening? she heard herself think. Why can't I stop feeling sorry for myself? He's going to get so sick of me. Then came a twinge of guilt, because why should she care if Garland got sick of her, when her mother was dead?

She pressed her face into the warrior's shoulder, hiccuping a little, because she missed Mother, she missed her so much awfully more than she could bear, and she was alone now without any family because Papa had gone to that stupid gambling den - and now she was crying for them both. She pressed herself against Garland, looking for comfort in his animal warmth and finding none -

No. No, this was shyke. It was self-indulgent and useless and petching, petching shyke. It wouldn't do a thing for Mother or for Papa, it only wasted Garland's time, and she'd just met him yesterday - she blinked hard with her face still against his shoulder, squeezing her eyelids tight shut again and again, but the tears kept flowing. Her eyes stung like she'd gotten too close to an onion. "I don't understand," she said into the shirt, her voice pitched oddly high. "I can't seem to stop." She willed her eyes to dry, her tear ducts to close, but she could muster no control over the steadily falling drops. That patch of Garland's shirt was becoming quite damp.

What finally got her to move off his shoulder was the sense that her nose was about to start dripping. Releasing her hold on the fabric covering his back, with a little difficulty - her hands had cramped a bit - she turned aside and blew her nose as discreetly as possible into her elbow. She had a feeling that 'as discreetly as possible' hadn't been particularly discreet, but she turned back to Garland despite her embarrassment and made an attempt at a smile. "I'm sorry. I'm being a terrible date." Her voice was fairly steady. She tried to laugh. "I've made things all awkward." Her face was very wet; she dabbed at it with the end of her sleeve, but that did little good, as she was still crying entirely against her will. "Thanks for putting up with me. And... for hugging me and all."
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Garland on January 14th, 2017, 11:56 am

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Garland felt his chest dampen with Dovey's tears, he didn't really care, if anyone thought they cared about how they looked or smelled right now, they were idiots.

Both of them smelled like ale and vomit, Garland was sweaty from his sleeping in his armor all night, and he was sure his breath smelled like rotten eggs at the moment. Of course he was more concerned with Dovey.

He gave a smile when she blew her nose into her sleeve. "Nonsense, all dates are awkward at one point or another, that's what makes them fun." Garland smiled and placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"You're welcome, I'd do a lot of things for a pretty girl, but I do anything for a friend, you're not just a pretty girl to me." Garland smiled and wiped away the latest of the tears that rolled down on her face.

"I'm sorry I brought you to the gardens... I should have thought about how would have reacted, I thought you would have liked the quiet." Garland felt around to his clothes, looking for a handkerchief, he found one in his back pocket.

It was the one he had given Lora when they were just kids and then she returned it when she returned to Syliras and shortly after broke up with him. Garland handed it over to Dovey. "Here, it looks like you need it."
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Dovey on January 15th, 2017, 5:56 am

"Oh!" Dovey leaned a little into his hand as he brushed away her still-falling tears. "I'm glad, Garland. You're not just a pretty guy to me, either." One corner of her mouth quirked up into an unsteady half-smile. "Don't worry about bringing me here. I like it, it's beautiful."

A breeze gusted by them, tugging a few more tears from Dovey's eyes but centering her all the same with its cool touch. "I just - " She shook her head, blinking hard, biting the inside of her cheek. "It just took me by surprise, I guess. I don't know. But let's stay for a bit."

Garland was holding out a handkerchief to her. "Thank you," she murmured and took the little square of cloth in her own hand, wiping in small quick strokes at her eyes and cheeks. She could feel the dryness of the salt left behind when she finished, handing Garland back his now-damp handkerchief. A few more tears had yet to fall, but for the most part she had herself back under control. A familiar tension returned to her heart, to her stomach, but perhaps it was lighter now than it had been before. She drew in a deep breath.

"Let's walk."

She tucked her hand into the joint of Garland's elbow, pulling him gently along the walkway at their feet. The path wound between scores and scores of smooth gray stones, each half-buried in the tight-packed earth. There was something about them that stole her breath and threatened to bring back her tears; they were so many, and so carefully placed, looking for all the world like a graveyard would after some great tragedy. As often as she turned her eyes upward to admire the rest of the garden, her gaze was dragged back down to the cobbles, almost against her will.

"Garland?" she asked at last, glancing sidelong at her companion. "What are all these stones for? I mean, they're not just decoration." She paused. "They're not, are they?"
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Garland on January 15th, 2017, 3:28 pm

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Garland held up his hand. "Keep the handkerchief." Garland said and just smiled and let her take his arm.

"The stones? They represent every knight and squire or hero that sacrificed themselves for the city of Syliras and her people." Garland recounted the story behind the stones.

"Some would say they paved the way for Syliras. I say there are too many stones already." Garland walked around the gardens eyeing the various stones in their paths. "They're not even named. This is kinda sad, although the area itself is... very relaxing"

Garland was relaxed somewhat, still he couldn't help but worry for Dovey. Like a physical wound, an emotional one takes time to heal, sometimes even longer than an arrow wound or a sword slash.

Garland hoped his wish would come true. "You know, I can't say my wish because it might now come true, but... I'd do my best to make sure that it does." Garland gave a soft smile and just let her hold on to him.

"This is nice... We should do this more often, a walk through the forest would be lovely in the fall. Hmmm, There's also the hotsprings a few bells walk from the gates, there's the bathhouse if you don't feel like walking. There was also a theater somewhere if you're interested. Urpp... We don't have to go right now, we need to save some more spots in case you want to go sightseeing again."
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Dovey on January 17th, 2017, 4:36 am

So it was a graveyard, of a sort. Dovey's gaze swept across the countless stones laid out before them as she tucked Garland's dampened handkerchief into the pocket of her dress. "Thank you for the handkerchief," she said mechanically.

So many stones. So many graves... Dovey felt her face begin to contort and she bit down hard on her lower lip, holding in a deep breath for a moment before releasing it when her features were back to normal. The sadness was still there, held back behind a thin veneer of cold calm, but it was not overwhelming; she could keep it under control.

She was seriously frustrated with herself for persistently failing to pull herself together. She'd expected to mourn, of course, but not this violently, not this cripplingly. It seemed to her that her grief at her father's loss had been gentler, but that was beside the point anyhow; back then she had been in Kenash, and later traveling to Syliras, but always with her mother by her side. Now she had to provide for herself, and how could she do so if her life was interrupted by a crying fit every bell? Dovey's mother hadn't lost herself like this after her spouse had died. She had kept calm and taken what action she could - moving herself and her daughter to Syliras, where things were safer. Now Dovey was here, would she sabotage the new life her mother died for? That was disrespectful. That was wrong. Still, her bones ached with sorrow, and she couldn't help it, couldn't stop the pain...

Dovey forced her attention back to Garland. "This is nice..." he was saying. "We should do this more often, a walk through the forest would be lovely in the fall." He went on, suggesting various locations they might visit next. She stood listening, wondering whether anything could snap her out of her self-indulgent sadness, when the word bathhouse caught her ear.

"Let's go to the bathhouse," she said, almost before she thought. "We both need to clean ourselves up." She hadn't wanted to, earlier. She still felt a twinge of reluctance. But why not? They would go, and they'd wash off, and soak in the heat of the pool, and maybe more - and if it distracted her, then so much the better. Her compunctions didn't matter; a bell of forgetfulness was enough to repay her. Half a bell. A chime. Anything.
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Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

Postby Samuel Longwell on April 14th, 2017, 3:55 pm

Grading Complete


Please edit your grade request thread so that it's obvious that it's been graded. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions/problems with your grade.


Name: Garland

XP Award:
    Garland
  • Endurance 2
  • Planning 2
  • Rhetoric 3
  • Teaching 2
  • Storytelling 1
  • Flirting 1
Lore:
  • Dovey: Seems like she needs a friend
  • A date with Dovey
  • Location: The Stone Gardens
  • Dovey: Can't stop crying

Name: Dovey

XP Award:
  • Observation 4
  • Philosophy 2
  • Endurance 3
  • Socialisation 5
  • Flirting 2
  • Rhetoric 1
Lore:
  • Self: Too trusting when drunk
  • Location: Kova's Well
  • A date with Garland
  • Location: The Stone Gardens
  • A teary date

Notes: A good thread, I enjoyed reading it. Garland, just be careful to only have Garland respond to things Dovey actually says. Occasionally you were reading her mind, which isn't particularly realistic. Enjoy your grades.
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