Reconciliations

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A lawless town of anarchists, built on the ruins of an ancient mining city. [Lore]

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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on March 25th, 2022, 5:44 am

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16th Spring 522 AV – Alric’s Shack

Things had gone better than he had dared to hope with Lys, she had spent a few days between consciousness and a sleep that grew more restful than fitful as the bells progressed. He had used the time between her waking, which he ended as quickly as was possible as Vestra had instructed, to collect supplies, cook, clean and explore his magic – largely Reimancy. He had gained a better understanding of its workings, though he could feel that there were a thousand more possibilities drifting across his fingertips, just out of reach for now but perhaps soon within grasp, at least in part.

He had tried to make his shack as comfortable as was possible, it had only been made for one person and so he had procured himself a bedroll and a blanket or two so that his sleeping was more comfortable. Most nights, though, he ended up moving to the chair, falling asleep as he watched the flames crackle after a calming smoke of his pipe. He had also managed to rig up some rope so he could hang another blanket during the night, blocking out the cold whispers of wind through the shutters. It had never bothered him, but he knew chills could take the weakened easily enough and so took precautions.

Food was upon the table, both fresh vegetables for cooking and bread, butter and meats for simpler meals. Lys took this in from her position on the bed, propped up and awake for most of the day this time, wedging herself into sitting by using her balled up clothing, and the blankets Alric currently had no need of. The young woman had formed a sort of mixed fabric cocoon around herself, managing to wake it thick enough somehow that she had stopped complaining about the cold, alongside not having to spend much effort on staying upright. He had listened with quiet amusement at her muttering and griping at the temperature and discomfort – he was just glad she seemed to be at the point where recovery was well underway and death a long distant memory.

Still, the way she seems to make the bedding multiply enough to become a protective layer makes me wonder if she has some magic of her own he mused to himself with a snort as he stirred the pot of food he had put together – the first one having been consumed completely.

“How can you live like this? You were one of the better ones, I thought you’d be in an apartment in the Gated Community by now” she grumbled, though her heart wasn’t completely in it. He had learned that sick young women apparently liked to complain, that it made them feel better to vent it out, and so let it pass him by with his own way of bouncing it back – dogged cheerfulness that made her scowl for a bit, but seemed to work after a while. Not that he had been any better when sick.

“Says the one who was living in a hole in the ground”

“You work at Ruby’s!”

“That’s right, women from all over queue up to give me thousands of golden miza, so be grateful they are weeping somewhere for my absence”

“You’re impossible!” she huffed, pouting magnificently, he knew, despite his back being to her as he added some salt and continued to stir the rough approximation to a stew, frowning at the fact it seemed to be taking longer than it had the last time.

“Alriiiic, talk to meeee” she said, her tone shifting now and becoming the more honest one he remembered from previous conversations. He sighed, stirred a few more times, then dragged the chair over to be near the bed and settled into it, passing her a cup of warm rugberry tea.

“Drink,” he said, giving her a pointed look he had learned over the past half-dozen days trying to get her to agree to things, watching her take it and sip a little before giving her what she wanted, “what do you want to talk about?”

“You don’t live here”

“This is where I’ve always lived. Still belongs to me”

“Then you have somewhere else too…I know you do”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because” she chewed her bottom lip, the beginnings of some tears touching the corners of her eyes before she drank the tea as a distraction.

“Because…”

“Because I came here alright!” she said, it wasn’t quite a snap, but it wasn’t a pleasant memory either from her face, “I sat at the door for days. I thought…I thought that if anyone could help it’d be you…you always did…but you weren’t here. Days…so long getting soaked and in the open…gave up…left” she grew quieter, her words softer as she continued, before eventually stopping and looking at him, so many questions in her eyes as if he had somehow betrayed her…or, perhaps disappointed her, he thought.

“Why didn’t you come find me at Ruby’s?” he asked with slight confusion.

“Because the last time I was there you took my earnings and told me never to come back!” she retorted, this time there was a slight heat and recrimination to her words, her gaze flashing, so much like his own in a strange way.
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Alric Lysane
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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on March 26th, 2022, 9:02 pm

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“Oh Lys…I didn’t mean it like that” he said, eyes softening further and a sense of shame creeping over him as he met her gaze, its flashing easing, tiredness beating out the fire for now.

“Then why say it?”

“You know what Sunberth is like…better than most. We both do. Ruby’s was the first job I’ve had in…I don’t know how many years. I just…I was harsher than I meant. I’m sorry…”

“Doesn’t matter…nothing matters anymore. Streets aren’t the same…not many of us left anymore. I remember when you could go back to the Storage Houses and find a nook with a dozen faces…only five there now…and they’ve got cold. Threw rotten food at me, even the ones I stitched up before”

There was a while where all that could be heard were the spitting of the logs upon the fire and the bubbling of the strew, stirred occasionally when he leaned in to move the spoon just to stop things from sticking too much. They would anyway, but he wanted to get as much decent food out of his efforts as was possible – for the both of them. There wasn’t much he could say, he thought, Sunberth was what it was. They had both lost much over the years, albeit Alric had lost it first and by virtue of being older, perhaps, was faring better than she was. As he watched her quietly, he could see her gaze had gone distant, her head lent against the cold boards of the wall as she no doubt ran through those who had taken a dust nap, never to return.

It’s funny, really, how being an orphan is sort of like being part of a gang. Outsiders see us as anarchic and without allies but that isn’t true. Everyone needs someone and like minds grow together. Orphans band together like the big three do…just get ground down better. So many gone, pretty much all of them from my time…most from hers. Just us two left…bridging the gap he contemplated with a sad turn of mind.

“I can’t change what has happened Lys. You have no idea how much I wish I could. Not just our lives but…well I just do,” he began, then cleared his throat before he said too much, though he caught her curious look as she snapped out of her own thoughts, “but I can’t. No one comes back who leaves us, not as a rule. But…you have me. If you want me. You can stay here”

“And other places” he said, her tone betraying the test too easily and causing her to bite her lip back as if expecting an angry retort.

“Yes, and other places too. I can’t promise that you’ll have everything, or that the future will be filled with gold and success. My life is complicated and there are people who don’t like me much. But I can promise that, as much as I am able to, you won’t grow hungry. Or soaked in the rain for days”

“But you’ll be there? Right? You’re not dumping me somewhere like the rest?”

“I’ll be there, as much as I can. I have to work and there are other things I have to do. But outside of that I’ll be there” he said softly, watching her and not quite able to read her face, which was unusual for their interactions.

She didn’t say much for a while as he continued to stir the pot intermittently, leaning across to do so from the chair still, staying where he was as her face seemed to flicker through many different thoughts and emotions. After a while she went from what looked like a sort of shocked reverie into a lighting up that started at her eyes and spread across her face. She wasn’t biting her lip anymore but was instead toying absently with her hair with one hand and flicking her bottom lip with the other one, finally looking at him directly instead of through him.

“You and me?” she asked tentatively.

“You and me”

“Getting into trouble in Sunberth?”

Surviving together…against the world…sure. Trouble can leave us alone for a bit, thank you”

“Are you…adopting me?” she asked, clearly probing at something as if tonguing a cut lip, unable to resist doing so.

“Maybe, I mean you are quite old for that. I seem to remember most who got taken by families were a bit younger” he said with a small smile, putting his hands up in a mollifying gesture as she gave him a ‘look’.

“You suck Alric! Trying to enjoy th-“

“Fine fine, yes you are practically family anyway. Follow me everywhere, even when I’m not there it seems. Might as well let you through the door to stay. Only if you want to though, like I said, could be dangerous for you” he said, leaning forwards with the intent to tousle her hair slightly.

He wasn’t ready for the full body hug that she gave him, at least until she realised her leg still hurt and they performed a strange hug dance as he tried to get her back into bed without hurting her leg overly much.
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Alric Lysane
Carry On My Wayward Son
 
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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on March 27th, 2022, 7:26 am

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For a while after her injured protestations, largely about not being injured and to stop worrying, had been laid to rest back onto the bed, and her bandages checked to make sure her impulsive latching onto him hadn’t damaged them, there came a period of silence. For Lys he wasn’t sure what she was thinking, though he suspected she was imagining things and likely scheming up some trouble already like back in the days where their group had been larger. As for himself, he was reflective and had returned to sitting by the fire, watching over and stirring the pot of stew. Occasionally he tasted it, blowing for a while upon the spoon so as not to repeat the mistake of burning the roof of his mouth. He added salt and a few other pinches of herbs he had procured, improving the taste as best he could – but the reality was he wasn’t an amazing cook.

Probably never will be, though I suppose if it’s two of us now then there will have to be some improvement across many things. I never claimed to be a good person, much less a good…guardian? Leader? I don’t know, either way I wouldn’t say I’m much good at anything useful when it comes to looking after people. Not that she’s that young, she’s a survivor. Am I doing the right thing? She doesn’t know about Arcadius… he thought to himself, amongst many other thoughts rattling through his mind as he stirred.

“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll end up ruining your face” Lys said without warning, causing him to startle and blink himself out of his thoughts.

“At least it wouldn’t be damaging anything that wouldn’t be missed” he snorted.

“You need your looks to go and find me a mother too”

“Oh nonono, we’re putting that one to bed right away, I’m not qualified for the opposite of that. I’m simply a kind-hearted soul. Don’t set me up to be something that will just disappoint you. It’s not wise”

“You don’t want a woman to be with?”

“Don’t do that either”

“Do what?” she asked, voice honeyed innocence that he knew too well.

“Side-step into something to get me to admit what you want me to. This is important. I will look after you if you need it, support you if wanted. Roof, food, fire, water…the rest. But I’m not your father, he was lost to you long ago. As was mine. Move on, it’s not worth traipsing old ground”

“You didn’t give up! I know you kept looking, searching. I followed you on half of them”

“Yes…well…I should have. Don’t make my mistakes. Learn from them and know that what is now matters most”

“Maybe if you had a woman, you’d be less grumpy” she said pointedly before falling silent and retreating, back into her own thoughts.

“Sure, find me one and well see. Ruby’s doesn’t count”

“You don’t get it do you?”

“Get what?”

“You could choose whoever you wanted. You just ignore it, frowning at something somewhere else instead of following your own advice on the now” she copied his snort and inflection of the word so well she could have been him, her eyes were flaring again as he looked at her.

“You put a lot of faith in my abilities Lys, I’m not sure it’s justified”

“Oh Alric just…stop being a bloody mule! You never ended up down a hole like me, or throat cut like most of the others. Because you were good at surviving. Sunberthian women could use more of that you...you…numpty!”

She accompanied her words with throwing her tattered clothing at him, losing her makeshift pillow but apparently thinking it worth the sacrifice as she cackled when it slapped into the side of his face and he had to fumble around in the air to stop it falling into the stew.
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Alric Lysane
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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on March 27th, 2022, 8:48 am

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“And you stop being a parchment moth and leave me be before you burn everything, in your eagerness. It’s been a trying few days or so, I’m not going anywhere so just…eat some stew and then I’ll go and get you some new clothing. Not sure it’ll be great in fit but can always get better sets when you’re better”

She said nothing but he caught her poking out her tongue before throwing her arms up and crossing them across her chest. He didn’t blame her, despite his own low view of his character she had a way of getting under his skin and bothering him until he could at least see her perspective, even if he didn’t agree with it. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have said they’d been family from the beginning, though he supposed in a way they had been. He turned from her to generously butter a few slices of crusty bread with his dagger, disapproving sounds coming from behind him that he ignored.

“You butter bread with a dagger” she asked, as if it were now the most important thing in the world.

“You’re going to pick apart the habits of the one who saved you now?”

“Get a knife, it’s…not right”

“There’s a lot not right with Sunberth. You want to change something, worry more about bigger things”

“I worry for where that dagger has been”

“It’s clean, I keep heating it in the fire for your medicines, and will again” he said, seeing her slightly mollified but suspecting the issue of proper use of items would no doubt raise its head again in the future.

Ignoring the matter for now he instead passed her the bread upon a rough wooden plate and set about spooning out a generous bowl of stew, trying to get the nicer parts of it, with more meat than vegetables, and then passing it to her along with the spoon. He snorted as she theatrically inspected the buttered bread and then sniffed the stew, looking at him every so often to make sure he was aware that she was judging his efforts. At times it might have annoyed him, he could remember many times when she had done so, but this time he simply smiled as he put together a pipe and she set about her investigations. It meant she was getting better, if she had enough energy to incessantly try to badger him into her viewpoint then she had the energy to live and, perhaps, travel to the Outpost – he did have to go there to check on Twilight and that everything was secure.

Not to mention it is safer there for us both anyway he thought as he blew down the stem to make sure it was clear, thumbed some tobacco into the bowl and then lit it with a stray chip from the fire. Taking a deep breath, he felt himself relax as he put his feet up on the table, crossing his ankles and waiting for the rest of her commentary. His eyes tracked the spoon as it slowly dipped in for some stew, pulled back out and placed into her mouth. He wasn’t surprised when she twisted her lips at the taste.

“You are a terrible cook” she said, still eating despite the comment and he laughed as the smoke curled around him.

“Just don’t ask if there’s Brat meat in there” he said, his own little poke at her which got him a horrified look as he had waited until she had swallowed.

It took him a while of reassuring her but she eventually accepted he had bene joking, along with the comparison that it might actually taste like it had Brat in it. He pointed out that it was better than she had had for a while and that if she wanted to get better, she had to eat and that he had made it more for that than for taste. He watched her eat all of it, even adding a bit more to the bowl before she was done and he took it from her, washing and wiping it clean before setting it upon the hearth to dry.
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Alric Lysane
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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on March 27th, 2022, 1:03 pm

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Alric paced through the packed dirt streets, not really wanting anything social to happen but still keeping an eye open just in case something of interest occurred. He had left Lys propped up and facing the door, a dagger and his hand crossbow on the table next to her. He didn’t expect anything untoward to happen, but then again, he had learned that his plans hadn’t often gone as he had wished them of late, and so caution mattered more than a complete lack of paranoia. As the old saying went – it wasn’t paranoia when someone was out to get you, and how he wished that wasn’t the case.

As his eyes roamed the smaller groups drifting through the streets, smiling with some satisfaction as he watched the more youthful run rings around the richer ones, robbing them as they did so, he knew it was going to be a short trip at any rate, he only needed some basic clothing for Lys and something to help her walk until she was fully healed. Once he had that he’d return to her and they’d spend the rest of the day together, likely carrying on their little verbal duel. In a way it was comforting to him. He knew that somewhere there was a woman who he must have known and grown close to. Letters and too many snippets of knowledge, that feeling of connection unexplained, told him that. Yet he had no memory of any times together. Lys was a different bond, of course, but she was company after what seemed like seasons without any long-lasting connection.

“Oi! Alric!” came the call and he tensed momentarily, turning to see who had called, ready to fight if he had been discovered, but finding it to be someone he did owe some time to, and so wandered over slowly.

“Vestra, nice to see you again. Enjoying those fruit and meats I got for you?”

“Not a much as the miza…but they are delicious. And Lys?” she asked hi, her face furrowing into concern for a moment before she saw the small smile upon his face.

“Better…much better. And already telling me what’s what”

“Oh good! I was worried, you should’ve come told me sooner,” she said, gently slapping his forearm as if it were a terrible oversight but visibly seeming to relax and find some ease at his words, “and I wouldn’t worry about that. Lass wouldn’t waste her breath on you if she didn’t think you were worth the time”

“Thank you for the wisdom” he observed with amusement.

“You learn it well lad, don’t forget it or those as think best of you will fade”

“You have no idea Vestra. Anyway, I’ll bring you some more food when I get the chance, a thank you. Have to go though, looking for basic clothing for Lys, getting rid of the rest. It’s not…well it smells and is battered to threadbare. Any idea where I can get some basic stuff to tide her over until can get her better stuff?”

“Stall on the far side of the Commons, ask for Jasper, he’s a friend and will give you a good price if you say I sent you”

“Thanks again Vestra, see you soon” he said, patting her shoulder in thanks briefly before turning away.

He stepped back into the crowd as she waved him off and took a deep breath that almost looked like happiness and was swept away by the moving throng that was the beating heart of Sunberth.
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Alric Lysane
Carry On My Wayward Son
 
Posts: 763
Words: 1010203
Joined roleplay: October 29th, 2021, 5:41 pm
Race: Human
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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on March 27th, 2022, 2:38 pm

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As he stepped through the door he was greeted with a movement from the corner and his subconscious worked for him rather than waiting for his brain to catch up, throwing his body sideways into an awkward duck and roll so that he came up in the corner opposite the door, a solid thunk of a sound from behind him taking a few moments to catch up with his consciousness as he pushed himself up and looked back at the door, blinking in the sight of a vibrating crossbow bolt that would have slammed through his shoulder ahs he not avoided it through subtle instincts.

“Lys! What did I tell you?!” he growled, vainly trying to keep a check on his rising temper but having narrowly escaped either death or injury taking a few chimes to bite it back from snapping out at her.

“Sorrysorrysorry…I’m so sorry…Alric I didn’t mean to…” she started to babble, dropping the crossbow to the table and waving her hands around as if in a startled panic before slumping back and curling up, her head in her arms and rested upon her knees.

He looked at her, his glare softening to a look of resignation and with a sigh he put his backpack upon the table and walked to the door, pulling the bolt out with a grunt of effort and a little wiggling, closing the door slightly harder than intended, getting a jump out of Lys, who continued to curl into a ball. Putting the bolt back into the quiver upon the table and slipping both the dagger and the crossbow out of her reach, he looked down at her. Only when he was closer could he hear the silent sobs over the crackling of the fire and his frustration melted into concern. He was out of his depth, though, and so simply stood there for a few moments wondering what was best to do.

He sat down upon the side of the bed, carefully shifting her leg so that he wouldn’t press upon the bandages, and tentatively brushed her head gently. After a while she shifted and lumped against him. He wasn’t why she was crying, he had been startled and snappy but he didn’t think he’d said anything that would lead to her collapsing like this. She was usually so snarky and strong for her age, all jutting jaw and daring pout. After a while of simply saying nothing it tumbled out of her – something about a nightmare where Brats had dragged her away from him back to the tunnels and that she had woken at the door and panicked, still half-asleep. Also, something about almost killing him and how awful that would’ve been – he silently agreed with that bit of course – and that he would change his mind, and she couldn’t face the streets again after last time, not by herself.

He was confused as he was usually one who tried to keep his word and she knew that well enough, but then again, he wasn’t the one who had almost died and clearly suffered for a good chunk of a season or so. He said nothing, simply letting her get it out and offered no comment beyond the occasional soothing sound. Never in all of his seasons had he imagined he’d have found himself in this position. Sultry Associates trying it on he could deal with, fights were easy enough…but he’d never really been good with emotion. Largely he’d hidden it behind sarcasm or some attempted witty remark. For once he was at a loss for words. As her breathing started to return to normal, he tried to reassure her that everything was fine, that nothing had changed, but he wasn’t sure how successful he was.

The clothes were forgotten for now, instead the aim became to get Lys to calm down and then, after a while, to return to sleep that would hopefully be better than the one she had just awoken from. Afterwards he sat looking into the flames, starting to become aware of the fact that he was in for a rougher ride of things than he had initially thought. He hadn’t changed his mind – Lys was as much family as anyone was, probably more – but he fancied that he could feel changes were coming, both for her and himself.

Secret :
1 x Linen Undergarments - 1sm
1 x Linen Dress - 8sm
1 x Coarse Wool Dress - 8sm
1 x Leather Cloak - 1gm
1 x Leather Gloves - 1gm
1 x High Leather Boots - 1gm

Total - 7gm 7sm
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Alric Lysane
Carry On My Wayward Son
 
Posts: 763
Words: 1010203
Joined roleplay: October 29th, 2021, 5:41 pm
Race: Human
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Reconciliations

Postby Alric Lysane on April 15th, 2022, 4:58 pm

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Your Grades


Alric Lysane

Skills

Acrobatics – 1
Childcare – 5
Cooking – 3
Interrogation – 2
Intimidation – 1
Medicine – 1
Observation – 1
Philosophy – 2
Psychology – 4
Socialization – 5


Lores

Alric: Feels Guilty For Pushing Lys Away Before Saving Her
Alric: Good At Surviving
Alric & Lys: You And Me Against The World
Childcare: Comforting A Child
Childcare: Negotiating With A Child
Lys: Felt Abandoned By Alric
Lys: Has Alric, For As Long As She Wants
Lys: Magnificent Pouter
Lys: Thinks Alric Is Better Than He Thinks
Lys: Thinks Alric Needs Manners
Psychology: Notice Deflection
Psychology: Treating Troubles With Cheerfulness
Sunberth: Storage House Orphan Spot
Sunberth Orphans: Band Together
Sunberth Women: Could Use An Alric In Their Lives



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~ Thanks to Gossamer/Shiress for post Boxcodes ~
User avatar
Alric Lysane
Carry On My Wayward Son
 
Posts: 763
Words: 1010203
Joined roleplay: October 29th, 2021, 5:41 pm
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 2
Mizahar Grader (1) Overlored (1)


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