Closed An Unsettling Lack of Clarity (Orion)

[Leda]

Leda 39th Day of Spring 513 The Nettle District - not far from the Herald's Arms Late Leda stumbled again against the wall as she felt for the water pump which she knew to be nearby. It really wasn't that dark, but she felt as though she could not trust her sense of sight. Maybe if she could just feel something cool on her brow, like water, the world would appear less blurry and strange. She hadn't drunk that much, she knew. One ale did not constitute the basis for a drunken stupor, and it didn't feel like intoxication, but then why did everything look strange and out of proportion and why did her head feel so heavy and her body so damned light? Gritting her teeth, she exhaled slowly, leaning against the wall, whose stone was mercifully cold and slightly alleviated the heat which prickled her back and neck, which made her white blouse stick slightly to her back. Leda was going to count to three and then perhaps continue to the pump or force her way home, but she really could feel barely able to move. After a minute, she gently sat down, ran a hand along the collar of her blouse and rested her elbows on her knees, just above her knee-high black boots. In closer proximity to the ground, she felt less disorientated and less likely to fall over - obviously - but the nagging sense of the dangerous nature of her position was eating at her slightly. What could she possibly have done to get herself into such a poor state? She was usually so careful. "Oh petch." She was leaning a little too much on her new estoc - the new estoc which she had no knowledge of how to use - and it made the position uncomfortable. After a minute, she unsheathed it and pushed it away, along the dust on the ground. Why had she brought it in the first place? It was hardly going to make a difference to her fortunes. Again, she could do little with it other than thrust and hope for the best. There was hardly anyone around and after a minute Leda leaned back to look up at the sky. It was blue. Navy. Black ink. And it was a clear night that sparkled brightly. It was rather beautiful and the sharpest thing in sight, seeming to dull the force of the spinning of her head with its brightness and depth. Good. Leda licked her lips then bit her bottom one uncertainly. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a couple of minutes... Her mind would settle and she'd be able to think straight. She'd be able to return to her room.

[Orion Michaels]

“Just one more drink, then I’ve got to head to the dorms.” That was a lie if Orion had ever told one. It wasn’t intentional, no not at all. He really had wanted to finish up the dark beer he’d been enjoying after another hard day of training under Sera Dinah Lorene. The guys he’d taken a table with seemed more interested in chatting and exchanging stories, and annoyingly enough, asking Orion for advice with the women. The chatting and stories he was fine with, but this recent obsession with people treating him like they wanted a master and student relationship with him was getting to be a bit ridiculous. The men were vulgar, disgusting, and really didn’t know what they were doing. There was some fun to be had.

“Alright, I’ll help you out. Go over to that woman over there, and I need to you say this. ‘Madame, I must express how simply exquisite your breasts are this evening.’ I’m serious. Repeat this word for word, and I assure you that you’ll not be sleeping alone this evening.” Orion could barely fight off the grin which fought to appear. The balding man had a look of disbelief on his face, chubby cheeks tinted red as he wrinkled his brow into a scowl. “Sure, don’t listen to me,” continued Orion, shaking his head. “I mean, you come to me asking for advice, and here we go, you’re just ignoring the information I’ve given. Freely, might I add? No, no, I ‘ve forgotten you’re such a master of seduction, one whom beautiful ladies throw themselves at. Their thighs burn with desire at the mere mention of your name, so why would I offer you any help? Why, I’m surprised a single lass in this fine establishment is able to remain clothed with you, a paragon of manliness, in their presence.”

The point was driven home, that was for sure. It didn’t take much to persuade an inebriated man to do something he wanted to anyways. Orion watched with barely contained excitement as the rotund little man rose from his chair, somewhat wobbly at that, and staggered his way over to the voluptuous blonde he’d had his eyes on the entire evening. Was he really going to say the things which Orion suggested?

The frown which developed on her lips suggested so.

The slap that echoed throughout the Rearing Stallion only confirmed it.

Orion and the other group of mean all burst out into laughter at the display before them, some grabbing their guts, others turning their gaze down as they covered their mouths to try and stifle their snickering. All of them put fuel of the fire born from the hopeless man’s humiliation. Now bright red, he staggered back over, the handprint fresh across his left cheek. A glare met Orion’s gaze as he shouted in protest.

“What the petch, man! I thought you said that would work!?”

“Oh, it didn’t? I couldn’t even imagine why….” Orion downed his drink, grinned, and stood up. “So for my first lesson, gents. If you were successful at something, would you just give away your secrets and create competition, or would you have a little fun? Evening, my friends. Don’t ever use that line.” With that, Orion turned at made his way out of the little drinking hole in the Nettle District.

One of the things Orion truly enjoyed about the Nettle District was the fact it was open. So much of Syliras was within castle itself, so the sky could be at a premium for those who didn’t live or work somewhere with a higher standard of life. It was really a beautiful evening, and a light breeze only made it all the more wonderful. He was loathe to head back to the dormitories, but he’d given himself nearly two bells to hit his curfew, so he didn’t have to rush. Besides, the later it got in this particular part of the district, the more interesting people came out of the bars. A little too much drink could turn quiet people into loudmouths who cross the line. At least if Orion was dealing with one of them, he could use it as an excuse to not go back to the dormitories quiet yet.

With slow, purposeful steps, the former doctor began to make his way through the district, head turning slowly from side to side as he took in what was going on around him. Little to really worry about, but it was dark. Most people were at their residence by this hour. A person here and there in conversation, the clanking of Knights out and about on their patrols. The heaving of a drunk down an alleyway. Another lovely evening in Syliras, wasn’t it?

He noted one likely inebriated person down a corridor he passed particularly close to. It seemed like one of them had just straight up passed out leaning against the wall. But something made him turn around after he’d passed it. Just the faintest hint of familiarity was there. Just a reminder of something..

“It’s the fortune teller..” Realization lit up his face as he ran over to check up on her. “Hey, are you okay?” It was at that point he realized he didn’t even know the young woman’s name. She’d turned over cards, said more about him than anyone in recent memory would have been able to repeat, and then he’d just left. Not getting the name of a cute girl? How out of character for the blue eyed man.

She looked ill. Whether it was from drink or from actual sickness he’d have to find out. Never could quite stop being a medic, could he? She was going to get treatment from him unless she protested most violently, that much he was convinced. “You there? I’m Orion, a squire in training. It’s your lucky day that I happen to be a physician as well, so if you can tell me what happened, or how you’re feeling, we’ll get you feeling better in no time.”

[Leda]

Leda Leda realised that the idea that her mind might have started to clear was only wishful thinking. Rather, she was now dizzier than ever before and it didn't feel like the ground was wholly stable, like she was seasick, except that she had never been seasick in her life - It would have been a dreadful situation if she had been, bearing in mind her Svefra upbringing. That would have suggested an almost constant spree of illness whereas it was quite the opposite. Leda could remember the last time she had felt truly this bad without alcohol playing a factor only because it was such a rarity in her life. After all, it had been at least three years ago. Had alcohol played a factor in this case? No... although her memory felt foggy, she distinctly remembered only buying one drink. This was therefore only a weak turn and Leda was certain that she would recover soon. In the mean time, she could attempt to blend into the shadows and hope that nobody took advantage of her weak and even precarious situation. It was then that she heard a voice. Looking up with surprise and apprehension, her own blue eyes settled on a pair standing over her. She thought that she remembered them, but her head was spinning and she had to blink a few times, in a poor attempt to focus, before the features of the rest of the face sharpened. With a little start, she realised that it was the same man for whom she had given a reading two or three days before. She recalled it because he had seemed intriguing but also because he had disappeared without finishing the reading and gave her such a great tip for it - such a thing had been rather surprising to the indigent fortune teller. "Hello..." she returned his greeting with a weak but genuine smile which quickly dissented into a grimace, "I'm fine. I'm fine. Well... no, I'm not. But I will be soon. I just need to..." she exhaled heavily and tried to straighten up slightly before adding with a murmur, which descended into a whisper, "Breathe and sit. I've probably only over-exerted myself." This was punctuated with a whimper and Leda turned away to hide her face slightly, veiling her pained expression with a curtain of dark hair. He was speaking again and Leda looked back up at him, determined to concentrate on what he was saying and not get drawn away by the fog which had settled in her mind. "Oh... a squire and a physician." She attempted to stand up but this only resulted in her hand slipping along the stone floor so that she ended up slightly on her side. Shaking this off with another weak smile, she continued, "It must be pleasant to be so multi-faceted." He wanted to help? Leda looked up, observing him unabashedly from under her lashes. She knew that many physicians felt it their duty to help those ailed by a problem, but she was naturally distrustful. Still... his eyes looked honest enough and Leda was in really no state to refuse an offer of assistance, especially from one who claimed to have knowledge of sickness. "Nothing really happened. I went for a drink in the Herald's Arms." If she continued exhaling and inhaling then she'd be alright, "Only one, mind. I felt fine at first, but about five minutes after I'd finished the ale, my head started spinning and my whole body felt very light." She broke off slightly and hung her head down, "Then I'm not sure what happened. I decided to go home and stumbled out." Stumble was exactly the word. Perhaps even a little graceful for the lurching movement she had probably exhibited, "And now I am sitting here, as you can see."

[Orion Michaels]

I'm so sorry!!Thank you so much for your patience with me. I'm finally getting caught back up. Life got to me, but I'm back! Looking forward to the thread!

Orion frowned as she tried to downplay her situation. Too prideful to accept aid? Or was it something he'd done? "No, you're not okay. You sure only had one? I know what it's like once you get started. Sometimes you just, well, lose count." He paused she turned away, hiding her face from his gaze. Maybe I'm wrong? "I guess that's not the case, huh?" He moved over to kneel down beside the dark haired woman. "Let's figure out wh-" His eyes widened as she tried to stand, and he reached out to steady her, grasping her forearm to try and stabilize.

"No, no, please stay still. Don't rush," he said, releasing her arm as she fell slightly to the ground. Mentally he was taking notes. The way her eyes looked. The shade of her skin. The feel of her skin. He needed as much information as he could get in order to figure out just what was wrong with her. Maybe the ale was bad. Perhaps it was a coincidence that she'd had that drink and in reality she was just ill. A common sickness, a flu, a fever. Something. A more out there and sinister possibility was that someone had done something to her drink. It was a pretty far fetched thought in Syliras, but worse things had happened to this world. Realizing that he'd not replied to her, he muttered quickly in response. "Ah, I guess you could say that. Gives you a lot to do, if nothing else..."

He listened quietly as she explained her situation. There wasn't much information to go off of. The natural suspect would be the drink, but Orion was a doctor, well, squire. But neither of those were a detective. She needed to be the focus. "Well, I know you have no reason to believe anything I've said, but if nothing else, I can stay here and make sure you don't get any worse. Hopefully you'll get better and you can get home." It was an awkward situation, and he understood any trepidation she might have about it. The young woman was nearly incapacitated in a corridor, and here was some man, some stranger, just waiting there. He couldn't leave her, though, right? He took a few steps away from her, placed his back to the wall, and slid down until he was sitting as well. "This way we can both look like drunks together, right? Do you mind if I ask a few questions? I'd like to figure out what's wrong and maybe suggest something to make you feel better? You could also tell me where to shove it and I'll fall silent, don't you worry. I'm afraid until you've figured out to stand on your own, you'll have to deal with Orion Michaels in some amount."

[Leda]

Leda "Hmm..." Leda observed him, shaking her head violently and suddenly in an attempt to clear her thoughts, "Ask as many questions as you like." Maybe that was a bad idea. She was not sure she'd be able to answer coherently and she wished to make a good impression. For some reason or other, she very quickly realised that she had a very great desire to make a good impression on this man... on Orion, as she now knew he was called, despite her simultaneous natural distrust of anyone who was in a position to do her harm. It was possible that if she could have run from him, she would have. Despite his warnings, she attempted to stand up again. Focus. Pretend there's nothing wrong and you'll look fine. Except, of course, that did not work and she merely fell back down again, this time hitting her head against the wall behind her. Why was she so subconsciously self-destructive? Not only did it not help to make her feel better but now her head was throbbing from a different angle. Petch. Maybe if she hit it enough times, it would balance the dizziness out and she'd feel better. Or she'd die. More likely than not, the latter. "I am Leda." she said very suddenly, turning to the blue-eyed man, an element of social decorum emerging from the fog that seemed to envelop her both mentally and physically, "It is kind of you but I would not want to be of any inconvenience. I do so hate that... being bothersome." She had learnt that from an early age. As a Svefra, sailing, earning your livelihood from the sea - food and home - you had to be a team player and anyone too self-absorbed was a weak link. Inherently, it almost went against Leda's nature which had a tendency to arrogance and vanity. "But... please stay." Although she was still unsure of what to make of the blue-eyed man, he had said he was a doctor and in a moment of selfishness, Leda did not wish to be left alone.

[Orion Michaels]

Oh that was probably a bit much. She wasn’t in any condition to be interrogated, and even if his questions were in the best interest of the woman, it would no doubt feel uncomfortable to have a stranger pelting her with question after question. “Um, well…did you come with anyone? Or spend any time with anyone while you were having that drink? Or maybe you had some food before you went out?” Without really having the information on what actually happened, he had two immediate suspicions. Someone had done something to her drink. Or she was ill before she got there and it was a random coincidence that she got sick after having the drink. No matter, he still managed to ask a million questions, causing him to glance away somewhat embarrassed. It was a difficult balancing act, with his desire to heal and his new duty to protect those from being hurt.

Then she tried to stand, again, and like a fool, he wasn’t close enough to stop her from…well..being a fool. “Hey! Whoa there, let’s slow down, alright?” Orion scrambled back to his feet, walking quickly over to the dark haired woman. “I guess I’m going to have to sit by you and make you behave, huh?” He removed his cloak as he approached, balling it up into a make shift pillow and offering to slide it between the wall and her head. “There you go. Be careful, don’t want you injuring yourself…” The former doctor slid down to a seated position, a few inches of space between him and the fortune teller.

Leda… He’d never heard of that name. He’d not received her name when she’d given his fortune. That terrifyingly accurate fortune. She seemed to have an unnerving insight into what made him work, and he really hadn’t liked it. It was too real, and it left him reeling. “Listen, you’re no trouble at all. I’m happy to help.” A skilled fortune teller, beautiful to boot? Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity. “I’m no knight in shining armor, but I am a squire in ragged clothes. I hope that will suffice.”

He smiled, looking over at the young woman. “We’ll give it some more time, and next time you feel like standing, at least let me help you? I can walk you to your home and make sure you’re safe, or I can get you to the Soothing Waters and see about getting you healed up. You’ll be okay, so try to relax, and don’t worry about burdening me. Miss Leda, it appears that I’m here for you tonight.”

[Leda]

Leda Leda shook her head gently to all three of his questions, then clarified, "I don't really know anyone terribly well so I always go out alone and then it depends on who I meet, but everyone was a little raucous tonight so I didn't spend too long conversing with one person or other. I just..." she stopped for a second as though she had momentary lost her tail of thought, "I talked a little. And, no. I did not eat anything, at least nothing substantial." She didn't say anything as he placed his cloak behind her head. It was rather throbbing and she didn't protest. Instead, she looked straight ahead, glancing up after a moment to stare at a lamp which was starting to protest, as if any moment it might just give up on its endeavour to stay alight and splutter out completely. "Make me behave?" she murmured slightly, frowning, before adding lower, for herself rather than for anyone else, "You wouldn't be the first to try." Most gave up. Not because Leda was contrary, but rather because there was an element of impulsiveness, even recklessness, that she found hard to control, an element that sometimes just couldn't understand boundaries. At other times, she would not have dared disobey. It rather depended on where her mood swung and, at that particular moment, she had no idea whether or not she wished to pay heed to Orion. Maybe she did... "A knight in shining armor would be rather too good to be true." She said slowly, with a small smile, "A squire in ragged clothes seems more tangible, and therefore preferable. Why shouldn't it suffice?" She certainly did not deserve more. She hardly deserved even that since, after all, she could blame nobody but herself for her current malaise. She looked around back at the squire when he said he was there for her, to the point of helping her home or taking her to the soothing waters if she needed and she could not help but wonder at his benevolence. After a few seconds, she turned back and leaned back against the wall, blinking a couple of times. "Thank you. I..." The words of gratitude stuck slightly in her throat for there were none. She could not think of what to say. Profuse gratitude might have been too much for her pride to handle, and anything else seemed ungrateful. "I think I feel better than I did. My head is clearing slightly."

[Orion Michaels]

"Sorry, I'm asking you a million questions when I'm sure you just want to rest." He felt a bit guilty about it, but he also wanted to make sure that there was nothing foul at work here. That's what a good squire or knight was supposed to do, right? There was nothing she gave him which would give him any idea of what was actually wrong with her, but depending on where she wished to go, he could try and make her up a little mixture to try and sooth the discomfort. For now he would observe her and see if anything got worse.

Her response brought forth a quiet chuckle from the squire. So she was that type, huh? Fiery and defiant. Unexpected traits from what he thought was a mild mannered fortune teller. "Ooooh, I get it. Ex-boyfriends give you some problems?" He grinned, glancing over at Leda, his eyes dancing with some amount of amusement. He'd taken her statement as a bit of an invitation to test out how just how much energy she really had.

"Hey now, no one writes the stories about the squire who saved the ill woman in an alleyway. Don't you want a little fame?" She sounded very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Not being sick, no people dealt with that however. Having someone trying to aid her, though? "Don't worry about thanking me. I probably don't even deserve it. I am, after all, just pestering you with questions and teasing relentlessly. What's to be thankful for?"

Orion placed a hand on the ground to help in stabilizing himself as he rose to his feet again. "Do you think you can stand?" He offered his hand to the fortune teller. "I'd really like to get you taken care of. I don't know anyone else who can finish out my fortune, so if I decide I'd like to see the rest, you're the one I'll come to." He gave a reassuring smile, his deep blue eyes settling on the young woman. "But no rush. If you aren't ready to move, I'll sit back down and keep making you uncomfortable, I promise."