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RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-15-2019
Amalia’s honesty continued to be refreshing, and Loren continued to be surprised by it. Maybe if they’d both been a bit more open with each other after he’d initially returned, he wouldn’t have felt quite so isolated. As it stood, she was coaxing him closer bit by bit. Unfortunately, there’d been quite a distance between the two of them and neither of them might have much time left. [say]”That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”[/say] Flickers of the concern he’d felt when she initially revealed how she felt inside were back, and his words were completely genuine.
When the baker mentioned the two options, the summoner nodded. Then, as she went back to singing and putting together the food, he grabbed the blanket. They were about to spend quite a bit of time cooped up, if all went well—or in mortal terror, if it went poorly—so although it was cold, he figured that he, at least, would like to savor the outdoors while he could. Plus it would be nice to be surrounded by the herd.
As Amalia was balancing a tray, the Launceleyn held the door open for her. Then he laid the blanket down in a clear space and started eating his share. His eyes widened at the first bite of the stew and the bread and the first sip of the cider. [say]”This is excellent, thank you.”[/say] Other than that, he was planning to mostly spend the meal in companionable silence, assuming the baker didn’t have much to say. However, there was something else he needed to tell her. [say]”Take care of yourself, during LongNight.”[/say] Although he didn’t know exactly where he’d be, or if he himself would survive, there was a strong chance he’d be at the Temple. And despite everything, he didn’t want anything to happen to a kind soul like Amalia.
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-15-2019
He chooses outside, which doesn't surprise her. It is a lovely day, and if she's being honest she's a little relieved they will not be cooped up with only each other for company. The luxere are a welcome distraction from the lingering tension between them, hard words and a history of distance hardly healed by one bowl of soup.
Still, it's a start. The stew is rich and fragrant with herbs; Amalia hums a note of happiness as she swallows down a spoonful, chewing on a chunk of meat with teeth shifted to a carnivore's. Loren's praise makes her blush and glance up, pleasantly surprised and childishly proud. [say]"Thank you,"[/say] she replies, her alto voice bright, laughing and shaking her head. [say]"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."[/say] She's teasing, but sincere as well. If there is one thing that the baker takes pride in it is her trade, and she always blossoms under recognition of her hard work.
The next time he interrupts the silence is less happy. Turning back to look at Loren, Amalia furrows her brows. She isn't sure if she ought to be flattered by his apparent care or indignant that he thinks she will not take appropriate precautions (she will not). [say]"You too."[/say] Placing her bowl down, Amalia leans forward, extending a hand toward a curious luxere who has wandered near the blanket. [say]"Where will you be staying?"[/say]
RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-16-2019
Amalia’s reaction to Loren’s compliment was surprising, to say the least. Hopefully he wasn’t the first person to have praised her cooking. Given that she was a baker, she probably heard that her food was good every day. However, that didn’t mean his was any less sincere. [say]”You’re welcome. And you’re probably right.”[/say] He paused for a moment to have another bite of stew, then glanced over at her. Maybe he should try for some small talk. It couldn’t possibly be more awkward than sitting here in near silence. [say]”How did you learn to cook and bake?”[/say] That was hopefully a safe enough subject.
Unlike LongNight, which was always fraught no matter who he talked to, given the danger involved. Of course, the summoner knew more about the baker’s plans than she probably suspected. When she asked about his own plans, though, he sighed and placed his half-full bowl on the ground. [say]”Wessex has stationed me at the Temple. But I’ve heard a little bit about what everyone at the Guild will be facing. So...I don’t know.”[/say] No doubt Amalia would have strong opinions about this. Pretty much everyone else did.
Astra, sensing his distress, looked up from where she was munching happily on some oats. She trotted over and knelt by his side; almost unbidden, his fingers came up to stroke softly against her fur. It was much better than thinking about the coming darkness or looking at the baker’s reaction to his admission.
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-16-2019
[say]"Ah... it's a family trade."[/say] Is it wrong to talk about her family with him, who has suffered and lost so much? Is it wrong to assume he needs to be shielded? She glances sidelong at Loren before continuing, a gentle smile on her face. [say]"My grandmother ran the bakery when I was young, and taught me. After she died, I thought... it was painful to come back here. So I tried my hand at being a librarian. But..."[/say] Gazing off into the distance, Amalia shrugs. [say]"It's in my blood, I guess."[/say]
A little bit about what everyone at the guild will be facing. Turning fully to Loren now, Amalia arches a brow. [say]"Oh?"[/say] she asks leadingly, wondering just what he knows. That Wessex had been trying to plan their good behavior and placement for the week is unsurprising. That many of them were also planning to blatantly ignore that? Also unsurprising.
RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-16-2019
Baking was in Amalia’s blood, apparently. Loren knew a little bit about trying to break out of the family legacy and failing. At least hers was entirely productive. [say]”It’s a nice legacy to have.”[/say] Warmth, bringing people together for constructive ends: her bakery did all of that, but it was her that was at the heart of all that. Maybe he should try to emulate her example, at least a little bit.
However, the pleasant part of their conversation—for her, at least—was over. [say]”Many of you have tasks from Ludo.”[/say] The baker did, but so did Jigano, Remi, and Kiada. It was why all four were going to be at the Guild. Hopefully the others at that location had been warned and given a choice, because the summoner was deathly afraid that not everyone would make it through LongNight, especially at the Guild. [say]”Stay safe.”[/say] It was all he could offer, since he still wasn’t sure what he’d decide to do in the end.
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-16-2019
Half smiling, Amalia turns back to the horizon, something bittersweet on her face. A nice legacy indeed, but not one she thinks she is destined to live up to. Still, she has been fortunate to be loved, and she cherishes that knowledge now more than ever.
[say]"Ah. Yes."[/say] Ludo had indeed given many of them tasks, and Amalia had committed to aiding her friends, even without a job of her own. That Loren should care so much is strangely comforting, though also bewildering given his earlier adamance that he was perfectly cruel. Reaching out to touch Loren's hand reassuringly, should he let her, the baker gives him a confident smile. [say]"I'll be with them as much as I can, and I have my staff. It held off the monsters last year."[/say] Though that was while it was in antler form- who knows if it will still work, changed as it is.
[say]"Safrin will send dream fish, too. Remi and Jigano... they're incredibly strong. So is Kiada, and Deimos and Ronin will guard the others when we're gone."[/say] She isn't entirely sure who these others are, though she's heard that Adam will be there, and perhaps Sam and Evie as well. [say]"I can't protect everyone, though. I... I'm glad you'll be at the temple. To keep the people there safe."[/say] It is a sincere statement: as much of an ass as Loren may be, Amalia truly believes he will do all he can to protect those entrusted to his care.
RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-16-2019
Loren indeed let Amalia touch his hand, though the only reaction he gave was his eyes flicking down to the touch. [say]”Good. Don’t take any more risks than you have to. Any of you. Please.”[/say] The last vestiges of the darkness and cruelty had disappeared, and in its place was just a tired and sad and worried looking man, one who was concerned for those who’d made pledges to what seemed to be a fickle and indifferent god.
[say]”Dream fish?”[/say] That was new, and the summoner gave the baker a confused look. However, at her mention of who would be at the Guild, he bit his lip. [say]”The monsters are attracted to power. So...please. Just don’t...just know that”[/say] It might be a double-edged sword at best and their destruction at worst. As she mentioned his presence at the Temple, he bit his lip. [say]”I’ll...do my best. Though I don’t know how useful I’ll be.”[/say] The moment he’d let the icy fury go, doubt had crept back in, and he could hear Remi’s admonishments.
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-16-2019
[say]"Yes- from the Oasis. Safrin blesses them to give protection through LongNight, sometimes."[/say] It makes sense that he wouldn't know that, having been... elsewhere... last year. Amalia remembers her own little dream fish fondly, though it is nothing compared to the beauty of her companion now. Now it is her turn to be surprised: she hadn't known about the monsters liking power, and she looks at her hands uncertainly, aware that her strength has grown of late. Frowning, Amalia bites her lip. [say]"Well... maybe that's a good thing. It will keep them away from those who can't fight back."[/say]
Amalia glances back at Loren as he falls once again into his state of self debasing, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. [say]"You can summon mythical animals, move stuff with your mind, and heal just about anything. All of those will be useful- believe me, I've lived through a lot of LongNights."[/say] Twenty, if we aren't including the one where she did manage to die.
RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-16-2019
Maybe if everyone in the Hollowed Grounds was just a little bit better at communication—Loren included himself in that particular group—he wouldn’t feel like there was so much he’d missed. Nothing he’d read or heard or been told had mentioned the dream fish, but apparently Amalia had known about them. [say]”Is it too late to get more? I...don’t know Safrin, really.”[/say] Only that the goddess had been blighted and presumably cured.
As Amalia pointed out that having powerful people might cause the monsters to congregate and spare those less powerful, he frowned. [say]”That’s assuming a lot.”[/say] Like their being a finite number of monsters, or that they could only be in one place at a time, or that it would take more than one at the Temple to kill. And he wasn’t willing to make those assumptions.
As the baker tried to cheer him up, the summoner shook his head. [say]”And I was spared, somehow, last year. But...I was told that because I didn’t experience the horrors firsthand, and because we knew so little about my magic and the monsters that I would be more of a liability than an asset.”[/say] Granted, others had contested that, but he hadn’t believed them any more than he was likely to believe Amalia.
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-16-2019
[say]"Usually... she gives them to those who have prayed to her."[/say] Glancing at Loren, Amalia shrugs. If she could will a dream fish to each of her friends she would, again and again. [say]"The gods have no power during LongNight, so they give us all the tools to protect us that they can."[/say] As well as tasks, but that's only Ludo, and it can hardly be considered a responsible god.
His declaration that he's been told - told - that she's inadequate makes her pause and raise a brow. [say]"Who said that?"[/say] Shaking her head, she leans back on her hands, looking up at the winter sky. [say]"Do you still feel like you don't know your magic?"[/say]
RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-16-2019
Well, Loren had prayed to her, but she hadn’t answered, either because she was blighted or because he was beneath her notice. He tried to keep the frown off his lips, but he couldn’t keep the worry out of his eyes. [say]”Frey...didn’t.”[/say] The words came out reluctantly, since the summoner didn’t necessarily want to discuss his encounter with them. Still, the god of love, sex, and all things beautiful hadn’t given him any tools. Maybe that meant he wasn’t worthy of protection, or, more optimistically, that he had everything he needed.
He obviously thought the former.
As Amalia demanded to know who’d told him he was inadequate, the Launceleyn sighed. [say]”Remi. But...it’s not important. And he didn’t say it like that, not exactly. Just...that I wasn't here, and that my magic wasn't best suited.”[/say] It was close enough to bother the summoner, though, as evidenced by the fact that he'd brought it up. As the baker then asked how he felt about his magic, he sighed again, and rubbed his eyes. [say]”I don’t know if my summoned creatures are close enough to the real deal to replicate their magical light. There's no way to test that until...you know. And one of my Spark Birds left behind a feather the other day, which has never happened before.”[/say] The pouch was tucked away on his belt, since he refused to let such a destructive item out of his sight. [say]"So no, I don't know enough about my magic."[/say]
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-17-2019
Amalia purses her lips a little, trying to keep the displeasure from her face at the mention of Frey. [say]"I don't think Frey cares, to be honest."[/say] God of sex and love they may be, but they've never seemed to give the well being of humanity much of a second thought. Safrin is the one who cares about life, and Ludo about what comes after. Frey, well... Frey cares about the course of nature, whatever that may be.
Remi again. It's strange to hear about all the wounds her friend has laid upon this man, and an expression of discontent passes over her face, clouding her dark eyes. Kissing Loren, telling him he isn't suited to LongNight... it doesn't make much sense to the girl, but there is history there she cannot hope to untangle.
[say]"We won't know until we know,"[/say] she agrees, [say]"But until then? Healing is useful. Endlessly flaming feathers are useful- especially if the monsters are corrupted Ascendeds. Maybe it isn't combat focused, but neither am I. The world needs Shields, not just swords."[/say] A wry smile, a playful note, aware of how corny it sounds; she still feels a little awkward with her title, but she is growing into it, slowly but surely.
RE: impossible reasons - Loren - 10-17-2019
Apparently, Loren wasn’t the only one with misgivings about Frey; his eyes flicked to Amalia as she voiced her feelings about them. [say]”I’ve only met them twice, and...I don’t know that they don’t care so much as they expect us to solve our problems on our own.”[/say] Staring at the half-eaten bowl of soup, the summoner found himself rubbing his hand on his leg nervously, though maybe that was the excited kind of nerves. It wasn’t like his encounters had been unpleasant.
He bit his lip as the baker tried to offer him more encouragement. [say]”It does. But I was raised to be a weapon, nothing more. And...part of me still wants to be on the front lines.”[/say] It never got any easier to say, but the truth of the matter was he’d been trained for combat, expected to hold his own, and he could. However, that sometimes made him more than a little inclined to self-sacrifice when it might be easier to let others fight battles instead. [say]”Though from what I was told, setting corrupted Ascendeds on fire might cause explosions.”[/say] Hopefully he didn’t need to explain to her how bad that could get.
RE: impossible reasons - Amalia - 10-17-2019
Raised to be a weapon. What a bizarre concept. Shrugging, Amalia keeps her gaze on the sky, not really wanting to get into an argument about the merits of his family's corrupt ideology. They are from different upbringings, different worlds, and the baker still knows little of Loren, too little to push him too hard to change. [say]"Well,"[/say] she says, [say]"Whatever else happens... keep the temple secure. And don't die."[/say] Maybe they don't have god given tasks, but they are both ardent, both defenders.
Both more than willing to give themselves, if it means another will be safe.
Finishing up the last of her stew, Amalia begins to gather the plates and rise up to her feet. [say]"I need to get back to work. If I don't see you before..."[/say] She hesitates, considers giving him a hug, and ultimately thinks better of it. Holding out a hand for him to grab, Amalia meets those ice blue eyes. [say]"May Vi protect you, and may we meet again in Rae's domain rather than Mort's."[/say]