He had no idea where Edy had disappeared to after his brief sight of her at the newly-occupied perch, but from what he knew of the girl, the bard guessed that booze might figure heavily. Whether she'd been annoyed by the celebrations, or simply looking for her own kind of party, retreating to the Rathskeller's collection of high-proof moonshine seemed a place to start. He had avoided the bar since his arrival in the Temple, unwilling to face the crowd of faces, the prying questions, the smell of fear and tension and unwashed bodies. He'd been too fragile, his vaunted control in sharp-edged shards that only a few people could blunt because they had been there. They had felt the madness and knew the price it had exacted from each and every one of them, and no one who hadn't survived the Rage could truly understand.
But the arrival of the Spark Bird, the validation that their decisions and risks and wounds hadn't been in vain, had chased away more than just the darkness outside. Jigano was by no means whole - hadn't been in years, as he well knew and accepted - but something of his old determination was returned to him with Rory's forgiveness and Ludo's quest and the light that kept the monsters from their doors. Isuma's love, now that she had rested and recovered most of her strength from her terrifying run through the darkness, had much to do with it as well, and she balanced now on his shoulder, sharp claws prickling through his layers and reminding him that he would need to find a better way to carry her soon...
But hopefully she and Bobi would get along when he found Edy to apologize for his absence--
The crash and tinkle of breaking glass drew him sharply from his gentle musings, and his feet hit the floor tense and looking for trouble. But... the tavern itself was empty, people having left to see the (not so) mythical bird and return to homes now made safe by her light. Some would undoubtedly be back eventually, but for the moment it was just him and... whoever was having trouble in one of the back rooms.
"Hello?" he called out, making his way back to where he'd heard the sound. "Are you alright?"
But the arrival of the Spark Bird, the validation that their decisions and risks and wounds hadn't been in vain, had chased away more than just the darkness outside. Jigano was by no means whole - hadn't been in years, as he well knew and accepted - but something of his old determination was returned to him with Rory's forgiveness and Ludo's quest and the light that kept the monsters from their doors. Isuma's love, now that she had rested and recovered most of her strength from her terrifying run through the darkness, had much to do with it as well, and she balanced now on his shoulder, sharp claws prickling through his layers and reminding him that he would need to find a better way to carry her soon...
But hopefully she and Bobi would get along when he found Edy to apologize for his absence--
The crash and tinkle of breaking glass drew him sharply from his gentle musings, and his feet hit the floor tense and looking for trouble. But... the tavern itself was empty, people having left to see the (not so) mythical bird and return to homes now made safe by her light. Some would undoubtedly be back eventually, but for the moment it was just him and... whoever was having trouble in one of the back rooms.
"Hello?" he called out, making his way back to where he'd heard the sound. "Are you alright?"
