Toradil's Journal

Toradil looked down at "Ms." Tique, slumbering peacefully in the chamber. He looked over and saw her gear stowed neatly to the side. He saw her weapons, strewn across a chair and half-smiled to himself. Tique was never one to find herself unarmed, after all.  He couldn't help but chuckle whenever he thought about how the night when he first saw that for himself. Knowing where to look, he could see the sheaths of her hidden blades pressing against the edges of her sleeping gown.  Then, he sighed to himself. His relationship with Tique was... complicated, to say the least. Something the others wouldn't understand. To be fair, he didn't quite understand it himself. Long ago, they had a brief but passionate affair, quickly ending in marriage. They kept it secret, from Toradil's party of adventurers, from the clients at Toradil's Trinkets, from the Bloodcrows... they thought that secrecy was integral to preserving the secrecy of their co-leadership of the thieves' guild. And, truth be told, the "forbidden" aspect of their love only added to the excitement. Theirs was a love that burned twice as bright as those around them. But that was a lifetime ago, it seems like. Like any candle, what burns twice as fast lasts only half as long.   When they loved, they loved intensely. But when they fought...? It was like what happens when a tornado meets a volcano.  Why? Too many reasons to name. But, for one, Toradil, in a quest to help prevent the end of the world, found adventure abroad while Tique was content to face the danger and intrigue that came to her in Starspire as the "Darkwing", secret leader of the Bloodcrows. They were the best of friends, but trying to force a romantic relationship was making them both miserable.   They say that "time heals all wounds".  For Tique, it was the seven years that Toradil, her husband, was missing. At first, she thought nothing of it. She believed he was intentionally staying away from her and the city. "Fine" she thought. "Don't bother coming back. We're all better off without you here." But, as his compatriots had also vanished, she began to worry for his safety. She was angry that he left her behind, only to get his "amazing" ass killed in battle, probably by doing something stupid. Eventually, however, she let go of her anger and grieved, moving on in time. By the time he and his "Amazing Friends" had returned, Tique had moved on and created a new life for herself. She saw that he'd remained untouched by the ravages of time. She knew that he hadn't intended to leave her for as long as he did.  No longer lovers, yet more than friends, Toradil and Tique would always hold a special place in each other's hearts.  Even now, despite all that had happened since then.  Toradil looked down upon her, sleeping the kind of peaceful sleep that seemed constantly out of his reach. He'd seen too much... known too much... It's hard to have relaxing dreams when one knows the end of the world is nigh. And now that it's come and gone? She might be the lucky one. Protected. Safe. Sleeping until everything's been fixed. He took a moment and slipped something into her hand. A ring (if one could call it that), but not one of gold or silver. No gems or rubies. No magical boons or enhancements. A circle made up of twisted vine and pinestraw. A temporary gesture created as part of a spontaneous proposal. Part of a set, Toradil had kept his over the years, even after he found a more suitable replacement for hers (a golden band rescued from the depths of the oceans, tastefully decorated with emeralds). He snuck onto her ring finger, his way of saying "I was here" and "I still care".

Toradil's Journal

As he walked down the bridge, looking for his compatriots, Toradil mentally reviewed their most recent adventure. Throughout the mission, he put on a brave face, as he so often did while facing adversity. He had been looking for action and, boy had he...

12:09 am - 03.02.2022