SoS B1 C7 X6: Miscommunication
The rain pattered against the windows as Tskhan and Immuena returned to their quarters to find them empty save for a Faecha servant going window to window and drawing the shutters closed. She nodded to them politely, and excused herself once complete.
Their traveling companions were nowhere in the quarters to be found.
Dazed and confused, Immuena gave the servant her thanks and flopped in bed. Not a minute later, she realized the issue; Allarah, Synna, and Iijin weren't back. She sent out a private message to Allarah,
"/[Immuena to Allarah] Everything okay? You guys aren't back and I've no messages from you. Let me know if you need anything/"
“/[Allarah to Immuena] No need to fret. We're currently at the doctor's residence. Listen, I'm supposed to meet a child when the moon is at its highest. I would like you to meet up with him instead. Let me know what he wants./”
"/[Immuena to Allarah] Tell me where and I'll get on it./" Immuena popped out of bed. Thankfully messages didn't express mental states clearly.
“/[Allarah to Immuena] Town square. Watch for guards. They may send you back if you're seen./”
"/[Immuena to Allarah] Aye. How should I recognize him?/"
“/[Allarah to Immuena] You'll know him when you see him. He's a smart kid. Grubby, kinda thin. He's the one I spoke to earlier./”
"/[Immuna to Allarah] I want able to commit him to memory, but hopefully I'll recognize him. The task will be completed either way. /"
“/[Allarah to Immuena] Very good. Thank you./”
"/[Immuena to Allarah] You're welcome./" She placed her arm on a windowsill, gazing at the moon mindlessly, as if it were hands on a clock.
Tskhan walked up behind Immuena after fafing about room. "Something up?"
"Allarah and them are stuck across the way, sleeping there. I'm going out to meet the child she was supposed to, but I'm having trouble keeping my head on straight." She took a deep breath, and looked back to the moon, "I just need some time. I'm sorry..." Oddly, the dim glow of Saumai's satellite gave her some comfort.
"It's alright, I'm here for you." he said. Tskhan put an arm around her as an attempt to reassure her. "We'll go find Allarah's kid."
The moon was already at about that point. It rose quickly in the night, eager to reach its apex.
She cozied up to him, drinking his warmth for a what brief moment they had left. "I'd better go. I don't know if you should come for sake of stealth, but I won't stop you."
Tskhan held his forehead confused by the vision he just saw before saying. "I insist, you're in no shape to do this alone.”
"I can't argue that. We should head out then. Get ready."
“/[Immuena to Allarah] Everything okay? You guys aren't back and I've no messages from you. Let me know if you need anything./”
Allarah paused mid sentence to respond, waving to Synna to pick up for her.
“/[Allarah to Immuena] No need to fret. It seems we were caught past curfew. We're currently at the doctor's residence. Listen, I'm supposed to meet a child when the moon is at it's highest. If I can't make it, I would like you to meet up with him. Let me know what he wants./”
“/[Immuena to Allarah] Tell me where and I'll get on it./”
“/[Allarah to Immuena] Outside the gate to the manor. Watch for guards. They may send you back if you're seen./”
“/[Immuena to Allarah] Aye. How should I recognize him?/”
“/[Allarah to Immuena] You'll know him when you see him. He's a smart kid. Grubby, kinda thin. He's the one I spoke to earlier./”
The slow clacking of boots on cobble echo near the top of the stairs just as Synna sends her warning. The ancient iron-reinforced door creeks open as if oiled with molasses.
Out of the torch lit corridor stepped the good Doctor. He was backing out of the doorway, not even turning about to notice the party in his hovel. A ragged gloved hand jerked the door shut and pushed the bolts home, sealing whatever poor corpse lay below to its fate.
With the grim business out of the way, he straightened just in time for a shiver to run down his spine. These were the movements of an individual confident in the knowledge that, save for his apprentice, his home was uninhabited. When the Doctor turned around, greeted not by solitude but a trio of women now accompanying Guil, he jumped near out of his skin.
Skree!
He stood as still as a statue spooked, almost like the trio had caught him stealing from a gory cookie jar. His shoulders slumped as the situation worked itself out in his head. Regaining his composure, he stepped forward to stand next to his apprentice and eye the trio through his eerie mask.
He tilted his head to Guil.
"They came here on their own," Guil muttered back audibly. "They brought us pudding, see!" He smiled as he pointed at the bowl. "Why don't you pull up a seat, they wanted to talk to ask you about something." He offered Crow a cup of tea.
Allarah smiled at his surprise. "Good evening Crow. I hope we aren't imposing. As I told Guil, I wanted to apologize for dinner. I lost my temper and ruined your meal." She bowed her head. "I brought this as a peace offering."
Crow's neck tilted swiftly to the left, watching the Faeo much like the birds did outside the gate. His beak dipped down, hinting at his observance of the food.
Moving in a creeping shuffle, he sat at the table cautiously. His gaze broke only for a moment to take in the other two females with Allarah before leaning in once more to Guil.
"You read too many books, it's made you talk funny," Guil muttered before addressing them again. "In order for there to be peace, there must have been a war first."
He knew better than to misquote.
Crow turned his head to fully look at Guil, pulling his head back and giving him a soft slap on the shoulder with the beak of his mask.
Allarah giggled at the display. "I'm happy I haven't offended you." The smile faded as she remembered her surroundings. "Then do you mind if I ask a favor of you?"
Crow nodded sagely to Allarah's statement, before leaning down and reaching for the pudding with leather-clad mitts.
Pulling the container in front of his mask, he observed for a moment. A long contemplative sigh echoed within the confines of his mask.
The dessert was handed off to Guil, silently letting him either serve or store it for now.
He pushed his hands out to Allarah, silently giving her permission to make her request before resting them on his knees to listen. Guil, eager for pudding, jostled off to find bowls and spoons.
"Listening!" he called back over his shoulder.
"The man I mentioned before, the one who was attacked by the vines, I was wondering if you could take a look at him. We've done what we can, but his legs took a lot of punishment. None of us know the full extent of the damage. We could compensate you for your time. We may not have the amenities Sellinus does, but I'm sure we can work something out." She bowed her head once more. "Please. It would mean a great deal to see him walk again."
Crow leaned back into his chair, casting ruddy light from the torches upon his mask. It was an eerie scene, one would hardly guess him the doctor rather than the collector.
Yet as Allarah asked him for help, he nods even before she talks of compensation. When she finished, he rose up a finger in the universal indication to, "wait."
He craned his neck to try and catch Guil, hoping he would be back soon with the sweets.
Guil came bustling back at just that moment with a silver platter. "Bought this at an estate sale the other week," Guil explained, sounding apologetic. "I thought it would be nice if we ever had guests..." He handed out the bowls of pudding, then leaned in to listen to Crow speak.
<He's got corrupt meta coursing through him> Synna warned.
"He would be honored to help your friend, but it has to wait until morning. It is too dangerous on the streets at night." Guil recited, looking relieved at the rest of what Crow had to say. "I'm glad you think so, sir, I'll tend to that in a bit."
He took up a seat next to Crow and began to shovel pudding into his face. His eating manners were atrocious, a product of not knowing better, but he tried to at least be furtive about it.
<That's nothing to worry about. Trust me. Keep your meta off of him and all will be well.> Allarah chimed.
"Thank you. This truly means a lot." She looked around. "The streets being dangerous, there being a curfew in effect... Does this mean we're to be staying here tonight?" She prodded gently, fixing Crow with a kind smile. "Thank you, by the way. Both of you. I'm not sure if you intervened on purpose or by chance, but you saved me from the topic of my scar."
Crow bowed his head low to her thanks, so low that his beak nearly dipped into his pudding. He corrected quickly, swinging his head back up as if he nearly dropped a priceless piece of china.
After the second spoonful he leaned to Guil, keeping his head down even still to obscure his lower jaw.
"You may stay here for the night, we will head for your friends once the sun protects the streets." Guil parroted. Another silent exchange and the rugged man turned sheepish, leaning closer in an attempt to whisper something so that the others could not hear.
"I think she's referring to her burns, sir, the ones on her arm."
"You would be correct." She smiled at Guil apologetically, tapping an ear with her finger.
Guil's sun-ruddied skin reddened and he became intensely interested in his pudding once more.
"It's alright." She pulled the sleeve of her shirt to her elbow, turning her hand over for them to examine if they so wished. "It's very old and very sore, but it is mine."
<Are you alright staying here tonight? We could always chance it, but with that thing out there, I'm not sure that's wise. These two seem harmless enough.> Allarah.
<I'd rather stay here than go back out and see Mr. Handsy again, yeah. That was a bit of a fucking fright.> Ijin.
<He still puts me on edge.> Synna.
<Crow does? If that's the case, you can always sleep with me.> Allarah whispered over the connection to Synna alone, teasing.
<...oh yes... he's utterly frightful. I'll need a few nights respite under your care.> Synna fought to hold back her smirk, and covered it by eating her pudding at a faster rate. Allarah's smile grew.
Crow's breathing could be heard by Allarah at this distance, the long and light breathing made hollow by the mask it is trapped in. It added to the strange sensation of Crow's leather gauntlets gingerly taking Allarah’s arm and turning it over to observe that magical scarring further. For his part he handled her skin like an eggshell, and seemed ready to let go at a moment's notice.
A bow of his head was given in thanks as he leaned back, letting Allarah’s arm go gently. He whispered again to Guil after he sat back, before going once more for pudding.
Guil swallowed his pudding and repeated the head bow before reciting: "I am sorry for that wound, whatever spell caused it must have surely been powerful." He paused, "and on my own note, this pudding is made all the better by having pleasant company for once." He grinned at the three.
She stroked her arm a moment where Crow had touched it. A smile full of humor became lightly strained at Guil's mention of the spell. "It was indeed. Overdraw." Clearing her throat, the tension faded from her face once more. "It is rather nice, the company. Much better than that at dinner. More relaxed."
The last of the pudding in Crow’s bowl taken care of, the man bathed in the quiet of the room, taking in Allarah’s ease. A long moment passed in that silence, only the heckling sounds of the fire and occasional caw of a crow outside dared interrupt it. Crow took this time to reflect on the company gathered in this dark tower.
He leaned to Guil and whispered once more to his apprentice, focusing between their three guests.
"I am unsure if you realize how long it has been since we've had someone willing approach our home. Many associate me with death itself, warranted of course," Guil said. "That's kinda everyone here, though. Crow's kinda harsh on himself, as you can see."
A knowing look met Crow. "Don’t blame yourself for the fear of others." She leaned forward, patting one of his gloved hands. "You can't change what you are, but you can control who you are. You seem a decent man to me. It's a shame the people you save don't see it."
The torso of Crow's protective suit swelled with a heavy breath held into his lungs. The Faeo's touch on his glove froze him in place. It almost seemed he would stay that way all night before he jumped in his seat, head shooting to the ceiling as if attempting to scry the moonlight through the stone.
He pushed his empty pudding tray to Guil and jogged up the set of rickety stairs straight to the tower. He was late in announcing the curfew of the city.
At the top, the blackened bell tolled through the city, echoing its dull note across homes and businesses alike.
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