Doing Better - Adrian's Journey to Inner Peace

[Draeris 3124]

Adrian Othodoric Helvets, 1788

 

DOING BETTER

ADRIAN’S JOURNEY TO INNER PEACE

 

The young Helvets wasn’t sleeping well these days, churning beneath his weighted bedsheets like a Striga in the night. His head was a perpetual musical: his most awkward moments extravagantly at play. “That is a second warning.” George Galbraith would speak, “You look like a Hu-Zhi” another elf spat at him, “I will f**king disinherit you if you snort that again”, his father disappointingly spoke. 

 

Why was he so disliked? Did his wife like him? What about his future children?  Questions upon questions would besiege his brain. Intimacy with his wife brought him only so far, and the Albarosan powder only a tad further. He had to reject the temporal and look within, answer his questions entirely by himself. 

 

And so he ventured out of Helena on his steed called Isabel Franziska, trotting forwards into the farmlands of the former Provins. After tying his horse to a fence pole: Adrian would lower himself to the ground, straightening his posture. Closing his eyes, taking deep breaths: he would remain stationary for hours on end. The many lines of Albarosan powder and wines flew through his veins, a certain peace was bestowed upon him. 

 

Then, from within his closed eyes, Adrian could see a spirit in the guise of Jonah Stahl-Elendil appear: seated in front of him at Varoche Hall. “Adrian.” the former Adunian pirate would dryly state, crossing his legs. “J-Jonah?” Adrian blinked, discovering he himself was seated on the carpet before him. 

 

“You’ve caused a lot of trouble, Adrian.” the spirit would shake his head, crossing his arms. “I-I didn’t mean to Jonah.” Adrian muttered, his hands placed flat on the carpet. “It’s because you doubt yourself, first and foremost.” Jonah stood up, now suddenly wearing an eye-patch “Just stop doubting yourself, have some trust.” 

 

Adrian couldn’t help but nod in awe, listening intently. As spirit Jonah Stahl-Elendil circled around him: he spoke of words like “trusting in yourself”, “accepting your faults” and “believing you’re doing better”. Minutes felt like centuries, but Jonah’s incessant monologuing continued. Adrian’s head started to feel dizzy, the words doing better sounding louder and louder. He eventually collapsed onto the carpet.

 

“Ahh!” he woke up with widened eyes, covered in his sweat: his back wet from lying on the soil. He would bring himself to stand, straightening his posture as he dusted off his Kaedreni silk. “Doing better.” he’d mutter to himself, his lips pressed in wonder. “So I was doing better than everyone after all?” walking towards his horse, he’d straighten his sleeves “Hmph. Nothing to change then.”

[osumanduas 1442]

“I go outta here every morning and bust my butt putting up with them bureaucrats all day. You are the biggest fool I ever saw. It is my job to take care of you it is my responsibility you understand that boy? A man gotta take care of his family you live in my house sit your behind in my bedclothes, you put my food in your belly; because you are my son, you are my flesh and blood. It is my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you”

 

Richard said once, taking his son by each arm after just minutes ago striking his son’s Albarosa huffing wife.

 

“I ain’t gotta like you, your Aunt the Empress ain’t give me the Lieutenancy come your Uncle’s retirement because she like me. She do it because she” and he stopped, letting him go and whacking his shoulder to strike the lesson true. “Owe me; now I’ve given you all I have to give you, gave you your bloody life. Your mother and I worked that out between us. Liking coke snorting ass wasn’t part of the bargain either, so don’t you go through life worried about fitting in with these degenerates you hang around with, worried if they like you or not. only best be sure they doing right by you.”

 

“Do you understand boy, straighten up god-damnit.” he asked looking into his son’s eyes with a deadly gaze.

 

”Yes Papa”

 

Richard nodded: “Then you get the hell outta my face and clean up your act before the next session of the Commons” he noted with finality, putting back on his iconic blue hat, and slapping his boy on the back before and sending him off.

@Draeris

 

Spoiler

Fences is a badass play