sapphic_spidy

Alistair doesn't know yet. How could he? But he would not mourn. "I should've pushed him off the roof when I had the chance." He'd said that phrase so many times, yet never could it have changed anything. He didn't, he didn't push Louis off the roof, he didn't stab him in the neck, he didn't shoot him with an arrow as he walked away. He knows too much, too much, yet Alice never did anything about it. He threatened my kid. The order of how things happen doesn't matter. The second himself, Quill, and the baby were drawn into things, a death threat, it all stopped mattering. It was pure hatred. He was willing to play the game. Act sad or angry where it suited Louis's perception of him. Play the part of the emotional fool. Wait until he had his chance, or his proof, and maybe he wouldn't have to be the one to do the man in at all. Kid, Alice called him. Some grab at power. Refer to me as Baron Treuberg. A phrase he has never told to anyone. He doesn't like flaunting his power. The point was that he had it, and Louis didn't. Did it work? Does it matter? He's still spiraling into that paranoia. That something will happen to him before the adoption papers are finalized. That his kid- his clearly elven kid- will end up in a human orphanage, like how Louis promised. He doesn't know, how could he? But he'd be so relieved if he did.

"Well this is interesting." An elven medic says bitterly.

"That thing's been there for well over fifty years..." An old man blinks. "Sariel an' Naya an' I used t'go down there. Naya told us not t'explore without her, an' we did anyways. Thought ev'ryone knew..." He rambles on, though no one is there. It helps Sydney to keep his mind engaged.

Castien shakes. Rage, fear, concern. "They cut our ears. It's always been them. It's always been the grail. How can they defend that? How can they do this? They kill us, they maim us, they despise us. Why can't the elves just stay neutral?" No message to Reinmar. Nothing to read that concerns him in particular beyond the defense of those who would rather see elves dead and gone. Castien would like to think of himself as mostly neutral in this. He works at clinics all around Aevos, involved in either side. He just wants to do his job. His part in this is not about anything other than revenge. He wants one side to win, not for the sake of any place in particular, but as proof that the Grailmen aren't invincible. That there's some justice, for him, for the elven woman who was beaten to death, for the "heretical" child. But not even elves can take justice for their own. And he doubts a letter will solve this. Maybe it's worth a shot. Maybe...

Castien and Adalwin never quite got along. Still, there's an emptiness, that he tries to fill immediately. Adalwin used to always be there. Two or three decades, someone had said to him, just recently, that really is an elf way of putting it. Castien never questioned it when people would vanish for years at a time and come back. How could he forget that sometimes they just don't? You don't have to be someone's friend to mourn them. At least he didn't let himself look at the corpse. There might be something there, right?

Castien wastes no time. He adds more to the list of things to do. Limbs to sort out, hastened apologies to write, reschedulings to hash out, herbs to locate, medical supplies to import- A neverending list. He's never been one for battles, fighting, pain. But he is one to do his job. And he gets the distinct feeling his job is about to become even more necessary before long.

It's not common knowledge yet, but he knows. He doesn't know how he feels. Disappointed? Yeah, that's the word. Disappointed.

"So rather than teach a child the error of her ways calmly, they have opted to instead force her into a life of fear. Shearing ears drives elves away from faith, not towards it." An elf huffs.

Krysti grimaces, disappointment painting her features. That's how she feels. Deeply disappointed. He really did give up on his dreams. Maybe that's why they're called childhood dreams. Some of them are meant to be left behind. But not like this. Never like this. Just more reason to never give up on her own. Never to stray. No, never to stray...

A warmth fills Castien's heart. May that elven child not have to fight and claw justice from the hands of those who will avoid responsibility at all costs. May she not have to wait two decades, and for others to speak up for her, to avenge what was taken from her. This is good news. --- Meanwhile, Krysti receives the news. She grins, lounging in an inn. More reason for the Wicks to not give up their land. They'll never give it up- never be moved. At least, that's what she hopes. They can piece together their own broken vassals. Broomtown will remain.

Castien rants to no one. "I mean, seriously, there was no ounce of content validity. Or internal validity. Or- hell- external validity either! No reliability... Only those who know nothing about research would even consider the Musin study to be reputable."

Alice, now a Baron, reads this over several times. It doesn't feel more real any time. He grins. Recognition.

i am full of opinions :3

A man reads the missive. Over and over and over and over and over and Is this what people do? Is this what they do? He gets stuck on some of the words, slowly mouthing them, until they make sense in his head. He whispers the words, hoping it helps him really get what's being written. Eyes gone, arrows loosed, this over and over and over and ov The man uses the missive as kindling. He's had too many questions lately. About himself. About everything.

A man with only two interactions with Reinhard to speak of doesn't think of him that often. It's the others he thinks of- all the time. How can he be the figure he needs to be in a kid's life, how can he tell the kid all he needs to say? You have been kind to me. A cursed woman said to him. Why do you stay with them? A cursed woman asked of him. What do you say when they- God, enough already. He doesn't need an answer to everything. He doesn't. Because he knows no one would like his selfish reasonings, and normally, that's not a big deal. He doesn't like that sometimes it feels like one. It feels like a big deal. His empathy extends beyond the two he'd like to live some fantasy of family alongside- that woman and her son- and he doesn't know what to do with this. What does he do with this? Are you sure this place is safe. Are you sure. Are you sure. Are you sure. Are you sure. Are you He asked twice. Once each interaction with Reinhard. Reinhard said yes. Keep him away from his father. ******* left her all alone liar, liar, liar, Why is it so hard to turn off the thoughts. He does think about Reinhard. He does wonder how the man is doing. Sure, it's out of utility. Reinhard is useful. But at least he can say it was never malicious. A man has made many mistakes. A man has let fantasy go in a direction it shouldn't have, making him believe he was truly cold and that that was truly alright. There was something dangerous about living life as he had. God, enough already.

please please please please please please pleasepleaspleas please

Sydney is probably far too old to have a repeat of his actions in the Coalition war. Those who know of those actions would definitely agree. Still... Still.

gay thoughts or son daughter

pegleg pegleg pegleg pegleg pegleg what the hell do i do with little caeso he's still alive

A kid trying to start up his own business frowns... will he be eaten by the competition !? It will remain to be seen.

Castien watches Estmund in utter concern, before also reading... "Wow, that sounds fun." he comments calmly. (hope my schedule allows me to attend wah)

Castien, unfortunately, did not get to set the wolf on fire. He was more shaken by the encounter than he will let on. He hasn't seen many people die before his eyes- stranger or not. But this probably will not be the only time. He tells himself that it'll be best if he's around next time something like this happens. In case they are less fortunate.

A young adult Wick reads the missive. Ruria... and Mira... Mira... and Ruria... Those both sound like... girl names. They probably are both girl names. Krysti smiles. For some reason, seeing that this is a possibility makes her smile. Though she doesn't know why. She's never wanted to get married herself. She always saw it as such a limiting affair. But maybe that isn't the case after all.