SCAWWY 😱 rondo

[concoctive]

In the tapestry of floriography, the borage flower stands out as a symbol of emotional fortitude and joy. Its star-shaped blue blossoms have carried the weight of courage since Roman times, believed to embolden warriors on the battlefield. Borage flower and leaves are used for fever, cough, and depression.

Comments

wknd 0; saturday

[concoctive]

[ alfyn doesn't have much in the way of body shyness, so he's already gotten quickly changed out of the robes and back into his usual clothes. the flower crown has been carefully tucked into his satchel, and he's gotten his axe carefully in the back of his belt where it usually goes when not in use. the robes, though, even as he's walking around, he's working on picking at the seams to take the thing apart.

but he glances up from where he's fiddling with the threads in one shoulder, and then - pauses abruptly at something deeply familiar. ]

... is that a Knights Ardante uniform?

[flameguard]

[ much like alfyn, rondo also immediately boot-scooted off into his normal clothes - he's back in his uniform, hair tied back properly instead of all over the place, and he's also got a big old sword. that's actually probably the most noticeable thing?

alfyn will find him sitting by the fire, holding said bigass sword up and examining it. however, being addressed has him snap out of it - he glances to the side, and his eyebrows almost shoot up to his hairline. ]

-- You recognize it?! [ HELLO ]

wknd 0; sunday

[concoctive]

Rondo! Hey, Rondo!

[ alfyn is fucking.

trucking it, from the garden area, to follow rondo away from the four horsemen. his expression is serious, his body tense, but one can't really blame him for the reaction considering the information that they were just given.

but it's not just that.

he's not the kind of person to not skip straight to the punch: ] Did I hear you say Lyblac?

[flameguard]

[ rondo is... also tense, but that's probably not surprising? he's taking all this information in the way he always does, letting himself react to it and then sucking it in, allowing himself the time to come to the correct conclusion - that if this is lyblac and galdera all over again, then at least he's prepared. even without the flame, he can still fight.

speaking of, however! when alfyn addresses him, he turns - his usually bright smile is uncharacteristically more serious at the mention of the name, because that bodes poorly. ]

...Yes, I did. You... were you familiar?

[ somehow??? ]

week 0, friday

[flameguard]

[ wow a murdergame... with a murder....

it's friday! and as of friday, probably predictably, rondo is standing by the pyre, his hands laced together, his eyes closed. even with his eyes closed, his expression is clearly, clearly upset, his brows pinched together in what can only be frustration, his mouth a tight line.

across his chest, the inky tattoos of the week have multiplied - the shadows and ink coalescing in more than one spot, spattering a perfectly white cloak. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. ]

[concoctive]

[ wow, matchies!

not being enough. not doing enough. not being able to save anyone. not being there. not being able to help. not enough not enough not enough not enough. are spread out across his visible skin on his forearms, his neck, his collar, and bleeding through the white brown green of his torso as he comes to join rondo with a crunch of dirt under his boots. his axe is held in a tight grip, the hold prepared to defend himself or those around him if needed.

the tension has gotten his spine ramrod straight, and he just.

joins him, though he's staring into the fire as he does. ]

wk 0; sunday

[concoctive]

[ alfyn is just sitting at the corner of one of the benches around the pyre, elbows on his knees, hands together, forehead against his knuckles. he's not looking up, but he does seem to be talking quietly to himself as he stays there. against the seat next to him is his axe, blade cradled by the dirt and handle within reach.

his head turns, just a little, against his knuckles when he realizes that someone's joined him. but he settles back into a quiet prayer that he lets the crackle of the flames whisk away before he says anything audible. ]

... hey, Rondo. Was just sayin' some prayers for 'em, and for us.

week 1, monday

[flameguard]

[ the way i completely missed your starter yesterday because i was so busy getting my ass trounced by the ot1s. i'm gomen honey

so we're starting with week two instead! we're over on the new island, where rondo can currently be found stretching up to pluck an apple off of a tree! it looks like he's got a bucket on his hip that's got some juicy looking fruits in it. when he spots alfyn, he grins. ]

Good morning, Alfyn! This feels a little bit more like the Riverlands, huh?

[concoctive]

[ this is fine tbh we have so many threads ahead of us and they were so traumatized yesterday

alfyn trots right on up without slowing down any like he's going to respect rondo's personal space, two whole buckets (that previously held candy) in tow before he just. bumps right into him. rondo's sturdy, he'll be fine. ]

Lil' bit! The beach's kinda more Rippletide and Grandport than it is Clearbrook, but I've been all over the Riverlands now that it's way, way better to see all this than the village.

week 1, thursday

[flameguard]

[ where the fuck are you YOU BETTER BE LAYING DOWN

rondo is coming to find alfyn once he's gotten settled somewhere with water. honestly he's actually been standing guard waiting for him to get taken care of like a good flameguard so. once daan/any other medical visitor has cleared out... ]

...How are you feeling, Alfyn...?

[concoctive]

[ animal crossing house on the island, as voted by MULTIPLE people. which is fair of them, and also he doesn't want to go through any fog for a hot minute. ]

... run over by a pack of Bloody Rhinos, but m'okay.

[ stitched up! bandaged, but shirtless, just so i can make you suffer.

the stab wound in his chest was likely from a sword, meant to be fatal, and had... well, something more than just a sword. the wound is irritated, veins blackened in the immediate area, and a smell of rot lingers. ]

wk 2; monday

[concoctive]

[ hey there's absolutely no preamble to this. the two of them are just minding their own business, perhaps standing in the gas station? they're two ye oldes, completely bemused by modern things, but the lights are so bright...

and the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows. shadows that are more than happy to ensnare someone, maybe two someones, and drag them into a terrible memory. ]

[flameguard]

[ oh.

that's... saintsbridge, he recognizes, dimly, before everything starts. the memory kicks off well enough, with rondo smiling a little to himself at the sight of ophilia - as pretty as always, on her way to do the kindling, he recognizes with a note of pride - but as these memories tend to go, everything takes a violent turn for the worse.

the apothecary's treatment bothers him at first too, and then... as things start to unfold, rondo watches in horror, his hand coming up to his mouth as miguel reveals his treachery. it's awful, it's the kind of darkness and avarice of the world that the flame stands so firmly against, and he's holding his breath as the memory finishes.

inhale. exhale. ]

...Oh, Alfyn...

wk 2; thursday

[concoctive]

[ kicks in your door at the cabin and stares you the fuck down ]

Rondo..? [ he's got his satchel with him, still not mended and the strap knotted together to keep it on his shoulder as he comes into the now-familiar space. after what rondo did for him last week, alfyn is prepared to return the favor, now, approaching where he's settled in for the time being. ]

[flameguard]

[ hello doctor greengrass!!

the good news is rondo seems to be okay! he's doing a little better physically after his dip in the swamp, and when alfyn comes in, he puts on a smile for him, dipping his head in greeting. through the open slit in his collar, alfyn can see that the skin at his throat is blackened and cracked, and occasionally glows a sort of firey, eerie blue. ]

Hello, Alfyn.

week 2, friday

[flameguard]

[ haha

well

rondo's really good at bouncing back from tragedy. he's used to tragedy, he's used to loss, but there's - there's just nothing that could have prepared him for this. for the first time, he's not running around looking for people after death has struck. today he's just sitting by the blue, blue pyre on the ground, his arms around his knees.

it becomes very, immediately clear that he's crying. silently, but he's crying. ]

[concoctive]

[ well.

alfyn will make sure that he doesn't soften his steps any, boots crunching earth as he makes his way over - he's not really quiet, anyways, by nature, but especially now - before he just. drops to sit down next to rondo.

it's another miserable thursday, and he grips his satchel tightly for a beat, two, three, before just shifting and letting go so that he can wrap his arms around rondo and drag him into the tightest bear hug he can give him. ]

w3 monday

[flameguard]

[ hello hello!!! on this fine monday, we are in the library. rondo is pulling alfyn along to a shelf by the wrist. ]

Alfyn! Look!

[ and up there on a high, high shelf are a bunch of books where the spines are written in orsterran alphabet. WOW. ]

[concoctive]

Ope -

[ alfyn lets himself be pulled along easily, hop-stepping before he catches himself and follows the pointing. ]

... oh! Oh, wow, that's wild to see in a place like this. We're gonna have to go through all of these, before the week is through - might be good to sort 'em out while we talk, too, 'cause I got plenty of stuff to share with you if you got the time.

wk 3; friday

[concoctive]

[ cool cool cool cool. he's heading back here just to see if there's... gods, anything that he can glean, even though he knows that the veil will hide it, and he just. looks. at rondo the moment he spots him.

and it doesn't take much to know. to realize. and his heart breaks even further - already struck in twain by the loss of someone like marina, but also to see rondo in this state. haven't they all dealt with enough by now? haven't they lost enough people that they've come to care for? when is it going to end?

alfyn makes his way over, trudging through the water without care, and drops to his knees so that he might fold himself around and over rondo, holding onto him tightly. ]

[flameguard]

[ every week, it just gets a little worse. there are moments in these deep, awful pits of despair that he thinks about sazantos and his frustration, and knowing that these things were not caused by cruel intentions, but by the actions of this awful cult, tempers his own sense of right and wrong, hope and darkness, but it sure as hell doesn't make things any easier.

rondo hasn't moved. he's just sitting by the gravestone, still, curled up in a ball. arms around his knees, head down. as alfyn approaches and hugs him, he doesn't even react, at first - he can feel rondo is trembling, shaking like a leaf as his hands fall away from himself, and... after a long, long moment, he reaches up both hands and curls them tight in the back of his shirt.

there's a hiccup, and a noise that might be a sob. ]

wk 4; monday

[concoctive]

[ not quite on the trail, but not quite in the camp, either, alfyn stares at the greenery all around them. it reminds him of home, like this - not a single building in sight, birds singing, bugs buzzing, wildlife abound. the spider-infested woods reminded him of home in some ways, too, especially considering the limitless chance of monsters, but...

this is a little different. ]

Alright. [ woof. ] So, if we're gonna be findin' anythin' useful, we can't barrel through the undergrowth, 'cause then we'll wind up crushin' all of it. And we might miss out on there bein' - I don't know, mushrooms that we can eat. Be nice to be able to cook up somethin' for everybody again.

You ever do foragin' before?

[flameguard]

No, I haven't!

[ can you imagine. rondo fancyboy ravus.

however there's like a tail wag emote going on behind him, so he's clearly enjoying himself. ]

But, I'm excited to learn. I'm in your capable hands, Alfyn!

wk 6; wednesday

[concoctive]

[ hoooogh he's so mad that he can't just tackle him. he can't hug him! it won't really work.

still, alfyn buzzes around rondo and has a happily wobbly look on his face. ]

I don't even know where to start... 'cept that I'm glad to see you...

[flameguard]

[ BABY!!! not being able to hug is the worst. but rondo smiles right back at him, warm and happy, and he sets a hand on his heart, then bows. ]

As am I. [ weh. ] -- I didn't have the chance to thank you, for taking my letters for Cordelia. I'm glad I can do so, now.

It's wonderful to see you, Alfyn. How are you holding up?

wk 7; monday

[concoctive]

[ we're going to the point before the town hall, actually, because you know who hasn't gotten any practice in (that didn't entail getting beat to shit by monsters)? this guy. ]

Whoa... I don't think I've ever seen so many weapons in one place - even the arena in Victors Hollow doesn't have this many... I'd hate to see the Warbringer in here...

[flameguard]

[ rondo is here in the dojo today so he grins big at alfyn, putting off emotions of Excited And Proud. ]

Isn't it amazing?! I train in here every morning with Sir Iwatooshi.

w7 sat

[flameguard]

[ :man_stands: with alfyn

looking at sheepzantos ]

....So, Essek said I'll have to come see him again later tonight to make sure he stays like this, but, um... here we are. This is... Sir Sazantos. The Flameguard before me, so - the Flameguard when you were probably pretty young...

[concoctive]

[ stares down at the sheep with him, hands on his hips. the sheep stares back up at him, and he can feel the loathing, the violence, in this animal. ]

Shucks, I don't think I've ever seen an angrier critter before.

BAAAA. [ paws at the ground with his little hoofie

alfyn jumps back, half behind rondo. ] Ah - sorry, sorry! What uh. Whaddya gonna do with him..?