concoctive | SCAWWY 😱 rondo

[ 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?

[ 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 ]

[ BLINKS EVEN MORE??? ]

I - yeah! I'm from the Riverlands, from Clearbrook - stone's throw from Riven itself, give or take, but I've met a good handful of Knights. Been to Flamesgrace a few times, too.

[ i, personally, snap this sword over my knee. but alfyn doesn't recognize it except that it's a bigass fantasy sword that wouldn't look out of place in any of their hands. olberic would wield it effortlessly, though it looks a bit more ornamental that he's ever seen the man carry. ]

Hwah?! Really?!

[ SHAKEN ]

That's - you're the first person I've met here from Orsterra!! [ rondo practically LEAPS up to his feet, his expression brightening up like, immediately, and he puts his hand to his heart and bows in an actual greeting. ] My name is Rondo - I am a... I am the Flameguard.

[ did you really have to pause ] That is to say, I'm a Knight Ardante! You're - what was your name? My apologies.

The - the Flameguard? [ WHOA, YOU'RE A BIG DEAL! alfyn stares wide-eyed for a second, before hastily waving his hand to the bow because he's never bowed in his life. but he knows the knights do that, anyways, and has seen eliza do it whenever they'd run into her for h'aanit's hunt for redeye. ] Alfyn Greengrass, an apothecary, at your service!

I don't think there's anybody else here from Orsterra, to be real honest with ya. Talked to a girl that didn't know about demihumans, and it's all just kinda... it's very weird. But at least we have some familiarity, right?

[ SHGKSH NOOOOOO DON'T REACT LIKE THAT normally he'd puff up a little but considering the circumstances he also just kind of waves his hand, flustering. ]

Ah - I'm still fairly new to the position, there's no need to - it's fine. [ considering. but...

well, maybe this guy doesn't know who the flameguard is. it's not like the rest of orsterra knows about sazantos-san specifically, right now, and rondo's not sure he's ever heard of clearbrook before, though, so... honestly, he's a little glad he doesn't have to explain more beyond that, and more than anything, he's just a relieved to hear someone speaking his similar language.

his smile, sheepish now, stays. ]

Yes... certainly. [ familiarity indeed. ] And - it's always good to travel with an apothecary, as well... we're quite lucky to have you among us, Mr. Alfyn. Though we are no longer home, if you are ever in need of assistance, pray call on me and I'll be happy to help.

[ considering timelines, alfyn probably does not know who the hell the flameguard is. just what the flameguard is. especially from ophilia and being in flamesgrace - could they have met sooner, he wonders? hm. food for thought, later. ]

We're both fine. [ yes. he nods slightly, happy to let that moment pass and instead focus on the general conversation at hand here. not a familiar face, but at least rondo knows orsterra, and so he's not quite so alone, there, even if it's not quite the same as having one of the others with him. ]

The same goes for you! I'm handy in a battle, not to toot my own horn or nothin', though it seems an awful lot like there's a decent number of fighters here based off those papers that're up over here. [ a nod, to indicate the profiles. ] ... being an apothecary for all these folk would be a whole heck of a lot easier if they let me keep my stuff, though. Did you happen to hold onto your robe, by any chance..? I'm planning on tearing mine into strips, to make bandages out of.

[ oh! oh, that's really smart! ]

I did keep it! [ nodding enthusiastically! ] I set my things off in that odd church, so, I can bring it to you shortly. Did you, uh... do you need flowers too....? I'll confess, I don't know very much about being an apothecary at all, our clerics always handle our injuries if they're bad...

[ and like. eliza. and him sometimes, he can heal a little bit, but. otherwise if they're bleeding its magic healing hours only. ] But you can have whatever you'd need, Mr. Alfyn.

Whenever you wanna pass it my way! Not like we can really get anywhere, right now... the fog turns you right back around, which is all the makings of a trapped up place, you know? [ getting turned ass over end, and all. but he curls his hand at his chin, considering, other hand patting his satchel comfortingly after he folds the robe over the top of it. ]

My crown has some useful flowers on it, but I'll gladly take yours, too, if you want to get rid of it. Worth having something even if I have to remake all my salve bases and tinctures.

But, ah, you don't have to call me "mister" or anything. We ain't so different in age, I don't think?

[ i'm so glad he got to keep his satchel ;_;

rondo nods, looking past him briefly out towards the foggy nastiness. it's... a lot like hell, honestly, which is worrisome, though the sunlight peeking through the fog has helped at least a little. ]

... Right... Alfyn, then. [ alfyn. it's a force of habit - his manners are so, so well trained, but he smiles, easing up immediately from the more formal. ] I suppose we are among friends, right? We'll have to stick together as we move through this strange situation... I need to return home as quickly as possible.

[ because some part of him is DEEPLY worried there won't be a home left when he returns. some other part of him wonders if sir sazantos sent him away so he wouldn't have to kill him, and if that's the case, it's somewhere between horrifying and touching, the most awful, heartbreaking sensation in the world - what about the others? what about the other guardians, what about cordelia, what about the entire world? the thought has him frown a little further to himself, but he shakes it off after a moment. ]

I take it that you tried to explore out a little further, too...?

[ holds it up and shakes it ;_;

the fog is something he doesn't want to play with, but at the same time... they have to know the place that they're walking around in, after all, and familiarize themselves so that they can be prepared for threats. ]

And Rondo. [ said with a smile still on his own face, lighter in the face of the serious situation. it does fall a little with that. ] I did try to go out further, but it looped around... I was hoping to find my companions, or some kind of answer somewhere...

I've gotta get back, too. There's a lot of unanswered questions that we were dealing with, but... it was the eight of us. It'll be okay until I get to them. I hope. [ he reaches out, clapping rondo on the arm and giving it a squeeze. whatever is happening in orsterra for the knight, he's sure... gods, he hopes that they'll all be alright. ] The Sacred Flame is with them, and we'll get things figured out. Wanna take another look around?

[ oof. that helps, even if it hurts a little - unconsciously, he lifts his hand to touch to his heart and then closes his eyes.

the flame rests not in untrained hearts.

walk with the flame, rondo.

inhale, exhale. ]

... you're right. [ rondo says, after a moment. ] Your friends will be safe, so long as they choose to walk that path, as we must as well.

[ heartened. he gives alfyn a little smile with that, and nods, gesturing towards the fog. ] Let's march on, then. Perhaps we can talk a bit more about home..?

[ he sees the gesture, and alfyn thinks of the lack of ice for cooling fevers and numbing wounds. he thinks of the spark of fire and electricity that he couldn't pull from what magic lessons cyrus gave him, or the dance of wind from folk magic at the merchant's back, or the light and dark that are just a coinflip for primrose and ophilia alike but are weak in his own hands.

rondo's missing something at his fingertips, too. but maybe in his heart just as much. ]

And yours, too. We gotta hold onto hope for them, all of them, right? [ smashcut to the time discrepancy. ] But - yeah! Yeah, onwards. Let's see what we can figure out about this whole mess.

Yes, let's.

[ both to moving onwards, and to holding onto hope. that warms him immediately, his smile more genuine as he settles into it. that's right - he has to hold onto hope for the other guardians, and... for sir sazantos, too. his hand curls around the top of his sword, brushing against the strange hilt.

okay. okay. he's got a bunch of people here who are going to need his light, and now he's got a friend from orsterra who will be counting on him to be a good knight ardante, so. rondo rolls his shoulder back and nods. let's get to walking. ]

I've done quite a bit of exploring, but, I'm afraid I haven't really found anything of note...well. It's all of note, because it's strange, but nothing that really explains what's happening. [ at least in terms of their spookiness. and it's nice! to talk about home! so.]

What's Clearbrook like...? I can't say our business has ever brought us there - I used to live sort of near to the Riverlands, and we'd take family trips here and there, but I don't think I've ever been.

[ with a firm nod, alfyn reaches behind himself to rest his hand on the hilt of the large axe he's strapped in place, just in case they wind up needing to defend themselves. he'll fall into step with rondo easily, his own shoulders rolling back and staying steady, firm, because - this is more normal.

going out to patrol the outskirts of clearkbrook with zeph, getting the night blooms collected under the clear moonlight. trying to learn how to track under h'aanit's watchful eye, walking the perimeter of their camps with olberic. rondo is a knight ardante, used to doing these sorts of things, so it'll be easy, familiar, probably.

there are 38 other people to help. ]

Worth having more eyes in one place! And it's better than sitting around, probably. [ still... he huffs a soft noise. ] Clearbrook's as backwater as backwater can be. The only real claim to fame is that we got a tavern where a lot of dancers get their big break, 'cause we got a stage for folks to use, and I guess that we're not too far from Riven castle.

[ riven castle... ah... rondo smiles a little at that, nodding. ]

... I've spent a bit of time with the King of Riven recently. He's... a very good man.

[ because if there's one thing that flows off of richard in droves, it's that - he's just so, so good. a true guardian of the light. it feels like just yesterday he accompanied rondo down to hornburg. ]

I take it that your village was mostly kept safe from the incursion from G'roha, if you all are that far inland...?

He's a good king. [ alfyn agrees with this assessment easily, even if he doesn't know him personally. ] Not that the opinion of some hick from Clearbrook matters, being a drop in the pond, but he did what he could for all of the Riverlands after the whole thing with Edoras' tyrant king happened.

[ apparently, his kid's cute, too, but he's never seen the lil' guy. maybe rondo has? he'll ask later. ]

Mm, no one from G'roha made it to Clearbrook, luckily. Our rivers weren't big enough for their ships, I don't think, so they'd have to take smaller boats, or walk if they wanted to make it to us. One of my friends is from Rippletide, though, and hoooey, her family was shook up by how close it all was. None of them got hurt, thankfully.

Edited 2024-06-10 14:12 (UTC)

SCAWWY 😱 rondo

wknd 0; saturday

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