Fantasy For my Family

[Ninja_Onions]

"I-I-I, Uh-uh, w-well, I ha-haven't b-been very g-good at...w-when y-you live s-so secluded l-like I have...I-I j-just, oh bother." Gerza hung his head slightly. "The last time I was there, the only person who really knew I was, and was fairly upset at me being out, was Cerys. And with how things were going earlier, even with finding Ryrax, something tells me that me being there won't help the situation too much more." Gerza sighed, as he shuffled out the door. "Probably why most of my good friends are books..." He said quietly, like it was some secret to be kept. "I just need to unwind. I haven't tried any of the wordcasting on anything besides paper...maybe..." Gerza picked up his pace a bit, leaving Mythia's house and all the contents behind. Time to see what I've learned. He said, his somber expression soon turning giddy as he jogged towards a large open field, far from the Neutral Grounds, one that frequently saw Fell Ones battle on it.

 

[Twizinator]

"Ohhhh no ya don't," he said as he flew over to Cerys. "You're still healing. No booze for you, " he said surprisingly sternly. He turned his eye to Jyttera. "I'll take hers. She's not- Jyttera?" he said, surprised. "What are...nevermind. No alcohol for Cerys, got it?"


Suddenly he noticed that a fair portion of the hall was staring at him. The music and dance hadn't slowed down, but most eyes in the vicinity were turned on him. They all had expressions of surprise and awe, as the missing madman had returned. Did they know...? Ryrax wondered to himself.


"Mister Ryrax!" A familiar female voice sung out. Ryrax turned in its direction to see Silia heading his way. "I thought I'd find you here," she said once she reached the group. "Good to be home, isn't it?"


Ryrax thought for a moment, and noticed that after Silia's words everyone staring at him were smiling fondly. They were glad to have their resident bastard back. Before he could respond, his stomach growled loudly again. Not two seconds later Ryrax found himself face to face with a large bowl of hot rabbit stew, slid onto the counter before him by a slyly smiling barmaid. She winked at him as she departed, and Ryrax chuckled. "Yeah...yeah it is, actually."


Silia slid into the seat on Ryrax's left, Cerys occupying the one on his right. Ryrax leaned back so far he hung upside-down so he could look at Estelle, only still in his seat because of his PK. "Oi, get over here and sit. Get some food or booze or somethin'. Relax and have some fun, would ya?" He smiled teasingly. "Get me liquored up and I might even dance with ya." He didn't mention that it wouldn't take more than a couple glasses of ale to accomplish that.


-----------


Mythia laughed and shook her head as Gerza left. She decided to make for the Vejta party herself, hoping Ryrax might be there, at some point at least.

 

[Cyrionessa]

"....hmph....." Cerys crossed her arms and angrily cursed under her breath. "A little bit of booze won't be a bad thing. It's not going to hurt me at all and I haven't drank in....." Cerys didn't actually want to say how many days it had been because it was painful to think about.


Estelle looked about. No sign of the dancer guy, so she settled in next to Cerys. "You're not drinking. You do a lot of stupid things when you're drunk and I'm not exactly at max strength to patch you back up."

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax nodded in agreement, internally thankful that he had backup to keep Cerys from drinking. He didn't think he could handle a drunk Cerys right now. He was also aware that he was getting some very unusual looks from the young men around. He was honestly confused as they were not a look he'd ever received. None of them were scared-looking; rather they were almost openly hostile, yet their intention didn't seem to be to fight him. What was their deal?


In truth, they were jealous of Ryrax, who was blissfully unaware of this fact. They couldn't believe the Mad Wolf was effortlessly schmoozing with three attractive young ladies.


Ryrax dove into his stew greedily, finally acknowledging that he was starving. It didn't take him more than a minute to call for a second bowl.

 

[MControl]

"Hmm? No alcohol? Thats fine, I wouldn't serve my friends the swill they call liquor here anyway." As he pulled out a bottle, it could be noted as being quite peculiar. For one, it seemed to have been roughly shaped from some translucent rock. Another point of note, was that for a bottle with such a narrow neck, its body was rather wide, especially if it was as it seemed, shaped from a single rock. Oh, and it also glowed, its light filtering through the stone in a rather entrancing orange.


"This, my friends, is the greatest drink in the world; Estus, the drink of gods!" Jyterra proclaimed rather dramatically, pouring the named drink into a set of 4 cups, apparently made from the same material as the bottle. It poured as a stream of fire, of molten metal, settling neatly into the cups, perfectly equal in distribution. "And just enough left to have one myself," he mentioned, pouring the last of hte bottle in a fifth cup he had somehow produced.


As the estus was poured, it flowed no more thickly than water, and produced no heat nor scent. If let to sit, for even a moment, in hesitation or wonder, you could all but see flames ignite above it, and it would seem to warm. A scent could be caught reminding one of their goals, and if one watched the false flames, it could inspire them to take their abilities and strengths to a new level. A knowledgeable man might see a tome, forgotten in memory, holding the answer to their woes, yet smell something reminding them of the home they lost, and the one they wish to build. A warrior might see a great battle, of glorious strength and skill, yet smell the daisies that remind him of his lost love. Most people would encounter it once in a lifetime, as errant mana drifts and eddies happen to coalesce in an already poured drink, and quickly forgotten, as the inspired made to act on the moment. In its most mundane form though, it would also be known as a fantastic pick-me-up, as it would revitalize and fill the drinker with a sense of joy and contentment.

 

[Ixidor92]

The messenger leading Rudd raised an eyebrow and had a look of genuine shock on his face. He cleared his throat slightly before continuing on, speaking as he went.


"Valk is the seventh son of lord Trevastos, a possible heir to the house in question, and one of the most powerful mana risers for his age. He also . . . is the young man you fought nearly a week ago."


---------------------------------


Aatron shook his head and picked up his Naginata. It didn't matter where they were, Odom would never change. Whether for good or for ill.


"Let's just hope they have a decent excuse for not reporting in."


Truthfully, Aatron would not accept any excuse, a lack of responsibility was nothing short of treacherous in his eyes

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Odom said no more, and grabbed the branch he had been sitting on. It bent freely, supple in his grasp, and then suddenly shot in the opposite direction, sending him flying into the air. He assumed that Aatron could follow easily enough. He'd done fairly so far.


-----


Rudd stopped in his tracks. "Him?!" He stood for a moment, baffled. "What--why? What could he possibly want me for?" He took a few quick steps to catch up with the messenger, not eager to get lost on the way to the estate, but in his head he was lost already. His mind wove through a maze of impossibilities, pondering what on earth the ignorant noble bigot could possibly want with him, the peasant who had so nearly defeated him in the ring.


He steeled his guts, just on the off chance that he was seeking revenge.

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax considered the drink for a few moments, but suddenly his eyes shot wide in shock. Whatever he saw in the estus' flames, it caused him to down the drink like a shot, in a single gulp. He slammed the cup on the counter and had a revitalized determination in his eyes; the old Ryrax was most definitely returning. He downed the rest of his bowl and stood. "I've got a bunch of work to do, don't I..." he said loudly as he turned around to look across the hall at Mythia, who had just entered the hall. "Isn't that right, Mythia?"


Mythia chuckled as she walked over to join the group. "Yep. But it can wait. For now we relax and socialize. That means you, mister!" she ordered, forcing Ryrax back into his seat. She smiled, satisfied. "No running away off by yourself this time. Actually spend some time with your friends, would ya?" she said.


Ryrax groaned but cracked a grin all the same. "Yeah yeah..." he waved off her order. He wasn't really surprised that she'd read his intention; he'd always been a lone wolf, both because of his chaotic nature and because he simply didn't like large groups. He preferred small gatherings or one-on-one interaction.

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys took in the revitalized Ryrax with a content smile. She didn't actually bother to look into the estus' flames as she took a sip. However, after the drink hit her lips, her full attention was suddenly centered on the estus. "....what...." Cerys took another gulp. ".....the heck...." A third gulp. "...is this?"


Estelle tentatively sent a few small tendrils of light into the cup. "....whatever it is, it is not harmful from what I can tell." She then took a drink. "....it also tastes pretty freaking awesome."

 

[Ixidor92]

Jaeger was sitting on top of the Vejta hall, keeping his ears and nose open for what was going on inside. He didn't want to be here, in fact, he would much rather be back at his own family's estate. But he wasn't about to leave Cerys to her own devices, regardless of what she did to herself.


---------------------------------------------------


"That is not for me to know."


The messenger had come up onto the Trevastos estate, and barely stopped for a moment to walk inside. He headed up through the floors, arriving at the top floor after several minutes of walking. He came to the front of a sliding door, two guards standing directly outside. There were a few words exchanged before the messenger stood to the said


"Lord Valk is waiting inside."

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax leaned back against the counter, spreading his arms out along the edges. He relaxed a bit, feeling the cool of the counter's surface along the lengths of his arms. He let his head rest against the countertop, craning his neck and turning his gaze to the ceiling. He grinned as he thought that normally he would be in those rafters, gazing disdainfully at the riff-raff below. It would seem he was now one of them.


The band, which was less an organized group more like a random collection of musicians who happened to know the same folksy songs, finished their number and struck up another one, this one bouncy and faster-paced. Silia smiled as she listened, and turned to Ryrax, eager yet with a fair bit of bashfulness. Before she even spoke, Ryrax sighed. "Please don't tell me you want to dance..." he said without even looking at her. Silia withered sadly and Mythia gave Ryrax an 'eyes-half-closed' kind of glare.


Ryrax chuckled. "Hehe. What the hell. Lucky you I'm in a decent mood," he said as he rose, and Silia followed him into the crowd of swinging couples happily. Though some would be surprised at how well Ryrax knew the dances, they really shouldn't be; one couldn't honestly expect him to get away with NOT dancing every so often with a 'best friend' like Rudd. Ryrax was smirking in mild amusement, content to humor the young woman he was dancing with. Silia, meanwhile, was smiling and giggling and having a blast.


"If either of you want to dance," Mythia teased Cerys and Estelle, "You'll have to be faster than that girl next time."

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys raised an eyebrow with a bit of irritation. "I'm not one for dancing either. And Estelle is waiting for the Vejta Golden Boy Rudd to come back-" Her sentence was cut off by a curt kick in the shin from Estelle. The little lady seemed to have taken a shine to Ryrax. Now, Cerys had already claimed him, but she didn't like the feeling that someone was encroaching into her territory....


"I will dance when a suitable partner arrives." Estelle was blushing fiercely and looking away. The statement wasn't false but she really didn't want to stir up trouble with the Vejta ladies again. They already didn't seem to like her too well since she had spent the night last time she was here dancing with Rudd.

 

[MControl]

Downing his own glass, Jyterra smiles brightly. Privately enjoying the fact that his new friends had enjoyed the drink (some instances had resulted in near instant immolation), he allowed the warmth and energy to flow through him. It was times like this, where he felt as if he COULD manipulate mana in the way near everyone else seemed able to, when he could feel the mana flowing, through his body, around through the air and the earth, bound inside his artifacts... 'That is enough of deep thoughts for tonight,' he thinks to himself, 'Its a party, a time to be merry!' "Estelle," he begins, "may I have this dance?" he asks, proffering his hand.

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys downed the rest of the estus and stood up. There was a look of determination in her eyes. "Excuse me for just a second please." The estus had had the interesting side effect of making her much more aggressive than usual. She slipped onto the dance floor, casually walking behind Silia. When she tapped her on the shoulder, she half-wished that it would make the little creature jump. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to have a go." Her eyes were on Ryrax, not Silia, as she spoke and her words were accompanied by an innocent-yet-not-innocent half-smile.


Estelle thought for a moment before answering. "...sure." She took the hand that was offered and stood to her feet.

 

[Twizinator]

Cerys would be disappointed that Silia did not jump, though that isn't to say she wasn't a little surprised. "Eh? It's fine with me. That was so much fun! I had no idea you were so good at that..." she said happily. "I'll...get something to drink....or maybe a snack..." she muttered as she drifted over to the bar, apparently on cloud nine.


Ryrax sighed with a smile at Silia's reactions. "Silly girl. As if Rudd would let me NOT know how to dance. At least it looks like the bastard's meddling is paying off." He turned his eye to Cerys and laughed a little. "Hehehe. I thought you weren't the dancin' type?" he taunted as the next song began and they began to dance, him leading. "Don't tell me you're jealous of one little jig?"

 

[Cyrionessa]

"....you've been gone for days. I just got back from convincing you to come back." Cerys was slightly embarrassed now. "...I missed you..." She was looking away, more correctly, she was looking at her feet. Her forte was definitely no dancing and she was trying to keep up with him as best as she could. "....so excuse me for wanting a bit of your time...." She attempted to force some sass and bite to those words but failed miserably.

 

[MControl]

With a wide grin, he takes her hand, and leaps atop the bar, lifting Estelle up as well. With a joyful laugh, he waves a signal to the band, the Age of Fire, and they strike up a faster beat, and a fun, lighthearted tune. "So... lets swing!" he says with a laugh. As they swing and spin down the bar, the patrons pick up their drinks, laughing and singing with the music. Others pick up the beat, spinning and swinging across the dance floor, and an excited energy fills the room.

 

[Twizinator]

As the music sped up, so did the dancing, and Ryrax had definitely noticed that Cerys wasn't comfortable doing this. That was made more apparent when the tempo increased, and she was having difficulty keeping up Ryrax. It didn't help that Ryrax's style of dance had a bit of wildness to it, inherited from the man himself. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you there," he said, as he led their dancing towards the back. He kept talking to stall for time so Cerys wouldn't immediately notice what he was doing. "I was gone, what...four days or so? Pretty long period to be away. Sorry about all that shit I put you through."


Cerys was still looking at her feet - good. They were closing in on the back door of the hall.


"I am glad to hear you missed me," he said a bit more quietly, "and I did miss you as well. Though, its hard to catch up with so many people. I prefer smaller engagements, myself. More personal that way. Also quieter, most of the time. Big parties like the Vejta are so fond of aren't really my style. I much prefer...well, this," he said, finally having succeeded in his mission. He'd danced them out the back door and into the cool evening air, not a soul in sight behind the Vejta hall. Finally, they had some privacy. "Now we finally have some time, just you and me," he said, and stopped dancing. He put a hand to her chin, gently forcing her head up to make her stop looking at her feet and look him in the eye.


He grinned down at her. "Honestly, given all my f***uppery, I'm a bit surprised you wanted me back. But here I am...so, should we start makin' up for lost time?"

 

[Cyrionessa]

Estelle couldn't help but laugh as she danced. "What a dancer you are!"


----


Outside, Cerys wrapped her arms around Ryrax's neck extremely tightly. "....don't you ever go off like that again....I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to see you again...." Like a cat, she nuzzled her nose into his neck lovingly with a grin. "I don't think I'm going to be letting go of you any time soon...."

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax's neck muscle involuntarily spasmed a little as Cerys nuzzled. Her gentle brushing tickled a little, but it was a pleasant feeling. "I'm not opposed to that, but I'm sure there's stuff I've missed, so shouldn't you, I don't know, fill...me...in...?" his words slowed as he remembered that Cerys had been bedridden the whole time...and that he was the reason for it. A haze of guilt drifted over his eye. "Uh...nevermind..." he muttered. He couldn't remember feeling this self-conscious; he was holding himself back, afraid...terrified...of losing it again. "How're you...you know, holding up?" He asked hesitantly.

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys felt the hesitation, felt the holding back. "I'm fine." She let go just enough so that she could look up at him, her green cat eyes staring into his. "....don't hold back because you're afraid of hurting me. You're not going to do that again." There was a deep trust in her eyes, like nothing that had happened previously in the fight mattered to her. "Please don't....because I want to not be the thing that makes you uncomfortable."

 

[MControl]

With a joyous laugh and a smile, "As are you!" he comments. After a few more songs play, and more is had to drink, the band settles down a bit, and plays something a bit slower, less energetic. Following the example being set by numerous couples across the dance floor, Jyterra begins to move more slowly, in a dance less about the action, the movement, and more about the partner. "This... is nice" he says, enjoying the rather rare opportunity for him to just enjoy a moment with another.

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax didn't meet her eyes. "It isn't you. You aren't...uncomfortable, it's...me. I'm not comfortable with me," he said, frustrated and guilty and sad and a dozen other emotions all at once. This part of Ryrax, the small part of him that's actually vulnerable, was seen by nobody...except now, Cerys. "I don't want to leave you again, that would be selfish, I know. But I don't feel like I'm safe. I don't want to hurt you, or anybody else. I don't know what to do." He sighed. "I hope Gerza and Mythia know what they're doing, because the sooner they fix me the better."

 

[Cyrionessa]

"No matter whether they "fix" you or not, I'm going to be right here beside of you." Cerys stood on her tip-toes so that she could nuzzle his nose with hers. "One day, you may have to see the same sort of behavior from me. Most of the Xevren have their powers under control; I'm still learning how to do that. Sometimes, I lose it too..." Her eyes dropped for a moment at those unpleasant memories. "What I'm trying to say is, of all the people in this world, I understand the best what is happening to you...."

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax grinned reassuringly. "Hehe, maybe we can help each other get our inner beasties under control?" He mused. He dropped his grin to be serious. "You stood by me at my worst - if you ever lose control, I'll do the same for you. I won't abandon you, ever." He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "So there you have it: now you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not!" he said and laughed a little.