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Jan. 5th, 2021 03:03 am
pain [dabble #35]
It wasn't the emptiness to get him, but the silence.
When Thancred left, he felt shock. When Urianger and Y'shtola followed, he felt an ocean of anger.
For Alphinaud and Alisaie, all he had left in him to give was grief.
Each of the remaining Scions and affiliates was coping in their own way. Tataru kept busy, gracefully carrying the weight of paperwork and expectation. She smiled more quietly than she used to, but with a kind word always at the ready. The Ironworks team stopped by on occasion with updates on the search for the Crystal Tower "beacon" (as the mysterious voice had called it), but Aengus only ever pretended to listen to their prattling. Before, he would laugh at rumors and legends of his silent, stoic nature. He never imagined they'd be right. The silence in the Rising Stones had been suffocating him, but where else was there to go? He desperately missed Thancred's drunken laughter, Alphinaud's excited chattering about local affairs... hell, he'd even take a lecture from Urianger at this point.
Today, he'd seated himself in the commons of the Rising Stones with a cooling buckwheat tea and a small book on Doman literature. In the weeks since their run-in with Zenos, Aengus had seen very little of his traveling companions. He'd complain about them not being there to share support, but it wasn't like he'd made an effort to reach out either. Margot had been pacing around the solar to the point of wearing down the carpet, tagging along on every little training outing to serve as a distraction. He had no clue where Ivan had gone. Possibly to convene with old allies away from Garlean eyes. Admittedly, the Elezen had spent many a night since Alisaie's disappearance befriending the bartender outside the Rising Stones. The drinks were like swamp water compared to the wines of his homeland, but they made for a fine enough sleeping potion.
It was in these times he was grateful for his temporary residence in the Rising Stones infirmary. The patrons outside had no idea how much they helped their "hero". On his worst night, he'd had a terrible bout of Echo visions-- rewatching the twins fall, over and over and over. He'd woken with a start, mouth too dry to scream. He'd somehow managed to pull himself out of bed, dragging his blanket to the wall shared with the bar outside. Ear against the brick, the bustling sounds of laughter in the face of despair and mugs slamming on tables lulled him to a dreamless slumber.
Aengus gently swirled his teacup, watching the pale liquid spin. He'd heard word on the wind that Ivan was back in town, possibly in response to Tataru's "big news". Practically everyone in Mor Dhona had been helping to search for the beacon, and their efforts had finally paid off. All that remained to do was wait for his friends... the only ones he had left, it felt like.
When Thancred left, he felt shock. When Urianger and Y'shtola followed, he felt an ocean of anger.
For Alphinaud and Alisaie, all he had left in him to give was grief.
Each of the remaining Scions and affiliates was coping in their own way. Tataru kept busy, gracefully carrying the weight of paperwork and expectation. She smiled more quietly than she used to, but with a kind word always at the ready. The Ironworks team stopped by on occasion with updates on the search for the Crystal Tower "beacon" (as the mysterious voice had called it), but Aengus only ever pretended to listen to their prattling. Before, he would laugh at rumors and legends of his silent, stoic nature. He never imagined they'd be right. The silence in the Rising Stones had been suffocating him, but where else was there to go? He desperately missed Thancred's drunken laughter, Alphinaud's excited chattering about local affairs... hell, he'd even take a lecture from Urianger at this point.
Today, he'd seated himself in the commons of the Rising Stones with a cooling buckwheat tea and a small book on Doman literature. In the weeks since their run-in with Zenos, Aengus had seen very little of his traveling companions. He'd complain about them not being there to share support, but it wasn't like he'd made an effort to reach out either. Margot had been pacing around the solar to the point of wearing down the carpet, tagging along on every little training outing to serve as a distraction. He had no clue where Ivan had gone. Possibly to convene with old allies away from Garlean eyes. Admittedly, the Elezen had spent many a night since Alisaie's disappearance befriending the bartender outside the Rising Stones. The drinks were like swamp water compared to the wines of his homeland, but they made for a fine enough sleeping potion.
It was in these times he was grateful for his temporary residence in the Rising Stones infirmary. The patrons outside had no idea how much they helped their "hero". On his worst night, he'd had a terrible bout of Echo visions-- rewatching the twins fall, over and over and over. He'd woken with a start, mouth too dry to scream. He'd somehow managed to pull himself out of bed, dragging his blanket to the wall shared with the bar outside. Ear against the brick, the bustling sounds of laughter in the face of despair and mugs slamming on tables lulled him to a dreamless slumber.
Aengus gently swirled his teacup, watching the pale liquid spin. He'd heard word on the wind that Ivan was back in town, possibly in response to Tataru's "big news". Practically everyone in Mor Dhona had been helping to search for the beacon, and their efforts had finally paid off. All that remained to do was wait for his friends... the only ones he had left, it felt like.
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