Salvus and homeward

[Graybeard]

If Brad's grin had got any broader, there would have been danger of it wrapping around and taking off the top of his head. "Thanks," he beamed. "A boy and a girl, Lillith thinks."

Therese was amused. "You don't know for sure?"

"Well, she says their spirits are still very tiny," Brad explained. "She's just past the first trimester, so she's not positive, but she's pretty sure it's one of each. She's feeling so much better now that --"

Something dawned on him. "Where are Rose and Argus? I really wanted them to know too. Are they -- they didn't -- did they?" The unabashed joy on his open face gave way to concern.

[Drusia]

If Brad's grin had got any broader, there would have been danger of it wrapping around and taking off the top of his head. "Thanks," he beamed. "A boy and a girl, Lillith thinks."
Therese was amused. "You don't know for sure?"
"Well, she says their spirits are still very tiny," Brad explained. "She's just past the first trimester, so she's not positive, but she's pretty sure it's one of each. She's feeling so much better now that --"

Ah. That explains it. More of Lillith's strange spirit magic.

Something dawned on him. "Where are Rose and Argus? I really wanted them to know too. Are they -- they didn't -- did they?" The unabashed joy on his open face gave way to concern.

"They got called away somewhere by the church," I reply, giving him a reassuring smile. "They were planning on visiting here with us, but you know how it is." I wonder if I should give the parrot cage to Brad. After all, he actually is a church member, so it would make more sense for him to have it. Plus then they could send word to Rose and Argus about Argus being a grandfather.

"So where's Lillith? I want to congratulate her in person."

-- Desiree

OOC: Sorry for the delay - busy week.

[Graybeard]

"So where's Lillith? I want to congratulate her in person."

"She's up at her grove," Brad answered. "Somewhere back toward the hills, I don't know where. We agreed when we got married to keep our religious lives separate. She'll be back for dinner, and you're invited, of course! If you don't mind going vegetarian, that is." The look on his face suggested he was long overdue for a good steak, but would get by on grain, hot peppers and turnips if that was what the love of his life wanted.

Therese had been thinking about Desiree's words during this exchange, and with Brad's response, she reached a decision. Someone's going to have to tell him eventually. It's probably better now, before Lillith's mood gets ruined too. and I'd rather he resent me for saying it rather than Desiree. So... She cleared her throat and spoke softly.

"Brad, the thing they called Rose back to Veracia for -- it wasn't exactly a church function. Well, it was, but not the kind of thing she usually does for your church. It was for a -- funeral." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Brad, but the funeral is her sister's."

All the wind went out of Brad's sails in that moment. His face fell and his shoulders slumped. "No... you don't mean... cousin Margie?" Therese's nod confirmed this, and tears formed at the corners of Brad's eyes. "No... I knew she wasn't doing well, but... Luminosita have mercy on her soul," he got out in a near-whisper.

[Alberich]

Udo touched his mare's sides with his boots and steered her towards the infirmary in the middle of town.

Obviously, what was going on here was a personal reunion between a couple of adventurers he'd met and fought beside and some other people they knew well. The healers here would be occupied a while. Just sitting around watching would make him feel dumb, and he didn't have any shiny sparklers to toss into the conversation.

Once he got his minor throat burns healed, he'd look around town, and improvise his way around the next bend of his eccentric destiny. If that meant putting away the distractions of this world and embarking on a vision quest, fine. If it meant getting zonked on their local brand of incense and I-root, peachy keen. If those were in fact the same thing, better still. And if instead he found himself in a new adventure with a half-human brace of hot babes, he could live with that too. If not? Well, adventure always came to Udo somehow.

[OOC: Next week I'll be away for some sun 'n' sand, and mostly decomputered.]

[Drusia]

"She's up at her grove," Brad answered. "Somewhere back toward the hills, I don't know where. We agreed when we got married to keep our religious lives separate. She'll be back for dinner, and you're invited, of course! If you don't mind going vegetarian, that is."

I shake my head to indicate that I don't mind vegetarian. Still, I'm kind of surprised that Lillith isn't at the clinic. Although I suppose she could work there when she's not at worship. Speaking of which, I wonder if she's met any fellow worshipers here (or perhaps converted a few - does Lillith's faith convert? - I'll have to ask). I'll have to ask - right after I ask about that weird warning thingy on the road. I guessed that might be Lillith's work, but --

And, suddenly, Therese is blurting out about Rose's sister.

"No... you don't mean... cousin Margie?" Therese's nod confirmed this, and tears formed at the corners of Brad's eyes. "No... I knew she wasn't doing well, but... Luminosita have mercy on her soul," he got out in a near-whisper.

I've always found it rather endearing that Brad doesn't feel the need to repress his emotions - unlike some other males I could mention - but it can make it a bit difficult to deliver this sort of news.

"I was going to wait until Lillith got back to tell you," I inform him softly, pointedly not giving Therese the look of exasperation I'm currently feeling. "I take it you were close?"

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

"I take it you were close?"

Brad nodded, the picture now of abject misery. "She was like a little sister to me too. A -- I guess I'd say 'wild' little sister, but the whole family was very close. I can't believe this happened. Do you know anything about how?"

[OOC: Enjoy your sun'n'sand escape, A; I'll be gone for a while at the end of the month myself. This will give me time to think of some trouble for Udo to get into...]

[Drusia]

Brad nodded, the picture now of abject misery. "She was like a little sister to me too. A -- I guess I'd say 'wild' little sister, but the whole family was very close. I can't believe this happened. Do you know anything about how?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm sorry, Rose didn't go into detail." Or if she did, I wasn't paying enough attention to register the details. "And... little sister? I'm sorry, I didn't realize - from context, it sounded like she was older than Rose." Usually when people talk about expecting someone to die soon, its because they're old. Did she have some sort of birth defect, like an Errant? I don't want to actually ask, since it would be incredibly impolite, but I can't help but be struck with a sudden morbid curiosity.

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Sorry for the delay, a half-written version of this got eaten by the computer...]

Brad's face looked like it was about to melt. "Margie is -- was Rose's little sister," he said. "She was always kind of -- wild. I think it hurt her feelings to see how good Rose and Aron were at things, because she didn't think she was so good. She was wrong, though. She did the best paintings ... I still have one in our house ... Luminosita have mercy on her soul," he finished with a whimper. "Did they say anything about when the funeral is?"

Therese and Desiree exchanged looks. "Rose didn't say," said Therese, "but I get the impression it's soon. Rose's -- your church sent an express airship to pick her up and bring her back for it." She did not mention her suspicion that the Veracian church was also anxious to "debrief" (to use the euphemism) Sister Rose on events of the north; that is, to read her the riot act, shut her up about it, and exile her (preferably without Argus) to a "restful" temple in, say, the Anuban Colonies or some such hell hole. (Events would prove otherwise, but one could hardly blame her for the suspicion.)

Brad nodded miserably. "That fits. Our church tries to have its funerals no more than three days after the death ... which means there's no way I can get back there in time for it ..." The floodgates broke, and Brad's face was awash in tears.

[Drusia]

Brad nodded miserably. "That fits. Our church tries to have its funerals no more than three days after the death ... which means there's no way I can get back there in time for it ..." The floodgates broke, and Brad's face was awash in tears.

I give Brad a hug, because really, what else is there to do at this point? I make some cooing, 'there there' sort of noises to try to calm and comfort him.

Young and wild, huh? Damn. I might have liked this dead younger sister. I wonder what happened to her.

Still, too late for that now. It wouldn't exactly be politic to ask Brad now (he did say she was in ill health, didn't he? Or did I misunderstand something? Damn it, I wish I'd been paying better attention). And anyway, it would only upset him more, and things are awkward enough as it is. This isn't exactly living up to my hopes for a happy reunion.

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Starting on Wednesday, I'll be out of touch for a week, but we can move forward until then...]

Brad held the hug for long enough that Therese was starting to wonder about it, but when he came up for air, he was considerably more composed. "I -- I guess it isn't practical for me to go back, is it?" he finally said. "So we -- I should at least try to be a good host." He laid aside the gardening implements. "You're still invited for dinner, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to do the cooking. Lillith said she might be late getting back from the grove. She says there's a 'rogue spirit' on the loose that she wants to deal with, you know, learn about it, try to get it to move on if it's a problem." He smiled wanly. "Unfortunately, I'm not much of a cook."

Therese started to shudder at that last declaration, but something else had caught her attention. She stuck close to Desiree as Brad led the way into town, and when she got a chance, murmured quietly in her ear. "'Rogue spirit', he says. That thing we saw on the way here, you think -- or could it be this 'Compassion' we're looking for?"