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Haunting Guilt
Two figures made their way into a small wooded area. Vesli usually came here to enjoy the closest thing the Hamlet possessed to nature that wasn't poisonous or attempting to eat him. This place usually meant he could relax just a little. But now, now the spot had no soothing qualities. Not considering what he was about to do.
"Swear it," he turned to face her, the one who'd managed to twist all his sense and convince him to agree to this foolishness.
"Would you like it in ink or blood?" Bird retrieved her notepad.
"By the fuckling Light, Bird. I just want you to give me that promise I asked for earlier. If It… If Sverir shows any sort of aggression…" He gave a long sigh. "Well I wouldn't want to deprive the world of the good your experiments could bring," an almost bitter smile crossed his face, "I'd also hate to leave Caillot and Aela down two people. Myself… and our leader."
Bird visibly paused. "Did not consider myself leader," she admitted before her lenses met his gaze. "Promise to address any aggression appropriately."
"… please try to not stab anything vital," Vesli knew that the Doctor had far more knowledge of anatomy than he would ever possess. "Unless it saves your life." He would not deny her that.
"Will not be necessary," Bird motioned for him to go ahead and get on with the introductions.
Vesli walked several feet away. Bird would need that distance if… no. It was best to stop thinking like that. He closed his eyes, waking I- Sverir and opening the door in his psyche. Rir was of course never one to refuse an offer of freedom. The man disappeared and the beast took his place with a clanging of falling chains.
Stretch. Smells in his nose. Grass. Trees. Sickness. Bird. Bird? Eyes opened and ears rotated to pinpoint sounds. Bird. Quiet, not chattering. Rir's weight restlessly went from one side to the other. Not sure. Quiet strange for Bird.
Veci had been making notes. Willing transformation less volatile. Chains still shatter. Likely due to size difference. The Doctor looked up from her notes to see Rir looking uncomfortable and hesitant. An unusual sight for the creature certainly. But an uncomfortable Sverir meant a Sverir that was likely to do something Vesli would regret. "Hello. Nice to finally meet you. I am Veci, though am told you call me Bird."
Voice familiar. Rir settled at the sound. Bird chattering at Rir. Ears perked. "Grah," Rir answered. Rir simply couldn't mimic weak-prey-thing speech. Rir's mouth refused to make some of the sounds, and the way they thought was foreign, even with the not-as-weak-prey-thing Rir shared a form with in Rir's thoughts. Rir was sure that weak-prey-things would be less confusing if they would just be blunt. A straight forward approach to life was best in Rir's opinion. Meant less headaches in attempts to understand.
Bird put away her notebook. Then she held out her hands, palms up to show that they were empty. "May I get closer?"
Rir considered, assessing her. Bird had a metal-claw that was dangerous, Rir knew that. But Rir was sure that skin-fur could take a hit. So Rir snuffed. Bird could be closer. If Bird dared.
Unsure if the noise was permission or not, Veci took a cautious step forward. When no aggressive movements answered, she took another. And another. Eventually she was in arm's reach. Sverir huffed air that ruffled her hood. "Quite a specimen," Bird decided the route of complimenting him was best to keep him calm. She removed her glove, and presented her now bare hand.
Rir was not sure what Rir was supposed to do with the prey-thing paw. Bird has holding it out to Rir so Bird must want something. Rir sniffed it. No food for Rir. Rir licked it to be sure. No, no food for Rir. Rir watched Bird's paw come slowly closer. Paw not dangerous. No metal-claw in it. No reason for Rir to move. Paw landed on his nose. Rir twitched it at the unfamiliar sensation. Rir was so confused. Rir knew what Bird smelled like. No reason for paw to be on Rir's nose.
The Doctor was absolutely thrilled. She was apparently allowed to touch. That would make note taking so much easier. Though Bird noted he was clearly confused about the matter so she'd be careful about what boundaries to push. Wouldn't want to lose her hand because she was too inquisitive.
Rir let the paw inspect Rir's mouth. Rir had sharp long teeth and Rir wondered why Bird would want paw near them. Rir continued to let the hand then move to Rir's cheek. Rir flinched back automatically when Bird's hand touched the Mark. It was no longer sensitive but… Rir made Rir relax. Mark and the prey-things of the Stone would not win against Rir.
Bird noticed his stiffening muscles and the forced relaxation. It was clearly connected to what she was doing. Perhaps touching the scar was too forward. She brought back her hand and put her glove back on. "Thank you for allowing this," she dipped her head politely as she stepped back and away.
Rir tilted his head. Was Rir done? Rir thought he was done. Rir considered. Rir decided that Rir was.
Vesli staggered slightly at the sudden return of sensation and his human shape. He'd been keeping an eye on things, but for Bird to truly meet Sverir, he'd had to shut himself away more than usual. He looked over at the Doctor. Bird was intact. No signs of violence or aggression. That was a good thing. "Was that what you wanted?"
"Very educational. You had a reaction. Flinched away at touching the scar. Why?" Bird remembered that Vesli had shared the general details of his past after the first time the team had seen Rir. But the Doctor wanted specifics. Bird watched his right cheek spasm just under the mark in question, his hand shaking as his fingers clenched into a fist as Vesli struggled to retain control of his emotions.
"… It was given to me by those who created Rir," he answered, voice and eyes going flat.
"Ah," Bird wisely decided that the subject was best left at that.
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Vesli was a bundle of nerves and emotions. He needed to talk to someone. Not Bird. She was part of the cause. He'd been so sure Sverir would attack her, and then had to go and make it so he wouldn't have been able to stop the beast in time if Rir had done something. Then the woman goes and follows it up by touching the scar on Rir! And asking him about it! He'd been so lonely in his wanderings before the Hamlet, but at least then he hadn't had the emotional complications that arouse when letting people close. But who to talk to?
The people at the Abbey were prejudiced and only even allowed him in through a well-hidden back door.
He'd rather feed himself to the beast Caillot worshipped than go talk to the people at the Sanitarium.
Aela would suggest perverted things, and that would simply not help matters.
Caillot, while able to provide a listening ear, gave only general advice at best.
Vesli needed someone with more experience. And unfortunately, that meant tracking down one person in particular. Not that the person was hard to find. Face would almost certainly be at the training grounds at this time of day. Vesli took a moment to do a careful self-assessment. Yes. He could handle the training grounds. Vesli could even handle the Holy Assholes, should one decide to be there. He simply needed to talk was all.
Vesli twitched slightly to see that his luck had failed him and yes, Raynauld was indeed at the training grounds. He focused on approaching the man-at-arms who was in his usual sitting spot, ignoring the crusader entirely.
"Whelp. Come ta get yer next trainin' session?" Face greeted.
"Tch. No wonder you're so miserable, creature. You need this old man to teach you? How pathetic," Raynauld snorted. Vesli turned, muscles twitching with warning of a possible change. Before Vesli could move, however, Face did. The man-at-arms was sitting one moment, the next the old soldier's gauntleted fist made contact with the top of the crusader's cheek-bone, knocking Raynauld back on his ass.
"Speak up, son! 'm an ol' man!" The veteran soldier seemed unphased. The entire training ground was looking at the pair. Vesli really really didn't feel like dealing with this at the moment, despite fully approving of Face's actions.
"Face, do you truly wish to waste your time fighting someone who was stupid enough to defy the Heir?" Vesli came up beside the older man to give Raynauld a glare as the crusader got back up "And you, do you truly wish to draw the Heir's attention and experience another punishment?"
The crusader visibly balked. "S'pose yer right, whelp," Face shrugged and went back to his previous seat. Raynauld left. The watching crowd dispersed, disappointed at the lack of a show.
"Face, now that that's taken care of, I request a moment of your time. I… need to talk to you."
"'Bout what?"
"Let me start by being honest about that 'dog' I mentioned to you before." And so Vesli revealed the fact he was far more dangerous than he seemed.
"I knew ya had an extra already, whelp. 'm not stupid," Face drawled, cleaning his mace.
"How did-? No, that's not important now. There's more."
"'m listenin'."
"Well, the Plague Doctor on my team had a little… face-to-snout encounter with the 'extra'."
"Ya need help hidin' tha body?"
"NO! No. She's alright. She… decided to… pet him."
"Was wonderin' when ya would 'cide ta tell me more 'bout yer puz'le."
"… was it that obvious?" Face looked up from his task to give Vesli a flat look then returned to cleaning his weapon. "I was so sure Sverir would attack her-"
"Sve-wha' now?"
"Rir. My 'extra'. I was certain he'd at least cause some damage. And he didn't. It's just- I don't- I was used to being alone. Being alone made sense! But this! This being close to people! Allowing them to know me and not wondering when they'll try to sink a knife into my back. I don't know how to deal with it, Face. And I need to deal with it or it's not going to end well."
The man-at-arms put aside his weapon and met Vesli's gaze. "Well, least yer recognizin' that getting' all caught up in yer own head will get ya killed. Finally. Look, Vesli. Ya need someun in yer life. Be it friends, loved uns, or wha' ever ya whelps hold precious these days. When I was younger I fought to protect ma love an ma children. I failed. I then fought fer ma brothers in arms on tha field. Failed there too. Now I keep goin' fightin' here 'cause I fight fer their mem'ries. Ya need that drive, whelp. Else one say ya will look 'round an' not have a damned reason ta continue."
"… thanks, Face"
"'ny time, whelp."
"Come by the tavern later. I'll buy you a drink for that punch."
"Free drinks fer punchin' tha brat? I need ta do that more of'en."
