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Post by Alessia on Jan 24, 2013 23:29:23 GMT -5
Alessia didn't have to ushered in at all, the heat from the bath was like a soft voice whispering for her to come in. Before Alessia knew it she was out of her dirt-caked cloak and into the large hot spring-like bath.
Alessia gave a great sigh of relief as she entered the hot water, the feeling of the dirt vanishing from her body made it feel like a great deal of stress disappearing along with it.
And with that she finally had time to think about what has happened and what needed to happen. She thought about bringing it up with Nia, but something seemed to be weighing heavily on her sister's mind.
"Is everything okay, Nia?" What a stupid question - 'was everything okay'? Alessia regretted asking it right away, how could anything be okay? They were at peace for now, but what of tomorrow...
This fragile peace could be broken at any second.
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Post by James Morte on Jan 24, 2013 23:45:06 GMT -5
"Ha." I hadn't been afraid of anything in a long time, not because nothing scares me, It's usually just because I'm always to drunk and pissed off to even give a crap about what's going on.
I stepped into the room that was behind the door way and found myself inn you guessed it, 'an even hotter room then before', if this shit keeps up I'm going to sweat off all this damn dirt before I even make it to the bath...but...it was sort of relaxing in a way...
Then Nia made some comment about getting me clean clothes, and washing that dirt, and sweat off, which clear my head of any sort of made up peace I had recently found, so I responded sarcastically.
"How do you know I don't like the dirt?" and with that, I was off, didn't stay a moment longer.
I tried my best to walk a straight line, but my head had just started pounding and I knew I was in that fan-freakin'-tastic hangover phase, I leaned against the wall gripping my head.
When the hall came to an end, I was greeted to a empty hot spring, I sat down and un-strapped my boots, almost glad to finally have a moment to relax.
This crappy evening might be turning around, even If I did leave behind my long time friend: alcohol.
I stripped down and settled into the spring.
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Post by genericvillain on Jan 29, 2013 19:25:25 GMT -5
As James rested into the spring, another man appeared--fully clothed--an older man with a kind smile through his little beard and with an arm full of towels and a red robe.
"Good sir, I will leave you these," he nodded respectfully to James, "and water will be by very soon. It's important you drink."
Back with the girls who both settled into their own spring together, a similar instance had happened where a young woman showed up for robes and towels for them and quickly left, another showing up with a couple of cups and a jug of cool water with relaxing herbs in it for them.
Nia sank into the water happily; just as Alessia's stress dissolved like dirt, Nia let out a very deep breath of relief just being back here, her home...
She'd stared intently into the rippling water around them, her features clearly showing something wrong. There was so much wrong and it'd happened so fast, they had really no time to think about anything.
She looked to her sister with a tired smile, a long pause shared between them before Nia spoke.
"There's just...a lot going on. I remember first being brought here, one of the monks had found me and looked after me just like they are here for you and James. A couple of days later when I was supposed to leave something changed, and I...stayed," she frowned then and stared into the water sadly, "...I left Ayalan, Alessia. It wasn't right. I-it wasn't fair. And then he left and no one's seen him since..."
Nia bit her lip and swallowed the hard lump in her throat, doing everything in her power to fight back more tears.
"Our master tells me the past needn't be mulled over, same for the future because we're in the present, right now you and I are in this moment and that's the only thing we should be focused on but Alessia...sometimes I feel like Ayalan's gone, like, gone and it's...it's my fault."
It was all she could get out at the moment, she knew the rest in her own mind. She stayed hidden away in the monastery to forget the past, forget her relationship, and learn a few things about herself. She couldn't lie and say she hadn't succeeded, she was happy for the experiences the monks here had given her.
But sometimes, when she thought about Aya and how the last time anyone had heard from him he was out searching for her...well, that was when she started feeling guilty.
She hoped he was okay, but she had no idea and she hadn't had the first clue where to look.
And then on top of this, here was Duo. She felt as though if she'd never left the monastery she wouldn't be feeling this bad.
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Post by Alessia on Jan 29, 2013 22:07:29 GMT -5
Ayalan, the man that probably saved her sister's life. If it wasn't for him Nia probably would've died up in the tower with Kain and the others...
When Alessia had first heard about Nia's disappearance she was pretty far along in her pregnancy and going out to look for her was an impossible task.
It had scared Alessia, she feared Nia had fallen to some terrible fate. So what was she supposed to say at this point? Alessia came to the answer quickly, she'd do exactly what Nia had been doing for her and try to give her hope.
"Nia, sometimes if you want the best for the person you love that sometimes means you have to leave them..." She quickly sipped the drink to give her time to word her sentence, "It's a perplexing thing, isn't it? But just as I know that someday I'll be united with Roxa, you'll be united with Ayalan. But..."
She moved closer to Nia and sat next to her before giving Nia the happiest smile Alessia could muster, "You can't blame yourself for his disappearance because it wasn't your fault. Besides, once we find him I'm sure he'll give a proper excuse for his absence!"
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Post by genericvillain on Jan 30, 2013 11:25:56 GMT -5
Nia smiled listening to Alessia, she was always good for giving support and being...well, a very good sister. Someone who would listen and offer advice, or even just a hug when she needed it most.
She didn't know why Alessia thought it was a good idea to just leave her family because Duo was back, though she trusted her judgement nonetheless. Nia's reasons for leaving Aya, however, now that was something that Nia wasn't sure was necessarily for the best for him or her. She acted highly spontaneously, like something inside her own soul grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away and lead her straight to Ignis.
It was weird, the day she left she'd decided not even by the end of the first night away from Ayalan that she would go to the country of fire. It was like a calling, something so subtle and welcoming, something that had just felt right in her own mind, body, and spirit. Yet she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted, even now...
"I-I'm sure he'll have an excuse for his absence, but Alessia..." Nia bit her lip and stared at her sister, "I-I-I did the same thing! Shouldn't I have a good excuse for leaving without saying good-bye?!"
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Post by Alessia on Jan 30, 2013 16:17:09 GMT -5
To be truthful, Alessia wondered if any of the two Kings would have accepted the excuse - or lack of excuse - that they had. She wondered how angry Roxa is right now at her... she wondered how angry Ayalan was at Nia.
There was no proper response Alessia could give Nia. She watched the steam rise from the water and float around the ceiling before finally responding, "Because when you care for somebody so much you can't bear to say goodbye. Besides, there has to be a reason why you came to Ignis. I mean, if you never came across this place I know for sure I'd be wondering around Allorum all on my own right now..."
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Post by genericvillain on Feb 4, 2013 21:27:21 GMT -5
Nia stared at the stone wall ahead of them as she got lost in her thoughts for a good long moment.
"I...I've no clue why I came here...I guess I was hoping for answers for the things I couldn't explain about myself, l-l-like my stuttering and blurting, and why fire makes me feel good," she frowned, "its frustrating when you can't tell someone who you are, what there is about you when you can't understand yourself...I'm learning that here."
She lowered her head in shame then as she threw in, "m-my family, my home...when the saints weren't. I almost hate to think I'm doing better here than I did with..."
she didn't finish, there was no need.
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Post by Alessia on Feb 5, 2013 16:28:04 GMT -5
That was something Alessia had thought about as well, it didn't occur to her at first, but the answer to that question seemed pretty apparent, "What could you expect, Nia? This place is so peaceful, how many times in the Saints did we find ourselves in the middle of a battlefield?"
"I mean, I wouldn't change anything at all, but the battles and all the killing... it was stressful. You don't need to feel bad at all."
It was honestly hard to believe that many of her happiest memories in her life was in the middle of the biggest war in Allorum history... it was funny if not a little sad.
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Post by genericvillain on Feb 6, 2013 15:47:45 GMT -5
Nia was quiet for a few long moments as she thought over Alessia's words, letting them take her back to all her memories with the Saints and yes, all the battles. She hadn't felt overly useful in most of them, though she was a competent doctor for them and at times had her moments where an explosion of fire was an advantage for them from her.
To her, it'd felt like she'd just had the biggest boulder taken off of her shoulders and her smile widened. As odd as it may have been for the two girls sitting in the bath together at that moment, Nia turned to Alessia and put her arms around the other girl in an appreciative hug.
"Thank you, Alessia...really," she said, too thankful her thoughts about the Saints didn't offend her sister.
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Post by Alessia on Feb 6, 2013 16:23:47 GMT -5
Alessia hugged Nia back, "You've come so far, Nia. If Kain were here I'm sure he'd be just as impressed as I am."
If Kain was here, Alessia wondered how different things would've been. She was sure he would've have thought of some grand plan to stop Duo already. Alessia shook her head of those thoughts, he wasn't around anymore and she needed to start thinking of a plausible idea on how to defeat him.
"We better finish up in here, I'm sure James is wondering what is taking us so long." She was actually a little worried that he passed out and drowned in the bath...
With that thought in her head she became eager to figure to get a move on, that and the promise of food after the bath was an even more motivation.
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Post by genericvillain on Feb 7, 2013 18:24:59 GMT -5
"Of course..."
With that, Nia climbed out of the bath and got her and Alessia their towels. It didn't take Nia long to pat herself dry, and words couldn't explain how happy she was to be in fresh, clean clothing.
When she was ready, she waited for Alessia and led her along out the door and stood by the door to the mens' bath, knocking on it slightly.
"J-james? Are you still in there?" she called inside, wondering if he was still cleaning up or if he'd moved onto the dinner hall yet.
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Post by James Morte on Feb 8, 2013 11:21:14 GMT -5
I poked my soaking wet head out mumbling "Just a moment."
Stepped back in and continue to dry my hair with a towel I had picked up, then I moved to get dressed, I crouched down, grabbing a hold of these red robes that they left for me, I cringed at them.
"Freakin' robes, cant I just get a goddamn shirt and pants?" I grumbled to my self, pulling the red robe on.
It was time to leave, so I made my way to the doorway when I caught a look of myself in the mirror, I walked towards the piece of glass, pulling on my chin, yanking at the stubble, I had been meaning to cut this off, but between all of the drinking and sleeping around I couldn't find any time for it...but, hell, now is as good as a time as ever.
I pulled out a dagger from my pile of dirty, pig-smelling, blood caked 'clothes' if you will, I pulled the dagger to my chin and started trimming.
Moments later I stepped out, and simply said, "Okay, I'm ready, where can I get some food?"
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Post by genericvillain on Feb 13, 2013 19:41:12 GMT -5
Nia took a moment to stare at James as he stepped out and looking...well, way better than he had before. At least he was clean-shaven and smelled just a bit nicer, anyway.
With an appropriate smile she took his hand in one of hers, and Alessia's in another and lead them back down the opposite hallway into the dining hall where Abby had a full meal ready for them. As the three of them showed through the doorway she smiled to them and motioned for them to sit down.
"Come in, come in," the older woman said sweetly, "you're clean, now eat and rest is what comes next. You'll have to tell me about your travels..." she eyed Nia specifically as she spoke.
"I hadn't expected you to return with people, Nia, but I'm happy you're all here all the same. Eat up, we have much to talk about..."
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Post by James Morte on Feb 22, 2013 22:35:29 GMT -5
I sat down, hunched over, looking at the food that laid before me, there was more food here then I had eaten all month...I didn't know where to begin.
I picked up a fork, it felt strange, I hadn't used one in so long I forgot what a fork felt like, how to hold one, I gripped it like a barbarian, hell, next to these women I was a barbarian, an illiterate experiencing life for the first time.
Even as I brought myself down, deep inside a lasting calm built itself up, I chuckled, stabbing the fork into the slab of meat, slicing it open with a knife, and pulled a piece into my mouth, a routine task that meant so much more.
It was delicious, I couldn't believe how good this food tasted, I sliced another piece, and another, and another, and the strangest thing happened...
Right now I don't feel like total shit.
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Post by Alessia on Feb 23, 2013 18:25:41 GMT -5
Alessia sat down and watched James eat. Weird as it may be, but what was weirder was how everyone changed from the days of the Saints, for better or for worse.
Alessia looked over at older woman and bowed her head lowly, "I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am. I promise I won't intrude for long."
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