THE ONE WHO ENDURES.

"Sounds beautiful," the pirate lass says, "do you miss it?" She falls quiet when he says what he does after work. Huh. Only reading? He didn't come down to the beach here? That made her wonder just how bad Immeral's headaches took him out.

"I do. The Gate was home to me for a long time, for all its mess. I haven't been back in - some time. Since before I came here."

Of course she's noticed. It's hard not to when the pains lend a pinched expression to his brows most of the time.

The fish girl hums as they walk, her hands resting behind her head. "Yeah. The cold makes me wanna sleep sometimes." She says. She looks over at her coworker.

"My hometown is a port town. We see ships on the regular. The temple I once called home had a path straight down to the sea. Even if I didn't often go swimming, I liked to sit and listen to the gulls and the waves."

She asks what he does when he's not working and he doesn't really know if it's okay to say he doesn't really have any hobbies. He should probably work on that.

Odd. She never said to him she didn't want to be stared at. Besides his habit of being quiet suited him - at least to Reinite. Not everyone could or should be stomping around.

"You're going to the beach? ....I don't mind coming with you. I grew up near the coast, I like the waves."

It's a little offering of his private life when he falls into step behind her, bringing his arms up to fold across his chest. His fingers scratch idly at the spill of dark ink over the left side of his face.

athletics

acrobatics

animal handling

arcana

deception

history

 insight

 intimidation

investigation

medicine

nature

perception

performance

persuasion

religion

sleight of hand

stealth

the wind that stirs their shallow graves carries their song.

heed our words, hear our cry.

oh, fair damsel of the garden!

surely your work is far too vital to be interrupted by one like me.

i was a fool to pluck that flower.

you are not a man known for your honor.

you allowed me to live once, and so now i do the same for you.

i am humbled by your words.

but some things cannot be repent.

there is something in here with us.

death is certain, either way.

you have been my rock and my shield.

strike true, do not waver. and let not your prey suffer.

as the sapling bends, so must you.

you are lost, and soon you will fade.

go forth and claim the empty throne of heaven.

you have brought doom upon the world.

magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.

they shall find no rest in this world or beyond.

there is but one truth.

all things in this world are finite.

each night in dreams you may always remember me.

the light shall lead you safely.

i am but your faithful servant.

if blood must be shed and used, so be it.

step away from this folly, before it consumes us all.

i long to dance with you beneath the moonlight.

do not despair. for it is not you, it is of me.

my most heartfelt apologies for the ripped bodice.

such depravity i have never been forced to suffer!

let them hunt, and dread finding me.

truth will hold you for that is what truth does.

i shouldn't have doubted your resolve.

please accept my humble apologies.

in truth, it is i who has been most vulnerable.

the seals are already weakening.

it must be protected at all costs.

of unknown metal and magic keen, a finer blade there's never been.

any army is only as good as its equipment.

blessed by the vine in spring, i shall not fear the winter's sting.

only fools ignore the history of the ground they walk and the people they meet.

i could use an extra pair of eyes to keep watch at night.

i hope they found peace.

blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter.

in blood, my will is written.

we are forever in your graces.

the oath you have taken is all but broken.

can you be forgiven when the cold grave has come?

once we raised up our chalice in victory.

why change the past when you can own this day?

the wolves are our allies.

always keep an eye out for the noble owl.

nothing burns like the first cup.

gallows master, hold they hand. hold it back awhile.

look away, look into the sun.

you know we all are dying.

alas, i cannot stay.

we'll beat down the bastard, and then we'll get plastered!

what of the old secrets the burn in our hearts?

now we pray for a dawn that will never arrive.

but it is our blood he seeks.

you will realize the smiles are false, and behind them lies revenge.

for all your fancy intrigue, you have spent your life creating nothing of worth.

it moves on without you, uncaring.

who could bear the weight of a people destroyed by his hand?

what was your vision of our purpose?

so buy the lads a round.

i'm ashore for the night and seeking company.

i'd still rather die.

why be what i am when i can be more?

have you threatened to cut out anyone's tongue today?

for have i not grown in skill and measure?

binding a demon of higher power is dangerous...

let it be my choice to have served and died.

i'm not staying to watch you die like a fool.

the undead you have been fighting are people i killed with my own hands.

here is my soul, trapped in a cage of bone.

turn around, face the shadows. don't blink.

just going to lie here for a while.

chopping off their heads should do the trick.

i am empty, filled with nothing.

arrogance becomes our end.

i'm here to die. but i won't go quietly.

i don't want to die like this.

cry for the past; only there does glory dwell.

so the forest grows, a reflection of our might.

mourn the past and all that was left there.

mastery of the self is mastery of the world.

suffering is choice and we can refuse it.

She only lifted her head up to look at her savior the minute he says "Liquid IV." Her hand grabs the bottle of water.

"Yeah, probably should. Dottie's been on my ass recently on making sure I keep up with my hydration. If that 'Liquid IV' shit's got electrolytes, then hit me."

The drink mix is handed out to her alongside the water bottle. There's the rattle of a pill bottle before he zips up the pack. There - Reinite had hydration and he's taken his own medication (even if he should have waited until lunch.)

"You should buy some, you can put it into anything you want to drink. I usually keep some on me for people."

She rejects his offer to help her up and so he kneels beside her instead of casting his shadow across her. This close, it's hard to miss the raised bump of the scar across his nose and where it dips off to the side of his cheek.

"Oh, interesting..."

Based on this conversation, she assumes it's a spell to reduce swelling or pain. She wonders what other spells he knows...

"I'm familiar enough with magic," she says, "Though it's not something that I use myself. If magic alone isn't enough to ease the pain, then you should give modern medicine a try!"

He hadn't considered the idea of visiting a doctor here, when he hardly left his house outside of his employment now. Maybe with some assistance, he could actually get back to socializing. (Not that he'd ever been a social butterfly, but it would be nice to make some friends.)

His jaw works for a moment with the flash of mentioning the thoughts about bloodshed before he shakes his head to himself. Not here.

"I'll take your advice, then. You seem more....well-connected than I am." The understatement of the year. "Thank you - I am, ah, unused to. . .kindnesses like this."

Quietly, she adds: "I would know, though. Security cameras."

"Medicine in my home is very - it's not the same as what you have here."

He reaches a hand up to rub along the scar on the side of his face. It throbs with his migraine, though it grows less tender under the subtle glow of magic under his touch.

"We rely on magic mostly. Doctors are rare and closer to alchemists than doctors. I don't think I've ever been to someone you would consider a medical professional."

A concerning thought, considering he's certain that his brain was still in bad shape even if his memory was slowly returning.

"You're just the Scooper I wanted to see. I wanted to congratulate you on your stellar performance! Everyone loves the new Tiger Trail ice cream from the man with the tiger-y, stripey tattoo!"

"That said, I did want to ask you one thing. I noticed you have this... unfortunate habit of clutching your forehead and groaning at work? Would you mind telling me what that's all about?"

He was fine with working through the day, but she had insisted he take a break - and it's probably because of said groaning about a headache. Susie is a strange little thing, even smaller beside Immeral than normal, and her voice is cheery as ever when she approaches him.

She always seemed to fascinated by the swirling ink on his face, partially covered by his hand as it covers the side of his face to try and ease the pounding behind his eyes. It does take him a moment to register her question before he speaks up.

"It's...just something I deal with." His thumb taps the middle of his forehead. "I've had migraines for as long as I remember. They come and go."

He gives another pause before he speaks up again.