[ None of this had been anything he'd really been expecting.
The Nevrons, yes. They'd trained for those, and in the days and weeks after
the slaughter on the beach, they hit their stride when it comes to taking
the enormous things down. And the Lumina Converter works; they're
getting stronger with every fight, all of them.
But ever since they found that door in Noco's hut, leading to the strange
empty manor and Maelle in it, he's felt just a little off-kilter,
surrounded by fairy tales come to life in the form of the Gestrals and
their absurd but effective Sakapatate. And then to find the legendary
Esquie is real, too... what's next, Grandis?
Maelle, Lune, Sciel, they're all more than thrilled by the discoveries, and
he wishes he could be as excited โ and he does enjoy the Gestrals, their
strange market and penchant for dueling โ but they're moving too slowly.
Everything in him says to press on, to move forward as quickly as possible,
so he can get Maelle home and back to safety. The shadow of the beach still
hangs over all of them, and there are nights when it's heavier than he
wants the others to see. Often, those are the nights when he wanders away
from the group, toward a river or pond, eyes searching the grassy ground.
There are many flowers here, and most of them don't have an aggressive
Nevron protector. Now and then, when he sees a particular type of pale
purple blossom, he'll pick it, bring it with him to hold as he writes in
his apprentices' journal. They give him a little comfort when the memories
of the beach are at their strongest.
Which makes it all the more startling when they finally find Esquie (and he
keeps going back to that Gestral guard, attempts over and over again to
apologize) and the strange creature idly drops a name Gustave hasn't heard
and has barely let himself speak in years. The moment passes, and they
decided to camp here a while and gather more lumina before moving onward,
and he spends some time at camp gauging Sciel's state of mind. She'd had a
shock, too, and he's much more prepared to help her deal with hers than to
even think about his.
But once the girls are all settled, he finds he can't convince his mind to
let it go, so back he goes to stand in front of the creature's bath, hands
fisting at his sides, tension in every line of him...not that he realizes
it until Esquie asks him so solicitously if he's mad. About the rock.
]
Florโ no, no. No.
[ He uncurls his hands and lifts them to wave in the air, trying to
force his shoulders to relax. ]
No, I'm not mad.
At you, [ he adds, after a half beat. Which is... more honest.
]
I don't mind that. We'll help you find Florrie. But I, um. I wanted to... I
wanted to ask about your best friend.
Re: esquie's nest the fuckin snitch
[ None of this had been anything he'd really been expecting.
The Nevrons, yes. They'd trained for those, and in the days and weeks after the slaughter on the beach, they hit their stride when it comes to taking the enormous things down. And the Lumina Converter works; they're getting stronger with every fight, all of them.
But ever since they found that door in Noco's hut, leading to the strange empty manor and Maelle in it, he's felt just a little off-kilter, surrounded by fairy tales come to life in the form of the Gestrals and their absurd but effective Sakapatate. And then to find the legendary Esquie is real, too... what's next, Grandis?
Maelle, Lune, Sciel, they're all more than thrilled by the discoveries, and he wishes he could be as excited โ and he does enjoy the Gestrals, their strange market and penchant for dueling โ but they're moving too slowly. Everything in him says to press on, to move forward as quickly as possible, so he can get Maelle home and back to safety. The shadow of the beach still hangs over all of them, and there are nights when it's heavier than he wants the others to see. Often, those are the nights when he wanders away from the group, toward a river or pond, eyes searching the grassy ground. There are many flowers here, and most of them don't have an aggressive Nevron protector. Now and then, when he sees a particular type of pale purple blossom, he'll pick it, bring it with him to hold as he writes in his apprentices' journal. They give him a little comfort when the memories of the beach are at their strongest.
Which makes it all the more startling when they finally find Esquie (and he keeps going back to that Gestral guard, attempts over and over again to apologize) and the strange creature idly drops a name Gustave hasn't heard and has barely let himself speak in years. The moment passes, and they decided to camp here a while and gather more lumina before moving onward, and he spends some time at camp gauging Sciel's state of mind. She'd had a shock, too, and he's much more prepared to help her deal with hers than to even think about his.
But once the girls are all settled, he finds he can't convince his mind to let it go, so back he goes to stand in front of the creature's bath, hands fisting at his sides, tension in every line of him...not that he realizes it until Esquie asks him so solicitously if he's mad. About the rock. ]
Florโ no, no. No.
[ He uncurls his hands and lifts them to wave in the air, trying to force his shoulders to relax. ]
No, I'm not mad.
At you, [ he adds, after a half beat. Which is... more honest. ]
I don't mind that. We'll help you find Florrie. But I, um. I wanted to... I wanted to ask about your best friend.
Verso, right?