Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

[C S]

"Few teachers inspire their pupils, or pupils-to-be, to linger around the schoolhouse just past daylight. I'm not certain if one could have seen the sun out on the street by the time I took my seat at this desk," said the man casually, another show of how used to these happenings he was. It was welcome, after the shakeup the other day. "Viho is remarkable in that way. And you've beaten the usual early bird, to boot."

[The Kingpin]

"My line of work requires me to be an early riser, as it turns out," said Andruil amicably. "Though, on that note, who is the usual early bird, pray tell?" he asked, somewhat curious.

[C S]

"None other than the very same student that consistently reaches here at proper dawn," the receptionist said. "Though, I trust that he isn't too far behind you. Lest he have... other engagements that require his time." At that, the man folded his hands. Come to think of it, he hadn't explicitly seen Viho come in when he did. Assumed, maybe, just another part of the routine day-to-day. It was possible that Viho was not in yet. Switching back to the matter at hand, the receptionist broached, "I would suggest checking the seventh floor for the instructor. If the door is locked, it means he isn't here as yet." He chose not to mention that Viho might be checking on his student, thinking Andruil a stranger to everything, how wrong he was.

[The Kingpin]

Andruil's mouth parted in a silent 'Ah', before nodding. "I will do that. You have my thanks, sir." And with that, he turned towards the steps down at one side of the reception hall, pondering the chances that Viho would actually be here.

[Hopeflower]

Viho, as it happened, had indeed made the trip to check in on Dahnae, bumped into Firel on his way to the school, and was about halfway there. Firel had, upon learning that Dahnae was awake, decided to pay his own visit.

"Good idea. Just be sure you're on time for class," Viho had told him with a faintly knowing smile.

Now the psychomancy instructor was left with little more than the issue of keeping warm during the lengthy walk to occupy him. Hands shoved deep into his coat pockets, Viho walked quickly. If he hurried, he'd get to the classroom and still have a little time to himself before he had to get ready for the day. He needed to tell his other students what had happened, he realized - he didn't suppose most of them had heard why there hadn't been a lesson the other day.

[The Kingpin]

A half hour later would have brought Viho to the doors of the school. Andruil, on the seventh floor and early as he had been, had taken the opportunity to go back out and get something to eat. In this case, it was what the locals called 'toroids'. All of three of them. He had found them to be breadier and denser than he had hoped, but they were not as bad as he had expected.

They were a popular dessert in Tremaine, originating around the smaller towns along the border between it and the Riverdale Province. Back there, they were called dough-rings, and were typically glazed with honey and cinnamon, sometimes replacing the former with a dense sugary frosting, though that was a specialty of the bigger, more capable bakeries in the region. They were usually a seasonal dessert made around the winter solstice, the cinnamon typically aiding in giving just enough spice to it that it served as an excellent way to fend off the cold, when accompanied by a hot mug of milk.

Unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of a mug of milk to go alongside them. It did however give him an idea; something to try and bring to the village when he and the others had concluded their little venture. Just because it was traditional to restrict it to the Solstice, that was no reason it could not be had at another time elsewhere. Perhaps a visit home was in order after all.


Buruq examined the mask, concern streaking his draconic features as he flipped it between his talons carefully, examining it. "Hmm... Well this could be problematic," he rumbled.

"What? Why?" asked Tanwen worriedly.

"It's not a particularly major problem... The issue is that this mask is far more advanced than any I have ever seen. I fear trying to simply remove the curse put on your mother through this artefact will be impossible," he explained.

"Wait wait wait what do you mean it's not a major problem?" responded Tanwen, her words tumbling over one another as worry was supplanted by panic. "That is the problem! That's the whole reason we're doing this!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, but is it?" asked the Ambassador rhetorically. At the dragoness's baffled expression, he sighed, continuing, "We are trying to do two things here, my dear. One of them, is lifting the curse. That can be handled multiple ways, but an obstacle stands in our way right now. The other matter, is returning your mother's memories, so that once the curse is lifted, she can, in theory, return to her former stature and skill. Even without our little snag, the memories must come first. The curse can be handled afterwards."

To this, Tanwen fell silent, uncomfortable but powerless. She was never one with magic in her blood. She had gained the physical prowess of two of her grandparents, and none of the magical skills of the other two. Even in spite of her parents' affinity for it, she, herself, had not an inkling of magical power in her. So here, at least, she had to trust the elders around her.

Thurduunax hummed thoughtfully, his rocky brows furrowed in a look that seemed part concentrating and part scowling. Buruq noted it was hard to tell sometimes, with how battle-hardened and rocky he looked. The Runecrafter finally spoke, his tone grave, "Memories are difficult things to recover, Qudumakhriin. Something afflicted with a curse that obliterates memories... I have never heard of such a thing. Our memories are timeless... Something powerful enough to ruin such a potent ability is not likely to be reversible."

"For some, perhaps. But this will not be the first, nor the last time that my aeon fighting the Eternal War will bear fruit in times of peace. I need only time to prepare," responded the Ancestral Hueilin.

[Hopeflower]

In entering the school and climbing the first few flights of stairs, the instructor was as composed as ever. In the brief moment when he was absolutely sure he was alone, Viho's sigh was soft enough to be lost in the echo of his own footsteps. Maybe today would be an easy day, for himself and the students. Much as some of them were probably eager to get back to work, picking up where they'd left off, some peace would do them all good.

Whatever was to come, he needed to be the calm, steady presence his students had come to expect.

He was on the landing for the sixth floor and digging in his pocket for his keys when he realized there was a little alarm bell going off in the back of his mind, alerting him to someone else's presence. Familiar - so not a threat. But why was Andruil here so early?

So much for a little time to himself.

"There are more comfortable places to eat your breakfast," Viho remarked when he finished his climb, idly twirling his key ring around his finger. The clinking of metal against metal was amplified in the stairwell. "Good morning."


"Viho told me you were awake. I thought I'd stop in before class." Firel folded his arms and leaned against the wall as he spoke, keeping some distance between himself and the chairs that looked very inviting at the moment. It would be easy - too easy - to sit down and lose track of time. He tilted his head at Dahnae, trying not to let himself imagine that her breathing was more labored than it actually was. "How are you feeling?"

[The Kingpin]

"Oh, I am aware, there are a dozen or so perfectly serviceable chairs inside. But it would be rude of me to let myself into your classroom, no?" responded the Knight before taking a bite out of the second of three toroids. swallowing what was in his mouth a moment later, he stuck a "Good morning to you, too, by the way," onto the end of that.

[C S]

"I can walk," Dahnae repeated for what must have been the umpteenth time, her insistence faded from her voice and replaced with some kind of laziness. A small towel was rolled into itself and laid over the girl's eyes. Her head was held up by an especially fluffy pillow. Her hands were crossed over her chest, which rose and fell steadily. She would stick to the notion that she sounded worse than she felt. The warm towel did much to sooth her restlessness. "The doctor-people," for that was how she referred to her caregivers, both doctors and nurses, "took off a lot of my wraps and said they would let me go by tomorrow, but I can walk."

Dahnae was snug in her bed, though. She could walk, but why would she when she was so comfortable? Nevertheless, she took off the towel, if somewhat begrudgingly, so that she could look at Firel. "I'm sorry." Knowing the elf as she did, in the time that she was unconscious he was surely angry and worried, probably both at the same time.

[Hopeflower]

"Perhaps. Some teachers here would call it problem solving."

The routine was simple enough to be muscle memory by now. Take the ten steps from the stairs to the classroom, fit the key in the lock and open the door, slip out of his coat and adjust his brace and the sleeves of whatever shirt he was wearing. Then walk inside and get to work finalizing the day's plans before the first of his students arrived. At least, that was how it usually went. Today, he stopped once the door was open and stepped back to allow Andruil to enter first.


Firel glanced away before he spoke, the barest flicker in his gaze. "A city isn't a safe place - I get that. You have nothing to apologize for." He paused. "What matters is you're going to be okay."

[C S]

"Okay," Dahnae echoed. It was a relief to her that Firel was so understanding. She didn't even have to tell him about how things were back home to make it clear that danger and injury weren't new things to her. She appreciated that. Accustomed though she was, they were still bad memories. Dahnae rubbed her nose and then sat up, no different than rising out of her own bed back in her room. She scooted herself off of the side then stood up, flattening out her gown.

[The Kingpin]

"Some would call it that, I suppose. But then, considering our... history, I thought it wiser I don't create a problem by solving another. I'm sure you can agree it's a justified decision, yes?" asked Andruil. The Knight finished the second toroid as he found himself a seat, off to one side of the class, by a window. As much as he spent his time indoors, he disliked being too far from an avenue to the outside world. Being able to smell the fresh air of the outside, hear the occasional winter bird and feel the sun on his skin did much to ease what was otherwise a perpetual unrest.

[Hopeflower]

"Personal history can and often should be set aside when making a choice." So saying, Viho strode to his desk, tugging his coat off of his bad shoulder. He jarred the arm in the process and sucked in a breath between his teeth, swallowing a handful of curses. "Easier said than done, of course," he added once he was sure the worst of the pain had subsided. He folded his coat and set it on the desk rather than hanging it up, and took his usual perch.


"I don't know if you should be walking, even if you can," Firel pointed out with some concern, straightening in case he needed to move quickly.

[C S]

"I'm not going far," Dahnae replied. She parted the curtain around her bed and turned her head back and forth until she spotted what she was looking for out on the other side. She waved, for the little creature would have wanted to know how Dahnae was doing before she had to leave for class with the patient dwarf. The girl then ducked back inside and moved over to Firel, tossing her arms up around his neck and pressing down on his shoulders ever so slightly so that he would stop being so tense. "Really, how am I supposed to stay here for another day if you're just going to make yourself a wreck without me around?" she asked, then rubbed her cheek against his.

[The Kingpin]

"Of course. But then, choosing to have breakfast on a chair or on the ground outside the classroom isn't really the kind of choice that deserves such consideration. If you would prefer that in the event this becomes more regular than a single lesson, then I will keep it in mind," was Andruil's even response to that, not finding it in him to be more light-hearted on the matter. He could practically see the pain Viho was in. It was difficult not to feel a bit sorry for the older elf. Had things been different, perhaps they would be on better terms. Still, what was done was done. To linger on it was to reopen wounds that were better left to heal. He had to admit the damage he dealt was more extensive than he had intended, but under the circumstances of it, he hadn't been in a position to really control it. He would have to live with that knowledge. Ironically, it was the victim of that mistake that stood to teach him how to prevent it from happening again.

The world had a penchant for ironic twists, it seemed.

[Hopeflower]

"That's your call. If you're going to involve yourself in finding Natalie's friends, you might as well learn how to pick a single mind out of a crowd. No doubt Arsenic could teach you, but it would take longer." Viho didn't comment on Andruil's train of thought, but he set his jaw and lifted his chin the slightest bit, as though daring the knight to say anything. The instructor tucked one leg under him, settling more comfortably. "There's also the matter of protection. You'll be no help to anyone if you get yourself killed."


Firel twitched a little, still not entirely sure he was a fan of being touched like this. The part of him that knew all too well how dangerous a city could be was screaming alarms - too close, too close, can't get away if she has a knife. After an awkward moment where he stood stiffly, a wrong move away from bolting from the hospital, he managed to make himself return the hug. Granted, he only used one arm, but it was a start.

He cleared his throat and muttered, "There's a difference between being worried and being a wreck."

[C S]

Dahnae shared simple wisdom with, "A wreck is what you become when you worry too much, Firel." She slung an arm around the elf's other unwilling limb and brought it over her shoulder before embracing him fully again. "I guess I am asking you to be less uptight. Some moments, like this one, are meant to be enjoyed."

[The Kingpin]

"No doubt. Clearly my protective skills need some work," was Andruil's only answer to that. Of course he caught onto that. Still, he had thought he had done a better job of keeping his thoughts to himself. But then, this was Viho he was dealing with. For all he knew, the Psychomancer could be in his head, weaving in and out of his thoughts, his memories, even his very identity without him realising it. But then again, he would have to be thinking it to give him access to it, if the interrogation was anything to go by.

[Hopeflower]

"You've been learning from someone who taught himself. That you've both gotten this far is remarkable." Viho tilted his head. "And a train of thought isn't necessary, but it is an easy lead to follow. Any psychomancer worth their salt knows that it's better to get someone to talk freely than to dig around in their head." Just like that, he'd slipped into teaching mode, correcting an assumption and offering the right answers. "You saw the kind of damage we can do."


Firel really did his best not to tense up again, and had mixed success. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, feeling himself reddening. "Uh. Yeah. This is...going to take some getting used to."

[C S]

"Can't do it here. Regrettably." Dahnae shuffled out of the atypical hug and squeezed Firel's shoulders. "You have class soon. Take good notes for me to study tomorrow," she said, then leaned in one last time to run her tongue across Firel's cheek. She then sauntered over to her bed, sitting on the edge to see the elf off.