Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

[Hopeflower]

Briefly, the mute's expression softened to a look that was far too tired and knowing to pretend he hadn't caught on to what Andruil had been doing. Arsenic's habit of slipping off to brood alone had, in fact, come to be because he was aware that his worst days were...upsetting to those around him. His features smoothed out again as he snarked, a touch more gently than he usually would, 'Ever consider he got it from watching you?'

Rowan snorted and nudged his shin with the toe of her boot. "Be nice, dear." Another nudge for good measure, to remind him to eat. She relaxed marginally when he went back to picking at the food.

[The Kingpin]

"When have I ever been selfish?" asked Andruil with an arched brow, even as he kept moving his slice of bread away from a pursuing Shiryaz. Despite it, however, he had not overlooked the recognition in Arsenic's face, however minute, that told him he knew there was more to his innocent comment than he had let on.

[Hopeflower]

'Can you honestly claim you never have been?' Arsenic returned, tilting his head. Everyone was selfish at one point or another in their lives - that was in the nature of people. Some were simply more obvious about it than others.

[The Kingpin]

"I suppose not," conceded the Knight, finally eating the last bite of his bread, which in turn earned him a stern glare from the Griffinhawk now perched on his other arm. "To be fair though," he began, leaning his head to the side so he could keep looking at the others over Shiryaz's head. "I have not been particularly selfish recently. Those days are mostly behind me," he concluded, pressing Shiryaz's head down as the bird intentionally splayed the feathers of its crown, causing them to spread out like some fluffy hood.

[Hopeflower]

The mute assassin snorted as though that was amusing and drained the tea Rowan had given him. He slid the mug back over to her. 'It's not a flaw...up to a certain point,' he replied with a wave of his hand. 'No need to justify it.'

Vix flicked a bit of bread at him. "Getting too heavy for the breakfast table," she scolded mildly.

'Mom always said the best days started with good conversation,' Arsenic said, glancing at Rowan and shrugging.

"She did," the scarred woman agreed.

[The Kingpin]

"Not everything counts as a good breakfast conversation, I don't think," responded the Knight to that thoughtfully. He remembered the Assassin's offer to answer questions, and to a degree he was still interested in learning of it. But with Arsenic's apparent mood earlier, he had his doubts as to whether it was wise to pursue that conversation.

[Hopeflower]

'Live with Rowan for a while,' Arsenic replied. 'I still have nightmares about some of the things she brought up.'

"Do you even sleep deeply enough to have nightmares?" Rowan fired back, managing to prove him right and get Vix to roll her eyes. She offered a wholly unapologetic grin.

Arsenic glanced skyward as though praying for patience. 'Shocking, I know.'

[The Kingpin]

"Now I am curious. What in Leyuna would give you nightmares?" asked Andruil, intrigued. Shiryaz, caring little for the conversation, was gradually climbing his arm and glaring at whoever the speaker was at a given time.

[Hopeflower]

That got Arsenic to crack a smile, small though it was. 'I had you convinced bad dreams avoided me, did I?' he asked, thoroughly entertained by that revelation. He gave a half-shrug, adding, 'The usual. Losing loved ones, being someone with an above-average body count...Rowan being awake enough to speculate about how various cross-species relationships would produce offspring.'

Vix choked on her drink and the scarred assassin in question threw her head back and laughed. "I forgot about that one! Your face was priceless!"

Arsenic rubbed at his face and uttered a low 'mhm' that spoke volumes about how he wished he could forget.

[The Kingpin]

Tilting his head at the revelation, he snorted. "Taking a leaf out of Syria's book? I never thought you the type," he quipped.

[Hopeflower]

The mute made a vague gesture at Rowan to try and get her not to repeat what she'd just remembered. It had about as much chance of actually shutting her up as he had of ever speaking again.

"Nowhere near as tame as adoption, though I will admit I'm impressed she landed herself a dragon. She dreams big, I guess," Rowan mused, actually getting a snicker from Arsenic. "No, no, I woke Nick up one day by shoving a plate of food in his face and proceeded to ask him how high he thought the lion that looked at an eagle and decided to make gryphons was. It only got worse from there." She paused. "It should be noted I'd taken a poisoned dart from a mark the night before. Isa's remedies were something else."

[The Kingpin]

"Clearly. I should try some of whatever that was just to find out," responded Andruil amusedly. "I was not talking about the adoption, however," he noted off-handedly before bringing the brim of his mug to his lips, taking another sip of his tea.

[Hopeflower]

I know how she used to make them, Vix offered silently as she leaned back in her chair, resigned to the fact that chaos was always bound to unfold when Rowan got Arsenic going.

"And people say deflecting works," Rowan snorted. "Can't say I'm into that, no, but I'm not here to judge. Only to laugh when things go horribly wrong."

'And traumatize small children,' Arsenic put in helpfully.

Rowan laughed, "You were not that small. You were what, thirteen?"

'Twelve,' he replied dryly.

[The Kingpin]

The Knight very nearly choked on his tea at that, his face contorted into a look that was somewhere between pained and supremely amused. "I would suggest we all have some of that remedy and see what madness transpires. Perhaps have it with some particularly strong wine, or whiskey," he suggested jokingly.

[Hopeflower]

'I didn't live through having my throat cut only to die drunk and high out of my mind,' Arsenic drawled.

Rowan barked a laugh and nudged him. "C'mon, like you can think of a better way to go."

He arched an eyebrow at her. 'In my sleep. Preferably not while having a nightmare about this conversation.'

[The Kingpin]

"If we do it right, we won't even remember it come morning," retorted Andruil with a laugh.

[Hopeflower]

The mute elf eyed Andruil for a second, then decided, 'I like to remember the stupid things I do, thanks.'

At that, Vix snickered and asked him, "Kicked down any nice doors lately?"

'Yeah. Rowan's parents'.'

He was joking, of course, but Rowan still gave him a somewhat wide-eyed look before it clicked and she grinned widely. "If only."

[The Kingpin]

"We could do that when we get back to the village," added Andruil, gesturing towards Rowan with the same hand that held the mug. "Classic Valenhadian Storm Corps breaching procedure. Nice big steel boots, well armed, very grumpy expression. Knock the door off its hinges and scare the occupants witless in one fell swoop. Works like a charm," he added with a lopsided smirk.

[Hopeflower]

"Please," said Rowan, holding her hands up, "I don't know if giving them both heart attacks would be as funny as scaring them into shitting their pants." But then she cocked her head as though reconsidering.

Seizing the opening she'd left, Arsenic replied, 'So one heart attack is acceptable. Got it.'

[The Kingpin]

Spring-boarding off Arsenic's statement, Andruil added, "I will try and reduce the size of the boots. Or perhaps make the faces less grumpy. I can't guarantee that you will get exactly one heart attack and one pair of soiled trousers, however."