Ravvus Wiseau
Mage
We will not stop until I have bested you at least once. My pride simply won't allow any alternative.
Posts: 207
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Ravvus/Luba/Rowan
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Post by Ravvus Wiseau on Dec 16, 2016 10:04:32 GMT -6
Dahlia's mouth hung agape. Her voice failed her. Resigned, the herbalist threw her hands up in the air. They made an audible smacking sound as they came back down, listlessly hitting her legs. An uncomfortable silence followed, punctuated only by the occasional ragged inhale or exhale. Eagle's bark had killed any potential for conversation, related to the bar fight or otherwise. Nobody looked like they wanted to talk. Emil was slumped on the ground, catching his breath and tentatively touching at his bloody nose. Erin and Eagle looked equally frustrated. Erin refused to look anyone, least of all Eagle, in the eye and the Nabatan busied himself by examining his bruises. Dahlia stared at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact, like Erin. And Mr. Massey? He was the only person to appear unaffected by Eagle's command. Arms folded across his chest, as they had been since the company reached the alley, he stood by himself apart from the group.
”Maybe-” Ravvus began, coming to his feet. ”We should retire for the evening. The last hour has been hard on everyone.”
”Agreed.” Eagle interjected, his tone curt. ”Erin.” He gave the rogue a look which she reluctantly acknowledged. "Delfia may not have a lot of crime, but the rest of you shouldn't travel to your places of rest alone. Stay in a group." He and Erin headed to one end of the alley.
”Wait, Eagle. Someone should take a look at your brui-”
Eagle and Erin rounded the alley corner, having either not heard Dahlia or not cared for what she had to say.
”Saint's name.” She swore, visibly frustrated.
”...If that's that, I suppose I should be taking my leave too. I'm more than capable of handling myself, so don't any of you feel the need to accompany me.” Mr. Massey interjected. ”Mr. Emil.” The young cavalier perked his head up. ”Thank you and Mr. Eagle for inviting Miss Dahlia and myself out this night. Hopefully future meals with the Pathfinders will not prove so violent. Good night.” Mr. Massey nodded towards the remaining three, bowing slightly. Emil gave him a slight wave and the man left the alley. Now only Emil, Dahlia, and Ravvus remained.
”Bit of an oddball, that one.” Ravvus muttered once the other mage was out of earshot. He glanced at Dahlia, who wore a disappointed frown. Her cheery dimples were nowhere to be found. ”Eagle can be a little terse when issuing orders. Just comes with the territory. Don't think of it as personal.”
”Hmm?” Dahlia glanced at the mage. ”Oh, no it's not- I'm not offended, if that's what you imagined. I'm just- Why's he so furious?” The herbalist spoke in a series of stutters. ”And why did that- Why are city guards-” She pinched her nose, composing herself. ”Why'd that city guard start a fight with him?”
”You really don't know?”
”No! Of course I don't know! That's why I'm asking the question!”
”Guys?” Emil spoke, cupping his nose. ”Could we continue this conversation somewhere else? Maybe somewhere where we won't get mugged?” The alley was narrow, practically a topless tunnel. It was a good place to perform illicit acts, be they thievish, violent, or some other unscrupulous adjective. It was not the best of locales for a conversation.
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Ravvus Wiseau
Mage
We will not stop until I have bested you at least once. My pride simply won't allow any alternative.
Posts: 207
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Ravvus/Luba/Rowan
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Post by Ravvus Wiseau on Dec 22, 2016 15:11:27 GMT -6
”I'm staying at inn not far from the guild headquarters. We can go there, talk more along the way, yes?”
”Sure, sure.” Ravvus complied and gestured for her to take the lead. The trio shuffled out of the alley and Ravvus quickly found himself flanking Dahlia. He gestured for Emil, who was still nursing his nose, to come to her other side. ”Dahlia, you should stay between myself and Emil, keep some bodies between you and anyone who might try to get handsy.”
”Oh? Are the streets like that at this time of night?” She interjected, the thought hadn't seemed to occur to her. ”Of course. That makes sense.”
”As to your question from earlier.” Dahlia nodded, glancing at Ravvus with a look of expectancy. ”Those soldiers back there started a fight with Eagle because he's a Nabatan. He's from a different part of Elibe and it shows in his skin tone.”
”You're kidding!” The herbalist almost shouted, her voice permeated with incredulity. ”Because he's a foreigner?! And this is the attitude of the entire city watch?”
”The whole city, if I'm being honest. Is this really so surprising to you, Dahlia?” Ravvus peered at her skeptically. ”Surely you know of Etruria's xenophobia. The country's been this way ever since the Prophet began his invasion of Sacae.”
”I'd heard stories, like anyone else. I knew about Ostia, what happened there, but I thought those were just brutality tactics. I suppose I just had to see it to believe it.” Dahlia smirked a half smirk out of a cynical sense despondency. ”Still having trouble wrapping my head around it. Makes you wonder how parts of the world get so messed up.” She craned her neck, looking at Ravvus, and flashed him a half-smile. He smiled back.
”Well, maybe, I exaggerated when I said 'the whole city'. Not everyone in Etruria's like that. There were just as many people back in that bar willing to fight for Eagle and there were willing to fight against him. Otherwise, we wouldn't have made it out of there.”
”Hmmm.” Dahlia hummed thoughtfully. ”That's true, isn't it?””
”Real shabe about that bar.” Emil interjected, pinching his nose. ”Ah, Dabbit.” He swore, taking his hand off his nose. ”Won't be surprised if the city watch closes it down after that little brawl tonight. Really liked that place.” He grumbled, more for his own benefit than anyone else's.
”Yup.” Ravvus muttered. ”War's a funny thing when it comes to the economy.”
”What?”
”Nothing. Talking to myself.”
No one spoke for a time. Emil busied himself with his nose and Dahlia walked with a glum look about her.
”How long have you been working at that butterscotch mixture?”
”What?” The herbalist perked up.
”The mixture you added to my drink back in the bar. That wasn't your first draft, was it? It sounded like you'd been working on it for a long time.”
”The first draft? Haha! No, Saint's name, no. Ha! The first draft was almost as bitter as the herbal meds I use. Plus it induced a higher frequency of urination in whoever drank it. No, no, the butterscotch mixture is a result of dozens of trial and errors.”
The blond mage smirked. ”A higher frequency of urination?”
”Goodness.” The herbalist chuckled dryly, shaking her head. ”Telling you that was a mistake on my part, wasn't it?” She smiled in earnest. There it was. There was the perky researcher he'd met back at the pub.
"I don't know, Dahlia. All of a sudden, I have a sudden urge to urinate more freq-."
"No, you don't, because the mixture I gave you doesn't have any ingredients which stimulate the bladder." She beamed, her face conveying a smug sense of victory.
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Ravvus Wiseau
Mage
We will not stop until I have bested you at least once. My pride simply won't allow any alternative.
Posts: 207
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Ravvus/Luba/Rowan
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Post by Ravvus Wiseau on Dec 22, 2016 23:07:05 GMT -6
The two found themselves outside Dahlia's inn, laughing and enjoying each others company. ”Ah. Well, this is where I'm staying.” It was clear from the tone of her voice that she didn't want to part company.
”Yes, yes, so it is.” Ravvus was equally transparent.
There was a lull in the conversation, with neither Ravvus nor Dahlia knowing what to say, but wanting to continue on nonetheless. Unexpectedly, it was Emil who broke the silence.
”Hey, Ravvus, how's your throat doing?”
”My throat?”
”Yeah, is it still feeling sore? How about your forehead, has your fever gone down?” Emil reached out, placing the back of his hand on Ravvus' forehead. ”Feels a little warm. Dahlia, what do you think?” He gestured towards the mage's head. Dahlia complied. Ravvus smiled internally, entirely incapable of describing how pleasant the herbalist's touch was.
”I suppose it's a little warm.” She withdrew her hand.
”Didn't you say something about giving him a coughing relief potion back at the pub?”
Dahlia's eyes widened subtly as Emil's plan finally dawned on her. ”Yes! Yes, I did. Ravvus, please come inside. Let me fix something up for you before you go. Emil, will you be okay going back to your place of rest from here?”
The cavalier waved a hand dismissively. ”Ah, I can handle myself. Appreciate the concern, though.”
Dahlia chuckled. ”Of course.”
Ravvus came over to his friend, embracing him in a hug. ”You stay safe on your way back, ok?” He pulled away, back turned to Dahlia, and mouthed the words 'thank you'.
”Uh, huh.” He flashed the mage a wink and turned around. ”Good night, you two.”
”Night!” The two said in unison.
Dahlia looked at Ravvus expectantly. ”Shall we?” She gestured for him to enter the inn.
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”Sounds like you've seen your share of the world.” Dahlia leaned over, placing her throat relief concoction in Ravvus' hands. Her room was simple. One bed, one chair, one wardrobe, one table, one window, a wooden floor. Standard one-person living quarters for an inn. Ravvus sat in the chair, while Dahlia claimed the bed. In the corner of her room lay her bow and next to her bed lay a pair of travel bags. One was filled with clothing and basic travel supplies. The other bag was practically a lightless garden. It contained Dahlia's herbal ingredients and various flasks, most of which were empty.
”I've tried to travel as much as possible. It's part of why I joined the Pathfinders and The Pale Compass.” Ravvus took a sip from the cup Dahlia had handed him.
”Must be fun, being able to see so much of the world.”
”Short of Ostia, the sight-seeing certainly has its appeal.” He flashed Dahlia a half-smirk. ”Standing atop the Bernese mountains gives you a certain perspective, as does gazing across the expanse of the Nabatan desert. It makes you feel...” Ravvus swirled his drink, trying to find the right words. ”Small. But not insignificant. The sight is humbling, but it feels as if the sight itself is humbled by you.” He shrugged. ”If that makes any sense.”
”It sounds like an experience which you can only communicate so much of into words.”
"Yeah" Ravvus smiled. "That's a good way to describe it."
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Ravvus Wiseau
Mage
We will not stop until I have bested you at least once. My pride simply won't allow any alternative.
Posts: 207
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Ravvus/Luba/Rowan
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Post by Ravvus Wiseau on Dec 24, 2016 16:52:50 GMT -6
Ravvus downed what was left of his potion. Dahlia was right. Without the butterscotch mixture, her remedies were very bitter. The mage had to hold back a grimace as he swallowed.
”So...” The herbalist's voice trailed off. ”I suppose inviting you to my room after having just met must have come off as pretty forward.” Dahlia pushed aside a few stray strands of hair. ”I honestly did want to give you a remedy, just in case you were still sick.”
A chuckle escaped Ravvus as the ends of his mouth contorted into grin. ”Oh, perhaps a little. I think the remedy was a good idea. I wasn't feeling in ill-health when we left the pub, but I mostly attributed that to the adrenaline.”
”How about the shiner?”
”This?” The mage asked, running the length of his finger across his cheek. The wound there was no longer bleeding. The blood had clotted and formed a temporary wall. ”Nothing to worry about. Better to get it dressed sooner rather than later, though.”
Dahlia unfolded her legs, placed her feet on the wooden floor, and rose from the bed. ”Let me take a look at it.”
”I thought you were an herbalist, not a field surgeon.” He japed dryly, shooting her a skeptical look.
Dahlia rolled her eyes. ”I know how to treat a flesh wound.” The herbalist fumbled about her pack, withdrawing a flask of water and a clean patch of cloth. She approached the mage and knelt down on one knee. ”Come here. Lean forward please.”
Ravvus complied, bringing his face closer to Dahlia's. The herbalist poured some of the water into the cloth and delicately patted the wet rag against his cheek. From this distance, he could feel heat coming off of her face. Dahlia tried to focus on his wound, but frequently found her eyes meeting Ravvus'. She smirked in between glances. ”Seems I continue to be forward without meaning to.” She reached down, grabbing a clean pad of cloth and placed it against the mouth of a flask filled with disinfectant.
”I don't think forward is the right word to use here.” Ravvus winced, as Dahlia patted the cloth against his wound. ”This isn't as overtly, uh, sexual as inviting someone back to your room.” She glanced at him, picking up on the stutter. ”The word I'd use for this is intimate.”
The herbalist's eyes lingered on Ravvus until her lips curled into a slight smirk. ”Overtly sexual, huh?” She chuckled lightly.
”Yeah.” Ravvus chuckled back. ”Higher frequency of urination.”
Dahlia stepped back, placing her hands behind her back, and leaned against the frame her bed. She shot him a half-smirk before turning away in thought. ”Ravvus.” She spoke, her tone suddenly pensive, barren of its former gaiety. ”Could you leave?” The herbalist brought a hand to her neck and cleared her throat. ”That didn't sound as rude in my head. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together this evening, but all of this-” She gestured waving between their two faces. ”I only just met you today, you understand. If... I don't want too much to happen in one day.” She looked back at him. ”Is that- do you understand?”
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Ravvus Wiseau
Mage
We will not stop until I have bested you at least once. My pride simply won't allow any alternative.
Posts: 207
Affinity: Anima
OoC Alias: Ravvus/Luba/Rowan
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Post by Ravvus Wiseau on Dec 24, 2016 23:14:02 GMT -6
”That's fine.” Ravvus spoke plainly. ”Honestly Dahlia. I haven't been as forthcoming as I should have this night. I- I'm sort of involved with someone else.” The herbalist's eyes widened in surprise. ”I know, I know. It's just- you and I were having so much fun. And then you told me about the urinating thing, then Emil suggested you treat my illness, and I went along with it because I wanted to spend more time with you. And then we were in your room without realizing the implications of being in your room together and then there was the thing with my shiner.” He waved about frantically, hoping his hands might be more eloquent than his words. ”And it all just- it all just happened.”
”Sort of?” Dahlia inquired, as if she stopped listening after hearing those words.
”Yes, sort of. We met in Ilia and, at first, I thought it was just a fling. Then we met again in Lycia and-” Ravvus shrugged. ”Well, I don't know. She's a bit of a trickster. It's hard to tell what's really going on in her head.”
Dahlia tapped a finger on her chin lightly. ”Ok.” She spoke plainly.
”Ok?”
”Mmhmm.”
”Are we good?”
Dahlia shook her head. ”Yeah, of course. It's like you said, Ravvus. Everything that happened tonight just sort of happened. It wasn't like I was actively trying to remove your belt or you my blouse. We just naturally bonded. I mean, I enjoyed spending time with you too.”
Ravvus smirked. ”Naturally... bonded?”
Dahlia's face slowly shifted from affectionate to incredulous. ”What?! What's funny about that!?”
”I- I don't know, it just makes me chuckle.” The mage stuttered, giving a boyish shrug.
”Urgh!” The herbalist exhaled sharply. ”Get out of my room, Ravvus.” She started from the bed, shooing Ravvus out of his chair and towards the door.
”Ok, ok, but let's do something like this again. I had a lot of fun.” He stuttered, trying to make a case while stumbling through the doorway.
”That sounds lovely.” Dahlia slammed the door shut. The sound echoed down the hallway, awkwardly ending what had been a playful conversation. The door crept open slightly, just enough for Dahlia to peak her head through. ”I, um, meant that. I realize the door slamming might have made it sound sarcastic, but let's meet some time tomorrow. See the city.”
”Sure, sure.” Ravvus grinned.
”Ok.” Dahlia smiled back. ”Rest well, Ravvus.” And with that, she closed the door and kept it closed. Ravvus found himself stupidly grinning as he left the inn.
The following week passed by quickly, with Ravvus and Dahlia spending every other day with each other. Nothing transpired between the two, as Ravvus believed doing so might hurt Minerva, but he quickly came to trust and respect the herbalist. At the end of the week, the Pathfinders shipped out for Vinland. The details of the mission were kept very hush hush. The only thing Goeke-Morey told Ravvus and his guildsmen was that they'd been hired to protect a precious cargo. The mage theorized that the nobleman was using the guild to transport contraband on behalf of some faceless political ally. In truth, Ravvus didn't care about the specifics, he was just glad to be traveling again, happy to be getting away from the oppressive country-side of Etruria. Least the natives of Vinland weren't involved in the Prophet's War.
(End)
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