Valis' Grief

[AnteaterAshley]

Transcribed to the forum from an IC interaction between these two characters. Parentheses are a character's thoughts.

As Leila emerged from the gates of the Palace Courtyard, she saw an unfamiliar face. That mysterious recluse who lives in the wilderness, what was he doing in town?

"Hello, Forest Dweller." She said, getting Valis' attention.

"H-Hello!" He replied, voice shaking.

"Are you alright? You sound jittery."

Valis spoke back rapidly, "H-have you seen a m-man named Cyrus anywhere?! Please Goddess..."

A moody look immediately overtook Leila's face.

(I've got a lot on my plate right now, and really do not need to be dredging up my past on top of it.)

"Cyrus."
...
"Like Cyrus Farahmand?"
...
"My brother??"

"Y-yes, yes, Goddesses yes! I l-love him and he-  he's just GONE!"

...

...

(What??)

(This random dude I've barely ever seen says loves my brother who I haven't seen in years. Okay great! That's just perfect.)

"Excuse me?" She responded, taken aback by this revelation.

Valis shouted back, "HE'S NOT AT HOME AND HIS SHIP IS STILL DOCKED! I'VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE!!"

(Oh. Ohhhhh. And suddenly everything clicks. I've seen this story happen before.)

"THE PRINCE! THE BASTARD PRINCE! HE KNOWS! HE FUCKING KNOWS!"

"Listen, that's something you've got to learn about Cyrus, he-"

As Valis struck the wall before burying his face in his arms, Leila immediately rethought her approach.

(He's clearly in distress, maybe I should be more sensitive...)

She placed a hand on his shoulder;

"I haven't seen him since he walked out on me and our family years ago. As much as I hate to say it, it's possible that he may have left...?"

"He wouldn't leave me... He couldn't leave me... He wouldn't. No, no, no, I know there's a plot. There's always a plot.."

Now starkly aware of how deeply distressed Valis was, Leila continued,
"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know that you two were so close. I didn't even know he still lived in Carpesia..."

Valis muttered out under his breath, "Damned Leo... That damned Leo... Should've stayed in that palace... Yes, yes, should've stayed..."

"Leo?"
"Like, The Prince's brother, Leo?"

"Oh yes, yes, HIM" Valis growled out, his voice dripping with vitriol. "HIS RAT OF A BROTHER!"

"Revenge... it has to be..."

(Okay, this is getting out of hand, even for me. This is a dangerous conversation to be having.)

"Listen, Forest Dweller, we need to calm down."

Shouting back, through the streaming tears, Valis declared, "I AM VALIS ARBOR OF THE SEELIE COURT!"

"Valis Arbor," Leila continued, "We need to calm down."

"CALM?! HOW CAN YOU BE CALM!?"

"Yes, calm! I don't know you, but I don't want you doing something that could get you killed! I made peace with Cyrus' abandonment years ago, you'll get there, I promise."

"YOU THINK I CARE?? I LOST EVERYTHING!! I'M THE LAST OF MY KIND!"
(Last of your kind?)
"MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER ARE DEAD, MY SISTER GOT GUTTED AND NOW CYRUS IS JUST GONE?!"

Cowering into the wall, Valis weakly muttered
"how much more must I endure?"

"Valis I..."
"I'm sorry, Valis."
Leila put her arm over his shoulder

"The light from my life is gone... Nothing but the void remains."

Slumping over, Valis fell to the ground with his back against the wall.

"Leo did it... I know he did..."

Leila attempted in vain to continue comforting the weeping Fae
"Hey... I know it feels impossible to come to terms with now... but you'll be okay."

Completely ignoring her, Valis continued muttering under his breath
"Revenge, it's always a damn circle..."
"Maybe father was right about them all..."

"I'm sorry that my brother did to you what he did to me, but we can't change or fix that with violence or by going crazy. We just need to bring peace to ourselves."

Lifting his head from his arms to glare at Leila, Valis retorted, "He wouldn't leave his ship... I know that much..."

His voice growing into a shout, Valis continued, "... he left EVERYTHING! It's like he just vanished! That's not normal even for someone who just leaves!"

The emotional strain of her Brother's abandonment was starting to get to Leila.
"It wouldn't be the first time he did that..."

"WITH WHAT?! WHAT DID HE LEAVE WITH??" Valis shouted.
"He doesn't even have food! No salt pork, no portable soup, NOTHING! HE'LL DIE OUT THERE!"

"I don't know!!" Leila shouted, the anger dragged out of her by the trauma and raw emotion. "When he left us, he left with the shirt on his back and joined some sailing crew out of Vidinia for the Divines' sakes! I have no IDEA where he could be!"

...

...

After a long silence, Valis spoke to himself,
"Maybe Arkmier knows... No, no he doesn't. Too far away."

"Arkmier?"

"A contact of mine... he made a few things for me... He's out at sea."

"Valis, you're not making any sense. I don't know what you get up to out in the woods, but you need to calm down and make peace with the fact that he's gone."
...
"It breaks my heart to see him do this to another person, but what you do next is up to you."

"I need to find out... I need to make sure... I'd rather him be alive and leave me than dead I just... I just need to know."

"That I cannot deny you. Do what you must to find peace, but stay safe, okay?"

Without another word, Valis trudged off into the wilderness. Divines' know what he will do next.

fin.


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