Fix or fluke? (Alric Wilmot)

[Bob Barton]

63th day of Spring 512 AV

It was not something that anyone would expect but the word "normal" can be used for Alvadas again. With that declaration only a few days before, Bob could now start worrying about the normal things for himself instead of the monster infestation. Normal things like himself! It was taxing the lengths he had to go through just to walk out into the streets while making sure that he was always safe from a sudden ambush. How was he able to live without being able to rely on self protection like this? What happens if he is shackled again? He needed to make sure something like that does not happen again but that we-win? He was not going to be able to find that man in a new region.

And that left him to look for someone else which he already knew. A good thing that he found one so easily in his first days in Alvadas. It was almost like some appointment that allowed Bob to find the man. Granted, it was only until days after that for Bob to find out what the man was truly capable of and how what his work in the bazaar meant for him. Bob watched how the man healed his patients that day. If he never experienced the thing for himself he would never have known what was going on but even them he did not dare to ask anything about it in case his guess was wrong.

Now that he had enough time to think about it, now that he was sure and he was worried enough to act on it, Bob found himself looking for the Manor again. Even if he had enough time to get used to the Alvadas streets he still found it took a lot of time to find the Manor this time, just like anyone would even its owner himself. When he found the place he was disappointed to see that it was in ruins much like the rest of Alvadas and the place he lived in until it was repaired that is so many days later. Lucky Bob found Alric that day or the man might have been a victim himself but what now? It looked like despite the rich, extravagance of the home Alric was nowhere near to repair it.

"Maybe he is already dead?" Bob asked himself since they parted as soon as he found out that the Wager was fixed up again and he had a proper place to live instead of Underground. Going to the house next door he asked "do you know where Alric is?" but would Alvads have neighbours since one building can be next to a completely different one at the next moment? See they do not even know who Alric is when "he is taller than me" like everyone else, "looks like some sort of rich nobleman" like he was introduced as "and just as good looking as me." No? Yeah that probably would be how nearly everyone else be described as. All they mentioned was that there is a Speaker in the vicinity and Bob was not prepared to put up with someone like that this time. Sighing and ready to give up Bob yelled one last quick "Alriccccc?" before preparing to go home.

[Alric Wilmot]

As Alric stalked the streets of Alvadas in his colorful Speaker's ensemble. He was not as happy as the bright uniform and ornate mask might make imply. No, he really wasn't happy at all. In fact he hadn't been for some time. He had learned to wrestle and subdue his sorrow over the season, but he had also somehow subdued all his other emotions as well. And at that moment, that meant Alric felt near to nothing. He went about his days doing his duty, and bringing justice to his god's city. Yet despite his loyalty, Alric couldn't help but have this feeling like something was amiss. As though Ionu meant for something...more to happen. He knew it was silly, yet at the same time, he was marked. Did that not mean something? Did that not mean he was connected to his goddess, no matter how faintly? He sighed, and decided to let the matter drop. Thinking was useful, but only if you could come to a conclusion. Since he could not, at the moment, do that, he let it drop. As he did, though, he heard a strange voice. It almost sounded like someone was howling his name. Why on Mizahar would they do that? Yet, even as odd as it was, Alric was certain he could hear it. He turned a corner then and saw in the distance a man standing by a familiar set of rubble. Whoever he was, he was shouting Alric's name. Did Alric know this man? tentatively, Alric approached. As he got closer, the man became far more familiar. "Bob? Bob Barton? My good man, what are you doing here?"

[Bob Barton]

"Alricccc...?" Bob called one last time as he has been repeating to get the man's attention, if he was even around. Concluding that he was not, Bob took one last look at the ruins to see if there was any clue to where its owner went but he did not need to. This time it was his name that he heard and surprisingly enough a reference that he was a good...man? An even bigger surprise was when he saw the bright colours of the Speakers uniform. He should have worn his own but that was no good in a social visit, especially since he does not want to intimidate Alric the way that he felt right now. Forcing himself to calm down since being a called a good man should not mean he was in trouble, Bob looked at the uniforms owner and found that all his worries was for nothing because it was...

"Alric, I've been looking for you" if he could not tell already. The reason was was quite simple because it would only mean that Bob wanted something from this man. Something that only Alric could do at the moment between the two that Bob wanted to learn to make it easier to do one of his jobs. It was related to Alric's old job if "you remember that time I took your invitation to see you at work in the bazaar?" The visit to Alric's Hypnotic Cures was one of the few times Bob got to see the hypnotic trance in action, the most important time being the time it was used on himself at the Wildlands. It was such a useful skill to know. Healing was one thing but maybe Alric did not know know what Bob wanted to use it for. To learn secrets other people wanted to keep hidden. As a speaker as well he should realize how important knowledge would be.

So "yeah, I want to know how to do it" but since Alric would not know that Bob could perform hypnotism on others as well, he might need a little proof before giving some lame excuse like Bob would not be able to do it yet. Putting a finger to his lips to ask Alric to silence any protests, Bob started to build up some djed. How much it was might not be too important since it was only a small trick that did not even need to be effective but if he was to quantify it, it could have started from the base of his finger and grew up to the tip which rested on his lips. From there it moved towards Alric as though it was launched from his mouth when he said "I already...know a little hypnotism, see?" The last part was of course completed with a sudden thought that ran through Alric's mind in his own voice just to make the fact all the more true.

And just in case Alric wanted to give the excuse that it would be hard to find some person to teach Bob with now that his stall was gone, Bob would casually remind him that "there are a lot of troubled people now after that awful storm." Normally Bob would use his hypnotism again to give some hints but seeing that Alric already knew that he could, it may not be too effective. He would have to try and veil the fact that Alric might owe Bob a little for saving his life with the following words that "even if they were able to weather through it. Sometimes...luck is not enough to stay alive in this treacherous world." If that was not enough, Bob would try motivating him the same way he motivates himself. "Think of it as a public service. You might even impress your superiors if you take the initiative to make Alvads more joyful." Bob might not care about public service but the chance to be better known among his peers was as good as any.