Open Balm for the Soul. Balm for the body.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Alex just sank slowly a little further beneath the water the line of the slowly steaming scented liquid rising too just beneath his nose. The calm atmosphere something he’d longed for, and wished for weeks. However he couldn’t let that show he couldn’t allow himself to fully relax to fully calm. At least that was what he kept telling himself. He tended to tune things out whilst submerged, however what garland was saying caught his attention lightly there was no archery contests nor a hunting one for the shield games? Why not test out the efficacy of your archers?! Why just rely on brute force when a well-placed arrow could be possibly even deadlier than a knight? Alex slightly shook his head in the water before garland sank to much the same placement.

The slow roll of the water as people clamoured in and out the slight ripples. And what felt like weeks of aches being pulled from his muscles and bones. Only was his full focus snapped to attention when he heard a soft female voice crawling through the blissful silence. Masseur? Alex glanced over and beheld the quite lovely visage before him snapping his eyes back to focus at the moment he caught himself marginally staring. He heard a rush of water as Garland emerged from the swathe of it next to him. Offer the “more intimate services?” Alex simply shot him a glance and rose out of the water behind him.

“There’s a difference between timidity and restraint Garland. Because I’m substantially more reserved with my proclivities it paints me in a bad light. I simply like to keep my hands out of the cookie jar, unless I know exactly what the cookies are.” Alex sighed, however instead of his usual soft sigh the air shot out of his nose, a slight aggravated edge to it. Less towards garland more towards the general comments that were bandied about regarding him.

A short walk and a short hop up onto a table and Alex crossed his arms in front of him waiting. His usual calm and collected demeanour edged marginally with a feeling of irritation. Almost like the calm before the storm.

[Garland]

Alex just seemed more than tired, irritated and annoyed about everything.

"I didn't mean it like that Alex, you've got more honor and chevalier than most men put together. You're right, it's not being timid, more like you have more self-control." Garland apologized and sat on the table next to Alex.

Garland glanced at Alex, at first he was worried for him, worried for a friend that had been working too hard, now though, it seemed he should be more worried, what exactly had happened that made the already gloomy Alex even more gloomy.

"Alex, I've wondered... Have you found that special one yet? You know, someone you like?" Garland lied down on the table, face down and turned his head. Garland had that solemn look on his face, he had his heart broken too many times to count.

"Huh, you would think a squire wouldn't have time for romances, train here, patrol there, try not to get killed, the usual, but the heart a greedy bastard, you spend time with someone, you'll start liking them, then wanting them. My heart is greedier than others."

Soft hands, reached down on Garland's back, he paid it no mind actually, those hands felt warm, but used, artificial warmth to trick the mind. Another girl came up beside Alex and would start massaging him as well.

These girls weren't like the whores in the swan who fawn over attention and just for a few mizas. These girls kept quiet as the two talked, if they stopped they would try to distract them from their minds with idle chatter, it would be best not to go to the dark corners of the minds here, this was a place of relaxation and a place to forget your troubles.

"I've had my heart stolen so many times and broken that I don't think I can fix it, the only thing keeping me together is the product of one relationship." He thought back to the only anchor he had left, his strength and his weakness. The twins were growing up nicely, and so far they haven't had any problems, they were growing up nicely, in fact, they were growing up a bit too quickly, it wouldn't be long till those two start running around the house rather than waddle and crawl.

Then that knight was running free, no not a knight, a traitor, a coward that deserves a sword through the gut. Anger was how Garland copes with stress, but he just couldn't bring himself to get angry. "I'm scared, Alex."

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Alex lay quietly there and then words from Garland cut the murky silence. And with one swift apology Alex now felt like the bad guy. “It’s fine Garland. It’s just when it’s a consistent flow of abuse… It grates. Just because I don’t go off down the heralds arms like every other squire. I mean damn it I don’t even accept any rewards for what I do…” He paused for a moment allow Garland to continue as the feel of warm hands pressed into his shoulder blades. A soft grunt escaped him as they made contact His back tense as rock as the masseuse had begun to feel was from constant strain and stress.

Though Garlands comments about finding “that someone special” wasn’t lost on him. Alex thought back over what had happened over the last couple of seasons. Belinda, Faradae, Poppy, Firenze. Lovely women all of them of the two he felt the closest connection at least in his mind to Belinda and poppy. Belinda because she was so similar to himself and Poppy because she was accepting of who or rather what he was. Though as he thought he couldn’t quite piece together a valid answer. “I don’t really know Garland. It’s not something I spend too much time doing...” Alex paused a moment to let Garland continue.

“You do what you do for your kids. The product of a relationship that was close to your soul not just your heart.” Alex paused a moment and mulled over a small thought. “It’s not really my place to say but, you do what you do because I believe at least, you don’t want your kids to grow up without a mother figure. I know how hard that can be. And I realize that you’re scared. You’ve two people which you and you alone are accountable for. In their successes and their failures.” Alex paused a moment looking off into the distance…

“Garland. Don’t worry so much. Just do the best you can man. That’s all you can do but hey at least you have people to protect… I can’t even say I have that anymore.” Alex gave a soft sullen smile. Reassuring and distant in equal measures. He couldn’t say much more on the subject but he could just be there to absorb the crashing waves of doubt. He felt them all too often in what he did and who he was, as such he was used to having to withstand his own. “Garland… Fear is natural. If you weren’t scared I’d call you a madman. After all who isn’t afraid of failure?” Alex spoke with a depth to his words that well and truly belied his years of age.

It was at that instand a loud crack resounded through the space between them as the masseuse caught a crick in his back and fixed it. The look of mild shock on both of their faces almost made Alex chuckle but instead he stifled it and kept up his stoic and sagely visage. After all he had to keep a level head, as out of all the people he’d met he was the only one able to keep calm.

[Garland]

"I'm not scared of failure..." Garland said softly and then a loud crack sounded from Alex's back, followed shortly after Garland's own back popping like firecrackers.

At first it was soft rubbing and pushing up and down the back, limbering up Garland's tense back muscles. Now it was a constant barrage of quick strikes on his pressure points, quick sharp pains assaulting him constantly as his masseuse pounded on his back.

Her tiny delicate hands deceived the eye. She had power in her arms, or at least she knew where to strike. Garland just fell limp on the table as his masseuse hammered away on his back.

Garland was going to say something Alex, about he was scared of something else, but his words drowned out after the constant barrage. After that was done, Garland felt horrible for a few ticks, the next ticks felt like all the pain and burden from before were gone, lifted up and thrown aside.

His back had never felt so relieved before, some pains he knew, others he didn't even know he had. "I feel great!" Garland got up and jogged in placed a bit, doing a few stretches to get a feel for his newly revitalized body.

"That was wonderful! I feel fantastic!" He said excitedly and popped his shoulders and neck, looking as if he was preparing to fight. "Woo!" Garland yelled, and jumped into a pool, splashing a few people along the way.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

It was somewhat cathartic to see Garland back in his usual self. Listening to him speak about being scared was something that didn’t sit well with him. Not after Alex had watched him take a fist square to the jaw a season back and lose his collective shyke on a poor drunkard. Garland, always full of piss and vinegar, eh? Alex chuckled to himself staying limply on the stone slab for a few more minutes. Unlike garland who needed a few knocks and punches to loosen his stiffness Alex was… A little more weathered. Garland may have been a squire for longer but Alex put in enough hours in the last half season to make most veterans cringe.
Up at the fourth bell of the day, in bed at the twenty fourth. As such his stiffness was deeply embedded so much so that despite having such a thin frame by comparison. Felt more solid like pressing against a piece of lumber, give but not much.

Eventually he pressed his thumb and forefinger into his temples before sitting up on the table. Giving the masseuse a soft smile and a polite nod he stood before following slowly behind garland back into the water.
“Garland. Thanks for this. Not just the whole trip here but letting me know that even someone as seemingly impregnable as you can get shaken.” A genuine smile crossed Alex’s features following his smooth words. The sentiments were meant as a well meant gesture. After all out of all the people Alex knew there were only two who hadn’t fully abandoned him and garland was one of them.

Sinking back down into the softly rippling water Alex rolled his shoulders and what followed was a series of loud snaps and heavy creaks. Followed by him looking significantly lighter, less hemmed down by worry at least for a little while.

[Garland]

Garland and Alex spent a few more bells just relaxing in the pool. The two of them were undisturbed and just enjoyed the silent company of each other.

That's when Garland heard the giggle off to the side, in one of the private pools. It was familiar, very familiar. Luckily the private pools were, well, private for the costumer's privacy, but they weren't soundproof.

Several chimes of rather amorous sounds, two familiar faces walked out of one of the private pools. "Alex... Kill me." Garland said as he averted his eyes from Sera Catherine and Ser Greyheart.

Sera Catherine was by no means ugly, in fact, despite the scars she was rather shapely. To Garland though, this was the equivalent of seeing a sister naked with her boyfriend, or even worse, a mother because Sera Catherine had been both mother and sister to Garland, being there to mock him and berate him to push him forward, and there to encourage him when he needed it.

"Oh look, the squires are here." Sera Catherine pointed out, Garland turned to face away, his face was quite red, though he would say it was because of the warm waters.

"No we're not!" Garland said in reply, hoping they would just leave now that their business was over. Desperately trying to pass by as someone else Garland had adapted a very poor copy of a Zeltivan accent. "No we are not the squires you are looking for."

Sera Catherine smiled and gave a wink to both Alex and Ser Greyheart. She took two soft sponges and slowly crept up to Garland and placed them firmly on his back.

Everyone could see Garland shiver, and he could almost feel his lunch coming back up his throat. Catherine smiled and went up to his ear and whispered. "Gotcha." And then she grabbed Garland by the hair and dunked his head into the water.

She turned her attention to Alex. "It seems you two are better rested. I take it your spa day had gone on well."

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Amid the silence of the softly shifting waters of the pools Alex sat calmly his back pressed into the edge of the stone, trying to alleviate the knot that the masseuse could not quite. A few chimes past as his eyes closed only to be broken from his quiet meditation by the sound of Garland saying “kill me.” Both perplexed and strangely curious of this remark Alex slowly opened his eyes to see the glance of garland shooting across the room. A split second there after he caught what he was glancing at, and immediately clamped his eyes shut. His reserved nature taking precedence over everything else.

Alex took a deep calming breath holding straight on from his seated position. Even with Garlands Semi adamant denial of Sera Catherine’s comments, it was completely obvious it was them even behind Alex’s long and loose hair and golden beard.
“Well Alex look how much you’ve changed in my absence.” Alex simply nodded and cleared his throat lightly.
“Nice to see you’ve returned Ser, however wouldn’t it be more prudent to immediately report that you’ve returned rather than sneak off for some “Quiet time” With Sera Catherine?” Alex’s words weren’t as much accusatory as they were just jibing. He understood why he’d done this he wanted to see someone who he cared for soon. Though as much as he under stood it he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he was much lower on that list. With a resigned nod he just sank down so that his shoulders were covered by the water.

“Well… You’ve got me there. I probably should have but y’know how travel gets. Need to just get out of the armour for a bit.” Alex wanted to back chat but instead just swallowed his words. Greyheart then continued. “So. How was the training with ser Imass? How is the guy?” Alex simply sighed heavily at these words and then spoke back in an even and deceptively calm tone.
“It was alright however he’s not the most attentive person. He often finds himself lost in thought, as it is unfamiliar territory…” A deeply cutting insult but one even Greyheart couldn’t help but laugh at. A deep seeded chuckle erupted followed by some honest words.
“Yeah that does sound like him. Less a man of plans, more one of action.” Only then did Alex hear a soft whisper simply one word and then a loud splash into the water.

Alex’s reply to Sera Catherine was planned and measured in its wording. Almost like he was playing in a match of political words with his two superiors. “It’s been… A change. Though for a man like myself it hasn’t been “stress free”" He punctuated with a slight sigh before continuing. “Though I cannot say it was unneeded, thank you for the advice Sera.” A small nod of appreciation followed, his eyes still clamped tightly down. Despite him facing her completely.

“Seems like you’ve gotten more open to your surroundings.” As the words were said Alex snapped his head to face his patron. “Perhaps training with Imass was not a bad idea after all?” Greyheart spoke stepping into the main pool. Waiting for Garland to surface back above the water before speaking. “And you my rather grouchy friend. Has Catherine been treating you well? Apart from the obvious?”

[Garland]

Garland resurfaced a few ticks later, taking a large breath of air. While he wiped the water off his face and coughed up some of the water that got into his lungs.

Catherine climbed up out of the pool and went back over to Greyheart and leaned on his shoulder. Garland still had his eyes closed the entire time. "What? I got water in my ear!" Garland yelled and shook his head and turned his head to the side, letting the water pour out of his ear.

Catherine gave a nervous laugh. "They're obviously busy relaxing, we should leave them to it."

"Did she train me?" Garland pretended to still be waterlogged and yelled to both of them. "She was too busy worrying about you to train me! Also lots of patrols out she sends me out, usually alone or with other squires!" Garland smirked as he said so. He wasn't lying about the first part, but the second was completely his own doing.

"Haha, very funny, you've taken on more patrols out of your own free time, and you specifically ask to go alone or with only a few other squires." She replied and gave a quick slap on Greyheart's butt. "The higher-ups are probably already looking for you, we should go, unless you have something else planned~"

Garland and Alex both had their eyes closed, one can only assume what happened next, eventually the two of them left, not after scaring the two squires with rather lewd noises.

Garland had ended up submerging himself in water several times with his fingers in his ears. There were rules in the springs, but Garland was too flustered to remember that any form of 'comfort' outside of private pools were prohibited, meaning they probably were just messing with squires.

Garland cracked open his eyes after they left and gave a sigh of relief. "Well..." Garland just leaned against the edge of the pool. "That was... something... Let's get out of here, I think my toes have started to go pruny."

[Dove Brown]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding your grade, please do not hesitate to send me a PM.

 

Garland

Skills

• Endurance 1
• Carving 1
• Subterfuge 2
• Persuasion 1
• Flirting 1
• Rhetoric 2
• Medicine 1
• Philosophy 1

Lores

• Carving: sharpening a wooden spear
• Ordered to rest
• Alex Faircroft: worn out
• Massage: good for aches and pains
• Philosophy: Fear is natural
• Catherine and Greyheart are a pair?

 

Alexander Faircroft

Skills

• XP

Lores

• Lore:

Miscellaneous

• Mizas (+/-) | Amount
  
• Item Purchased (+/-) | Amount
  
• Item Sold (+/-) | Amount

Grade witheld due to retirement

Comments: Enjoy your grades