Closed Dove in the Daylight (Garland)

[Dovey]

32 Winter, 516 AV - morning Dovey woke in an instant. No sunlight streamed through windows to light the room - her apartment was too deep within the halls of Maiden District for that - but she could tell it was morning nevertheless; the low murmur of conversation and passing feet outside her door was proof enough of that. This city slept til day. Dovey's head felt strange, sort of stiff inside, and she wiggled it experimentally before wishing she hadn't - the stiffness exploded immediately into a pounding headache. "Aw, shyke," Dovey groaned, feeling gingerly at her scalp with one hand. Gods, it was tender, and the ache was starting to spread down the back of her neck. She'd been well and truly drunk last night. She could recall the evening only in flashes: batting her eyes at a man in armor, dancing with him to the cheerful music of a lute, vomiting by the side of the street on her way home... weeping on her bed, a hand patting her comfortingly on the back... Right. She'd been crying for Mother. The recollection settled like a weight in her chest, worse than the headache, and she felt tears spring once more to her eyes. No. She was not going through all this again. She couldn't. Last night had hurt; she remembered that at any rate. Resign yourself, woman, everybody loses people. You're not anything special. She dashed a hand across her face, wiping her eyes dry, then cracked her wrist with a grimace. That was sore too. Gods, she was stiff and achy all over. She rolled her shoulders, stretched, yawned - her jaw popped - and clambered out of bed. The room was dim, the only light coming from the red coals in the hearth and the candle on the table, burned halfway to its base. Still, it was enough to discern the male figure sprawled out on the floor, evidently fast asleep. Dovey let out a small shriek, leaping back and banging her shin on the side of the bed. He must have spent the night in her room - and who was he, anyway? Gathering her nerve, she leaned forward to peer at his face. Hang on. She recognized him. That was the fellow she'd been flirting with at the bar. Garland, hadn't his name been? And now she recalled it, he'd walked her home as well. He was the one who'd comforted her as she grieved. Emboldened, she took a few steps toward him and cleared her throat. "Excuse me. Hello?" she said loudly. "It's morning."

[Garland]

Garland was dreaming, about things, he was remembering past events, dreaming of future ones, and just thinking in his dream.

The previous night's events were nearly lost to him, but he did remember the last bit. He remembered Dovey, and she was crying. He didn't remember going home last night, but in truth he didn't really care.

Even if he could have walked home, drunk as he was, he would have never left Dovey alone in such a emotional state. Garland was not a man that planned things out, and the rare times he does usually end up in a horrible pile of broken hopes and dreams.

But not today, before he passed out on the floor of a girl's apartment, he made a small promise to himself, Dovey had just lost someone important, so he was there to help her, not to replace the important person in her life, but to be another shoulder she could cry on.

Garland heard Dovey's voice and slowly stirred awake. "Ugh... my mouth tastes like vomit." Garland just lied there on the ground for a few ticks, getting the worst of his hangover over and done with.

He turned his head to Dovey, a weak smile formed on his lips. "Good morning. Did the people wake you?" He pushed himself up and felt the throb in his head worsen. He was usually cheerful, and for someone suffering a hangover, he was, but there was a gleam of annoyance in his smile, a flash of pain from his laugh, and throb from his head when he moved.

"Do you have any plans today? My offer for a date still stands, doesn't even have to be romantic, just a day out with a friend." You seem like you need it...

[Dovey]

Dovey cracked a small smile at Garland's waking words, despite her sense of fragile melancholy. "Now you mention it, so does mine." It was true, now that she thought of it; she was experiencing far more than the typical morning mouth. She yawned then, and her dry tongue felt woolen against the air. Her dress was twisted untidily about her frame, though not enough to betray her modesty, and by the gods, she'd even slept in her shoes. Must have been some evening out; it was a shame she could only remember a bit of it. "Good morning," she replied to his next words. "Maybe they did, I dunno. I just woke up all of a sudden. Might have been the headache." She rapped her fingers on the side of her skull with a half-smile, then winced at the sharp ache her playfulness had caused. "Ouch. Shouldn't have done that." She rolled her shoulders again, one after the other, feeling the muscles jump as she did her best to work them a little looser. The apartment wasn't messy, was it? Normally she wouldn't care, but there was somebody over now, and... oh, what was she thinking? She'd gotten drunk with him at a tavern last night and then he'd slept on her floor until morning. He wasn't company, he was a drinking partner. You didn't have to clean for drinking partners. Which reminded her. This man she'd just met had slept in her room. With her in there. Asleep and defenseless. He hadn't tried anything, but it disturbed her that she would have allowed a stranger, especially a male, into her room with her at night without actually intending anything sexual. "Gods, I'm so trusting when I'm drunk," she muttered aloud. There didn't seem to be much she could do about it, though, not unless she found a way to be rational and drunk at the same time, which was probably completely impossible. So she did her best to leave the thought for now; she'd come back to it later if it turned out there was some solution to the quandary after all. Garland's question startled her out of her contemplation, and she felt tension rise from her body when he got to his second sentence. "Doesn't even have to be romantic, just a day out with a friend." She'd met a good few men who would agree to that offer if she suggested it, usually in an attempt to turn the day romantic anyway, but far rarer were the sort that made the offer themselves. Thank Ovek it was someone decent she'd met at the bar, and not yet another lowlife who might have tried to take advantage of her... But she'd decided not to think about that just now. She shook herself a bit, waited out the few ticks of dizziness the motion produced, and then looked back to Garland. "Well, I was going to find a job today, but something tells me that's no longer a good idea. Why don't we have that day out, and see what comes?"

[Garland]

"The welcome center has jobs available for just about anything if you have time, but right now we need you to relax, to wind down, to remove this blasted hangover!" Garland felt a throb in his head, like the hangover heard what he said and sent another wave of pain into his head.

"There's a coffee shop near- oh right... it got blown to bits..." Well there go his plans. "Some fresh air would do both of us some good." Garland threw open the doors and let the sound of people wash over him

He was deafened momentarily and now he remembered why he rarely drinks. He was sensitive to light, sensitive to sound and hated everything right now. "Ahh, it's good to be alive!" He forced himself to say, for Dovey's said more than anything else.

"We could go to the docks, watch the seagulls, or walk around Kova's Well, the park there is beautiful apparently since Winter had become Summer for some dumb reason." Garland held out his hand for Dovey to hold onto if she wanted.

"I should probably put my armor back to the armory..." Garland thought about it, but he could do that later. "There's also the bathhouse if you wanted to relax there." Garland was still a man at heart, and he couldn't help imagining that scene in his head.

Bad brain! No, she needs happy times not sex! Show her a good time and then walk her home! Done and done! Nothing more nothing less!

[Dovey]

Faced with the noise of the crowds, Dovey cringed back, her ears ringing with the unexpected din. "Shyke! Might be good to be alive but..." She gestured vaguely out the door. "Don't tell me that racket doesn't bother you." She shrugged resignedly. "I'll get used to it in a chime, I suppose." "Hmm." Dovey pondered for a few moments, tapping her chin with one finger. "Kova's Well sounds interesting, and the park would be lovely in this weather." It sounded nice and peaceful too, she added silently, which was more than she could say for the docks; they might well be full of sailors off merchant ships who'd docked to sell their goods. The noise of merchandise being unloaded and people shouting orders would not help either of their hangovers. There might be a few Svefra as well, and the thought of seeing her father's people again, here, was unaccountably frightening. No, the docks were not an option, not today. She noticed Garland's hand outstretched to her then, and clasped it at once. The warmth of his skin against hers was steadying. She took in a deep breath and held it an instant before blowing it out, slow, through her nose. "There's also the bathhouse if you wanted to relax there," Garland suggested, and Dovey's eyes snapped to his, surprise evident in her expression. She considered. It was true she needed a bath; she was sweaty and smelled vaguely of ale, and taking a soak in a heated pool would be really comforting. But naked, with Garland, today? She didn't know. Casual flirting and casual kissing, she would pursue in an instant, but anything beyond that and she liked to know her companion at least a bit better first. She would bathe later. "Let's head to the park," she replied finally. That would be relaxing too. "If the armory's on the way you could drop off your armor, I don't mind waiting. Oh," and she gave him a small smile, "and I'll need to hear all about this exploded coffee shop."

[Garland]

Garland just smiled. "The noise makes me want to kill something, but I try to stay positive." Garland couldn't help but smile when Dovey took his hand.

"You know what? Hang on a tick." Garland closed the door outside and started removing his armor, he would be back here by the end of the day. "Do you mind if I just leave this here? I'll pick it up later."

Garland placed the armor by the table and smiled at Dovey. He removed his gambeson and placed it on top of his discarded armor. All he had now was his undershirt and trousers. "Is it alright if I leave this here? I'll come back for it later."

Garland took Dovey's hand again and led her out, he waited for her to lock the door to her home and off they went, following the flow of people. Garland held on tight to Dovey's hand and led her down a familiar street.

After a short while the two of them made it out of the cramped and crowded hallway-streets of Syliras and into the more open air. Garland pulled Dovey out of the main street and into an alleyway.

A visible frown on his face. "I hate hangovers, and crowds." He rubbed his temples and sighed. "Right, I know a back way to Kova's well." Garland walked through the alleyway, and took a much longer route but far more quiet than the main road.

It was a pleasant walk, not too much noise, and he enjoyed the company, even if they both smelled like ale, vomit and sweat. Eventually they stood by the entrance of the park. "Here we are... The Stone Gardens are pass the well, it's a good place to calm down if you need to."

[Dovey]

"Go right ahead and leave it," Dovey said, waving at the table where Garland was setting his armor as he removed it. "No harm in that." She slipped her fingers through his once more and followed him out, shutting the door and turning the key in the lock before setting off by Garland's side. The noise in the street caused her headache to worsen as they walked, but being annoyed at the racket provided a decent distraction from the tightness in her chest as she fought to keep off her grief, so it wasn't all bad. Mostly she felt sort of numb by the time they reached the alleyway. It was quieter here, the most prominent sound their own footfalls on the cobblestones. She walked by Garland's side in uncharacteristic silence, commenting on some graffiti mark or unusually large pigeon now and again, but mostly holding her peace. Truthfully, she didn't really know what to say. The idea that she was a pity date had only just occurred to her, but now that she had thought of it she suspected it to be true. After all, she'd spent the end of last night crying her eyes out in front of him; he must think she needed some cheering up. She did, in fact, but that wasn't the point. She was glad when they reached the park; at least here there would be romantic places to sit and interesting features to make small talk about. Perhaps she could turn the pity date into a proper one - although, she thought wryly, when both parties smelled as pungent as the two of them did, cuddling could be a bit awkward. Maybe she should have gone with him to the bathhouse after all. But she hadn't, and she had to at least try to make this a good day anyhow. "Let's head in," she said, sending Garland a determined smile. "It's a gorgeous day to be here." It was true; the morning was clear and warm, more like a dry day in Kenash than anything she would have expected this far north and at this time of year. But after all, that was under normal circumstances - Morwen's absence would make for a lot of balmy winter days. She tugged Garland after her through the gates of the park, taking the lead now that they didn't need to know where they were going. The well was nearby and quite pretty, so it was there she led him, releasing his hand once they had arrived to lean against its rough stone. "This is - Kova's Well, didn't you say?" she asked, glancing over at her companion. "Any story behind it, or is it just a lovely old landmark?"

[Garland]

This date did start out as a pity date, but the night before, Garland planned for a proper one. When they reached the well, Garland leaned into it. Normally Garland would have talked more while they walked, but in truth, the hangover was killing him and he could barely function right now.

"Rumor has it the stones came from the ruins of Suva, and Kova's ghost is here, making wishes for those that need it. She appears if you throw in a miza, not sure if it has to be gold or can be any miza, in fact, I'm not even sure it has to be a miza, there are other types of currency in the world." Garland thought about the time he passed out in the armory, he had woken up in the past and he knows one of Kova's children, maybe her only one.

He was convinced it was more than just a dream or maybe it was just a prank from one of the other squires, doubtful but he hasn't completely ruled that out. "There's also another legend, not completely connected to the well, but it says of four heroes that did one final service to Kova before she was killed, they saved her son by taking him underground."

Garland paused, thinking about the events of the past. "There was a mage of extraordinary power, with his staff he could destroy an entire wing of knights if he so wishes." Images of Clyde flashed in his mind, of him blasting his way with his staff.

"Another was the White Raven, a kelvic that was their eyes and ears in the sky, she was a mapmaker and artist, she was a kind soul." A flash of images of Dust surfaced into Garland's head.

"Then... Another mage, his weapon was fear, and he was good at it, he even scared his companions." Aerius came to mind, his green hair was vibrant, and just thinking about him sent a chill down Garland's spine.

"The last one was no one special, a knight barely out of his teenhood, but he was there, serving as a shield to the mages, while they fought their way out of Suva and into the underground caverns."

[Dovey]

Dovey nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder how many mizas are down there," she mused, gripping the inside rim of the well and leaning over to peer into the blackness below. It was so deep, or so dry, that she couldn't so much as make out the water at the bottom. "Anyone that found a way to fish them all out would probably be rich." Not that she had any aspirations of doing so herself; still, it was a nice daydream, the like of other potential treasure-hunting enterprises. "There's also another legend..." Garland began, and something about the way he shaped the words caught Dovey's ear. She looked up from the well, blue eyes fastening on his face as he spoke. He sounded... how did he sound? Cautious, perhaps? Wistful? She had no idea, but this story was not being told with the same casual tone as the previous one. She paid attention. The powerful mage was standard fare in these sorts of tales, but the White Raven surprised her. "A kelvic?" she murmured, eyebrows flicking skyward - kelvics were just slaves, she had always thought - then worried she had interrupted Garland. She steadied her hands on the rim of the well, looking to him once more for the rest of the story. Another mage, and then a knight, but he was "no one special" according to Garland. That was odd; you hardly ever heard legends where all the heroes weren't masters of their arts. "Any knight who was part of such a dangerous quest couldn't be that unskilled," she said aloud. "He even reminds me of you." She turned to face Garland fully, resting her hip against the stone of the well, determined to get some flirting done despite the deadening weight in her chest. "A young, dashing, courageous knight, defending his companions as well as the innocent they had come to save... well, all right, I haven't actually seen you doing anything like that, but it's early yet. And you certainly are dashing." She smiled up at him, crookedly. Her words were perhaps not as free-flowing as they would have been had Dovey been happy, or drunk, or both. Still, they weren't calculated; she was genuinely interested in Garland. She only hoped he could sense that despite the forced quality in her tone.

[Garland]

Garland just smiled when she listed off things a dashing white knight would do. All she'd seen him do was get drunk and pass out on her floor.

"Dashing Knight, I am not, my lady." Garland thought about what she said. "He was an expert with his weapon, but compared to someone who can control the elements and fear itself, and a kelvic, he was very boring."

"Some Kelvics are free, the White Raven was one of them." Garland leaned down into the well, and addressed Dovey's first statement. "Probably rich, the knights don't touch the money in the well because they say you'll get cursed by the ghost of Kova, and I'm sure she's listening to us right now. Well... It might be Kova, or maybe someone else, who knows, though people say she does grant wishes."

Garland smiled at her flirting. "I would kiss your right now, but my breath smells like vomit and ale." He laughed and almost fell down the well. "Oh Jeez!" He just barely caught himself, and just laughed it off.

Garland held her hand, his fingers intertwined with her and he smiled. "Lovers come here and throw down coins for good luck and prosperous relationships." He said and dropped down a single silver coin. "That wish was for you." He smiled knowingly and let go.

Garland looked further into the park and saw the Stone Gardens further in. "The Stone Gardens! A perfect place to relax, shame we didn't bring any food with us, it's a good place for a picnic, do you want to go there, or do you want to stay near the well?"