Book 2, Chapter 4
4:In Which Adon Puts His Talents To Good Use
After another day well-spent in wandering aimlessly around Olinscarr, first stewing and not looking at really anything, then falling into a pattern of feeling sickened and useless and heart-sick and wondering at the veracity of his source and then being horrified that, apparently, his family was even worse than he'd previously thought, which led back to step one, all while he was taking many many steps and trying not to do the easy thing, which would be to find a place to get a drink and just stay there getting more than just ten drinks - eventually, Ädon Sorrover wandered his feet-are-so-damn-tired way back to Nináyen District and to his house, where he tried to do to the responsible things and go to bed for ten hours.
Perhaps half a candle into that intended sleep, Mehy woke him up.
He smelled cauha. This was important. Ädon rubbed his eyes. "Mh - yes?"
"Bá, I need your help. Now, please."
And that woke him up far faster than would otherwise have been possible. Ädon sat up: There was Mehy, setting out cauha and cookies and being in general far more patient than the situation warranted. And there in the corner-chair was his son.
It was the third time in the past tenday he'd seen Tïmaeus. First at the sámyingi, the death-drinking, for Vïsney. (He didn't remember a lot of that.) Second a couple days ago, when Tïmaeus had brought the Topsider to tell him - all she'd told him. (He remembered that very, very well.)
And ... now?
"Tïmaeus?"
"Please. As soon as you can. Here," and he went and took a cup of cauha from Mehy and brought it over to Ädon.
Ädon took it wonderingly, drank some, and stood up. "Something must be wrong. You're being unprecedentedly polite."
"Just get dressed. Please, as soon as you can, and come with me."
Not even a glimmer of counter-sarcasm. This was serious, then. Ädon put his cauha down and started pulling on last night's clothes.
"May I at least as what this is about, then?"
A pause. Mehy looked at Tïmaeus, nodded to herself, and left. Tïmaeus turned, and Ädon got a look at his face.
"The Topsider's got a broken spine and arms, some ribs, and I think a fracture in her skull. I need your help to fix them."
Ädon lowered his shirt. "... you want ... me to help..."
"Yes, Bá, I do! Now, please! I've done all I can, made sure she's living - the King of the Wind brought her to Esce, and this whole night," Ädon saw suddenly that the rings under his son's eyes were dark, and he looked grimy and unwashed, "this whole night I've been tending to her, making sure she didn't die - please, Bá, I need you to come!"
Ädon paused.
Leaving him here again? D'you want me to call him to say goodbye to you?
No, I'd rather not.
Ah, so you'd rather leave him with the impression that he can't rely on his father. I understand.
Ädon pulled his shirt on. He grabbed his accoutrements, then his tools from the chest in the corner, stuffed them in a bag, downed his cauha, and followed Tïmaeus.
It was a carded door to Esce, which meant waiting while Tïmaeus took his cards out, laid the Esce one on a door-face, and then opened and closed it til it generated an entrance he was satisfied with. "The King of the Wind's got her in the Dancing Pear, out in Little-Snout's Village" he said, and led Ädon through the unlit streets of Esce, just starting to lighten toward greening. There was one place with a light on upstairs, and Tïmaeus made his way there, and in, and upstairs, and into the room. [more detail here.]
The cauha was working. [sees Kellerin.]
Äáïäō
~:~:~
I BACK TO THIS <3
(PS: no complaints: will edit!)
After another day well-spent in wandering aimlessly around Olinscarr, first stewing and not looking at really anything, then falling into a pattern of feeling sickened and useless and heart-sick and wondering at the veracity of his source and then being horrified that, apparently, his family was even worse than he'd previously thought, which led back to step one, all while he was taking many many steps and trying not to do the easy thing, which would be to find a place to get a drink and just stay there getting more than just ten drinks - eventually, Ädon Sorrover wandered his feet-are-so-damn-tired way back to Nináyen District and to his house, where he tried to do to the responsible things and go to bed for ten hours.
Perhaps half a candle into that intended sleep, Mehy woke him up.
He smelled cauha. This was important. Ädon rubbed his eyes. "Mh - yes?"
"Bá, I need your help. Now, please."
And that woke him up far faster than would otherwise have been possible. Ädon sat up: There was Mehy, setting out cauha and cookies and being in general far more patient than the situation warranted. And there in the corner-chair was his son.
It was the third time in the past tenday he'd seen Tïmaeus. First at the sámyingi, the death-drinking, for Vïsney. (He didn't remember a lot of that.) Second a couple days ago, when Tïmaeus had brought the Topsider to tell him - all she'd told him. (He remembered that very, very well.)
And ... now?
"Tïmaeus?"
"Please. As soon as you can. Here," and he went and took a cup of cauha from Mehy and brought it over to Ädon.
Ädon took it wonderingly, drank some, and stood up. "Something must be wrong. You're being unprecedentedly polite."
"Just get dressed. Please, as soon as you can, and come with me."
Not even a glimmer of counter-sarcasm. This was serious, then. Ädon put his cauha down and started pulling on last night's clothes.
"May I at least as what this is about, then?"
A pause. Mehy looked at Tïmaeus, nodded to herself, and left. Tïmaeus turned, and Ädon got a look at his face.
"The Topsider's got a broken spine and arms, some ribs, and I think a fracture in her skull. I need your help to fix them."
Ädon lowered his shirt. "... you want ... me to help..."
"Yes, Bá, I do! Now, please! I've done all I can, made sure she's living - the King of the Wind brought her to Esce, and this whole night," Ädon saw suddenly that the rings under his son's eyes were dark, and he looked grimy and unwashed, "this whole night I've been tending to her, making sure she didn't die - please, Bá, I need you to come!"
Ädon paused.
Leaving him here again? D'you want me to call him to say goodbye to you?
No, I'd rather not.
Ah, so you'd rather leave him with the impression that he can't rely on his father. I understand.
Ädon pulled his shirt on. He grabbed his accoutrements, then his tools from the chest in the corner, stuffed them in a bag, downed his cauha, and followed Tïmaeus.
It was a carded door to Esce, which meant waiting while Tïmaeus took his cards out, laid the Esce one on a door-face, and then opened and closed it til it generated an entrance he was satisfied with. "The King of the Wind's got her in the Dancing Pear, out in Little-Snout's Village" he said, and led Ädon through the unlit streets of Esce, just starting to lighten toward greening. There was one place with a light on upstairs, and Tïmaeus made his way there, and in, and upstairs, and into the room. [more detail here.]
The cauha was working. [sees Kellerin.]
Äáïäō
~:~:~
I BACK TO THIS <3
(PS: no complaints: will edit!)