I searched beyond the clouds

[unasked_for]

[Fenris is stalking through Mayfield today, looking uncomfortable and irritable in the clothing Mayfield has provided for him. There must have been a time before he wore his armor constantly, taking it off only to clean and repair it or for sleep, but those days have been forgotten. It feels like walking around without his skin.

Skin which is, of course, devoid of the lyrium markings. He still feels phantom pain, as though they are there, and the shock is fresh every time he looks down and sees only unmarred skin. And this is, of course, only speaking of his own personal issues; there are plenty of other things around Mayfield (like cars) which are only adding to his aggravated bafflement, only serving to make him feel that much more out of place.

He is, to put it mildly, not adjusting well.

But he's determined to explore this town, even if he's given up on finding anything so unlikely as satisfactory answers. He wants to know where the important locations are, where his home (and the Arishok's, who's the only person thus far he trusts here) lies in relation to everything else, and in particular where the post office is. He also wants to get a feel for the other captives of this place...which is easier said than done, given that he's usually only social when prodded. Or drunk.

Feel free to approach the grumpy elf!]

Comments

[unasked-for.livejournal.com]

So...endure a trial, and be rewarded? If returning the things stolen from us to begin with could be called a reward, I suppose. But at least there almost seems to be some logic to it, now. [He's speaking half to himself.

When Flay mentions the post office, however, he meets the man's gaze squarely.] What do they demand of you there?

[justiceinamask.livejournal.com]

Well, kind of. It doesn't seem to matter if you die during the event, you just have to... still be here at the end. [He shrugs, thinking a moment.] I guess you come back after a day or so if you get killed, here.

[The question catches him a little off-guard - well, no, it's more the meeting of their gaze, since most people kind of avoid his for some reason - and he shrugs.] I think it probably depends. When Anna got her sword back, they took something like half of her fingers. I haven't been there, myself.

[unasked-for.livejournal.com]

You...what? [Fenris is staring at him. Not even the most powerful magic of his world can bring back the dead - well, not to true life. Corpses and skeletons can be raised through blood magic, but that's hardly resurrection. Demons sometimes promise it, or give illusions of it, but not even they can truly grant it.

You're going to eventually need to repeat that last bit, Flay. The first remark has his full attention.] This place brings people back to life?

[justiceinamask.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was surprised, too. It was... I'd seen Vayne do it once, but not like this. Besides, he doesn't have his powers back anyway...

I guess, for whatever reason, this place seems to need us alive. I'd say I wasn't quite dead, but I'm pretty sure I was. Whatever spell he used, Theo was pretty thorough. Not sure how much of my head was left, after all that. [And it's probably better that he didn't see it...]

[unasked-for.livejournal.com]

[Fenris isn't following most of this, and doesn't really try to. It's the overall message that's important, not the details.] You have died here. [It's in a tone of disbelief, but...the man is clearly no revenant, no corpse or shambling skeleton. He seems as alive and uncorrupted as Fenris.

How can it even be possible...?]

[justiceinamask.livejournal.com]

[All things considered, that's probably for the best. Latch onto the important parts and... try... to keep Flay on task.]

Hm? Yeah. I died... must have been a week or so ago, now? I just woke up in the house, like nothing had happened to me. Well, I mean, I remember it, and when everything went black, but it was still... really weird.

[unasked-for.livejournal.com]

I would...imagine so, yes. [Fenris...doesn't even know what to think about this. It sounds unbelievable, but why would a complete stranger lie to him? He can't see what Flay could gain from it. He's just going to be...kind of lost in thought, here.]

[justiceinamask.livejournal.com]

[Quite unbelievable, and someone with more invested in "giving a damn" might say something about it. As it is, this particular stranger just shrugs.]

At least it means we don't have so much to worry about, though. ... The whole town's pretty hostile, sometimes, so it's kind of nice to know that death's not permanent, haha!

[What, did you expect him to shut his mouth for more than five seconds? Sorry, Fenris.]

[unasked-for.livejournal.com]

Hostile? How so? Everything here seems...peaceful. Almost irritatingly so.

[justiceinamask.livejournal.com]

Well, they are, most of the time. But I guess there's something wrong with the milk, and the Milkman's some kind of crazy axe-murderer? A little girl named Lucy Smith seems to be running the place. Just a few weeks ago, the whole town turned into a huge mess.

.... I missed a lot of it, being dead and all, but I guess there was a huge battle, but it all turned out to be a lie.

[unasked-for.livejournal.com]

[This is the point where Fenris decides you're an unreliable source of information and just gives up on listening to you entirely, Flay.] I see. [This is completely noncommittal.]

[justiceinamask.livejournal.com]

[Your problem, Fenris. You'll understand when the time comes.]

Haha, well, not now, but you will. [Noncommittal? What does that mean? It means "Keep talking", right? Right???]