Private Tales Sins of the Father, Part III: Catharsis

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
There were plenty more people like that in Vel Anir. Alistair knew that because his father had worked with most of them. It was how he had survived this long. A parasite to parasites.

Alistair took a sip of his second drink and leaned his back pressing his back against the headpiece of the bed. He let the taste of the alcohol move around his mouth the same way he was letting Ral's words move around in his head.

It would be nice. Focus on his family. Make sure his soon-to-be little brother was raised properly. His mom would need help as she slowly got over her drug addiction. Alistair would be the only one left to help them...

"Yeah, I suppose that would be pretty easy...I just don't think I could, Ral. Our entire life we were trained as killers and soldiers...to suddenly turn over a new leaf as some sort of merchant. It might drive me mad...No, I think I would rather stick with what I am good at."

He could always find others to help manage the family affairs and the business. He would just be needed for the final decisions and such.

"I'll still try and get you some good deals."

Ralene
 
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Ral could respect that choice - declining to take up that life. In fact she wouldn't have thought any different of Al had he said he wanted nothing to do with them. That they could figure shit out on their own. There was something to said about excising what could have been viewed as nothing more than a cancerous tumor. She fully intended to do just that, herself, once the time was right.

But that he'd still try to get her some good deals, well, that cracked a half smile for her.

"Knew you'd come through for me," after all, what good were friends if they couldn't be used for discounts and target practice?

She downed the rest of her drink and capped it at one. Didn't need the buzz ahead of their plans for the twilight hours but she could use some shut-eye. Ral set her empty tumbler down on the end table and moved to take up the other side of the bed. Stretching, she reclined back into the mountain of pillows and found herself nearly swallowed by them.

"Tell me this isn't how nobles really sleep..." Ral remarked dryly from within the pile, "how many pillows does a person need?" This was an absurd amount of pillows.
 
"No, we nobles would never dirty themselves with beds. We just sleep in large piles of pillows."

Alistair shot back sarcastically with a grin.

Seeing Ral lay on the bed, Alistair fell into the other side of the bed, but he did not plan on sleeping. He would just lay there for a bit, with his thoughts. That probably wasn't exactly a good thing right now, but it was what he had.

"Don't worry. When we get back I'll get you as many pillows as you want."

Ralene
 
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Was that humor? Had she gotten past his morose to the spine-covered humor? Gods, finally.

"That explains everything," she replied.

With Al's weight dropping onto the bed beside her, Ral loosed a deep sigh of contentment. Yet pillows, of all things? She snorted, chuckled, grabbed the pillow beside her and whopped it lazily over him, "I don't want your damn pillows."

"I just want you to continue carving your poisoned love letters into my flesh."

Because that in particular took knowledge, skill, and a certain amount of trust from her. Joke with him as she might, he was one of the few she did so with, simply because he'd earned that trust and respect from her. Being able to repay him for that with the Runesaber hadn't really seemed balanced. There were several other Initiates he could have gone to with similar skills to her own to craft something like that.

But he'd come to her in his greatest time of need against his father. That said something.
 
Alistair laughed as he left the pillow and lightly smack him in the face before pulling it away. The pillows had been slightly funny to him since he had grown up with the same shitty sleeping arrangement as any other initiate. Wait, was it funny or was he so emotionally so unstable that it was just the first random other emotion that made him crack...

The poison love letters did make him laugh, there was something so ironically macabre about thinking of the runes like that. If it was true, then the Academy truly did love them in their own special way. As the name suggested though, it was killing them slowly.

"I'll write you letters anytime, feel free to write back. To receive a love letter from Ralene. The others will be so jealous."

Maybe he had just cracked...Even so, it did not really matter. Most of the initiates at the Academy were broken. Hell, Alistair had already been broken. Now he was just...more broken.

Ralene
 
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"Hommm..." Ralene smirked within the pillows, "I've never written a letter to anyone. ...not a casual letter, anyway."

Any written exchanges had been missives to or from ranking officers. Standing orders. Mission updates. There was that fake letter she'd written from Wissburg but that certainly didn't count. She couldn't honestly say she'd been in love with anyone either. That was a much further stretch, but rare emotions had recently begun to bubble to the surface at the most inopportune times. Ral couldn't say just what, but when it happened it left her at a loss for words.

But to exchange letters with Al sounded ... nice. Especially since her fate as an Anirian Knight would pull her away from everything she knew. They would all be separated after graduation, that was almost an assured certainty, and Alistair was one such Initiate she thought she might like to keep in touch with for reasons.

"I don't think I've ever received a letter from anyone either," Ral replied at length, inhaling sharply as she rolled to sit up, situating herself on her side against the pillows, lookin at Al, "at least not one that didn't have orders or mission briefs. Threats." Her smirk returned - oh yes, she had gotten hand-written threatening notes from other Initiates. But no one had ever been dumb enough to do that twice, mostly because she'd broken their hand for the first one.

"Sounds ... nice. Though I can't see why anyone would be jealous."
 
When Ralene turned on her side, Alistair turned to meet her gaze with a smile.

"I write all the time, mostly to my secret lovers, but sometimes...used to be my dad...I guess those were more reports."

The last bit of that comment threatened to bring Alistair's mood right back down, but he shook himself out of it and continued the conversation with Ralene.

"We can keep in touch after Graduation. I'm sure our work will take us to plenty of places...I guess I could throw in an order or a threat if you really wanted me to if that is what you are into, but it seems a bit weird to me." He said with a light smirk.

"Really, you can't think of anyone that would be jealous?"

Ralene
 
Ralene's dark brows shot up so high they were nearly lost within her hairline.

"Hold up-" forgo everything Al just said except for, "secret lovers?"

Part of her believed that was a full blown lie. But a small part of her was almost eager to be shocked to learn that Alistair Krixus kept a harem of secret lovers.

"Al - are you bullshittin' me?" skeptical didn't begin to describe the expression on her face.
 
Alistair slowly got up from the bed and moved over to pour himself another drink. A small smirk remained on his face, but nothing more. Al had a very good poker face.

"Sadly, we will never know."

He filled his cup to the very edge before taking a long swig, and then made his way back over to take a seat on the bed.

"No changing the subject. You want to talk about mine, but we can't avoid your own. You have quite a many that would be interested in your attention."

Ralene
 
Ralene's own smirk followed him from the bed, dark eyes narrowing. It was good to see he was capable of playing coy, made him seem like less of a sop and more of a human. For a while Ral wasn't even sure Al had much of a personality, but she supposed the same could be said for herself by most all the other Initiates.

She'd kept to herself on purpose. It simplified things.

"Do I now? News to me. Please, enlighten me to this apparent fan club of mine."
 
Alistair rolled his eyes and down the remainder of the second drink. He was not letting the crudeness of the conversation deter him, maybe the drinks were giving him bravery.

"The sexual tension between you and Ed has always been there. Not to mention, that every lesser initiate with strange mommy issues has a thing for you."

It was only upon saying it that he realized that there were probably a lot of initiates with mommy issues given the nature of the Academy. At that, he burst into laughter for a moment.

"Although, none of them likely have the balls to talk to you."

Ralene
 
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Wry humor cleanly drove itself across Ralene's face. Al hit one nail on the head - though she'd never thought what was between herself and Ed could have been called tension. Tension required a sense of neither side giving in to the pull, which just wasn't the case. The tension there had been broken years ago but Ral wasn't the type to kiss-and-tell.

Or fuck-and-tell, as the case may be.

She watched him smugly, noting how quickly he drained ...what was that now? Drink number 3?

"Those don't count. Ed doesn't have the capacity to be jealous and mommy-issues don't walk."
 
"I'm sure he does. He has just never tried. As for the mommy issues...agree to disagree."

He did not have a folder on Ralene's love life, but he felt like that was more than enough evidence. He sighed as he relaxed into the bed. A part of him wanted another drink, but they had work to do later. He could get drunk after that.

"Why are you so against you having a fan club? Don't like the idea of being idolized?"

Most of the initiates sported athletic figures, and most of the initiates found scars attractive. Actual ability was also attractive, so it seemed obvious that Ralene would have developed a fan club. Edric probably had one too. They always like the brooding, mysterious types.

Ralene
 
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The idea of Edric trying to be jealous was an absurd one. It would imply that Edric actually cared. Ralene wasn't sure she felt convinced of this. There was some anecdotal evidence that came to mind, but none of it had been verified by Edric's word and she highly doubted it ever would.

Ral watched him rejoin her on the bed, eyeing him like a lounging predator at complete ease.

"I'd rather be respected," she replied firmly, "I'll take that any day over useless idolization. Why are you so stuck on my having a fan club?" the Initiate leaned forward with a pointed stare, "Is it because you're in it?"
 
"Oh, I'm in it alright...Though I suppose I'm in a completely separate fan club for you. Don't get me wrong, you are beautiful. I am just far more attracted by your skills and abilities in the forge."

Normally, Ralene's challenge would have sent Alistair blushing, but the alcohol was providing a bit of protection to his innocent sensibilities.

"I think it is just ironic that the people who want to avoid such things the most often are the ones who get them."

Finally, he focused on her first comment.

"I can agree with the first thing you said. Cheers, to being respected!"

He raised his empty glass.

Ralene
 
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So she'd gone from really pretty to beautiful and it only took him three drinks. Ralene could not recall a time where amusement saturated her as much as now, watching Alistair slip into his cups. She had a mind to encourage him to keep going - it wasn't as if she needed him for the mission. It had been a solo mission to start, he was just here for his alibi.

Her eyes briefly drifted to the tumbler, devoid of any drink, before looking back at him, "Al, it's bad luck to cheers with an empty glass. Are you trying to jinx my desire for respect? Fill that glass up."
 
Alistair was not going to be fooled by such an obvious ploy. Well, that looked to be the case for all of ten seconds as he looked at her. That was quickly proven wrong as he broke out into another grin and he poured himself another drink.

"Good point. It's only polite."

This time, Alistair might have filled up his glass a bit more than the earlier drinks.

"Cheers to respect and fan clubs!"

With his second toast speaking out a bit louder than the last, his filled cup drew him in as he took down another large swig of his beverage.

Ralene
 
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Ral's smugness continued. Yeah, this was definitely worth passing up some shut-eye. She shifted on the pile of pillows, pulling one down to hug around and lean onto in a similar vein to her previous snuggle-accosting of Al in her own bed.

"That's better," she smirked as her chin sank into the upper part of the pillow, "now back to these Secret Lovers... let me guess ... Kristen."

That was definitely a no. Kristen was too proper for a lover outside of wedlock. The very idea would probably send her sputtering. Mostly Ral just wanted to wind Al back up again.
 
Alistair was suddenly coughing as he choked on some of his drink. Shit that burned. Really? Kristen was the first person she went to. The idea was enough to bring a look of terror across his face...but also the idea wasn't that bad.

"No, very much no. Not only do I not feel like being strung up by the Pirian House, but I already have too many high nobles."

The idea of Alistair having a swath of secret lovers was humorous in itself. When would he have the time to make that happen? He was almost always at the Academy. Unless all the lovers were other initiates, which was terrifying in its own right, then this joke was just that, a joke.

Ralene
 
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The smirk hidden within the plush of the pillow was devious as she watched him choke on his drink.

"Mmm," Ral nodded, "I see. Can't saturate the pool too much with that noble blood. That means Liliana is out," not that she ever expected Liliana to bed anything less than a Prince. For certain she thought that highly of herself.

"But now I know it's Nobles ... did you get the Sirl Heir? Eli's sister? She's pretty ..."
 
Alistair just rolled his eyes while he tried to let the burning in his throat fade away. There is something about an alcoholic beverage going up your nose that really speeds up the process.

"You got me Ral. It's all of them. Even Liliana, but I had to turn her down."

That last sentence even left Alistair unsettled, feeling like that was a little too dangerous to joke about.

"I, Alistair Krixus just secretly move around and sow my oats across all the noble lineage of Vel Anir."

Ralene
 
"That's a feat," Ral chuckled, "I'd say Eli had to look out for you but he sows his oats in brothels."

Which, well, she couldn't hardly blame him. Ralene hit the brothels up as well, just not on a schedule like Eli did, and she wasn't sowing any oats. Mostly she used them as flop houses when traveling for missions - it was good to have the connections and the information from the brothel workers. It was also good to have a seasoned bedmate to unwind with.

"So you don't have any secret lovers," she finally clarified and then hit him with a wry look, "would you like one?"
 
Alistair chuckled at the Eli dig before relaxing deeper into the bed. At some point, his drink had been refilled. Hm, he did not remember that, but he would not complain.

"No, I very much do not."

The second part of the question made him pause. Not just because it was Ralene who asked the question, but also because it was something he had considered several times before.

"I'm not sure, although I have thought about it. The stress relief does sound appealing as do other parts...but the whole dynamic of lovers just tends to be problematic, if you know what I mean."

He remembered when he was younger, his father had betrothed him to the daughter of some merchant house. That wasn't a problem, as he rarely had time to see her, but he remembered some of the letters she sent. They were absolutely dreadful. They were all so boring and about the most nonsensical events. Thankfully, that marriage fell through when the family had gone bankrupt.

Ralene
 
And despite being on his 4th drink, he was still overthinking things. Typical Al, as she was learning.

"It's only as problematic as you let it be. Your first problem is calling them lovers. Only use that term when you want feelings and complications involved," which an Initiate had no time for. She'd seen lovers quarrels and trysts burn down whole circles of Initiates. Not that it particularly mattered before the revolution when, at the end of the day, everyone you knew in the Academy was considered a dead kid walking.

But now? Now it was just messy.

"A more appropriate term is fuck buddy," Ral continued, eyeing Al for the reaction she felt was coming on the crassness of such a title, "bedmate or ... pillow pal might work better for you."
 
Alistair seemed to fall into thought as he contemplated Ral's remarks, while he contemplated his drink. Whatever was going on in his mind would remain a mystery, until he confirmed Ral's thoughts.

"All of those titles seem so...crass."

Every inch of etiquette and decorum inside Alistair cringed when he heard such terms. His father had told him about the noble function that whores performed for society...Of course, he did.

"Maybe some more simple like...acquaintance." Alistair offered unhelpfully.

"You do make a good point though. The problems are only as large as the emotions allowed in."

Ralene
 
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