Fable - Ask The Canal

[Kalix]

If only Walter Banick knew that Kalix couldn’t even spell temperance (temperence? Temperince?) correctly, much less execute it. Being loud and proud? That was his thing. He didn’t give a one, single, flying fuck when he went into battle and that was why he had all the power. But they weren’t going to battle, at least with the way Walter Banick was talking, it sounded like they were just supposed to stand around and… look cool? Kalix could do that.

But there was one thing he couldn’t do.

“Sir… wait, no, Lord? Lord Banick?” Kalix’s hand shot up, the slight jingle of his chain mail could be heard. “What do you mean by crossing the bay?” The smell of salt water, the call of seabirds or water birds or whatever those fish-eating birds were to be called, was starting to make Kalix nervous. No wagons? No horses? They surely weren’t going to by a boat. Surely not. The proctors would never put Kalix on a mission that involved water.

“I thought a canal was just a fancy word for a big bridge?” He said, looking at Kristen. She was bad at math but she said a lot of fancy words all the time. And then he looked at Raf. Then at Alistair. All the while his smug expression was getting more and more frantic by the second as he searched for some sort of reassurance from them. Any moment now, Kristen would pip up and say he was right. Or Alistair would sigh and roll his eyes and say something like “yeah a canal is a big bridge, Kalix, you’re so smart and the tallest.”

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Oh, that was such low-hanging fruit. Alistair wanted nothing more than to walk over to Kalix and with a big smile on his face tell him that there would be no boats but in a completely shit-eating sort of way. Sadly, the incident from last night was still fresh in his mind and holding him back from any sort of action.

Instead, he continued his professional bearing. He went over the perimeters in his head. Maybe there was a way they could use Kalix as bait, so he could not mess up the mission. No, he would have to give him the benefit of the doubt on this. They were all dreadlord initiates. They should all be competent.

"It's just a quick little trip, Kalix. Just close your eyes for the whole time." He suggested in a genuinely helpful tone.

Now was not the time for team problems, so if he could help Kalix through this then he would. If only so that he did not slow them down.

Walter Banick Raf Kalix Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"Understood," Kristen said as sharply as she could manage. It actually wasn't even that difficult to be firm in this case. She genuinely was relieved by Lord Banick's expectations and the restraint he wanted from each of them. Yes, she wanted to be better, to become more of the Dreadlord she was supposed to be. She wanted to emulate Edric and Noel more closely.

And yet, that said, she was nevertheless terrified of the threshold she would have to cross. Edric did it effortlessly, Noel efficiently. They were no strangers to living up to the Dreadlord ideal. They were no strangers to using their powers to the fullest.

To...to...killing.

Kristen swallowed. The thought alone filled her with a cocktail of nauseating emotion: doubt, worry, fear. Horror. Had Edric and Noel felt this way too? Had Kalix? Had Evangeline? Zana? Selene? Did Raf and Alistair feel this way now? Of them she was unsure--too late had she come to the Academy to know what all they had endured, what missions they had been on. Oh. Was she sensing an unease from them on account of this? Or...or was she simply projecting her own upon them, and that's why she wanted to talk to them so intently? Looking for comfort in a shared disquiet?

She was brought back to the here and now by Kalix, asking a question of Lord Banick. Alright, now there was a disquiet--not the kind which troubled Kristen, but one clear to see from Kalix. Alistair, with a forgiving grace quite endearing considering his quarrel with Kalix yesterday, gave a small reassurance.

Kristen, gently, sought to answer his question, "N-No, Kalix, a canal is an artificial waterway made in the land."

She glanced over to Raf. In truth, her ability and desire to assuage Kalix's unease was countered quite handily by his intimidating presence. Maybe...Raf had words of wisdom?

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Walter Banick]

No shortsighted protests against his rules of engagement. Good. Oftentimes, any dealings with elves were complicated more by his own people and allies than by any action on the part of the elves themselves. The Anirians who lived in the southeast, along the fuzzy borders with Falwood and the elven lands, had a complex relationship with elvenkind. The vast majority of those who lived removed from said borders had a more straightforward and, in cases like this, detrimental opinion.

No dissent, but Initiate Kalix had a question. One that strained Walter's ability to find merit within. Yet, this was why Initiate Kalix, and indeed the others as well, were here. It was why the Academy sent them out on such varied missions. The gaps they possessed in their experience, whatever shortcomings of knowledge or character, needed to be exposed and patched. They had to face them. Never would they improve if they did not.

Initiate Kalix's peers were helpful, and it gave heart to Walter to see it be so. Yes, individual prowess was emphasized heavily at the Academy. Exclusively, even. But Walter, as a military man, took no small joy in seeing the glimpse of them working as a team. If he could be so lucky, mayhap he'd be able to inspire within them a sense of camaraderie for one another before this campaign was over.

"Board the lead boat," Walter said, pointing across the docks to the transport vessel straight ahead from the gates. "We depart within the hour."

With that, Walter, followed by his sizeable entourage, stepped into Ostia Anir's busy and crowded harbor. He would see to the accounting and review of his forward companies, some five hundred men in total, and his rear companies, numbering one thousand, before the mission was set to begin.

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Raf]

"Yeah." Raf said, suddenly very glad that he had already decided he would not be following Kalix through all of this.

Alistair seemed calm enough, smart too, and even though Kristen had the look of a lost little duckling she was at least not a bloodthirsty murder. She wasn't entirely sure if any of them were 'leadership' material, but the two of those could definitely take the job.

At least in his mind. "Don't worry about it."

He told Kalix, deciding that his part might be keeping the other lad in line.

"Boat's are just...think of them like large wagons that move over water." A shrug rolled over his shoulder. "You're much more likely to die riding a horse than you are taking a ship."

Raf wasn't sure where he had heard that from, but he was sure he'd heard it. A frown touched his face, and then he volunteered a bit more about his own family without thinking. "My father is a merchant, and he's only lost like...two ships to storms, and I'm sure there won't be any of those."

Wait...wasn't it the stormy season?

Eh that probably wouldn't matter.

 

[Kalix]

Kalix grew quiet and looked up at the sky after everyone had finished speaking. Canal wasn’t a bridge, the dirty ass proctors had set him up. Closing his eyes wouldn’t help, he’d feel the sway. And even though Kalix was an idiot, it was stormy season! So that meant they had a hundred percent chance of drowning! All of them! Didn’t they understand that?

No, of course not, because they were all idiots.

“You can’t breathe under water. It burns if you try.” He said when he could finally form coherent thoughts together. Kalix couldn’t explain it, but goosebumps began covering his arms, the translucent hair on the back of his neck beginning to raise up. Kalix was going to die today. He was sure of it.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair watched Walter Banick walk away before focusing back on the group, It seems the first challenge they would have to solve would be Kalix's fear of...either water or boats. It was most likely water.

"What if I could make it so that it wouldn't burn you. I can make a rune for that so that you would be safe."

Did Alistair really have a rune for that? Not entirely. He was not completely sure what he meant by burn, but he could make a rune that helps him breathe underwater, or float.

"Kalix, I know this isn't ideal, but this is the mission we were given and we have to finish it."

There was no joking or mean-spiritedness in his voice at this moment. Alistair was all business and this was simply another job. To succeed, they would need the entire team.

Kristen Pirian Kalix Raf

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Raf was doing great--better than Kristen, suffering from the push and pull of genuinely wanting to help Kalix but being too afraid of him to do so--all up until the end. Oh dear. Maybe...maybe honesty wasn't the best policy in this specific instance?

Alistair continued to impress with his tact and composure. Ohhh, what an awful shame it was that Vel'Yuna had happened! A night of drunken debauchery, making an absolute fool of herself in front of him! T'was only a small comfort that he, too, like everyone else, had partaken just a bit too much, b-but that was no excuse for Kristen to have had such a grievous lapse in decorum!

She squeezed her fingers into fists, then released them. Squeezed and released, working out the tingles of stress.

Kalix had a fear of the water, or boats, or the sea itself, something of the sort. They were all asking him to overcome that fear for the sake of the mission. So wasn't it fair, then, for Kristen to overcome her fear of Kalix as well and try to help him?

Alright, okay. But, what shall I tell him? How was it best to encourage him?

After a moment's thought, an idea did in fact come to mind. One that played off of her own nervousness.

She stepped forward, worried genuinely and worried for effect, clutching hold of Kalix's arm and giving it an anxious squeeze. She had bent forward at the waist just enough to lower herself so she could look up to Kalix with pleading in her eyes. "And we cannot finish it without you! You're the tallest among us, Kalix--we would be lost without you!"

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Raf]

Huh.

He really wouldn't have thought that water was going to be the thing to stop Kalix. Ghosts had honestly seemed to be the far more likely, and threatening, option. If they had taken wagers Raf was sure that the ocean would be the last thing the boy was afraid of.

Raf frowned for a moment, rubbing a hand against the stubble on his face. "Y-yeah, buddy."

The Mimic said, trying to be as encouraging as the other two.

"We-we wouldn't know where to even go after the canal..." The lie was about as obvious as could be, but Raf was taking his queues from Kristen and Alistair. He assumed that both of them were doing the same, but mostly because he was still sure that he was actually taller than Kalix.

"It's...just a short leg of the trip?" He said cautiously. "And...you're the bravest Initiate I know...?"

That wasn't entirely a lie, but mostly because he couldn't remember all of the other Initiates.

 

[Kalix]

Kalix’s gold gaze was slowly turning towards everyone as they spoke, and with each person, Kalix began to realize something. They didn’t realize how dangerous water was. For a moment, he was off in his own world, remembering a few things about some of his more extreme punishments. There was one time in particular that Kalix couldn’t quite remember, or rather, he was too scared to try and bring it up.

Kalix was never much of an inward person anyways, and so to reflect on his feelings wouldn’t happen. Especially something as complex as he was currently feeling.

“Stop acting like I’m scared,” Kalix growled, but he did nothing to shake Kristen off of him or to even glare at Alistair or Raf. “Obviously I’m not. I’m just worried about you losers falling overboard and drowning.” He then barked out a shaky laugh, “‘cuz I won’t be diving in there to save any of you!” The most honest thing Kalix had yet to say the entire trip. Yes, he most definitely was not going to do anything that could cause him to actually go into these fearsome deeps!

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"Thank you for your consideration," Alistair said to Kalix.

Alistair was not worried in the least, and he doubted any of the others were. In fact, Alistair was a rather strong swimmer compared to many, not to mention the multitudes of magic that could help with things like that.

"Then, if that is all you are worried about, then we can just tie ourselves to pieces of the ship while we ride. That way we always have a part of ourselves attached to the ship."

There, problem solved. It was efficient and it considered Kalix's claimed worries while also providing the least amount of work. The problem seemed solved to Alistair so he began to look around at the others.

"Once we are on board, we can do that quick enough...Kalix, it might be better if you are below deck."

Raf Kristen Pirian Kalix

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen nodded fervently following Alistair's suggestion.

"And we shall not want for rope either! There will be plenty aboard the ship to keep us safe. And like Raf said, this will only be a short trip."

The thought of how odd it would look, all of them tied at the wrist or elsewhere on the person to the boat, crossed her mind. Mayhap the soldiers who saw would have a good laugh at their expense. But if this was the key to persuading Kalix to get on the boat, convincing him in this roundabout manner that he actually was worried about them and that he himself wasn't as nervous as he sounded, then...then so be it!

"Come," Kristen said. "Speaking for myself, it would put my mind much at ease if you inspected the knot I fashion, Kalix."

With a gentle tug on his arm, she tried to coax him into walking forward, toward the lead transport boat.

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Raf]

Raf watched for a second as Kristen began to tug at Kalix's arm and walk him forward towards the transport ship.

The Mimic frowned, leaning in towards Alistair. "Uhh...I know how to swim..."

He said quietly, as though he was very subtly asking if Alistair couldn't. It seemed very much like Kalix couldn't, which probably should have shocked him more than it actually did. He glanced towards his now nearest companion.

"This is a little silly." Raf offered him an incredulous look. "Right?"

The young man had never quite seen a group of Dreadlords being so open with one another.

Was this because of the Republic? The new rules? Kristen?!

In the old days one of them would have used Kalix's outburst to push him off the boat and just get rid of him. "Not that I mind."

He quickly clarified to Alistair.

 

[Kalix]

That twisting, oily feeling in Kalix’s gut didn’t leave, or the pounding that had started up in his head. His hands had grown clammy, especially when Alistair mentioned tying themselves down to the boat. Kalix didn’t do well with being tied up. He was stiff, but he looked at Kristen. Kristen wasn’t the sort to lie. Kristen was too good, too pure. She wouldn’t try to fool him. And it sounded like she was going to tie herself up first. Yeah, Kristen wasn’t trying anything funny.

Which was why he warned her in the end.

“KP, I’m gonna…” or at least tried to warn her before he lurched over towards her, spewing all the sick he had been feeling the moment he realized he’d have to get on the boat. The anxiety, the fear, the shame, all of it, came tumbling out and the only thing Kalix could think was how it was so disappointing that his delicious dinner from last night was pooling up around his feet.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

"I'm glad...so do I, but that doesn't really matter. Just look like you tied yourself on while Kalix is around." He whispered to Raf.

Alistair understood that this was all a little ridiculous, but this is just the way you had to deal with Kalix. Trying to use logic or reason would just start a fight, rather than actually help the situation. If doing this meant they could get across the canal, and all he had to pay was a few strange looks and a laugh or two, then he would happily pay that price.

"Yes, all of this is silly, but we are about-face off with what sounds like a group of elven assassins and potentially a mob. If we do have to fight, then I would like the insane man-child that can swing a tree around like a small stick, to be on our side." Alistair whispered matter of factly to Raf.

Would Alistair consider Kalix a friend? No, probably not. He assumed Kalix hated him. Did Alistair consider Kalix an ally? Yes, because Dreadlords working together was efficient.

That was when Kalix emptied his stomach on the ground beside Kristen and Alistair just shook his head.

"Although, I'm beginning to have second thoughts."

Kristen Pirian Raf Kalix

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The puke did land on the ground beside Kristen...

...and also on her chest.

Kristen never saw it coming. One moment everything was fine, her white tabard was vomitless, and in the next she was flinching in revulsion and her hands were up and quivering as if it were some mock surrender. She was looking down at the awful mess, aghast. Some of the larger chunks were sliding off of the edge of her bosom and tumbling lazily to the ground, each with a wet splattering as they joined the larger pool. For some reason, as well, she was standing on the tips of her toes.

"Ahhh!" A bit shrill and quiet, this first one. Then she shrieked a little louder. "AHHH!"

She flapped her hands about as if the effort could cast a spell to clean the whole mess up.

"W-Was it something I said??"

A small group of dockworkers nearby had paused in their stacking of ration crates. Chuckles rose up from the men, and a couple shook their heads. They went back to work soon enough.

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Raf]

"Well." Raf began with a shrug of his shoulders. "Guess that's fair enou-"

Before he could finish speaking Kristen began to scream.

The sound of her voice was like the screech of a vulture echoing through the air. It was shrill enough to break the mosaic of a church, at least Raf thought so. He cringed slightly, frowning as he instantly glanced towards his two companion.

A flicker of disgust drew over his features as he saw the puke collect on Kristen's clothes, gaze briefly drawing to the small puddle on the floor. "Ew."

He said quietly, glancing at Alistair quickly.

"Remind me not to get close to Kalix." He whispered. "Like...literally."

The last thing he wanted was to end up with puke all over himself.

 

[Kalix]

He felt better. Much better. Until Kristen started screaming. He winced, taking a step back from her and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He was about to growl something along the lines of ‘shut up’ until he saw that he did, indeed, give her reason to scream. Kalix would not have screamed if someone puked on him, he would have beat that person to a pulp instead. But there was no way in hell that Kristen was ever going to beat someone like him up.

Kalix actually felt bad, especially considering now that he had thrown up, he felt like he could take on anything. Even have another meal to fill his belly right back up. Maybe all those years at the academy made him allergic to kindness?

“Shiiiiiit,” he breathed out, looking back at the stain on Kristen’s chest. “That doesn’t reflect what I think of your chest, KP, I swear. I always rate you at least a eight.” He looked back at Alistair and Raf. What would they do in a situation like this? What would Lysander do? WWLD. The biggest fucking question in the universe, Kalix thought to himself before shaking his head. Lysander probably wouldn’t tell her her rating, that was for sure. If the puke was strike one, this was strike two.

“KP, take that off. We’ll switch talbards. Mine is still clean.” He looked down, the only stain being just a slight dribble of spittle from before Kalix had wiped his mouth. And without waiting another moment, the dumbest (but tallest!) initiate lifted the tunic up and over his head, immediately handing it over to Kristen to take.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

The catastrophic wreck that was this mission was unfolding before his eyes. Alistair could only look at his compatriots in horror. Did the Academy want this mission to fail? Why would they send these people? Was this a joke? Maybe, he should go talk to Lord Bannick, and see if there were any other elite soldiers lying around. He could work with them.

Alistair could only sigh as he summoned up a small gust of wind on Kristen and try to blow some of the vomit off of her. When they were on the ship, he could probably clean her clothes with a bit more magic, but now was not the time.

"Kristen...are you ok?" Alistair was not even bothering with Kalix at this point, because he was now sure that this guy would just end up saying or doing whatever seemed like the dumbest option.

He glanced back at Raf, and simply motioned in the direction of the ship. "We need to get moving. Let's get going."

Raf Kalix Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The summoned gust of wind removed the larger, more solid chunks, and they dropped with lazy splatters to the ground. The more liquid portion had already seeped into the cloth of her tabard, of course. The chainmail beneath was inadequate for such an assault, she feared! Her arming doublet would surely be stained in some measure as well.

That doesn’t reflect what I think of your chest, KP, I swear. I always rate you at least a eight.

She might as well have been caught naked, such was the startled shock pulling her face long and the flush of embarrassed red igniting in her cheeks. "W-What...??"

Alistair came forward, in something of an ironic twist, to ask her the very question she had been meaning to ask him once they had a moment. Her gaze shifted to him, and at first she was at a loss for words. Something about it was arresting. Purely arresting. Are you okay? It...the rarity. Yes, it was the rarity. How often did one hear such concern for another in the Academy? Kristen had been blessed to have a friend in Delaney Lennox, who was the first to ask her that very question on a fateful night. But how long had it been for Raf, for Kalix, for Alistair himself, to hear someone ask it of them? Years? The thought was frightful.

"I-I'm fine," she said, stammering and trying to compose herself. She smiled, a shaky gesture at present. "I'll be fine. Th-Thank you for asking!"

Kalix, meanwhile, intervened with an offer most surprising.

"Oh!" Kristen stood there, dumbfounded for a second, before she acted. "But of course. Your generosity is most appreciated."

As carefully as she could, Kristen removed her tabard, shivering with a frantic disgust when the stained part of it came perilously close to her face. She traded tabards with Kalix, not letting the thought of how odd it would be for Kalix to represent House Pirian by donning those colors.

Let's get going.

"Yes. Right." Mayhap seeing his peers all boarding the ship would help embolden Kalix?

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Raf]

Raf did not need to be told twice, or rather, motioned twice. Almost as soon as Alistair gave his silent offer the Mimic quickly slipped passed Vomit Vander and pleasantly Overeager Olive.

At this point he had half expected Kristen to start some sort of chain reaction of throwing up. Nobles weren't exactly known for their great constitution, and thus when he reached the top of the gangplank Raf couldn't help but feel a slight sigh of relief.

When he reached the boat itself a sailor greeted him, and Raf turned half startled as he drew his eyes away from the other Initiates. "Ah, hello there...sir?"

The Mimic said with a half-hearted salute.

"Fuckin' Kids."

The Sailor said in response, shaking his head and spitting on the deck before turning away and heading off to attend to...whatever. Raf frowned for a moment, and then glanced back towards the others.

"Come on up, guys." He told them. "Crews real friendly!"

There was not even a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

 

[Kalix]

Kalix looked at the ruined tabard. Not long ago it was once a pristine white and valiant red, but now those noble colors were marred by a vomit yellow-green that had sunk into the cloth. Kalix shrugged pulling it over his head. At least there were no big chunks to get in his hair. Good job Alistair.

Kalix looked KP up and down, before frowning. Did they nearly wear the same size? Impossible. Kristen was like five-six! His gold eyes narrowed slightly before they eased up, looking over at Raf. And at the ship. And he frowned. That’s right. The mission. The canal. The stupid boat and the stupid water.

He did feel a bit better about it though, the initiate realized. His stomach wasn’t doing extreme parkour all over his organs any more. He glanced down at his chest, the vomit stain clear as day. Damn, what a lil bitch. Kalix thought, and if he could’ve, he would’ve punched himself and knock all of his teeth out. Like hell he was going to keep wimping out, not after he puked his guts out all over the place.

Was he a man or was he a man? Kalix placed a very serious, very resolute look on his face as if he were about to go into a battle against a thousand men. His gloved hands were on his hips and he began marching up and over onto the boat. Just before he actually put a foot onboard, he turned around to look at Kristen, shooting her a proud white smile.

“Hey KP,” he said in his bellowing voice. “I’m a fucking honorary Pirian now.” And pointed right at the stained tabard before turning back around and stepping onto the boat.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Oh no. What did the Pirians do to deserve that? Alistair just sighed as he followed after Raf to join him on the ship. He did not know if Kalix's newfound bravery meant that they still had to tie themselves down, but he hoped not.

The boat itself was decent enough. Not really a surprise since it was one of Lord Banick's own. Still, there would be time to admire the vessels later. He pointed over to Kalix and motioned him over.

"You can be an honorary Pirian in a few minutes, but let me get a look at that tabard while I still have some time. I'll clean it up and give it right back...If we are going to be out here then we need to look the part."

Alistair did not like the term 'neat freak', but he appreciated cleanliness and tidiness. It had been drilled in him from a young age that the most important part about impressions was one's appearance. It was why he spent so much time on his own clothes, his armor, his looks, his hair. Every piece of it was another tool that he could use to show that he was not to be trifled with.

He pulled out a set of tools that included his engraving tools, but also several pieces used for the purpose of keeping his equipment and other items clean.

Kalix Kristen Pirian Raf

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The sailors were exactly as gruff as their general reputation. Yet Raf seemed not to mind at all. S-Surely Kristen must have imagined that look of disquiet from him yesterday. He was just so blissfully unbothered by everything around him.

At Raf's beckoning she started to ascend the gangplank to the boat. Not that there was much ascending involved. The transport boats' sides were all low to the surface of the water, easy to board and easy to exit from. Other boats across the harbor were starting to be loaded with soldiers as well.

Hey KP...

She looked up, taken a bit by surprise by Kalix's comment. How...to respond?

"Oh, um," she lifted her hands and waved them around in a half-hearted, nervous celebration, "yaaaay...?"

He'd already boarded the boat. Oh, it wasn't necessary to make a fool of herself again. Sheepishly she ascended the rest of the gangplank.

Toward the back of the boat she and her fellow Initiates gathered. Sailors were readying the sails in preparation to depart. A quarter of the soldiers which were now boarding (mayhap having drawn short straws) took lowered seats along the sides of the boat, and long oars were produced for them.

Alistair (oh darn!) concerned himself with tidying up the tabard, her tabard, which Kalix now wore. She'd have to wait a bit longer to have a chance to speak with him. Ohhh...hopefully she wasn't woefully mistaken in his case too!

As she idly tied a small stretch of rope to the railing of the boat, she turned her attention to Raf. Mystified, still, by his demeanor. "You're always so...content, Raf," she said in a manner that betrayed she wasn't. Indeed, nervousness brought on by anticipation had begun to seep in. "It's really quite extraordinary."

Raf Kalix Alistair Krixus

 

[Raf]

"Oh you're cousins?" There was absolutely no sense of irony from Raf as Kalix claimed to be a Pirian.

One had to wonder if The Mimic's own level of intelligence wasn't quite as far from Kalix as had been first assumed. He smiled easily after the comment, following along with the others as Alistair took out his...cleaning kit and the others gathered around.

He didn't bother tying the rope to the railing, though did lean against it. "What?"

His head turned as Kristen regarded him once more.

"Oh." A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "I guess."

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the reason for it. He knew that he had drawn himself away, that long ago he had simply decided to no longer care. In a fog of memories he could still recall the exact moment, the second he had decided to just let it all slide off of him.

He'd been in the box. Locked there by Proctor Novgorodoff for stealing a loaf of bread. It had been winter, the steel of the box had been so cold his flesh had frozen to it. The pain had been severe, and he'd screamed and screamed for mercy until...until he'd simply stopped.

No screams. No bothers. "I guess."

Raf looked at Kristen, noticing the slight fraying of nerves.

"Have you tried meditating?" He asked. "I tried to tell Noel about it once but she just punched me."