In between Answers and Argument

Peace and quiet. The noises of the temple have faded to the background, something familiar and comfortable, like elders by the fire while the younglings nest nearby. The sun has been occluded by heavy mists which have rolled down the mountains and through the forests, rolling over the walls like waves of water. Someone nearby makes a startled noise, and something akin to pain. They protest, but those noises soon recede into the background also.

The door opens slowly. Almost imperceptibly at first, but soon enough, a wee face peeks in, dark and low to the ground.

It opens wider, admitting Acedia. She struggles in with a small table, likely lifted from one of the resting areas. The Gobbo probably rolled it most of the way here. She grunts... then freezes in place, eyeing the 'slumbering' form of Zeke. With the table quietly placed near the Sith's form, the Gobbo slips outside, returning with four small seats. Also likely lifted from a nearby resting area.

The tea set is next. An ornate pot, of some ancient origin, of lovingly cared for silver. Four small saucers are set, one before each seat, and in that, four small teacups. Two of the seats are occupied by Seldan, and Svarshan. Well, miniature versions of them, in cotton cloth and buttons, stuffed full with cotton batten.

The door is closed, firmly. Not loudly, but the click of it is noticeable. Acedia takes up the third seat... leaving the last for the guest of honour. Mr. Sleepyhead.

Unsurprisingly, Zeke is not actually asleep. Might not have ever been asleep in fact. It's hard to tell. The sound of the door makes him open his eyes though, watching carefully as she rolls her table into place. Watching as she drags the chairs into place. The table is small, delicate even. Too small for the weight and bearing of a sith-makar. Out comes the tea service. Familiar and unfamiliar. And... He blinks at the small cloth images that are familiar in a way to him. One of them looks remarkably like Seldan, and he stares at the little doll suspiciously. Then the door closes and his eyes are drawn to it again as Aceida takes her spot at the table. He looks between Acedia and the dolls. Slowly, carefully he begins to move. Not for his seat, but cautiously toward the little dolls. Eyes darting around the room suspiciously, he picks up the one that looks like Seldan very, very gently and sniffs it. Pokes it with a claw. He looks around the room again, finally looking at Acedia and then back to the plushie. Very quietly he murmurs something to it, and it's quiet enough in the room that the word can be heard in spite of his whispering. "Kin?"

"It is Malik's, which is why it smells familiar. It is a surprisingly good look-alike of Seldan, isn't it? It's a plushie." Acedia points to the Svarshan plushie. "That's Svarshan. I thought it would be nice to have something familiar and unthreatening." The Gobbo leans forward in her seat, slightly. "Do you remember me, Zeke? We worked at the Soldier's Defense together."

She nudges forward a small pot of milk, and a wee bowl filled with sugar cubes, and another filled with honey. "Would you like some tea?", she wonders, gesturing with a hand to the teapot. "I could pour, if you like?"

Zeke startles slightly at the sound of Acedia's voice, crouched around the little plush doll of Seldan. He holds it very carefully, still clearly half expecting it to do... something. His eyes flicker to her hand and then back to her. Finally he shakes his head and sinks back onto the ground. "Sssedldan had a mate... hisss mate made?" The doll does smell familiar. Faintly Seldan, faintly other familiar scents, but none that he actually remembers. He doesn't comment on the tea, but his stomach grumbles loudly for him and he seems to ignore it.

"I believe someone else made it, but they gave it to Malik, who is Seldan's mate, yes." The Gobbo smiles brightly at Zeke. "Seldan is okay, he is seeing his mother. She is somewhere safe, but she is very sick. He wished me to say hello for him, and that he would visit soon." Acedia's hand slowly reaches up for the teapot. "They tell me lemons are plentiful in Am'shere, so, I uhm... I made some lemon tea." The pot is lifted, and it is tilted, slowly dribbling out tea into the cup before Zeke. She struggles slightly, the pot heavy considering she is doing it one handed. The teapot is settled back down with a thump, and Acedia looks relieved to have not spilled tea all over.

"I also brought you some meat pies. They're little..." A small package is retrieved, and opened, and she fishes inside it, the sounds of wax paper crinkling can be heard.

The blue-scaled sith looks down at the little doll, shifting it so that he is holding it protectively close to himself. "Ssseldansss nesst-mother..." The thought of her tickles something in his memory and his brow crinkles in thought. His eyes flicker over to Acedia as she pours the tea and without thinking he leans toward the failure lemony smell, his stomach growling again so loudly that it brings a moment of pain to his green eyes and then... He's backing away from her, crawling and stumbling in haste to reach the furthest wall. "NO!" It's a sudden loud word in the small space.

The Gobbo flinches at the sudden loudness, and she watches him curiously. "What is it you're seeing, Zeke?, Acedia wonders, her face returning to it's previously placid calm. Tea is poured for Seldan and Svarshan, and then for herself. A meatpie is pulled from the small package, placed on a small saucer, and slowly pushed Zeke's way.

"You are in the temple of the Sun God. It is Ceriday, the uhm... the sixteenth. Of ten twentytwo. You are safe."

Pain and panic war on Zeke's features, and the sith searches the room before his eyes fall on the damning meat pie. For some it might have been just the sight of food. But he is sith-makar and the smell... That tantalizing aroma... Without even thinking his mouth opens a little, to allow the scent to catch in his mouth. Tasting... His jaw snaps shut suddenly and he warbles low in his throat. "It'sss not real. Not real." He's as far physically from the food as he can get, body trembling. He has the plush carefully tucked close to his chest. He stares at the wall so that he can't /see/ the food. But he can't make the smell go away. Zeke is murmuring under his breath quick and fast. That it's not real.

"Zeke. I very much want to hug you, to comfort you.", the Gobbo says quietly. "Do you know why I do not? If you remember, I used to bump into you frequently in the Soldier's Defense. I know that you do not like the close touch of others. This is why I do not hug you. I do not wish to cause you pain." Acedia looks to him. "I am the real Acedia. And I give you my word. This is a real meat pie. I made it for you."

Zeke looks around the room again, furtive eyes. Door. Table. Acedia. Walls. "Where issss Kira?" Slightly louder than his murmuring. Still quiet, but loud enough to be heard. He shakes his head. "Thisss one will not! Thisss one will not be Forgotten!" He's giving her wide, crazy eyes.

The Gobbo cants her head slightly, listening to Zeke carefully. "Kira is resting, recovering from her experiences in the Tower's dungeon. She exerted herself in getting you out, and healing you, and in bringing back from the dead. She is safe. I can bring her, later, when she is rested, and when you have had time to eat and rest."

Zeke hisses at Acedia, his green eyes narrowing. "Illussssionsss and tricksssss. Sssending thissss onesss cihuaa. Sssending thessse people! It isss not... not asceptable. Never! Ssshe would never think that thisss one would do sssuch a thing." His eyes are too wide, his breathing shallow and harsh. "Becaussse thisss one will not."

Acedia lifts her teacup, and sips at the tea, smacking her lips a few times and putting the cup down. She takes three sugar cubes, and plops them into the cup. A second meat pie is pulled from the box, again the sound of wax paper crinkling is heard. This she bites into, as her own stomach growls. The smell of cooked meat and spices wafts throughout the room. "Salina cannot send anyone or any illusions. She is dead. Those whom you saw were all real people, your lover and your friends. You have succeeded. Cryosanthia survived due to your selflessness, and YOU survived because she went back for you. WE went to Salina's tower, we have saved many of those in it, some of us even died to save you. But in the end, it is done, it is finished. You are back with real people. Among those who love life, who love you."

The blue-scaled sith's nose crinkles, and he shakes his head. "Ssshe would not believe sssuch thingsss of thisss one." He shakes his head again. "It wassss an illusssion. There issss a trick. A tessssst. To break thisss one. Thisss onesss cihuaa..." He blinks and looks away toward the wall. "Thissss one will not be Forgotten. At leassst if thisss one diessss, sshe will never find thisss one ssso."

"You are not Forgotten!", the Gobbo says, her voice rising. "You are not Broken." She slowly stands. "wait... whom are you talking about? Salina? Your brood mother?" Acedia looks a little confused now. "This is not an illusion." She pauses to take another bite of the pie. "This is delicious... but no matter. It's real. I'm real."

A low growl rumbles from Zeke in response to Acedia's raised voice and Zeke's tail lashes behind him. "That illusssion! Ssshe /looked/ like thisss onesss cihuaa, but thisss one wasss not fooled! The thingssss ssshe sssaid..." There's hurt in his voice now. "Or... or thissss one wasss ssseeing thingsss? Hearing thingsss? Ssseldan..."

Zeke's hands lift to touch his head, one still holding the doll and he snuffs at it, breathing in its realness. "Thisss one doesss not /know/ any-more." He lets out a little moan and tucks his head down, curling into himself. Around his pain and uncertainty. "Pleasssse sstop. Make it ssstop."

Acedia slowly makes her way to his side. "I can help. I am just a small Gobbo, but I can help." The meat pie smells deliciously close. Like it's right under his nose. He need only open his mouth. "You did not break. She did not break you. But She is gone now. You are still here." It's right there. Delicious, meat pie. Made of real meat pie.

Sith-makar can not shed tears, but that doesn't mean that they don't cry. Zeke... is consumed by grief in the sith-makar way. His tail tucked close to his body, a mourning wail in his throat. His shoulders shaking with uncontrolled movements. He doesn't move. Tries not to breathe, but his wail forces him to do that much. The little plush is pressed tightly but safely into his chest. He doesn't eat the meat pie. He mourns until the sound of his voice echoes off the walls.

The smell of meat pie recedes, a memory perhaps? Lost in the sounds of his voice is a gentle shuffle. Then the dulcet tones of a violin can be heard. They start off low, mournful, and matching Zeke's voice in many ways. And for a while the violin seems content to let Zeke lead the way. But slowly it changes. It moves away from pain and sadness, through grief and into anger. It lingers very quickly there, before moving onwards.

The violin is slowly leading towards hope, and peace, and happiness.

Zeke makes way for the sound of the violin, the sound of his sorrow fading into the sound of the music. Until that's all that's left. Exhaustion sucks at him, drags him down until he finds the waiting darkness and falls into it. It's not a long sleep. It only lasts until Acedia's song ends. But he feels better for it, finally lifting his head as the music reaches its completion to look wearily around the room. "Sssssa. Who are you? Why... why are you here?"

Acedia's expression looks as one who has been slapped. She blinks, and slowly lowers the violin. "I am Acedia. We met at the Soldier's Defense. We worked together to help people infected by the ooze plague." It seems as though she is fighting back tears. "I am here so you are not alone."

"Asscedia..." The name seems familiar to him, and he furrows his brow slightly. "Ssssaa... Thissss one remembersss." He finally nods and traces his eyes over her features. "Thissss one isss sssorry. Thissss one forgot. It hasss been... a very long time ssssince thissss one wassss outssside."

She sniffles and nods to him slowly. "I know. Eighty years." Acedia lets out a long breath. "How are you feeling? Did you need anything?" The Gobbo moves a little closer, setting her violin aside.

Zeke glances around the room briefly and then looks at her hopefully. "Can you take the food away? Pleasssse? We..." His eyes flicker toward the table. "We can have tea?"

Zeke's meat pie is carefully packed away, while Acedia quickly wolfs hers down. "Yes. I can put the food away. But Zeke. You need to eat. You will die if you do not." She lets out a low breath, and pours a bit more tea into his mug, to heat it up. "We can have tea. Sugar or milk? Or honey, perhaps?"

The blue-scaled sith pointedly doesn't watch Acedia eat, but he does eventually make his slow, ponderous way to the table to sniff at the tea that she is pouring for him. In fact he sniffs it several times, picking up the little cup and hesitantly staring at it. "Jusssst tea." He hesitates with it though, holding the warm cup in his claw uncertainly. "Thisss one knowssss Ascedia. Thisss one... Thissss one jusst can not risssk that..." He looks around the room sadly. "Kira made it out of the tower yesss? A-alive?"

"It is lemon tea.", the Gobbo says helpfully. She eyes Zeke. "Malik, Seldan, Mikilos, Cryosanthia, Halani, Faranmidahn and I went to the tower, through the cold and ice and snow. We figured out how to get in. And we found Salina on her throne. Then the floor swallowed up Cryo, Halani, Faran and I. We were in the cells. The walls opened, and we got out. We found Kira. She lead us to you. And while they tried to figure out how to get you, and Faran's mother out, Halani and I stood against Eclavdran. I told everyone to run. And when he came for me, I died alone."

She lets out a low breath, shuddering once. "They all got out, prisoners and friends alike. Mikilos killed Salina, Malik brought the tower to heel, but it destroyed itself anyways. Eclavdran followed the women out, and slew Halani, in this very temple, before he fled. But yes... Kira made it out alive."

The tea just kind of sits in Zeke's hand as the sith-makar stares at Acedia. "You died?" It's a gentle question. "W-what do you mean that you died alone?"

"I died alone. They did not look back nor did they try to fetch my body. I'm only here because the temple took pity on a stupid Gobbo who went to save her friends." Acedia takes up her cup again, and drinks from it, liking the sweeter taste over the former one. "Seldan and Malik say they would have seen to my return themselves, had the Temple of Daeus not done so."

"That... isss terrible." Zeke remembers none of it. Had in fact been unconscious for most of his rescue, but the thought that people had /died/ to rescue him sits ill with the sith-makar. "Thisss one... thisss one would alssso have. If thissss one had known. Ssshe hasss taken enough livesss." He shakes his head at this, looking down at his tea.

"It is terrible. You, and others, have had to bear great and terrible things. Such a thing is not... not right, not good at all. I wish I was stronger, that I could have carried you out. I did what I could." Acedia sniffs again. "But it has a good ending, doesn't it? We're here. Alive. Drinking tea. Her terrors at an end."

Zeke thrums low in his throat for her, a comforting noise. He... hesitantly tries the tea. Seems to relax a little bit at the comforting taste of lemons. As if perhaps he had been expecting something else. "You died Asscedia. You sssacrifisced a great deal to help thisss one essscape. Thisss one isss grateful to you."

She shakes her head. "It wasn't enough. You are tormented by what happened." The Gobbo peers at him. "You are not sure if I am real or not. You can taste the tea, yes?" Acedia moves a little closer, though still leaving him plenty of personal space. "I would do it again, Zeke. I would go into that place again to help get you out. I would die again, if that is what it took."

Zeke holds the tea tightly. "Thissss one thinksss you are real. Thisss one isss not scertain you are who you sssay you are." His eyes are on the cup, and he carefully makes himself be more gentle with it. "Thisss one... did not want anyone to die. Thisss one doesss not want any-one hurt." He looks up at Acedia.

"Do you remember comforting me in the Soldier's Defense, when I caught the plague? And visiting me in the arcanist's dungeon? You helped work on a cure for the plague." The Gobbo says, her facial expression growing sad. "I will never forget that you came to comfort me. I would be your friend for the rest of my life, if you would have me. I don't know how I can prove to you that I am Acedia. But I will stay with you so that you are not alone. I will offer you comfort when the nightmares come."

The blue-scaled sith's brow furrows and he tries to remember his past. Past the lifetime of being trapped in the tower. It's difficult. Pain makes it easy to remember everything else, but hard to focus on what he remembers of /before/. He nods again slowly. The memories eventually rising to the surface as if they'd been waiting for him all along. His expression softens somewhat and he rolls his right shoulder in a half-shrug. "Thisss one..." He looks down at the tea. "Thisss one appreciatesss having sssuch a friend."

"I appreciate having you as a friend, Zeke. I have missed you greatly, even though it seemed like only yesterday since you left." She settles down cross-legged before him. "I was contemplating becoming a paladin of Daeus, but I think I will follow Eluna instead." She tugs at her blue robes. "I don't know if I am good enough or strong enough. But it was the fight against ... Her, that made me want to do that."

"One can find onesss calling in the ssstrangesst of placess and timess. It isss not ssurprissing that sssuch evil would draw you to battle it." Zeke flicks his tail and sniffs his tea again tentitively. Takes another small drink and then... it's quickly gone to staunch his hunger. He releases the cup back to the table reluctantly. "You sssacrifissced yoursself for othersss. Thisss one thinksss, that if they will not have you in their number, then they are foolssss."

The Gobbo moves a little closer, her face bright at the praise, and she gestures to her head. "If you would see if I am real, pat my head." Something the Sith might remember she seemed to enjoy a lot, even if he would not do so. "And would you have more tea?"

Zeke looks at Acedia hesitantly. "Yessss. Thisss one would have more tea." His tail shifts subtly behind him. After a long, long moment of hesitation he reaches out to touch Acedia on the head, withdrawing his claw at the briefest touch of her hair. "Thissss one thankssss you."

The Gobbo giggles at his touch, grinning at him, and moving to pour him another cup of tea. "You're most welcome." She carefully lifts the cup up, to offer it to him. "Would you trust me?", she says softly. "Give me your scaled hand?" Acedia extends one of her own hands.

He accepts the second cup of tea with a word of thanks, carefully bringing it to his snout so that he can sniff it again. Then, Zeke looks at her cautiously before gingerly offering her his other hand. There's a slight widening to his eyes that gives away the first tingle of fear up his spine that is caused by the mere thought of touching someone else.

She nods slowly, shyly, "I know, you do not like to. But I would point out that I am asking. Not forcing, not grabbing you. Asking. I would have you feel or hear my heartbeat. A thing that truly separates illusion from real living beings. Would you do that, hear my heart beat, or feel it in your hand, and know I am flesh and blood?"

Zeke's eyes flicker around the room before finally settling on Acedia. "Thisss one isss afraid... Not... jusst of touching you... but if you are real... doesss... doesss that mean that Cryosssanthia lossst faith in thisss one? Wasss ssshe real? Isss Kira real?" He closes his eyes briefly. "Thisss one doesss not know."

Acedia remains as she was, a hand offered for his, but she neither advances nor retreats. He can choose to or not. "Zeke, I don't know what has happened while I was dead, or recovering from it. I have been hurt and upset, not as bad as you, mind, but we can empathize with each other. So I cannot speak to what you have experienced, what has made you upset."

She smiles lightly. "Cryosanthia and Kira are both real. Maybe you had a bad dream? Or a delusion. But I heard them, back there in the dungeon, I heard them, desperate to get you free of the place, to keep you alive." The Gobbo rubs at her cheeks lightly, before extending her hand out again. "I know that Cryo intended to go into the tower to get you, and I know that both Kira and Cryosanthia made it out alive, with you. Perhaps you could tell me what you saw? If it would help? And... I think Cryo would never say that. She would lose faith in /herself/ before she would ever lose faith in you. She measured herself against you. You would come for her, she had to rescue you. You would do the right thing. So she would also do the right thing."

Finally Zeke reaches out, touching Acedia's hand, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. He's still a healer. Still someone who knows how to take a pulse and feel a heartbeat in his hand. His eyes darken slightly when nothing changes. Everything is exactly the same as before and he withdraws his hand slowly. "Thisss one doesss not know. The mind playsss tricksss on thiss one. Too much time alone. Too much time haunted. Thisss one can not be sssure that thisss one alwaysss sseesss reality. Can thisss one trusst thisss onessss handsss to know? Thessse eyesss? Thisss nossse?" His shoulders hunch. "Thisss one can not trusst sssself, or reality, and ssso thisss one can trussst nothing."

The Gobbo remains still when he takes her wrist, though it looked as if she might take his hand, in the end she lets him withdraw. "I was going to put your hand to my chest. To feel my heart beating. But... you can feel me. You can smell me. You can see me. Surely, you can trust what many of your senses can tell you is real?" She rubs at a cheek. "Please do something for me, then? Eat the meat pie? You can see that the tea is real. Your stomach is growling pretty fiercely."

Acedia takes a breath. "Think on it a moment. Would you let her win, despite her death, if she would have you starve to death?"

Zeke blinks at Acedia. "And what if you are real? The tea... every-thing elssse..." His brow furrows. "Thossse wordsss... all to convinssce thisss one to do what ssshe wantsss? Thisss one would rather ssstarve then to be Forgotten Asscedia." Slowly he shakes his head.

"If I am real. And the tea is real. And the meat pie is real. And you starve to death. She wins. You have basically given up." Acedia lets out a breath. "What is Forgotten? I mean, I know what the word means. But it seems to have more significance to you. To Sith, I guess."

The sith swallows. Looks away from Acedia. "Forgotten are... They are thossse who dessscend into madnessss. From..." He has grown still and distant from her without even moving. Only the gentle smell of lemons keeps him from fleeing. "From eatting the flesssh of kith and kin." They're quiet, gentle words, but they hold a world of horror for the sith-makar.

A mostly quiet time, and in Zeke's room, one of mostly peaceful talk. A table is set in the middle of Zeke's room, a small, round one, very likely stolen from one of the nearby quiet, contemplative areas set aside for peaceful meditation and conversation. The four low seats are also likely stolen from the same place.

A small, plushie likeness sits in one of the seats, a small cup of tea before it, two seats are empty, each with a cup before them, though only one of those are full.

Zeke sits with a teacup in hand, his tea missing a sip or two, his other hand around a plushie likeness of Seldan. There is a box by one of the seats, closed, and smells of deliciousness. Something ... meaty, with a hint of pastry.

The Gobbo sits still for a moment. Something practically unheard of. "Oh. Oooooh." She stands up then, and takes a little step back, to be out of Zeke's personal space. Then she hops excitedly from foot to foot. "Okay. Okay, I can fix that. Let's go hunting or fishing. I'll cook you up a fish right in front of you. Or a nice rabbit, yes? You will see the whole process and know you will not descend into madness. Would that help? I mean, we could even go and get potatoes. Or apples."

The door opens. Cryosanthia sweeps in wearing her winter wizard robes. These are very similar to her regular ones, except made of velvet with big fur ruffs. The white and glacial blue aesthetic is maintained. She halts at the sight of the table, chairs, a plush of Svarshan, and another tea set. She blinks, mentally counting, up to four now.

"Oh! Acedia. Peace on your... nest. I see Zeke is up and the guard yet again neglected to let me know that. Thank you for being here... and Zeke?"

Her gaze drifts to her mate, she examines him carefully and critically, seeking clues to his state, watching to see how he responds. Then, "Is that a reed effigy of Svarshan? Such things exist?"

There's another, quieter rap on the door, shortly after Cryosanthia. Seldan and Malik both look like death warmed over, although they seem coherent enough, the wizard trailing behind the paladin. Seldan, though, waits at the door, and his voice is just loud enough to float into the room. "Zeke. Kin. Do you sleep?"

And Kira makes... how many is that? She arrives at the temple and subsequently at Zeke's door. There is no basket, this time, but she does carry an iron pot with a towel around the handle as it's still warm. Scents of meat waft along with and maybe ahead of her as she stops at the door... or behind others waiting at the door, in this case. "Oh! Hello," she offers in a lowered voice, just in case.

Malik simply waits behind Seldan, though something inside makes the wizard smile just a touch, a bit of a sparkle coming to his eyes. Still, he's quiet. Unusually so, simply waiting for whatever reply might come.

Zeke's eyes widen at the sight of Cryosanthia, his mouth which was half-open from an answer of some kind to Acedia's questions is immediately shut tight with a snap and he leans toward the goblin. "Do you ssssee her?" His voice is a low murmur. If anything, even though he's managed to move, Zeke actively looks worse than the day before. There are dark gaunt circles around his eyes, and he is horribly drained looking. He perks up slightly at the sound of Seldan's voice however, and he warbles back toward the door an uncertain but pleased-sounding, "Kin?"

Which is approximately when Kira hits the door. The sith can't actually see the woman, but Zeke can... /smell/. The scent of her food hits the sith and he is suddenly vibrating with anxiety. A low murmur of unhappiness thrumming in his throat and he huddles a little as if he might be able to hide behind Acedia.

Cryosanthia halts at Zeke's reaction, unwilling to approach further. She answers, "Sounds like Seldan, yes." As she is nearest the door, she turns when it opens. A happy expression on her face, opening to a grin. Then it goes cold when she sees past Seldan to the wizard trailing him. Her eye ridges tighten and it becomes physically colder around her, radiating out despite the thick insulating robes she's wearing. She locks eyes with Seldan. "Get. Him. Out."

And Kira behind him, with the scent of bread. The sith's voice is much softer, but still an order, "Kira, come in, please and thanks. Let her through."

Kira can't see Zeke yet, but can catch bits of Cryosanthia and certainly hear her. She's more than a little confused at the white sith's first words, but isn't at the invite. "Thank you. Pardon me. Careful, it is still hot," she warns all as she makes her way carefully to Cryosanthia and into the room. Only then can she see Zeke and puts forth a warm smile to him and Acedia, as best she can. It won't help him any if she shows worry.

"Yes, it is I." Seldan doesn't move away from Malik, just yet, although he does nod politely to Kira. "Cryosanthia, what would Zeke have?" he asks gently. "Does he wish to see me?" He looks tired, but stands straight and tall, his eyes narrowing. "I would not overly crowd the room, but I would know his mind." He strives to peer inside.

Malik, for his part, doesn't seem to heed the words from Cryosanthia. Or wait, for that matter. He steps past Seldan into the room, fixing his eyes on the white sith as they narrow a bit, a not-at-all-friendly smile forming. Perhaps a dare. Turning to Acedia, he gives the gobber a warmer grin, and a wink. "Little bit. You haven't come to say hello, yet," he chides, playfully. Though turning his attention to Zeke, he merely raises an eyebrow. "Tarien's balls, friend. You look worse than I feel."

Yep. Definitely Malik.

"I don't know Seldan." Cryosanthia says, sounding tired, and it's clear whatever happy front she was maintaining earlier has completely fallen away and isn't coming back. Her scales are dark and a little sunken around her eyes. She rubs between her horns. "He thinks I'm an illusion, doesn't recognize Faran, believes this is both the Temple or the Tower. Empty room, room with things, disturbs him. My different clothes, whatever I wore in the tower, reacts badly to both. Say he feels the Dragonfather's light, will not pray for spells, will not eat, will not sleep. Collapses. Could not move yesterday. Ignored offers of tea, yesterday. Kira has brought beef stew and vegetables."

The sith shakes her head, lowering her voice, which cracks, "He seems determined to starve himself to death for some unknown reason. Will not say what She did. Kira does not know either. He talks of Forgotten."

Then, Malik steps right past her, ignoring her. Daring at her with impish eyes. "Get him out Seldan or I will draw on him. He is upsetting me and that will upset Zeke. He's made it clear he doesn't give one lick of rat shit about me or my mate, only Acedia, they can reunion elsewhere."

"All of you are going to listen to me.", the Gobbo says sternly, moving to stand atop the small, round table.

"He needs time to recover. In the past few hours with me, he has had some sleep. He has drunk some tea. If you want him to eat, then you leave him to me." Acedia puts her hands on her hips. "I have an idea of why he is reacting so. It will upset you, so I would tell you in private."

At Malik's works, she grins, and offers him a wink in return. "I have been doing what I guess I am destined to do."

To Cryosanthia, and Kira, she says, "Trust me. Leave him be for a time. He is almost there. Almost. Give me time, and I will bring Zeke back to you." Her complexion darkens at Cryosanthia's words. "Your bile and anger will not serve you well here, Cryosanthia. There's a reason why he will not eat, and why he believes you an illusion. You must give me time to help him. Or you will lose him forever when he starves to death."

Zeke is... stairing at Kira like she has three heads and all of them intend to eat him. He's huddled behind Acedia, a low worried whine coming from his throat as yet another person enters the room. He doesn't recognize them, but he is recognized. They are far apart but he can... smell Seldan on the man. Seldan's mate. He blinks green eyes at Malik, eyes tracking around the mage for some sight of Seldan whom he can't see beyond Cryosanthia. "Sssseldan'sss mate?" He questions, eyes flickering to Kira, to her... Back to Malik. "Where issss Ssseldan. Issss..." He holds the plushie sightly out from himself. "Isss he trapped?"

"Everyone, please, be calm..." Kira pleads quietly to the others as she sets the pot of stew on the table. "I'm sorry, I didn't know so many would be here. I didn't mean to cause any discomfort..." She looks to Zeke, then, and ... takes a deep breath and tries not to react to his look. "It's alright, Zeke. I'm sorry." She steps back away from him; not in a panic (for once!), but slowly.

"Not my bile, his!" Cryosanthia turns a stern look towards the goblin, "He shat all over your sacrifice, utterly ignored Halani immolating herself on Eclavdran. That the Demon followed us to the TEMPLE OF DAEUS!. Ground his bile into our despair at everyone we left behind. I felt only relief it was over till he spoke words he has not withdrawn or apologized for, accusing us of not caring enough to sacrifice ALL our lives to save yours against a demon none of us could handle."

The whitescale exhales two long streams of mist, "I accept your counsel and trust you to bring him back. You have reached him, that is better than I managed. Notch another fail for Cryosanthia. You have had the best luck with an empty room, so everyone out. For Zeke's sake."

She makes a shooing gesture which definitely includes Malik towards the door.

Seldan nods calmly to Acedia, his expression worried, although the sight of the plushie in Zeke's hands causes his eyes to widen, his face to color, and his eyes to drop. He coughs, but moves around Malik and Cryosanthia. "I do not command him, Cryosanthia, any more than you." When Zeke speaks, though, he drops all conversation with everyone else, moving slowly over towards Zeke, crouching down, and offering a hand. "I am not trapped, Zeke. I am here." As soothingly as he can manage, and pointedly ignoring Cryosanthia.

"I acknowledge that you both have some lingering upset over what we have jointly and separately experienced.", the Gobbo says to Cryosanthia. "I have an understanding of what he said, and how he said it. But Malik's emotions will have a lesser effect on Zeke than yours. That is why I ask that you do your utmost to remain placid and calm, despite the man's presence. You just went through hell. Certainly you can spend moments in the same room as someone you dislike?" Acedia rubs at her cheek. "I could explain his words easily, if you wanted, Cryo."

Her eyebrows pop up and she grins suddenly. "Do you all trust me?" She looks over her shoulder at Zeke. "Do you trust me? Do you trust Seldan?" Acedia glances back to Seldan. "Ask Zeke if he would come with you. Take him and Malik, go hunting or fishing. Catch a nice, fat rabbit. Or a big trout from the Tornmawr. Have Zeke see it. Make sure he doesn't watch, but dress it, and let him watch you cook it. Let him help if he would. He'll eat it, I am sure, if you let him observe all but the uhm, dressing part of it, okay?"

Zeke scoots back forcefully away from the table as Kira approaches, his eyes full of soft horror. He's trembling now where he hasn't been before. He's too afraid now for the world to make much sense. Instead Seldan just seems to appear out of nowhere offering his hand. His voice low and soothing. Cryosanthia is angry, her scent... It mingles with his own fear scent and he can't seem to make a comforting warble come out of him. His eyes flicker between Kira, the table, and then Seldan. Around the room. Back to Seldan. He pulls the little stuffed image of Seldan closer to himself and reaches out with his other hand to touch Seldan, and lets out a small glad noise. "Thisss one thought you might be ssstuck in thisss doll." His voice lowers once again. "Cryossanthia... issss sssshe real? Issss ssshe..." His eyes flicker toward the table, then back. "Mad at thisss one?"

Malik, for his part, simply continues ignoring the whitescale. Instead, he simply kneels in front of Zeke, close enough to speak casually but a comfortable distance away, offering the sith a warm, bright smile. Something genuinely kind there. "Seldan's mate. That's right." He keeps his hands loosely crossed at the wrist, hanging between his knees as he looks up at Zeke. He glances over his shoulder at the rest of the room, seeming to consider for a moment, then simply looks back to Zeke, that smile remaining. He doesn't say anything to the rest of them. Instead, he simply says, "No, friend. She is mad at me. And being very loud about it."

Cryosanthia stops, forces herself to centre herself. Concentrates. She has a couple false starts, a sort of 'thrrrp' noise, before she manages a quiet, low thrumming. Something to calm younglings, something that has calmed Zeke, sometimes. She's having difficulty getting her scents under control, so her hands move gracefully, her gloves glow and she wiping them off with Prestidigitation. Smelling like nothing will have to do, for now. Another careful breath, then she speaks.

"Acedia, I want him to use his big boy brain, without any prompting from you or his mate, to figure out what he said wrong, why it might have been wrong, and apologize for it. Otherwise it's just you two emotionally blackmailing me into accepting an unwanted guest in my home. One who does not respect me or my wishes that I can't do anything about. No explanation from you is necessary." She answers the bard, quietly and calmly, even placing a certain musical cadence to her words so they'll sound more soothing to Zeke, assuming he isn't listening much to the content.

"The hunting also, sounds like a great idea. Zeke was unable to move yesterday, or perhaps unwilling. I am sure scenes that are not similar to the tower will help. For me, swimming. Zeke, perhaps prayer also. Something his mind and his body knows are not of the tower. A hot rock." The whitescale shrugs, holding out her hands.

Kira leaves the stew where is sits, but pulls an apple from her satchel to place on the table as well before backing towards the door. Which may be, as seems to be the usual, for the best. Zeke's words, his question, to Seldan makes her ache, threatening the composure she'd managed to work up. With several already seeking to assure or convince Zeke, she isn't about to add to the confusion with words she hasn't even thought up yet. Cryosanthia gets an apologetic and concerned glance.

"She is real." Seldan smiles at Zeke, letting the sith touch or hold his hand for as long as he wishes. "No, Zeke. It is merely a toy, and somewhat of a prank. It does not trap me. But ... I would ask of you. Does it please you to come hunting with me? The smell of trees and grass will do you good."

He does not stand up, does not make any sudden moves, but looks up at Cryosanthia. "Your quarrel with Malik is upsetting Zeke. I think it well to take him where there are grass, and trees, and where he may find foods that do not upset him. I shall aid him, I am versed in hunting."

"I understand what it is you want. I am simply stating that this is neither the time nor place.", Acedia said to Cryo in reply. "I am asking that you simply leave it unspoken, unfinished. It can be addressed when everyone has had time to heal." She looks to Kira and nods, offering a smile to the woman. "It is okay, Kira. There is nothing for you to apologize for, none of this here is your fault. Except for the delicious smelling stew you've brought, and for that, thank you."

The Gobbo gestures. "So. Let us see if Zeke will hunt or fish. I can sit and talk with Kira and Cryosanthia. And perhaps put their minds at ease."

She looks to Zeke. "Would you go with Seldan and Malik? Get some fresh air. Perhaps some quiet prayer in the countryside? And yes, this Cryosanthia is real. She is not mad at you. She is mad..." The Gobbo gestures to Malik.

Fortunately or unfortunately Cryosanthia is a bit right about Zeke. He's not following the conversation perfectly. There's just too much of it. Too many people talking in a small space. Too many emotions. Cryosanthia's scent vanishes and he has to glance in her direction to make sure she's still there. It doesn't make sense to him that there are so many people. "Why issss ssshe mad at Ssseldan'sss mate?" He glances at Malik, looking the man over as if he could tell why his cihuaa might be upset with the man merely by sight. He gets no answers that way though, and there... there are a lot of people talking to him. His eyes flicker between the pair and he offers the paladin his tea cup. It's still half-full of lemon tea. Hesitantly, he nods.

"Outssside sssoundsss nisce..." He blinks at Acedia. "Why issss ssshe mad at Ssseldan'sss mate?" Zeke doesn't seem to realize that he's repeated himself.

"I'll explain later Zeke, don't worry about it. Think about hunting with your kin, Seldan. You never told me what you like hunting the most, we had so little time to do that. Rabbits are fast, birds difficult. I've done some fishing in Alexandria, it's wonderful too. After you can ... dress them, cook them on a fire. Take along some spices." Cryosanthia says softly, maintaining a careful cadence in her words, keeping up the thrumming in her throat. She remains where she stands, since approaching seems to startle him.

"Harsh words lie between them, Zeke, but not about you. The fault is not yours." Seldan gets to his knees, and then to his feet, without letting go of Zeke. "Will you come to hunt with us? For food that is real, and good? Shall I help you stand, that you may hunt with us?"

"I would leave it to either of them to explain it, as Seldan has said, the fault is not yours.", Acedia tells Zeke. "Go and take a nice walk. I will play my violin to put you to sleep when you return." The Gobbo looks to Seldan and Malik with a smile, and offers Cryosanthia and Kira one as well. She moves to settle into the chair, but does so rather heavily, looking rather tired.

Kira is asked to leave, then stay, and now Zeke will be leaving? She steps back away from the door to just... out of the way.

Zeke's stomach grumbles loud enough for everyone to hear, and there's a momentary flash of pain and panic on his face. His eyes flash around the room. His body is screaming at him to escape but everyone is between him and the only exit that exists. Zeke grasps Seldan's hand tightly - but not too tightly. He won't hurt Seldan again. Remembers the blood. "Yessss." An uncertain word, a worried word. He tries to stand. He's so weak. It takes everything he has to get up, and his real leg threatens to collapse on him. For the first time in his life he has to rely on his other limb. It hasn't grown weak after all. "Jusssst a walk." He clarifies. Explains. Has to lean heavily on his kin for support, but he's not as heavy as he once was.

Cryosanthia watches Zeke as he stands, clear concern in her posture and face. The thrumming noise she is making interrupts a few times, and she forces herself to keep making it. Things are ok. You are safe, protected. Rushing in to help would startle him, he's still reacting strangely. So she stands, tall, white and unmoving, the fur ruffs on her robes fluttering in the short air currents of the room.

The sith glances at a chair. Sitting will be nice. After. She nods at Acedia.

Malik stands as well when Zeke starts to stand, watching the tremble in his legs. The weakness. He glances to Seldan, worry on his face. He looks over his shoulder, to all the others gathered in the room. And then, to Acedia, a wink again. "Don't worry," he tells the goblin. "We'll bring him back safe."

Looking back to Zeke, Malik reaches out, placing a hand on Seldan's wrist, the tips of his fingers touching Zeke's fingers as well. "Don't worry, friend," he tells the sith, voice quiet and soothing. "We're going someplace nice."

And then, as quick as anything, he uses his free hand to make a gesture, speaking a word. The air around the trio seems to fold in on itself, distorting in impossible ways like water running down a drain from all angles before suddenly bouncing back, the space where they were standing now empty.

-End