[OTA] Night and Day (Mildmay or Vex)

[st_ubby]

Mildmay'd always kinda liked churches. The big cathedrals of the Lower City anyway, with high roofs that were good for vantage points, hiding places, and getaways when you knew how to climb, and big congregations the times he was in a mood for churchgoing, where the priests couldn't even see everybody stopping in on a Dominica, let alone get to know 'em. But the little church in Esmer he'd gone along with Corbie to, Our Lady of Enduring Stone, it was called, that one'd been okay too, even if it was round and humped like a Lundy loaf and the priest had come over to introduce himself and ask all sort of things about them both.

The temple here was different from any church he'd seen before, but it was cool and quiet and nobody seemed to pay him much mind if he went and sat for a while. And there was a alcove for Corbie's Lady – Mildmay didn't worship her, but he was glad to see it anyways, for Corbie's sake. So he visited sometimes, and he wasn't the type to miss things, or to see things that weren't there. But then they'd taken shelter there, the ones that weren't the fighting type, and Mildmay'd stuck close to Corbie – who'd been more useful than a lame former assassin anyway – and he'd caught a glimpse of a alcove that wasn't there before. He was sure of it. Only, when he went back a few days later, there wasn't no sign of it.

He didn't think he was going crazy – powers, don't let him be going crazy, that never ended well for nobody – but since he wanted to get a good look around without looking crazy, or when there weren't so many people around to wonder, course he waited until around septad-night. And maybe that was the difference. 'Cause there it was, plain as day. Or maybe a full moon in the dark of night. One of those alcoves, all set aside for Kethe.

"Fuck me. I knew it."

He almost missed the tell-tale seam right at the threshold of the alcove, the one that hinted at a trap waiting to be sprung if someone stepped wrong crossing. Almost, but he saw it just before his foot touched brick, twisted reflexively to avoid it, and fuck, one of these days he wasn't gonna forget to use Jashuki when doing shit like that. So there he was, his leg gnawing at him, and he might've had a few words for Kethe about that before he got into all the other things he had mostly kept to himself since arriving. It felt like a real conversation, never mind Mildmay only thought it all instead of saying it out loud or how Kethe didn't answer in words. The answers would come, maybe not how Mildmay'd like 'em to, but they would, and mostly he just felt better getting it all off his chest for once.

The sky was getting that glow along the horizon that said day was on its way when he left the alcove, avoiding the trick brick that he coulda sworn was in a different place on the way in, and after sitting for so long, his leg was stiff, limp more noticeable, but it would ease up some as he walked. At the door to the temple, he turned back for one last look. Of blank wall where Kethe's shrine had just been. "Always one more trick," he muttered, shaking his head.


~*~*~*~*~


Vex had thought the temple was empty when she entered shortly before the dawn, but then Mildmay slipped quietly out of a space she hadn't noticed. They nodded, just to show they'd seen each other then went on about their business. After seeing Mildmay, she walked more carefully through the space to see if anyone else was around as she made her way to Pelor's shrine. She could always greet more than the dawn. Pelor would understand. Right?

Vex had felt her connection to Pelor growing stronger, especially after the attack on the inn, although she still felt weird sometimes, not knowing how to talk to him or worship him the right way. But she was feeling a little better today than she had for a while. It hadn't been as much effort to get out of bed, so while she was feeling it, she'd wanted to greet the dawn properly. Or what she hoped was properly. Which was why she'd left Percival still sleeping, dressed, and come down to the temple.

It was a little over half an hour later that Vex left the temple, sunrise painting the sky in golds and reds, the world alight. Vex smiled softly, feeling lighter herself and ready to start the day.

[[tag Mildmay or Vex. Mildmay arrives around 1 AMish and leaves just before dawn. Vex arrives just before dawn and leaves shortly after sunrise. any of those times are good]]