Thread Closed
Waves crashing against the shore. Gulls crying out from above. Sand crunching beneath feet.
Thomys looked up from his bottle… from the stone upon which he sat… to look towards Costa Del Sol. His brother stood some two dozen fulms distant, hands in his pockets, waiting.
“Late as -- hicc -- late as ever, Ossy! But at least you came, aye, kept your promise, say no -- hicc -- more, say no more!â€
He beckoned to Osric with a wave, and as his brother sighed with relief, Thomys could not help but feel that old enmity rise up his throat like bile.
Always you. Always about you. To my everlasting regret.
He turned back to his bottle and took a swig from it as Osric sat down on the sand next to him. He couldn’t remember how many bottles in he was, today. Did it matter? He supposed not. What was done? Was done.
“Thank you,†said Osric without preamble.
Thomys snorted. “For what? For not -- hicc -- shreddin’ your letter? For writin’ back? For actually listenin’ to what you had to say?â€
“...I was in the wrong, Thom. I’ve made my peace with that. How many more apologies will it take?â€
The youngest Melkire -- nah, see, I ain’t youngest anymore, now am I? -- barked a laugh.
“Take your swivin’ apologies, Ossy. Don’t -- hicc -- don’t want ‘em. Same as I ain’t wantin’ a lecture.â€
Osric nodded, but eyed the bottle anyroad.
“So where’d you…?â€
“Master Gegeruju likes his coin and hates your threats.â€
His brother chuckled and it reminded him of--
the click of a latch the clock of a lock the chuckle of the little man at the door as he shook his head and turned to set down his belongings safe and sound back in his own home
--of days better left forgotten.
“You want t’know somethin’?†The question caught his brother’s attention, so Thomys went on. “I had me one o’ them epi-what’s-its the other sun… about three bottles in….â€
The other midlander smirked as he looked to the ocean. “Epiphanies?â€
“That! Gods-be-damned eureka moment, was what it was!â€
two feet slamming into him as the Hyuran lad lands atop him the struggle the yelling the questions dagger too slow he’s too fast scrambling throw miss draw another dagger the book he’s got his
“So there I am, aye? Thinkin’, alright, mayhap Ossy’s right ‘n’ I should turn from the drink. But… the ache, y’know? No family around… no friends… I needed somethin’. You were -- hicc - you were gone for weeks, left me waitin’... some trig cove I am, to think you were comin’ back….â€
a shining emerald wall sprang up between them i roar i slash my steel useless against that familiar sight sparks flying the hoarse screams of rage as the little man sees my face clearly in the light eyes widening recognition “You,†he says, “you’re--!â€
“...so I thought, why the hells not? And I went back t’drinkin’. Ain’t hard, pinchin’ a flask here ‘n’ there. Sold what I didn’t like, got me enough coin for ol’ Ul’dahn Ugly up there with his pretty women….â€
dropped haunches hands on the edge of the rug i pull and the carpet flies out from under the little man and the codex leaps out of that little hand lost slipped say sorry and as he falls the light of adloquium fades get after him before he can
“...so I’m three bottles in, aye? And I get to thinkin’... you know, I been doin’ swell since I took up these side-jobs for my brother. Gettin’ a hold o’ rosters ‘n’ all… hicc ... might be I’ve a talent for somethin’ other than drinking and thieving, aye?â€
got him by the lapels red overcoat small man lift him off the floor and slam him against the wall and the little man cries out in pain boo hoo you swivin’ bag o’ shite here’s the dagger up against your everlasting THROAT and
Osric shook his head but he nodded all the same, a wry grin on his face. “Go on.â€
“So I was all, well shite, I could be a real good hand at an honest-to-gods career, ‘cept I’ve got t’quit the drink somehow….â€
he sees the hungry look in the lad’s eyes and that’s good aye good for him let the bastard see me shaking from two week’s abstinence press the dagger in closer there we go my cullies look at it draw blood, “Wait,†he asks, “wait--†and i scream my defiance tears down my face i don’t care “We were talkin’ again,†he croaks, “finally talkin’ againâ€
“...so I thought to m’self, hells, who does manage t’climb their way out of an addiction like mine? And I thought, that’s obvious Thom, the folk who’ve hit rock bottom! So I resolved....â€
â€and you TOOK HIM FROM ME! YOU!†weeping now openly weeping and the little man looks desperate but there’s a glint of oh twelve is that pity i don’t want your pity screw you sideways “He was comin’ back for me,†i’m sobbing now fuck me i need a drink and Sasatomo is pleadin’ with me but i say… i say... “Never again†as
“...t’drink my way to rock bottom. As often and as fast and as -- hicc -- as hard as I can.â€
His brother’s eyebrows shot up at that. “You’re going t’drink your way out o’ drinking?â€
“Why not? I’ll grow sick of it soon enough, won’t I? Just like I’ve grown sick o’--â€
as i twist the point into his skin and punch up through the soft spot beneath his chin his jaw up and into his brains his body sags against the wall and i’m still crying and still screaming something is it never again no i think it’s “no black spots no black spots no black spots†and i slump to the floor with his corpse and i can’t help it rise fall rise fall goes my steel as i plunge my dagger into him again and again and again and
“--Limsa.â€
Osric was frowning. “Are you alright, Thom?â€
“...aye.†He smiled over at his brother. “Lookin’ forward to gettin’ off this rock again. Tried it once. Wasn’t fun then… but that was before....â€
“...before what?â€
and i need a drink and i’m done i’m spent and silence and i’m on my knees and the lights flicker footsteps i hear footsteps i look up and there he is my benefactor in this venture this stupid rutting venture oh gods i need a drink he looks at me he looks at the corpse i ask him if it’ll all work out and he says he says
“...before I knew that I had m’self a sister-in-law and two nieces!†He pushed himself up onto his feet, wobbling somewhat, and Osric followed suit. “So. Off t’Thanalan with us, aye? I get t’meet ‘em soon, aye?â€
His brother smiled, threw an arm around him, and nodded. “Aye. Forget all the rest. Family first.â€
Thomys frowned for a moment. “But… Haelstyrmm….â€
Osric sighed. “Was jus’ doin’ his job. Took me some time t’see it, but I ain’t goin’ after him for that. Nah. I’m done with vengeance.â€
he tells me all will be well all the holes will be difficult to explain but he’ll work something out no one will ever know he has his ways and his people have theirs and i’m relieved because it’s over i can move on i can go get a drink and as he offers me a hand up i take it and i throw him a smile it hurts but i smile and my accomplice this man this Tengri Geneq with his strange scales and horns and tail he bares his teeth as he smiles back at me.
Thomys nodded. He gave the horizon over the Deep one last glance before he put one foot in front of the other and walked. He walked, together with his brother, back towards Costa and the ferry that awaited them… the ferry that would take them onward to the rest of their lives.
![[Image: 1qVSsTp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1qVSsTp.png)