#watcher ahria

[perenians]

OH. MY GOD.

@justashamwithwastedpotential MADE ME PLUSHIES OF MY WATCHER AND EDÉR AND I AM LOSING MY MIND.

COMMISSION HAM YOU WON'T REGRET IT

[perenians]

some oldish doods of ahria

[perenians]

The woman offers the slightest smile when she invites Edér along, and Edér's knee-jerk reaction is to say no. Say, no, thank you, I've got a good life here. No, can't be out adventuring, too old for that, good luck, though.

Seeing as he's standing in front of a tree strung with corpses, and expecting his own to join them in the next week, he figures she wouldn't believe him. Hel, he wouldn't believe himself. The alternative that she's offering is a way to escape and the chance to get some answers, and maybe that's what Edér's been waiting for.

So he sends a prayer up to Eothas, takes the hand she offers and shakes it firmly, giving her a wry grin of his own. There are worse traveling companions than a woman who stares dead bodies in the eye.

[perenians]

i. should finish this at some point. and draw in serafen and tekehu...maybe i'll redo the whole thing even

[perenians]

"What's she like?" Ahria asks. She finally looks at him, the light of the moon reflecting off her eyes. "Elafa, I mean."

"Well," Edér starts. "We used to, uh. Get together, every so often. Told you as much already. She was covered in freckles. Red hair, brown eyes, about yea high," he holds up a hand around his chest, "but with the temper of a giant. And, uh, real punch-happy." He rubs the side of his arm absently, remembering some of her more spirited hits.

"She had a Hollowborn baby, last I saw her," he says. "Helped'em escape to New Heomar. And now it turns out she's in the Deadfire, same as us."

Ahria hums in acknowledgment, watching him intently. "You miss her?"

"Sometimes," he admits. "Sometimes I think I might just miss the times before the war. Before the Purges, even." He huffs a laugh. "I thought things were bad then. Never imagined I'd have to worry about my god rippin' the souls right out of kith and maybe endin' the world."

Ahria exhales. "Me neither," she says, and Edér grins humorlessly.

"'Least we got you to save it."

[perenians]

Edér offers a friendly smile to the boy. "You've gotta be Elafa's boy, freckles like that."

The kid isn't what he expected. But then again, he doesn't know what he was expecting.

Something of Elafa's temperament, maybe. A kid with some spirit. Not this quiet, withdrawn young man. Oh, he's got her freckles all right, but none of the fire that drew Edér to Elafa in the first place.

Admittedly, he hasn't seen her in...gods, over a decade. Elafa might've changed in that time—gods know he did. Maybe she got quieter, too.

[perenians]

take two of this conversation because something about it bothered me. i'm still not satisfied but i'm gonna call it a night

Edér finds Ahria on the deck, staring into the deep black of the ocean, the stars twinkling above her as they sail through the Deadfire. He walks toward her, making his footsteps audible, and leans on the railing beside her.

Ahria's voice cuts through the silence. "Do you think he's yours?"

"Elafa's son," he says, and it isn't a question. Ahria nods an affirmative.

Edér exhales heavily. "I don't know," he says honestly, and glances at her face. Her eyes stay trained on the waves, expression neutral. He clears his throat. "Elafa will, though. Maybe she'll even explain everything if she's in a good mood," he jokes.

"What'll you do if he isn't?" Ahria asks.

Edér shrugs a shoulder. "Leave'em be, I guess. Elafa knew where to find me, but I never did hear from her again. I reckon she's done well enough on her own."

Ahria crosses her arms a little tighter. "And if he is?"

"I don't know," Edér says again. He frowns at the sea, uncertain. "I figure I oughta at least see the kid once if he's my son. Help Elafa out, if I can."

He pauses, and thinks for a second. "...Apologize, maybe."

Ahria makes a noncommittal sound and pushes off of the railing.

"What's she like?" she asks, changing the subject. She finally looks at him, the light of the moon reflecting off her eyes. "Elafa, I mean."

"Well," Edér starts, rubbing the back of his neck. "We used to, uh. Get together, every so often. Told you as much already. She had freckles all over. Red hair, brown eyes, about yea high," he holds up a hand around his chest, "but with the temper of a giant. She knew what she wanted, Elafa Maesy, and she'd tell you exactly what even if you didn't ask." He smiles. "Had no problem tellin' you what you wanted, even."

"She had a Hollowborn baby, last I saw her," he continues. "Helped'em run to New Heomar and haven't heard from her since. And now it turns out she's in the Deadfire, same as us."

A silence hangs between them for a second or two before Ahria speaks up. "Were you—" she starts, and grimaces. "Did you love her?"

"No," Edér replies truthfully, and he's surprised at how quickly the answer comes. "No. Not romantic-like, anyhow. But..." He hesitates. "She was something to me, once."

Ahria hums in acknowledgment and her eyes soften ever so slightly. "You miss her?"

"Sometimes," he admits. "Sometimes I think I might just miss the times before the war. Before the Purges, even." He huffs out a laugh. "I thought things were bad then.”

“And that was before you were ready to hang,” Ahria muses, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Edér snorts. “And before you dragged me out of Gilded Vale."

He sobers up. “Never imagined I'd have to worry about my god rippin' the souls right out of kith and maybe ending the world."

Reminded of their situation, Ahria slumps against him, and Edér catches her. "What are we gonna do?" she asks him, quietly, and Edér wraps an arm around her as he considers her question.

A moment passes before he speaks. "Hel if I know, Watcher. Don't know if there's any stopping a god on a warpath, but if anyone could do it..." he trails off, thinking his meaning clear.

Ahria holds the hand on her arm and squeezes. "...it'd be us," she finishes for him, and Edér hides his smile in her sea-blown hair.

'Us'. He thinks he likes the sound of that.

[perenians]

"There's that smile I love so much," Edér says, brushing a rough thumb across her cheek. He kisses her before he straightens, hefting his sabre and shield. "C'mon, Watcher. Can't keep Eothas waiting."

Even as he beckons to her, smiling, Ahria can hear the bitterness in his tone at the very mention of Eothas, and her heart hurts for him.

All of a sudden, she's transported to the first time she saw him—standing, alone, under that awful tree hung with corpses, Eothasian cape on his back like a huge target. Like he was waiting to die.

Ahria grabs Edér's hand, now, and squeezes.

And Edér holds her hand, and squeezes back.