His drunken acts of the last few nights were something Soerl was not proud of. Especially considering he had gently scolded his sister for the very same sort of thing. He had just finished cleaning himself up. He passed by a large mirror Ayly had brought to their home. He paused to look at himself. He was a little ragged. Stubble was growing along his chin and face. He cursed. His injuries from the night before were gone. No trace of the split lip and bruising.
The minstrel sighed. Times like these were when he lamented his curse the most. He told Poppy, "Physical pain is a reminder not to be stupid." It was hard to be reminded when the injuries simply faded away. He stepped away from the mirror. Where Ayly was currently, he didn't know. He knew she had been saddened as of late. He did know that Lyric would be living with her, something he secretly resented. He had done his best not to show his true feelings over it when they had spoken.
The stress from lost years, from her work, and his tremendously long absence following the incident in Outback, they had been too much. Soerl couldn't argue that things had been going well. There was nothing to be done but accept what was happening. Sometimes, doing his best ended up not being good enough.
His thoughts were interrupted by the touch of someone very small. Ayly had left Lyric in his care while she made arrangements to find somewhere to live. The little girl didn't say anything. She knew what was happening. They had explained it to her. It didn't stop her from crying, at the time. His heart already wrenched enough at the thought of losing Ayly, but when Lyric cried, so did he. He couldn't help but feel the situation was his fault.
The minstrel reached down and touched Lyric on the head. She clung to his leg tightly. When he had first laid eyes on Lyric, a bond had been formed. A bond that had been five years late in arriving. She was his, there was no denying that. There were still no words between them. Nothing needed to be said, really. He smiled down at Lyric, trying to reassure her. He couldn't be strong for himself, apparently, but he knew he had to be for her. The girl sniffled and clutched onto his leg harder.
"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" -Albert Camus
The minstrel sighed. Times like these were when he lamented his curse the most. He told Poppy, "Physical pain is a reminder not to be stupid." It was hard to be reminded when the injuries simply faded away. He stepped away from the mirror. Where Ayly was currently, he didn't know. He knew she had been saddened as of late. He did know that Lyric would be living with her, something he secretly resented. He had done his best not to show his true feelings over it when they had spoken.
The stress from lost years, from her work, and his tremendously long absence following the incident in Outback, they had been too much. Soerl couldn't argue that things had been going well. There was nothing to be done but accept what was happening. Sometimes, doing his best ended up not being good enough.
His thoughts were interrupted by the touch of someone very small. Ayly had left Lyric in his care while she made arrangements to find somewhere to live. The little girl didn't say anything. She knew what was happening. They had explained it to her. It didn't stop her from crying, at the time. His heart already wrenched enough at the thought of losing Ayly, but when Lyric cried, so did he. He couldn't help but feel the situation was his fault.
The minstrel reached down and touched Lyric on the head. She clung to his leg tightly. When he had first laid eyes on Lyric, a bond had been formed. A bond that had been five years late in arriving. She was his, there was no denying that. There were still no words between them. Nothing needed to be said, really. He smiled down at Lyric, trying to reassure her. He couldn't be strong for himself, apparently, but he knew he had to be for her. The girl sniffled and clutched onto his leg harder.
"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" -Albert Camus