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Asbolus:
While most do something rather fanciful with the spaces they carve out of the thorns of the Hedge, Asbolus' hollow looks much like a mundane apartment, with the door opening into a homey-looking living room area with a kitchenette off to one side and a hallway going further back into the structure lined with three other doors. The Darkling escorted Avery inside, motioning for them to take a seat. "Care for some tea?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery still had Nevertread going, and was checking over their shoulder a lot more than normal all the way to the hollow. Once inside, they relaxed a bit more, sitting when asked.
"Yes please. I like tea. Its warm." Avery looks around the space slowly, taking it all in.
Asbolus:
Although he hadn't used it as a primary residence for a while the space still gave the air of being well lived in, feelings of comfort and safety woven into the walls and furnishings. A bookshelf sat near one of the chairs but was currently empty, its contents moved to the motley home some months prior.
Asbolus stepped into the kitchenette and began the usual ritual for making tea, packing the strainers just so and setting up the kettle on its hot plate to start the water boiling. "How are you feeling?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery relaxes a bit into the seat, liking the homey feeling, they look back at Asbolus eventually.
"Scared and...angry, and confused. Too many emotions."
Asbolus:
He nodded quietly, resting against the entryway into the kitchenette as he looked over the Courser. "I can imagine. It's a lot to deal with at once, especially as quickly as it's been ramping up."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"Mhmm, I...didn't expect them to go after my Fetch. They carved something that...disturbed me. I haven't told anyone yet."
Asbolus:
"They may have thought that you had forged some sort of relationship with it that could be used to their advantage." Lord knows his own would be an easy conduit, firmly connected as they were. "Oh?"
Avery Frisk:
"I see her sometimes...but no I haven't seen her. I stayed out of sight. I didn't want to cause more problems."
Avery closes their eyes. "It was carved into the door, it said 'Fake Avery. You and Yours are all fake'. Joy, another Winter Courtier, used a contract, and told me Aubrey was angry from loss. I...don't know what it all means."
Asbolus:
"Aubrey is the privateer in question, I presume?" He stepped back into the kitchen as the kettle started to whistle, pouring the hot water into the cups as he mulled over the implications. "That is curious, though."
Avery Frisk:
Avery flinches when the kettle started to whistle, grabbing airpods from their pocket to put into their ears.
"Mhmm...it means the same as Avery. Their last name starts with F. I...saw them with a contract. It...confused me."
Asbolus:
Asbolus had been quick about retrieving it from the heat, at least, familiar as he was with Avery's keen senses. "I can imagine. Do they look like you as well?"
Avery Frisk:
"Kind of. I...at the solstice, I started growing white feathers on my back. Some ravens are white...but they are rare." Avery gave a thankful nod to their mentor. "Aubrey is a white raven...with some black feathers on their face and chest."
Asbolus:
"Hmm." He leaned against the entryway again while waiting for the tea to steep, the gears turning. "A mirror darkly indeed."
"As odd an idea as it may sound, a part of me wonders if this Aubrey and you share a common history that you may not be aware of. She lost something that ties to you and your fetch and is angered because of it; perhaps the life the two of you live is something she feels she was owed as well?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery frowns.
"I think...so. I recognized their call when I first heard them, it reminded me of something from There, but I don't know from where. I...don't know who she is, not really, but its also familiar."
Asbolus:
"Hmm." He nodded quietly. "The thought that keeps tickling in the back of my mind is that she may be related to you as well, not just in shared Durance. Bit of an 'evil' twin situation, although not necessarily completely malicious. Looking into if you had any other siblings before might be of some use."
Avery Frisk:
"I...don't know if I had any. I...could talk to...my Fetch...I don't know." Avery's head hangs a little bit.
Asbolus:
Seeing Avery deflate a little Asbolus moved to sit beside them, holding an arm out for them to close the gap between them if they so wished. "It may be worth asking, far-fetched as it may be."
Avery Frisk:
Avery leaned into the hug.
"I'm...scared to do it. I've avoided them...and now I feel like I can't. Its no longer...at my pace. And I'm worried that...if Aubrey was there...my fetch may not want to talk to me...if she thinks I'm Aubrey."
Asbolus:
"Having things taken out of your control is always frightening, especially after what we've been through." He gave Avery a gentle hug, resting his head against theirs. "Talking to her first will prevent Audrey from getting her metaphorical claws into her and possibly turning her against you, along with possibly allowing you to foster a relationship with her if you both wish to."
Avery Frisk:
Avery closes their eyes when being hugged, way more comfortable with touch now than they were even 3 or 4 months ago.
"Yes...I know. I should do it...but I've been scared to do it for so long. I...am worried about learning who I was before...because what if its not...what I thought I was?"
Asbolus:
"That may be the case, but even if the person you were isn't what you imagine the person you are now is what matters. You've made yourself into someone I am proud to call a friend, someone who cares for the people they keep close to them and defends others in their time of need."
Avery Frisk:
Avery curls up a bit, trying to be smaller.
"I guess... yes. I'm glad I'm their friend, you are my friend too. I want to... be there to help others."
Avery pauses. "Have you met Snowy yet?"
Asbolus:
"I haven't yet, no. That one of the new arrivals, I take it?"
Avery Frisk:
"Yes...a Helldiver. Her cord was cut by Vorpal. She is an owl...and joined Winter, but seems determined...or maybe afraid, and wants to survive on her own if she can."
Avery takes a breath, almost speaking but not.
Asbolus:
He nodded, smiling a touch as he looked Avery over. "Sounds a bit familiar, I will say."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods. "That's...what I'm afraid of. She was found way faster than I was. I wish I could...help convince her that its safer in the Freehold than in storage sheds...like you found me...or her preferred tactic of trash cans."
A pause. "I told her about Ermine's Winter Coat, but I can't teach it. I hope it at least protects her for now."
Asbolus:
"Hopefully. I can speak with them as well, perhaps."
Avery Frisk:
"I think...that would help them. They need someone to help them...like I had you." Avery looks up with thanks in their eyes.
Asbolus:
Asbolus smiled warmly in return, giving a nod. "I'm glad I was able to do so for you, much as others did for me."
"You're no slouch yourself, mind." He added. "You've taught me quite a bit as well."
Avery Frisk:
Avery smiles back, leaning forward to put their arms on the counter and rest their head.
"Paying it forward...thats what you taught me...I'm not sure what I taught you?"
Asbolus:
"To be more aware of my surroundings, for one. I already had a keen ear myself, but being mindful of things that could cause distress helped to keep an eye out for other things as well. That and those flying lessons." He added with a small smile, hopping up from the kitchen to retrieve their tea along with some fixings to doctor it with. "I saw something of myself in you as well, the initial fear that kept me from interacting with others more than I had to, and seeing you blossom as of late with the help of your partners has warmed my heart...and prompted me once again to start looking for something similar, in truth."
Avery Frisk:
"There's too many loud things...you helped me to not get overwhelmed...I appreciate it."
Avery looks at the far wall, head on their arms. "So...what I see in Snowy...you saw in me? I...Vinny, Maria, and Vorpal all make me feel safe. They make me feel...like I can be me...instead of being scared." A sideways look at him. "I hope you find someone like that...that you care about, and that cares about you."
Asbolus:
"You're welcome. It's the least I can do."
"I do feel that closeness with some - Lux and Jack, of course - but my romantic prospects have been rather dry for quite a while. Finding someone in the community would be ideal considering how storied of an individual I am these days, but I'm keeping an open mind."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"Lux helped me when I was lost to dreams...but I don't think I've met Jack. Are they your motleymates?" Avery had a slight pause there that they moved past.
"I don't think I could date someone who didn't know about...things. Maria knows...she knew before she met Vinny. But if someone didn't know..."
Asbolus:
"In all but name. We haven't sworn the oath yet, but in due time." That pause earned a curious look, although nodded as Avery continued. "It would be doable, but having to hide such a large part of myself would be difficult, and disingenuous as well."
Avery Frisk:
"Have you ever been in a Motley before?" Avery tilts their head in their own curious way. Very birdlike
Asbolus:
"Not yet, no."
Avery Frisk:
"How did you figure out you wanted to be in one with Jack and Lux?" Avery lays their head sideways on their arms.
Asbolus:
"I was closer with Lux at first, as we shared a Durance and formed a fast friendship after we came here. Seeing them with their partners opened my eyes to what I was missing, both romantically and platonically, and Jack and Mearc were equally welcoming."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods their head.
"So its...people you trust? A lot? And...you feel safe with them?"
Asbolus:
"Indeed." He nodded, smiling a touch. "Have you found folks like that for yourself?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"Ylva asked me yesterday...I said I would be interested. She is a good person."
Asbolus:
"She is indeed, from my interactions with her. I think you two would work well together."
Avery Frisk:
Avery smiles while looking at their mentor. "I hope so. She taught me how to do digital art too. It...we got cut off from talking about it with what happened."
Asbolus:
"I recall you mentioned looking into that." He replied with a smile. "Would love to see some of your new work at some point."
Avery Frisk:
Avery frowns.
"I've been too stressed to work on anything. I tried at the Freehold hollow but...i don't like drawing in the Hedge, even hollows. I don't feel safe enough to do it Ironside."
Asbolus:
"Ah...understandable." He nodded quietly. "If having a second set of eyes keeping watch would help on that front let me know."
Avery Frisk:
"I'm...not sure. I want the slavers to be gone, and then I will feel safe enough again."
Asbolus:
"Let me know either way. Also when you plan on speaking with your fetch; that will likely be the best way to get access to the camera footage she has."
Avery Frisk:
"I will. I...want to kill Aubrey because she has hurt my family."
Avery pauses. "I need to talk to her soon...but...she is helping her wife right now."
Asbolus:
"Understandable, but learning the why to her own anger may help you as well."
He nodded quietly. "Was she involved in the incident as well?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"I felt..she was in danger. Felt almost like...like I knew the ravens were there. I've had them before."
Asbolus:
"Interesting...a residual connection to them, perhaps?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery shrugs. "I'm not sure. If I focus on it...I can give warnings and feelings, or look through their eyes for a bit. I get jealous when I do... so I try not to."
Asbolus:
"...oh, you meant your fetch, not the ravens." He nodded knowingly. "I share a similar connection with mine."
Avery Frisk:
"Oh yes...sorry. I do like ravens though. It's just...hard. I've talked to many of them in the city before but they seemed....to be enjoying hurting my Fetch. It was very unlike them normally."
Asbolus:
"They may have been stirred to such by Aubrey, most likely."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods. "That is what I thought too. She was in the Hedge while we were there."
Asbolus:
"What all do you know about this Aubrey so far? How did you learn her name, for that matter?"
Avery Frisk:
"Almost nothing...they are another raven from There. Their mask looks like mine with dark hair. They have at least Light Shy and Relentless Pursuit as contracts. And they use their talons instead of knives like I do. And they live in a motel 6." Avery frowns. "Maria told me. She tracked them down a bit with Bones, but was smart and backed off."
Asbolus:
Asbolus nodded, filing those little tidbits away for later. "That's something, at least. Knowing where she's working out of is a start."
Avery Frisk:
"There may be more...but it may also be a contract. They have seen several people moving in and out of the room. I...need to be careful. Its hard."
Asbolus:
"Indeed. I had to be careful in my own outward movements during the issues with the previous Steward some time back, so I understand how that feels."
He gave Avery a gentle hug. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
Avery Frisk:
Avery leans into the hug. "To feel safe again. I don't like still feeling scared. I'm not...as scared for me. I am scared to lose Maria or Vincent."
"I...am sorry you felt like this. It is not fun. I don't remember much about them, besides they were a bridge burner. It feels like...a bad memory for the Freehold."
Asbolus:
"I am more than happy to help restore that feeling for you. Threats to our anchors in this world are important ones to fight against, and the quicker they're handled the better."
"Robin was...misguided, as burners tend to be. Protecting others from the malicious dreams of the Gentry is a worthwhile cause, but the methods she chose were antithetical to the freehold. She had only just given me paperwork for a new identity before revealing her true allegiances, so I had to remain out of sight of most mundane folk until the issue was handled."
Avery Frisk:
"I...yes. They are my anchors and I am scared to lose them. I...want them safe but they are both determined to show they are not scared."
Avery pauses, hugging their mentor. "I am sorry you had to deal with that."
Asbolus:
"Thank you." He returned the hug with a small smile. "It was difficult but necessary, and I learned some things from it so some good came from it in the end."
Avery Frisk:
Avery is quite careful around the sharp edges, but Asbolus is one of the people they can relax around.
"Learning is...important, but it is not the nicest way to learn."
Avery lets go, looking at their untouched tea.
"Sorry...words are making me tired."
Asbolus:
"Indeed." He nodded quietly, glancing towards the door in the back of the hollow. "You can rest here if you'd like."
Avery Frisk:
Avery looks back, tilting their head.
"Are you sure? And is it...dark in there?"
Asbolus:
"I'm certain, and it can be."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"Please? I'd like that."
Asbolus:
"Of course." He nodded and claimed both cups, moving to set them in the kitchen for the moment before opening the door that led further into the hollow, revealing a small hallway that sported two more doors. "Take your pick, they should both still be made up."
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