Gennadiya Lyosha
25 Arc Human Female
Plantium Blond Hair and Sapphire Blue Eyes
Favored of Ymiden and Moseke
Blue Cloak of the Adunih
In surprise
A Home for A Calling
Vhalar 1 719
With the exception of the old man’s chuckles a silence descended up on garden as Gennadiya’s mouth fell open and her eyes grew as wide. The young woman was surprised enough, but not often so surprised that she lost control of her expression. This time the excitable old man had meet with success and the Lysorian woman was speechless for a number of bits. Even her mind was reeling in disbelief as she tried to take it in. There was a intensive internal battle within the young woman, and finally disbelief gained full victory. Adiya hadn’t been particularly impressed by this man’s behavior nor his reputation and so her distrust won out.
Every ounce of self-control was call upon as her already correct poster became straighter, and as the sparkle in her sapphire eyes faded to a flint blue. Her mouth was now closed and her full lips were curled up in a predatory grin. She carefully pulled up the napkin and began to wipe around her mount even as the old man enjoyed her discomfort. Adiya pushed the chair back as she stood up. “I am sorry but I don’t find this joke particularly funny. Thank you for the food, and I wish you better health.” To say she wasn’t annoyed, even angry at this man would be a lie, but Adiya figured extracting herself from the toxic situation would be best.
“Oh come on. I am sorry come on back.” Vernat said waving at the chair. Genna didn’t even pause as her observations told her that this was part of the man’s routine. He took the jokes too far and then stopped, but he hadn’t learned anything really, her staying would confirmed his behavior as acceptable. The favored of Ymiden felt her anger begin to flow away, but she didn’t trust that the situation would be less toxic.
“Thank you for the apology.” Genna said, her predator smile slipped away to be replaced with a smile crafted around sorrow, and her eyes lost the steel look, but the sparkle still hadn’t returned. “I do wish you better health but I have work to do so I apologies but despite the excellent food I must go.” Genna curtsied and turned to leave and was several steps down the path when she heard him call back to her.
“Beloved of Ymiden, please hear me out.” This voice wasn’t laughing anymore, it was serious and the young woman detected a hint of openness about it. With a deliberately slow turn Adiya turned to face her host. The man was standing but still by the table where they had just been eating. He held a hand imploringly towards her, and Genna could detect that there was a mixture of emotions playing across his face and the moved so quickly that the medic couldn’t be sure exactly what they were trying to say. She could detect frustration and sorrow. The humor was gone though, and that was what kept her in that spot. Vernat saw that she had stopped and was waiting. “Despite my taste to laugh at others discomfort I was very serious. I am giving you this house.” He said waving at the structure a short distance away.
Genna expression was now neutral as she tilted her head and stared at the man before her. She could see that his old spunk was returning. She asked in an equally neutral tone. “Why?”
The old man slumped back into the chair. “In my life time I have accumulated wealth, and…” his expression grew sad, “enemies.” Adiya returned to her chair as the man grew silent. The healer in her could tell that the man was pushing himself too far, and she if she was going to be part of this conversation she wasn’t going to make him shout. “I like to view the world as a joke, and to play jokes on the world.”
“There isn’t anything wrong with humor.” Adiya replied. As she learned more about the way the human mind worked Adiya understood the value of humor, but she also could tell that this man’s humor wasn’t inclusive, it was a weapon. “Though you have learned you used it as a shield.”
“Yes, I appeared jovial and friendly on the surface, and honestly I believed I was for the longest time, but my humor always left someone hurting, and many times poorer.” Vernat tried to straighten in his chair. “I won’t bore you with my long history. The point is a while back I was rather bluntly told by my grandson to do get fried by Ilaren. I thought I had been nothing but generous to him. Needless to say it was an ugly fight.” The man paused and slumped in his chair.
“So you reviewed your life.” Genna said getting the drift of where this was going.
“You make me sound like some bank ledger. No young lady, I was so irritable and angry about it that my Mistress left me.” Vernat said. “That lady was almost as bad as me. That’s when I began to pounder,” He said the last work with emphasis, “about my life. It was then that I realized how nasty I had been through out my life.”
Genna sat listening to her host and resisted the urge to pick up her discarded for and fiddle with it. Both other healers and priests of Ymiden had mentioned something like this happening. People lived nasty lives and then at the end decided to confess it all and felt that it would whip away all their past wrongs. They always went to the Ymiden in hopes of being forgiven, but that just wasn’t how it worked. Genna very softly spoke. “Neither Ymiden or his chosen can forgive you of your past deeds.” She paused and noticed that Vernat was watching her closely. “Ymiden is the Immortal over Forgiveness, and Rebirth, but he isn’t some Immortal who can just wipe away all of your past deeds. Nothing can actually erase you past. It has happened.” Genna’s voice was gentle as she spoke to the older man. “What he and his followers do is teach people how to seek and give forgiveness. How to change their life to make amends for the past.”
The young woman paused and looked at the man she was talking to. He wasn’t laughing at her but he was listening and judging her. She also realized at that point, he knew and possible understood what she was talking about. There wasn’t any disappointment in his expression just the same listening quality. Genna sat and watched his for a long moment studding him as well. After a few moments Vernat spoke his expression serious but a twinkle in his eye. “With a life like mine how could I possible do that?”
The platinum haired beauty continued to quietly look at her host, but this time it was thinking on an answer to old man’s question. Adiya crossed her ankles and lend slight on one of the arm rests. “You have already started correctly. You have to know and admit that you need to be forgiven, then comes the hard part, trying to figure out who and why.” Adiya expression was soft as she said this last part. “Then the hardest part of all. You have to make what restitution you can.” The young woman wondered how they had been so derailed from their original conversation about why he was giving her this house.
Vernat was nodding his head and smiled at bit. “That is what I thought as well. I originally wanted to just have my bad behavior forgotten, but no Pier and Pre have long memories, and aren’t known to be forgiving. I also thought of me as a business man. I was always more impressed with the employees who worked to fix their mistakes instead of just kept making the same one.”
Adiya eyes twinkled with interest now. The man might have a selfish sense of humor but he wasn’t stupid. She continued to listen as he spoke of what he had done and how he had approached those who he had wronged or strongly offended. They were at it for a long time and Adiya could tell that the man’s sense of humor was still there, and that was something that he would always have, she could now tell that he was trying.
“So how do you feel now?” Genna asked him. Vernat smiled his broad grin and said.
“I feel almost at peace?”
“Almost.” Genna said raising an eyebrow. Vernat smile slipped and his expression grew serious. “There is one person who I have not approached about being forgiven. Ironically he is the one person who I always did my best to be kind to.” His eyes were troubled, “my crime is decades old now, and involves an indiscretion with my friends now dead wife.”
Adiya wasn’t surprised by this confession after everything she had heard, but understood his hesitation. “You are worried that to ask his forgiveness now would hurt your friend far more then give him comfort.” The young woman asked. “That it would tarnish the memory of all those happy years.”
“It was actually before they were married but while they were courting.” Vernat began. The Lysorian woman about to raise her hand to stop the man but didn’t after reflection. She couldn’t forgive the man, but she could listen and help him. So she settled back into her chair as Vernat finished the story. It appeared that he had felt bad it then, but hadn’t told his friend. He had been supportive of them throughout his life and Adiya could tell that by serving them the dying man did actually care about them. Finally he looked at her and asked. “What should I do?”
The young woman thought about it and with out even realizing if found her finger tapping her chin. “Not being part of the problem and not knowing everyone involved I can only give you advise.” She drew a deep breath and then spoke. “Seeking forgiveness isn’t a torcher device, it is hard yes, but at the end of the trial you should be at peace.” Her expression grew a bit troubled. “The problem that arises are related to the other party. They don’t have to forgive you, and that is there decision, but you can rest knowing you have tried you best to make it better. Sometimes though when the issue isn’t known to the other wronged individual a confessing can actually just make pain, and taint a memory. Especially after this long of a time.” Genna paused. “Should a confession have been made, yes, but a long time ago and certainly before she had died. I can’t tell you what to do, but if it’s going to ruin your friend’s life then is it really fixing the problem?”
Vernat was quiet for a moment. “I will have to think more about it, because maybe she did confess and I was just never told, and then he might be waiting.”
“That is a possibility. I would suggest seeking Ymiden for guidance if you truly feel that might be a possibility.” Adiya said not willing to really commit, these types of decision had to be made on a personal level. They were both quiet for a long moment as they sat in the lawn chairs, though Genna was beginning to find hers uncomfortable.
“I thank you for sharing your experience with me, but it still doesn’t answer why you are giving me your home.” Adiya finial said bringing the conversation back to the point.
“Oh yes.” Vernat said coming out of his pondering. He grinned again. “For starters it is just one of my houses, and I hope it will become your home.” He stood up and motioned for her to follow him. Being seated for so long seemed to have helped him rebuild some strength and so they moved slowly across the lawn towards the beautiful building. “In the process of all of this I realized that I had raised a generation of vipers, and while part of me really wanted to leave them nothing. I realized that they were what I can raised them to be, so in an effort to avoid the inevitable fighting after I died, I am just sorting my property now to make it very clear. So all of my children and grandchildren have gotten an equal share. I have also given property and wealth to other people in honor of how they helped me.”
“Okay, but I didn’t know you before today.” Genna stated the obvious.
“My decision to give this place to you has to do with how I remodeled a room a couple arc back.” Vernat said grinning. “So your just going to have to wait and see it.” The man’s humor was back, but Adiya could appreciate this one, and with that she remained quiet as they made slow progress to the building. The young woman admired the building for its beauty but was still curious.
“I have actually heard a lot about you from communications I maintain with your father, and your name is beginning to be whispered among the Rharne community especially after your help with the Ember Plague. I also heard how you helped Astrid, and no she isn’t my granddaughter or anything. I know her through old business partners. That was when I realized that I have to leave this place to someone who would understand this room.” He made this last statement as he rather dramatically threw open the door to one of the rooms.
Adiya stood there stunned. The room was large and everything in it was finely crafted, but it was nicely simplistic. What took her breath away was that this room had clearly been turned into a shrine for Ymiden. A small statue of the god stood across from the windows where dawns light could touch it. The room had a number of cushions placed around the room so people could come and enjoying the days light and quietly mediate. Other decoration where used to help enhance the peace and tranquility of the room.
Vernat explained how he had this room set up to help him in contemplation as it had the best sunrise prospect. His dancing eyes looked at her. “Do you understand.”
“You want me to turn this into an active shrine for Ymiden.” Adiya said thinking of the first thing that came to her.
“If you wish, or you can keep it as a personal shrine.” Vernat said happily. “Either way I knew that you would use it well, favored of Ymiden.”
Genna looked at the man and smiled at him. “This is too rich of a gift.”
“Yes but I spent my life taking, let me give something now.” He looked at her. “Will you take the house, will you keep my shrine in tact and use it.”
“I would be honored to live here and use this place to further Ymiden’s work.” Genna answered honestly. This trial had been a very strange one, and one that she would remember for a long time. The main reason wasn’t the house but was the man who she had meet, and come to admire.
Effects
Hair glows slightly from Ymiden's mark
A Green tree on shoulder blade from Mosekes mark
In possession of a magic Rose which heals scares.
