Outside the Box

[Faith Augustin]

30th Saun, 720

"Are you sure?" Faith asked Nir'wei. She had to get back, she knew she did. But she didn't want to leave him in any trouble. "I can send more food, supplies if needed. We can use the Eclipse Portals as we need them too." Faith knew that there was a massive job here and she felt bad for leaving Nir'wei now. The two of them were sitting in the Scholar's Nook, sitting in the corner and sipping drinks. There was something about being quite as famous as Faith was and it was hard getting any time where they were alone. However, Caz and Flea were great - and here they got to sit and not be bothered. Faith didn't usually mind, she was happy to be there for people as needed, but she had to admit that she appreciated the opportunity to get some time where the two of them could chat in relative peace.

"I'm fussing, I know," Faith lifted her legs and curled them up underneath her - a sure sign that she was relaxing. Cradling her cup in her hand, Faith looked at Nir'wei and smiled. "I'm sorry. I rather miss this place." The pair of them had been working almost consistently since; really, this was their first chance to sit down and chat. "At some point," Faith said quietly, "We need to talk about a few things, I suppose." With a glance around to make sure that really were no other people around, she was still circumspect in her words. "Regarding that task we have been given." The one by Ilaren; Faith knew that Nir'wei would know what she meant so she said no more on the specifics of it.

"There are a dozen things I want to talk to you about, outside of that," There were. They had so much which was important to them both - yet Faith and he rarely got any time. She would have to rectify that, she thought - make sure that she made more time. It was important. "I was wondering, if you don't mind," she grinned a little as she asked this question. "Nir'wei, what is it that the Council Member for Natural Affairs does? I have a ..." she considered it, then sighed. "Well, Padraig has a new companion who we need to look after and... learn about." With the slightest raised eyebrow, Faith asked. "And I wondered what it was that you actually do..."

[Nir'wei]

Nir'wei stopped in the middle of lifting his drink to his lips to meet her with a stern stare. "You've done more than enough. Send any more food and supplies and they'll end up going to waste, and you know it." The mere idea that they'd end up wasting food with literal thousands of mouths to feed for an indeterminable time period spoke volumes about exactly how much Faith had managed to provide for them in such an illogically short amount of time. Then again, she was Faith... and when it came to Faith, there were some things you just didn't question. He returned to sipping quietly from his drink, his free hand idly rubbing between Castile's head while she lounged under the table between the two of them. Myrth had planted her head on the seat right next to Faith's hip, conveniently within petting distance.

"A few things?" He really wanted to know if they even had to. He'd struggled to find a real moment of peace with her. Even their first meeting had been something he'd been forced to hide from his own advisors and staff, like a dirty secret. For once it'd be nice to just sit down and have a drink with his sister. "Oh. Right." Unfortunately, some tasks were too big to be ignored. Ilaren. Qylios. Faldrun. Qylios had talked about it so simply, as if it were nothing more than a simple assassination. She'd disappeared that day without another word since, not even arriving following Nir's death, nor his resurrection, nor any of the other matters since. He'd be almost confident she'd washed her hands of the event completely, if not for the key Faith still held, and the one she'd also returned to him.

He opened his mouth to wander aloud if they should even discuss such things in an open environment, but she moved on quickly enough without prompting, so he didn't push the matter. "You know, being one myself, I couldn't give you a real answer," he grinned back. "Personally, I do nothing more than odd jobs and the assigning thereof. There's a lovely, woman called Elise Flarsdotter - a lovely, cold, emotionally-dead woman - who cares for and provides the mounts for every soldier in the Elements, almost completely by herself, who I help out sometimes and pay wages for. As far as I can tell, that's it. Mounts for the Elements. And one person to do it with." If she couldn't read the sarcasm in his tone, he'd have to worry for her sanity at that moment. "It's MADNESS! The University does what it wants, always has, doesn't even inform me. The Elements just barge in wherever they please and foot me the bill whenever they get an Enormowl's wing cut off or some such buggery... and frankly, I can't tell either of them off because they've got fancy castles and thousands of students and soldiers and KAREM-knows-what... and I'm left with a repurposed closet filled with knick-knacks to work out of."

There was frustration in his tone. Genuine frustration. Argua had suffered as a result of the previous administration, and he'd paid the cost for the lack of oversight and involvement. For all the animals at his disposal, he honestly didn't know what to do about it. But she'd touched a sore spot and given the time of day, he'd likely end up ranting on about it until the suns went down, so he exhaled deeply and took another sip of his drink to calm himself. "Okay. The fact you're saying 'companion' is starting to unnerve me. Please don't tell me you've managed to befriend some kind of sentient tree or a talking cloud or something? PB still gives me nightmares."

[Faith Augustin]

30th Saun, 720

Faith grinned at him as he said that food would go to waste if she sent more; it pleased her no end that she'd been able to help but - as always - Faith was looking for more to be done. But, there were times when even she had to admit that they'd done all they could. So, she listened to what he had to say and then, when he spoke about PB, Faith raised an eyebrow. "So, let me get this straight," she said, archly, "my little diri, harmless if somewhat lewd, gives you nightmares? While you, and your menagerie, are the very epitome of normal?" Shaking her head, Faith put her own mug down and she sat back, looking at him, her hand reaching down to pet Myrth, gently stroking and scratching. "Well, you see. There's a story."

Indeed there was. Faith considered whether she'd give him the long version, or the short one. "It's... well. You see, Padraig noticed that, in Saun, the second sun had a .. well, a wobble." There was a gleam of mischief in Faith's eyes as she spoke to him. It was all true, but she equally knew that Nir'wei would find it irksome. "In its orbit. So, he examined it, and he studied it. He stroked his beard. ... he grew a beard, then stroked it ... then, he went off on a journey to the edge of the world. Where, he believed, the wobble originated." None of this was a secret. In fact, it was written up in the world of academia.

"He found a barrier. No magic works there. No marks, no items. Nothing. It's freezing cold, and the ship nearly got destroyed. But... he couldn't get through the barrier. He took lots of samples, did lots of science things." She grinned at him. "Then, he came home. He went back - same thing, except that time he realised that if he slept there, he could... almost get through. So, he slept and he saw things." Faith shrugged and then lifted her mug once more. "We went back there, together. We went through the barrier. We met ... some very interesting beings. One of whom gave Padraig a companion."

Faith reached into her pocket and took out a piece of folded up parchment, which she slid across to Nir'wei. "He looks like this," she said, softly.

While Nir'wei looked, she added. "And we need to sort that out. The university will work with you, if you insist they do. But if you don't insist, they'll coast." Faith gave him a level gaze. "You need to be firm and rather better at politics than you currently are. I can help you?" He needed to be firm, but not arrogant, assertive while not backing down, and he needed to take his power. It was there for the taking, but whether he would or not? Well - she had faith in him. "Did you know I run a clothes shop?"

[Nir'wei]

How on Idalos did she manage to keep a straight face. So rudely insulting his pack, calling them 'abnormal', even while she lavished Myrth with such attention that Nir'wei could feel her tail thwapping against his ankle as if it were a drum. He didn't even feel the need to reply. Myrth's pleasure seemed to do all the work, pressing eagerly into her palm and folding her ears back against her skull in clear pleasure. There were more interesting things to discuss, after all.

He could tell that she was dumbing it down for him, but Nir'wei at least tried to feign understanding as she rambled about wobbling suns and barriers, whatever those were. Whether or not she noticed the glazed look in his eyes, she kept talking anyway, and was clearly just making fun of it, so he assumed that it was all in good spirit. "So... the sun is wobbly, and... there's something... living at the... right, okay." The only thing he could really latch onto during any of this was the talk of sleeping being somehow involved in the passage. Why would sleeping be involved with getting through a barrier, and how? Was it... no, surely it wouldn't be related to Emea. But could it? And if it was, did that mean he should finally show her that?

The drawing he took from her looked familiar. "It's a Jacadon." No, wait. "The wings are larger. Spines? No, wait... four legs, and two wings as well." As hard as he looked, he couldn't seem to draw a solid comparison to any known creatures, or legends of creatures. Especially when noting the measurements. "It's surprisingly small. On par with a horse, but the neck and the body structure are almost serpentine. Wingspan must be what, seventeen and a half feet?" Normal proportions of flying animals dictated two and a half feet for every foot of body length, though that didn't take into account the tail, of course. "Hum." She talked while he analysed, but his attention couldn't split two ways like hers could. Once she was finished talking, he rolled the paper back up and returned it to her with a thoughtful look. "I'd love to take a look in person. It's... an unusual specimen, isn't it." It brought to mind something, but he couldn't possibly put his finger on it; there were elements clearly drawn from other animals that he could vaguely piece, but the coherence was too perfectly aligned to suggest that they'd just been cobbled together by some haphazard mad Grafter.

Then he sighed quietly. "Honestly, I don't want to work with them at all." He could anticipate the face she'd make, and answered it before she had the chance. "No, it's not like that, I promise you. The Elements and the University both have funding and resources that are just too big to contend with. If I worked with them, I wouldn't be working with them - I'd be working FOR them. Exactly like I work for the Elements right now. It's just another one-sided arrangement I'm shackled to, and I have nothing to bring to the negotiating table." Perhaps he was looking at things from the wrong angle, but that was his way. "The wolf doesn't hunt alongside the rabbit." She called it soft, and maybe it was. He just wanted to fight the battles he'd win.

But then, what did he really need to make a change in that? "I need resources. I need manpower, I need... a place to start, and stake my claim. A purpose that goes beyond serving the needs of the other Councillors." He chuckled. "Think your clothes shop can help with that?"

[Faith Augustin]

30th Saun, 720

An unusual specimen? Faith smiled as she continued to fuss and scratch. "Yes. Very much so," she said. She said no more than that, at the moment, because there were other things which were more important. Much more important, in fact.

So, she listened to what Nir'wei said and she paused, briefly, before she answered. "When we first met, you and I," the softness of her expression told what a pleasant memory that was for her. "I was a slave. There, in the grass lands of Venora, I was a slave. Yet, you never treated me like one, you treated me like a free woman who made choices. Padraig, too, from the moment I met him. Aeon," her fingers paused in their movement as she spoke Aeon's name. "None of you treated me like a slave and yet, I was. Even what Tristan wasn't there, I was utterly loyal." Faith recommenced her fussing of Myrth, thinking about how to word this.

"It wasn't until I stopped being a slave in my head and heart that I truly stopped being a slave. No matter what papers I held." That was completely true. "And while I was a slave in my own mind, my behaviour demonstrated it. But then, I was thrust into situation after situation where people expected things of me. It's still ...." glancing around, she sighed slightly. "People seem to think I have answers, or knowledge, or understanding and really, I'm just out of my depth most of the time." It was so true, it was almost laughable. Faith spent time worrying about letting people down, about not meeting people's expectations, of not being able to help.

She looked at Nir'wei and spoke her mind, as clearly as she could. "When the docks collapsed, I took charge. I wrote to people and made demands, I commandeered places to set up hospitals, I acted like I belonged in charge and people did as I told them." Her gaze on Nir'wei was as full of positive emotion as ever. "You are the Council Member in charge of Natural Affairs. The Council runs Scalvoris. YOU are in charge, not them. But they will let you act like you aren't, because that's what's best for them. You don't work for the Elements. They need you. They need those animals and you are in charge of the animals. They work for you."

It was a strange thing to wrap his head round, but Faith knew he had to. "No matter what you feel inside, I promise you that you need to act like an alpha. The university is not the boss of you - it has animals, it teaches about flora and fauna and geology and geography. So it must comply to your standards. Make sure it knows it. " Her hand moved from Myrth then, and rested on his arm. "You are the Alpha and you have everything you need to bring. You have passion, determination, and a strong moral compass. You're already in charge, you just need to act like it. Like I was already free, but just needed to act like it."

With a tilt of her head to indicate "out there" (and, of course, in entirely the wrong direction because some things never changed), Faith gave him a grin. "Want me to help?"

[Nir'wei]

Her answer... well, it wasn't what he'd expected. There was clearly something she was leading towards, some hidden meaning he was supposed to be grasping somewhere along the way, but he just saw her. Little slave girl that had come so far from so little. Couldn't even fix a wagon when he'd first met her, hesitant to even catch a ride and save walking for breaks at a time back to Andaris. He'd come a long way too. Back then, he'd only had one voice in his head. They'd both gone down very different roads, from the very beginning, though. Even through this disaster, he'd done nothing but lean on her resources and people for support. Without Beacon, where would he have led them? Even a tent village could only last so long, without overflowing back into the Sweetvine Woods, or some other natural bastion. Cut down trees, hunt for game... it'd have been much more difficult without secure shelter to rely on at first, and they'd need to be careful to avoid over-hunting, but he could at least teach them proper... wait.

Posed with the possibility of no Faith, no Beacon, no help of any kind, he wasn't helpless, running around like some stranded child. It wasn't an impossible situation, just a difficult one. Had she seen that sparkle in his eye? It was like looking into a mirror and suddenly noticing that those flaws he'd been agonising about for the longest time, self-conscious and cautious... well, they really weren't anything more than he'd seen on anyone else. Perhaps even less so. Much less.

"They need the animals." The more he began to really think about it, running through a mental inventory of the Menagerie, the more her words started to really sink in. "The Air Elements... wouldn't even exist without the Enormowls. The Water Elements, Merquestrians... Land and Fire, how many horses they need, Hafrien, all of it." The University would be more difficult. But she wasn't wrong, not at all. Practically everything they did involved the study of some animal or some natural phenomena, for which they needed his insight, they needed his authority before they started to put the natural surroundings at risk.

Her touch snapped him from a reverie, and he settled a hand over hers and squeezed. "Yes. Please. I need to speak with Elise. We're changing operating procedures. Scale back the Enormowls and focus on a new breeding program. First step towards expanding the range of services to beyond just the Elements." Except... what was that going to be, exactly? What else would Enormowls be required for, other than military? Exploration? Relief efforts? Wait, why not all of the above? "The Chancellor. Faith, I don't have a clue what they really do there. I'll be honest, everything you said before about the sun and the moons and the-- I don't even... understand, what I don't understand." There was a genuinely helpless look on his face, for just an instant, before he rolled out the biggest, saddest pair of puppy-eyes he could muster without transforming into an actual wolf. As if reading his thoughts, Myrth performed the exact same look from under the table, complete with a thin canine whine. "I need to know what they're doing and how they're doing it. And I need a meeting with the Chancellor. Every time he wants to do an expedition, every time he wants a specimen... I need to know about it, I need to have a hand in it, somehow." Except he couldn't be in all these places at once.

"You keep asking for help," Grey sighed, stretching out under the table before lazily nudging Castile aside and pressing his head up into his hand, "and you keep ignoring all the opportunities to get it." At first he thought it was referring to Faith - he was about to give the wolf a piece of his mind and remind him that he'd already accepted it, immediately, except the wolf just kept staring at him expectedly. Until it clicked.

"The refugees. What if I hired them?"

[Faith Augustin]

30th Saun, 720

Watching the range of expressions on Nir'wei's face, Faith had to admit that she was amazed and delighted. He was so quick, as he had always been. She suspected that Nir'wei didn't see what she saw, when she looked at him, didn't understand it. Oh, it was easy for him, she knew, to think about her and how far she'd come. He'd be the first to cheer her on, to celebrate her achievements. But then, in the same breath, she knew, he would denigrate his own achievements. That was his way, and Faith knew that it was something they shared. Faith was here for Nir'wei, in the way he'd been there for her so many times. It was what you did when you were family and they were - in every way except by blood.

So, she sat and she listened. She fussed and scratched and stroked animals, and she listened. And he spoke. He spoke of his fears, his concerns, his insecurities. Finally, he spoke of the refugees, and Faith smiled at him and nodded her head. Yes. He had an army, if he only but knew it. And more than that, he had an army of people who would be loyal to him - because he had helped them. She was quiet while he spoke and then, for a few moments after. Finally, Faith replied to him. "I failed you," she said, softly. "I know I did. Because I knew you were dead. And yet, here you are." She smiled sadly at him, her hand moving to touch his arm - as though she was checking he was still really there. "When we left, I left you there and I knew you'd die and I have hated myself for every trill since, Nir'wei." Though her voice shook with emotion, there was no self-pity in Faith's expression. "I won't ask your forgiveness, because you would forgive me immediately and I will never forgive myself. So it's my forgiveness I need to work on."

Ironic, really, considering she was marked by Ymiden.

Faith was quiet for a few moments and then she stood, the emotion she was feeling spoke again. "I know someone who I think can help you," she said, her brain ticking over. "I mean. I'll help you, of course. I can speak to the Chancellor, that kind of thing. But there's someone I think will be the most useful to you." She pressed her hands together, the pads of her fingers pushing one against the other until the flesh turned whiter than it usually was. "He's busy, but I think he'll help us. He's amazing - I've learned a lot from him." Faith tried to explain, and then she sighed slightly in frustration - just slight frustration, but there nonetheless. "I can't explain it, not adequately. But he's faced the impossible, you know? You say I have, but he knocks me into a cocked hat. I got made free, and what I've achieved, every thing, each one, they've been there with help. But if anyone can turn this around and help you, he can."

She sat back down and looked at Nir'wei. Her hand moved to start scratching Myrth, and she did her best to explain. "He's been all on his own, totally, and he has always found a way. There was a time, you know, when he was without hope but he fought and fought. Then, of course, there is a simple truth." Silver eyes raised and fixed on him. "Even when he died. Even when his friends believed that he had gone, without hope. Even then. He fought and he won. He'll help you." Tears stood, suddenly, in Faith's eyes. "He's an inspiration to me, truly. And if anyone can do this? He can." She smiled, her lips trembling slightly.

"I'll help him. But he has everything he needs. He's amazing."

[Nir'wei]

This was, admittedly, very outside of his comfort zone. He was, and had never been, one that tried to shape himself to accommodate the will or desires of others. Even his brief moment as a Lightning Knight squire had, in hindsight, been more of a personal venture for self-improvement than a means to serve the nation, or follow duty. It was why he'd never managed to fit in with other Knights, or succeed in the eyes of his mentor. Being in control of his own life and his own actions was the only reason he still held the support of his pack, and why he was still able to grow it. He'd thought becoming a Councillor would be the greatest opportunity to expand even further, only to find duties to the people, stifling efforts of his fellow Councillors, and the constant bureaucratic responsibilities and expectations even more of a noose around his throat than anything else. To think he'd had it so very wrong. Coming to grasp with everything truly right at his fingertips... it stunned him into speechlessness, when all laid out before him.

When Faith finally spoke up, it somehow managed to derail his already scrambled train of thought beyond comprehension, and he snapped back to the moment with a jump. "Wha--" He took her hand in his when she reached and squeezed it tight, trying to think of the words to say, but she made it clear that even forgiving her - and she was absolutely right, since he'd do it without a second thought - he fell silent to let her bare her feelings. His death was still an open wound, arcs down the line. Of course he still remembered it, every trill. And the full journey back, as well, to the land of the living. It was the one thing he wouldn't let Sage touch, for now. No matter how many times the creature offered it, in its own strange way. One day he'd have to tell her about Sage. Right now, it would just worry her, to know how much he still carried. It was his own way of trying to ease her suffering. Something that he would need to work on.

He followed when she stood and tried to piece himself back together after that rather emotional moment, sucking in a breath through his nose. "Yes. Right." The more allies and friends at their back, the greater chances of success pushing forwards, not just in the short-term but for the future betterment of Natural Affairs, and Scalvoris as a whole after that. Was it an Order of the Adunih member, or a political ally? No, wait, it'd have to be even older than that, if it was back in her slave days. A Rynmere noble? That just made him wince trying to think about, honestly. Honestly, towards the end, she must have been able to see the confusion on his face. It sounded like she was talking about introducing him to an Immortal. None of it really clicked until the mention of death.

The emotional tension of the moment became just a little too much, and instinct screamed at him to look away and at least try to hide the welling of tears in his eyes. Castile whined at his left, Cold nosing at his right. Myrth was back at Faith the moment she sat down again, with Squeak joining as well, until they were both quite crowded by fluffy bodies trying to offer nuzzles and comforting touches. With his hands busy, there was nothing to stop the tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping from his chin until Greyhide pushed the others away and leaped up to lick at his face. "Alright, enough! C'mon guys, stop." Wiping the mixture of tears and canine slobber from his face with a shaky laugh, nad blinking back more tears before it threatened to start the waterworks all over again, he sniffled loudly. "I'll keep him under advisement." Her speech was so profound and had come so suddenly that he really couldn't think of anything to counter it, or even reply. Long moments of retrospective quiet stretched between them as he tried to focus on pacifying the wolves before his thoughts strayed back to the words again. "So... you'll talk to that Chancellor, yeah?" It wasn't even a real question, the answer was unimportant. He just needed something to fill the void before he started blubbering like a child.

[Faith Augustin]

30th Saun, 720

It was a lot.

Emotionally, psychologically, it was a lot.

Of course, it was made more so, enhanced and magnified, by the fact that they were more than friends. If there was any being on Idalos that was her brother, to Faith it was Nir'wei. Aeon, too, had been, but he had died. She still felt the guilt of that, of watching the building burn and knowing that Noth - which was far less impressive a name she thought than the 'Prince of Eternal Mercies' - had killed him. Faith would never forgive herself for Aeon's death and that same level of guilt was associated with Nir'wei's demise, too.

When she sat back down, of course, she was surrounded by soft fur, cold noses, warm breath against her skin. She smiled slightly and concentrated on fussing them. Faith felt emotion enormously, but as always she was disciplined and she quickly maintained her usual calm and neutral expression. Nir'wei was rare, in that she showed emotions around him at all, but still. There were some habits the former slave found hard to break and, in fairness, didn't true much, either. She was happy with a barrier between her and most people. But Nir'wei was different.

"Yes," she said, softly. "I'll speak to the Chancellor, also to the Merchants' Guild. I suggest we start by commissioning a study on the flora and fauna of Scalvoris. A cataloguing effort which does more than simply catalogue. But looks at the incredible range of eco-systems here, on our small little island, and begins to map out mutations. Gizzly Bees and Bumble Bears, for example, happen only here. Why? We could do a comparative study, trying to ascertain what the differences are in habitat and behaviour here, and so on. The University will bite your hand off to do it and, when it comes time to fund it, you refer them to the Accountant and be done." Faith smiled at him. "Money issues are not your purview. It's the Accountant's job to facilitate you doing what needs doing. The end." She had worked that way and, by and large, it had worked.

Thinking about it, Faith considered. "We'll start with that, I think? The other thing you need to have is meetings. Regular, boring, but necessary meetings. Once a season with the Chancellor, with the Order of the Adunih, with the Merchants' Guild. Then, every ten-trial with the Elements." She smiled, aware that what she was suggesting was, frankly, horrific. "You have someone in your offices, someone you give a title to like 'Military Liaison, Civilian Liaison, other stuff," Faith shrugged slightly. "With the Council representatives, too. The meetings have to be held. You get informed about them, attend or send your Liaison. But people won't come to you and tell you things, you have to force them to." With a grin, and a scratch behind a furry ear, Faith shrugged. "You force them by arranging meetings. If they don't attend, you arrange a meeting with their senior, or raise it and shame them in the next Council Meeting. If there isn't a Council Meeting soon, you write to them and copy in the Alberach and their boss."

Faith grinned. "I can set all these systems up - and the key is to have people in your staff who do these things and give you information. You need good, clear, relevant information. If you do this smart, you have a group of five people who attend all the meetings. Then, you have one meeting between you and them, and thus, things happen."

She would, quite happily, organise all this for him, get the systems in place so that he'd get maximum efficiency. After all, if there was one thing about her that was true, it was the words she spoke next. "I can organise things, after all."

[Pig Boy]

Player Name: Nir'wei

Points awarded: 15
Magic xp: 0

Knowledge:

5 x logistics
4 x politics

Renown: 5

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level

Player Name: Faith

Points awarded: 15
Magic xp: 0

Knowledge: None requested


Renown: 5

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level

Notes: I enjoyed this thread tremendously.

There was quite a lot going on from the onset of this, as simple as a meet n greet in coffee shop could be, these two extraordinary pcs made it so much more than that.

Nir'wei's angst at having to deal with pushy politicians when he lacks skill in that area was fun to read about. I think he really does fall into his role as Natural Affairs councilor quite well, and is a voice of pragmatism on the council. It seems to me that he's taken on Faith's advice that he act like an alpha, as his more recent activities in the Council have illustrated. It was also a good feel having him look over Padraig's dragonling, or the artist's rendition of it. I wonder if he can make a Dire Dragonling?... Would be cool to find out someday.

Faith's part in this was no less interesting. I thought her impressions of slavehood and what it meant to be free were fascinating, and very astute. There's a lot of baggage to unpack from a PC that used to be a slave, and even played for a long time as a Slave, not just in their background. It can be easy to glaze over what it means, and just pick up and go forth normally after being freed, but Faith had real adjustments to make after the fact, and this thread explains that well.

All in all, great writing from the both of you. I hope you all write more together in the future! This was a fantastic thread.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM. Enjoy your rewards!