Slightly Unorthodox Things [closed]

"Hoh?" Valen hummed. He tilted his head and seemed to be pondering thoughtfully. "What is she... that is a good question..."

Valen crossed his arms and closed his eyes deep in thought.

"You're right... she's more than just some acquaintance," Valen said thoughtfully. "She's too involved for that so.... supporting character?"

Valen looked up at the sky and tilted his head left and right as if physically rolling around a thought in his head. As innately odd as his statement was, he didn't seem to be joking."

"No, she's comes up too often for that. She's too relevant to Remi for that. Perhaps a wheel character? Hm..." Valen had slipped into his odd mannerisms again. "Perhaps.... the heroine?"

A bead of sweat trailed down Claudia's temple.

"What are you even talking about...?"

She shook her head.

"Anyways, the reason I asked you out here and about Liseran is because I'm a little worried about what's been going on," she said. "And I don't just mean the fact the Haven was raided and a lot of people don't have homes."

Even with her lax posture and her hands behind her head, there was gravity in Claudia's face.

"There's been a series of murders lately," she confided. "They were in Saoirse first, but they've made their way here in Aldmerrow. Servant girls going missing. Farmers found stabbed and bleeding. And, most suspiciously, a lot of the victim's bodies go missing from their graves. I fear it could be a necromancer."

Claudia lifted her eyes and met with Valen's.

"Liseran told me you were an adventurer. Since Remi's mother's trail hasn't gone anywhere, I was wondering if you'd be interested in investigating it while you're at the villa," she explained.

Before Valen could ask, she added, "Yes, I overheard your dinner conversation. You're free to stay there, though I'd like you to explore the surrounding area to make sure it's truly safe for Liseran and Remi. I'll mostly be keeping an eye on them to protect them from any instant threat, but I need someone doing the dirty work. I can pay you for the trouble to. What's your rate anyways?"

"...."

Valen had a blank look as he listened, but as Claudia finished, he huffed and turned around back towards the house.

"Is that all? Because I don't need a job like that."

He started walking back to the house, his coat waving with each step.

"I was planning on doing that anyway."

Claudia was a bit surprised at Valen's abrupt answer, but when he started walking away, she made no protest.

"Definitely weird, that one," she said, smiling to herself.

When Valen entered inside the cabin, he'd find Liseran reading by the fireplace. She'd hear him arriving, and by the time he was within eye contact, she'd scowl before ducking back into her pages.

"Here to be mean again?" she said.

Valen would hear the loud turn of a page.

"I had my fun for the night," Valen stated plainly, walking by as if nothing had happened earlier. "Where's the little one?"

"Upstairs and sleeping," Liseran said as she turned another page. "Don't go up to her. She's hard to put to bed, let alone to return to bed when someone's woken her up."

Liseran forced herself to stare at the words, but found it rather distracting. Seeing Valen reminded her of earlier, and her cheeks started to burn. Eventually, though, she gave up and slammed the book close before returning it to the bookshelf.

"Well, you're free to lounge about here for the night since you're coming with us tomorrow," she said stiffly. "Or you can use the guestroom if that's too uncomfortable. That said, you don't have to expect anyone coming here and whisking you away for a second drink!"

The last words were thrown with resentment followed by narrowed eyes staring at him.

"I actually don't like drinking," Valen stated plainly before taking a seat at the couch. "I don't really like anything that dulls my senses."

Valen leaned back and sighed.

"Since you're still up, can you tell me about this so-called attack on the local haven?"

Liseran's cheeks puffed at Valen's first words and she remained skeptical.

She did, however, sink into her chair as she explained the attack.

"I honestly wasn't here for that," she said quietly. "I was...away."

She sighed and crossed her arms.

"I think it happened just after I got after town," she said. "A small altercation of civil uprising took place in town and I guess that caused the Expiate to double-down. People were careless and ended up leading the Expiate straight into the Haven."

Liseran's expression saddened.

"A lot of people got arrested," she said. "Lost their jobs or sent to jail. Remi and Rory were fortunate to hide in the part that wasn't discovered."

She sighed.

"Not that it matters to you, right?" she said bitterly. "It's not like Aldmerrow's politics affect you in the long run. You can just leave here and be done with it."

Valen listened attentively to Liseran's statement, and towards the end, he closed his eyes and calmly breathed in and out.

"Well, it's true Aldmerrow largely doesn't concern me," Valen stated. "I could just be on my way and move on without giving a second thought.... However that does not necessarily mean I do not care."

Valen opened his eyes and looked off to somewhere very distant.

"When you read a book, the characters and the world have no real effect on you," he yammered on. "If something bad happens in that book, it's largely no concern to anything outside of it. And yet you feel for those characters and wrestle with anger, sadness, and happiness all the same. Why do you think that is?"

Liseran was a little more surprised by Valen's well-possessed response, and she found herself blushing in embarrassment. Her lips pouted yet again.

"W-well, I mean...I guess you can put yourself in their shoes," she said. "Especially when you understand their perspective, I guess. B-but that's different! It's another thing to feel for people in books and just pitying people from a distance in real life."

She frowned and looked down on the ground.

"It's easy to feel bad for people and it's entirely another to actually do something to help," she said.

And then a little quieter and crossing her arms, "Though, I know you at least care about Remi. I guess that means you care even a little bit."

Liseran would slowly move to the seat across Valen and sigh. Her eyes moved to the fire a moment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so crude to you," she said. And then, pouting, "Th-that doesn't excuse your behavior earlier, though."