RP:A Cure For The Common Amnesia

This is a Healer's Guild RP.

Summary: Emilia is visited by Thamalys, an avian suffering memory loss, at the House of Ara. After a small accident with the books spilling all over the floor, the Genasi offers the man to join the Healer's Guild to "help take his "mind off of" his startling lack of memories. Thamalys accepts!

Larket: House of Ara

Emilia resides within the walls of Ara after her most recent adventures tangoing with death once more. The establishment was open to the public at all hours of day and night, the door never locked as it was a place for healing and resting. Inside seated on a cushion in the middle of the floor before a series of books laid open around the snow-white woman Em was enjoying a cup of cold tea. Each book was related to the one next to it in subject matter, healing arts from basic care of wounds to extensive treatments for dire conditions. Studying perhaps. The Genasi, for once in her life, looked prim-and-proper from the floor length dark blue down to the elegant half up-do of curls mixed with braids to the way she seated herself like a lady, legs tucked to her side. It was at first glance as if the Healer was about to head out for a party, yet there she was surrounded by books without a clear path to even exit the house of Ara.

Thamalys followed the winding track lazily detaching from the river nearby. He eagerly covered the distance that still separated him for the House, eying from time to time a not-entirely-folded piece of paper he held in his right hand. For him, for a stranger, for somebody so lost, that was not an easy journey at all, no matter how short, no matter how trivial, that tiny map in his clutch his only way in. Legs wrapped in tight, black leather, an apparently brand new shirt, proper white, hanging loose on his skinny shapes, the Avian did not exactly look as somebody in dire need of help. Well, one detail was out of place, after all, namely the absence of any sort of footwear, notwithstanding the wobbly path. That, and the slightly queer pace of the Avian, dragging himself as a part of him was trying to hold him on the ground itself at any cost. "This is it..." he whispered, while approaching the doorstep with no door. And yet he did not dare to just set his - bare - feet into that place without any sort of notice. Beside, was is not a familiar figure, that little shade of blue almost buried by those towering books? Thus, once reached the entrance, he stopped, folding back that piece of paper and swiftly, almost ashamed, hiding it into some pocket. Knuckles on the stony wall, the sharp sound would have broken the otherwise perfect silence, dripping from the whole of that place like cold rain from winter leaves.

Emilia was about to take another sip of tea when the knocking interrupted her silence. The cup was held at her mouth while she lifted her gaze up toward the door, searching for the owner of the noise, such loud knocking. A familiar face, that brought a smile upon blue lips. Lowering her cup down into her hand the Genasi spoke, “Come in, come in, Not Lost!” her free hand waved over the towering book stacks to invite him into Ara, “I was just having tea with my books. Would you like a cup? I am sure that where ever it is that you traveled from that you much be parched, or hungry? I have a stock pile of berries in the kitchen.”. Careful, most graceful movements not to spill the tea or knock over her books Em rose from the seat. Even standing next to the stacks she appeared lost behind them, a circular wall around her frail figure, yet she slipped between two of the shorter stacks without an issue. “It is good to see you again, Not Lost. I am glad that you were able to find your way this way. I know for some it can be a long trek to make, so you are welcome to stay as long as you need.”

Thamalys gladly accepted the invitation, stepping forward with long strides almost immediately shortening, as soon as the Avian approached the papery castle hiding, or better embracing, the tea devotee Genasi. "Emilia" he commenced, bowing slightly, as if his wings would oppose the gesture and stay upright, nervous, almost twitching . "Apologies for interrupting your reading. I can see you are very... busy with these" he added, for a moment almost daring to touch one of the books on top of the precarious tower, only to retract his hand just in time, righteously scared of his own clumsiness. "No berries, thank you, but a cup of proper brew would be much welcomed indeed" he went on, taking another step toward the paper fence. "It has been a tricky journey - not sure I would have made it without that most useful map of yours..." In the meantime, the Avian invested quite some time in assessing the tidiness of the place - that is, anywhere else than the beautiful mess of tomes surrounding the impromptu tea party. That soothing feeling of order, as opposed to the chaos raging in his head, already made him at ease, the tension in his muscles giving way to the awareness of being somewhere safe, and righteous, and unspoiled. The ivory braids of the Avian danced across his bony face while trying to follow the head in a swift reconnaissance of the neighbourhoods. "It is good to see you too, and it is good to be here, I can tell that already..." he proceeded, eventually fixing his gaze beyond the paper castle onto the rather gleaming Genasi. "What... what are reading today ? - if I may be so bold to ask, that is..."

Emilia watched him enter with a curious gaze landing on his bare feet, he looked so dressed up until it came to his naked feet. Bringing her sights back up she smiled, “Tea is it.” Without another word the Genasi spun in a circle, knocking over one of the smaller stacks of books, four books toppling to the floor and making more of a mess, however she didn’t stop to correct the fall. The Genasi vanished into the kitchen where the tea kettle remained sitting on dull coals to keep it warmed. Her own cup of chilled drink set down upon the counter top so that she could proceed to fetching him some. From the cupboard she grabbed him a white teacup, a perfect match to the one she had, and poured him a cupful of the warm liquid. The Genasi didn’t notice as the heat from the ceramic spread onto her snow white hand, turning it red as it caused a mild burn. Still smiling she brought him the glass and offered it over to him, “Today we are continuing studies on the healing arts. I am by no means a master of the trade, so much left to learn. There is always so many ways to do things that I find it best to know as many tricks as possible for when the time comes to having to save a life. I fancy books, they are some of the best secret keepers around. You are more than welcome to read them.”

Thamalys nodded gratefully as the Genasi disappeared into the metallic realm of ladles and saucepans. Noticing a small part of the paper castle falling to the ground, the Avian kneeled - obviously hitting some more books, but luckily not hard enough to shatter the ordered chaos of those stacks - and collected, one after the other one, those four, ending with a ponderous pile of paper in his arms. Not even two of them, in fact, not when Thamalys had to - happily - accept the steaming cup in his right hand, the left one left alone with the treacherous weight of quite some knowledge. "Many thanks!" he nonetheless cheerfully uttered, while grabbing the pale container in a curious hold, as if a tea cup was a most fascinating artefact from a tale of old. "Oh, I see..." he added, with reference to the books content. "I would very much enjoy some reading, I believe..." on he went, avidly inhaling the reassuring scent of the beverage, so soft, so balmy - if a bit spicy at all. Down the first mouthful went, and a very large fraction of his worries were forgotten already in less than an instant. The silly warrior or the arrogant mage would tell you that there is nothing special in a cup of tea, but the wise would know better. Another sip, and a bit of a very rare playful grin surfaced on the pale skin of the avian, the spiralling pattern of his tattoos painting a mighty carving upon his ivory skin, as the whole of his body would be dancing in delight. "And enjoy it even more if it is about something actually useful... say, that massive one, the black one over there, what dooooooees" and thus he froze midair, while the too many books on his left hand only started to slide away, the cup in the right one menacing to follow shortly afterward. The whole equilibrium of paper and tea in danger, the Avian was about to end an afternoon tea with a nasty mess indeed...

Emilia ran her glossy black fingers over her braids that were snug against her scalp as he accepted the tea from her. It was strange to be around others still since her surfacing from being kidnapped, old faces she could handle while new ones were still nerve wrecking. How many people would be after her for the sake of the name of her spouse? Shaking her head to remove such thoughts the Genasi reached with her pink palmed hand to take the stack of books from his left arm so that he could enjoy his tea. The attempt was stopped at the sound of a soft mewing at her feet, her hand falling down to her side once more and her gaze to the tiny ball of orange fur at her feet, “Mister Cheese, where have you been?” she questioned the kitten like he would answer her, yet his size showed he was still a very young kitten. Squatting down the Genasi petted the fluffy little animal, enjoying the nuzzling of his head against her glossy hand. Looking up to the other she chuckled, “The black book...” her words were ended shortly as his grasp of one of the books was lost, falling from his hold and crashing down onto the floor next to her and Mister Cheese. Papers would scatter from the book while Emi lost her own balance, falling backwards into the towers of books. Like dominoes she fell, the first stack fell, and so on until the floor of the main space was covered in a sea of knowledge. However, Emi could help but laugh a very childish sound giggle as she laid there in the pile of books on the now very messy floor.

Thamalys could only witness the scene unfolding from the heights of his utterly useless stature. As the castle suffered his final defeat, the Avian could only watch, his eyes a flawless shade of blue soaked in genuine shame. "Here... oh by the Wind... let me..." he tried to articulate with very little result, every single stack following the fate of the Genasi, a cascade of paper through which Thamalys The Clumsy made is way, his right hand - ah, the irony! - still balancing that perfect cup of tea, unspoiled. Everything settled, eventually, so that the Avian gulped the whole brew in one big mouthful, laid the cup on the floor, and hurried toward the fallen Genasi. "I am so utterly sorry! Oh, look at that!" he went, stretching out both of his arms so as to offer Emilia some help in getting herself out of the paper prison. "I did not mean it, I swear! I... I can fix it!" And, assuming the Genasi succeeded to rise from the mighty mess, he would have started to scuttle around, trying to pile up books again, checking them, patting them, a display of affection one would have thought the poor Mister Cheese would have righteously deserved instead. And yet, a very keen eye would have noticed the Avian desperately trying to suppress the broadest smile he could remember.

Emilia laid in a stack mixed of books and papers, partial buried in the knowledge, giggling away with a sound like ice clinking against a glass. Everything about the woman screamed winter. Collecting herself after the laughing fit at the fall the little woman accepted the help up from Thamalys, her hands not surprisingly ever-chilled, even leaving the faintest bits of frost behind. She was admittedly getting much better at control the ever flowing winter that ran through ever fiber of her being. Upright once more she dusted herself off, adjust her gown, and then went to join in the fix-it party. While she was gathering up a series of books into a stack once more she spoke, “You do not have to be sorry. I can promise you that this moment was not the first time tonight these books have been knocked over or the first time tonight that I have ended up in a pile of them. Naturally, I am just as clumsy as the next person. You would really think that I would learn by now that it isn’t wise to stack so many books up and fort myself in, yet I find a strange comfort being hidden away behind a wall of them.” The Genasi as she joined in the cleaning of things did not take any worry over putting them back into the same piles, not even close to it, as it were she had no real method or reason behind the way in which she previously had them grouped. The most massive black book that he had questioned on earlier being left out of the groupings, instead being placed on the coffee table before the couch. In her arms that book looked even larger than it really was. Only once the room was clean again she would speak again, “This book here is an herb book. It is very handy indeed. It lists all of the herbs from the land in a general sense of each one in detail by the most common use for it. Past that it goes into basic combinations of herbs for different purposes and then it also contains a section about which herb best counters which poison and which herbs are poisonous.”

Thamalys followed, mostly silently, the Genasi's effort to pile up the tomes again, the comfy chaos of the paper slowly building up again along the way. Small movements, some of which devoted to make sure those gigantic wings did not ruin the ongoing task, and even smaller nods, the gaze of the Avian, still a bit ashamed of the mighty mess he caused, utterly nailed onto the details of leathery covers and embroiled spines. As the two of them proceeded, Thamalys will support Emilia's vision by adding one book there, moving another one a bit further away... some geometry, albeit hidden, would have been maybe clear to the trained eye, but before the Avian could focus on that particular aspect, a most interesting description came up, one that deserved a swift answer. Eagerly, much like a child waiting for a break outside after hours of homework, Thamalys went, referring to the black, massive tome close by, "Quite an exceptional volume indeed. Not only I know nothing of herb lore, but a part of me is sort of telling me that I never did. After all... so many books, so little time! Would it be too much to ask to have a look at it? If I am allowed to, that is, and of course only if this one was not on your reading list anytime soon!" he quickly added, gesturing with those tattooed hands as to reassuring the Genasi that he would not dare to ruin the precious book in the slightest.

Emilia plopped herself down onto the soft cushions of the couch, snuggling her little frame into the softness of them. It was such a nice couch, she was very glad that Sabrina had chosen this one for the House of Ara, she could sit all day on it if she needed to or even be lazy and take a nap upon it without fearing waking in stiffness. Pulling one of the smaller pillows into her lap the Genasi wrapped her arms around it before resting her chin atop it while staring at the piqued interest of the avian, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips. Not much made the heart happier to hear of another wishing to read a good book, especially one that was full of useful knowledge such as that book, one she had spent many many nights reading and rereading as she memorized the content within. It was in part how she had become well versed in the knowledge of her trade as a healer. Smiling she replied, “Of course, you can read the book. I think I have nearly memorized most of it by now. I also keep a smaller book similar to it for the most common things that I might need to look up if I was in need while someone else was reading the pages of it. I trust that you would take good care of it and learn a great deal about the world around you from its pages. I would like to think that perhaps you would also consider joining into the Healer’s Guild...I know that you yourself are not fully well, but you sure could learn a great deal and would be surrounded by a family of healers to help you both learn and heal.”

Thamalys tiptoed toward the Genasi, every single word of the latter much appreciated in fact. Eventually, something for the Avian to set his mind upon. A task, no matter if just reading a book it was, had the potential to bring change, as his battered mind just longed for anything to focused onto. You could have told that from the golden sparkle in those big, blue eyes, so eager to devour the many lines hidden between the old pages. "I hereby declare that I will not bring any harm to this book - and that would include not to spill and tea on it, I swear..." he conceded. "As to join the Guild? Why, that would be an honour! I would have to warn you, though... as of now, my knowledge in these matters is that of a little child..." he continued, spreading his arms wide with clear resignation, "and I am afraid that the only thing that my body still does remember is how to use a sword properly" -|- no, not a sword, you never liked swords -|- whispered a strange, cheerful voice in his own head -|- pikes, and spears, and halberds, that is more like you... -|- . The Avian recoiled slightly as he tried to make sense of that voice in his head, definitely not a good sign even according to his scarce knowledge. "Nevertheless. If I will indeed be still welcomed after having knocked you over twice... yes, I will gladly do what I must to make myself worthy of joining the Guild. In fact, I cannot wait!" he added, rubbing his hands against each other, his thoughts racing already, for once, to the future instead to that painful past of his. "As for my staying... where should I stay exactly? Will I be allowed to come and go, or you think it will be better if I spend some time without exiting the House at all?" He had to force himself to shut up, so many questions popping up in his mind, so much excitement for the task ahead.

Emilia beamed a smile that went from ear to ear at his acceptance to her offer to have him join in the ranks of the Healer’s Guild. Those icy blue eyes sparkling to life like a child at Christmas when they got the very toy they had been asking for. Without warning the little woman sprang up from her seat, tossing the pillow back onto the couch, and was clapping her hands excitedly before moving to hug the avian because she was one of those huggy people. Her entire body as cold as a statue made of ice, if not colder, as she was not much more than ice covered in snow white flesh topped with wild ever untamed curls, oddly mostly tamed on this day. The embrace was short lived, if even allowed by Thamalys at all, due to the fact she didn’t want to freeze him by accident. Stepping back from him she was still beaming as she looked at him like a parent would a child that had just picked a college of high merit to study at, “I will inform Sabrina right away of your choice to become one of the group! She will be delighted, she is the leader of above all of us. I am just below her in status training to become her co-leader. You will be in the starting ranks of the Guild and in time with training from not only myself, but other healers in the Guild you will find yourself rising in ranks and someday maybe even sponsoring a fresh healer like yourself!” Her voice squeaked with the excitement. The little woman sure was full of life and energy that she had to focus herself to calm down. “We do not care if you know the most bare basics of child knowledge on healing, it is the desire to learn and grow and to help others that gets you in. As for where you stay, there is a guest room just down the hall. Second door on the right that you can stay in. I would suggest that for a short time until you feel less Lost in your own skin that you stick within the walls of Ara or close by. Then when you feel ready to take on a bigger space to venture father out. You are not a prisoner, but a guest and new member to the ranks so you can come and go as you please.”

Thamalys froze - how appropriate - for the whole duration of the hug, not only because of genuine surprise, but also quite taken aback by the wave of icy cold swooping through the Genasi into his own flesh, the skinny features of the Avian almost unable to move at all, a look of true surprise emerging on his face. Lastly, his mind did not recall but his body somehow remembered that very few embraces he ever received before plunging head first into the rocky soil of the Cliff. Yet another sign of change, he could almost feel on his skin the freshness of a new path waiting ahead for him. A monumental intake of air followed, now that Emilia listed some more details. His mind already totally focused on what has to be done next, the Avian will listen intently, only nodding briefly from time to time. "All of this sounds so good. You cannot imagine what sort of relief, and bliss, you brought with your offer. I will not let you down, I will not let the Guild down. It is so good to have found, eventually, something to dedicate the whole of myself to. And what a marvellous chance for me: I that I have been broken, I could learn how to repair, to cherish, to nurture. The Wind does work in mysterious ways indeed... well then!" he concluded, snapping out from his fairly long speech, the very edges of his wings twitching in excitement "If I have your permission, I will start with that massive fellow over there..." he would have went on while grabbing the black tome "... and try to find my way into the House. Ah, what a glorious day! Thank you..." he finally uttered in the softest of the tones, while with immense, barefooted strides the clumsy Avian would have trudged along the hall, eyes looking above, whistling a silly tune while holding in a really tight embrace his new black companion. "Thank you..." once more he would have added, possibly already out of reach, the tall figure of the novel recruit oddly mingling with the rest of the House.

Emilia felt a strong sense of pride after hearing the speech of the avian with his new found excitement toward focusing his life toward a good cause, healing. She knew that it would only be in the hands of time now before he discovered himself again, becoming one with his body and mind. After such a time he could choose to walk away from the path, return to whatever it was that he was skilled in prior to this offer of a new trade or he could choose to remain with them changing his nature or yet he could adapt to a life split between his new skills and his old. Thamalys could behind that fog be a terrible person, a murder or worse, but from personal experience Emilia knew that the soul can change. She would have to find Sabrina to inform her Leader of her decision to add another to their ranks without consulting her first, but this man needed this more than any of them knew, she could feel his need for it. "Study it well, read it until you know it like the back of your hand. It will become one of your newest friends that will always have something new to teach you. I will check in with you tomorrow to see how you are feeling and to ask you a few questions about the first couple of herbs found in the book. Please, make yourself at home here. However, the room at the end of the hall is off limits as is the door just before it on the left. The kitchen is open to all. Have a good night, Not Lost," she would reply to him as he vanished down the hall toward the guest room that she'd offered to him.