Chpt 2.3 - Arcanist's Ward
Filimena does not immediately respond to Marik. To the elf, and to the big cat, it might seem as if she is in a daze. In fact, the opposite is true. Thoughts race through her mind. The problem, really, is that most of these thoughts are conflicting.
She has been searching for her brother now for nearly four years, and yet, standing here, before the shop in which her brother had stood just the day before, quite possibly about to finally see him again, she finds she wants to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. A thought occurred to her the night before, while she was picking her way through a plate of dumplings: perhaps she had never really believed she would ever find her brother. Perhaps, for all her efforts, she had not really wanted to find him. After all, when was the last time she had spoken to him? 10 years ago. What would she say to him? He was probably a different person. More importantly, she was a different person. She had run away from home at age 12, leaving everything behind. Sure, she had returned from time to time, secretly, to watch over him. But could it be that, in fact, she had left him behind too? Could it be that, really, what she missed wasn’t actually her brother, but the happy, simple, albeit restless childhood she had shared with him?
Filimena also finds herself in two minds about being here with Marik. She cringes slightly, recalling the evening before. It was supposed to have been a jovial, carefree party. The book and the message it contained had caught her by surprised, and in her surprise, she had laid herself bare. She had allowed herself to look weak. Filimena feels naked and embarrassed. She should be here alone. Her brother is her business. Marik and Rani shouldn’t have anything to do with this. In fact, she resents the fact that they have come along. What right do they have, really, to follow her here? Isn’t it a bit presumptuous of them to involve themselves like this? Had Marik even asked her this morning if she was okay with them joining her? And yet she feels terribly guilty thinking this, because she knows they are earnest and they mean well, and hadn’t she herself found comfort the evening before, knowing that, if she had run out of the manor in search of this place, they would have followed after her, to help?
[Language unknown: “K essa’m tho notconeenset pocailinos om acain llme setourvir,”] she says finally. [Language unknown: “En Wi ekev un con serefi on elesei houbutain conithere. Wernotvir’k at blesanave of sa e Neseesin. M ted… Tefimi ine.”] The words are difficult to say. She’s not sure why. She hesitates for a second before reaching inside her cloak, pulling out the piece of paper, and lifting it up to Marik, barely making eye contact.
[Language unknown: “T eeos eltrro po ereiveest i derbe iou a derin?”] The idea refuses to leave her, even though she can’t think of any reason to support it. It’s almost as if she wants it to be true.
OOC: Phew! That took a while to write! Also, it occurs to me that this entire time, whenever Marik has spoken to Filimena in Elvish, in my head, I imagine Filimena replying also in Elvish, but I don't actually represent this in the text. I'm going to make an effort to do this from now on.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:57, Thu 04 Mar 2021.