shellphones |

Type: Text
Sender ID: tilfrosset (Jill Warrick)
To: Public
Subject: Clive's Departure
Warnings: Possible mentioning spoilers for the end of FF16? Let me know if you want to avoid them.

Good evening, all. This is Jill Warrick.

While I do not enjoy announcing bad news, I am aware he had a fair number of acquaintances who should be notified that Clive Rosfield has left. It seems his last day here was yesterday, perhaps early this morning.

[If this all sounds cold and businesslike, it's on purpose. It's far easier to pretend that she hasn't been crying her eyes out all day through text than any other method of communication.]

With that said, though we did not have plans for a grand event, I must also announce that there will be no wedding. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

[Inconvenience? Sounding like she's putting others out as if she's not the one who lost her other half. But of course, years of hardening her heart against emotional disruptions sure taught her how to fake it until she makes it. Or at least attempt to, badly. She's experienced loss before, but this? It's different.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She's still sticking to text. Jill is being adamant about not splashing her emotions everywhere even if it's the one thing she wants to do the most.]

He's not my—

[Jill stops herself but still accidentally hits send. She doesn't mean to be argumentative. It's just that Torgal always seemed to be Clive's furry brother in arms first. But perhaps without his master here, the ownership claim falls to her. Or maybe to Cid. In any case, it's something to be dealt with on another day.]

Disregard that. I'm sure Torgal could use the distraction.

[And so could she. There's no way she can stay in her room until the heartache fades. It probably never will.]

[He'll switch over to text too. No sense pushing that, when he apparently made an error already.]

Not a problem. Like I said, I've got some time on my hands. Happy to meet you two somewhere when you're up for it.

[It's fine. She's too exhausted to hold it against him.]

Anywhere in particular? How much exploring have you done here so far?

Most of the city. There's a few places on the edge of it, depending on what you're looking for. Forest, grassland. I'm partial to the forest, but, that's probably the Dalish in me talking.

The forest, then.

[Less likely to run into someone she or Clive know. Hopefully, anyway. It's a good place to use the excuse that Torgal needed some hunting exercise instead of admitting she's out here with a man she just met the other day and his baby griffon because the walls seem to be closing in on her and it just feels so wrong talking about her problems when others have good things going for them. How can she burden others like that?]

I'll meet you there.

We'll be there. You'll probably hear Assan before you see him.

[It's easy to fall into the role. Into this role. Into being the caretaker, the one who looks out for the others. Makes the odd gap in his own social circle a little smaller.]

[Rook would have loved Torgal. Bellara too, probably.]

[And true to his word, he'll be at the edge of the woods, absently chucking a stick for Assan. Who is shrieking and cackling with abandon.]

[He's right. Jill does hear Assan long before she gets close enough to the forest. So does Torgal who, had this been a normal day, would have run ahead of her excitedly to see his new friend. Instead, he barks loud and deep to make himself be heard as he stays near to Jill. He's hurting from losing Clive all over again too, but deep down, he knows Jill needs him just as much as he needs her. All they have is each other now.

Jill slowly picks her way over to man and griffin, arms crossed along her chest. She's here, willingly, but her body language reads someone closed off and trying to protect themselves.]

I thought only dogs liked to play fetch.

[When Jill's view, Davrin stands, almost offering her a hand in greeting, but her posture makes him turn it into a nod. And a grin.]

So did I. Until Assan picked it up.

[Speaking of... apparently ignoring the woman's distress, Assan has gone charging over to say hello. He stops short of pouncing on Torgal and Jill outright, but barely. He's prancing in place, head cocking from one side to another.]

Easy, boy. At least say hello first.

[Well, at least one of them is capable of smiling today. At the rate Jill's going, it might never happen again for her.]

He continues to surprise us all.

[Any other day, there'd be a lot of amusement tucked into those words, but right now, they come out dry and vacant of any feeling. She might as well not have said anything at all.

Torgal also prevents Assan from barrelling into them, but only because he has a bit more emotional intelligence than the bird and knows Jill wouldn't take it well. That and he wants to give Assan a good full body sniff session first, just to both get a sort of familiarity and get that scent marked to memory. Watch that cold wet hound nose go to work, pressing in and around Assan's wings and neck.]

You've got that right.

[He's slower to approach than Assan, then again, cheetahs are probably slower than Assan when the griffon is excited. And excited he is. Barreling into Torgal instead, and barely containing himself while he's sniffed. His front talons dig into the ground to keep himself steady.]

He already likes Torgal. Then again, I haven't found anyone he doesn't like.

[Jill's demeanor hasn't gone unnoticed. He'd have to be stupid not to. But she doesn't want to talk about it, that's painfully clear. So... talking about other things it is.]

I thought... if you two were up for it, take a walk? Your call, though. I'm happy to stay here and let them get to know each other.

There has to be someone he'll end up disliking. Just hope he never meets them.

[For Assan seems like good child, feathers and beak and all, who deserves good in life. So does Davrin, who gets his own all-over sniff from Torgal, along his hands them his legs, down to his feet. A small woof indicates that both of them have passed Torgal's inspection. This is a Safe Man, someone Clive would approve Jill keeping company with.

That said, Jill flattens her mouth into a line at Davrin's offer, shrugging a bit too.]

Might as well move ahead. You probably don't wish to stand here and watch them smell everything.

Probably. No idea who that would be, though. Has to be a special kind of awful person.

[Like any Venatori. Or someone blighted. Assan's already seen a lot for so young a griffon. Part of him definitely wishes it wasn't like this. But the rest of him... they're like the Wardens. Warriors. Protectors.]

[Another time - he's here for a reason. And if Torgal allows it, he'll offer some ear scratches for the big guy. Assan, on the other hand, is significantly less restrained. Hopping around Torgal, clearly excited to sniff more things.]

Wouldn't be the first time. Won't be the last. But, you heard the lady, boys. Let's go -

[Nyoom goes the griffon with the zoomies.]

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