Might Be Fired/Not Fired

"Might Be Fired/Not Fired" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread written on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
Stonegit Elmiss: Figured it would be longer than five minutes…So much for trying to appeal to a better nature…to the man and King I see inside of him…
Stonegit blew out a cloud of frozen breath as he shoved his hands in his pockets outside of the tavern. 
Criticizing, encouraging, or praising, I can never seem to say things right enough for a Haddock…
The mental grumbling wasn’t ‘entirely’ fair. He knew Egil was still reeling from Haddock’s death. And he knew he and Haddock had consistently good communication ever since-
Rhenco’s dead eyes and Orskaf standing over him flashed in his vision and he felt his heart thump. The images rumbled away like a roll of thunder, the memory Haddock’s angry hands around his collar, and the explosive words between them fading along with the other images. 
Stonegit found himself gripping his stomach, and he ground his teeth. “Impressionable years…” he murmured, a coil of resentment towards himself filtering through his blood stream. 
For this particular evening, the guard wanted to kick in the King’s door, and ask him if he wanted to be treated like a king or acknowledged as the fool that he was acting. Because there really wasn’t much of an in-between. However…there were more pressing matters that would have to be talked about first…and possibly finally. And murkying the waters with other topics, especially interpersonal ones, would be to both their detriment. 
Egil Haddock: A door creaked. Footsteps crunched on the street behind Stonegit.
A soft voice said, “Hey,” and nothing more. 
Egil was holding himself tightly, arms crossed over his torso. At the same time, his posture seemed… more penitent, and it was that very self-acknowledged vulnerability that made him stand so stiff.
Stonegit: Stonegit couldn’t help but feel his heart melt.
Of course…knowing what Haddocks mean, above what Haddocks say, has always been more important…perhaps there is time enough after all…
“Hey…” he said back, unable to keep a smile from lifting the edges of his mouth. He then pressed them together, and leaned a head back towards the tavern. “I didnt mean to upset your night. I would have kept to myself, and I definitely didnt mean to make you feel like I saw you as anyone other than you. I apologize.”
Egil: “Tsalright.” Egil glanced back toward the door. He shivered in the night chill. “Was already destabilized from running into another familiar face.”
Stonegit: “Ah…” Stonegit hummed, and breathed in another stream of cold air. “You know…I can train Snag to guard you when you need time to yourself. If you’d like.”
Egil: “You train?” Egil smirked and one eyebrow rose. “Look who you’re talking to. You should know by now I’ve always got a dragon or ten nearby, and like, not meaning to brag, but they’re gonna be the best trained dragons you’ve seen.”
Egil gave a low whistle, and at that point, a dragon emerged from behind the shadows. “I don’t think you’ve met Svadi? This is Svadi. My latest buddy I’ve picked up.”
Stonegit: Stonegit pointed a finger, words accusatory but laugh in his voice. “You are bragging. And of course I train. I’ve literally trained dragons blind.” He then paused and smiled at the new arrival. “She looks great, and a quick response too…”
He blinked a few times as an odd look passed his face as he watched the dragon, and then his eyes whisked back over to Egil. “Well done…”
Egil: Egil didn’t seem to notice Stonegit’s odd look. Instead he stepped over to the dragon, rubbed it under the chin, and then glanced back at the bodyguard.
“So. Why this sudden change of heart? From ‘you should be in the safe house, you should be in the safe house’? Am I not gonna hear more badgering about this?”
Stonegit: “Its no change of heart.” Stonegit assured. “Just knowing that words only go so far with Haddocks. Hence why I followed, to do my job despite your choices…although…I’m seeing I may have to less of that now.” He noted as he eyed Svadi.
He lowered his head with a low sigh. “That…and I have to talk to you about something done that was even more foohearty…this time by me and not you for a change.”
Egil: “Way to lay on the compliments. Pretty sure you did something foolish right there and now,” Egil teased. He became serious again, though, and asked, “So? What is it?”
Stonegit: “I would say don’t fire me for this but…” He made a strained look. “I returned Eindried’s children to him.”
Egil: “W….. why?”
Stonegit: “Because they were kids that had nothing to do with his actions.” Stonegit’s face was grim. “I did a lot of bad things to innocent people after Haddock died Egil… No one noticed because it was under the guise of ensuring our safety. Not even Grey spoke against me. But it was wrong. And I’m ashamed it took me more than a day, much less several months to realize that.”
Egil: Egil shrugged, saying nothing, and looking away. He seemed uncomfortable. Stonegit’s words seemed to be reminding him of his own guilty conscience.
Stonegit: Stonegit gripped the back of his neck. “It doesn’t end there after that I’m afraid. In my anger I also drafted strict taxes on the Wildest North’s treasury and trade, and displaced the royal family from their castle. For the same reasons I mentioned earlier they were accepted without much scrutiny. But this again hurt the involved people of the Wildest North more than Eindried. And so I burnt those as well and recalled the men sent over to enforce it.”
He swallowed anxiously, but remained resolute in his words never the less. “I took our safety into consideration before doing this though. I am confident just between our displayed force, and the Warden alone the Wildest North will keep to itself. I accept responsibility if otherwise should happen.”
Stonegit then got down on one knee and ducked his head. “I come to you as a servant to a King. I did this because I believed it to be right, and also because of selfish, personal reasons. But that doesn’t change that it was reckless, and very illegal to do without permission. I submit to what you decided what needs to be done in light of this.”
Egil: Egil grabbed him and pulled Stonegit to his feet. “Whoa man. Just stand up. And keep walking.” Egil didn’t look him in the eye, feeling awkward about the man’s honesty. “That’s enough for me, if it’s enough for you. Mkay? 
“I was sitting here expecting you to punish me. Like. I’m bad at this game of penitence and sorrow. This game of ‘woe is me, I’m shit.’ Let’s just both keep walking. Doing our jobs. And living.”
Stonegit: Stonegit paused, his hand open in thought. If it was the King’s choice that they keep going he was fine with that. Frankly, this reaction was better than he expected. “Egil…” He said gravely, and when he saw the man look back at him, he motioned back at the spot he had been kneeling before. 
“Are you sure you don’t want to milk that moment for even a little bit cause it’s definitely not happening often.” He suddenly asked with a glint in his eye. 
Egil: Egil kicked the dirt there and shook his head.
“So. What now?” he asked.
Stonegit: Stonegit huffed at the gesture, and then kicked some dirt over the spot as well.
“Depends…do you have anything you want to talk about or get off your chest?” 
Egil: Egil feigned a grin. It was partially successful. “Well I mean. Are your ears as off as your eyes? ’Cause I’m pretty sure before you started going all deep confession on me, wasn’t I askin’ you about that safe house?”
Stonegit: “Oh bugger off with that!” Stonegit waved a hand at him. “I technically committed treason and tried to be formal about it. Can you blame me for being a little distracted?” He smiled, half amused, half flabbergasted as he shook his head. “Taking a dig at the one undamaged part of my body, good Hel below.”
He then nodded. “Of course. The safe house. Say your peace.”
Egil: Egil waved both hands wildly, eyes wide with implied sarcasm. “What? Do I need to prompt you for something so obvious?”
Stonegit: Stonegit returned the same energy as he took a pace towards him, half tempted to clobber the boy. “You know what I’ll say this right off the bat. Communicating with you and your father was and is like trying to fire a greased bow…” He held up a finger with a squinted eye. “But…I am also a man cursed with wanting things spelled out for me…so yes, give me a prompt.” 
He then coughed as he took out another cigar, although it sounded suspiciously as though he had said ‘dick.’
Egil: “Well. I would spell it out for you, but I’m not sure you could read it, huh? How much more obvious does it get? I said I’d go to the safe house. I didn’t. You found me here. Not at the safe house. Is there anything more complicated than that?”
Stonegit: “Only you and your identity crisis.” Stonegit shot back, as he lit the cigar, and then gave a slightly, but only slightly abashed look. “I figured all bets were off once that week was done. So I dug into my usual info sources and dusted off my ‘follow the person who’s not very good at covering his tracks skills,’ and found you here…” He rolled an eye. “That and Tornpike happened to see you pass his shrine. That guy has excellent vision.”
Egil: Egil tilted his head curiously when Stonegit mentioned the week fulfilled. But it was a slight gesture, barely imperceptible, and one that surely went unnoticed by his conversant. 
Egil adapted to the conversation. “Well then. I guess that’s settled. Mostly. I would like to stop by there a short time, at least, to see my wife. Before heading off to wherever-I-decide-to-go-next.”
Stonegit: Did he just twitch? Probably just my imagination…then again…
“Of course.” Stonegit said, a little more serious himself now. “I’m less worried now because the children and younger members of the family are in the safe house. They are the ones Rhenco would likely harm objectively, while you are the kind of person he would harm by harming those close to you. So although you being out and about while he’s still technically on the loose is…meh…it’s also not that bad. Especially considering you have fire breathing dragons guarding you.”
He studied him. “You had a thought didn’t you? About an earlier comment of mind…out with it.”
Egil: “Oh, whatever. Nothin’. If you say I fulfilled the bargain, I fulfilled the bargain,” Egil shrugged. “You just sound like you’ve really changed your views about the danger and all, since we last yakked.” 
Stonegit: Stonegit gave a resigned huff. “Okay…okay…my position hasn’t really changed as much as I wanted it to.”
His focus drifted. “Its complicated. Lots of layers to it. But I sulluse a good start is the fact that back there I wasnt trying to make you out as someone you weren’t. I was telling you about the good I saw, and the potential I knew was there.”
Egil: Egil shook his head wryly. “Do you need to emote everything aloud, man? Let’s leave it all be.” 
He took a few steps back and looked up to the night skies, as though trying to judge something. “Wouldn’t be bad for a late night flight. Might start ta head back to that town now. See Avara briefly. Head up to… well, wherever’s next. Now that I know you’re not gonna drag me off kicking and screaming back to Not-Quite-Prison, I’ll get to where I’m needed.
“Wanna come with?”
Stonegit: “Emoting aloud is a habit.” Stonegit said with a note of humor. “Just like dodging conversations is yours.”
He tightened his coat around him. “And I’d love to join you.”
Egil: “Sounds great.” Egil turned to his dragon, who didn’t have a saddle - but Egil probably didn’t need one. “Let me get my bags and I’ll be off. Um.”
He paused, squinted in thought, then wheeled back to Stonegit. “So um. Since I’ve been. Out of the loop. For a little while. Fill me in. There anything I should be attending to on my way to Avara? People I need to pick up, coordinte with, tasks to see to, whatever?”
Stonegit: Stonegit felt his heart warm again. This night had been difficult. It appeared as though Egil hadn’t responded well to hardly anything he had said during their talk. A younger version of himself would have held onto the hurt, frustration, or try to wring something out of him, as he had done with Haddock. But he could see in between the lines now.
His dismissal of his confession, now seemed like Egil respecting his judgment.
His sass, a desire and willingness to have fun.
His invitation to join him, wanting him to be around.
His question and request, a sign that Stonegit’s opinion mattered, and that he was a person worth turning to for help.
And that meant the world…
“I can tell you everything you need to know.” Stonegit assured as he reached up to grab his wrist so he could get on the dragon as well. “As for duties to attend to…how about we take them as we pass by. A King’s work is never done afterall.”
Egil: “My belongings are still inside. One moment.” 
Egil went into the tavern and returned with two bags slung on his shoulders - not much in the way of packing, but then, the clothes he wore now appeared rather roughed up. He probably didn’t have many changes of clothing and had been making do with minimal.
Now he finally pulled himself up onto Svadi. The Changewing turned around its long neck to nestle Egil’s hair. Svadi tousled Egil’s hair so bad that he looked all the more like a vagabond when the dragon was done displaying affection.
“So you said you’d brief me on the fly?” Egil asked Stonegit. “Thanks. That’d be great. Now, I’m all turned around. Which way we headed?” 
Stonegit: Stonegit set a finger up the path. “If we fly over the path in this direction it’s all but a straight flight back to the rebellion.”
As they began to travel, Stonegit briefed him on what happened at Temple Gate, and the recent arms deal made with Dixe Donz, although he confessed that the Warden and Grey would know more details.
“Rhenco, as of now, was killed again and hasn’t come back yet. Of course that means little with him. However, Nala and Lila in particular are keeping tabs on him. So wherever you do end up in your gallivanting do keep some fire nearby.” He finished.
Egil: “Killed again,” Egil snorted in amazed disbelief. He’d heard things about Rhenco, but material like that never ceased to baffle him. “So wild to hear things like that. Ya know? Thought only things like gods could come back to life. Uh… can they come back? I don’t rightly know. Eh. Whatever.
“Strange times we’re livin’ in. Guess I’ll have to make sure to talk to uhhh…” He made a mental list of everyone Stonegit had mentioned “…Nala, Lila, Grey.” 
It felt good to be networking. Freeing. Here at last, he could take control and do his part. Get together everyone important, work with them, make a difference.
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Events
Category:Act I
Category:Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss
Category:Egil Ander Haddock