(Untitled)

[irredemption]

Who: Tony Shepard and Xanth Aumeli
When: Evening
Where:  First floor

Tony, for once, was in high spirits. He wasn't usually- at least not in this place- but tonight... tonight was different. He knew that he could walk freely about the Keep without wincing as he turned a corner, without desperately hoping he wouldn't run into that certain troll, the

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[stillseecracks]

Tony may have been on his way into the barracks, but Xanth was on his way out. His room felt too small to be in and the stone felt too cold, too oppressive. He needed to be outside - no matter the fact that it was just a larger cage.

Perhaps he'd go to the lake again, despite Chloe's warning about a lake monster. He'd never seen it, after all, and it couldn't get him if he just sat onshore. The air and the quiet would help his oncoming headache.

With such thoughts clouding his mind, Xanth, too, paid little attention to his surroundings. He took a step, turned a corner, and smashed clear into Tony. Stumbling back, he squeezed his eyes closed, and rubbed his forehead. It didn't hurt, really, but his head throbbed.

"S-Sorry," he said, the apology instinctive; he knew not to whom he spoke.

[irredemption]

"Bloody christ, why don't you bloody watch where you're fucking going, there's other people walking here, and-" Tony stopped abruptly, shaking his head briskly and squinting at whoever had just run smack into him.

Whoever it was, Tony didn't recognize him. Still, might as well patch things up, for appearance's sake. The last thing he needed in this place was another person not on his side.

"Listen, mate, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off like that, you just- you took me by surprise, that's all. I was deep in thought, head in the clouds, and it came as a bit of a shock I guess. It's me who should be apologizing, not you. You alright, there?"

The words meant nothing to Tony, but his tone was sincere enough to fool the average person.

[stillseecracks]

Xanth's eyes shot open wide and, for a moment, he was only shocked. This man cursed at him, quite vehemently, and then backpedaled out of it like it was nothing. That alone would be cause for Xanth to stare, but this man looked so familiar. One moment passed in silence, and then it clicked. This was the man who beat Mimmi.

This was Tony.

Tony's punishment was the one punishment Xanth attended. He tossed no tomatoes and he threw no stones, but Xanth looked on as others did and he felt cruel satisfaction.

He dropped his hand, a scowl replacing wide-eyed surprise. "I-I'm-- I'm fine, T-Tony."

[irredemption]

As Xanth stared, Tony's "concerned" smile slowly slipped into a frown, first of faint confusion, then of annoyance. He was about to ask if there was anybody home in there when Xanth spoke.

Tony blinked, trying to place where this person knew him from, but he couldn't come up with anything. "I'm sorry, mate, do I know you?"