Arrangements for the Dead

[Kysis]

The notes about the service order would be good, Rico giving a firm nod when asked about it.  Those notes could be shown to Kysis at the end of the day, so the lord would know their day was fruitful.  When Rico knew exactly how a funeral service worked here in Oberon, he could compare that to the notes Alia gave him, ask Kysis as well, and then decide if there were any further changes needed.  It would all depend on what was normal here, in the cold winter.

Rico gave an answer about not having arranged for a coffin yet, and not knowing how to arrange a coffin, or where to arrange for a coffin.   With the admission, he hoped they would be pointed in the right direction.  Cleric Margaret told them about a shop not far from the temple dedicated to Talon, specifically carrying coffins.  She was not sure of what selection there would be, or how many the place would have (the owner and his sons worked all summer making coffins, and sold them over the winter, not making more until the next summer), but there should be a few, since it was still early in the winter.

A procession from the house, to the Sanctuary, and then to the graveside sounded right, and Rico said so.  He was glad Captain Wilson took up for the next part though, asking what might be said at graveside.  The prayer of goodbye would be nice, as well as the placing of the flowers.  Funeral ceremonies in Greece were vastly different, but that was fine.  This was what Alia wanted.  However, the lack of lilies.

"Is it alright if I return to you on a later date about the flowers?"  Rico remembered Kysis mentioning something about a way to sidestep what was in season, so the Retainer wanted to bring it up with his lord.  How Kysis would do this, Rico had no clue.  Still, they needed to bring it up with Kysis.  It was his sister, and his money, not that the second would matter to him.  Kysis would have paid for any request Alia made, even if that meant hiring a pack of emus to carry her coffin.

"The short prayer at the graveside and flower placing will be perfect, I just want to ask the Lord Liari first about the roses."  Rico knew for a fact that red roses would not do at all.  Alia had hated red, and those roses entirely did not fit her personality.    If other colors of roses grew in the winter up north, lighter and softer of hue, then they would work, Rico just wanted to confirm that Kysis didn\'t have a trick up his sleeve first.

Cleric Margaret said that would be just fine.  She then told him when she would be available tomorrow, so Rico could stop by and find her directly.  That would be great, actually.  So, she stood, winding out of her cross-legged position with ease and led them back to the entrance foyer, still keeping her beaming smile while she told them her condolences and reminded Rico that he needed to return to get her notes on the exact service as well as to arrange the flowers and confirm a coffin.  Rico was fine with that, giving a hushed thank you.

When the cleric was gone, Rico let out a long breath, closing his eyes as he did so. "This feels horridly final.  The graveside will be terrible...."  Rico could already feel it, an ache in his heart.  Alia had been wonderful, too short lived.  He missed the Alia who had wanted to go to Ravenshom, who could run around the market and look at all the stalls, then exclaim that she saw something else and go bolting in the opposite direction.  It had been beautiful, while it lasted.  It hurt that his most recent, most predominant memories of her where formed when they returned from Ravenshom, and her cough returned.  Her fall from there was still clenching on his heart, making it hurt.

"But we still need to get the coffin.  I think Alia wrote a few notes on that."  Buying the coffin would feel even worse, he knew it.  This was going to be a rough set of days.

[Existentially Odd]

Lam turned from contemplating the sky (trying to figure out whether she should push for her meeting with Morgan or just let things unfold as they were, because as far as she could tell, there was still plenty of time left) to look at Rico when he said the graveside would be difficult.  He looked to be suffering again and a wash of sympathy had her wanting to reach out and squeeze his arm - though she held herself in check.

"It will be the last thing we need to do today," she told him reassuringly, "then you can go home and have a rest."  She waited for him to comment, knowing they should be setting off towards the shop that held coffins but not really looking forward to doing that bit either.  The thought of Alia\'s body laying back in the manor when Rico returned there for a rest was none too comforting either; she needed to be moved away, really.

[Kysis]

"Not quite the last, though Lord Liari mentioned you have an important meeting.  If you would like, I can do the coffin and arrangements for the... the body\'s care alone?"  Rico\'s voice cracked when he tried saying the last part.  It was terrible, thinking of Alia as an inanimate body.  However, her body had to be cared for until the ceremony, kept somewhere cold.  Keeping her at the manor was no option at all, would just make matters worse.  That, and they did not want pestilence to take the whole household down.

The offer was made, but Rico wanted to get to it.  He had seen the grounds of Talon\'s temple before, and had noticed a building not far from it.  That had to be the coffin shop.  Rico walked quickly through the snow, shivering again, pulling his coat as close as he could to himself as he walked.  He hoped Captain Wilson was coming with him.  She had been so helpful so far, and it was still early.  Rico did not know exactly when that meeting was, the one Lam had to go to, but it was still early.

The building was small both inside and out, with no windows, making it dark inside (though the stone it was constructed of was already rather dark).  There were coffins, some lacquered black, others a reddish wood, some light in color.  The old man inside greeted them as Rico entered, voice as grim as his job.  It was only to be expected.

"I need to acquire a coffin."

"Figured."

"The funeral is in three days."

"Ok."

"How much is that one?" Rico pointed to one that was of a lightly colored wood, almost looking a pale yellow, though it may have been the light.  It could have been white.  That was fine though.  Alia would not have liked all those dark coffins.  They were too gloomy for what she wanted.

"Probably too much for you."

"Try me."

"Who is this for, anyway?  I haven\'t heard of any deaths."

"I am here on the behalf of Lady Alia Dinaris, sister to the Lord Liari.  We want this coffin for her.  Now how much is it?"

The man grumbled a price, Rico taking the coinpurse tied on his belt, opening it and going through it.  Rico produced the funds, presenting them.  The man had a boy write some stuff in a ledger on the desk.  The coffin would be delivered to..?  That was when Rico supplied the location, all too glad when the unpleasant meeting was over with, and he could go outside for some fresh air.

Phew.  "Now we just have to deal with.... the last part."

[Existentially Odd]

Lam, who\'d declined leaving to attend her meeting in order to support Rico, was very pleased with the job he did on the coffin.  All she literally did was stand in the background and listen, the transaction over before she knew what was happening.  It was impressive and she said so, once they were back outside the establishment and alone again.

"You did very well in there," she nodded, understanding that the last part he was referring to was about storing Alia\'s body.  "As for the rest... well, you have a couple of choices.  We could move Alia down to the basement if you wanted to have her stay at the manor until the day of the funeral, or you could have Tom - the undertaker - look after her in one of the holding tombs they have at the cemetery.  Failing that, I believe the Sanctuary has a mortuary - but you pretty much declined the use of that," she muttered almost to herself, frowning a little as she looked to the side and was reminded that Rico had already vetoed that idea.  "Or there is the city\'s mortuary."

She didn\'t elaborate on the fact that there was a medical facility connected to the mortuary because that was generally where bodies associated with criminal cases were stored, until the cases were settled one way or the other, and then they were released for burial.  Rico probably wouldn\'t like the idea of such a cold, heartless environment, though Lam was of the opinion that Alia\'s body wouldn\'t have any feeling one way or the other.  "It depends where you feel most comfortable leaving her for the next few days."

[Kysis]

"Thank you...."

Rico had been watching Lam\'s example all day and been taking notes, seeing how things got done.  With such a grim man, Rico had taken the action he thought would get the best results, and it did.  He wanted to say he was following her example, but kept that in.  Not today.  He could bring it up at a latter date, when they did not have things to do.

The basement of the Liari manor was mostly guard\'s quarters.  Mostly.  There was also an extra, unused room down there, which was away from all fireplaces and could not be warmed properly for the life of any of them.  That little back room was where Rico had accidentally spotted Alia and Alexandri, which he did not bring up.  But, with that thought, it seemed appropriate.  And they all knew her body would be well protected.  The door had a lock on it, which Rico had the key for.  Originally it was going to be his room, but the cold caused him to settle in the sparring room upstairs.

"There is a room in the basement which would be just perfect."

It was just a matter of moving her.  Rico knew he would start crying while doing it, that was inevitable, he was just not sure if he wanted Captain Wilson (he just realized he\'d been thinking of her as Lam) there to see it.  Well, he would probably cry at the funeral, so... it didn\'t matter.  They were all feeling it.  It would just fester if he didn\'t let it out when it needed out.

Rico swallowed the lump in his throat, looking forward to the rest ahead.  It felt like he could sleep for days.  He wouldn\'t, but still.  Everyone in that household needed rest by now.  That in mind, Rico started walking back towards that general direction, not walking terribly fast.  He did not know exactly how to get back to the manor, but knew the general direction.  When they got closer, Rico would probably let Captain Wilson take the lead.

[Existentially Odd]

"Alright," Lam agreed, not finding the thought of a corpse in the house for three days particularly tasteful but not willing to argue with Rico at such a time.  Probably, once she was washed down, it would be more appealing... that led to another thought.  Her body had just been covered over that morning when she passed, so Lam suspected that Rico might not understand what would be found when Alia was moved (she wasn\'t sure how much up close and personal experience he\'d had with death and found it distasteful to mention the human body\'s tendency to release all bodily functions at the point of passing).

She allowed the silence to settle about them as they walked, automatically taking the fastest route back to the manor and not paying attention to whether he was following or seemed to know where he was going.  She cleared her throat to signal that she had something to say, then spoke almost hesitantly when she sensed she had his attention.  "When we get back... I\'ll carry Alia downstairs and wash her down, if you like."  She wasn\'t sure if he would find the thought of her stripping and bathing the young girl offensive - it was likely Alex\'s place to do it, moreover, but if it was too hard... she wanted him to know she was happy to do it in his stead.

[Kysis]

"It is an unpleasant task.  Are you sure you want to do it alone?"  Rico could remember quite clearly having to deal with that task after Ryos\' death.  Ryos had been like a father to Rico, after his own father died.  Having to wash the body, with everything that came out of it postmortem, was gruesome at best, and heart-wrenching.  As the Retainer to the Lord Liari, Rico had to do it for Ryos.  He was not required to do it for Alia, but forcing Captain Wilson to handle it all was too much.

"I am fully willing to help.  I know Alex won\'t be able to."

Rico paused at the corner of one street, looking at the signs.  Oh dear.  For a moment he backtracked the route in his mind, drawing a big blank.  That road was not familiar to him, which was a major problem.

"Um, Captain, I think I\'ve lost us."  Of course, Rico insinuated that the Captain might know, and get them out of this issue.  Rico wanted them to get home, and deal with Alia\'s body before Kysis and Alex got back.  That would be best for all of them.

[Existentially Odd]

She chuckled and watched him look around in a befuddled manner, slowing slightly until he was looking at her again and would see what way she went.  "Well, if you\'ve lost us then I\'ve found us," she quipped.  "It\'s this way."  She gestured with a tilt of her head in the direction they should continue walking, waiting until he was at her side once more, before she addressed his earlier comment.

"With regard to Alia; I\'m willing to do whatever you wish.  I\'m well aware of the magnitude of the task, for I\'ve dealt with... well, I\'ve dealt with bodies before," she explained as gently as she could, not wanting to be offensive but not seeing any other way she could state it.  Alia was a body now, a shell of her former self.  "I was only thinking that I\'m female and I won\'t get as upset by the process but if you want to do it alone or have me help, I\'m agreeable.  Whatever will be easiest for you."

[Kysis]

Ahhhh, ok, Rico quickly moved in beside Captain Wilson as they started back the right direction.  Rico was still not used to Oberon\'s streets.  Nor had he tried getting used to them, because he had been convinced (before) that he would be able to convince Kysis to come back to Greece with him, and there would be no need.  Apparently, that wasn\'t happening now, or probably ever.  Kysis was smitten by Oberon, and since Rico had to be in Oberon to do his job, he had no choice but to comply.  Maybe Rico would find someone attractive in Oberon (that could keep his interest.  He\'d played around with a few people, but had quickly gotten bored and moved on).

Having to handle Alia\'s dead body would not only be painful, but awkward.  It was the Lady Liari, who everyone in Kreos had considered the purest, sweetest little thing.  Handling her naked would make him extremely uncomfortable, and he knew that now.  It was just wrong.  Even thinking about it had him feeling a little green.  Ryos Liari had been a warrior spirit, proud and loud and happy and friendly.  It had not mattered really.  But with Alia, she was sweet, innocent (despite her and Alex), more of a private person, liked her secrets.  And Rico would respect that.

"I don\'t know how much help I would be....  I can help prepare water, cloths, something for her to be dressed in."  Rico was talking in hushed tones, looking down at the snowy path as they went.  It was uncomfortable just thinking about it, and not because of what the body expelled. "Sorry, it\'s just, it\'s Alia.  And.... I don\'t think I can help with the washing."  Rico admitted his discomfort as best he could, hoping Lam understood.  He did not know how else to express it other than just saying it, and that would make his even more uncomfortable.

[Existentially Odd]

She nodded, finally giving in to the impulse she\'d had earlier and reaching over to rest her hand on his arm reassuringly.  "It\'s alright, I understand," she nodded comfortingly, allowing her hand to sit for a few moments before she pulled away.

It was an awkward thing to think about a man cleaning a woman in such an intimate way - especially a man who had absolutely no interest in seeing women naked (though it also kept everything above-board in the interest stakes if he didn\'t care for what he was looking at in the slightest).

"I\'ll do it," she declared determinedly.  "I\'ll wash her, but I would appreciate your help with the cloths and the clothes she should be wearing."  Lam offered Rico a small smile, finally feeling like they were communicating on even ground now - even though it was over something distasteful.  Together, they would have to band together to get through this, because separately... well, neither of them would accomplish everything properly.

(Continued in \'Losing Touch\')