Side Story- A day in the life of Sonya two

Authors note

Link to the first one for anyone interested

https://www.patreon.com/posts/63032437 

You asked for it, you got it. Here we are with as second day in the life of Sonya. I'll have a bit more to say at the end, but right now I'm just going to say it takes place around a little after chapter 170. I'm really going to have to go back and mark when each of the other chapters takes place relative to the main story to keep track of things a bit better, but that's a later problem. Without further ado, enjoy!

The day at the clinic started early for her, but thankfully this was one of the rare ones when there simply wasn’t much to do. Only a couple of people had come through, looking for help with illness or injury, so Sonya left them to the more junior healers. If it had been anything urgent then she would have stood by, ready to assist in whatever ways she could, but as things were it was more important to focus on letting the less experienced staff get their practice, slowly gaining knowledge and hands-on experience so that they’d be more prepared for when they were needed to act on their own.

Given that fact, as well as that there was nothing else for her to do, she decided to focus on cleaning. The role was typically split amongst everyone depending on who had the time, and since her niece was no longer taking the job now that she had both an active hunting partner and the resources to devote to her training, it was important for everyone to stay on top of it. She would have preferred the clinic head to hire some dedicated staff for it, but she knew how likely that was. He was already at his wit’s end trying to find any healers or people with the affinity for the role who would be willing to come and learn under them. With light and life mages being particularly valued by the various governments of the world given what was expected to come, she knew that anyone who was interested had better prospects elsewhere, but she couldn’t help but worry about the long-term implications. It wasn’t just stonewall feeling the squeeze after all. It was a vital role everywhere, and one that she knew wasn’t being properly filled, often leaving the ones that did take it on for the communities they were a part of working long hours and feeling the strain.

Still, all I can do is the best I can. She thought with a sigh, before mentally switching to a lighter topic. After all, for today at least things were in good shape and she had the clinic in top condition. Given that, she decided to let the clinic head know that she would be stepping out for lunch and went off to go to a food vendor she was fond of.

---

Having bought three orders of sandwiches, she walked to the shop of one of her oldest friends and companions, running her fingers through her hair to try to make it look nice before chastising herself for the pointless act. She knew that yeti’s placed no value on appearance when looking for a mate, something that should have left things much easier on her given that it meant there wasn’t an aversion to interspecies relationships like some races had, but in all the years they’d known one and other Falk hadn’t expressed interest in any way. His focus was always his work.

She couldn’t deny she had some fault as well. She’d felt this way since shortly after they met all those decades ago, yet she still never acted on it. Given some of the things she’d seen and faced it was embarrassing to admit she lacked the courage, but fighting a monster when she used to be an adventurer and telling her friend she loved him were two completely different things, made all the worse for each day that passed. She knew she lacked courage on the matter, but as she opened the door of the shop all she could do was hope that one day she’d be able to ignore her fluttering stomach to push through.

When she saw him she couldn’t help but break out into a smile as he did the same, the giant of a man always was pleased to see her, even if not to the capacity she might have hoped.

“Well ain’t it a pleasure, what brings you out of the clinic at this time of day?” He asked as she held up the sandwiches in response.

“It’s been a surprisingly easy one so far, I just figured I’d bring you and Ben some food while I took lunch,” She explained as she handed one over. “Where is your dear apprentice anyway?”

“Ah, he’s hidden in the back working on an order for a client. Really putting his all into it too but it’s probably time for him to take a break. The bloody boy’s going to work himself to death without someone around to make sure he eats. Give me a minute and I can grab him.”

“You don’t need to worry about it,” She said as she placed a hand on his arm. “I wouldn’t want to mess up his rhythm, you can hand it to him when he’s done. Anyway, how are things here? Seems a little slow today.”

“Quiet all around I’d say. Even if it’s not great for business though it’s nice sometimes. Lets me catch up on things without having to stop every couple minutes. Must be a blessing for you all too.”

“Ha, any day people aren’t falling sick or ending up injured is a blessing to me. A day that’s slow enough to give me a chance to go out a while is wonderful,” And it gives me the chance to talk to you. She thought to herself, holding her sigh and instead trying to enjoy what little time she had left until she needed to return to work.

---

“Sonya, could I have some of your time?” The clinic head asked as soon as she got back.

Drari, her dragonewt boss was looking ragged, and she couldn't help but feel some sympathy for his situation. While she was feeling the frequent strain of their low staff, he had to go through it just as much, while also being run ragged looking for hires, having almost no luck in the process.

“Of course, what do you need?” She asked, ready to put in some extra hours if need be. It was what she was expecting at least, but he had a far more unexpected request.

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you but things have been getting a little desperate. I know you’re handling it well but everyone’s being run into the ground. We need some new mages to help take the burden off.”

“We all know you’re doing the best you can to find people for us, don’t worry,” She told him. “It’s not like we don’t understand the value of our work after all, if things are busy for a little while we’ll just do our best.”

“Ha, well I’m glad you feel that way, but it doesn’t change that I can’t work you all like this,” He said, rubbing his face while he stressed. “I know it’s not ideal, but if we could even just get someone in occasionally to help out it would mean reducing the burden a little, so you think I can ask you a favour?”

“If you need it I can work a few extra hours so the newer staff can have some time off,” She told him before he could ask. It was far from ideal, but they couldn’t have the younger staff burning themselves out before they got used to the work. As they slowly gained a level or two they’d be able to do more, at least so long as they didn’t quit for something better after they did.

“I really can’t do that. It wouldn't be fair to you. No, I was hoping you could ask your niece if she’d be willing to pick up a few shifts. She has the skill, right?”

“What?” She couldn’t help but ask, feeling shocked. “Drari, I feel like I shouldn’t have to tell you, but Thera would never want to do that. Even if she likes you, you know how things are between her and the rest of town, right?”

“If anyone has an issue with it then we just won’t treat them. Honestly, that would make things a lot easier on us.”

“I was more talking about the fact that she dislikes the people here as much as they dislike her. She’s not going to want to be put in that situation and as her aunt, I don’t want her to go through with it either.”

“Please Sonya,” He begged. “I’m not asking you to get her to work here full time, just see if she’ll take the occasional shift to help ease the load on everyone, just a little.”

He thought in silence while seeing his desperate face. There were a lot of reasons to ask her to in the end. She’d already learned that raising her magic levels would help her control on the whole, so having more people to work on and the chance to learn would be a valuable experience. Aside from that, it would help her make her place in town. Even if things weren’t too bad for her now, Sonya still wanted Thera to have a better experience living there. She didn’t want her niece to be feared and despised for things she couldn’t control. She wanted the people around to be able to appreciate what a sweet girl she was, but that would never happen if Thera didn’t start actively meeting them, giving them a chance to talk to her or get to know her. It filled her heart with nothing but joy that her niece finally had someone she could care about beyond the limits of her family, but she wanted her to have more.

“At the very least I’ll talk to her about it,” She said, watching her boss heave a relieved sigh. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, but if it’s just the occasional shift then she might agree.”

She wasn’t sure what he was going to say next as he opened his mouth, he was cut off as one of the younger staff rushed in, a desperate look in their eyes as they asked for some help.

With a nod from her boss, she rushed out to see what was so urgent, only to find three adventurers bleeding on the ground, broken and battered, leaving Sonya to cast a disapproving look at the one who dragged them there as the other woman smiled back cheerfully.

“Hey, sorry about this Sonya, a few of the younger guys were acting out at the guild again, you know how it is,” Ceselee said with cheer as if she hadn’t just made a pile of work for them.

---

“Oh don’t be so glum about it,” Ceselee told Sonya over drinks later that night. “I told you I was sorry already, and it’s important to break in the troublesome ones while I can before they become an issue for the guild.”

“You do know we’re understaffed out here, right?” Sonya complained as she downed her glass and ordered another since it was on Ceselee’s dime. “Can’t you keep it to the realm that potions can handle?”

“Ah, come on, it’s not like you guys were even busy today,” She said with a laugh, getting a glare in return. “Besides, if I didn’t occasionally break someone in then when would I ever get a chance to see you? You almost never have time to grab a bite with me anymore.”

“Just come by for dinner,” Sonya told her with a roll of her eyes. “I can ask Ben to make an amulet for you, it’s not like Thera bites you know.”

At that, the guild master took on a far more complicated expression. Unlike so many of the others around though it had nothing to do with fear or anger, but instead guilt. Ceselee had known Sonya for a long time and was aware of the issue Thera had with her charm before she’d even joined the guild. The fact that she hadn’t squashed the issue that led to her being all but ostracized before it could explode like it had was a deep point of regret for her, even if she didn’t let it show, and was at least partly responsible for the firmer hand she’d started showing any trouble-makers, not wanting to have a repeat.

“Well, maybe,” She told Sonya awkwardly as she tried to subtly change the conversation. “But that’s a later problem, I want to talk about your more constant one.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Tall, white and hairy? Come on, how long has it been Sonya? You think I don’t pay attention to gossip? Every day I’m waiting for some talkative idiot to say something happened between our town's sweetest healer and grumpiest smith and every day I’m disappointed. It’s boring watching nothing happen from the side you know, give me some entertainment already!”

Sonya could tell, the drink was getting to her companion as much as it was getting to herself as she flopped down onto the table. “Nothing’s going to happen. If it was going to it would have years ago, just drop it.”

“Or nothing’s happened because you haven’t tried to make anything happen,” The guild master countered before finishing up her drink and grabbing Sonya by the arm. “Come on, let’s go change your life already.”

“What? No, I like my life as is, thank you very much.”

“Too bad,” Ceselee told her with a smile as she used her superior strength to drag her off.

---

Why did I let her force me into this? Sonya couldn’t help but complain to herself as she stood in front of Falk’s door, Ceselee standing down the street, watching and waiting to see how it would go. I mean, I get what she’s saying, if I want something then I need to take action and get it for myself instead of waiting around for something to happen, but… ahg.

She stood there, the evening in full swing and the sun about to set, standing in front of her old friend's door, her hand raised as if to knock but not making another move. Knocking meant seeing him and seeing him meant talking and talking could mean rejection, a permanent change to the status quo that had been their relationship for decades. Just thinking about that horrified her. It was better to do nothing, to enjoy things as they were for all it was worth.

But I don’t want that.

She wanted more from Falk than she was currently getting, and knew there was only one way she’d ever get it, so with a breath she swung her hand forward, about to change her life one way or another.

And stopped.

Despite how much she wanted it, she couldn’t do it, and it ate her up as she walked away, Ceselee putting a comforting arm around her.

“Ah well,” The other woman said, trying to sound positive. “Maybe next time.”

“Yeah, maybe next time.”

Authors note

Well here we are, gotta say, this one ended on a bit more of a downer than the first. It wasn't my intent when I first started it either. When I offer a 'day in the life' chapter, I want to use it to explore the character a little more than I do in the main story and focus on different parts that can be explored. In the first one, you could say I was examining Sonya through the lens of a dedicated healer, a member of her community, and loving aunt, while this one focused more on her a shy woman dealing with the fact that she doesn't feel brave enough to try and change her one-sided love. I think it's something a lot of people can relate to, the idea of changing an important relationship can be scary after all, and a lot of people handle the idea in a lot of different ways. Maybe you jump in, the thought of rejections nowhere in your mind, or maybe it's at the front of your thoughts, scaring you into inaction. On the plus side for Sonya at least, I, her god and maker, am fond of her, meaning she'll probably get her happy ending by the time my story is through.