Tales of the Betrothed (closed)

[Phantasmicrose2]

Voices, all around and all at once, above and below deck. Mineral-rich sands blowing over the briny river on air cooled by night and flowing water. Her skin, blistering hot despite the breeze, stuck to her dirty fur coat and cotton nightgown. Beneath her bones and in her blood the demon nestled, watching the world through her eyes, seeing for her, for both of them. Her fingers traced the knots and grooves of the carved wooden railing as the skiff traced the winding path toward the next haunted kingdom. She wondered what awaited them just over the horizon, and knew her strength would be needed regardless of what they faced next.

Sonya was aware that some of the voices were directed at her, but they might as well have been speaking another language. The feeling washing over her was becoming familiar but not less unwelcome. She'd pushed as long as she could without taking another's lifeblood as her own, and predictably her body was failing her once more. The time between kills grew less frequent with each, but the weight of them on her shoulders was crushing.

"How much longer do I have to keep this up?" she asked the wind as her fingers bore into the ship's railing, the white of her knuckles unseen next to the pale skin of her hands. She wiped the beads of sweat from her brow with the edge of a matted fur sleeve.

"However long it takes," The creature purred beneath her skin. "For us both, Sonya. I want your goals achieved as much as my own. We're in this together."

She laughed bitterly. That certainly wasn't untrue. Sonya wasn't going to skin her abuser alive and feed his skin to his dogs while he watched all on her own.

"Whoa," she breathed uneasily at the violence of the thought and pushed any others away, unsure if they really belonged to her or the creature within.

"Saving the world is my main goal," she affirmed to no one and everyone. "These royal brats can't do this alone."

Half their lot sounded ready to break down at any moment. Many already had. Sonya straightened her back despite the weakness creeping into her bones as the demon fed on her strength until she could provide someone else's. She combed a hand through her sweaty hair and gestured to the gathering of people among the deck of the skiff.

"How long until we reach our destination?" she called to no one in particular. The secret of her blindness was out to the group and there was no point in pretending she had any idea who was around her while her head was pounding so badly. "And can someone fetch me Reriic? Where is that little devil? Tell him I need... uh.. some lemon water and a cool towel and..." She just sort of waved her hands around vaguely and waited for him to appear by insufferable magic.

[Ariiadne]

вαṡhïɾαh❁
『 ℘rincess oƒ GRADIUS 』

The admission was, suffice it to say, unexpected. Her brow gave a short, brief jump, and her lips parted ever so slightly. But that was all she could manage before Kunal passed her.

He would not have heard her almost immediate, silent swivel between the crashes of the waves and the shrieks of the wind. Though he would feel her arm loop into his with a practiced ease. She glanced over her shoulder to Jean and Kora, sending them curt nods -- but nods all the same -- of gratitude. Her expression betrayed that she knew this situation wasn't over, but pushing her brother too much too soon would help no one. Bashirah hoped they also understood.

Something was different. She felt it as soon as she got close enough. A hum, a frequency she felt buzzing around Kunal, between the two of them. It sang at a different key. Jarring at first, but not entirely unpleasant.

"Yes. I am weary too. Let us rest, then."

[XSenkoX]

ℜ𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔦𝔠 ℑ𝔤𝔞𝔩𝔦𝔬𝔰
Second Son of Dradecus


Reriic had been awake since Elya exploded from their room, listening to Jean and Bashirah talk the corridor, and once they moved along he found his own way to the base of the stairs. He was restless just sitting in the cramped, vomit-smelling space that the elves shared and it stopped him from getting back to sleep, unfortunately. Meditation was useless when his mind couldn't escape the dread that any enclosed space could separate him from his magic and he was entirely unwilling to be idle with those thoughts. He felt a desire to run through his much-neglected magic lessons and was smart enough to recognize that he should practice in a space where he was less likely to punch a hole through the hull… but if tensions above deck were already heightened perhaps it made more sense for him to not show his face. His body already hurt from Annabel throwing him all around, the last thing he needed was to get into a fight with Kora as well because she was already mad. As a scholar, there was only so much abuse he could take in an evening.

He sighed and was about to turn around and stare at the ceiling next to Cin for a few hours instead when he caught his name in a raised voice. Sonya’s raised voice, to be exact. Her frivolous request, as if he was some lackey bound to her whims, catalyzed his various emotions into pointed anger that he so gallantly suppressed rather than stalking up there and flinging Sonya into the waters they drifted upon. Though such an act was sure to be satisfying, as would ignoring her to a lesser extent, they had an agreement and she needed to be shut up first and foremost. Reriic stepped onto the deck and scanned the clusters of people until he found the wretched woman standing blessedly alone.

He would never admit it, but he was glad for the distraction she provided and the excuse to be up in the fresh air.

Reriic mustered his manners, plastered on an icy smile, and hailed her with false cheer, "Alas, I bear no such gifts.”

He drew up to her side, linking their arms like it was the most natural thing in the world, and leaned against the railing. From this position of leisure he gazed at Sonya and a slow frown crept across his face as he took in the state of her. Disheveled and sweaty, she looked like a stiff breeze might do her in at any moment. Not that she looked healthy by any stretch of the imagination on a normal day, exactly, but this seemed different from that and Reriic couldn't entirely suppress the urge to fix whatever ailed her that his mother had drilled into him. Also, if Sonya died, her secrets went with her. It was unacceptable, really.

“You look terrible,” he informed her in a bland tone, in case she was unaware, “should I actually go look for water?”

[Professor-Zeitgeist]

Ƀΐʝɸυӿ ☠ Șᾰɱєɗΐ

Slowly, with each ragged breath Elya takes, Samedi begins to smile. "Dere ya go, cher." There's a gentle pride in her voice, or perhaps a satisfaction at seeing the poor thing finally start to settle back into her body. "Ya doin' real good. Keep at it, a'ight?"

She keeps her gaze on Elya's as she reaches for her canteen again. She holds it out to her, the fresh water inside sloshing invitingly as she gives it a little shake. Her jewelry chimes, too. "C'mon. Ya gotta replace those tears an' dat bile. It'll feel better when you do."