|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 12:23 pm
 |
|
|
 |
The Nergal had been holding his breath as Hadiyya pondered, not sure what sort of reaction his confession might elicit from her any longer. This, at least, was a damned sight better than their vicious volley of barbs that had occurred on his return to the dorms. This was…a step…the pathway might not yet be clear, but at least it was an advancement towards something other than all he’d ever known falling out from beneath his feet. His heart had fluttered at the djinn’s touch…and for a second time slowed…
…and shattered utterly as his EyePhone buzzed and then broke into a rather ethereal tune perpetuated by flutes, and Sharra swore loudly.
“s**t! That’s Marosa!” Shifting to grab the ringing device from the bottom-most depths of his pocket, he slid the answer button faster than he had in his entire life. “Marosa!?” Bringing it to a pointed ear, the demon boil’s voice was already desperate and alarmed. Considering the way in which the fey had departed, there wasn’t a chance in hell that he would call unless he’d gotten in so deep over his head that swimming out wasn’t an option. “Marosa what’s going on….??!”
Hearing labored breaths on the other end did absolutely nothing to assuage the blond’s panic. “C’mon, man, where are you!?” Frantic eyes looked over to the dark-haired ghoul next to him, Sharra now holding his breath for an entirely different reason as he waited impatiently in hopes of hearing the other boil’s voice on the line. He’d no idea what he was going to do if they didn’t know where to even start looking for the beleaguered gancanaugh.
(My brain makes up ship names for no reason...)
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 6:16 pm
|
|
|
|
Whatever thin vial of peace was settling on the pair of demons shattered in an instant as the nergal cursed and groped for his phone. All at once that sinking feeling returned. Dread and fear leeching away what little warmth the ghoul managed to maintain for herself. Her hand fell, fingers curling slowly as she stared wide eyed at the boil as he spoke in panicked tones into the phone, apparently getting nothing in the way of answers. "Rosa..."
At a certain point Hadiyya caught herself reaching out to pull the phone from Sharra's hand to hold it up to hear ear, listening desperately before offering her own attempts to reach the gancanaugh on the other end of the line. "Rosa? Rosa!" Nothing. Only the heavy, wet sounds of labored breathing. "s**t."
The phone was thrust back into Sharra's hands as she got to her feet, turning on the spot to look out over the school grounds. Where in Jack's name could he have run off to, and to do what?
She was worrying at her lip, spinning one of the gold bangles on her left wrist, when she felt the smoother skin of the scar, and glowing eyes widened as an awful idea occurred to her. "The haunted house," she breathed, voice tight with anxiety as she looked out over the lake in the direction of the portal between worlds. It had been months, months, since the ghoul had been hurt, and she'd very nearly killed the hunter that'd scarred her. Marosa had been furious on her behalf, but she'd thought she'd talked him out of any foolhardy notions of retribution.
Apparently not.
Grabbing at Sharra's hand, the ghoul stepped off the edge of the rock, pulling him along with her. Only, instead of sinking beneath the gentle waves, they landed on the lake's surface. Bare feet had barely touched the cool water before she took of running, and so long as Sharra held on tightly, he could run along beside her.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:55 am
|
|
|
|
Luminescent eyes spent only a moment dwelling on her worry-wrought fidgeting before she seized upon an idea. Though Sharra had only the most basic of acquaintances with the haunted house (and not good ones, at that), he knew full well what that could imply. The foolishness of the fey’s actions was, apparently, not to be underestimated. Another vicious swear as he barely had time to stuff his EyePhone back into the pocket from whence it came, and he too was on his feet, scrambling up to whatever mad dash would get them closer to what was hopefully the wounded boil’s location.
“You think he…” His inquiry was cut short as she seized his hand, and he curled his fingers about hers so as not to lose touch with the djinn. There was a rather undignified yelp as they bolted from the overhang, and he almost almost stumbled, just managing to catch his feet on the rippling surface. The Nergal was left with no time to marvel at Yaya’s miracle, mind, because now they were running helter-skelter across the lake.
He would have been utterly foolish not to follow her lead. They would make considerably better time if they didn’t have to circumvent the most direct route.
The demon felt the pounding in his chest increase in tempo, the spikes all over his body bristling up like the fur of a scorched cat, hostile towards any new foes that might arise in their rescue mission. Ah Jack, he could only imagine what had happened to Marosa, and the Nergal’s imagination was not a very pretty place to be. There was only the concrete knowledge that it was damage that the blond himself had not inflicted, and in this case…
…that wasn’t even the smallest of comforts.
Though some part of him wondered if he wouldn’t have made the same prideful decision that Marosa had. Though that ego had died some time ago, blessedly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:58 am
|
|
|
|
Hadiyya said nothing as they raced over the dark surface of the lake for the opposite bank. In truth she didn't want to believe the fey could be so very foolish, but she'd known him long enough to have witnessed otherwise. The boil could be as reckless as any, and when emotions were high the tendency went up, as it did with anyone.
Her grip loosened as they reached the shore, allowing Sharra to take his hand back if he wanted to, but not shaking him off if he didn't.
The dark shadow if the haunted house loomed up befire them, and Hadiyya grimaced as she led the way towards the tree line and onto a worn path. It hasn't been that long since she'd paid the house a visit, her memoirs of it were still fresh in her mind. Winning hadn't made the battle any less brutal. The ghoul had very nearly lost a hand.
Dread kept her moving at a sprint, but the sight that greeted them as they cleared the trees froze the djinn in her tracks. "Oh Jack..." Coppery hair, a pale arm fallen across the steps, and the awful shine of blood in the moonlight. "Marosa!!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 4:53 pm
|
|
|
|
If he hadn’t been so Jack-damned worried Sharra might have spent more time marveling at the scope of Hadiyya’s FEAR-based powers. Whilst he had always had immense respect for her prowess, she had obviously honed those skills whilst he’d been away. Perhaps if things became more comfortable between them (and definitely not before that point), he would ask her to spar.
Despite his faith in her, there was still a sense of relief that came with the familiarity of solid ground beneath his shoes. It was likely due to the easily recalled touch of her hand that his fingers remained clasped in the ghoul’s tanned ones, somehow it came as a calming undertone to the racing of his heart. That pace only increased as the haunted house rose, foreboding as always, in their field of vision. There were no pleasant memories associated with this place, certainly. It was a necessity and not a boon, in the demon boil’s mind.
The pattering thrum of his pulse nearly stopped dead when his eyes alit on the injured faerie…something slamming into his psyche as though a giant hand had curled around his torso and squeezed like a vise. Oh Jack…. Breath taken completely away, it took a moment for the Nergal to form a sound…not even words but instead a raw, emotion-filled cry of grief and terror for the other boil’s state.
Releasing the djinn, he went tearing towards Marosa, sliding in to fall to both knees beside his crumpled frame…hands almost too afraid to touch, a thousand almost incomprehensible emotions crashing down upon the blond like a tidal wave. “Jack…” Just a hoarse, hollow sound as he registered the scope of the damage, almost afraid to touch lest he jostle something irreparable. s**t. Who was he kidding? Already some of this seemed mind-numbingly permanent, a concept that Sharra was afraid to wrap his mind around.
“Yaya!” He looked up to the ghoul for support, she, after all, had more experience in the healing department than the Nergal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:26 pm
|
|
|
|
The sight of the blood on the stairs was enough to freeze the ghoul in her tracks as Sharra released her hand to sprint towards the fallen fey. Time stopped, her limbs seemed to seize up, and for just a moment the djinn couldn't even breath. The moment seemed to stretch on and on, and her pulse was a deafening, hammering thing in her ears.
Until the nergal called her. She blinked, almost startled, and pulled in a rough gasp as time started to edge forward again. Slow at first, then speeding faster as she kicked into motion, running forward to drop to her knees on the step below them. "Jack, Marora." Desperate, she reached out as if to touch him, but her hands stopped short, fingers drawn back. Everything was a red ruin, there was nowhere to touch that wouldn't be slick with blood. His wings. His beautiful wings. Gone.
Tentatively, she touched his hair, pushing a curl back away from his face. "Why did you do this?" Her voice was already heavy, thick with the tears that were only just beginning to fall. "Foolish boil. why!?" What was the point? What could he possibly have been after. Even know she couldn't have guessed his intention. It had been months since she'd been injured, and why tonight? Of all nights?
Biting back more furious questions she lt her frustration out instead in a loud curse, but even as her voice spread through the trees where was water forming in her palms. Cool and clear, glowing softly with her own Fear. She turned them downward, lay her hands against the ruin of his shoulders, fishing, mending, healing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 4:36 pm
|
|
|
|
Shadows danced behind his eyelids as he laid on the ground, his breathing haggard and thin. Blades sliced into his memory, making his body twitch and spasm involuntarily against things that weren't there. Marosa's fingers curled against the steps as he fought against unseen assailants, head jerking very faintly to the side after each set of seconds, his body still somehow trying to move, trying to escape the horrid nightmares that laid waiting in the Haunted House.
A low whine escaped his throat as Yaya began to heal him, his eyelids fluttering open to dull golden eyes. A slow, shaky breath was taken in as the faerie twitched, lips forming words that didn't have enough substance to hear.
Closing his eyes for a long, slow moment, he tried again, only heaving out a hoarse breath, attempting to curl up as best he could in the fetal position.
It was clear that he wasn't all there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:11 pm
|
|
|
|
"Idiot, idiot, idiot." It was like a mantra, whilst already Sharra was dissolving, something stinging his eyes that he didn't have enough time to give heed to. Tears, likely, but since when had he cried those without the behest of acid fumes? Gritting his teeth, he jerked his eyes up to the distressed ghoul, even as his hands drifted almost comfortingly down the faerie boil's spine.
"He's in shock, Yaya. We need to get him back to somewhere safe...." There was a low desperation to the words as he fixated his bright gaze on the djinn that was currently engrossed fixing those jagged wounds. Jack help, they'd dug his wings right ou. Callously, like a child with a garden spade. It made that snarl rise up into his throat yet again.
"Breathe, 'Rosa....we're going to get you to bed...." As he had a thousand times now....Sharra wished that he possessed healing powers, heart breaking into yet more shards, pounded out to powder...he'd nothing left. His hands were stained with the faerie boil's blood and yet still the Nergal was trying to keep his muscles from spasming with panic. No.
No.
They both needed him now.
"Let me know when he's good to move." It was still just soft, murmuring, letting Yaya call the shots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:36 pm
|
|
|
|
"I know," she breathed out through her teeth, hands trembling slightly where they rested on the fey's shoulders. It was a slow process, but even now the bleeding had slowed. She wanted it stopped before they tried to move him. More, if she could manage it, but the ghoul had her limits. If she wasn't careful there was every possibility of exhausting herself as well, and then Sharra would have the both of them to worry over, and no matter how she was feeling at the moment, she couldn't do that to him. Or herself.
She didn't even know what she was feeling. Everything was a useless scramble. It was emotional whiplash. From happiness to anger. From anxiety to fear. Everything swirled together as if there was a vast melting pot at her core. Overwhelmed, certainly.
Glowing eyes flicked upward to land on Sharra's face. "You're going to have to carry him on your back. You can't pick him up in your arms, it'll open the wounds again." She wasn't quite ready for him, but the nergal looked every bit as frazzled as she felt, and if she talked to him it might help him focus on something other than how very terrible the injuries were.
And they were terrible, painful things. Whoever Marosa had faced had had a cruel sense of humor. Though has bad as they were, they weren't life threatening. Whatever weapon had taken the wings hadn't hit anything vital. Yaya wasn't worried about the fey surviving the night. She was worried about the following night, and the next, and the next. The physical wounds would heal, but his body hadn't been the only thing damaged. If they couldn't figure out a way to get his wings back...
The loss would hit him hard, the djinn knew that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:15 am
|
|
|
|
Sharra nodded mutely, ashen features damp now, the boil able to feel every rapid patter in his chest as his body tried to cope with the snowballing avalanche of feelings that were now jumbled beyond salvaging. Whilst he trusted the djinn to know her limits, he didn’t at all consider her above going intentionally past that line for the sake of the faerie boil betwixt them. The Nergal would have done the same, had his powers not been very firmly ensconced on the offensive side of the spectrum.
Either way, the both of them were in an emotional deluge…with no time to dam the walls, and thus, they just let it wash over them. They had the mission at hand, their mental states could be mopped up after the immediate was taken care of.
The blond’s brows pinched together subtly as he pondered on just how he was going to pick up the coppery-haired boil without jarring his injuries too terribly. It would likely require Yaya’s assistance, but there was no surety that she would have much energy left to do so once she’d mended the worst of the damage. Gentle fingers brushed at the faerie’s mussed tangle of hair, more a comfort for the Nergal than the unconscious Marosa. “Once you’re ready I think I can manage that, as long as you steady him on the initial lift.” It was quiet, level, as he allowed his gaze to meet the djinn’s. It was much better to talk to her, than to ponder too deeply on what had transpired already this evening.
Because underneath the surface there lay a deep, corrosive, vengeful rage – most primarily directed to whatever sort of cretin could do this to another living being. And Jack knew that was the last thing he needed to be acting on right now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 3:18 pm
|
|
|
|
The ghoul had him covered on the lift. Even with her focus on healing, she was aware that they couldn't just pick the faerie up normally. Not with his back in the state it was in, not even after she stopped the bleeding. The skin would be too delicate, easily torn under the simplest of stress. An alternative was needed, and it was chance, more than design, that put the thought in her head. "I've got a plan," she told him, voice gone a little hollow, a little numb as she worked on their boil.
Sharra's worry over her over exerting herself were not completely unfounded. The fey meant the world to her, and seeing him battered and broken hurt on a physical level. Her chest ached with it, and it took more self control than she would have thought she possessed not to drain herself of every last drop of Fear to see him whole again. But she could not, would not, put them through that.
All the same, when she straightened again, a hand coming up to wipe at her brow with the back of her hand, she swayed just a touch. "That's as much as I can do at the moment." It wasn't perfect by any means, but the bleeding was stopped, and the wounds weren't quite as torn now.
"Are you ready?" She'd wait, still kneeling beside Marosa, until Sharra was upright and looked stable. Then, using what energy she had left to her, she'd call her element. Water formed in a pool beneath the unconscious fey, and after a moment he began to lift, evenly, off the porch. "I'm afraid you'll get a little wet, but I doubt you'll mind much." It was easier this way. she could lay Marosa over the nergal's shoulders, it was as gentle as they could possibly be.
If she'd had more strength, she could have carried him herself, sing the water, but she'd traded ease of transport with healing him as much as she was able to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
