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 Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 1:30 pm
Raedra was about to express her relief and gratitude when Tempos took her hands and swung her around. She clumsily tried to follow his steps before he released her hands and embraced her. She gasped with surprise - Tempos had always showed an aversion to being touched, and now he intentionally initiated it? It was like he was an entirely different person. But Raedra hugged him back briefly - his sadness was catching.
Tempos went to hug Tey and possibly Damil as well, though the assassin kept him away with a challenging gaze. Raedra allowed herself a small smile before Tempos explained the origins of the time monster. At least that was one mystery cleared up, Raedra thought as she nodded at the explanation.
Then the room they were in started to change into something infinitely more comfortable and homey, for which Raedra was grateful. After the tense moments, adrenaline was wearing away and she was starting to shiver. A very familiar cat appeared, heading straight for Tempos, and the dragon grinned in delight. "Hi Saba," she said, remembering the shape-changing cat from the tropical forest. The memories came with a pang of sadness - after Tempos sent them home, she would never see her new friends again. Raedra tried to blink away the tears and share in the happiness of the time master and the cat.
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 4:26 pm
“Miss Raedra!” Saba called from Tempos’s arms. He wriggled around and jumped down to the ground, golden letters poured out of his body in midair and when he hit the ground his form had changed to an androgynous figure in mid bow to Raedra. He straightened up and looked around, his cat eyes resting on each of the travelers. Tey didn’t know whether Saba took the form of a man or a woman, neither his form nor his scent gave anything away, though she suspected he was neither. “I’m glad to see everyone in relatively one piece.” His golden red hair hung curled down his back and a pendant hung around his neck in place of a collar. Tey blinked, remembering the card reading Tempos had done for Raedra, Saba had been on the face of one of her cards, in this form.
Movement at the far side of the chamber caught Tey’s eye and she saw another vaguely familiar figure. This time from Damil’s card reading. An angel walked towards the group, her pale yellow wings folded against her back and her long white hair shining like liquid light. She walked with a sense of power, one hand on the hilt of the sword hanging at her side. “Aeon?” Tempos’s good mood started to fade when he saw her and his attitude reverted to the normal, dry grumpiness it usually was.
“Fate.” He replied, gesturing with his thin hands to Damil, Raedra and Tey. “I have a feeling we’re a tangled mess.” Saba watched Fate with half closed eyes, circling behind Tempos as if to back him up in some kind of confrontation, but Fate made no move towards the Time Lord, or any of the others.
Instead she reached out and touched something in the air it caught the light looking like a thin strand of spider web. “To say so is an understatement.” She replied giving the spider silk a gentle tug. A sharp pain shot through Tey, lasting only a heartbeat, but it left her emotions roiled. For a moment she could see thin lines coming from each of their throats, tied in a chaotic knot and linking all four of them together. She supposed this is what Tempos meant by tangled. Fate moved towards the invistible knot and started to delicately pull it apart.
“Our fatelines must be untangle before Saba can send you back to your respective homes.” Tempos said in a gentle voice as he winced when Fate gave the threads another soft tug. “Your fateline is connected to your soul, which is why it might hurt a bit while she undoes this mess.” To Tey it didn’t so much hurt, the pain felt like a wound sustained a long time ago, dull and aching, but every time she felt the pull of her fateline she felt filled with an almost unbearable sorrow. It took all her restraint not to burst into tears and she stared up at the mosaic pattern on the ceiling, her hands running through her hair, fingernails digging into her scalp. “It feels different for everyone.” He said apologetically, sending a glare towards Fate as to reprimand her and tell her to be more gentle, but she didn’t see this and continued her relentless work.
((I dunno', Tey feels super sad, Tempos is totally feeled with the feeling of depair at his failures. Damil... we'll probably never know. What about Raedra?))
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Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 8:02 pm
Grinning still wider as Saba recognized her and called her by name, she watched as his body changed. Then she tilted her head, knowing she had seen this form before...not too long ago. It was on the card, the third one Tempos had drawn for her reading, The Shapeshifter. The realization that it was Saba thrilled Raedra - if Saba was her future, it couldn't be that bad after all.
When yet another person appeared, this one completely unfamiliar, Raedra tensed warily. Her response was justified when the angel, addressed by Tempos as "Fate", began picking at something in the air. Raedra was about to ask what she was doing when she felt the tug like she had just been pricked with a large needle. She made a slight noise of protest, but that was quickly stifled by a new sensation.
As Fate attempted to work apart the knot, each pull on the fatelines increased the strange feeling. It was like a deep loss of self mixed with confusion and vertigo. Raedra stumbled back a step at a particularly rough jerk, and clapped a hand to her mouth. She wasn't sure, but it didn't seem like a good time to get sick on the...hard floor. Of a palace? Yes, that was right. Raedra closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, trying to will away her dizziness and nausea.
{Given what she last ate, she'd probably throw up pink.}
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 9:59 am
Tempos strode forward and grabbed Fate’s arm, his thing fingers wrapping around her wrist as he snarled something in a language Tey couldn’t understand. She focused on them watching their dynamics and ignoring her inner turmoil. Saba hovered around the other two, his expression unreadable as if unwilling to choose sides, while Tempos just glared at Fate. The angel stared back at him and Tey began to suspect Fate couldn’t quite see. After a moment he let go of her hand and turned away and Fate returned to undoing the knot, but this time it felt like she used more care.
He walked over to Tey and guided her away from the group. “You are beautiful, do you know that?” The words made Tey give Tempos a critical stare, trying to divine what he meant. “And I know you will do great things.” He continued, further confusing her. “It hurts.” Tey dipped her head, wishing he’d make sense. “Your journey is hard and the pain will continue, there’s still loss to come, but people need you. Your family needs you. Please don’t ever give up.” Tey looked up at him, still at a loss for what he meant, only half of his words meaning anything to her. But he’d mentioned her pack, her family. She missed them more than she’d ever be able to say and a new wave of sorrow swept over her, having nothing to do with Fate’s work. Mulling over his words she realized he was trying to tell her she’d lose part of her pack and a furious anger mixed with fierce love overwhelmed her. She would protect them, even if it meant her own undoing.
Stepping away from Tey’s defiant reaction Tempos wondered if it had been a good idea to tell her such things. He’d been vague enough about her future and knew he didn’t change anything. It still hurt him to think he was sending her back to so much pain. He gave her a small, sympathetic nod and walked back towards Raedra.
“The card reading I gave you,” he began when he reached her, “I know it seemed to predict disaster, but don’t let that affect the judgment of your decisions.” The girl looked pale and sick, he touched her shoulder gently, hoping that Fate would finish untying the knot soon. “Do whatever you think is right. You are brave, even if you think you aren’t.” He waved a hand towards Damil and Tey. “Don’t compare yourself to others. It takes them a different amount of courage to do some of the things you’ve had to do.” He paused before finally adding on, “And, even if it’s terribly hypocritical coming from me, be proud of yourself. Especially your dragon side. It is powerful, and a part of who you are.” Tempos dipped his head and walked over to talk to Damil.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 12:06 pm
Blearily, Raedra opened her eyes to see how the others were faring with the knot untangling. Though Tey's expression was mostly unreadable, Raedra thought she looked...really sad. Tempos seemed upset as he tried to negotiate with Fate while Saba did nothing.
Then the confusion and nausea she was feeling seemed to lessen somewhat. Raedra breathed a sigh of relief and thought it was probably safe to take her hand away from her mouth. She still felt queasy, but it wasn't nearly as bad now as Tempos moved to speak privately with Tey.
It seemed next it was Raedra's turn, and she felt a little apprehensive as the Time Lord approached her. Raedra made herself look into his yellow cat eyes as he spoke to her in a comforting voice, even reaching out to touch her shoulder almost paternally. Unfortunately, his words weren't as soothing as his voice, only serving to increase her confusion. Why shouldn't she compare herself to others? Wasn't she like them? The vague words left her feeling unsettled, until he told her to be proud of herself.
She was trying, she really was, it was just...difficult. She didn't know where she belonged yet, and now she was about to leave some of the very few people who knew what she was and accepted her for it. Sniffling a little, Raedra moved toward Tey as Tempos walked away. Tey had a concerned yet determined expression on her face, and the dragon briefly wondered what Tempos had said to her. But that was really none of her business. So instead of asking, she just looked at the wolf woman, trying to memorize everything about her so she would never forget.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 1:32 pm
((He means well, I swear.))
For a moment Tey was lost within her own emotions; the savage love for her pack, the dread of losing any of them, the creeping sadness at leaving behind this new, dysfunctional pack. She noticed Raedra studying her. Without thinking she drew Raedra into a tight hug, breathing in the girl’s scent of contrasting youth and ancient. Raedra reminded Tey of Hira and it hurt to think of all their similarities. They’d probably be good friends had they all lived in the same territory, let alone the same world. “You are my sister.” Tey murmured nuzzling the top of Raedra’s head. She squeezed her and let go.
Tempos finished what was probably a rather confusing chat with Damil and Tey walked over to them. She embraced Damil as well, wishing she could bring the others with her, back to her home. It would’ve made for a patchwork pack, one even more loosely held together than her current one, but she would’ve liked it. Fate finished with the fatelines and Tey felt like a relief wash over her, replacing most of the sorrow she felt. Tempos gestured for the others to gather with him and Saba while fate surveyed from the edges of the room, her sword point on the ground, hands clasped over the hilt. Something about the angel bothered Tey, but she supposed it was the faint scent of wolf hanging about the woman.
“Saba will open doors for you. They will lead to the room you were supposed to reach, instead of ending up in the coffee shop on this bizarre adventure.” Tempos said, giving a shrug and reaching out to clasp Damil’s hand. He left something in it, an ornate pocket watch, before slipping a similar time piece into Raedra’s and Tey’s hands. Tey looked at the delicate design, admiring the intricate clockwork. “To help you remember, and if you do find yourself in terrible trouble you’ll be able to contact me. Though I should hope you don’t find yourself in such a dire situation.”
As he spoke Saba moved behind him, tracing tiny golden letters on the wall using his finger tips. Slowly the letters merged into lines and started to form the shape of three different doors.
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 1:57 pm
{Sappy moments.}
Wanting to hug Tey, but to shy to initiate an embrace, Raedra was startled but pleased when the wolf shifter hugged her first. Raedra wrapped her arms around the woman, losing herself for a moment in the warmth of their odd but firm friendship. Never in her entire life had Raedra even had a female friend, much less a sister, so when Tey called her one Raedra found she had a much worse time keeping the tears from cascading down her face.
"I think of you as a sister too," she managed to choke out, hoping it sounded sincere as Tey released her. Tey went to hug Damil, and after she let him go Raedra hesitantly hugged him again, remembering the incident with the glass daisy. The dragon hardly noticed when the fatelines stopped twinging - the confusion disappeared, but was replaced by the anguish of losing her new friends.
The tears were coming now, dripping steadily from her eyes, and Raedra had to blink them away to focus on the gift Tempos left in her hand. She studied it morosely, wondering if she could use it to see Tempos, Tey, and Damil again. She would be ecstatic to see Fildros again, but it pained her deeply to think of Damil and Tey, each returning to their worlds. She hoped the best for both of them. Saba was now creating doors in the walls of the room through which they were to leave. Raedra didn't know if she could do it. "Should we all go at the same time?" she asked thickly, through her tears.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 4:28 pm
“You may if you wish. I am very powerful of course.” Saba chirruped happily after he put the finishing touches on the doors. They all looked beautiful , each one different but they all followed the same theme. “Or if it is easier, you may walk through one by one. Whichever pleases you more.” AS Saba skirted away from the group to stand watch from a distance Tey walked forward. Somehow Tempos knew she’d move first. Pushing the door open, she walked through it without looking back towards the group, her gait full of purpose.
Tey slipped through the door, her body not registering the temporal warp as she transitioned back to her own home and time. The lighting changed from Tempos’s brightly lit castle to the dark of night, lit up every once in a while by forks of lightning. Rain played an unrelenting rhythm on the patchy roof of the abandoned house she found herself in. It took her a while to remember that this was where the door she first walked through was supposed to lead her. The fresh scent of forests, mud and storms surrounded her and the crash of thunder sent a thrill of excitement through her body. Her pack was near.
Despite the various leaks in the roof the small cottage would suffice as a shelter from the storm, her wolves could all curl up together in the back corner of the room where it was dry. She turned around, hesitantly opening the door again, wondering if she’d meet a scene with Tempos, Raedra and the others.
But the bleak vision of land under the terrible mercy of a storm greeted her, wind buffeting her with sheets of rain. Tey blinked, trying to sort through the mixture of disappointment and anticipation. With her hands cupped around her mouth she let out a loud howl, paused and then howled once more. Waiting in the rain she heard the eventual replies between cracks of thunder; Hira’s high pitched yelp of a howl, Icarus and Miranda’s dual howl, and Erik’s long reply. Tey closed her eyes, smiling to herself and finally letting go of the held back tears. Once again she sang out into the night, just to hear the comforting reply telling her that her family was coming to find her.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive. Icarus and Miranda first as they always traveled together. Hira laughed at she scurried into the dilapidated building. Only Erik paused to give her an assessing look, too watchful for his own good, but he said nothing and Tey followed him inside, retreating to the back with the rest of her wolves.
They huddled together, the tiredness of a long day of travel descending upon them so most of them fell asleep quickly. Tey’s back was pressed against Erik’s, she could feel him breathing slowly, and Hira was curled up using Tey’s side as a makeshift pillow. The scent of her pack surrounded her and she brethed it deeply, pleased to finally be returned to her family. Tey ran her hands through Hira’s hair, and closed her eyes.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 7:01 pm
{Buh...I'm gonna cry.}
Raedra almost said something as Tey strode forward and through the door. She didn't know what she would have said - but it was too late, Tey was gone. Swallowing hard, Raedra tried to keep the tears back as she cast one last glance at Tempos, Saba, and Damil. "Well...I...goodbye," she said, unable to form a more coherent farewell. Just before she stepped through the door, she whispered, "I'll never forget."
Then she was there, in the miraculously beautiful elven home. The walls seemed to be made of living trees, spiraling upward to form a leafy roof that was very thick. The house was decorated sparsely, the natural look all the more beautiful. Fildros' parents were waiting, smiling at her hesitantly, but Raedra didn't even spare them a glance. She turned around and reopened the door.
It wasn't a palace she saw, but a meadow in a vast forest, and Fildros with his hand outstretched, about to follow her inside. Raedra embraced him immediately, holding him tightly and trying not to let him see her crying. He was considerably shocked, trying to assess what was wrong, how his parents had frightened her to tears in the space of a few seconds.
"Oh Fildros, let's leave," Raedra said when she could speak again. "Please, let's just go."
"...Okay," he replied soothingly. "Okay, yeah, let's go." He would do anything for her, she knew. Smiling through her tears, Raedra released him. Crouching on the ground, she put her head in between his booted feet, ignoring his confused question. Then she transformed, and Fildros slid down her neck onto her back. She felt his fingers weave into her mane automatically, and she took off from the ground. Spiraling up over the forest, Raedra whisked them away on the evening breeze.
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Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 11:06 pm
Tempos watched as one by one they left; Tey, Raedra and finally Damil. When the last door clicked shut they all faded, reverting back to part of the stone wall. He sighed, running a hand through his fluffy short hair. He would have to undo all the problems they created while hopping through the time stream as well as find any scattered impurities. The wheel needed turning as well. “You liked them.” Fate observed stepping up to his side while Saba returned to standing next to him. Tempos made no reply and instead stared blankly at the space in the wall where the doors had been. Instead of critically assessing the three and passing judgment on them like she normally did, Fate remained silent. He supposed he should be grateful for that.
“I didn’t want to.” She finally said when Tempos turned to walk away, she and Saba still flanked him, worried about his well-being. He didn’t ask her to elaborate knowing she meant too many things to explain. Though, he supposed she referred to the latest incident, the one where she broke him of his powers and scattered them through time. It was an apology of sorts.
Refusing to acknowledge her words Tempos said nothing, but he didn’t blame her for doing her job. She looked sad, since her job was done she was free to feel emotion and he knew she regretted what she had to do. He paused in the middle of the room, shuffling his wings. “Saba, would you mind binding my wings again?” He asked. The red hair figure looked at him, its cat eyes wide. “On your own time of course.” Tempos added on slightly irritated. Saba flashed him a toothy grin before shifting back into a cat and walking off. “I’ll assume that’s a yes.” Tempos muttered. He flexed his hands and glanced over at his wife. “I don’t suppose it’d be too much to ask if you could put a good word for Morpheus.” He said apprehensively, suddenly wishing he hadn’t been so hostile towards her. “I manage to shatter my scythe, I need him to forge a new blade for me.” The dream prince would be unhappy at hearing how Tempos destroyed one of his weapons.
She took his hand and squeezed it. “Of course.”
((Eeeeeeeeend))
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