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 Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 3:11 pm
Who: Jin-Ho, Brush, Lady Estratus and Sloane
Where: North Base, dining quarters
When: Mid evening, nearing 6pm
Why: Filling Jin-Ho in on current happenings due to his recent absence
Weather: Clear and cool
---
The sun had finally begun to set, leaving elongated shadows across the land and covering everything in a soft, orange glow. The small animals of day were now finding their homes to sleep the night away as the hours prepared for those who were more nocternal. It was one of those rare days where the moon was visible just as the sun tucked itself away from the land. Birds chirped happily, singing their songs for the last time of this day. Small traces of the sun's glow had found its way into the dining hall, hugging the far wall and glistening against the polished candle holders lined along the walls. The candles illuminated what the sun couldn't reach, keeping the vast room from the cold grasp of darkness. Shadows flickered against the tapestries and portraits adorning the walls as the last bit of light escaped for the day.
Parchment was strewn across the table, surrounded by discarded food items and empty plates, each sheet covered in neatly scrawled writing and small illustrations. Jin-Ho gently put his brush down and looked up at the Lady Estratus and her companion before gathering each sheet and stacking them neatly on top of one-another. He couldn't help but feel proud of his work and hoped that his Lady would be pleased. Standing, he lifted the stack to hand to the woman stationed at the very end of the long dining table. Her plates and unwanted food all neatly arranged and put aside, Jin-Ho felt slightly embarrised of his unceramoniously pushed-away refuse on his end.
"Here you are, Lady Estratus," he said, giving a nervous glance towards her Plague, Sloane.
Jin-Ho had been absent for most of the Lady's latest journies, causing him to be a bit behind on his work. He had been sent to a teacher, one who would help him improve his powers and gain new abilities. The training was going well. Very well. The assistant now had more control over his abilities and knew a little more about himself than he had before. Maybe soon he would be better suited to be Lady Sage's apprentice, in his own eyes.
Travel had also had him caught up. Traveling between Shyregoed and Ismisus, collecting his personal items and meeting new people; people he was instructed to meet. Potential Grimms, important political figures, people he would have had to meet at some point, anyway. Now, he was finally back, belongings in his possession and ready for work. The stack of papers in the Lady's hand were proof.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 6:13 pm
A long metal probe dipped into the flames, touching and scooting burned out wood that fell apart at the slightest collision. Orange cinders burst and flew up the chimney, pumping out with the warm dark smoke from one of the castles many fireplaces. The silver metal was scuffed with dark soot as it was pulled out, and slowly retracted itself to a suitable length as a claw on an armored gauntlet of a hunched over, red headed knight.
The crackling of the fire had been the only noise some time, voices since going quiet as their duties were being fulfilled. His Lady had dictated to her hired assistant... apprentice... -- he was both and sometimes neither -- about the recent goings on, and he had been content to remain in silence but be a continued presence. His being there was simply for security; no eavesdroppers, no one bursting in and interrupting. Insurance purposes, as it were, and all three of them knew very well that he wouldn't go blathering the finer, more private details related in the matters his Lady spoke of to be written.
Those papers would also never see the light of day, or the eyes of anyone but herself and this man.
His Lady sat, attentive, with her arms almost casually crossed against the table (bad etiquette to have your elbows on the table, whether at dinner or not, but that never seemed to stop her) as she watched her apprentice finish up his light, swift painting of words he would likely never decipher. With the warmth of the room, and this one being so close to a kitchen (directly next to, in fact), she expressed no need nor desire to dress particularly warm, though she did keep professional and to her monochromatic color scheme; a simple long sleeved grey top with a high collar to cover her neck with her black and white pinstripe pants and chapped black boots.
Long black hair fell over one shoulder as her orange eyes were locked on the paintbrush in Jin-Ho's hand, the paintbrush that never seemed to run out of paint or ink or whatever manner of black liquid coated its bristles.
As Jin-Ho finished and began collecting the papers, Lady Estratus righted her posture, sitting back in the seat and resting only her palms on the wooden tabletop while he made his way over past Sloane, still lingering on the floor in front of the fire, eyes and ears alert for any goings on, all senses poised.
"Good," Sage spoke, offering a hand and gingerly retrieving them from Jin-Ho's, setting them in front of herself and skimming the first page before nodding, clacking them on the table to keep them properly aligned, and then holding them to her chest with one arm. The other held the back of her chair as she stood, pushing out, "And that, I should think, brings us up to the present."
It was then that Sloane chose to stand, stretching as his joints popped and giving a low groan of approval. For a moment, he stared at the dirty index finger of his right hand he had used to fiddle with the fire, keeping it properly lit and burning, and passed by Sage to grab one of the cloths she had used as a napkin to wipe the black soot off. The ashy substance caused a wry grin to form, a fond memory of a young Grimm.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 6:30 pm
Jin-Ho nodded, his hands now at his sides, nearly in a Militarian fashion. "I would like to apologize for my most recent absenses. Now that everything is lined up, my only disappearances now should be my training sessions, and those shouldn't interrupt business." Giving the Sloane another glance, he spoke again, "I would also like to apologize to you, Sloane. I didn't mean for the meeting to drag as long as it had." A small chuckle escaped his chest. It was obvious that the Plague had to keep himself amused for most of the time.
Tugging at the bottom of his shirt as to pull it down, the man walked back to his place at the table, neatly stacking and cleaning after himself. He had worn his most comfortable clothing, aside from his sleeping garments. Nothing fancy, just a long, sleeveless shirt and a pair of slacks, both being dark shades of gray. The night had gotten warm, causing him to strip out of the jacket he had worn previously. There had been no point in wearing his armor-like tunic, which was left in his room, neatly folded and put away.
His hand stopped as he picked up his brush. There was so much about this small item that he wanted to know about. Why was it given to him, and why was it so special?
As he started to question, a rather large "boom" was heard in the next room over; the kitchen. Jin-Ho stared at the door between the two rooms, an expression of confusion and surprise all over his face. Had there been an accident? Well, of course. Why else would there have been an explosion? He turned his head to see Lady Estratus already making her way towards the next room.
"M'lady, are you sure you should be the one to see what happened?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 6:56 pm
"I would expect nothing less," Lady Estratus replied simply, her face showing naught whether she was pleased by this notion or annoyed by his absence and there were no clues as to either in the tone of her voice. "Once these are filed properly in my quarters I would like for you to show me what you've learned." Keeping her eyes downcast, she held the collection of parchment out to Sloane, who retracted his claws and held them carefully under the crook of one arm, keeping them close to himself so they wouldn't be strewn about.
When Jin-Ho turned to him and began apologizing, the Plague's mouth opened into a slight, toothy frown of confusion. Honestly, such an apology was unnecessary, he was merely performing his duty to his Lady. In more ways than one. "I'm not bothered, Kyon, I merely go where I am needed." And it was his solemn duty, one of many, to make sure that his Lady and a man were not alone together, assistant, apprentice, or not. He could smell the putrid stench of gossip blossoming right there, and he visibly cringed after speaking, turning his head to look away from the man.
Lady Estratus seemed not to notice.
Of course, who would when a thunderous explosion rattled the window panes of the stone castle? The sound came from their right, the kitchen, and without a word Sage had begun a fast pace towards the point of origin. Jin-Ho's words came as no surprise, but she rolled her sleeves up and pushed the wooden door open with nary a worry, "Who better to put out a fire?" a rhetorical question, as she didn't linger to wait for a response and was out of sight.
Sloane's swirled eyes watched her leave, and for a moment he stood still, unsure of whether to follow her, go upstairs to put these precious documents where she wanted them, or to linger in the dining hall with Jin-Ho. The toothy frown increased, a small knot forming at his brow. Worry. His Lady would be fine, whatever the ruckus, she could handle herself quite well, but he was given no order and he now found himself at his weakest.
He was momentarily aimless.
Slowly, his expression settling into one of discontent, his head turned Jin-Ho's way and he shrugged a shoulder in the direction Sage had gone. It wasn't voiced, but he waited for a reaction from Jin-Ho before deciding for himself and beginning out the door himself.
A fire.
The windows had burst open, glass shattered, and the cold, near permanent Winter air rushed through them, fanning the flames. Everyone who had been in the kitchen was backed into safe corners and away from his Lady who stood at the center, arms held up and slowly lowering themselves. On either side, flames lowered in time and became small, but not quite out. Her movements were practiced, careful but precise. This was not the first time she had magically doused a fire.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 7:50 pm
Displeased with himself for not offering to do something himself, Jin-Ho huffed, gently placing his brush back in his shirt pocket. Then again, what could he have done? Healed the fire out? Of course not. His attention turned to Sloane. He had never seen he Plague so... torn. Usually, the beast had a huge, toothy grin on his face or a very serious expression. This was just... strange. What was going on?
Just as soon as Jin-Ho had noticed the Plague direct his attention towards himself, he was out of the door. Gathering the rest of his equipment, he hurried after. "Are you going to help the Lady?" A stupid question. Jin-Ho hurried his steps to keep up with the massive man, whose stride was twice as long as his, at least. Now definitely wasn't the best time to ask about the brush, as much as the thought still nagged him. As they burst into the kitchen, two of the chefs met them, trying to get away.
Jin-Ho quickly grabbed one of them by the shoulder, "Whoa, hold on, there! What just happened?" The woman struggled in his arms before realizing just what was happening. She stopped, looking him in the eye. "O-one of the new chefs was showing off, trying to be flashy with their cooking... it... it obviously backfired!" Looking past her, most of the main kitchen was engulfed in smoke and flame. The sickening odor spread throughout the hall, seeping through windows that others had opened in haste. "He was trying to use magic to start the fire, but it reacted badly with something in the cooking area!"
Letting the woman go, Jin-Ho stepped into the kitchen to see if he could help. Or, at least, prevent any further damage.
The first reaction was, of course, to try and snuff it out with water. Jin-Ho grabbed one of the buckets from the corner of the kitchen, quickly filling it with water from the pump. As the water hit the flame, it hissed in aggrivation as it emitted a small puff of smoke in detest. That was one flame out.
Looking over his shoulder, Jin-Ho called back for Sloane, "Come on, Sloane, give me a hand!"
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 8:33 pm
His question to the Plague seemed pointless. In all honesty, there wasn't much he could help with when one arm was full with a stack full of papers he had been tasked with -- not just papers, but important documents. What was he to do, set them down gently and hope no one took a peak? "She can handle it," of this he had an unwavering belief.
Side-stepping past some other workers who were fleeing the scene, Sloane adjusted the bundle of papers to hold them close to himself as his Lady had before, the other resting on the door frame as he peered inside. The heat was apparent even from the hall, flames spewing forth from several hearths and ovens, some flaming meat and other things on the floor that were still being stomped out by some of the cooks and Sage if she made it by them in time.
Her arms were raised with an almost numb precision, slow moving as they were, the air seemed to collapse in on itself around the flames and they swirled inside of themselves as they lowered. The chilly air from the broken windows did nothing more than aggravate the flames and make her work nearly useless.
Jin-Ho's voice called out to Sloane, and the Plague gritted his teeth in frustration. The papers... He watched as he took the bucket and filled it with more water, plashing down another small flame from a stove top. Letting out a low growl, Sloane turned away and stormed back into the dining area, taking care as he rested the pile of papers atop the fireplace mantle and paused a moment to make sure they weren't going anywhere before rushing back to the kitchen and grabbing a bucket. This had better not back fire, it really hadn't...
Sage's breathing was controlled, seemingly unaffected by the thick smoke swirling through the room. Each fire she passed, and some further off that were larger, were quelled to at least a tolerable level. The smaller ones snuffed out quickly, particularly chunks of lumber strewn about the floor from the explosion. As she continued on the path, she tensed herself; something didn't feel right, but it was so abrupt and instantaneous, there was hardly any time to brace for it.
THOOM!
More glass shattered and the fire roared, getting blown right at her from the wind. The height of the mountains only added to it, the flames flailing every which way before getting sucked through the window and urged on. Lady Estratus' form flew back, landing harshly against the heated stone tiles, letting out only the smallest sound of surprise. Curled around herself, she gripped her left hand at the wrist, gritting her teeth so hard it hurt.
From her fingers nearly to her elbow, the left arm was signed a deep red and the palm was scorched and smoking. She held it up to look at it for a moment, the briefest glimpse of surprise on her face, but it was quickly snuffed out, held back and replaced with her typical expressionless gaze. Releasing her injured arm, she thrust her good one out towards the large flame, an intense wind blowing with it that rattled pots and pans that hung nearby, throwing open cabinets, tousling her hair and snuffing the flame.
This continued, in a much faster, ferocious way than slowly calming the fires, and each time, Sage let out a determined grunt as the power shot through her body.
Finally, it seemed, all of the large fires were out, black stains now covering the walls, floors, and just about everywhere in the room. The wind had cleared a lot of the smoke through the windows, as well, and the room was decidedly much brighter than moments ago.
Dropping his bucket without a thought, Sloane shoved aside many people, including Jin-Ho, and knelt beside Sage to examine the wound. She didn't acknowledge his presence, doing exactly the same.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 8:47 pm
A surge of relief. Most of the fires subsided, leaving what small traces die out or killed off by whoever stood near. Jin-Ho nearly felt proud before he realized...
Something was wrong...
As he was pushed aside by Sloane, it didn't take much longer for him to notice Sage on the floor. Injured. As the bladed Plague knelt beside his master, it wasn't hard for Jin-Ho to tell that the man was worried. It was a moment before the situation had actually registered, dropping the bucket to his side and running toward his Lady. " My Lady!" Falling to his knees, he placed a hand firmly on Sloane's shoulder, a look of determination and worry on his face.
"Sloane, lift Lady Estratus! Hurry!" He was sure that Sloane wouldn't have allowed Jin-Ho to carry his Lady, nor would Estratus. All he knew is that they had to get out of the kitchen. Anywhere. Even if it meant his own bedroom.
"My Lady, where would you feel most comfortable? Do you trust me to heal you?" Sweat poured down his face, a mixture of the heat and tension, "It will leave a mark, but do you trust me?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:21 pm
Sloane felt the weight of Jin-Ho's hand on his shoulder but didn't acknowledge him or even give him the slightest glance, his eyes were locked on Sage's, who remained locked on her smoldering palm. When their mutual companion spoke, however, Sloane turned to glance at him, frowning deeply, and then he looked back at Sage. Before he even had time to make sure this was a fine thing to do, Sage used his other shoulder as a brace and pushed herself to her feet. "My legs were not injured," she stated pointedly, even beginning to walk past the two males.
An armored hand reached out and grabbed her uninjured arm just under the shoulder, having a firm grip but no intent to harm. Sloane's brow was knit into that worried sort again, but his eyes were stony and inseparable from the back of his Lady's head. "Please," he urged softly, keeping his voice low.
Sage's demeanor seemed to droop as she gave in, her shoulders slouching somewhat as if a weight had been put on her, or been taken off. Without another word, she stayed still as Sloane approached her and tucked one arm at the backs of her knees and the other against her back. She carefully kept her injured arm elevated and close, but not touching anything or moving it.
"My room is fine," she responded calmly. Still, her eyes lingered on the wound. "I trust you." Sloane nodded, carrying her out into the hall, frown having deepened.
As he passed by the dining hall room, he paused, and turned to Jin-Ho. "Get the papers off the mantle. In there," he kicked the wooden door heavily, his metallic boot thudding against the wood and causing the door to shudder open slightly.
Up to the tallest tower they went, reaching the door to Sloane's room, which was promptly kicked open. A disheveled, messy bed, small as any miniature attic space, complete with a single bed fit only for two people if they squished themselves together, cloth and boxes and other knick-knacks strewn about the floor haphazardly and a dim lamp just barely lit resting on a desk with drawers, some half open. A wooden step ladder resided just beside the bed, and not many steps up that was a floor hatch.
The sword Plague nodded his head towards it, waiting for Jin-Ho to open it, and inside was a room that almost seemed to large to fit into that space. An elegant bead spread, a neat and orderly room... but utterly devoid of personality. No personal treasures, no books. Nothing out in the open that one could see as interesting or nifty.
After hefting his Lady up the small stairs and into the room, Sloane set her on the edge of her bed and stepped back, uneasy and unsure of what to do.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:46 pm
Papers in hand, the man followed closely behind until told what to do next. He gently placed the important documents down neatly on The Lady's dresser before making his way to the bed. "Thank you, Sloane. You can relax, now." Honestly, Jin-Ho had no right to tell the Plague this. He, himself, was worried. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he relaxed his shoulders to meditate. "It is preferable if you lie, but if you wish to sit, that's fine. You're going to want to sleep afterwards, though," he opened his eyes, "It's a rather draining procedure."
Before any reply could be made, Jin-Ho shifted himself to a position where both he and The Lady could be comfortable, and so that she could easily lay down if that was what she wished. He jingerly lifted Lady Estratus' arm, carefully avoiding any injury, and gently layed it in his lap. The air surrounding had gotten heavier, almost as if gravity itself was trying to give in. Muttering incantations under his breath, his hands began to glow slightly as he carefully weaved his hands in the air above her arm. Slowly, the burned flesh and irritated wounds began to subside, almost as if they were stitching themselves back together. New skin forming over old. The smell of burnt flesh had almost left, only leaving the stale stench from before.
Small, somewhat shiny scars had formed themselves in groups on her arm, mostly centered around the palm, as the healing process speed up more and more. A small bead of sweat ran down Jin-Ho's chin, though he payed it no attention. All of his focus was forced onto the task ahead of him. He had hoped it wouldn't leave any marks that were too obvious, unlike the large scar on his own. To his success, what marks had permantly called The Lady's arm their home weren't too bad. His training had indeed payed off.
He was proud of his work for the first time in a long while.
Jin-Ho smiled at his Lady, wiping what sweat stuck to his face. "It may still sting for an hour or so, but there is no lasting damage. Your burns will stay with you, but they aren't terrible," he said, lifting up his arm in comparison. "If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave and let you rest, my Lady..."
Dismissing himself, he gave a reasurring look to Sloane, a small smile on his face. "She'll be fine. Now she just needs rest, so if you wish to speak to her, you'll want to do it now or wait until she's woken up." And with that, Jin-Ho opened the hatch to Sloane's room and left the two.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:15 pm
The comment about Sloane being able to calm down made the Plague tense up, brows furrowing to show the irritation seething through him. He didn't allow it to linger, looking away quickly to make certain neither of them noticed, and instead occupied himself with sifting through the papers and making sure they were all in proper order, whatever order that could be to one who was entirely illiterate.
On the other hand, Sage had relaxed onto the bed and kept herself neatly propped up to a full sit as Jin-Ho went to work. She nodded in response to his warning that the process was draining, and silently agreed to sleeping afterward, but in all honesty the internal curiosity of seeing her own wound heal was getting the better of her and so she stayed upright, watching Jin-Ho's hands go to work.
The glow, the warm sensation, the stinging, the aching, the burning.
The good Lady found herself hissing quietly at random intervals as her apprentice sped up the healing process of the wound, but she did not look away nor close her eyes, and for all the minute noise she was making, there was only the smallest bit of visible pain on her face. A wince here, a twitch there, utterly controlled. As he continued, however, her eyes began to droop and she found herself becoming light headed, reaching up and holding her forehead as the dizzying feeling hit her full force.
Finally, the task finished, she held her arm out briefly and flexed her fingers before laying down at her side, sweeping her length of hair away so as not to lay on it as she pulled her legs up. "Good work..." Not a "thank you", but probably the best you could get with her. As she rested her head against the white silk pillow, her eyes closed and she proceeded to ignore the lingering presence of both men.
Even if Sloane had anything to say, now would not be the time. He would not intrude on her rest, not this time, but dammit all there was something.
How much do you trust him?
It remained unvoiced and, unfortunately, might stay that way forever. He watched as Jin-Ho left, not returning the small smile he offered the Plague, and chose only to remain for barely half a minute before also making his exit. He closed the hatch, resting his backside on the middle step and leaned back, preferring to stare at the wall in front of him. He could still sense the apprentice Mage's presence in his quarters, but Sloane refused to offer him even the smallest glance.
"Thank you," he offered in his Lady's stead, though his tone mimicked her own at that moment, an oddity for him.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:39 pm
Leaning himself just outside of Sloane's semi-open doors, Jin-Ho felt good about himself. Lady Estratus complimented his work.
Though, the barely friendly voice from inside Sloane's quarters caught him off-guard. Sloane's tone was a bit more kind than usual, but with a strong hint of hostility. A hint that has grown with the short amount of time he's known the Plague. Jin-Ho sighed as he slumped along the door, "It's my pleasure... anything to help out My Lady..." He was tired, it had been a long day. He still wanted to ask about this brush, but now... now probably wasn't the best time to ask. Especially with Sloane being... well, Sloane.
"I know you don't approve of me, Sir Sloane," he hesitated, "I'm not here to take your Mistress away."
It was probably the wrong choice in words, but what else could it be? Of course, he came from an entirely different faction and had been hired by this faction's leader. If looked at the wrong way, it could be suspicious. Then again, he was a stranger to Sloane. The Plague had known the woman for his entire being. He wasn't to be blamed for wanting to protect her. A familiar sounding dream...
"I'm not here to ruin your relationship."
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:55 pm
Adjusting himself, Sloane leaned forward and resting his arms against his knees, his back hunched as his gaze clung to the adjacent wall, feeling this a much better direction to look than at his male companion. His words seemed tired, but not forced, and this brought a mixed reaction from Sloane. Since birth, he had felt the unwavering desire -- need -- to protect Sage with his entire being, even at the cost of his life should it come to that.
But this man from the East... Originally a man of science.
Was it possible for humans to feel something so similar? So quickly? As soon as Jin-Ho had entered the room and been hired, he felt ill at ease with the man, even enjoyed cutting into his flesh at the request of his Lady and deep down, he had hoped she enjoyed it as well. That was the unjust knight speaking, the one filled with a blood lust he could not ignore, and a hate so putrid and foul it infected even him. His awful origin, cutting down members of his Lady's own family as a lifeless blade, was what gave him existence. It didn't matter that he actually came into the world as he was, barely seven inches tall and adamant of his desire to serve his Lady and swearing fealty from the moment of birth. It didn't matter how pure his intentions were at any point of his life.
What mattered was that he felt a horrible, shifting disease inside himself that constantly beckoned and made his body ache with the desire to hurt, maim, kill and pass on the infection. The Death. Most importantly, he wanted to do this to the man he was now in the same room with, only sitting a few feet from him.
As Jin-Ho continued to speak, Sloane continued not to look; if he looked now, while his words poured out, however few there were, he knew there would be no one to stop him and he could never stop himself.
The Augur reached his final word, and Sloane's claws dug into the wooden stairs. Relationship. What did the public see he and his lady as? A political scandal? A woman and her Plague, an unholy relationship? There was nothing of the sort between them that would be expected of a normal man and a woman, and surely not of a princess and her knight. Lady Sage Estratus... Princess Sage Estratus of Castle Estratus.
No.
There was nothing.
"What relationship do you exactly think I believe you to be intruding on?" Sloane's words were coated with disdain, there was no point in hiding it now. Jin-Ho knew, it was plain as day and from day one Sloane had felt it, festering in his gut.
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 11:11 pm
His words... his tone... He was getting defensive. There was something there, something inside his diseased body... was there... compassion? He hadn't meant the type of relationship surging through Sloane's mind. No, not at all. Not once had he considered it. Maybe... maybe Sloane did love Lady Estratus... Why was he getting so defensive?
"Sloane, calm down. I wasn't suggesting anything about the two of you. There is more than one type of relationship, if that's the miscommunication," he never was the best at controlling situations. Doing his best to keep calm while the Plague not far from him raged, Jin-Ho took a deep breath. Another thing his master had taught him... hopefully it would work on Plagues... If not, well, this might be the last time Jin-Ho saw the moon's light.
Placing his hands together, a quick mumble of a chant escaped Jin-Ho's lips, nearly lifting the air in the room, or so it felt. A calm, warming feeling spread through the room, giving everything a fuzzy, dreamy feel and look. If this doesn't work, then he'd better get to quick talking.
"Sloane, I know you dislike me. It's more than obvious. Why?" If it weren't for the magic he was using, he would have regretted that question. Once Sloane calms, maybe he could ask about his brush...
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Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 11:37 pm
Damn, the b*****d caught on quick. Had he been too transparent?
Seething, he let out a low growl and turned his head in the opposite direction, not even wanting to see his silhouette in the corner of his eye. That would be too much at this point. So, he was certain there was a miscommunication now. Maybe there was. Sloane doubted it. Though, why would he have jumped to the same conclusion that he had unless...
No.
His black knight couldn't win out, shouldn't... It had been so long, he had done so well. The last time it had reared its ugly head was just as he had become an Anhelo; the infection was too much for him, his new human shape had so much more of it, such a will to kill, and he did it, for her, without question or mercy. So many lives lost to his hands, so quickly...
They all deserved it for mistreating her.
...Was he mistreating her?
The thoughts were getting foggy now, the negativity becoming blocked. No... more like redirected. It wasn't gone, but it wasn't taking hold of him, he noted, as his hands eased up from the wood and his dagger-like claws rested gently on the underside of the stair instead of inside it. Sloane was unsure whether this was a good thing or not; part of him wanted to just go ahead and tear through Jin-Ho, whether it was warranted or not, but the other part couldn't let himself do it, not for Jin-Ho's sake but his Lady's. This part was winning, thankfully, and his body settled down.
Then the question came, that of all things.
"Why?" he repeated quietly. The Plague had to think this over carefully, choose his words just right, lest he waste them and this sudden clarity amidst his hate. Always, since he had existed, it had only ever been the two of them. They were a pair, two sides of the same coin; the sword and shield, man and woman, emotion and apathy... When the latter had become true, it hurt him. It had been his fault. From then on, while it was the two of them against everyone else, it was also the two of them against each other. He could never fully understand her after that point, never read her quite right, though he could do it better than anyone else.
And then a stranger burst into their fragile bubble that was already beginning to crack... "It's the concept of you," he began slowly. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Jin-Ho was absolutely right about how he felt. "You're intruding." Sloane wanted very much to leave it at that, but this made his feelings sound... hollow. Worthless. And, after all, who really cared about what a Plague felt? He couldn't leave it at just that, there already was no way to save face between the two of them at this point. "It would be the same with anyone else... But you are here, and you are the one..."
Whatever trickery Jin-Ho had pulled with his powers was beginning to wear off. Why? Why couldn't he have powers like that? Why couldn't he have stayed on the right path, the path she wanted for him from the beginning? If he hadn't deviated... hadn't become a living duality, maybe she would still care. Maybe she wouldn't be so hurt and disappointed. Maybe he could have stopped the acts that caused her to hole up inside herself and deny the emotions that made her so wonderful and radiant...
Letting loose an angry growl, Sloane balled up a fist and slammed it through the side of one step, the wood easily shattering against his gauntlet.
"You can help her and I can't..." He was weak.
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Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:25 am
Was...
Was Sloane showing what he really felt? Did he just open up? Jin-Ho sighed, looking directly at the Plague who was trying his best to avoid even so much as a periferal glance. It almost hurt to see this Plague... this monster, of all things, like this. No, he wasn't a monster. It was just what he was. What he had apparently become. Part of Jin-Ho was happy. As hard as it was, he was happy that he was the one in this position. Anyone else would have cracked under the pressure. He might not have been the strongest, or the most powerful... but he had a strong will. If he hadn't, he wouln't be here. He'd still be stuck with the scientists.
There had to be something. Something that could put them on the same level. To some point of understanding. There had to be something that would calm the beast raging inside Sloane; raging and craving blood. Craving to kill Jin-Ho. As bad of an idea as it was, Jin-Ho released his hold on the room, allowing all emotion to form once more. Maybe now was the time. Maybe this would calm him.
"What is it... about my brush...? What has you so intrigued?" He treaded softly on the hard floor, careful not to make any noise or enter Sloane's vision in the tiniest, reaching far enough to be able to reach Sloane's bed and gently lay his brush down. "What can you tell me about this brush? Does it hold some feelings in you? Is it a male, a female? Why are you so interested?"
Jin-Ho sat down on the floor directly behind Sloane's chair, allowing him time to relax and think. Allowing him to not worry about catching a glimpse of who he wanted to kill. "I know there is probably no way that you'll ever feel anywhere near comfortable with me, but must we make it so taxing? Must we drag it out? Make it harder for your Mistress... My Lady?" He imagined how frustrating he must have sounded, how irritating. He might not have been helping matters any, but he had to try.
As hard as it was, things needed to be mended.
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