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 Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:17 pm
The Ritual of Renaming
Week of "Paradise" In which the world is saved. Yays~ Here
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:17 pm
Unsilenced The world around them, and all the others, had been saved. The more immediate threat had been adverted. The dust was slowly settling, and all were licking their wounds and counting their losses before undertaking the steps of rebuilding. The goddess was no exception, though her losses were small compared to many, and she did her best not to dwell on them too much. Dwelling would not bring back Melody, nor would it bring back her house, or most of her cats. She had to focus on the good things - she was alive. So did Nergal, the children, and most of those she cared about. There was still ground below their feet, even if there was no sky over their heads. She had not known better when the event happened, the shock downing everything else, but she had come to understand. There had been loss everywhere... even among their own. She did not quite know yet what would happen, but she knew she had to do something. She could not simply stand idle and watch others drag themselves back from the edge of the void to rebuilt their lives from rubble. And there was one thing Music knew how to do. The children were in bed - even Akakios, though who knew just how long the young boy would remain asleep for - and Nergal and Ankou had left to parts unknown. It suited her just fine for the moment, as she had things to do. Things she should have likely done a long time ago, but all of her focus and energy had been focused on the ritual and the saving of the worlds in the past few months following her return from Wellhaven. She was sitting on the floor, a rather usual act in itself, looking over two closed instrument cases. Her flute, it seemed, had been mostly unaffected by the influence of Decay, either due to being carried on her person constantly once she had left for Wellhaven, or due to the time-flux. The goddess was not quite sure... But those two, the guitar and the violin... Had seen much, much better days, though one could say it was a miracle that they were not dust to begin with. Slender fingers ran to undo the clasp on the guitar's casing to open it. The instrument inside had seen better days - cracks along the wood and some paint chipped off, but otherwise it seemed still whole and solid, and could withstand being played. If it had strings, that is. But there were none. Not even a trace left of any, broken and eroded by the influence of Decay. The state of the instrument pulled her heartstrings for different reasons - this was the first instrument she... that Zero had owned. She had not thought of herself and her host as separate beings for so long... the silence in her mind had stopped being uncomfortable a long time ago. And oddly, she felt just fine with that thought. She was Music, before anything else - and these, no matter how mundane and crafted by mortal hands, were her tools. She could not be silenced in a time where her talents would be needed. Careful filling and paint may one day be enough to restore the instrument to it's glory of old, but it was not her first concern. Her first concern was getting it to a playable state before bothering with issues of vanity. The goddess rather enjoyed having a variety of instruments at her disposal, to satisfy her fancy and her moods. She knew very well that her wings produced sound and could be played much like a harp, but there was simply a different feeling about the touch of wood against one's shoulder, of the heaviness of an object against one's chest. A long time ago, she had created these - surely with help on the actual crafting - as a way to manipulate sound, to mix them together to create new ones. These were beloved objects, instrument with deep emotional attachment to them. They were her's. Hands gently slid inside to take the guitar out of it's case and to settle it in her laps, then fingers traveled upward the neck to give each and every peg multiple twists. They held just fine, which was one less problem to worry about. The guitar felt solid in her lap, and further manipulation chased away the fear that it may break with handling. It seemed that, beyond small cracks that looked like they would not affect the sound of the instrument, and that the only problem was the lack of strings. It was all fine and good - as she knew how to fix that particular problem, very easily. Hands withdrew from the instrument to look in the multiple pockets of one pocket, until a small pocket knife fell in her awaiting hand. The goddess had been carrying it, secretly, ever since that bad run-in so long ago... but thankfully had not needed to use it. And sincerely hoped she would never have to, though at this point it seemed her voice could be a potent weapon of it's own if she truly put her mind to it. Not that she liked to do it, but... sometimes the end justified the means. It was one of the many things she had learned in the short years that had been this new life. She chased those thought away - she had to focus, after all - and flicked the blade open. It looked fine, and she could not help but hope it had retained most of it's sharpness, else this may turn out more painful than she'd intended. She had no idea if this would even bring her pain, but she was willing to bear it. Pain was a raw emotion, and raw emotion made for the most deep and believable pieces of her work. She motioned toward her tail, the knife in one hand. It tried to zoom away, but she forced the mass of golden strings still. It would be over quick, she convinced herself. Just a quick little plick and there was nothing else. It felt much like cutting hair, in the sense that she had felt nothing, and she let go of the breath she had been holding without realizing it. Those slender fingers moved again, one hand pulling at the cut string to measure it. It looked like she would get two length on the guitar per cut string. It was not a bad tradeoff. The golden string shimmered, catching light as she split it in half and then started the careful task of stringing the guitar anew. Gold shone rather well against the blue, she thought - and these would certainly more durable than those that were in place before... The task was repeated and, about an half hour later and a few string less in her tail, the guitar was once again mostly complete. One experimental run-though of a neatly filled purple nail caused sound, and then the goddess' next move was to pop the guitar upward on her folded knees and tune it to her liking. There... With that, she delicately put it back into it's protective case, closed it, and focused on the second case - the violin. It was in a similar state than the guitar had been about an hour ago - cracked, but holding out well. The bow would need some new hair - perhaps if she asked Aria nicely... after all, horse hair was traditionally used, at least by mortal craftsmen. But that would have to wait, and thus she started the stringing process anew, carefully cutting, pulling, and twisting the pegs to adjust the tension of each individual string with a master's touch. It took yet some more time before she was satisfied with the results and laid the instrument back into it's case. There... that would do nicely. She was ready.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:19 pm
Harbringer of Hope It was a warm day when the goddess stepped outside, the long sleeves of her silk robes brushing against her sides as she walked, violin case in hand. That was about all that could truly be discerned - as the absence of sun and clouds prevented from many any other associations. It still spooked her, even now, to look up and see nothing at all. Only inky blackness. There was truly nothing there... Truly nothing at all. Could this ever be mended ? And what about Universe... ? She feared that it had been too late for him ever since the sky had despaired - having heard or seen nothing of the star-skinned god. The mortals were not the only one to bear causalities... Still, she needed to focus. To think of those that where still alive, first and foremost, and not of all that had been lost. This was exactly the reason why she walked, mindful of the debris and other obstacles. Music held little physical strength, little knowledge of building and rebuilding, but... there was yet something she could do. The goddess walked, drifting just slightly outside of the pantheon area - most mortals had not dared go too far yet, she had noticed, and it turned out that her guess was right. There was a small group there, overlooking some ruins. She stopped. "Just how are we going to do this ?" One man asked. "Is there anything that is even still usable in here ?" The goddess opened her case, unnoticed by the group, who kept conversing among themselves. "Is it worth it, through ? There's almost nothing left !" Another cut though, frown on his face. Echo took position, resting the violin against her shoulder, the bow, freshly re-haired with some of Aria's mane, ready. "Maybe it would have been better if we all died !" The first note came, and dragged on for a few seconds, easily catching the attention of the group of mortals. "She's..." One started, but did not complete his sentence. They knew her. They recognized her. She could see it in their eyes, in the sudden surge of belief in their hearts and mind. Music played her part - fingers dancing on the neck of the instrument in a way that would probably cause even the most experimented mortal player to stumble over his or her notes - the tune turning lighter, uplifting - reaching toward their hearts and minds just as easily as if she had reached to them and given a push at their back to make them continue walking. But in the end, it was simply this - a push. The goddess could show them that the gods were here, that there was no danger of the world's impending end anymore, that it was time to gather their strength, their courage, and their loved ones and to start rebuilding their world, their civilizations, anew. That there was a future ahead, if they dared to look. But in the end, it was just that - a push. She could not force their spirits upward, drag them forcefully out of their insecure and uncertain states. The goddess could show them the way - but it would be up to them to walk to it. This continued for a few minutes - with the group watching intently, as if unable to withdraw their gaze or attention - until the play trailed and stopped. The mixed group of men and woman looked at each other, eyes wide with surprise, marvel, and... hope. Then, one by one, they moved - knelt - in front of the goddess, who in despite of her short stature, seemed to take much more space than physically possible. "Lady..." "Go." She said, gently, with a smile on her face. "I believe there is work to do, yes ?.""Yes... There is. Well, you heard her !" The group rose and scambled off to clear the area of debris, and Echo's smile did not falter. That was a rather pleasing outcome... It seemed that her idea would work well. A minute more of putting away the instrument, and the goddess wandered off, in search of either another group, or another individual.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:20 pm
Silence and Song Zero Dream  The reshaped pantheon was such a wonderful thing. It had already been a few days, but Echo had not yet managed to get to know it fully. It seemed that, every time she would come outside, she would discover something new.
Though there was not much of that going on for the moment, as she had sat in the grass, with a violin case laying nearby to her left, enjoying the weather for a moment before she would go out once more and play for those who where struggling. It was not much, but it was a small drive to carry on. Entertainment, after all, was what she did best.
For now, however, she was enjoying some time for herself. Nergal had agreed to watch over the children while she did as such, which, while she did enjoy their presence greatly, it was nice to have some time for herself again. She closed her eyes and let the soft, cool wind caress her face.Syrie  Indeed, Creation's influence and will were reshaping All slowly but with a lavish hand. Endiovar had been present for the start of the changes, but he was no less affected than any of the others, God and mortal alike.
Not that going outside was comfortable, even with the new 'improvements' that Creation had wrought. There was yet no Sky, no Universe to fill that void...but things were Improving. Beautifully improving - and he had been there at the start of it, standing at Creation's side along with His beloved Pillar. That was one of the reasons that he felt so much more comfortable than most outside; one of the others being that it was just too quiet, too disconcerting without the heavenly framework of Lucius' body.
Soft fabric kissed his skin as the god of Silence's sandaled feet took him out along the pathways from the main Pantheon towards one of the tea houses that Creation had made. On the grass, a lovely woman with wings that made his breast-bone vibrate; more than sight was sound of the woman. Endiovar's wings flared out behind him, causing disturbances in the air behind him as he moved towards her. Striking lady, he thought he must know her from somewhere...or knew of her.
"Greetings, elegant Lady." Words, aloud, and the variance of his body that inquired if he were welcomed into her space or no. "Creation's hand has given much for us to enjoy...it is good to see one doing so."Zero Dream The lack of sky, of course, was a rather sore point still - though dwelling on the bad only made matter worse, she now knew from experience. She was not quite able to completely ignore it, but it did not mean she did not try.
It was the soft voice of the lord of Silence that made her aware of his presence, head tilting up to look at him, revealing her striking blue eyes, their shapes constantly changing with the hum of her wings, and the sound of her voice.
"Greetings." She answered back, moving her legs, along with the skirt and the violin case, to allow him space to sit beside her should he wish to do so. "And to who do I hold the honor of speaking to ?" Syrie Echo's welcome was very evident from her body language and he moved to settle near her in his quiet manner. The whole of the woman was very busy; from the constant hum from her wings and the strange-but-lovely eyes that never stayed still. She was also rather noisy for his tastes, but had an obvious gentleness to her that was attractive.
Once his legs were folded, Indian style, beneath him, Endiovar smiled at the woman. "Endiovar." A name, spoken, and then more - unspoken but heard. 'Sachem Aphonic. The god of Silence, at your service, Lady...?' Zero Dream The sudden switch from spoken words to physical language seemed to throw the goddess off slightly - probably just a tad more than the others the god of Silence would have met so far - though she figured that, after all, such would be expected given who she was now talking to. Once she knew what to listen, or perhaps more accurately what to feel for, it was not so bad, and while different from what she was used to, it was definitively understandable.
"Echo, the Voice of the Countless, goddess of Music." She answered in turn, with a nod of the head. Belatedly, she hoped the sound of her wings was not bothering him - it was somewhat hard for her to repress it, but she would attempt to do so should she notice it being the case. Syrie The curly-haired god's demeanor bade her forgive him; he hadn't realized that his manner of 'speech' - as it were - would cause her any pause. For him, it was as natural as breathing, of course.
"Lady Echo..." Endiovar's expression flickered from a general welcome to something a little firmer. "You are Nergal's Lady." Words plainly spoken; that was how he knew of her! Nergal's Echo...yes, he should have known. Priya had spoken of her and Underworld while they were on the pilgrimage to the Silent Forest. How the times had contrived to make him forget such things! "Nergal and Priya assisted me before..." 'Before Gehenna nearly devoured All...they spoke warmly of you always. My apologies for not recognizing you.'
As for her wings...the sound did not bother, per se; it was more that he would have preferred the stillness and quiet. But that was only natural. Zero Dream "It is allright." The goddess answered with a smile. How could he have recognized someone he had never seen, after all ?
"My, it does seem like I now have a reputation to withhold, hmmm ?" She said, her tone light and amused, rather than serious. Had the two met after that, she wondered ? So many things had changed... with the two of them to start with. Some things she would rather forget, but some that she was extremely glad for. Syrie Echo's smile was infectious and the blond found himself smiling back. "Only a good one--" 'And you certainly do not fall short, Lady Echo.' Endiovar stretched his wings out a little bit behind him and looked around at the lush greenery around them. "I have not spoken to Nergal in a great while...is he well?" He had only seen Underworld briefly, when he presented Creation with cloth to cover his nakedness; but nothing more than that. Zero Dream "Well, that is certainly a relief to know of such, lord Silence." She adds, but pauses at his next question. Her smile remains, though the rest of her body language would betray her hesitation. She ultimately did not know how close the two gods were, and fears revealing too much for her lover's taste.
"Things could have been worse, I figure." And they had been. "He has ascended as well, as you most likely have seen, somewhere around the start of the waves." The goddess ponders this some more. Echo did not talk about his sudden vanishing prior to that, which even she knew little of those events, and of those following directly his return - these would be for Underworld to divulge, should he wish. "I am now mother to three beautiful children, which you may have seen going about." Silence had been at the ritual, had he not ? There had honestly been so many there, gods, immortals and mortals, and she had been so focused on her own task, that she truly had no idea. "I believe either he or their uncle is watching over them, at this moment." Syrie "Yes, I had seen - both Nergal's ascension and the three babes." Endiovar's expression grew warm and fond, as though he knew the children (which he did not). Children were such a wonderful gift, especially in such times as these were...Creation reborn, the uncertainty of All...and yet there was new life. It was beautiful and brought such a warmth to the god of Silence that his very being spoke such without words.
"I congratulate you and Underworld both, your children were beautiful, even from a distance." That Echo was holding back, Endiovar knew -- he did not press, however; her "secrets" were hers to keep and he would not be so rude to press the lovely goddess further. "Perhaps some time soon I could visit you both at home? I would like to meet your children..." And say a warm hello to Nergal and Priya. Zero Dream "Of course." She announced with a smile. Since their things would be done moving from Ankou's rooms to their own, it was much easier and much more comfortable inviting others, as she did no longer had to keep in mind not to disturb the Spirit Guide in the process, who seemed rather withdrawn as far as it came to having company. Ankou seemed to prefer to keep to his own, or to a handful of others he was comfortable with.
"Feel free to drop by whenever you wish. If neither of us are there, at least one aoidei may be... I believe you are familiar with Priya, are you ?" Echo found that she rather liked the catgirl, who could be rather amusing and endearing in private, when she did not realize her presence in earshot... Syrie Endiovar wet his lips a bit, he was unused to making use of the vocal cords in this body anymore. - most of what he wanted to intimate to others could be said without any cumbersome words cluttering the air. But Echo was a goddess of Music and so he was being kind.
"Perhaps I shall, if it would not be a bother." Ah, Priya. Yes, he well knew the milky-furred catgirl. "Priya accompanied me into the Silent Forest, before the Grigori came for Lord Harmodius' Name." Rather, it had happened during that trip and only though a great sacrifice of the sylphs there had they returned in any sort of time. Now that Endiovar thought on it, the fate those small magical creatures had chosen was far kinder than what would have awaited them.
Speaking of ...the blond tucked away in his mind that he should see what - if anything - was still standing in that still, sacred place. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Echo." Zero Dream "It would not be. My youngest, in particular, could afford to meet more people, else I fear he end up being much like his father and uncle. He can be rather shy, though curiosity tends to win out in the end." An amused smile trailed her lips at the thoughts, and every bit of her body language about her gave the first statement more strength, more truth, though it was doubtful she was doing so on purpose. She would most likely be much like an open book to Silence, who knew how to look for such things - how long ears moved to follow the ambient sounds around them, how the strings ran across the grass much like a cat's tail, lazy but content.
"The Silent Forest ?" She inquired, curious. Syrie Truth in her words shown through every nuance and gesture; Echo may or may not have been aware that she "told" her curly-haired companion quite so much as she did. Granted, it wouldn't have served her well to dwell on such things; Endiovar had no plans to use any such information to darker purposes -- he was a friend to her chosen mate and as such a friend to the goddess herself.
"I will look forward to it, then."
Ah, her strings were interesting! Silence was distracted from pondering the intricacies of her strings by Music's implied question: What is this 'Silent Forest'? A question he was very well able to answer.
"A place that was Mine, in the past--" 'Before the Fading, when all was Lost. I remember it faintly, but prefer to think on how it is now, as He has bade us all.' Endiovar slipped back into his not-speech for a moment before pursing his lips sheepishly. "I was drawn there, but was unable to go unaccompanied as I had just taken this body from my host. Fever and weakness insisted that I bring another...Nergal graciously allowed Priya to come with." He shook his head a little and smiled with amusement. "I fear the trip was a difficult one for her." Creepy and scary and just...yes, he had seen how his forest affected the female Aoide -- she had not enjoyed it much; fur always bristling.
And then when the sprites began popping off--! That was something he may tell Echo's children...the did so enjoy visuals like that. Little "balloons" of light, popping...of course, he would leave out that the creatures had died in doing so, but...the before would amuse the young ones. Zero Dream "I see..." Echo had been listening, to both speech and non-speech, as she seemed to have less problems interpreting it when she knew it was coming (or at least knew to watch for it) If it was anything like it's name, then she could see how one might be in unease in it.... most except the lord of Silence, of course.
She remembered the timing of Priya's absence clearly, at least the only one she knew of... and this allowed her some guesswork. "I do hope that it has not been damaged too much..." It did sound like it was precious to him, as it should be.
Her stings continued their motion, wriggling though the grass, bopping about back in forth, sometimes all at once, sometimes independently from one another. Syrie He smiled softly as he saw Echo's recognition and understanding of how special the Forest was for him though it didn't last long. The goddesses' words reminded him that he had not in fact been anywhere near that special place since his initial return.
"I do not know, Lady Echo. I have not been away since Harmodius' attack." It was unspoken that he had not wanted to leave His side just yet,not now that he'd returned - nor had he wished to leave Revei and Gianfar. Revei needed the quiet he could provide and Gianfar...well, he just...needed him too.
"Perhaps now, I will be able to return. I fear the delicate state has only crumbled further from the decaying weeks...my Forest was not well-kept in my absence." Zero Dream Echo nodded - though if it was in answer to the spoken or the unspoken was not readily evident.
"If you need of any help, my aoidei should be able to assist you with what will be needed." Her boys seemed to always be itching to do something, and three (most often that not two, because of Concerto's tending of Rio and Adi) of them was certainly alot to tend to her needs. There was no way she could really require the three of them by her side constantly. "Actually... I ought to introduce you to Alto." Her expression was thoughtful. The blonde god before her would certainly enjoy the presence of the mute servant, she felt... Maybe they could even be able to communicate without any kind of sign language ?
To go herself... well, the silent forest would not exactly be silent anymore if she went, wouldn't it ? The thought was amusing, and a smile started to curl up her lips. Syrie Echo's generousity did not go unnoticed; that she would offer up her servants to him as freely as Nergal touched the God of Silence and filled him with a warmth that helped to drive off some of the chill that crept into his being when he thought of his forest. His likely dead forest.
"That is most gracious of you, Lady Echo. I look forward to meeting your Aoide and your children." Oh yes, he would probably enjoy the mute Aoide very much -- and no words were needed with Endiovar as he 'listened/read' the unspoken with almost perfect clarity (surely he would perfect that as his powers grew).
"When I return, if I find the forest to be in a reasonable state, I would like to extend a pre-emptive invitation to you and yours." The curly-haired god's mouth pulled into an amused smile. 'No, I cannot imagine it would remain Silent for long with your presence, Lady Echo.' Endiovar reached out to touch some of the fresh, thick grass Creation had brought to replace the barren and cracked expanses of lava Destruction had favored. "I am not so accustomed to children, are your's very small?" Zero Dream "They were born..." Music paused, then, brow furrowing in thought. "About two months before the ritual, I believe ? But they look and act older than that. More so like children then babies or toddlers, if I can attempt to put it in mortal terms..."
The mention of her children, however, seemed to make her remember something else. "Is Revei feeling any better ? I have seen him, quite some time ago, but not heard more since... I would go visit again, but I fear I may bring more discomfort upon him." She had been able to control the tone of her wings, for the most part, but to do so had been a challenge - and she could very well tell that even the scratching of the pencil on the paper seemed to bring her dear friend pain, in absence of the curly blonde sitting at her side. Syrie "Don't worry overly much Lady Echo, I believe he will be fine." Rather, he believed that Revei of Dream would be as fine as he could be once Creation had visited him and done...whatever it was that Creation would do for him. Endiovar did not know what that would be, the Eldest hadn't said anything to him...simply that he would attend to the Dreamer's Guide and give whatever aid He could.
Echo hadn't seen Revei in person since before the Ritual; Endiovar thought that was a good thing. Revei's current condition was still very disheartening, even to the curly-haired god of Silence who spent a great deal of time around him. Zero Dream "I shall attempt." She settled on a smile - though it still betrayed her worry. "But to know that you will be by his side until then reassures me." Silence seemed the careful, steady sort - rather dependable, if first impressions were to be true. He had given her no reason to doubt them, so she did not.
Her expression seemed to grow thoughtful for a moment, and she studied the area around her as best as she could, curious much like a child would have been. But it made sense - after all, everything was new in a sense. Syrie Worried as she may be, Echo was able to smile and put on a brave face. They were all scared or worried about something - be it children or family or the Grigori or something Else; it would be a long time before the gods and mortals would be able to relax. But at least some of them could face these things with a smile. "Of course. I will see that Revei does not linger too overly-long in the darkness that Void wrought into his mind.
Silence sat a few moments longer with Echo but then started to excuse himself; she was lovely and caring but she was the Goddess of Music and the God of Silence. Their relative spheres of dominion did not always co-exist in a peaceful manner; of course, there was also the pressing matter of taking care of Revei -- he'd been away for a lengthy amount of time and really did need to return.
"Lady Echo, I am sorry, but I must take my leave--" 'I have been too long from his side and I do not relish the thought of his torment.' The curly-haired god rose gracefully to his feet and then reached down to take her hand and bring his lips close to her hand as though to kiss it. He did not, but the gesture was meant to show his respect for her and her 'husband' while also showing that he felt affection for her on her own.
"Thank you for allowing me to sit with you this while." Endiovar would stay only long enough for her response and to exchange a few final words - a promise to come see Echo's children...and Nergal as well - before making his way back across the lawn towards the stairs that would lead him back to Gianfar and Revei. Zero Dream "I should likely be along my way as well." She noticed, belatedly. Echo had went outside with something to do in mind, but had been started by the sudden changes here. She had meant to only enjoy the fresh grass and her surroundings for one moment... But then Endiovar had come along.
She regretted nothing of taking the time to speak with him, however. She inclined her head and smiled, nonspeaking - her own mark of respect toward him - and was off a few moments after he left.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:21 pm
Courting : You're Doing It Wrong Thabara The bath he had drawn for himself had originally been scalding hot, but now all warmth seemed to have seeped from it. Absorbed into himself, Nergal hoped, wondering how long he could possibly hold onto it. Pensive, he flicked a finger at the shimmering surface, watching the circular ripples spread all the way to the edges of the tub. So small of an impact, and yet …
He perked up as a whispering voice that only the Lord of the Dead could hear demanded for his attention: 'The Lady is on her way.'
He nodded, not in a hurry to get out of his bath. This evening had been well planned for, and a lot of consideration spent on where to put up his guards to keep track of his Love. He would be ready by the time she reached the door.
„Echo,“ he said, entering the common room the same time as she did, seemingly by coincidence. „I did not expect you to be back for a while yet.“ That … had in fact been a straight out lie, but he was still fumbling with the sash of his robe as if it was indeed the case. The common room was clean, and tidy for a change, a rare sight ever since the children had entered their world. And – speaking of said children – it was also suspiciously quiet.
He approached her, to take her hands and place a kiss upon her forehead, eagerly keeping watch on her face, wondering if she would notice. Zero Dream The goddess slipped into the room in relative silence (as silent as she could manage to be, at any rate), as to not bother her lover or children, should they be busy or sleeping, respectively. She had been a little bit more absent as of late - keeping herself busy and helping the mortals gather and rebuild as she could, though her personal involvement was more morale than anything else, with the aoidei being much more skilled hands for the actual physical tasks.
She seemed rather surprised to see Nergal come out to meet her in the common room, and she smiled. "Things have gone a little faster today than usual - the rain is making it harder for things to be done, so they decided to stop early."
Something seemed rather... off when his hands touched hers, and what Underworld would get for his effort was a positively adorable look of puzzlement. "My, did the cats nest on you ?" She said with a smile, reaching upward for a proper kiss. Thabara „They hate me, you know that,“ he said lightly, bending down a little so that their lips would meet halfway. „Most of them do, anyway.“ The ghost of a certain changeling-kitten not counting.
„No, I ... merely took a bath.“ There seemed to be a mischievous glint in Underworld's eyes as he smiled at her, but she might be mistaken. Zero Dream The rather impish smile on her face when she pulled back, however, was very hard to be blamed sorely on imagination - just as if she had known beforehand that her guess would be wrong, but that it would suffice to get him to tell her what it was all about.
After all, who could blame her if it worked, after all ? It was good to tease her love every now and then.
"Then, would it be a bad thing to subjest more baths in the future, hmmm ?" Her smile turned into a grin, then, as she glanced into the room, which was still quiet. Usually the children came running like little rampages the second they heard her come in - had he actually managed to make them nap ? That seemed almost like a miracle in itself, expecially where both her sons where concerned. Thabara „If that be your wish, my beloved.“ Nergal seemed honestly serious about his words, though they were still spoken lightly, conversational. He moved to stand behind her, arms wrapping around her waist in an embrace. It was unusual for him to seek such closeness on his own, usually it was the gentle goddess doing the first step.
„How about it then, should we make the best of it while the effect lasts?“ he suggested. There was definitely some mischief in his voice now, there was no mistaking it. „The children are with Jess, and they will stay there for the night.“ Zero Dream It did indeed surprise her slightly, though she did not let it show. She didn't want to think about how usual this was, about what her intuition said it might mean. She did not quite want to think about it at the moment. Her mind, in fact, went into another, completely different direction, and it did not take a mentally-skilled being to figure out just where it was going.
"So that is your secret..." She said, the grin never leaving her face. "That poor woman... They are going to drive her nuts, you realize that ?" Gentle teasing, now, as she reached one hand to run fingers though the still wet, dreaded hair. "Well, well then... I do believe that we should, but how exactly, hmmm ? Perhaps you should... show me."
The goddess could almost had looked completely innocent, if it wasn't from the sparkle in her eyes, and the fact that he just plain knew better. Thabara „She adores them.“ Nergal smiled, as he gently nudged her towards the door of the room they shared, careful to not step upon any of the golden strings trailing after the goddess. „And usually even Soto behaves if that means he is allowed to stay over for the night. It is a big adventure, apparently. That, and he loves listening to Kayne's stories.“
He had been somewhat concerned, in the beginning, that the mortal children might be drawn into some sort of dangerous situation, with them being so much more fragile than his divine offspring. But, after a while, he had stopped worrying about it. Jessica was an experienced mother, and her skill to keep control of the little horde never ceased to amaze him.
„Close your eyes,“ he breathed into her ear, once they stood in front of the door. Zero Dream "Oh, what have you been planning, now... ?" Really, this was a moment unusual on it's own, and she really did not know what to expect... But she would be a nice girl and not cheat, she decided, closing her eyes as she was asked, the mass of strings moving on it's on, almost like a curious cat's tail. She listened, one ear perking up as an indication, to see if her keen hearing would reveal any clue as to what Underworld had planned.
It did seem too evident now that her aoidei had probably been in the plan, keeping her out the whole day as they had. Thabara „Nothing, really,“ he said innocently, opening the door for her and guiding her inside. There were no sounds, nothing obvious at least, to give away what kind of surprise might lay in store for her.
„Wait there. And do not look,“ Nergal instructed his lover, letting go of her, but not without kissing her once more. There was the sound of a lighter being flicked open, and soon enough there was a faint hint of smoke in the air, the scent of melting wax, and incense.
„You may open your eyes now.“
Candles and little oil lamps, some of them set in colorful glass, bathed the room in their warm, flickering light. The bed was furnished with more cushions and blankets than usual, and a large tray of blackened silver was set upon the middle of it, bearing a small pile of gifts, and sweets, and even some spiced wine. Resources were sparce, but he'd had plenty of help with this. The aoidei of course, loyal servants as ever, but the mortals as well.
Most of them had looked at him with fearful awe when he first approached them, but warmed up quickly once they gathered this wasn't about them. Echo was well known and loved among them, her domain gaining followers and admirers with an ease that more than once caused a stab of envy. They had been more than willing to help, not only giving what little they could share, but also offering advice once they figured his social awkwardness and inexperience in the matter. That … had been most embarrassing, yet he had grateful for it. Zero Dream It was hard to resist cheating and taking a peek when she was most assured that his attention was somewhere else, that his back was turned and that he had no way to see if she was actually listening to his request - pale eyelids twitching, but never truly giving in to the temptation of opening, just a little... just sightly...
The goddess was, in fact, much like the now mostly diminished number of cats she loved to keep in her company. The oldest in fact, Vertigo, who looked worst for the wear and much leaner than he had once been, peered from the top of the bookshelf almost amusingly at Underworld's movement as he lighted the candles, one by one. He had learned his lesson long ago, and seemed quite at ease to simply watch from afar. After all, the cold pale man did not give good pettings. Neither was he happy to have him in his lap. Silly thing.
Another visible sign of the goddess' curiosity where her ears, long, pointed, and extremely mobile as they where, darting in every direction, catching every little sound he made and trying to decode every single one of them. It was rather endearing to watch, if he actually took the time to do so.
Then he spoke, she finally opened those ever shifting eyes, and the priceless look on her face was probably worth all the embarrassment, And then some.
"I..." She had no idea what to say. Weren't there people who needed this more than her ? Well, of course there was, what kind of thought was that ? But that he had gone out of her way, heavens only know how, to gather all this, and somehow making it so that she had never noticed a thing... That had to be a tour-de-force all on it's own. And going on about things they both knew after he made all that effort ?
"...You little imp." She finally said, once the shock faded from her face, and she reached to kiss him once more. Clearly, she was happy. Thabara She liked it. He had no memories whatsoever how he hat courted Kore back then, and he knew this little arrangement and the small gifts weren't up to par at all with the standarts of a King courting his future Queen … But then again they had unwittingly broken all conventions of proper courtship long ago anyway. It didn't matter. The only thing which mattered right now, was the look upon her face, and that … clearly made up for all the trouble he had gone through for this.
„Some of this is borrowed,“ he admitted after the kiss. „The lamps …“ Watching the candlemakers at their craft had made him appreciate the little lights a whole lot more. He ought to show Illumin, some day. „But the gifts, they are all yours to take. Why wont you take a look at them?“ He gently nudged her towards the bed, then moved to pour a bowl of wine for her.
The one regret he had, perhaps, was that there wasn't any music. A great many of the mortals he had talked to had advised this: 'Some romantic music in the background, to set the mood.' In fact they had searched high and low for something to make this possible, but while they had found plenty of records, CDs and even cassettes which still seemed intact … they hadn't managed to get any of the players to work with them.
„Here, have this,“ he said, handing her the bowl. Most of the gifts weren't wrapped anyway, paper being such a fragile and precious good now. Some were stored in small boxes, but those could be opened easily with one hand anyway, and he'd be more than happy to open them for her and present the contents. While most of the items were trinkets in his eyes, not truly worthy of a goddess, many of them had belonged to actual royalty. If Echo were to ask where these came from, she likely wouldn't receive a straight answer.
„This first, maybe,“ he said, presenting a silver locket to her, inset with markasite and black garnet. It looked familiar. „Her Royal Highness Julstecca III sends her greetings, as well as her congratulations to our engagement.“
He hadn't mentioned leaving for Wellhaven with one word, nor the many other planes he had sought out. Mostly at night, while she was asleep. And while it had led to some … awkward situations, like him getting stuck inside heavily encased tombs or mausoleums for hours until his strength recovered, he was much more at ease now with using his powers to walk the worlds. All of this he had, somehow, managed to keep secret from her.
There were more gifts. Jewelry, hair ornaments, a small blue bauble which emitted a significant magical aura, even a wind chime ... Zero Dream Oddly, that did make her feel slightly better. And a little less overwhelmed, as she had no idea just where she would put all this. She followed him toward the bed, still kind of taking in the shock as she admired the colors of the various candles, lanterns, and the gently mingling scents of the essential oil pools. They all seemed to be different, but complementary with each other, none of the scents actually drowning out each other, but instead mingling to create a very deep and complex whole.
She sat on the side of the bed, curiosity taking over her features once more as she peered into the bowl. Just... just where did he find all this ?? She knew better than to ask, however - it would be a little rude, wouldn't it be ?
There was a faint, loose recognition at the sight of the small locket, and ears perking in surprise at the explaination that followed. "Is she well ?" She would have to go back herself... once she figured out how. Perhaps one day with her children, though this probably would not be for some time. The idea of having to run after her little green terror in between worlds was enough to dissuade her from attempting the feat until she would be sure he would actually behave, though the sheer excitement of the whole thing might be enough to keep her eldest in line.
Maybe.
Gift after gift where put forth, and she gave them all the same wonder, the same attention, no matter if it happened to be a simple windchime, or the more magically important artifact, listening to what little story behind the items he was willing to dilvulge. Thabara „She … fell gravely ill during the Week of Plague. She is in poor health still, but well on her way to recovery. I have no doubt she will reign for many years to come.“ He smiled. His meeting with the headstrong mortal queen had been … peculiar. Their conversation had touched upon such diverse topics in the course of the night: politics, mass burials and effective ways to keep in check epidemics, architecture of the shrines and temples to be errected, and – quite inevitably – ways of courtship. At some point they had decided to drop the honorifics, and the stories she had so wistfully shared about Prince Herus wooing her still brought a smile to Nergal's thin lips. „She plans to remarry, once things are on the mend and her period of mourning is over.“
He bent over to kiss her, lips still warm. „The wine is a gift of hers as well.“
The greatest gift, however, perhaps was how much Underworld seemed to be completely at ease in his lover's presence, his posture relaxed and bearing none of the inate stiffness and formal gestures. The embarrassed, boyish smile as he – after all – did share the story of how he had been stuck within a tomb for hours after his first purposeful attempt to walk the worlds. The occasional glances he gave her, full of child-like curiosity, trying to gauge her reactions and at the same time taking delight in them. Zero Dream "I will definitively have to thank her, then..." Wine was not something she drank often, at least not in her rebirth - tea had been much more available - though she did quite enjoy the strong taste the drink held, as well as the fruity and spicy undertone of it. She was glad to know, at least, that she lived. In despite rather rocky starts, she had grown to like, and even respect, the mortal queen a great deal. The goddess could not help but feel that, perhaps, she may have much to learn from her.
But more endearing where, perhaps, the stories. He did not often share with her the little things he actually did, even less so the potentially embarrassing ones. He liked to look as stoic and flawless as possible, and even if she knew better, she often let male pride have it's way, less she potentially have to fish him out from under some furniture if she just dared retell such things. This was delightfully different and interesting. Thabara „She and her people would greatly appreciate a visit of yours, I am certain. The weeks before renaming were harsh, and the disappearance of the Skies left them terrified, yet their newborn faith is still strong. We should not repeat mistakes of times old and fail them … You should go.“ He trailed the line of her jar with pale fingers, gently lifting up her chin so that he could place another kiss upon her lips.
„Of me, they can only learn not to fear what comes after. Desire it even, mayhaps, though that would be … quite wrong. But you, beloved, you would inspire Hope, the strength and will to go on ...“ He kissed her again. „I am truly lucky to be able to call you beloved, and mother of my children, and – in the future – wife, and queen consort. I wish I had found more gifts worthy of you. In the future, there shall be. Now, however ...“
He bent forward, lips pulling into a definitive smirk as he whispered into her ear. „We should make the best of that wondrous warmth before it has all faded away. That too is a gift.“ Zero Dream "Yes, I shall." There was, for once, no hesitation, no denying that she could do such things, that she could be all those things. The previous events had been harsh, but perhaps... they had strengthened her, as well.
There was strength to be found in hardships, and perhaps the old adage of what did not kill you made you stronger held true to even gods.
But for now, there where indeed... much more important matters to be taken care off, and she reached toward him with a grin that left little up to the imagination. "Oh, if I must..." She whispered in turn, before once more locking lips with him. Thabara Many of the candles – though, given, quite a few of them had been little more than mere stumps to begin with – had burned down, flames flickering and then dying, by the time the two deities came to rest. A tangled mess of bronze and alabaster limbs, silken strands of lavender-blue and bone-white ropes, and golden strings.
It had been Nergal, always the rational one, to remember just in time to put the tray with the beverages and sweets in a safe distance to their … activities. Quite a few of the sheets and cushions had been borrowed too for this occassion, and he'd hate to see them stained. Or struggling to explain how it had happened.
His body still carried some warmth, though by now it seemed most likely he had absorbed it from the goddess resting on top of him, rather than it still being a carryover from the bath. Still … I ought to do that more often. Echo had certainly seemed pleased. Which made him wonder …
„This may be a silly question,“ he started, one hand following the line of her spine playfully. „But I have been wondering for a while now. My usual cold skin, does it bother you?“ He truly was at ease with her, or he'd never dared ask such a question. Gods, he loved her. He loved her so much it was almost painful. The thought to part from her, for any length of time, especially if it was unknown …
He frowned, trying to banish that thought from his mind, but not being entirely successful in this endeavor. The fact remained, that this night – which he had worked for the utmost to make it as memorable as possible – was a parting gift just as much as it was courting. He would have to address the matter of his leave sooner or later, but … not now. „I do love you,“ he whispered, fingers curling around the golden thread which spawned from her back. He wished that he would never have to let go of it. „I do love you so very much.“ Zero Dream While he had, indeed, remembered to put the more fragile or borrowed objects away just in the nick of time, it would be a fatal mistake to think that Echo had made it easy for him to do so. It was, in fact, quite the contrary, and one could probably said it had ultimately turned into a game of sort, to see if he would be able to keep on going with his task even with the blue-haired, goddess shaped distraction that all but trailed after his every move.
The answer, ultimately, had been yes, though there was not much sadness linked to her "defeat" of sort. After all, she was still getting the prize, wasn't she ?
"Hmmm ?" One ear perked in curiosity when he started to speak, after the comfortable silence that had slid in between them. She... had never given it much though, to be completely honest. It was simply the way he was, and she had accepted it this way. "No, it doesn't really bother me." It had been strange at first, maybe, but now ? She still noticed, of course, but bother was pushing it a little too far, in her mind.
A lazy smile drew itself over his face as she reached one hand to run though the dreads, untangling them where she could. "I love you too." Nothing he did not know, of course. Thabara „I did not think it would, not seriously. I am … being silly, I guess. Still, there is no reason to not take a bath again every now and then, and enjoy its side effects, is there?“ There was something decidedly mischievous about his expression. „Next time, you could join me~?“
That too, was rare, him flirting so openly, even if it was in the relative privacy of their quarters.
He sighed and let go of the golden strings at her back, instead plucking playfully at the ones strung between the sections of her wings. The tune was musical, not unlike a harp's, and he took delight in it. Did she ever play them, he wondered, her wings?
„I wish this could last forever,“ he said wistfully. „I wish we would never have to part. But ...“
He hesitated, struggling with himself to not be an idiot and destroy the beauty of this moment.
„Echo, I ...“ Zero Dream "Hmmmm." One could say the answer was non-committal at best, though the look on her face, especially the smile that crossed her face, impish and full of playful mischief. Oh, she could think about many possibilities indeed. As his hand moved, her left wing moved, unfolded one could say, as if to grant him easier access. When he started speaking again, however, she fell unnaturally still, the movement halting.
One could say that it was at that very moment that he'd done exactly what he was still mentally still trying to avoid.
She knew this would happen one day. She had held no illusion to herself that the way they shared things right now would be the way it would always be. It could have happened a long time ago, and she was aware of this. Perhaps the only thing that had held him back was the fact there was no use in remaking a realm if the whole of existance was going to end. There was no way to avoid it and she had come to terms with it a long time ago, though the addition of the children made it all the more complicated. She had her own thought on the subject, but the goddess did not voice them just yet.
She had a very good idea of what he was about to say, and even all the knowing that this would have to happen, knowing that not only she could not, but she did not want to prevent it, it still did not mean that she had to like it.
One hand moved to reach for her nightgrown, which had been knocked off the shelf by their previous.... activities. She finally moved away then, stood to put the garment on. If her previous, more subtile reactions had not been clue enough, this would probably be clue enough that the moment was quite, indeed, blown. If he feared she might leave in a huff, however, this turned out to not be the case, as she sat on the bed once again, to look at him. She... had no idea how she even actually felt about all this - it was a muddle of all kind of different emotions, where only a few months ago she might have likely gone to tears at the simple though of the notion.
Resigned, perhaps, was the clearest way to put it.
"What it is ?" Echo answered, after what most likely had felt like an eternity. She had a good idea, but she still needed to hear from him first. Thabara He knew the moment she stilled completely – in that very special way only she could pull off, filling the room with uncomfortable silence immediately – that he had blown it. Even the evermoving flicker of her strange, beautiful eyes seemed to die and to darken, just like the candle light before. He let his hand drop limply back to his side, saying nothing in protest when she pulled away from him. Inwardly, however, he was heavily berating himself for his idiocy, for his apparent inability to just leave matters be.
He curled up a little, bone-white fingers trailing across the still warm sheets where she had lain, and then pressing the flat of his palm against the fabric, as if trying to absorb some of the warmth. But it was fading away so quickly, just like a mortal's body once its heart had stopped bea--
She spoke to him, a question that needed to be answered, and he shifted, pulling himself into a seating position. The silken blankets slipped from his torso, allowing more of the treasured warmth to escape. He shivered, though it was doubtful it caused by the cold he felt. Temperatures mattered little to him now. The look of guilt upon his features about the current situation was blatantly obvious when he faced her, but there also was another emotion hidden underneath:
Fear.
He reached to touch upon the phial of starblood for reasurance, but only touched the cold ragged surface of the stone that had held his essence. Right. He had taken it off previous to the bath, just as he always took it off when he planned to make love to Echo. It … just didn't feel right to be wearing it during these occassions.
„I … When I paid my respects to the Twin Crown, came to offer the scepter ... I brought up the matter of my realm. On purpose, mayhaps, though I certainly did not think so at that point …“ He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to straighten and don his formalty like the protective cloak that it was. If it was anyone else he was talking to, he would not have succeeded, but this was Echo. And to her, at least, he wanted to stay true to his self – whatever that was. Ever since the wave of Gehenna had hit, ever since he had endured first the draining of his powers and then the backlash as it all flooded back at once, shattering so much of what he had considered to be himself …
„It is beyond his reckoning, he said, why I do nothing to--“ He broke off, the guilt upon his features mixing with obvious embarassment. „He is right, you do know. All that was mortal of me has long since been purged. And yet, ever since it happened, ever since I returned … I never tried … not even once ...“ His voice faltered, the mixed emotions being joined by shame. The look that he gave her was practically pleading for forgiveness. What for, though, he wasn't entirely certain himself. Zero Dream So, she had been right.
But she had no idea why he was squirming so much. Why he seemed so afraid. Though it was probably because she had never been on the receiving end of her own stare - her ever-shifting eyes making it, unknowingly to her, perhaps more intimidating that his own when she truly bothered.
And maybe even when she did not really notice she was doing it, right now.
Echo listened, and, when it seemed like he was pausing, shook her head with a sigh, almost as if trying to subconsciously shake the look off her face. Truth was... perhaps, he was not the only one to be scared.
"Look, I..." The sentence seemed to vanish before it had even truly started. Her ears where drooping back, betraying the inner conflict where the look on her face seconds prior might have said a much more different story.
"...I know that you need to do this." She started again, hands again reaching up for his and cupping them near her chest. "I would not... I cannot tell you that things must stay as they are. They cannot."
It was doubtless that they needed him more than she ever would, the wandering dead. But what about the children ? What about her ? Would they end up forgotten, with duty taking all the time, all his attention ? Would she need to fight tooth and nail for him to manage to grant them time of the day ? Would she be like those mortal wives, sitting by and waiting eternally for an answer that never came ?
Perhaps, more so than him being gone, than them being apart, this was what she feared most. That she might, one day, have to explain to her children why their father was gone, and that her heart may end up broken. She had no idea where those doubts came from, but they came nonetheless. Thabara There was an almost startled look upon his own face, when her expression shifted, softened. Somehow … he had been expecting heated arguments, angry protest and accusations, and indeed her azure eyes seemed to have been blazing with fury just moments ago. Instead of that, his words were met quiet, dignified resolve and understanding. He had not been expecting that, so he only nodded, casting down his glance.
„You do seem to be certain of things much more so than I am,“ he admitted after a little while. „I … used to be certain of everything. When I was reborn, I was convinced that everything would come to me, that it would only be a matter of time until everything would fall into place on its own, my realm restored to its former glory. I do realize now that it was a very naive … and arrogant ... point of view.“
„Now … I am not certain of anything anymore.“ He paused. He could feel her pulse flutter against his sensitive skin like a butterfly's wings. „This may well be the reason I did not even think about attempting this until now. All I have been doing was to wait ...for some sort of sign … when in truth I have been ...“ He hesitated, drawing a deep breath. „Afraid.“
The young god looked down, unable to face his lover's gaze for the moment, but he did not remove his hands from hers. „You are right, however. Things cannot stay the way they are now. This is something I can do to help restore the former order, to set things right. So many dead wandering restlessly, aimlessly … It is a great imbalance by itself, and I cannot … should not … neglect my responsibilities any longer.“
„However ...“ His hands shifted to grasp hers, as he moved to slip from the bed to kneel at her feet. „There is a request I would like to make.“ Zero Dream "No." She answered in turn, shaking her head once more, letting long bangs toss about, some settling to cover her face somewhat. She looked so different like this, somehow. With her hair down instead of done up as she usually did. "I am not certain of anything. There are many things... about you, about what you are, that I do not understand. And that I may never completely understand."
The goddess paused for a moment, then continued. "It is... always easier to say things than to do them." If it had been her, if the roles are been reversed... she was not even sure she could muster enough courage to come to action. She was not sure she could be able to simply do what needed to be done.
"Look at me." She said, though it was too soft to truly be considered an order, one hand raising to angle his head upward again. "I am afraid, too." It probably would not help, but while they where being honest... "I am afraid of being alone again. Of having to find the time and energy for our children while still having to do what needs to be done." She did not say it, but it was evident. It was all too easy to see, to tell. It did not need to be said.
I am afraid to be forgotten.
She let him go when he shifted, tilting her head to look at him. "And it would be... ?" Thabara Her words were strangely reassuring, but at the same time they made it so much harder for him to voice his request, making him realize just how much of a sacrifice he would be demanding of her. He met her gaze only for a split second before avoiding it once more. „Forget about it,“ he mumbled mechanically, „it is not of that much import--“ He broke off, forcing himself to stop talking, and to look at her.
„Actually, it is.“ He said slowly, after a moment's silence. „Should I fail, I will likely be back in a matter of hours, days at most. But should I succeed ...“ He took a deep breath. „I have no idea, really. I doubt the repercussions will be as drastic as the Crown indicated. I was still half mortal back then, and … Well, it was Destruction I was talking to.“
„However.“
„I have no idea how to pull this off, and what it might demand of me.“ A whole realm to be restored. Even if he did manage to get this done somehow … Considering just how much the Day of the Dead had drained his powers, he might be asleep for centuries after this.
„If I do not return ...“
The rational, responsible part of him still wanted to tell her to go on with business as usual, raise their children the best she could. But neither Love, nor Fear, were rational.
„Will … you come for me?“
His eyes were pleading. She was his pillar, his support, his anchor. He felt terrible for placing such a burden upon her. At the same time though, his request was proof of his faith, his trust in her strength.
Starless skies, that familiar ache from ages past …
„I too do not wish to be alone again.“ Zero Dream She wanted to speak, to actually argue for the first time in that night, that yes, damnit, this -is- important, but he backtracked before the frown could even form on her fair face once more, though the pattern of her shifting eyes had gotten a bit more erratic for a split second. The goddess forced herself to remain silent and listen, no matter how much she wanted to interject.
The idea that it might all go wrong - not so much that he might fail, the more.... serious kind of wrong, made her heart sink. The admittance that he did not quite know what he would do while the time came made it both feel better and worse. Echo did not want to think about it, but her mind kept on telling her of the worse scenarios, as she remembered all to well what she had been retold of Destruction's words.
A vivid imagination could be both a gift and a curse.
He finally voiced his request, and she was silent for a few more seconds. How was she supposed to... ?
...
No matter. She would find a way.
"...How long should I give you ?" The goddess finally said. She would wait that length of time, what he felt would be reasonable - beyond that, however, she would then act.
She would come for him. Thabara She will come for me.
He closed his eyes moment, when she granted him his wish, his fingers closing tightly around hers. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave and the emotion showed clearly on his face. She had no idea just how much this meant to him …
Well, tell her then.
Things left unsaid, undone, these always were the greatest regrets, weren't they?
„Then,“ he said, eyes fluttering open to look at her, the gaze of his steel gray eyes steady this time as they locked with hers. „Then I feel I can do this. If only you will come for me, my love, then I do not need to be afraid of becoming lost. If only you will come for me, I need not fear the unknown, because there will be one certainty within.“
He rose from his kneeling position to sit beside his beloved, never quite letting go of her hand. „Your voice, and your love, they brought me back from the fringes of sanity before. Music has always been able to touch upon my heart, even before the Fading. That is the one thing which will not change. I do have faith in you, Creation's child.“ He did not mention any of the things that might change. Instead he bent over to kiss her. A long, passionate kiss.
„I do know I am asking much of you,“ he admitted more quietly after their lips parted. He finally let go of her hand, instead moving to lay an arm around her figure, drawing her closer to comfortably rest against him, pale fingers idly playing with silken strands of purple hair.
„A week, if nothing seems to happen.“
„I will be going through the catacombs, I think, and those are dangerous grounds. Not to me, I do not think so, but still …“
„One should remain cautious.“
„Should my attempts be rewarded with success – Gracie at least should be able to tell you, I think, as well as Kios – in that case ...“ He paused, his look growing pensive. The question was not as much how long the task might take him. Or, if or if not he'd be able or even remember to make contact. There was no way whatsoever to ever figure that out. There simply were too many uncertain factors in the equation. No, actual the question rather was: Just how long did he intend to make her wait and worry for him, before she'd finally be permitted to take action.
His request, he realized, which he had figured to be a burden for her, might actually turn out to be a boon for both of them … She had never talked about it much, but he knew how much it had been eating her, when he'd been taken, that she had been unable to do anything.
„A day and a month, if there is no message from me,“ he finally made up his mind. „Though do not hesitate to wait for longer, beloved. I would not want you to endanger yourself, just because you feel you have to rush and embark on this journey unprepared. I can wait. If only I can be certain that you will come, I can wait. Until the end of time, if it needs be.“
„The gates in the catacombs have worked for me before,“ he whispered into her ear, realizing just how much it must seem like he already knew he wasn't going to come back. Deep down, perhaps, he really did know. But, then again, he'd always done exceptionally well at denial. „If these will not work for you ...“ His voice trailed off, and he was staring off into the distance unblinkingly for some time, trying to remember … something.
„Yggdrasil,“ he finally said slowly, as if not entirely certain. „Its roots … went deep.“ Zero Dream She listened, intently, fixing the words deep into her memory. One week if there was no news. One month and a day if there was a word, but then nothing else.
That seemed fair enough. Enough time to actually give him space to do as he needed to do and make her not feel like she was simply jumping the gun as worry built up.
"Do not worry about it." She finally spoke, leaving a kiss in turn, not so much like the passionate kiss they had just shared, but a gentle peck on his forehead. In all retrospect, when the time come, he should not be thinking about her, or what had been placed upon her, no matter if the burden would wind up being imaginary or real.
He would need to focus to the task at hand.
She let herself flop against him then, not noticing the faint shiver of her hands as she did so. This.... was so much to take in at once. And once those steps where taken... there would probably be no going back to the way things where now. Not now, and not ever.
Still, she did not cry. She refused to cry - started blocking the worse case scenarios as they came in her mind, and the jerking of her emotional strings that came with it. It was useless to worry now, while he was still by her side. There was no way for either of them to predict what could possibly happen in an undertaking as huge as this.
If she was going to be pillar and support, she would also damn well do her best to look like one. Thabara „I wont.“ He smiled when she placed that small, affectionate kiss upon his forehead. She loved doing that, for some reason … He was quite unaware of just how much of a temptation the smooth, white surface of his forehead was for others. Only that Echo loved kissing it playfully, and that Soto kept eying it with a pensive look upon his face, and a marker in each hand. Fortunately, the little green brat had only been successful once.
„Just as you should not worry. There still is time, before I leave. Time I want to spend with you, and the children.“ But not too long now. The restless whispers of the dead, it was impossible to shut them out now. In the days to come they would prove to be a constant reminder of what he should be doing.
„You shall be queen of a beautiful realm,“ he murmured softly, looking about for one of the gifts he had given her, a silver comb with filigree adornments, and dangling beads of amethyst and saphire. It had ended up not too far away as a result of their previous game, so he reached for it, gently placing it into her hair. He looked at her, but something about his expression seemed distant, as if he'd already gone far, far away ...
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:21 pm
At Dusk She had watched him make his decent, earlier that day, somehow forcing a smile out when he was watching – managing to somehow look serene in despite of the doubt that yet lived inside her, of the fact that she was still digesting what she should have known awhile ago. That they could never truly remain at each other's side for long. Even less forever. ____„Do not worry,“It wasn't as easy as it sounded. She dearly wanted to not worry, but she could not help herself. The goddess loved him all too much to be unable to worry about the journey her future husband had just taken the first steps of. A journey that, try as she might, she simply could not completely understand. She'd felt a twang at watching him descend in the dark hole that had been the entrance to the catacombs, unable to even fathom just what could happen in the crypts below. She had offered what comfort she could in the days preceding this one, but it was where her involvement had ended. Where it had to end. The matters of his domain where his, after all. Even as she had grown, in more ways than one, in the years since they had met in rebirth, she still was not yet sure she could be queen. Or what he had meant, what he had said those words, when he had called her such with a passion he so rarely showed. Perhaps... she should have asked. ____ „Have faith in me, such as I have faith in you.“Why was it so hard ? It was not that she did not have faith in him, did not believe in him, far from it. But... he always seemed to get in trouble. Echo wished that he would have, at least, taken someone with him, Ankou, or even Priya and Ishum... but of course, he had refused. He had to go alone. She could understand, but at the same time, it worried her so much. Some times, safety was more important than wants, but in the end, she had not been able to convince him. The goddess released a sigh, returning her attention to gently polishing the smooth metal of her flute, an expert hand taking apart the small, fragile pieces. She had to occupy her mind somehow, until at least the first answer came, for she feared she just might lose it if she did not – the violin and guitar would be next to meet tender care, still precious in despite the cracks the woods had withheld during the influence of Decay. With time, care, and the right tools, perhaps they would one day be filled... The children seemed to take all of this much better than she was, and she could not help but envy them for it. Sotiris had finally fallen asleep a few hours ago, closely followed by his sister. Which had left only her youngest son, whom she had simply not bothered to send to bed with the others just yet – the fact that he'd slept so little was not an unknown one to her, as, in despite all care taken taken, there had been times where the nightly moments he had previously spent with his father had awoken her, though she had stayed silent and never spoke of it. Now it would be her turn to watch over him, as best as she was able. She had no idea how she would be able to deal with the three of them, as their sole parental figure left behind, at least for now (only for now, she hoped, only for now...) but she would do her best. And if that meant casting her sorrow aside, so be it. Things had to go well on this end... if only for them. If only for her children. The three little ones should not have to deal with with her own worries and anxiety on the matter. They may end up with their own to deal with, once they understood... Akakios had been mostly quiet ever since they had returned from the catacombs, perhaps even moreso than he usually was – the most quiet of the children at whole – and clearly a little pouty, for reasons that his mother all but ignored at the moment. Perhaps, she thought, he might have already figured out that his father would not be coming back. At least, would not be coming back soon. Her youngest son was sprawled on the hard wood floor as he often tended to do, doodling with a stray crayon, almost looking like he was listening to something – and whispering an answer every now and then – talking to some ghost, perhaps ? It was still an odd thing for the goddess to remember and get used to, that there were beings she could not see or hear most of the time, all around them. But then, suddenly, the boy perked upward, seeming rather confused by something. Lament rose from his laying position to sit, looking rather perplexed, which in turn, only made his mother be even more so. ”Akakios ? Is there anything wrong... ?” She asked, gently, as the put the instrument aside and moved to kneel by her son and run a finger on one cheek to calm him. The boy, in return, looked at her while being rather wide-eyed. ”They gone ! Just like...” His tiny brow furrowed in thought. ”Just like, poof ! Gone !”...That made little sense, really, but the goddess was used to things like this by now. ”Shh, dear... Who is gone ?” Could it be... ?”Kios' invisible friends ! Gone !” The child continued. ”Said daddy calling, that it was time, and gone !”And so it was. That was her sign, she knew now. Things... had gone as they should have. He had succeeded. The mix of relief, uncertainty, and fear weighted heavily on her, and for a moment, she could not find the words to speak. Instead, she ran slender fingers though her son's curly hair to further calm him. She was glad, at the very least, that there had been some sort of sign... that she was not kept in the dark, wondering if he had even succeeded or not. ”Mommy.” Kios peered up at her, making her snap out of her thoughts. ”Invisible friends come back ?”...Just what was she supposed to answer that with. ....The truth, she decided. ”I do not think so.” The goddess answered. ”But you will see them later, in daddy's place ? Would that make you happy ?” ”Hmm.” Non-committal at best, and rather puzzling. Sometimes, Echo could not help but wonder.... but no, that could not be possible, would it not ? The boy pouted at the mention of his father's realm – oh dear. However, the fit she feared might happen did not come. ”Kios go now ?””No, not yet.” Echo forced herself to smile. ”Daddy needs some time, to make it all nice. And time alone to focus and work on that, yes ?””But.” The boy frowned. ”Kios said Kios help ! And daddy left all alone !”Ah, so that was it ? This was what had her young son so upset ? And there she had feared much worse... Some weight of worry seemed to lift off her shoulders – not all of it, but some. ”Ahh, but... Sometime, my dear, there are things that one needs to do alone. This is one of those things. I am sure daddy will be happy to have your help once things are a bit more safer down there.””Safe ?” The child tilted his head to the side, confusion visible in his wide eyes. And, at that moment, Echo knew she'd opened up another touchy matter. ”Is dangerous ?””It might be... Or it might not be. Neither I, or even daddy, really know for sure. But..” The goddess moved to caress her son's cheer tenderly. ”Sometimes, one has no choice but to do things that are not quite safe, because not doing them... May end up being even worse.” It was Nergal's duty, his reason to be, to host and judge the dead. Her own was to spread her art, cultivate emotion and feeling though Song. It would be Akakios' duty to act as an outlet for feelings of grief, sadness and pain. Though, she thought, he was yet a little too young for this kind of speech, about duty and reasons to be, so she kept it to herself. ”Kios wants daddy to be okay.” The boy muttered. ”As do I, but... We do not know yet. We might not know for some time.” Echo continued on. ”We will need to be patient. But then we can go see, and maybe daddy will make a place just for Kios ?”That seemed to be a good enough distraction, as the boy perked. ”Really ??””I am sure of it, my dear.” She said with a smile. Oh, how she wished so badly that there would be another sort of contact soon... While this one had quelled a few fears, it seemed to have stirred a few more in it's wake. But for now, all she could do is wait. As she had promised.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:22 pm
Hide And Seek Meepfur "...ninety-eight, nintey-nine, one hundred!" Rio finished counting and pushed back from the tree he'd been leaning against. He blinked his eyes open and peered around, trying to decide where to look for his daughter first. One of the teahouses was nearby, but that was a little obvious...still, it was a place to start, so he headed in that direction. Zero Dream If there was one thing she was sure of right now, it was that she needed out - less that all she do be sit back and worry as her imagination kicked on overdrive. It was useless to start worrying now, so the goddess forced herself to action. Well, forced herself outside, violin case in hand, at the very least. She was not quite sure where to go or what to do, though usually she found something, someone to play for and inspire.Akakios followed closeby, pair of waxed tablets held close to his chest. He had taken to following his mother, where he had mostly followed his father before - but there was no doing that anymore, now that daddy was gone. Beside, he liked this strange outside full of green grass, peaches and ponds, so it all won out.
The boy drifted, however, toward one of the trees. And indeed, talking of peaches... "Mommy !" He called out to his mother, certain that she would hear him, pointing out at the fruit that was out of his reach. Meepfur Peaches weren't all that was up in the tree - Adi was up there, too. And the last thing she needed was someone pointing and making noise! She peered down to see who it was, frowning heavily. It wasn't anyone she knew, that was for sure. "Shhh," she hissed, "I'm trying to hide!" Zero Dream Akakios seemed rather puzzled, both by seeing someone that seemed roughly the same age as him, and... what was she doing up the tree ? Though, he did remain silent, and let his arm fall down."What is-""Shhh !" It was the young boy's turn to hiss, hoping his mother would understand. Echo seemed to grow rather confused, but looked up in turn. There was Adi, but... what was she doing in there ?
She caught a glimpse of Rio - well, she thought it was Love, who seemed to have changed, himself - from the corner of her eyes, and a rather mischievous smile followed...
She rose one hand to catch the peach as he had his back to them, handing it over to her son and trailing away from the tree as if there had been nothing unusual, with her son closeby.
"My, my, and who might be this vision of wonder ?" The goddess asked, leaning against one tree, opposite in direction to the one the young girl had climbed into.Akakios seemed all the more confused, but said nothing. This seemed Important... And then there was someone else, not quite as scared as uncle Tian Yue, but... he forced himself still instead of shittering off to hide in his mother's skirts. After all, mommy and daddy would not always be there for him to hide behind. Meepfur Hey! It was Aunt Echo! Adi beamed down at her when she looked up. So the boy was one of Crys' brothers? Well, either way! For now, she just needed to stay hidden. She could find stuff out later.Looking for Adi, Rio hadn't expected to find anyone else - much less the goddess of Music! Too delighted to be suspicious, he favored her with a charming grin and a quick bow. "Hello, my lady," he said, and glanced to her son. "And who might this be?" Zero Dream Working perfectly as intended, yess...
Nothing showed of that, however, as she covered her expression with a genuine smile, replacing one full of mischief. "That would be Akakios." She said nothing else, leaving it for Love to figure out. "Say hi to Uncle Rio, dear ?"Another uncle ? He sure seemed to have many ! "Hi." The boy said, rather shyly. He was not quite sure about this... New people were, after all, kind of scary. Meepfur "Wonderful to meet you, Akakios." He smiled brightly, his wings fanning out behind him. "I don't suppose you like candy, do you?" Rio was, in fact, already aware that Echo had had children, thanks to meeting Crys. Zero Dream Well, that seems to do the trick just fine, as far as getting the boy to be less worried - curiosity trumped shyness rather easily. "Candy ?" He asked, tablets in one hand and whole peach in the other. "Issat like cookies ?" Meepfur "A little," he answered, nodding. "It's sweet too, but different." He curled one wing around to break off the tip of a 'feather' to offer to Akakios. Zero Dream Moomy was not saying anything - in fact, she was smiling, a rare thing lately, and the last thing he wished to do was break that - so he assumed that it was alight. But... He had no free hand to take the offered piece of candy.
... DILEMMA.
Though the solution had been simple - holding out tablets and peach for his mother to take, then taking a few steps to take the offered piece and give it an experimental lick.Echo, for her part, only watched the scene unfold while holding her son's precious things and letting the case of her violin on the ground, a rather amused look on her face, though it seemed to be slightly held back by something else... There was a glint of worry in her eyes, these days, that never truly left. Meepfur Rio folded his wings again, unbothered as ever that they'd be missing a piece. More often than not, they were missing several - not only were they delicious, it was terribly easy to break them. Adrienne's gummi wings were much more durable, which he supposed was just as well, because if she had breakable wings...well, she'd've been missing most of them more often than not.
"Oh!" He smiled at Echo, noticing the look in her eyes but leaving it be for now. "Would you like some, too?" Zero Dream While Lament did not seem to know just what the candy was supposed to taste like - as he had yet to come across a raspberry in his short life - he seemed to decide, quite quickly, that candy was a very good thing indeed, as the piece vent directly into his mouth. "Thank you~" The child chirped."As if I could refuse such offer, though I fear for your wings now, since it does seem like Akakios find them delicious." She said with a grin, visibly both endeared and amused by her son, and also quite happy that he had remember to thank Love properly. Meepfur "You're welcome!" Rio chirped in reply, before bringing around his other wing to snap a piece off of - at least they'd sort of match - and offer it to Echo, chuckling. "No need to fear for them - they grow back, after all. And it's better than when I break them by accident!" Zero Dream "One must think so." She admitted with a grin, sliding the piece of candy into her mouth much like her son had done before her. She had no such problem of wing-breaking, and it seemed none of her children would, either. None of them seemed to have anything remotely resembling wings, ornamental or otherwise. An hidden blessing, perhaps, as such thing would likely get in the way of their playing, at least for the elder two. Meepfur Love re-folded his wings, watching Echo eat the candy with a pleased smile. If she weren't happily taken...well, he had Gaia to focus on anyway, provided he could catch her. She was quite literally elusive. But that was neither here nor there, at the moment. "I don't suppose you've seen Adi anywhere? I seem to have lost her." Zero Dream "I do not think so, no." It was hard to keep herself from smiling. Music was not the best of liars, but she attempted nonetheless. "I have not seen her anywhere. Have you, Kios ?"Unlike his mother, the child was quite a bit better at putting an front and looking completely innocent about it. Ha, it was like a game ! Just like when Soto wandered off and tried to hide from daddy ! Oh, oh oh, that was always fun ! He had not heard her name, but it seemed rather evident that Adi had been the girl in the tree, and... "See who ?" He said, candidly."Your cousin." The goddess clarified, pretending to bite back a sigh. "A little taller than you, white and furry ?""Nuh uh. No see." He announced before taking another lick. Meepfur "Well, that's a shame," he said, stroking his beard. "I could have sworn I heard her run this way. You must have just missed each other. Would you like to help me look for her? I'm sure she'd love to meet her cousin, and see her Aunt. She's gotten a little taller since you last saw her, actually."Listening to people talk about you was a little weird, but fun too. It was like spying! Unfortunately, however, she had a bit of a sneeze coming on, and clamped her hand over her nose to try and keep it in. Zero Dream "I think we could find the time to do that, would we ?" The goddess asked, glancing downward at her son once more."Hm-hm. Kios find !" And so the boy darted... ...comically, in the opposite direction to the tree where the little wolfgirl was hiding. Meepfur With two other people looking, he was bound to find Adi, although he supposed it might be considered cheating. Still, it had a bit of another purpose as well, and he grinned, offering his arm to Echo as Kios darted off. "How have you been, my dear?"Sneeze successfully stifled, the young girl breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Now all she had to do was be patient and wait to be found - or for Rio to give up, whichever came first. Zero Dream The goddess took the offered arm with no hesitation - perhaps it was odd, but she knew that from Rio, of all being, the gesture was more out of gallantry than anything else. She had not been able to keep her smile from fading from her face at the question, however. How was she supposed to answer that ? The last thing she wished to do was damper on his day...
"...Busy." She finally answered, shaking her head. "We are rebuilding, slowly but surely. My songs and my play... give them hope. It is the least I can do..." Meepfur It would have been difficult to miss the fading of her smile, or the hesitation before her answer. Rio tilted his head, laying his other hand over hers. He wasn't one to readily leave off after getting an evasive response, not where a friend was concerned. "But something is troubling you?" Zero Dream "There are things on my mind, yes... But... It is rather silly of me. It is much too early to worry..." Though, with the sigh that followed, it was clear that the goddess was not quite following what she preached.
But then she knew Rio too well... once it got to that point, he would not let go, so she might as well get out with it. "Nergal left." Came the reply. "To remake his realm. Kios and Ankou have noticed that most of the ghosts closeby have gone, were called but... there was nothinmg since. I have no mean to know what is going on..." Meepfur Well, at least Echo and Kishara both seemed to have learned that resistance was futile with Love, at least where honest answers were concerned. If only they were not so stubborn when it came to more - the latter, anyway. The goddess currently on his arm was well off the 'pursuable' list; she had no need of him in such capacities.
"I see." Unfortunately, there was little he could do for her to assuage her worries, only listen and be as encouraging as possible. He doubted she would be easily distracted from them. "He will return in time, I'm sure, though I know that eases nothing." His smile was touched with self-deprecation, an acknowledgement of his helplessness here. "All you can do is believe that he is well, that he will succeed and return to you - he has quite a bit of motivation, after all." Zero Dream "See, I told you it was silly." She managed a smile, if only for his own benefit. "There is nothing I can do but wait." At least for now. But the days... seemed to stretch on and on and on, with her unable to truly put her worry for the man she loved aside for more than a few minutes at a time. It was almost suffocating. It couldn't compare to the time where he had been taken - at least, she had very valid reasons to worry then. Now ? None, beside nearly one week passed with no contact. She had been pretty sure that the first thing he would have done was send some kind of contact, if only because he knew she would do exactly this.
...But now she was just making things worse.
"The children are taking it all better than I am." She shook her head, gesturing at her youngest, who continued to run without a care in the world. "How sad is that... ?" Meepfur "Well, if you're lonely..." he he offered wickedly, expression playfully suggestive, and laughed. He wasn't serious, of course, being not stupid enough to hit on Nergal's woman and mean it. Not as she wasn't actually interested, anyway.
Returning to actual conversation, he noted, "Children are good at that sort of thing. And there's plenty to distract them now, with a world that's safer to explore." Zero Dream Echo's only reaction to the first comment was a grin, and her free hand moving to twap Love on the nose lightly, much like some did to discipline unruly cats or dogs.
"There is, indeed. So many new things to see and discover. So many things for them to learn yet. I have taken from their example and did my best to keep myself busy... Perhaps once things are a little more stable, I could offer lessons..."Akakios suddenly stopped, pondering for a moment as he slipped a thoughful expression on. They were a bit far from the tree now, but he probably should pretend to be looking... And as such, the boy started heading toward one of the teahouses. Meepfur That was dangerous! Quite unable to resist, he nipped at the offending hand, missing intentionally.
"You're all welcome to come and visit anytime you like," he offered. "Adi and I would certainly appreciate the company, and I'm sure she'd be more than happy to share her flowers, if they're interested." Zero Dream That seemed to make the lavender-haired godling stop, head tilted toward the adults. "Flowers ?" Hey, liked flowers ! They were very pretty indeed. Like the big red lotuses that were all over the place before. Most of them were gone now, wilted, but there were still a few papers flowers littered there and there.
But Kios liked the real flowers best. Maybe even because they did eventually wilt, and one had to appreciate their beauty before that."You are being such a bad boy today, Rio." There was nothing about her that backed the statement as anything bad, so it was quite obvious that it was simply a joke.
"Ah, you had to go and say that, of course. You will have such a hard time getting him out of there now." Echo said, the grin settling on her face and pushing her worried expression aside, for now. It was obvious that her children brought her much joy. Meepfur "Which is different from any other day how?" Rio teased, before turning his attention Akakios, whom he'd managed to distract from his hunt. "Well then! If you can find your cousin for me, maybe you can persuade her to show you her work. If you ask nicely, she might even teach you." Zero Dream Oh, oh oh oh oh oh o-
Wait. Adi didn't want to be found, at least not yet, did she ?
...DILEMMA. The boy pouted."Hmm. I dare say you likely do have a point. Alas, it seems like I must put up with you." Echo gave a rather dramatic sigh, clearly exaggerated. Meepfur "You make it sound such a hardship," he observed with chuckle, "But you should try it from my end."Adrienne's wolfish ears had picked up most of the conversation, and now she was torn. As much as she liked winning at games, showing off her flowers was very exciting. She didn't get to do it nearly often enough! Zero Dream "So what, does that mean you admit to barely being able to stand yourself ?" The goddess reached to poke his nose once more, quickly moving out of way before he could do anything about it. There was something about Love, it seemed, that brought out her silly side like nothing - and no one - else did. She could not help but be completely comfortable in his presence.Dilemma indeed. He really wanted to see her flowers ! "Flowers ?" He asked out loud, a bit louder than his previous words, as a makeshift way to ask if he was allowed to reveal her location. Meepfur "That is not what I meant," he refuted, laughing. "Rather, I was referring to the hardship of being in the presence of a beautiful, but unavailable, lady." Not that it was an actual hardship - he was simply being playful, as it was the best method of distraction he had available to him.It took a moment, but Adi caught on, and shook her branch a little in answer. If he 'found' her, at least she wouldn't have to give up. Zero Dream "Ah, my poor dear. Yet there must be so many available ladies around these parts, must it not ? I bet you say the same things to each and every one of them." The tone was mock-accusatory, with a pout to top it off. Yes, it seemed distraction though playfulness did the job just fine. It seemed the boy had understood, and he made his way toward the tree, slowly - he had to pretend to still be looking, after all, this seemed important - and pretending to be looking there and there. Meepfur "As it happens, there are not," he said, with a heavy sigh. "Here I am, finally myself again, with no one to appreciate me properly!" He put on his very best look of despair. "I don't suppose you know anyone?"Success! The signal sent, Adi waited patiently to be discovered again. Zero Dream "That is indeed such a tragedy, my dear." It was hard to tell if she was joking or not, though given how the conversation had been until now... "I am sure there are quite a few mortal ladies that would like to at very least oggle you." She grinned. "Though you may wish to be careful about the Counting Crow... I do not know if her Guide likes to share." Her expression was definitively amused now. Oh, if Rio homed on either of them, and knew she was to blame... Oh, she would never hear the end of it ! Though the prospect was amusing.Akakios continued on his 'mission', looking like he was simply peering up the trees randomly (or perhaps looking at what had once been the sky) and then, putting his best surprised face, stopped squarely in front of the peach tree.
"Mommy ! Found !" Meepfur "Well, if that's the case, I'll just have to let her be," he said with a sigh, sounding very put-upon. "Would you happen to have seen Gaia recently, by any chance?" Rio had seen almost nothing of her since returning her to the Pantheon, and it was somewhat...frustrating.'Found' at last! Adrienne dropped out of the tree to land softly on her pawfeet, and got her first good look at her cousin. He had pretty hair, and wicked eyes! Maybe not quite as cool as Crys' lack of eyes, but still pretty cool. As for Adi herself, she had indeed gotten taller, as Rio had said; she was getting dangerously close to qualifying as a teenager.
"Hi!" she chirped happily. Zero Dream "No, I have not." Echo let out a sigh. She often caught herself wondering how the Mother was doing... But could never seem to see her, or know where she went.
"Hello, Adi." Echo said with a smile, looking at her niece. Ah, she'd grown quite a bit. "If that keeps up, you are going to wind up taller than me soon." The goddess gave a little fake pout.
It wasn't like ending up taller than her was an hard feat, anyway."Hiiiiii~" The boy chirped, but his expression barely changed from what it had been. "Adi show flowers ? Please ?" Meepfur "Hello!" Adi beamed at Echo, pink-bowed tail wagging happily. "Rio says I'm part weed," she said, giggling. She would have given her aunt a hug, but as she and Akakios were both impatient, she skipped it for now.
Instead, she grabbed her cousin' hand and darted off. "Come on!"Rio shook his head, laughing. "As long as she doesn't end up taller than me. That would be odd." Zero Dream "Part god, part werewolf, and part weed ? That's rather impressive, dear. And you know... just for that, I hope she ends up taller than you. Then we can bond over the woe of being tiny next to our children." Echo said with an amused grin. If the boys were anything like their father on that department... There was little hope of them not beating her in the height department.
"Shall we follow them, then ?"Indeed, Akakios had already darted after his cousin (whom he had already dubbed the best cousin ever. She had white fur and funny-looking wings and flowers !. Nevermind the fact that he only had one cousin, as far as he knew...), allowing himself to be pulled by the hand. Meepfur "Don't forget the vampire," Rio added, laughing, then stuck his tongue out at her. "Misery loves company, hmm?"
"Certainly." His pace, however, was much more sedate than the children's.Adrienne pulled her cousin up the stairs, then left into the green-doored room Rio had inherited from Uncle Ea. While it might not seem quite so striking now that there were growing things outside again, it was still pretty uniquely lush for being a room. And there were, indeed, quite a few flowers. Zero Dream "Oh, indeed it does." Was the answer he got. She honestly felt like she was starting to know a whole lot about this.
The goddess did not seem to be worried when the children zoomed straight up the stairs and out of their view. She was quite sure nothing could really happen to them up there, and the little werewolf would make sure Kios did not touch anything he shouldn't."Oooooh !" The boy stopped a moment to stare. It was still very impressive, it seemed. Flowers and all sort of things growing in a room !
"S'pretty." He said, taking a few steps to look more closely at one of the flowers, not daring to touch it almost as if he feared he might break it. "What kind ?" Meepfur Rio almost never worried about his daughter, wherever she happened to wander off to...because, well, she didn't really wander off. The farthest she ever got it into her head to go was Ea's temple, and though she was curious, she usually had enough sense that it didn't put her in danger. Although there had been that time she'd met Destruction, and stuck around to play with him. Still, it had turned out just fine.
"I have a feeling you're going to end up with a flower or two," he mused."Snapdragon," Adi answered. "Watch this!" She then crouched down to squeeze one of the flowers just so and make it 'snap.' "That's why they're called snapdragons." The little werewolf was very fond of them, much as Rio was - they warred with the orchids in the trees as his favorite flowers. Zero Dream "I have no idea how you could think of such a thing." The goddess said, amused. "Though, I am not very good with taking care of flowers, to be honest..." Her attempts at gardening had been... rather disastrous. But it had been quite a long time ago... Perhaps she ought to give it another try ?The boy stared, eyes wide, and perked as the flower, indeed, snapped. That was so cool ! "Wow !" It was his turn to crouch and reach to touch the flower as gently as he could, still very much fearing that he might break it, but did not quite squeeze it in the right way to make it 'snap' like the werewolf had done seconds before. Meepfur "Most of them aren't terribly hard - they just need a little water, is all. But I suppose we could give you a cactus," he teased."Here," Adi giggled, reaching for her cousin's hand to show him how to do it right, "Like this." Zero Dream The goddess gave a fake huff, as she entered the room. "I am quite sure I would find a way to mistend even a cactus." Beside, cacti and young, curious children did not exactly add up to an ideal equation in her mind."Ohhhh..." He perked when he heard footsteps. "Mommy ! Uncle Tian Yue flower !" And with just the right squeeze, the flower indeed snapped. That never seemed to get old. And it made sense in his mind - his uncle was a dragon after all ! Meepfur "They are surprisingly difficult to mistend," he said as he closed the door behind them. "Calico is very fond of them, actually. I think she meant to give one to our Lord, at some point." That had been when he was Destruction, but...he didn't feel the need to mention that part."Uncle Tian Yue?" Adi tilted her head, curious. The name seemed very vaguely familiar, but it definitely wasn't anyone she'd met. The werewolf had an excellent memory when it came to people. Zero Dream "I often do the impossible, it seems." The goddess admitted with a sigh, but seemed to bite back her melancholy once more as she crouched behind the children, careful to not accidentally plant the tip of her heels into something green and alive. "Oh ?" She inquired, watching as the flower snapped. "But it is not the right color. Tian Yue is all purple. Like this." She gave a playful poke at her son's hairs."Hm-hm." The boy nodded. "S'My Uncle. Is a dragon." And what a dragon his uncle was ! Tall with a funny scaled, fanned tail and horns and shoulder spikes. It had been easy to first be scared, and then awed. His uncle was certainly impressive.
Though, he decided, Uncle Rio came close too, but for different reasons. Like his nummy wings. Meepfur "Now now, my dear," he scolded, wagging his finger, but said no more as she stooped down to see what her son had to show her."There's some purple ones," the girl said helpfully, pointing one out. They had just about every color of snapdragon there was. It was what Orin had been planting when Alex had first met him, and her resulting fondness for the flowers had carried over to Rio. As a result, they were the rooms' most populous flower.
"A real dragon? That's awesome!" Adi would have liked to see a real dragon. Zero Dream "Hm-n !" The boy nodded. "Not seen all dragon...y though." The boy admitted, looking over at the purple flowers. These looked about right !At this mention, Echo seemed to make it a point to look at mischievous as possible. "But I certainly have..." Well, not anywhere near recently, but she had a general idea. And from the dragon's own words, the biggest difference was mostly size. Meepfur Quite surprised by Music and her mischief, Love couldn't help but laugh. "And here I thought I was the one who was supposed to make innuendos. Have I corrupted you?""Would you like one?" Adi asked, sounding hopeful. She didn't really have anyone to share her flowers with, as much as she would have liked to. "What's your favorite color?" Zero Dream "If you are so ready to take blame, then it is where I shall lay it." The goddess winked, the irises moving sharply as she allowed a laugh to slip out. Company was good... it helped her focus on other things than her misery.The godling looked at his mother for a moment, but she was not exactly paying attention. Oh well ! His decision then. And he decided that YES, he wanted one, thank you !
His mommy just had to pay attention.
"Like purple." The boy said. "And... Blue. Red." Colors were among the first things he had learned, carefully named by his mommy's gentle voice. He had yet to find a way to explain them to his sister, though. Meepfur "Well, as long as it's not something I'll be getting into any trouble for," he amended, winking back. He might have said 'in trouble with Nergal,' but he didn't want to bring her mood down again."Okay!" Adi chirped, hopping to her feet to scuttle into the other room and get a pot - a pot big enough for three snapdragons. Zero Dream "How naive for you to think I could not get you in trouble." The goddess grinned, proving the potential mood-dampner had been dodged. Echo pulled aside the front of her skirt in order to sit in the grass near the children. "How do you take care of then, Adi ?" She would make sure these ones did not die, put them in the care of an aoidei if she must, but they would be fine - depending on how much sun the flowers needed to thrive, they might do very well in the garden...The boy watched on with wide eyes, not once occurring to him to ask such technical questions. Flowers ! He got to have flowers ! Though, he wondered how Adi would get them from the ground to the pot without hurting them... Meepfur "They're really easy," Adi answered, settling back down by the flowers and starting to dig out a red snapdragon with her hands. The soil was relatively loose and easy to dig in. "They're supposed to have sun, but...everything seems to be doing okay without it. Water them when their soil gets dry, just enough to make it kinda damp." Zero Dream The goddess remained still, scooping her skirt out of the way so the little werewolf could make her way around more easily as she needed. "They will probably do good in the open garden..." Well, it was a garden of sort, full of random greenery, but mostly used and beloved for it's fountain and fresh air."Hm-n." The young boy nodded in agreement with his mother, though his attention remained sorely on Adi, and what she was doing. Meepfur "Ohh, you have a garden?" Rio asked, curious. He'd always liked flowers, but he'd become especially fond of them in this self. Excited about them, even!Adi dug the flower out carefully, cradling it in her hands before nesting it gently in the pot. As she moved on to a blue one, she listened attentively for Aunt Echo's answer. She wanted to see her garden! Zero Dream "Well, it is a bit like a garden, though there is not much plantlife yet. Your own is certainly much more impressive." She admitted, smiling. "There are some small trees and plants... But I am not sure what they exactly are, beside the rose bushs." She had focused more on making the whole thing into being rather than on specific details. "There is a fountain... And it is open to the elements, not under a roof. It's... more of a zen garden than anything else, really." Meepfur "There's Orin and Ea to thank for that," Rio said with a chuckle. "Adi and I maintain it, more than anything.""What's a zen garden?" Adi asked as she put the second flower in the pot. "Can I see it?" Zero Dream "It is... I believe it is more of an asian thing." The goddess said. "A place more focused on relaxation. And of course you can come to see it if you want, though I have already stolen a whole lot of your father's and your's time, hmm ?" Even wrecked their game of hide and seek ! "You can even take one of the roses to transplant here if you wish, though you will need to watch out for thorns..." Meepfur "We have lots of time!" Adrienne was quick to assure her aunt, tail wagging fiercely. There was a whole different kind of garden she'd never even heard of before, and she wanted to see it! And then she could tell her father about it, even if he probably already knew what they were. And she could have a rosebush! Rio could make roses, but they were already cut and everything. "Do you have any pink ones? Or yellow ones?""Good luck ever getting rid of her now," Rio cautioned his guest, laughing. Zero Dream "I think it may be more accurate to for me to say, 'Good luck having your daughter back'" Echo said with a small laugh. After all, who wouldn't want to keep Adrienne ? She had been about to answer the young girl, but she saw her son fidget a bit and said nothing."Hn..." The boy thought on for a moment. "Have... pink and red and yellow and white. Kios like white best." Lament said with a sage nod. He wasn't exactly allowed to touch them, thorns and all, but he rather liked to look at them. Meepfur "At least I'll know where to go when I want to visit her," he replied with a chuckle.And red and white? That was awesome! "Pink is my color," Adi explained, pulling on her tail ribbon with her dirty fingers for emphasis, "And yellow is Papa's. Someday I'll have a rose that's both." Zero Dream "I see." Echo offered with a smile. "That would make a very lovely gift, would it not ? Or a lovely reminded of the love you hold for each other. I fear I cannot help much, beyond perhaps letting you have a bush of each... I fear I do not know much about flowers."Lament pondered for a moment, blinking in thought. "They make roses blue 'n black ?" He asked. "Or purple 'n black ?" Or light blue and purple. Or green and purple and blue and black !
That was alot of colors for one flower. Probably not.
Akakios waited as his cousin finished potting the snapdragons, and when she would be done, he would show her his mommy's place. Meepfur "Maybe I can use them to make roses that are both!" Of course, she had absolutely no idea how to go about breeding roses, but maybe she could ask Aunt Kishara? Papa would know, but it would be better if it was a surprise...
"There aren't any blue roses," Adi informed her cousin sadly, patting the soil around the newly-potted snapdragons, "Or black ones or green ones. There are some purple ones, though."Rio smiled quietly, happy to listen to his daughter's conversation and plans. He would have to find a way to help her acquire that pink and yellow rose of hers. Now that it had occurred to her, she'd probably want to breed it, and he had no idea how to do that. Well, a little bit of an idea, but not much of one. Zero Dream Akakios seemed both delighted and saddned at once. "Aww..." His small face pulled into a tiny frown before lighting up again, looking up at his mother. "Can have purple roses ?"Echo gave a chuckle, ruffling her son's curly hair fondly and pretending not to hear his noises of protest. "We shall see."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:23 pm
Shinies For Mum ((Note - There is more to this rp, but only the bits relevant to Echo and Kios have been logged. The full version will be in Soto's journal.))Reyna Crelos  Soto was still and quiet. Both things were quite odd if not a bit disturbing given the child's usual demeanor. The only movement that came from his form was that of his brightly glowing wisp-like eyes that were carefully following the elegant form of his worried mother. Occasionally he would sigh softly when she did, or his brow would furrow with worry when she happened to look upset for the briefest, flickering moment. Eventually, he became restless as he was often wont to do. Without much warning, save for the barely there sound of his feet landing upon the floor, he jumped up and ran to his mother.
He offered her the brightest of his brash grins and threw his arms about her delicate waist. Had he only been a little older, he likely would have picked her up and swung her around the way he would his beloved sister. "Mum!" he announced as he nuzzled over against her side and all but threw himself into her arms. "It be okay," he told her before repeating in a more insistent tone, "It be okay."Zero Dream
Soto was not the only one to watch his mother's movements carefully - Kios did, as well, from where he was sitting, golden eyes going back and forth as he leaned against his sister, clearly a bit upset by the turn of events, tiny brow furrowed in a way that did not match his father or older brother, but indeed got the point across.
He glanced at his older brother silently before he went, deep in thought. This was not right... this was not right at all. He did not like this. There had to be something they could do, right ?
And if someone was to know, it would be Soto, of course. Maybe mommy needed a puppy... ?She was pacing again. The goddess had not even noticed it, just like the other times this day. It seemed that as long as she could keep herself busy, to keep her mind focused on something, anything but her future husband and the fact that there are yet been no news, all was well.
But the second she had nothing to do, nothing to truly focus on... she simply started up again.
It was the grip on her waist that stopped her, one hand moving to run though her eldest's hairs before she moved to sit so he could reach toward her face if he wished. It... was better than pacing, she figured.
Her children seemed to all be taking it much better than she did. They were the ones handling it right, of course. Then why couldn't she do the same ? She tried... but it was hard to just let go.
Though... She knew all too well that she had to. "I know, my dear. You're right." She offered with a smile - strained but genuine. "Mommy knows all that in her head, but it's like her heart does not... I am sorry, my dear."Reyna Crelos  Little Guardian huffed a bit and waived his hand in a nonchalant way as though to indicate to his mother that she was indeed being silly without outright telling her she was being silly. "No being sorry, Mum. Why sorry? No need for," he murmured sweetly as he leaned into her hands and wiggled closer to her. He hummed quietly under his breath some aimless tune before reaching to pet at her hair in return. It seemed like a good idea. It certainly lent him comfort when he was upset and making pouty faces like his mum.
His humming turned into an odd, half disjointed mumbling sort of song. He was not nearly so musically inclined as his brother, or even his sister, but it hardly seemed to matter that he come up with words. His mother would know what he meant just fine. "Would find you shines," he sing-songed in a loving voice, "Too make you smile."Zero Dream "I am indeed being very silly." It seemed the goddess had guessed, even thought he had not said so outright - one hand traveled upward to pluck the pins that held her hair in place, sending it falling down, blue and purple strands shifting much like small waves. every time she did but the smallest movement.
"But who needs shinies to smile... She joined in, smile more genuine and clearly touched by Guardian's care. "When the greatest treasures surround me daily ?" The goddess trailed a finger on his cheek, lightly. Reyna Crelos Sotiris continued to hum happily, infinitely pleased with himself that his mother had taken up his song and made it that much better. He reached for her soft waves of hair and began to gently plate tiny braids into his hair. He had become rather adept at it from watching his father do the same to both his mother and Chrys' hair -- but Lady Music did not shriek at the prospect of having her hair braided.
"Would bring you shines," he murmured again, trying to follow her far more elegant tune, "For smiles and laughs. So mother might shine prettifulll-y." Thabara  Crys remained snuggled against her younger brother for most of the time, but she was listening closely. Nothing escaped her sharp senses – their mother's restles pacing, the faind sounds the goddess' robes and golden strings caused as they rustled across the floor, the silmutaneous sighs she and Sotiris heaved …
It had been hard to not notice their mother's growing distress, even for her. Least of all for her, perhaps, for there was a certain air about the goddess of music, faint, but familiar. The air of loss. As if she was afraid that daddy might never come back.
The young Grief frowned. That seemed ridiculous. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't imagine anything that would keep their parents parted for long. Sometimes daddy was busy, which meant he stayed away for a few days. And to make a place for all the many dead people just meant he would be very busy, possibly turning days into weeks. Maybe she could ask aunt Cosine to figure out how long he'd be gone.Zero Dream Echo did her best to stay as still as possible, in order not to hinder her son's careful work if she could avoid doing so. She had no idea he knew how to braid... well, he had not picked that from her, that much was certain. Her own skill with hair left much to be desired, it would seem.
"I would shine for you, beautiful and true, my dear." She hummed in return. "Smile and laugh for you. With you. Will you one day show me the best-guarded wonders of this world, little Guardian ? For perhaps the best treasures are sweet memories..."Seeing his mother happy once more - even though he could still feel her sadness, her worry rooted deep inside of her heart, persistent, pulsing, almost as if calling to him - seemed to settle the youngest child somewhat, though he did not leave his sister's side for the moment. It was Soto's moment, not his. At least not yet. He was glad, more than anything, that he could make their mother forget her anxieties, if only for one moment.
"S'not right." He whispered into his sister's sensitive ear. She would know what he meant - she felt it too, this feeling, would she not ? She always did. They often felt similar things at the same time, though differently.
Mommy was supposed to smile, to laugh, to sing, to dance, to play... not to be worried about things she ought not to be worried about. Even he had stopped doing so and accepted the occurrence as something that had needed to happen, and that things would one day settle and that all would be well.
Then why couldn't she ? Adults... could be so silly. Thabara Crys' fingers shifted to intertwine with those of her younger brother's, as if she had sensed some of what was going through his mind, and she nodded. Sad songs and sighs, these were for her and her brother, not for their mother. Maybe if they brought her gifts, like their father had, that would cheer her up? For now, however, Soto's disharmonic sing-song seemed to do the job just right. Reyna Crelos Sotiris chuckled quietly as he nuzzled over against his mother as he listened to her beautiful voice sing. His eyes drifted half closed in his contentment. "Of course would find treasure and shines for you!" he declared outright, "For ever and ever find things for my mum."
He turned to face her with an air of seriousness and a smirk on his face as he held her face between his hands, fingertips threading through her long locks at her temples. "Will find you a treasure. For cheering." He kissed her forehead and skittered away with a skip to his step, tail wagging in his excitement as he went to fetch the small satchel he had claimed as his own.
It was time for some es'ploring! Zero Dream And Echo did little to stop him, a smile on her face as she watched her eldest skitter off. After all, she had talked over this for quite a length of time with the three of them - they could go as they wished, on their own, as long as they did not leave the pantheon. She knew very well that nothing too bad could happen to them here, under Creation's watchful eyes. They were allowed to go beyond that only if they had someone accompanying them, and if she heard wind of this not being respected... then there would be consequences. She had not spoken of just what, but she had seemed rather serious. Lacrymosa and Akakios, she fully expected to listen, but Sotiris... was another matter.
But she had a trump card for that.That trump card, in fact, was laying against the wall beside the door and, by all appearances, taking a nap, though the familiar sound of the footsteps of her young master made one black, smoke-trailing ear perk up, and by the time Sotiris would exit, Shima would be sitting, tail wagging and greeting him with a wuff.
Where were they going today ? Reyna Crelos The little godling had enough presence of mind to pause near the door and pet Shima atop her head fondly. It would require effort, but he figured he could probably escape her if he put his mind to it. Given the circumstances, however, he wasn't exactly intent on causing his mother any sort of worry. She was already distraught enough. He wasn't about to add to it; at least not while he was in her presence and blatantly within both plain sight and hearing range.
"Okay, Mum," he declared, tail still wagging behind him with pent up excitement, "Will be back with Puppy to bring you shines." He darted forward quickly to hug his sister and kiss her cheek before whispering quietly, "Will bring you things, too, Sis." He pat Kios' atop his head and nodded towards him with a sort of knowing glance. While his youngest sibling got on his nerves with his constant cuteness, he at least knew they were on the same page. Plus, he made for an excellent cohort.
"Come on Shima-puppy," he murmured with a grin as he skipped out the door before taking off at a run while cackling with glee. "Race youuuuu~uuu," his voice echoed down the hallway back to his mother and siblings. Zero Dream "Be careful, now." Echo said with a smile.Kios only nodded in answer to his elder brother. They were, indeed, on the same page on this one. Something needed to be done to cheer their mother up again... and Lament was not especially good at cheering. It was simply not in his base nature.
But Soto would find something. He was sure of it. He and Crys could stay here and watch over mommy.Shima's smoky tail kept on wagging, the shapeshifter acting much more like a puppy than the large shadow-beast she looked to be in reality, awaiting to see where her young master wished to go today.
When the green godling suddenly went into a run, she was quick the rush behind him, carefully maneuvering around the door frame and stairs without colliding into anything, though it looked like she was intentionally keeping him ahead.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:24 pm
And I'm haunted
By the lives that I have loved
And actions I have hated
I'm haunted
By the promises I've made
And others I have broken
I'm haunted
By the lives that wove the web
Inside my haunted head
-- "Haunted" – Poe Breakdown Every day seemed to become longer and longer, stretch into infinity. It was getting harder to get though them, and it was harder to be able to concentrate on anything other than her missing love. It seemed like it had been ages since he made his decent, ages since the ghosts were called, ages since there had been no more contact howsoever. In truth, it had been only been about a week and an half. Ridiculous, truly ridiculous. The goddess herself knew all too well that she was over-reacting, badly. That the only thing she was doing was hurting herself and making it very much harder to bear by her constant worrying. She knew, but her heart seemed to remain stubbornly unaware. Her feelings refused to listen to reason. Nothing good would come from walking down the path. Even her own children knew she was being ridiculous. That was saying something here. They did their best to cheer her up, made all this foolishness go away, but at least on that front, the goddess knew better. It was not something they could do for her. It was something that she had to do for herself. They were gone now, her little treasures. Jess agreed to take care of them, for this one night. It seemed like a very good idea. It was the first time in a very long time that the goddess was completely alone, her living quarters completely silent. No weak pretense to try to hold up. The silence was nearly deafening. It might as well have been, had it not been for the constant tune of her shifting wings. There was no one here. No one to hear her. No children to worry even more for their mother. Her feelings had gotten out of hand. Way, way out of hand. Such was the downsides of having an highly creative mind, and a deep emotional depth. Sometimes things got out of hand. Sometimes, these things were not warranted. Echo knew only one way to truly fix it. Let it all out, let it all go away. Scream it out. Get it all down to a manageable level. She did not bother to leave the garden, or even go get one of her instruments. She simply folded one wing to her front and let her fingers dance on the multiple strings. It was almost like a harp... but not quite. Yet the goddess had no problem with it. It was, after all, part of her. She let the strings do the crying. The screaming. Notes so high, so sharp, that for a moment she feared the glass around her would shatter, but she refused to stop. Let it shatter. It could be replaced. She needed this, perhaps, more than anything else at the moment. He trusted her – why could she not trust him ? Her love seemed very skilled at getting into trouble indeed, but who could say this was what happened in this case ? She did not know what had truly happened. No one knew. She had no way to know what truly had happened, at least not yet. The more this went on, the easier it seemed to become to think. To truly convince herself that yes, worry was warranted. To not worry, even the slightest, meant that she did not care. That was impossible, undoable for her. She could accept that. But on the flipside ? It was much too early to worry. She did not know what happened. Yes, there was the lack of communication, and yes, it was the knowledge of just what Destruction had told her love, long ago – she probably would not have been able to forget it even if she tried - but honestly ? She could do nothing about that. It had always been out of her reach. Beyond her. Instead of giving in to those worries, she ought to focus on the things she could do. Take care of her children. Help bring hope and motivations to the mortals – after all, her suffering was nothing next to their's. And, if the time came, she would need to focus on getting to him. Not on what happened. Her energy was spend better elsewhere, without making her miserable in the process. The notes played grew sharper, for once last time, before going silent, the goddess let her hands flop at her side. She felt... drained. Almost literally. But that was a good thing. With this came true clarity. True calm. The silence did not feel deafening anymore. The world looked a little less grim. What she had to do now was to hold on to this. Hold on to this calm. Not let her imagination and emotions blow things out of proportion again.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:25 pm
Seeking A Queen Zero Dream She had thought about it for a few days now... of one of the promises she had made, not to someone else but to herself. To return to Wellhaven. Nergal had told her about world-walking... and she could use the practice. One never knew when it could come in handy after all.
And so, she had put Sotiris and Lacrymosa to bed, appointed Akakios and her aoidei to watch over them... Took her violin with her and left. For some reason, she had not wished to attempt this inside, so she walked, went downstars, and stopped only when she felt the sensation of fresh air caress her skin. Wind... Where was she, now ? Most likely busy tending to her own. Echo let out a sigh. Perhaps she, more than anyone else, would understand...
But now was not the time. She remembered what she had been told, been taught, before her future husband had gone. Close your eyes... focus... Think about where you wish to go...
She took one step, and then she was gone, as if she had never been there.
The sensation of fresh air was gone, and her eyes opened once more. Where was she... ? She did not remember this part of the castle... had she done this wrong ? The room, at any rate, had seen better days - with some walls chipped and small holes there and there, Debris seemed to have been cleaned, however, but there was some remains of a caved in piano... ?
... She pondered this for a moment, and had to hold herself back from laughing. Apparently Nergal would not be the only one with amusing world-walking stories... She moved to exit the room, closing the door lightly behind her, which alerted some guards - but they recognized her, proving that she had, indeed, ended up where she had intended, and was led toward the throne room. Thabara Thought travelled faster than spoken word within the royal residence, so - by the time the doors to the great hall were cast open for her - everything had been prepared, and Julstecca was seated upon the throne. Even though it did seem from the Queen's appearance that she might already have had retreated to the privacy of her quarters for the day, wearing what could best be described as a very elaborate dressing gown instead of her usual dresses, and a maid indeed still fussing over her hair. She'd grown thin since they'd last seen each other, and the pallor of her skin was far beyond what might be considered fashionable for nobility. Yet she offered Echo a warm, welcoming smile nonetheless, motioning the maid at her side impatiently to let her hair be and leave, before she bent forward slightly. „If you had announced your coming,“ she chided lightly, „We would have been better prepared to accomodate to your needs, my Lady. And We … would certainly be more appropriately dressed.“ She definitely seemed amused rather than irritated though. Slowly the Queen rose from her seat, ascending the steps of the dais and then kneeling, acknowledging the Goddess as a Power higher than her own for everyone to see. „Welcome back, Voice of the Countless. We are pleased you would grace Us with your presence.“ Pleased indeed, in so many, many ways. The Old Gods had returned, the news had spread throughout the plane of Wellhaven, and the Monarchy of Brilsworth was blessed. Had they not come to their aid in their darkest time, helping them to withstand the much stronger powers of Irisun when things already had appeared hopeless and lost? And they continued to grace her court with their presence … Yet the Queen's veneration as she raised her head to meet Echo's gaze was genuine. It was hard to disregard the goddesses' sheer presence, the way the air she breathed seemed to hum and vibrate in tune with her wings. Zero Dream "I hope you may be able to forgive me for not giving you such notice, your highness." Her tone was equally light, showing that she had interpreted the queen's statement correctly. The goddess herself was dressed rather simply, yet such simplicity seemed only to enhance her natural elegance, her hair held up with a pair of chopsticks and, most importantly, the locket around her neck. She had hesitated for some time, unable to decide if it was better to wear it, or to not - as it may remind the queen of painful memories. In the end, she had decided to wear it. Perhaps, there was some comfort, some honor in seeing something precious adorn the form of a goddess ? Comfort, or pride maybe ? She would not know herself, and unlike those gathered around her, she was not skilled in reading minds.
"You will also need to forgive me for not bringing my children with me, though I must assume that Nergal told you much about them already ?" If he had not, then she would clearly have to remedy. She had even brought pictures, well-hidden in the secret pocket of one sleeve, to be revealed in due time, if her future husband had not thought about doing so previously herself.
As she bowed, she provided her own gesture of respect as a bow of the head - it was, after all, her court, and she was queen. It was not the submission she got from her subjects, but respect that they were both women of power. She had tought little of all that, however - it seemed right for her to do, and so she did.
"Rise." She said, then continued. "I am glad to see you well. Nergal had told me that you had fell ill..." She seemed to be recovering, at least. "I wished to thank you, for your gifts. They were deeply appreciated."
Perhaps she should have brought something in return ? She had not quite thought about it, and was not quite aware of the customs of her people - though she quite intended to learn of them eventually. Natural curiosity at it's finest.
"Trough... The pictures were still in the locket." She had not quite sure if that had been intentional or not. The goddess... did not feel right in having them. They were memories that belonged to the figure in front of her, of her husband and children who had departed. "I have brought them back, as I thought you may wish to keep them." Thabara „He mentioned them,“ the Queen said vaguely, the topic of the children seeming too private to her to be discussed in the relative public of her court. It was a good thing the ambassadors had yet to arrive … A quick check with her advisors ensured her that none of their entourage was present either. She rose when prompted, one of the guards subtly aiding her back onto her feet and then remaining at her side should the Queen's still fragile strength falter. „We are pleased to hear the offerings were to your liking,“ she added, her gaze lingering upon the locket for a moment, the hint of a sad smile playing upon her lips. It vanished, however, as soon as the portraits within were mentioned, her wistful expression making place for carefully guarded neutrality. „Such matters should be discussed in a more private enviroment,“ she said diplomatically, wishing to spare the goddess (and herself) the embarrassment of yet another faux pax. She had to admit, she envied these gods for their obviously carefree attitude, being able to speak their minds as they wished, without regard of the consequences. Her staff reacted immediately, one of the guards politely motioning for the goddess to follow him into a nearby sitting room which had been hastily prepared for their arrival. Soon enough the two women were left alone, with only the maid from before unobtrusively standing by to be at their service. „Now,“ the Queen said with a somewhat relieved smile after the door had closed, „We certainly can converse more openly. Do not mind her,“ she added, inclining her head towards the servant, „she was handpicked by Ghalaviel and can be trusted.“ „We take it the courts of the Gods must be more easygoing and less riddled with intrigue than Ours?“ Slowly, aided by her maid, the Queen took her seat, inviting Echo with a small nod of her head to do the same. „Here, a careless word or thought can easily tip the scales in a very delicate balance, especially now that so much of the old hierarchy has crumbled. But ...“ She picked up the cup of tea which had been served to her, inhaling slightly before she took a sip. „We do not wish to bore you with the talk of politics.“ She leaned back, her gaze once more resting upon the locket she had given away. „He did indeed talk about your children, your pale beloved. He seems quite the proud father. We were very pleased to hear they are well and healthy, despite the troublesome era they have been born into.“ „As for the locket, We wished for you to have it as it was. We used to have many portraits of Our family, but these are the only ones which survived … And to offer what is most precious to the heart seemed only right.“ She smiled, a hint of mischief glinting in her dark eyes. „Besides, We hoped it would help your future husband to remember their faces.“ She paused, something about the way the goddess' eyes darkened telling her that it might have been her own turn to blunder just now. Zero Dream "It seems like you will need to forgive me once more." The goddess admitted, slight embarrassment on her features as she followed the guard. She had not thought about this before speaking, and it seemed like much of the subtilities of the mortal court yet escaped her. She had thought nothing ill of simply speaking of those things. These were surely not things she felt were to be confined behind a closed door, at least the matter of her children.
The matter of the locket... yes, this was indeed a faux-pas, she noticed belatedly. The goddess remembered little of her court of old, and of the court of all gods as a whole - surely she must have once been more thoughtful than this ? More careful ? These things forgotten, among so many... But she did not admit it out loud, even as the question came. "I believe it may be more an issue with my own self then of the court I attend, your highness." She admitted, as she took the seat offered to her. Echo was not a politician, not a leader of men and women - she was, after all, a force. A feeling. A muse. "And I must assure you that you do not bore me. In fact... these may be things I need to learn."
She nodded silently at the mention of her children. A proud father indeed, and she the proud mother, all but beaming at the mention of her three little treasures. There was, however, indeed a reaction as the queen went on, though Echo said nothing, closing her eyes for a moment and waiting for it to simply pass. "He will know. And he will remember." She answered with no doubt or hesitation in her voice. "I am sure of it. Rest will come to those you held dearest to your heart." Thabara „That is good then.“ The Queen closed her eyes for a moment, her expression almost peaceful.„Those whose minds have been eaten by a Speaker's power, their souls are not whole anymore, such the Keeper of the Dead told Us. We feared they might be in unrest forever, just as the ghosts which have haunted the Woldpost. If they can move on, then so can We.“ There was honest relief in her words. „In fact We do have more noble guests currently. Ambassadors of the high houses Eccthelion and Methenes, both of which have an unwed Prince with a Speaker's power. That they chose to undertake such a long journey under these difficult conditions, with no stars to navigate by … It is more than promising.“ Zero Dream "All will be well, your highness." Echo said once more, with a nod of the head. "There is a place for them once more, though... I do not know how far along it is, only that the dead have started to pool in... thanks to my youngest son's keen senses with ghosts. I have not heard from Nergal in awhile. The process must be keeping him rather busy... But it needed to be done." The goddess did her best to look as calm and composed as she could, and for once, it worked. Venting it all out... had helped. Tremendously. She feared she would have most likely hit the calling by now had it not.
"That does seem rather promising." She could indeed tell at the very least that, and probably how such an alliance would likely strengthen both kingdoms. She could not even dare imagine how many twist and turns courts could take, with these people able to read each other's minds... surely they had some way to shield themselves, to keep what they wished to remain unseen to themselves ? If not... then the goddess had no idea how they could even live like this. Thabara „Rebuilding,“ the Queen said, inclining her head, „is never easy. Especially if One has to start from scratch, and alone. But We have felt the effect of His efforts, Lady, even here. Report reached Us that the Woldpost is finally free of its haunting, that the pass can be traveled without hazard to One's wellbeing. A shrine will be built there, so that travelers can offer their prayers, just as He wished for.“ She set down her cup, eyes glinting with curiosity and humor. „But, such grave topics were not all that was discussed between us upon His visit. Did His gifts please you? Did He recite poetry, such as We advised? He seemed very interested in how Prince Herus gained Our favor.“ Zero Dream "I am sure he will appreciate." Echo smiled. "And I would like to visit it once it is completed." It was good to know that the ghosts were gone where they belonged, and were finally at peace. She remembered her own adventures in the Worldpost and could barely repress the shiver that the still-too-clear memories caused in her back. Thankfully, it seemed, the children had either never known anything of it, or had forgotten.
"They have." She answered with a nod. "That he managed to accomplish all this without me noticing a thing... Surely, even my own servants were aware of this." Her smile turned amused. It had been a rather delightful night, if she overlooked how it all ended. She would rather remember the good. "There was no poetry... He must have forgotten. That would have been rather delightful." Perhaps she could tip the scales, and sing for him.
"Well then... do consider myself curious as well. How had he courted you, your highness ?" A simple question, but one that might result in her learning a few things of this foreign culture. Thabara „So he found his allies in your servants.“ The Queen leaned back a little, smiling. „It is a feat that could not be achieved here, in this world. Our servants, to keep any secrets of Us, even if it were for the means of a pleasant 'surprise' – inconceivable. We would have them put to trial and executed for treason.“ Julstecca's eyes were cold for a moment, her lips forming a thin line like a blade, before she smiled again, hesitantly. „We envy you, for living in a world where trust can be earned so much easier, where not everyone has to keep their minds closely guarded at all times.“ „That is how Herus won Us over. Sweet, sweet Herus … He was Prince of a House distantly related to Ours. Of suitable rank, but more importantly, he was an apt Speaker. The only one for his House to produce in this generation, but there have been several in the generations before. A precious bloodline. The match had been arranged.“ „However, he still courted Us as it was proper. Proving to Us his wit, his sharp thinking, his tactical understanding – that he was fit to be Prince Consort at Our side. But moreso … he truly tried to not only win Our favor, but Our heart as well. All these little gifts and poems, trying to find what would please Us without ever attempting of Reading Us … Yet the moment when he opened his mind completely to Us, allowing Us to see how deep his love was, and his trust ... We think that was when We fell for him.“ Her smile was sad, wistful. „We do not know if you can even remotely comprehend what it is like for Us – to sleep in another's presence, with your mind unguarded. Trust, it is such a rare treasure here. It is what We advised to your future husband – to trust in you, and prove that he himself can be trusted. To be truthful to you, if he truly loves you, and keep no secrets even if he thinks it is for your own good and protection. Us women, queens and mothers and godesses – We are not that fragile, are We?“ Her lips curved up by a little, half challenging. Zero Dream The goddess listened, in silence - at least in as much silence as it was possible for her - careful to keep her expression interested, rather than judgmental. There were things she did not quite agree with, but she had one very important point.
She did not know just how it was to live in a world like this, with these things being considered as commonplace. To constantly be in fear of others being able to see her innermost thoughts, which the goddess had always thought to be sanctuary and solace, until she had come to this world, to this culture. Not that most could reach into her mind, that she knew all too well. But it was the prospect itself that puzzled her.
She did not know just how one was supposed to live their own lives with their minds tightly guarded, daring only to think lightning-quick thoughts in fear that one may look and take advantage of them.
"No, I do not think I can." Echo admitted, after the tale was done. "But I can understand how important it was. How the act touched your heart so."
And then she nodded. That he had been so open with her before he left... perhaps this had been part of the why. "No, we are not." It was something that she only realized recently, that she had her own strength, though perhaps different than anyone else's. "If we were, we would not be in the places we are now." Thabara „True.“ Julstecca nodded, observing her opposite carefully. It was evident that the goddess took more care now in schooling her expression than she previosly had. She'd learned her first lesson it seemed, even if she was a mere disciple still. „So … will you go after him?“ she asked, after a little pause. The Netherlord had been cryptic at best about his future plans, and she could not read the goddess nor did she dare attempt to try and bespeak her – not after what Ghalaviel had reported to her back then, and what she herself could sense right now even if she wasn't consciously looking for it. The goddess' mind was burning like a hot, bright flame. Something far, far greater than a mere mortal's. Get too close to it, and she'd burn to cinders, like a moth in a lantern's light. To 'read' her through her reactions and expressions instead was a challenge, but a delightful one at that. Zero Dream "I do not know yet." The goddess said, finally pulling the case of her instrument in front of her on the table, careful not to take up all the space on it, though it seemed more than large enough to accommodate twice what space the two women could probably take up together. "We have come to an agreement, that was fair for the both of us... I will leave him to tend to his realm as he needs to, and not come to see until he tells me as long as he sends some kind of message to let me know things are going as he planned on his end. Until he deems it ready. If he does not send any message, after a certain time... Then I am to go and see what is happening." It was all said with a calm that she would have been able to possess, a mere few days earlier.
"...Though, I figure it would be more accurate to say I will go after him eventually, the only difference is that I am not sure just when as of yet." After all, it was no secret that, remaking a whole place, a whole world from nothing, was quite the task, and neither was the fact that he was remaking it something he would consider private. The goddess had, most definitively, been working on her awareness of such things, if only for her love's sake. The agreement, she found, was based of a short length of time, given the task... but it also spoke of mutual respect - of her respect for his will to carry on this on his own, and his respect for the fact that she would worry for him, alone down there. Thabara „To descent into the Realm of the Dead to go after your lost love … It sounds like it might be one of the legends of old, but if there was, it is lost to Us now. The books in the library have withered to dust and mold. You yourself have seen the state of what used to be the music room. This castle only still stands, ironically, because it is old. It was built a fortress, with strong walls to withstand physical combat.“ „And the elderly, the bards and sages who might have been able to recount, have all passed away. We severely miss their advice and experience.“ She heaved a heavy sigh, but then seemed to come to some sort of a resolve, her eyes brightening as she looked at the goddess. „Will you tell Us of your story whence you return? It will be a grand tale, We are certain. And when so much has been lost – what better to do than to create new tales, new songs, in this age that the old gods walk among the mortals again?“ Needless to say, the tale of how the gods had first appeared to help Brilsworth in its time of greatest need, and battle off the forces of Irisun, was already a favorite especially among the Eldelli. Zero Dream "There were indeed acts like these, a long time ago." The goddess said. She did not use the world legend. She may not quite remember everything, but she indeed knew that they were more than that. Ishum and Jinx often had interesting stories in that regard... One that she found herself liking over the others.
It seemed like this kingdom relied at the very least partway on bards to teach it's lore and culture to the younger generations. The loss would probably be rather deep. There will need to be new ones, young and willing to learn all they possibly could from those who remain, or many other things would be lost.
Slender fingers traveled to pop the case open, revealing the violin inside, it's wood darkened and cracked, but the strings shining a bright gold. "I can do so, when I return. Tales of Worlds spanning under the earth we walk on. But there is another story I can tell. I will tell it to you, to make sure if will not be forgotten. I would like you to chose one, or a few of the upcoming bards, and tell it in turn. This way, not all will be lost."
The goddess took the instrument, and propped it in place, her free hand reaching for the bow and bringing it to the strings. She had dreamed of this, a long time ago, but had remembered little. It had been Ishum who had told her about it, one night, after two of her children had been asleep, and the third gone with his father for place unknown. She did not known the whole thing, but she knew enough to retell. After all, what good legend had not been romanced at least a little.
The bow moved, and the violin started to sing. And so did the goddess.
"Long ago, there was a man, named Orpheus, a follower of Music, beloved and talented. His songs could move the heart of even the sternest man. He was to be wed to a lovely maiden, named Euridice, whom he loved deeply. A few weeks before their wedding, however, Euridice was bitten by a snake and found much too late for anything to be done, even by the most skilled healer of the town. The lovely maiden passed on, and left her lover heartbroken. He sang and cried, and so did the whole town with him.
He went to his Lady, and asked for Euridice to be returned to him, else he may never be able to weave happy stories again. She told him there was nothing that could be done, for such was the way things were. They would eventually be re-united once more, either in Death or in Rebirth. Stuck by Grief, Orpheus refused to listen. If his Lady would not help him, he swore, then he would go to the Underworld and bring her back himself.
With his lyre as his only weapon, he carried on his journey - traveling for months until he finally found the gate. The lyre's notes were deep and soulful enough to charm even the mighty Cerberus and allowed him entry, and he went to the King and the Queen to plead his case. The King wanted nothing to do with this, as one would surely know, but the Queen had another idea. She told Orpheus that if he could reach the Gates and leave without looking over his shoulder to look at his beloved, then he could have her back. Certain that he could do such, the mortal accepted, and set on his task. However, as he climbed the stairs to the gate, he could not hear her footsteps, and, by pure reflex, turned... Only to see the fair face of her ghost trailing behind him, before she faded and was lost forever to him." Thabara The Queen listened enraptured, and when the mournful song ended, there were tears glinting in the corners of her eye. „Such folly …“ she whispered quietly. If it was Orpheus' fateful look behind she was referring to, or that he had decided to try and cheat death in the first place, she did not say. Zero Dream "Indeed." The goddess said, letting both instrument and bow back into the case after the last few notes had trailed out and died. She handled them so carefully one might as well though they were as much her children at the three little godlings so often seen trailing her. "For taking her away would have removed her from the cycle of life and death, at least until she was found and brought back... She would not have known peace. Would not possibly have been reborn."
She understood little of those things... but at least she understood this much.
"I had to go and apologize to his folly... It was how we first met, ages ago." Thabara „Nor would she ever have found peace of mind, We trust. What her husband did, even if it was with the best intentions, would no doubt have weighed heavily on her conscience. We too miss Our Prince and children dearly and wish they had not been taken from Us so early ... But there are Laws and Rules which are to be neither bent nor broken.“ „We do hope the Lord and Lady of the Nether did not make her suffer more at least, for what your acolyte did must have broken hear heart already. We would like to know, was he punished for his insolence, or was he allowed to live out the rest of his days in peace?“ She tilted her head slightly. „You will fare better than he, We trust. After all what you seek to retrieve is rightfully yours.“ Zero Dream "I honestly doubt that they would have." The goddess said with a nod of the head. Why punish the one who was not at fault ? She had not heard much of Euridice after that fact. Ishum had little to say about that, and if she had once known, she did not anymore. That was so long ago, and before their fading... It was likely that the soul may not exist anymore. Or otherwise reincarnated.
The second question required more thought to answer correctly. She tried to remember, but little came. "Orpheus was under my jurisdiction, ultimately, and not their own. I must have done something about it..." Had she ? She... had never been an autoritive person, had she ? Kind... Gentle... Easy to forgive. But that matter had went beyond her and involved others... Thabara „You do not remember,“ Julstecca said matter-of-factly, idly wondering if a Speaker's power could bring forth that sort of memory. But only for a moment. „We do not mind, We were merely curious.“ „However ...“ She glanced at the candles, seemingly only now noticing how far they had burned down. „It is time for Us to retire, or else We will not be capable of handling state affairs tomorrow morning. There is a room ready for you, should you wish to stay?“ Zero Dream She had not wanted to admit it, but it seemed her expression and mannerisms gave it away. "You are right. It all happened a long time ago... before we were Unmade and Remade. Memories of that time are rather scarce. Much like glass shards... some are bigger and clearer, but most are mere dust." Her aoide mostly acted as her memory... but even they did not know everything.
"Of course. I do not wish to distract you from your duties, your highness." The goddess said with a smile. "I would enjoy staying the night indeed. Traveling in this way is foreign and tiring to me still..."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:27 pm
The Second Son's Gift The goddess had returned from Wellhaven a few days ago, and found that the leave had done her much good - helped to truly stabilize the calm she had managed to bring upon herself. She still worried, true - she figured it was impossible for her to not worry, as it would most likely mean that she did not care - but it no longer ate at her heart and mind. It no longer seemed to paralyze her, no longer seemed like it would swallow her whole. It was a relief for her, and she figured it would also be a relief for her beloved children, who no longer would have to deal with her pendulum-like mood swings. Echo had, in her rebirth, learned that there were multiple kind of strength. Strength of body, strength of mind, strength of character, strength of emotion. Different strengths for different individual. Perhaps the true strength of emotion was not to keep the bad from happening, but to let it flow freely and to grow from it. To seek not to bind, but to live fully, yet knowing how and where to restrain. It would do the goddess good not to forget this, she felt. Perhaps some would find the concept of learning from mortals laughable, but she did feel like she should most likely pick up a few things from Queen Julstecca. Music wandered from the zen garden, having spent some time simply relaxing and focusing on both the sound of water dancing it's way down the rock fountain and on her own thoughts, and as such had not heard her youngest son skitter though the hallways, as she would usually have. She headed to the music room, to partake in her daily ritual of polishing her instruments. With a soft cloth in hand, she opened the case of her guitar, but was surprised to find a foreign object on top of the instrument. She worried for a second, before she noticed that it was not some kind of rock, or the bugs her daughter seemed to adore, or even stray crayons. No, it was a perfectly inoffensive piece of paper, folded in a rough, somewhat inequal half. She took it and, curious, unfolded it, revealing the child-like handwriting within. ... Many mothers would have, perhaps, worried at the realization of one of her children writing of dark things such at this. But Echo was not a 'normal' mother, and Akakios was certainly not a 'normal' son. And she would not have it any other way. But who had taught the boy to write such things, she wondered ? She knew that his father had started on the task, but not as far as this. And he had not come to her, perhaps afraid to bother her when she was so worried to begin with. It stung a bit, but she could understand. She would have to find that person and thank him. Or her. But for now, Music read over the unfolded note another time. That her son's handwriting had gotten sloppier on the second part provided some amusement. She did much the same, when she was writing she did not feel fit, or did not appreciate much. The last sentence, however, was written as nearly as his tales of sad things. It made her smile. Most likely her younger son's first written work... And it was her's. She would cherish this simple sheet of paper well into the ages that she hoped would come. Quote: Storm outside
Rain fall
People cry
Flower pretty then fade.
Then stop rain
Mommy smile again.
Kios ♥ Mommy, smile !
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:27 pm
Songbirds Three weeks and an half.There had still been nothing, and even if it was easier to bear, the goddess could not help but worry. It seemed rather certain, now, that something had to have happened. Especially keeping in mind the promise they had made. Had he been aware of something, would he not have sent word in some way, in order to keep her from going, if such was his intent ? It did not devolve her into a barely holding on mess of nervousness, but it worried her slightly. And as she often did in those cases, the goddess left to take a walk. The sky (or rather, the lack thereof) was as dark and empty as ever. It had been such a long time now, ever since she had last felt the warmth of the sun on her skin... If even she missed it so much, she could not bear imagine just what it had to be for the mortals. It was the other reason why she decided to go out and walk. This way she could see what had been done. There were beginnings of buildings, there and there, made mostly from what little material had been found that had been suitable. The people stopped their work to salute her, most bowing but others simply waving. She gave a nod and a smile to each and every one of them, stopped to sing to each group. She did not mind that her walk was, in a sense, interrupted in this way. It did not annoy her where it might have annoyed most. It was the least she could do. She did not wield shields to protect like Tian Yue, or the ability to spark life around them, like Creation and Gaia. But she could sing. She could gently remind them of home. Of dreams. That the world around them had not ended, and that it needed to be rebuilt. At least, for the children. There were so many children all of sudden, it seemed. Babies everywhere. The strongest, who had survived the unraveling of the worlds before they were even born, each and every one of them. The proud parents often came to present their children to her. Illien, the man she had met with the conch shell, had come to her, all smiles, holding an infant in his arms. His daughter. Such an adorable little girl, who cooed happily when she made various noises at her. It had basically been love at first sight. It was odd to think that her own children had never been so tiny. So vulnerable, and yet so strong. Almost a paradox in itself, it felt for her. She had eventually left Illien's settlement - nothing much more than a single common building at this point, for he eventually wished to return toward his village, when his daughter was a little bit older, to see if there were any survivors, and to spread the word about the gods. The thought had made her smile, in spite of the worry brewing in her heart. With her walk around the settlements done, she started to head back toward the Pantheon, but was stopped by the sound of a light song in the air, notes following each other with an amazing precision. Who was it that let out such notes... ? Suddenly curious, she went in the direction of the sound to figure it out. Only to see that it was not a person at all. No, instead it was a small bird. She remembered them so loosely, and only though her host's memories, as they had seemed to all but fade away when Destruction had taken full hold of things. She had no clue what species this one was, black, tan and white feathered, and rather small... but it sang beautifully, and she could not help but stare in surprise, and listen in wonder. The chickadee did not seem to mind the presence of the goddess, and kept on twitting along happily with it's song, only stopped when such was imitated by the woman looking from down below. The sight was amazing to her. Every time she stepped outside, there seemed to be something new, things seemed a little more green, the tree held more leaves, their bark no longer cracked and charred. And now, the songbirds made their appearances again. The goddess had forgotten how much she loved them. Must like cats, they made their own music. Cats with their purring, and birds with their songs. It was beautiful. The whistled the bird's tune again and it answered, much to her delight, though it showed no inclinations to move from it's branch toward her stretched-out finger. All these things, that she barely remembered. She could experience them all now. She could show them to her children. It made her happy.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:29 pm
One Month And One Day It had been one month and one day. It had seemed to be much longer than that, even once she had managed to get a hold on herself, the day stretching out. But now... Now it was time. The goddess had made a promise, and she fully intended to keep it. The children where in bed – they had at least an hour or two before Akakios would probably wake, and require distraction once more. Even if her youngest did not quite require overseeing and was still rather calm, she was still rather queasy at the thought of leaving him entirely by his lonesome. Before, while she had slept, well... there had been Nergal. But not anymore. The three aoidei had came, as she had asked of them – Concerto had been more present as of late, helping with the rebuilding and mostly returning to his former standing, now that Adrienne was a little bit older, and Rio did not require his services as much as he once did, though he still often dropped by. After all, even if she'd tried to reclaim him fully ? The goddess honestly doubted that the adorable white haired girl would let it happen. They had gotten quite attached, by the way he always spoke fondly of her. But it would have the wait. The three, brothers of different coloring and similar face, watched her, waiting for her to speak. ”I will be going.” Echo finally spoke. ”To the Underworld, to see what has happened.”She had not expected it to go smoothly, and it did not. Alto looked downright spooked, Tempo's features pulled into a frown, and Concerto was, perhaps, the only one who seemed to take the matter rather well. “My lady.” The black-haired aoidei started. “You... please. It would be better to send one of us. It might be... very dangerous.””I am well aware of it.” The goddess answered, fixing ever-shifting eyes on her guard. Of course, he would say that, though Concerto having no comment on the matter left her rather perplexed. She had honestly thought he would join in, in an attempt to convince her of the danger of such a trip. ”I do not know just what will awaits beyond those gates, but I am going. This is not up to question.”“My lady, please ! What about the children ?””We are perfectly able to take care of them, Tempo.” It was only then that the dark blue haired aoidei spoke, almost glaring from where he was sitting. ”I swear it's like you haven't learned a damn thing, Tempo. I doubt that long sleep we went though could have affected your brain that much.”“And just what are you trying to say ?” Tempo looked equally as annoyed. ”You know very well what im trying to say. You need to stop treating her like a baby that need constant protection, or you know very well just what could possibly happen.”“Oh, don't you even dare go there, Concerto.” Tempo's glare narrowed beyond a level that could have been considered safe, and while Alto was trying to sign to both his brothers to calm down, they where doing a very good job at ignoring him. And they where also doing a very good job at ignoring their lady, who kept trying to interject, but the brothers' tone kept on going upward, beyond the level she was calmly keeping her own. ”And what if I do ? You damn well know that im right. She needs you, im not denying that, but if you try to do every damn thing for her, she'll never learn. She'll never get stronger if you keep coddling her !”“Like you have any room to talk ! Where were you all this time, uh ? Oh, right, catering to the need of another god that is not the one you were meant to serve !””Excuse me ?I” It was Concerto's turn to lose his legendary calm. ”Just because I know how to follow orders...”“Orders my a** ! I doubt he ever needed you this much !”Alto was still trying to warn his brothers, in vain, for he was the one who actually was looking at the goddess – and who was seeing her own eyes narrow as well. And that last sentence was more than enough. ”And if you two would kindly BE QUIET ?”Warned you. Oddly enough, it was the mute one that got the last word – for now. Both the fact that her voice all but resonated across the room, and the angry look in those shifting eyes made both males stop in their track, eyes wide with... was that surprise ? Fear ? She couldn't tell, and at the moment she did not care. What she was witnessing, perhaps, was something deeply rooted, a pain unexplained from ages past, ages that she could not remember all too well, but it seemed that they where both quite able. ”You are going to wake the children if you keep on bickering like that.” She snapped, apparently happy to ignore the fact that she had just outdone the both of them quite radically. ”Though it honestly seem like it would both do yourselves some good to finally get all this mess aired up at last, so please do continue, but quietly if you please. You have me.... rather interested.”It sounded more like an order than anything else. To be honest, they had both quite forgotten that the very object of their bickering was standing right there, and both looked rather embarrassed now that the shock had faded. Though that did not seem to stop them for long, as Concerto spoke once more after a few seconds, though he seemed to have calmed. ”Tempo... Look at her.”He wanted to keep on arguing – unlike the other man, his temper was not so easily calmed, but the look Echo gave him when he opened his mouth was enough to silence him. Instead, he complied. What the hell was his brother going on about, it wasn't like he did not see her every day, unlike... The train of thought stopped before it could complete itself, and he continued to look at her. She looked almost exactly like she had in her prime – not quite, but almost – and starting back at him was the face he had once feared would be gone forever. He remembered the sorrow that was left in the wake of her passing, their shared decision to go to the Lord of All and sleep until the time would come that she may, perhaps, walk the worlds once more. But at the same time, that face looked completely different. She had always been shy and skittish before, from what he could remember. Almost as if uncertain how to assert her own authority as a goddess and of what to do with the gift that she had been given. A traditional maiden in every sense of the word, beautiful and fragile. Even in this life, this same shyness, this same uncertainty, had also been present. At least, he had been some time ago. But now ? It was not there when he looked. There was silent determination on her features instead. There was assurance, rather than fragile weakness. The black haired aoidei had never noticed before. Maybe he had not wanted to notice, that the most precious person in his existence was no longer what he had thought her to be. She... was meant to be protected, yes. But not in the same way he'd thought it to be. When had this happened ? Did it start with the barely-avoided end of all that is, or had the process started a long time ago, with a black-haired teenager he had never met and... honestly had never cared to learn much about ? He had heard she had been an awkward, shy girl of her own – perhaps, it had been once together that they had found their shared strength. Had he been clinging to the idea that things would be the same as they had been before ? Probably. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been the blind one – while his brother, the messenger, the caretaker, absent as he was, had seen it all unfold. ”Even Lord Nergal himself saw it.” He had never been told about it, of course, but he was not blind – he could very well see it, in the way he had looked at her as he had left. In the way they had both fought alongside each other to save everything. ”Can you ?”Tempo was, for once, silent, though his sudden interest with the ground seemed answer enough. ”I will be going.” Echo repeated once more, hand reaching to tilt her protector's head upward or not. ”With, or without your approval. I have promised, and I will not go back on my promise.”“I understand....” He spoke, just barely audible. It was loud enough for her to hear. ”I will try to world-walk first, though... I do not know if that will work.” It was not one of the means her lover had given her to reach his realm – perhaps he knew something that she did not on that aspect. ”If it does not, then I will go though the catacombs.”“I see. When will you start ?””Tomorrow.” She bit back her sigh. That.... had been something else, but perhaps it had needed to come out. Perhaps their resentment would have grown worse down the line, had it not come out now, and the last thing she needed was discord among her own servants ”At any rate... I do not know how long I will be gone, when I do finally leave.” The goddess noticed, too late, that she was mirroring her love's own words, and she could not help but frown, slightly. ”To you three, I will entrust what I have the most precious – my children. Please take care of them, when I will not be able to do so. If I know somehow that I will be gone long... then I will talk to them.””We shall, my lady.” Concerto finally slid from the chair he had been sitting all this time, trailing off toward the back. He was sure he'd heard someone stir back there...
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:30 pm
World-Walking : You're Doing It Wrong It was early morning – at least it was what the deities would be led to think by the morning dew that brushing against their bare feet as they had made their way outside, and the mass of sleeping mortals present. The odd pair had tip-toed past them the best they could, careful not to awaken any of them. And she would need to apologize to Cosine for taking her lover away from her this early into the day. Hopefully this would not take so long, and Ankou would return to her side before Numbers could even wake. The Spirit Guide trailed a few steps ahead of her even as she stopped, tilting his head to look at the blank sky for a moment, before turning to look at her. ”Are you ready ?” Always quick and to the point, it seemed. ”Yes.” The goddess said, her head low in gratitude. ”Thank you, again...” ”You are rambling.” The answer caught Music offguard, but she looked up in time to see a somewhat amused smile on the Spirit Guide's face, before it faded away. ”At any rate... You have done this before ?””Once.” But it had worked... so at least she knew how to do it. She knew how to do it, at least vaguely. She knew all too well that, beyond this, the Guide would not be able to follow her. ”The idea is much the same than what you have done, then.” Ankou's expression seemed distant, as if he was focusing on something she could not see. ”Just think of how you did it... But try to focus downward, instead of walking. Slipping down though the earth.””I understand.” That seemed rather logical. The goddess would have likely been able to figure that out herself, but there was... something oddly comforting about the fact that the younger god was there, for some reason. That there were always other willing to help her when she needed it. downward...
slipping down...She closed her eyes, and reached out, just like she had done to reach Wellhaven. She tried, and for one moment, the goddess was sure she had found it... ...And then it had slipped away, gone, and she opened her eyes to see that she had not moved an inch, and that the Spirit Guide was glancing at her inquisitively. ”I found it, I think... but it... slipped away ?” Echo frowned. It did not seem to make much sense when she spoke it out loud, but that was how she had felt it – just as she had been aware she had found what she had been looking for (and she was certain she had – the sensation had been unmistakeable. It had felt just like him.) it slipped out of her grasp like a wet fish. ”Hmmm...” Ankou seemed rather pensive – or perhaps doubting of her ability to actually do it, who could tell ? Even if he was, she had to do her best not to feel insulted by it. On that point, the younger god was more experimented than she was – and while she knew that there was likely much that he had forgotten, there were, likely, bit and pieces that he remembered... which was better than her own memory on the matter. ”Maybe it would be better to open a Door for you, then.” It did seem like she was not left much of a choice – he had already turned on his heels and started heading back toward the main building. And she followed, reminding herself that he most likely was acting for her own good – acting to get her there as quickly as possible, not out of the fact that the Guide thought her inapt... at least she hoped so. The goddess had caught up with him with a few quick paces, and it was then that he spoke again. ”If the realm is still in flux, then I figure it would most likely be harder to lock on to it, so to speak.” Had the doubt showed on her face ? It did not matter at this point – she had gotten her answer. ”Since I believe you most likely orient yourself by listening.””I do ?” She had never noticed. ”It would make sense, would it not ? ” He offered her a comforting smile. ”Everyone has their own ways of doing things, after all.”...That made sense. She had never really paid attention to what she was doing, but rather toward where she was going, to be honest. Once they had reached the hallway, the Guide stopped in front of one blank door and, without another word, applied one hand on the smooth surface and closed his eyes. The goddess had never seen him do this, specifically. He had been present when they had first left for Wellhaven, but he had not been the one to pave the way for them, only present through his host to provide advice and insight. And now, once again, he was taking the role of support. He did not have to, as she knew the Guide busy, but he did. And for that, she was extremely thankful. There was a long stretch of silence in between them – where neither Guide or Music moved, or spoke a word. Eventually, though, he moved away from the door, taking a few steps backward and massaging the side of his temples in an all too human gesture. The door did not flare to life. ”Are you alright ?” The goddess motioned toward the younger god, worried for his well being. ”Yes, through... I was not able to make the way either. It is... growing too fast.” ”Growing ?” She was confused now, though... she did not like the look on Ankou's face at the moment. It was the first time she had actually seen him look worried, ever since Nergal left. ”Exactly what it sounds like.” The expression was gone, pulled away probably for her benefit, but... too late. ”As far as we know, it might be perfectly normal... Though it does make matters more difficult. But I imagine what entryways that were already fixed – the gate down in the catacombs, and the world tree... I figure going though them would work.” The goddess nodded. ”These were my next ideas... I will let you know if I need of more help, but I should be fine...” No use keeping the Spirit Guide busy... or away from his counting crow. The thought made her smile, in spite of the setback. Though it had not been useless. At least, now, she knew that there was something, for sure. ”Thank you...”It was only when she had turned, and started to head back toward her room, that she heard his voice carry down the hall. ”You are rambling... again.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:31 pm
Setbacks ”Are you ready ?” Tempo asked from his position at his lady's side, brow furrowed as he stared down at the black hole that had become the entrance of the catacombs. It was quite obvious that he still did not agree with this, but at least he had given up trying to argue her against going inside and doing this. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless – the last thing the goddess needed now was to have to bicker with her own aoidei at every twist and turn this journey may rise. ”Yes.” She smoothed the side of her coat, though this seemed like an exercise in futility in itself – it would not remain pristine for much longer. It was rare that she chose to wear pants, or boots like the ones she wore today, but practicality demanded it. ”Let us go then.” The black-haired aoidei took a few steps, only to stop and look at her again, raising the lantern he carrried in his hand. ”Please, my Lady, allow me to go first.”She did not argue him on that point. The goddess simply nodded, and started to make her way inside once he had taken a few steps in front of her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Clearly, the place had seen better days. There were bit of debris everywhere, even on this first level, but they were mostly large, and easy to avoid. Caved in rock shards, and, as they started to head deeper down, broken pipes and steel pillars, most likely used for structure. Some candle holders, a few barely still hanging to the rock walls, most laying broken on the ground, all warped and covered in rust. They most likely provided ample light before, but now they were completely useless. ”Be careful where you set foot, my Lady.” Tempo reminded her for what had to be sixth time ever since they had entered, pushing aside some debris with his foot... though, quite suddenly, the aoide stopped. It took a few more steps of catching up before she understood why – the tunnel had caved in partially, the pile of debris making it quite harder to navigate. The servant watched for a moment, then, having seemingly decided at which angle to best tackle this, slid by and squeezed himself easily though a narrow opening at the side. Such was not quite so easy for the goddess to do the same. While she was not so bad on the endurance front and had yet to have any real problem keeping up with her guard, sliding though those tights areas was slightly more problematic. She was not quite as agile, her steps were not as assured, and there were more to her build than to Tempo's, or even Nergal's, as she supposed that Underworld had gone though this very path himself. Her strings kept getting tangled into the rocks, and her chest and hips made it a little harder to squeeze though tights areas like this one. The goddess did not dare attempt to try and blast off some of the debris with a well-placed note of her voice, less the whole thing collapse on their heads. It took some struggle, but she eventually managed her way to the other side, taking Tempo's hand as it was offered to her and letting herself fall on the rocky floor once more. From there, there seemed to be three paths... Which one lead to where they sought ? Ishum had said something about a gate... Perhaps I should have asked for him to come along... She felt tremendously lost at the moment. There was little in the catacombs she could truly use as a point of orientation. Being more hearing-inclined than sight-inclined, every pile of rubble just plain looked the same to her. Just how was she supposed to know- That train of thought halted as Tempo surveyed every path with the lantern he carried – as he did so, something white flashed into her vision, where everything else had been black, or gray. A few short steps were all that separated her from the leftmost path and she knelt, one knee to the floor to pick up the object. It could have been easily discarded as a splinter from one of the nearby skeletons, that she was doing her best to ignore, had it not been so smooth and polished, carvings smooth and raised, clearly done by a careful master's hand. This was not a bone splinter. No, she knew what this was. The goddess raised to her feet once more, taking a few more steps down the narrow path, only kneeling once more to pick up the hairstick's twin. She knew what these were. She had them crafted, by a craftsmen she had not seen in years, quite a long time ago... so long ago, and yet nothing but a few short years back in the life of an immortal. In a time long gone, where the world had only began it's decline toward the worst. It had been one of her first gifts to him. She twirled one of the slender length of bone around her fingers before raising back to her feet once more, face locked in determination. ”This way.” It was all she said before going straight down that path, leaving her startled aoide to dash and catch up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The catacombs were a maze. That was all there really was to it. To the two inexperienced beings, this was nothing but a giant, underground maze. There were many times where they followed the trails, only to hit a caved in tunnel and have to head back the way they had come in, or ended up with spaces where Tempo could wriggle himself to the other side, but Echo did not... leading to the goddess needing to wait for her guard to come and report back to her. Most led to completely closed off dead ends, with the aoide often coming back carrying items, thoughtful that his Lady, or perhaps even the Lord, would wish them to be retrieved – his overcoat, the cloak, a few tiny skulls that Echo recognized as being part of a bracelet... One path in particular took Alto multiple hours to return from - it had lead to a rather impressive pit that could not easily be scaled down – though the remains of a makeshift rope had proved that this was most likely the path the lord of the Underworld had taken. Tempo had been able to fly down and back up again, with some difficulty thanks to the narrow pit, as the scratches on his arms and wings betrayed, but ultimately it had seemed to lead to yet another dead end. It became more and more evident, as time and multiple attempts went on, that they had either missed something, or that there had been other cave-ins in the month that had followed that had blocked down the path. ”In any rate...” Tempo glanced at the lantern he carried. The candle inside had almost run out... which meant they had been there for quite a long time indeed. To be in foreign terrain and to run out of light... would be a very bad idea indeed. They would have enough issues getting out as it was. ”I think that we need to go outside now, my Lady. We will need at least a map...” He would need to bother Ishum for that. Or to ask him to come with them. That would be good, he had to admit to himself – that they would be two to watch over Echo. ...Or perhaps, even... That was another idea. The golden-winged beastmaster certainly was better with words than he was. That was worth pursuing. ”And the candle will run out shortly. We must hurry.”He had hoped she would not oppose. It certainly looked like she was going to, with the look on her face, for a moment conflicted in between what was the better choice and what her heart so dearly wanted. His Lady, after all, was emotional to the end, even if it usually worked against her. Eventually, however, she relented, caving in to Tempo's gentle coaxing, and to the fact that Nergal more certainly wanted her to come to him in one piece – and though they did not make it out before the candle's flame died down, they had been close enough to the entrance that they found their way out with little complication. Though that did not stop the goddess from looking rather crestfallen, her fair face stained with dirt and earth, and hugging what had been found close to her chest. She had not needed to say a word – the other aoidei, as well as the mortals gathered there, in curiosity, knew the second they saw her. It had been easy, with his Lady in such a state (though he rather disliked to see her in it) to slide by and take the beastmaster aside. Perhaps it was time to put his charisma and ease of talking to an use different than the usual...
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