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 Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:10 pm
"It's no use, you know. You should just sit quietly in my arms and let me heal you and then you can sneak out. None of us really care what you do past that point."
Sol was indeed irritated at the pinches and pokes, though they weren't exactly something he couldn't bear. Living with a twin brother like Lune tended to make a person stronger against pain and agitation by nature so Toulouse's little attempts didn't even register.
"Just sit like this for a few more minutes and you'll feel better in no time. I've already got most of the bleeding to stop, I just need to close this wound and the other one you've got as well."
If Toulouse could see it, he would have noticed that Lune's snow white wings were slowly turning a shade of crimson mixed with black at their tips. The color was spreading ever so slowly, like Sol was absorbing the wound and taking it into himself. Slowly the crimson-turned-black feathers dropped from their holdings and onto the floor, bursting into flame as soon as they landed.
"I would have preferred that you do your healing on something that could be thrown away instead of my hardwood floor, Sol. You know how hard it is to clean up the char marks that you and your brother leave behind when you shed."
Piero had come up beside Toulouse and Sol now, Pasayo in his arms with her head resting against his shoulder. The small girl seemed to be wearing an expression of terror as her mind finally caught up and passed over the adrenaline that had fueled her outburst earlier, and as she turned and buried her eyes away from the other pair it was clear she was feeling some sort of remorse.
"Toulouse, I do not mind letting you go as soon as you are able to move properly, but I would first like to know what is going on. It may not be any of my business but you have lead danger onto my land, be it intentional or not."
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:27 pm
Now that it was mentioned, Toulouse reached up to his shoulder feeling that the blood had indeed stopped. “I-I don’t have any other wounds besides this one.” This comment was just startled out of Toulouse as he felt his body being knitted back together. It surprised him how little it had hurt. He looked curiously at Sol then to the feathers of his wings as they dropped to the floor, turning to dust. Strange.
Toulouse turned in Sol’s grasp, draping his own arms over the boy’s shoulders feeling the feathers there.. He was feeling much more calm now. Whether it was from Sol, he didn’t know. “There’s a price of sorts on my head.” Toulouse replied to Piero as he watched Pasayo cuddle in his arms. She looked very upset and Toulouse was once again the cause of such emotion.
“The Queen knows I’m alive and wants me dead…again.” Toulouse paused for a moment then added, “If your floor is real wood I can fix it for you.” This was as close to an apology that Piero was ever going to get from him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:47 pm
"There is no need to worry about the floor, this house cares for itself. Short of bashing a hole through one of the walls everything will mend in a due time."
Piero smiled brightly and shifted Pasayo in his arms, causing the little girl to release a soft protest as she had to readjust her face away from Toulouse and Sol. It was a moot attempt as Piero merely knelt and set her down, her bare feet making a sticky sound as they contacted with the floor. She quickly made to move behind Piero's legs and once more out of sight, but the older man simple frowned at her actions and she remained in place. All of her bite had disappeared, leaving behind a timid and frightful little Pasayo.
"As for there being a price on your head, am I to take it because of what you were saying earlier about the murders of your family? Are you the only one remaining of your bloodline?"
At the end of his question Piero motioned for Sol to put Toulouse down and the white-winged boy, now bearing wings that carried nothing but sinew, oblidged. He seemed a little weary from whatever it was he had done, but still smiled polity as he wobbled off and out of the room. One would assume he was heading back to his room in the conservatory where his brother waited to ambush him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:07 pm
Toulouse touched the floor with a wobble of his own, but seemed to be as good as new. He watched Sol and his featherless wings leave the room without a word. He wondered if the other boy was going to be okay and was about to ask but stopped himself. He didn’t want to nose about too much. He was healed and that was that.
“Yes.” Toulouse replied nodding slowly. “The Queen thinks that I’ll come back for the throne. I won’t but she doesn’t know that. Icarus will be the first of many who come for me. I have no interest in ruling. It doesn’t make me happy. It did once but not anymore.” He shrugged as if that said it. “Of course, I’m not sure what she’ll do with me once I’m caught. Kill me probably, but I’m don’t think I feel very particular about finding out.”
Curiously, he looked about the strange room. It seemed to be a living room of sorts as there were many doors leading to and from it. There were also many eerie chalk markings on the blank walls. They looked like pentagrams but weren’t. The room itself was eerie, giving Toulouse the feeling of great emptiness as if here were sitting in the belly of some great whale. Was Piero a dark wizard?
Toulouse turned his attention down to Pasayo who was hiding behind Piero’s legs. “Hey,” Toulouse said smiling softly at the girl as he got on his hands and knees without shame. “What happened to the brave little girl from outside?” He sat back for a moment on the floor peering around Piero’s leg’s at the timid Pasayo. “I’m not mad or anything if that’s what you’re worried about, though I don’t think that’s it.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:30 pm
Piero could only nod at what Toulouse mentioned, his mind taking notes of all this affair should it come back to affect his family. He had a nagging feeling that harboring Toulouse like he was may not have been the best choice in terms of safety, but Piero was not the type of man to leave anyone injured alone, despite who or what they may be.
When he noticed that Toulouse was now addressing Pasayo he chuckled with amusement, wondering if this little child had any memories of her first meeting with him. She was but an egg, but perhaps she had some traces.
"I...am sorry for how I addressed you. Master has told me that speaking to others in the manner in which I did, regardless if it is out of concern for their welfare, is impolite and rude."
Pasayo was speaking from behind Piero's legs, and she gasped slightly as the elder man stepped away to expose her into full view. Her hands quickly flew to the hem of her nightgown and pulled down, not to prevent the shirt from flying up but as a clear nervous habit. She needed something to be in her hands as she spoke, be it as a timid character or one with a rash nature, and this trait may have been something she carried over from her previous life. At this point in time, however, it was unknown.
"Please accept my apologies and my proper introduction, as Master has also told me that I did not allow you to know my name before berating you as I did. My name is Pasayo, and it is my pleasure to meet your acquaintance."
She spoke so well for a child and her manners were far beyond her years. After she gave her name a polite curtsy followed, and Pasayo turned her head slightly to see if Piero approved of her actions. As he was smiling at her and not frowning she took it to be a good sign and smiled back, though hers only seemed to make her face stranger.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:55 pm
Toulouse laughed lightly at the way that Pasayo acted. She did seem truly sorry though even though her words had not offended him in the least. “Sometimes impoliteness is needed to make a situation more manageable. Oops.” Toulouse put a finger to his smiling mouth, like he had said to much in his contradiction.. “Don’t listen to me though. Listen to him.” Toulouse thumbed his finger up at Piero with a wink.
When Pasayo introduced herself, Toulouse was a bit crestfallen that the girl did not remember him. He hid his disappointment quickly with a small smile in the face of her curtsy. “Pasayo. It’s a pretty name for a pretty girl.” He teased. “I’m Toulouse as I’m sure you already know.” He took Pasayo’s small, dark hand in his and kissed the back of it gently. He was regal looking even though he sat on the floor with his knees beneath him. “Likewise is my pleasure in meeting you.”
It had been so long in the use of his manner’s that Toulouse was a little rusty. He hated being sophisticated and polite when he spoke but he knew he would just have to suck it up and adjust his ways, since Piero’s entire household seemed to revolved around courtly manners.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:40 pm
Pasayo's face flushed as Toulouse took her hand and gently kissed the back of it, her mind telling her that this action was very princely and blushing was the right thing to do. It was hard to tell if she was flattered or not thanks to the dark color of her black skin, but since her stance changed to that of a surprised little girl it was slightly obvious that she was pleased.
The feeling of Toulouse's lips on her hand was oddly familiar, and Pasayo wondered where she remembered the sensation from. Perhaps they had met when she was an egg, Master had spoken of it and told Pasayo that her first kiss had already been stolen much to her slight confusion, and that is what she was remembering. Master and Houkan had always told her that she seemed quite aware for an egg, reacting to things so vividly.
"We...have met before...right? I am not imagining that you feel so familiar to me?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 7:26 pm
“Ah,” Toulouse noised in a smiling exultation that made him seem much younger than he was. He clasped his hands together in his lap excitedly. “So you really do remember me? Truly?” He smiled, flashing straight white teeth from behind a dirty face, while looking closely at Pasayo. “I thought you might not have and I was disappointed. I’m so glad you do remember me though.”
It was as if everything that had happened earlier was washed away in the wake of Pasayo’s timid words. It made Toulouse very happy for some reason to know that the little girl remembered him. He smiled again widely, causing the hidden dimple in his right cheek to peek out. Toulouse would have hugged Pasayo if he had not be covered in his own dry blood.
The dried fluid was beginning to flake off from his shirt onto the floor. Toulouse tried not to make huge movements and wondered if Piero would be vexed about this new mess.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 7:36 pm
Pasayo smiled back as Toulouse's radiant smile washed over her, and she almost had to suppress a giggle as she noticed how strained his speech seemed to be. Before she had started to speak to him he had spoken in a more relaxed manner, one she took to assume was his natural way of speaking, so now she wondered if he felt forced to speak this way.
"I could never forget a person, no matter how short our time of meeting. To be forgotten...thoughts of that feeling..."
Pasayo trailed her thoughts off as she spoke of being forgotten, her pretty features suddenly screwing up in a pained thought. She placed her right hand on the side of her head, fingers slightly curled into her mass of fuchsia hair, and her eyes moved back and forth as if she were trying to recall something.
"I...don't...do not forget...me..."
She shook her head heavily, almost violently, and her voice rose from small protests to a loud scream that turned into wails.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:01 pm
Toulouse watched, stricken, as Pasayo pulled at her lovely pink hair as she begun to scream in high, keening wails. He wasn’t sure what to do. She was suddenly so upset as she grasped her head and Toulouse wondered if she was in some sort of physical pain.
With only the thought of relieving whatever disturbed the child, Toulouse cupped Pasayo’s cringing face in his large hand and stopped her from ripping out her hair with the other. “Be still you’ll hurt yourself.” He whispered taking his hands from her, only to gently pull little Pasayo closer into his arms. He didn’t care that he was a mess and that he was probably soiling Pasayo’s pristine night gown. Toulouse only wanted her to be well.
“Don’t fret sweets.” Toulouse cooed as he cuddled Pasayo to his chest, rocking her slightly. The little girl fit in his arms exactly like his sister, Adelaide, had done when she was the same age. The feeling of Pasayo in the circle of his arms made Toulouse grope for words with which to comfort her with. “You’re alive and not forgotten. I won’t forget you and neither will Piero nor anyone else.” Toulouse delicately kissed Pasayo’s forehead, almost exactly like the first day that he had met her.
He so desperately wanted to comfort her as he rolled his eyes up over Pasayo’s head to look at Piero for help.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:25 pm
Pasayo's wails were only quieted thanks to the muffling effect of Toulouse's clothing, her mouth forced closed and her sobs into whimpers thanks to her inability to properly cry. Her body and mind did not care that Toulouse was stained with blood in various stages of drying as she moved more into his embrace, so confused as to why she was crying.
She had only mentioned the word 'forget' and it had brought about a sensation in her frame that was so painful it felt like the small child was being torn apart. Having Toulouse tell her that he would never forget her seemed to help, but a small voice in the back of her head expressed doubts at the true nature of his words.
"I...how...how can you be sure? Everyone forgot me before, I was all alone..."
Piero's expression towards Pasayo's tears was of no help, as he seemed confused as to what to do as well. He had little to no experience dealing with children, Houkan being the one to care for all the little ones under the age of ten or so that passed through, so he was at a loss.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 8:45 pm
“They were fools.” Toulouse replied strongly in a protective voice as he patted Pasayo‘s back gently. He had suddenly developed a fierce disliked of the unnamed beings who had upset Pasayo. “They don’t matter, don’t ever let them matter to you.”
Toulouse frowned slightly, a crease forming between his brows as it became obvious that Piero was at a loss as to what to do. How was it that the man was surrounded by children yet didn’t know how to respond to them? Of course, who was he to throw stones? Toulouse himself had not been around in a child in ages even though he secretly adored them all.
Toulouse let Pasayo go, holding her at arms length. He smiled slightly at her as he reached up to brush the tears from her face with the edge of his thumb softly. “I know you’ll be remembered because even if you are the only one left, the earth will remember you always. Nature never, never ever forgets those who have walked through her fields or slept under her skies. Do you see?” Toulouse rested his hands light on Pasayo’s shoulders, hoping that he had alleviated some of her sadness.
“Don’t cry anymore okay?”
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:09 pm
Pasayo nodded her head weakly as she was moved from Toulouse's chest, her sobs now long gone thanks to the gentle rocking and warmth that came from another human being. She was quite easy to calm down it seemed, but she was still only a child after all. Things that could set her off so easily could be countered with simple things like hugs and affection, kind words and maybe even a cookie or two.
"I...I do not remember who they are, or even if it is all real. For some reason I do not like that word. The word 'forgotten' makes me feel really empty right here, like there is something hurting."
Pasayo clutched the front of her nightshirt, over her heart, as she tried to explain where the pain was centered. It was confusing and she did not like it at all, so she shook her head gently to try and move those thoughts aside. Perhaps this was all occurring because she was so tired that something she may have watched on the television earlier was making her believe things?
"I...I promise not to cry any longer, but I think it would only be fair if you promised me something in return too."
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:31 pm
“Then don’t think of it.” Toulouse replied in a hush tone, brushing Pasayo’s vibrant hair from a tear stained face. He looked over her dark skin, seeing the strange markings there. His blue eyes met her pink ones as he thought on her for a moment. He tried to remember if he had ever met one like herself, yet Pasayo was so strange in her appearance that he wasn’t sure if he had ever met he in a past life. Toulouse had been surrounded by the upper court for most of his life and he found it hard to picture faces that were not apart of it.
“I know what you mean when you speak of that. It is a profound thing that all creatures carry.” A smile touched the corner of Toulouse’s lips as he continued gently. “Yet, that which is empty will surely fill up again in time. It is the way of it.” Toulouse knew what Pasayo was referring too. He carried the same aching hole in his chest like a second shadow. It was the place in his heart where he had held his family and all that he had loved. He feared that it might be the same of Pasayo.
Blinking slowly at Pasayo’s request, Toulouse shook his golden head. “I don’t like making promise that I end up breaking.” Toulouse gave an ambiguous shrug, looking at Pasayo seriously, having no idea what the girl was talking about. Still, he asked, “What would you have of me?”
Like he had any chance at refusing that sweet face.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:06 pm
"When you are done with whatever you have to do with that Icarus man, when you finally have things in order with your fate....will you come back and see me from time to time?"
Pasayo lowered her head as she made he request, one she hoped would not wind up being too difficult for the older Ashe to keep. She had a feeling that asking for things could be considered selfish on her part, at least that is what the lady on television that was teaching her manners said, but still the little child wished to ask it of him.
"If you are too busy and end up being unable to, or your business will never be finished, that is okay with me too. I am sorry if that seems too selfish of me to ask of you, since we have only just met again."
She twiddled her fingers together with her eyes still down, her posture slowly moving from side to side.
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