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 Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:31 am
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:27 am
Sosiqui's mouth opened, then shut - then she sighed and rubbed her temples, sinking back onto the couch. "I have absolutely no idea. Then again, the first time he showed up here, he kept disappearing and reappearing - in my bathroom, in my CLOSET no less... I really suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
Still, she was relieved he was gone, even if she did feel guilty about the manner of it. "I'm, uh, sorry, miss...? You must be the teacher he told me about." Xironelle had that air about her, rather like Aeina did. It made Sosiqui feel more comfortable.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:36 am
"And you must be the kairomancer he told me about. I'm Xironielle," she replied, bowing her head slightly. "I swear, things aren't normally this... strange with Carda. I think that a lot of things have just been building up over time and they all decided to manifest themselves now. First that whole issue with his sister vanishing, then this thing with Octavius..." Xironielle sighed. "Poor kid's been under so much stress lately it's a wonder he hasn't dropped into a suspension and STAYED there."
Xironielle glanced toward the door Carda had rushed through in his haste to leave. "Although from what I've seen lately, I'm really starting to get worried. In all the time I've been mentoring him I have never EVER seen him get that worked up. And as for what he almost did..." Another sigh. "He's never been a violent person. EVER. There's something wrong. It was almost as if something was... controlling him, using him like a puppet."
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:42 am
"I, uh, wouldn't know," Sosiqui said helplessly. "It's... frustrating and strange to me, like I said. Although I guess I could have been nicer about it," she conceded, reluctantly. "It's just a very weird situation and I feel like I've been dragged into it rather against my will. I'm sorry if it sounds insensitive, but there it is..."
Biome clattered into the room then, one half of the armature methodically sweeping up some of the tea that had tipped over when Carda freaked out, the other half peering at Xironielle with mild interest before turning to right the fallen teacup. "Uh. Don't mind that," Sosiqui said, quickly. "A companion of my son's. You don't... vanish and reappear in odd places as Carda does, do you?" She eyed Xironielle suspicously, as if expecting her to pop away to reappear in the chimney or the garden shed at any moment.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:47 am
Xironielle giggled. "Uh, no, I don't. Didn't Carda explain that to you? He has this mental condition where his brain has difficulty comprehending things that are strange or unusual to him. His brain pretty much reboots itself, which sends him into something like a coma. The problem with Carda is that it tends to play weird tricks with his Strider-- excuse me, his spatial abilities. So I'm guessing that this time he teleported around your house?"
A thought occurred to Xironielle. "Wait a minute. Where's Seraphim?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:49 am
"I don't know," Sosiqui muttered. "I never once saw her this whole time. I sure HEARD her, though. Is she ever quiet? And yeah, he saw Biome and did that... and then saw Riven and did it again. My son," she added. "He's, um... kind of hard to explain. Adopted. Not human."
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:57 am
"Well, I'm not sure about her usual habits. I was... occupied when Carda got her. Although from what I've heard you'd think she would have spoken up by now... Seraphim!"
A hand appeared over the back of the sofa, followed by its mate. Then a slightly frazzled-looking Seraphim hauled herself over the back of the couch and rolled over onto the cushions. "Ow," she mumbled.
Xironielle blinked. "What in heaven's name happened to you?"
"It was that stupid scar on Carda's arm I think it was messing with his head or something so I tried to break it but when I did I got blasted all the way across the room." She paused to take a breath. "I don't think I'll be able to fly for a while I'm pretty tired."
Xironielle's eyes narrowed. "The scar? Oh that DOES it. We need to figure out how to get that mark off his arm NOW before anything else happens." She turned to Sosi. "Any ideas? Short of chopping his whole arm off, that is."
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:00 am
More problems? Again?
Sigh. Sosiqui rubbed her temples again. "I take it you don't have time for any good old fashioned plastic surgery? If it's just on the skin, I suppose you could burn it off," she said, weary of the whole business.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:13 am
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," a voice replied sarcastically from the corner of the room. "Hey, while we're at it, why don't we give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?"
"Carda?" Xironielle blinked. "What are you doing back here?"
"Something that needs to be done," Carda replied intently. He walked up to Sosiqui, looked at her for a moment, then dropped to one knee and bowed his head. He was well aware that it was a very Strider-ish gesture, but it was the best he could come up with for the time being.
"I know," he began, "that we didn't get off to a great start. Hell, I've freaked you out by randomly appearing in your closet, I've nearly attacked you, you made youself horrendously sick for my sake... Things could have gone better, let's just put it that way.
"And yet I haven't exactly been helpful in this whole situation. I've yelled at you, I've expected a hell of a lot more out of you than I ever should have... Basically I've been one huge pain in the rear from day one. And yet you're still willing to let me into your home.
"I can't really figure out WHY, but you do. And I want to thank you for that. For being willing to listen to a guy rant and rave about stuff you have no clue about. For putting up with me when I deserve nothing more than a slap in the face and a kick out the door. I'm sorry. For everything. I just want to ask one favor of you... Would you forgive me for being the biggest idiot in this World or any other?"
Carda kept his head down. He wasn't going to get up until he got a response. Xironielle watched, unsure of how to react.
Seraphim just lay on the sofa, smiling to herself.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:19 am
Sosiqui blinked, then sighed, stood up, and offered Carda her hand to pull him up as well. "No need to kneel like you're proposing or something. But please, if you want to come in again, use the door? And just..." She paused, flustered. "I don't... mind you, exactly, you just startled me at first and I've never seen you at any time that hasn't been some sort of a crisis point," she said, carefully. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I could have been nicer. Just, from now on... remember that I'm me? Not this other person you knew, and that I don't know half of what you're talking about, and that I want to live as normal a life as I can under the circumstances? If you can stop thinking of me as that broken girl and just let me be me?" Her tone wasn't lecturing, though. It was more... desperate, in a way. Pleading.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:23 am
"Agreed," Carda grinned. "No more chasing ghosts. Octavius be damned; I haven't seen him for a good week anyway."
He paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Now, what's this about burning my skin off so we don't have to amputate my arm?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:26 am
"Fine." Sosiqui sat down and held out her hand, this time to shake. "I'm Sosiqui. Pleased to meet you, stranger. Welcome to Gaia."
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:33 am
"Carda," he replied, taking the proffered hand. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Seriously, though, what's this about my arm?"
Xironielle grinned. "You don't give up, do you?"
"Is there a reason I should?" Carda grinned back.
"Okay, okay, FINE. Seraphim figured out that the mark on your arm has something to do with why you went psycho twenty minutes ago. I figure if we remove the mark, we solve the problem."
Carda blinked. "Well, it sounds better than me bleeding all over the place. Just do me one favor, will you?"
"And what is that?"
"Hit me over the head really hard and knock me out before you do this. I don't want to feel a thing until I wake up."
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:36 am
"... wait, you're serious? You really want to get that thing off your arm right here and now? There ARE doctors here, y'know. Gaia is pretty civilized." Sosiqui looked slightly frustrated.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:49 am
Carda shook his head. "Regardless of fresh beginnings, the fact still stands that both of us are still considered rogue Striders and the last thing we need is a paper trail. I think I brought a steam iron when I moved here..."
Xironielle cleared her throat. "Don't you think we could do this AT HOME?" Hint hint.
"Huh? Oh. Uh... yeah, I guess so."
"Well, come on then. And make sure you grab Seraphim, would you? She can't fly quite yet; still shell-shocked, I think."
"Uh yeah. Sure." Necessity or not, Carda wasn't sure he wanted to leave quite yet. He had way too much to learn about this-- No, about Sosi. Period. No "this, that, or the other" about it. "Can't this wait?" Carda whispered.
"Nope. Now. You dragged me away from shopping for this, so it's my turn. Hop to it."
"Yes ma'am." Carda turned to Sosi. "Sorry. Guess I'll have to come back some other time."
"Oh, and when we're done with your arm, I want you in the backyard practicing with your staff," Xironielle added. "I'm not having you get rusty just because you're in pain."
Carda cringed. "Maybe in about a month, when my arm's healed up?" he added weakly.
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