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 Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:41 pm
Sarcel found herself staring at that tiny slip of paper in Stryke's hand. She shouldn't take it. Every instinct in her thinkpan, every inhibition in her heart screamed no. This was as big of a mistake as it could possibly get.
Yet still, her hand trembled and her fingertips twitched. Her tiny palm reached out, and the paper was taken so gingerly that any gust of wind—so much a whisper—would carry it off into the unknown. What she had said was nothing but truth anyway; even if she shredded the paper, she would wonder, she would dwell. Anytime she found herself on the battlefield, any time she saw a glimpse of yellow—she would wonder and ponder and think about Stryke, and that realization killed her.
It was sheer loneliness, perhaps. Could she not just make friends on the right side? What did this semblance of camaraderie mean if she was fraternizing with the enemy? Her eyes studied the address. The only solace was that Stryke felt somewhat the same, or was at least also foolish enough to put his trust in someone he shouldn't. The things she could do with this paper and this information...
All things she couldn't ever bring herself to do. Not now, anyway.
Folding the paper into dainty fours, she carefully tucked it away into her pocket without so much of a word. That silence lingered until Stryke rose to his feet, Sarcel's head craning upwards as he readied to part.
It was just so unfair. Ah, but, life wasn't fair, was it?
"I-I wouldn't destroy it." she admitted quietly. Whether she'd actually write to him would remain to be seen, but the paper itself would at least be a parting memento that she didn't deserve. "Y-You gotta g-get going?"
She knew he did, yeah. Rising to her own feet, she wiped her forehead with the back of her arm, seeming less strained from the invisible stunt she pulled earlier.
"D-Don't... Don't t-thank me." she didn't deserve that either, given the fact that she had shot him, hunted him, for all intents and purposes gone to kill him. "J-Just... promise y-you won't give up l-like that again, okay Stryke?"
The smile she flashed him was a painstakingly sad one.
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 11:55 pm
Why was this so damn hard? Stryke hadn't expected to feel like this, and it was hard to know if he was making the right choice in that moment. Stryke had not given her that piece of paper without knowing it endangered him personally. The anonymous drop box he'd set up under the "redblood" Nozdor Runner. Using this name, he was free for the now to send mail to what few correspondents he had. For the time being it didn't hurt anytroll, or thing for that matter. Stryke felt it was best this way, and wasn't risking anyone's safety but perhaps his own. It was he who would take the fall if something bad happened, as was his reasoning for handling things this way once he'd decided to vacate Chittentown all together. His ability to blend into society without risk of being apprehended was what he stood to lose, not that he told the other troll that. Maybe he was a fool, but it was just one persona in a sea of many the now rebel aligned troll assumed he'd have to use. Loneliness was a strange creature, and Stryke was not sure why he let it control him as it did now. There was enough drama as it was in his life, but at least this perhaps would give them both some kind semblance of peace of mind. Realizing he was about to leave without saying anything else, Stryke felt a pang of guilt. "hm...?" Stryke stopped walking, frozen in place as he listened to her once more. Saying goodbye was very hard for him, and now was no different. He wanted to abstain from it, but her words held him in place. "yesss...i should at least." The yellowblood added hesitantly. Turning, he quickly hobbled back to her. He didn't know why she had taken pity on him. He was in the wrong..he had made his choice to become a rebel. So why was she looking at him in that way, it made his bloodpusher clench in his chest. Especially with her last sentence, it actually gave Stryke pause. "J-Just... promise y-you won't give up l-like that again, okay Stryke?" The yellowblood's chin lifted just a bit then as she made that remark, nodding to her then. "i promissse..not now, not ever again." He would never let himself relive those days in the swamp. Ryk never wanted to feel that small and namely that broken emotionally, he would not allow it. All he could was fall into the muck and mire. All while trying to drag himself out of the mud, which even that had failed. It had all been fairly pathetic and laughable at best looking back on it. At the time it had been a miserable living hell of a reality. It was sickening to think how close he'd been to losing everything, including his will to fight. Standing inches apart, he reached a hand out to the other. Partly to help her stand..and as a mutual sign of respect between them. Stryke waited, watching her to see what she would do.
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 5:17 pm
Sarcel was... almost dumbfounded, really. The hand that had been outstretched to her was a recognizable, if not foreign gesture. Sarcel had kept to her salutes and her bows as signs of respect; there had never been anything... mutual like this really ever offered to her. She swallowed hard.
"Good..." she murmured very quietly, a tad serious. Her fingers twitched as she awkwardly stretched her hand outwards, grasping Stryke's own firmly. It was an invigorating experience, no matter how simple it actually may have seemed to the ordinary individual.
Shame it was with the wrong troll on the wrong side at the wrong time.
But there was something—obviously the note in her pocket secured their future—but there was a deep seeded feeling that they would meet again, regardless, and it wouldn't necessarily be only on the battlefield like it ought to me. It was all the wrong sorts of things to get involved with. It was all piss poor choices and terrible decisions, but...
...in this moment Sarcel finally felt like an equal to someone, and that meant something to her.
"Be s-safe." she reluctantly let go of his hand, eyes falling to his leg. Another smile graced her face, perhaps a little less sad than the last one she wore, "N-No, you'll be a-alright..."
At last, she finally turned herself away, looking once more to the lights of Chittentown and again the sky above them, twinkling with stars. It was a naive hope, but maybe in time, the universe would start to right itself and there wouldn't be a reason to fight anymore. It probably wouldn't happen in their lifetime, and probably not the lifetime after that, but she was allowed a dream wasn't she?
"S-So long, Stryke."
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 2:03 pm
With that Stryke looked to her finally, his smile genuine as she asked him to be safe. "i will be..i've been through worse." He admitted with a reluctant shrug, as if to try and dispel any remaining concern. Stryke had come this far in life, he would not let an injury keep him from returning back to the Outpost up north. Reluctantly he had to let go as well, his hands dropping limply at his sides. For a moment he felt weird about leaving, like there was something keeping him rooted in place. Yet he had to. They were on different spectrums of life, she had a military career and he still had fight left in him to help the cause rise from the ashes. As it so desperately needed now more than ever. Staying here any longer wasn't getting any safer. Whatever they chose to do in the future remained uncertain. Stryke didn't wan't to interfere with her military life, nor would he willingly risk the rebellions safety. It was incredibly confusing. He pushed the thoughts away for now, just for now. The pleasantries even if they did not last, would have to do for now. why must one's Time always be so fleeting?Never mind that all things in life were dependent on a set of numbers pre-arranged to determine the passage of time, he told himself. It was just an excuse to linger. Stryke hated the fact he had to let go of her hand with his own for a brief moment. "same too you sarcel..be safe, and good luck out there, alright?" He paused..looking at her one last time. Stryke's smile was a sad one, his eyes averting to the ground below him. "ah...you will be too, you're strong." Stryke added quietly before he turned to leave for the door leading back to the ground below. Even if it was perhaps childish, Stryke hope she went far. Even if that wasn't necessarily good for the Initiative..his thoughts were a jumbled mess. He hated letting go of more of his things, and always having to say goodbye. However, he knew he was needed back home. Peace in times of War was what had nearly gotten him killed. They might have had different orders, but the fact he felt like her equal in that moment resounded with him oddly. As his hand touched the doorway, leading him towards his next journey. Briefly the yellowblood troll looked back at the other. His smile then less melancholy, more genuine as he inclined his head to her last comment. With that, Stryke vanished along with his lusus and what worldly possessions he could carry. His footsteps echoed as he moved to the bottom floor, and out onto the streets. His hood drawn up, he moved at a quick limp hoping to reach a near by rest stop before it got any earlier.
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