|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:01 pm
“Do we?” Lysithea glanced towards the disappearing Faustite, annoyed that he wouldn’t stop. That he wouldn't just let Ilse go. Some baby brother he was. “Because it looks like he doesn’t give a damn. Which, I guess it’s expected but. Still sucks.”
She looked back at Albite, and for a moment, her mask slipped, and she looked tired. Tired of all of it. Of making excuses for Faustite. Of trying to convince herself that her brother was a good person even though she knew that he wasn’t. Trying to convince herself that anyone corrupted by chaos could be a good person.
“Albite, let me go okay? I don’t really. Have the energy to talk right now. I just wanted to see Ilse, and I wasn’t prepared to see the two of you trying to kill my girlfriend. It…really isn’t any way to treat me, is it?”
She hoped that Ilse would forgive the lie. They weren’t dating but…if it bought her some protection.
“I know you’re not a jackass, so please stop acting like one. You’re better than this.”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:41 pm
Watched her eyes track where the others had gone, gave her a rough shake for it – because he was right ‘here’ in front of her. So that was where her attention needed to be.
It was important.
He loved her so much. She was beautiful, even when she looked absolutely fed up and full of their s**t – tired – None of which changed the fact that Faustite had risked his fiery hide on her behalf, taking her in and keeping her safe instead of tossing her mindless to the wolves - N what else was there to be done! Strut around DC screaming for some pack of ‘whoever the ********’ to beam themselves down and hand her back what was lost?
“Oh yeah, we definitely do,” if his tone didn’t scream of some rare moment etched in severity, the look on his face surely did; narrow blazed shock that skittered the edges of anger, because really? Really? Clearly he shoulda taught Lysi the simplicity of ‘No Hoes before Bro’s’, threaded that line with same said knowledge in regards to how she shoulda treated the people who’d so willingly become her family outta the blue with a bit more courtesy.
“The hell did we ever do to make you think we don’t care?” and he didn’t know what level of ******** the supposed moon-wipe had done on her. Tripped over the second thought, where he realized that it didn’t matter what’d been done anymore than it mattered what she remembered from before. “But no, doesn’t matter now, yeah? Cause you’re right, m’not a jackass,” kept braying like one, let people go all the time. All nice n kind about it when there was hopes for more, that was pretty assish of him in its own way, wasn't it? He’d forgive Lysi, if after this she could no longer tell the difference between him n a donkey. “And I don’t give a ******** about Ilse.”
“Do care about you though, just, a whole lot. You n your feelings, n being alive, n not saying so much as a ‘thanks for the love!’ or even ‘<********, I’m angry, goodbye!’ — So what I might do? Is convince him to let her live. Use her for a trade,” hopeful cadence with a sharper edge, like Albite’d gotten thoughts into his head. All the ways his idea of a trade had nothing to do with Ilse for Lysithea, he wanted those knights.
“How's that sound Ly'sis? Your best girl, for one of those Knights? Bet you know their numbers; they’ve sure as hell got Ilse’s jotted down. Got our team's blood on their hands.” harshness in the hiss of his whisper. As if he could’ve missed the way those people’d thought to ask all of their questions with violence – Never asked him though, n that hurt. Cause if they’d wanted someone to talk to?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2022 7:39 pm
Cars. Nothing but cars. Miles of cars. Cars and carried voices from two people who were close to him.
Ilse was gone — probably dropped her henshin to escape. Might've crawled under a car, or gotten into one, or jumped the side of the parking garage and walked away. And even if he wanted to make a thorough search of the area, barbecue every vehicle in sight, the spectacle would draw too much detriment to the Negaverse to justify the satisfaction he would feel in finally killing her.
Faustite hissed expletives under his breath as he trudged back to where he last left Albite. He and Lysithea were still there, bearing down on each other like they would somehow change the other one's mind.
He felt tired and restless all the same. Felt wooden where he had failed to do something about Ilse, and would fail again to convince Lysithea to return with them. She wanted this — whatever this was. Whatever the White Moon could be to her.
For as much as he'd gained in all this time, there was twice as much loss to suffer. And as he got visuals on Lysithea and Albite, he felt that loss twice over: what if she was convincing him to leave, too? What if this was a different kind of war, lurking under the cover of war, where Lysithea wanted to take everyone he loved as he had for her? He felt his throat tighten.
"She's gone," he announced, strained. "Let her go."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 6:30 am
Lysithea closed her eyes and drew in a breath, working very hard to stop the threatening tears that wanted to gather in them. “Albite, I’m sorry that I hurt you when I left. I know you cared about me. But…I had to do what was best for me. I. I never wanted to corrupt. I never wanted to be who I had become. The choice was taken from me, and while I do appreciate that Faustite tried so hard to give me a new life, to give me friends…it.”
Forcing her eyes open, she shook her head. “It wasn’t working. I wasn’t happy. I’m. Honestly still not completely happy but. I’m trying. This was a choice that I made for myself, and I don’t regret it.”
The words paused when she felt Faustite return, and Lysithea felt herself tensing up, worried that it was all going to go south again that…
But he told Albite to let her go, and it seemed as though the magic was fading anyway, allowing Lysithea to pull herself away and take several steps back from Albite, her eyes flickering to Faustite, a mixture of longing and desperate pity in them.
Why couldn’t he just allow her to hate him? How could he be like this, awful one moment, trying to kill people she cared about, lashing out for things that he shouldn’t be lashing out about…but the next moment just…letting her go.
He was a headache. An enigma and she couldn’t stand it sometimes but.
Still.
Moving swiftly over to Faustite, Lysithea placed one kiss on his cheek and then fled off into the night as well. If she was being allowed to leave, damnit, she would take that chance without hesitation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 7:31 am
Trying
Maybe there was no such thing as being truly happy? Grass wasn't greener on either side. Everything came at a price. Like the ache of having to watch her leave for a second time, because she was right, it'd never been her choice to make. Hadn't been any of theirs, truly, they were just buffering the fallout with what they had. Having the apology soothed some untended hurt, made him find a way to be still instead of fidget anxiously at Faustites command. He could cross his arms n dig his nails into the skin beneath them till the urge to *keep* quit nagging at him; heaved out all his sad in a sigh...
It wasn't all bad. How Lysi's words also gave him hope, because 'Trying' left open windows n doors for change to sneak through. Meant they had a chance to see her again -- to offer her a different choice when the one she'd made didn't spring joy eternal or overflow like endless sunny wells full of good times.
"You're a good brother Ei'," whisper soft as he sidled up to stand fireside by his boy, basked in that heat since he couldn't have Lysi's hugs just then. N just as quietly Albite offered up praise, because Eion was a good brother, because if Lysi n Ilse had stayed none of this would've been happening the way it was - Albite was sure of it, "don't you ever think otherwise."
"We'll get Ilse next time.."
There would be one, where they'd have better conversations, show her rings, and be far more convincing than a**-ish. A next time where Ilse would be more useful than her starseed, and maybe then...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 11:34 pm
The kiss was itself a shock, but she was gone before he could catch her for it. Then they were alone, and Albite was the first one to disturb the ensuing ******** off," he hissed, pushing away his boy.
If he were a good brother, then Lysithea would still be wearing black. There would be no need for these chance run-ins during hunts, as they would have caught and killed the traitor Ilse, her still-unnamed Knight companion, Malus, and any others who tried to steal her back to the White Moon. But that was not the reality they faced, nor would it be.
So he would think otherwise. It was his right to think otherwise, and Albite had no business blowing smoke up his a** for it. He had enough smoke as it was.
Faustite stalked up to a lovingly cared-for BMW and put his fist through the driver's side window. He didn't feel how his knuckles throbbed, how drawn blood lilted down the valleys between his fingers and dribbled onto the seat. He pulled his hand free, but he didn't feel any better for it.
So he tossed back a warning to his boy. "Stand back."
Fire coiled tight in his gut, wound to an anxiety pitch as a hot gust played harbinger. Out burst his scathing firestorm, scorching concrete, superheating lights until they burst, and bathing cars until they themselves caught fire.
If Ilse was dumb enough to remain, they would hear her screams. But there was nothing — only the warning screech of metal that prefaced an explosion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2022 11:00 am
That Eion was still feeling polite enough to give warnings when he didn't have to? Albite took the snarl in stride, shrugged the shove off as he threaded his hands behind his head into a wind of dreads; and watched the sky ignite.
Maybe someday he'd suggest better habits n less harmful outlets for his boys hottest fires, a night job as a kinky pyrotechnic with a wicked costume, or a guy who cleared forests with controlled burnings? Something, but tonight? Tonight he basked in it, sighed the fumes of gasoline flavored heat, watched them spiral up and clean the city of minor debris -- as ever bit of flyer, and loose scrap of trash caught up all around; seeped stunning embers skywards to an orchestra of dying horns, and blaring sirens, some infernal orchestra that dimmed as fire inevitably ate that too..
Tonight he had plans, wondered if he could slip into Eion's space and steal hugs that would lead to the kind of fights they'd both enjoy -- catch a claw -- pluck the shards free with his teeth if tweezers wouldn't do, n burn for the roll of eyes and thin line of disgust he'd get for being so close to animal.
Some fresh new thing to tug his mind away from his love of Lysi despite her betrayal, n maybe if he was lucky? He could distract Faustite too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
