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 Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 3:05 am
The splash of water was not appreciated, but he didn't say a word and give her the satisfaction. Instead, he waited until he was sure she had disappeared into the one section of the hot spring before he made his way into the other. Though even now, he wasn't sure he wanted to actually get in. Just the thought of hot water against his skin right now was causing his body to ache more than already was. But it wasn't like he could stay filthy until he healed either. No, that really wasn't an option. So ever so gingerly, he peeled off his own clothes and carefully stepped into the water. Which, at first was painful to the touch, but after a few moments of stinging pain, it eased away. Even the pain in his arm seemed to disappear. It was then that he began scrubbing away, carefully cleaning around the blistered spots and the cut he had on his own leg, but insuring that they were clean. Once finished, he remained long enough until most of the tension was gone. Though he could have stayed like this for hours.
Fortunately the baskets the horsewoman had mentioned were within reach, so that after he towel dried himself off, he was able to collect the clothes and get dressed. Just in time for Kat to call for him.
"If you're going to mock me again, I'd rather no--whoa..." He turned a corner and spotted Kat. Or was it Kat? "You cut your hair?" He asked, gripping the scissors she shoved into his hand.
He could see why she did it. Long hair was a chore to take care of and usually required brushing at least twice a day and Kat had super long hair. So after all this, she must have gotten fed up.
"Umm, are you sure I'm the right person to be asking for this?" After all, he had no experience in cutting hair. Then again, who else was she to ask? The Horsemen? "Never mind, hold still okay?"
There might have been some hesitation before he actually began snipping away at the hair. This was Kat he was dealing with. Who knew what would happen if he accidentally botched her hair? She was likely to kill him, if she had the strength. Though thankfully, luck was on his side and he managed to complete the task. Even with the use of one hand. But it was far from professional.
"Its more even now... or tidy at least, but you're going to have to get someone else to fix it up for you later and umm Kat..." The awkwardness was back and he chose to go wait outside. "Go get dressed."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 3:24 am
Giving the boy another look, as he stated the obvious, she folded her arms and turned away from him so that he could finish what she had started. "Just--its short, but don't cut it any shorter than it already is, okay?" Ugh, she would b***h and scream if her foster parents had dared to even attempt to cut her hair, and here she was doing it herself, and no getting Ryan to take over.
If she could, she would have given him yet another look when he asked if she should be asking someone else. Thankfully, he realized on his own that there was no one else, and continued the task given.
When he was finished, she casually brought her hand back to feel at her hair, giving Ryan a slight nod of approval. "Thanks." Like he said, she would probably have to get someone to do a proper job later, but at least it wasn't that bad of a haircut at the moment.
"and umm Kat... Go get dressed."
Her cheeks flushed at the realization she was only wearing a towel this whole time. "I'm going to!" Gawd, how embarrassing..!
With Ryan waiting outside, she stormed over to the basket containing her new set of clothes, and began changing. Once dressed, she stepped outside to find Ryan as well as the guards Medea has spoken of. "Er..we're ready."
Lord, what was she getting herself into?
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:14 am
The procession was slow, tight, the guards flanking both former trainees. It was also an unspoken verbal threat: they were in theory still prisoners.
They circled around a large colosseum-like structure and then up two flights of stairs, reaching an unusual alcove etched deep into the cave, large columns supporting the top and bottom ends of the groove. A strange temple, perhaps, or a building of importance to the horsemen. The floors were also smooth, marbled, the doorless opening, archway enough to fit an entire procession inside.
The guards motioned for the two to wait as what unfolded in front of them was simply ceremony: a large pyre, burning brightly, priestesses flanked in rows. Medea stood next to the pyre; yet spoke in a language foreign to any human. As she finished however, sweeping the last of the dried flowers into the flames, she switched tongues, into a language Kat and Ryan could easily understand.
It felt like all the surviving horsemen had assembled here, a surprisingly large influx of numbers considering.
"Tomorrow," Medea promised, "Tomorrow we will take the last of the Fear we need before our time rises. Our calling is soon, and we have two from within now that will help us lead unrest into the kind that call themselves Hunters." She paused, all gentle smiles as she stared at the two, "We do not seek harm in all of your kind, only those that dare oppose us. You will help us weaken those you fear, those who cast you aside, will you not?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:40 am
This was a little more than awkward, having two horsemen silently 'lead' them towards Medea, for God knows what. She had seemed somewhat pleasant so far, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something. She had said that she did not intend to harm them, but what would happen if they were to speak out of term even once? Likely, their heads would be on the chopping block in seconds. With a shaky sigh, she paused when they reached their destination.
Waiting where the guards kept them, she began to fidget with the sleeves of her robe. She was nervous, so very nervous.
In front of them, was the priestess', with Medea standing close to the pyre, tossing in withered flowers and speaking in an unknown tongue. For some odd reason, this ceremony was giving her the chills. She didn't like it. She wanted to turn and run back to her bloody cell. Snapping out of her train of though, her attention was drawn back when Medea spoke in their language.
"Tomorrow,"
Tomorrow..? She shifted uncomfortably, even more twitchy than she had been before.
"Tomorrow we will take the last of the Fear we need before our time rises. Our calling is soon, and we have two from within now that will help us lead unrest into the kind that call themselves Hunters."
They were.. what? They were going to what?
"We do not seek harm in all of your kind, only those that dare oppose us. You will help us weaken those you fear, those who cast you aside, will you not?"
Her eyes widened a little, shocked that she had even considered them to oppose their former allies. "W-what?" To weaken the hunters? That was what they wanted them to do? That was why they had kept them alive? She had to be joking! Shaking her head, she continued to stare at Medea, her gaze shifting from horsemen to horsemen before landing back on the priestess.
"Whatever you think I am--I am not going to do something like that. I don't fear any of them. I hate one man, and one man alone, but that isn't enough to make me take my revenge on all of them, just to get back at him!
I'm sorry, but you should have left me to rot in the desert if you thought I was going to help you pull something like this."
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:31 am
Ryan wasn't any more optimistic than Kat was. Though the priestess had yet to show them any sign of aggression, she was more or less, still someone to be feared, and fear her he did.
The walk had been a silent one. An uncomfortable silence at that. The guards didn't speak a single word to either of the former trainees during the trip, so it was hard to tell what they had on their minds. Nor did Kat, or Ryan dare to ask. If the priestess had been intimidating, in spite of her kindness, the silent guards were just as bad, if not worse.
Once they reached the temple, Ryan could see the pyre, along with the priestesses and the head priestess herself. He expected that. What he hadn't expected was the crowd. Or more specifically, the size of it. He knew their numbers were large, but this many and in one place? He felt as though he was minnow in a sea of sharks.
"Tomorrow,"
He blinked in mild surprise as her words went from foreign to English.
"Tomorrow we will take the last of the Fear we need before our time rises. Our calling is soon, and we have two from within now that will help us lead unrest into the kind that call themselves Hunters."
So... She was talking about two other hunters, right? She couldn't mean...
"We do not seek harm in all of your kind, only those that dare oppose us. You will help us weaken those you fear, those who cast you aside, will you not?"
Shocked would have been one word for it. Ryan was floored.
So this was why they had been kept alive? So that they could infiltrate Deus and destroy it from the inside out? As if! Even if he wanted to beat the living s**t out of a few hunters, and believe him he did, how could he betray his former allies by turning traitor? How could she expect them to do that? Regardless of what he thought, Deus had been his home and many of the hunters there were still his friends. Furthermore, he had been cast out for protecting those friends. Why would he turn on them now?
Stunned, he waited for Kat to finish, one arm gripping the broken one tightly.
"I'm with Kat on this one. I appreciate the help, even if it had been for... this, but we were cast out for disobeying orders and protecting one of of our--one the other hunters. Why would we destroy the ones we fought to protect?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 1:11 pm
"The answer is simple, is it not?" And there it was again, that vague, very distant smile. The Head Priestess allowed the others to escort her, ushering for two Guardians to take care of the prisoners. The last thing Kat and Ryan saw of her was her equally rather unpleasant smile. "You can feel, fear, cast your own emotions and choices, decisions, yet in the end, are you not simply the helpless pawns you have been this entire time? You walk with us not from choice but because you have no other choice. Poor pitiful rats, still denying that your fate is your own choice. Some paths are not meant to be equal, and those that walk in it not always the same. You help us by simply existing, perhaps this is the most pitiful fate of all."
There was a loud thunk, the noise of someone hitting the two - hard - with a blunt weapon, and then darkness.Oniongrump You are now HERE and can post/ make reaction posts in it accordingly after reading the prompt! lividpeas You are now HERE and can post/ make reaction posts in it accordingly after reading the prompt!
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