One down the other one in a weakened state. She managed to draw herself up enough to fling her spear at the winged equine hoping to hit true, and possibly for the last time. If there are no more threats then maybe, possibly, they can rest...
As the second of the Infected literally had the insanity peeled away from them, layer by layer, the entire structure, the vengeful hatred, regret, agony of the fallen, subsided as well.
At last the phoenix began to visibly peel away, layer by later, leaving only whites behind. A layer of white, white canvas, so stark and empty. Bleak. Nothingness.
'I'm scared.'
It was that Conquest child again, a fragment of it, its voice, turning around to look at the horsemen that remained. 'I'm too scared too sleep. There is nothing left for me. There is no home.'
The phoenix screeched but the voices, voices in the fog, half-formed figures that remained grey for seconds before disappearing back into the white expanse were stronger.
'I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared.'
A charred black arm intercepted the figure, drawing them forward, away from the white. "You are a warrior of the once proud Four Clans." Medea's voice was soothing. "And there is nothing a brave warrior like you is afraid of. Remember our vow and promise: it will do us well to not be consumed by the very Fear we represent."
The phoenix trembled, visibly shook -
- And dissolved entirely into grey ashen wisps. Wisps that solidified into figures, hundreds, thousands of them. Famine colony soldiers, War Chieftains, Death Ashen Soldiers, Conquest Artisans. Many were familiar faces. Their forms flickered but did not disappear entirely, simply a wall of faces. Waiting.
Waiting for-
HORSEMEN THE END
- The remains of the phoenix are actually made entirely of fragmented memories and FEar remains of those your character had been familiar with in the past. You must now single them out, talk to them, and send them off. Say whatever lingering thoughts you had had, any unresolved feelings. You need to tell them to truly move on - You are free to GM the insanity fragments as well as you like! They could be anyone your character once knew on the Island from mentors to siblings, peers, rivals, etc etc - Feel free to tie this into a solo or work with other players as well. Each player should at least encounter one familiar face. It is time to say goodbye.
Zoobey Artist
Magical Incubator
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demon_pachabel
Beloved Werewolf
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:40 pm
The Phoenix blew apart into pieces, figures standing and waiting for them. Faces he could barely recognize, yet some he knew even just vaguely enough to give pause and stop to look at for a moment longer. Some of the faces were ones he, in some ways, felt shame for not have acknowledged more in their lives.
His hands settled first on a boil's shoulders - he stood barely an inch shorter than Invictus, his black-with-white-striped hair pulled back into a dignified looking ponytail, dressed immaculately. His face was as serious as the protector who look back into it. "Tzu." Invictus said the name calmly and the figure seemed to tense underneath his touch, as if suddenly pulsating with life.
"Brother." The image said in turn, lips tightening. Tzu - second born of His Imperial Majesty and perhaps the most strained of any relationship that Invictus could have had. Tzu and Invictus had always worked to out-perform one another, and Tzu had not exactly fallen short of his elder half-brother in any form outside of being born several months after Invictus had been.
Tzu's mother had always wanted her son to be the clan's heir.
"Do you hate us for living?" Invictus inquired to his brother. Tzu looked for a long time at the familiar face that looked dead into his. "...Yes." he answered after a moment. "Simply because you have always been one step ahead of me,"
An honest answer, and Invictus found himself frowning - a true honest frown. "We never considered you to be lesser than us, Tzu." he said with a deep breath. Tzu's eyes narrowed at him. "I don't believe you, 不可战胜的." he replied. Invictus squeezed both of the figment's shoulders, before a faint smile came over him. "If you had not been a threat to our rank, Tzu, we could have rested easy and not worried about you usurping to the position of heir instead of us.
You did not make holding the rank of heir to Conquest easy, Tzu."
Tzu frowned, his brows knitting together in angry frustration. "Honored Father loved you more,不可战胜的 ." he retaliated. Invictus found his brows lifting more than slightly at this statement. "That is something we find hard to believe." Invictus never believed his father hated him, but he never really believed he had a favorite child position either.
Tzu frowned. "You were gone for years,不可战胜的 . He was advised and could have easily made me his heir during your absence. But no. He waited on you. He said he would not make hasty decisions without knowing all the answers." the figment jabbed Invictus in the chest and the Protector rubbed the offended spot with mild interest.
"Then you would have preferred it if we had been the one to pass when it came to that, then?" Invictus inquired. Tzu didn't even nod - the look on his face said everything clearly. He was angry. "If you'd never come back, we'd all still be alive, 不可战胜的." Invictus squeezed Tzu's shoulders tightly. "You don't know what for sure." Tzu pushed him away. "I know enough."
Invictus found himself pulling the other boil closer into his chest and holding him firmly. "We should have seen it coming, Tzu. We were there and should have been able to stop it, but we were unable to." He had worked to not feel guilt over his home and instead struggled to make the Lost Clans his new priority - his life with the other protectors who were now and wholly 'his'. They were the one part of him that had escaped the madness - all he really had left.
"The world as it is now holds nothing for you, Tzu. Living and rebuilding is a struggle, and while we know you would rise to the task, our rank is not as precious in this world as it would have been to you in the past. Nobody on this side waits for you as much as they do on the other side." He let the slightly shorter conquest noble go, the boil making a scowling face at him.
"Go, Tzu. Do not show fear of the afterlife - Honored Father would be ashamed of you for holding such grudge and doing such harm. We know you are better than this." Invictus urged. Still, for some time longer the boil lingered before sighing deeply as the same weight that always weighed on Invictus's shoulders settled on his - nobody wanted to make their father disappointed in them.
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:12 pm
Kiwi was shaking when he came to. If he had not known better, he would have literally described this moment as having gone to hell and back. The pain, the whispers of Insanity. He swore he could still hear them, like a phantom image, and the thought of what he had just done ... he wasn't quite certain what to think. But it did coil knots in his stomach. He felt as though he had been submerged underwater all this time, suffocating, and just now brought sharply to the surface for air. It was fresh, and shocking alike. But there was an emptiness too, a hollow feeling, he couldn't quite place or describe. It was unsettling, even if he was himself again. He didn't feel ready to face everyone right now. Not after this ...
Something caught his vision curiously though, and weakly, the Famine colt glanced up.
Medea was here. And the phoenix as well. It was shining brightly, brighter than he had ever seen it, pure, almost. Weakly, he drug himself onto his hands and knees, crawling forward, stumbling to his feet, then running on shaking legs towards the bright light, the familiar warmth ...
A light, airy voice stopped him suddenly short as the white enveloped him, and his eyes grew wide.
"M-Mara ..." he breathed, her face even now appearing before him, her tiny clothed form, flickering on the air as though some sort of mirage. But her eyes were bright as they always were, despite the look of sorrow that filled them.
"Brother ... she stared up to him with tear-filled eyes. Her hands reached out, clung to his sides. I'm not ready ... I can't do this alone ... won't you come with me?? ...
She began to tug at his loincloth, his necklace, an arm, pulling him closer, willing him follow her. Kiwi only stood there, still as a statue. His eyes stared into hers, and after a moment, he opened his mouth to speak, but the softest smile curved his lips instead. A soft, sad smile.
He knew better than anyone, what it felt like to want someone to be with you when you must go home ... In a cruel, sad way, he understood very well just how she was feeling. He scooped her into his arms, taking both her tiny hands in his, holding them to his chest closely. They were so warm.
"Mara ... Mara, my Mara ... you've always been the strong one," he smiled, almost sadly again. "Please, this time ... just this time, let me be strong for you now ..." And he brushed a kiss across her forehead, leaning his own gently into hers, staring into those troubled, amber eyes. A calm moment of pause, and his voice whispered softly and lovingly into her ear: "You can go ... I will bear this burden for you. I will carry this pain, and I will fight in your stead. ... You have my word, dear little sister."
She stared to him a moment, a quiver to her lip. This was so very unlike her, he realized to himself. Mara was always strong, always brave. Then why was she-
"I lost you once brother," her tears came pouring now, as she threw her arms round him, burying her face into his chest. "I lost you, whom I swore to protect, and I lost any chance at a future ... There is no purpose for me now. Without you, I too am ..."
"-Shush," he spoke gently, placing a finger to her lips. "You shall always have me by your side. The entire Clan is with you, and if you do not look after Mother and Father for me, who will, hmmm?? ..."
This seem to settle with the girl. She wiped gently at the tears, nodding slowly and silently, before embracing him in another tight hug. His arms wrapped around her, holding her for as long as he possibly could. Then she released him, slipping to stand as she turned and walked towards the others.
Kiwi's jaw clenched as he watched her go. He actually felt that just maybe, he wasn't quite so empty, or alone. But letting her go like this, watching her ascend into that warm and gentle light without him ... as assuring as it was, a part of him ached nonetheless.
I will bear it for you, Mara. This time, I will be your strength.
But his energy was spent, and he dropped suddenly to his knees. Heavy, they felt far too heavy, but no longer shaking. He hadn't noticed, too absorbed with his childhood friend to see the grey slipping slowly up his legs, now rising to still his quivering arms as well. A moment later, he would find himself wrapped in stone, gazing up into a white light with a slightly startled o to his lips, and wistful, almost pained stare to his now stony eyes.
[editing this so it makes more sense with plot plans /canuneditlaterifneedbeIhopethisisokay;;]
xoxomenai
Apocalyptic Cutie-Pie
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Beejoux
Wrathful Demigod
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:45 pm
Her hit had been the one to down the consumed house, and for a quick moment she had to wonder after his fate, and Kiwi's as well. A handful of seconds to search wildly around before the Phoenix one again wrenched her attention back to it.
"Im scared."
The delicate voice of a child. Nergui could be cold, but the sound of that fragile voice amid the rest made her chest right, and she moved closer to the materializing figures as they came into clarity. She knew fear, the infection insured that she never truly forgot what it was like to be scared. Constantly nervous, muscles knotted with tension from a fictional source. Oh yes, she fear, and she understood why.
Heterchromic eyes flicked to the wizened form of their priestess as she embraced the child and soothed her worries before sending her onward. Medea, their building light in a new world of darkness. Was she dying? Was that even possible? One more thing to Witt over, but she had spoken, and Nergui would do as she was told. Besides, a familiar, dark skinned face was lingering in the crowd, silver eyes narrowed in Neru's direction.
It was a look boarding on loathing, and though it hurt the mare to look upon it, it was a look she has become used to over the years. "Anya.." An almost mirror image of the priestess now moving towards her, but taller, older. "Are you still clinging to your hate and bitterness, my sister?" Direct, but harsh. Before the other mare even parted her lips to speak, Neru knew the answer. "And why shouldn't I, little crow?" The voice was similar, though an octave lower. "The golden child, pride of parents. So gifted for one so young." The elder of the dark skinned siblings was dressed impeccably. Clothing neat, hair artfully arranged. Silver and gold glittering from countless trinkets. Anya had been a jewelcrafter, and for a few short years she was all their parents could speak about. Their amazing daughter and her skill and talent.
And then Nergui had begun to show promise. Soon after she was a priestess, and the praise and adoration has shifted from the eldest onto the younger. "I never wanted this rift between us." Neru would have been badly without the attention. She was quiet, anti-social.all she wanted was her studies and her work. "You were my idol, I had always looked up to you."
"Lies, little bird," Anya snapped, stepping forward and bending so their dark faces were uncomfortably close.
"You know me better then that, but you've let your bitterness blind you for so long note." Honesty, even hard truths, had never been something the priestess shied away from. "You need to let go of your anger and resentment." Delicate hands rise to cup Anya's dark cheeks, and though she jerked as if the touch stung, Neru held on, kept her close. "There is nothing left for you here but the pain, and you have suffered enough. No one had loved the taller mare more then her sister, and it had pained Nergui being the source of so much anger. If there was one thing she regretted above all else, it was never having made peace with her older sister.
"Listen and believe me," she rise on tip toe, moving to rest her forehead against Anya's. "I love you, that has never changed, nor will it ever. Let my love be enough. My adoration, my praise, my pride, you have it all. Let go of your bitterness, please. I'm begging you." Warmth trailed down the curves of Nergui's dark cheeks. Anya pulled away, but the tension that had sung through her a moment before had faded. She still looked proud and angry, but there was a softness in her silver eyes that hasn't been their before.
She didn't say anything as she began to back away, but ever so slowly that cold expression began to soften. As she turned, just before the whiteness overwhelmed her, she frowned, softly puzzled, but no longer angry.
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:59 pm
He found her easily. They stood for a time, the Guardian eyeing the fragment, the Priestess looking up into her Guardian's eyes.
They needed no words. She was not scared, she never was. She was just lonely. But there he was, standing strong. Sure there was pain in his eyes, a deep ache that would never leave him as she cupped her hand on his cheek and he bent down for the brush of a kiss, her fingers trailing along his scars before she dropped her hand.
She knew how to make an exit. Always had. She smiled at him. A soft smile that grew into a grin, and she laughed, a sound filled with joy as she drew away, head tilting just so as she took another step, raising a hand in front of her to show him the graceful ring on her finger before she began fading, eyes never leaving him, smile never leaving her face.
Moving on.
ramenli
Alarming Consumer
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Syusaki
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:09 pm
Finally, it was over. The bird began to crumble away as Jay relaxed her hold on the dagger in her grasp. She watched with her chin held high, her eyes half-narrowed. Could this finally be the end? Her gaze examined the figures that appeared before them. With a heavy heart, she managed to pick out the wispy visage of her parents.
Her lower lip quivered as she stepped forward. She held out a hand for each war horsemen to grasp lightly as she watched them both. Jay took in both of their features. Her eyes ran over the curves of her mother’s face, nearly identical to her own and the warm color of her father’s skin that matched her own tanned arms and face. Jay took in the colorful blue feathers of her mother’s wings and the pure white of her feathers. She reached out to feel her mother’s long, dark blue locks between her fingers. “I’m sorry.”
The horseman smiled. “Sorry for what?” He reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Jay’s ear.
“For leaving you behind,” she mumbled with a downcast gaze. Her mother laughed softly and held Jay’s chin up high.
“You still have the chance to change that, you know. You can come with us.”
Jay let her hands fall to her sides so she could curl them into balls. She shook her head slowly. “I can’t do that.”
Her father frowned, but her mother smiled sadly. She said nothing at first, but reached out to cup Jay’s cheek. “Are you sure?” As the warrior shook her head a second time, she too curled her lips into a small frown.
She let out a small whine as she grasped both of their shoulders. “Please don’t give me those looks. You know I love you two the most, but I can’t leave with you, not now. I still have a lot of things to do.” A lump grew in her throat, forcing Jay to take a pause before she swallowed and continued, “Everything you could not do, I will do for you.” There was a certain change in her father’s expression. A firm hand gripped her own, gently pried it away from him and released it. He exchanged a look with his daughter before he walked backwards, and as he melted into the mist he smiled. That’s my bluebird.
Jay’s grip on her mother’s shoulder tightened. “Mother, you have to trust me,” she urged. The older horseman cupped Jay’s face, her thumbs stroking her cheeks.
“My little mare. She’s growing up,” she admitted at last. Jay closed her eyes, held one of her mother’s hands with her own.
“Mother, you have to let me go.” She felt a pair of lips press against her temple.
“But it’s so hard…It’s always hard.”
The voice grew softer, farther as the hands withdrew and when Jay opened her eyes, she was gone.
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:50 pm
From the fog emerged two tall figures. Fragments of who they once were, but for two certain siblings, there was no mistaking who they were. The woman stood, as proudly as she always had. She had always been a true warrior. A soldier. One that carried the title and job of Imperial Soldier with grace and power. Though as mighty as she stood, there was a heavy look of sadness within her eyes. Perhaps there was even a touch of fear there.
The male figure next to the woman was slender in physique but tall in build, he definitely was not meant for warrior’s work. A pair of spectacles sat perched upon the man’s narrow nose as he hugged a book to his chest, and there was a gentle smile upon his face as he regarded the two siblings before him. He was afraid; the way his fingertips trembled as he clutched at the edges of his book showed his fear and uncertainty.
Tseng had stepped through the various forms carefully, pausing to look back for his sister, waiting for her to join him. When he saw the two ahead, he stopped in his tracks.
”Mother.. Father..” He uttered, almost in disbelief. But they were all here. Everyone who had been lost. And this time, it wasn’t a simple illusion, or so he felt. Looking towards them, he soon managed to step a little closer.
She’d been suddenly struck shy at the presence of their parents, her heart giving pained beats against her chest as her fingertips now moved to fiddle at the sleeves of her outfit while she stared at them. Eventually as Tseng looked toward her she moved forward; small steps at first but eventually she was walking faster to catch up.
If she said good bye she would have to let them go again. Threat of tears caused the smaller horsewoman’s throat to constrict painfully. “You’re here,” She said shakily. As much as she wanted this, she also dreaded it. Yuzhi wasn’t sure she was ready to let go.
As with his sister, he wasn’t too certain if he was ready to let them go for real. He missed them dearly. There were times where he wished they weren’t gone, so that they could help reclaim the glory of the clans together as a family. If they were gone for good, they couldn’t see him rise up to his dream either. Mother was always a reason for him wanting to become a great Hero of the Horsemen. He wanted to still be able to honor her, and for her to be there when it happened. Now, that wasn’t so possible.
But, some things still had to be done.
Father spoke up first, “Of course we are here, we have to say our good byes,” he gave a small sad glance toward his wife before he stared toward his children. There was something almost unsettling about how ready they were to be let go. But then, memories are the only things that would last forever, even if their lives did not. “We loved you both very much, and we are proud of you two for being so strong.”
Yuzhi’s hands clenched into fists, she was holding back an outburst, her expression was carefully neutral but that didn’t seem to work for her body language.
Tseng’s eyes were locked onto their parents before them. Yes... they had to see them off now. Taking in a deep breath, he went on to try and do just that.
”I’m sorry you won’t be there when it happens, but I swear that I shall rise to greatness, Mother. Father. You shall always be in my heart... but you cannot remain here any longer. It is time to move on... We will carry on. We will honor the family. The clan.”
Her selfishness was going to be the end of her. A foot stomped against the ground. “No! I want...I want...” Tears stung at her eyes as she refused to let go, this was hard on her. She was never very good at saying good bye to anyone whether it was permanent or temporary. She wiped a sleeve over her tear filled eyes, “I want...you to stay.” Her head bowed down and a couple of teardrops fell to the floor. “You can’t but...”
She was starting to realize what her demands would do to her parents and how selfish her heart had become just because she had seen them once more. Could she truly chain them like this? It wouldn’t be right. She wouldn’t want it for herself but...
Hearing his sister, Tseng turned and looked to her sadly. He stepped a little closer to his sibling and lightly wrapped his arms around her shoulder.
”It’ll be alright, dear Yuyu,” he whispered to her. Their parents may be gone, but he still had her, and vice versa. He was trying to let her know this much. Right now, she needed to let them go.
Her shoulders tensed a little at first as he wrapped an arm about her shoulder, but eventually she relaxed instead of lashing out at him. She gave a small quiet nod. She was not honoring them by behaving this way and she knew it but she couldn’t help that she missed them. Neither of them sought to admonish her for her behavior they simply stared at her with a sort of sad look that let her know that her wish would likely be just that - a wish.
“I...I just loved both and I don’t know if I am going to be able to do my job well as a Scholar, there is so much I hadn’t learned from Father yet,” she murmured softly, her voice pitching oddly here and there threatening to have her break into sobs at any moment. “But I’ll try,” She said softly, her voice strengthening a little toward the end.
The older sibling nodded to her, then gently released his sister so she could do just that.
Yuzhi drew herself up to stand a bit straighter, taller. She’d always wanted to be like her tall parents but some things just didn’t happen the way they should, “Good bye,” She said softly, instead of crying or just utterly breaking down. She chose to let them go. “Hope that we will see you again when the time is right, but for now, Tseng and I have destinies we must fulfill, we have lives we must live in your honor.”
There, that felt better. Gradually the selfishness and darkness lifted away from her heart, making her feel brighter and lighter.
((A collaborative effort brought to you by Pales and Blade with a little bit of Lani editings.))
Blade Kuroda
Militant Raider
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Kaiyumi
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 11:40 pm
The phoenix began to break apart, to disperse and disappear, and Zhiqiang thought that this was finally the end--the end of the suffering and the pained cries for home. Faces flickered and faded within the fog, and the Conquest horseman simply stood watching as those who died were finally given the chance to move on after having been trapped for so long/
But when he saw a small figure walking towards him from within the fog, for a minute, Zhiqiang wondered if it was he would never truly moved on.
His breath caught in his throat as his cousin, Liwei, stepped forward, his small fingers tightly grasping the front of his shirt. Slowly, with his eyes turned to the ground, the little boy made his way forward, stopping just a few feet short from where Zhiqiang stood frozen. A moment of silence passed between the two, and then he finally looked up, his eyes round and his lips quivering.
"I...I'm scared, Zhiqiang," His voice was a weak whisper, and he reached out with a shaky hand to grasp at the older horseman's sleeve, "I...I don't want to go! I wanted to grow up, and to become a big, strong soldier like you! But now...now I..."
Slowly, Zhiqiang dropped to his knees, gathering Liwei into his arms. To be honest, he really wasn't good with words, or attempting to comfort others. The way Zhiqiang usually coped with issues was to joke about them, but this was different--the quivering, fear, and regret in the boy's voice was enough to twist his heart. He had just been a child, and there would have been a whole life ahead of him had it not been cut short.
Arms curling tighter around the figure, he gently rest his chin atop Liwei's head, his voice soft and soothing. "I...I know, and I'm sorry, and I wish that I could have done more for you, but I..." He cleared his throat, and then continued, "I know that you're scared, Liwei, but I also know that you're brave." His hands slid onto the boy's shoulders and he gently but firmly pushed him back, looking him in the eyes.
"So listen to me: I need you to be courageous. While I'm gone, I need you to take care of everyone for me. Mom, dad, auntie, uncle, and grandma...it's a big responsibility, but I know you can do it. Do you understand me?" When the child nodded, his eyes filling with tears, a tiny smile curled on Zhiqiang's lips. His voice softening, he reached up and rest a hand on the boy's head.
"Watch over me, Liwei. I promise I'll become that hero that you always wanted me to be."
As he pushed himself to his feet, he was suddenly send stumbling backwards when the child suddenly launched himself at him, wrapping his small arms around the older horseman's legs. Wordlessly, Zhiqiang reached down to pat him on the back, and then drew back when Liwei finally let go. As he turned back to disappear into the fog, he briefly cast a small, uncertain look back at Zhiqiang, who offered him an encouraging smile. There was a pause, and then Liwei smiled back.
As he began to disappear back into the fog, for a moment, Zhiqiang thought that he could see the figures of his parents, grandmother, and aunt and uncle standing there, faces turned towards him, but then they were gone.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 8:20 am
Aisa lifted her hand up, to a fragment of insanity, her fingers brushing against a bandaged face. Even though his death had been elsewhere, it seemed that her memories beckoned him back one last time. The expressions, quirks, and details she had forcibly forgotten was cruelly painted clearer. It was a promise, a warning, although Aisa tried to forget and stray from the path, all paths led to the same end. He would always return to her, even in Death.
In a way, it was a flattering mercy, although. unnecessary.
"To show yourself to me .. Did you want another killing blow to your endlessly tiring life?"
Aisa's words, her farewell was a double-edged knife, as she let a wispy hand cradle her neck. She couldn't feel it and she wouldn't pretend to.
"Ais."
He pronounced it like the word "ice," the nickname that only one individual could say, in all of this world and the next. Even a certain doctor couldn't-- and wouldn't-- never pronounce her name like that. He probably preferred the nickname of "specimen." How many decades has it been since she heard that forgotten word? The insanity in her, all the way from the start of the webbed tale between her and Deus, clamored frantically in reaction to the figure in front of her.
Aisa only had one line to say to her past guardian.
"I told you before, didn't I? If it came down to you or Death, I would never choose you."
He knew and he still pressed his wispy form against her own ragged body, pressing a muted kiss against the naked curve of her shoulder. In every possible outcome, every possible path, the conclusion was the same. Aisa chose Medea, chose Death. Kreios chose Aisa. The sweet lies, the eternally fragile webs of their relationship was too complex, even after Kreios's death. In every scenario, in which the circumstances graced the priestess with the title of Heir, he would choose her. As long as she was the priestess, the heir, he would be hers.
Only if she was the heir. But that statement of uncertainty had never been uncertain, as Aisa would always have been heir.
"We've ended this once already, we have no need for another end."
Aisa turned from the insanity, one hand flicking her long black hair to the wind. It curled and fanned, like shadowed flames, in the chilly breeze. The guardian said something, although no change or movement could be detected. But from the way Aisa chuckled, it appeared he had. His hand lifted to cover his face, red eyes peering from the translucent palm, as he faded from view.
"I'm sure you and I can find consolement elsewhere. In the good doctor, perhaps?"
She was still chuckling, a crisp, genuine, ominous sound.
revenant aria
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Seussi
Ice-Cold Hunter
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:54 am
Shaheen had flown back, away from the insane horseman that she had struck out at with her blade, giving the others a chance to take both it and the other down after Medea said her piece. She alighted upon the ground, automatically taking a defensive posture, crouched and ready as her eyes scanned for any other threats, always searching for the next battle that might strike from out of nowhere.
With the two horsemen turned fog monsters taken down, her eyes locked on the phoenix, watching it with sudden rapt attention as it began to peel away, almost unable to shift her gaze elsewhere, completely enraptured now. It wasn't until she heard the voice of a child that she was finally able to look away, and then Medea, speaking to the child, reassuring it, putting it to rest...
The phoenix began to shake and tremble, and Shaheen's muscled tensed, poised and ready for action if the occasion were to call for it once again. When it began to dissolve into wispy tendrils that began to gather and form against the ground, rising up and taking shape, hundreds of shapes, thousands of shapes, she was not reassured. Then the shapes began to show their faces, grayed out, a pale comparison to what they must have been in life. She recognized several at first glance, and then more and more. She straightened up slightly, remembering how Medea had handled the child, and cautiously made her way forward, scanning with her eyes for a set of familiar faces, and when seeing them, making her way towards them. She could feel eyes watching her as she moved, and it was rather disconcerting. But she knew that these two would have never come to her.
She came to a stop and looked into the pale and flickering visages of her parents, her dark eyes meeting the theirs, a silent challenge, daring them to attempt to cast her down for her insolence.
But they did not. They remained still for a time, both parents faces a lesson in how to look completely blank and not show any emotion, how to make oneself not give away a single thought or feeling. Shaheen had spent most of her life practicing that look for herself, but after the Fall, and with the insanity....things had changed for her. She could look upon her parents now and openly show them just how she felt, how much disdain she felt for the both of them, a thing she would have never had the guts to do when they were all alive and living on the isle of war.
"Shaheen." Finally her mother spoke, her voice as condescending and abrasive as ever. Her Father did not speak, but continued to stare at her, eyes practically boring through her.
"Mother. Father. I can not say that I am glad to see either of you." Her reply did nothing to hide the contempt she felt for them both. Before they could reply, however, she continued on.
"And while I do not wish to see either of you again, I just want to say....Thank you. For everything you've done for me, for making me who I am, for making me strong enough to survive where you could not." Her lip curled back from her teeth, a mix between a smile and a sneer.
Her parents both blinked at her, her mothers eyebrow rising, their careful masks showing a hint of emotion through but Shaheen could not quite place it, nor did she care to. She just wanted them gone, put to rest, for now and for good.
And then a hand reaching out towards her. Her fathers hand, held out to clasp her on the shoulder. "We did what we had to, for you." His voice was firm, likely determined that she see things their way, as they had always done. "To make you strong." She'd heard all of this before, and was about to back away, to turn away from them both one last time.
"We're both proud of you." Her mom's voice, slightly softer then it's normal tone, as the woman reached up to stroke the feathers in her daughters hair. Shaheen had never heard her sound like that before, ever, not in all of her many years. It was enough to stun her, to hold her in place for just a moment longer. The words she had wanted to hear from them her entire life, uttered now, at this final moment.
"Thank you." Her own voice was hushed, and now she did pull away, taking a step back from the both so that they were forced to pull there hands away. "It is time for you to go." What more could she say?
There would be no tearful goodbyes from the War Chieftain.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:46 pm
Shik idc how you feel you will do this when my homework is done >[
She was cold, tired- And hurt. Everything hurt. Hor body, her head, her heart. It was one continuous pain that went in a cycle, endless, ever moving. The child’s voice, the child’s fear and suffering- Why? Why did they have to pay such a price, such innocent ones, ones not yet even ready for their first trip to a lair? This was a fate worse than death, neither living nor dead and seeking a home. A home that was gone, torn asunder by the very thing that had consumed them. Lan wanted to weep, to beg forgiveness, to simple free them their suffering, to let them rest, their duty complete. Let them move on.
Horror, sadness, fragments of her life, of those she held so dear to her. The soldiers of her house who’d she sent to their doom. Her mother and father, dressed for their afternoon tea and walk in the gardens. But not him. He was absent, and she felt the pain in her heart. “I’m sorry.” A noble did not make apologies. A noble made no mistakes. Her father had taught her better than that, her mother had taught her better than that. And so there she was, standing, them just waiting, her family’s soldiers, her people, just behind whose fear had created her. A stern look from her father, disappointment from her mother. Shame, dishonor- Lan was a runt, a golden haired golden eyed child that did not fit in with the other little nobles. So proud, nothing like the demure women her clan were expected to be. She was supposed to be a noble woman, she was supposed to be the heir for her family until she was wed, she was to lead her family’s lair and-
“You have grown my fortune.” Her father looked down on her. He always had. Tall, proud- far enough to know he’d never reach the throne, close enough to have a power in his own right. ‘Power comes with birth and with desire for it. Power has never been my desire.’ Her father’s words, now she only saw his judgment in dark grey eyes. Her mother was silent as Lan hung her head in shame, she’d failed them. All of them. “I expect you shall grow again by the next summer. Your mother and I would not be surprised if you did not however.” His words were cold and…
His hand on her chin, lifting her to look at him. “We have always cherished you Lan. Perhaps too much. You are made of greatness. Do us no shame in denying what you are.” His words had her shaking. She embraced him, the feeling of her mother’s arms wrapping around her. The soft touch of her father, stroking her hair as he had when she was a child… He did not smile as he let her go, her mother did, if softly before turning to her husband, arm wrapping in his own. “My Lady?” She looked over, the captain of the team she’d sent to their deaths- to doom. “Why do you apologize?” The question shocked her. She had- She was the one who- A small smile on the captain’s lips he shook his head. “It was an honor to serve you Lady Lan. We were sworn to our duty. As you to your own. But-“ He looked to his soldiers, all trained, each one, a face she knew. A name, a family of their own- “Will you be alright my Lady?” She looked at them. “Do you forgive me then? For give my-“ “We lived to serve you. You died in service. Ours is a noble death. We have nothing to forgive.” “Then why-“ “You have always been involved in our affairs. You have always done more than your station needed of you my Lady.” The captain eyes softened. He was a man she’d known growing up. Who had seen to part of her training and practices. “We know you as you knew us. We shall be fine. It is only you that we seek to protect.” The words hurt. They would be such soldiers. To wait for her, to see that she was well before- “You have rendered me and my house a great service. You and yours will not be forgotten.” The soldiers smiled, turning, their captain nodding to her before he led his men away. Her parents- a final glance, there was an approval of sorts, a look of expectance. But he was not there.
Zhong was not there in the crowed of he loved ones, in the throng of those who had served her and her house. He was not in the swirling mists. It made her chest tighten. It made her wonder- had he escaped it? Had he survived? No, she’d looked. She’d asked, he-
“You always looked so small from behind.” An embrace, a tall figure pressing himself close in the hug he had done time and time again until he was the only one who dared to try it past childhood. Who had dared to show his affections so openly. She wanted to cry. To hold him, to stay with him, to kiss him, to simply have him again. “Do you still feel small my treasure?” She did, and her hand reached up, touching the ghost of his own. “It is alright. The smallest treasure is often the most valuable.” He walked to her front, holding her hand, thumb rubbing her skin. A phantom’s touch.
“I miss you.” She looked up at him, tears so close. A noble wasn’t supposed to cry, yet lately it was all she seemed to be capable of doing. “And so you will. But my legacy has come to an end my treasure. I cannot keep you, for the dead have no hold over the living.” He smiled, gentle, sweet. “You are a treasure Lan. And it will frustrate me endless as you so deny it.” He watched her expression change to panic. “I swore to free you from the dragon that held you and I did. But the demons that dwelled in your heart remain. And now I fear I am one of them.” He knew her well. He always had. “I love you Lan.” Words stolen, things that he’d only whispered to her in secret. “And to see you in pain over me makes me wish to keep you still. To stay.” She stepped forward only for him to step back, letting her hand go.
“I love you, and so I know that you must live on without me. Not for me. Do not live for me my treasure.” He stepped forward, brushing hair from her face. “Live because you are our legacy. Because you are precious. You always have been. I will always love you as I have, but do not live for a memory. You are Lan, the golden one. And you have the blood of the imperial line in you. Strong, proud, resilient.” Zhong sounded so sure. He always had he- “Will you be alright Lan?” His voice changed the slightest bit, concern lacing it’s edge. “I don’t know. Maybe.” “When you left we promised to be wed.” “So we did.” “Would you wed a memory?” “You ask foolishness.” “I ask because I see love in your eyes still, a hope for that which cannot pass.” She looked away. “Lan, you gave me the strength to defy my brother and father. You held a lair in youth before many others. You are made of greatness.” He lifted her chin, pulling her to him. “I loved you, for you were the greatest treasure upon the Island. You were the perfection of our clan, and I lived every day, blessed to have known your love. Do not hold back that love my treasure, for it is part of what made you great, it is why I love you. For you saw the potential in your people, you walked and spoke with them. Not as equal but as leader. These are parts of what made you great, and I worry that if I leave you shall wither like the flowers you so adore.”
A kiss, soft, caste, he let her go. “So promise me Lan, that you shall live, that you shall be alright?” A slow nod of her head. He smiled. “Ever stubborn. But time will help you. I cannot. You must live for yourself, no longer for me or you people.” Gold eyes looked up, sad, broken, wishing for things that could never be. “I will mourn.” “Then mourn.” “I will cry.” “I expect you already have.” “I-“ He waited. “I will live.” He relaxed, turning to where the others had gone.
“Live well my treasure. I know you shall only be more valuable come time.” Zhong’s back to her, his shoulders move with a small laugh. “Perhaps you will get taller as well.”
They had been ready to move on. It was only she that was not.
Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:30 pm
so late to this party but there is gonna be a senga solo here cuz i'm shameless.
keiifuu
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kuropeco
Dramatic Marshmallow
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 6:47 pm
Mengyao wished he hadn't taken his friendships for granite, since it was getting harder and harder to think of something to say to them that wasn't too sedimental. His relationship with Lan and Lifen were already rocky, but maybe if he just worked harder at being a horse statue, he would be able to cement the friendship back together.
