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 Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:04 pm
Never What You Think
Perhaps picking memories from a seer is not wise.
'Thank you, do come again.' Tail swishing behind him playfully, Hawk's Eye watched with amusement as the confused man and delighted woman exited the shop. Though the gentleman had not realized it, the woman had wanted a ring - an engagement ring to be exact. With careful phrasing and very straightforward commentary about the ring the woman was staring at not-so-subtlety, Hawk's Eye was able to get the man to purchase it for her.
While she pretended she wasn't looking.
It would've been cute, if it wasn't for the fact that he was certain of their marriage and not so certain how long it would last. Whatever happen to settling for just one person? With that notion in mind, he closed up the glass door to the display case and put away the jewelry boxes he had brought out for the man.
With a wistful tail-swish, he resumed his seat on the chair behind the counter.
It was a great relief to escape the crowds and intrigue of Tesfaldir's High Courts; it was even more of a relief to escape Tesfaldir itself. It seemed like Esfandiar could find no solace even in the rooftop gardens. People were everywhere, everywhere, and he could hear them walking, breathing, living all around him-
I am, at heart, a beast after all. A solitary thing, driven to high dunes and freezing desert nights, and to the tombs of dead kings. Yet he had never felt so ill at ease in all his twenty years of living within the city's walls.
Pyrite, of course, was the opposite; the Fiend reveled in sentient presence, plucking scraps of memory like crumbs from the table. She sulked all the way up the Tower, and she was sulking now, puddling crankily in Esfandiar's shadow and making half-hearted snatches at the shadows of those they passed.
The shadhavar finally stilled his steps in front of a familiar shop; the sight of the sign drew Pyrite out of the shadow. She put both hands on the window and pressed her featureless face against the glass, with no breath to mar the clarity of her view. Here; In?
"In," Esfandiar confirmed, with a sigh. The faster he could talk to someone that could help Pyrite hone her powers, the faster they could get the information the Padishah wanted and be done with the whole thing.
(Or so he told himself, but in his heart he knew - they'll never let her go.)
She set him ill-at-ease, the shadow that was coming into the store ( especially with the way she pressed against the glass ). Though the guardian he was grateful for; the help he provided when Athan and Reyna were trapped in stone something he could never quite express his thanks for. His tail swish from side to side in a wary manner, though his face was as aloof as all ways.
The store had seen both shoppers and visitors, though he all ready knew with the arrival of these two that that time had come to an end. Dusk was rapidly approaching and with that meant that things were winding down - including the spell weaving that Athan was doing over a few trinkets in the back, but he'd be a while yet.
'So someone can unnerve you ...' It was Athan's voice that brushed against his mind and he mentally scowled at the man.
'Shush,' he grumbled back, hand lifting in greeting towards the two coming into the shop. Athan's amused laughter rang through his head and despite his annoyance at him being right, he couldn't help but admit he liked the sound of him laughing.
Esfandiar let the door fall closed behind him with a muffled sigh, then shook his head and refocused on the shop's inhabitants.
He only just recognized the being - no, Fiend - behind the counter... the creature had been there when Reyna and Athan had been turned to stone. Had helped. He couldn't remember the name. "Good afternoon, effendi," he said, quietly.
Pyrite, on the other hand, arrowed straight for the other Fiend, her hands outstretched, fingers spread hungrily. "Pyrite!" Esfandiar said, sharply, and she pulled back in a motion that looked unnatural, fingers folding up as if someone had snapped them in half. "My apologies, effendi - she has been too long accustomed to taking as she likes, without asking first."
She glared at him, eyes bright in her cracked face. Want, she insisted.
"No," Esfiandiar repeated, then sighed again. "Is the Sage here? I need to speak with him on a matter of some importance." Controlling her cravings... surely honing her power and focusing it will provide some sort of discipline.
Pyrite dissolved into shadow and puddled angrily under a jewelry case.
'Has she?' he responded, settling back just slightly once it was apparent that Pyrite had been reigned in - for the time being, at least. There did not seem to be any end for her thirst. Could it be slated, he wondered.
'The Sage,' he paused, looking in on Athan as only he could, 'he is busy. Spellweaving, but he should be done soon enough.'
'In the mean time, perhaps YOU should offer your assistance.' Once again, he heard Athan's laughter and momentarily scowled. The man was busy, but it did not seem to stop him from prodding at the Shadow.
'Perhaps I can be of assistance ... ?' He slipped out from behind the counter, tail swishing behind him warily as he looked at the case where Pyrite was. 'Though I do not know if I can offer guidance to control her ... desires.' Her hunger, it was obvious.
He was uncertain of what would happen if he was touched by her, what would be pulled from him ... After all, he was a Seer - would it be visions? Would it be the past? Would it be more? Whatever it was, it made him uneasy to think about what she could see ...
Esfandiar sighed and resisted the urge to rub at his temples; Pyrite's hunger throbbed in the back of his head, making it ache. "Certain persons in my city have found her unbridled talent useful to them... persons of stature high enough that I cannot challenge or refuse their wishes. She has grown undisciplined."
He understood the craving too well; it was one he himself had controlled for years. Hunger - the desire to have, to eat, to take and revel in the taking. He was, at core, a monster, a flesh-eater. And eating cooked meats was only a pale imitation of the full rites of the hunt - the chase, the capture, the-
The shadhavar cut that thought away sharply, aware that Pyrite was there too, radiating smug satisfaction at him. Understanding, she crooned at him. Knowledge; Desire; Released.
"No," he said, sharply, then focused on the other Fiend. "I beg your pardon, effendi. Please - I would take any assistance or advice you can offer."
'... I can be of assistance,' he assured Esfandiar, 'my power - my Sight can help. Some insight perhaps ...' It seemed that the shadow and her bonded were at odds with each other, though clearly one understood the other far too well. He was blatantly ignoring Athan's voice in his mind, saying that it was a bold claim that he made - that he could help.
Needs. Hungers. Wants.
Hawk could very well relate to that. His need and wants were nearly the same, identical - Athan knew this and ignored them as best he could. His hunger ... Well, that was something he kept in check. Letting his eyes drift shut, he tilted his face towards Pyrite and lazily opened his eyes back up to bare slits.
'So, young one, have you ever tasted the memories of a Seer?' It was a question, not an invitation - not yet, at least. For now, he was stretching out his senses, following the paths laid out before him in his mind's eye and seeing where they took him.
What he could learn of the creature before him. Even though she was a shadow fiend, she was a different sort of being indeed.
The reaction was immediate; while the elder Fiend may not have meant the question as an invitation, Pyrite was too used to taking without such provoking questions being asked. She reached out at once for Hawk, long fingers outstretched, her movement quick but almost... tender, in a strange way. She projected no words, only a roil of hunger, anticipation, and pleasure.
"Pyrite!"
Her past seemed as dark as she was. It was distant in his mind and distracting him from paying attention to her.
Just as her feelings brushed over him, he let himself out of the vision, his blind eyes staring at her. Hand holding out not to fully stop her, but to give her pause. 'You would do well to realize,' he said quietly, 'that not everything you need to know.'
Hawk's Eye was a hypocrite in this manner as he very much needed to know everything, but he also knew the price of such knowledge. There is no childhood with knowledge, no innocence. In this, Pyrite and himself were very much alike.
Incorrect, Pyrite proclaimed, a strong sense of triumph flooding through her words. Knowledge; Seek; Take-
Her hands reached past Hawk's own and touched the other Fiend's face, slipping easily into place, cupping his cheeks as her fingertips dug ever so lightly into his skin.
It was not like his warning would stop her. He knew better. This one was a mind-eater, a seeker; though of what he did not know. Perhaps knowledge, perhaps to ease the hunger ...
The way her fingers slipped so easily past his mask to his skin was unnerving and it was the sudden feeling of dread that had Athan letting a brief bit of concern flow over. 'F - fine,' he murmured back, bringing his hands up to wrap around Pyrite's wrists in response to her actions.
The fact of the matter he was not fine, nor was he sure what would happen. His Sight did not grant him that luxury as corrupted as it was.
Just the barest traces of something floated in his mind, a trickle of something larger.
It all ways started with the tools laid out neatly on the table ...
"Pyrite, stop..."
The shadhavar's words slowly trailed off as Pyrite leaned in closer, resting the tip of her tail against the other Fiend's hips, as if she'd press her entire body to his given the chance. She was radiating hunger, delight, unthinking need...
And memory, resounding down their link.
Tools, bright and shining, touched with a gentle caress, anticipation- But that quick impression swirled away, eclipsed by Pyrite's curiosity, her euphoria... because touching someone's mind, someone's memories, had never felt like this before. A quick series of images, sounds, tastes, tactile sensations, smells - all flashed past him so rapidly that they blurred into each other in strange ways. Esfandiar tasted noonlight, heard the touch of silk on skin, saw hatred raging-
Mine, Pyrite crooned, almost adoringly, and moved to press her forehead against Hawk's.
His own tail twitched back and forth haltingly, Athan's voice a distant whisper in his mind. He was all right for the time being ...
'Not yours, not all ...' he answered back in a quiet tone, all most dream-like - as if he was in a trance. His hold on her was strong, though one hand slipped from her wrist down to her waist, as if holding her there against him.
The touches to his memory, his visions, seemed to be like someone rifling through a bookstore. For a moment one was latched onto, of twilight, of arguing ...
"You step out of your place, pupil. Launching such an attack like that, albeit VERY creative ..." The man with silver-grey hair stared down at the dark haired man. What color was his hair? The twilight hid it well, though he thought it might have been red or brown ...
"You do not like him, teacher, so I thought I might do well to ... act upon that for you." The grin on the pupil's face was unapologetic, unabashed. He did not care what the results of his actions were. Or the fact that he had not hurt his target, but actually hurt HIS beloved ...
A resounding crack, the sizzle of magic in the air, and the pupil landing on his back flooded his vision and he pulled back as the taller man looked towards where he was. He KNEW that he was there - but he also knew that until his proof was concrete, he would tell his beloved nothing ...
"You harmed the wrong person, pupil, and you will learn ..."
It shifted, contorted, and change then. The dialogue falling into something else.
"... you will learn the errors of your ways ..." All most lovingly fingers caressed a cheek before slipping away and turning to the waiting table ...
Pyrite's eyes slipped closed, and she twined her tail fully around Hawk's waist now, pulling herself so close to him that it might as well have been a lover's embrace - Esfandiar's lips moved, meaning to say stop it, this is too much, let go, but no sound emerged.
Pyrite...
....?
Something new intruded into Pyrite's projections, a curiosity tempered not with insatiable hunger, but with sudden reserve. Her eyes narrowed.
... errors of your ways...
She pressed her fingertips so firmly into Hawk's skin that - were he human - it would almost certainly bruise, her brow furrowing slightly. There was something there she wanted... and she would have it.
He was lost in the visions, in the memories that were coming up in his mind. They were not his own; or, at least, he thought they were not his own. His fingers tightened involuntarily, holding her even tighter.
Hawk's tail continued to swish back and forth haltingly, as if he was unsure of what was going on. Eyes even more distant, he lowered his head against Pyrite.
Cries were music, the tools on the table that were used the method in which the music was brought forth. This one was not talking easily and with a 'tsk, tsk' the hand that was conducting slid forward slowly.
A blade danced along a chin, down to the throat where another hand waited, holding all most tight enough to stop breathing.
"No ..." came the harsh whisper.
The more Pyrite pushed, searching, the more it seemed like what she was looking for sunk further into Hawk's mind.
"No," his voice was a harsh whisper, the dark shadowed hands around his throat not letting go despite the pleads. If he could not have him, then no one could.
'I told you long ago I get what I wanted one way or another.' The voice sounded familiar, but was warped and twisted - as if something was tainted the real voice.
Fingers wrapped themselves around the shadowed wrists as if trying to remove them. Instead they slowly went slack and the pretty greengreen eyes slid shut for the last time.
And Hawk's screams of pain and anguish quickly followed.
'A - Athan ...' he called quietly, though he did not expect the man to respond to him. Instead he got a briefly worried nudge in his direction, before he felt himself sink again further into his own power.
That name from Hawk was all that Esfandiar needed. The flow of memory and emotion was powerful, the bond between them swollen and gorged with input, but that faint breath of sound was just barely enough...
"Pyrite!" Esfandiar lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling backwards, trying to physically drag her away from Hawk. Her tail lashed at him frantically, the chime of her cracked flesh sounding oddly like broken clay as she flailed. "Let... damnit- let him go!"
Negativenegativenegativenegative- Esfandiar staggered as a wave of desperation flowed over him, the Fiend frantic, almost terrified as she struggled. Stopstopstopstopstop-
"Stop, this is wrong this is-" He'd come here for help and what he'd found was this and-
She was a monster.
Pyrite's hunger for memories was fuel for the fire of Hawk's augury. Even as Esfandiar pulled her back, Hawk held onto her despite the struggling. The elder shadow was stronger than he looked, though his hold would break eventually with Esfandiar's strength.
'Know not your past, know not your crimes,' his voice was subdued as he spoke, his eyes distant as they had been. 'Torture and tortured, your memories are kept from you for a reason - only a fool would look for them, but as you keep digging, you may see what is waiting for you if you find it ...'
Hawk brought up a hand, pressing it against her cheek, and fully opening his mind and sharing the vision she kept chasing into his mind.
The silence was deafening; his earlier screams faded to the answers she desired and she felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the fact she had gotten what she wanted. Nothing could be hidden from her, ever.
Patting his cheek, leaving a bloody hand print behind, she whispered to him sweetly. "Thank you, general, for your assistance ..."
Men appeared to drag him out, a shell of who he once was, and she turned to the one staying back in the darkness. He whispered something to her as she caught her reflection in the chains. The visage distorted and warped until the form cracked and hollowed out, leaving nothing but a creature of shadow and hunger ...
The elder fiend shoved himself loose, phasing and falling from both Pyrite and Esfandiar before he slumped against a nearby counter.
His eyes were back in the present, but otherwise not speaking. His tail lashed back and forth in a mixture of anxiety and relief. Athan was questioning him, but he did not find it in him to respond. Still shaken himself from the memory that Pyrite had stirred up in him.
-!!!!
The maelstrom echoed down the link, and Esfandiar's vision fuzzed and faded, the stench of long-dried blood filling his nostrils, blood and hot iron and bile-
And then Pyrite was on top of him, writhing, twisting desperately, the shards of her skin clinking and grinding against each other as she curled into a ball, releasing nothing more into his mind but a soundless, thoughtless keening. "Pyrite-" he managed, for a moment torn between two urges - comfort her, or shove her away, break her for good against the hard surface of the nearest display case?
In the end, he merely squirmed out from under her; pushed off-balance, she curled inward once more with a strange scraping ratch!. He stared for a moment, trying to regain his equilibrium, to separate memory from current reality... to absorb the enormity of what had just happened.
Of what she had done.
"I... damnit, are you well?" Deeply shaken, the shadhavar turned to Hawk, an expression of fear and muted revulsion on his face.
'Her or me?' the Seer ground out, though his tone was not nearly as gruff as it could have been. Instead when he felt Athan's concern wash over him again, he pushed his own anxiety down.
'I'll be there in a moment.'
'NO,' Hawk hissed out just for him, 'do not come in here.' There was no way he wanted Athan around one such as Pyrite. It made him feel ill to think about what could happen if she ever touched him.
Focusing on Esfandiar again, he shook his head. 'I will be fine and so will she, but there is no way to stop her desires ...' In an odd way, he was tempted to reach out and soothe the fellow shadow, but after what she had dug from his mind, he held no such desire to comfort. The price of knowledge was, sometimes, great.
"You," Esfandiar said, bluntly, and though his gaze flicked briefly in Pyrite's direction he did not turn towards her. "She is - I had hoped to teach her - but I could not even stop her..." The disgust on his face was plain. "Unmanageable."
The young Fiend, meanwhile, remained curled on the floor, her only movement a tiny back-and-forth rocking that produced the faintest of rasping noises as her cracked flesh slid and bumped against itself. The keening was gone, and in its place nothing but an echoing absence.
'Restraint?' he responded. Was that what he wanted to teach her? It was something she would surely know of now. To know where to stop. At least, Hawk hoped that was the case.
Blind eyes were focused on Pyrite, Seeing briefly the state that she was in.Though he was rattled himself, it did not compare. His composure was what he was desperately holding onto. 'Take her home, hanstha Esfandiar. Her hunger is subdued, but she will all ways be empty, all ways want to fill the void in her ...' he paused briefly, before sighing.'You cannot teach what she does not want to learn herself.' Fingers a little shaken, he brushed them through his hair as if straightening it would ease the feeling in his stomach. He did not think that someone could be at such odds with their shadow. Not even Wren had looked at him with such disgust. Anger, yes, but that?
... never.
"Take her home? And have her turn on my family, my associates? No." Esfandiar shook his head sharply. "I cannot return home. Not now, not with her like this." His voice was bitter. "I made a promise to the Sage, and I will keep it, and her - but I will not endanger my people."
'You ...' Hawk shifted, moved, and let his body float towards Pyrite despite the fact that he had no desire to be near her at all. 'For a time, I think she will be wary. After all,' he tilted his head towards Esfandiar, 'there is more in my mind than my own memories and what she saw was her own, I believe. I would call her sated, but overwhelmed would be more accurate.'
For a moment, the shadows in the room lengthened and increased and Hawk held his hand just over Pyrite, as if in a motion to comfort - but he just held his hand there, not touching and watching her as she shifted.
'If you do not return home, do you have a place to stay?'
"I am shadhavar," Esfandiar said, quietly; the tension was evident in his body language, but none of it was directed at Hawk. "We are tribal wanderers of the desert by nature. It will be easy to... remember... that way of living."
Nevermind that no shadhavar herd would take him in; he could do well enough in the shadows of the tombs outside the city.
'You can make yourself comfortable here, for a time, until other accommodations can be made.' Hawk's head tilted to the side and Athan's sentiments seemed to echo his own. After all, Hawk could remember a time where he had stayed here in an effort to not be around his bonded.
Then again, that time had also spawned the ongoing feud between Mystic and himself. Still, he had been safe here.
He picked himself up, tail swishing haltingly behind him still. Guilt flooded him, but he was not sure if it was his own or Athan's. It had nothing to do with Pyrite, but to do with Esfandiar and the fact that he was not exactly prepared for the fiend that was his soul-bonded.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:05 pm
Dreams and Fears
Athan discovers the nature of Hawk's visions.It was a change of pace, Athan looking for Hawk's Eye instead of the other way around. The fiend had fled from his presence the moment that they had arrived home. Silence had been overwhelming during the trip. The Seer had barely even spoken once Esfandiar had left, whatever shred of being all right fading rapidly, and did not bother to speak aloud when he called forth the portal to get them home.
The fox-tailed shadow had bolted for the house, hiding somewhere within, and away from Athan for one reason and one reason only: because he knew.
When Pyrite dug into Hawk's mind, Athan saw each of the memories that she had pulled from him as the Seer had been unable to stop their bond from sharing them. They were odd to have, but who was to say they were not memories, but visions instead? In fact, Athan knew for a fact that the last one had been a vision and NOT a memory.
And it was also the reason why Hawk's Eye was hiding from him. Why the Seer could not look him in the eyes for fear of what he would see there. If Athan did not know this was serious, he would have thought the reaction was charming coming from someone who was normally so sure of themselves.
Eventually he stopped trying to look for the shadow and let their bond lead them. He found his feet walking the path that lead away from the house, into the nearby forest and the small stream that was near it. The trees were thick here, the moon only glinting in every so often. Water trickled by and he thought, for a moment, he might have heard the laughter of nymphs along with the splashing of the water.
Instead, he came to the pond that the water flowed from and the large tree that was in the center of it. There were stepping stones over to the tree, ones that he had pulled up himself, and he crossed them for the first time in ages. After all, this was a place of meditation that he reminded him far too much of times in the past.
Something he was all ways running from, which was ironic because it seemed like Hawk was constantly chasing it. Never mind his running from the future that he saw in his vision.
Crossing the water, Athan was now certain that it was nymphs he had heard. With a resounding splash and laughter, he watched as a tail flicked into the water and disappeared beneath the surface. Their audience was still in the same place, carefully tucked away between the roots of the tree. His mask was up, his face not hidden, and there was water droplets falling down as if they were tears.
Athan knew otherwise, but still it made it look as if the Seer had been crying. His tail swished slowly from side to side, as if unsure just how it wanted to move. It was, if anything, a good representation of the shadow's mood. Not waiting for an invitation, especially one that would never come, Athan sat himself down beside the Seer. It took only a breath for the shadow to scoot over and allow him space there as well.
Except that the Seer's mood was echoed in the fact that he did not situated himself against Athan, instead he found himself against the other side of the roots, as far from Athan as the nook allowed. His visage slipped into the shadows of the night, moonlight every so often making him visible once more.
"This is ridiculous, Hawk." The words were a whisper.
The Seer said nothing. He went rigidly still and even his tail stopped its ever constant swishing. He seemed blank, unreadable.
Athan knew better. A scowl set in his own features; he stood from where he sat. He ventured closer to the Shadow as he gingerly treaded along the large roots with far more agility than most people would assume he was even capable of. Hawk tensed as he came closer, and looked very much like he wanted to bolt. He drifted upwards as though to move away, but paused as Athan began to speak once again.
"You run from me and I will chase you down. Don't think for a moment that I wouldn't do it or that I am incapable of doing so," he told him flatly, a deadly seriousness in his tone.
The Seer peered at him intently, blinked once, and settled himself back down in amongst the roots of the tree. For a brief flickering moment a look of consternation fluttered across his delicate features. He knew that to be true. Athan would not stop, and there was no outrunning him for very long within the realm they were in. Fleeing into another dimension would be hazardous for both of them, and he already ... He sighed. He hated the feeling of dread. As much as he wanted to keep Athan close to him at all times he wished he'd just go away.
He saw the damn vision. Didn't he get the god damn point?
Athan settled near to Hawk's side once again. He remained silent for a moment as he gazed over at him, quietly waiting; for what, he wasn't sure. Without thinking he reached out to run a lock of his silver blue hair between his fingertips. He almost seemed to glow in the moonlight.
Silence spanned between them. It was a deep, dark emptiness, and Athan didn't like it one bit. For all his wishing that the Shadow would leave him be, he had begun to appreciate his company. He even favored it. He sighed a bit wistfully before caving to a desire he knew he shouldn't.
He slipped amongst the roots where Hawk was perched. Before he could vanish or escape his grasp he pulled him close with one hand pressed against the stone at the center of his chest. His other arm snaked around the Seer's form to slide carefully up along his back.
Hawk stared at him, bewildered and somewhat appalled. Athan's arms: that was a place he longed to be, but ... 'How could you possibly ... ?' he finally spoke up as he silently cursed his own Sight. Not because Athan managed to glimpse the terrible, dark vision that plagued him, but because it currently allowed him to actually see. What he saw before him was heart stopping. If he had had a heart he was rather certain it would have skipped a beat or two at the sight and feeling of being cocooned in amongst tree limbs and Athan's lean form.
He didn't know what else to say. All eloquence had fled him. There seemed no regaining it now.
"You're not going anywhere. I refuse to let you leave," Athan told him as he tightened his grip about the Shadow's shoulders. His fingertips strayed and tilted Hawk's face up towards his as he brushed aside his hair. "I also refuse to deal with this … utterly ridiculous notion you have in your head that you're going to kill me."
Hawk's features twisted into something angry and annoyed. He wanted to shove Athan away - desperately. He wanted to keep him away. Most of all he wanted him safe. He couldn't bear the thought that he might ...
Green eyes bore into him and he closed his own if only not to meet them, and because his natural vision was fading again.
"You're not evil, Hawk. You won't kill me, and even if you did you'd probably be doing me a favor. I was not meant to live so long. I know you," Athan told him in a serious, but quiet tone as he continued to idly play with the Shadow's hair.
'Do NOT say such things. Don't!' Hawk hissed.
A smirk crossed Athan's face. "What? That you're not evil? I promise not to tell anyone."
Hawk sputtered and shook faintly with frustration as he struggled to find the words he wanted to say. 'Just ... shut up!' he blurted out, face flushing a bit before he hid himself away against the other man's chest with an irritable huff. 'You've no idea what you're speaking of.'
"Oh yes. I do have an idea, Hawk," Athan spoke, "I know far better than you can imagine, dear heart."
The Seer sighed in exasperation and shifted slightly so that he was face to face with Athan again. He could still see him a tiny bit. He reached to gently touch his face almost reverently as though he might not ever have the chance to look upon his features ever again. He was ... comforted to a degree. Athan still trusted him, even if he thought him foolish. That hadn't been his worry. It was never his worry, and he was still full of apprehension at the very notion of what the vision had shown.
"The future is never concrete or set in stone," Athan stated matter-of-factly, "You know this as much as I do."
'Of course I know that, but I -'
"You would leave me, then?" The words were barely spoken and for a moment Athan's voice was hollow and empty. The words he had meant to say disappeared from his mind and Hawk found himself pressing closer to Athan than before. His fingers reached up to touch Athan's face, brushing against his lips for a moment and feeling the frown that was there.
He sighed.
'No, I fear that without you, perhaps I would be evil. Lost,' he hesitated, the words a soft murmur, before he finished speaking, 'without a shred of hope.' There was an honesty in Hawk's face, an openness in his eyes that Athan had not seen before. The Seer's own hand was covered, Athan's hand holding it lightly, and turned over to press a chaste kiss to the back of it.
"I doubt it." Letting Hawk's hand fall from his, he reached to tuck loose strands of silver-blue hair back behind a delicate ear. Somehow, in the moonlight, the Seer looked more beautiful. Even without the faerie allure in effect, he would have still been beautiful. "Turne'ash liene; she'la gis zisth dh'ade rey? Sio ame bei cask rho geas se alyead auhn duio dh'ade muah?" The words were a hushed whisper, barely breathed out and when he heard what felt like a mental intake of breath from Hawk's Eye he paused his hand.
'Some things are meant to be that way,' the Seer offered quietly in response before leaning to rest his head against Athan's shoulder. 'And I like it when you cannot look away - when you tell me what I need - want to hear.'
For a moment Athan was tempted to ask the shadow how long he had understood Mhiros'ka, but he thought better of it. "You assume I would be able to talk." There was quiet laughter from Hawk before Athan felt the shadow nudge his head against his neck in response.
'Sometimes, but I do mean it,' his tone was serious, 'if it were not for you, za'reai, I would be nothing like I am. You guide me; keep me from walking the dark paths …'
"And yet I am still not a father figure to you?" Athan snorted when he felt Hawk's fingers flick against the bridge of his nose as if admonishing him for even saying that.
'I do not know who I was, what I may have been, Athan, but …' The Seer suddenly pressed closer, as if trying to hide himself against Athan. Some part of him was wary of saying this; as if it was a secret he did not want to share. 'I know you will not lead me astray. I just fear that somehow, someday one of the visions I have will come true. You will die - and I will be at fault.'
Resting his hand against Hawk's head, Athan tilted his own towards it and let out a sigh. "We are not meant to live forever," and before the fiend could retort, he silenced him with a finger against his pale cheek, "but I have faith that you will never kill me. Nor will you be at fault should I die."
'And if I think you are foolish for that faith?' It was with another huff that Hawk let his blind eyes slid shut, just taking in the scene that showed itself before his mind's eye.
"It would not be the first time you've thought me foolish," Athan chuckled, keeping his arms where they were and trapping Hawk against him. At least until the shadow phased away from him, though he sincerely doubted that he would.
'Point.' With a feline stretch, even though he was in Athan's arms, Hawk let out a content sigh. His fears were eased, despite that they still existed. With a slow swish of his tail, he pressed his face against Athan's neck after he slipped off the hawk mask. 'Eventually,' he murmured, 'we should go back to the house. All of you will need dinner …'
"In time, dear heart." Tangling his fingers in Hawk's hair, Athan let himself enjoy the moment. It was not the past, it was not his love, but in moments like these he thought he might be able to move on.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:06 pm
Comfort Freely Given
Dio comes back for more questions."You do realize that this whole having me drive you over here for me to just sit in the car is getting a little old." Merci was cross, and it showed in her tone. He did it before when Red and he came to talk to Hawk before. She had been asked to stay out of the shop then too. It didn't sit well with her that her charge was starting to keep secrets from her.
Dio leaned over and mimed giving her a kiss on the cheek. 'I know you aren't happy about it. I just wanna talk to Hawk for a second, he said I could come back and ask him about something.'
Her brows furrowed, "I don't like that your keeping secrets from me Dio."
He slipped from the car, moving through the door rather then opening it. His colorful head bobbed just outside of Merci's window, 'Not secrets Merci, just things I have to do by myself. I will tell you when I'm ready. Please lemmie talk to him alone?'
Dio waited for the sigh and eventual nod he got from his guardian before he turned and sailed across the street and directly into Twilight Designs. His burgundy eye moved back and forth across the shop, searching for the Seer. It was odd for him to actually hope he didn't run into any of the usual denizens that lurked here. Mystic and Reyna, as much as he loved them, wouldn't be able to answer his questions.
And as usual the little creature had come for answers.
Hawk was, indeed, watching the store front. Reyna was in the process of convincing Mystic that him helping Hawk with 'Nesh's problem would be to his benefit. Never mind what would happen if he did not. After all, the demoness was partial to horribly cute children.
Head tilted just slightly, just his hair was visible from behind the heavy tome he was reading. His fingers were pressed against the pages lightly as he read the book using his Sight.
For a moment, his reading was interrupted by the vision of Dio walking in and he let out a small sigh.
Really, he was wondering what it was about Dio coming to see him that seemed to totally destroy any other path out of the store or something else to do.
Then again, he thought it had something to do with the stars and the fact they deliberately aligned against him so he had to talk to the Star-gazer. The last time they had talk to Dio, through him, there had been a message to him as well.
Guide him. It serves your end as well.
Hawk had a headache from just thinking about it.
Dio didn't see Hawk at first, and oddly he brought both hands up in front of himself to fidget. Even Dio didn't seem to realize he was beginning to use the normally limp limb. His Burgundy eye settled on the book and then the white hair above it. Oh good he was there! Dio didn't think they would have left the storefront empty. The little shadow zipped over to where he was and peeked over the top of the book at the grumpy Seer. Dio suddenly didn't feel so sure of himself, if he had been a cat his ears would have flattened out. He was not about to back down however, he was still having that same nightmare.
'You said I could come talk to you about that man...' He trailed off and stayed where he was, staring with one wide, expectant eye. Hawk would help him, he promised he would.
Hawk's Eye might as well have BEEN a cat. His fox tail swished back and forth behind him lazily, as if he was contemplating the best way to pounce what was in front of him. Instead, he let out a small sigh and moved the book down with Dio poked his head over it.
'I did, didn't I?' he murmured, marking his page as he found a place on the counter to set the tome down. 'What would you like to know?' In a way, it was all most all ways best to skip the how-do-you-do's with Hawk. After all, he knew the answers long before one spoke most of the time.
He gestured for Dio to head towards the back of the shop. It was darker than the spot he was sitting in and had better sitting arrangements. Pushing a hand through his hair, he adjust the hawk mask on his face, before standing up himself from his seat.
He hesitated momentarily and then floated after Hawk. Dio felt so incredibly out of his depth around the Seer. However caution was not the little shadow's strong point. 'How come you wear that mask? Is there something wrong with your face?'
Somehow he still hadn't learned the difference between questions that should be asked and shouldn't. Then he realized that hadn't been what Hawk was asking. He settled in the chair near Hawk and leaned forward, his sleeved arm again hanging limply by his side. 'Who was he? Why did he do those things? Why did he want me? Did he kill off all the Alisari? You called Red an Alisari...' He let the thought trail off and then he started again sheepishly, 'I'm asking to many questions again arn't I?'
Finding a spot next to Dio, Hawk sat down once again, curling his feet underneath him until they shifted to nothing but shadows and only his tail swished behind him lazily.
Resolve colored his features briefly, as Hawk knew there was no way out of this - never mind he had told Dio he would talk to him about Doran. It was one subject he preferred that others were aware of.
'A little too fast, but you're all ways greedy for knowledge, Star-gazer.' He laughed quietly, the irony of Dio's hunger for knowledge not lost on him. After all, his encounter with Pyrite was similar in that they both wanted knowledge. The difference was that Dio knew where to stop.
'I'll start with what you first asked; which is to say that I wear the mask to keep a faerie gift under control.' He paused briefly, thinking about the fact Mystic would say there WAS something wrong with his face. 'An allure. It makes some unable to ... look away.' To put it lightly.
His eye widened at the mention of the allure. What was THAT! He practically vibrated with the excitement of learning about something completely new. 'What is an allure? You said you wear the mask for it, is it like a face blemish or something? Can I see it? Oooh is it something anyone can do?'
Dio scooted right to the edge of his chair and his gaze was locked on Hawk, studying him. His un-sleeved hand went to the arm of the chair and he starting tapping it with his fingers. His shadowy tail seemed to swish back and forth with the energy he was trying to keep in check.
It never seemed to do Hawk any good to actually answer the questions in order as Dio asked them. Instead it was better if he answered at his own pace - and he had opened this line of questioning up himself.
'You know of the fae folk? Faeries and the like?' he asked, before going on. 'Regardless, they are known to have charms that can lure mortal men and women off into the forests so they can do as they please with them.' The way Hawk's tail swished from side to side impishly made it all most clear that there was at least one person he wanted to do that with.
Preferably someone tall, dark, frequently brooding, and preferred coffee every morning for breakfast before he would even think about speaking.
'The mask just helps me keep it in control ... Not to hide some blemish,' he sighed, wondering just how many people actually did think he was hiding some blemish underneath the mask. 'There's nothing different about my face.'
Dio listened in rapt attention to Hawk as he spoke, but he couldn't stay in his chair any longer. He moved off the chair and circled around the older shadow, 'That sounds awesome, so you can do that? Does that mean there isn't anything wrong with your face?' Fae folk, it seemed that this world held all sorts of wonders. Demons he had met, aliens, cyborgs, but he didn't think he had seen a Fae anything yet.
It was more then he could stand, and both hands moved up to pull the mask from the Seer's face. The whole action filter that stopped one from doing something socially unacceptable shorted out in the fact of his overwhelming curiosity.
'Nothing wrong with my face,' he assured Dio, head tilting just slightly as he listened to the young Star-gazer circle around him over and over again. If he had been able to truly see, he imagined he might have gotten dizzy from watching him move around so much.
'Yes, I ca - ' The words were cut short as he made a small noise of shock, tail rapidly twitching as he felt Dio's fingers slip under the mask and settle it on top of his head.
His Sight being on the fritz was becoming increasingly annoying - and this was one of the moments were it truly annoyed him.
'I can,' he finished, quietly, staring at Dio with blind luminescent eyes. His face did look the same, though it seemed to glow all it's own. There was an unearthly quality to him that had not been there the last time Dio had seen him. If he was the sort that could smell magic in the air, it was heavier in the air than it had been before. What the mask kept in check was no longer held back as well.
Hawk's control over the allure was not as good as the mask that totally negated it when on. Besides, if Dio wanted to see then he could; the Seer was still a fan of others learning the hard way.
Dio stopped moving, and he stilled in front of Hawk. He looked the same, and yet he didn't. The visible eye drank Hawk in and slowly. Dio's hands moved back up, the sleeve rolled up his arm, as the little Star placed his fingers very very gently against the Seer's face.
The little one canted his head to the side, fingers slowly traveling over Hawk's cheeks, his eyes, his brow. Dio didn't understand how he could look so much the same and so different, something had to have changed. 'You are very pretty.' His voice choked up and he brushed his thumbs over where Hawk's mouth would be. 'What, what is this feeling?' He didn't sound confused now, just surprised.
Dio felt the beginning of tears pricking at him. How could he never have seen this before now? He didn't ask any more questions, he simply pressed himself into Hawk's lap and curled up there. His multicolored head resting against the Seer's chest.
Hawk had been stalked down the streets, made men speechless, and even had people unable to look away, but Dio's response was unique still. Everything about the Star-gazer seemed to be that.
'Infatuation,' he breathed out quietly, once the young fiend stilled and had curled up against his chest. He let out a sigh and put one arm around Dio, while he used the other to tug the mask back into place firmly. 'It's not entirely under my control and this mask's magics keep it subdued so that ... people are not affected.'
The Seer was not evil; he had no desire for people to be utterly infatuated with him or follow him purely because of a faerie gift ( though curse was also appropriate ).
He rested his chin on top of Dio's head gently. For once, the elder fiend felt a little remorse that the child had gotten in over his head. 'What were you other questions, Star-gazer?'
Dio didn't say anything for a few minutes, he rested where he was against Hawk. His eyes closed, and he didn't know why but he felt safe here. It was the kind of safe he felt with Mystic and Red, that nothing could hurt him while he was here in this exact spot. The Seer didn't know it but he had officially joined the ranks of those that Dio considered family.
Without moving from his perch Dio lifted his voice once more, 'You said the dream was a memory, that I was remembering something that really happened to me. If thats true, does that mean that I died? Why did that man want me so much? Why didn't he want someone more like you or Mystic, I'm not that impressive.'
The question on the edge of his mind whispered only to him. Why did he have to hurt me?
There was a subtle shift in the feel of the room and Hawk let out a small sigh; one that was mostly to himself. The child probably considered him family now, when all he was really trying to do is make sure he did not bite off more than he could chew.
Not that it did not amuse him, but at certain points it was more annoying than anything else.
'You did not die, Star-gazer.' Hawk moved his hand to tap Dio's forehead lightly. 'Dying would imply our souls passed onto judgment and then eventual reincarnation. Neither of which have happened for any of us shadows.' His tail swished back and forth lazily, before he spoke again.
'You were a Star-gazer, Dio,' his tone was serious, 'which means the stars spoke to you. Do you understand the knowledge at your fingertips?'
Dio opened his eyes when he got tapped, and he pulled back so he could look up again at Hawk's face. The mask was back on, but the memory of the overwhelming feelings were very fresh and raw. Slowly the Dio released Hawk and he moved away, giving the older shadow his space. Something about him made Dio think he didn't like being touched overly much, and he wanted to try and respect that.
Dio knew that he had a connection to the stars, he had tried to talk to them before. He didn't however understand that it meant much of anything, to him they spoke over each other, a confusing mass of, for lack of a better word, noise. Dio doubted he would ever really understand them, because when he could isolate one sound from the crowd, it was gibberish.. 'No, I don't think I do. Why would he want me for that? The sounds don't make any sense...'
The little shadow curled himself up on the seat he vacated not long ago, resting his right hand on the arm of the chair. His left hung, again, uselessly from his side.
Did he use his arm more when he was more sure of himself? Hawk wondered briefly before he shook his head at Dio.
'Just because they do not make sense now does not mean they did not make sense then. It takes time to understand things and the stars will eventually make sense to you again.' After all, as far as Hawk was concerned when it came to Dio they DID align against him.
He reached forward with his hand, finger resting underneath Dio's chin and tilting it so he looked up at him. 'You are not the man you were then. Who you were was who Doran wanted. That man could listen and speak with the stars - Doran wanted that power, wanted some answer that only the stars could give. It's why he went after you and it's why you're like me now.'
Dio didn't pull away from Hawk when he tilted his face up, and he met the older shadow's gaze. 'Why did he do all those things to people? How could someone hurt so many like that? I really don't understand at all. There was blood, and ashes, and he was smiling. You shouldn't smile when someone gets hurt.' He remembered the anger on Doran's face and it made him shiver a little bit, 'Did I do the right thing? Maybe if I hadn't said no, he wouldn't have hurt anyone else.'
Dio tilted his head so he wasn't looking Hawk in the eyes, averting his gaze. For some reason he didn't want the Seer to see how afraid he was. It was silly to be afraid of a dream, but he had witnessed that dreams could be real, and an evil like that, did it ever really die? Every time he closed his eyes he could see the wreaked doors to that observatory, and Doran standing in them, that smug look, and the smells of blood and death.
It wasn't as bad as when he first had the dream, but the images hadn't gone away.
'You did do the right thing, Star-gazer. Denying him is right.' Hawk let out another breath, his tail lashing behind him in annoyance and agitation. The man was essentially no more and here he was still tormenting someone. Doran was nothing more than a memory to some, but it was one that haunted Dio.
'Doran was consumed by darkness, was nothing more THAN darkness.' He leaned back in his seat, but not before patting Dio's hair soothingly. 'I think ...' Hawk shifted and moved, pushing himself out of his chair and standing on two feet instead of floating in the air for a change. Moving, he knelt in front of the younger fiend and looked up at him.
Blind eyes were searching, despite the fact that they could not see. Slowly, his hands came up to cup Dio's cheeks.
'You need See, Black Star. See what happened to me. Know that your answer would not have mattered.'
And with that, Hawk's Eye opened up his mind, letting a bit of his own magic wash over Dio as he let the vision of his own past slip to the child.
Blind eyes stared accusingly at the man ( no, this one was no longer a man, too consumed by the darkness and the power ) and a smirk was held firmly in place, even as the hand around his throat tightened and he felt his power slowly slipping away from him.
"You'll get yours, Doran, and I'll be there to see it." The words came out in a strained rough whisper and Doran's eyes glinted as the shadows around him seemed to suddenly overtake them both until there was no light left, except for the luminescent glint from a pair of pale unseeing eyes.
"... and you'll see nothing, Seer. Never again." Doran's smile was still visible to him, even in the shadows, even with his sight gone. It was a twisted rendition of a smile, something so sinister one didn't need to see it, but could simply feel it's presence on another's face.
And as he slipped away, power siphoned without him being able to stop it, he still smirked. His eyes were still staring at what would've been Doran's face, saying without words that his time would come. He couldn't do this forever.
You've succumbed to darkness, Doran, and it will be your downfall, he thought and then slipped away.
All his power drained away and contained within a simple stone of Hawk's Eye that fell to the ground without care as Doran dropped it without a second thought.
His hands were shaken for a moment against Dio's cheeks before they steadied, still watching him.
Before today was out, he would make sure the shadow did not fear Doran anymore.
His hand moved up and gripped Hawk's wrist as the memory moved through his mind. A sound, a lot like a gasp came from Dio. It was the same person, was that all he did? Spread pain and misery wherever he went? Slowly the fear he felt was turning into anger, some at himself. If what Hawk was saying was true, that meant that he had to have hurt all of them at one point, Mystic, Red, Hawk, himself, Citrine and all the others. What right did this Doran have? He never wished he were bigger or stronger before, but he suddenly wished in his dream he had marched up to Doran and socked him right in the eye.
'Why? Why did he do all this? Hurt you, want me, did he have some master plan? What happened to him? He died right? Please tell me someone put that b*****d in the ground.' An edge of anger was in his tone when he spoke. Dio realized that Merci would not like him using that language, but he heard it from her first. Anyway it seemed fitting at the moment.
'Power,' Hawk quietly, simply. 'He lusted for it, craved it, and the darkness that came with it ... There was no plan beyond becoming so powerful that everything was within his grasp.'
For a moment, the elder fiend looked away and let out a small sigh. 'Athan, Reyna, Mystic, my soul-bonded guardian, and myself ...' Hawk looked at his hand compared to Dio's. He all ways seemed so pale compared to the other fiends.
'We battled him and won; locked him away as he did to us ...'
Dio reached up and patted Hawk's hand gently, 'I don't know why he wanted to hurt you, but I'm sorry he did.' He didn't know what else to say, the memory was almost as violent as his own. They had all been cheated out of life, and death it seemed. It was a little thing, but he could feel bad that it seemed all of them had been targets. He probably wasn't being a comfort, and the statement was probably silly, but he felt like he should say something.
Then it dawned on him and his voice took on an angry edge 'What do you mean he was trapped like us? In a stone? He gets a chance to start over?!' He was mad, even when Cinder showed up he hadn't been this upset. 'I hope his rock was smashed!'
Okay so he was being a bit immature about all of this, but he was still a child.
If Hawk could have smiled, he might have. Though it would have been more sardonically than anything else. The thought of Dio comforting him was amusing - Hawk never questioned the fact that Doran wanted him trapt in a stone and otherwise dead.
That it had happened meant there was no other option for him to get out of it.
Shaking his head, he might have snickered briefly. 'She,' he corrected, 'and Athan did not let me ... shock it into pieces.'
He furrowed his brows for a moment, and tried to figure this out. No, the dream person was definitely a man. 'She? But it was a He right? Does that mean I was a... a girl?' He had no idea why that thought freaked him out so much. Well, he did actually. He watched Merci spend hours in front of mirrors, primping and preening. Though if he told a soul about it he was sure she would lock him up somewhere to rot. No no, he couldn't have been a girl. 'What is wrong with the Athan man! Why wouldn't he let you break it. He... er... She... Hurt us! Killed my friends, and stole everything. Doesn't that matter?'
Oh the injustice of it all.
Then his brain actually kicked in, 'Wait a minute, if you know.. That means that He, er... she.. Must have awakened and is around here somewhere huh..."
'No, you were a man, but Doran was all ways a, uh, b***h, I believe. So it is fitting.' Unconsciously, Hawk started to fidget with the quartz pendant that was tied around his hand. Years later, sometimes he did still have too much energy built up and it still transferred from him to the stone.
'She is a child, actually,' Resting his hand on an upturned palm, the Seer's eyes took on a distant look in them. As if he was searching for something with his Sight. 'Unaware of who she was, not knowing why she is potentially hated and not trusted. I do not believe she will ever remember, but I harbor too much ill will ...'
It took a lot for Hawk to even think about trusting Smokey - if he ever would.
'Doran was, a long time ago, a good man. He fell into darkness and evil,' the words were slowly spoken, as if Hawk was telling himself this as well, 'and Athan thought the last thing he could do for a man who was once his friend was give him a second chance at life, at being a good person.
'Or we end it if I even See a flicker of evil in her.' Which was to say that Hawk was all ways watching her and waiting for the slightest step out of line.
Dio glowered, and he had to admit that a part of him was violently furious that Doran hadn't been utterly and completely destroyed. 'A child, like me right?' He hesitated before he spoke again and searched Hawk's face for the truthfulness of his answer, 'He... uhm.. She can't hurt any of us anymore? Your sure?'
His fear had ebbed and had been replaced by a warm anger. He trusted the Athan Man, Reyna, and Mystic. If they let that thing live then he had to believe that Doran was harmless as he was.
Dio reached up with his hand and pushed some of Hawk's hair back out of his face. Before he really knew what he was about he was braiding a small tuft of his hair. Both hands moving slowly, his mind was not at all on his own actions right now.
'Like you are, like I once was,' he responded, chuckling slightly. Dio's anger mirrored his own when he realized what had befallen the quartz that Doran was locked in.
'Remember, Star-gazer, I am a Seer.' Tilting his head slightly towards the child, amused that he was braiding his hair. It was a familiar sensation, though he was certain it was the wrong person playing with his hair. Oddly, it was comforting somehow. 'She cannot hurt us anymore. The last thing Doran was responsible for before he died was taking my sight and even then - I do not believe I'm suppose to be able to truly see.'
Dio blinked slowly, and his hands slowed in his braiding. His burgundy eye fixed on hand he never used and for a moment he seemed a bit shocked. He flexed his fingers a couple times, before he went back to the braiding. 'Thank you Hawk. I don't think I'm afraid anymore, at least not the same way. I do have one more question, you said that Red was Alisari, and I know they were there when Doran came. Did I know Red before? Is that why I feel so comfortable about him?'
After he had met Red he had promised himself that he wasn't going to question how he felt for the other fiend. It bothered him to think that Red might be trapped in this existence because of him however.
Hawk went still for a moment, his eyes focusing on something that Dio would never be able to see himself.
Black Star, Red Star ... The irony of it still amused him and it was with a sickeningly sweet feeling in the pit of his stomach that he kept the look on his face absolutely straight.
'The Alisari and the Crux were allies, so it stands to reason that you two knew each other, Star-gazer.' His head tilted slightly, pulling a little on the braid that Dio was making. 'If you were friends or enemies,' ... or more ... 'I cannot answer.'
Dio pulled his hands away from Hawks hair and he moved, phasing back through it. He circled behind Hawk and nudged him into the seat so he could get to his hair more easily. This was much more fun then he had originally thought it would be, he saw the attraction Merci had for playing with Maili's hair now.. Dio separated out another section of hair and started braiding it, the strands were silky, light, and smelled oddly... well... wonderful.
Dio very slyly he muttered 'Cannot say, but you know don't you? One day I'll know things too won't I? I won't always feel so confused.' Whether the last was directed at Hawk, or more to himself was not very clear. 'Will I have any more dreams like that? Did you have dreams like that, memory dreams?'
Hawk raised an eyebrow, tail flicking out behind him briefly before slowing to a lazy swish. He shifted forward some, leaning forward just enough to allow Dio more room to work with.
The Seer was very much a feline, who did enjoy the occasional petting and pampering. When Athan understood this himself, life with Hawk's Eye became incredibly easier.
'You'll figure it out yourself,' he agreed, 'and you will not be so confused. Somethings, Star-gazer, you are not meant to know until the time is right.' Once again, his fingers started to toy with the quartz pendant wrapped around his wrist.
'Ah, I do not ... dream,' there was another small chuckle, 'I have visions and See things, but dreams seem to elude me. I do have memories though, just not the same way they seem to come to you.'
Dio sounded honestly surprised, 'You don't dream? I would think that you would have very vivid dreams, because of your gifts. Have you ever had a dream? I heard once that if you don't dream you aren't getting very good sleep. Does that mean your tired all the time? I also heard that if you don't dream for a really long time it can drive you crazy. I don't think your crazy though, a little grumpy but not crazy.'
Dio finished the braid and took the end of it pulling it around to the other side of Hawk's head. He picked up another section and tucked the end of the other braid into the new one. It created an odd draped loop around the back of his head, and it was obvious the boy was not finished with whatever plans he had for the Seer's locks.
Hawk was rather patient about having his hair braided - if anything, it amused him more than Dio would know. After all, it seemed only natural that his hair be in intricate designs.
'... it does not seem to effect me, at all, actually.' He was careful to not move his head to much, so as to not disturb Dio in his work. 'More like a state of constant meditation while I'm asleep. Very peaceful.' His thoughts turned inward, wondering just how he came to have a dream state such as he did. 'I am certain, young Star-gazer, that if I did dream I would be crazy. After all, my dreams are nothing more than the visions that my Sight gives me. Not my dreams, but those of what could be for others.'
He left out that some thought only the soul-less did not dream, but that was his own fear.
'Ornery,' he corrected, 'not grumpy. Though I suppose both apply. Besides, you have seen Mystic - he is a Dream Walker and constantly stuck in a state between being awake and asleep. It's annoying.'
Dio head cocked to the side as he took the bottom of the new braid back over, looping it like the old and tucking it into the original braid. Sliding his fingers under, he brushed his fingertips against Hawk's scalp and started a more complex fish bone braid. 'Dreams aren't like that. They are like, your mind painting a picture that you can move though. Course I guess your mind can't always paint pretty pictures. Sometimes you have to deal with the darkness.' He'd watched Merci braid Maili's hair, and he was recruited to hold pieces for her sometimes. 'And there isn't anything wrong with Mystic. I haven't noticed anything anyway, what do you mean he's stuck between?
'The waking world and the sleeping world,' he replied, tail swishing back and forth languidly. 'He's coming into his powers as a Dreamwalker - but they are constantly sleepy individuals.'
His fingers twisted around the pendant on his wrist for a moment. 'Too much darkness, Star-gazer, drives you mad.' Once again there was a distant look in his eyes. For a moment there was a flash of a vision. Collapsing on a doorstep, the scent of tea, a warm bed, and the heavy weight of magic ...
Hawk's Eye rubbed his face, clearing the vision from his head.
Dio stayed quiet for a moment and continued the complicated braid. Both of his hands gently running fingers through the silken strands, to stop them from tangling. His voice was quiet when he continued to talk 'So Mystic is a dream walker, and your a seer, and I watch the stars. They are all things we could do before we became what we are now right? Do you know how many of us there are? I mean we weren't your average people right? Merci can't do anything like what we do. He sought us out, hunted us down didn't he?'
The little fiends fingers held the end of the braid and looked at his handiwork. The undercut of Hawk's hair still hung loose and free. The hair above it was now gathered in a fish bone braid, that had the two braids at the side of his head looping down over it. It was pretty, not horribly complex but still pretty.
'Not all ways, but in the our cases, yes,' Hawk kept his eyes shut, watching the play of shadow and light on his eyelids. Sometimes it helped distract his mind from the visions that danced across his mind.
'Doran did what he felt like, when he felt like it. So no, not all of us were special, but some of us were hunted down.' His tail flicked, as if in thought. 'And even then, we are also gain more power in this life as opposed to our last. After all, because we are soul-bonded to our guardians, we can pick up traits from them.'
And because Athan was most certainly NOT a faerie, it meant that his allure had come from Wren. Not that the demon would have admitted that he had faerie blood if he could help it.
'... two dozen,' he offered, as an afterthought, 'two baker's dozen - that's how many.' It did not include the little memories, the sprites, that were around either.
He dropped Hawk's hair and moved around him to look him in the face. Dio moved his right hand up and put it on the Seer's cheek. 'Well I hope I didn't pick up to much of Merci. She's grumpy in the mornings and addicted to gambling and caffeine. Are you alright? If you need someone to talk to I'm a really good listener. I know it seems like I talk a lot I just get nervous, or excited.'
Truth was he still felt uncomfortable around large groups. Even one on one sometimes he just wanted to hide, instead he talked to hide his discomfort.
Hawk tilted his head just slightly, eyes opening as if to look at Dio. 'Ah, you never know, Star-gazer. You just might pick those things up.' After all, Hawk knew for a fact that he picked up some of his anger traits from being bonded to a demon.
There had not all ways been a violent streak in him when it came to seeking retribution, but for the person who had harmed Athan on multiple occasions? It was the only answer.
'My mind is elsewhere, Star-gazer. The past, perhaps, or the future. Darkness and something else nipping at its heels.' He covered Dio's hand with his own, which was oddly warm considering he was a shadow and it should not have been, and patted it softly.
He nodded slowly and couldn't keep the smile out of his eyes, 'Alright, but your hair looks wonderful now. Very pretty.' He admired his handiwork for a moment and then his cheerful eye moved back down to look at Hawk's unseeing face. Dio turned his hand over in Hawks and laced his fingers with the other fiend's, 'which one is he? I want to know so I can stay away from them. We all have the right to know, don't we?' His tone was very sweet, despite the fact he was talking about segregating someone. He wasn't willing to give the benefit of the doubt. As far as Dio was concerned, if they could pick up traits from their guardians, could rebuild the powers they had from the past, and could remember, he wanted to be as far away from whatever housed the soul of that awful awful man.
He lowered the hand from his cheek, letting Dio keep a hold of his hand. 'And I thank you.' For the braiding. Mind you, he had a sneaking suspicion, Athan would actually think it looked good on him.
'Smokey Quartz,' he offered, 'though it was just a regular quartz, tainted by the darkness of trapping Doran.'
His head tilted again, eyes closing to bare slits. 'Though her guardian has shifted ... Someone new, someone who may just push her away from the darkness.' Hawk's Eye shrugged. 'Every time I focus on her, something shifts my attention away.'
His Sight really WAS finicky, but it was something else that was stopping him from looking. He was certain of it.
He nodded a bit and glanced in the direction of the store front, 'She is getting restless, my Merci that is.' He kept looking out in that direction as he spoke, sort of like he was thinking out loud, 'You can never wash away the past completely. Like ripples it echos outward and changes not only you, but everything around you as well. Hope all you want, but the past molds us. That kind of taint isn't so easily shed.'
He turned his burgundy eye back down to Hawk and he bobbed his head, 'Thank you for everything, I do feel much better. You sure your alright?'
'But we all get second chances, regardless of being innocent bystanders or something more malicious, Dio.' A rarity, that he called the child fiend by his name.
He waved the child off, sitting up and stretching out like a cat, his tail flicking behind him.
'Quite fine, just distracted.' Sometimes he knew he was just as flighty as Mystic was. 'Do not keep your soul-bonded waiting, not on my account. After all,' there was a hint of mischief in his voice, maybe tinted with a little longing, 'you do not her to keep you waiting someday.'
Dio slipped over and gave Hawk a big hug, 'I suppose your right, even if I don't agree, it isn't my choice. What is, however, is whether or not to subject myself to the monster's company.' He squeezed slightly and then let go, moving himself over to the doorway separating them from the shop proper. 'I'll come back and see you again soon okay? I like talking to you, and playing with your hair is a lot of fun!'
And with that Dio zipped right out of the back room, returning to the car and a frustrated Merci.
"I don't leave you in the car to go have fun you know." She grumped at him. "I hope you found out everything you needed to?"
Dio just gave her a happy look and settled in the seat next to her. 'Lets go home okay?'
Merci rolled her eyes and started the car. She pressed her foot to the gas pedal and slowly accelerated away from the curb. Yeah, he was definitely keeping secrets from her.
He let out a sigh at the hug that was snuck in before the child left.
'Take care of yourself, Star-gazer.' With a brief roll of his eyes, he made his way to the front of the shop as well. Just as he had Seen, no customers had come in while they were in the back.
After all, that would have been an excuse to not talk to the Black Star and the stars? They would not have any of that.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:38 pm
Greenery Quest
Amon and Nephrite aid Hawk in a small quest.RP is linked here due to its length.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:41 pm
And in the Garden
Perhaps things can grow.He wondered if somehow some of Athan's magic was slowly weaving it's way into him just as Wren's latent talents had woven into him.
The garden was dead; barren just as his beloved's eyes seemed to be at times when he was at his lowest and lost without the one whom was not him. Still, it did not stop him from his work and he had hopes.
Humming to himself, headphones propped against delicate ears ( some CD that Reyna had let him borrow; the music was hard, grating, and annoying to Athan's ears, but it spoke to the darker side of Hawk so he listened ), he nursed the sapling into the earth. It had been an idea that he had come up with because of the gift that Athan had given him.
The magatama rested near the quartz, strung loosely with it for the time being on a different length of cord. It whispered to him, sometimes sweetly and other times darkly. Hawk supposed that was an insight into the odd thing. Athan had attempted to instill his memories of Hawk into it, but the magatama was demon-born all the same. It had come from the shop across from Twilight Designs.
Toy Box. The very shop that Hawk found himself wandering into and nosing about. His tail had twitched back and for restlessly before being pounced upon by a one-eyed cat. He might have been annoyed had he not phased at the right moment, sending the cat rolling into the nearest cabinet.
The owner appeared a moment later and picked up the feline with a sheepish grin and a word of apology.
It had not been the best of meetings, but the business that he planned went down as well as planned.
Hawk had come by because he suspected that the owner, Curve ( though he highly doubted that was his real name ), could find him a rare plant. Something that was strong and could thrive in a barren, dead garden.
He had delivered and that was where the shadow was now. The Seer was carefully tilling the earth in a spot he thought would best suit the sapling: a garden wall that had plenty of spots for the plant to weave in and out of.
After all, it would grow into a vine. Mirtoche vine at that. Athan would appreciate such a plant in his garden, he knew it. The properties were amazing for use in spells.
Tail swishing about happily, he nestled the sapling into the ground, and brought the earth in around it. Patting it gently, he murmured to the plant, willing it to thrive and to live and to grow.
To bring some light back to the darkness of the garden.
And maybe to the darkness in his mind.
'You must be pleased with yourself,' Athan mused from in his study. Hawk's Eye felt sheepish for a moment, having not paid attention to how much he had been broadcasting.
'Oh, I am. You've no idea how much.' With a final touch to the sapling and a promise to check in on it later, he lifted himself up.
'As you say,' came the response. He thought he heard Athan chuckling at him. 'It's almost as if you are purring in my mind, but if you can manage to steal a moment away from what you're doing, I have something else that may aid with Holicinesh. More about what he's been ... doodling ...'
'Bringing down the coffee then.' It was Hawk's turn to laugh, though it did not last. Anything that was about the arcane would take them the entire evening.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:43 pm
Day of the Lost / Tribute
Hawk returns to a place he used to call home.RP is linked here due to its length.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:44 pm
Midnight Meetings
...a star-gazer to meet a star?The one thing that was really really great about growing up, was that he didn't have to bother Merci every time he wanted to go out now. There was something amazing about slipping away in the night and floating in the darkness. It was liberating, and he was enjoying the thrill of flying through the cool breeze. He knew the way to Twilight Designs by heart, and it honestly didn't take him very long to get there.
Okay so he might have phased through some places he wasn't supposed to. It was late though, and he figured he wouldn't scare people at this time of night.
Dio had found a note from Hawk asking him to meet him in front of Twilight Designs at midnight tonight. He had no idea what he was supposed to meet him to do, it didn't really matter. Dio couldn't help but think of Hawk as a sort of Mentor, and he was honestly just happy to spend some time with him.
He was honestly surprised at how easy it was to get there. It wasn't a super long drive when he came with Merci, but still he imagined that it would seem longer traveling under his own steam. Dio just shrugged it off, he had really been enjoying himself, and with the shortcuts he took he lost track of time.
Time, time, what time was it? Dio cast about for some sort of clock. He wondered if he was late, or early for that matter. He fiddled with his bracelets and thought about phasing into the shop to check, but something told him that Athan probably had something that let him know when fiends were playing around in the shop.
Well, Athan DID have something that would tell him such it just did not work on Hawk. In fact, a lot of Athan's barriers and wards could not keep the Seer out and it was a constant source of irritation.
Hawk did his best to behave, to not upset the man when he could just slip right past his warding runes.
Tailing swishing slowly behind him, the Seer slipped out of the front door of the shop, satisfied for the time being that everything was in order inside.
'Stop worrying, Star-gazer,' he murmured as he appeared beside the younger fiend, 'you're not late, but on time.' He chuckled and pulled the hood of his cloak down off of his head. The moon was bright tonight and it reflected off of the hawk mask that he still wore - though it was pulled off of his face and resting on top of his head.
Dio almost jumped out of his skin. Well, if he had skin anyway. He'd been squinting and trying to see further down the street when Hawk had appeared. The younger fiend put a hand up to his chest, and his fingers brushed against his stone, 'You scared me.' Captain Obvious. He dropped his hand and tilted his head just slightly as he looked at Hawk. The seer was still one the most amazingly beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Especially out here, in the moonlight and shadow.
Dio didn't really dwell on it though. If there was something he was good at it was being curious, and right now, it was gnawing at him. 'I've been trying to figure out why you wanted to see me. Driving me crazy actually, are we going to do something special?' The general excitement was starting to ebb back in the wake of the surprise.
'My apologies, Star-gazer,' he chuckled, but did not seem the least bit repentant about it and even teasingly tugged on a strand of Dio's hair. If only the younger fiend knew the trouble he was going to likely cause later on as he got older.
'... mm, and it might be,' he chuckled. It wouldn't be fun if Hawk spoiled the surprise. 'For now, though, you should just enjoy the starry night, yes?'
It was actually, as much as he loathed to admit it, cute how Dio got so curious about the littlest things sometimes.
Dio blinked and looked up, 'It is a really gorgeous night. They are happy too. Ooo I'm getting better at picking them out, if I concentrate hard enough I can hear one at a time. It helps when I have my quartz.' The black fiend lifted his left hand up and tilted his head to look at it, and then the sky. 'Are we going to stay out here? Or are we going to go into the shop?' His voice was distracted when he spoke.
Dio turned a little bit and kept his arm held up. He could sometimes get it lined up properly so his arm seemed to disappear in the sky. It wasn't working right now, he thought some of the buildings might be in the way. The younger fiend dropped it back to his side and glanced back at Hawk expectantly.
'We're going somewhere else, actually.' Hawk seemed to check the store one last time before he finally seemed satisfied. 'There's a place I wish to take you too, though we have to walk - so to speak.'
The person that he wanted Dio to meet would likely adore the fact that his arm charted the night sky.
'I think it is good that you are able to understand them better. They're more inclined to share secrets and gossip than I am.' With a swish of his tail, he tilted his head down the street. 'We head this way first.'
Dio put his hands behind his back and glanced over at Hawk. For once he managed to keep a lid on his curiosity. The younger shadow moved off in the direction that he was directed in. Being quiet tonight actually wasn't that much of a chore. It really was very beautiful. The sky was completely clear, not a single cloud in the sky.
The stars really were happy tonight. When he got older he found it easier to hear them, though something told him he still had work to do. There were still too many layers to the song for him to understand it, the melody was still somewhat discordant. Still, it was happy.
Dio turned his eyes on Hawk, and after a few minutes of blessed silence he spoke. 'Does that mean I can't ask you anything? Cause I met someone that said he knew someone named... umm.. Wren. That he was your bonded?' Merci told him that Wren would tell him if he wanted to, but that didn't mean that he couldn't ask right?
'You can ask, I just may not answer,' Hawk raised an eyebrow at Dio, but listened as the younger fiend asked his questions.
He himself was quite happy that the only time he 'heard' stars was when they were wanting a more direct connection to the Star-gazer - and that had only happened once, thank goodness.
'Mm, Wren is my soul-bonded, not was.' The Seer's tail flicked back and forth slowly as he tilted his head to look at Dio moving beside him. 'What about him?'
For the most part Wren was not a topic he considered off-limits. Well, actually ... it just depended on what one asked.
Dio dropped his eyes to the ground and he continued on silently for a moment. He was trying to gather his thoughts and ask what it was about the story that bothered him. 'Algie said he was missing. You've been apart from him then? For awhile? Does...' His voice trailed off and his brow furrowed as he tried to ask his questions more concisely. 'Does it hurt not having him around? Do you miss him?'
Dio had thought about it, a few times, and the thought of losing Merci was hard for him. She was his family, and she was a part of him now. If he lost her, he would weaken and wither. He was pretty sure it would hurt more then physically. He didn't like thinking that Hawk had lived through something like that. That any of them, had to live through something like that. If he understood the things he'd learned so far, they'd all already lost so much.
'We can, and will, die without our soul-bonds,' Hawk's attention was straight head, his tail flicking back and forth slowly. 'Without that connection - well, you saw what was happening to Mystic while Reyna was stone.' The Seer paused for a moment, before tilting his head to look at Dio.
'To be honest, I was not far off from that state myself. It took everything I had left to make it back and then to help ...' Shrugging, he trailed off unsure of what to say for a moment before continuing.
'I ... it's been ...' he paused and then continued, 'It has been nearly five years? I spent most of them looking for Wren. It did hurt - to not have that energy and on some level I miss him ...'
Dio's burgundy eye moved over to Hawk. He was slowly beginning to realize that he was really very young, and that he didn't know as much about the world as he thought. How could it have been five years since he'd seen the one he was bonded too? 'I thought you were bonded to the Athan man?' He didn't press the question. Maybe it was like him and Red. He'd never bonded to Red, but when he was a stone and near death, Red had been able to save him. 'You have no idea where he went? No idea how to find him?'
The younger fiend kept pace with Hawk, but now he was so wrapped up in his thoughts he wasn't paying attention to where they were going. He reached and hand up to his ear and touched the lower piercing. His fingers turned it as he stared at Hawk. 'If I could help I'd like to. You're one of my best friends, and Merci says that friends look out for each other.' His voice was distracted, he was still trying to figure out how Hawk was still alive without the one his soul was bonded to.
'Him and the snake child, Mael. They went missing at the same time and neither have been seen since.' Hawk picked up his pace, feet forming and walking instead of hovering - it was a sign of his age, a sign of the fact that at some point he would eventually grow to an adult just as Mystic had.
'I get glimmers every now and then. A door, darkness, red eyes and blue ...' His eyes looked distant, more than they usually did before he blinked them once and cleared the fog. 'Otherwise, no, I have no idea. Something stops me short of finding him, I think. Some darkness covers him, I know not what it is.' Hawk's tail had stopped swishing, but it started again after a moment. This was an old story for him, one he did not mind sharing anymore.
'... and we are all bonded to Athan, in the beginning, you know - but my connection to him has all ways been stronger than most and it now ... is my primary bond, the one that keeps me aloft.' Hawk held up the pendant that was wrapped around his wrist. 'Though I carry more energy than most others of our ilk, I suspect it kept me alive without a true bond for a time. And I appreciate the offer, but I think even the stars do not know where Wren is hidden. It is not where they are - so how can they know where he is?'
Dio turned his eye away from Hawk and started looking up. He let his mind wander for a moment trying to take in everything that Hawk just said. He would probably have been driven mad trying to figure out what had happened if someone dear to him disappeared. He knew that having a mystery in his life of that magnitude would eat at him. Well, technically he did have a mystery. Who he had been, what were the Crux, what was his involvement in all the tidbits of history dropped in his lap. Who was he now? Was who was then even important anymore?
Oh yeah he handled all that really well.
Dio's eyes remained on the sky when he finally spoke, 'I'm sorry. The offer will stand though, if you think that I could help you in any way I would be happy to.' With the telling of his story however he forgot that they were going somewhere specific or that there was a surprise for him. 'I'm glad your okay though. That you didn't fade away, and that Athan could help save you. Your one of my best friends, and having you in my life makes it better.' He knew it sounded sappy and strange, but he felt like he had to say it anyway. Hawk was important to him, and he should know.
To be honest, Dio handled his questions about who he was far better than Hawk did. After all, the Seer spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out just what his connection to the past was. The bits and pieces, the darkness that clouded his Sight ... There was a lot that was confusing, but he never let on about it. To him the past would all ways be important, if only because he hoped it would lead him closer to Athan.
Keloswyn help him.
For a moment he paused, the thought odd - the name of the deity not so odd, but invoking it? That in itself was odd.
'Do not worry,' he murmured, 'if I am in need and you are able to help them I will ask.' The Seer stilled all of the sudden, his tail no longer swishing and his eyes once more distant. It was just a flash of darkness, of being alone, his pendant was not attached to his wrist and ...
'Perhaps there will be a time,' he started to speaking, reaching an arm out and resting it on Dio's forearm to let the young Star-gazer guide him as they walked, 'that no one else can find me but you ...'
Dio's turned his head and his eye moved from the stars to Hawk. He sounded far away again, sometimes he sounded like that and it meant something. He didn't push him to tell him more, mostly because it never really worked in the past. It worried him though, where in the world could Hawk go that Athan wouldn't be able to find him?
As usual about half of what the Seer said didn't make any sense. Dio didn't even notice that he didn't barrage Hawk with a million questions as to what he meant. Maybe it was a sign that he was really growing up. He moved his free hand over and placed it on top of Hawks. 'If you disappeared I wouldn't stop looking for you.' That seemed to be all he needed to say.
Dio's brows furrowed and he let out a mental gasp. 'You're trying to distract me. Where are we going anyway? You said I was going to get a surprise.'
Okay, so maybe he wasn't growing up all that much after all.
'You may need to help Athan as well, but not because of anything bad happening to him.' Whatever Hawk had seen flicked away from his mind just as easily as it had come upon him. There was all ways something about Dio that seemed to encourage his Sight to be more active.
More than it usually was of late in any case.
'If I was trying to distract you, Dio, I would have,' he chuckled, but gestured to a hill in the distance. There, on the hill, was an observatory and the large telescope it used to look at the stars.
'We're going there.' They had all ready covered a lot of ground and there was not much more to go. 'There is someone I wish for you to meet there as well.'
The younger fiend furrowed his brows for a moment. What the hell would the Athan man ever need from him? He was magical and seemed to know everything that was going on everywhere. It didn't dawn on him that part of the awe he might hold for Athan came from Merci's overwhelmingly paralitic fear of him. He did however file away the comments to think about and add to his journal of “Things I should not forget about”.
Dio turned his head to look where Hawk gestured and his visible eye got huge. THAT was the biggest telescope he had ever seen! He couldn’t even imagine how far away it would be able to look into the heavens.
He was so overwhelmed he actually stopped moving forward completely. If he'd had a mouth it would be slack jawed in his amazement. 'I want one.'
Hawk tugged lightly on Dio's arm to get him moving again. 'I'm sure you do, but if you play your cards right ...' Once he was satisfied that Dio was moving again he started to chuckle at what he Saw was the younger fiend's expression.
'You may be able to come visit and make use of it.' They were not that far away and the dim lights of the building lit up the path they walked faintly.
How had he not known about this place! Dio knew that telescopes came in massively huge. He remembered from his dreams, and from the documentaries he watched all the time. He was suddenly filled with a crazy excitement that he might be able to actually use this thing. Was this what Hawk had wanted him to see? If it was, this was about the most awesome thing he'd seen since Rhys took him into space himself.
Dio managed to control himself to some extent, and he came back to himself with Hawk gave him a tug. He came to life fairly quickly and took the older shadow's hand in his own moving past him and tugging on him. 'You think they will really let me use it?' His voice sounded a bit disbelieving. The younger shadow was now incredibly impatient to get inside to see what was there.
'Perhaps if you become friends with the man who operates it, you may be able to ... have a chance.' Hawk's tail swished from side to side and he once again let his feet disappear in favor of being shadows once more.
He continued his way along the path, letting Dio move as quick as he could.
As it was, the main doors to the observatory were closed, but the side door was open - light spilling from it and the faint sound of music coming forth.
The younger fiend slowed when he neared the open portal. He turned his eye from the light to Hawk's Eye. He didn't want to admit it but people still scared him a bit. Slowly he drifted around behind the the other fiend and he made a sound like he was clearing his throat. 'Since you seem to know your way around here I think I should follow you.' That seemed like a legitimate excuse. Not that Dio thought for a single second that Hawk would fall for it. He was shy, deep down inside. Oh he covered it up pretty well with his desire for knowledge and his insatiable questions, but he was afraid of meeting new people.
The music was somehow comforting however. The shadow turned his head so he could hear it more clearly. Dio himself was fond of a strange mix of jazz, the blues and classical. This drove Merci, a hardcore rocker, up the wall. Because of the difference in opinion, the fiend didn't get to hear as many dulcet melodies as he would like.
And he did not fall for it, but he also know about Dio's shyness. With a bemused light in his blind eyes, he nodded his head in agreement. 'If only because it will save you some embarrassment, Star-gazer.'
The Seer tugged Dio through the door way and, luckily enough, the lighting was dim and not too annoying for shadows such as themselves. There were plenty of shadows to hide within as they went through the dimly lit building.
At the bottom of a set of stairs the music was clearly louder and one could hear not only the melody being played, but a soft voice singing along with it.
It was a lament, if anything, and it made Hawk pause for a moment before he shook his head and gestured that they should continue up until they reached the top where someone was at.
Dio inched along behind Hawk, his head swiveling back and forth trying to look at everything as they moved forward. He was thankful that the place was so dimly lit. He'd hoped when he got older that the light would bother him less, but no luck there. He paused in each shadow and darted to the next, following the Seer.
When Hawk approached the stairs Dio could finally hear the voice singing along. His eyes got wide, the voice was male, and it sang so beautifully. Why would someone who could sing like that be here? His curiosity was starting to override his natural shyness as he rounded Hawk and moved toward the stairs. 'It's so pretty...'
Hawk was lucky - if only because he could easily pull up his cloak and block out the light. In fact it was beginning to become his favorite cloak mostly because it radiated of Athan's presence.
That the magic-user was still wondering what had happened to his favorite cloak was beside the point. He had others and would not miss it too much.
It did not take them too long to reach the stop of the stairs and it was easy to see the stars through the open roof of the observatory. The telescope stretched as far as it could into the sky. A man was at the base, not in the chair that was there, but instead was leaning in to look down the lens.
He continued to sing, his voice rich - but the song sad. It did not all ways match the music he had playing in the background but he sang regardless.
The man looked as if he could be in his late twenties, even with the ruffled and slightly unkempt silver hair. His clothing made him all most look like a hippy, but he would assure anyone that he was not. Pacifist perhaps, but a hippy? Not so much.
He pressed his glasses up his nose, his bare feet tapping the ground to a beat only he heard in his head and was completely oblivious to the two that had come in.
The young fiend clung to the doorway, using the shadows there to kind of hide himself. He didn't notice the young man at first, his eyes were drawn up to the unfettered sky. He shut his eyes and he let the songs wash over himself. Dio tilted his head to the side and he let out a soft sigh. Since getting older, the songs made more sense. They weren't noise anymore, more like warring choirs.
The Star-gazer's eyes opened and with his head tilted up he ventured out of the doorway. It took him a minute to concentrate and sort through everything, to poke the incredibly complex songs into the background and hear the voice in the room with him. He was slow to realize he'd ventured completely into the room and his visible eye locked on the strange man.
Dio was suddenly filled with a strange mixture of panic at being exposed and wonder. This man in front of him seemed, strangely familiar. The little fiend darted over behind Hawk, and peeked around him at the barefooted man in glasses.
Hawk chuckled when Dio darted back behind him. The lighting was minimal here at the top - just as the astronomer kept it. Honestly if he did not know certain things about the man before him he would have thought he was a creature of shadow as well with as much as he preferred the night.
'Late night?' he asked, though it was also a greeting. Regardless of Dio hiding behind him, he moved closer to the man and the telescope.
At first it seemed like he was not going to respond but after a moment he raised a hand in greeting towards Hawk's Eye. "Just a moment, Oracle - I mean Seer," he chuckled, "though it's all the same in the end, I suppose ..."
Finally, satisfied for the moment, he stood up straight and brushed off his shirt and readjusted the scarf. It did not matter the weather, he would all ways wear it.
"What brings you here tonight?" he asked before pausing for a moment. Reddish-purple eyes widened slightly as he looked behind the Seer. "Did you bring a friend?"
Dio's multicolored hair was visible as he peeked around the older shadow. His visible eye was taking in the strange man in front of him. For once in his life, he was speechless. He was so pretty, and there was something about him that was alluring to the young fiend. He slowly drifted further out from behind Hawk and he raised his left hand in a little wave, his arm covered in twinkling stars.
What was he supposed to say? Who was this? Why did Hawk want them to meet? Despite all the questions flying through his mind he couldn't seem to find his voice. He'd only felt this overwhelmed when he'd pulled off Hawk's mask. He was quite proud of himself for keeping some form of composure and not throwing himself immediately on this stranger.
'This is Dio - Black Star Diopside,' he spoke, still silently amused by the Star-gazer's behavior, 'and I am fairly certain that he loves the night sky more than you do.' The Seer's tail swished back and forth impishly, watching Dio in his mind's eye and then shifting his attention to the astronomer.
It had only been earlier in the week when he felt a tug to come to this place. Imagine his surprise when he had found a man who was not just a man - which was not so unusual in Gaia - but he was ..
What he was, he thought, was something Dio would eventually find out.
"I don't know about that," he murmured. He was not sure there was anyone that was truly infatuated with the starry sky as he was. After all, it was his home that he missed - how could some one possibly love it more than him?
Where WERE his manners though? With a sweep of his arm, he bowed gracefully towards Dio and tilted his head up to look at him. "My name is Tariq Samar." His reddish-purple eyes glinted cheerfully. "I am the man who runs this observatory and, if what our friend here says is true, it is a pleasure to meet someone who loves the stars as much as I do."
Dio dropped his hand and crossed them across his stomach, hugging himself. 'Is it a competition then? Who loves them more? Maybe it should be who they love more.' He floated closer to the man and canted his head to the side and looked at him closely. Dio spoke again quietly, 'You sing very nicely.' His visible eye squinted at him for a moment as if thinking about saying more.
Instead he floated past him to admire the massive telescope. 'Your's is much bigger then mine! I have a smaller one at home, How far away can you see with this? Can I try it? I haven't seen something this amazing since...' His voice cut off suddenly and his mind flooded instantly with the bloody smile on Doran's face, and the screams from his dream. It was in his dreams that he'd seen such an amazing telescope.
"One would have to ask to know that - but for me they only cry." The response was cryptic or so Tariq hoped. He stood up properly and smiled down at Dio. "And thank you, but I think my voice has lost something over the years." It was nothing compared to when he had been - he shook his head and cleared the thought from his mind.
He chuckled at Dio's eagerness - and the way he showed more interest in the telescope. So the little one was someone like himself then. "Very far. Planets that are nowhere near this one." For a moment he paused, to let the other questions come before he spoke again. "Well, if you let me point it in a direction for you then we can see about you looking through, hm?" He was all ready heading that direction, towards the telescope, when he noticed that the older shadow was next to the young one in an instant.
Was that fear on his face? "You all right?"
He knew the moment Dio remembered and was there beside him, his arm going across his shoulders and resting lightly.
'A different place, a different time, Dio.' The words were spoken just to him, not to Tariq. 'Will you be all right?' He had not meant to trigger a memory. Hawk was use to him, but he was certain the younger teen was not.
With a reassuring squeeze he looked towards the astronomer and nodded his head. 'How about you show him the north star? I'm sure with this telescope you can see it clearer ...'
Dio blinked his eyes and he turned to look at Hawk. The image was so vivid that it took him a minute to realize it was just a memory. 'I'm sorry. I just, your telescope is amazing.' He tried to find his composure again. He hadn't thought about that dream for a little while.
The younger shadow leaned against Hawk and put his hand up to one of his. His brows furrow for a moment and he looks back at the astronomer. 'They cry? The stars? You can hear them?' He hadn't ever heard of anyone else who could do what he did, but the idea of it was exciting. That excitement was helping to replace the deep soul eating fear that came with the memory of Doran.
The Seer kept the Star-gazer close for the time being, squeezing his hand gently. He understood that sort of fear and was not inclined, for some reason, to let Dio suffer it alone. One of these days he would understand just what it was about the younger fiend that brought out his more nurturing side.
"You sure?" he asked, skeptical. He had not seen anyone get THAT worked up over his telescope.
'Like you did not get teary-eyed the first time you saw the observatory,' Hawk snickered.
"And if I did?" Tariq shrugged and moved back to his seat and sat down to adjust the instruments to bring the north star into focus. The building groaned, the telescope hissed as it was moved to face a different direction in the sky. Tilting his head back, glasses nearly falling off his face as he did so, he smiled sadly at Dio. "Distantly. Faint murmurs. They lament."
Dio jumped a little bit at the sounds the telescope seemed to make. He'd never moved the big one in his dream before, so he'd never really heard it happen. The surprise made him momentarily move closer to Hawk, who obviously made him feel safe. 'Sorry, I just had a bad memory.' The tone of his voice was airy as he tried to frost over his social faux pas. The younger fiend squeezed his friend's hand before he moved over next to Tariq.
At his words Dio canted his head to the side and tried to listen more closely to the songs he was hearing. 'They are sad? Which ones? They are so loud sometimes I have trouble trying to make out specific things. I didn't know anyone could hear the stars too! Hawk did you know he could?' His burgundy eye locked on the older shadow and he couldn't help but send his happiness through the empathy that fiends seemed to have. This must have been why Hawk wanted them to meet.
"Bad memory? Why would someone have a -" Tariq stopped and shook his head. "You know what? It's not my business." With a smile he gestured for Dio to take a seat in the chair once he stood up from it. "How about we focus on the present then and not the bad memories?"
As odd as Tariq could be he did not show any of when it came to running the observatory. This was the only place that he seemed focused.
Hawk watched the two of them with his Sight, tail swishing back and forth in amusement. When he felt the brush of Dio's happiness he mentally chuckled.
'Perhaps,' he said, eyes glinting with mischief. When he had met Tariq he had known the moment the man came into his Sight. There was a light, a brightness that he radiated. 'But not the same as you, Star-gazer.'
"Star-gazer?" Tariq's eyes widened slightly. The shadow had not mentioned ... "Ah, it is not my place to say their names," he murmured, staring at Dio now with wide reddish-purple eyes. He took his glasses off for a moment to clean them; it was a nervous habit. "But they are sad, yes. Not all the time, but when they whisper to me they are."
Dio paused for a moment and he looked at Hawk with an expression just like a little kid about to get a shopping spree in a candy store. Excitement and happiness had completely displaced any horrible thought or memory that had floated through his head. He concentrated for a moment and his colorful tail suddenly formed colorful legs. It didn't even dawn on him to be worried that Tariq would be amused by his rainbow feet.
He inched over and sat down in the seat that the astronomer just vacated. 'Star-gazer isn't exactly right. I guess it is kind of, I hear the stars sing. They speak to me, though I'm not very good at listening yet. It's a work in progress.' He reached up with his hand and pushed the long bang out of his face, revealing his second eye. It was one of the rare times that both could be seen. Dio leaned forward and pressed his eyes to the view port.
He was stunned by the clarity, by the beauty. The teenager let out an awed sigh. He was, for that moment, truly and completely speechless.
Well, the rainbow feet WERE interesting - but after arriving on this planet he had seen all manner of creature, so Dio was not that odd. In fact, he was rather charming. Mostly because of the fact that he clearly understood the stars and some were mapped along his arm ...
Hawk stood the side of the chair, his tail flicking back and forth with impish delight. He rested his hand on Dio's head, lightly tussling the hair for a moment.
'Star-gazer IS correct, Dio,' he tugged on the star charm in his hair. 'Or did you forget the stories of the Alisari?'
"There's a race I haven't heard in a long time ..." Tariq rocked back on his heels for a moment, eyes sliding shut as he thought back to the last time he had heard that. The stars had been so much brighter then and he ...
Shaking his head, he smiled at Dio. "Isn't she beautiful, the North Star? She does not sing anymore though ..." He opened his eyes and looked up to the starry sky. "But it just takes practice, patience, and thinking like a star," Tariq laughed when the elder fiend shot him a look for the comment.
The teenager pulled his head back just long enough to shook Hawk a look for mussing up his hair. It wasn't a really annoyed look but he was obviously not thrilled with being interrupted while he had such an exciting thing to do. He pressed his eyes back to the telescope and he seemed to sigh. 'She really is very beautiful isn't she?' Rhys had told him that stars were different up close, but Dio didn't see glowing balls of heavy metals and gasses. His eyes were different somehow.
Though he would never share what it is he saw with anyone else. It was something precious to him. The songs he could sing, but no matter how hard he tried he wouldn't be able to find the worlds to describe them anyway.
Dio was distracted by what Tariq said and he pulled his head back again. His brows were furrowed as he really mulled it over. 'Think like a star....' He turned his burgundy eyes on Tariq and stared at him, really hard for a moment. 'I never thought of that before.' Maybe he'd been approaching things to scientifically. This was after all not something that could me measured and weighed.
The teenager suddenly got up from the seat and threw his arms around the astronomer. Dio was just so happy, this would help. It would help he just had a feeling deep down inside that maybe it was one of the pieces he was missing. 'Thank you. You are brilliant!'
If Hawk had had lips he would have just smiled that smile that said '... and now you know how I feel sometimes' but, alas, he could not and instead mentally snickered at the younger fiend. Instead the elder shadow let himself drift away and started to look about the observatory.
It was so clearly decorated in Tariq's tastes; very bohemian. He chuckled and shook his head as he looked back briefly to the two of them.
At least they could talk each other's ears off.
"Gorgeous, she is," he smiled at Dio, his own head tilted up as if he could see the stars as they were without the telescope.
For just a moment he felt a sudden rush of homesickness - of utter loss and pain because he could never see them like they truly were that close again - and then Dio collided with him and caught him in a hug. "Ah, well ..." he stammered, his face flush with being caught off guard and slightly embarassed, "You're welcome, but it's true ... if you wish to talk with the stars, you must understand them. Appease them. Think as they do ..."
The younger fiend loosened his grip on the astronomer. Dio lifted himself up a little higher and brushed his face against Tariq's cheek. If he had lips, it would have been a childish peck, but as he didn't he could only mime it. 'It might seem simple to you, but I guess my brain just doesn't work that way.' Though now that it had been said out loud, the teenager felt like an idiot. Maybe it was his guardian's influence on him? Merci wasn't exactly the one that preached belief in fairytales and magic charms.
He pulled away from Tariq and sat himself back down in front of the telescope. Dio pushed his eyes against the viewpoint and he sighed out a breath, she was so beautiful. Though, perhaps his new friend was right, she looked sad. He motioned with his hand, while still staring at the heavens, 'Can you move this thing? I want to see everything!'
"Ah, um ..." Tariq blushed suddenly at the gesture, his eyes seeming a bit brighter for a moment before they dimmed. "It isn't so hard once you start to think about it," he murmured, returning the hug and then letting go as Dio slipped away.
'... careful,' Hawk murmured to Tariq, just so Dio could not hear him. 'Or you might start to shine.' With a chuckle that received a glare from Tariq, he gestured for the man to turn his attention back to the other. After all, there was book shelf in front of him and he would be content with seeing what was there.
'I know,' he grumbled, not exactly sure how Dio would handle knowing that about himself. Instead, he brought a smile to his face and turned towards the Star-gazer. "Of course, let me show you ..." Leaning in over the shadow, he started to adjust the settings. "I could do this faster with the computer, but I like doing this way - to find them myself with my own eyes as I'm looking through the telescope."
Dio spent the better part of the night learning the ins and outs of controlling the massive telescope. The teenager was actually kind of surprised with how patient Tariq was with him. He was used to having Merci there to apologize for his incessant questions and try to tone him down. Somehow it was so easy to just be himself around this guy. Tariq would just look at him while he babbled, his glasses slid down his nose so he could look over them. He also never seemed to have a hard time answering any of the fiend's questions. No matter how many he asked, Tariq seemed to find barely perceptible moments that he could easily and naturally answer him.
Maybe it was just the fact that they shared so many interests that made him so comfortable.
The deepest hours of the night went by with Dio being able to stare deeper into the heavens then he'd had the chance too since stealing the space ship. Something told him he wouldn't get grounded for coming here either. Though he had already decided that hew would probably never bring Merci with him. For some reason Dio didn't feel like sharing his new friend.
When they finally left in the wee hours of the morning. Dio nearly smothered Hawk in a grateful hug. He might not realize the full depth of the connection he shared with the astronomer, but he did realize that the Seer gave him a great gift this evening.
Above it all, the stars danced.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:45 pm
To Mourn
...and not know why.The path home is not as hard as he expected - not after visiting his old home. Instead, for a moment he imagines if he had to breathe that perhaps his chest would heave and his heart would race and anxiety might even settle in because in the end the visit reminds him of something he lost. Except that he does not care and it does not matter and he opens a portal to head home to Athan. To what he does not have and may have all ready lost.
When the portal opens he finds that night has all ready settled on the forest and the house but he is within one and not near the other. He must be distracted, his mind elsewhere and not focused on bringing him straight home. Instead he is near the waterfall and the pool that it feeds into. He knows that this place is not natural, that is was created. Athan never said anything about it but the man had to be the creator or perhaps the faint laughter of water spirits implies something.
For a moment his heart sinks and his mind disappears into another place entirely. He finds himself lost to whatever it is that is coming which is so unlike him, but the vision is powerful and it makes him unsure of what is and what was.
The water sprites were quiet for him. The spring babbled but their laughter did not. It was not easy watching one of their favorites dealing with something that was not of their ilk but they respected his wishes all the same. Hands were held up, runes dancing in the air around a coin. The spell was not easy, not for him, but he cast it anyway waiting for the beast to manifest as bits of darkness whirled around and coalesced.
"Playing with darkness, are we?" He felt the presence long before it spoke and scowled when it dared to intrude. "Didn't he save you from that? From walking that path?" There was a sneer and he ignored it as he continued to call forth the creature from its coin.
"Unlike you I respect the fallen; honor their memory." His words were quiet, forceful, and with a wordless bit of magic he tried to send away the darkness that he had not wanted present. It chuckled and moved as if it was leaving, but he would not hold his breath.
"A pity that when he went your mind did not shatter as well." Of course there was more than just the other he had been trying to rid himself of but he knew that as the other's soul still existed so did the magic that he had cast - the same magic that saved him.
"A pity," he hissed and once again tried to send the darkness away. This time it worked and the thing left him in peace just as the creature manifested. It was impish and wide-eyed, unsure of its place and why it was here. Wordlessly, he pressed forward a plate of cookies near it and gestured for it to take it. "In honor of the one you use to call master, please share these with your brethren."
For a moment the creature seemed as if it was not going to take them but in a flash it snatched the plate up and promptly disappeared back where it came.
With a heavy sigh, he cleared the air of the magic he cast and began to pray. Pray for the soul of a friend that had been lost and stolen and pray for his soul that he was sure that the thing still wanted. Tears stung his eyes and he turned to walk towards the house - he needed to be somewhere safe.
He needed to mourn.
When he blinked again to clear away tears that were not really falling, and he found himself not where he had started, but closer to the waterfall that Athan had cornered him in. He notices, far too late, that he is there and that the look on Athan's face says far more than he wants it to say.
The man is still mourning as well, but as much as his heart aches, he knows he is too. He mourns for a man he does not remember, for a man he does not know, for man whom in this life he has never met.
This is the price one pays when they are a Seer.
With only the briefest of nods to him, Athan offers an arm to him and all most immediately he was there at his side, slipping closer. It did not ease the ache in his chest and somehow, he knew, only made the one in Athan's worse.
For he was mourning a love that he had lost centuries ago; one that the Seer finds himself hard-pressed to beat the memory of and sometimes thinks he may never be able too.
'Perhaps,' he says slowly, 'we should head home. 'Nesh is likely hungry …' The words are soft and he finds himself melting against Athan as the other mutely nods his head and begins walking towards the house.
And in the night, he Sees, when everyone is asleep and they are not he will not be surprised.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:46 pm
Beastly Encounters
A nightmare beast attacks.The evening was dark - darker than usual, at least. It was as if someone had blotted out all the stars and the moon barely glowed and brought any illumination.
It looked as if Twilight Designs was about to close up for the evening, though the only one present was the Seer. He had all ready run the others off with the excuse that something was not quite right.
With an annoyed mental sigh, Hawk finally came outside the shop after making sure that everything was all right. Something had him a little unnerved, but whatever it was his Sight was blind to.
It so happened that this was the evening that Red had chosen to get away from the house - and, strangely enough, he was not accompanied with Zero. To be honest, the cyborg didn't even know he was gone, but really, he needed to figure out how far he could now get from her before things got unpleasant, preferably while neither of them were in trouble.
And talk as she might, Zero was as much of a trouble magnet as he was.
He wasn't holding solid shape for now, simply floating along while turning the corner. He hadn't noticed Hawk yet, but Hawk certainly knew he was coming. No, he was actually looking up. The Seer wasn't the only one finding the darkness extreme, it seemed.
Hawk might have scowled - just what he needed. The Alisari to come knocking. His hand froze above the door, eyes widening for a moment.
'No,' he mentally hissed, but there was not much he could do. What was about to happen was all ready in play - and he had seen it far too late.
It floated in the dark night air, the light breeze carrying it aloft as it moved. For a non-descript piece of parchment to upset the Seer, it had to be something nasty - but it did not look it. Old and crinkled, the writing on it was nearly worn, but none of that mattered.
What mattered was that it was making a lazy, looping path towards Red.
Next thing he knew, there was something hitting him straight in the face. With the strength of a truck, that nearly sent him knocked down on the ground, in spite of not being quite solid.
Red hissed some choice words and... there was paper on his face ? What the hell ?!
He caught the paper and threw it away, shaking his head.
Hawk might have snapped something about not touching it - but the point was moot. It had all ready made contact and it was drifting it's way towards him.
The Seer shifted closer, snatching the parchment out of the air as it blew his way. There was no point in having the Alisari deal with whatever was coming this way on his own - though Athan would probably have words with him for this.
Except that he could not condone Athan getting harmed - not when he sensed something like this.
'Alisari,' he greeted, though his tone was not the usual annoyed one - more wary than anything else. His fingers brushed over the paper, his Sight reaching out to read the words.
Nothing. There was nothing his Sight told him but he knew it had to say something. With an aggravated sigh he - and he loathed to do it, to ask - moved closer to Red. The paper did feel oddly heavy as he handed it back to him. 'What does this note say?'
Anything that could actually not be read by him could not be good.
And no, the Seer was not in the mood for him to argue about it.
Ah, superb, he had company.
The note was all but shoved back into his face at this point, and he snatched it back - it still felt just as heavy as it had been when it had hit him face-on.
Red had been about to snap two things : the first would be that he had a name (though, really, he didn't, and that was a moot point, which was what kept him quiet). The second was that Hawk could read it himself, but again, he was quiet. Hawk sounded annoyed by having to ask - that is, more annoyed than usual. Maybe it wasn't possible for mister foxtail not to be pissed off at something or other.
It was that, and the blank eyes, that finally made it connect. No, that was ridiculous, really, Hawk couldn't be blind and do all the s**t he did.
Yet...
Red, thankfully, didn't ask, instead, he looked down at the piece of his current irritation. He wasn't sure about this, not at all. Something definitively felt wrong about all this.
'Beware the beast the hunts the dark
no safety in shadows, nowhere to hide'
He'd thought he'd seen that hand-writing, those fancy elaborate letters somewhere, but the thought only clicked all too late.
He had seen those letters somewhere. On that note that had ended up on Zero's door. The one that had turned Athan and Reyna to stone.
And much like Athan that day... once he had started reading, he couldn't stop.
'Perhaps the beast may not hunt tonight
but, alas! the moon is gone, the stars are hidden'
Red was clearly struggling with something, through it wasn't with the reading proper. No, he was trying to stop reading, pitting all of his mental strength on it...
But it wasn't enough. And it freaked the s**t out of him.
'and the beast hunts best in the dark ...
... your time has run out and the beast wishes to play ...'
He dropped the note, and his hand went to his spear, all the blades extending in it's characteristic star-point - the note bursted out in dark flame in between being dropped and what would have been it hitting the ground.
'Damnit.' He added for good measure.
'Sorry,' he muttered, 'but rather we deal with whatever it brings than some other hapless twit.' Hawk meant it. They were likely better suited to deal with what he saw coming than the others. Strength and magick worked well together - at least, as much as he had Seen said so.
As Hawk was speaking, he turned towards the pitch black sky and watched sightlessly as the darkness pulled together. It was as if whatever was blotting out the stars and the moon was coming together.
It would NOT be nice, whatever it was.
'Best prepare yourself.' Hawk turned his attention away from whatever was taking form, hand raising and calling forth a rune in the air. He would not have this fight here - it would not do any good for the shop and the cost in damages would be ridiculous!
The howl that echoed down the mostly empty street nearly made Hawk pause in his spell-work but he did not.
It was a beast of nightmares and shadow, tail twitching back and forth as it lashed through the air. The only part of it that gleamed in the darkness was the glow of it's eyes and it's sharp teeth.
For a moment it seemed to be looking around, unsure of itself before it focused on the two shadow fiends as let loose another howl.
They were it's quarry.
Again, he almost argued - but then he just had to imagine any of the childen shadows caught in this s**t.
Worse yet... All he had to imagine was Dio caught in this s**t, and his probably not-physically-existent heart was running leaps. Somehow that idea was even worse.
'...Yeah, I guess.' To think he hadn't actually been looking to start s**t that night ! Oh well, couldn't be helped.
And now the sky was going apeshit. Red's eyes narrowed as he looked up, then solidified, letting himself fall on the ground, slittering in front of Hawk like some kind of oversized red living wall. Ultimately, he had no ******** idea what the seer was doing - but he could tell his role for the moment quite clearly, without needing any special magical powers.
And that was to buy time until Hawk was done... whatever the ******** he was doing. The spear rose, pointed in the beast's direction, and Red was ready.
'C'mere, pussycat.' He had no idea if it was even a cat - it was just the first insult that came to mind. 'Havn't got all night to kick your a**~'
Portals took a bit of time - though at least he was better than Mystic at casting them. Hawk's eyes slipped shut and he focused on Red for a moment, watching as he was taking solid form.
Growing did improve on his size - by a lot. Hawk left the creature to Red as he continued his spell casting.
The dark beast growled low in it's throat as it landed on the ground. The shadows seemed to bleed into it, as if it as pulling the darkness away from everything else. It's claws dug into the ground, the sound of ground breaking filling the air as it prepared to lunge forward and pounce on Red.
'Bring it through the portal!' Hawk shouted just as the portal erupted into life and he moved to slip through. When he came out the other side, it looked as if they were in a destroyed courtyard of some old castle.
Very abandoned.
So when they ended up destroying parts of it, no one would care.
Perfect.
Oh, a portal. Fine, he could roll with that.
If the small display of destruction was meant to scared Red, well... it didn't work. He just stared down the creature, glaring straight into... well, straight into what it figured it's eyes might be - it was hard to tell.
Eventually, it finally did jump, sending concrete flying, and breaking the nearby windows in the process - Red swiftly moved, letting the beast land where he had been before and he readied his fist.
'INNNNCOMING !!!!'
This wasn't a proper battle until something had been punched into the face; and that was exactly what had happened - one punch right in the middle of it's forehead sent the beast flying, snarling it's way right though the portal - and Red followed in next.
Hawk snapped the portal closed the moment that Red came through, a scowl on his face as he ducked when the beast went on over head.
'... seriously?' he growled, tail lashing in irritation as the beast landed with a thud against one of the pillars of the dilapidated structure. 'You're just making it angrier.'
He did not have to See to know it was gathering it's bearings in it's new surroundings and with a shake of it's shadowed form it turned on the two of them with another howl.
Calling on another rune this time he was going for a more direct approach - even if he was still just trying to make it unable to choose whom to go after - and the wind picked up to a roar before it began to finally blast the creature further back into the wall it had landed in.
Repeatedly.
Until the wind settled down and the dust disappeared and it was clear that the beast was clawing it's way out of the crumbled stone and towards them.
'... to be honest, that probably just angered it more,' he snorted but it was clear what he wanted. A very angry, agitated beast - one that would follow them around just to get at them.
'I thought we were supposed to beat it up, not invite it for tea and cookies ?' Well, no s**t he'd made it angrier - that was kinda the point, wasn't it ?!
Instinct kind of dictated that he did not want to be in between Hawk and that thing as long as there were runes going around, and it was quickly proved very, very right. That was pretty badass, even he had to admit.
'Yeap, don't think that's improving its mood any.' Oh well. Red did actually stop to think for a moment. He could try to conjure claws to get faster hits in, there certainly were enough shadows here for it... but given that this thing was made of shadows, this might go nowhere fast. A shame, through, since he honestly could use the practice.
Oh well.
'It's got to have a weak point. We just need to find it.' Everything had a weak point, and this thing wasn't any exception.
With his spear at the ready, Red charged before the creature could rise from under the rubble, kicking himself in the air with the tip of his tail and trying to drive his spear down into where he thought it's neck might be. For a being his size, the snake-like fiend was deceptively fast and agile - clearly used to battle.
'Generally speaking, when you are dealing with dream creatures - particularly the ones that are NOT,' he paused for a moment, shifting closer to the rubble a safe distance behind Red, 'trying to kill you, feeding them tea and cookies is actually a good idea.'
And Hawk might have paused at saying that, if only because he was not sure where the information came from. It was not like him to know such things about dream creatures, but still he found himself certain of the information.
'Angrier it is, the better - won't think as clearly.' The Seer was watching in his mind's eye the movements that Red made. The beast was all ready clawing it's way from under the rubble and yowled when the spear end found it's target.
For a moment it seemed like that would be it, but Hawk was not certain. 'Move,' he growled and sightlessly watched as shadows leaked from the rubble and began to reform into a bigger, angrier creature.
'I think this one was intent on eating us, and not cookies, from the start.' Okay, now he was just arguing for the hell out it.
It seemed like he actually had a good shot going there - that is, until it started to ooze back out from under the rock. <******** thing...' He did move, through, phasing out to dart though the air before solidifying his body a few feet away from it.
So the neck didn't work. If he'd actually hit it at all. The head was the next idea, but maybe not - if it kept reforming like a little s**t, it's... core had to be elsewhere.
'You never know, it could think we ARE cookies,' he snorted, not rising to the baiting. Hawk was trained from years of trading barbs with Mystic - so the banter was second nature to him.
The Seer's tail lashed irritably when the creature began to reform. It was obvious the nightmare was damaged, a gash in it's neck was bleeding shadows and he let out a brief hiss as vision clouded his Sight for a moment, briefly disrupting his next spell.
'Do not let the shadows it is bleeding touch you!' he gritted out, shaking the vision from his mind. 'It would be detrimental to your health.'
His brief moment of distraction, the vision that had come without warning, was all the creature needed to take a pounce at the Seer.
But the Seer was not so easy to attack, he easily side-stepped the creature and called forth another rune of wind and sent the thing flying through the air.
'And before you ask: it's weakness is still hidden from me!'
TBC.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:47 pm
Gifts of Love
A present for a loved one is not always what you suspect.The shop door opened to laughter. "Oh Josiah, what are you up to this time?" a woman's voice protested good-naturedly, her tone warm and amused. She was ushered in first by her husband, who followed her inside. She watched him over her slightly plump shoulder, a smile quirking the corner of her mouth.
"Now Emma, stop your fussing and have a look around!" declared the gentleman, bowing with a sweeping gesture that looked completely out of character for an aging, middle-class man. "Look and see if you like anything, foolish woman!" His tone was light and teasing, lacking any of the darker feelings such a scolding might have held. He had brought her here with the specific purpose of getting her something pretty. They were not a well off couple, though they weren't doing poorly either. Through their long years of marriage, he had made a regular attempt to do spontaneous things for the sheer pleasure of seeing her beam happily at him. He knew she wouldn't be picking out anything impossibly expensive, and she knew he meant every word that she should find something she liked.
Sharing a smile meant only for each other, then linked arms and turned to begin perusing the glass display cases together. They rarely did anything apart, and despite this being her treat, this was no exception. Arm in arm, they strolled slowly, talking softly and pointing at this gem or that gleam of gold.
It was a lazy day.
Or so Hawk kept telling himself.
Though, really, it was his own fault. He had told Athan to take 'Nesh out to the bookshop down the way and purchase and new tome for the child. Or several, if need be. He was burning through them far too quickly.
It did, however, mean that he was watching the store alone. There wasn't even a Mystic to antagonize - but there were customers.
His eyes closed for a moment, lost in his Sight for a moment before they snapped back open. The husband and wife had all ready entered and he knew.
Not that he would tell them, of course.
'Greetings,' he spoke quietly. His form became solid as he walked towards them from behind the counter. 'Welcome to Twilight Designs ...'
"Good afternoon, young man!" Josiah responded jovially. He beamed first at the sales clerk, then at his wife. Emma was unconsciously smoothing her hair back towards the neat bun it was drawn into. She was quickly bypassing brilliant, shining jewels, her eyes running over them as she went. Diamonds were lovely, of course, but she perceived them as meant for younger, more vibrant women. She was too old to be sporting something that shone like a star.
There were some with pale pink or purple stones, neither of which suited her whatsoever. She had let Josiah greet the young man, though she had also flashed him a brief, warm smile. She lingered a little longer over the darker stones, but just didn't feel the desire for so much shininess still. Josiah followed her like a faithful dog, all smiles and amusement. He was such a dear, taking such pleasure in spoiling her!
'Wonderful to have such a couple in our shop ...' Hawk might have been smiling if he had lips, but still he busied himself with coming towards the couple.
'A present for your beautiful wife, hm?' All right, so he was in business mode. There was just something about the pair that was setting his senses off. Something in this store was calling to them - especially the wife - but he still was not sure what.
'Something more natural, perhaps? No so much brightness and shine?' he asked Emma, eyes glinting and tail swishing back and forth slowly behind him. Hawk gestured to another glass display. This one was full of more gemstones: tiger's eyes, jade, chrysanthemum ...
"Something less.. gaudy," Emma hazarded, cast a last regretful but firm look at the shinies and turning towards the case the nice young salesman indicated. "I don't really know what I want," she confessed. "I'm so flustered with this surprise, you old codger!" She cast a scolding, mock-stern look at her husband and batted at his belly. In truth, she didn't look terribly flustered, and was far from feeling so. She knew she'd find something and like it immediately, so wasn't bothered by not having found the right thing yet. And to her mind, it didn't matter if she didn't find anything anyway. For the both of them, it was the gesture that counted most.
"Right!" agreed Josiah with a mischievous grin. "So flustered, I must put in my own opinion!" His bright, merry eyes grinned first at Emma, then at the jewelry store clerk. "What we need is something that accentuates this face, with its soft, rounded cheeks, and its warm brown eyes!" he expounded feely, clearly having a flair for the self-mocking dramatic. "Perhaps something roooouund," he drew out the word, putting up both hand to cup his wife's face. Emma giggled and swatted at him as he gently stroked her face from cheekbones to lower jaw. It was clear they were quite smitten with each other, and carried a comfortable familiarity of many years spent together.
Josiah turned to peer into the case. "Now what do we have here...," he tapped the glass top in thought, mostly for show. He did peruse the contents, but actually was allowing time for Emma to look at them. He was just there for show and for his pocketbook! This thought made him chortle to himself and flick an amused smile at his love.
The pair was all most as bad as the Alisari and the Star-gazer - though much more secure and in love with one another.
With a mental snort, Hawk lowered himself down to unlock the cabinet and pull out a tray of jewelry. 'Well, if it something that sets off the beauty of this young lady then perhaps these might be fitting ...?'
The tray was full of pins and brooches. The intricacy of the work was lovely - though Hawk had a suspicion that the piece they might want was not among them, but one he had recently seen Athan bring in.
TBC.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:48 pm
Halloween That Was Not
Those sorts of parties just are NOT a smart idea for TWD."Pleeeease?" Reyna whined. And it was not just any whine, but a whine that was worthy of any small child. That, for a demoness like herself, was impressive. She was not the sort to resort to whining and pouting and when Athan gave her a disgusted look she found she could not keep the act up any longer and began to laugh. Really it was his own fault. If he was not so fun to torment, she would resist - but his nerves were all frayed and it was so easy to goad him into responding to her.
"Absolutely not," he responded hotly, "No Halloween parties - at. All. They end badly and I would assume to not gather all the guardians up in one place during a time of year when mischief runs rampant and darkness has a habit of prevailing." He was all ready rubbing his forehead with his fingers and Reyna was rapidly considering the baiting of the man a job well done.
"Says the man who creates Shadows," she teased, grinning roguishly when he scowled at her.
"I did not create them." About to reach his boiling point, Athan crossed his arms over his head and continued to scowl at Reyna. Why did she have to persist in pushing his buttons? He was obviously stressed and yet she insisted on continuing her -
'But you have taken it upon yourself to release us one by one,' Hawk's voice cut through his thoughts with his reply as the Seer phased into view, leaning against Athan's back and perching his chin atop one shoulder. The look that Athan gave him made him nuzzle closer with a small chuckle. It neatly screamed go to hell, though he suspected that if Athan were a lesser man he might have said much worse aloud. That thought, the magic-user was not the sort to say that sort of thing - to him, at least. The others, when Athan was truly stressed, he was not too sure about. 'It is just that a get together for the newer guardians, and those who's Shadows have recently assumed their child forms, would not be such a bad idea. Better for us to meet many of them now as opposed to being blind-sided by the trouble they could cause later, hm?'
"And you would let us be caught off guard like that?" Sighing heavily, Athan knew that he was beaten. If Hawk was taken Reyna's side, albeit it was a reason that made sense to him, there would be no way for him to avoid holding some sort of event. Disaster was now just a short time away and imminent. "Fine," he conceded as Hawk nuzzled his cheek consolingly. He half expected the demoness to break out into a dance, but she only let out a holler of victory and his scowl darkened just a bit more. "Do not think that I do not have conditions."
"Alright," purring, Reyna was all ready plotting the things she wanted to do, "Name your conditions." With a grin on her face as she listened, she was writing down notes about what she wanted to make sure and have at the little get together they were going to have.
Arms folded over his chest, he gazed at her levelly and silently wondered why sometimes her exuberance did not carry over to other aspects of running the shop. "This ... party," he said slowly, distaste coloring his voice immediately, "will be held at the shop and I will be working on a spell to temporarily expand the space within so that we are not in a cramped space." Nothing was worse than multiple Shadows in a small space, he thought.
'Not to mention some additional wards to further protect against anything bad that could potentially come this way ...' The Seer spoke directly, and only, to Athan with a look of satisfaction glinting in his eyes. Sometimes the magic-user wanted to get rid of that particular expression, but was certain he would only make it worse and not get rid of it.
"And this event shall not be held on Halloween itself. It will be a formal affair for us to all attend," he went on, as if Hawk had not said anything to him.
'Perhaps the theme ought to be a celebration of fall and the change of seasons. Isn't there a festival in the book of yours about the Mhiroso'nan?' Hawk spoke up, his tail swishing back and forth impishly as his fingers moved up to rub at Athan's temples. It was an attempt to ease the tension that was building and, as the man loathed to admit it, it was working just a little bit.
"You mean the book that you have carted off with and failed to return to me?" Athan replied dryly. "Yes, there ought to be and that would be acceptable in lieu of the madness that comes with the season at hand." Sighing again, he turned away to head back to the room to escape the demoness for a bit longer and perhaps get some actual work done. That had been the reason that he come into the shop today.
"Terribly manipulative, aren't you?" It was not a question, but a statement as he sensed the Seer trailing after him and settle down on the couch with the very book that had been mentioned.
'I know, but Reyna will be happy and a happy demoness makes for a happy business,' Hawk replied, snuggling up against his side. There was no point in protesting, it did him no good and, as he loathed to admit, the fiend was oddly warm in this chilled weather. It was still an odd, but welcomed trait.
"Next time, however, we can discuss this without her aggravating my nerves," Athan grumbled, but when Hawk chuckled at him he knew that was likely a lost cause as well.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:49 pm
Halloween At Reyna's House
Because bad things happen if a Seer and a Dreamwalker work together..."Is there any particular reason why I must be blind-folded and let out of my own house towards," Reyna paused as she sniffed the air, "the nearby swamp?"
'Don't want to ruin the surprise,' Mystic replied, his voice echoing the mischievous mood he was in. Actually, if anything, it had to be worse than mischief. The Dreamwalker had recruited the help of the Seer and she knew, somehow, wherever they were heading the other was waiting.
"Whatever," she snorted and humored the adult shadow as he, very much the gentleman ( which made her want to chortle and laugh her arse off ), escorted her along the path carefully so as to not cause her to trip up or fall.
'... you really did blindfold her, Dreamwalker. Brave shadow.' The Seer's voice cut through Reyna's thoughts and she, oddly, did not feel Mystic bristle up at the commentary.
'Not that it matters now,' Mystic shrugged, grabbing Reyna's forearms gently and pressing her towards the swampy earth. 'Go ahead and take off the bandana, Reyna …'
With exaggerated slowness, she removed the blindfold and blinked her eye to take in the dimly lit area in front of her. "Mystic," she said slowly, "Since when has there been a house in the middle of this swamp?"
'Since we created it for Halloween,' Hawk spoke up, lifting up a hand to call forth a rune. The building was suddenly lit up and everything was visible. It was a veritable haunted house of horrors.
'I thought since Athan wouldn't let you have the party, at least we could have a haunted house and scare people.' He paused and, had he a mouth, might have grinned devilishly. 'And not get in trouble.'
'Besides all the recently grown children shadows may have fun in here ...' Hawk's tail swished back and forth in impish delight. She did not have to ask what it took to get the Seer involved - after all, he had his own demonic tendencies at time and this was his way of showing them.
"My own little haunted house to terrorize people with," she said with a grin, turning to the two shadows and putting an arm around each of their shoulders, "Well aren't you two just the sweetest, but how about you show me what this place can really do?"
And with that she marched them both up the stairs into the building, the door shutting behind them with a resounding scream.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 7:16 pm
A Different View on Death
Why not to work with dreamwalkers ever again...Underneath it all, under all the layers of the other haunted houses, laid the one that Hawk's Eye traveled through the most. It was the footwork that led him to the others that were wandering through the walls of the house they had fashioned.
Still, he was quick to exit it whenever he could, if only because what was in it terrified him.
After showing the house to Reyna ( who's own version of the haunted house was something else all together ) and briefly separating from them to find the people as they explored, he found himself suddenly back in his own room.
The magic they had used to create this place had be strong - he made sure of it. He just had not expected it to lure him in as well when he was not paying attention.
There was a single hallway with multiple doors. He had all ready made the mistake of opening one.
Inside the empty room was Athan kneeling, shadows convulsing around his throat as if choking him. Immediately moving into action, Hawk rushed towards the man only to have the shadows explode outwards - blood flying everywhere and coating the room and himself - leaving nothing but a bloody smear where Athan once had been.
And Doran standing smugly where Athan had been at.
The blood dripped off of the walls and Hawk let out a strained mental sigh as he rapidly turned on his heel and walked back out the door. Slamming the door hard, the sound echoing far longer than it should, he let himself slide down the smooth wood of the door.
It was not real. That was not Athan.
If he did not repeat that for a moment, then he was certain that his panic would alert Athan and the night's fun would be ruined. As it was, the man was likely to notice his silence - but silence and then sudden panic? That would certainly set Athan off and have him here in no time.
After he thought that he had himself calmed, Hawk picked himself up off of the floor and proceeded to another doorway down the hall.
Mentally preparing himself, the possibilities of what could be behind the door clouding his Sight, he threw open the door and growled.
It was a garden, pristine and green and flourishing - but it was the sound of swords clashing that made him growl. This time it was Athan and Doran fighting by sword.
'Stop!' he hissed, voice turning dangerously low. Athan briefly turned his attention towards him, eyes cutting to the side and looking at him with a smile on his face.
"Za'reai, you should not see this ..." Hawk's heart lept into his throat. Athan had just called him -
- and that was all the distraction that Doran needed. He lunged forward, his sword piercing Athan's chest. With a sickening crunch of bone and the wet sound of flesh being torn, the sword was pulled right back out.
And Hawk mentally screamed.
He was no longer certain what the rooms said about his subconscious, only that he clearly feared the fact that Athan would die.
Horribly.
Without him being able to help.
Grimacing, he found himself at the side of the phantom Athan. Cradling the body to his own, he let out a strained mental sigh. He was fortunate enough that he had put up walls between his connection with Athan - though if Wren could hear him, he likely would have a headache.
Dropping the body gently to the green earth, he scowled at the apparition of Doran that continued to laugh as darkness seethed around him. Ignoring it, he stepped away and exited the room. Were all the rooms like this? With so many people around and so many possibilities, his Sight was unable to tell him what lay behind each of the doors in the hallway.
Resigned, he opened up another door and sighed.
This one was of him curled around Athan, nuzzling the man's cheek affectionately. That was not so bad, though he thought it odd that there seemed to be a odd haze to his form - as if there was two of him.
Suddenly he felt the tug of pale blue eyes and he looked up to see the form shifting and turning and before he knew it, it was no longer himself, but Doran.
Doran who wrapped himself around Athan who had began to struggle in his grasp.
His hands wrapped around the magic-user's chin and neck and with a resounding pop, he snapped his spine.
Body falling limply to the ground, Doran smiled maliciously at Hawk.
"You're next."
Reyna briefly found herself in a place she quickly recognized as not being her own. It was odd how that kept happening, but she imagined it was on purpose. She was supposed to hand out candy to people later and all.
She stepped into the room just as she heard the sickening snap of Athan's neck. She had just seen another version of him splattered against a wall. Her visible eye widened and she glanced over at the not-Doran-Hawk whom she assumed to be real given the stricken look on his face.
"You know," she began slowly, "I think I prefer my zombie strippers to your dead Athans and creepy-crawly Dorans." She reached to pet at his hair affectionately to at least lend a little bit of comfort before stepping through the next door.
'... what is worse,' he murmured as Reyna's hand touched his hair briefly, 'is that I prefer the zombie strippers.' His tail flicked back and forth quickly, stress carried heavily in his shoulders, as he turned to leave the room.
The demoness had all ready disappeared back off to her own collection of horrors and he was rapidly beginning to prefer that room over his.
Still the only way out was to run the course of the house - though somehow he was certain it could not be any worse. With a ragged sigh, he closed the door of the room behind him and walked slowly to the next room down.
The door blew open of it's own accord and he found himself instinctively holding up his arms to block the wind that was quickly gaining strength.
Pushing into the wind, he stepped into the room, and - for a moment - thought he could smell what he thought was burnt ozone, but he did not have a nose and it was not possible.
Instead, lightning struck next to where he was standing and rain began to storm down upon him.
In the distance he heard the words being murmured and darted forward. That was Athan's voice, clearly, but what was the spell ... ?
There was another flash, another bit of lightning, and when he reached what seemed the top of a hill he thought that he Saw Athan, his arms outstretched and runes dancing in the air around him and along his skin.
He knew the spell, it was on the edge of his mind, but the thought was stolen away with a whisper of Athan's voice caressed his mind.
'This is the only way, za'reai ...' And with that, the spell reached it's completion and all that was Athan was swallowed up into the beautiful emerald pendant that he wore.
That was now his prison.
Hawk had slammed the door on that particular event before the storm had finished running it's course just passed the door. Raking a hand through his hair, amazed that the rain that fell made sure he felt soaked even if he made his form less solid.
Or perhaps it was mind that made that so. He was so distracted that he did not notice that he had leaned against another door, or that he had opened just a crack and a hand slipped out and snatched him inside it.
"... where have you been?" The voice was a hiss against his ear and he felt his back pressed up against a firm chest. For a moment he was worried that it was another apparition, but when he was spun around and brought face to face with brilliant green eyes he knew it was not.
"Well?" Athan questioned, fingers stilled wrapped around his wrists and tugging him back closer. "Do you know what chaos you've created tonight?"
'I had not thought that the magic would be so ... strong-willed,' he admitted, reaching up a hand to place it against Athan's cheek as a way to try and calm his anger or make himself feel better.
Mostly the latter and a little bit of the former.
It was when Athan leaned into the gentle caress that Hawk became wary and slowly pulled back his hand and started back up.
"Is everything all right, za'reai? You know I am not truly mad at you ..." The words were sweet, but the voice was wrong he suddenly realized and, far too late, he noticed that Athan had closed the distance between them. "Why do you back up?"
'You are an apparition,' he hissed out, turning to head back towards the door before whatever was to play out did so.
"But I am real, turne'ash liene, and I wish for you to have my love! Do you not want it?" The voice behind him contorted, twisted and became something that was not his beloved Athan's voice. His Sight told him that the thing he had thought was Athan had contorted into something dark and sinister.
Demonic.
'I want nothing from the likes of you.' His voice was a near growl, tail lashing back and forth. If he thought about it, there might have been a trace of fear in his voice as he spoke.
"But I have taken it out for you!" The thing that was not Athan was in front of him again and he found himself walking right into it. One hand clutched at him and the other grasped for his hands, opening his palm and dropping something into it. "My heart; for you I have torn out!"
Hawk's fingers closed for a moment around the muscle that had been dropped in his hand and, for the first time that evening, he ran.
Past the laughing creature and towards the door that had opened back up.
It was only after he was out that he dropped the bloody heart with a sickening thud and thought, for a moment, that if he was inclined to cry now would be the perfect time.
The heart still beat, despite the fact that the creature it came from was locked behind the door he leaned against. Eyes closed and unwilling to open, he let himself follow the pull of his Sight to the next door.
What choice did he have? He would never hear the end of it if he dispelled the magick and ...
No. This was something he had to do - it would strengthen his resolve to see that Athan would never get harmed.
Fingers closing around a door, he slipped inside and knew he was in a forest once more and that a storm was coming.
"Where are you?!" a voice yelled in the distance and Hawk found himself following the voice until he reached a clearing.
Doran was there with a figure slipping away from his grasp and into a stone as Athan ran into the clearing as well.
"What crime have you committed now?" Athan hissed out, lunging forward.
'Don't!' He should not have, should not have called out to him, because the darkness gathered for a moment around the magic-user and he had all ready turned his head to heed Hawk's call.
Two small figures appeared out of the darkness and jumped onto him before he even spoke back.
Hawk turned his head away, Sight all ready allowing him to see what would happen next as the two small demons tore him apart piece by piece.
Mystic phased into view near to where Hawk was huddled. He looked odd. The house had altered his appearance, albeit only slightly. His form flickered as though torn between what he was, what he was becoming, and what he truly ought to be.
'I think I am in agreeance with my guardian,' he spoke in a low voice that seemed strangely... real. 'You are warped, Hanstha'le.'
He shook his head and for a brief moment a true smile seemed to be upon his face. 'I think mayhaps you ought to bake cookies once you are home with your za'reai. Snickerdoodles? Nothing else would suit this deep darkness,' he said in a serious tone despite how what he said only made about half-sense.
He drifted off as though still trapped in his own dreams and left Hawk to his nightmare.
Hawk made a choked sound, blind eyes suddenly wild and wide as Mystic spoke to him. There was a familiarity there and then the way the other looked and the Seer suddenly shook his head to clear the vision in his mind's eye.
'I think the cookies may be a wise idea but lemon ginger may be more appropriate considering the situation.' The Seer did not question his response or the appearance of the other - some things were better that way and ... change was coming for both of them either way.
By the time he had truly calmed down, Mystic had disappeared and he found himself back in the hallway once more. Fingers reached out, trailing along the grain of the wood until he came to a door handle and turned it open.
In the distance he heard his own voice arguing with Athan's. The hum of magic was in the air, charging it and making it spark against his skin. Making his way up the hill that had made itself in the illusion, he found both himself and Athan at a stand off at the top.
There was something off about himself - the shadow that was not him had red eyes instead of blue. They glared at Athan accusingly and, for a moment, Hawk held knowledge that was kept from him in his sleep.
He was -
"Never again." The voice cut through his thoughts and he watched as both himself and Athan began calling forth runes.
The end was inevitable.
The explosion was louder as the magic that was cast clashed.
The force of the magic threw Hawk back against a solid wall, knocking his head hard against the wood.
In this situation, at least, they had killed each other.
He laughed, but it was a choked near sob.
Too distressed to notice, Hawk did not truly pay attention as cold arms came up from out of the ground. It was only when he felt something painfully digging into his forearm that he noticed - and then he struggled.
The grip only tightened and he found himself unable to turn his form to something incorporeal. Whatever it was it was stopping him from changing his form.
'Let go,' he hissed out, mental voice hitching just a little.
"... but I need you with me," a voice spoke from under the ground and with a hard tug to get loose, a face broke through the soil. His struggling became more frantic when his Sight showed him just what was pulling at him - trying to drag him into the earth.
It was Athan - albeit it a dead one. Emerald greens eyes had turned milky and translucent and the skin on the face was beginning to rot, bone showing through in a few places. Hawk thought he could hear the insects gnawing on the zombie's insides ...
'You are not my Athan!' Yelling, he tried to pull back more only to find that the rest of his body was all ready sinking into the dirt with the undead creature.
With one final hard tug, he felt himself pulled down into the dirt and screamed. The earth was wet and closing in around, heavy and oppressing.
Sight not able to help him, he found himself truly blind and, for the first time he could remember, utterly afraid of what that could imply.
Except just as the he was about to cry out, to give in and call for Athan, he realized that he was no longer below in the earth, but standing on wet land. The house had ejected him back into the swamp - and was likely proud of itself.
Subdued he walked back towards the house and opened the door to go inside. As much as he wanted to leave, this was not a type of magic he wished to leave just to Mystic.
The hall way had changed. Candles flickered in and out, dimly lighting the passage that seemed to have been warped by time. The wood was falling apart and the ceiling looked as if it could cave in at any moment.
All of it was ignored as Hawk steadfastly walked towards another door and threw it open with a slam. Storm clouds thundered over head and in the distance lightning struck.
A tree was destroyed - an old one at that - and nearby was Athan. Not his Athan, no, but some other illusion. It took only mere moments for him to reach his destination and it was then he realized something was off. It was not just Athan there, but someone else as well. Not just dark, but chaotic ...
He paused as he came up to the clearing, the tree torn asunder not too far from him, and let out a mental hiss as the vision washed over him.
The urge to possess and own washed through him and he could see something chasing Athan, only letting him think he was getting away. No, in reality he was only bring himself closer and closer to what was hunting him.
If Athan would not let him have him, then no one else would. Something had aroused not only the darkness inside him, but the demonic as well.
Sharp nails dug into Athan's arm as he was yanked back against his body. His eyes were luminous in the dark, the lightning storm only highlighting the eeriness of his appearance. It was with a sickening pop that Athan's flesh was pierced and clawed at.
Struggling did Athan no good, he was too strong, the magic that had driven him to this insanity far too powerful and ancient for even him to counteract. Runes were carved into skin by force, an effort to make the magic-user submit to his power. It would work, but what would be left would not be Athan ...
Hawk came out of the vision, blind eyes staring forward to where the dark thing cradled it's broken toy, and silently prayed that Keloswyn would watch over them both.
That something like this would not happen.
'Please ...' With the last bit of his prayer - an offer to a deity he was no longer sure could hear - he felt the magic fade away. No longer was there a storm, just as there was no longer a never ending hall way of doors with untold horrors behind each.
Picking himself up slowly, fingers rubbing at his eyes as if the rub away tears that were not there, he turned his attention back on the others that were still in the house.
Anything to distract himself from the heavy weight that was on his chest.
Except that he knew what was coming next, that Athan would find them all here, and that there was no possible way that he was going to avoid it.
The fact was that he was happy that the real Athan was finally going to be near him again.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 10:23 am
Halloween's End
Athan is none too pleased about the event.To say that Athan was displeased at what was going on was a vast understatement. He at first had simply been concerned by the silence he had found coming from Hawk. Having such quiet within his own mind after so long a time of constant billowing emotion and thoughts seemed a godsend. He worried, but simply assumed that the Fiend was plotting something for him. That was usually the only trouble he ever got himself into, or so it seemed.
His concern increased ten fold when a thrill of unadulterated panic and fear shot through from seemingly out of nowhere. It had felt a bit like being stabbed in the chest, and it had knocked the air from his lungs. He had doubled over, caught up in it like some sort of strange tidal wave. He could only wait for it to subside. It eased, but only somewhat, and he found himself kneeling on the floor of his study gasping for breath.
Hawk's mind still seemed somewhat closed off, but a vision of a house near the swamp hit him with almost as much force as the sudden swell of emotion that emanated from his link to the Fiend.
Once he had sorted through the strange tangle of emotion and fractured thoughts of equally odd, and otherwise unnerving, haunted houses he stormed his way upstairs with a flurry of darkness surrounding him. The shadows that poisoned his soul fed upon his anger, and it was always then when he was at his angriest, that the gloom and caliginosity that enveloped him was most apparent.
It took little time for him to cast a spell to take him to Reyna's swamp. He arrived just outside of it lest he accidentally ruined the wards that were placed upon her home to hide her from the prying eyes of those that hunted her. If anything, that in itself was a small saving grace. While not impossible, it was highly unlikely that anyone else would have detected the magic involved in making the little house of horrors the Seer had had a hand in concocting.
He stalked through the murky bog of the swamp and was thankful that just a touch of his earth element remained with him so that he was not forced to trudge through the mud and sludge. He picked his way through the swamp and called up stones to walk across with runes that looked almost like lightening bugs swarming about.
"Hawk?" he called out as he stood before the small house. The term 'house' hardly seemed fitting. It was more of a hastily built shanty. The magic that encompassed the building was blatant, and somehow it seemed strangely familiar. It was an old magic.
He reached the front door and stepped into the house. It shifted wildly as he crossed the threshold. He could feel its magic struggling against his very presence. One illusion after another presented itself as he strode through the house. He calmly surpassed and walked through the unusual creatures and beasts that had tormented his guardians as he followed his bond to Hawk to try and locate the Shadow.
It wasn't until he reached one curiously blank hallway that he even really bothered to take note of the apparitions that surrounded him. It was easy to ignore the fears created within another person's mind, but it was another thing entirely to watch yourself be killed repeatedly in gruesome, horrifying detail.
"Hawk?" he called again as he opened a door and found himself within a forest glade that he was quite certain no longer existed on his home world. He drew in a startled breath as a ghostly figure, whom appeared to at least mostly be Hawk came into view.
He reached out towards him and yelled for him, but the being seemed to not take notice of him at all. He ran after him and stopped as the creature turned on its heel to face him suddenly. He knew at that moment that it was definitely not Hawk but simply another apparition of the house's creating.
Athan knew that without a doubt because the creature held out its stone to him in quaking hands that were covered in what he assumed to be its own blood. He sucked in a steadying breath and closed his eyes, willing himself to not see that. He knew it to not be possible. Shadows did not... could not..
Eyes still tightly shut he cast a spell blindly. He had no desire to see twisted versions of his own nightmares. The house rumbled and shook; one by one the rooms that had been created disappeared. He sucked in a steadying breath and opened his eyes to find himself alone in a single room house.
With a scowl firmly upon his face he stalked towards the door and stepped back out into the swamp.
Hawk waited - waited as only one with his gifts could do. His eyes were shut, his mask carefully pulled down over his face as sat on the front porch of the house.
He was done with it's magic, his Sight keeping careful watch on those within and their wanderings. When it was his time to see them, to give them a piece of what was necessary to escape, he would appear.
Besides, Athan would be exiting the house any moment and - there. The door opened and the man stalked out, darkness around him more than usual.
It made him pause for a moment, as if he was not sure if he was truly ready to face whatever was about to come.
Except that after tonight, after pushing through the horrors the house offered, he did not care. Picking himself up, he turned to face him. There were no words he could offer, only silence.
Whatever trouble he got into, he accepted at this point.
There the Shadow stood, and if not for the mask obscuring his view so that he were could be sure, he was almost certain that the air about Hawk was expectant. Athan scowled and remained silent for a long moment. "I said," he gritted out between clenched teeth, "No. Halloween. Party."
He fell quiet again briefly, arms folded across his chest with a look of distaste clearly written across his face. "I am very... disappointed," he went on. He gave pause for a moment as he stepped forward and happened to glance down just in time to see a fading crest and corresponding runes burn itself out against the worn wood of the porch.
A puzzled look overtook his scowl, but only for a second. "You did not cast this by yourself," he stated, "Dare I even ask whom helped with this mess."
Some part of him thought to argue, to point out that it was not a party inside - but a veritable house of trickery and deceit. Some of it was fun and games, like a normal haunted house would be, but for others it was not.
He was certain that Mystic was trapped somewhere between the past, the present, and what would be.
So instead of arguing that it was a Halloween party, he settled for a quietly murmured, 'I know.'
The expression in his eyes, the haunted look, was hidden by the shadows of the mask on his face. Even his tail barely twitched back and forth, as if he was making a conscious effort to not reveal how he felt. 'I would suspect that disappointed would be a bit of an understatement.
'... and Mystic assisted me. The Dreamwalker wished to appease his soul-bonded with a Halloween treat.'
"That assumption is very nearly correct," Athan informed him briskly, "Simple disappointment at this moment is a vast understatement." He remained where he stood, eyes ablaze with his anger over the entire mess that had been created without his permission.
So many terrible things could have gone wrong! So many lives could have been lost just to simple foolishness.
It was Hawk's overall demeanor that was his saving grace. His normal smug, sarcasm was distinctly missing. It made Athan falter, albeit only slightly.
"Given that you're distinctly aware of that, I'll spare you further ridicule," he said a bit more gently before adding, "For the time being at least, lest I discover more secrets that I have been kept from me."
Hawk might have flinched when Athan spoke of his disappointment, be with his mask down it was hard to tell. Instead his tail swished haltingly behind him, his fingers absently tracing patterns in the wood of the steps he sat upon. It was hard to meet Athan's eyes when they were that angry; when they glowed so brightly and the darkness seemed to want to swallow the magic user up.
After the horrors of the house, he found himself in no mood for sarcasm. The only thought that comforted him was that it was that - just a house of horrors, not one of reality. 'I ...' he started slowly, finally looking back towards Athan, though his eyes were still closed beneath the mask, 'I believed it could be handled. The majority of this was done by me, with Mystic under careful watch. He still only gets things half-done, you know ...' The night would come to an end and he could dispel it or Athan could easily as well. 'You would not have done this; made this ... this thing.' He spoke with disgust, his hand gesturing at the house. His heart still ached and his mind still reeled from what he had seen. 'Or condoned it being made, but no matter what you said, Mystic would have - and so I thought it better to assist and keep an eye than leave him to his own devices.'
There was an odd honesty to his words, especially when he was usually so cryptic.
'As for secrets ... I have none, beyond my own self doubts.' Which Athan knew of, very well. His own fear of darkness and what he might cause in the future were still things that plagued him. 'The very things I was reminded of tonight.' In the end, he felt so very, very foolish for even thinking to play with the magic that he used - or letting it feed on him. Why had he not dispelled his own illusions? Why keep tumbling through them? He dragged his nail against the wood, leaving small trails in it. Fear was not an emotion he enjoyed dealing with.
Athan exhaled raggedly. He lacked patience for this, and being bombarded by Hawk's own fear and confused emotions on top of his own turmoil was less the pleasant. He closed his eyes for a moment, and the shadows that shrouded his form seemed to recede at least slightly. He blocked his connection to Hawk at least as best he could so that he could focus for a moment.
"This best not happen again," he warned with a stern look, but he found rapidly he was having an increasingly difficult time being cross with the Seer. It was not like him to be in such a worried state. Silently he took a step forward and dragged the Shadow into his arms the way he once had when he was but a small child.
"I had worried," he admitted.
TBC.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:06 am
No Fall Festival 4 U
Appalled by the disastrous Halloween party, Athan cancels the fall festival."Consider the would-be fall festival – party – whatever it is you wanted to call it," Athan said with a look of annoyance clearly written across his features, "Cancelled."
The demoness scowled in return and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why," she spat, "Just because we decided to have a little fun on Halloween? It's not like it was an actual party, anyhow. It was a haunted house. There are lots of those that crop up around October. Some of them even run all month long."
"Harmless fun is one thing, " Athan replied smoothly, "Endangering a group of people in a haunted house that truly feeds off of fear is another. What if someone found this house that was not invited, hm? What of it then?"
"Then they'd have had a great time, too," the demoness declared with a pout, "That is until you showed up and ruined it." She paused for a moment before squinting over at the dark man before her with a look of suspicion. "Just exactly what are you so paranoid about anyhow?"
He glanced away and shook his head, features hidden by his dark robes and the shadows that played about his form in an echo of his irritation. "You ought to know. You've been here long enough," he said simply with a dangerous edge belying his calm tone, "Surely you have enough sense of self-preservation to at least be a little cautious given that .. I don't know… we've been attacked on multiple occasions and turned to stone."
Reyna shrugged and leaned back into her chair, utterly unimpressed by Athan's logic. She knew to a degree he was correct, but she did not appreciate being told what to do even if it was for her own good. "I'd have managed just fine," she said.
Athan pressed a hand to his forehead and the looming darkness about him seemed to grow. "Of course you would. You're a demon," he hissed.
"Well no kidding, Captain Obvious," she replied offhandedly before adding, "And what is with the Mr. Death get up. I mean really. Is that honestly necessary?"
"Shut. Up."
"Who do you think you're fooling anyhow. Everyone is aware that you're mortal. At least anyone with a clue."
Athan slammed his hands down upon the demon's desk, rattling everything atop its surface. Dark tendrils emanated off of his form and trailed along desktop and towards the demon in question. All that could be seen of his face was the bright green glow of his eyes.
Reyna remained silent. The aforementioned sense of self-preservation that had been hinted at kicked in full-swing. A sudden bout of nausea from the magic reeking off of the man before also aided in that.
"You," Athan's dark form shuddered as he growled out between clenched teeth, "Need to be a bit more cautious, or this… this will not end well. Do you understand?"
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