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 Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:23 pm
One of the perks of being blind, Ciro mused, had to be the elevated other senses. In most cases, it amounted to better hearing… But on this one occasion, smell seemed to be aiding him. It was a smell he knew from somewhere… Somewhere. A comforting, damp, cool smell. Like a sanctuary, a hideout. That, combined with the light scent of Narcissus seemed to welcome the beaten man to it. He wasn’t sure where he had smelled that smell, nor why it seemed so comforting… Nor was he sure of just where this strange odor was taking him… But still. Anything, any small, scant scrap of comfort seemed welcoming. He was willing to walk through fire for the smallest bit of happiness.
And it was all her fault. She had done this to him. Taken him from his world, immersed him in her own, and then leaving him, cold, lonely, and hungry, to try to live on his own. Ciro felt pure loathing… Pure loathing mixed with his conflicting feelings of love, jealousy, hate. He wasn’t even sure if these feelings could intermingle…
But this smell. This calming, serene smell… it seemed almost like that of a mother. A smell Ciro had never personally known, but always longed for. His feet seemed to carry him towards the shop, the smell of flowers and autumn soon taking over the smell of caves and cool earth. He knew these smells, knew the sounds of this area… But where? Why? His mind was drawing a complete blank. Just where had his body led him?
Outside Seasons, the man stood perplexed. He was at a complete loss, but the comforting smells and warm feelings seemed to keep him entranced. What was he doing? He felt like a moron. Why was he risking himself this early in the night? It was stupid, reckless, moronic.
But still… The idea of comfort was far too pulling for him to turn back.
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:38 pm
Echo hadn't spent much time outside. At any time, Lady Hera could come and try to harm her again, and that would ruin any work Lady Persephone had done to keep her safe. Even though Cerberus had returned to the Underworld by Lord Des's orders and many of the ghosts had returned with him, there were still monsters afoot, some of them not brought down by Lord Zeus. She knew what some of the godlings had become, and it frightened her to think of them, and how they would hurt Lady Persephone.
She couldn't be of much use as a guide anymore, but Echo did what she could to keep the shop together while Lady Persephone was away, and did her best to get the spirits back for her network. Edward visited sometimes, but to be truthful Echo was often lonely, and it was this mindset that clouded her perception on this particular day. Why did no one come to Lady Persephone's temple anymore? Why were the godlings away? Had they been killed by the monsters already?
Her brow furrowed as she looked away, unwilling to think of the possibility. Of all the godlings, the one she cared for most was the one least capable of caring for himself, and the fact that another cared for him, despite the fact that it meant he was protected, just about broke her heart. Was there nothing Echo could do for him?
Listlessly, she looked down at her hands. Her cold, transparent hands. Since she had no one to worry about seeing her, she made no effort to pretend that she wasn't fading away, as she had done before, though it still stung to see the process continue, all the way up to her elbows already. She shook her head and mimed a sigh, as she herself was incapable of actually making the noise.
A movement at the edges of her peripheral vision caused her head to snap up, looking out the window of the store. Someone was outside, apparently having received the memo that the three-headed dog was no longer there. She peered curiously, placing her hands to the glass as she squinted her eyes to get a closer look.
Wait, that couldn't be--
It most certainly was.
Without even realizing it, she slipped through the glass, running at full force to the young man. He was alright, he hadn't been killed--so many thought permeated her mind that she didn't even think of the clawed woman that claimed him, pressing her face into his chest as she wrapped her cold hands around him, still several inches shorter but not nearly as short as Crow. Her nose wrinkled at the unfamiliar smell of ash and spices, entirely different from her own mellow scent reminescent of a cave, but she ceased to care. He was here, and he was warm, and maybe, just maybe, he would remember her.
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 3:09 pm
He was completely knocked off guard; the smells over rushed him, the feelings overwhelmed him. There was a girl holding him. A girl… She was taller… She felt less buxom… And best of all, she did not have wings, nor hooves, nor claws. Something… Something was familiar. A warm, kind rush overcame him. Where did he know this? This was a feeling that seemed older than Crow. A sensation from his youth…? No. It couldn’t be. Crow was the one who had taken him in when he had grown… Hadn’t she? This gentle, nursing, nurturing feeling… It was so nostalgic of that time… But that was not the feeling Crow gave him. This was something else entirely. If only he could see her. Then… Then maybe he would know.
But no, Ciro knew deep down that he had never seen the girl latched on to him. She was the one who had kept him on the brink of life. She was the one who had tried to heal his eyes. It was this girl, not Crow.
So then why could he not remember this? What more about that night had he lost because of Shamash? His face contorted into a look of confusion, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Secrets Shamash kept were best left uncovered.
“… Long time no see… eh? Uhm…”
Ciro was at a complete loss for what to say. At least he knew that she wasn’t mad… or sad… or anything. She was just kind of… there. Holding him. And it felt good. He hated to admit it, but that was the very comfort that he was hoping for.
“I guess I’m back.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 3:27 pm
Echo watched intently as different expressions colored the boy's face, searching for any indication that he even wanted to be held, that he knew who she was. All she saw was confusion at first, and it darkened her eyes with despair, thinking that perhaps he had forgotten, or that he only wanted the feral woman. However, when he spoke, her eyes lit up with happiness and she leaned into him softly, smiling as she continued her embrace. He remembered, he really remembered!
"Back," she confirmed with her wispy voice, nodding up and down as she moved her hands up to his face. Gently, her fingers brushed against his skin, so warm to her touch, pressing ever so lightly on his cheeks and his nose, making sure he was real. "I guess I'm back," she repeated again with a softer voice, looking up with loving eyes. If he was back, did that mean he was back for her?
She had to take him inside: the decision struck her at the spur of the moment, and she acted upon it thus, grabbing his hand and taking him with surprising force back to the store, opening the door for him as she pulled him inside. The earthy smell was even stronger here, and Echo let go of his hand at the door, jogging to the back room with a skip in her step. She came out a moment later with a wooden cup, cradling a warm tea, and she took one of his hands and put it to the cup, hoping he would understand the gesture. It wasn't much, but some of the herbs could help him relax, give him some energy that he had surely lost. She couldn't say anything, so she instead looked up at him patiently, waiting for him to respond.
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 4:40 pm
Her hands were not rough, they were gentle. Claws did not meet his skin, but well trimmed nails. It seemed everything about this girl was delicate and dainty; a stark and complete contrast to Crow.
He was ushered about like a little boy, but for some reason, a reason that seemed to be a mixture of exhaustion, curiosity, and sheer want to be with the girl, he was okay with that. He could follow her. She had saved him once before; why would she try to hurt him now? Clearly by her actions in the doorway, she had no intentions of causing him harm.
As the warmth of the tea pressed against his rough and callused hands, he tried to think of just what to say. The smells of the room were a blend of earth and plant and tea and girl… It was so different from the life that Ciro was used to. He felt out of place; almost like an intruder on this girl’s domain… But she clearly didn’t mind… It was relaxing, it was calm. He was not fearing for his life nor his sanity. He just was.
“Thanks…” Really, he wasn’t sure what he was doing. It seemed almost as if he was cheating himself, lying to her by coming here. Why? He didn’t even know why he was here in the first place, but it was. It seemed too unreal for him to be standing their casually with a cup of tea in hand. His life was not one of tea and calm, his was one of terror and a constant itching for battle… So why was he feeling so comfortable?
Slowly, he sipped at the tea, trying to remember everything he could about this girl, the place where she dwelled, and the details surrounding that night. He remembered her, her kind touch… There was another woman. Another woman and Crow, and they were fighting… Over him. The girl wanted him to stay, and he left her. And then… Then Crow had marked him… And it was this girl that tried to help him. He should have gone with her… he should have known then that Crow would be nothing but bad news… He was so stupid. Such a god damned moron for choosing danger over compassion.
“Hey…” His voice sounded cracked and awkward as it escape, and he wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say. “I’m sorry… About going with her all that time ago… I made a mistake. I know you only wanted to help. I was just… stupid.”
What was he trying to say? He was acting like he meant to stay with her. There was no way he would. No way he could. It was stupid… But still, he felt bad. She obviously cared, this mysterious girl. Ciro felt oddly guilty, like he had put her through some great hardship. He wanted to somehow, some way, make it up to her.
But he knew there was no way he could do this. It was too impossible. He was just a ruffian and a godling, doomed to kill or to be killed. There was no room for other people in his sphere or existence.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:14 pm
Echo smiled as he took the tea, then pulled away for a moment, returning with her own cup. Silently, she sipped at the warm liquid, looking at him with naive blue eyes. Whatever he wanted, she would give, whether it be for nourishment or for selfish gain. None of it mattered in her eyes: as long as he was paying attention to her, then she would offer the world and all it's living things to spend the rest of her time with Ciro. She no longer had a Narcissus, and either way, the horned boy actually accepted her. Such a thing had not occured for millenia.
When he spoke, she looked up attentively, offering a sympathetic look even if he couldn't see her. She couldn't believe it; he was apologizing? For what??? He had done nothing wrong! Frowning, she put her cup down and touched his face, searching into his expression for some hidden joke. There didn't seem to be one, and her brow furrowed as her hands ran down his neck to his shoulders, rubbing his collarbone with her cold hands.
"Hey..." She would have leaned up against him once again, but seeing as how he still held a drink, she restrained herself, keeping only to making contact with her hands. What she wouldn't give to speak to him, to tell him that it was all okay, that he had no reason to apologize! The best she could do was to butcher his prior sentences to her needs, and that wasn't helping much at all. "You only wanted help...I was just...I'm sorry."
She opened her mouth to try and speak to him, but only silence left from her vocal chords, and her eyes began to water in frustration. Hadn't she paid her price a thousand times over? She only wanted to speak; was that too much to ask? "I made a mistake," she whimpered, wiping her tears with one sleeve-covered hand.
If only she could tell him how she really felt.
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:24 am
He shivered as she touched his collarbone, feeling as her delicate hands passed over his collar. A symbol of his confinement. That collar… It had symbolized his relationship with Crow. Because of that night… That horrible night. His free hand worked at the metal latch, letting the collar loose and finally allowing it to drop lifelessly to the ground.
Good, he didn’t need that. He didn’t belong to Crow anymore.
Not anymore.
Ciro knew… he knew Echo couldn’t talk. Still… It seemed… he couldn’t even see her face. Words weren’t helping, expressions weren’t working. All Ciro had to go off of was tone. Tone, atmosphere, feelings from one heart to another. Those things were difficult and shaky, and Ciro knew he could not depend on these things to get his point across. At the very least he could express himself. He could try to make things better
There was sorrow in her voice. He knew that. He could tell that at least. But what did one do in that situation? “No… no. You did everything you could have and more. I owe you my life. Don’t be sad. You did everything right. Better than right, damnit. I-- … I don’t even know how to explain this. I was just a stupid jackass and a moron. Hell…”
He sighed in exasperation: What was he doing? It wasn’t like he even really knew this girl? Why did he feel he had to explain himself? She was pure intentions and a kind heart, and he was a monster. It didn’t make any sense; he should be terrifying this girl.
“Just… Ugh… I don’t even know. What am I even doing here….?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:36 pm
Echo watched him stumble through a rebuttal with a bittersweet expression on his face. Of course he wouldn't be able to understand her, what she really meant. She looked away, and with quiet steps took her teacup and put it away, shyly shrugging her hair off of her shoulders. What would it take to be able to speak again?
"Don't be sad," she murmured, her hands moving up to gently stroke his tuft of orange-blonde hair, tracing his sideburns down his cheeks with a gentle smile. "Don't be sad." Standing on her tiptoes, she found that her face was mere inches from his...she knew he couldn't see it, but maybe he could somehow feel it, somehow just know she was there. Her fingers continuing their journey, she began to trace the curves of his horns, spiraling down from the top of his head to his lips.
"...I don't even know how to explain this," Echo added, her hands holding his face again. They were so close...but she was taking advantage of the moment. Pulling away, she took a few steps back, embarassed. "I'm sorry. I was just...just a moron."
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Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:08 pm
He could hear her breath. He could feel it on his face. Her delicate finger tips danced along his rough face, traced along his abomination. Why had she gotten so close? What was going on?
What was he even supposed to do? He was frustrated, angry, and confused. How could… Neither of them said what they needed to. Neither of them could get their point across. He knew this now. Was it completely hopeless?
“I don’t… Know why I’m here. I don’t even know what I am trying to say.”
He knew that girl would always make a mockery of him. It was his morals. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Why he was even bothering with another girl made no sense to the avatar.
“Look… Thanks…. For the tea. And for saving me.. And all.” His fingers rubbed against the wood of his teacup, and he hoped he could find a place where to set it down. “But I should probably go. I’m just making an a** of myself.”
Besides… It wasn’t like he could actually have a lasting relationship with this girl. Still… He felt horrible leaving her with so little after all of her hard work. He rubbed at his arm with his free hand awkwardly, trying to think of just what to do. It then hit him. Just as the warm, shining metal of his armband reached his fingers, the idea reached his brain.
“Come here.” The cup was held out to her, he’d need both hands for what he was going to do.
Ciro had not lost that armband since the moment he got it. That was the night after meeting Shamash for the first time. He had put the band on with the idea that no matter what, he’d have something to prove his sanity. The hallucinations were real. This God had given him physical evidence. He was sane. It wasn’t just neurosis. It convinced himself more than anything that he was still alive.
Since then, Ciro had grown many years. His arms were much larger, and what was once a loose wristband was now nearly imbedded into his skin. The man had to actually bend the metal slightly to work the piece free from his body.
And once it had been removed from his form, he held it out to her. Even though he knew he couldn’t spend anymore time with this girl…. At least she’d have something. Some proof that he had existed in her life. Physical evidence to comfort her, just like what Ciro had needed so many months ago.
He still didn’t know what to say as he held the band out awkwardly. He felt nearly as mute as Echo, if not worse. What was he even supposed to say? He couldn’t just out and tell her that he had no intentions of returning; that would probably crush her.
“Here… It’s for you.”
He’d just have to skirt around that fact. She had something now. A small but important part of him.
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:24 am
Echo watched with wide eyes as she took the cup from him, having expected some admonition for her forwardness. Instead, he was asking her to come close again? Her heart fluttered, and without hesitation she moved forward, looking up at him with a smile as her cold body basked in his warmth. If he wanted her to be close to him, she would gladly oblige, for all eternity even, and--
Her eyes widened further as she watched him fiddle with his armband, the gold shimmering in the low light. It was no ordinary piece of jewelry; Echo could see the connection to his god, and her eyes lit up in despair as she looked up to him, silently pleading for him not to remove it. Who knew what would happen if he took the token off, who knew what sort of wrath his god would give to the sanctum, to Lady Persephone, to Ciro? She touched his forearm just as he slid the metal off, then winced, expecting the flames to begin.
However, nothing happened.
With a bewildered stare, Echo blinked her eyes open as she looked up and around her, her heart palpitating and her arms clinging to Ciro without her even consciously realizing it. She had honestly thought they would perish then and there, but as she looked down at the armband with frightened eyes, she realized that nothing happened, and nothing would happen. Ciro no longer needed the trinket to bind himself to his god; he was already far too deep into the Game, and he didn't need it anymore.
Did that mean he didn't need her anymore? Was that it's symbolic significance?
With shaking hands, she took the object, and upon touching the warm metal her heart fluttered again, and she couldn't help but smile. Of course he still needed her; why else would he give this to her? It wasn't that he didn't need it anymore, just that it had served it's first bond, and he was using it to symbolize a new bond; the one between him and her. Biting her lip, she slid her dainty hand through the opening and watched as the gold reflected the light from her wrist. It was loose on her, but she decided she would never change it, because it was his wrist that had molded it, and that was special.
Close to tears of joy, she enthusiastically jumped into a hug with him, nuzzling her nose into his shoulder as a sign of affection. On yet another whim, her hands cupped his face and she kissed him on the cheek with chaste, cold lips, wrapping her arms around his neck as she smiled again. "Here...It's for you."
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Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:30 pm
Bewildered, Ciro had no idea why she was so enthusiastic. It was… jewelry. Sure, girls liked that kind of thing, but after the months of training and of punishment, Ciro was sure that the armband couldn’t look pretty. His hands tensed at his sides for a moment: was he supposed to hug her in this situation? What was… She had kissed him. KISSED HIM. That was something… Not even Crow would kiss him that casually.
And so… Apparently… They were… God. Girl’s were confusing. Was he supposed to kiss her now? Was she European, or did this girl really think they were a couple….?
His entire thoughts of leaving were clouded with pure confusion.
“Look… I should go. Its…” His hand rubbed through his hair, deftly avoiding his horns. “Been great? But… Really, I shouldn’t be here. That lady… She’s not someone I want to bump into. And really… I’m probably not the safest person to be around.”
His foot shifted as he tried to back away. Ciro felt terrible: Apparently his gift had been taking entirely in the wrong way.
…Did he have a girl now?
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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 2:32 pm
As enthused as Echo was to be this close to Ciro, at the mention of Persy, her nose wrinkled in distaste, and she slowly nodded. "That lady," she mumbled, pulling herself away with a sheepish grin. Who knew what Lady Persephone would do if she caught her apprentice kissing in her store? It simply wasn't good for business.
And so, silently, she took his hand and led him to the door, putting his fingers to the doorknob and then letting go to examine the armlet once more. The way it glinted in the light, the way it clinked on her wrist...it was perfect. Truly perfect.
"...Should go," she murmured, looking up at him. "...It's...safe...here...for you...to be around..." She didn't know if the message got to him, but she wanted him to know that he could always come back, anytime. She would always be there for him.
She rested a hand on his shoulder one last time, and then retreated, looking away to allow him the time to leave without her incessant clinging. She wondered...did this mean she had a boy now?
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