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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 2:39 pm
[The following thread is to remain, unless stated otherwise, closed to participants beyond the ones whom have already discussed this thread at length, which would be Blossom and Abel, being myself and Rath, respectively.
It also takes place after the events of the Eyris battle, but before the events of the Job Fair.]
Blossom had never known Abel to be so difficult to find, but as it turned out, he was. She had spent at least an hour combing over the east side of Eyris, dodging around construction sites and such, in order to find the green-clad young man. This had seemed like such a good idea when she left the Hostess Club (after changing into her dayclothes, of course), but now that she had finally noticed him and was beginning to approach, she was growing very, very nervous indeed.
I should have done this months ago. He's going to hate me... Blossom tugged nervously on her side bangs, smoothing them down, and took in a deep breath. She glanced briefly down at her clothes, the same mostly-black outfit that she still wondered why she wore as often as she did, and then steeled her resolve and continued towards Aidan's old friend. Why hadn't she gotten to know him better? He probably didn't even remember her name...
The little Hero cleared her throat once she got close enough to Abel, putting down the canvas bag holding her work clothes on the ground. Work had involved much less waitressing and much more renovation than usual today. "Abel...? Abel, we need to talk. It's... It's really important." She let out a hesitant little sigh and rubbed the back of her neck, over her scarf. "Do you... have a moment?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:58 pm
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Jobs did not stop after the siege on Eyris. They instead grew much more numerous. The most common one for Abel was helping escort resource transports between Estarcia and Learania. In a state of war, extra caution was needed. The pay wasn't all that great, the country did the best it could to pay appropriate amounts for tasks, but Learania was still struggling. Abel understood this; he needed gold to live, but also wanted to do his part to help, more.
It was on his way out of the castle that he had been spotted. He had just gotten back from a job and received his payment from the guild vice captain. He was on his way down the street when he heard his name called. Abel turned around and smiled. "Hey, Blossom!" As he listened to her finish, he could tell that something was troubling her, but he didn't think too much on it. Obviously, she just needed to talk to him. He didn't know her all that well, but she was Aidan's wife, so of course he was friendly with her. "...Sure, why don't we go somewhere and then we can? I'm kind of tired, it wold be nice if I could sit down somewhere."
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Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 5:59 pm
Blossom nodded once, watching Abel. He was cheerful, smiling at her. She gave him the time to put away his payment and gather his things before speaking up again, trying to inject new-found strength into her voice. The attempt utterly failed. "Y-Yes, of course! Of course, um... I think there's a... or wait, here, come with me," she told him, voice faltering at the end. She scurried away from him and paused at a long bench nearby, situated neatly beneath two large, leafy oak trees. More benches lined the street; they were rather close to a park, after all.
"Here, does... this should work," Blossom murmured before slowly sitting down, smoothing her skirt over her thighs as she did so. She waited for Abel to take his place at the bench before clearing her throat and beginning. Her blue-grey eyes focused on the branches overhead, the street before them, her knees, her bag of clothes sitting at her feet, but not once did she look at him.
"Have... have you spoken to Aidan, recently? Or even a while back? I know you're his best friend, and... and some... some things have happened that I need to... to sort out." Blossom rubbed the back of her neck uncertainly. "Did he say anything to you about me, or... or us? He and I, I-I mean." She paused again, then quickly added, "Th-There is a point to this, really, I j-just need to ask that first..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:51 pm
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Abel thumped down onto the bench and kicked out his spread legs. "Ahh... much better." He slouched back and propped an arm up on the back of the bench. He hadn't ever really stopped and just sat down to relax in Eyris before. It really was a beautiful city. One couldn't say that right after the siege, but with the reconstruction going on, a lot of the beauty had been restored.
It was quiet for a little while. Abel decided not to point it out. He looked over at Blossom, but she wouldn't look back. He looked away again and right after he did so, she spoke up, so he looked back. "Aidan? No, not really... I'm away on jobs so much. I see him just as much as I see Alihi, these days... and I'm not... sure where she is, right now." He frowned slightly and turned his head away.
"She told me Rath took him on as a tactical advisor, though." he suddenly said, turning back. "He wanted Alihi, too, but she declined... several times, actually. I should have dropped in on him, more. Actually, I bet he's in the castle, right now. I should go say hi!" He grinned at Blossom, but it went away when he saw the look on her face. "..Why are you asking me these things, Blossom? He's always spoken well of you. Did something happen between you two...?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:17 pm
Blossom took in a deep breath and kept her gaze away from Abel for the time being. Her heart was still pounding against her chest, and every time she opened her mouth, all that came out was a little nervous squeak. Get a hold of yourself. You can do this. You have to do this... And yet, when she finally summoned up enough courage to look back over at Abel, his own concerned expression nearly made her freak out right then and there. She looked away, then, focusing on her knees.
Oh god he's going to hate me.
She took in another deep breath and released it as a trembling sigh, hands gripping two big fistfuls of her skirt over her thighs, and her trembling fingers stilled, at least for now. She had to do this. And if she didn't do it now, then he was going to only get more concerned, and then it would be much, much harder to say anything.
Finally, the little Hero looked back at Abel, trying very carefully to keep her expression neutral. Obviously, that... sort of failed, and Blossom looked to be on the verge of tears, with pink splotches across her cheeks, voice wavering as she spoke up, finally. "He's... n-not going to be at th-the castle, Abel."
She paused, then spoke again. "O-Or anywhere else, but... um." Another pause, and Blossom breathed in deeply again. It didn't seem to do much, sounding very small and very frightened, but she spoke without the nervous stutter, if just for a minute. "... Aidan is dead. He... killed himself, Abel."
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:01 pm
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Abel only got more concerned when Blossom actually looked up at him. There was something so troubling that it was about to make her cry. He waited for her to explain, anxiety at its edge, but the answer he received was nothing he ever would have expected.
"W-what...?" he uttered. He thought maybe it was wrong; he heard her wrong, she misspoke, there was some kind of misunderstanding. Anything that could possibly make it untrue passed through his head. But as he looked at her and saw how much pain she was in, Abel eventually resigned to it being real.
He stared blankly ahead oh him, mouth open and eyes still expressing disbelief. He said nothing for about a minute and then covered his mouth with his hand that was starting to shake. As soon as he brought his hand over his mouth, he took it off again, not even knowing why he brought it up in the first place. His breathing became irregular. He shook his his head a few times as his face started to grow red and then looked back at Blossom. "What do you mean he killed himself...?! He wouldn't do that. Aidan would... never do something like that...!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 10:04 pm
Blossom shook her head slowly, looking away momentarily when she realized that Abel wasn't speaking. She couldn't watch his expression shifting to increasing levels of distress; it only made her heart clench more tightly in her chest. Blossom rubbed a hand against her cheek, trying to calm down. Deep breaths, think about something calming... deep breaths... no, no, it wasn't working, she was still barely fighting off a panic attack. Great.
She was shaking her head again, hands trembling. "What do you mean he killed himself...?! He wouldn't do that. Aidan would... never do something like that...!" The Hero let out a sharp sound and tried to at least gather enough nerves to say something without collapsing into sobs, though her eyes were already watering when she managed to force herself to speak.
"I-I don't know...! I don't know why h-he'd do it! But I got h-home from one o-of my missions in the quiet b-before the siege ha-happened and he was... h-he had been dead for days, I don't kn-know how long, and he... h-he had a n-note left behind, i-in his handwriting..." Blossom shakily moved to her bag and removed a little slip of paper before holding the note out for Abel to see.
"It was... i-it was planned, Abel...! He h-had the note written o-out and he... n-never... s-said anything..." Blossom was clutching now at the bangs hanging to either side of her face, eyes wide as she stared at the cobblestones. The tears were falling down her face now, dripping off of her chin and onto her skirt. "I-I don't even kn-know what caused it n-now, should I have... sh-should I have stayed? Was this m-my fault? Is it m-my fault for not... s-seeing anything before... b-because I was gone so often...?" The unspoken question hung heavily in the air around her: Was I not good enough for him to stay?
Blossom finally looked back at Abel, and the terror was completely open now on her face. "Did he... n-never say anything to you...? N-Nothing at all...?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:24 pm
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I was always running away from everything.
Neither of us ever wanted to say it, but that was just how I dealt with my problems. Running and hiding. Why do you think I chose to command an army rather than fight in one?
When I was a child, I played army with little toy soldiers. I think that was why I decided to become a tactician--the thrill of the battle without the mess of blood to wipe off my palms.
But the blood's still there. And it was always my fault. Always.
So, after all the times I've left and returned and disappeared again and again and hurt you time and time again, I'm going to run away one more time.
Just... one last time.
But this time, I'm not coming back.
I hope you can forgive me.
Abel took the note and read it in silence as Blossom spoke. Once he was finished, he rose a hand and covered his brow as he grit his teeth. His breathing became even more deep and strenuous. The hand that still held the note shook as well. Abel tried to contain everything that was building up inside him. It wasn't working.
"No! He didn't say anything!" Abel suddenly snapped at Blossom, after she spoke again. "He didn't tell me a damn thing! And I wasn't there to listen to him!!" Moisture leaked out from under his hand and so he quickly jumped to his feet and hid his face. "... ...Why... didn't you tell me this sooner?!" Abel turned back around and threw the note back at Blossom. He saw the look on her face and then suddenly ran off down the street. "..Damn it!"
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:54 pm
Blossom's panic swelled deep in her gut as he sat in utter silence. She had expected some kind of response, even a word of disbelief, something. It would have been far preferable to this strained silence of his, the desperate breathing as he covered his eyes with one hand, fingers shaking around the note. Even silent, she could see the pain boiling under the surface, and she almost instinctively shifted back just before he burst out loudly at her. "No! He didn't say anything!" She opened her mouth helplessly to speak, and hesitated for a moment. What was she supposed to say to that? Ask him to confirm it? What the ******** could she say? Blossom could feel her grasp on the situation slipping away, as easily as grains of sand between her fingers.
And then Abel spoke up again, completely taking any option away from her, anyway. "He didn't tell me a damn thing! And I wasn't there to listen to him!!"
Her eyes were still wet, half-dry trails down her cheeks and dripping off of her jaw. The note was still crumpled in his hand, and with the look on his face and the rage in his voice, Blossom was shocked he had only screamed thus far. The smaller Hero rose to her feet as her comrade covered his face, trying to hide his own tears as he stood. "... ...Why... didn't you tell me this sooner?!"
"A-Abel, I... i-it was so s-soon b-before the invasion a-and I--"
The crumpled note bounced off of her face, right between the eyes, and fell to the ground soundlessly. She stared at him, eyes wide, tears gathering again at her eyelids, and he looked back. They shared a single moment in silence; if that raw pain had been any stronger, the air itself could have crackled and rippled before their eyes. "A-Abel..."
"...Damn it!"
"Abel...! Abel!" Blossom stumbled a few steps after him, shouting desperately, but her reaction time was slow, and her gait was awkward, and she tripped and fell before barely crossing three yards across the street, and as she pulled herself back to her feet, one skinned knee gathering blood, Abel was already too far gone, rounding the corner and disappearing from sight.
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:08 pm
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He ran. He ran, but he wasn't going anywhere. Down the streets and even out of the city gate, his feet flew. He didn't stop. His mind was flooded with images of his friend. Tears fought to come out as he tried to hold them back. He was losing that battle. He kept going down the dirt path. He stumbled, but pushed himself back up as if running for his life and went on. His heart weighed him down.Where are you going, Abel?Abel stopped and looked at the ground, his face shadowed. He remained silent for a moment as the breeze blew past and then finally gave an answer. "...I don't know." He stumbled over to the side of the road and fell against a tree, then slowly slid down to the ground. Teardrops fell into the dirt. "...I don't know..."You can't keep running away.The boy took short intermittent gasps. "It hurts, Cain..."I know. But it will pass. You must feel this pain, and you must grow from it. Do this for him... and for yourself."He was my best friend... and I wasn't there for him!" Abel sniffed. "He's another victim of this stupid war!" He foolishly punched the ground with the back of his hand and the pain that came from it sent the hand into the grip of the other. "I'm not letting this happen again... I'll avenge him... and you too. You'll see."
With the promise close to his heart, Abel sat beneath the tree on the side of the road and released his pain. He wept there alone. He wept until the sun disappeared.
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:16 pm
And then Abel wasn't there.
The Hero said nothing. There was nothing to say, and again, no one to say it to. Another misjudgment, and now another person upset. Blossom stiffly leaned down and scooped up the note, staring at its crumpled form, and then stuffed it into her skirt pocket, not bothering to smooth it out , and picked up her bag again. It was like a dream, really. One of the few people she could have tried to talk to about this, explain what logic she might have had at the time... and he was angry at her now. Or was he just angry at the situation? Either was possible. Blossom was walking, lost in thought, the tears long-dried, leaving behind traces of salt down her cheeks.
What would he say, if he could see her now? Would he be disappointed in her? Blossom sniffed once. If he was here, then this wouldn't be a problem to begin with... She closed her eyes for a moment and paused in the street. If he was here...
Blossom walked. Time passed slowly, the sun slipping under the horizon as she crossed the city, passing her home, rising up the grassy crest that Fefga's manor was situated on. But she turned away from it, walked on, continuing up towards the sky. She walked steadily up the hill, bag now held protectively over her chest, like a shield from the world, from unwanted truths. Blossom wasn't sure why she was going this way, because she knew reality was waiting for her at the top, but she went anyway. Blossom didn't know what else to do at this point, and it sounded better than going home to an empty living room and an empty bed. The Hero adjusted her grip to free one hand to rub at her eyes, reaching the top of the hill, and...
She was not alone.
Blossom was silent for a minute, watching warily before slowly setting down her bag, wind wisping through and tousling her hair. The tails of a familiar red headband danced on the breeze, and it was only when the air was still that she summoned the courage to address his back. The note was a continued weight in her pocket, reminding her that the grave before her - and its visitor, silhouetted brilliantly by a setting sun - were indeed real.
"...Rath...? What... what are you doing here?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:57 pm
"You ask why do I not talk much?"_______←« _____ ←« ____ ←« ___ ←« __ ←« _____"...Because there is nothing to say."Rath
------------  The man calmly turned around and looked to the girl who had suddenly spoke. "...Blossom."
He stepped to the side a little, allowing her to see the tombstone, and then turned back to it. He was essentially moving over so that she could stand before the grave as well. He remained silent until she came over. "...He was a friend of mine, as well." he suddenly started. "I recruited him as a tactical advisor because I knew his knowledge could save lives and help turn the tide. Before... Rogvald had me imprisoned, Aidan kept trying to share his ideas with me." Rath lowered his head. "...I kept telling him I'd listen later. I was too... caught up in everything that was going on, that I..." Rath shut his eyes, sighed and then looked back at the grave. "A long time ago, I had made it my obligation to protect him and keep him safe. In the end... it seems I could not save him from himself."
Rath turned and looked at Blossom, while placing a hand on her shoulder. "...I'm very sorry." His hand sank back to his side and he turned to the grave once more. He went silent again and stared at the unchanging lettering on the stone. However, something concerned him and he glanced at the girl. His next question came out of the blue. "... ...Does Abel know?"
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Vice Captain "The future remains most uncertain, Nino."_____
»→ __»→ ___»→ ____»→ _____»→_______ "...But if this is your wish, then so it shall be."
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:36 pm
The Hero watched him move before giving a small, polite nod. The bag was forgotten against the grass as she approached, stopping next to the guild Captain. ...er, Vice-Captain. Nino had been gone for so long, it was difficult to not look at him in a light of complete control over their organization.
She listened in silence to Rath, hands clasped in front of her. She was very familiar with his tactical prowess, and though the extent of his familiarity with Aidan came as a surprise, she didn't let it show. "A long time ago, I had made it my obligation to protect him and keep him safe. In the end... it seems I could not save him from myself."
Blossom remained quiet, choosing not to add to his words. It would have been so, so easy to be self-deprecating again, to blame herself, but for once, she kept her mouth shut. It would solve nothing, only shifting the blame unnecessarily and... then his hand touched gently against her shoulder. "...I'm very sorry."
She managed to nod, holding a grip on herself. She hadn't made a sound since she took her spot next to Rath, simply staring at Aidan's gravestone. Blossom was still looking at it when Rath spoke up again, his voice finally taking on an upward inflection.
"...He does now." Blossom rubbed silently at one eye, smearing tears across her cheek. "He's... he's not happy. I think he m-might be really, really angry at me." She didn't elaborate any further, just slowly knelt down in front of Aidan's headstone and stayed there, staring resolutely at it. The wind grew cold, rustling the leaves around them.
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:31 pm
"You ask why do I not talk much?"_______←« _____ ←« ____ ←« ___ ←« __ ←« _____"...Because there is nothing to say."Rath
------------ The tails of Rath's bandanna danced in the chilling wind before swaying back into their dormant places. Rath glanced down at the girl and then back to the grave. "...I'm sure he is upset." he bluntly said. "But I highly doubt it's with you."
The vice captain met the girl's eyes after he gave his response. "If anything... he's probably angry at himself. He likely blames himself; just as I do... ....and just as you do." He looked at her silently for a minute before continuing. "I could try and tell you that you shouldn't, that his death was of his own choice and there was nothing you could have done to alleviate his grief, that things do not always have a happy ending... I've told myself that, too." He glanced away and sighed. "And yet... the feeling remains."
He looked back to her again. "You were a good wife, Blossom... he spoke highly of you. Often. He was in my service... and I failed him; as his leader and as his friend. And so, I have failed you, as well. I pray I can earn your forgiveness... and shoulder your pain." His head moved back to the tombstone. "As for Abel... give him time. He's a good man. He acts on emotions, but his heart is true. If I know him well enough, he'll do right in the end."
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Vice Captain "The future remains most uncertain, Nino."_____
»→ __»→ ___»→ ____»→ _____»→_______ "...But if this is your wish, then so it shall be."
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:49 am
Blossom ran a hand through her hair, keeping her eyes on the gravestone. She hadn't quite meant it like that, and more with him being upset that she had not told him about what had happened sooner, but she didn't say anything. It sounded silly in her head, anyway, now. It would probably be even more ridiculous if she vocalized it now. The Hero slowly lifted her gaze to meet Rath's, listening in fixed silence as he continued.
I think this is the most he's ever spoken in one sitting to me. She slowly relaxed, letting his somber voice wash over her. Even when she had been fighting under the Lycian Lords, guided by Aidan's strategic and tactical prowess, Rath had mostly kept quiet. He hadn't been isolationist, really, he'd kept up polite co-existence with his fellow fighters, but he'd been very contemplative, which... didn't lead to a lot of idle chatter. She'd suspected at the time that he simply didn't like most of them, keeping out of most conversation. But listening to him now, she could tell that contemplative appearance, at least, was true. And if he didn't like the company he kept, he wouldn't still be here, would he? Blossom relaxed a little, nodding slowly.
"And so, I have failed you, as well. I pray I can earn your forgiveness... and shoulder your pain."
Her expression shifted from one of quiet respect to faint confusion. While his gaze turned back to the tombstone, her eyes stayed focused on Rath's head, now in profile. "As for Abel... give him time. He's a good man. He acts on emotions, but his heart is true. If I know him well enough, he'll do right in the end."
Blossom slowly rose to her feet. Seconds seemed to slip by like sand through her fingers as she brushed down her skirt, gaze still focused on the nomad standing next to her. Her blue-grey eyes slowly moved to the tombstone.
Would he want to see them grieve? There were some questions that could never be answered, no matter how hard one searched. Blossom could overturn every rock from here to Mordache and never be able to answer any lingering questions she had about Aidan. He was the last bit of family she could have considered herself to have, and... he was gone.
Even as her eyes watered slightly, she lifted a hand. The Hero hesitated for a moment there, keeping her gaze focused on the tombstone. Before she could talk herself out of it, she slowly patted Rath on the back, using her other hand to rub at her eyelids as they overflowed.
"You said it yourself... things don't always have a happy ending. If... if there was nothing that I could have done, then there... wasn't anything you could have done, either." She slowly returned her hands to her sides before clasping them in front of her. Rath was a good man, and a good leader, and she didn't want to risk overstepping unspoken boundaries. Blossom held her shoulders rigid and her posture straight as she stared at Aidan's tombstone, and as the tears streamed down her face again, she kept herself together, voice wavering only slightly. "So... p-please don't start blaming yourself, either. I don't h-hold anything against you."
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