[LOG] I See Dead People (Mti`imara x Poseida)

[Pollack]

The den had become crowded, but not in a bad way - simply crowded. Mti was a gentle, green giant that had welcomed the pair, even before he learned why they had sought shelter there Afterwards he was even more open to the idea of sharing his home with those that needed it, not that his heart didn't have additional plans in mind. Those emotions were set aside for the day - today would be focused on the girls, while he and Jua helped them in clearing up some of the debris left from the attack on their caravan. This would be a long day, one that he wasn't looking forward too, but he knew that it needed to be done.

"Are you sure you're okay to come along? What about Hasira?" Mti asked his company. At Poseidas request Jua was with Hasira and would be until the deed was done. The teal lioness was weakened by the state of caravan when she had left it and so it was no surprise that the idea of going back nearly shattered her into pieces, bringing on tears and blubbered proclamation of not to make her do it which were followed by hysterical 'no I can do it's. The boys were lost at words and simply found themselves following the lead of Poseida for the most part, but Mti still worried for her, no matter how strong she appeared.

"You let me know when and if it becomes to much Poseida. I hope you know that your pride won't be damaged by admitting when it becomes to hard." At the time he didn't realize it, but his gaze towards her glistened with passion - not a firey passion that burned for a physical companion, no - he cared, quite a bit.

 

[Pollack]

Anyone who use to know her would have scoffed at the idea of the ice queen Poseida willingly sharing a den with not just her friend but strangers as well. Cramped, tight spaces before had given her severe anxiety and thus she often isolated herself from the rest of the caravan.

But it appeared the tragedy had changed her in more ways than one. She had grown to relish the idea of being surrounded by people who she actually cared for and was quickly growing to love.

She had lost one family but in turn she dared to say she was gaining another in their place. But even so that didn't make what they had to do any easier.

A wary sigh was the first response Mti got out of her. Her green eyes slowly trailed up to meet his, fully exposing how tired and stressed she was already. "Yes, I'm sure. They would have done the same for me had it been the other way around. Hasira..." Chewing on her lower lip she took a moment to reconsider if leaving her was for the best but...no. Someone who was of blood needed to preform the rights, and Sira certainly was in no mindset to do so. "Jua will keep her company until it's time for the final goodbye. Mti you know as much as I do she wouldn't be able to handle coming down here."

A weak smile tugged at the corners of her lips at his words. Stepping forward she briefly leaned against his body weight in a mock-show of affection. "I...I can't make any promises, but I'll try. Thank you again, Mti. It means the world for me for you to be here." For a moment she just stood there, using him as a beacon for support both physically and emotionally. Finally though she reluctantly pulled herself away and took a few steps forward before she looked back at him. "Come on, let's get this over with before we lose out on daylight."

 

[Pollack]

It broke his heart when her eyes rotated upward to meet his, the pure exhaustion was amplifying the concern and dread in which he assumed she was feeling at the moment. The sigh simply made the assumption a little more concrete. "Alright." He said, his tone very easy and gentle. "You're right, as per usual." Mti tried for a small smile, trying to lighten the reasonably dark mood. "Jua will take good care of her, with the loss of his Mother he's grown quite a bit more protective." The green giant managed a beaten down chuckle at his own remark - but it was true. He'd seen the way Jua grabbed at the chance to stay with Hasira and keep her company, make sure she remained safe and hopefully a small amount sane.

When she leaned against him he closed his eyes. Never had he been able to imagine feeling stronger by having someone so close and yet he felt like he'd be able to tackle nearly anything with her there. That included the task they had ahead. His eyes opened to reveal the damaged field which lay quiet with various canvases of pelts strewn here and there. The material goods were not the concern though..

Reality truly struck when he spied the first body. The first of many. "You'll never have to face anything like this alone." Of course he realized after saying that that she wouldn't because she had Hasira.. but he hoped she'd catch on that he meant him. The promise was fairly subtle and quick. Then the moment had passed and she was on her paws again, away from him and amidst the debris. "I'll dig a place, try not to move to much without me. I don't want to see you hurt." He stated and moved to the side, they wouldn't need anything deep - he knew what his own traditions were, but had been let in on the fact that often times the bodies were burned. If that were the case then he planned for a hole deep enough to hold the bodies.. her friends, family and more so that they could be cremated.

"If there is anything you want to bring back we will create a space and organize it. I may need to reconsider getting a bigger den." His bachelor space would shrink considerably if she brought even a few items back - plans for the future were creeping up on him as he began his dirty task of digging.

 

[Pollack]

"Heh, now you're finally learning." She teased back as she gently prodded him with one of her toes. Though it might not have been the most appropriate time for jokes she was thankful to have something other than the macabre to focus on. "Mm, so I've noticed. Does he do that for all pretty girls he meets or is she just special though?" The fact that her friend had started to gravitate towards the young male's attention certainly hadn't been lost to Poseida. She was in a way glad to see her finding some resemblance of happiness in these trying times, but on the other hand she worried that Sira might be using her vulnerable state to make poor relationship choices.

Course she wasn't really one to talk, was she?

Her eyes widened slightly his declaration. "Oh my.." She breathlessly whispered out. Truly he couldn't mean...? Nono, she was just thinking far too much into it. Get yourself together, Poseida. Now was not the time to be acting like some love struck idiot! "Right, I'll start cleaning and gathering the bodies. Could you also try to see if you can find some wood why you're digging? We're going to need it." She called out back to him as she made her way into the heart of the war-zone. "We should also gather some tind-"

That's when she turned the corner and for the first time saw the full devastation before her. Fires still smothered under half screwn debris that had obviously been searched, looted for valuables, and discarded half-haphazardly. Blood mixed with other unmentionables covered the ground in a thick disgusting slime that squished between her toes with each step forward. The worst part were the bodies, the countless bodies that were everywhere. Some looked like they had been struck down why fleeing, others still bore huge gaping battle wounds, worst yet where the weaker members, the young, the old, the sick who were huddled together still in one pile. A true testament that their family lived and died together through better or for poor.

The first body that she could make her way to stopped her dead in her tracks. She knew this boy. He was an annoying little s**t who was coming into his first years as a adult. He would spend his days flirting with the other young giggly girls instead of focusing on his training. Sucking in a breath Poseida sank to her knees, tenderly removing the loose pieces of charred wood, slime, and dirt from his body. Her tears already were flowing freely down her face as she let out weak sniffs why she worked.

He didn't deserve this. None of them deserved this. What kind of monsters could have done this?

 

[Pollack]

The teasing was a welcome change in mood, though of course the scenery left much to be desired and he was quickly reminded of where they stood. It seemed his conversation was welcome though as she played the protective friend and interrogated him lightly on Juas true intentions. He smirked slightly as he continued to dig in the dirt which fortunately was giving away freely under his pressure. "Jua hasn't really had a love interest." The giant admitted with a gentle shrug that helped to loosen up some of his tightened muscles - they had already just begun and he already felt so tense. "What about Hasira..? She isn't taking advantage of Jua?" Mti joked lightly, he assumed that neither of the lions were truly in a place to take advantage of either party.

"I wouldn't worry."

He meant those three words. Mti didn't, even for a moment, think that either of them were gunning for something without some kind of thought. He recalled meeting Juas father for the first time - with that thought in mind he imagined Jua wouldn't make such rash choices, not even about who warmed his den or his hear.

It seemed he had made the lioness tongue tied when he'd proclaimed that she'd never be alone. Mti couldn't help but smile to himself as he continued his manual labor - the task seemed much easier after that incident. In fact, it felt as though he'd done it in half of the time (digging a wide enough hole, which was simply below the surface and exposing the dirt). "Yeah, I can find us some wood." He said, the gentle tone continuing without hesitation. Her words were lost as he heard her hesitation and didn't think twice about what he needed to do. Wood wouldn't be scarce, especially considering the debris so he made his way to he side again and took in the sight of what had become of her caravan.

Mti stayed a friendly distance, not wanting Poseida to be alone, but also appreciating her need to witness the incidents aftermath. He hated to see the tears, but such things were part of the grieving process that he grew to understand through his friend, Jua. The reactions to the bodies made clear who was a recognized relative or who was personally close, but all received a reaction of some kind. He imagined that to her they were all close.. even if she hadn't known they all to well or even disliked them in life.. no one deserved a fate like this.

"Poseida, let me take him and a couple others. Load them onto my back and perhaps you can tell me a little bit about them?" He asked. Not desiring nitty gritty details, but perhaps small things. Stories? Memories? He was sure that Hasira would have more and sometimes thinking of those highlights of life made death a little more tolerable. "You're so strong." He said softly as he moved towards her to relieve her of some of the burden.

 

[Pollack]

"She.." Bullocks. No matter how much she wanted to will up the courage to retort some banter and wit right back to him it just wasn't in her heart to even try. The weight of her guilt resting on her back far overwhelmed any higher word processing at the moment. He'd understand, her sweet, kind Mti would understand as he always did. They could pick the conversation back up another time but for now, now was a sacred, somber moment for the two. Though the funeral hadn't officially started it seemed wrong to her not to bite her tongue in respect of the horrors that seeped this land.

For now she would take his words to heart. If he didn't want her to worry than she would trust him. It might not have been much but it did take a tiny load off of her mind, it would have to be enough for now.

By the time he made his way back over to her Poseida had cleaned and prepared three bodies to the best of her abilities. She had laid each one of them on their side in a neat row. She had tried her best to move them away from the disgusting pools and onto dry land. It was strange seeing them laying there now looking so peaceful, almost as if they were merely sleeping and if she made a loud enough sound all of them would jolt awake to berate her.

Oh, how she dearly, dearly wished this was just a bad dream.

Poseida wiped her dripping nose with the back of her paw as she rose back up to her feet. "Are you sure...?" She asked in shaky, unsure tone. Though her mind was hesitant to follow his orders her body had it's own ideas and was quick to grab onto the smallest's body - the boy to be exact - and started to drag him over. "M-Mti I can't reach your back you need to get down on your knees" She whispered softly.

Her eyes darted back down to the marred face of the adolescence. "He was going to be one of our guards.." She began as she still expectantly waited for him to lower himself down to her height. "He thought himself to be a casanova but yet I don't think he had even been intimate with a girl yet. Oh, he use to chase me and Sira around all the time because we were two of the oldest single lioness in the group! At first it was cute, flattering even, but then we grew so annoyed and cold at him."

 

[Pollack]

The green lion heard the single word that fell free from her lips and then silence. This was the line and fortunately he grew to learn from small mistakes, not to cross it - the threshold between safe and unsafe had been determined and now he'd take things much more seriously as he watched her meticulously go from body to body, not just touching them briefly, but going through the motions and cleansing matted pelts and adjusting their limbs. If he didn't know what had happened here he would have said that perhaps they were asleep, this was a sick camp, and here was the caring physician. Unfortunately he was well aware of the number of dead surrounding them, aware that they would soon being bringing a very fragile lioness into the mix, and that Poseida may crumble once the pyre was lit. These things weighed on him, but he proved to himself time and time again that he could handle these pressures. "She is a wonderful friend, family and lucky to have you." He finished her sentence with a sweeter remark, not tempting fate with more sarcasm and teasing.


The scene he had approached was a sweet one. Lions lined up in a row, appearing to be in slumber. "You've done a wonderful job." He said, trying to adjust hiimself, roll his shoulders and prepare to handle the dead weight of these lions, which was way to literal of a thing to prepare for when he truly thought on it.

The comical moment almost shattered his composure as he realized that in the moments where he'd been with Poseida.. she never had to reach his back before. Of all the moments for him to ask such a thing of her and it was for such a gruesome task as this. The green lion took a moment to picture what the pair of them probably looked like in this moment and had it not been durring an exchange of bodies he'd ahve laughed audibly. "I'm sorry Poseida." He offered while lowering himself so that she could reach. "Maybe I should get Jua?" He asked as she worked, but he grew silent quickly as she began to tell the boys tale to him.

"Well, you and Sira are pretty" He said gently, a smile growing on his face, a sad one at that. "It sounds like this youngster would have given some of our lions in Dov a run for their money - young studs are always so determined to prove something." Mti knew, he was once in those shoes, likely most males were actually, but it seemed odd to think that the lion had been cut down in his prime.

 

[Pollack]

His comments brought on a whole new set of tears to her eyes, tears that this time she managed to hold back. With a loud sniffle and a shake of her head Poseida regained what little was left of her composer. "She is, isn't she? I'm so lucky to have her." With a sorrowful smile Poseida tore her eyes away from her gruesome task to look up at him. "Just as I'm lucky to have you, and Jua. I hate to say it but my mother was right, she always use to say that fate had a funny way of working it's self out."

With a loud snort she turned her attention back to the devastation before them, her eyes though unfocused on one particular thing stared off into the distance. "Has to make me wonder what else she was right about." She remarked to herself under her breath.

She couldn't help but let out a half-hearted snicker. Though his heart was in the right place she just couldn't take his compliment for what it was meant to be. "Thanks. I suppose it's good to know that if the whole alchemist thing doesn't work out I have a unexplored talent in grave keeping."

"Hm?" Furrowing her brows together her head tilted to the side quizzically. "Oh Mti, no. Jua would..." Well she really didn't want to insult the lad, but Poseida at this moment didn't want anyone else besides Mti with her even if his huge height made things that much more difficult. "Jua is better suited keeping Sira busy." She finally added on.

Lifting the boy's body up she used her shoulders to push his heavier weight up onto Mti's back. "Careful not to let Sira know that or her ego might kill us all." She softly remarked. Letting out a sigh Poseida tenderly readjusted the young male's head so it wasn't awkwardly bent out of shape. "He would have, he should have. I can only hope in the next life he'll be able to find happiness."

 

[Pollack]

Mti was a smiling doofus during the whole affair, even as she held back tears - especially as she did that. He was trying so hard to keep neutral and was using some funny ideas to keep from growing weak kneed. The tactic had worked, but the smile was going to become a bit much eventually, so he had to force that down again. "Sounds like we are all lucky." He admitted to her as their eyes met. "It also sounds like your Mother was right." Though as soon as he said that he realized how harsh of a fate that was - losing so much to gain, what he considered, to be so little? Yes, luck had been on her side, but now she faced the world head on without her family. The thought broke his heart, much as his heart ha dbroken for Jua and his loss.

"Well at least they'd be well taken care of." He said with a half-assed grin that fell back into a small frown. He wanted her to laugh, smile and joke around - but not like this. The snicker wasn't something he'd heard before, not in this space. "But you're probably a much better alchemist." It was a fact actually, he knew this. The help that she had provided to his pride would be priceless for a long time to come. He was sure of that and sure that if he spoke to Alduin himself there would be praises, perhaps he ought to.

He sensed it, but wasn't sure if he had read her right. Mti wasn't about to argue with her request for it to be just them, this was hard enough as it was - let alone adding in more bodies, living bodies. "That's fine, we can handle this on our own. Just remind me to get you a rock the next time we need to use my back for lifting." He tried to make the situation a little more light hearted again - this was a good opportunity to do so. "For now, I can bend at your will." He smiled, a small smile. Mti was nearly at calling her his Queen, but left that unsaid - though it was likely an easy read in the way he worded his statement, it was far more formal than the rest of his words.

"Don't worry about that.. it's only you that will hear those words from me. However, what Jua says to her might be a different story.." He chuckled softly. "I'm sure this male, in his next life, will be absolutely joyous. Perhaps a King even? It'd only be just for him to have such a treat after such a fall." He shifted the weight a little on his shoulders to adjust for standing up fully after a couple more bodies were added to the load, he figrued he could take at least four at a time.. more if they were light. Then he carried the bodies to his make shift hole and tried to gently dump them in. Once they were in Mti took extra care to lay them nicely, just as Poseida had. These lions weren't just random bodies, they were her friends and family - thus they needed to be treated with the utmost care. He wanted her to know that.

 

[Pollack]

Turns out that Poseida did take his idea of a rock to stand on to heart! She imminently had dropped what she was doing and went on a mad dash around to construct herself a make-shift stepping stool to make the process go a lot smoother. Throughout the rest of the afternoon Mti and Poseida worked relatively silent - mostly due to Poseida's growing uncertainty if she could continue with this task - and with little distractions in their way aside from the occasional request for assistance back-and-forth the two finished their task in record time.

Hey, perhaps if she ever did decide to go into the grave keeping business she could drag Mti along with her to be her partner. He'd already proven himself to make a fantastic pack mule for the dead. All he needed was a bit of darker make up, possibly a toothy scowl and he'd be straight out of a nightmare!

Speaking of Mti she was...she had grown to appreciate his company even more. He had been so wonderful throughout all of this, being able to walk the fine line of taking her mind off of the worst parts, why at the same time respecting that she did need to grieve. After this was all over she vowed to find some way to repay him for this. Course she still needed to figure out how exactly she could do that.

Alas, that was a problem for another day.

Now that the bodies of the fallen had all been tended to, piled up, and prepared for the final part of the funeral ceremony it was high time to face the music and head back up to retrieve Sira and Jua. Honestly at this point Poseida would have taken hours more of body cleaning duty if it meant procrastinating on forcing her friend to come fact-to-face once again with the horrors that plagued her memories.

Sira wasn't going to handle this well, she could guess that already. After the emotional roller-coaster of a day it had been so far Poseida couldn't really say that she would fare much better.

This was going to be one long, long night.

Abominable Greenie

Annnd fin. RIP boys. Hopefully Mti has some booze and earplugs stuffed somewhere.