The Wishing Tree (2) : Your wish is only said to come true if you grant the wish of someone else; when you write your wish, you must also take one off of the tree and do your best to grant it. What wish do you pull off, and how do you intend to ‘grant’ it? Do you work with someone else to grant this wish, or do you work alone? You may get approval from another player to use the wish their character hung up, but no names are attached so your character may never know who wrote it!
I wish someone would believe me enough to help me find my brother. Jenna
Zaidyn held the piece of paper, the wish he had pulled from the tree, in his hand for a long moment. From a distance, he couldn’t be sure which one was hers but the gentleman who had helped Jenna tie it to the tree had pointed it out to him after he’d explained that the two of them had been friends.
Friends.
Not truly a lie considering they were siblings and got along fairly well since they were kids. They’d been ballroom dancing partners for several years and won many awards. It broke her heart when he’d decided to take a break from it but was paired with someone who could match her passion.
Beside him, Riley struggled to remain seated; his tail wagging so much that Zaidyn was certain that the grass that grew there would cease to exist from all the movement. The high pitch whine was both excited yet mournful as Jenna and his mother continued on away from them. But it wasn’t just the Chesapeake Bay Retriever that was anxious to say hello. To a degree, he was too.
Seven months since he’d been in either of their company, or even heard their voice without a wall or window disrupting the sound of them. He knew that he shouldn’t be frequenting their neighborhood often but- He needed to know that they were safe and had moved on. Something he knew would take time, but he was more than patient and had little else to do than to observe from the shadows and make sure no harm came to either of them. If there were to come a day where he was no longer needed, or they had healed enough from his sudden absence that they could move forward and find joy or love again; then he too would break away and perhaps find someone or something to give his new life more meaning.
“Only a few minutes-” Zaidyn leaned over and unclipped the leash from Riley’s collar. His dog looked up at him, large brown eyes pleading him to say the command, “Release.”
The golden-brown colored dog’s head snapped in the direction of the familiar scents and took off running. His form weaved through groups of people in such haste that he nearly knocked someone off the curb in the process.
Zaidyn, however, waited. Watched until his dog could no longer be seen, but he definitely heard him and from where he stood he could see the back of his sister's head; the unmistakable dark blue hair. He watched her get jostled forward, likely because Riley had run into the back of her legs.
He smirked, and yet still he waited to give the two time. “I know you’re upset I did that-” Zaidyn didn’t even need to look over at Nat to feel the thoughts that he assumed were probably going through his Generals’ mind right now. “I had to…” he added quietly. This wasn’t a matter of asking for forgiveness rather than permission because deep down he knew he’d receive neither. All he hoped was that Nat would understand even if he might not agree.
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2022 3:44 pm
Shanyume
"Not much longer," Nataniel murmured softly and quickly into the receiver of his cell phone, fingers idly twisting around a small blue charm that hung against the back of it, as his gaze judgingly followed after Zaidyn as he plucked a very specific paper from the tree. "Mhm, I will pick something up on the way home. Text me what you want. ...मैं भी तुमसे प्यार करता हूं।" Then the dog was being unclipped, and the next words out of Nataniel's mouth were somehow quieter and harsher. "I will be home soon." He hung up briskly and moved to stand just a fraction behind Zaidyn.
He had stepped to the side for a moment. Just a moment to take a quick call to let his roommates know his location. For the most part, he still found Zaidyn difficult to connect with, but he acknowledged that this man in particular was probably the one who needed it most. It was truly impossible to even fathom how it must feel to have your friends and family near, but be unable to interact with them...
That also made Zaidyn the one who needed to be watched the most.
He could easily slip up. He could easily defect. He could realize he didn't want this- had never wanted this.
And it would be Rakovanite's fault. The Queen had made it abundantly clear that even if someone else had started the problem and it had simply been dropped n his lap, if Rakovanite couldn't keep it contained, he would be held accountable. Just like with Calaverite...
His jaw tightened, teeth clenching as he watched Zaidyn's filthy beast run through the gathered people, stopping before a girl that Nataniel didn't know offhand, but that he suspected the animal was familiar with. And that took little more than a passing glance to recognize what must have been familial similarities. That had to be why Zaidyn wanted that wish off the tree. Had to be why he'd let his dog illegally run loose. He didn't take the danger seriously.
It did not matter how Nataniel tried to support him. He wasn't the family Zaidyn had had to give up. He couldn't replace those lost ties. He knew that, tried to sympathize for it. But making Zaidyn feel better could not be his main concern.
Before the other man could make to follow after his dog, Nataniel stepped in front of him, effectively blocking Zaidyn's view of the animal and the girl. "I have tried to be accommodating," he whispered, low voice and expression betraying none of his frustration. "Because I realize that you must be in an incomprehensible pain. But I have also tried desperately to explain the situation you are in. The people you knew are in danger of violent retribution from your new enemies because of-" He shifted forward ever so slightly, practically chest-to chest with the other man. "-the position you have taken. If they are uninvolved, you should be so lucky if it stays that way."
"But I think I may have misrepresented how lenient I am willing to be in this regard. I do not personally care what happens to her. I care that I have given you my trust-" He knew Nataniel's name. Knew his number. Knew where he lived. Knew who was on his team. Knew the civilian names of everyone on his team. Knew who he loved... The whisper had become a hiss between his teeth. "And I will do whatever is necessary to ensure my team is protected from whatever you selfishly bring about. If you are unable to control yourself, control will be forced upon you."
He didn't think it was expressly necessary to verbalize the threat to anyone's life. Zaidyn should be more than aware it wasn't off the table.
His tone was level again, as he glanced to his watch. "I will give you three supervised minutes to retrieve your animal and communicate what you feel will bring you closure. If I ever find out you have done something else to compromise my team's safety, you will not like what I do."
Nataniel stepped back, head notching slightly toward the dog to indicate Zaidyn should take the lead. "Go."
Indigo_Plateau Crew
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Shanyume
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Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 12:38 pm
There were things Zaidyn wanted to say. But the man speaking to him was not a friend. Nataniel was his General. Make no mistake that even without his uniform on, he was in charge.
Zaidyn had no doubt that Nat would follow through with his promise… not a promise- threat. The safety of his team was the foremost top priority; he and Jenna were a threat to that and therefore expendable. Eight months in the Negaverse, he knew what kind of punishments that might entail. Death was only one option whereas eternal servitude as a youma was as much a possibility as well. How far Nat would go was yet to be determined but Zaidyn would not risk Jenna’s life finding out because he couldn’t hold back a quip comment
There were some things that Nataniel couldn’t understand and now was not the time nor place to try to explain them. Instead, Zaidyn stood there, maintaining eye contact unblinkingly, he waited for Nat to finish. He’d thrown caution to the wind, dismissing for reasons unexplained, and this was the consequence for that action.
Trust was a fragile thing and so easily broken. There may never come a day that he’d earn his General’s trust again, but for himself, Zaidyn needed this moment and he grabbed hold of it greedily.
When Nataniel stepped aside and told him to ’Go’, Zaidyn gave a sharp nod, gathered the leash up in his hand, and walked in the direction he’d seen Riley take off before shouting the name “Ripley” several times. The name was wrong, and he knew his dog wouldn’t respond to it; not without a confused tilt to his head.
“Ripley. C’mere boy!”
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:08 am
Shanyume
Nataniel released a stiff breath as Zaidyn walked away from him, glowering at the other's back as he headed toward his sister. There was probably absolutely nothing he wanted to deal with less than this. If Zaidyn was an actual enemy, at least Nataniel would know how to approach that. If he'd been any other agent sporadically and unwillingly corrupted, Nataniel could've just ignored him. Someone else could deal with him. But no, of course it wasn't quite so simple. It had to be one of his, someone he'd stupidly decided to trust despite there being no reason to. Despite knowing nothing about him.
He'd put his faith in a belligerent, selfish brat who did not care a single shred about anything besides his own agenda, and Nataniel had to pay for that. He hoped nothing would come of it. He hoped Slidr hadn't felt so pressed to share with his sister then as Zaidyn did now. He hoped the girl would just see a vaguely familiar stranger, and Zaidyn would accept that they could never speak again.
But Nataniel doubted it.
Seconds passed before he followed after Zaidyn and his dog. Three minutes was what he'd promised, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to stick to that by the second.
Fortunately, his expression betrayed none of the frustration as he walked up from behind Zaidyn to stand at his side and slunk an arm behind his back to rest on the other man's hip. A very visceral reminder to his friend that he wasn't alone and better watch whatever came out of his mouth. The cant of his head as he eyed the girl was almost questioning, studying, looking for something in her expression that betrayed anything he might identify as recognition.
And then his dark gaze slid down to the dog, and he doubted there was any magical glamor covering this stupid animal from being recognized, from responding to his own name. The corner of his lip twitched in distaste, and he wondered if he really was going to do away with something today. Nataniel's hand pinched a warning in Zaidyn's hip.
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Shanyume
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:26 am
There was nothing Jenna could have done to prepare herself for being nearly knocked off her feet and flat onto her a**. Thankfully her mother had been there to keep her upright as a definitely decent-sized dog charged at her from across the grassy field. If it wasn’t for the way he jumped from side to side with his tail wagging so much that his backside essentially aided in the motion, she would have thought it meant to attack her. But the playfulness of its body language and gleaming joy in its eyes was immediately disarming.
“Riley?” she said quietly and the dog barked in what she assumed was a sound of confirmation. It was enough to make her heart leap into her chest and for a glimmer of a moment, she allowed herself to believe that the wish she had just made had actually come true.
“Jenna-” her mother warned, but she was already leaning over to reach for the dog's collar when his owner approached sounding winded from running after him.
Before she could even read the name tag, the young man had leaned over and clipped the leash to the metal ring while muttering apologies and swearing up and down that his dog is nice and meant no harm.
“It’s fine.” That little flame of hope flickered and Jenna could feel its light fading. Still- without asking permission she knelt down, cradled his head in her hands, and played with his ears affectionately before offering backscratches; which he leaned into greedily. “Is he a Chesapeake Bay Retriever?” She asked, trying to trip the guy up if only to confirm if he was the one to have adopted, or stolen, his brother's dog after his untimely ’death’.
Indigo_Plateau
Jenna
Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:52 am
Three minutes he’d been given, and he had expected that when that time expired that Nataniel would call his phone or something to have him come back. What he didn’t expect was to be followed after to where his family was since this wasn’t exactly an introduction he was looking to have.
Still… be it as it may- Nat was here regardless of expectations or boundaries, arm around Zaidyn’s back with a firm hand resting on his hip. If it wasn’t that he was incredibly aware that Nataniel was already in a committed relationship with someone else, then this action might have been a bit of an unexpected turn-on. However, it instead remained an acute awareness that he was there as an overseer and not a friend.
To Jenna’s question, he answered with a shake of his head. “No, he’s a chocolate labrador. Both retrievers but I’ve had him since a puppy and I got him from a breeder.” A lie, mostly anyway since it retained elements of a partial truth. Alexandre had purchased him from a breeder when Riley was a little nugget of a pup; nine-months old with a couple of wrinkles still on his face.
“Ripley must have recognized your scent and thought you were the girl that lives next door to us. She sneaks him treats when she gets the mail.” Definitely not a lie, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her not to since Riley hadn’t gotten sick and he enjoyed the bit of extra attention since he had been raised in a home with another dog and several other people and now only had Zaidyn for company.
To that he glanced over his shoulder at Nataniel, eyes slightly narrowed in a wordless conversation; a look that expressed that he knew time was almost out and to please remove his hand least Jenna catch sight of it and slam another piece of this broken puzzle forcibly into place. Let her believe that the girl he mentioned was perhaps something more and that the white lies he told were true rather than allow her the opportunity to question their relationship and in that same vein grow skeptical of the things he'd already mentioned.
His presence threw a wrench in the small measure of kindness he had tried to give his sister which made him almost as equally annoyed at Nat as he was with him. Zaidyn knew that his true identity had to be kept secret but it was torture to keep an arms distance away from the only two people in this world that gave two shits about him.
