|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 9:44 pm
 |
|
|
 |
Waiting till handfuls of people began to leave, Solaris mulled over… everything. Seeing Annika again. Seeing a world freed from Chaos. Royal starseeds…
There were multitudes of new things that were bombarding her, and in a way… she knew she wouldn’t be able to fully process it all until she was back on Earth, back in her van, and free to scream, and wail, and hate, and mourn…
In another life, she’d have grabbed her ship, sped off into the clouds, and just… flown. Above the clouds, above the people and lands. Far, far away from it all. In another life, she might have thrown herself from her ship, or from the rocky edge of a floating island, catching an updraft and gliding over everything. Untouchable, as distant as one could be on the world.
The brief moment of weightlessness here… she already wished for it back. Now, without Chaos present, she could just… think. Or not think, maybe.
The sun was rising, higher and higher over Alastor. Realta remained back in the Hall, but Solaris had wandered back outside. Out by the large oak, she stared up at its impressive boughs. The sunlight felt so good on her skin.
Damp as she still was, she glanced back up to the Hall and its dwindling collection of people. As she’d left, she’d motioned to Alastor, signaling where she was heading, when he had a moment.
Now, she let out a long, heavy breath, and relinquished the mantel of Solaris. It drifted away from her like sparks in the wind. The immediate glamour of a human stood in her place… but she pulled that away, too, and Kyrie settled down on the ground, crossing her legs and uncaring of how the black skirt fell. She had black bike shorts underneath. The dark tank top, with its low, low back, was the most comfortable to her even with the glamor on. Now, her wings stretched, the gentle breeze and warmth of the sun on them a true comfort.
It’d been… a while since she’d felt safe enough to relinquish every layer of protection around her.
“…wasn’t really sure I’d get to feel something like this again.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 8:30 pm
|
|
|
|
Of all the parts of his world that Alastor was protective of, he was most protective of his Core, and the Oak. But then, he wasn’t quite sure if they counted as being separate when the tree’s roots had stretched through the ground to curl around the Core.
He’d seen her when she shared intentions to go outside and nodded, and he’d kept himself busy so a moment of fresh air was good for him, too. He followed after a moment, glad for the fresh air and the warmth of the sun.
A sun he hadn’t seen in so long that it felt new again. Just as much as it felt like reconnecting with an old friend.
He didn’t power down but he could have had the luxury for it if he’d wanted.
“Really? Did you doubt me?” he asked; the corner of his lips twitched into a smile. “We saved my world. We’ll save yours, too.”
He planted his hands on his hip as he admired the tree behind her–worn as it was, and barren of leaves. He could see the golden light of his core under the dark tree bark. The golden lights dipped and bobbed languidly in the air and it felt peaceful.
He looked at it fondly–admired it, especially as the little gold flecks in it seemed to catch the light.
The tree hadn’t been part of Alastor when he’d last known Solaris, it was a new addition by those standards–despite being only slightly less old than he was. And yet, it had grown into a massive tree–nearly a twin to those of Sessrumnir, if not for the gold in it.
But then, everything born on Alastor was a bit lavish.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2022 11:42 am
|
|
|
|
The sound of footfalls didn't disturb her peace. Even if it wasn't Alastor, she didn't have to be concerned about a Chaos agent finding her without her human glamor. It was genuinely safe here.
But as she sat, watching the sunrise creep up across the sky, she glanced over long enough to confirm his identity before he spoke. A lazy smile slid onto her face, giving a small snort of a laugh. "Doubt you? Nah. You seem to be pretty good at beating odds." The conviction in his voice kept her smile in place, but Kyrie knew doubt when she felt that weight in her chest sinking towards her stomach.
For a while, she didn't say anything. Just... enjoyed the moment. The peace. Her gaze finally turned from the sky to the lands around them. Already beginning to recover from the storms and darkness. She doubted she'd find the same winds again if she went down to the river. For the better.
Looking behind her towards the massive tree, her eyes traced the veins of gold. It was... very fitting of Alastor's world. "I don't remember this guy," she said absently, reaching back to pat a palm against the bark. The course texture was comforting under her hand.
She remembered first arriving on Earth, placing a palm against a tree there with the snowbunnies around her.
"...how did you know how to fight this Chaos?"
The words were sudden. A pop of a bubble.
"I... I've never seen anything on my world. Just storms. Plague. Rot. I could feel Chaos. But I've never seen anything." And that was what was troubling her. She couldn't be sure of how to fight something if she didn't know what it was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 2:56 pm
|
|
|
|
Alastor did his best to keep a straight face, but there was a split second before he smiled where pain slipped into his expression. His palm was flat against the tree when he smoothed his thumb over it. There was something tender, something fond, in the gesture.
But she was asking about the chaos, not the tree. He was already good at talking up a storm, it probably would have been for the best if he’d stayed on topic.
“I guess it was dumb luck. I didn’t know there were so many different types of chaos. I don’t know what this one was, or where it came from. I don’t know if it was born on Alastor or brought here.” Neither would have surprised him. His world had seen its fair share of spilled blood. But then, they’d had a lot of enemies, too.
“I’d always thought I’d seen shadows moving in here. From the day I moved in. But I was young. Small. A child,” he shrugged. “I came from a little village, so this,” he nodded towards the Hall. “Scary for a kid. New place, didn’t have my parents, just found out I was the most hated person on this whole world. And I grew up here, I always had eyes on me. But those shadows were just, you know. Creepy.”
He’d grown up quickly, and he was hurrying the story along because most of that wasn’t important, anyway.
“When I got old enough to understand, I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me. And then, one day, I felt it. Just wrong. Slick and and poisonous, always nagging at the back of my mind. It was trying to get to my Core even back then. I don’t know if it was the same shadows that followed me around here since I was a kid, hiding in the rafters, lurking down the long hallways. I don’t know if they were the chaos all along, or if that’s just the form it took while it was here. But I went looking and I found it. It was just some black crystal. The shadows were all tied to it. It didn’t take the form of anyone I knew, it was just some shadow figure. I chased it out of the Hall, but I thought I destroyed it.”
He shook his head. “It must have gotten off into the forest. I don’t understand it. I don’t know how it moved. How it thought, how it functioned, what it wanted. I didn’t really think about it afterwards. I had too much going on.”
Always something going on.
“Over time it got stronger. Things got worse. I don’t know if that’s the same solution to everyone’s problems. I hope I got it all this time, but. I’m going to be careful, I’m not going to let my guard down. I don’t feel anything, though. Soleiyu, the Mauvian, he’s running some tests now. I’m not going to leave until I know it’s secure. But if you can’t find anything on your world, that just means that it’s hiding. If you can feel the Chaos, it’s somewhere. And if you need help looking, you know I’ll be there.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2022 11:34 am
|
|
|
|
With her back to it all, Kyrie missed the slip in Alastor's composure. Unaware of her absent comment drawing forth uncomfortable things.
As it was, she was shortly too caught up in his explanation and her own considerations to pay much else mind. Part of her soon wanted to ask how he only thought he'd destroyed the Chaos when he'd chased it from the Hall, but then... she'd have thought the same, wouldn't she?
Chasing a phantom from childhood, in a place that was terrifying to such a child. She could only imagine the specters that haunted him through his life, from the stories she could still somewhat recall about Alastor's customs. He'd at least done more than she had. She'd never even glimpsed whatever was killing her world.
She'd been too caught up in civil wars, trying to help preserve what resources they could access as more areas become inaccessible due to shifting weather patterns and rot. The world had gotten colder. And with it, the storms had only raged stronger. Kyrie wasn't even entirely sure she knew where to access the Core...
She made a mental note to ask about this Soleiyu, see if whatever method he was using to test the presence of Chaos might help her locate it on her world. If she could even get to where it was. Kyrie pulled one of her knees up towards her chest, resting her chin on it.
The more she thought about returning to Solaris, the more she felt her pulse amp up. She felt a chill running down her spine, hands clammy. She'd known herself long enough to know what the signs meant.
"...I... I don't want to go back. Sad, isn't it? I've gotten used to all the life on Earth... I don't want to return to a place so full of... of nothing. All that... death. I don't want to go back t-to... being alone..." Her stomach coiled, and she closed her eyes tight, moving to press her forehead against her knee instead. "...but I don't have a choice, do I?" The words were spoken with a sort of laugh. Resigned. Even if Kyrie wanted nothing to do with it, Solaris, the guardian of that world... she had to go back. Had to find the Chaos, root it out. Kyrie's wishes meant nothing.
Alastor's explanation didn't give her a simple, one-size-fits-all answer. She was bitter for it, even though she'd expected it. It'd take more exploration, more searching. Even if she had no idea where to begin. She had to at least go back first...
Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed thickly, lifting her head abruptly to look at him over her shoulder. The smile was brighter than it had any right to be, considering her thoughts. "Sorry. We should be celebrating all this. The Chaos is gone here, and that's amazing. I'm just being depressing right now, and that's not fair. You must be feeling a lot better now."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:33 pm
|
|
|
|
Alastor’s emotions were difficult to read, but that wasn’t so uncommon. He’d been like that since they first met, and even the years alone hadn’t diminished his ability to mask his true thoughts and feelings.
He looked contemplative, but not upset. Not quite happy, but not emotionless, either.
“I think I’ll feel better after a good rest and some time to process all of this. But a lot’s happened. Not all of it worth celebrating. I don’t fault you for being upset. Or not wanting to go back.”
She’d been alone for so long, he knew what that was like. It was hard for him to come back to a place he knew had once been filled with life and find it empty.
Alastor hadn’t given up hope that there were others alive out there, somewhere.
“You don’t have to go back and stay there. But I think, if you can find your Chaos and stop it from growing, that would be enough. No one’s going to force you to give up the life you have on Earth. And I don’t want to lose you because the Chaos swallow your world up while you’re gone. You won’t be alone.”
He rested his hand on the tree for a moment and then sat down next to her. “I’ll go with you. You’ve got people who want to help. It’s not going to be like before.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
