|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2024 5:52 pm
Characters: Enzo, Zahra, and Jamal
Prompt: Three siblings who haven't seen each other since the tragic incident that tore their family apart.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2024 7:36 pm
   LOCATION: Main Hall xxx COMPANY: Jamal & Enzo xxx CLOTHING: Dress Something had been nagging her for a week. Even worse, each class that they sat through was making that nagging feeling worse and worse. It had to just be a coincidence. But then, it hadn't been lost on her that the tall, dark haired man who had shared the same name as one of their brothers had been seated on her other side in history classes. The one class where kingdoms seemed to be grouped off as best as she could tell. Enzo wasn't exactly the most uncommon name in Funkazan, yet what were the odds of another duke that shared their brother's name?
Actually, given the size of their family before the incident? Probably fairly likely. Yet it didn't stop hope from burrowing into Zahra's soul, rekindling a flame that she hadn't noticed had died out in the last six years. If this truly was her brother, could she live with herself if she didn't at least try to find out? She'd known the answer well before the question had ever sprung to mind. It didn't stop her hesitance, eyes drifting to the sleeping form of Jamal next to her. Guilt clawed up her throat, knowing that his choice in this matter was being robbed of him. If anything the swell of emotion would just put him back to sleep. Was that worse for him? Sometimes it was hard to tell if he knew what had happened that day.
Silently bidding her brother an apology in her heart, she gently woke him. "Akh, it's time for lunch." Like everyday it was a chore to pull him along to lunch, the classes seemed to sap him of whatever limited energy he had left within him. It was always up to Zahra to make sure he wasn't left behind. To make sure he had eaten. That Jamal had remembered to drink water. Unfortunately, she didn't see that happening this meal. Not if she was right, at least. Her hand threaded into Jamal's for strength Zahra knew he didn't have to offer her as she approached the other noble from Funkazan at his table in the great hall.
It took her a moment to settle Jamal. Gods bless him, he didn't seem phased. Not as a servant brought over a plate of food for the weary boy. Not as Zahra met the third set of red eyes at the table. "Enzo... Enzo is that you?" Her voice was quiet as she spoke, not sure if she wanted to be right for her own sake or wrong for Jamal's.
OOC:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2025 12:11 pm
  
For the most part, Enzo hadn’t paid attention to History class, well any class for that matter. Every day he felt distant, he never paid attention to the professors, and barely did his take home studies-- and today was no different. After slouching in his chair, he secretly glanced over to the two blondes who sat next to him, they had all been grouped together by kingdoms as far as he could tell. The inseparable duo caught his attention from day one and were the main reason behind his lack of learning. It hadn’t been more than a few days that he put two and two together. Since the day he found out, he had been debating on the many ways he could approach the situation.
Stressing his brother out wouldn’t help any, and what if neither of them recognized him? It had been several years since they last saw each other and trauma does serious damage to the brain, and memory. He knew that personally. Every night he would convince himself that the next day he would do it, he would walk up to them and say, “Hi, I’m your brother.” But when morning came, he would immediately back down, terrified of the outcome. He knew he couldn’t keep sitting on this forever, one day they could find out. It wasn’t like there were many Dukes named Enzo running around campus.
It was never the right time, plus, class ending for lunch, he couldn't do it now, not when they might be hungry. The chair he had been slumped in scrapped backwards, and he left the room, once again staying quiet. The great hall was the perfect place to disappear, the low hum of conversation and clinking of glassware filled the space, the soft noise comforting to him. His thoughts drifted lazily between the flavors of the meal and the endless stream of guilt he felt from avoiding his siblings.
“Enzo…” Just like that, a familiar voice overtook the buzz of the hall and stripped him from his thoughts, “Enzo is that you?” The two figures in front of him, the ones he had been agonizing over, finally realized who he was. It was actually them. His stomach churned, the food no longer serving interest to him. He first gazed at his younger brother, who—to his surprise, seemed fully unfazed by his presence, ’He has no idea who I am.’ Standing to meet them, his eyes settled on his little sister, the very same one who single handedly saved his life.
His chest tightened, the only thing he could feel was how hard his heart had been beating, he wanted to hug her, to finally thank her, to pick her up and swing her around like he used to do when they were kids. No more hiding from the truth, it was time. He could only offer her a small, but warm smile before he took a deep breath, “Took you long enough.” There was hint of playfulness in his voice, an attempt to bring comfort to their reunion, but his words did not come easily. He cleared his throat, searching for what he should say next, his eyes shifting between the two siblings. But what do you say to your siblings who were shipped off because their useless older brother couldn’t protect them.
It took him a moment while he looked them both over, they had grown quite a lot since he last saw them, “Want to sit?” They needed to talk, but was this the right time? “Unless …would you like to go somewhere else?” The most important thing to him at this time was making sure they were both okay, especially Jamal—the last thing he wanted was to overwhelm him.
OOC: N/A Location: Great Hall Company:Zahra, Jamal Wearing: Fit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 6:46 pm
   Another long day of these classes, another nap interrupted to move on to the next one. Or to move on to a meal, Jamal groggily realized as his sister guided him into a seat at an already occupied table. He had slept too much, his lower back and shoulders ached. A plate was set in front of him by Wahed, or maybe Thalathah; their eyes looked too similar above their veils to tell today. Lunch. Yes, Zahra had said something about lunch. His throat was so dry that his tongue felt like sandpaper, prompting him to reach for the glass of water provided with the meal. Zahra was saying something over his head, and as he drank, his eyes followed the line of her gaze to see a young man seated at the table with them. Young, but likely older than them. Darker hair, red hair, a strong jawline…he looked…
“Want to sit? Unless …would you like to go somewhere else?”
The glass slipped out of Jamal’s hand to bounce off his lap and shatter on the ground, water spilling around him. One of the servants had tried to reach out to catch it, but lowered their hands, and stepped back while the other two knelt down to begin cleaning it up, all three silent as a grave. Jamal tried to focus on that, on the black of their robes, as his peripheral vision darkened to herald a collapse brought upon by the curse resting on his collar. No, no, he could not–did not want to–why was Enzo–
Breathe.
Breathe.
A hand slithered up to grasp onto Zahra’s skirt when finding her hand proved too challenging.
"I will be fine," he murmured in their mother tongue, "Go with him."
The curse was taking too much too quickly, he knew all too well. If his stomach tried to swoop any further, he would be out, and Zahra…she deserved to see family without Jamal haunting them all. He avoided Enzo’s eyes, avoided the hatred and condemnation he deserved as he released her skirt.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬location ❂ Great Hall accompanying ❂ Zahra and Enzo
wearing ❂ clothes
ooc ❂
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 02, 2025 6:22 pm
LOCATION: Main Hall xxx COMPANY: Jamal & Enzo xxx CLOTHING: Dress It was like being torn in two.
On the one hand, Enzo. After all this time there was so much relief in knowing he was safe. It was spreading like a waterfall, soaking her nerves in a fraying sense of calm. He hadn't even been conscious the last time Zahra had seen him. It was a miracle he hadn't been dead. Somehow her flames had burnt away the worst of his charred flesh, leaving the pink tinges of fresh skin behind where she could. It hadn't felt like it would have been enough to save him. That day had become a blur that the details seemed to dance away from her fingers like smoke curling into the air.
Yet here he was. Alive. Whole. Maybe more of her efforts than she thought had not been in vain. Maybe she'd managed to save more than Zahra had ever believed before. The thought had her choking on unshed emotion. All she could do was stand there and stare at her brother, her expression blank. What did she say? What was the right move in this moment? It had been so long it was hard to recognize what would feel normal.
The hand on her skirt tugged her back into the initial dilemma of choosing to sit at this table. She'd had to know. Zahra had spent so much time dancing around the idea that it could be Enzo, the little bit of consideration she'd had for Jamal's feelings had been swallowed by her curiosity.
Now it was drowning her in guilt.
Jamal's deflation had Zahra crouching before him in an instant. "Shh, Akh. It's okay." Her voice was light, soothing, as she brushed a stray lock of blonde hair out of Jamal's face. Her hand followed that lock, petting down the side of his head. "I don't..." Her eyes flicked up to Enzo before focusing back on Jamal again, questioning if she should really say what she wanted. She didn't want to leave Jamal behind. To have to do this alone. But it was as if she could see the magic draining his lifeblood away. The way his hands grew too sluggish, too heavy. Could she really ask this of Jamal?
But then... Could he truly refuse her? Zahra's hand slipped down, grasping the hand that had been in her skirt only moment's ago and giving it a squeeze. In the last six years it had been Jamal that had tied them together through a series of unfortunate circumstances. When he was the reason she'd been pulled away, could he deny her the comfort of his presence when this moment felt like too much? After all, was it not his fault that he was now a living security blanket to her?
Shifting her weight up out of the crouch, Zahra slid into the seat next to Jamal. Slowly her eyes slid up to meet their brother's. For a moment, she floundered. What did one say after all this time? "I-it's been a long time. How... What brought you here?" That didn't feel right. But it was what had escaped her in an airy, light tone.
OOC:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 15, 2025 12:39 pm
 
The sharp crash of shattering glass cut through the haze in Enzo’s mind like a blade. The noise silenced every racing thought. His head snapped toward the source. Jamal stood frozen, eyes wide, his face drained of color as if he’d just seen a ghost. ’No,’ Enzo corrected himself, He just recognized me. Instinct pulled him forward, he took a step toward his younger brother, his hand reaching out halfway before hesitation stiffened his body. He let it drop to his side, fingers curling inward as his jaw clenched tight.
This was the moment he had both longed for and dreaded. Recognition. Jamal remembered him, and this was his response. Enzo’s stomach twisted; Jamal hated him, and he didn’t blame him. He hadn’t been there. Not when it counted, not when everything fell apart. The accident, the past, it all faded under the weight of something more immediate: concern. Jamal looked… wrong.
Off. Fragile in a way Enzo had never seen before.
A servant moved in swiftly, sweeping up the shards of broken glass, but Enzo hardly registered it. He stood motionless, watching Jamal as if trying to understand what had happened in the years that separated them, ’What did they do to you?’ Jamal gripped Zahra’s skirt like it was anchoring him to the world. He muttered something low, barely audible to anyone else, but Enzo caught it clearly. He hadn’t meant it to sound like he only wanted to speak to Zahra. He’d meant all of them. Together, the three of them. But Jamal wouldn’t even look at him. His face turned away, jaw set, knuckles white. He acted like Enzo wasn’t even there.
It was a quiet rejection, and it burned hotter than any accusation, he looked like the wind alone could snap him in half. Enzo gritted his teeth. Where had they been? What did they go through without him by their side? His eyes followed Zahra as she moved closer, crouching beside Jamal. Her voice, gentle, steady, was the same it had always been. He’d forgotten how calming she could be.
So Enzo stayed put. Gave them space. He didn’t deserve to be in that moment between them. Not yet, maybe not ever. ’Still... he remembered me. I didn’t think that day would come. Didn’t think I’d ever see either of them again, let alone have them look me in the eye.’ Except Jamal hadn’t yet.
They weren’t kids anymore. Whatever hope he’d harbored about simply returning and picking up where they left off was shattered, like that glass of water, time had changed everything. Had they seen war too? Had they bled like I did? Probably. Enzo scratched absently at his arm, a nervous tick that hadn’t left him even after the war. His gaze stayed fixed on his sister, on Jamal. Their bond was undeniable, etched into every movement, every breath. They had survived something together. He could feel it.
Finally, Zahra stood and slid in next to Jamal. Enzo moved slowly, following her lead, taking the seat across from them. He tried not to look desperate, but his eyes found Jamal again, hoping, needing something, anything, from him. But still, nothing. Jamal kept his gaze down, locked away behind an invisible wall. Then Zahra spoke, her voice shook with each word.
“I-it’s been a long time. How… What brought you here?”
Enzo swallowed hard. His stomach turned, coiled like something rotten, he forced a smile, weak and uncertain, one that didn’t reach his eyes “It has been…” his voice was low. Raw. Unsure how to speak to people who once knew him, now strangers wearing the faces of family. A breath caught in his chest before he continued, “After the war, Hannon thought I needed a normal life. Thought it would be good for me, I guess.” He broke eye contact, the smile faltering. What he didn’t mention was the nights he woke up screaming, fists clenched and heart racing. About the times he blacked out and came to with blood on his knuckles. The drinking. The silence that screamed louder than gunfire. No, he didn’t say any of that. He couldn't.
Instead, he looked back at Zahra and tried to steady his voice. “I didn’t expect to find you here.” His hand moved before he thought, nudging the cup of water toward Jamal. A peace offering. A silent ‘I’m still your brother. I still care.’ Jamal didn’t have to take it, Enzo just needed him to know it was there. “How did you two find yourselves here?” he asked, the words softer than he intended. He wanted to ask more. Where have you been? What happened? But he couldn’t risk it. One wrong question and he could lose them again.
His eyes drifted to Zahra. She sat close to Jamal, protective without being obvious. She would do anything to protect him he knew that, and if she saw Enzo as a threat… She wouldn’t hesitate to cut him out of their lives again. He could see it in her eyes. She was measuring him. Weighing the risk of letting him back in.
’Don’t screw this up,’ he told himself. ’Not again’.
OOC: N/A Location: Great Hall Company: Zahra, Jamal Wearing: Fit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
