“Saudade, often described as ‘the love that remains’ after someone is gone.“ (submitted by jamesvergara, littlemaniacs, margaridalegria)
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@cantiosolari-blog
“Saudade, often described as ‘the love that remains’ after someone is gone.“ (submitted by jamesvergara, littlemaniacs, margaridalegria)
kuraussu:
Klaus flinched when his double– Xeno, hah— so carelessly opened up to him. But Klaus knew himself, knew that he’d never lower his guard to the enemy unless completely certain matters could be settled without battle. And if that was the case… he wanted to indulge Xeno in that belief. He lowered his spear the rest of the way, relaxing his shoulders as if a weight had been lifted. He didn’t sense the moon’s power in his double, so he was sure he could still overpower him if things went south.
Xeno continued to talk, dissecting Klaus and his behavior right to his face without an ounce of shame. The way he described the situation at hand made him extraordinarily uncomfortable, and Klaus likely would have squirmed from it had he not been a hardened knight. But no matter his level of discipline, a wave of numbing chills went racing down his spine at the mention of their former ‘love’ for the Mother.
The remark was almost enough for Klaus to raise his weapon again, as if violence was a proper display of his denial. But as his arm jerked to point the head of his spear again at his mirror, he rationalized his way through his emotions before the tip of the spear could even lift off the ground. Regardless of whether Xeno was a genuine form of him or a clone Eve had created, if this was a plan of hers, it seemed she wanted Klaus to be the instigator of battle during this fated meeting. And the chance that his double was someone she wanted him to kill far overpowered the aggressive front his emotions wanted to put up in the face of himself. He had to be cooperative…
“…That is correct. I broke free of her influence when the Tuning Knights defeated me on the moon.” He was reluctant and concise in his admission, not particularly having the patience to go into any further detail. If Xeno was the exact same as Klaus, then he would already know full well of their death. If not… well, it was something best left unknown.
Scrutinizing eyes trailed over Xeno’s form again, still wanting to determine the difference between he and Klaus that made him look like that. He could sense something vastly different between the two of them, but much to his frustration, it was not something that could be identified by looks alone. If he wanted answers to the odd feeling Xeno left stirring in Klaus’s gut, he would have to get Xeno to admit them himself.
“Judging by your name, I suppose you have recovered from her enslavement better than I.” A knot formed in Klaus’s stomach, and there was a nagging feeling that he should not pursue the idea he had blossoming in his mind. However, on the same token, he felt as though revealing his misfortune may shed a light on the other’s blessings. “I cannot look at myself and see a man worthy of the name of Regnant’s first King. Thus, I have returned to the false identity of Klaus in order to protect the dignity of my old self.”
Xeno listened closely. He watched how each word he himself spoke made his counterpart tense, and he hated to have to cut so deeply, but it seemed to be working. At leas the man was actually speaking to him now, instead of shouting and carrying on with a weapon pointed at his face. So they were the same in a way, then, at least as far as the moment of their salvation was concerned. As for the rest...
There was something about him that still set Xeno’s teeth on edge. Something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something that still made his instincts whisper that he needed to run. But the sadness in his eyes when he spoke of his previous self made something in his throat close. No, he couldn’t abandon this. There was something here that was important.
“I...see things differently than you do,” he said. “The man who was called Klaus was a genuinely good person--or he tried to be, at least. I find it easier to let those memories stand just the way they are. Keeping that name attached to someone like me...”
He shook his head, “I can’t say that I’ve recovered, exactly. This isn’t something you can heal from as easily as a sickness or an injury. But the other witches and Alto have helped me find a place of my own. Klaus’ place in this world will remain uncorrupted by my actions, and I can work to atone for the things I have done as Xeno.”
He looked around suddenly, as though just remembering where he was. ”We should take this conversation elsewhere. If someone catches sight of us, we’ll be in trouble. I’m sure you remember where our room is?”
tunethegirls:
Xeno clutching at his sleeve completely caught him off guard. He had expected him to be against it, surely, but not quite this adamant. He almost wished he could take back what he had said moments prior, if only a little. That was when, however, Xeno practically doubled over in pain. Elcrest was quick to follow up, his hands already reaching towards his friend as his concern flared.
“Xeno?! What is–” Elcrest tried to speak, but it wasn’t long before his friend was practically engulfed by the flames. He instinctively lurched back by the sheer wave of heat and negativity. No, it wasn’t heat exactly… but he could feel the heat at his very core. There was no time to think rationally about this. Xeno was in there! He couldn’t stand here while his friend was trapped from within it! His screams practically rebounded within his very heart.
“Xeno!” Elcrest yelled and without thinking twice he threw himself into the flames. The searing heat of negativity burned at him. He could feel his soul struggling against it for a moment, but when he reached out to touch Xeno the world melted away. All that was left was darkness flooding his vision, despite the red and black flames that had surrounded him moments prior. The intense heat was gone, leaving him cold but the flicker of negativity still held in the air.
He was falling. No, that couldn’t be… was this–? Elcrest knew this sensation all too well. He couldn’t doubt himself, even if he wanted to. Fortunately, his feet managed to find the ground with the relative ease he had acquired from tuning the witches. This was Xeno’s spirit world, no doubts there. From the looks of it, he had landed on a platform adjacent to two others, though he couldn’t see Xeno.
There was a cluster of figures on one of the other platforms surrounding something. Elcrest soon realized that he recognized them. While they formed the shape of the Witches, their bodies were shrouded in darkness. Despite the distance between him and the shadows, he could still hear their voices clearly ringing out.
“Did you really think he would let you come to the Moon with us?” the disgust in Millicent’s voice was palpable.
“A child has more power than you do!” Kaede’s voice giggled.
“All you’re going to do is hold us back.” Fran’s voice said as if it were fact.
“Do you intend to take down Angels with that toothpick of yours? Please.” Ukuna’s voice nearly laughed at the notion.
“Let us witches handle this, Xeno.” Hilda’s voice was even as ever, but her tone clearly held an edge to it. Hearing the witches say such things hurt even Elcrest. Was this truly how Xeno felt? These apparitions were only plaguing him it seemed.
“Xeno!” Elcrest called again, but this time he had to move. He couldn’t let them continue on.
“I can fight!” Xeno’s voice sounded furious. Desperate. “You know I can! I taught you how to fight! You can’t do this without my help!”
“We never needed your help to begin with.”
A sixth shadow rested its hand on Xeno’s shoulder. He turned sharply, his eyes wide, and found himself staring into the overshadowed eyes of his very closest friend. Elcrest smiled, and then planted both hands in Xeno’s chest and shoved him hard enough to nearly knock him over.
“You taught us what little you knew,” the shadow Elcrest said, “but have you learned anything since then? Have you improved yourself at all? We’ve all gotten stronger. Better. You haven’t done anything but stagnate.”
“If we let you tag along, you’re just going to get yourself killed,” Ukuna said, shaking her head.
“Or worse,” Francisca said softly. “You’ll get someone important killed.”
Xeno regained his balance, only to find Kaede’s sword flashing towards him. “See?” she laughed as he just barely managed to dodge out of its way. “If you can’t even stop that, you’re going to be useless to us.”
“Dead weight,” Millicent sniffed. “We’re better off dropping you before you have a chance to drag us down.”
“This is a job for people with real power.” Hilda’s voice was calm and cold. “You’re only a human. There’s nothing you can do.”
Xeno turned to Elcrest again, and stopped short. Now the tip of Elcrest’s ornate blade was pointed right at his face. “Don’t make me force your hand,” he said very quietly. “I have no intention of letting you ruin everything we’ve worked for just because you don’t know when you’re not wanted.”
homoonicidal:
“I do not deserve nor expect your forgiveness, Xeno,” Eve said flatly, keeping her gaze to the ground. She knew damn well she wasn’t going to be forgiven immediately, not after all she tragedy she caused. She warped and broke this man down to her liking, why would he ever think to give her a-
-…a chance? He was extending his hand to her, saying they need to begin anew. Eve turned to stare at his hand with wide eyes, blinking once in shock before looking up at him. Was it a trick? Was Xeno going to take it all back as soon as she got her hopes up? A smile passed over her features, taking his hand as her legs began to swing again.
“You know Lambert better than I. From what I understand, you enjoyed sampling confectioneries, yes? I heard about ‘Mr.X’ from Marie and Rena. Might we be able to visit one of the sweets establishments?”
She had been listening. Almost in spite of himself, a smile worked its way up over Xeno’s face. She really was paying attention, and not just to the bare minimum of what she was supposed to be. This was progress. This was Eve genuinely doing her best. And if she kept on like this, then there was hope for her after all.
“There are a few places I haven’t visited in quite some time,” he said. “Places you might not be able to visit with Rena and Marie. The price range is a bit extraordinary for three young girls, even if one of them runs the most popular orb development shop in the city.” He closed his hand around Eve’s and rose to his feet. “Perhaps we’ll invite them along next time. For now, don’t you think it would be a nice thing to do to order extra, so that you have something to take back to them?”
onceuponamusing:
OBEDIENCE is not loyalty. SERVITUDE is not loyalty. OBLIGATION is not loyalty.
S A C R I F I C E is loyalty.
tunethegirls:
Somehow, it seemed he had bested Xeno this time around. He was certain he had been holding back… was his power truly that strong to overpower Xeno like that? Shaking his head, Elcrest could only merely laugh a little to himself. Instead of helping his friend to his feet, he opted to plop himself down right beside him. Elcrest gently brought up his knees to rest an arm against them, looking back at his friend.
“I’m sure I just got lucky. The way you handle your spear makes me doubt you’d have much reason to use combat like this anyway.” Elcrest shook his head, but there was a tiny pang in his heart about Xeno’s comment. It had been something he had thought about often… Journeying to the Moon without Xeno by their side wasn’t something he felt good about. They had been together through thick and thin after all… but the kingdom needed Xeno. He was their king; their pride and the one who brought them all to prosperity.
The people needed his guidance at a time like this… but so did Elcrest.
His hand squeezed into a fist and he glanced away at that thought. The guilt of keeping that to himself for so long gnawed at his heart. Xeno’s words only dug into that further like a knife had been wretched into his gut. He had been waiting for a better time to tell him his plans; one when they weren’t so strained for time…
“…Do you truly believe that?” Elcrest found the words dropping out of his mouth, but his words felt heavy, “I would not blame you if you wished to stay here, you know. Once the Hymn is complete, we’ll be ready to set out… but that will leave the people unguarded. They will need you, after all.”
Xeno jolted upright, his heart leaping into his throat. “No, I want to go with you!” he said, reaching out to catch Elcrest’s sleeve. “There are others who can lead a country, but since the very start, we’ve done this together! Why would I stay when I could have done something to help you?!”
But look at what had just happened. This hadn’t even been a real series of fights, and not only had he lost his spear in a gods damned tree, Elcrest had floored him in extraordinarily short order. Even if he went, what use could he possibly be when it took so little to remove him from the fight? If even Elc thought he would be better staying...
No. He wasn’t that useless. Elcrest wouldn’t really think or say such a thing, even indirectly.
Wouldn’t he?
The jewel at his throat burned. Xeno jerked away from Elcrest. His hands flew to his neck, and he doubled over, letting out a hiss of pain. “I can’t just let you go alone,” he said, but his voice sounded raw with pain. “Even if you think I can’t do it, I have to-- I--!”
Orange light flared from beneath his fingers. Xeno had roughly a second for surprise to blot out the burning ache in his chest and throat. And then red-black fire erupted from him, and he screamed.
homoonicidal:
Eve hurried right behind Xeno to the bench, hopping up on it beside him and swinging her legs idly. The two of them were alone for a long time, but they were all the other had. Eve hadn’t been the best towards Xeno, anything but, but it was a twisted, controlling affection. Most of the negative feelings she harbored for him were gone, replaced with guilt and a longing instead. Aah, how was she supposed to put her jumbled emotions into words…?
“…I believe I would like to make it up to you,” Eve began, her legs coming to a halt and settling in place. “For all the terrible things I did the past millennia. That, and… you were the only one I had in that time span. I know I need to let go, but it’s harder than I thought it would be.” She hesitated, turning to look at him. “I wasn’t as lonely with you there. I think you.. helped me in a way.”
Xeno exhaled very slowly. She seemed to be genuinely telling the truth. It was a twisted and awful truth, but it didn’t make it any less that. And the fact that Eve was willing to make herself vulnerable this way, especially now, especially to him...
“I'm not as good a person as Alto,” he finally said. “It’s going to take me a long time before I can forgive you for what you did to me. To Elcrest. To this entire world. But...”
He lifted one hand and studied his own palm for a very long moment. Then he held it out towards Eve without looking at her. “We both need to begin again, you and I. Your jealousy, my fear...if either of us let our negativity swallow us again, everything Alto did for us will be for nothing. So let us begin here. What would you like to see?”
tunethegirls:
“Let’s just hope she doesn’t present you with the tree as well as your spear!” the Conductor let out his own laugh at that. She was terribly strong; stronger than Elcrest would’ve ever assumed just by looking at her at a glance. Xeno’s encouragement, however, did lift his spirits.
“I suppose you are right. I’d just rather my other skills do not dull is the thing.” Elcrest placed his hands on his hips and shook his head a tiny bit, “You now, even being a Conductor, the witches still have a strength that is beyond me. It’s quite strange how we could train for years and years to hone our own strengths, but their magic can surpass that.” He couldn’t help, but muse over that fact aloud to his friend. Spending time with them for so long had made him reflect on it considering the power of their songs.
Xeno’s offer had him mulling over it a few moments. It would be a good idea to get a little practice in while he was free. Elcrest would admit his won hand to hand combat wasn’t quite up to snuff, but that wasn’t a real issue.
“Sounds good to me. I have been feeling a little stuff after sitting around for most of the day. However, I won’t go easy on you.”
Xeno smiled and readied his stance. “Then let us do this, Elcrest!”
As it turned out, he was exactly as skilled at close combat as he remembered being--which was to say, not very. The unfortunate part was that Elcrest seemed to have retained every technique Xeno had forgotten. Xeno found himself parried and countered at almost every turn, and while Elcrest was holding back on hitting him at full strength, he certainly was scoring more strikes than Xeno could figure out how to block. And then there was a leg sweep that tangled Xeno right up, and he was on the ground before he could entirely process what it was that had hit him, and now his stomach was churning harder than it had before Elcrest had even arrived.
He threw himself backwards and sprawled out on the ground, huffing. “You,” he said, “are a liar. Other skills falling to the wayside, indeed. If the witches are as prepared as you are, you’ll barely need me.”
homoonicidal:
“…I have,” Eve said after some hesitation, idly smoothing the front of her dress. Eve wanted desperately to be included in her sister’s activities. She spent more time in Lambert and got used to human life. Eve also wanted to try and patch up their relationship. She felt awful about everything she had done to Marie, nothing she did ever felt like enough to fix it.
“But something tells me what little girls do for fun is different than what adult humans find fun. Adult humans like to… ‘hit up the tavern’ correct? That’s what I’ve heard from Rusty.”
“I understand if you do not wish to associate with me any further, Xeno. … But I cannot say the same for myself.”
Xeno pinched the bridge of his nose for a long second. Looked around him, and found a low bench to sit down on. He rested his elbows on his knees and, once he’d settled down at Eve’s eye level, looked at her again with as even an expression as he could muster.
“You’ve been alone for a very long time,” he said. “I understand that. But so have I. And you and I have...never been very good company in the past.” He paused for a very long moment, considering his words very carefully. “Why do you still want to spend time with me? I’d like you to explain how you feel.”
kuraussu:
There was something very, very wrong here. It came to Klaus as a feeling deep in his gut, twisting and churning the longer he looked at his mirror self. He was almost certain he’d be sick if he stared at that face for much longer, but he could not let his gaze falter. Eve certainly hit the nail on the head with this scheme of hers, with how much of a rise it got out of him already. When that thing opened his mouth and responded to Klaus in the very same voice as his, he could no longer maintain a cool head.
“I do not believe you are in any position to ask such inane questions.” He snapped back, eyes narrowed sharply. He flexed his grip on the length of his spear, only dimly aware that his hands were shaking. “I was already here. Mother simply transported me outside the barracks in a fit of immaturity. You are the one who does not belong.” There was a pause before his expression contorted into one of utter disgust, and he added under his breath, “To think she would place a doll here to greet me…”
There was still one factor not quite adding up just yet. Why was his mirror self unarmed? Klaus had taken up his weapon, but his brown haired double only backed away from him in response. Surely if Eve created this apparition, he would be armed and ready to counter whatever aggression he was set out to incite in Klaus. He still had no doubts that this was part of her ploy, but there was a nagging feeling he was missing something.
Reluctantly he lowered his spear by a few inches, stepping back from the viscous approach he had been taking. “…I do not wish to cause a commotion here, so I will give you one chance. Tell me who– or what you are, and I shall refrain from striking you down.”
Xeno’s spine went rigid. If his mirror dared to mention the Mother out loud, then something must have changed. Or was it only because there was no one else here? He sounded absolutely derisive of her and her antics, and he still hadn’t attacked. In fact, he seemed to be reconsidering his aggression, if the flicker in his eyes was any indication. If there was any chance of talking him down from...whatever it was he was planning to do, this had to be it.
He looked his double over more closely. There was still darkness in his eyes, but not the darkness he remembered feeling, the kind that had tormented him and ripped him away from himself. This was fear and confusion, and yes, even hatred, but not the kind that had destroyed him--them--from the inside out.
This was a gamble. But Xeno was in a building full of knights who had defeated him once before at his fullest strength. If something went wrong, they would be able to stop it again.
He held his hands up, palms out. “My name is Xeno,” he said, keeping his voice as steady as he could. “I was the first king of Regnant and a warrior who fought to save our world from the Mother. We failed. But you already know all of that, don’t you? You haven’t forgotten what she did to you. To us.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how you got here. But if you were still hers, you would never have disobeyed her enough to make her even think of punishing you--we loved her too much. And even had you somehow done so, you would have killed me the second you saw me. Which has to mean you’re no longer in her thrall. Right?”
tunethegirls:
Since becoming Conductor, the Witches had certainly taken up a majority of his time. While Elcrest was happy to oblige in his duty, it left little free time for himself. Preparation for facing the Moon was his utmost priority now… but he still felt a hollow feeling in spite of it. The busier he became, the less he saw of his dear friend.
Elcrest would tell himself it wasn’t intentional, but the destiny of the Conductor was to see this through. They had to make sure they wouldn’t fail. Once he was finally freed from his routine rehearsals, he made it a point to locate the King. Finding him seemed no easy feat, however, but if he knew his friend that only left a few places to look.
Fortunately, it narrowed down his search and in no time be heard the sounds of metal thudding against wood. It was enough to lead him directly to its source; Xeno. Elcrest only managed to catch the tail end of what seemed to be his own training session… just enough to see his spear caught in place.
“Xeno! So, this is where you went off to. I was looking for you.” Elcrest spoke as he approached his friend, though he stopped a few inches away to direct his attention to Xeno’s discarded spear. While Xeno was strong, it seemed unlike him to something like this. There was a sinking feeling in Elcrest’s stomach that something might be amiss.
“I… see your strength has been improving.” The Conductor commented, “I have been falling behind on training myself, to be honest… Have you finished for the day?”
Xeno gave his weapon another experimental tug. “Apparently I am,” he said with a rueful laugh. “I guess Ukuna is going to have to get this out of here for me later.” With her truly ridiculous strength, it would be like peeling the skin off of a piece of fruit. And...that chain of thought wasn’t making him feel any better, actually, so he crushed it down before it could creep up any further.
“You have been training,” he said, straightening his shoulders. “Being the Conductor has its own skill set. Just because you’re not out here disarming me every three seconds doesn’t mean you aren’t doing anything.”
That was what he kept trying to tell himself, anyway.
“But since you’re here now,” he said, “how do you feel about a quick spar? I seem to have lost my weapon at the moment, but it’s been some time since I practiced hand combat.”
@tunethegirls
Elcrest was...away. Doing something. Involving the witches, he supposed, but that was where he always was these days.
Xeno’s eyes narrowed. He took careful aim at the tree he had been practicing against and unleashed a devastating flurry of strikes. Bark chipped and shredded, flying in every direction. This was for the good of the entire world, he reminded himself. The witches needed to practice their hymn, and Elcrest needed to be ready to conduct them at a moment’s notice, and Xeno... Well, Xeno needed to be ready to bash someone’s skull in, he supposed. That was the greatest skill he had to offer.
He took a quick step back, spun, and used his own momentum to bring his blade whistling in around him. It buried itself a good several inches into the mangled trunk of the tree. He pulled at it, but the blade refused to budge.
He took a moment to just breathe. This was ridiculous. He was an excellent fighter. He had better self-discipline than this. Losing his temper, losing his weapon...no, he just needed to refocus. That was all.
He reached up beneath his cravat to touch the pendant he kept around his neck. He’d considered it a good luck charm, this beautiful orange gemstone cut in the shape of a sunburst. Maybe it would give him a little luck now.
@cantiosolari
Perhaps it was wrong of Eve to feel jealous about Xeno spending time with people other than her. Or at least she assumed it was jealously, the feeling was a bit murky. Still, Eve couldn’t deny how bothersome it was for Xeno to be away from her. That was her dolly. Her witch. She didn’t want Alto to take another one away.
“Xeno, do you favor the knights over myself? Do they make for better company? I can be just as fun as them.”
...There was no delicate way to address this subject.
Eve really was trying. Most days she succeeded. And then sometimes the darkness came back behind her eyes again, and he certainly wasn’t bad with words, but Xeno was no Conductor.
“I’m sure you can be,” he said after a very long moment of consideration. “If you’ve been spending time with Rena and Marie, I’m sure they’ve taught you plenty about how to have fun. You have been, haven’t you?”
@cantiosolari
Oh, he had really done it this time. There were countless mistakes he’d made over his all too long lifetime, but it seemed pushing his luck too far had been his second worst decision yet. Eve had tried to approach Klaus once again, and as usual he rejected her advances at ‘friendship’ as harshly as possible. He dropped what he was doing, turned sharply without a word, and tramped away to his room. But it seemed Eve wasn’t taking too kindly to his stubbornness today, and so she had finally fought back.
On the upside of this bleak situation, it could have been worse, he supposed. She could have unleashed the black flames upon him again, burning his soul away until he adhered to her will. But no, she had more of an unusual torment in store for Klaus this time.
He had made it a few feet away from Eve, only to become frozen mid-step in his escape. A blistering pain erupted from his chest and spread its fiery agony outward through his body, and before he knew it he was engulfed by a portal of crackling red and black energy. He floated in oblivion for just long enough to process what was happening to him, before finally his foot touched down and met pavement rather than tile.
Initially, it only seemed that Eve had transported Klaus outside of the barracks. An immature move on her part for sure, but something he could deal with nonetheless. But once he made his way back inside, he met eyes with something unsightly.
“What..?” He spoke with a breathless voice, all the strength normally behind his words drained in an instant. It was as though Klaus was looking into a mirror, except not quite. The same blue eyes reflected in one another as Klaus stared, but in an unnerving twist, this reflection had brown hair with a single blond streak. He was also wearing a less than impressive outfit, but that detail was the least of his worries.
“What are you?!” The power in his voice had returned, but the panic it held was poorly concealed. Instinctively he drew his spear and took up an offensive stance against his other ‘self’. “Are you a new toy for her to mock me with?”
Training had been particularly tough today, and Xeno had been hoping to just...go keel over for a while. Rebuilding the strength of a body was no easy task. Relying on the strength of the moon for a thousand years meant he hadn’t been quite as disciplined about his own training as he should have been. The loss of the power that had sustained him meant he needed to refocus, retrain...re-improve himself for his own good.
When he rounded the corner and saw the man who was not a stranger, at first he thought his eyes must be playing tricks on him. He was tired. But then the not-stranger spoke, then he raised his weapon, and Xeno realized he had left his own in the armory. He wasn’t defenseless, per se, but hand-to-hand combat wasn’t his strong suit, and in a narrow hallway like this, the one with a gods damned spear held the advantage.
Xeno had never expected he would have any reason to despise his preference for weapons of reach.
“What am I? What are you?!” He stepped back out of range, already casting about for a better tactical position, but there didn’t seem to be one. “How did you get here?!” He hadn’t attacked yet. That was a good sign. If he had meant to cause havoc, he would have by now. But still, the fact that he, whoever and whatever he was, still wore that armor and hair...
Don’t panic, don’t lose focus, there has to be a way to block him here before he finds anyone else--
you’re a sun bright & beautiful the world needs you
i’m a moon constantly chasing you