An archive of roleplays by ink members. If you think something should be tagged with a specific warning, let us know. Submissions are on for roleplays written up by other members.
Warnings: Disjointed - fighting was done in [ink]’s guild arena.
Kezz: “I think the master of Ceremonies is here…”
Romula Burntooth cracked her knuckles as she awaited the fights to begin. It had been too long since her last bout in an arena, she was curious to see how she would fare.
Garissa surveyed the gathering people, some norns, humans, even a charr, it was a sight for sure, and they looked mostly tough. She stepped up, as prompted by a man with one particularly finely forged hammer, and then began her introduction. "It seems we've got a nice crowd tonight," Garissa pointed at each of them, "And I think a few of you have been waiting around for awhile. Let’s keep things short, does everyone know the rules? And be honest, you'll be more of a fool when caught doing something foul."
Kezz raised a hand inquisitively. "So uhhh, why don't you define ‘foul’ to us?" Emphasising the word foul in that statement/
Garissa: "Deaths are fouls, don't kill people, at least not on purpose. Its messy, and I don't like that. Make sense?"
Celadeine side-eyed the man to her left.
Garissa: "OH! Also, no pot shots at the stands, either. They're empty for now, but people might file in for a show after their bedroom romping."
Kezz Valour: "Crystal clear." He seemed relieved.
Celadeine: “Scared I'll curb stomp ya, baldy?”
Romula: “Could use a good romp after this myself.”
Kezz said, chucking, "Depends on when and where hun..."
Celadeine makes finger guns at Romula.
Garissa nodded sternly, "I see you're happy about it. The lady’s right, it’s no excuse to get soft in there. I still want a good show."
Romula stretched her shoulders, rolling them as she said, "Alright, let’s give her a good show. Garissa looked around at the rest, "If there’s no questions, follow me around to the other end.”
Kezz: “So is this place ran by the Pact??
Garissa: "Alright, the guys back there will help you down to the arena. I’ll let you pick who you fight, pair up, the group’s small enough. You got ten seconds, whoever isn’t in watches with me."
Celadeine: “All right, who's with me? We got a guard, I see. What about the rest of ya?”
Garissa turned to Kezz. "Yeah, no, the Pact accounts for over half the money here. But that’s because their soldiers can’t find a better place to spend their money. The establishment is mine."
Romula: “Hmm, it doesn't matter either way to me. Whoever wants a raging cat on their team can have me.”
Celadeine: “Looks like that's you and me then, puss.”
Romula: “I suppose so.”
Garissa shook her head at the charr, "Oh no, there won't be any teams. You're fighting each other. Winner of each duel faces the other winner, and that decides who gets the prize. And who gets to be the first favorite of this place."
Celadeine: “Damn, just when we were about to wreck Snow White and Baldy Dwarf.”
Romula laughs.
Garissa laughs.
Kezz nodded in understanding. Tilted his head out to the Norn with the sarcastic Norn. That was strike two. "What was your name again?" Mentioning the Norn with the flaming attire.
Celadeine leans over to look at Nirni and Kezz. "No hard feelings, small stuff. It's Cela.”
Romula: “Well, then I suppose it’s whoever wants to try and beat me up can have their chance.”
Celadeine points at Garissa .”Why don't you pick first round?”
Kezz: “Well Cela… I’ve heard norn were remarkable hunters. Care to give me an example?” There was clearly something sinister behind his statements as diplomatic as it may have sounded.
Garissa shrugs."Alright. The shorty and the fiery norm, get in there."
Celadeine quirks an eyebrow. "You askin' for a fight, tiny?"
Romula winked, adding, "Just don't be too rough, I got better plans tonight then wasting it groaning in bed. Well, in the painful way not the fun one."
Celadeine laughs.
Kezz Valour: “I don't ask for fights…”
Nirnin Driftwalker: "Shiny against hot stuff, this ought to be fun."
Garissa: "That it should. Get comfortable, if they’re any good the fight should last awhile."
Garissa hollered at the contestants below, "ARE YOU READY?"
Romula shrugged, replying, "Got my bet on the bear woman. She's got a spitfire of a personality."
Celadeine shouted back up, "Deal me in."
Kezz: “Ready… !”
Garissa looked to Romula, flashing gold coin, "You really down for a bet?"
Romula rolled her eyes, regretting her choice of wording. Nonetheless, she pulled out a couple of coins and muttered, "Fine."
Garissa grinned, hollering once more into the pit, "ALRIGHT FIGHT! SHORTY, GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT, THERE’S FREE COINS RIDING ON YOU!"
Kezz: “DO I GET PART OF THE WINNINGS?”
Garissa Herder: "IF YOU WIN AGAINST THE NEXT MATCH UP TOO, YOU’LL GET SOMETHING."
Kezz: “ALRIGHT! READY!”
Garissa: "FIGHT”
Romula: “GET GOING ALREADY, I’M FALLING ASLEEP UP HERE!”
Garissa eagerly watches as the match begins.
[fighting actually done in-game]
Garissa: "The shorty is good, knows how to use the terrain."
Romula: "Aw, stop hiding and give us a show up here!"
Garissa disagrees.
Garissa: "I should have known. Always bet on bear."
Celadeine: “Good fight. What's your name, guardian?”
Romula: “I believe you owe me.”
Romula smirked.
Garissa called for the two to return, while pushing the others towards the representatives for each team.
Celadeine: “Ahh, you’ll live. Been beat up enough myself to know it.”
Celadeine offers her hand to shake.
Kezz Valour "How about best two out of three..." Taking the hand, he shook it firmly.
Celadeine: “I'm down. Ask the lady in charge.”
Kezz, looking up to the lady. "Well?"
Garissa shrugged, "Not this time. The others are waiting for some bloodshed, you two have had your chance. Next time, though, I'll allow it."
Celadeine: “A damn shame. Rules are rules, I guess. It's okay, shorty, I'm sure we'll romp again some day.” She winks.
Kezz: “Yeah. C'mon, I’ll buy you an ale. That bear from Hoelbrak...”
Garissa Herder called down while dropping a wink, "You can always rent the arena for an hour to practice."
Celadeine shouts. "Go Big Kitty!"
Garissa: "So, anyone care to bet? I'll put two gold on the charr."
Romula whipped out her blade, preparing herself for battle.
Celadeine huffed. "I'll bet for Snow White, even if it hurts my heart." She laughs.
Nirmin Driftwalker pulls her staff from her back, giving it a few twirls.
Celadeine: “Listen, Snow. I know we had our differences, but don't rough my big strong kitten up too much, all right?”
Garissa chuckled at that, she really did have a feeling about her that looked closer to charr food than a warrior.
Kezz, eyeing the fight for a moment. "I'll put one gold on white haired norn the staff."
Romula rolled her eyes. She hardly cared what they thought.
Celadeine shrugs. "How about I just buy us all drinks when this thing's over?”
Garissa shouted into the pit, "FIGHTERS, START!" and then rushed around to get a better view of the fight.
[more in-game fighting]
Garissa: "Kitten... Why... Today is not my night."
Kezz: “HA! Told you the Norn was good for it.”
Celadeine: “Damn. It's okay, kitty, I still love ya.”
Garissa: "Alright, a gold for each of you. Next match is the winners of each battle. Anyone need a breather first?"
Romula shrugged, replying, "I’m not a young cub anymore.”
Celadeine: “Ain't that the truth. Nah, I'm ready.”
Kezz, muttering under his breath. "I should've used my damn sword.”
Garissa hollered at the contestants below, "Alright, why don't you two show the losers what fighting should look like!"
Kezz, screaming down at Cela "Hey, I’m gonna bet against you."
Nirnin laughs.
Celadeine laughs.
Garissa: "One coin on Bear. START THE MATCH!"
Romula:” At least you're saying it as it is.”
[more fighting]
Kezz: "I’ll match it on the snow norn.”
Celadeine: “How about that.”
Kezz claps in awe.
Celadeine walks over to help Nirmin up. “Nice one.”
Nirnin laughs. “Nice one there, hot stuff.”
Garissa cheers. "I blinked, who won?"
Celadeine shrugs. “By Bear, we went down at the exact same time.”
Nirnin holds out her hand to the other norn.
Romula nodded her head, not surprised at the outcome.
Garissa: "Does this mean... A REMATCH?"
Celadeine looks at Nirnin. "What do you think?”
Nirnin: “Haha, I wouldn’t mind another bout. Name’s Nirnin, by the way.”
Celadeine: “Nirnin. I think Snow's better. But it’s Cela. All right, let's heal up, and have another go.” She winks up at Romula and Kezz.
Garissa: "Okay... I'll keep my bet on Bear. FIGHT!" She considers tossing a brick in the fiery one's way.
Romula leaned on the railing, keeping an eye on Celadeine.
Garissa Herder: "Looks like they're a bit slow to start. Here, something to occupy us, on the house. Be sure to come back often, yeah?"
Plagg and Phexx chat the day Phexx was late to work.
Warnings: None.
Plagg didn't see his newest krewemate at first - with his nose buried in his portable terminal, he'd almost raised a hand to switch off the lights, and it was only his last glance around the lab that brought little Phexx to his attention. He paused, claws tik-takking on the stone wall under the panel - his gaze was almost approving. Almost. Considering the circumstances, that was the best Phexx was going to get. "I appreciate your dedication, Phexx, but I'd suggest wrapping it up for tonight."
Phexx blinked, good ear popping up to match his surprised expression as Plagg spoke. How late was it? After everyone else left he'd put all his focus into it and - “I’m almost done. Actually." Phexx looked over to the batteries on the table next to him, then back at his terminal. "... I uh. Thought you were gone. Sir." Those ears flattened.
Plagg shock his head. "I prefer not to leave the krewe unattended in the lab. Come along,” he said, motioning towards the door. This wasn't quite enough to make up for this morning, but the vague hostility had dissipated. "You're in the dorms, I assume?"
Phexx gathered up his stuff quickly, smoothing down his jacket and hopping of the stool to follow. The research would be fine for now. "Yes. Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Phexx practically scrambled through the door, still pretty sure he was in the doghouse. "I won't be late tomorrow. I promise!"
Plagg tapped the panel with the tips of his claws, dimming the lights of the lab, and followed Phexx out - with a few quick swipes at the console beside the door, he shut and locked the lab. The protection was laughable, of course, but no one relied on the locks alone. “Some agents prefer to commute. I personally prefer to have my krewe on hand.” Without looking to see if Phexx was following, he started down the corridor. At this hour, the labs were deserted.
Phexx took a moment to realize he was supposed to follow. He mashed down his anxiety and lifted his chin, following after. "I wouldn't know what to do with any more room," the recruit admitted. Phexx did add a quick, "K-4. Um, by the way."
Plagg hummed in response, a purely neutral sound. "Extra space is useful if the lab is insufficient for your experiments. The accommodations for krewe leaders are a step above general krewe quarters, but of course not every agent can lead a krewe." It wasn't that he was walking particularly fast, but he wasn't taking Phexx's shorter stride into account as he made his way down the hall.
Phexx was following after him with quick little steps, his footsteps the same kind of pat-pat-pat-pat you’d expect from some sort of pet. "It's a good thing I work with miniatures, then." It was a very lame attempt at a joke, accompanied with an equally lame smile of the hopeful sort. Which Plagg couldn't see, ahead as he was.
Plagg didn't get the joke, or at least didn't react to it. "That is useful, yes. There you go, something to do with that space - a workstation for yourself." As they passed through the checkpoint to the labs, Plagg looked back at his little krewe member, brows furrowed just so slightly. "You do understand why I am so... frustrated, so to say, that you're allowing Brooz to influence you, yes?”
Phexx wilted a little, ducking his chin as the disappointed took crawled down his spine. "I got anything I would have done in the morning done later," he mumbled, eyes cast to the ground. Phexx took a breath, looking back up. "It won't happen again."
Plagg sighed. "That it happened at all concerns me. Brooz is very charming, Phexx, but he's merely skated by in his time with the Inquest. With all the resources available to him, he's accomplished very, very little. I’d be very disappointed to see you infected with his laziness."
Phexx considered that for a moment, the instinctive frown to someone calling a friend lazy BARELY held at bay. "I tried to make up for my mistake," he finally said, deciding to go with that Necrotech Plagg nodded, just a tip of his chin. "Your work has been nothing but commendable until now, Phexx. I wouldn't want to see your standing in the Inquest stagnate because of agents like Brooz."
Phexx didn't catch himself fast enough, a "What standing?" slipping from his mouth. He shook his head quickly, ears flopping a bit. "I certainly don't plan on stagnating." He was picking his words more carefully now. "You'll see."
Plagg gave Phexx a proper smile - there was the charm he displayed to the higher ups, the ones that smoothed things over when his krewe screwed up. "Excellent. I appregiate hard work, Phexx." The boasting had left him skeptical at first, but his newest krewe member hadn't turned out to be entirely wrong about his skills.
Phexx puffed up a bit with pride, practically preening. His worry had melted into a big dumb smile, the rather small asura soaking up the implied praise like a sponge. Phexx didn't even say anything for a moment, before the awkwardness finally caught up and he pinned his ears back. "Maybe I'm small but I uh, don't plan on being looked over."
Plagg took a moment to look Phexx over from pink hair to his little boots. "Good," he said simply. "Have a good night, Phexx." Turning, he headed down the corridor towards the krewe leader quarters.
Phexx called out a "Good night!" before heading down HIS hallway, still beaming a little.
Who is that knocking on Harumen’s door? No one good.
Warnings: idk man Mel’s just not nice
Meliwirth had, somewhere along the way, lost track of the time. The cheery glow of her inner arms told her that dawn was still distant - but there was no telling how distant. There was also no telling where she was, since she was so drunk she could barely keep ahold of the (empty, sadly) bottle she'd been carrying around, let alone put her one foot in front of the other AND keep track of the minutes as they ticked along. Drinking hadn't helped. Nothing had helped. She wanted - blearily, she glowered at the only house around, some big-ass fancy thing up on the hill, and then cocked her arm back to throw the bottle at it. It fell far to the side, smashing on the mossy stones; irritated, she drew her dagger and stalked up the walkway.
Harumen spent his night staring off into the night, his only companions the glow of the jungle and the rhythmic chimes of the crickets outside. While by day he enjoyed his work, keeping the homes of Astoria maintained, at night he embraced the solitude of his own home, shaped by his own hands. Was it a bit flamboyant? Of course, but his home was his sanctuary. He was free to do as he wanted in the quiet solitude. Or, at least, it was normally quiet. Yet the sound of a breaking bottle stirred Haru from his thoughts as he realized he was not alone "...Hello?" He nervously asked.
Meliwirth bared her teeth in something like a simile - so someone was home. She should have known, seeing the glow through the thin door, but she'd cut herself some slack. "Hey in there," she called back, her voice thick and slow, her hand unsteady as she reached out to test the resiliency of the membrane. She might could cut through it. "M'a bit lost.”
Harumen took his time as he approached the opening of his home, finding a woman standing there and evidently drunk. Of course, of all the luck. "You... You're lost?" He asked as if that was not clear. Well, the faster he sent her on her way, the better. "W-Well, are you trying to... get to Astoria? Or...or all the way to the Grove?”
Meliwirth's dagger was loose in her hand, hidden behind her back; her grip tightened when the door opened and a little man not much bigger than herself poked his head out. Easy. "Nah,” she said. "Nah, not lookin' to get anywhere. Where am I? Where's this?" She took a step closer, tempted to push him inside and bring her dagger to bear.
Harumen took a step back, a shiver running up his spine at the tone of her voice. Something was of about her, he could tell. He was not a social butterfly, but he was able to see that she was up to no good. Why else was she out at his house in the middle of the night drunk? But what could he do, just a man with a knack for growing and shaping plants? "I... um... if you j-just cross the bridge there, and walk down the path, you... you'll be in Astoria." Haru pointed behind her, to the bridge down the road. As if that was enough to send her on her way.
Meliwirth followed his arm to where he was pointing, then turned her grin back on him. She'd wandered right into the thick of the Wardens. That'd make this more interesting. Taking another step towards him, she made a wild grab at his arm and let her arm drop from behind her back, the blade catching the light.
Harumen, unfortunately, did not have good reflexes. He was unable to pull away in time, even though she was drunk, and shuddered as she gripped his arm. Once he caught sight of her dagger, though, his heart stopped. What was she doing? Was she trying to rob him? "H-H-Hey please... don't..." He tried to say something, anything, but the words were lost to him.
Meliwirth tittered to herself as her fingers closed around his arm; she squeezed until she felt his bark click in her hand. "Y"think – haha, you think, cuz you're right up under the Warden's noses, in this, this - is this just yours? Haha!" As focused as she was on him, she wasn't looking at her feet; the low threshold was only meant to keep out the rain, but it was high enough for her to catch her foot on. Yelping in surprise, she went down, close enough to clip him as she fell - her dagger went skipping off across the floor.
Harumen nearly shrieked as his uninvited guest tripped upon stepping into his house, losing her grip on him and tumbling to the floor. For a moment, he was unsure what to do. Did he go for the dagger that she dropped and attempt to defend himself and his home? Or did he run for the safety of Astoria and leave everything behind? Either was, he needed to act quickly, because she obviously intended to hurt him if she got the chance. So Haru made up his mind, making a break for the doorway and into the dark of the night.
Meilwirth waited for the floor to stop wobbling under her before she levered herself up with her palms and climbed to her feet with exaggerated carefulness. "Fuck," she hissed under her breath, her head snapping around to track the little pink guy, already down the hill. Her head was spinning but she darted after him and tripped again, her feet catching on the uneven stones of the walkway and sending her tumbling down the path. It got her to the bottom quickly but she laid there, stunned, for another few seconds before standing again. “You fucking - little -” Rage simmered
in her veins. "Little - M'gonna, fucking -”
Harumen glanced back to find that, unfortunately, his assailant was attempting to chase him down. In poor fashion, though, as she tripped yet again and fell. Had his life not been in danger, he would have laughed at her. At that moment, he picked up the pace, making a break for that very same bridge he pointed out earlier. Not without trying to talk sense into the drunk woman, yelling over his shoulder, "P-Please don't do this...I didn't do anything t-to you!”
Meliwirth laughed at that. She could taste sap – one of the falls had split her lip. “Not the point," she called back. Had the path always been this treacherous? Although she was fast, staying upright it was proving to be enough of a challenge that it slowed he down. She'd underestimated how drunk she was, but still, she could - gritting her teeth, she reached out for him. If she could just get her hands on him... She didn't actually need her dagger.
Harumen yelped as he realized that the woman was catching up to him. Why was she so determined to try and hurt him? He had done nothing but mind his own business his whole life, yet tonight was the night that luck was not on his side. Running with all his might, he hoped that his pathetic legs outran her drunken stumblings.
Meliwith's focus narrowed to the Sylvari in front of her; she knew the bridge was there, but the sudden tange of roots under her feet tripped her up again, and this time she went down hard. The impact knocked the wind out of her. Grimacing, she pushed herself up to her hands and knees. "Don't - don't fucking go to sleep, you -" Breathless, she shouted after him, her laughter following him even though she couldn't anymore. "Better get some guards for that f-fancy house!"
Harumen nearly tripped in response to her words. He had heard similar scorn towards Dreamers in the past, by those representing the Nightmare Court. So... was this stranger aligned with them. Her aggressive and nonsensical behavior made more sense, under that context She was looking to hurt him purely because she was able to. Which made her even more intimidating, and more dire to keep his distance from her. He was not about to let her corrupt him too. "Help!" He called out, hoping to get the attention of the Wardens. "H-Help me!”
Meliwith made it to her feet, finally, and stared after the Dreamer - he was past the bridge now, and the Wardens were not far. The world reeled around her. There was no way she could chase him further, let alone hope to fight off armed guards. Clutching her stomach, she turned and stalked away back up the path, pausing only to retrieve her dagger from the Dreamer’s house and dash a few things off the shelves before heading out into the darkness again.
Baby needs a few gold coins, and she’s willing to help out a random fellow Sylvari to get them!
Warnings: None.
Kile sat, despondent as could be, and spun her pistol on the table, catching the barrel with the tip of her finger to propel it along. With how many Sylvari were in the Grove nowadays, she'd assumed at least one of them would need a chore or two done for a few coins; but no. All her legwork today had been for nothing. Coin purse: Still empty, except for the handful of copper she'd been given to buy her dinner. At this rate, she'd never be able to afford a new pistol.
Vyuu Luna saw Kile sitting down, she looked sad in a way. Or maybe not? Vyuu went to Kile and saw her coin purse. Vyu thought "Poor her, she didn't seem to make lots of money today".
Kile didn't realize she'd attracted attention at first; she kept spinning her pistol and wallowing in self-pity for a minute before she thought to look up. "Oh!". Almost instantly, she perked up - even her leaves took on a chipper sort of lift they'd lacked a moment ago. "Hi there! Hey, you don't need an errand girl, do you?"
Vyuu didn't actually need an errand girl, but she knew that if she said yes, she'd make her happy. "Well, I could always need one!" she said and sat down next to her looking at her with her big eyes.
Kile straightened up on her stool, her own eyes round and bright. "OH! Thank you! I really need some coin, you see. What did you need doing?"
Vyuu smiled. "I knew that this would make her happy", she thought. Vyuu,
Vyuu, still smiling, looked at her with eyes filled with happiness and said "You could help me with some studies! I'm working on something and I really need some help". Vyuu really needed that help. In fact, she has to do so many things for her studies that she doesn't even get to rest sometimes.
Kile said, "Oooh," and then, a moment later, "Oooh...." again, a touch less excited this time; chewing her lip, she glanced down at the pistol in her hands.. “Well - I’m not saying no! But, uh, I'm a little young? I'll do what I can, though!" She chirped, lifting her head again to meet the other Sylvari’s eyes. "I'll do what I can! I'm Kile." Ky-lee, she pronounced it.
Vyuu said "You'd only have to collect some things for me. Nothing too far away from the Grove, so don't worry! I wouldn't want you to get in danger or Something like that.” Vyuu was very happy that Kīle would help her. "O-Ohh, by the way! Nice to meet you Kile - or should I say Ky-Leeee? My name is Vyuu", Vyuu said with a cheery voice. "I'm looking forward to work together with you then!"
Kile’s grin was back in full force. "You too, Vyuu! What did you need?” Bouncing to her feet, she showed her pistol in its holster and stood at attention as she'd seen the Vigil soldiers do, hands folded neatly behind her back.
Vyuu: “I’d need a special flower. You can only get it at night and I've been told that it shines brighter than the moon, but not as bright as the sun. It looks cold, yet warm. They say that you can find it in the Caledon Forest, in Quetzal Bay", Vyu said with a more serious voice. Surprised by the way Kile moves her body, she asked "I've seen these moves before! Are you a soldier?"
Linkerer Kie laughed and brought her hands up to wave a negative, the straight line of her shoulders easing again. "No, no! I like to watch the soldiers sometimes - especially when they march!" She mimicked the straight-legged march, stomping in place, and gave Vyuu a salute which melted into a shrug. "I don't know that I'd want to be one. I can get that flower, though! Was that all?"
Vyuu: “I’m sure that you'd make a great soldier, something just tells me that!, Vyuu smiled and said. She looked at the ground, looked up again and said "Yes, that is all. But don't underestimate it. It’s more difficult than you might think it is.”
Kile nodded, matching Vyuu’s serious tone even though she was still unbearably excited.
Vyuu said, with a less serious voice "I'm sure that you'll be fine. I wouldn't let you do this for me if I weren’t sure if you'd be able to do this." She knew that Kille was excited.
Kile had done her best, but after a moment, she bounced gently in place, her leaves flapping above her grin. "I'll get right to it tonight, then. A bright flower in Quetzal Bay," she said, "And I’ll bring it right back here. Where do I take it? And, uh, how much are you gonna pay?” That was always the awkward question, but she needed that money.
Vyuu knew that she was motivated now and that made her happy. She smiled at her and said "As much as you need, or even more. If you ever need a helping hand, let me know!"
Kile's eyes went round with shock. She could buy that pistol! And with just one errand, and a simple one at that - going flower picking! "Did you need just the one?” She asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Vyuu looked at her interested. "She really seems to need that money", she thought. Vyuu then said "Only one. But don't forget that it isn't the easiest thing to do. You can't just pick it up, there's more to do than that."
Kile tilted her head. "What do you mean? It’s just a flower, isn't it?”
Vyuu sighed. "Unfortunately, no. It isn't just a flower. Here's something that I wrote down, it’ll help you,” Vyuu said with a serious voice, while staring into her eyes.
Kile reached for the slip of paper Vyuu held out to her, confusion creasing her brow. "Okay," she said simply. Without reading it, she folded it up and tucked it into the pocket of her jacket. "Do I meet you here again when I have it?"
Vyuu stayed up and said "Yes, you will meet me here again. And don't worry, you will be fine." Vyuu smiled at her and walked away. "I'm sure that she’ll be able to do this, it will be an adventure for her though", she thought while smiling.
Kile called, "Goodbye!" with a little wave. Then, after bouncing in place for a moment, she dashed off - no sense in wasting time. Even though it was midday, she had a long walk ahead of her.
Regan Novik strummed the last notes on her lute, her illusions disappearing in a sparkling, flashy finale to her performance. ‘Lady Monarch,’ her stage name, took a bow for the audience as they clapped for her. "Thank you," she stated, mid bow, before offering a wave to the patrons of the bar. "Please come see me again tomorrow night. Same time, same place."
Kezz Valour gave a silent applause after the performance. Reagan's performance was just as impressive as it was in Hoelbrak. He followed her with his eyes through the crowd. Taking in some of the atmosphere with him, Kezz was a people watcher. Signaling to his waitress, he requested they send her a drink on his tab. He would then just wait and see what would happen пехt.
Lauchie clapped as the mesmer took her bow - this wasn't the Coin, but it was comfortable enough, and the competition wasn't quite as touchy, so to speak. “She's good," he whispered, elbowing his brother to catch his attention.
Lanchier had barely been paying attention, the music just pleasant background noise as he inwardly counted gold. Lauchie's nudge drew his attention, however, the sylvari looking up with a "Hmm?"
Lauchie rolled his eyes. "The performer," he said, nodding his head towards the mesmer by the fireplace. "She's only been playing for the past half hour."
Regan stepped down from the fireplace, her stage for that evening, as she decided to grab herself a drink from the bar. She was sore from the singing and magic, and a good ale was what she needed to lift her spirits. Well, a good start at least.
Kezz Valour "So ... I have to ask," he said, speaking to Reagan. "Where did you learn to play like that? Thought it might have been the ambience, but you are talented as far as my ear can tell." If and when Regan turned around, she would be greeted with half a grin. "It's good to see you again, Regan."
Lancier peeked his head around Lauchie, gently reaching out to push his leaves out of the way. "I wasn't paying much attention." That much was obvious, but he said it anyways, looking her up and down.
Regan smiled as she turned back to face the man. "Kezz! It's good to see you again, I wasn't expecting to." Leaning against the bar, she relaxed a bit and said, "I'm sorry missed you in the audience."
Lauchie took a dainty sip out of his cup, brows raised as he watched his brother out of the corner of his eye. "Obviously. Oh, she has company..." A little pout.
Kezz said, "Yeah..." scratching the back of his head. "I was in the area and I saw the listing for your performance. So I figured might as well stick with something I know I’d appreciate." Chucking, he set some coin on the bar for the tender, apparently his waitress was a little bit less than punctual. "On me..." Taking another cup of ale he raised it and began to drink.
Lanchier gently petted the leaves back into place, arranging them perfectly. “It’s not worth even talking to musicians," he murmured into Lauchie's ear, glancing up at her and her friend.
Regan smiled, shaking her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I don't take drinks paid for me while I’m on the job." It was nothing personal, just a standard she set when she first started performing professionally. As a performer, she needed to appear above yet available to everyone. Taking food and drink offers made it look like she was playing favorites.
Kezz issued, "So where does the," speaking in grandiose tones "The Lady Monarch world tour going next?"
Lauchie frowned at that, but he tucked himself against his brother's side anyway, his arm around his waist. His eyes drifted between the two of them. "...Are you sure?” It wasn't as if there weren't other options - the bar was fairly crowded - but he had to admit, she was attractive.
Regan replied, smirking, "When I am in costume, I'm Lady Monarch. Whether or not I am up on the stage, I am still performing." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face and added, "Just so you know for future reference. As for the World Tour, I'll have to see where my next best offer may be. It is gala season in Divinity's Reach. I may be around awhile."
Kezz Valour hid a frown, he liked Divinity's Reach but the place seemed a bit too vain for him to frequent for any extended period of time. Taking a sip of the ale. "Well...maybe next time I won't see you in costume, eh?”
Lanchier gave him a look, the hints of a smirk dancing around the corner of his mouth as he leaned closer. “Since when has that ever worked out? Besides, he'll take offense."
Lauchie sipped his ale sulkily. This vacation to Divinity's Reach hadn't been much of a vacation so far. "Maybe not," he threw out half-heartedly, his last-ditch attempt; Cheery usually knew best.
Novik chuckled and replied, "Maybe you will. Depends on if you can find little ol’ me while I’m not Lady Monarch again. You got lucky in Hoelbrak."
Kezz opened his mouth to speak, Kezz pauses and starts chuckling, almost to the edge of being uncontrollable laughter.
Regan chuckled along with Kezz, glancing around the bar as she did so. She glanced across to see to her surprise, sylvari twins looking at her. Well that was a surprise. She did the one thing she usually did, and offered the two a wink. It was up to them to interpret as they pleased, before looking back at Kezz. "I'm a comedian too, apparently."
Rozíar The Enigma pads quietly into the tavern, an amethyst orb giving its patrons a once over. He grunts irritatedly, squeezing into what little room there was to the left of a pair of Sylvari. Lanchier raised a brow, paying attention to his own drink again. It was empty of course. He reached over to pick up Lauchie's, lifting his eyes when the charr shoved in next to him. "...Hello there."
Rozíar flicked his rightmost pair of ears, craning his neck to leer down at the sylvari addressing him. "You need something?" He asked rather flatly.
Kezz said, "No no, I’m sorry." Began to catch his composure. "You said I got lucky In Hoelbrak. I was wondering-...” Big grin on his face. "When I might get lucky again."
Lauchie sighed heavily. The wink did it - she wouldn't take any offer from then seriously. Lanchier bouncing into him put him off balance, and he swayed away, arm still around his brother. Ah, charr.
Lancier took a sip of Lauchie's drink, giving the charr a wink himself. “Honestly I feel as if I should be the one asking you." He lifted the cup in a sort of cheers.
Regan raised a brow, curious. "Depends on my mood." She admitted, leaning back against the bar once more. "I'm rather fickle with who spend my personal time with."
Rozíar snorts uncomfortably at the Sylvari's confidence. He tries to compose himself and retort. "Ugh... You're a smug little plant, aren't you." He's not trying hard enough.
Lauchie grabbed his brother’s hand and tipped it to take a sip from his own cup, looking up at the charr as he did so. Falling into this role was easy. "We have reason to be. Did you пеed something?”
Lancier let Lauchie take the cup back, folding his hands on the counter. "I’m a lot of things. Or can be, at least." He smiled, eyes half-lidded.
Rozíar widened his eye for a split second before diverting his gaze, discomfort becoming more apparent with each passing sentence. His tail flicked to and fro in agitation. After a few prolonged moments, he pulled his hood down and heaved a sigh. “I need a drink."
Kezz said, “Well I can imagine that a lady of your quality could obviously find someone a bit more interesting than a grunt like myself to spend your personal time with." Taking another sip of the ale. "So it seems to me like the question at this point is, why spend this much time with me now?
Lauchie grinned into the cup, taking another swig before pushing it back into Lanchier’s hand. "Why else would you come to a bar? Good luck getting the bartender’s attention. You have to outflirt the waitress."
Regan Novik let out a good laugh, resounding through the bar. He was witty, she had to give Kezz that. "Oh, touche, my good sir." She teased, grinning at the man. "But you also assume I believe I consider myself above you. The Lady title is simply a stage name, afterall."
Lanchier touched Rozíar’s arm with his free hand, between the metal plates where there was fur and cloth. "I recommend the ale." He lifted the cup again. “But then again, I don't drink much else."
Kezz said, “Okay, well, let’s look at this a different way." Gesturing to the coin left on the bar. "You clearly have some high standards for your professional life, and somehow I’ve kept your attention this long. So you tell me how much more I could keep your attention for your personal time."
Regan grinned at Kezz and his persistence. "Maybe I'm just being nice to someone who knows I’m more than just a performer. Or maybe I just enjoyed talking to you. That's up to you to decide which it may be."
Kezz said, "Lady Monarch… You say that as if I’m the one holding all the cards here. If I recall correctly,I’m on your time. I have plenty of it. So why don't you tell me if in talking to you as a performer or more than a performer as you put it, then I’ll tell you what I think Lady."
Regan smirked as she said, "I'll let you know my answer, if you come back to my performance tomorrow night."
Kezz nodded in grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow then." Nodding his head with a smile.
An unfinished RP with a shy sapling and an energetic Asura.
Warnings: None
bambi
Aslene, in all her wandering, has found her way to the brilliance and vastness of Lion's Arch. It's unlike anything she has ever seen, comprised of architecture and people that fascinate and delight her. In a sense, it reminds her of the Reach; however, this place is significantly busier. Many times she's been jostled out of the way as she gaped, open-mouthed but smiling at the beauty of this jungle concrete. It is so unlike home, but that doesn't appear to bother her. She excitedly speaks to strangers and makes commentary to herself, visibly overjoyed at the novelty. Eventually she finds herself in the trading district, eyes to the say as she marvels at the sights. She doesn't stop herself in time before colliding into someone's back. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she grins. "Did you see that, though?" she points to a norn descending with an ornate and otherworldly looking glider. "I did not know they could fly!"
Yavril
Gene stumbles away from Aslene, surprised by the sudden contact and eyes wide with something close to fear - when she realizes she's in no danger. She's... Not having a good day. Wearing a long, very flowy skirt embroidered at the bottom tied at her hip with a blue silk scarf and a short white top that isn't particularly conservative (probably to make up for the heat from the skirt), Gene isn't discernable from the rest as anything special. Pink skin and white hair, Gene takes in Aslene's wide grin before glancing over to the Norn. She allows herself a smile, at least; she can remember when she was that young, that happy and naive. "Yes, it's incredible. Anyone can, now. With those gliders."
bambi
"How wonderful!" she maintains, clasping her hands together and beans. "Do you think I, too, could fly?" Aslene is so captivated by the scene, she barely processes what Gene has told her. 'Anyone can,' anyone including herself. The sapling takes a moment to enjoy the view, briefly withdrawn from the novel interaction. "Oh! I am sorry, sister," she begins, just now realizing she hasn't told the other sylvari her name. "I am called Aslene! What is your name?"
Yavril
Watching this woman, Gene's mouth quirks up into a smile, even a chuckle - who is this? She's... well, she's eerily similar to a person Gene once was. Just listening to her gives Gene deja-vu. "Ah, Gene. Well, Geneviette, but everyone calls me... Gene." It's been a while since Gene's had to introduce herself to someone, and her voice shakes at saying her own name. A voice in her head chastises, but she's got to focus. "A-and yes, you could fly - they're just gliders."
bambi
In her present state of youthful bliss, Aslene doesn't reflect inwardly too fiercely. Instead, her eyes are ahead and in front of her, imposing a ferocious affection and zest for life on each and every person she meets. Gene is no different. In this moment, the older sylvari is her most precious, dearest friend. "Gene! That is a lovely name," she decides rather quickly. "A good one. Did you pick it?" she poses the question briefly before she ducks forward, hands resting on one of Gene's arms as though they have known each other since birth. "What sort of glider do you have, Gene?"
Yavril
Beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer enthusiasm radiating off of Aslene, Gene can't decide if she should chuckle or cringe. "No, I didn't-" Gene only barely manages to fit in before Aslene touches her arms and she flinches at the feeling. "I-I... don't have a glider." Never mind that any half-decent quality glider is an expense she can't afford, but she's sure her anxiety would just love that. "They sell them in the market, though," she informs Aslene, "If... you were looking for one."
bambi
"You did not?" she considers this and realizes that she supposes she had not picked her own name, either. "Well, either way, it is a good name," Aslene insists with a smile. She doesn't for a moment stop to think of the oppressive nature of her sanguine attitude. She's much too happy, too intrigued by life and by the woman in front of her. "Oh! Would you come with me, Gene?" wonders the sapling, clearly elated at the prospect. "It is so much better with a friend!"
Yavril
"Uh-" Caught off guard, it take Gene a long minute to reply. Usually, no one bothered the strange little Sylvari that moved into town. The only attention she ever seemed to get was when she performed. Now, though, all of the sudden... it's strange. Gene considers refusing, making up something she has to go to or something she has to do. A huge part of her wants to scream and run the opposite direction. Going with Aslene means talking, it means interacting and focusing and stepping far out of her comfort zone. But... does Gene have anything else to do today? No. Could this be interesting? Yes. And... well, Gene has to admit that she's a little afraid at this point of leaving such an innocent Sylvari alone in the city. Who knows who Aslene could bump into out there... After a pause, Gene nods, more assuredly than she thought she'd be able to manage; "S-sure. I'll come, if you like. You want to get a glider, then...?"
bambi
"Perhaps," she hums, rocking forward on her feet as she thinks. The thought has occurred to her. "It depends!" Aslene drums her right index finger against her lips, momentarily distracted both by thoughts and the scenery around her. There are just so many sights and sounds in Lion's Arch! It's overwhelming but incredible. "Yes! Maybe. We will see," she nods, grasping onto Gene's nearest arm with a love and devotion so fervent one would think she's known Gene all her life. "While we walk, will you tell me about you? What do you like? What is your favorite place? Do you have a special friend? Maybe several special friends?"
Yavril
"Oh!" Gene says, a little surprised - people don't usually have such excitement, especially not with her. She begins to walk forward, simply because it gives her a reason not to simply keep looking into Aslene's eyes. Mind reeling to remember the questions, she answers the last first; "W-well, I only have one friend, really. Named Ren. He's nice, I- ah, I miss him sometimes, but he's off working for the Consortium. I haven't seen him in a long time." Gene pauses. "My favourite... place.... I... guess I like the Grove, but here... There's a, uhm, Garden, that overlooks the water. A lot of people use it for weddings. It's really nice there in the morning."
Kezz and Wen take a small break in Lion’s Arch, but Kezz realizes that something doesn’t make sense with his problems with his mother, taking them to Divinity’s Reach to meet his performer friend Regan.
Warnings: None
Kezz Valour
Kezz thought it was interesting how long her hair was. It was to be expected he supposed she kept it braided and then of course there was that one time it was in a bun. Walking through the Asura Gate. He looked at Wen, taking note of her hair once again. "You know you should keep your hair like that when your not fighting. It's makes you more approachable.." Not really knowing how to compliment her without fear of having to fight here Kezz merely walked over to the Asura Gate to Lion's Arch. Waiting on her to follow.
Yavril
Wen's hand froze partway down the braid as Kezz spoke, and considered the possibility. Did she want to be more approachable? ... Perhaps in Lion's Arch, at least. She had heard stories about Norn who gave people accidentally funny looks in LA and were attacked in respond. Maybe being approachable... couldn't hurt? With a sigh, Wen released the braid, allowing it to unravel over her shoulder. Stepping through the Asura Gate after Kezz, Wen had to stop herself from stumbling backwards into it - it was so bright! The gorgeous city was not only flooded with sunshine, but the walls themselves seemed to glow, or maybe reflect life off of them. "And I thought Divinity's Reach was impressive," Wen muttered.
Kezz Valour
"This is only part of it, wait until we get to the Trade Commons...come on." Admittely Kezz didn't know much about the city itself. He'd only come here while on leave with the Pact and with his father to trade. Kezz really didn't have much love of Big Cities, but something about Lion's Arch was different, it was big, but it never seems crowed. Perhaps it was the atmosphere. It felt like it was a combination of all the the cultures, blended in so well that it was hard to tell, if there was an attempt at doing so, where one culture stopped and another ended. The one thing that Kezz loved about the place so much was the water. On the trip to the Trade Commons Kezz would stop and look at the various fountains, if only for a moment before moving on. "Did we get everything we need in Hoelbrak?"
Yavril
The wide range of races was enough for Wen to take in, let alone the bizarre building style that she couldn't identify as any particular race's handiwork. Like nothing she'd ever seen before, Wen followed Kezz rather blindly, and tried not to feel self conscious about her hair being down, or the fact that people seemed to be staring at it. The woman had begun to run her fingers through it - it was so impossibly thick - in her anxiety; the only symptom of said anxiety that she had. "The essentials, yes," Wen told Kezz when he asked, "We do not need anything else unless you can think of something specific."
Kezz Valour-06/13/2016
"Not really....just wondering." looking back to Wen, he took another look at her hair again. She was clearly uncomfortable with her hair down. "You know, I can think of alot of human women that would probably kill or steal for hair like yours.." Walking through the Trade Commons he took a quick glance at some of the weaponry out in the open. Lion's Arch always seemed to impress. Either way he continued to take a walk through Common's it almost seemed like they were going aimlessly. Or at the very least, that Kezz was in no rush.
Yavril
Wen raised an eyebrow at Kezz regarding her hair - she didn't think human women liked to have hair so long. Though she knew, honestly, very little about human women. Wen wasn't entirely sure if she should take it as a compliment or not, though she answered with "Thank you." Around Lions Arch, people rushed from place to place, humans talked with Charr, Sylvari talked with Asura... and, speaking of Asura, Wen hadn't realized how small they were. After a pause, Wen asked the question she knew she had to - "Was... did you need me to explain anything that happened? Did you have any questions?" She did not feel comfortable leaving Kezz in the dark, if her for indeed feel that way.
Kezz Valour
"Bad blood is bad blood. It seemed pretty straight forward to me. After having dragged you back in there I felt like I shouldn't ask because I didn't want to step on your feelings anymore than I had." Kezz turned and looked at her as they passed through the Trade Commons. He didn't really want to bring it up. One would think that a father would be happy to see his daughter after so long, especially considering how long it seemed they'd been apart. "If you want or need to talk about it. I'll be happy to listen." Kezz was certain about one thing, he did not like Heuran. That was enough for him.
Yavril
Wen shook her head, looking around - not in an attempt to avoid Kezz's gaze, at least not consciously, but out of sheer awe at the city's variety. "I have not spoken about it in four years. I have no need to speak about it now. I simply... did not want you to be left in the dark. My relationship with my family is... complex."
Kezz Valour
"Okay. What is complex about it?" Kezz continued walking through the Trade Commons, a light house was in view. Kezz started heading in the direction of the lighthouse. As far as Wen's relationship was with her father. Kezz was curious, but his initial reaction was based on simply defending the closet thing he had to a friend since he left the Pact.
Yavril
Wen frowned; she hadn't expected Kezz to ask further, and now had to come up with an answer for him. "My father... my mother kept my father in check. Without her, he descended into his racism and hatred. The two of us always had a rocky relationship, and I left the day I turned eighteen. I did care for some of my other family, particularly my mother's side, but all were too afraid of my father's wrath to rise against him. My father has not wanted to allow me to leave, however; I have had to kill more than one of his previous messengers. He never... sent a family member before now. And Uyana and I... never got along."
Kezz Valour
Kezz nodded. He probably shouldn't have asked but it on th e same token apart wanted to make sure the air was clear. "Okay..." He was certain that would be enough. It didn't seem too different than the Stronghold and some of the people that lived in it. His mind was wandering between Wen's family problems and the situation at hand. Part of him felt like they needed to recouperate but the other part of him felt they needed to take a break. On the path to the lighthouse Kezz leaned against the railing on the path. nearest to the lighthouse looking out into the Ocean. He took a deep sigh and turned around leaning against it for a moment. Rest would be the best thing for now...they been high stress since the first time they left Ebonhawke. "So what do you think you're going to do once all this is over?"
Yavril
"When what is all over?"
Kezz Valour
"Us finding Primordus...""and mom...I hope"
Yavril
"Ah." Wen hadn't really considered this endeavour in that way - something life changing and spectacular that would alter how she acted in the future. For her, it was simply a detour. "The same as before, I expect."
Kezz Valour
Kezz nodded. "Well when I first came to Hoelbrak, I was hoping to open up a Smithy there...finish what I started with my Dad. Looks like that was never really an realistic option."
Yavril
Wen knew she was supposed to say; that Kezz could try to do it, but getting involved with her meant that now he had a black mark in Wen's family's book. "It might have worked." Wen told him, "Unfortunately it would no longer work. You... Could work somewhere else, I am sure?"
Kezz Valour
"Yeah, I think I liked the Solitude of the situation though. The atmosphere...it just appeared peaceful, if that makes sense. I've done my share of fighting. Everything i've ever learned had something to do with it, in one way or another." Kezz looked over to Wen. He was far from soft, he was reconsidering what he should do with his life.
Yavril
"I... could see where you got the idea," Wen admitted. The huge, unclimbed mountains, the incredible snow-covered valleys; it certainly seemed like Wen was the only one in the world, sometimes. In Hoelbrak, though, Wen found the feeling slipped through her fingers. To Wen, the answer seemed simple - and yet someone really should have parroted this particular response back to her; "So learn something new. Be something different."
Kezz Valour
"Maybe...i'll get you to teach me how to play the Violin...." Kezz turned and looked at Wen. Chuckling "As a matter of fact i'm certain we could find somewhere around here where we could buy one." Kezz was looking around in a joking manner.
Yavril
That pulled a smile from Wen, at least. "Not a chance." Though, looking around, she had to admit, "though you are right. I am sure that over could find a good violin here. The market is very diverse."
Kezz Valour
"Generally speaking everything that can be found...in Tyria you can find here. With the exception of a few nicknacks." Kezz just felt relieved to take a break and talk to Wen. Even moreso he was relieved to know that Wen was a bit of a person. She seemed very callous when they met. Wen was just another person with problems and she processed them differently. Looking over at Wen he had a bit of a devilish look on his face, pushing himself off the railing Kezz motioned for Wen to follow him. "Come on I want to show you something."
Yavril
Wen raised an eyebrow, but followed Kezz in silence. It was a curiosity that he had something specific in mind to show her, given he was kind of showing her the whole city.
Kezz Valour
Kezz walked back through the trade commons to a small platform, the platform gave off a faint lavender light. Kezz looked at her with a sheepish look. A couple of friends of his in the pact had shown him this before. Stepping on the platform would hurl Wen flying through the air toward one of the most busy places in the city, the market itself. It wasn't as if he thought they needed anything. He just wanted the shock value. Looking down at the platform. He looked back to Wen and he couldn't help but to chuckle thinking about how she would respond. "Hey why don't you uhhhh, come and stand on this for a second..."
Yavril
Wen, unfortunately, wasn't stupid enough to do anything Kezz asked with that look on his face. Crossing her arms, she asked, "What does it do?"
Kezz Valour
"It's a new form of transportation around the Lion's Arch...it's actually pretty fun." Kezz was being truthful enough, he just wasn't mentioning the transportation method. It would hurl her through the air, likely at heights she was not comfortable with. To the trading post. "I've rather enjoyed it and I thought you might as well...just a little fun before we rest up and look into this inquest business." Kezz hadn't forgot about it a second. Simply enough he didn't want to drive himself crazy.
Yavril
Wen wasn't entirely convinced - and Kezz was clearly up to something - but he wanted her to step on it, so she did. In a matter of seconds the plate responded to the weight and without hesitation threw the Norn woman several metres up into the air - the cry of surprise upon being tossed was sudden and loud, but it cut out quickly as Wen, her instincts taking over, shielded herself with guardian magic. She would have looked strange in the air - a norn flying randomly through the air was strange in-and-of-itself, but Wen in particular would have appeared to more-or-less be a flying blue ball holding a Norn. The woman landed on something meant to absorb the impact in a terminator-esque pose, making the blue ball of power unneeded, and it slowly dissolved as Wen glanced up, eyes narrow.
Kezz Valour
Kezz got his chuckles as he walked over to Wen, it was meant to be a good joke. Which he thought it was. "Wen I..." Kezz started chuckling again. "O-Okay, it's not funny." He was smiling as to be holding back another laugh. "You have to admit though...you've probably never done anything like that right?"
Yavril
Wen breathed in and out. She... what? Why? How? When? For what? "No, I have never done anything like that," she admitted, "But I do not understand the point. It is... bizarre, at best."
Kezz Valour
"It's meant to be pointless...just a little fun." Kezz offered a hand to help her up and figured they had wasted too much time on his childish hijinx. Sighing while the hand was extended. Shortly after he realized that Wen would probably be a bit much. It was hard to not be a gentleman he was raised that way. Watching Dad open doors for Mom. It just kind of stayed with him even from a young age. Wen was more of the typical soldier than he was. At least, she hid her emotions behind her professionalism. While waiting he pondered the current task. It was a bit much, he really began to think they were chasing a ghost. Did it really matter? Was it worth the risk? What if he did find her? Would she be her...would she be "Mom"? What if she was? The hand stayed there as Kezz swirled about in his thoughts. What's worst is he really didn't know his next move...that's what bothered him most. He didn't feel like he was in control of the situation. There had to be something he overlooked...
Yavril
Wen raised an eyebrow at Kezz and his hand; did he truely expect her to take it? She didn't, as one could have expected, standing up straight on her own. She got to work quickly on her hair - it was still down and as she'd flown across the city it had strewn out behind her like a cape, longer than she was herself. She brought it around her shoulder again, fingers running through it; she was side-braiding it before she knew she was doing it. "Are you alright?" She asked as she examined Kezz's conflicted face - what was he suddenly thinking about to give him such a look?
Kezz Valour
Kezz let out a sigh..."Yeah...I" He looked at Wen. Fix her hair back up, part of him wishing she kept it down. It made her more approachable, at least in his opinion. Knowing Wen she probably wasn't even aware of that point, or didnt care. Though, he felt it was probably a very complicated fix of the two. "It's nothing really lets just find a place to rest for tonight." Kezz started back on the path to the lighthouse that served as an Inn as well. Looking to Wen every so often as they walked he felt he was being rude keeping her in the dark. She risked alot just being seen with him in the streets. Kezz really didn't have much to lose. "We.....I ..... overlooked something. This isn't right. None of it Wen." His placed slowed as he walked and talked. "Mom runs off with the Priory, Only one of the researcher's survives. The Vanguard launches an investigation into the whole matter and the best they come up with some Asuran Shadow Organization having some unconfirmed reports of seeing her. Then the Shining Blade confirms the report." He turned and looked at her. He was really stuck on this. "Why in the hell would the Shining Blade even know about it? I get them knowing who Mom is...but a Priory Investigation that had nothing to do with the Crown directly. Why did they know?" His eyes darted around deep in thought. "The best intelligence gathering organization in Kryta and the best they have is a maybe about something they shouldn't have even known about. Im not buying it."
Yavril
"Alright..." Wen began, finishing the braid and letting it hang. It was a couple seconds before she was aware she had even braided it in the first place. "That does sound suspicious. I do not know anything of the Shining Blade, however. I do not know how to help you here. Unless perhaps the Shining Blade knows more of the problems than they are letting on?"
Kezz Valour
Kezz paused for a moment. "Alright...change of plans. You wanna stay the night in Divinity's Reach? I have a friend who may be able to help. I hope..."
Yavril
"Very well," Wen agreed. "Who is this friend?"
Kezz Valour
"She's a stage performer, pretty popular with the elites in Divinity's Reach." Kezz was pondering how this was going to play out. As far as personalities went Regan and Wen were night and day. Regan was probably going to be a bit upset that he hadn't stopped by in a while, that was just something he was going to have to deal with. "If anything she'll know someone who's going to be able to point us to what we need."
Yavril
"A stage performer?" Wen repeated, a little surprised. "If you think she will be able to help, of course. Though I find myself wondering who a stage performer might know to aid us."
Kezz Valour
"This particular stage performer has a way with words....amongst other things." Kezz paused for a moment. "I have no doubt in my mind she'll have the ear of someone who can help us."
Yavril
"Other things?"
Kezz Valour
Kezz turned and started towards the Asura Gates again. "When you meet her you'll find out...interesting woman."
Yavril
"If you say so," Wen sighed in reply. "And you are sure she will be in Divinity's Reach?"
Kezz Valour
"Positive." Kezz started to walk toward the Asura Gates again. Coming to a short pause and turning around. Wen didn't like this, it was obvious. "That is unless...you have some better ideas?"
Yavril
"I do not," Wen confirmed. "I am simply... unconvinced. But I am sure you will convince me."
Kezz Valour
Kezz nodded truth be told he knew she would be in Divinity's Reach, and she would help anyway possible. Just how much help he wasn't aware of. He had to admit reaching out to Regan was in the best case grasping at straws. But it was the best move more he could make. "We'll rest up in Divinity's Reach then. I know the Bar she tends to play." Kezz looked at the Asura Gate and walked through again.
Yavril
Wen paused before following behind Kezz; she wasn't entirely enthusiastic about entering the human city. Her father had always said such horrible things about humans and what they did, what they thought about Norn, that a part of her still thought at least some of it could be true, despite everything. But... Kezz seemed nice, at least, and she was able to handle herself. So, carefully, she stepped through the gate after him into the human capital.
Kezz Valour
Kezz looked through the gate down the path to the castle itself. Admittely he didn't care much for Divinity's Reach it was too...vain... everything about the place screamed Vanity. From the people to the culture. Turning to Wen he imagined somewhere down the line she'd have some apprehensions about being here. Her old man was a piece of work. One that he would deal with if he crossed her...or him again. Wen, in his mind at least, was worth a more than she thought she was. "We'll go to the Common's and find a place to relax for the night. Then we'll find Regan in the morning...sound okay?" That is...if Regan didn't find them first.
Yavril
Wen looked around, taking in the large landscape, the human-style trees and grasses, not scaled to her height. Humans walked past, a few seemed to clearly avoid her but others just passed right alongside. "Alright," she agreed, giving Kezz her gaze, "That sounds fine. Where are the 'Commons'?"
Kezz Valour
Kezz looked around, in truth he didn't really know what they really called it here in Divinity's Reach. He just knew where it was. "Right...." Motioning to his left he stepped off the platform walking away from the Castle towards an area very similar to the one they had just left in Lion's Arch. Looking around Kezz began to wonder if there would be a place that would accommodate Wen. Size wise that is. Turning back ever so often to look at her he just didn't want anyone to give her a hard time. Or worse Wen deciding she wasn't going to put up with it.
Sol
Meanwhile, as Kezz and Wen navigated their way around Divinity's Reach, Regan Novik was in the midst of a performance. It was not often that she performed outdoors, open for the sight of all, but today was an outdoor festival in the Western Commons. She was paid a pretty penny to lend her singing, dancing, and illusions for the entertainment of the crowds, and she was happy to oblige. Her new gown, a beautiful crimson and gold, accentuated her skin and made her stand out amongst all the other performers. She looked regal, a true crimson lion with her golden curls of hair twirling around in her dance. She bared no fangs, though. She ate up all of the attention she recieved from the crowds, cheering and catcalls all she heard above the music. This is what she lived for, the thrill of adoration and basking in their fixated eyes. She was in her element, even if it was just for one evening.
Kezz Valour
Kezz walking through the Western Commons started to take note of all the commotion. Noticing the constant stream of people he looked over to his right to see the crowds of individuals swarming aroung Regan. He chuckled "Well...that was going to be a bit easier than I thought." Looking to Wen he pointed over to the young attractive singer on stage. "That's Regan."
Yavril
Wen raised an eyebrow; Regan was unexpectedly attractive. She hadn't been not picturing a beautiful woman, but the gorgeous person that stood ahead was definitely surprising. "Wow," Wen said simply, genuinely surprised. "That is truly impressive. It is not what I expected."
Sol
Kezz and Wen caught the tail end of her dance, and with a few expert twirls in sync with her four clones her performance ended with her doubles exploding in a show of glitter and light. The 'oohs' and 'aahs' were quickly followed by cheers as Regan offered her crowd a proper bow. "Thank you, thank you!" She called out to her observers, offering yet another bow. As she picked up her head, she caught sight of what appeared to be a norn woman and a man standing away from the crowd gathered around her little stage. Strange, normally norn kept to themselves during their time in Divinity's Reach, not bothering to participate in any human customs like fesitvals. What intrigued her more, though, was the fact that she recognized Kezz and his bald head anywhere. Well, her night was about to get interesting. "Thank you so much!" She quickly added to her audience, giving them her attention again. "Come back in two hours, where I'll be singing for you! But until then, enjoy the festivities!" And, on that note, she teleported off the stage in a show of flash and grandeur. Yet she hardly traveled far, and anyone who was not watching the stage would have seen her reappear in the alleyway across from the stage.
Kezz Valour
"Yeah she is something special..." The masculine manly man part of Kezz would love nothing more than a night with her. I mean what human male in all of Tyria wouldn't like to be able to say he got close to Lady Monarch. The part of him that wasn't driven by primal desires was the dominate part of his persona today. Lady Monarch was the best move he had in getting closer to the truth of what happened to his mother. It helps that the last time they met they were just a tad bit past being strictly friends. "Come on...i'll introduce you." As he approached the alleyway the first thing he noticed was her skin. Quirking an eyebrow. He stopped in front of her with a playful smile on his face. "Has the good Lady taken a liking to tanning her skin now?" His lips twisted in anticipation to her response. Flirting between the two of them was more of a passive-aggressive chess match with sexual innuendo as the pieces on the board. He might as well make the opening move. The sooner they got to a point where he could ask about the Shining Blade the better. "It makes me wonder if you also tanned the parts you like to keep hidden..." Looking back to Wen he wondered how she was going to take all of this, the flirting Regan...Kezz was a bit more loose with his words with Regan. Sure Kezz had shown Wen his childish side but that's about it. Turning back to Wen his biggest concern was that this didn't blow up in his face. All things considered he needed Wen, and part of him felt responsible for the issues with her family having escalated and he would like to see that through until the end.
Yavril
Honestly, Wen was more amused by Kezz's attempts at flirting than she was set off by it - not that that showed on her face. Perhaps it was the fact that human flirting was very different than norn flirting. Norn flirting, in Wen's experience, tended to be far more direct than 'the parts you like to keep hidden'. Too many times she had turned down drunk norn men. Though, that had less to do with their levels of inebriation or their flirting ability and more to do with Wen's orientation. Anyway, that part didn't set her off. She simply looked Regan up and down, now that she was close enough to have the chance, sizing her up. While a beautiful woman, she was thin, dainty - an obvioius magic user with a body not suited for swinging greatswords. At least, this was the way of thinking Wen had been brought up into. She chose without thought to be silent unless otherwise adressed; she didn't like talking to anyone before she could understand them anyway. When Kezz looked back at her, she just met his gaze as stoicly as always.
Sol
Turning to face the two, Regan offered one of her coy and knowing smirks as Kezz attempted to flirt with her first. So he noticed her skin was looking a little darker these days, how observant of him. "I take it you want a look, Kezz Valour?" She replied, eyeing up the man for a moment before glancing up at the norn woman. Wow, it always threw her off just how tall and strong they were till she got up close (and usually personal). She had to admit, he picked a looker for his companion. Or lover, it was hard to tell since the norn huntress held an unreadable stoic gaze. Either way, she would not have said no to the muscular woman if she had offered her bed for the night. However, she turned her gaze back to Kezz as she snarkily replied, "Why bother with me when you've run off to bigger game in Hoelbrak? Not that I can blame you, you'll never find a human stronger then them, but at least give me some forewarning before running off." He had, vaguely, warned her that he was not going to stay in Divinity's Reach, but she wanted to give him a hard time. It was more fun that way.
Kezz Valour
"I can wait. I would much rather have you all to myself then compete with all this." Motioning to the crowd that was slowly departing Kezz realized he was being a bit rude. "Oh...I’m sorry this is my friend Wen Aystdottir." Motioning to the Norn. "Wen this is Lady Monarch. Regan, whichever she prefers to let you call her." turning his attention back to Regan. "To be honest we came here for something specific. If you can spare of few moments for us."
Yavril
Asssuming the title of lady implied nobility, Wen bowed, the almost impossibly long braid over her shoulder swinging as she did. "Lady Monarch," she adressed Regan, happier to assume the more formal title, just to be safe.
Sol
Regan stared at Wen for a moment, resisting the urge to laugh. The title was a stage name, an insult to her integrity that she embraced rather let bring her down. Yet she gave the norn the benefit of the doubt, for she probably had no clue what was going on here. Plus, she was good looking, so that helped too. "My, how polite. It's nice to meet you, Wen. But there's no need for the title, just call me Regan." The mesmer bard replied, offering her a brief but sincere smile. Then, she looked back at Kezz as she asked, "You disappear on me only to come back and ask for favors? As well as for a peep show?" Placing her hands on her wide hips, she added, "Maybe I'll ask Miss Wen here to warm my bed tonight, then, if all I am is a pretty sight for you before you obviously run off again."
Kezz Valour
Kezz placed his palm on his forehead. Regan was not letting him off the hook. He'd just go along with it for now. "In my defense. I never directly asked for the peep show. You took that ball and ran with it yourself ma'am. Now if you are offering, I think it would be rude of me to not accept considering i've offended you by taking light of your hospitalities in the past." It was all to easy to be sucked in to playing this little game of cat and mouse with Regan. Maybe he should take her up on her invitations. He just knew that nothing substantial would come from it. Kezz met Regan when he was just breaking free of the Pact and wanting to let off and over abundance of stressors, now the situation was much different. Kezz was chasing old skeletons and placing them to rest. Regan just embraced hers and made something beautiful out of it. There was a lesson in that somewhere...but for now the task was the task. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, the kind of sigh that one would give when they are about to say something either unbelievable or so direct that it could offend someone. He thought about his words for a moment. Hell, a night with Regan would probably be exactly what he needed. Maybe go on tour with her and run security...just for awhile... That however was a distraction and one that he could not afford right now... "Regan, I came across some information that makes me believe my mother is still alive and in alot of trouble. It would be a bit much to give you all the details, the Shining Blade somehow caught wind of all this and I have reason to believe they are witholding some information that me and Wen here could use to try and track her down. That's why I came to you. You have alot of friends in high places and I need to get as close to the Crown or the Shining Blade as possible."
Yavril
What did Wen know of human politics? She still wasn't entirely sure if Regan was actually human nobility. This was her first time in human territory, let alone the human city. Regan was only the second human she'd had an actual conversation with, the first being Kezz. Regan was certainly attractive enough to be nobility; at least to what Wen understood. And she certainly had the swagger and confidence of nobles Wen knew. So she just nodded to acknowledge Regan's wishes on names and refocused on her conversation with Kezz, more interesting than any comment she could make. Her only reaction to Regan's comments regarding her to Kezz was to cross her arms, tilting her head - but it wasn't clear if she was upset, intrigued, disgusted, or any other emotion - as always with people she didn't know, her face was unchanging.
Sol
Sighing, Regan crossed her arms and leaned against the wall of the alleyway. So it was purely business that he came to see her that day, what a surprise. Yet, listening to his plight earned a little emotion on her part. She never knew her own mother, grew up as an orphan on the streets of Divinity's Reach. So having that sort of familial bond was something that, while she had barely any understanding of, she was able to appreciate. It was hard to play coy or stay mad when his mother's life was on the line. She was not going to be partially responsible if Kezz's mother died and she had a chance to help. So she let the man's lack of tact with her go. This time. "I can't get you directly to the Crown or the Shining Blade, but I could get you into a party where they may be." Regan finally responded, her tone serious and on point. "I was hired to go and perform at a social event at Minister Zamon's mansion. While I can't guarantee anything, chances are at least a member of the Shining Blade will be there. The queen keeps an eye on all of her ministers, after all. At least, that's what I've heard from the other nobles. I mean, that's what I would do as a queen. You never know who'll stab you in the back." Sighing, she added, "I could let you in on the premise that you are my escort. But you owe me, you know."
Kezz Valour
Kezz smiled humbly at Regan "Thank you ... I really appreciate it. This means alot and next time I come to visit. I will go out of my way to make it worth your time." He breathed it something of a sound of contentment. There was simply one variable he didn't really think about. Wen...plus the fact neither one of them was really dressed to meet a Minister. His eyes were darting around, as if he was considering everything he would have to consider. Minister Zamon. Sure he'd heard whispers about foul play from Minister Caudecus while he was in the Pact but..."Why did you mention Zamon?" The words seemingly were coming out as he was thinking himself through it. "....you know what? Im getting ahead of myself. When is the party?”
Yavril
Finally choosing to join the conversation, Wen frowned. "I am afraid I find myself at a loss," she admitted, "Who is Minister Zamon? I also have no knowledge to attend a human event." Not that she was willing to let Kezz go alone, and it seemed their only option, but... a human party, for what sounded like higher-ups in human politics - Wen would hardly come across as welcome, especially in combat armour as if she was Kezz's body guard.
Sol
"Well, the better question is who was the original Minister Zamon." Regan began, realizing she needed to give give both of them a bit of a history lesson. "Julius Zamon was a corrupt minister who was bribing bandits to attack specific locations in the outskirts of Shaemoor, among many other crimes. He died in trial by combat a few years ago. Despite the unpopular decision, his sister sits in his stead as Minister now. Though she was the one who exposed his black market connections, which I think Queen Jennah weighed quite heavily on. Our queen likes to... see the best in people." Shrugging, the bard glanced between the two and added, "Anyways, the party's planned for tomorrow night, after sundown. And I wouldn't worry too much about formalities. No offence, but human nobles generally assume norns are uncultured barbarians. If you're not breaking tables and drinking all their wine, that's a shock to them." A bit of an exaggeration, but not too far off.
Kezz Valour
"Well that makes things easier. Considering we have one of the most sought after Bards in all of Tyria it would make sense for her to have some muscle." Kezz looked back at Wen again. He didn't want to draw much attention to the situation. Reaching in his satchel, he tossed Regan his purse. It was still a bit heavy. "I have something else to ask of you Regan. Would you make sure Wen is dressed well enough to be considered a part of your escort?" Kezz just assumed the Regan would understand why, something about this still seemed a bit off but he just wanted to go with what would draw the least attention.
Yavril
"I did not know humans had trial by combat. That is noble." The Norn commented as she listened, trying to understand the intricacies of human politics. Wen raised an eyebrow at Regan in regards to her final comment, the most expression she'd worn since meeting the woman. Humans certainly did seem to thing lowly of Norn - though not all of their low thoughts were incorrect. "So I am to appear as protection?" Wen asked, not upset but as if she were confirming - she had no idea what 'escort' meant in this context, and thus was making an educated guess. Plus, hopefully, if she was someone's protection whatever clothes she had to wear would not be too difficult to stand.
Sol
"That's a tall order even for me, Kezz. There aren't many tailors who can make clothes for a norn. Especially on such short notice." Regan admitted, though not throwing the purse back to him. "I'll see what I can do, though the best is probably... a velvet cape to cover her up. A bit. Though, it'd be a shame. She's got great toning..." For a moment, she was distracted by Wen's well toned arms. Though it took hardly any time to shake those thoughts and quickly continued, "But yes, you're going to be my bodyguard. It wouldn't surprise anyone that Lady Monarch pulled someone like a norn to a party as her escort. I have a reputation for shaking things up with the company I keep. I'm sorry to say that anyone around me isn't going to blend in, but I can be a decent distraction."
Kezz Valour
"That will do I suppose., if I haven't said thank you again I want you to know I really appreciate what you are doing." Kezz went over to the purse opened it and took a few coins for himself. Tossing them up in the air. "Well im gonna leave you to it Regan. Im going to find a place for me and Wen to rest." Kezz was tired it showed in his eyes. The soft bags. Playing it back again in his head. He could've handled Regan a bit better. Reaching in his stole a kiss on the cheek from her. I mean if he was going to be untactful he might as well go all the way with it. "I'll see you tomorrow Regan. Try to not to burn through all my cash. I'll have to find a way to get you to pay me back."
Yavril
Wen gave Regan a nod; that made sense, at least. Perhaps she'd have an excuse to be herself; she had honestly been worried about having to make some kind of small talk. How was she going to do that? She was barely capable of keeping up a conversation with Kezz, let alone some nobles she would like far less. Uncrossing her arms, she gave Regan another bow, smaller this time, almost more akin to a nod - if one was looking close the ghost of a smile could be seen on her lips; the teeny bow was about the closest she was able to get to a joke with someone she didn't know.
Sol
Well, Kezz had certainly gotten bolder of late. Normally they flirted for a good while longer, dancing around word games while drinking before they actually showed any affection. He jumped the gun and just went for it this time, though he was under pressure and had time constraints on him. Before he pulled away, she grabbed his chin and offered him a proper kiss on the lips, lingering for a little while before pulling away. "If you're going to be bold, you can do better then a peck on the cheek." She smirked at her crimson lipstick that stained his lips. A little proof. "And don't worry about the money, I'll only spend what I need." She whispered, before letting her hand fall from his face. A grin crossed the bard's lips as Wen bowed, earning an eyeroll before she finally finished, "Yes, yes, alright. Just meet me outside of the Ossan District before sundown tomorrow. We'll need to get to the estate early." And with that, Regan walked off, offering a wave behind her shoulder. She had work that needed to be done before her next performance that night.
Kezz Valour
Kezz was a little bit taken back by her response to the kiss. He attempted to place his arms around the her waist and pull her in closer, but before he could she was done. He lightly tasted the lipstick and he then to Wen as Regan walked away. "Well that went a little bit better than I expected..."
Yavril
Wen allowed herself an amused look, when it was just her and Kezz. "I noticed. She truly is an interesting woman. I can see why you like her." Though, admitedly, Wen could never see herself getting along with Regan very well; the Norn was not prone to jokes, sarcasm, flamboyance, accentuating her more attractive features, unpractical magic...
Kezz Valour
Kezz did like Regan, he just didn't think he could be with her. Sure he they clicked pretty well, but Kezz wanted a life that was a bit more practical. Something slower than what Regan lived. As much as he wanted to think of Regan as more than a pretty face. That's all she could be to him, at least for now. "Regan is just a friend...I did that more for her sakes than mines." All while tasting her lipstick before wiping it off. There was something a bit callous about how he said it. It almost seemed intentional. "Lets go rest up."
Morgan and Yavril and Rieran traveling together doesn’t have great results. Continuation to THIS RP!
Note - this RP isn’t in the usual style because it was done over google hangouts.
Note - this RP takes place only a few years after the secondborn emerge.
Warnings: death mentions, physical injury
Soon enough the sun rose over their small campsite and with it Rieran did so, keeping loving and protective eyes over Yavril, and cautious ones over Morgan.
Yavril was a sleep talker, but with her head between her knees little was understandable if it was even loud enough to be heard. Eventually she nodded awake, looking up drowsily.
Rieran smiled warmly to her, "Morning sleepy. You sleep okay?"
"Mmm... meh, it was alright. I really should have-" her words were interrupted by a yawn, "-have... put out the fire..."
"Well he didn't die, so I'll forgive you on that."
"I would have died first if anyone had died, so. You guys are both awake? Why didn't you-" she yawned again, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Morgan is still asleep." He noted, "I thought you probably needed your rest."
"Well," Yav stretched, "As long as I didn't miss anything exciting. Only thing is that my neck is sore... But you slept alright too?"
"Just fine." He stated her question, "When shall we get moving?"
"When Mo's awake. And I swear, if you suggest leaving him I will just run away without either of you."
"Treesong- fine, god, why don't we just wake him then?"
Yav frowned; "Ri, I was kidding. Why are you pissed all of a sudden?"J
"I'm not, just why don't we wake him?"
Yav raised her brow; "Do you actually want to?"
"If you want to, no point in letting the bastard sleep."
"Rieran."
"That's my name?"
Rolling her eyes, she continued "One, you know what I meant. Two, please don't call him a bastard. Three, he deserves rest as much as anyone."
Rieran rolled his eyes, "Fine, okay, well what do we do until he wakes then?"
"I just- I would like you to say you'll at least attempt to get to know this version of him. He's different. Please create this opinion for yourself. He's not going to hurt you."
"this version." He cocked his head to the side, "There's only one of him and he's a messed up psychopath."
"I didn't say- that's not what I- ugh." Yav grumbled, annoyed at herself and a little at him. "He's messed up but- that doesn't make him a psychopath. And he's trying. In the court there were ask these people telling him what to do- but I've explained this already. Please just try." Honestly, Yav knew the reason she wanted him to try was because she hoped maybe if she could change Rieran's mind... Maybe all the doubts he had created would be put to rest. The man didn't seem to be budging, but... Well. She could hope.
"I'm a good person Yavril, and if someone no matter the threat told me to kill another I couldn't force myself to do that." He was yelling in a whisper voice as he threw his hand back to gesture as Morgan, who was fast asleep, "But him! /he/ did it for a threat so little as pain. He let someone do that to him."
Yavril's brow furrowed, "I... He didn't... Let someone. The court... You know what they do to people. I'm sure Acia just convinced him inside where they could initiate him. He was- brainwashed..."
"Treesong, you're hopeless."
"What? Why?"
"Cause you're coming up with every wild excuse just to prove me wrong, you know what? Just the fact that you have to do that should prove you wrong."
"I... I just want to help my friend..."
"Friend?" He looked to her, cocking his head to the side, "You call /THAT/ a friend?" His voice was louder now, enough so to threaten Morgan's sleeping state."
"Rieran-" Yavril choked, "Please- just calm down. We can talk about something else. I don't want to argue about this with you. I /just/ wanted you to give him a chance." Suddenly, sleepy and very done, Yavril felt pathetic. Weak. She had been like this the day Morgan had broken them out, she had been like this there few days after he left, and she was like this now and - she hated the feeling in her gut that everything was wrong.
"I'm sorry Yav..." A hint of regret pinging in his voice, "I can't do that... Not after what he did to you."
Yavril began to argue, "I don't understand that, even I'm not upset about it, it's not like he did it to-... you." It wasn't like he has hurt Rieran. But... Was it possible... "He didn't hurt you, did he?” Those people- the way here responded to torture... It couldn't have been...?" Suddenly, Yavril had a flash of anger and she understood why Rieran was so upset. If she could kill the people who had tortured him with her bare hands, she would.
"That's... Really not important." He replied coldly to her and flashed his gaze away.
"Rieran?"
"No- n-not exactly, but I saw the things he did..."
"Rieran. Tell me. Please." He had never hidden anything from her before - she didn't want that, ever.
Rieran adjusted his gaze on Yavril, unsoftening and cold as it was, "I saw people close to me have the life ripping out of them, by people like him. I saw that. I watched my friends die in front of me and it was his fault. No fault of my own. That was the only thing worse than getting beaten numb. And the worst part of it all? It was the fact that he didn't have the decency to kill them all- the fact that he brought them back to that death trap of a camp and beat them into doing horrible things, or they were beaten till they couldn't suffer another breath. It might have been better if I didn't have to watch the people I love die horribly or suffer until they do. I've never met a person who made me want to die rather than live, and now I'm here with what is probably the last person I care about, cause the rest are /dead/ and I'm finding out that she's walking around with the man who did all of that to me." He looked back at Morgan, with an anger he reserved only for courtiers before looking away from everything.
A chill seeped into Yav's bones, into her soul; she no longer had the breath to speak, let alone defend Morgan. It was a long while before she uttered a single word, before she even dared to exhale. But when she finally did... she spoke in a breathy voice, so gentle and catious it could have been air. "I remember when we were in Briarthorn. And the first time that man had said your name - talked about you, said... that you had said I wouldn't crack. I had wanted to kill him so badly. I remember when they brought you in, bloody and beaten... and how you didn't say a word to me. How you couldn't. And how Acia had taunted me, said they'd found my weakness. As if having a weakness - and that weakness being you, another person - was so terrible." She spoke as thoughts came, no particular goal in mind. "I remember seeing you for the first time in months - years - and... realizing how much I had missed you. How much I would really lose if I lost you. I kept thinking, there's Rieran. After all these years... There's my little brother that used to think he was so smart." Yav paused again. "I don't know what you want me to say, Ri. And I don't know what you want me to do. I just- .... I just know that... I can't... lose you to this. Not this, of all things."
He watched her carefully, "You aren't going to loose me anymore- I'm not going anywhere, at least.. Not with him around." He spat the word him, as though it were the worst thing to have in existence.
Yavril no longer had anything to say. Her heart clenched; she felt like she was going to be sick. If what Rieran was saying was true... Yavril had always known in the back of her head what Morgan must have done in the court. What courtiers /did/ and what Acia must have convinced him to do... but this was the first time she was faced head-on with it. If it was true. There was still that pit in her mind that didn't want it to be - that didn't believe it was.
Rieran kept his gaze on her, unwavering, "Do you get it yet?"
Yavril glanced up at him, dread behind the mask she always wore. "I don't want to. I wish I didn't- I wish /you/ didn't- ... but yeah... I get it."
"I don't know why you'd wish that, to wish that is to wish that you were naive of horrible things and I'd never want that for anyone."
"I would..." Yav murmured in response, "I'd wish there was someone pure. A brother or sister that didn't have to know or understand any of this. That could just... be."
"Why so they can trust people who will kill them? So they can want into the hands of their killers?"
"No. So they wouldn't have to live with constant fear of an enemy around the corner, someone they're supposed to hate just because they don't agree. Naive of horrible things... means naive of the truth, and if they could keep that around it wouldn't be so bad. The truth isn't great right about now."
"But it keeps us safe."
"So you get to choose between a long life of fear or a short life of bliss?"
"But a life like that, it isn't just bliss." He looked to her, "It's nice until you learn that the whole world is coming down on you and you only get to think that way for a second cause then your life is over."
"I dunno. I still think some people would pick the short bliss."
"Would you?"
"No. Not for all the gold in the world. Still... it's a nice idea."
"I don't know..." He mumbled as Morgan stretched to life from his desolate, lonely tree.
Yavril didn't reply, noticing Yavril wake and happy for any distraction, even Morgan. "Hey, good morning."
He opened his eyes, in a fashion as though he were perfectly awake, "Hey.." He said sleepily.
Yavril, not catching on, put on a forced smile. "Sleep okay?"
"Yeah... I did... fine." He stood up, " we gonna get going?"
Yav sighed, standing up; "Yeah, lets. I need to move." Grabbing her weaponry as the last of her glow faded out and her scars became unseeable again through her shirt, she threw the equipment and bags over her shoulders.
"Where to today?" He watched Yavril intently. As Rieran did to Morgan.
"North. Though I want to stop at a Lionguard fortress on the way there. You guys can just wait for me at the fork in the road." Not particularly wanting to look at either man in that moment, Yav didn't ask if they were ready to go, didn't ask about their belongings, anything, before heading their walk.
Morgan picked up anything that was needed to be and trotted along behind her as Rieran walked aside her.
Yavril didn't look at Rieran, though he was walking alongside her. It was a few awkward minutes before they reached the fork in the road and Yavril finally turned to them again. "I'll be back. Wait here." With that, she headed off down the left path.
Morgan sluggishly moved off the path and into the grass, but Rieran planted his feet firmly in the center of the path. The small yet bright sylvari stuck out in center of the path a centaur happened to be patrolling. Rieran managed to toss a dirty look to Morgan who was off in his own world. It all happened in a matter of seconds, at the second the centaur began running Morgan quickly rose to a stand, "Ri!" He reached out for the man to pull him away as the centaur got close enough to begin the swing of his sword. Morgan caught a loose grib on the mans wrist as he tried to yank him out of the way of the sword. The sword fell across Rieran's chest, slicing it thinly, but deeply. Morgan only had a moment to respond after pulling Rieran away, instantly drawing a pistol from his hip he took his one free hand and aimed for the centaur, firing, if not fatally, it was enough to send him away.
It was a little while after this that Yav returned; expecting nothing dangerous, she savoured time on her own; which was really the main reason she'd left anyway. Good excuse to be on her own for two seconds. She would have stuck around longer, chatted with some Lionguard, but she heard gunfire, one shot from farther away and one from a Lionguard calling for aid - "Centaur!"
Yav rushed out, down to the hill, to spot Rieran injured - again. "Fuck-" she swore as she began her decent back towards them.
Morgan was on his knees trying to lay Rieran down in the best way, "I-" He fumbled unsure of out to deal with the situation. He placed his hand across the wound, attempting to stop the flow as Gold rushed over his hands, "Yavril!" He tried to called out her name, panicked.
At that moment, none of any of the arguments she'd ever had with either man concerned her - she skidded to a halt next to Mo, removed his hands with her own to examine the gushing wound- "Shit, Ri- Ri, can you hear me?"
Rieran tossed his head to the side letting out a pained groan. Morgan scooted away from the two, "I- i didn't know what to do..."
"Fuck- Mo it's okay, just- shit-" the golden blood was spilling over her hands now, her right covered in the sticky substance when she brought it away to push through her bag- when she couldn't do it with only one hand, she pulled it off and tossed it towards Mo- "I need to put pressure on this- Find a shirt, rip it up, make bandages-" That was all the direction she managed before focusing on Ri again.
Morgan wiped his bloody hand on his bag and then tried to rifle through the bag, after a small time he deemed it useless. He tugged off his overcoat and peeled off his thin shirt, ripping it into long strips of cloth. strength
Yavril blinked at him - he was stripping? What the- Whatever. It worked. While he did that, she focused on Ri, asking, "Hey, Rieran, talk to me, yeah? Keep talking- you can't go unconscious on me, you hear? You promised I wasn't going to lose you-"
He tossed his head to the other side going limps as Morgan threw his over coat over his bare chest.
"FUCK-" Yav swore louder, reaching for the new bandages- "Ri- fuck, come on!" She began to lace them together, wrapping them tight around the wound to stop the bleeding. She struggled with lifting him to get them under his back, but eventually got them around enough to cover the wound. "Ri!" She screamed at him as lionguard came running down the hill.
Morgan stared at the two, uneasy, he fastened his jacket, "Yavril.."He muttered probably to quiet for her to hear. A part of him wanted to console her, but he froze up and decided it best to not. Rieran allowed his eyes to shut, only partially responsive.
"Ma'am," one of the lionguard began, but Yav wasn't listening.
"Ri, don't you fuckin' dare leave me here, you hear me? Come on, stay awake!"
"Ma'am, please leave him to us, we can help him."
Yavril didn't shift, shaking visibly.
Morgan placed a wavering hand on Yavril's arm, "Yav, he's going to be okay, lets... let the liongaurd take them, okay?" One of the lionguard kept a steady eye on her waiting on her response.
Yav's gaze shot back to Mo, a pained and emotional look, before then looking back up to the Lionguard. "Oh-okay. Okay. Please- please help him..."
The Lionguard looks down on him and instantly slid an arm around his neck and one under his legs, without a word he began to jog back to the fortress. The second looked back to his partner and then to Yavril, "We'll take care of him... ensure he gets back to the grove.""If you'd like.."
"Yeah. Yeah- he needs to go back. He was so stupid to try and follow me here, I can't believe..." Yav sucked in a breath. "Yeah. I'm just- is it okay if I stay a while, just to say goodbye?"
It was only a few hours. A few, gruelling hours, for Yav, and for Morgan who was desperately trying to console her. Eventually though, Rieran did wake, disoriented and in pain.
"Ri?" Yav tried not to scream as she noticed him shifting; she was at his bedside, of course, worriedly hovering. "Ri- can you hear me?"
He let out a confused moan as he shifted, unopening his eyes and groaning with pain in every breath.
"Okay- okay, don't move. Please," she pleaded. "You were hurt. We're sending you back to the... to the grove."
Rieran's eyes opened and raced to meet Yavril's "N-no." He stated firmly.
"You're not going to win, here, Ri. We're sending you back as soon as we can. You're too weak, you shouldn't have followed me here. I'll be fine."
"No." He spat with a pained sound following, "Not you- n-not with /him."
Yav nervously glanced back at Mo catiously before continuing with Ri. "Rieran, I swear, I'm going to be fine. You need to /actually/ get better. Please- please, for me... just go get better, Ri."
"F-fuck" He looked away from her, "I hate this..."
"Ri," Yav rested a hand on his arm, "You aren't ready to be out like this, not yet. And when you are I'm more than happy to have you along but until then... I just can't put you or myself through that. Please get better...?"
Morgan kept a strange and quiet gaze on the two as Rieran gave up, "I don't... I don't w-want to lose you,.."
"You're not losing me, Ri. You're going to lose me if you kill yourself trying to be out here with me. We're going to see each other again. Send me letters. Just /get better/. I'm not going anywhere. ... you know what I mean."
He rolled his head giving her a look as though he'd accepted, but not been pleased with the results, "F-fine."
"/Thank/ you." Yav smiled down at him. "So how do you feel? Can you move?"
"N-not without the pain.. it hurts to breath..."
Yav winced, trying not to show how upset she was at that. "O-okay. I'm going to go for a bit, okay? I'll be back. I just want to talk to the Lionguard medic." At that she stood slowly.
Morgan lifted his gaze to watch her leave.
Yavril left for a moment to talk to the medic, leaving Ri and Mo alone, assuming Mo didn't leave.
Rieran looked to Morgan weakly, and he didn't say anything but look upon the man. He squinted slightly before threatening Morgan, "I'll k-kill you, I actually will." He fumbled in all of his pain. Morgan didn't need to hear anything else, but rather, he just nodded, "I... I understand..."
Yav, unaware, reentered the room. "He's going to come look at you later, okay? When you've slept more?"
Rieran looked as he stole his gaze from Morgan.Morgan stood, "Whats the plan?" He looked to Yavril.
"Ah," Yav paused, "They said they're going to move you back to the Grove soon, so... we can go? Only if you don't want me to stay until then, though- if you want me to, just say the word."
"Rieran looked from Yavril, "Just go..."
Yavril grimaced at the phrasing, heart shuddering in her chest, but she looked to Morgan and then back to Ri; "Okay... Goodbye, Ri. Please write." She was trying very hard not to cry as she exited the room, not waiting for Morgan, not even checking he was behind her as she exited the fortress.
Rieran hadn't said another word to her, just stayed in his own uncomfortable solitude. Morgan did follow closely behind matching her pace, "You okay?" He called as they exited."
"Fine," Yav replied, still not looking back at Mo.
Morgan looked at her sadly, "Will you please talk to me?"
"Mo, I- I don't have anything to say. Nothing you'd understand. I don't even get it myself, can we please just- go?"
Morgan sighed, "We are, but we can multitask, and maybe I can help you."
"He- he was hurt. It was my fault." Yav still hadn't turned around to look Mo in the eyes. "That's all there is to say."
"I heard you guys talking."
"What are you talking about?"
I heard you guys talking this morning... and I refuse to believe that this is why you're upset because of the things that both of you said."
Yav froze in her tracks. Spun around, looked at Mo in disbelief. "You... ? Why did you- how much did you... hear? I can't-..."
"That doesn't matter..." He fumbled slightly, he'd almost wished he hadn't said something and even continued walking, ""All of it."
Yavril cringed; she didn't know what he took from that, what she expected him to take - did he think she hated him? Surely not... "Mo... what you heard... Rieran's just worried, I don't... I don't know what you got from that, but..."
"I took it for what it was, but I want you to talk to me about how you took it, and I want you to be honest."
"What does that mean- took it for what it was?" The phrasing worried Yav immensely. "I- I took it as Rieran... dealing with some things that happened to him, th-the court. I didn't... know... what to say t-to him... He just... and you and I and..."
"Yavril, tell me how you feel, please."
Yav cringed. "I feel... I-I don't know how I feel, Mo... I feel... worried, and... bad... and... I didn't think about the kind of things he said before he... said them, and I don't know- how to process it."
"Understandable." He kept walking, "But you do think about them now. Do you think I'm gonna kill you? Or brainwash you? You think I'm out for you?"
"I- I didn't. I don't-I don't want to... But... Rieran got into my head and I was thinking and I didn't- want to..." Yav grimaced again; "I just- I just hadn't thought about th-the court before now and- what it meant that you did and- I couldn't... I didn't want to think you would..."
"Okay." He stated calmly, "you need to calm down and just talk to me."
"I..." Yavril didn't understand how he was being so calm. "Talk how? About what? I don't understand what you want to hear..."
He looked to her tilting his head slightly, "I want to know what you think of me. Honestly, i dont care if Rieran convinced you of something, thats irrelevant. I just want to know."
"I... want to be able to trust you, Mo." She said, looking down at the ground, "I think that- you're a good man. I hope you're a good man. But I couldn't even dare to... everything in the court and what you did to Rieran - or what he thinks you did to him... and he's just so convinced that you're bad, I had just thought that you were going to recover from what happened, but Ri just kept talking and I wondered- ... what if you don't?"
"I didnt lay a finger on anything that i didnt have to." Morgan kept his eyes steady, but never looking at her, "Maybe i did horrible things, but i wasnt left with any choice... and i was always confused... and everytime someone looks at me the way Rieran looks at me... or you. I feel the guilt all over again despite the lack of choice i had. despite the fact that if i didnt kill, if i didnt hurt, large groups of people would have been. The things that are held over your head. The things they tell you you need to do. And they do it in a way that even if you think youre right, youre wrong. It puzzles me that any part of you thinks i need to recover from surviving... or that im just going to hurt you, or maim you, or that i dont have nightmares every time i shut my eyes, like i could recover, like i could come out of this nightmare that im stuck in, i dont think you recover from that Yav... i think its part of you. And i think that its a part you cant wash away. I wont lie and say that it doesnt bother me when people think so lowly of me."
Yavril just wanted him to look at her. Just once. So she could understand. So she could just see him, but... No. He didn't. Not a single time. It crushed her like a book on a fly; she was nothing. "I... can't say.... anything. I don't have any words, Mo. I... I-I don't think my concern was totally unjustified, n-nor Rieran's, even if he was so... But I understand. Rieran got to me, kept worrying about my safety and I didn't want to believe him, but he got into my head. Not that this is his fault, but-... I don't know what you want me to do here, Mo."
"Nothing." He let his eyes fall to the ground before lifting to her for a split second, "but if you want to think nasty of the things ive done you mine as well know why i did them. On top of how i feel about them. Ive only ever killed once or twince and i didnt enjoy one bit of it. I went to bed hating myself for myactions, ashamed, scared. But i had to because if I didnt Acia swore worse things to come. I guess she thought that eventually killing would numb my mind and id fall deeper, so she held lives over my head in exchange for horrible things. Even when i touched you, i left the room shaking. I see these things in my dreams. And i cant leave them, and if you're going to be scared of me then you mine-as-well know that. But i wont push on. I wouldnt do that to you. If you dont want to trust me or if youre scared of me ill go, but i wont come back. But know also that all i wanted was some kind of friend. But it seems most just run away from me."
Yav's eyes fluttered shut, head down, as if she was praying. She'd been right. Of course she'd been right. Hadn't she been right? Morgan was not the insane killer Rieran had described, the likes of which she never wanted to meet. He was just... Morgan. Right? Just... forced down a bad path. "I- don't think you're going to hurt me, Mo... I never did, not.. /really/. I'm... just... being an idiot. I... know you wouldn't hurt me." She hoped. She begged. Her gaze flicked up again, trying to meet his; "I don't want you to go. But I don't want you to stay if you don't want to. I don't want to run away from you, I just... Am in the craziest place in the world right now. I'd miss you, but you might be better off without me." At that, her eyes flickered away again.
"What would ever make you say that?"
"Take a wild stab in the dark?"
"No. Why would i be better off without you?"
"Morgan. You're really going to make me say it-" She grimaced; "Because I'm clearly useless. We clearly keep fighting, and I just keep upsetting you. So, maybe it's better if you just get out now. Alright? I'm done, now." She had taken a teeny step backwards, feeling as if her emotions required her to distance herself.
"Im fighting caise i want you to confide in me. I want someone to trust me. He stopped and tried to steal her gaze, "Getting out is never going to be skmething i want to do."
Yavril frowned slightly. She really seemed like she couldn't understand anyone wanting to be around her. "You don't want to go. You want me to trust you," Yav repeated, like she wasn't sure she had heard him properly, like she wasn't sure that that was all.
"Yes. I rather like you."
"I don't see why you would, but..." Yavril paused. She could still feel a bit of Ri in her, the anger and worry that came along with seeing what he had seen, being put through that kind of torture. "But I will try. If that's what you want."
"I'm not asking you to try anything for me, I want you to make your own opinion. I don't feel anyone can make it for you, I think it's wrong to do so."
"Morgan. I'm trying to tell you that- I'm trying to say that I'm going to trust you. I'm trying to say that I'm going to let myself /make/ my own opinion. Please let me."
He looked to her, "I am." He stated plainly before looking away from her again. There were things he wanted to say and things that he wished to tell her, but he got the feeling that he never would. He didn't even want to talk to her about it. Just someone. Anyone. Someone who could convince him that he didn't need to be scared of himself too.
"Alright." Yavril inhaled, sighing. It took a second, but she did eventually recognize the conflicted look on Mo's face. "What is it?"
He didn't do much to deliver her a look as he kept walking, "Nothing."
"And you complain that I lie." Yavril muttered offhandedly, returning to walk beside him.
Morgan looked at her as though he were offended, "You think I'll be honest with someone who doesn't have the ability to be honest with me?"
Yavril sighed, "Mo, I'm really done talking about this. I said I would trust you. You need to understand that I've never had anyone /to/ trust, let alone talk to, expect the Pale Tree, in years. I have old friends, and that's about it. Not being honest with you is an impulse, not a choice, and I'm sorry about that, but I'm done trying to explain it to you. I'll work on it. Leave it alone."
Morgan kept looking down at his feet, "Don't expect me to return what you won't. I wasn't asking you to explain anything, I just... I'll give what you do, and I think that's completely fair."
Yavril didn't respond. Honestly, that made her want to share with him even less, but he had no way of knowing that. She had to feel like he trusted her, at least a little, before she was going to say anything. It was surely the same way for Morgan, which made their entire situation a bit difficult, but Yav sort of needed to follow by example. She couldn't dare express herself without feeling as if he wasn't going to poke fun at her for it, and because otherwise she had no frame of reference.
He kept walking in silence, as did Yavril. He looked to her for a moment. He truly didn't know what to say to her in that moment, nothing could sooth either of them. He wasn't willing to give up everything he had for someone who overall might decide to leave. He needed something two sided... Maybe he'd never find an actual friend- or being to confide in. He want honestly better at being alone than being with someone.
Though unknown to Morgan, Yavril had no intentions of leaving. It hadn't crossed her mind even once. If it would in the future... depended on what he did. She just... he forced her to do things a way she hadn't before, a way she didn't naturally lean to. And then there was Rieran, and... Oh, pale tree. Rieran. Yav had to stifle tears as she thought of him, the man she was sure hated her, now. She'd let him get hurt, left him alone, /let/ him come when she'd known he was going to be too weak to fight... she was suddenly glad that the way her hair sat at the angle Mo could see her from hid her face.
"I'll leave it alone for good now, okay?" He interrupted her thoughts with something that he hadn't convinced himself entirely that she wanted.
Did she want him to? The question on everyone's minds. No. Of course she didn't, not really. At her heart she wanted him to keep bothering her, because maybe she'd get better, /he'd/ get better... But she didn't have the guts or the know-how to explain that to Mo. So she just replied, "Okay." If he detected the hint of disappointment in her tone, that was on him.
Morgan stayed silent despite what he may or may not have heard, "So, let's talk about something else now, then."
"Okay," Yav repeated herself. She stayed silent for a beat, trying to think about anything else to discuss, but failed and the beat turned into her silence.
"You're a second born, right?" He looked to her, "That's pretty cool."
Yavril blinked; she certainly hadn't expected that. "Uh- yeah. Its... a little strange, though." She continued on, just happy to have a conversation she could cling to. "Its like... you're not firstborn, but you're older than most any other Sylvari. Me in particular."
"Well, I figured it'd be weird... But, I mean, I don't know, do you have any good stories? You must.”
"A-ah, oh... Yeah, lots." Yav hunted for one for a moment before landing on one of the most prominent memories of her young life. "Well... we began emerging from the Grove slowly, and no one saw it coming. The firstborns were so confused, and they didn't have much time to react before there were around a dozen of us, at least. So all of the young, confused secondborn had to stand around the Grove while the firstborn tried to understand what was going on. They hadn't expected there to be more of us. So, we're all just standing around, and a man comes up to me, asks what's going on. I'm one of the older ones, so I've been around the longest, but even I have no idea. I tell him that, and he just... stares at me, straight on. Then he starts asking me questions, about when I was born, what I was thinking... He wouldn't let up, so I just thought it was easier to answer him. He was naked, like the rest of the secondborn, so not knowing any better I'd assumed he was one of us. He wasn't, of course. A firstborn, trying to understand what was going on. When I finally figured it out, I... I started making up answers, just to mess with him. The look on his face at some of the things I said..."
Morgan looked to her slightly mused, "What did you say to him?"
"Things like I'd seen two of us having sex and I didn't understand what that was, or that it might be funny to just run around the Grove totally naked, or that I thought one of the firstborns was cute. Just... I don't remember all of it, I just really wanted to freak him out at the time." Yav did manage to chuckle, a teeny bit. "I hadn't liked the fact he was trying to pretend to be one of us just to get information. If he had just asked me like normal, I would have had no problem."
Morgan shook his head with a plain smile spread on his face, "So you were always like that then?"
"Like what?"
"I forget the word for it, but you were always... Stubborn and troublesome in a way that doesn't matter?”
"Ah... I mean, I guess. Mattered to me at the time - he pissed me off. But stubborn... I've always been that, yeah."
"I think I worded that wrong, you're just very stubborn and... I forgot the other word....”
"....I don't know what word you're looking for. High-minded?"
"It'll come back to me eventually."He spoke before falling silent.
Yavril nodded, trying to come up with something else to talk about.
"Ah- so where were you planning on getting to today?"
"We... should be able to get as far as the Gendaran Fields. There's a settlement we can spend the night at. Probably won't be time to stop when we get there but it's the best place for a while to stop."
"That's okay, it might be best if you took a break anyway, we should just stop there."
Yavril wanted to be defensive at the idea that she took a break, and she tensed up. She was not some wilting flower that needed to be waited on and rested every day. She was an adventurer, a tough nut, she'd gone through worse than this and surely would to come. "Alright," she finally replied.
Morgan kept walking, falling silent. He didn't want to push her further and if he were to not he'd simply have nothing to talk about, so he didn't, simply having nothing to talk about.
Yavril let the lapsing silence sit a few more minutes, stuggling to find a topic to discuss. She hardly wanted to walk the journey in silence. Yav found herself annoyed at their predicament - their conversations had used to be so easy. She'd fucked everything up, yet again. This annoyance, though, led to her consideration. Rieran's sudden upsetness when she'd reentered the room, his attitude... "He- Rieran... didn't say anything to you, did he? While I was gone?"
"He did." He stated finely as he kept walking, a vaguely upset curtain clouding he face as he spoke again.
Yavril paused, unsure by Mo's expression and tone if she even wanted to ask, but... "And said what?"
"He said he'd kill me."
Yavril stopped in her tracks; "What?"
Morgan continued walking for a split second and then froze and turned, "What?" He repeated the woman's word curiously.
"He said that?" Her brow was furrowing in anger and disbelief, a disturbed depressed.
"Yes. He did." He didn't really seem puzzled, but more stoic or somber.
Yavril's eyes held Morgan's for a minute, almost as if she was judging whether or not he was telling the truth. Seeming to deem it true, she grimaced. "...Shit..."
"What?" It was the only thing he felt he could muster for her at the moment.
"Rieran... He's upset, and bitter, and... left alone in the Grove I don't know if he's going to let this go, how upset he is..." Yavril's brow furrowed further, if it were possible. "I should never have let him come. I should have tried harder to convince him you were a good man. Now... it might be too late, if he said that."
"Just let him think what he will of me." Morgan averted his eyes.
"Not only do I not want a dear friend of mind to think poorly of you, he's also not one to leave such things alone. He'll leave the second he thinks he's well enough and try to find us again."
"Just let him, you can't convince someone who doesn't want to change, no matter my actions."
"Morgan. I'm telling you that if he says he wants to kill you he's going to try."
"Then, fuck, just let him, I'm not going to kill him. I'll only prevent him from doing damage to me, but I don't think that you could ever convince him otherwise."
"Are you insane? I'm not going to 'let him'. I should have seen this coming..."
"It's not really that big a deal. Most Slyvari would probably agree with him." Morgan would never admit it, but right now, in this moment, he'd never honestly felt more hated. Hated by himself and others, just as others felt about him he felt about himself. His entire moral was glued together with the self hatred of a confused and scared being.
"No, they wouldn't." Yavril's counter was quick and sure, one of the few things she had been sure about in a while. "I think I know many Sylvari who would hope you could come back from what you've been through. Ri... Ri's blinded because he cares about me, knows me so well.”
"Well, I don't think you can change how he feels about me."
"I'm going to damn well try," an aspect of ferocity entered Yav's voice, anger. "And even if I can't, you can't think that there wouldn't be anyone beside me who would think you could change."
"No, not anyone who knew what I did."
"Then why do I, huh?"
"Cause you don't know exactly what I've done."
"I know enough."
"I don't think you do..." He refused to look at her anymore, either to ashamed or too upset to meet her gaze, "You don't and I know that, if you did you'd probably have a hard time looking at me, I know I do."
Yavril winced at his words, but stood her ground. "So tell me."
"Yavril, I don't want to remember anymore." His voice became heavy with some sort of untouchable pain.
Yavril didn't want to force it on him. With each beat of her heart she ached to look at his face, at that pain. "I don't get it," she still said, though, unable to resist, "You say I don't understand, then refuse to explain."
He looked away, "Cause I..." He swallowed hard, "I remember everything. Everything. Every last detail, down to the words and the faces... And I don't want to have to explain cause- it's not. It's n-not, I don't- I don't want to relive this, out loud, cause I already do it every time I close my eyes."
Yavril actually, visibly, noticeably had to stop herself from stepping forward, trying to comfort him in that way. She leaned forward then back, her hands curled into balls trying not to reach out for him, arms raising before falling back to her sides and shaking ever so slightly in the attempt to stay there. Her voice caught, and for a moment she found herself unable to speak. "Tell me what to do," she asked, voice restrained; she was trying not to plead.
Morgan finally allowed himself to look at her, slightly shocked, "Nothing... I just, just stay as you are?" He offered, his only solution. He didn't want her pity, in truth all he wanted was some kind of understanding that anytime someone had called him sick, said they couldn't bare the though of him, or that they...wanted to kill him, he'd only ever wanted to reply with, 'me too'.
What perhaps Morgan didn't understand was that he didn't have her pity. He had her grief. Felt as severely as if it were her own, perhaps more so. Though while perhaps seeming similar, even the same, it truly was not. Pity was something else, something different than this but not nearly as strong. Just by grief's nature, it was capable of so much more depth than pity. She barely registered his shock as she processed all these emotions, proceeded by why it was all her fault. Just a natural impulse, not something she thought twice about. "That clearly isn't helping any," she finally managed.
"Well...there's nothing... That you can do. You can't make me forget, it's not you're fault I'm like this even, but that also means you can't fix it. It's my own fault...and I'm paying for it one way or another and you don't have to help me."
"You know I do. You doing have to... P-pay for it, Morgan, that's not how the world works."
He stepped a little closer to her closing in some space, making the moment feel all the more personal as he let the words come out of his mouth, "I do..." He uttered, ashamed, "I don't know how to not and if I could... I would, but I can't. Even if I choose to ignore it when I'm awake... It's always there, and it's there when I sleep, any time I'm not occupying myself...it's there... I can't have it not be there." Part of him was..confused. Her reaction seemed to be...upset and it was more than he thought. Part of him wished he didn't speak, he didn't realize how talking could have hurt her too.
Yavril cringed, not that he had taken a step closer but that he felt the need to... She didn't know. She didn't have a word for it but she felt the emotion so tightly in her chest. "No," Yavril tried her best to insist. "No, Mo- just because you remember these kinds of things doesn't- doesn't mean you have to torture yourself..."
"Ahh..." He stuttered nervously, "I... I don't know how to not... I can't. Im sorry, I can't, I have no choice."
"You always have a choice. Just... Just don't do that to yourself. You're not- you don't need to be p-punished... That's not the point.
He wanted to reach out and touch her in that moment, maybe console her a little, but he didn't. He just sat there. Looking at her. Again he spoke, his voice failing him now, "Yav- I don't expect you to understand, but I can't help but hate it all, I can't help but be terrified of myself, I'm scared of the things I've done. What I'm /capable/ of doing. I'm ashamed and scared because of the things I fear I could do at any second. I'm... Uncomfortable... In my body and I'm uncomfortable with the way I force myself to continue knowing in excruciating detail what I've done and seeing it reply every time I close my eyes, only cause I'm tried of thinking about it."
There were the words she hadn't wanted to hear. But she'd seen them coming. He'd said it before, but through subtext and implication. But hearing him admit it aloud was so... So different. She choked, trying too hard not to visibly show her depression at what he felt. "But- you're /not capable of that anymore/." She raised the arm he had stabbed - she second guessed herself as she did but she had to show him he wasn't the same. "You could never do this to me again - I really believe that. You have to understand that you've /changed/."
Morgan flinched slightly, if maybe even taking a step back, "I..." His voice wavered, "N-no, I don't want to think anymore..." His eyes shot down, "I hurt you." Another very real thought he'd pushed away since he saw her again, "I can't... I... Fuck." He stammered never bringing his eyes to his. He couldn't. She wasn't- he wasn't enough for her and she certainly didn't deserve him, whatever he was, friend for more or less. She didn't deserve this.
"You did what you thought you had to-" Yavril pleaded for him to understand, hearing the hesitation, regret, the sound of him drawing into himself. She took a step forward finally, desperate that he not destroy what little progress he had made. "Mo. I don't hold it against you- you shouldn’t either - you're trying to atone. That's important- that's what's most important." At that she lowered her arm again.
"I c-can't..." He chocked, looking pained now, "I don't think I'm even.... Ready...”
"What does ready even mean?" Yavril demanded, getting desperate and worried, "When else are you going to be ready? Or are you going to wallow in your sadness - I don't want that for you, you don't need that! Y-you need to be free, you need to stop torturing yourself for anything you did to be or to anyone else.... /Please/, Mo..."
"Yav- please..." He chocked out the words like they were truly his last option, on the verge of tears.
"Tell me you're going to try to stop torturing yourself!" Yavril demanded, tears having long been in the corners of her eyes though they were not yet spilling. "/Promise/ me you'll /try!/"
He stared at the woman completely taken away by her power. He could bare it. He couldn't lie to her. "Yav, I" he swallowed hard again fighting tears, "I can't... Lie to you... You deserve better than that, but I just... I don't know if I can look past this right now..."
"So don't lie- ... I'm not asking you to look past it I'm just asking you not to /hate/ yourself for it! Y-you're never going to move on if you hate yourself for things you can't even ch-change..."
Morgan looked at her pained for only a moment before he tried to respond with an 'okay', but he honestly wasn't sure if he was capable of that. If he was actually capable of not hating himself
Yavril grimaced at the look of pain on his face, the sheer force of the emotion. Pale Tree... The man hated himself so much... "You-" Yavril's voice broke at the sound of if it; she didn't know how to do this. "Y-you're... So strong, Morgan... And you're a good man, whether you believe it or not, and... I can't watch you hate yourself like this. I just... Can't. /You/ deserve better than me."
He physically flinched at her last sentence. This couldn't be but the farthest thing from the truth. Someone like him, an abuser, a killer, a ruthless, uncaring monster. He made himself sick to the core, and though he'd never believe it, no one truly hated Morgan, more than Morgan. He wanted to disprove her or fight, but he fell silent before briefing her slowly, "Yavril- you can't... I can't..." The emotion in his voice and eyes ever wavering, seemed to seep into her, "I'm really not... I can't excuse myself when I was a horrible enough person to look someone who was pleading with me; pleading with every part of them, their eyes, their voice, they were repulsed though bound and you know what I did? Despite every impulse in me I slaughtered them and I did it in just the way that I knew what they would feel before they died, it wasn't quick and painless, it was slow and painful and they probably didn't even know they were going to die until the last blow. That's only one person and if you asked me I could tell you the look on their face, the words they spoke, the way they cried for the ones they loved, and every single wound they bore before dying. If you think someone who can look at you and in a matter of minutes, have you dead in the most painful manner he could muster, if you could look at that and not hate it..." He fell short as his voice broke his casting his gaze away.His gaze casting away*
Yav's eyes fluttered shut as he went into details - hearing was enough pain that she did not need, could not deal with, the tortured expression on his face as well. His words... He remembered every cut like he was still performing it, every look like he was still seeing it. As he spoke the scars he had given her seemed to light up with pain and discomfort; she rubbed her arm slightly without even realizing it. Her voice shuddered; "...What do I say to that?" She uttered quietly, like a question in the night when one was worried about cracking the silence. "What does... anyone say to that?" Her eyes, still closed until now, reopened hesitantly, her hand still rubbing the scar. "I-I... I can't tell you that... That doesn't make me angry. Or afraid. But so much of that... Wasn't you, and... No matter how upset it makes me... How could I hate you when you feel such remorse? Such pain at what you did...?"
Morgan listened, but didn't look or touch, "I...I don't know, but I'm scared of myself. I'm scared to know that I'm in a body capable of taking away those things from any, let alone someone who hasn't done anything wrong. I'm terrified of myself and I don't know how much of it is hate, but I can't actually handle what I've done and I don't know if I ever will." He shifted, stepping away from her, "I'd understand...if you didn't want to trust me, because I'm not sure I could trust myself if I were you."
Yavril took a cautious step forward, a simple gesture that she hoped showed that at least she wasn't backing away, that she didn't want him to. "Morgan. So many people are /capable/of doing those kinds of things. It comes with being able to defend yourself in this world. Not everyone could emotionally do that, but... That's not your body. You can't blame it for that. Your own skin is the one thing you have... you will handle the things in your past; it's part of being alive. Otherwise you're just... Lingering. In limbo." She paused. "Please don't force me away. I want to help you, but I can't if you do that to me. I can only take no so many times."
"I know..." He lifted his gaze cautiously, "I won't..." He said decidedly, if not still in his broken tone.
"Good," Yavril said firmly, wiping moisture from her right eye quickly in the attempt to not make a big deal out of it. "I'm going to hold you to that. Hear?" She didn't know what she could do to make Morgan understand that he didn't have to hate himself, that she couldn't hate him - despite some of her instincts - so it was clear in her voice, her movements, that she was /just/ trying to /be/ there.
"Sure..." He crumbled slightly, "We should..." He pointed to the path.
Yavril nodded, but it took a few seconds for her to move anywhere. When she did finally continue, she was a silent presence to Morgan, though a chaotic source to herself. She'd always felt emotions strongly, but this... was something entirely new.
Morgan watched her carefully for a short while before too falling silent and looking at the path his feet walked on.
Neither of them dared with a single word as they continued on, at a almost disgraceful pace, but neither one was inclined to hurry along. Yavril shifted her place a little as they passed the centaur encampment, but they were low enough and careful enough that they seemed to go by unnoticed. That wasn't where the pair found trouble. Further up the road, as Yavril had been about to lead them right and up towards the Gendaran Fields, a small voice sounded from behind them. A child, calling out "Wait! Waaaaiiittt! Please, help me!"
Morgan stopped dead in his tracks throwing a glance to Yav, silently asking her what to do.
Yavril frowned, looking between the kid and Mo for a minute before calling out - "What is it? What's wrong?"
It was a human child, a little boy dressed in nice clothes - but more nice like one might wear going to a wedding rather than nice like expensive designer clothes. He came to a stop in front of them, panting and sweating. He looked a little bit shocked at their appearance but whatever was upsetting him seemed to be more important. "It's my sister!" He wailed, sniffling and crying, "The-the-the bandits took her!"
Yavril grimaced; "Okay, hey, calm down for a second, huh? Just- just..." She put a hand on the boy's shoulder, but at the first indication it was okay to touch her the kid barreled into Yav, clutching her legs and begging
"Please get her back! Please please please please please!"
Morgan blinked cautiously at the child and knelt down so he might find himself at eye level with him, "We can't help if you don't calm down."
The kid's wide eyes turned to Morgan, though he hadn't let go of Yavril. He hiccuped; "Th-they said something about how she was... pretty... o-or something, and th-then she was really angry a-at them, and sh-she hit him really hard and then they tooooook her away!" He was crying again, tears flowing down his face.
Yavril rested a hand on the boy's head, trying to soothe him; she was a little useless, though, because the kid had his arms around her and she couldn't move down to look him in the eyes. So she just settled for stroking his head - humans have such soft hair, she always found it strange. Giving Mo a pained look, she said "There is a bandit camp nearby... You can see it from here." She nudged her chin in the direction, where past a small hill bits of the makings of a camp were indeed visible
Morgan looked in that direction, "Well... What- what do we do with the kid?"
"P-please don't leave me alone!" The boy wailed.
Yav grimaced; "H-honey, what's your name?"
The child refocused up to Yav's face; "A-Anthony..."
"Okay, Anthony? I need you to go up to that Lionguard fortress there, you see it? I need you to go and wait for us."
Anthony shook his head hard. "No- nu-uh I don'wanna go alone!"
Letting out a sigh, Yavril glanced at Morgan. "Okay, I'll take him - I'll be back in a minute, just as soon as I find someone to stay with him until I find her. You can look around if you want, see if you can see her? Don't have to, though." Yavril spoke like she was unsure if he would want to help the kid, something she seemed keen on. "You can just wait, otherwise?"
"Probably... Better to wait..."
Yavril nodded; "Okay, Anthony," she looked down at the boy again, "come with me for a bit, yeah? I'm gonna find somewhere safe for you to stay while I get your sister."
Anthony nodded, finally letting go of Yav's legs. He grasped her hand, though, but she didn't seem to mind even a little. She just smiled down at the boy, and with a nod to Morgan disappeared for a few minutes to take him away.
Morgan looked around a bit, marking anything specific as he waited for her to come back to him.
Bandits weren't subtle creatures by even the loosest definition. However, the small rolling hills did give the band a little privacy; behind it only the tops of their perches in the trees could have been seen. A few times, a man or woman wearing traditional bandit reds might walk by in the distance, giving Morgan a sour look but not attacking.
Yavril returned later, childless. "Alright," she said, sighing, "You don't have to come with," she clarified, "But this is just about what I do. I'm gonna go see if I can find the girl - Anthony says she's nineteen and her name is Aine."
"No, I'll help, but they already know we're here."
Yavril glanced over towards the camp; "Scouts?"
He nodded, "yeah, something like that."
"Okay... I at least want to try and reason with them first. Hopefully they're half sane. Ready?" Yavril walked a few steps towards the camp then looked back at Morgan.
He followed behind her, as though he were her shadow, staying silent.
The bandit camp they were entering was just what one might have expected; very make shift, forts set up in trees from random planks of wood, tents in no particular order or unity placed sparatically around the area, crates and barrels of supplies used as tables, and in the middle of it all were the humans, dressed mostly in yellows and reds, faces covered by helmets or masks to conceal their identity.
One of the bandits was supplying a crate when someone hollered, "Company!" In a sadistically pleased tone. The man supplying the crates looked up from his place with a devilish smirk, looking at the 'company'.
Yavril halted, raising a hand to warn Mo to do the same. She waited until she'd been still for a few seconds before calling "We want to see whoever's in charge!"
The man who was supplying wiped his filthy hands on his pants, and with a gentle tug he pulled the half face mask down to reveal himself, "You're looking at him."
Yavril tilted her head at the man; at least he was up front. "Listen, we want the girl that you took today. No one needs to get hurt, here, just give us Aine and my friend and I will leave." She was trying not to feel intimidated, a Sylvari surrounded so completely by humans, but she didn't have another choice. At least there was Mo. Even if he did nothing, at least he was there.
Morgan stayed, shadowing her still, but merely observing the encampment.
The man cocked his head to the side, "Oh?" He let small chuckle out as he approached her further, "What are you and your friend going to do, if I don't agree?"
"I will kill you if I have to," Yavril warned, "Even if I don't want to. She's just a girl. Not worth your life." Though she inwardly cringed at the idea of having to kill him, it didn't dare display on her face.
He made a face of disgust, "You're out of your mind if you think you're threatening."
Yav pulled her bow off her back, notched an arrow in less than half a second and shot it directly towards the man's head - if a little to the left. It swished past his left ear, only barely missing his skull, to go a few metres further an land in a tree. Finally lowering the bow as the arrow lodged itself in the bark, she called "Am I threatening now?"
The man moved so little, flinching and swerving away from the arrow. He didn't share the sentiment, but he laughed it off regardless, "Sweetheart, if you kill me you definitely won't get what you want." His voice was certain on that, but equally shaken by her movement.
Morgan placed a firm hand on Yavrils shoulder leaning into her ear, "I think he has archers." He muttered referring to the earlier established perches he saw.
Yavril let her head tilt towards him, "Don't worry about me," she replied quietly. To the bandit, she called "Maybe not, but at least you understand the nature of my abilities. Are you going to give the girl back?"
He laughed, "No!"
"And why not?"
"You haven't given me a good reason."
"Because there's a fortress full of lionguard ready to take her back by force if you don't let her go peacefully."
He straightened his posture and cocked a brow, "Really?" He let out an exasperated sigh, "what if I told you that if you didn't leave she wouldn't be here for you to save?"
"So tell me what you want for her, hm? She's just a girl, she's not of use to you."
"She is if someone wants her... Maybe even if no one did." His voice raised with a suggestively repulsive tone.
Yavril shot another arrow past the other side if his head the second that the thought left his mouth. "Don't even fucking /think/ it," she demanded, in a voice more low and threatening than she ever was. "You know who wants her? Her little brother. And you know who's not likely to let a little kid go without their guardian? The lionguard. And do you /really/ think they're scared of a bunch of bandits? They're the lionguard. So you might as well turn her over now, because they are very aware of where the girl is, and if I don't return with her after a while don't you think they're going to just come get her themselves?"
The man didn't want to let himself be intimidated, but he was running out of ideas, "Maybe...we could make a deal?"
"What kind of deal?" Yav asked carefully, a little stoic - it would have been impossible to tell how willing or suspicious she was.
"Ah-" He looked her up and down in a grossly interested manner, "Well I've never been with a Slyvari before."
Morgan gave the man a disgusted look, tempted to speak up or pull Yavril away, but instead his slid his hand off her shoulder staying silent.
The thought process was short, but it was a thought process. She glanced over her shoulder at Mo, but not even really enough to see him properly, just enough to acknowledge that he'd shifted. She frowned at the man, hands wrapping firmer around her bow. It was.. an option. But a bad one. Unless it was a last resort, she wasn't willing to even have the thought. "Don't look at me like that. No."
He lowered his eyebrow, taking a step forward, "Why not?"
"Among a hundred other reasons - because I do not know you, because I am not for sale, and because I am not willing to o anything of that sort because you are curious."
His face fell dissatisfied as he frowned, "I can tell you really don't want the girl that bad."
"There has to be something else you are willing to ask for."
"Not that piques my interest..." He began to get uncomfortably close to her.
Morgan watched until he reached to touch her. That was too far.
Morgan gripped her shoulder firmly again, but pulled her into him this time, "Listen, give us the girl, no one should pay you in favours of any kind. You don't have the right to help yourself either." He snapped, speaking out for the first time.
As the man had reached out to touch her, Yav had raised her bow ever so slightly - at close range it was useless, but it made her feel a tiny bit safer as she worried he was going to try and take what he wanted from her. She'd been about to speak out when- she found herself pulled back into Morgan a little; her gaze flashed back at him for a moment, just a touch surprised. Fixing the stare back to the bandit, she said "Do not touch me. Just give her back, or I'll make sure the lionguard come for your entire band."
The man groaned, "Fine- alright, how about you guys pay her off then, hm?" He folded his arms as he looked at the pair.
Yavril stepped back a little, so that - due to the fact that Mo had pulled her back towards him - she was more next to him than in front. She only shivered when she was far enough that the man couldn't have noticed, though Morgan probably would have. "How much?"
"Well?" He demanded, "What's the stupid girl worth to you?"
"10 gold." She could go higher (if not much), but that wasn't a half bad price - she was hoping he'd just take it.
"15." He bargained quickly, obviously in a bad mood from her rejection.
"11 and 50 silver."
"Fuck, fine, pay up though."
"I'll pay you when I have her."
"I'll show you she's alive, but I need the money first. I need...something first."
Yav dug through a pouch at her hip, pulling out several gold coins and holding them out - noticeably very far from her body. "Here's five. You can have the rest when I have her."
He looked back to someone motioning to them. After a short period of time a bandit came out with a young girl, bound at the wrists.
Yavril cringed at her disheveled appearance; she could only hope the bandits hadn't already taken advantage of the situation. Yavril stepped over, away from Mo, taking the girl gently by the rope-bound wrists and avoiding the bandit leader widely. She smiled reassuringly at the girl before turning to the man and offering the rest of the money stoically - but not before gently tugging the girl just far enough away to be out of anyone's reach but her own.
The girl averted her gaze and refused to ask questions as the bandit grabbed the money and watched them walk away.
Yavril placed a hand on the girl's back, giving Morgan a look as she led the girl away from the bandits.
Morgan followed closely behind the two and spoke after a moment, "To the lion guard?"
"Yes, let's just... get further off..." she stayed silent until they were back at the street, when she gingerly took Aine's hands, slicing through her bonds. "Are you okay, Aine?"
Aine grabbed her wrists instinctively, "I'm... A-alright, wheres my brother?" Her first thought and primary concern.
"He's at the Lionguard fortress. Safe, I promise. One of them is watching him. You aren't hurt?"
"Bruised...sore, but I'm fine, they didn't hurt him, right?"
"No, he was just shaken up... He was still crying when I left him."
"Can you take me to him, please?" Her eyes pleaded with Yavril.
"Of course. This way." Yavril led Aine down the road, over the bridge, and into the fortress, where Anthony was sitting, sobbing, in a corner.
Aine ran over to him instantly scooping up her brother, nearly in tears.
"AINE!" the boy screeched as he was picked up, wrapping his tiny arms around her neck hard enough to suffocate her. He was still crying/hiccuping - an interesting mix of both, really - now into Aine's hair. The pair brought attention down on them from nearby lionguard, but not unhappy attention. None of the soldiers had been able to calm Anthony down, and due to his shreaking had eventually chosen to to leave him alone. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" The kid hiccuped to no one in particular.
Yavril kept her distance, standing to the side and just smiling at the happy pair.
Morgan looked to Yavril, "Do you want to keep going now?"
Yav looked over to him, back at the pair, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, lets go." She took a few steps backward before turning round, avoiding Morgan's gaze as they left and staying silent.
He followed behind her cautious, "Everything alright?"
Yavril looked to Mo, opening her mouth to say she was fine. A natural instinct. But looking at Morgan's face... She was reminded of what he had been brave enough to say to her that day, the things he had admitted and the problems he had shared. Had he not earned her honesty? "The... Way that guy looked at me. The bandit leader. It. Ah, bothered me. ...He dragged his eyes all over me, got so close... If he had actually managed to touch me... I felt weak. I hardly ever feel weak."
Morgan frowned deeply as she spoke. Maybe it was the idea of what she said, or the tone in her voice, but he was offset and now slightly mad again, as he had felt before when the man stepped closer. He opened his mouth to speak, hardly acknowledging her opening up, "I'm sorry... I can't say I understand the feeling..." He kept a steady gaze on her pained features, "I didn't know if you wanted me to protect you, you usually don't want that."
"I don't... I don't want that, no. I mean, I appreciated it, of course. Thank you. But I don't want to /have/ to be protected, if that makes any sense at all." She paused, looking back up to Mo, "It just set me off. I'll be fine."
He smiled with a small amount of sorrow, "I know you don't need protection." He said plainly as his smile dissipated, "But I honestly, I don't think I pulled you away for you, but more for me, if I'm being honest, I didn't like the way he looked at you either." He thought for moment, "Are you sure, that's all though?"
"That's an interesting way of thinking about it..." Yav commented; she hadn't really thought of it like that at all. It was very foreign, she had a hard time even understanding what it meant. She wasn't convinced she did. To his last question she tilted her head; "What do you mean?"
He was taken back at her comment, it was just a normal way to think for him, but he spoke, "Just are you okay, alright, fine." He sounded with a hint of clear sincerity.
"Oh." Yav paused. "Yeah. I'm sure I'll be fine, it wasn't like he did touch me. I appreciate your help. Just, ah, freaked me out. I don't like feeling weak. I feel stupid when I feel weak."
"Well you aren't weak, trust me on that." He kept walking, no longer looking at her.
“Well there was no way we were going to get out of that if I had attacked. But not attacking when he tried to get close made me feel weak. If... that makes sense. I didn't have any option but to just stand there and try to reason with him when I wasn't entirely sure if he was going to try and... do something by force."
"He probably would have. People like that... They aren't of value, all life has value, but the life that tempts the happiness of other life. He has to trap you completely to get his way. That doesn't make you weak, that makes him weak. He doesn't feel safe without a group to protect him, you don't need anyone to protect you."
Yavril watched Morgan carefully as he spoke, taking in the sentiment behind his words - they made sense. More sense than a lot of the thoughts she'd had in a long, long time. She was less convinced that he was entirely without value - because didn't everyone have value one way or another? - but... she did actually feel a little stronger for having heard his words. "...Thank you. That... is helpful. ...More than I honestly expected." Maybe talking to someone when she was feeling something wasn't so terrible...
He was quiet for a long time, looking blankly at the ground they walked on before speaking again, "You don't have to thank me for that, it's the truth and I'm glad that it helps you."
"I wish the truth were a little more obvious to me," Yavril noted. "I don't know if my emotions just skew it too much, or... but I always have trouble pinpointing what I'm actually seeing and understanding - especially if someone is telling me something without directly saying it - and separating it from what I want to see. From what I think I should be seeing."
"I don't know that I've ever felt the same. Things are just laid out in front of me and usually, that's just how it is, you know? But that's not always bad, you have an interesting view on things, and that's why we're not made to be solitary, we'd never solve anything, we need interesting thinkers, different thoughts."
"I suppose. I think you're the one with the interesting view on things - but it's entirely possible that it is just because we're so used to our own ways of thinking. It is strange, though - so many of the Charr, the large race out East, seem to be so similar and strong. But then every Asura I've met seems to be drastically different. I'm sure on some level I'm just not seeing the whole picture, but... I have noticed."
"No, you see the whole picture, you acknowledge it. You just don't make sense of it, it's kind of impossible to not see the big picture, especially when it's so interesting."
Yav nodded, "Sure, that's a way to put it." After a pause, she noted, "That's kind of why I like traveling so much. Outside of the escape... The more I see of the world, the more I do, the more I can make sense of the picture."
"Can't say I've really had the pleasure."
"No, you... Wouldn't." Suddenly Yavril was feeling awkward again - she fought to bring the conversation back 'round. "You should do it after you've left me - I find it very rewarding. I think you would enjoy it."
"I don't think travelling alone would be nice."
On a certain level, despite the drama and the fact that she was almost always alone, Yavril agreed wholeheartedly. On the other hand, "I find it peaceful. There's the traveling and the quiet, and then intermittently people. But... I do like traveling with other people as well. You're welcome to stay as long as you want. If you want."
"I'll stay until I'm not welcome, but I don't like being alone with myself."
"You're always welcome," Yavril told him, but while it was full of sincerity now, she worried that should Rieran return, try to convince her out of it... She almost continued with 'why not', but after the days admission the question seemed moot. So, instead, she responded, "...I wish you were."
"You wish I were.... What?"
"Okay with being alone with yourself."
"I'm okay with it." he shifted slightly, "I just don't enjoy being alone with myself.
"You should." Yavril replied, but understanding that maybe it was a topic she should let rest, switched to a memory instead after a pause. "... I ever tell you they still had me listed as your mentor?"
"Oh, I don't even remember any of that, honestly, it's there and I just can't reach it... Kind of."
"Really?" She asked, surprised at first but when she gave it some thought it didn't seem all that shocking. Not only did that seem to be Mortiuus, not Morgan, but even if it wasn't after everything he'd gone through... Yav wouldn't be surprised if they had just beat it out of him. "Well," she said, pulling herself away from her vaguely dark thoughts, "I guess at some point the Luminaries started wanting to keep track. Your Luminary remembered us and added us to the list. So, eventually, someone who knew I was supposed to have a sapling with me asked where you were and I had to take us off said list. Good times."
"There's a list? That's kind of dumb."
" 'List' is a simplification. They just wanted to be able to remember which saplings where gone and with who."
"So where do they think I am?"
"I was vague. I just explained that I could no longer be described as your mentor, you weren't under my protection any more. I didn't tell them you were with the Court, just... Independent."
"How'd they respond to that then?"
"Wanted to know more, of course. Not many mentors have finished with their... students. Saplings. Whatever. At the time I was still kind of upset about how it all ended, so I think I was kind of pissy with the guy that talked to me."
"I'm sorry." He said dissatisfied, yet continued, "Honestly, I'm not sure I could ever stomach going there."
"Nah, nothing to be sorry about. But- back where? The Grove? How come?"
"I just couldn't. I can't. It's like walking in front of people. It's just more of my self consciousness and I couldn't."
"But... You're okay out here with me? You seem... Find right now. I mean, that's not always an indicator, but..."
"I don't know, I just, I feel generally more comfortable around you. Like I've known you for a long time, yet there's always something new and refreshing to discuss."
Yav let his words hang in the air for a moment before responding herself; "That's... Good. I'm glad. It's, ah... True. With a lot of other people I struggle with the small talk, but with you... There is no small talk." She paused. "I guess we have known each other for a long time, /technically/."
Morgan shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets, "Yes, and no, I knew you, but I never... I never knew you, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. We never actually had the whole mentor/sapling relationship until... Well, ever. But you know me now. Kind of."
"Ah, I don't care for that dynamic, is much rather just be equals." He said decidedly.
"Agreed," Yavril nodded, equally decisive. "You're definitely not a sapling anymore."
He looked to her curiously, "why do you agree?"
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I?"
"Well, just your reasoning."
"You want my reasoning... Because you're older now. Because you understand yourself and the world better now. Because if we weren't equals, I would feel strange."
"You talk strangely about it."
"Oh?"
"Yes, just like of age, when as I looked at it, they're never youthful and undeveloped, but ignorant..."
Yavril tilted her head; "I'm not sure I understand..."
"I'm not sure I could explain it..." He hummed lowly.
"I talk strangely of... Age? The saplings, they're ignorant not underdeveloped? That's what you're saying? I'm not sure there's a wide difference."
"There is a difference." He assured her, "Being underdeveloped means there are things you can't understand, being ignorant means that there are things you just don't understand now."
"I know what they mean. I just think - in saplings, it's kind of the same thing. Or both. Everyone evolves."
"There's a different between evolution and learning. People learn things and those things change them, but to age is to physically change, not just how you feel about things." He looked to her gently, as though to read her thoughts, but he could never. She was completely unknown to him, and that was intriguing.
"No, see," Yavril continued, oblivious, "We all understand more as we age - with age comes wisdom. Partially /because/ we learn, but also because we mature, we see things differently. Plus, with us, the more the dream knows, the more we know."
"Does not mean we grow physically."
"True. But that's not the important part of growing."
"I disagree, if you are a race that grows, it is equally, but as Slyvari...we don't really do that, so all there is is building on memories and thoughts, but that's not the same as developing."
"You're crazy if you don't believe Sylvari mature, and not just because of experiences. It's a natural part of age, that even we do. Even with the same experiences, you're not the same man you were when I met you."
"I just think it's different, I don't think it's not there." He gave off a slight chuckle, "I just think it's different."
Yavril looked back up at Morgan, vaguely amused. "Maybe than other races. But we're closer to that tree," she gestured to one in the distance, "than to any other race. It's kind of hard to compare, huh...?"
"Sure." He said decidedly, falling slowly silent before, "How long is the rest of our travels for today?"
"Ah, another hour or so, why?"
"Just curious." He let out a sigh, "so, what do you want to talk about? I'm sure there is plenty to talk about, I just...can't."
"We don't have to talk, if you don't want to."
"Why would I ask you what to talk about if I didn't want to?"
"...Politeness? And you just said you can't."
"Oh- I, I meant I couldn't think of anything."
"So you do want to talk... We can always come up with something deep and dramatic, I'm sure. How do you feel about destiny? Free will? Love? Horrors?"
"I don't believe in destiny." He said simply before continuing, "I think you choose to love people."
"No destiny, and choosing to love people..." Yavril repeated, noting his choices. "Do expand!"
"I just feel that the point of living a life is free will, and for me even if I do have a destiny, I don't want to know. It takes away from the ability to enjoy life, just thinking that someone is making my own choices, I don't know I could handle thinking that way. I don't want to be under anyone's control anymore, you know?" He looked over to view her curious face.
"Sure, that makes sense." Yavril nodded, taking in his words; she didn't appear surprised at his point of view, though she clearly disagreed. In fact, she totally understood why he thought that way, after everything with the Court? She smiled softly, "I just think the idea is at least nice, even if it's not true. It's a solid ends point, and you can do whatever you want in between but you always get there. I'm not convinced necessarily that destiny means no free will. Though I guess it must suck for people with crappy destinies. Thinking you were just always heading for something awful."
"I just don't want to think that I have to end up anywhere, ever."
"Well, it's true you have to end up /somewhere/. But I honestly think that we have free will. You're going to do exactly what you want to, and, hopefully, end up where you want to. Where that is is something only you know."
"Well I don't even know, so I'd have to disagree."
Yavril giggled; "I get the feeling we're never going to agree on that." She paused gaping on another topic until, "So, what about love? You think you choose it- you don't think you fall in it?"
"Well, I think it's a feeling, for sure, it's something that you place in someone, but I think that sometimes it doesn't stay cause people just want it to be there, they don't choose to keep it."
"I mean maybe, but love is just an emotion, right? So it's affected by a lot of outside things - /including/ not choosing to put in effort, but also how well you cooperate, how and when and on what your opinions differ. I mean I don't have a /lot/ of experience to go on, but at /some/ level, though probably not all, falling in love is just an impulse. ... Falling in love seems like a weird expression. Like you were just walking down the street that was your life until you tripped and fell in the big puddle of love and now you're wet and covered in it."
"Yeah, and if you don't make the conscious choice to keep rolling in it, it will dry up."
"Thing that sucks is that some people don't like being wet. They just don't. But it hurts the other person on the puddle when they decide to get out of it."
"Well they some people need to grow up, you can't expect someone to be wet for you."
"Well, I don't think that they 'expect' the other person to be wet, necessarily. Sometimes they just fall right out of the puddle without meaning to. And then there's some times when it was only ever one person in the puddle you begin with... Pale Tree, love is so complicated when you think of it like that. So many bad things. It's never seemed that complicated in the moment, in real life, has it for you?"
"I don't think I could really tell you, but I also don't think it's that complicated, I think if you love someone, you do, and if you don't, you don't. You can't spend your time worrying about who shouldn't have fallen in love with you. Or who should have. You just wait until you do and you bring someone else with you. If you don't you'll go crazy."
"Yeah... I agree, like - I love Rieran, right? And he loves me. I mean, I love all of our brothers and sisters, but I've known Rieran for so long. And that seems simple most of the time. It's just how it is. But then sometimes... Like, if he didn't care about me so much, he wouldn't harbour so much hatred against you specifically for- ... Everything. And then there's all our brothers and sisters- every time we lose one to the Court I feel this- well, it's really hard to explain. And if I didn't love them all so much I wouldn't feel that way, and it's so hard to watch someone do these horrible things ands /still/ love them..."
"Mmm..." He fell silent taking in her words, "That's understandable.”
"But you don't agree?"
"I do. I can't say that I love everyone, I think love it a much stronger word than that. I value everyone."
Yavril smiled at the ground, a little sadly. "I believe it's a strong word too. Stronger. Maybe that tells you what it's like to be me, and care so /fucking/ much." She spat her last thought, almost angry at the words; suddenly it was very clear the amount of emotional weight she carried on her shoulders each day.
Morgan fell silent, "how do you do it?"
Yav's gaze came up again to examine his face curiously. "H-how do I...? Care so much? I mean..." She paused, shrugging a teeny bit. "I guess... I just got used to it. I've done that since I was a sapling...."
"There's something I could never do." He noted looking away from here.
"I think you could, if you found the right thing to care about. You might just not know you can."
"No, not in mass numbers like that."
Yav tilted her head; it was her turn, apparently, to seem confused. It came as such a natural instinct by then, even at such a young age, that she just... did it. She'd given up questioning it, wondering why no one ever seemed to understand her when she talked on it. "I don't know," she brushed the issue away on impulse, "It's just... something I feel. It's really not anything particularly interesting."
"To someone who doesn't feel that, it is."
Yavril let out an uncomfortable breath; she didn't know how to do this kind of conversation, not about herself. "Can we talk about something else?"
He looked over to her, "I'm sorry, did I say something."
"Ah, no. I mean... ugh. I don't know how to do... this. I'd rather not."
"Alright, well, what do you suggest then? We could walk in silence."
"No," Yavril said, having to forcefully stop herself from uttering the word with to much urgency; silence meant she had to think about... ugh. "We don't have to walk in silence. Tell me about... what you think you'll do. Now that you're your own man."
"Uh-" he looked to her for a second, "Right, well I don't really have any plans, I don't know what to do, I feel really aimless."
"Well," Yav began, "Maybe think about what you would want to do, what skills you'd want to master, where you'd want to visit. This," she gestured around, "Is what I do. I just wander, pretty aimlessly, pick up jobs where I can and help people like Anthony in between. I enjoy it, but it's not for everyone. You could mentor saplings, you could be a trainer, you could be a warden, you could be an emissary for the Grove..."
"No. None of that seems appealing."
"You could be a scientist, you could be a merchant, you could take up a craft..." Yavril continued to list.
The pair's conversation drifted off for most of the rest of the walk, until they found themselves in the Gendarran Fields. Ascalon Settlement was a quiet place, walls made of stone, but in the centre of it were several large buldings; homes, inns, small shops, among other things. It was meant to be a small town but was expanding far - the combination of grasses and trees and natural plants was strange with the town-like aspects of walls, seraph officers, booths and stalls. Entering the town attracted the gaze of a number of neighborhood children, all of whom crowded around the pair, oohing and ahhing and not actually saying anything, yet.
Morgan looked to Yavril, the sun high in the sky, getting ready to set, "Where do we stay?"
The children, now following the pair as they moved through the town, continued to whisper. Yavril gave them an amused glance. "We can find an inn around, I'm sure. I'm assuming you want to stay indoors, though."
"We mine as well.while we're in town, right," he tossed her a side glance
Yavril nodded; "Sure." At that moment, one of the children bumped into the back of Yav's legs - not wasting a second, she spun around, crying "Boo!" The children let out various loud cries for help, several practically jumping out of their skins before all of them ran off the various directions, out of sight within a minute. Yavril placed a hand on her hip and laughed lightly, watching them flee.
Morgan turned around at Yav did, being caught off guard. When she began to laugh he looked to her puzzled, not even managing to look at the kids.
Catching Mo's puzzled expression just made Yavril laugh a little more, as she explained "Don't worry, they've just never seen Sylvari before. They don't know what to make of us. Aren't they cute? I think the only let down of being a Sylvari is that we don't have kids."
Morgan shrugged almost uncaringly, "I don't know if I much care for them." He watched the kids scramble around them, "I don't think I'd do well with them.
"Really?" Yavril asked, genuinely baffled, "I think they'd like you. From what I can tell so far, children basically mimic you. You're always so calm... And you're kind of mysterious without realizing it. They'd like that."
"Sure, if you say so." He let out a chuckle and nearly bumped into her before commenting, "I'm tired."
Yav laughed lightly, putting a hand on her shoulder as if to steady him; "Yeah, I can tell! Come on, let's find somewhere."
Morgan nodded slowly and followed her falling silent.
The inn Yav led him to was practically identical to every inn in Kryta. Tables and chairs, a bar and front desk, and a staircase to the top levels with rooms. One particular man seemed to be watching them particularly well from behind a large glass of ale. Yavril stepped away from Morgan to get rooms.
Morgan stayed looking around the inn, his eyes eventually landing on the particularly odd man, then travelling away in further curiosity.
The guy was wearing a large cape, covering much of his face, shrouding him in darkness. A heavy sense of anger and mystery surrounded him the moment one got close, like a fog that suffocated you. Taking a final swig of the drink, he set it down carefully, almost on the other side of the table, and took to watching Morgan carefully, not worried yet about not being obvious.
Morgan looked around and rested his eyes on Yavril, allowing a great deal of time to pass as he occupied himself with her figure and body language. Not overly concerned with the man who'd been staring.
Finally, the man stood, approaching Morgan on his side. When he was right next to the now glowing Sylvari, he muttered - suspiciously at an angle where Mo had no view on his face - "I would get far, far away from that girl o' yours if you don't want any problems." With that, the man pushed past Morgan outside, disappearing into the forming night.
Morgan turned as though to find the mysterious man. He let out a small and confused, "What?" His eyes removing an almost caring look from Yavril.
The man was already gone as Morgan turned; and Yavril, oblivious, had returned with keys to rooms. "Here," she said, offering the key and managing a friendly smile, "You're in room 3."
"What room are you in?" He inquired curiously.
"Uhhhh..." Yav glanced down at her card. "2. Aw, second best." She chuckled, clearly joking.
Morgan nodded, "You going now...or?"
"I actually might sit outside for a bit," Yav replied, "The stars'll come out soon. You said you were tired, though- go get some rest!"
"Ah- I mean... Okay..."
Yavril took on a concerned look; "Hey, you okay? You look a little rattled."
"No I'm fine, just thinking, sorry." He slid away from her in a contemplative yet thoughtful manner, "See you later?"
"Of course!" Yav nodded enthusiastically, "Go sleep - you deserve the rest." At that, she pulled him into a hug - she felt almost like she was taking a risk doing it, but it felt appropriate to express her emotions. "Thank you for everything, Mo. And I'm sorry for... Everything," she said as she curled her arm around him.
For a moment he froze, he was expecting her to just let him go, but she pulled him into a hug. Morgan did all he could to return the embrace, "It's okay?" Was all he could force out in response, before pulling away from her embrace.
Yavril chuckled at the slight sense of formality to his words as she released him; she didn't bother saying anything less, only offering a sweet smile before she turned and exited the building.
Morgan watched her exit and released a heavy sigh, turning around to find his room.
Rooms two and three were on the second floor, beside each other. A one bedroom place it really just had the basics, but enough to get through a night or two on. Yavril stayed out late, watching the skies in her peaceful way until at least midnight, before she wandered through the now empty bar and found her way to her room. Offering an unreadable glance to Mo's room, she slipped inside her own in silence to get at least some sleep before the next morning.
Morgan and Yavril head out to travel together, and run into Rieran on their way along - who doesn’t get along with Mo. Continuation to THIS RP!
Note - this RP isn’t in the usual style because it was done over google hangouts.
Note - this RP takes place only a few years after the secondborn emerge.
Warnings: Abuse mentions
The next few days, Yavril was almost entirely silent. Speaking only to address the medic, Yav just sat beside the bed Rieran was in. She didn't want to admit that she missed Morgan's presence, but she knew that she did. After so long and everything she had worked for, only to come that anticlimactic end... She didn't know how to cope. Waiting until Rieran was healthy enough to move to the Grove, she returned there to watch over him for a few days. And... Think. For the first day, not even her apartment felt comfortable, remembering the night Morgan has crashed before they'd left the Grove. But, after being depressing fit a few days, Rieran seemed to... Come back to life a little bit. He smiled when she entered, told an old story while they were talking and laughed at the ending. Watching him survive such a horrible ordeal was enlightening, and Yav chose to just make peace with what happened and move on. Staying another day or so on the Grove for extra training, Yavril left feeling much better, and with Rieran's best wishes. She was marked forever by those days, inside and out as the scars on her back did eventually heal naturally, if painfully, creating glowing lines criss-crossing over her son - the other marks scared too, especially Morgan's stab. Intending to head towards Mount Maelstrom, Yav headed up to north Caledon. Which, was how Yav found herself taking on several Krait. Seeing the attackers coming, Yav managed to shoot one of them in the head - the others didn't even watch him drop. It was all a blur, but by the end Yav was holding a bloody knife, standing around the bodies of three fish men. Her first fight since the Court, and she couldn't help but almost smile, wiping her brow with her forearm. Between heavy breaths, she muttered, "Damn... I really... Needed to... Hit someone."
Morgan had kept himself entertained by only traveling. A small part of him wanted to go back to the court, but a sick feeling pitted in his stomach when he thought of Acia's anger. Maybe this had been, luck, or chance. Maybe it had been the way the Stars had planned it, but Morgan had also found himself in North Caledon. By some sort of twist of fate he found himself crossing her direct path, "Well, you could have just hit me then." He remarked in a quick and almost loud fashion, hoping to have grabbed her attention.
Yav's face snapped up, knife still in hand. "Are you kidding me-" Still heavily breathing, Yav exclaimed "Seriously? Where did... You... Come from?"
He flinched stepping away and he laid eyes on the knife, hands up in a defensive manner, "Hey, just passing through."
"Oh, Pale Tree, no-" Yav shook her head, wiping the knife on her pants before sheathing it. "It's not like that. Sorry." She reached a hand down for her bow by the corpse of a Krait.
Morgan had a smirk on his face, as though he'd meant to overreact, "Of course." The smirk slipped away, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, fine. It was helpful, actually." She seemed covered in blood but not especially injured. "Like I said- I needed to hit something." She brought the bow up and began plucking arrows from the corpses.
"Whys that?"
"'Cause I haven't been able to hit anything but a fuckin' training dummy since-... For way too long. Girl needs her daily activity."
He gave out a slightly chuckle, "Beating up a dummy is still activity."
"Not the right kind," Yav panted, "Trust me." She pulled a final arrow she was able to salvage out of the corpse and stuck them in a quiver over her shoulder.
"I think the word you're looking for is 'challenge'." He chuckled.
"Maybe. Kind of. Not that much harder, though." She looked down with disdain on the Krait, "They're all brawn, no finesse."
Morgan kept a smile on his face, "Oh?" He teased, "what's the point in fighting if it's really not that much more difficult?"
"They move. Nice stress reliever."
"Ah-" He kept his gaze on her, "Do you ever wonder how they feel?"
"Every day, Mo. Every day. But they attack the Hylek, and me, without provocation. I have to protect who I can, even if they're frog people." Yav chuckled a little.
He nodded, "suppose so... So what exactly are you up to, killer?"
Yav turned her gaze up to him, a little surprised that he wanted to know. "Heading out. Probably for Mount Maelstrom." She slunk the bow elegantly over her shoulder, though she and it were still covered in blood. "Maybe find somewhere to take a bath."
"Ah" He nodded slightly, "Could I maybe join you? Not for the bath, but the other stuff."
"What, really? I-... why?"
"Why not?" He offered, "Haven't got a damn thing that's better to do. Your company is good anyway."
"Wouldn't have thought you would think that after the last time I saw you." Yav raised an eyebrow; she was blunt, not in a weak state like last time. "Not saying I wouldn't mind company, just didn't expect it."
"Why not?" He cocked a brow as he recalled their last meeting.
"Uh because you told me I had emotional problems to work out and then left? That was, what, little over a week ago?"
"Uh-" he froze for a second, "Well, that's certainly a way to take what I meant and make it exactly what I didn't mean."
Yav cocked her head. "S'what it sounded like. Not that I blame you. I was having a weak moment."
"No, you just, you were...out of it. And you seem to put something between us and I thinks that's why I you seemed out of it to me and I just... I didn't like it."
"Putting something between us? I really don't have any idea what you're talking about. But I was far worse than out of it. I'd been /whipped/, beaten, abused in almost every sense of the word - though not by you, all to culminate in what was kind of a depressing talk with you where everything I said seemed to upset you. Thus, a weak moment. But if you want to come, feel free. S'a long trip, though." For some reason, the words she said before inviting Morgan along didn't seem to upset her, didn't make her invitation sound sarcastic.
Morgan nodded slowly, "Mkay."
Yav actually managed a chuckle; she'd half expected a defensive response leading into an argument leading into her sulking of to Mount Maelstrom alone. "Well alright. You got any provisions and supplies, or just your weapons?"
"Well, I've sort of been winging it..." He shifted, "I've been finding places to eat when I want- so the answer is no."
Yavril let out a playful sigh, tilting her head at Mo as the corners of her mouth twerked up; "Alright, well you'll have to find yourself a sleeping bag along the way if you want it, 'cause I'm not going all the way back to the Grove. As for food, I'm sure you can help me hunt, yeah? or at least skin something. Best kind of stuff you make yourself anyway, I hardly ever buy food. Plus I've got a few things for the way you can have. I figure you've never traveled long distance before? I don't use waypoints."
"Uh- well, I...I've been looking to kill time... So I've never really used them at all. Looking for ways to kill time."
"Ever been far outside Caledon? Other than Divinity's Reach, obviously." Yav tried not to cringe remembering the day.
"No... Not that I recall."
"Alright, well, if we bump into another race let me do the talking, yeah? They're all strange and they still aren't really used to us." She paused, still kind of unsure and confused about his willingness, "You're sure you want to come? Last chance."
"Oh, Paletree. You got me, sorry I actually hate you, I'm just- I'm gonna go now, okay?" He spoke in a heavily sarcastic tone.
Yav's mouth quirked up, she rolled her eyes bemusedly. "Juuuuuuust checking, Mo. Though you never know, I might be just the /worst/ travel buddy. You need to get anything from anywhere?"
"Nope." He hummed, "You act like I couldn't leave whenever I wanted to."
Yav shrugged, nodding. "Yeah, but the farther we get from Caledon the harder it's going to be to find your way back, and the more expensive the waypoint fee is going to be if you wanted to try that. Might as well be sure." After a pause, she gestured into the distance, off the beach-y area they were standing in and past another Lionguard fortress. "We're headed up into Kessex Hills, then Queensdale, then down through Norn territory."
"Sure." He nodded slowly, "I don't have anything better to do..."
"Great attitude, pal." Yav replied. Glancing around, she told him "Alright, go wait for me in the fortress."
"Alright." He turned around and began to walk away from her.
When Morgan had turned and walked a little bit into the distance, Yav pulled off her top. ... No, not like that. Tossing it into the water with a satisfying audible splash, she scrubbed the blood from it, careful not to screw with it too much. She didn't particularly want to walk around looking like she'd just gotten out of a fight. Although she had. Her pants and shoes, being of Sylvari make, were substantially harder to get off, and as such she just waded into the water in them and scrubbed away at them. Next she got blood off of her hands, arms, hair. Not much of it was hers, thankfully, only a few minor scratches that provided some golden blood to clash with the red. When she was done she pulled another shirt - still a little upset about other races' rules and the need to wear shirts anyway, let alone send a brother away while she wasn't wearing one - and slung the wet one over the pack's strap to try as she pulled on the second, a heavier though lower necked white top that, while longsleeved, Yav wore only to her elbows. Finishing and mostly satisfied, she turned round and headed for the fortress again.
Morgan had headed back to the fortress, but hadn't gone inside, rather he simply walked and sat down somewhere near the building and waited.
Yavril walked up the hill about ten minutes after she'd asked Mo to leave, hair wet and wearing another shit - it was a little damp because her skin was wet, see-through in places. Yav smiled seeing him just sitting there. "Hey," she said, announcing her presence.
Morgan looked up from his place of rest and chimed, "Hey you."
"Hey," Yav smiled in reply, "I look okay?" She did a kind of sarcastic turn, since there were weapons and a pack hanging over her shoulder and nothing of her could be seen from the behind. "No blood anywhere?"
"Ah- you look lovely, as usual."
Yav knew better than to deflect that, now, though she almost opened her mouth to on instinct. "... Thank you." She extended a hand, offering to help him up though he didn't need it.
He pushed himself up off the ground, disregarding her hand, "So- remind me, where're we going?"
Yav just threw the hand she'd offered into the air. "Up north into Kessex. Into the human territories. Then down through mostly Norn lands."
Morgan wrinkled his face, "Ah-- why?" He looked to her.
"Well, to start, cutting across would not only pass through the Dominion of Winds, where we can't go, but it would also go across the Sea of Sorrows. So unless you've got a boat...?"
He laughed briefly, "No, why,why are you doing it?"
"Oh." That was a question Yav couldn't respond to truthfully. He wouldn't like the answer. "...Never been there before." Her voice sounded a little bland, but she gave it a smile to improve it so that it wouldn't sound so... wrong.
He raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? all that hassle, just cause you've never been there?"
"Well, I want to see everything."
Morgan chuckled, "/Sure/"
"Don't believe me?" Yav asked, eyebrow raising.
"Ah- I don't think that people just travel cross continent simply to see things."
Yav rolled her eyes. "To start, I do. Second, you don't want to hear the other reason. Trust me."
"Try me."
Yav groaned. "I was running away, alright? S'that what you wanted to hear? I've never been to Mount Maelstrom, it's a long way there and a long way back *if* I were to come back immediately, there's a volcano, and maybe if there aren't any courtiers I'll quit having nightmares."
Morgans gaze softened on her, "I'm sorry Yavril..." This was all he could actually spout of for the moment.
"I don't want pity," Yav snapped, a little upset, but more at herself than Morgan. "Sorry. I just... I can't be here anymore. So you can come and we can create some new memories if you like. That's fine. But I can't keep reliving the ones still here. It's killing me."
Morgan had stayed calm though shed snapped to him, "Yavril-" he spoke with a hing of sorrow in his voice, "id understand if you didnt want me to follow."
Yavril glanced over at Mo, pained. "And I'd understand if you didn't want to come. But if you don't come now, I don't know if we're going to ever get any new memories. Because otherwise, I'm going to forget. Because I have to. So it's your call."
"I... still want to come.... i just dont want to remind you..."
Yav shook her head, wearing a sad smile. "No, that bit's different. That's not you. That's them. You, I can deal with. Usually."
Morgan scoffed playfully, "usually?"
"Well, sometimes you're annoying." Yav playfully smiled, "Other times... yeah, you remind me of that. But that's not your fault, and it's not most of the time. Besides, new memories will replace old ones." She hoped.
Morgan felt awful, hed never admit that, but sometimes hed wished hed never laid hands on anyone. A small part of him knew thats why he didnt go back that night, but the biggest part blamed it solely on Acia. Morgan coughed up a smile, "Oh of course. Lead the way." He chimed.
Yav tilted her head; she could tell there was something wrong, but didn't press it. Maybe it was the same as her - he didn't want to talk about it. As such, she led Morgan down the path out of Caledon and into Kessex, a path she had traveled several times before - but never a time as important. "So what do you think of being a... free agent? now."
"Uh-" he tucked his hands deep into his pockets, "yess?" He squinted, "i guess i dont know... i just have this... sick feeling whenever i think abiut going back..." "'Yes' is not an answer to 'what do you think of'," Yav pointed out, but she examined his facial features carefully as he spoke. "Is it awful if I say I'm glad?"
"N-no, treesong, no." He spoke briefly, "i just... i feel like ill go and get pulled in again..." he chided himself.
"That's what the court is like..." Yav murmured quietly, barely enough to be heard. "You might. But I'm glad you didn't."
"Yavril..." he looked to her as they contonued walking, hoping to grab her complete attention.
The secondborn's gaze snapped up, and she tilted her head. "Hm?"
"Im worried.. that Aciamay try to find one of us."
"We're about to head off miles away," Yav reassured him. "I doubt that she'll send Courtiers that far. And coming herself... seems a little eccentric, even for her."
"Ah- maybe i over think things, shes just... i feel like i never know what shes up to ans when i dont... im uneasy."
"Well, don't worry," Yav said playfully, "If she shows up I'll protect you." She put a sarcastic hand on Mo's back; she had the benefit of being only /just/ barely shorter than him. "I won't let that mean lady hurt you! No, but really, I'm sure it'll be fine. Acia can't take us alone even if she were to come, and there's no way she would convince anyone to come with her. We'll be fine." After a pause, Yav cocked her head, asked "Was that what it was like when you were there, too? Always worried about what she was doing?"
"Not as often. I only worried when i was doing sometbing unfavorable. She... always seemed to have an eye on me, you know." He hands responded to the teasing shed dished out getting caught in the memories if inky for a moment.
"I was gonna say, when we were there... you didn't seem to question her. I don't want to say mindlessly following, but... almost. She really had you going there." Another pause, and Yav grimaced. "Sorry. I'm sure you thought she really did love you. She was convincing." "I didnt?" He forced, "I was..." he looked to her, "okay, just about it like this. If you take a frog. Boul some water a throw him in, hes going to jump out... but if you put him in warm water and slowly turn up the heat hes just gonna stay there."
"So..." Yav tried to understand the metaphor, "You were the frog. And Acia... put you in the water, meaning she pretended to care about you and just kept increasing the heat - the depth of the relationship?"
"Ah- it was more like... the longer i sat in the water- the hotter is got- the worse she treated me- the worse waus i had to act to get her affection- but i never notice cause she...she turned it up so slow..." he shook his head, "i need not be foolish such as that anymore.."
"That's... terrible. That's not... affection, that's practically torture. No, you don't need that any longer."
Yavril was silent for a few steps. "No, I understand." Not that Yavril had had much of that. "Or... I... Pale Tree it was a long time ago, but I understanding wanting to be wanted. Feeling like you were wanted. Maybe not in exactly the same way, but... I'm not ignorant."
"What... what kind of way?" He tilted his head and looked to her gently.
"It's... hard to explain. It was different. The reason Rieran was so important to me, was that... when I was younger, he and I and a couple other saplings broke out of the Grove together. I was the oldest, but... We were caught, of course, dragged back, but for a while... It was like a family. We kept breaking out, until one day... One day the wardens gave up trying to stop us. Let two go a day, with a warden, to explore. Every night we'd come back and... and tell stories about what we'd seen, the places outside the Grove... We all got older, went our separate ways, but it was the tightest bond I've had with brothers and sisters. I honestly can't think of a moment when I felt more wanted than when I returned to see them all..."
"That didn't seem that difficult to explain." He Briefed, "Sounds rather nice." He commented politely
Yavril chuckled; "I'm sure it seems weird," the woman replied, noting the politeness in his tone. "But for me it was strange. It's the only time I ever felt like someone wanted me to be around - even if it was just because they wanted a hint of the outside world." Yav's voice sounded far off and strange, like she was living in a memory.
"It's strange... How we choose to ignore other people's feelings toward us in order to keep ourselves lost." He noted in a small tone.
"Keep ourselves lost? What do you mean? I don't feel lost."
"Not lost like that. We say we only want to feel wanted, but we barely do, even when we are."
"We barely want to feel wanted or we barely feel wanted?" Yav asked, the phrasing confusing her.
"We hardly feel wanted, even for the most part being wanted is a constant occurrence.
"Maybe," Yav admitted, "I don't know why it's so usual. Though in my case, I'm hardly ever around other people, so not much chance either way. That's why I like wandering. No obligations to other people."
"Well, do you feel wanted right now?"
"Not particularly." Yav was upfront, wearing an actual smile. "Not unwanted, but that's different than 'wanted'. How about you?"
"Well, I don't really feel anything." He kept walking, allowing himself to slide his hands in his pockets.
"No? What about the wind on your face, the smell of grass in the air? Trolls, a little way off?"
"It's all indistinguishable, even how I feel about it."
Yav rolled her eyes, stopping mid walk and putting her hands on Morgan's upper arms. "That's it. Shut your eyes. Just /listen/ for a single freakin' second. Hear the wind, or the water, or the birds. Smell the air, the grass, the dirt. Then tell me how that feels."
Morgan did so- freezing if but for a moment, contently shutting his eyes, exposing himself and leaving himself vulnerable to anything as he spoke, "It's just... It's very-" he opened his eyes and gave her an almost intimidating glance, "It's just there... It just feels like it's doing what it wants to." He spoke in a nearly grumbly fashion.
"Pale Mother, you're useless sometimes." Refusing to be intimidated, Yav just shut her own eyes, removing her hands. "That's a feeling in itself, if you'd take the time to notice. The flow, the serenity and the urgency all at the same time, it's /nature/."
"You certainly have any interesting eye for things." He let a smile pull at the corners of his lips.
Yav's eyes blinked open; "Is it that interesting? Just seems normal to me."
"It's not... I don't know if I've met anyone like that. But you of course."
"Met anyone like what?" Yav didn't understand; it wasn't accurate - beyond wasn't accurate - but she never felt like she was much different than her brother and sister Sylvari.
"Just. Perhaps im the weird one. Just a lovely way to think on your part."
"You're not weird," Yavril shook her head. "But... I'm glad you like it, at least." Yav's first response was to deflect the compliment, but from prior experience apparently she didn't know how to do that very well. "You should try it. Work on it. If you like it so much."
"I dont like it like that..." he shifted as he began to press on the trail again, "its somethkng thats nice to admire from afar, but i dont think it suits me. Like... some people." He took a moment to look at her, "theyre very nice to look at, but thag doesnt mean you want to be them."
Yav followed him quietly. "I figure you don't expect me to understand, but I do. I feel that way about the Pale Tree. I admire her a great deal, but I could never be her - I couldn't be the mother of all Sylvari. I'd worry too much." She paused again; "You ever felt that way about someone?"
"Well, i admire plenty of people, but its nice to know its there just without wanting to be them. Many things too, strength, bravery, beauty. But im content with myself."
"Good." Yavril nodded, happy. "Wish I was," she muttered, though probably not loud enough for Morgan to hear. ~
He looked down to her, "I... sorry i didnt catch that."
Yav gazed over at him, shook her head in obvious denial. "Nothing." changing the topic, she shifted easily; "So we're about to enter Kessex; the landscapes a little more like plains there. And there are some human settlements."
"Anything interesting there?"
"Not much, honestly. Some risen sightings, but those are happening all over these parts now-a-days."
Morgan looked to her, "Why do you think that is?" "Because of Zhaitan, I think. That... 'elder dragon'. That's something I'd never like to come face to face with."
"Well avoiding it... that does no good either, no?"
"Avoiding Zhaitan? Maybe not as a people, but me specifically, I don't know about that. I'd help, given a chance, but the world barely trusts us, let alone allowing us to aid in... whatever they're doing."
"The world doesn't have to trust you... You don't need anyone's permission to help protect yourself, that's absurd."
"Not myself, but anything direct has always been very... Specifically directed. Trahearne, the firstborn, is in Orr, I believe, but he's... Quiet. I have not seen him since I was very young. So, mostly, I just kill Risen when they come my direction. It's easier than arguing with the other races constantly."
"Why argue...?"
"'Cause they just hate your being around. There's always arguing involved to convince you to stay, and /if/ you win they're always upset. Better to stay away."
"No- why argue. arguments are double sided. it's only an argument if you allow it.
"Cause if I don't argue they don't let me do anything," Yav said, raising her hands in defeat. "I don't like not doing anything. As I'm sure you've gathered."
Morgan chuckled as he watched her practically run past his point, "No, I mean... Why do you do that? Even argue. Just step up and take what is rightfully yours. You don't need to fight to do that."
"It's not rightfully mine, though. It's theirs, I just want to help but they've already established a group. They're hesitant to allow a Sylvari to join it. And without any kind of contacts or... /anything/, I can't do anything. So I just kill Risen."
Morgan sighed, "Ah- whatever"
Yavril glanced over at Morgan; "Something wrong?"
"Nothing- really..."
"Weeeeeelll, that's a lie. But if you're lying, there's a reason. So I won't push you."
He threw a sideways glance at her pulling one hand out of his pocket and gesturing toward her, "I don't call you out on your bullshit."
"You probably should. I'll be upset, but you probably should."
"Well I don't." He said decidedly, "Unless it's serious bullshit.”
“What counts as serious bullshit?"
"Anything that comes out of your mouth." He spoke with a slight grin on his face.
Yav wore a look of mock insult, but her mouth was upturned; "I am /insulted/, Morgan! Nothing that comes out of my mouth is bullshit! It's all top quality wisdom."
"Oh clearly!" He spouted throwing his other hand out of his pocket, "I'd forgotten- I have to kiss the feet of the Goddess Yav."
"And don't you forget it-" Yav began, but she froze and trailed off mid-thought. "That's only the second time you've called me Yav since."
"Uh-" he looked to her as he allowed his hands to slide back into his pockets, their very own little house, "Since...?"
"Since you joined the court."
"Do you not want me to refer to you under that name?"
"No. I missed it." Yavril smiled, but kept her eyes on the road ahead.Jul 26, 9:26 PM"Why?" She cocked a brow toward her.
“/Because/ you never called me that. You called me that before you joined to court. Then once while you were part of it, and it made me think maybe you weren't what I thought of you. And now. It's just like... Proof that you're in a mindset where you care even a little about me."
He gave off an almost nervous chuckle, "Oh..."
"That alright?"
He nodded, "That's fine. Of course it's fine."
"Good, I'm glad." Entering Kessex, Morgan and Yavril entered an area with few trees that looked out on a vast lake. Yavril took a left, taking them along a dirt path leading around said lake. "Wouldn't want you freaked out within the first day."
"Well the second day, that's fine then?"
"Exactly, now you're getting it! Tomorrow, it's no holds barred. You'll have to deal with all my sentimentality and romanticism and optimism."
'Riiiight, sounds... exciting...."
"Exciting? Or annoying? We find out tomorrow." In the distance, they would have been able to spot a fortress in the distance, a small lionguard outpost. No rooms, but supplies. "See that," Yav pointed, "I want to stop there and get some rations. And you a sleeping bag, if they have one to spare. Assuming you want one - I don't usually bother."
"No- I don't need a sleeping bag... The ground is fine." He looked away for a moment, "The sun will set soon, yes?"
"In an hour or two, yeah."
"The days feel so much longer recently..." He noted.
"That's because you're choosing what you're doing, not being ordered around. It's harder to decide, time passes slower. That's why I didn't like the wardens. Everyone kept saying I should join them and I kept wanting to say 'have you even met me before?'" They were getting closer to the outpost, approaching its front entrance.
"why didn't you say that?"
"Cause when I was around the Grove for long enough to be told I should be a warden I was a sapling and there were only a few Sylvari on the whole world and I didn't get it until I was gone and a few years older?"
"Uh-" he took a moment, "What do you mean?"
"I didn't understand that that was part of the reason I didn't want to be a warden until I was older and understood myself better. Though I thought I understood myself pretty damn well back then."
Morgan looked away from her as they were nearing the fortress, "You'll probably feel the same way after a while."
"Yeah, probably. Though it's probably partially because you just... change. And you have to understand a new you." Yav smiled as they found the fortress' front gates, discovering a small area where several traders, business men, and travelers had stayed, some of whom had taken advantage of passer-byers to set up shop.
"I just feel as though I'm who I'm always going to be and I think even when I change I'll feel like that. So I'm never left with anything to learn... Cause I already know it all."
Morgan stepped into the fortress, lit by the setting sun and barely visible stars lighting the sky. He shit her a glance back to ensure that she was of course coming in.
In a far off corner talking to a merchant was the lanky and almost short Red and White Slyvari looking slightly concerned, a brown leather bag slung about his torso as he spoke to the merchant.
Yavril didn't recognize Rieran immediately as she followed Mo inside, not expecting to see him outside the Grove. Thus, she just looked around at the mini crowed of people and asked "Alright, who looks like they're going to sell travel foods?"
Morgan scanned the marketplace slowly, "Ah- there's... Food there, no?" He point somewhere near Rieran still not noticing the boy as well.
"Sure," Yav began, "I wonder i-" she had begun to walk in the direction Morgan had pointed, but froze as she noticed a Sylvari standing near there. That was enough to give her pause, but also... "Is that Rieran?" she asked offhandedly, approaching her brother and whoever he was speaking to.
Morgan blinked, but didn't really move at all. Rieran have off a nervous chuckle, "You really- you can't miss her she's like big and orange." He coughed.
Was... he looking for her? Why? He was obviously still weak. Yav approached slowly, entering Rieran's field of view. "Rieran? What are you doing here?"
Rieran turned to meet Yavrils gaze, "I... i got a waypoint here. Werent you supposed to be here hours ago?" His brows furrowed.
"You're still weak- it isn't safe for you to be here!" She exclaimed, her first priority; she answered his question second, almost offhandedly, "Yeah, just got caught up, met up with Mo." She gestured behind her to the man standing a bit behind her.
Rieran reached into the leather bag pulling out the briliantly white rose from Yavrils
Pod, "You forgot this an-" just as he was readying a lecture to her Morgan popped uo behind her with a briliantly handsome smirk present on his face, "Hey!" Rieran looked from him. To yavril. To him. To Yavril, "I... i wanted to travel with you Yavril."
Yavril's breath caught, her eyes widened as she took the rose from Rieran- "I-I can't believe I forgot this! Thank you so much!" With that she pulled her friend into a quick hug, but though it was quick she squeezed - hard. "I don't know what I would have done when I realized I didn't have it!" She barely noticed his concern, for now, in her relief. "Of course you can come with me! You don't have to ask, but- No wait," she drew away again, "you're weak! How did you even get here- you should be resting!"
"Ah-" he sighed a little, "I cant get rest tonight, right, with the two of you." He gave a shifty smile to Morgan.
"One night's rest isn't enough!" Yavril worried, her motherly tendencies showing, "What possessed you to try and find me? I don't want you to- after everything you went through-?"
"One night's rest isn't enough!" Yavril worried, her motherly tendancies showing, "What possessed you to try and find me? I don't want you to- after everything you went through-?" Not recognizing the possessive aspect of what Rieran did, just smiled in a worried way; "If you're /sure/. But at the first sign of trouble with you I'm sending you /right/ back to the Grove, you hear me?" Turning to look at Mo, she stepped back a little to introduce them; "Mo, you remember Rieran. Rieran, I expect you remember Mo."
Rieran released a witheld breath of contentment at her choice.
Morgan still had that silly grin on his face, "Of course i remember, yoy look a lot healthier." He spoke almost surprised. Rieran nodded expression unchanging, "Medical assitance.. and rest will do that to you."
Yav grinned at Mo, holding up the large rose with a smile; "Rieran brought me back my rose - I can't believe I forgot it, I must have... what, left it by your cot in the infirmary? /Thank/ you , again. We were just looking for some supplies before we find a place to crash for the night."
Rieran looked to the man he was speaking to, "He sells rations." He shot his thumb backwards toward to man. Morgan looked slightly amused with the rose.
"Oh good!" Yav exclaimed, but she didn't move yet. Taking one of the packs off her back, she carefully placed the rose inside, in a space that looked as if it was meant for the thing not to be crumpled. "Something funny?" Yav asked Mo as she looked back up.
"Nope." He hummed, "I'm amused." "It's from my pod," Yav offered as some form of explanation, "It was growing on the inside. I don't go anywhere without it." She slung the pack back over with her other equipment before turning around to poke the vendor, leaving the two men to themselves for a moment.
Rieran simply stared at Morgan.
The vendor, a small Azura man standing on a chair so that he might meet his costumes face to have put on an elated grin, "How can I help you?"
"I need rations for two- no, three people. And anything else you might suggest for long distance travel." Yav smiled at the asura herself; she didn't have the same anger towards the species as many of her brothers and sisters.
"Ah- right." He hopped off the chair and began shuffling around what sounded like a bunch of pots and pans, but surely enough he came up with rations, "Fraid all I sell is rations, if you need things for travel I'd poke around a bit."
"We should be fine," Yav replied, "Just thought I'd ask in case you had anything. Thanks! How much?"
"Ah- 12 silver, sound good?"
Yav shrugged, paying the man before pulling a pack off her back and stuffing the food inside; it would be plenty. "Thank you!" She said before turning back to her male associates; "Alright, we should be okay, unless you need anything, Rieran? Did you bring your weapons?"
"I- I did not, but I'll manage."
Yav frowned; "You need something... Still using a rifle, right?" Without waiting for a response, Yav ran off, returning with a simple rifle. The make wasn't great, but it seemed at least sturdy. "Here, at least it's something," she handed it off to Ri.
He took it and nodded slowly, "Ah- thanks I'll pay you next time we're in the grove."
"Don't worry about it," Yav shook her head, waving off his concern, "It's on me. You can't be defenseless." Looking around, noting the setting sun, Yav turned back and smiled; "You guys ready to head out? Find somewhere to spend the night?"
Morgan nodded, stepping out of the way, pulling his hands out of his pockets and gesturing her to lead the way.
Rieran looked to the rifle muttering a 'Thanks' before he looked up and spoke, "Oh- yeah, of course."
Yavril led them out of the fortress continuing down the road they had approached on, but this time past the fortress and into the distance.
The walk was far quieter with Rieran around; he seemed to only stare at Morgan. Though, Yav was mostly oblivious. She just really commented on their surroundings, making vague and one sided small talk. She led the pair past the fortress, into and out of a small cave tunnel, before emerging on the other side and gesturing to a small corner in the stone. "Could set up camp there?" There was a tree growing up through the rocks, creating some form of sheltered, and it was by nature rather private.
Morgan nodded, "sounds good." He chimed. Rieran was to immersed in thought to reply.
Yav rolled her shoulders as she pulled three different packs off of her back of varying sizes and weights, followed by her bow and quiver. Due to the nature of her clothing and the fact that it was night, her glowing scars were now visible, particularly the whip ones, if only for a few moments before she turned around to face the men with a smile.
They stood side to side. Rieran looking between the two, Morgan took a step forward, "Anything I can do?"
"If you wanted to get firewood?" Yav suggested, wearing a crooked smile,
"sure." He instantly went off to retrieve the wood
"Thanks!" Yav called off after him, sitting down beside her gear. "You okay?" she asked Rieran, "You've been quiet."
Rieran looked back as Morgan walked away, when he could no longer be seen he snapped his gaze back to her, "You're traveling with that piece of work?" He sounded almost disbelieving.
"What?" Yav asked, confused at his tone, "Yeah? Why wouldn't I?"
"He's /fucking/ crazy." He waved his hand in an exaggerated fashion, "Do you not remember what he did to you?"
Her attention brought to them, Yav's two-week old injuries flared up, heat gathering on them like bears to honey. "Y-yeah, but... That wasn't really him. He was under orders - he's not the same."
"Do you actually believe that?" He snapped again, "He's going to hurt you, he's dangerous."
"Rieran. It's okay. I knew him before the Court, I know he's not going to hurt me. He's getting past it, same as us." But... the man placed the teeniest amount of doubt in her heart as Yav wondered... how much had Mo really changed? Or had it just seemed like he'd changed because she hadn't understood him back then?
Rieran grabbed her arm gently twisting it to show her the scar he'd given her, ever so present in the darkness of the forest, "You think anyone, who would do that is safe, you're out of your mind. He hasn't changed, people like that don't change, and he /never/ would have hit you even under orders if he truly cared."
"No, Ri, it's not... it's not like that..." Yav made no movement to release her arm from his grip, examining the scar herself. "He... he had to, Acia was... manipulating him. He didn't understand what he was doing... People do change..."
"/not/ people like this." He released her arm with a slight force, "Even nightmares don't make you do things you don't want to. Any who's to say that he's not still in that? What if he relapses? What if he wakes up and decides that he doesn't care anymore? Assuming that he does anyway."
"I..." Yav retraced her arm, rubbing her wrist slightly. "I don't know that caring is the right word. He's looking... for an escape. Like us. He hurt me, but- it was complicated. Really complicated. I... think he regrets it." Did he really, Yav wondered? Or...
Rieran rolled his eyes, "Keep telling yourself that."
"What has he done that makes you think he doesn't? He's been nothing but kind."
"Maybe he's just trying to use you."
"For what?" Yav asked; at least that part didn't give her doubt. What could he possibly be using her for - nothing logical crossed her mind.
"What if he just wants you to join the court again, and he wants your trust so he can convince you."
"No," Yavril shook her head. "no... no, he wouldn't go back. Not with Acia still there, and I think he understands why it's wrong, now." But did he?
"Treesong!" He complained, "You're delusional!"
"I'm not delusional!" Yav said defensively, "I just believe he can change! Why shouldn't he?!"
"Because he's part of the court! Courtiers DONT change!"
"They can! HE /could/. He's a good man, he... just needs some guidance! I want to /help/ him, Ri! Remember when /I/ was the one that needed help? You were there for me, and now I want to be there for Mo. I have to believe he could get better! He might have hurt me, hit me, whipped me, but I /know/ he regrets it. I /know/ it." Yavril's words, though, had the distinct feeling of trying to convince herself as much as Rieran.
"Fucking lying to yourself."He looked away from her harshly.
"You call it lying, I call it /hopeful/." Yav paused. "...Was it that bad, Ri? You used to think people could be helped. What did they /do/ to you there that made you think they couldn't?"
"I was in there for a long time Yavril, I know some people change, but I also believe that there are things that stain people. Poisonous awful things. Those things don't wash out."
"I don't see why not..." Yav murmured, but she was quiet, doubting. How long had she known Mo for? Her brain rejected what Ri said but... what if it was true? Could he be right? "I don't know that those things... stained Mo so much as brushed up against him."
"You're absolutely insane if you think I'm leaving you alone with that /creep/"
"I'm not asking you to. I'm happy you're with me. Really. But... I'm don't hate Mo. I want to help him. And I think I can. And even if I was alone with him, it would be /fine/."
"Would you stay with me to help me if I beat you?"
Yavril grimaced- "Y-you... wouldn't. Ever. But... i-if you really wanted to change... Yes. I would. I'd have to."
"That's a load of Pale Tree fertilizer." He said still agitated, "You wouldn't and you shouldn't either, why's he different?"
"I /would/!" Yav insisted, "Which is /why/ I'm doing this. I want to help him. He's important to me."
"What in the name of the Paletree has he ever done for you? He travelled with you for a day and other than that he beat you until you could hardly walk."
"He..." Yav froze. What... had he done for her? "He was- He's just... I need to believe he can survive this. I watched him go through... so much, I... want for him to be able to live."
Rieran cocked a brow, "Really? That's honestly all you have for him?"
"What are you asking, Rieran?" Yav demanded, "I can't read minds. Come out and say it."
He leaned into her slightly, "I'm just running through thousands of reasons why you might still be keeping him around and the only reason I can think of is that you like him. Something more than a friend, and he's not even deserving of that. Like your delusional because he kissed you once."
Yavril gaped; wild stab in the dark, or... no, there was no way he could have known. Who would have told him? "Listen," Yav began, voice tightening, "I don't care about him- like that. He's... a friend. A good friend - you know how I am with my friends. I couldn't leave him behind even if... I wanted to. And I don't want to. Like I couldn't want to leave you behind when you needed me."
Rieran stared at her, "Fine- I'll stop, but you're going to be sorry when he hurts you."
Yavril wanted to say that he wasn't going to. With everything she had. How could she believe otherwise? She didn't want to think like Rieran. She didn't want to. But something in his voice, the questions he asked, it rang true. She drew into herself, cringed at the thought that maybe Rieran was all right. But... he couldn't be. It wasn't true. "He won't..." She muttered, but the scars on her back had begun to hurt again.
"I'll kick his ass if he does." He muttered as he looked away.
Yavril couldn't help but look up at Rieran. "I taught you well. But I'm going to be fine. You know I'm more than capable of taking myself."
"You're so trusting that you're never going to see it coming."
"IF it happens. And IF it does, I might not see it coming but I'll handle it. Alright?"
Rieran rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Hey. I don't want you to be pissed at me this whole trip, okay? I really am happy you're here, and you saved my life by bringing the rose back."
"I just don't want to see you hurt."
"And I won't be, unless you're going to be upset with me. When did you become the older sibling in this relationship? I'm the big sister. Don't forget it."
"Well, maybe I wouldn't have to be the older of the two if my 'big sister' could make good choices." She spoke in a tone that was half joking, but equally serious.
"Your big sister /is/ making good decisions. But, new topic, because I'm very done with this one. So how are you feeling?"
"I feel fine, like I said."
"Are you /sure/? You went through a hell of a lot, Ri, just to come with me on a long trip. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone."
"I'm staying."
Yavril sighed, dissatisfied. "You sound upset I suggested you don't, but you know me. If I can convince you out of it I'm going to." She squinted teasingly. "But! For now I'll deal with it. It's... just really nice to have you back. Travelling brings back memories, huh?"
Rieran sat down on grass, "Yeah... It does.. It's nice, when I'm not lecturing you."
"You wouldn't have to if you'd trust my judgement just once.
"Well, this isn't something I'm going to let up on- at all."
"Then I'll just have to prove that it's fine." Yav wasn't going to admit - yet - that he had put doubts in her head about Mo. Not until she had any sort of opinion on them herself, opinions she wasn't going to make until she had time to think on them on her own. "I really wish you would, though. I've healed, I don't hurt anymore-" that was a lie, and not even just because she was thinking about them- "and I'd rather just... see where this goes with him with people that /actually/ support him."
"I can't." He grumbled as Morgan approached them holding what must have been his max capacity of... Firewood.
"At least don't be angry with him?" Yavril offered before managing a smile and wave for Morgan; "Hey!"
MMorgan approached the sight slowly, "Hey, where can I put this?"
"There's fine," Yav gestured between herself and Rieran as she reached for the smallest of three three bags she'd worn. "I'll do it, you guys can eat, if you're hungry? Food's there-" she pointed at her second largest bag. "There's these things a human sold me called marshmallows too - apparently you're supposed to put them on a stick and cook them over the fire? I dunno, never tried it - they're good raw too."
Morgan shook his head gently, "I'm not, hungry." Rieran however cocked an eyebrow, "I am.. a little hungry..." He then went to grab the bag and shuffle through it.Morgan looked calculating, "What are they...?
"Marshmallows?" Yavril asked as she stacked the wood for the fire, "I dunno. They're white and square. I think it's mostly sugar."
Morgan nodded slowly, "Right.... so whats the point if theyre just sugar? honestly sounds a little gross."
"They taste good? I think the primary part that the humans like is cooking them."
"Weird..." He commented curiously, "You have any left?"
"Yeah, the bag at the bottom."
Morgan took one look at the bag and grabbed it.
Yavril smirked as she finally got the fire lit. "Alright. Feel free to whatever's in there, but be warned, soon as it's gone we have to hunt and I'm not doing that on my own."
"Calm down." He said teasingly, "I'm not going to eat it all I just want to see this thing your talking about."
"Juuuust warning y'all." Yav sat back as the fire grew, happy to watch it.
Morgan looked at her skeptically, "You think I won't help you hunt?"
"I dunno," Yav shrugged, "Do you even hunt? Ever done it before?"
"No, but I'm a fast learner and I'm not willing to let you take all the work."
Yav chuckled; "Alright, Mo, hunting is way more complicated than you think. But if you're willing to learn. And thanks. Good." Mo was being kind - friendly - encouraging - Rieran... Couldn't be right. But the second she was thinking about the idea... She blinked and Morgan's face had twisted into a cruel grin - Yav pushed herself back a little, face freezing up- Until she blinked again, and it was just Morgan in front of her.
Morgan finally pulled out a marshmallow and looked at it curiously, not noticing Yavril's scared ways, "This is a cylinder... Not a square."
Yav's eyes fluttered open and shut again, but the cruel, grinning man was gone. Replaced by who she knew - or thought - or hoped - she knew. "U-uhm," she stammered before gathering herself, "Uh, whatever. You know what I meant."
He hoarsely chuckled before his expression fell slightly, "You okay?" He spoke marshmallow still in hand.
"Y-yeah." She shook her head, trying too hard not to look at Rieran. "Yeah. Fine! Try the marshmallow."
Morgan looked down at it and then nodded, "Let's cook it first?"
Yav wore an involuntary smirk; "If you think it'll be good! S'your choice to ruin a perfectly good white cylinder."
"Well you've never cooked it so how would you even know?"
Yav just shrugged. She began to dig through her larger pack again, on the hunt for something.
Morgan reached for a nearby stick and shoved the marshmallow on the end of it, placing it over the fire.
Rieran smiled fakely and looked to Yav, "Whatcha looking for?"
"Notebook," Yav said over her shoulder, pulling a small leather bound book out of the bag.
"Oh neat, what kind of stuff do you put in it?"Rieran spoke smally as Morgan kept the marshmallow away from the flames.
"Just notes. I think I wrote down whatever that human told me, I was going to look for it." She began to flip backwards through the pages.
"Ah-" Rieran nodded, uninterested in the soft cylinders.
Morgan let the marshellow sink into the flames slowly.
Yavril found the page the marshmallow notes were on, not so long ago. "So... yeah, they're supposed to be cooked over the fire until golden brown and then eaten."
The marshmallow allowed itself to be engulfed in flames as Morgan ripped it out of the fire and blew on it harshly.
Yavril chuckled at Mo a little as his Marshmallow was devoured in fire - "That's definitely wrong." Glancing over to Rieran, she asked, "You actually going to eat anything? Don't starve because wise guy over there decided to try something ridiculous."
Morgan practically shoved the stick down his throat as he ate the burnt Marshmellow, "awugh"
Yavril laughed aloud, attention dragged back to Mo - "Told you. Just eat them raw!"
Morgan drew the stick from his mouth and after a small amount of struggling, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ohhhh by the Pale Tree- just take the burnt sugar out of your mouth!"
He swallowed hard, "Make me"
Yav rolled her eyes, leaning back further; "Fine, burn your mouth. Go mute." She gazed up at the newly revealed stars in the unpolluted sky.
The marshmallow had been long devoured by the time she'd threatened him. Rieran laid down in the grass and aloud himself to drift into sleep.
Yav glanced over at the man beside her for a beat, letting a small smile creep across her face. She was so glad he was getting rest. After everything he had gone through... and then to force him out of bed rest only to find himself even more stressed as he fought with her about Morgan... She didn't want to argue with him about it. And she couldn't let him find out they'd kissed. He wouldn't understand. He'd assume she was just delusional, confront Morgan, and practically force her away from him. Yavril knew better than him. She knew that that wasn't... Morgan. That was Mortiuus. This version of him wasn't the same. He wasn't capable of loving her, she was sure. Not that she was even at all convinced Mortiuus had loved her - had it not just been because she was there? Because she was his freedom? Because she represented everything that could save him from what he feared? She'd said it once, she'd say it again. /If/ he had loved her, he had loved the idea of her. But she didn't expect Rieran to understand any of those complexities. He knew she was a romantic; he'd assume he was getting rid of Mo for her own good. Suddenly, she didn't really feel like looking at him - at anyone. She leaned forward again, giving her gaze to the sparking fire.
Morgan looked over to her, "I'll light one on fire for you." He chirped, "It's pretty good."
Yavril blinked up at him, and it took a minute for her face to take on an expression - though that expression was bemusement and disbelief when she did. "I can't believe you ate burnt sugar. And enjoyed it."
"I can't believe that you wont even try it."
She rolled her eyes a little. "I'll try it if it means that much to you I'll try it, but I /will/ hate it. And if you laugh at me I'll wake up Rieran and he'll kill you, so watch out."
Morgan cocked a brow, amused, "Are you insinuating that Rieran, /Rieran/, would beat me in a fight?"
"He's an expert with a rifle, Mo. I bet even right now he could shoot you in the face."
"Of course... How could I have been so blind?" He leaned back using his arms to keep himself sitting, "The sleeping man is going to slaughter me cause I want you to eat burnt sugar."
Yav just... Just smirked. She didn't say she was kidding because she wasn't convinced that she was /entirely/ wrong - about Rieran just shooting Mo in the head, not about the because he gave her burnt sugar.
"Well, are you going to try it? Want me to burn it for you?"
"If it means that much to you!" Yavril sighed, sitting up more and folding her legs on cross-legged. "Miiiight as well!"
He stuck another marshmallow on the stick, but this time he vigorously threw it into the fire and allowed the flames to engulf it once more before taking it out and calming the flames.
Yavril allowed herself a laugh; "I still vote this is ridiculous! That's-" she paused a moment as he blew out the flame, "That does not look like anything tasty. It's black!"
"It's /good/" he laughed back, "Here."
She accepted the marshmallow from him with a grimace at the heat. Because of this she unwisely stuffed the thing in her mouth and let out a muffled laugh - a big one. "It's so burnt!" She exclaimed between the marshmallow, doubling over as she grinned.
"But it's good...?"
"The middle is-" Yav mumbled as she reached it, still wearing an involuntary grin. "The outside- is just burnt and - ugh- the middle is all soft and- like almost liquid-"
Morgan let a grin grow on his face, "But it's good."
Yav sighed, giving him a fake groan as she swallowed. "Yeah, alright, it wasn't terrible-" Swallow.
"Wasn't terrible? Really, that's all you have for me?" He tried to sound offended, if he could.
Yav waved a sarcastically dismissive hand at Mo; "You've gotten your compliment, Mo! Take it! I don't change my mind often."
"That was your version of a complement?" He looked shocked, "that was recognition!"
"Well, you still got it!" Yav chuckled, grabbing his stick and wiggling it - "What more do you want?"
"An actual compliment? That would be nice." He leaned forward resting his arms on his knees, "Something like, "Oh, Morgan you're so handsome, or that the marshmallow I made you was good, that would work too."
"Morgan you're so handsome?" Yav asked, bewildered and amused. "Really? Couldn't be a little more creative? Fine- that marshmallow you made me was good."
"I can be more creative, but I think you'd do better than me, and thank you."
"And what in /Tyria/ has ever made you think I'm the creative type? You're welcome."
"Eh, I don't know, you're wordy and... orange."
"Orange?"
"Very."
"And that alters my creativity by...?"
"It just does, I don't know how to rules work I just know they do." He stated it simply as though he believed it were fact.
Yavril chuckled; he really seemed to believe that, somehow. "Okay- you know what- why are we discussing my creativity about giving you a certain level of quality of compliment?"
"Do you have a better topic, since your so orange."
"By the- anything not orange related would be /great/. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling alright. Kind of tire, but I get the feeling I couldn't sleep if I wanted to. How about your /orange/ self."
Yavril let out a groan. "Good," she replied, though it was a lie. Her scars were on fire, her mind was a wreck, and she wanted to sink into the earth beneath her. It was a well crafted lie, though, only detectable by a careful eye. "Better now that we're out of Caledon."
"Alright..." His eyes narrowed in on her, "Can I ask you a question?"
She raised a brow; "Of course?"
"You keep lying, why do you feel the need to do that in front of me? As I said I don't like to call people out on their bullshit, but you just keep it up, constantly..."
Yavril blinked, sitting up straighter. "What? I'm not lying." She certainly wasn't used to being called out, it was an automatic response.
"Okay, I admit that that first was was pretty good, and that it may have been a mistake, but your reaction and body language there was enough to confirm that it wasn't a mistake."
"Mo, I'm fine. Honestly. Just worn."
"Lies again, why don't you trust me?"
"I do trust you." Yavril didn't even know where to go from there, and she flailed for a response. Being honest was not a normal part of her life; if she was honest, it was in dramatic bursts and she dealt with it, moved on, and then went back to shoving her feelings into a ball. "I... I'm fine. Please, just... leave it alone, yeah?"
Morgan rolled his eyes slightly, "Yeah, okay, sure. If you just want to keep it all to yourself just do that then. but don't expect anything from anyone when you feel as though you do need help."
"I don't need help," Yavril claimed, "I've never needed help. I can deal with myself just fine. I never had a problem until people started insisting that I did need it."
"Well that's a lie. You do need help, even if you think you don't You probably have a whole bunch of problems that just add up cause you never put them anywhere."
"Even if I did," Yav said, refocusing her gaze on the fire, "It wouldn't be fair for me to put any of my shit on either of you. I deal with everything, eventually."
"It wouldn't be fair? When I'm asking you to do so?"
"Exactly." Yavril said, pointed, but knowing that that answer wasn't going to be enough, she continued, "I'd just burst out, upset about something or other, and then you'd say something, and then I'd go right back to normal. I'd rather not be so unnecessarily dramatic when it's going to change nothing and I can't really be convinced out of opinions, as you know."
Morgan kept a steady glance on her, "That's a horrible way to live your life and in a way that's completely anticlimactic cause you're still freaking out, just when no one expects it, and also, you'd be a hell of a lot less dramatic if you just talked about it."
Yavril stayed silent, her gaze still on the fire. Not only did she not want to tell him about it, it was actually /about/ him. She didn't expect him to take it well. Finally she looked up at him, frowned, "Morgan, I-" she was so close to just telling him what was bothering her, but... "I'm- I'm fine. Just leave it alone."
"Yeah, okay. I mean, you're not, but whatever." He pushed himself to a stand, "I'll be back later."
Yavril just... nodded. "Alright. Fine."
On that note Morgan left the light of the fire and allowed himself to seep into the natural light under the stars.
Annoyed and now upset, Yav just stared at the fire again. She fell asleep sitting up, head hanging between her knees as the fire died.
Eventually Morgan did return, but not until Yavril had fallen long asleep. He rested his back against a tree and allowed himself sleep.
Morgan and Yavril have a less than friendly split. Continuation to THIS RP!
Note - this RP isn’t in the usual style because it was done over google hangouts.
Note - this RP takes place only a few years after the secondborn emerge.
Warnings: Depressing feelings, mild
The next morning, Yav could be found still above the rooms they'd found for them, leaning against a half-constructed wall with her eyes shut, glow slowly fading. Her was visible from the staircase; she couldn't lean against it without the marks crossing there stinging in pain.
Morgan crept up the stairs carefully, and when he laid he eyes on Yavril, he simply walk silently to her and leaned his back against the same wall and shut his eyes.
As he got closer, it would have been obvious Yav was shaking in her sleep. She didn't speak, didn't wake up for another hour or so when she seemed to spasm into life, lungs on fire - she breathed heavily, quickly, not realizing Morgan was there.
Morgan's eyes snapped open as he looked over to her in a panic, "A-are you okay?"
"BY the-" Yav jumped as she realized he was there, shifting away a little and avoiding his gaze. "Treesong, Mo, you're... I-I'm fine, p-please, just... Yeah, I'm okay, just give me a second t-to... calm myself down..."
Morgan might have laughed had he nod been worried, but rather he waited for her to calm down before speaking.
Yavril did eventually manage to control her breathing, if not the shaking. "Wh-what are you doing up here?" Yav eventually asked, fighting to control her voice.
Morgan didn't dare touch her, "I came up here to join you... What's wrong?"
"N-nightmare. I'm fine. I'll be fine."
He leaned in to her slightly, "It wouldn't help to talk about it, would it?"
Yav still avoided his gaze. "I-I... Don't think you'd understand, you just... In the dream... You just..." Yav curled up a little tighter; "No, I'm fine. I'm fine."
Morgan knitted his brow, "Will you please talk to me."
"Mo... It was just a nightmare. You were in it, Acia was in it, it's not crazy. People have nightmares. I'll be fine." She paused, then asked "D-do you know if Rieran is up yet?"
"Still asleep. He looks better though."
"Good. Good, I'm glad." She paused, meeting his gaze for the first time. "Why are you still here? I- I honestly... I thought you'd bet gone in the morning."
Morgan shrugged, "I don't really want to go back, Acia is going to be mad and she's going to try to get me to come back to her, and I know I will go back if I go back there."
Yav's brow furrowed. "S-So... Where are you going to go?"
"No where for now, unless you'd you like me to."
Yav didn't know what to say. Didn't know what He wanted her to say. "I'd like a lot of things..." Yav said sadly, "Unfortunately not all of them will come true." She took her gaze away from him again, looking at the stone floor. "Go where you like, Morgan. That's the point of not being in the court, right - freewill."
"Okay, so like I said, no where."
Yav nodded quietly. "Thank you," she murmured, almost not loud enough to hear. "For helping me. Us. I... Don't know how to thank you. I'm... Sad that you... I dunno, just.... Thanks."
"Don't thank me for give you a basic right. It doesn't feel right."
"A-Another Courtier might not have, so I'm going to thank you." There was a pause, and Yavril turned a little, asking, "Can I be totally honest with you?"
He stared at her still unknowing, but nodded, "Always..."
"This version of you... I always feel sad about a-all of... what you were forced to go through and... just... sad. I feel the need to constantly apologize, but at the same time I thought you were this Courtier, not... the man I used to know. I thought... I guess I just associated you with the Court and their values, but... the man I used to know is still in there, just... different. That other version of you woke up and I thought that I had to save that part of you, but that part of you isn't... you anymore. Not totally. And I'm never going to have him back, not totally. So you don't have to stick around, but I really just want to say that... I'm glad you're not who I thought you were. You don't have to like me or anything, but... Thank you for proving me wrong, whatever my problems with the Court." Through this mini speech, Yavril tried her absolute hardest to express what she meant, but avoided Morgan's gaze for the majority of it, not sure how he would feel. She preferred the brutal honesty thing rather than beating around the bush, but she didn't really know how he was going to take it.
He stared at her without moving his gaze, "You shouldn't feel sympathy for me. I'm very apparently fine, am I not?" He let himself drift away, looking kind of far off now, "Yavril," He sounded as though he were about to chide her, "The court isn't as black and white as you'd hope it is. I can promise you that."
Yav shook her head, feeling the tiniest bit defensive, "I don't hope it's black and white. If it isn't, that means more people can be saved. But... I'm glad. I hope it is. And you don't have to keep saying that I don't or shouldn't feel sympathy, because I'm going to either way." Yav allowed a slight chuckle. "MIght as well steer into the skid.
Morgan gave a brief sigh, "I don't need the sympathy, honestly."
"Congrats, free gift!" Yav said, a little sarcastic and sassy but also a tinge of sadness - she seemed to wish she could control her emotions, but that wasn't her strong suit.
Morgan looked back to her with a hint of curiosity, "Did you like him more?"
"Who?"
"The other Morgan."
"Oh. Ah..." Yav didn't... she hadn't been expecting that kind of question, and shifted for a moment as she thought about it. "I... used to. You had attacked me, and he was there... he seemed kinder. But... now... I'm not sure I could tell you. I don't know you as well as I thought I did, and I know /him/ far better, I-I mean, I think, and he... we kissed. He liked me. He made me feel safe. That.. had its merits. But you're... as true of a version of... well, you, as him, and I... you are interesting too. I like you too, I just... don't know you."
Morgan kept a skeptical and interested face, "You didn't... Love him, right?"
Yavril stopped short. "I... honestly have no idea. And if you're leaving, I don't know if I'll ever know. He was kind. I liked him."
"Well he kissed you." Morgan noted, "He must have cared somewhat."
"Yes." Yavril agreed - she didn't /disagree/, but, "Love is different, though. That's deeper. More complicated. I think it was just that I represented his freedom. If he loved me, I think... he loved the idea of me. Not me." Yavril's face seemed forced to be calm.
Morgan's face contorted, "I don't think that fair on yourself. I think you're more interesting and..." He paused looking for the correctly vocabulary before settling on, "Lovely.. than you give yourself credit for."
Yav smiled softly - but not like she believed his words. "Thank you," she replied, "But I think you're wrong. And, like my sympathy, this is not something I think you're going to change. I appreciate the sentiment, however."
Morgan frowned, "I mine-as-well not speak if you refuse to believe me."
Yav shrugged. "If that's how you feel, it's your choice. I'm sorry that I don't believe you. I wish I could, honestly. I just don't. I doubt I ever will, and I'm dealing with that. If that sets you off, I apologize." Her face took on a look like she was accepting her fate, sadly, but still held a smile - a frighteningly genuine one, given the rest of her expression
Morgan shifted to a stand, "Do you not trust me then?"
Yav didn't bother standing; if he was standing, he was upset. Or wanted to leave. Either way, she didn't have the mindset to stop him. "Morgan, you just broke us out of the Court. I trust you. This isn't about trust."
"Not believing my words?" He looked down at her, still standing, "That is a form of trust. If you're truly so hesitant to believe my own words then there isn't a point in conversation with you."
Yav glanced up at Morgan, making contact with his sharp eyes for a moment. She didn't know how to tell him that she believed that *he* believed that, but it wasn't a thought that could even compute in her own head. "Mo, I deflected a compliment. It's not as telling as if I didn't believe you about something serious, like an attack was happening." Her gaze flickered away as the woman found herself unable to control what he was seeing in it - and she was worried about what he'd find.
Morgan gave her a calculating look from above, "If you truly believe that all you're doing is deflecting then perhaps you should work on how you do it?" He slumped against the wall, still no longer sitting. He removed his gaze after Yavril failed to meet his for a while, "Now you won't meet my eyes?" He spoke in a questioning tone, "Yavril, please enlighten me, tell me what I've done to make you be so... Far away from me? It feels like you're purposely pulling away."
Yavril felt a pang of guilt in her gut as Morgan noticed she wasn't meeting his eyes; what had he done to deserve it, after all? He'd released them from the Court's grasp, he hadn't attacked, he'd stayed overnight, he wasn't going back... So what was Yav's problem? "I-I... don't know, I just...I don't feel like I /know/ you, Morgan, I-I... I want to be able to with my heart and my soul but... I don't know how to... after everything I just saw and experienced for myself, and you're still... a courtier. Heart and soul, Morgan, I want to, but... you're not the man I knew, and it... throws me off...."
Morgan looked away from her, "I don't know what I can do to help you with that."
"Didn't expect you to." Yav murmured depressingly, barely audible.
Morgan sighed, "Alright," he hadn't heard her small murmur, "Well." He tossed her a sideways glance, "You'll always be able to find me if you want, but something tells me that you have issues that you need to work out with yourself and I can't help you with them."
Yavril glanced up at him, pained, but didn't say anything. Just... nodded. Kept her gaze on him. She didn't expect anything of him; how could she? She was weak in this moment, worn from days of inner and outer turmoil - not to mention that everything about Morgan seemed to make her head spin.
He didn't bother saying goodbye, instead he simply went for the stairs. A part of him wanted her to expect something, but he was far to clouded to force himself to stay near someone who seemed so...unwilling to only exist with him.
Baxxton recruits some muscle for finding ley line crystals. Preceded by THIS RP.
Bromu
Warnings: Bar
Brom
By the time Baxxton meandered his way to the location he spoke of he had a dog with him. She was a big old mutt, mostly drakehound but clearly not purebred. While Tikka might be frowned at Baxx wanted backup, and he didn't trust any person more than that dog. The 'bar' itself was a lot less busy than he expected which was rather dissapointing but the asura could live with it- couple possible bandits (definitely a no), a few norn (also a no- unless they brought their own tents) and a few people that might work out. Maybe. Ears perked, Baxx stood off to one side with one hand on his pet to listen.
Sol
"And then, I kid you not--" A rather boisterous voice resounded in the back of the questionable bar, and it was from the group of norn all seated around a round table. Except, the voice was very distinctly not norn, not the deep and gutteral voice they typically had. No, it was rather high pitched, and loud to be heard from all over the room. It was from an asura, a rather young man is a rather rag tag set of armor that seemed more sodered pieces of leftover metal then a true piece of armor. His unruly brown hair and face of freckes gave off the appearance of youthful vigor, and his loud voice showcased the fact that he cared not for what others thought of him. "--I ran into a spawn of Jormag, at least twenty feet tall!" Bromu exclaimed, standing on their table as he spoke to the norn. Admittingly, he was rather tall and built for an asura, or maybe it was his poofy hair that gave off the impression that he was a giant. He had a cocky grin on his face as he added, "And that's pretty tall, even for you all! And I took it down, only me and my sword!"
Brom
Baxx tilted his head to the side so he could see around one of those norn, grinning wide as he heard Bromu's yelling. Now there was a voice! Not sullen, not old. "Sorry girl," he grinned at Tikka, touching his palm to the wet tip of her nose in a silent command to 'stay'. "That didn't take long at all." Well trained, the dog only gave a huff of complaint as Baxx wandered over to the norn group to push his way between a pair of them. "What'd you do with the body?" This time he spoke louder, directed at the other asura. Baxx wasn't too short himself, but he had to admit he'd probably look a bit pathetic next to this guy. That wasn't a bad thing.
Sol
"What do you think I did with a twenty foot tall dragonspawn corpse when I was by myself? I decapitated it and left it." Bromu replied, shorting as if it was a stupid question to ask. What he hell did he want with some dragon body? Nothing, that was what. Though he knew there were others out there who were interested in that kind of thing. "If you really wanna know, though, I ran into some Durmond Priory folks on the way back and they paid me to tell them where I left it. They're probably poking away at it right now. But hey, I'm only interested in the killing part, not the science-y part."
Brom
"But you don't mind the science-y part, do ya?" Baxx kept grinning. "Bet you could have made a lot more dragging it back to them. Then again, 20 feet's a bit much to handle. Maybe if it were.... smaller." He suddenly ducked to avoid a meaty norn arm, carelessly swung around like no one was down there to whack. As usually happened when one stuck their head in a boasting group.
Sol
"I mean, yeah, I don't mind the science-y stuff, so long as I'm not involved in it. I mean, I can't gurantee I won't bash brains in if they need them, but otherwise I can get them whatever they want." On that note, Bromu jumped down from the table with his norn 'friends' and joined Baxx at his level. He stretched his arms out and yawned, a bit nonchalant as he continued, "I'm guessing you're asking because you're interested in my line of work. Is this business or pleasure we're talking here?"
Brom
"Why can't it be both?" Baxx pulled out one of those magic shards, grinning. "I know, I know. Business." He held it up high above his dreads, so that the weird glow could be seen. "You know what this is? It's solid magic. Worth a lot. Attracts as many dragonspawn as Consortium, though. And money attracts bandits. See where I'm going with this?" He tossed the shard, catching it before any of the norn could, and passed it over to Bromu.
Sol
Refraining from commenting on needing some pleasure, the asuran fighter grabbed the shard from Baxx and took a closer look at it. Sure enough, it was teeming with magical energy (well, he hoped that was what that glow was about) and seemed liked it was very valuable. Which meant money in his direction if he decided to help him out. If being the key word there. "Money's nice and all, but killing bandit's not exactly... interesting." Bromu replied, handing the magical shard back to the smaller asura. "What kind of paycheck are we talking here? You're cute and all, but I better not be stiffed just because I look like hired muscle."
Brom
"One third of what we collect. Minus this advance." Another bag of coin, this time for Bromu. He didn't hand it over as easy as the shard, just shaking it so the other asura could hear the clinking. "One third, because there's gonna be three of us. Me, you if you agree, and an expert on magic I found." he winked. "I'm not the kind of guy to stiff someone by paying them less just because I'm the one who's got the contacts. Maybe if you were going by yourself, but the three of us are going together."
Sol
Bromu pondered the offer over, intently staring at the bag of coins. On one hand, that did sound like a decent amount of coin. He was always hard pressed for money these days, now that he was breaking off on his own. On the other hand, fighting bandits sounded... really boring. The thrill and excitement from fighting large creatures and dragonspawn brought meaning to his life. But Mom always warned him that at some point he was going to have to settle for table scraps at times in order to get by until the feast. He was pretty sure that was what she meant. "Alright, I can live with that." The young fighter declared, holding out his hand.
Brom
"How long will it take you to pack?" As if summoned by a favorite word, the dog broke her stay and bounded over to whine at Baxx's shoulder, resting her big broad nose on it as he deposited the bag in Bromu's hand. He reached up to pet her. "We're meeting the mage under the blue.... shade? Shade. Sylvari, can't miss her, I'll be there with Tikka here. I'd like to get started as soon as possible, for all we know there's a finite amount of the stuff."
Sol
Openning the bag, Bromu counted the coins inside the bag. Not bad, he thought to himself before closing and tying it to his belt. "I can be there within an hour, probably sooner." He replied, shrugging slightly. It was not the first time a job insisted on being ready immediately, so he generally packed light and kept his bag ready to go. But he was staying in an inn across town, so it was going to take some time to go back and forth. Patting Baxx's shoulder as he walked by, Bromu waved off the smaller asura as he added, "I'll see you in an hour, then. Oh, and I hope foor and board is covered. I eat a lot, and if you want me at my best it'd be best to sate my hunger." And with that, he walked off.
Brom
Baxx almost said something about that, but just shook his head and grinned instead. "I'll be there." He patted Tikka's head and gently pried the dog from his shoulder, leading her in a circle to head out himself. Drinking wasn't his thing, well, at least in places like this. His own stuff already in bags at his camp, the asura wandered off towards the clear awning.
It was humid and damp as ever in the caves, the light that flickered out of the firepit casting shadows through the roots that hung down like claws of who knows what across the pitted and chak-worn rock that surrounded the little camp. It was suprising they had a fire at all, frankly, everything was so waterlogged in this part of the jungle that dry wood was actually a valuable resource. Luckily after all that ruckus Criudyn had still been fit enough to actually gather it up- his companion- now two companions, he supposed- would certain need it when they woke up. He'd done his best for Brynn to at least keep her a little comfy in this rocky hell, sitting her up a bit, resting her head on one of the packs. But the other one, well, he was still tied up. Pretty well, Criu liked to think. He might not be any good with a weapon but he could make a decent knot. Hopefully it wouldn't need to be that strong or be needed at all, but you never knew. A small part of him, one he wouldn't admit out loud, sort of hoped the dark mordrem Brynn had managed to drag down wouldn't wake up at all. Not after that fight. But, maybe this one was like him. Maybe he wasn't too far gone. So it wasn't just Brynn that got wounds wrapped and stitches put in place while they weren't awake to feel them. He did his best, now there was nothing to do but wait.
raumlet
Pain radiated through Brynn's chest as she slowly struggled upright. The Mordrem she'd chosen this time hadn't looked like the sort to get up close and personal, but then she'd fired at him and - well, she'd been surprised at how quickly things had gone to absolute shit. Whoever this one was, he'd had some training before Mordremoth had sunk its claws into him; nothing like Criudyn's slow, awkward swings. At one point, she'd been firing at point-blank range and the Mordrem had just kept coming, relentless. But.... If she could save this one, too. If she could get him to remember his name. Wasn't that worth it? Even if it killed her, wasn't it a victory? She'd been powerless against the Nightmare and it had taken the woman she loved, but she'd be damned if she would sit back and wait for Mordremoth to take everything else. The peace and quiet of Rata Novus rose up around her, blessedly free from the Dragon's voice; here, she could hear her own thoughts. The Mordrem they'd taken down would be able to hear himself over Mordremoth again, and maybe that would be enough to save him. "Ow," she breathed, pressing her hand to the bruises she could feel forming under her bark. Someone had tended to her wounds - she had a good idea who. Probably the same one who had tucked her into her bedroll, rekindled the fire, and started broth cooking, by the smell. "Criu?"
Brom
There were two things, actually. Broth and some just plain water, which hopefully was near boiling at this point. "Oh! You're awake." Criu stood up from his seat near the fire and moved closer to Brynn, not before casting a wary glance over the still-out mordrem. "Sorry for hiding but- you're lucky I did. You were both pretty bad off." His still bright red eyes glowed a little in the dark of the cavernous area. He'd found a pair of glasses in the pouches that hadn't been lost with the rest of his original stuff. One of the lenses was smashed out and the other cracked, but if he shut one eye and focused around the spiderwebby part they worked for now. Luckily his sight wasn't so bad he needed them always, just focusing. Which he did now, looking over the woman again. "...He's still out. How bad does it hurt? I can make two teas, one of them will work better than the other, but you'll be hungry, and probably fall asleep."
raumlet
"I won't die, I don't think, but it feels like I might," Brynn replied. Slowly, she pushed herself up, feeling each and every ache - her back was a solid wall of pain where the mordrem had kicked her into a tree. With a monumental effort, she pushed herself up despite Criu's nervousness and limped her way to the fire - where she sat down again, limbs screaming, legs folded. She glanced back at the trussed-up mordrem, still out as far as she could tell. If he woke up and she was asleep... "I've been out long enough," she said. "Give me the weaker tea - I've dealt with pain like this before. It'll ease."
Brom
Criu's fingers were visibly shaking as he dug out some of the other things he'd managed to salvage, little jars that were thankfully as water-tight as the asura who'd originally sold him them had promised. Uncapping the first he squinted at it, touching a finger barely to the powder inside to taste what one that was before frowning, shaking his head, and closing it. The second was the correct one, the sylvari shaking some of it into one of the dented metal cups that had come with the actual pact supplies and adding some of the hot water. "It's bitter," he cautioned, offering it to Brynn. He looked back at the mordrem as well, waiting for a moment before continuing. "He's not going to be dead. I don't think you broke any limbs, either." Criu's tone suggested that might have been a good idea.
raumlet
"Good," Brynn muttered into her cup, her eyes closed as she took an experimental sip. Grimacing, she lowered the cup and just held it in her hands, letting herself enjoy the warmth without pushing herself to drink it. The pain would wait; wasn't like it was going anywhere. "I didn't want to hurt him badly. Quicker he can get up on his feet, quicker he can help us with the next one. I don't plan to stop trying."
Vos
Vitrun had always been perceptive when it came to sensing other's empathic signatures. It had been part of the reason why he made such an adept interrogator. Which consequently was how he knew the emotions he was feeling right now were not his own. Even with the thick fog clouding his cognizance he could sense the fear, hesitation, and determination, of the sylvari nearby. It felt wrong. But other emotions cut through the haze. Pain, Confusion, Desperation. These were his emotions . The peace in the bivouac was broken. Vitrun thrashed in his binds, snarling and spitting out curses. Stitches were torn, and his shoulder throbbed but his fury did not subside. He strained against the cordage with indomitable ferocity. The ropes bit into his wrists, sap welling around them. Rage set in his stomach like a bed of hot coals. The ex-warden lashed out with his legs, knocking over supplies and struggling to sit upright. Just as abruptly he became eerily quiet, only his harsh breathing filling the space. Slitted pupils stared at his captors with an unsettling calmness
Brom
"Are you sure about that?!" Criu squawked as the mordrem came back to life, thrashing and ruining any good the care had done him. He quickly backed away, grabbing his glasses and pushing them further up his nose as if they would help or something. Luckily the ropes held. Barely, but held. And when the dark sylvari stopped fighting his bonds Criu hesitantly stepped closer instead of running away like he had when they first tried to talk to him. "...Um.... Hello? What's- what's your name?" That's what you were supposed to ask, right? It was what he remembered. Sort of. Most of it was... Well, shoved to the side. Terror to be slowly picked apart to accept and understand later.
raumlet
Brynn was on her feet instantly, the tea spilling at her feet and her pain not forgotten, but ignored now that she had something more pressing to focus on - her hands dropped to her waist, but her guns weren't there. Uselessly, she patted around her belt, her eyes searching the packs scattered about the camp. There - moving swiftly, she yanked her pistols free... and then tucked them into her belt before raising her hands so that the Mordrem could see them. "I apologize for attacking you. It was necessary," she said, looking him dead in the eyes despite the shiver it sent down her spine. There was no way to hide the automatic revulsion, but she did her best to tamp it down; it served no purpose here. "Please, try to remember your name. The Dragon is quiet here."
Vos
Although his mind was feverish, Vitrun was certain he heard them correctly. Mordremoth's presence was muted. That much was true. However, this nonsense about names was wearing down his patience. Vitrun's jaw tightened. "I should have stepped on your throat when I had the chance," He hissed scornfully. His tongue swept over his split lip. Their emotions bounced off him like a sounding board. It was maddening. He shuddered and hunched over.
Brom
"Hey. Hey. We're not talking about that. What's your name?" Voice high pitched like someone talking to a wounded animal, Criu looked to Brynn and her guns (and all his spilled tea) then back to the mordrem. Those ropes were holding pretty strong. Taking off his glasses and tucking them away as if they could actually get broken worse he dropped to his knees and scooted closer. Maybe a little too close, but the ropes were holding so what was he going to do, bite?
raumlet
Brynn stepped closer as well, her thin hands still in the air for the Mordrem's benefit. Every time the ropes creaked, her eyes flicked to them, but she returned to catch his gaze again almost immediately. "I'm Brynntrell," she said, squatting down beside Criu. "Brynn for short. I'm with the Vigil. This is Criudyn. He's Priory. Can you remember anything?"
Vos
His lip curled back in disgust. Criudyn's voice grating against him. But it was his pity that made Vitrun's stomach turn. The ex-warden lunged at him nearly wrenching his shoulder out as the ropes snapped taunt. His fists tightened, claws biting into his palms. His desperation ebbed ever closer to the surface, no doubt they could taste it by now. What could they possibly want from him! Name? What name?! But the damage was done; A flash of uncertainly crossing his face.
Brom
The ropes were holding?! The ropes held. There was a moment of panic that flashed through Criu's eyes and emotions, but the ropes held. Instead of running he did something stupid instead- he wrapped his arms around the tied up mordrem. A little tight for someone beat up maybe, but give him a break, the cartographer was still scared. "You woke up with a name once you can do it again. Please remember." He wondered if he had looked like this. Maybe he still did. It was... unsettling.
raumlet
Brynn's first impulse was to caution him, pull him away; but how did she know this wasn't what this Sylvari needed to pull himself back from the Dragon? She wasn't exactly an expert here. Criu had been easy - once she'd gotten the Dragon quiet in his head, he'd wanted to come back. But who knew about this one? Maybe she'd chosen one who had fallen willingly, though she couldn't imagine doing that herself. "Think," she said softly. "Who are you?"
Vos
The Mordrem flinched, stiffening in Criudyn's embrace. He fell into silence, a look of bewilderment and revulsion on his face. This rabbit had placed itself willing into his Jaws. He could wound Criudyn so effortlessly. Then why did he hesitate? There was a sudden sense of loss that he hadn't noticed before. A pang of remorse for a comrade who was no more. Anguish for a sapling he had pushed away, and lastly heartache for a companion who he had abandoned. He jerked in Criudyn's hold. "I don't want to remember," he choked out. Vitrun's panic was tangible. He needed to escape.
Brom
The cartographer laced his fingers together, his arms skinny but long. Criu looked up at Brynn for direction, she had experience in this. He was proof of that. He didn't exactly radiate confidence right now, but the worry was not entirely for himself. Someone was in there and that fact ate through his previous misgivings. "I see why you're doing this now," he murmured at the woman before focusing again. "Hey. Your name can't be that bad. What did it start with?"
raumlet
Brynn gave him a tense nod made an encouraging gesture as she edged closer herself; kneeling by the pair, she put a gentle hand on the Mordrem's shoulder. What Criu was doing seemed to be working, so there was no reason to stop him. If only she knew more about this - maybe, eventually, she would know what to say, what advice to give. For now, all she could do was cross her fingers and hope that they were on the right path.
Vos
Vitrun fought to hang onto the rage that had previously possessed him. However curiosity plagued the ex-warden. How could he possibly deny himself his own identity? Despite not wanting to accept the burden that came with it. Vaguely he could remember names. Yet he knew they were not his own. Remus, Geneviette, Kai? What did these name mean to him. Who was he to these people? With a sudden break of clarity he surged in Criu's grasp, not maliciously; but in shock. "My name... It's Vitrun." How could he have forgotten his own name?
Brom
"Vitrun! Hey, that's not a bad name at all," Criu fought to hold on, still clinging even though the sudden movement scared him a little. "Vitrun. What's- what's your favorite food? Do you like candy?" It was a stupid question but one entirely disconnected from the jungle, those injuries, and more importantly the dragon. "I don't. It's too sweet. But what about you, Vitrun?" The cartographer forced a big stupid grin, the expression easier with the tiny victory. They'd won at least a battle, here.
raumlet
The jerk under her hand startled Brynn as well, and she clasped his shoulder tighter out of reflex - not quite holding him down, but the wiry strength of her arm was apparent in her hold. Once he'd stilled, she gave him an awkward pat but held her silence - if he was focused on Criu, that was good. That meant he wasn't focused on the Dragon.
Vos
The wrongness of this situation imposed itself upon him again. Criu's questions seemed to encourage this feeling to spread. Sharp and brief recollections of insignificant details spun in the Mordrem's mind. However the grip on Vitrun's shoulder and the embrace seemed to anchor him in this moment. The soldier sagged against Criudyn, yielding to the onslaught of memories. The personality that he had worn for the last few months began to unravel. He remembered his fondess for bitter foods, and his tendency to skip meals. And...Someone close to him would cook for him often? However the face was still unclear. "Grapefruit .. and no," he finally responded lowly and uncertainly.
Brom
"Grapefruit? I like oranges more." Criu let up a little, loosening that hug so it would be a little more comfortable. He didn't let go though, the grip was just gentler. "Um... how about... colors? What's your favorite color, Vitrun? I bet it's blue." Looking up from Vit for a moment, the cartographer spoke to Brynn again. "There were some bandages left, in the packs that were, um, kicked. I think we'll need them again."
raumlet
With a nod, Brynn pulled away and hurried over to the packs, hauling them upright before digging into them in search of the bandages. It was a moment before she was back with the entire med kit in her hands; popping it open, she set it by Criu's thigh with a low, murmured "Here you are," and backed away again anxiously. This was going well - would it be this easy for every Mordrem they captured? Had they just been lucky so far? Hesitant, she put her hand back on Vitrun's shoulder. "Mine is red," she said after a moment, her voice soft. "Fresh tomatoes, and bell peppers - that red. It reminds me of someone I love."
Vos
A quiet and resentful glance was the only response to Criu's question. Even if he could box these memories up and lock them in the corner of his mind, Vitrun knew that he would always have a nagging feeling of incompleteness. When only hours before he had felt an unshakeable 'rightness' in his place in the world. "Why do you think this changes anything?" he growled although his tone had lost it's earlier bite. He sounded more tired than anything. He felt as if he was teetering on the edge. If he were to fall over he'd be pulled under and consumed by his past, and effectively erased.
Brom
Nope. Criu tightened that hug right back up, choking back a moment of fear. "So... So it's not blue, then?" His voice had a hint of strain to it as he attempted to keep calm in the face of total inexperience. "Mine is- was orange. Like the sun. Let's not talk about change, Vitrun. Are they at home, Brynn? Waiting for you? Is your home still the Grove? How about you, Vitrun? Is your home the Grove?" Filling the void between sentences with more sentences was the only idea he had, so he kept at it. Besides. Talking kept him from fearing he'd do the same thing and fall again.
raumlet
"She's not waiting for me, not anymore. She isn't who she was," Brynn said, even softer, familiar strings of sadness resonating within her - this time, when she stroked Vitrun's arm, it was as much to soothe herself as to reassure him. Quickly, with the ease of practice, she pushed the feeling away; this was no time to linger on past hurts. "It's been years since I visited the Grove. With the Vigil, you're always moving, always off to new places - were you with the Pact, Vitrun?"
Vos
And there it was. What he had been hiding from. And despite all the antagonizing, despite the wrenching in his gut. He didn't yell or cry, or even make a noise. Vitrun simply leaned back, shoulder aching with a persistent buzz. "There is nothing waiting for me in The Grove," he answered solemnly. Which was the truth. Kai certainly wouldn't be there. Geneviette too would be gone. The dampness of his eyes betrayed his calm; no doubt they could feel it anyway. "Neither do I have any claim to the Pact, after what I've done." he choked out in answer to Brynn's question. His acceptance seeming to signal a change in his demeanor. Despite the horror of his memories pressing down upon him, he somehow felt... lighter?
Brom
"Hey, no, hey," Criu whispered. "We-- You can't think like that. There's going to be a place. There is a place." He closed his eyes, still that strange red glow that looked so alien reflected back when he dared look in the calmer water. "I already have one. See? Not even- not even long and I'm already helping Brynn. We'll find you a place, Vitrun. Stay with us. Please." The cartographer very slowly let go, hands shakey as he spread his arms and put them back down at his side. Backing off didn't happen, though, he stayed put, pulse beating. "It gets easier. Saying no. I promise. It's- you can chose. You have a choice."
raumlet
"What the Dragon did was not you, Vitrun. Any of us could fall, so easily," Brynn said. Even she, supported by the members of her unit, had felt its voice as a painful weight in her mind, and it was no special talent that let her resist - it had been the others, believing that she could. And a letter - unmarked, a scrap torn from somewhere and hastily folded before it ended in her hands - be safe, sister in that script she would recognize anywhere. "You can fight it. We want to help you do that."
Vos
What was he supposed to say to that. That he would fight? That's all he had been doing since had first awoken. Still, their words roused his spirit. He had been a shade after his friend's death. Go where he was told, fight when he was told, and even stood uselessly by while those closest to him slowly left. He met Criudyn's gaze, seeing the other Sylvari for what he was and what he had gone through. He reached an understanding. Mordremoth had changed him and he doubted he could ever be the Vitrun that once joined the Pact. However, he could go back and be the Vitrun that first awoke outside the grove. He needed to retake control. "Fine, I'll fight."
Brom
The cartographer let his shoulders relax, even the leaves on his head drooping in a sigh of relief. "Maybe- once I fix your-" Criu waved at the bandages, some of them already starting to show the sap that was bleeding through where the stitches had been ripped open again. "I did a little bit, while you were out, but... Well all that movement couldn't have been good. Otherwise we might lose you to something a lot less, uhh... well we might just lose you again." His smile was still a worried one, the bark between his eyes creasing. "Brynn? You need to sit down again too. Although you still should be fine. At least until we find a mender? You weren't a mender were you, Vitrun? Let's save a mender next time." He groped for the medical kit where Brynn had set them, picking up the pack to sort through what was left.
raumlet
"If we can find one, I'd be happy to," Brynn said wearily. Now that Vitrun wasn't struggling, now that she could feel him underneath the thick shell of the Dragon's control, she felt safe sitting back and letting him breathe. Her hand dropped to the bandage around her chest; with all the commotion, she'd forgotten about her injuries, but they gave a ragged cheer as she turned her attention on them again. Hissing with disapproval, she bent over herself and pressed her hands to her sides. "Vitrun - if you think you might slip, if the Dragon is too much, please. Let us know. I'd rather not be kicked into anything else," she said, as jokingly as she could make it considering the circumstances.
Vos
"I was an Interrogator, " He answered with a frown. Criudyn's worry was uncomfortable. He was more able-bodied than when he first entered the jungle. It was almost humorous. Typically you find a fighting style that fits you. In Vitrun's case he had changed to fit a fighting style. The change had happened without him ever realizing. It was an oddly mundane thought given the circumstances but he couldn't help but wonder if any of his clothing back home would still fit him. He relaxed in his binds and watched the two Sylvari wearily. Logically he knew he had no body heat, yet his shoulder felt inflamed. The pounding in his head was no help either. However it was some relief to know it wasn't caused by the Jungle Dragon's influence. "You'll be the first to know," Vitrun assured her with a grumble.
Brom
Deciding their remaining supplies were enough Criu started to undo the ropes, fumbling with the knots. His hands were still shaking but there didn't seem to be anything worse than his worry going on. "I'm sorry for the ropes- actually. I'm not. Well. Sort of." He tugged a little hard and winced in empathy. "Tell me if it's too much. I'm gonna need you it be able to uh, move your arms and stuff. I'm not sure if it's just cut or. Broken."
Vos
Vitrun tightened and relaxed his fists periodically, getting his sap flowing again. Once the last slip of rope was untangled from around his limbs he extended his arm slowly. A hiss of air escaped through clenched teeth as he stretched. Nothing broken but he had come dangerously close to dislocating his shoulder. It persistently throbbed. The former interrogator cradled his arm to his chest. He touched two fingers tenderly to his torn suture. " All that work for nothing," he almost sounded apologetic. Almost.
Brom
"It wasn't that tidy." It was Criu's turn to sound apologetic. "It's, um, more difficult on actual people than it is on fruit or leather. I'm not a real mender or anything." He dug back in the pack, trying to hide the glow in his cheeks from embarrassment. Soon the cartographer found what he was looking for, looking back up at Vitrun. Now that he was awake this was... a lot more daunting.
Vos
Criu's words didn't reassure Vitrun. The ex-warden's movements were sluggish and pained. With a grunt and a sharp intake of air, he propped himself up at a better angle. Sensing the other's hesitation he averted his gaze from Criu. "I can take care of it myself," he offered.
Brom
Wordlessly Criu just held out the needle. If Vitrun could and would he was probably better suited. His shakey fingers were not... the best at this. Still flush with embarrassment, the ex-mordrem looked away.
Vos
Vit reached out with his good arm and grasped Crui's trembling hand. He held the sylvari captive for a brief moment before releasing him, needle now in hand. He rolled his shirt up, still sticky with sap. It likely would have been easier with both hands. As it was, he would manage.
Brom
The cartographer looked helplessly at Brynn again, then pulled out his broken glasses and put them back on, adjusting them as well as he could. He pressed his palms together in front of his chest and took a deep breath. How was it this guy was scarier awake than a busted monster? "I'll find another cup," Criu answered, sounding more sure of himself again. "Well. I'll stay here in case you need help. Then find another cup. More help," he quickly clarified.
raumlet
"Give that to me," Brynn said, pushing herself wearily to her feet and crossing back over to their bags. The only other cup they had was yet another battered tin mug with the handle torn off, but it would have to do - it was the jungle, after all. You couldn't expect fine china complete with a saucer. Rinsing it out with some of the still-hot water, she set the kettle and the cup by Criu's side, then fetched him his little jars and her own dripping mug. "I'd like a cup as well, if you don't mind, since I barely got to taste it... For better or worse. We should see if we can't find sugar."
Vos
Vitrun gave up after trying to find the best way to approach suturing his wound. He couldn't do this with one arm. It wasn't in dire need of stitches anyway. Although he had a lingering concern that it wouldn't heal properly. Instead he sought out any suitable material to make a sling. His arm would be rather useless for a week or so. That meant his staff would be useless. Which reminded him that he had no idea where his weapons were!
Brom
"I haven't seen anything sweet. It would probably help if I knew what most of these plants out here are there are so many that are... almost but not quite what they should be." Criu busied himself with making more tea, checking his tins, carefully mixing the right amount. That much he was confident with even under a scrutinizing eye. Digging around in what pouches he had left again he pulled out a different tin, this one with a golden band around it. The cartographer opened it and just looked at the dried leaves inside for a moment, before measuring some out into Brynn's cup, then the one for Vitrun. "This shouldn't mess with what it does, and will give a little bit of a real flavor, at least."
raumlet
"That would be a blessing," Brynn said, holding her shaking hands out for the cup once Crui was done with it. She'd settled by the fire again, one big ache all the way around her ribs, and rested her elbows warily on her knees with the cup help in her hands. It seemed safe now - the Mordrem, Vit, had calmed down; his attempts to stitch himself up weren't going so great. If she knew the first thing about mending, she'd offer a helping hand. As it was, though, she'd probably just make it worse and hurt him in the process. She sipped her tea instead - and winced at the taste. "Supplies are in those bags there, Vitrun," she said once she'd had her fit of grimacing. "Take what you need."
Vos
Vitrun was able to hunt down a suitable material for his sling. After securing the knot with a tug from his teeth he was satisfied with his work. He curiously rummaged through the rest of the supplies. A standard issue Pact Fleet Pistol came into view. Not his, he realized sourly. Brandishing a weapon after recent events wouldn't go over well anyway.The dusky Sylvari was keenly aware of the tension in the small encampment yet he did his best to appear harmless. Finally he turned back to the duo, curious to see that Criu had thrown together some sort of.. tea? It hardly seemed like the occasion for it.
Brom
Criu held up the cup in offering, a little bit of steam curling off the top. "Here. This'll... take a little bit of the edge off. Not a lot, I couldn't find any real medicine and um, the stronger stuff I have maybe won't be..." his voice trailed off but he kept offering the cup. There really wasn't a way of telling how stable a person was, and Vitrun still seemed alien. Even if the will of the dragon was quieter down here the cartographer didn't want to push it. "It smells better than it tastes, sorry about that."
raumlet
"Bit of an understatement," Brynn murmured into the dregs of the disgusting tea - she was doing her level best to throw it back as quickly as possible, minimizing the amount of time it spent on her tongue. It was mostly working. Mostly. What she wouldn't do for a proper Mender right about now! Despair suddenly threatened to overwhelm her; they were deep in the jungle, separated from her unit, with no end in sight to the Mordrem that needed reclaiming. What a hopeless situation she'd gotten herself into, as if her love life alone wasn't enough in and of itself! With a sigh, she pressed the back of her hand to the flat bridge of her nose and tried to chase the thoughts away.
Vos
Vitrun accepted the offered cup. He lifted it to his mouth, taking a hesitant sniff before sipping lightly from it. A grimace crossed the interrogator's face. He cleared his throat. "Well, it's... something," he said. At least the taste was distracting and the warmth was pleasant. Vitrun leaned against a rock, allowing himself to slide down into a seated position on the floor.
Brom
"It feels better than it tastes," Criu admitted with a soft shrug. Untying one of his surviving pouches from his belt, he picked through his meager remaining belongings, slightly surprised at what had and hadn't stayed put through... all he'd been through. The cartographer started making two small piles, one of things worth keeping, the other things that weren't. The second was larger than the first by far, and as he turned all his pockets inside out searching for... anything, it was difficult to keep a neutral face. He hadn't cried when he'd come back to himself, but for some reason looking at his shredded tools and collected bits was really getting to him.
raumlet
"So." Exhausted, Brynn let her hand drop from her face, cradling the empty cup in her lap, her rough fingers tracing over the dents in the metal. Her brow creased as she looked between the two battered men sitting around the fire. "Vitrun, I'll make the same offer to you as I did to Criu. If you'd like to leave the jungle, I can contact my men and have you evacuated, but I can't guarantee a timetable, or even that you'll be able to fight the Dragon once you leave this area." The most she could offer him was a shrug. "It is possible. Criu has been able to."
Vos
The question surprised him. Vitrun had assumed they'd want to be rid of him as soon as possible. Or at least that's what Criu's demeanor seemed to indicate. The poor Sylvari reminded him of a shaky leaf. Admittedly he hadn't thought that far ahead. "...I'm no use to anyone here. The soonest possible I'd like to return to the Grove. I have things I need to sort out." Vitrun said, finishing off the cup and laying in on the ground beside him. He realized should have felt grateful towards the odd duo, but everything still seemed so surreal.
Brom
Criudyn looked up from his tattered belongings, managing a bit of a smile. "Anyone who's... them, is helpful. And you're back now. It's easier when you know to- well. When you're on guard." It had caught him by absolute surprise, one of the first that fell on the ships. Criu's descent had been a quick snap, a sudden loss without warning. And the idea something could suddenly change again terrified him. "I understand leaving though." The cartographer ran his hand across the pile of things he junked, spreading chipped pen nibs and dented tins and stained paper and leaves out across the strange rocky ground.
raumlet
"The first shock was the worst, for me," Brynn said. The cup tinked quietly against the stone as she set it aside. "Of course you can leave, and I'll do what I can to expedite that, but help is always appreciated. I wouldn't have been able to rescue you without Criu's assistance." No - she would have died there, even though she'd downed Vitrun alone, because what good was that, having fainted herself? As she spoke, she dragged her own bags closer and began to dig through them. Somewhere, there was a still-functional message gyro; she could send it to the nearest Pact outpost and that would be that.
Vos
Vitrun watched with mild interest as Criu sorted his things. He hadn't lost many personal possessions. Although he hadn't actually brought many. It seemed dagger and pistol were long lost to the jungle, leaving him with only the clothes he was clad in and the weapons he had picked up along the way. "Perhaps you're right," he conceded hesitantly. It wouldn't be safe anywhere with Mordremoth still active. He would be running away from the fight if he left for the grove now. "I'll see this through to the end."
Brom
Criu looked back down at his stuff. Would there even be an end to see? He kept his doubts to himself, moving to tuck away what things survived. There was a pause as he picked up a random playing card, the sylvari staring at it a long silent moment before moving it to the trash pile. "At least until we save someone more enthusiastic to take your place? I know I'm pretty scared myself but... I know I'd just be adding to a pile of regrets and what-ifs if I left now. I don't really.... need any more of those. At least get a memory of doing some good out here." He looked back up, red eyes so bright in the dimmness down where they hid.
raumlet
"Won't lie. I'd appreciate having your brawn on my side," Brynn said, blunt as could be as she fished out the gyro. What sense was there in being coy about it? She was strong enough, but in a jungle full of monsters, having another strong person on hand could save her life. Tipping the gyro around in her hands, she slid open the panel on the bottom and pressed the button hidden there. The little machine beeped once, and the propeller whirred up to a lazy buzz - not broken, then. Good. For now, she set it aside. "Criu, what the Dragon has done is no reflection on who you are. There's no sense blaming yourself. Now. I'll be taking a few days to heal before heading out again, Vitrun. If you change your mind..." She patted the little fish-shaped gadget at her side.
Vos
"I don't think enthusiam counts for much out here," Vitrun said dryly. He didn't attempt to offer Criu counsel. He was still unsure of his own feelings on the subject. " I'm sure you've realized by now that I'll need my weapons back. That is... if you didn't leave them behind," Vitrun continued, brows dipping low in a slightly incredulous manner. It was hard to believe that they'd leave weapons of such quality behind. It would be a waste of resources. Even if they had brought them, who was to say they'd put trust in him so soon.
Brom
Criu's cheeks flushed as he lifted his head with a jerk. "Weapons weren't my priority," he replied quickly. Because yes, he had left them behind. It was hard enough to drag them both back and the other supplies. "If you haven't noticed you're a lot bigger than I am. I can't carry everything." The cartographer was trying to sound firm, but not doing a very good job at it.
raumlet
"Can you shoot?" Brynn gestured at her pistols. Thankfully, Criu hadn't forgotten her weapons; they were light enough that he likely shoved them back into their holsters before dragging her off. "If you can, you're welcome to these. I'd rather not but I can swing a hammer and be just as effective. Might have been a better choice, with you, since I couldn't get you off me long enough to shoot you."
Vos
Vitrun's mouth twisted in a half grimace. It wasn't an ideal situation but he would make do. "Yeah, I can. I'm sure I'll find something suitable along the way," he sighed. The dusky Sylvari wasn't even sure why he felt so sentimental towards his old weapons. After he had used those very weapons to kill his comrades he should be glad they were lost to the jungle.
Brom
Rather than defend himself further Criu focused on packing away the things he'd decided were worth keeping, stuffing them away inside the pouches around his waist. They were still mostly empty by the time he was done, a far cry from the usual stuffed-with-anything. Or... what had been usual, once. Still not looking up and instead reorganizing what had just been organized, he finally commented. "I've seen a lot of weapons around. Just laying there." He paused, then stated the rest of the thought. "You don't even have to pull them from corpses. Those are mostly dragged away."
raumlet
"Here." Quickly, Brynn unbuckled the holsters from her belt and handed them to Vitrun. They were both weighty, well-maintained; the last thing she'd ever want was for her pistols to lock up when she needed them. "Careful with them. Right now, they're loaded with standard rounds, but I have shrapnel rounds if you prefer - didn't think it'd be the best idea to shoot someone I wanted to save with those, though. Either will do until we find your weapons or get you new ones."
Vos
Vitrun hesitantly accepted the set of pistols. He was surprised she was so willing to hand them over when they had just recently been trading blows. "I appreciate it," He murmured, a bit uncomfortable. He inspected the weapons, pleased to find them in exceptional condition. "I'll make sure to treat them as if they were my own." he said, hoping the words conveyed his gratitude.
Brom
Criu didn't know anything about guns. He could maybe focus some magic through a scepter but that was very different from bullets. He kept himself busy and quiet, head lowered so no one could see the flush in his cheeks. He probably could have grabbed those weapons, stupid.
raumlet
"Good, because I'll want them back. I like those." The tea was working a bit; she still hurt, of course, but the pain was less pressing, further off - more like a good workout and less like getting her ass beaten by Mordrem, which technically was a workout. Sort of. Thank the Pale Mother she didn't exactly have a spine. Looking between the two of them, she spread her hands. "So now - what do we do? Rest and strategize?"
Vos
Vitrun let his head drop back against the stone that supported him. He closed his eyes momentarily. "I see no reason in moving so quickly. Not yet anyway," he replied. They would need to add more members to their party before they could execute more ambitious plans.
Brom
"I can keep watch," Criu said quietly, straightening up and brushing off his long skirt. "I'd try to find something pillow-like, but the only things around are mushrooms and I'm going to have to refuse to let you put your face anywhere near even the ones that don't move." His cheeks were still a little flush with shame but the cartographer did smile at his own joke.
raumlet
"Thank you." Brynn gave him a little nod and slowly eased herself back until she was lying with her head pillowed on the less-than-comfortable pack she'd dug the gyro out of. The tension wouldn't release her limbs - not here, not in enemy territory - but she was so, absolutely tired, an ache down to her roots, and the thought of sleep was welcome. "If you don't mind, then," she said, sleepy already, "I'll be passing out again for a bit. Wake me in a few hours - I'll take second watch." She didn't hear Criu's reply, if there was one. Brynn fell asleep to the faint hum of ancient conduits and the distant chatter of the defense golems, her heavy limbs relaxing slowly, though her fingers rested lightly on the hammer beside her. There was still so much to do, but the Mordrem weren't going anywhere; and with people to stand beside her, the next one would be easier, and then next one even easier, and... Very, very faintly, she began to snore.
UNFINISHED RP in which young Sylvari deal with stuff in the Grove.
Note - this RP takes place only a few years after the secondborn emerges.
Warning: NSFW times at the beginning, angst, friends death
Alddy
Down in the lowest levels of the Grove, the only natural light came from the flakes of sun that managed to pitter patter their way down. Otherwise, everything was awash in perpetual darkness, lit only by the odd scattering of bioluminescent plants and insects, and during this specific moment, a pair of saplings running haphazardly through the dark. The one glowing a haunting green and the noticeably shorter of the pair led his much taller compatriot through the unseen undergrowth by pure memory with just a dash of luck, keeping their destination a tight lipped secret. His only answer, if the question was ever asked, was to simply look back, eyebrow cocked and lips framed in mischief.(edited)Recently, the cult of the Nightmare Court had grown at an alarming rate, spreading in popularity as more and more of the sylvari continued to question the Tablet and the nature of its purpose in sylvari society. Even now, Aldderyn could hear a rally still raging strong in the canopies above. As more and more sylvari move away from the Dream toward Nightmare, the Pale Tree only become more and more panicked. Never before having to even think about winning her children's hearts and minds, she only tightened her grip further on those that remained which only proved to worsen the situation. The more she lost, the more she tightened her grip, and so the vicious cycle ran. A cycle Aldderyn was currently too tired of to deal with. After a while, Alddy slowed his pace, their destination becoming evident in the distance as a small tunnel entrance was lit by a collection of bioluminescent plants. As the pair stood at the very lip of the tunnel, Aldderyn turned around and held Kai's massive hands in his own, eyes locked onto each other. A small smirk played at Alddy's lips as he tiptoed up to the red giant, one hand at the nape of Kai's neck, pulling him closer in, slowly. Determined to do what he did best, Aldderyn let his lips drag across Kai's cheek, following its tight curvature and ending the journey with a light kiss to his ear. "Catch me if you can." Aldderyn bit the words onto Kai's ear, embedding them into his skin before turning back around and bounding into the tunnel, his laughter following just a bit behind like a mocking joke. Yet there was no reason for it, as the tunnel only had one path to follow and ended in a cave carpeted in a soft moss and lined with generous amounts of sheets and spirits. Aldderyn lay in the middle of the whole arrangement, his clothes long since discarded, his glow being the only source of light in the cave.
raumlet
Life in the Grove had become something of a Nightmare in and of itself lately; it wasn't just that classes continued to be so dull he nearly fell asleep to the tuneless drone of Mentor Sya's lectures every other evening, although that certainly didn't help, or the redoubled efforts to carve the Tenants into their skulls, as irritating as Kai found that. The problem was that Kai was not just a dissenter, but a known and open one - one who hadn't thought to hide his disdain before the Court became a true threat. So now he found himself in an odd position, marked as Court although he was not, eyed with suspicion by his peers and his Mentors alike. Conversations died down when he entered the circle. His teachers pulled him aside for whispered conversations where they assured him that he could tell them anything - anything at all - or gave him meaningful looks when the wisdom of the Tablet was mentioned. Even the Wardens followed him with their eyes when he walked by. Was it any wonder he was on edge, then? Could he be blamed for drawing away from his peers when they flinched away when he spoke? The Grove was his home, but it was growing less comfortable for him by the day as the situation worsened.(edited)But he wasn't going to think about that now. Aldderyn's hand fit neatly into his own, their fingers entwined, and that was distraction enough for now. There was only one place his little paramour could be taking him - he asked anyway, just to get a glimpse of those mischievous eyes glittering back at him in the dark - so it was no surprise to see the tunnel entrance, or to feel Aldderyn's teeth close on the ridge of his ear before he dashed away down the rough-hewn path. He only laughed, letting the shorter man go without making much effort to catch him. Oh, he could have; his legs were longer, and blinking had come easily to him. But where was the fun with that? By the time he'd reached the little cave at the end, he'd pulled aside his leafy clothing, throwing them aside by the exit as he came in. "There you are," he said, voice husky and warm as he dropped to the sheets by Aldderyn and laid a gentle hand on his chest. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the smooth bark of his cheek. "I caught you - what's my reward?"
Yavril
She was being punished for something. Yavril was sure of it. Why hadn't she just kept going, past the talking newborns? If she had, she'd be happily packing to leave, rather than looking for a pair of saplings. Yavril felt the call of the world just outside the Grove, and it drew her, like a moth to a flame. A silent hum just out of her reach, full of possibilities and new adventures to be had, stories to hear and bring home. She planned to venture as far as the Shiverpeaks this journey, and see the Norn civilization. So, it was a vague annoyance when she'd gone to get some warmer clothing for the trip, and on her way back she'd overheard that the two saplings she'd talked with about the Nightmare Court hadn't been seen for a while. While the idea of just leaving their mentors or luminaries or teachers to find them was tempting, Yavril would never forgive herself if they turned up hurt, or worse. So, dumping the heavy clothes she'd retrieved among her half-packed supplies, the second-born set off, hoping they were okay. Worry nicked at the back of her mind, regardless of how much she itched to leave the Grove.
Alddy
Aldderyn pulled Kai closer and gave him a long, satisfying kiss, letting go after a teasing bite on his lips. One hand traveled down Kai's side, tracing the twists and turns of his bark until he felt something soft and tender. With a wicked grin, he began a slow rhythm as he played with Kai's vagina. With his other hand, he took Kai's long fingers off his chest and held them, enjoying the simple feeling of their fingers intertwined. And then with a sudden burst of strength Aldderyn surged upward and over, turning his lover onto his back. With Aldderyn laying smugly on top of his body, the slow rhythm of his hand now replaced with the steady pace of his cock, refusing to go past the tip. "You get me," he rumbled out, voice deep and low. wh-crack The sudden sound made Aldderyn sit up with a start, his ears pointed towards the cave exit. It was distant and faint, but no one could mistake the sound of Warden Kilai's harsh whip. WH-CRACK The whip bit into the air once more. Closer. A sharp "STOP RUNNING" rang out. The whip suited it's master. Lust forgetten, Aldderyn rushed out the tunnel and peeked around the entrace, through careful in that he let none of his illuminated parts show. In the distance he saw outlined a glowing pink figure, chased after by several the menacing green uniforms of the Wardens. Aldderyn immediately lay a protective hand over his lover, positioning himself between him and the entrance, though his curiosity urged him to keep on viewing the scene outside.
raumlet
Kai's eyes fell closed as Alddy's fingers worked inside of him; he rolled with the smaller man and let his legs fall open to give him easy access, more than happy to acquiesce... Until the teasing started. "Aldderyn," he started to complain - but the crack of the whip broke through their happy little bubble, and his lover was pulling away to hunch by the entrance. "What is it?" He'd followed Aldderyn to the mossy arch, snatching up one of the oversized leaves he'd discarded to cover his brilliant, cherry-red glow, and knelt behind him. He placed his hand over Aldderyn's - the protectiveness was sweet.
Yavril
Yavril was drawn from searching nooks and crannies of the Grove by the sound of a powerful whip being slashed through the air. Frightened she'd found her target, she surged towards the noise, the second whip cracking louder than the first in her ringing ears. A Warden, that much was clear. The green uniforms had recently become protocol, and thus made them easy to identify. Yavril felt a weight lift off of her chest as she realized they were not chasing her marks, but some pink figure, glowing in the distance. The Sylvari wasn't one she recognized, which was a little odd, but she had more important worries on her mind. As she had cast about, trying to decide if she should intervene or help the Wardens, she noticed the vague movements of a Sylvari around a corner. Was it...? She dared not to look for too long that direction; surely if it was the pair, they'd be able to see her from there. She'd let them make the first move, if only because it was far more fun.
Alddy
A cry of pain rang out in the undergrowth as the whip snapped up it's prey, locking the pink sylvari's legs. The sylvari continued to struggle, screaming for his release as his hands dug into the ground. From this distance Aldderyn could see Kilai standing over the sylvari as blood trailed his legs from where the barbed whip bit into him. He could see the warden's lips moving, but it was difficult to discern what was being said. Aldderyn squeezed Kai's hand tighter. He couldn't help but feel that no matter what this sylvari's fault was, it was wrong. Aldderyn looked back at Kai, his lips pursed as a familiar burning sensation raged inside him. "You know how the tablet preaches to act with wisdom?" Aldderyn whispered, letting go with Kai's hand. "I never really followed that part." Before Kai could react, Aldderyn shoved the red giant deeper into the tunnel so that his glow was no longer visible while he stepped out, glowing a brilliant green and standing defiant. He barked out a short "HEY!" as he walked briskly toward the pink sylvari and his captors.(edited)One of the wardens was busy tying up the sylvari as Kilai and the other stood by and watched the nearby area. All three of them jumped up in surprise, their weapons held at the ready. They did not relax when they recognized it was Aldderyn. They watched him cautiously, one eye on him, the other on the one hissing at the wardens from the ground. Aldderyn stopped his brisk walk right in front of the wardens, his body loose and held in a non-threatning way, yet his fists were still held tight. He started to say something until Kylai's whip snaked out from her hand toward him. His arm automatically rose up to defend him, only for him to immediately regret it as the barbs of the wire dug into his bark. Blood trickled down his forearm. Aldderyn looked up in surprise at the sudden attack, only to then be pulled down to the ground. He crashed into the floor with little grace, becoming dazed and furthe confused. He could see Kylai standing over him as another warden advanced toward his prone figure, vines in hand. "Alderyn," KIlai droned above him, her voice ever polite and professional, "for suspicion of collaboration with known Nightmare cultists, you have been placed under arrest.
Yavril
Yavril's heart stopped. It was Aldderyn, no mistaking it. The green-glowing Sylvari was all too recognizable, jumping out of the corner Yavril'd been watching. Where Kai was, she had no idea, but there Aldderyn was. She'd been too caught up to stop the man before he approached the Wardens, but she hadn't really thought she'd needed to. Honestly, she'd figured he'd recognize her and either run away or approach. Clearly, however, he was paying no attention to his orange well-meaning stalker. She'd been almost proud of him, standing up against the Wardens, even if she trusted their judgement, but then - the primary Warden's whip slashed towards him, without pity. That was when Yavril moved. "Stop!" She cried out, too upset to tell if it was the right thing to do. On the other hand, she couldn't imagine the sapling doing anything she didn't trust, not from what she'd seen of him. Regardless, she had to act. She rushed towards the group, almost running, and crouched beside Aldderyn's crashed form. She didn't look him in the eyes, only put a tight hand on his shoulder - she'd explain herself later, and hope the Sylvari would be smart enough to understand that he shouldn't question her aid. "Stop! There's no need for such harsh methods! Release them!" She grabbed on to the wire near to where it held Aldderyn's wrists, ignoring that it dug into her hand. She would have tugged it off, but she knew well enough that it would only cause her friend more pain. She looked up into the Warden's eyes, equal amounts defiant, desperate and confused. Not a woman she recognized, so it was likely the Warden didn't know her, even if she was a secondborn. She must have been a high ranking warden, though, to carry herself the way she did.
Alddy
Warden Kilai starred, annoyed and unamused at the older sylvari. "Secondborn. I'm surprised you're still here. Move away from the suspect, or I will be forced to arrest you." "Under what charges?" Yavril demanded, her face still a swirl of emotions but her posture, fearless and defiant. "For suspicion of collaboration with known Nightmare cultists and sympathizers. All those who are affiliated with the cultists are hereby banned from the Grove." "Dog! The Nightmare Court only seeks to free all sylvari from the shackles of the tablet. We seek the goal of pure sylvari! All things have a right to grow, is that not one of your tenants?" The pink sylvari spat out before falling to a violent spasm of coughs. Blood flew from his mouth. One of the wardens spat on the courtier. "Which is the only reason you're still alive, maggot, else we would have gotten rid of your infestation long ago." He moved to kick the courtier, only to be stopped by a crack of Kilai's whip. The warden withered under Kilai's intense gaze, fearing his punishment later. The courtier gurgled a laugh as Kilai turned her gaze back to Yavril. "A sanctioned protest turned violent riot up above," Kilai explained. "I'm sure you saw it before that happened, Secondborn. One of the cultists started a fire. We're still trying to put them all out." "That fires weren't be us!" The courtier protested, still struggling against his bonds. This time it was his turn to wither and shrink under Kilai's stare. "Nevertheless, the cultists turned violent and the fires were clearly caused by the cult's influence in the Grove and thus the cult is banned, as ordered by Niamh herself."
Yavril
"Do you have any clear evidence other than bigoted misinformation and beliefs?" Yavril spat up at the woman. There was no intention of moving away from Aldderyn in her dark eyes. The Nightmare Court's ideals seemed at least reasonable to Yavril, despite the horrors she had seen them perform, and the very thing they all gave in to - the Nightmare - a deep, dark part of the Sylvari psyche Yavril would rather not confront herself, nor see her brothers and sisters fall to. "You cannot take anyone in without it, regardless of who you think they're associating with. I don't care who ordered it!" Her voice raised as she gathered passion, not willing to let some younger Sylvari take over where she knew little of. "Even if you are right, and Aldderyn is "collaborating" with a Courtier, that shouldn't be a crime. We'll only limit ourselves as a race by forcing everyone into believing what we do, and I can't allow it," no matter how much it frightens me, she thought to herself. It was only as an afterthought that she turned a pitying gaze on the pink Sylvari, and finally took to a stand. "Release them both. You're hurting them and basing all charges against them on only suspicion, and it's a charge that is absurd, at that. I can deal with this, sister. If not all of the fires are put out, do that. Surely it's more important than these two." The phrase sister was thrown in at the end out of pure force of habit, and Yavril didn't make an attempt to correct herself when she recognized she said it, no matter how much she didn't feel sisterly towards the Warden in that moment.
Alddy
Kilai stared at Yavril, the two women locked in a battle of wills. The silence was deafening, the tension hung around everyone's necks until Kilai broke it off, looking back over her shoulder toward one of the other wardens. She waved a hand towards Aldderyn before returning her attention back to the secondborn. "The fires are already being dealt with. Niamh wanted to make sure no cultists escaped and all possible collaborators rounded up. You know how she is, secondborn. But..." Just for a moment, Kilai's composure broke. Weariness weighed down her eyes, the signs of battle pockmarked and gently glowed around her body. And then as is nothing happened, her face hardened once more, her body straight and stiff. "Very well. Aldderyn will be released. However, Elanis is a well known, self-admitted cultist and was responsible for inciting the riots. He will still be coming with us." With a final crack of her whip, Kilai's wardens collected their prisoner and marched out of the undergrowth. A lone, pink sylvari, carried away by uniforms of sickly green. Aldderyn in the meanwhile had laid silent during the entire exchange. Once freed from his bonds, he waved away any further help, only staring dumbly at his bleeding arm. His gaze shifted back toward the tunnel. For a few moments of silence, no words were exchanged. The Grove itself seemed to turn silent. Then with a deep breath and a straightened back, Alddeyn looked at Yavril as if nothing had happened at all. "You old oak tree, if you didn't butt in I would have knocked them all out in two seconds!" He punched his injured arm upward and flexed, ignoring the pain that emanated from it. He saw his act convinced no one, not even himself. He quickly dropped it, and whispered a tired "thank you," to Yav.
Yavril
Yavril was tempted to stop the Warden from taking the other one, afraid of how they might hurt him, but she couldn't dare agravate the Warden again. She'd take what she could get. There was a long pause before Yavril spoke again, or regained her happy demeanor. When she did, it was a drastic change from Defiant Secondborn to Happy Sylvari. At Aldderyn's outburst, Yavril simply raised an amused brow. "You're welcome," she replied when he dropped the act, and extended a hand. "Let me see your arm."(edited)February 3, 2016
Alddy
Aldderyn raised his arm for inspection. His body was slumped in exhaustion, but he still had the energy to raise his other hand and call out to Kai in the tunnel. "Are you coming over or what, you big red goof. It's just me and Yav now."
Yavril
Yavril held the arm he extended gingerly. It still bled, and seemed fairly raw from the lash. She cringed while she inspected the damage - it would need to be bound. She didn't have anything on her, but that was easily rectified. Her head snapped up as Aldderyn spoke - so Kai was with him.
raumlet
Hastily, Kai wrapped the rest of the leaves into place and stepped out of the tunnel, shamefaced, his glow a dim blush peeking through the leaves. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to help - but his appearance, as one of the sympathizers that Kilai spoke of, would not have been much help at all. What better to condemn Aldderyn than to be found tucked away with him in a quiet corner, all alone? Things were only getting worse. "Hello, Yavril," he said quietly.
Yavril
Yavril smiled softly at Kai as he emerged, happy to see they were both alright - or would be, when she dealt with Aldderyn's arm. "Hello, Kai! Good to see you're both in one piece. The others have been looking for you."
Alddy
Aldderyn's twisted into a mirthful smile. "Those others wouldn't have happened to be my new friends, would it?" He asked, occasionally wincing as Yavril handled his tender arm. The sap had begun coagulating over the wounds, but there was still the ever present risk of infection, and Aldderyn had no intention of being the sylvari who found out wherever or not their race could regrow limbs (though he was interested in the answer).
Yavril
Yavril raised a brow, "If your new friends include all the other saplings your ages, all the other saplings from your cycles, and both your mentors. If they weren't looking, they were worried - you've been gone for hours, without warning. Where were you?" She didn't keep looking at the saplings for their response, instead continued to examine Allderyn's arm, frowning when he grimaced. She didn't see anything that needed immediate attention... But they'd certainly need to get him to a Mender.
raumlet
"We wanted some privacy. That's all," Kai said, looking away from Aldderyn's weeping arm. He hesitated, unsure what to do, what to say; cautiously, he ventured, "That can be difficult to find in the Grove. Alddy, you should go to the Menders. Our - this can wait."
Alddy
Aldderyn let out a harsh bark of laughter. "No need to be so modest Kai, there is nowhere left in the Grove where anyone can get any privacy. Not while Mother continues to probe our every thought, nor with her Wardens monitoring our every breath," he spat out, surprising himself with the amount of loathing that seemed to drip from his every word. The little sapling looked apologetically at Yavril. "I'm sorry sister," he said. "I shouldn't have said that." He looked down at his mangled arm, his own emotions wrought and twisted as his bark had become. "It's just... do they only target me because of Kai? He did nothing wrong. I'm inclined to believe none of them did wrong." He let out a heavy sigh, head downwards as he avoided both Kai and Yavril's gaze. Then, as if a switch had flipped the little sapling shot himself up, planting both hands on his hips, arms crooked in a heroic pose. He immediately regretted it as pain shot through his arm , but he tried his best not to let it show. "Well!" He said, darling and chipper. "No use moping about. Can't say I agree this little ol' scratch deserves a trip to the Menders, but if Kai is actually worried about something for once, maybe I'll take a stroll that way." Aldderyn reveled in the amused stares and ignored the worried ones. But, he of course couldn't leave without first giving Kai a swift kiss, which he promptly did so, practically pouncing onto the larger man. They lingered, staring at each other as Aldderyn lay cradled in Kai's arms. Then, with a lover's lust Aldderyn pulled Kai towards him once, his uninjured hand tangled deep within Kai's leaves. The kiss this time was long, passionate, completely unabashed and unashamed. Aldderyn lived in the moment for just a while longer before pulling away. "I love you," he whispered. "Don't forget that. And if you get kicked out of the Grove, you better take me with you."
Yavril
Yavril had been about to answer Aldderyn's questions and agree that, honestly, with the amount of saplings being born and the improvements to the Wardens, nowhere wasn't watched. As he took a heroic pose, she wondered how it wasn't painful, but settled on leaving it be - she'd get him to a Mender one way or another. And then... Yavril smirked, her mouth forming an 'Oh' as she began to see what she'd been missing. She stood in silence for a moment, but eventually laughingly said, "The Mender can't examine your arm if you're making out with Kai." And after a pause, "Well, maybe they could, but it would take a lot longer."
raumlet
Kai returned the kisses hungrily, but there was less heat in it than usual - as much as the lessons of their mentors bored him, he wasn't stupid, and he knew what this meant. Not just for him, but for Aldderyn, for anyone who considered themselves to be his friend. "Go. I love you too," he said softly, lowering his voice and dipping his head to bump his forehead against Alddy's before giving him a gentle push away. "You know where to find me when you've been tended to." With that, he folded his arms tight over his chest and shot Yavril an unreadable glance - he wasn't sure what to say to her. She had to have some inkling of how he felt about the way the Wardens had been acting. They'd argued over this before; he'd been vocal about his stance. And now, he was regretting it, chafing under the silence he felt forced into now.
Yavril
Yavril watched Aldderyn leave, smiling. The pair seemed happy, at least, even if something seemed off. Something Aldderyn had said about Kai threw her off - about only being targeted by his relationship with Kai. Yavril didn't understand what he meant - what about Kai might they have been targeting? In fact, Aldderyn being suspected of working with the Court - as the Warden had accused him of - seemed strange. From the discussion they had had together regarding the Court, he didn't seem the type to collaborate with their sort. The pair had really been acting strange, and Yavril would get to the bottom of it - she wished she hadn't been so distant from the going-ons of the Grove, but the Grove had long lost her interest. Most of the time, Yavril dreamed of the outside of her Pale Mother's branches. Finally, deciding the silence had gone on long, Yavril turned to Kai with a smile. "So do the pair of you regularly sneak away for hours on end and frighten your mentors?" She felt like she was forcing conversation, but she had to try. Besides, she really was interested.
Snookrin
Mortiuus was running. It's all he could manage to do. He was scared. The feeling was foreign and unsettling so he kept going, but as he ran from the danger he thought about his friend, maybe, just maybe if he could find help his friend didn't have to die? His friend who had been attacked by the Risen. The one who he couldn't save, he felt useless. Then suddenly, he froze with an idea and whipped around looking for someone who maybe was stronger than him and could help. He could always hope, right? Suddenly he caught a glance of Yavril, from behind of course, however she was practically a beacon with her vibrant coloring. He bolted for her, she could help him. Unknowingly, the sapling missed his footing and fell forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. She would be his support beam, or she'd go down with him, but it was her choice, really.
Yavril
Yavril hadn't even recieved a reply from Kai yet when she felt a hand reaching for her shoulder. It tugged her downwards with force, but Yavril was just strong enough to hold her own. Her shoulder roared in protest as she lurched to a stop, twisting and trying to help the panicked Sylvari, whoever he was. She reached in Kai's direction to steady herself, though she intend for him to hold it. The man grasping her was a vivid red colour, and a panicked look filled his eye. "By the Pale- Brother? Are you alright?" She flashed a concerned look back at Kai - she knew that saplings knew her as a secondborn, but never had she had one apppear out of nowhere and fall behind her.
Snookrin
He was breathless and scared, he didn't want to seem weak, but he was and he couldn't control himself now. He looked to make eye contact with her as he tried to poise himself. He had a million things were flowing through his mind, but they stopped the moment he tried to calm himself and saw her, "I-" He sputtered coming off and clumsy and unorganized, "My friend was attacked- I think we can. Help." He was still slightly breathless. He had completely lost track of time and how long he had been running and that he hadn't ran away to get help, he ran for his own selfish reasons. Guilt washed him over, it was pared with all of his other emotions and he couldn't make sense of his own self.
Yavril
"Attacked?" Yavril asked, utterly confused. "By the Court?" That was her best guess, but if it wasnt' the Court, it couldn't have been in the Grove - which meant the man had run a long distance looking for aid - the only reason she could come up with was that anyone who might have helped was occupied above them, with the Court attacks. Which wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Snookrin
Mortiuus blinked furiously trying to think. He didn't know. He didn't know what to say back to her, "My friend!" He said again, reminding himself of his friends desperate state. He removed his hand from Yavril and looked back to the direction he came sprinting from, "My friend was attacked- they were. Unhealthy- rotting." His face contorted in an unsatisfied release, "She needs help." He was all to caught up to realize she was probably dead, "They came out of nowhere- and when I looked at her- I didn't know what to do." His voice cracked with a hint of sadness weaved into it.
Yavril
"Risen..." Yavril muttered. If he'd had to run for it, if he'd been gone long enough to get to the Grove... "Brother, I don't think we can save your friend." The very words hurt her, she felt pangs at her sould as she said them. But the Risen were relentless - the dead changed to be them within minutes of falling. "If you've run all this way... They're probably gone."
Snookrin
While she spoke his gaze had fallen to the floor. 'They're probably gone' the words shook him. He returned his gaze to her and shook his head quickly, "No- no- no- we can help her. We just have to be fast." He stuttered his words and quickly reached for Yavril's hand and make a short attempt to take her to the scene to gather the deceased sapling he was in denial about.
Yavril
Yavril resisted the sapling's pull, instead grasping his arm further up and looking him dead in the eyes. The pain she found there was brutal, and her reflex was to flinch away, but she couldn't let him risk his own life at the hands of the Risen. "Brother. The Risen are... not kind. Your friend is gone. I won't have you risking your own life to try and save her." Her eyes became pleading, "Please."
Snookrin
"You-" He was ready to submit before he caught a glimpse of Kai, the dark red Sylvari stood behind this vibrantly colored one he'd become aquatinted with, "No." He pulled his arm out of Yavril's grasp and looked to Kai, "Y-you'll help her- right? No, you must. She didn't do anything wrong." He pleaded with him words and with his whole being. She was the only thing he felt he knew at this point and surely there must be a way to save her and if Yavril wouldn't Kai must, right?
raumlet
Startled, Kai looked to Yavril. "I've - barely had any combat training," he said slowly. The pistol came easily enough, but the sword sat heavily in his hand; he didn't think he'd be much use in an actual fight. "The Wardens, perhaps?"
Yavril
Yavril shot Kai a strange look, one she didn't often wear. It was clear she was uncomfortable, and that she wouldn't have let Kai go even if he'd volunteered, at the least, but there was something odd in her eyes that there wasn't a word for - a swirl of fear, regret, anger, pity. She took a clear, visibly deep breath before speaking again, and rested a hand on the panicked sapling's shoulder. "Your friend is gone, brother. The Wardens will not be able to help a dead woman. Please, just calm down."
Snookrin
Mortiuus' eyes darted back to Yavril. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to run or collapse but they seemed like the only good options. Instead of either of those he just looked sad. The hope fell out of his expression, "O-okay..." He suddenly gave up.
Yavril
Yavril took a breath - since this guy wasn't going to run off, she could relax. Sort of. She stood up straight, releasing Mortiuus from her grip on his shoulder. She took a step back, trying to let the man have some space, and ended up beside Kai. "Okay. Thank you. What's your name-" she had been about to say 'sapling', but though she saw inexperience in this man's eyes, she was trying not to assume. "... brother?"
Snookrin
"Mortiuus.." He said his name almost sulking as he did. He was letting the sick feeling of abandoning his friend sink in. He should have done something, but he chose his life over another's. He let his gaze trail over Yavril before stopping at her eyes, "Yours...?" He spoke less out of want and more because he'd feel as though he would have committed another wrong by staying silent.
Yavril
"Yavril," she replied, allowing herself a smile. He hadn't tried to run off yet without them - that was a good sign. She held out a hand for Mortiuus to shake, without realizing not all Sylvari knew how to shake hands. "And this is my friend..." Yav raised a brow at Kai, letting him to introduce himself.
Yavril
Mortiuus shook his head before Yavril could continue, and before Kai could introduce himself. "I... I'm sorry, but I have to go." Mortiuus seemed incredibly uncomfortable, shaking at the memory of his friend and the Risen - Yavril doubted he was even a fraction of the way through processing the event. The poor man... Yavril smiled and nodded, opened her mouth to say something, but Mortiuus had begun off before she had the chance, offering only a look of veiled pain. "Poor guy," was all the comment Yavril offered as Mortiuus disappeared around a corner - the woman wasn't sure what to make of him.
Kezz gets wrapped up in Wen’s insane family drama.
Warnings: Emotionally and mentally abusive family
Kezz Valour
Wen the next morning would have been woken up with a knock on the door by Kezz.
Yavril
Wen had allowed herself to sleep in that day, the prior hours having been so difficult, so Kezz's knock tore her from a half-awake, half-asleep state of drowsy-ness. Never to be seen with her hair down, Wen wrapped it up in a large messy bun atop her head as she headed to answer the door. "One moment." The woman had gotten used to wearing most normal clothes to bed, and living in an actual bed didn't change that much. When she pulled open the door, she was wearing the undergarments that would go under the heavier metal pieces of armour she usually wore. "Good morning."
Kezz Valour
Kezz already packed everything. In fact there was a breakfast there that they could eat. Nothing spectaculr Eggs, Bacon, and Grits. Kezz walked back over to the table and sat down to begin eating. "So hey can I talk to you for a moment?" His voice was clearly serious.
Yavril
Wen raised an eyebrow. "Of course?" The woman returned to her room for a moment only to grab a pair of boots; she felt severely under-dressed, honestly, but what was there to do? Wen took a seat across from Kezz at the small table.
Kezz Valour
"So..." looking over at the dossier he sat it down. Just stating his words as humbly and soberly as possible." When we get back to Hoelbrak...if you decided you wanted to stay. I...uhhh...wouldn't hold it against you." Picking up the dossier he looked at it and set it down. "I don't know what's about to happen. I don't know if im...going to come back, or..." He looked down at the dossier. "At this point, I don't expect this to have a happy ending. So if you decide it's not a good idea to ride this out to the end. Then no hard feelings."
Yavril
Wen examined the dossier as she considered; it was easier than looking at Kezz. The man deserved a straight-up, honest answer, after everything. Did she want to stay on? Perhaps it would be better to go and try and figure out whatever Eydis had going on - that certainly concerned her more. Yet not only would that require seeing her father, but she had become invested in this venture. She didn't quite believe it herself, and yet those were the facts. "I appreciate the offer, Kezz." Wen began, "I know that this is difficult for you. But I would prefer to see this venture through. I would rather be of use, as long as you will allow me to be. Should you not want or require my help at any juncture, that is where I will take my leave. Does this sound fair?"
Kezz Valour
"Right..." he sighed a breath of relief. "Well the good news is this. Our trip back to Hoelbrak isn't going to take as long. The Vanguard is going to let us use the Asura Gate." Placing the Dossier into the already packed belongings. Kezz sat there and starting eating. Rather quickly actually.
Yavril
"That is good news." Noting Kezz's eagerness, Wen matched his pace; the sooner they were out, the better.
Kezz Valour
Kezz was in a hurry to get out of Ebonhawke, it just brought up too many bad feelings. He loved the place. Sometimes a little too much he thought. It wasn't really neccessary for him to stay. The Vanguard all knew why they came and why they were leaving. That's why it affected him so much. Closing the door behind him, he locked it and kept the key. Kezz handed Wen his bag and walked down the once again calm. Approaching the Asura Gate, the guards watching it just raised they hand softly as a goodbye and a gesture of thanks. Kezz looked back at Wen and readjusted his pack on his back. "So this is going to lead us back to Divinity's Reach, from there it's another hop and we're back in Hoelbrak, you ever used one of these before?"
Yavril
Wen had changed, by now, into her normal armors. Her hairstyle of choice for the day was a continuation of the morning's bun, only this one was far more complicated, a careful and sturdy wrap of twisted hair pieces and braids, her bangs falling in front of her face. "No," Wen admitted, "I have not."
Kezz Valour
Kezz chuckled and just walked through the Purplelish Aura emitting from the gate. In an instant he was in Divinity's Reach. Standing on the other side waiting in front of the gate for Wen to walk through. Divinity's Reach was a far cry from Ebonhawke, in size and culture. It was the closest thing to a Metropolis that human's had created since Ascalon.
Yavril
Wen glanced around for a moment, suspicious of the glowing gate and the way it seemed to have eaten Kezz, before slowly - like a snail - entering it herself. Exiting on the other side, Wen found herself in a startlingly large city, one far more diverse and happy than Ebonhawke. She allowed herself a few wide eyed moments of awe at the place - she hasn't thought humans built anything on such a large scale - before finally turning to Kezz.
Kezz Valour
"Not so bad was it." Turning around for a moment he took a look over the city wondering if his friend Regan was around. Kezz really didn't have the time to deal with her right now. There were things that were far far far more important. "Right...so Hoelbrak." Pointing to the various Asura Gates around them. "Hoelbrak is this one..." Walking over to it. Kezz waited for Wen to appear. He was a little shocked she hadn't used the Asura gates before. It's virtually the fastest way to travel. Who knows? Her dad may not have let her use them or something.
Yavril
Wen followed Kezz through the gate, feeling a little better about it, this time (though not much). This feeling faded, however, when she went through the gate into Hoelbrak and was immediately spotted by someone she would have rather never seen again. "Wen?" The woman called from across the path, and
Wen herself let out a groan. "Uyana," she replied curtly. Nudging Kezz, she muttered, "Stay. behind. me."
Kezz Valour
"Okay..." Kezz had caught a couple of looks the first time he was here. But Wen never took caution like this before. He simply shifted the bag and stood behind her keeping an eye on the Norn Woman.
Yavril
"Well shit, Uncle Heuran said you'd leave a trail, but I didn't think it would be this easy!" Uyana was a shorter woman than Wen, and looked marginally weaker, but Wen didn't seem to care about that. Her muscles tightened, eyes narrowed; she knew what her cousin was capable of. Looking at the pair, one wouldn't even have thought them to be related; Uyana's crimson hair and pale complexion certainly contrasted with Wen's darker... everything. And yet the two were indeed cousins, Uyana being the daughter of Wen's father's brother. Wen took in a sharp breath. "He sent you after me, then?"
"Well what did you expect? Traipsing around with humans like you are." Wen's cousin spat the word human like it tasted foul on her tongue. "We couldn't have it ruin our name, now could we?"
Kezz Valour
Kezz muttering under his breath. "Well this is gonna be fun..." he turned and put a smile on his face. The smile clearly was a diplomatic one. Hearing Uyanda spout the words human almost amused Kezz. Wen wouldn't have to speak up for Kezz as she was well aware he could take care of himself. "Uuuu-yyanda was it? Hi! Im Kezz the "human" your cousin has been traisping around with." Looking to Wen he feigned a look of surprise. "Wen why didn't you tell me your cousin was a attractive as you are." Taking a look around the immediate scenery he turned and looked to Wen. "Miss Uuuu-yyaaannn-da?" He was clearly butchering the name on purpose. "I can tell you that Wen has done nothing to ruin your family's name. In fact I would go so far as to say that she has likely brought a bit more glory to it. In that Stronghold of Ebonhawke. Why don't you tell her about yesterday Wen?"
Yavril
Wen didn't have a moment to warn Kezz that this was a very bad - a terrible - a horrific - idea, before he had already begun to talk, and she had no time afterwards to try and amend that mistake, because the moment he addressed Wen and looked away, Uyana had sprinted forward, pushing Wen out of the way to press a dagger into the throat of the human. Uyana might have been smaller than Wen, but she was certainly taller than Kezz. A trained ranger, the woman held her knife with the utmost discipline and training, right over where she could kill Kezz if she sliced just right. "It's UYANA, human, and I can tell you that while Wen needs to come home safe and sound, I'm sure none of our family would mind if the human she was seen with mysteriously... vanished?" A cruel look came over Uyana's face, a look too many Sons of Svanir, bandits, mercenaries, and more, had seen before they were sent to the Mists. "Helping humans brings no honour to us. Your kind are weak."
"Release him, Uyana." Wen's voice quivered with rage, and Uyana's face snapped up for a moment. "Do I finally have your attention, cousin?"
Kezz Valour
A very faint blue glow came across Kezz's pupils as the knife was pressed to his throat by Uyana. Kezz didn't flinch or have a single ounce of fear in his eyes. If the look could be described in statement it was almost as if he was daring her to strike. Once her head had turned to Wen, Kezz had just decided he wasn't in the mood. A blue bubble emerged from his body right at the center of it. The force was more than enough to knock Uyana back from him. His words were clear, calm, and very firm. "Uyana, perhaps I owe you an apology for not taking you seriously. Be that as it may if you so much as ever THINK to raise a weapon to me again. I will show you my definition of strength." Taking his hand he moved it against the spot where Uyana had placed the knife to his throat. He looked at his fingers to ensure there was no blood on them, he looked to Uyana again and the faint glow dissipated. It was about as clear a warning as one could give without unsheathing a weapon directly.
Yavril
Uyana groaned for a second on the ground, allowing Wen and Kezz a moment to regroup - but not a long moment. A fit, powerful warrior, Uyana leapt to her feet in a matter of seconds. "Wen!" she cried, "I seem to have underestimated you! You've found a human that's worth something! I mean, not much, but something! Who'd'a thunk?" To Wen's surprise, Uyana sheathed her dagger. "Come on, cuz. Come now, and we'll come up with some lie to tell people about the human. I don't really want to hurt you, but if that's what it takes, that's what it takes."
"Stay back, Uyana." Wen had stepped in front of Kezz again; she knew Uyana threw knives like a pro. if she thought that taking out Kezz was the solution to this problem, without Wen in front of him she could easily land a shot. "I will not be returning with you. It has been years since I spoke to anyone in our family, what makes my father think this will change my mind?"
Uyana shrugged, "Maybe we thought you still gave a fuck about your name."
"I do not. Norn who would judge me for helping a human are not the Norn I wish to engage with. And, despite what my father has brainwashed you to believe, most Norn do not have a problem with Kezz." With this, Wen unsheathed her greatsword; "Leave. Now. Tell my father I will not be coming back."
"Ah, so the human has a name, does he? Kezz. So quaint. And small. Just like humans!" Uyana beamed, seemingly ignoring the rest of what Wen had said. Until... "You know that if I return empty handed, Uncle Heuran will punish me. And send someone else after you later. Someone much less friendly. Shall I name a few of our more distant relatives? Traun? Ignot? Qinn?"
"I know," Wen replied. "I will deal with that then. And I would tell you to leave the family too, if you were not so brainwashed." "What you call brainwashing, I call loving my motherfucking family."
Kezz Valour
After seeing Wen unsheath her Greatsword. Kezz put a hand on her shoulder. He sighed, coming to terms with this. "Wen...lets find another way to settle this. Step back for a moment." Looking to Uyana, Kezz took his sword and unsheathed it and thrust it into the ground taking a step back from it. Kezz was "far" from unarmed, but Uyana wouldn't of had to know how many tricks he had up his sleeve. "Uyana...take Wen with you. I won't even put up a fight, or let her. I do have a stipulation in exchange. I go with her." Kezz thinking was just to deal with this where it started. "You could of say no of course...but that would probably mean one of us not walking away from this alive." moving his hand to Wen and then back to him. "If that happens I like our odds."(edited)
Yavril
"Kezz," Wen hissed back to him, "She would bring us to my father. That is not someone you want to meet." She had not yet sheathed her own weapon, and in fact itched to reach for Kezz's to return it to him. Uyana, aware Wen was saying something but unable to hear what exactly, smirked. "You know what? Sure. Why not? Could be interesting watching Uncle Heuran kill you himself."
Kezz Valour
"Wen, if we beat Uyana now, we'll still be running from people who want to kill us. While running into something we know can kill us. We have to start consolidating somewhere." Kezz had clearly thought this through. Somewhat. Looking back to Uyana. "Well lets go...im sure you have other things you would like to do, as I would I." Walking back to his sword Kezz picked it up and sheathed it walking towards her. Motioning with his hands for her to lead the way.
Yavril
Wen stood for at least a full minute, greatsword still up, before relenting and lowering the weapon. She only held it propped on her shoulder, though, not sheathing it entirely. Uyana looked as if she had expected that, and made no comment. "Alright then! Onwards!" Uyana led the pair through the streets of Hoelbrak, past the masses of confused Norn, to a large house in the far south corner of Hoelbrak. It looked like it could house 50 people - and sometimes it did. Wen's father sometimes took in refugees or Norn down on their luck, allowing them to stay in one of the house's many rooms. The towering place would have been especially massive to Kezz; made entirely of wood and steel, the monstrosity of a house had three floors and balconies on each. The entrance, though unguarded, gave a looming sense of danger to those entering. Wen braced herself; once inside, she would be seeing so many familiar faces.
Kezz Valour
Kezz having been through Hoelbrak once before he'd simply kept his eyes fixed on Uyana. Uncharacteristically Kezz kept his sword off of his back and held it sheathed in his left hand the entire time. It was obvious he would be able to get to it in a hurry. Looking up at the large building Kezz stood in awe. It was still remarkable how big the Norn made things. Well they had to when he thought about. While inside he kept his sword gripped in his hand watching the faces, it was clear that they all knew he was the human that had been seen with Wen and none of them looked happy to see him. In fact, hostile would have been an understatement. Kezz simply gave a polite nod to the people who decided to gawk before turning his attention to Wen. "What should I be expecting here...?"
Yavril
Wen took too long to respond to Kezz, flooded by nostalgia and the faces of family members she hadn't seen for years. Some looked at her with relief, others with horror, and still others with disgust. The inside was as grand as she had recalled, and didn't disappoint, given the outside. Fairly heirlooms - everything from jewellery to weaponry - hung on walls or were locked in glass cases. When she finally did respond to Kezz, she sounded phased. "Realistically? Death. Optimistically, screaming."
Kezz Valour
Kezz shook his head understanding the situation, then turned to look at the weapons on the wall. While he was interested in the designs themselves. The display was not impressive. It was really more of a study for him. He was really considering the situation he was in. Of course Kezz had been in life or death situations. This seemed very ritualistic, something he wasn't fond of at all. The more he considered it, the more it actually sickened him. Looking around the room at the persons watching him he merely walked back over to Wen. "You realize, I am going to kill him first right...?" He sat down in a chair next to Wen, he wasn't nervous. This whole situation was just an affront to life in his opinion. Between that and knowing he was closer to finding his mother and this man was getting in his way. "Wen, I am going to murder him if we don't walk out of here." That was what he really felt.
Yavril
"You do not know my father," Wen warned Kezz. "Even if you could best him, and I do not know that you could, just attacking him would bring my entire family down on you, all of whom are powerful warriors, rangers, mesmers, et cetera - none of which with qualms about killing a human. You would not exit here alive, Kezz. Do not tempt fate." Uyana seemed to have disappeared, presumably to tell Wen's father that Wen had been returned a little sooner than expected, and Wen was doing her best to avoid the gazes of her kind - until she no longer could.
"Wen!" A little boy's squeals echoed through the hall, over the voices of the muttering family. As the running Norn child came into view, Wen frowned.
"...Dagr?" The young boy, looking around 12 years of age, crashed into Wen full on, and Wen beamed - actually beamed. "Dagr!"
"Mama said you were back! She said she brought you- You were gone so long! Is this the human? He doesn't look so weird. Where have you been? Do you have any stories to tell me? Did you kill any Jormag worshipers? How many? Pa says-"
"Dagr!" Wen interrupted, still uncharacteristically beaming, "Breathe." The young child grinned and took one long, exaggerated breath in and out. "Kezz," Wen said, turning to him, "This is Uyana's son, Dagr Canansson." While not immediately clear (Dagr represented his father far better) the resemblance was there, in the set of the boy's jaw, the shape of his nose.
Kezz Valou
Looking at the kid took Kezz off his guard for moment. Looking at Wen he was almost taken back. Wen had been nothing but stoic for the few days he's known her. It was refreshing. He turned and watched the two. It was cute. When Wen introduced the child to him he smiled and looked over at him, the kid stood almost as tall as he did. "Hi Dagr...my name is Kezz. How are you?"
Yavril
Dagr looked the distinctly human man up and down, a little confused, before he responded. "I'm good! Wen came back!" "You have gotten so much bigger since I saw you last," Wen commented, and Dagr grinned, clearly full of pride. "I'm 12 now! Almost 13!" The young man paused, looking at Kezz. "Why does Mama say you're bad? You don't look mean."
Kezz Valour
"Dagr I just think it's a bit of a misunderstanding is all. I was kinda hoping me and your mom could work that out." Looking at this 12 year Norn, Made Kezz appreciate just how much bigger the Norn were than Humans. He's fought things bigger than him plenty of times and it's very easy to make people out as monsters because of their stature. Seeing this child though. It on a certain level made the Norn seem more human, than. Norn. "Almost 13 huh? Big birthday..."
Yavril
"Yeah! Pa says that I can go out hunting with him, then! I'm gonna take down an ice wurm!"
"They are very dangerous, Dagr," Wen warned, but she still wore a smile. "You must be very careful."
"Don't worry!" Dagr told Wen, "Look what I can do!" At that, Dagr's open palm burst into flames, flames that hung, suspended over his wiggling fingers. Before Wen could react to the fact that Dagr was clearly an elementalist, a woman's voice called out, "Dagr! Here!" Looking up, Kezz and Wen could see Uyana in the background wearing an intense frown. Dagr quickly jogged off to his mother, who whispered something in his ear. With only one, sad final look back at Wen, Dagr disappeared. around a corner. Wen's face had melted back into its stoic expression.
Kezz Valour
Kezz took note of that. He was getting the impression that there was more to Wen not wanting to be here than what was let off in the public eye. He looked at Wen for a moment and just decided not to say anything. "Seems like a nice kid..." Setting the blade on his lap.
Yavril
"He is," Wen muttered, so low it could have been mistaken as talking to herself.
"Uncle will see you now," Uyana called from across the room, clearly waiting for the pair to follow her. Wen shook her head to shake herself out of whatever state she was in, and flashed Kezz a warning look. It was only now that she sheathed her sword. Following Uyana through the large halls of the house led the three to a double-doored room, carvings of animals and great Norn hunters on both sides. Uyana pushed both the doors open so that Wen and Kezz could enter side by side. The room was utterly covered, wall-to-wall, with the heads of Wen's father's most powerful kills. Where there weren's heads, there were bookshelves, things covered in books and knick-knacks that looked like they hadn't been touched in years. One in a corner held portraits of members of the family, and if one looked close enough, a portrait of Wen could be found, wearing a dress around age 16 and posing by a pink flowering tree. And, at the centre of it all, the carpets and wood and windows with outside views of gusting snow, was Wen's father. Heuran. A hulking man, he resembled his daughter in an extraordinary way. The man's eyes, a piercing blue that contrasted with the rest of him, flickered up to gaze on his daughter in the first time in four years. "Anwen."
Kezz Valour
Kezz merely followed staying silent as he follow Uyana to see Wen's Father. Observing the room and various pictures. Wen's father wasn't some clan leader. Wen's father was really no different than the nobility in Divinity's Reach. Why leave? He was getting the impression he would find out. Walking into the office, Kezz decided to simply stand until he was told to do otherwise. Taking the size of Wen's father, his stature could easily rival that of a Charr. Kezz took the sword and placed it on his back again and just stood there.
Yavril
"Heuran." Wen's voice was cold, calculating. As if facing off with her worst nemesis - and she was.
If Heuran was phased by the lack of affection - or the use of his name - he didn't show it. "You came willingly," her father commented. "I expected Uyana to drag you back kicking and screaming, and with far more bruises. Did you even put up a fight?" He sounded utterly disappointed in his daughter, and Wen's fists curled.
"I am only here to tell you to stop sending Uyana after me, Heuran. I denounced the family years ago; I bring no bad honour down on you. My choices do not influence the family."
"And here, sweet child, is where you are wrong." Heuran's voice carried a demeaning, patronizing tone. "You are my daughter. Mine. Hoelbrak knows it. Whatever you do, no matter if you claim to have denounced us, will reflect on us. Aiding a human, of all people... I thought I had taught you better than this."
"You taught me hate, Heuran." Wen's voice was shaking, now, with rage or devastation it was hard to tell, but with something. "And I do not intend to unlearn all of your ways again. My friend and I are leaving. Do not send anyone else after us."
"And what makes you think I will allow you to leave?" Heuran asked, mouth curling up into a cruel half-smile, "You know every one of the men and women and children outside would kill him - even you - if I asked."
"You overestimate your brainwashing."
Kezz Valour
Kezz sat there, he was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with this all together. Maybe he should of just killed Uyana and gone about his business. He continue to stand simply play with his finger nails. "Wen...whenever you want to go. Just say the word." Heuran was clearly not worth his time reasoning, any man who thought he could keep another man of his quality captive was clearly deluded, evil or both.
Yavril
Wen didn't look back over to Kezz. She had to revive old habits and improve others in the wake of her father - it was the only thing to keep herself sane. She was alone. She was on her own, always. She had to be - relying on others left her open. "We are leaving, Heuran." Her voice had stopped shaking, for the most part, strengthened by her own independence and isolation - she would not be weak. Not to him. "Send anyone else after us, and they will die. I do not care who it is. So perhaps avoid sending Uyana, hm? You wouldn't want Dagr motherless."
Something flashed in Heuran's eyes, and he stood, revealing his full height and stature - which was frankly unbelievable - but Wen had already spun round, bashing the double doors open so hard that they hit the walls on either side. "ANWEN!" Heuran was hollering, as if he could stop her with screams alone. "RETURN! NOW!"
"Commands do not work on me anymore, father." Wen said the word with such spite, such utter hatred, she spat it out like milk 200 days sour. Unfortunately, nearby family members were drawn by the commotion, running into the hallway and barely having a moment before Heuran was yelling "Well?! Stop her!", and then a moment longer before both men had broken limbs, courtesy of Wen.
With a silent glance down at them, she progressed into the main hall, forgetting to check if Kezz was following. When she finally reached it, she was met with a startling combination of confusion, anger, hate and love. Wen raised her hands. "You are my cousins!" She called out, voice echoing in the now silent chamber. "My uncles! My cousins' children and my relatives! I do not want to hurt you, but I will if I must! If you attack, you prove that my father has won, and you are his. And I will feel no regret. You do not have to side with me, only allow my friend and I to leave."There was a prolonged silence, the kind of silence that weighed the entire world. It ended with a war cry on Wen's right, the war cry of her Uncle, Uyana's father. He swung his massive hammer down- And Wen caught it in the palm of her hand. Given a split second advantage, Wen kicked out her right leg, disabling her Uncle's left and dropping the man to the floor. "Any other takers?" There weren't.
Kezz Valour
Watching the entire situation and the screaming match that ensued forced Kezz almost instantly into a combat stance. Looking at the feat of sheer strength. It even shocked Kezz a moment. He took a stance behind watching the people in the room. Kezz looked over at the child he was introduced to earlier. "Wen...it doesn't look like they want to fight anymore. Lets just get out of here before they change their mind."
Yavril
Kezz was right. He was right. Of course. Wen's deep breath in was followed with a glare around the room and her storming out of the house, huge doors swinging on their hinges behind her as she entered what was now a windy, snowy day.
Kezz Valour
Kezz followed her out of the doors looking back to ensure he wasn't followed "Brainwashing...what do you mean Brainwashing?" Kezz was genuinely curious at this point. That was deeply personal and he didn't want to get involved if he had.
Yavril
"Exactly what it sound like, Kezz!" Wen yelled back at him, "EXACTLY what it sounds like! This is why I did not wish to come here - it has only made things worse and he will not be content with leaving me alone from now on. He will send any number of my family members after me, and they are all convinced he is a god among us! They are brainwashed, Kezz." Through all her yelling, Wen did not turn around once, preferring not to see whatever expression Kezz wore. "This.... was why I dd not want to come."
Kezz Valour
Kezz looked back at the house. Then to Wen again. He looked back down onto the ground as if he was weighing something on his mind. All things considered Wen was not going to be at her best, neither was he if they were going to have to look over their shoulders the entire time they were there. He would deal with this. The fact is if it effected her, it effected him, at least for the time being. Kezz was clearly silent for a moment. He reached in and handed Wen the purse. "Go get supplies Wen, i'll meet you back at the Asura Gate." Kezz turning he looked at the house and muttered to himself "You are insane Kezz..." before putting his hand on the door to open it.
Yavril
Wen nodded, in no state to think clearly. Her head pounded; she just wanted away from the house. Wen didn't even consider what Kezz was planning on doing. Inside, Kezz would find the family still gathered, rather in shock at Wen's outburst. There were more people entering the large room with each passing minute, as more people were drawn by the commotion. Heuran himself stood near the back, glaring at the door. When it reopened, all eyes were on Kezz. Not a single soul dared speak.
Kezz Valour
"Go get the old man...." His words were calm and direct. Taking his sword out of his scabbard he placed it blade down in front him. This was going to end today.
Yavril
Heuran stepped out from behind his family members to stand in front of Kezz, if around ten metres away. "The human has something to say, does he?" He taunted.
Kezz Valour
"Let me be clear Heuran. I have no qualms about taking your life at this point. Im sure you have no issue with taking mines either. I would rather talk about this like rational persons." His right hand went to the swordd while the blade was still on the ground. "So how this ends depends on what you have to say...."
Yavril
"I have nothing to say to you other than I cannot believe that my daughter is lurking about with humans, and that you were very, very stupid to return." Heuran smirked. "And what do you have to say, hm? Come to beg me to leave Anwen alone?"
Kezz Valour
"I don't do begging Heuran, as far as stupid goes that's yet to be determined." Kezz didn't flinch, his voice was direct "I came here to tell you..." Kezz paused for a moment, sighing he didn't want to antagonize the man. "I have some personal business that was brought to my attention by one of your kinsman. Wen felt a deal of responsibility to see it through to it's end."
Yavril
"Anwen's mother's kinsman," Heuran corrected, frowning. "Yes, she arrived a few days ago. The woman is utterly mad, clearly. But it was how we learned what Anwen was doing." After a pause, Heuran's frown deepened. "This does not excuse her, human. Your kind are not worthy of our attention. Any Norn who thinks otherwise is a disgrace to their kin." Had Kezz the mind to notice, he could have seen a few in the room cringe.
Kezz Valour
"Mad doesn't mean what she said was incorrect. In fact at this point I am convinced the woman knows alot more than we give her credit for..." Kezz glanced around the room. "...and perhaps I didn't express myself correctly. If you know why Anwen is with me, then you understand what I am doing. I came back here to ensure that we can address that concern without incident. I guess in a matter of words. To cut the head off the dragon...either one way or another."
Yavril
Heuran raised an eyebrow at Kezz's use of Wen's full name - he didn't seem to know it, or at least call her it, prior to speaking with her father. He didn't comment on that, though. Now. "Perhaps. The 'Eydis' woman does keep rambling about Primordus. An impressive feat, yet I cannot condone her acquaintances. What you fail to understand, human, is that we simply do not like your kind here. I suggest that you either leave and not return, or bring Anwen back to her family. Then maybe we will allow you to leave with a head on your shoulders."
Kezz Valour
Kezz looked around the room in manner oozing sarcasm. "Do you see Anwen around right now? You do see me." Taking the blade of the sword he began to what appeared to make markings on the ground. It may have been considered an offense, but unless there were any guardians in them who had spent time fighting Primordus they would of have no clue that was Kezz placed on the ground was a trap. One that if they crossed would of had dire consequences forcing magical blades out of the ground Kezz was outnumbered he knew that. If it came down to it he would have enough time to run. "I have no problem leaving, and not returning Heuran, I do want to make make sure that we would not be followed by some of your less articulate Kinsmen." Motioning to Uyana. "Those are my terms...."
Yavril
Even though there were in fact several Guardians in the room, none of them noticed whatever marks Kezz was making in the ground; the conversation was far too interesting. Uyana, upon being mentioned, narrowed her eyes and clutched Dagr tighter - though the boy strained against her. "We do not make deals with humans," Heuran spat, stepping forward a little and wrapping his long fingers round the sword at his hip. "Leave. Now. Before I decide taking you measly life is worth alienating Anwen."
Kezz Valour
Kezz smirked "Sad really..." he took a sword and scratched it out before turning around a walking to the door. "Know this Heuran...if anyone comes after Wen. I will take their life, and I will come back here to take yours. You would do well to heed my words." Muttering under his breath. "Clearly Norn Women have more courage than their Men. It's no wonder why your people have yet to reclaim the Shiverpeaks..." Opening the door he closed it behind him.
Yavril
Leaving an infuriated Heuran in his wake, Kezz couldn't possibly have known the insult he cast on the man through his words. Not sending someone would be, to Heuran, an act of admitting his failure. Something utterly and totally unthinkable. Yet that would be a future problem; for now, Kezz could find Wen at the Asura Gate where they'd first seen Uyana, with a bag for them both full of supplies. Sitting on a bench, Wen kept her head in her hands - and her hair was down. A surefire way to tell she was upset; Wen never wore her hair down. Never.
Kezz Valour
Walking to the Asura Gate, Kezz looked a bit puzzled at Wen, Kezz sat down at the bench. Let down hair? Taking everything that has happened, this must of been hard for her. Probably harder than it was for him to deal with the death of his parents and Gus, he had to recount great memories of dead people. Wen had to deal with horrible memories of living people. A task much harder. Sitting down on the bench. Kezz looked at her, not exactly knowing what to say. "Wen...I...didn't think it was going to be as complicated as it was.." pausing for a moment. "I'm sorry for putting you through that." Kezz had to accept some responsibility. He wanted to talk it out but her family was well beyond talking. Kezz looked at Wen, as crazy as it sounds Kezz had been with some women being in the Pact. It was a matter of letting off some stress before getting back in the field; but he had never been in an actual relationshp. With his mother been gone for so long, he didn't have an example to follow in interpersonal relationships. He placed his arm around her shoulder. Something his dad used to do when he was in a bad mood about Mom. "You're going to get through this Wen."
Yavril
Wen had looked up as Kezz sat beside her, black hair falling over her right shoulder and inevitably ending up in the snow by their feet, an obvious contrast between the white flakes and her smooth strands of hair. She hadn't been crying, but she appeared so, so tired. When Kezz put his arm around her shoulder, he would have been able to feel her muscles tense - people didn't... touch her. Not to mention that she was rather large - Kezz would only just have been able to get his arm round her shoulder. Whether it was due to the fact that she'd been alone for so long, her overbearing and largely strong-silent personality, that she didn't generally touch people, or any combination of the few, Wen had no idea. It just... didn't happen. People didn't generally give a shit about her. "It is... fine," Wen breathed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I had simply forgotten what they were like. Or, perhaps I had wanted to forget what they were like. Only my mother's side of my family has any sense to them, and they are suppressed by my father and his insane relatives." She took a deep breath in, let a deep breath out, and then finally looked up at Kezz again. "But I am ready to continue, if you are. I would rather leave Hoelbrak in the dust, for a while."
Kezz Valour
"You know what...you want to go take a break?" Kezz figured they both needed one. They haven't really taken a break since they left Hoelbrak, alot has happened. To both of them. The question would be where? Ebonhawke was still picking up the pieces from another attack, they would without question be looking over their shoulder if they stayed in Hoelbrak. Lion's Arch would be the only place they could go realistically. They would plan their next move from their. If she wanted to.
Yavril
Another deep breath in. "No. I would rather go." There was a pause before Wen kept speaking, feeling rather rude; Kezz deserved better than- Oh. That was strange; she'd never worried about being rude before. But surely Kezz had deserved better, after putting up with her insane family - even she could barely do it. "I... do better when I can work. Ignore it. The trip will be relaxing enough, I hope."
Kezz Valour
"I tell you what, how about we go to Lion's Arch, we're going to have to figure out where we're going anywhere. Lion's Arch is as good a place as any to figure that out. We might as well lay low while we figure that out." Kezz was still a bit shocked at how much Wen was not like the Norn, yet she had done very little traveling. It's not like he's seen much himself but it was perplexing to him. Standing up he went to the Asura Gate and waited for Wen before going inside.
Yavril
Wen was hesitant to follow, honestly rathering to just head off and forge a path of her own, but perhaps it would be interesting? She had never been to Lion's Arch, as with a great many places. She pushed herself to a stand, having to avoid tripping over her own hair - let down, it fell all the way to her feet and past. Dragging it over one of her shoulders, she began the automatic process of braiding it as she picked up her back. She gave Kezz a solemn nod.
Gene is roped into helping out the Consortium by an Asura because of her mesmer abilities.
Warnings: None
Yavril
As late afternoon fell on the city of Divinity's Reach, Geneviette sighed. This was not an uncommon reaction from the slight Sylvari, but it was never without meaning. Today, it was because her tip bowl was annoyingly empty; usually when she started early she was doing well by now, but perhaps the overcast day tossed everyone out of a giving mood. Not good for anyone, especially Gene. This Sylvari mesmer was a tiny woman, only about a foot taller than a tall Asura, standing at just 4'11. She had a weak look about her, a sad atmosphere, frail and easily manipulable - her pink body, white flower bulb hair and highlights, and huge eyes weren't helping. However, upon examination, one could see that Gene was certainly not frail. Powerful, steady movements created glittering illusions in the air, mimics of exotic animals or the heads of passer-byers. Words like 'steady' and 'powerful' could only be used to describe one aspect of Gene's life - her mesmer talents. If Gene paused, a shake could be seen in her hands, or a flash of anxiety could be seen on her face. How long had it been since Gene had had steady hands, a clear mind? So long that Gene couldn't remember. Longer than she wanted to admit to herself or anyone else.Gene's sigh was followed by a pause, if a reluctant one, in her casting, and finally the petering out of her illusions, which seemed to have been chasing young children from place to place. Was there much point in continuing? The streets had begun to empty, and dinner was soon; Gene's own stomach growled at the prospect. Tucked into a corner in the Commodore's Quarter, she had plenty of options. Gene's previously moving hands froze in midair and fell to her sides, brushing the fabric of the loose, sultan-like pants she wore. Gene was forced into a revealing top to make up for the heat, but the Sylvari didn't really have another choice, considering... well. In any case, Gene allowed herself to collapse to the fabric of her blanket for a moment to count just how much she had actually made that day.
Brom
"So how much do you make, doing that?" Not every member of the audience had wandered off. One asura remained, an easy grin on his brown face. He was a bit scruffy, with a head full of messy dreadlocks and the tip of one ear bitten off- but his clothes were nice. If a little garish, in all truth. While the asura himself was dull colored he wore the brightest blues and yellows, with only a couple spots of green to match his eyes. There was a clink and then another as he dropped some silver into her pile, decorating his sentences with lazy gifts as he continued. "You certainly seem to have an eye for it. Those illusions were spot on. My name's Baxxton, what's yours?"
Yavril
Gene's face turned upward abruptly, an abashed look coming over her - though what she was actually abashed about was anyone's guess. "O-Oh, well not a lot, today, honestly." She had begun to stand up, embarrassed to be on the ground when greeted, when the silver hit her bowl with a satisfying ring of metal - Gene knew that sound well, by now. "Oh, thank you! That's very kind. I'm Geneviette. Well everyone calls me Gene, but the full name is... Geneviette." The woman let out a tiny groan - she was having one of those days, an uphill battle against anxiety and paranoia. Generally, when she had an anxious day, she avoided people, and with few responsibilities or restrictions, that system worked well most of the time - but now, of course, that would be rude. So though every sentence leaving her mouth felt wrong, Gene struggled onwards. "Thank you for the praise, I do really appreciate it. I... try."
Brom
"Ever thought of doing anything different?" His ears flipped up and the asura tilted his head to one side, grinning at her wide enough his big green eyes squinted just a bit. "I don't have an eye for it at all, myself. Can't even make a flicker. I could use someone who does."
Yavril
"Someone who... you mean Mesmer magic?" Gene's voice was soft, but less shaky, now. "I... a lot of the time. I haven't always been a..." Gene looked about, unsure what to call herself. "Well. What do you, ah, need a Mesmer for?"
Brom
Baxxton shook his head with a laugh. "Nah, someone who's got an eye. See, I'm... hunting for it, in a way." he dug in his pocket, scrounging around until he found and pulled out a a couple little shards of something. Purple and cyan, it had an unnatural type of color to it, almost... blurry. "See? A lot of people need it, it's not been around long." he tossed the chip in her bowl, just an easy underhand drop. "I figure it'd be easier to find if I had someone around who knew what magic feels like."
Yavril
Gene found herself immediately drawn to the shards, and not just because she found then pretty. Glittering eyes floating back and forth between Baxxton and the bowl, she reached with slender fingers for the piece. Just touching it was enough for her to recognize the energy - the world had been humming with that power of late. "Is this..." Gene paused, "ley line energy?" She'd heard it called a few different things, but had never previously had the resources or interest to truly understand it all. "I... Don't know much about it. Or... anything, about it. It's just very, very powerful."
Brom
"Yes! There's so much of it, it's solidifying! Like ice!" Baxxton grinned even wider. "No one knows anything about it. That's why I'm gathering it. It's pretty good money, so much is needed for research." What she had in her hand was worth at least a gold all on it's own, though the asura didn't mention that, yet. "It's just... hard to find, when all it is is pretty colors." He shrugged.
Yavril
"Do you work for someone?" Gene asked, curious, "Or just sell it to them?" The vibrant colours of his clothing gave her the impression of a uniform, or at least colour scheme, but what did she know? "Where..." Gene paused, shifting the chip in her hand, "Where does it grow?
Brom
"I'm with the Consortium." There was a hint of pride in his voice, and he tapped at a patch on his jacket sleeve. "Either some of the researchers take a guess or they get some rumors of where to find it. And I go look. Ooooorrrr WE go look, if you agree!" He waved his hand in a wide circle around him. "So far it seems to be cropping up all over Tyria. So it could be anywhere."
Yavril
"Oh!" Gene muttered, perking up a bit. The Consortium, wasn't that the name of...? "I think I know someone that works for the Consortium too. An engineer, a ... good friend." She didn't hope that Baxxton knew Ren, because what was the likely-hood of that, but if Ren felt that the Consortium was trustworthy, that was a big point in their favour, at least in Gene's books. "So... you want me to help you find these?" she confirmed.
Brom
"It's a big organization, good place to be," Baxxton winked. "I don't hang out with the gearheads myself, but he must be good if he's with us." The asura held up a finger, digging in a jacket pocket to pull out a coinpurse. "Yes. I'll give this much in advance and you'll get a third of what we find. Minus the advance of course." he paused. "A third, because we'll need one more person. There's, ah, been some bandits, and some of those dragon friends, so it'd be good to find some muscle. Just in case."
Yavril
Geneviette finally stood, now; was she reallly considering this? She'd been too scared to go to the Jungle, let alone head off to treesong knows where to find some kind of energy she knew absolutely nothing about. But... she wouldn't be alone. Baxxton would be with her, and whoever else he decided to hire. And besides, what else had she been doing, lately? Moping and barely making enough to pay for rent and food? Gene wanted to be helpful again, or try - though in the past that hadn't always worked out particularly well. But she was more powerful now, more used to her abilities. She could hold her own. Right? She wanted a new path, and just maybe this was it. "A-alright," Gene nodded, "Alright, I'll help you. It.. could be fun? And, well, I have no idea where to find any muscle, s-sorry." Gene tended to avoid places where those sorts hung out, so despite knowing the city fairly well by now, she was blanking.
Brom
"Great! Don't worry about finding muscle- if you're looking for people who can fight, best place to look is where people like to fight." Baxx tossed her the coinpurse, looking up at the sky to judge the time. "The kind of person we're looking for will be filtering in... oh, any time now." He winked, then snapped his fingers. "Oh, you don't mind dogs do you? Tikka wouldn't hurt a fly, but she's a bit big."
Yavril
Gene caught the coin purse awkwardly and proceeded to put what she had made today into the bag with it, noticeably not checking how much he'd actually given her. She actually smiled at the mention of dogs, replying "No, I don't mind! Not at all. So... You have somewhere in mind?"
Brom
The asura nodded. "There's a place ssssort of near the Free Market- I would have said the Lion's Shadow but that's gone now- that's usually got some bruisers lookin for a job or fight or both. It'll be easier to find one of them than it was finding you." Again that wink as Baxx waved in the vague direction of the place he was talking about. "How much do you need to pack? I can meet you later if you don't want to come along."
Yavril
Honestly, Gene didn't want to admit how little she had to pack. Everything was in her apartment on the other side of the city, but it wasn't much - a few changes of clothes, a journal, a few other small items. "Ah," the young woman said, "N-not much, but maybe I'll just meet you later and give you some, ah, time? Where would you like to meet?"
Brom
Baxx considered that for a bit. A good place to meet... "How about by that pile of crates under the big blue....." he waved up at the sky at a loss for a proper description. "In the middle of the city. Easy enough to find. Sure you don't want to come with me? I'll buy you a drink." He winked but clearly wasn't serious already moving to back up.
Yavril
"I'm sure," Gene replied with a soft smile, and that was the last she said before nodding goodbye and heading off into the distance, thinking about how her life had changed at the flip of a coin.
Yavril deals with the Nightmare Court, and Morgan. Long RP, continuation to THIS RP!
Note - this RP isn’t in the usual style because it was done over google hangouts.
Note - this RP takes place only a few years after the secondborn emerge.
Note - this RP assumes a much more vast Briarthorn Den than the reality just for the fun of it and to open more options for RP
Warnings: Very Brutal Torture, Nightmare Court stuff
Yavril had woken that fateful day in Divinity's Reach to find Mo and Acia gone. Defeated and without the resolve that came with age, Yav made no attempts to follow the pair. She had thought something better of Mortiuus, truly, and she had no idea what to think, now. So, for the next few months, Yav tried to forget. The more time passed, the more she was able to ignore. It was only recently that she'd realized Morgan would be over a year old by now. That all ended when she, through warden contacts, was informed that the Court was attacking Astorea, the small town just outside the Grove.
Groups of court raced into the small town with Morgan leading them. He had a wickedly horrid grin on his face as the massive horde began to envelope the town in darkness.
Yavril, honestly just glad she happened to be in the Grove and not off adventuring to be able to help, had rushed out with the next wave of wardens to storm the town. Yav and her longbow were the first to attack, bringing the attention of the assailants onto them. Buildings had begun to burn, the cries of townspeople present in the air and Yav tried not to let their deaths defeat her - she had to save who she could. Either not seeing Mo or not recognizing him - either was possible in the crowd - she attacked Courtier after Courtier. She herself was very visible, bobbing and weaving around attacks thrown at her and a vibrant orange against the dark shades that the court preferred.
Morgan, spotted her, no trace of him felt affection at this moment, he drew his long sword and charged toward her a flock Courtiers followed behind him readying themselves.
Yav didn't realize there was a group coming after her until the last minute when she bobbed around Mo's sword from behind. She was loosing an arrow before she saw who it was, one that hit a courtier right behind Mo directly on the head. Locking eyes with her previous friend, Yav stumbled back, barely holding onto her bow. If she hadn't been so close to him... she wasn't sure she would have recognized him. There was an evil, twisted look in his eye that caught on Yav and wouldn't let go. She brought her bow back up in defense, but uttered "... Mortiuus?"
Morgan froze. He froze for the right reason at the wrong time. That glint of him that had been locked away for so long had finally come out to say hello, but it was dismissed just as fast as it happened as he threw his hand in the air with his sword and yelled, "Take the trader!" The small group screamed in triumph behind him as they all rushed toward the, by now recognizable Slyvari and tried to obtain her.
"Mo!" Was the last word Yav managed to get out before she was stormed, notching arrow after arrow in defense. The first three or four - it was all such a blur, Yav had no idea anymore - she could deal with, but eight or nine of them all at the same time was too much, even for a secondborn. As she pulled a knife from the skull of the last one she had managed to kill, Yav was hit in the back by something hard, probably a hammer of some kind and it knocked what breath was left right out of her. As she stumbled to gain ground, various Sylvari reached, grabbed on harshly to her arms and legs and no matter how much she thrashed, she was out of energy. She could see, was conscious, but only barely. Blinking eyes caught only foggy tidbits of the world around her, and her knees buckled so that the courtiers had to hold her up by her arms and shoulders.
Morgan escorted the group that had Yavril into a dark room. With an incredibly violent force Yavril was pressed to the ground. It felt as though they'd thrown her down, but in reality she probably was released from their vicious grasps.
"Treesong-" Yavril called out, yanked back into consciousness by the motion. Between the thrashing and vicious yelling and the calling out for Mo to respond to her, the only way to move her so far was to knock her out. Now on the ground, Yav coughed and sputtered, trying to regain control of herself. But the other Courtiers were right there, and her options were limited. "Wh-why?" Yav sputtered out hoarsely, the only thing she was able to manage at the moment.
Morgan rolled a violent motion out with his hand, casting the others to get out. She, Yavril, she was the only thing holding him back from whatever it was that he needed to get. He needed to get it though, "I need you." He stated in a manner that nearly made him sound normal.
Yav was still coughing, trying to get dust and dirt out of her throat. Her eyes blinked shut when Morgan spoke - she didn't look up at him. She couldn't. Not yet. She wanted him to need her, because if he needed her for whatever reason, she could let herself believe he was fixable. But he'd been a courtier for months. A year, almost. How could she hope to bring him back? They had raided Astorea, burned homes, killed dreamers. It was too much. Mo didn't need her because he wanted to come back. She had to remember that. As much as he sounded normal... she had to be careful. Her hands shook against the soil when she reopened her eyes. Finding the other Courtiers no longer near, she pushed herself to a careful stand. Looking Mo in the eyes was harder than she was anticipating; he was so far gone. She could see a glimmer of his former self, and she longed for it to be bigger, but the darkness was encompassing. "Why?" Yav began. She hadn't been going to say more, but she was an emotional woman. "Y-you're a courtier now, Mo, you're... you all were attacking all those people, a-and... what could you possibly need *me* for? Ask Acia to help you - I'll never fall to Nightmare." She was breathing heavily, pain cast in her bright eyes.
Morgan blinked at the woman, "You're holding me back, even now." His head fell slightly, "I can't stand you. I can't stand that about you and I need more than anything for you to stop being who you are."
Yav was... holding him back? *Had* been holding him back, for so long? She didn't know whether too rejoice it or feel disgusted. "So you need to kill me." She said, almost a question but not. She wanted to reach out for him, give him a hug like she had that day on the hill, but the taint was too much and too far, flooding every sense she had. "Because you can't stop someone from being who they are. Which is how I know someone can save you. And Pale Tree, Mo, I hope that that person is me. I want to badly for that person to be me. But if it isn't me, and you cut me down today, it will be someone else."
Morgan stepped forward and grabbed Yavril by her collar. He nearly picked the woman up by her collar, "I will /never/ let anyone cut me down, or get in my way." He made a point to stare her dead on. Past his eyes he was partially pleading with her, but only if she looked deep enough. His features softened as he harshly released her, nearly knocking her to the floor again, "I'll take all that you have, I'll take it all from you, you'll make the choice to help while its ripped away or sit on you ass and watch it all burn to the ground. No one will take me down and I'm done letting you stand in my way."
"I choose /neither/," Yav spat out, clutching at her throat where his fingers had curled around her collar. She could *see* the spark in his eye, the pleading, and a part of her broke, a part of her she knew she would never be able to fix. That desperation was too much all at once, the dam holding back a tidal wave of emotion. "You will never take it from me. You will kill me, or I will tear my way out with my bare hands, but I will never join you - and you aren't there all the way. You said I hold you back - so /let/ me. Please, Mo. How much hate can you stuff into a lifetime? How much do you want to?"
Morgan snapped a vicious glare to her, "I /hate/ you." He hissed, "There wasn’t one night when I didn’t think of you and every thought pulled me closer to the surface, and you /won't/ win. You are weak. Yavril, I will never kill you, it'd been too easy. Even if I have to beat the dreams out of you, so help me, I will." His voice was stern, serious, and viciously threatening.
Yavril didn't know how to respond to that - didn't know if it meant he was savable or if it meant he was too far gone. Voice welling with emotion, she said, "I don't hate you, Mo. I know it's been a long time since anyone called you that - I can see it in your eyes. And the fact that I can see it in your eyes means I will win, one way or another. Because you're a Sylvari, and you have a family to come back to. And you will come back. You've misconstrued all of the signs - you think about me, remember me at night? It's because there's a part of you that remembers what used to be, and you can't let that part go, no matter how much you deny it, no matter how much you wish it wasn't or scream or cry or yell. You're all bark and no bite, and even if you try to take everything from me, I will bring you back to us, Mortiuus." Yav took in a shaky breath; "So you can kill me, or you can come back. Those are /your/ choices. Killing me isn't too easy - you just can't."
The man killed the space between the two, making a point to look her in the eyes, "Killing you would be a fate too good for you." He snapped at her once again. His voice thick and his anger growing, he couldn't help but hit her. If she didn't understand the way this would play out someone would have to beat it into her and so he did. He drew back his hand and slapped her square across the face, with as much as he had.
His instant recoil of his actions had kicked in. Part of him stepped away as a glint of panic spread on his face. He suddenly called in the people he had dismissed, "Put her in a cell." He had snapped back to whatever position he had been in before.
He was SO close to her. He was *right there*. She could feel his breath, she could hear the fury in his words as if it was her own. She loved and hated him at the same time, in that same moment. As she loved and hated all courtiers. The difference was that Mo had added fear. She was standing her ground - she would not back down, because it meant she was too weak for the job ahead. But because she was holding her ground, and was trying to convince herself to hold the ground, she wasn't paying enough attention to deflect or predict Mo's blow. He was a powerful man and Yavril could *hear* the sound his hand made on her face. She crumbled away, stepping backwards out of necessity, eyes watering at the impact. She hadn't had time to react farther before she was being yanked on, arms held back by courtiers. Unlike before, Yav didn't have the energy to thrash or attempt an escape. She just... Couldn't stop looking at Mo. And those /eyes/. She saw his recoil - she caught it past the mask, she couldn't not. So even as she was dragged away, she was looking into those eyes, looking for the man she used to know. The vine cages she was cast inside were barely noticeable by Yav - she was asleep the second she was alone, weary eyes drifting shut without struggle. This first sleep, though? It lasted only a few moments before someone was leaning against the vine bars that trapped her. "Brought you back, did he?" The wicked voice was almost singsong, forced Yav's own golden eyes open again - to find Acia staring back at her. The blue woman donned more Courtier-esque clothing, here, dark to match. Yavril allowed a groan, pushed herself to a sit rather than lying, collapsed, on the floor, but more than that she couldn't manage. She just wanted sleep, rest... not this. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Yavril sunk her head between them. She didn't want to look at Acia's gorgeous face anymore - but that didn't mean Acia would stop. "Almost can't tell if I should be worried or proud," the sickly sweet voice continued nonchalantly, "But judging from that bruise on your face, I think proud is the better guess. So, in that case, I'm glad. Not only will he take out one of the Court's worst problems, but he'll also deal with all his shit about you. Torture the rest of the dream right out of himself - and you - no interference required. So, yeah, I'm proud." There was a long pause, and Yavril didn't respond. Acia snorted, "You're so high and mighty. You think you're above me. Better than me. Well guess what - it doesn't matter that you're a dreamer. That you're second born. Because here, in the dirt, in /reality/? We're all the same. And if you hate me so much, you better damn well hate Morgan too, because we are the same." This was what finally got a reaction out of Yavril, whose eyes snapped up in confusion at the name. "Oh," Acia said with a snarky grin, "See, your precious Mortiuus hasn't gone by that in a /long/ time. He's Morgan, now, and he won't be going back." Acia opened her mouth to continue, but Yav was quicker.
"It wasn't Mortiuus."
This gave Acia pause. "What?"
"It was Mo."
Her adversary just rolled her eyes. "I don't care. "Mo" is /mine/, now, and I cannot *wait* to watch him fall even further. You are going to be the best thing for him - when he's done with you, I'm going to make sure he's ready to kill you, and then I'll know he's all mine. If not," Acia shrugged, "he's been good for us so far. /I'll/ just kill you. Get some *really* nice hatred out of him. If that doesn't turn him, I'll kill him myself. Not a waste, plus I get to enjoy the torment. Best part is, he'll never believe you if you try to tell him."
Yavril's breath caught- stomach contracted- eyes squeezed shut- she knew all the words to describe these things, but no words came close to the pain that hearing Acia's plan caused her. A dagger to her very beating heart, an arrow to her skull, a starvation, an everlasting spell - would have been quicker, kinder, less painful. Acia had once been simply naive, but time had tore open all wounds, and there was no longer a place in her heart, mind, or soul that she was not covered in them. "So, I'm going to see how he's doing," Acia was saying. "Enjoy the cage."
--
Acia walked into the room where Morgan stood with the clink of her boots on the floor. She approached his left side, placed a hand on that shoulder with a smile. "You brought her back," she commented.
Morgan had been facing away from her, with a sudden haste he turned to greet her face, "I had too." He stated plainly at he studied her calming features, "She's been holding me back."
Acia nodded, inwardly silently pleased. She could feel that he was truly trying to be rid of the fact that she was holding him back, though she was less are about his actual feelings and doubts about her. "She has," Acia agreed, reinforcing the idea and rewarding him with a peck on the lips. "I'm proud of you. You'll get through this, and you'll deal with her. I saw them put her in the cage, I think she's asleep right now."
Morgan watched and accepted everything she said or gave to him. He watched her simple yet fascinating features as they moved. He nodded slightly, not for a moment considering that perhaps he was only doing all of this to get in her pants. Regardless, he knew that Yavril stood in his way, "We should.. get some rest..."
"Probably." Acia nodded, but she had to know one thing first. "But, you know, I'm curious. You know how I am. What's your plan? I'm a little worried, honestly," she said it in such a way that made her sound innocent and sweet, afraid for her "loved one's" health, though in reality she wasn't convinced that Yav would actually be able to bring him around, "that she'll try and take you away from us. Me. I couldn't stand that."
Morgan lovingly brushed hair behind her ear, "I'd never let her sway me... This is why I needed to get her. So I can make it stop.. You know that more than anyone." He spoke referring to the nights where Acia would check on him and talk him out of the healthy states he existed end and leave him suspended in the nightmare by the end of it. He had some sort of sick and twisted view on this. At the beginning all he had wanted to do was to break the fever and stop being scared, but something about the way she pushed him back into the fear consumed him completely.
Acia smiled softly, leaning into his touch. This dance was one she had learned how to play expertly; make Morgan fall in love with her. A dangerous game, but one with infinite rewards if she did it expertly. "Good. I'm glad. She won't get to you." She said the words as if she was reassuring herself, as if she was going to repeat the words to herself in that attempt. "If you ever need my help, always ask, but I think you're ready to do this on your own." Sliding her hand down his arm from his shoulder, she wrapped her fingers around his hand and smiled sweetly; "Come on, I'll walk you to your room."
Morgan nodded, "Of course" he nearly cooed to the woman, "You're so beautiful..." He chimed to her in a dreamy fashion as she guided him away.Snook • Jul 8, 10:05 PM"Ah, don't make me blush!" Acia replied hastily, as a woman would, outwardly flushing though inwardly she was just very pleased at his state - at this point if anything tore him away from her brainwashing she would be very surprised. She didn't think she was underestimating Yav, but just to be sure when they reached his door she planted a loving and exuberant kiss on him before mischievously grinning at him, giving a small wave, and disappearing around the corner. He was/too/ easy to play. Yav had nothing on her.
That same woman, a ways away, was having trouble sleeping. Visions of the twisted man Mo had become dotted her mental landscape, flooded her dreams when she was able to sleep, which wasn't often. So when she was abruptly woken the next morning, Yav hadn't gotten much sleep.
Morgan was up early as usual. He decided that visiting the vibrant orange and problematic Sylvari would be the best, so he did.
Yav, raising her head wearily from the ground, found Mo at the entrance and was unsurprised. "Come to taunt? Torture me? Rub Acia in my face? You two seem *close*." She said the word in disgust, remembering the one sided conversation she had had with Acia the day prior.
Morgan took a seat in front of the cage, "No... I was just hoping I could convince you... It would be easier..."
"Convince me?" Yav asked, feeling annoyed and straightening out her leaves. "Words will not sway me. I don't know what you think you're going you say, but nothing could convince me of your horrors. Especially after what your girlfriend had to say last night."
Morgan raised a brow, "Acia talked to you... What'd she say... "
Yavril rolled her eyes. "Not that you'll believe any of it, but she's using you. I'm fairly sure she's controlling you by pretending to love you, but I'm ABSOLUTELY sure that she's just planning on using this," she gestured between the pair, "you and me, to get the rest of the dreamer side out of you. Then, she's convinced you'll kill me. Otherwise, she'll kill me herself and either that will turn you, or /she'll/ kill you." Piercing gold eyes dug into Mo's own, "Though, again, I know you don't believe any of that."
Morgan shuffled, "I don't want to kill you." Suddenly missing her whole point, "I was hoping that you wouldn't let me do that. I was hoping we didn't have to beat the dream out of you either."
"Well, you can start with your speech if you like, or you can go right to the beatings, or you could leave me here and let your girlfriend kill me, but you won't turn me any way you look at it." Glancing back at her feet and shifting into a cross-legged position, Yav sighed and said sarcastically, "Feel free to start with the speech if it helps."
"If you don't think it will then I think that it may be best if you just complied and stopped being so resistive."
Yav looked up, "I'm not hearing a speech. We just gonna sit here?"
“Why won't you give in?" He snapped.
"Fuck, Mo!" Yav exclaimed, using the human swear liberally. "Because if I did- what the fuck am I doing? Have you /seen/ all the people you hurt? How many lives you ruin? Or do you just not care? Either way, that's not me! I thought you knew that- I thought you were the same. I'd rather be beat by you until I'm dead than do those things. And if you were ever able to turn me, that wouldn't BE me. That would be some other cruel, twisted woman that I do not want to know or cross, not with my abilities. That woman wouldn't be worthy of anything o-or /anyone/. She'd be sad."
Morgan blinked, "I'm really sorry you feel that way..." He stood up, now looking down at her, "I'll send some people to try to take that from you..." He in all honestly didn't want to hit the woman and the thought was almost enough to make him a little sick. Another part of him, wanted to, but he'd settle on letting someone else take care of the dirty business.
Yavril was not an idiot. She was good natured, but never am idiot. And she knew, depending on the kind of torture - though she had heard that Court used every kind from rape to hot irons to waterboarding to just constant beatings (how much of it was rumor, she had no idea) - everyone broke. Everyone had a weakness. If they didn't have a weakness, they had a limit. It was just a matter of finding one or the other. No one was without one. Yav included. The thought of whatever Morgan would ask her torturers to do to her sent shivers up her spine, set cold her blood. But looking up at Morgan, she wondered if it was really at all past him to tell the courtiers to just do whatever was necessary. So, all of this in mind, Yav said one more thing. Her voice came out like she felt - fighting to remain in control of herself. "You didn't answer my question. Do you just not care? Or is there something in your justifying it all for you?"
Morgan looked back at her one last time, "I care... That's my problem, I'm hoping that I can get that away from me though. I don't want to."
Yav's eyed softened ever so slightly, and she looked down again at her feet. "Caring isn't bad, Mo. I don't know what they told you, but.. caring is the best thing we do. It's hard, and it hurts, but it isn't... bad. It's worth it." She doubted Mo would understand that, though, and unless he was to continue the conversation didn't even look back up to him. Didn't dare.
He didn't remove his gaze from her, "Listen, I don't know what card your trying to play here, but I'm just following orders and if those are to stop caring then I have to."
Yavril didn't look back up at Morgan. "I'm not playing a card, I'm speaking from the heart, something you should try. Whose orders? Acia's? Why do you have to follow them? We could leave, if you wanted to. Thing is, you don't."
Morgan blinked at her, "I'll send people for you." He grunted and began to walk away.
"Can't answer? Or won't?" Yav muttered, but she didn't expect Mo to turn around. She'd accepted her fate.
He walked out in silence. After a few dark and lonely minutes, that seemed to drag on for hours, two courtiers came to collect Yavril. They unlocked the cage and bound her with shackles, pulling her closer then out of he space she'd been in. They walked with her in silence, per their orders, regardless of anything she said or did, they pressed on. They continued until they reached what looked like a cell, but much larger. It was a circular room, very sturdy. There were shackles attached to walls, obviously where Yavril would be placed.
Yavril tried to take heavy breaths and clear her mind, but every time a thought was gone another one rose in its place. Being shackled was a new experience; the Court was upgrading. Faced toward the courtiers who had pulled her away, Yav glared - she was ready. She had to be.
"Listen, pretty," the woman on the left said, "You can't get out of those. So try and get comfy, huh? You could make this easier on yourself, you know that, right?"
Yav spat in her face outright - "Never."
The revenge was quick and instant, a slap across the face leaving a bruise on her chin parallel to the one Morgan had given her. "Don't you ever dare, fuckin' dreamer!"
The other beside her a man, "listen, we have to do whatever it takes and everyone you react like that there will be consequences. It doesn't have to be like this. At all. But we can play it how ever you want."
Yavril spat in his face, too. "Fuck you. You taint and destroy - you won't win."
The man flinched and yet, his expression hadn't really changed. He wiped the spit off his face and groaned, "You know... Rieran said you'd be hard to crack..." He gave out a slight chuckle, "Would it make you feel better if you saw what was left of him? Strong willed just like you."
Rieran - Yav froze, shut her eyes. "Please don't tell me you got him too." It was the only explanation, though she didn't want to believe it. Her entire body was shaking, now, visibly.
A grin slid across the courtiers face, "Oh we did- but he's.. He's a particularly touch case to crack, do you want to visit with him..?"
Yavril didn't respond. She couldn't. Rieran was an old friend, one she hadn't seen in years - a kind, friendly, good man. The thoughts that... it was too much, too twisted.
The courtier pushed on, "Ohhh... So you don't want to see what's left of the slobbering man after he pushed himself to far, and for what? For dead people? A lost cause?"
"Shut up," Yav said quietly as the man pestered her, and she continued to say it, getting increasingly loud, until she was screaming it in his face - "Shut up shut up SHUT UP! FUCK YOU!" Yav's body was violently shaking now, hands curled in right fists because the more they shook the more the shackles aggravated her wrists.
The man didn't shake or move in response. Rather, his grin got larger as he remarked, "That's it..."
Now Yavril finally started thrashing against the chains, needing an outlet for her rage and having no other. "Fuck you! You took good men! And turned them evil and twisted and you can fuck me or beat me or drown me or do whatever the fuck you want to me but you will never make me like you! Never!" Tears spilled from her eyes and she thrashed, rolling down her cheeks furiously.
The courtier would have grinned deeper if possible, "Would it help to watch it happen? To watch them give up? Watch us take all your men and women knowing that you could just give in and make it stop?"
Yavril didn't respond anymore, she was just hanging away from the wall, face towards the floor and tears dropping from her face and splattering on the stone ground.
"Hey now.." The courtier cooed to her. He took his hand and used it to lift up her head by her chin, "It's only inevitable. You can't help it."
Yavril's eyes were full of tears, now, and she seemed the weakest she had been in... her entire life, honestly. She still shook her head, vigorously, trying to free herself from the grip of the courtier, strangely soft if cold.
He chuckled horsely, "Aww.. Are you sad? Broken even?" He smiled again, "What can i do?"
"Fuck. You." Yavril said in heavy response.
He raised an eyebrow, "If you'd like..."
Yavril bared her teeth at the Courtier, a fierce look in his eye.
His grin almost seemed to never seise, "Oh darling, don't say what you don't mean. People will get the wrong idea."
"I doubt you would ask if that was what you wanted anyway," Yavril snarled. "Fuck off."
The man blinked at her, "You know I really don't think that I can get to you by hurting you physically. I think I need to bring in dreamers, do you want others to suffer cause you didn't want to?"
"No, please," Yav whimpered, looking down again, still hanging her full body away from the wall. "/Please/, just... Don't hurt anyone else."
"I'm proud of you," a voice rang from a corner, a vague woman shape entering the room. Acia grinned wickedly. "You found Yav's weakness. /Other/ people."
The courtier looked back to Acia, "I thought that maybe bringing Rieran in could... Do her some good, one she knows."
Acia raised an eyebrow - "she knows Rieran, does she? Curiouser and curiouser. Yes, go bring him in."
The courtier nodded and left the room. After a while he returned with Rieran who was bound by shackles. He shackled the man to the wall, but the man stayed silent he didn't even take the time to look up anymore. Just down. Just to forget it was all that mattered anymore, to just forget. To get it over with.
"Rieran," Yavril choked out, breath catching as she watched the husk of a man she used to know be paraded in front of her. "Rieran, p-please-"
Rieran looked up at her. His face was plain and he didn't bother to respond. The courtier looked to Yavril, then to Rieran. He knelt down to get on the mans level, he gripped his chin, "Goodmorning Rieran." He almost chided the man with such a kind phrase. Rieran shook his head out of the courtiers grip in a vigorous manner, "Stop." He snapped, fed up though it'd been near minutes. The courtier didn't hesitate to hit him, leaving on his face, if it were even possible a mark.
"No!" Yavril yelped at the impact, harshly thrashing yet again at what held her.
Acia snapped into place this time, pushing Yav back against the wall by her throat. "/Watch./" She hissed.
The courtier looked back at Yavril, "crazy how easy it is to just, break someone's will." Rieran looked as though he hung from the shackles, bruises and cuts adorned the sly aria once bright skin. The courtier gripped Rieran's neck and threw his back to the wall so he couldn't drape himself like so, "When will it ever stop?" The courtier chided to Yavril.
"Never." Yav hissed in response, but that only made Acia tighten her grip on the orange woman's neck. "Rieran-" she managed to get out, "please say something- anything, please..."
The courtier got a wicked grin as he pinned Rieran to the wall by just his neck, "Say something, go ahead..." Rieran choked for air as the man pinned him, "What should we do next, are the beatings enough? Do we have to electrocute you, burn you /again/?"
"No- don't, please!" Yavril begged, and Acia released Yavril's neck - to give her a backhanded slap.
"He'll get what's coming to him until you give in, honey."
"That's not- you can't-"
"Oh but I will! Unless you give in. I could always ask Morgan to come in and do it."
"No-" Yavril barked, terrified. "You c-can't manipulate me like you manipulate him."
"I think I can, Yavril. And Morgan loves me. Good luck beating that."
The courtier looked to Yavril, "Do I need to get Morgan?"
"No-" Yav begged, but Acia nodded. "Oh, please do. I think it'll help him to see this."
The courtier looked to Acia, "You know how he is with the torture though... I don't know if he'll do it..."
Acia shook her head. "I can convince him. Or, if not, he can watch. Trust me, go get him. This will help."
The courtier scrambled to his feet and left, leaving the two alone, if only for a moment.
Acia's pleased gaze rested on Yav - the female courtier had run out after her peer. "Looks like I'll get to show you what real power is. And when he's beat you and proven himself, pulled the dream out of himself, he'll kill you. Or I will. It'll still work, either way. Him, though... That would be nice."
The courtiers returned with Morgan. Instantly he went to Acia's side, "What's wrong?" He questioned looking down to her.
"I just think you should be here for this. That's the point, right?" Acia's smile sweetened up when looking at Morgan, but she gave the other Courtiers looks that clearly had a meaning. There was torture to be done.
"Please- leave Rieran alone, I couldn't-" her words were cut off by the impact of the female courtier's knife slicing open a vein on her chest, where her armor left her exposed. She hissed in a breath, shut her eyes, and the woman just grinned, wickedly.
Morgan looked over to Yavril, a slight glint in his eyes as she hissed, "If you aren't careful she'll loose to much blood..." He turned to Acia, "The point wasn't to kill her... Was it?"
"She's fine," the torturer snarled tauntingly, digging the knife further into a Yav's chest - the blade glittered gold from the blood, now. Yavril's fists tightened into balls again, but she didn't call out - UNTIL the woman brought the blade down towards her torso, creating a new line down her chest and between her breasts, slicing open the shirt she wore.
"Not yet," Acia said, "but if she doesn't cooperate... and I don't think she will." Acia wrapped an arm around Morgan's own. "I think... Maybe it should be you. I think it would help you. To rid yourself off her, once and for all."
Morgan wanted to pay attention to Acia, but Yavril was pulling him closer, "Acia, she's going to die if you don't stop what's happening there...."
"No, she isn't, Morgan," Acia said, improving her grip on his arm. "They know what they're doing."
"Don't worry," the torturer was saying, "She'd have to loose a lot more blood for her to die. Trick is, make enough cuts that it *just* keeps them alive. Just." Yavril was struggling to keep her body under control, because every time she shifted away from the knife her assailant made a deeper cut on her - and with her torso exposed, she had begun to make teeny cuts there, enough to be the worst kind of pain.
Morgan shifted uncomfortably and pulled away from Acia's grips. He walked up to Yavril's assailant, he tugged her away, "That's too much..." He chided as he placed a hand over Yavril's open wounds, "Too much." He muttered completely engulfed, "She's... She's going to die. Her chest.. All her.. It's all here."
Yavril didn't dare reopen her eyes - surely her ears were deceiving her.
The torturer had her knife up towards Morgan the moment that he stepped in her way, but Acia tugged her aside to yank Morgan out of the way- "Morgan!" She chastised, "She knows what she is doing, this is her job. This is what you wanted, remember? Do NOT turn back on so the lessons you've learned!" A threatening tone and wicked look had entered Acia's gaze, very intimidating.
"Acia... This is wrong... I have an awful feeling about this..." He tried to maintain eye contact.
"No, Morgan," Acia hissed, "This is what you wanted. This is the way it has to be, remember? For your own good. She will break, or she will die. This is how it works, it's a reality of nature. You need to get a thicker skin."
He pursed his lips, "I just... Acia... There's so much blood involved..."
Acia nodded with a grin; "that's the point. We need her to be so broken that she isn't holding you back anymore. And, given what Rieran is like, we shouldn't be easy on her."
"Please," Yavril moaned, using the last of her hoarse and pained voice, "j-just let Rieran go..."
Morgan looked down at Acia, "Acia.. I can't stay here..."Rieran was again dangling from his shackles in silence the courtier had been thrashing him around as though he were some play thing only moments before.
Acia held his arm lovingly again, pleading with him with her delicate features. "Please, just watch. You'll get used to it - and I think you'll like the results."
The torturer, feeling as if she'd been given permission to continue her work, reached out not with her knife this time but with her fingers, digging all ten into separate cuts on Yav's bloody body, pressing on organs and veins with her fingertips. The women had to get fairly close to do this, and as such began to take the opportunity to whisper into Yav's ear terrible words; "you are nothing. You are worthless. Dreamers are ignorant..." the insults continued constantly, even as Yavril screamed for dear life - "AhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Morgan flinched, "I can't Acia. I actually can't... I'm sorry."
Acia held onto Morgan tighter; "Just watch. Revel in her pain - take it in."
Yav was still screaming overtop of the words Acia said, and when she ran out of voice she writhed in pain, breath heaving - finding this to be effective, her torturer just dug harder, hit deeper, with an evil grin and covering her fingers in golden blood (not to mention getting it all over Yav's torso).
Morgan pulled himself out of Acia's grip, "I SAID NO!" He snapped in the midst of it all. He stepped away from her and tossed a regretful look to Yavril, he couldn't stand keeping it there. So he took one look at the door and headed for it.
Yav didn't have her eyes open to catch his look, only barely heard his words over the white hot ring her in her ears.
Acia reacted differently to Morgan's leaving - she glared, raising a hand up and summoning a wall of vine to form in front of him, baring his exit. "You aren't going anywhere, Morgan," she hissed.
Morgan snapped around, "Acia, let me leave..."
"No, Morgan, you can't leave. You need to stay and watch her - this is what we do."
This, Yavril could catch, as the woman took her fingers from Yav's wounds and turned to watch Acia. She saw only one way to save herself, Rieran, and maybe Mo from this woman's grasp - "Fine!" She screeched, "Fine, I give in! Please, just stop hurting them!" Referring to both Rieran and Morgan.
Morgan froze and looked to Yavril. A sudden gaze fell over his eyes again. He looked to Acia once more, waiting for her response.
Acia stopped in her tracks herself, turning back around as her features set into an unreadable stoic expression. She stepped forward, passing Yav's torturer (who was scurrying away), to look her dead on. She got a good grip on her chin, yanking it upwards - "Open your eyes," she demanded. When Yav did, her gold gaze was full of tears and pain. "Say it again."
Yav trembled a moment, but replied "Stop hurting Rieran, and stop forcing Mo to watch," her gaze flickered in pain to the man for a moment, meeting his gaze with so man conflicting emotions, "... and I'll do whatever you want. I promise."
Morgan watched the events as they unfolded, maybe now Yavril would get some help and Acia would let her go, for now at least.
Acia glared at Yavril for a few moments longer, not convinced. She would find out herself. Sticking four fingers into Yavril's main wound, she watched the woman's convoluting face and demanded "Tell me the truth!"
"Please!" Yavril cried out, body thrashing under the pain by instinct, not choice. Something about the desperation in Yavril's voice seemed to convince her, and she removed the fingers - probably partially influenced by the fact that she didn't want Morgan to stop her.
"Unchain her," Acia commanded. The other courtier did so hurriedly, and stepped back before Yavril could plummet to the ground, hitting it hard and with an audible this and outcry from Yav at the impact.
Morgan once again watched her and everyone else in the room, he didn't know what to say or do at this point
"Bring her to recovery," Acia commanded, still glaring. "She'll need her strength for what's next."
The two courtiers hurried to scoop up the wounded Yavril, who was clearly unable to go anywhere on her own, and carried her out of the room - Acia's vines disintegrating as they approaches. Finally, Acia turned to Morgan, a cold look in her eye. "Now maybe you see what results you can get from this, hm? Are you going to apologize?"
Morgan's hazed eyes fell ashamed, "I'm sorry Acia..." His eyes rose to look at her, "I shouldn't doubt you..."
"No, you shouldn't have," she returned, razor sharp. But taking in his wounded features, she knew she had to regain his affections if she wanted him to stay on her side through this. So, closing the distance between them, Acia planted a long, affectionate kiss on him, resting her hands carefully on his upper chest, just below his collar bone. When she pulled away at the end, she kept her face still very close, saying - more delicately than her last sentence - "Just don't try to leave me again, okay?"
Morgan nodded, "Of... Of course Acia..."
"Okay. Good." Flashing him a brilliant smile, Acia stepped back again. "I think she's legitimate. Shall we go make her a room?" Glancing back at Rieran in disgust she commented "they'll come back for him, I'm sure."
He nodded, "Of course love... Guide the way. I'll follow."
Acia grinned, feeling very pleased with herself indeed, and taking Morgan by the hand. She gently and playfully tugged him into movement, leaving the horrid dark torture areas and finding their way into some of the brighter corners. The initiate and low ranking courtiers all had similar small rooms with few finishing, but there were several empty. Unfortunately, from deaths. "Pick one," she told Morgan. "She'll be your next step - yours to train. And everything that comes with that."
Morgan picked out at random. After doing so he looked down at her for reassurance, "That ones good...?"
Acia smiled, "Good choice." Turning to him, she asked, taking on a look of concern, "Are you going to be okay with this? She'll be in a lot of pain - and you remember how hard initiation is. Are you ready to guide her through it? You can't run away."
Morgan nodded slowly, "Acia, I'm sure all be fine. It's difficult.. But.. I can do this part, I think."
It was strange but for Morgan he could stand the pain going to anyone else, but it bothered him when Yavril was hurt. Not directly either, but it still bothered him.
Acia was still unconvinced, given that *look* in Morgan's eye, plus the way he had acted during the torturing. But, if Acia suspected anything it didn't reflect well on her, so she kept up the guise, letting a reassured smile cross her features. "Okay. I trust you."
Morgan nodded, "Alright, I'm gonna go get some rest.."
Acia nodded, "alright, honey."
Yavril, elsewhere, was questioning every life choice she'd ever made. What had she *done*? She had given in to torture, said she would join the Court - how could she move past that, ever? She knew in her heart that she didn't mean it, but... there was a huge part of her that worried - wasn't that the first step? She had heard the campfire stories about the Court, she knew nothing good came out the other side of initiations. She didn't dare wonder about what they might force on her. She knew she had to get out - quickly. Before the initiation, hopefully. Whenever that was going to take place. Right now, though, she could barely move a muscle. Her eyes drifted closed, despite the ache in her muscles, the tears flowing from her eyes. She wasn't sure where she was - an infirmary of some kind probably, a courtier shuffled over once in a while to check her wounds and apply ointments that stung - but she honestly didn't care. She easily drifted into an uneasy sleep, unable to do anything else.
Yavril woke with a small scream. Visions of knives, of Morgan holding them, had dotted her dreams, and she woke just as he finally pressed a blade into her skin, wearing a wicked grin. She found herself in a room of her own, now, though, and not in there infirmary as she had previously. Whoever had shifted her had placed her in the hammock in the room quietly, but had not changed her clothes - her shirt was still torn in half, revealing the damaged skin beneath, the knife slices between her breasts and all over her torso, still torn open (if slightly healed over) from unforgiving fingers pushing their way inside her chest.
Morgan knocked on the door with haste. He waited in silence and when Yavril responded he pushed himself into the room. He looked at her as his eyes watered over slightly. He shut the door maintaining eye contact, "How are you feeling?"
Yavril frowned at Morgan - "Sore. My torso-" shifting a little, Yav cringed inward. The knife cuts still ached, only barely healed. "J-Just... I'll be fine. Are *you* okay?" Yav asked, confused at the watering eyes.
He nodded, "of course I am." His eyes watered over with pain and nearly every time he looked at her he ached, "You don't look okay." Some part of him hardened or at least tried.
"I-I'll be fine, it's just... aching. They didn't heal well, because -" she stopped short of saying it, but it was obvious. Because the woman had dug her fingers into the open wounds, tearing open who knew how many veins. Yavril's eyes softened - just a little, not enough to let her guard down. "You're crying."
Morgan's gaze snapped directly to Morgan, "No... I'm not.. I'm fine... I just came to check up on you, I'm not sad, or regretful."
Yavril paused a moment. Another moment. Finally, she reached out an arm. It was a weird way he had said that. "Come on. Help me up, if there's something you want to do. I won't be able to on my own."
Morgan studied her form, "I need you too get well, because the next while for you is going to be tough."
Yavril sighed. "Well than what did you want? To mock me?" She lowered her arm with a slight cringe, carefully moving her right hand to test her cuts and wincing as she touched each, but she maintained eye contact.
"I wanted to check on you..." His eyes glossed again, "Sorry..."
"Don't apologize," Yavril told him, shaking his head. "It's nice to see the court hasn't dragged out everything that's good about you." She said this while not looking at him, taking the moment to examine her cuts herself and check for infections, and when she looked up again, she saw the glossy look in his eye. "You're not okay."
"I'm just fine Yavril, you should seise acting as though you know me. Acia's more entitled to speak than you are." He snapped.
"Acia doesn't know you," Yavril replied softly. "Acia knows what you want. You want someone to care about you here, and since she gave that to you, you'll follow her. I hope you realize she doesn't actually love you, but the chances of that are slim." She had stopped touching the wounds on her chest, gathering that that was what was upsetting him. Gazing at him calculatingly, Yav told him, "alright, prove you're fine. Come and touch the cuts. Hurt me. Or, you know what, there's another option. I'm sure you have a knife on you." Yavril extended her arm again, but this time underarm facing upwards. "Cut me. Any courtier would."
With a sudden piercing passion, the man felt challenged, as though, someone really wanted to prove him wrong. While he could usually keep his cool in these situations he had been so wound up and overworked that he couldn't. He stared at her with a viscous glare. He hardly gave her time to do anything as he moved closer to her, he knelt beside her. With this fluid movement he made it a point to maintain eye contact, though awkward and very nervous, he quickly unsheathed a dagger and drove it straight into the woman's arm, "Honestly, fuck you." He looked away just as quickly as he had done it, "I'm leaving for know, take care of your own damn self." He spoke as he stood to full height, a slight taste of regret in his voice.
"Ah-!" Yavril cried out, harsh and laced with desperate pain. She cut herself off on her own, unwilling to give in - she had asked for proof. She had gotten it. But her face contorted, her features failing her, unable to display the true range of pain she felt. Yav's arm throbbed - the dagger had sliced almost half way through her arm before hitting resistance, a Sylvari bone, and she got the feeling that that was damaged too, judging by the pain. She was barely able to feel her hand anymore, and as such it was locked in the fist position that it had been in upon first impact. Yavril didn't look up - she couldn't, not into those eyes. The eyes of a man she didn't want to see - eyes squeezed shut, Yavril came to a horrible revelation; maybe Mo wasn't savable. She didn't know how much more of this she could take... "I will," Yavril finally muttered, though she had no idea if he could hear her or if it would stop him from leaving. "Thank you for the- ugh," she groaned as she, in one fluid motion, pulled the knife from her arm and tossed it across the room; she could no longer control her voice, and it shook as she continued, "-proof, /Morgan/." She said his new name as if the sounds tainted her.
He shot a glare back at her, "have a good night Yav." With a fluid motion he slammed the door shut.
That was the first time he had called her Yav since she had seen him again. She couldn't linger on that, though. That was... Not important. It didn't mean anything - it couldn't. It didn't. Yavril couldn't move - she couldn't feel most of her lower arm, only the searing pain of the gaping hole near where her elbow used to be. Blood had begun to flow from it coating her upper arm in the sticky gold substance, and as Yavril thrashed in an attempt to understand what to do, she felt her head phase in and out of reality. The lightheadedness, coupled with the pain, was enough to knock her out entirely.
She had no idea how time was passing or what was dream and what was reality. Acia's voice flooded her, saying "I'll be watching you," or, "No, don't kill... Morgan would... initiate or she'll... I'll..." she knew she was loosing fragments, but no matter how hard she tried to force herself to wake up the world seemed to be shattering into a million pieces all around her - endlessly.
With no adequate way to tell how much time really had passed, Yavril woke to find herself in a sling, one that wrapped her right arm up against her chest- her chest. She wasn't wearing a shirt. Yavril's panic subsided somewhat as she realized Her upper torso and breasts were bandaged and not viewable (though, she thought disgustedly, why did they have to hide breasts anyway? That was a human concept). Her entire upper body ached - but she was able to stand at least. Her legs, largely undamaged, didn't fail her. Though with each slight move of her body the wounds screamed bloody murder, Yavril could no longer sit idly by. Stumbling to a stand, Yav balanced herself along one of the walls with a cringe and sharp intake of breath.
Morgan isolated himself in his room. Being sure to shut the door and lock it, leave the lights off, no ones home. He hated himself. He hated hurting people who didn't deserve, he was so full of this hatred that he wanted to disperse into every corner of his life, yet every time he fluidly used it to cause pain, he suffered.
He found himself shaking in the depths of all the darkness. He didn't dare to leave and let anyone see. Especially Acia, he never wanted her angry at him. And this....this resentment... This would do just that.
Yavril found herself randomly wandering the halls of what was the underground section of the court base, finding the darkness off-putting. Artificial lights created from fireflies glared from behind plant walls and down hallways, annoyingly bright. So when Yavril came to a dark hallway, one with almost no lights activated, largely due to the lack of motion, Yav sighed in relief. As her glow activated due to a lack of light and spread an orange shade across the hall, into rooms, she leaned against a wall, head back. "Fuck..."
The only thing jolting Yavril from the quiet was the sound of footsteps, the clack of boots with a solid, if not tall, heel. She jumped to get herself out of view, rounding a corner and going just far enough that her glow was no longer visible. Though as the motion of the person came, the lights turned themselves on and Yav's glow slowly dissipated anyway. The secondborn panicked for a moment, wondering where to go next, when she heard someone calling into one of the other rooms. "Morgan?" Acia's voice sent chills up Yavril's spine.
Morgan took a mixed response to the voice. Half of him wanted to be alone, this part also knew that this woman didn't mean well, but with a sudden mix of feelings the rest of him washed in, and this part took comfort in her polite call. As though it were instinct he stopped all the shaking but a little, he unfurled from himself and searched for the voice, "Acia?"
"Are you feeling alright?" The blue woman responded, tucking a lock of her long blue hair behind her ear. "You've been... I haven't seen you at all today."
Morgan nodded. He didn't want to appear weak to Acia, though he'd never had to spare a few times, he knew her reaction, and it wasn't good. He released a sigh that felt like it was holding in the pressure of his sick feelings, "I'm...I'm feeling unwell today...dear."He spoke, with words awkward and laced with makeshift pain.
Acia tilted her head at the room - his words sounded forced. "Well... I was just starting to think about how we can start the initiation for Yavril before she fully recovers, since that may take a long time, but... is there anything I can do?" Acia didn't particularly like pandering to Morgan's sensitive and emotional side, seeing it as weak and fragile, the part of him that would eventually do one of the things: break him, turn him away from the court, or have to be torn our of his personality. But, Acia was hoping for the last and as such, it had to be a process.
Morgan spoke with slight confidence, "She's been further wounded..."
Yavril still stood a little bit away, around the corner, and she couldn't help looking down at her slung arm as Mo spoke.
"What?" Acia askes, confused - Morgan's words seemed cryptic at best. "Wounded how? Did she try to take herself out?"
Morgan shook his head although she couldn't see, "No, she tested me, and I hurt her for it."
Acia felt a rush of pride in the same moment Yavril was flooded with anxiety and confliction at the tone of his voice. Did he regret it? Yavril wanted to say yes, but it occurred to get she probably just /wanted/ him to regret it.
"If that's what you're worried about," Acia began, "Don't be. That was a good call. Even as part of the court, you are her superior. You were right to punish her for testing you. Any of us would have done the same. I'm glad," Acia said this like she was truly elated, bubbly as a lover would be for their partner achieving something, "that you were able to do that. You have come /so/ far, Morgan."
Morgan spoke slightly louder from the darkness of his room, "She may need a few days to slightly recover from that. The wound was... Deep."
Acia chuckled; "Good. I'm sure she deserved it. But we can always start with some thing simpler that won't require /her/ to move much."
Yavril cringed round the corner - whatever Acia had planned didn't sound good, and that was confirmed by her next words. "If you're too tired, I can work out details and you can come by later." Yavril knew that under normal circumstances Acia would insist on Mo coming. Which meant it was something truly awful.
"Let me rest for now.."
Acia nodded at the room, and commented, "I'll let you know when I have news." Acia's boots on the floor her Yavril's cue too scurry away, all the way back to her room.
Morgan fell into a deep, but strangely coherent sleep.
Yavril slipped back into her assigned room as quietly as she could, just soon enough to be in the bed when Acia herself walked in the door. "Yavril."
"Acia."
"This is the start of your initiation. You are injured, so we will begin with things you can partake in, but we will not hold back because of it. The /court/ does not hold back. Understood?" When Yavril nodded, albeit with a light glare, Acia did to. "Than there is someone I'd like you to meet."
Acia led Yavril away, around a great many corners, so many that she couldn't tell where she was anymore. They found themselves in a low lit room, one that smelled distinctly of blood. Acia entered first, nodding to someone as Yavril followed in behind.
There was a single man in the room. He was tall with a distinctly thin figure, "Acia." He stated her name with an unnoticeable dread.
"Hello." Acia replied coldly. Turning back to Yavril, she said "I hope you are sincere, secondborn. This will be easier if you are. Welcome to initiation." She didn't even attempt to comment further on that it even say goodbye, only cryptically left the room - and Yavril to the mercy of the man.
The man looked at Yavril Sympathetically, "Hey...."
Yavril nodded formally to the man. "Hello." After a pause, she continued, "So. How fun is this going to be on a scale from not at all to torture?
The man wrinkled his nose and walked past Yavril, shutting the door to the room. He turned around hoping maybe Yavril would be the one, "Alright, listen, do you....do you even want to be here?"
"I'm- I-I'm here because this is the only thing keeping my friends safe." Yavril would do anything for her friends' safety - including join the Court, or at least try to fake it.
The man rubbed his hands together, "Ohhhkay, um, so, alright, I don't either, the names Philnesi, With a Ph, you are?"
Yavril raised an eyebrow - for a courtier, he seemed almost... Friendly. "Yavril." she replied, voice kept in careful check - she wasn't sure what to make of him.
He frowned, "Do you know how to act?"
"Act?" Yav asked, utterly confused. "As in acting, like... In a play? Um, I've never learned?"
The Philnesi furrowed his brow, "Alright... Well you're just... Gonna have to learn."
"Okay..." Yav began. Well, she was just going to be confused either way, so might as well steer into the skid. "Uh. Why?"
"Cause I'm not about this life...man...."
"W-what?" Yavril asked - not only did the guy sound like he was one of those trendsetters wearing black that smelled funny in Divinity's Reach, but was he trying to say... "You mean... You don't want to be a courtier?" If she was wrong it would cost her, but if she wasn't...
"Nah man, not about that..."
"Oh-kay? So... What do you mean?"
"You gotta pretend I did something wrong. Can you do that?"
"Something wrong as in your actual job or something wrong as in something the court wouldn't approve of? Because I'm pretty sure this conversation isn't something the court would approve of. And I /still/ don't understand why."
"No, like I did my job and it worked, you feel?"
"Like I'm a Courtier?"
He nodded, "Yup."
"Okay, you keep saying this, but- why?"
"Cause I ain't about this life man."
"You keep saying that. You mean initiating recruits?"
"The court life, man, we can't keep hurting others like this."
"Wow." Yavril said, a little stunned. She had expected to have to try and keep her composure while being initiated like normal, but if she didn't have to... "Okay. Okay.... Man. You're just the basic stuff, though, right? So I don't know what your plan was, but if you can keep me in basic initiation until I get better, you can help me get my friend out of here. His name is Rieran. Sound good?" Yavril didn't mention Morgan - she wanted to talk to him again before anything happened.
The dude nodded, "Aight I can handle."
"Okay. What was the plan? I assume you had one."
"Well I'll just tell me yer a tough nut. Ya feel?"
"What?" Yav asked, baffled. "No, I don't 'feel'! That is not going to work on them - Okay. Just... If we weren't lying, what would your job actually involve?"
"They've believed it before..."
Yavril sighed, "I'm not convinced." She glanced around the room; "Okay, you were probably supposed to... What, hit me when you say something negative about the court and leave me alone when you say something positive? Or, what, whip me? Do that a couple times." It must have seemed strange, the woman covered in bandages and a slung arm asking to be hit, but Yav looked quite serious.
Philnesi did just that he raised his hand and slapped her all while remarking, "You filthy bag of peanuts."
Yavril flinched as she was hit, and she rubbed her cheek a moment; "Okay, good hit, but wow, your insults could use work. Peanuts?"
Philnesi shrugged, "Rage in the moment man..."
"Rage in the moment? Really? When you're furious, you go straight for p e a n u t s?"She shook her head; "You know what, never mind. One more time, we can stay here for a while longer, and then I'll go back to my room."
Philnesi once again raised his hand and brought it now onto her face, this time remarking, "Day old fruit hag!"
Yavril hissed as he struck her again, skin still sensitive from the last time. "Fuck," she muttered as she rubbed her face, "Okay, please ask one of the other Courtiers for insult advice, you suck at that."
Instantly Philnesi pulled into himself, "I thought that one was pretty good..."
Yav sighed, "it was better than peanuts." Wow, this guy really wasn't courtier material. "Try something with a swear word, and spit it like you can't resist insulting someone.” Advice given, Yav backed into a wall and took a seat.
Phil shrugged, "I don't know”
It was several hours later before Yavril felt safe to leave the initiation room. Long enough for her face to bruise a sad shade of purple. "I figure they'll want me to do this every day until I get better," Yav explained to Phil, "So we'll just keep doing it until then while I work on a plan out of here." She slipped back to her room quietly-
But not unnoticed by Acia. Happy with the clear bruises on the woman's face, she returned to Morgan's room in triumph. "First day was a success, I believe," she told him, "You should go talk to her. Solidify the 'lessons' with your own or just talk to keep her in her place or check how they did, I don't care, but you should see her."
In her room, Yavril began to test her torso - though that experiment didn't last long. The bruising and cuts sent sparks of pains through every vein in her body when she so much as touched the area.
Morgan nodded engulfed in whatever it was he had been doing, "Of course dear."
Acia nodded though Morgan couldn't see her and left him be- he was more likely to go to the secondborn by himself then with her hounding him, so she replied only "Good. Let me know how it goes."
"Oh, of course." He stood from his seated position and briskly placed a kiss on her lips before leaving past her, "I'll go right now."
Acia smiled, genuinely happy that he had kissed her - the more he initiated that sort of thing, the more she knew that he was hers.
Morgan didn't go to Yavril, but for a moment found refuge in a dimly lit corner. He wasn't sure why, but he just wasn't feeling up to seeming anyone at all. Including Acia. He leaned against the wall and slid down till he was simply sitting and using the wall for support. He closed his eyes a let a heavy sigh escape his lungs.
In only a moment he snapped his eyes open and he stood, just before he had fallen. A blanket of relief fell upon his shoulders. He allowed himself to lean forward and glance into the abyss that he'd had the luck to stop infront of. Then, he squinted trying to see deeper into the hole. It felt as though only a gust of wind had made his foot just slip, he knew that he was going to again, he was going to fall until she caught him. That vibrant Slyvari grabbed his arm and all but fell down with him. Despite the fear in place in her eyes she still had the guts to save him. She pulled him into the light, hardly distinguished for now and Morgan snapped awake, his own glow ripping him from what seemed like the vibrant and lovely dream he used to know.
A sudden urge, a pull, he stood, he really should just go see Yavril like Acia wanted. She'd be upset if he didn't. He hated it when she was mad. He was sure she did too. He crept out of his corner and made his way to Yavril's room. Something felt different though. Things didn't seem so... Glum? Maybe. He didn't know, and he didn't feel so clouded. He rather found himself missing Yavril, in a different kind of way.
Yavril had given up on testing her wounds - they hurt. That was not going to change by torturing herself. It would take a long time to heal, though. As she finally sat back in the chair, she'd been anticipating a night of angry inner-monologuing and speeches to tell herself she could do this. But breaking those plans was the sound of footsteps outside her room. "Who's there?" she called wearily, almost afraid of the answer. Acia, come to mock her again? A different courtier, one who wouldn't be as kind as the last?
Mortiuus, not Morgan, crept into the room, "Hey..."
As with every time Yav saw Mo lately, there was that twist of emotions, beginning with the initial happiness to see him and ending with the weariness and dread of worrying what would happen next. "Hello...?" She replied questioningly, straightening out. "Please don't say you're here to torment me again. I learned my lesson, alright. And I'm sore."
Mortiuus blinked, "What are you talking about?"
"I am very very sick of you coming here and proving that you're a courtier now, 'Morgan'," Yav replied unconsciously rubbing the arm where he had stabbed her. "I get it. I'm not in the mood for proof right now, I'm in pain."
His eyes swelled with concern as he approached her, "Who did this to you..." His voice arched with a slight defensiveness, or perhaps aggression.
Yavril's own filled with confusion at his words, the concern in his eyes. "What- you know who did the... you mean, just the bruises? The guy from initiation. I don't know his name." Just out of safety, she kept Phils identity a secret; might as well have something in the bag.
He'd have been so immersed he forgot the name she'd used, "Initiation...?" He approached her and sat beside her inspecting each wound with amazing care.
Yav tensed up as he sat down beside her, now utterly confused. "Nightmare Court initiation - Mo, what's wrong with you? You're acting... strange, again." It was a good strange, a familiar strange, but it also made her suspicious.
He furrowed his brow as he gently traced her wound with the tip of his finger, "W-where was I...?"
Yavril cringed as he irritated the sensitive skin on her face, and her hand immediately reached to pull the hand away a little. "Mo...? You- did you hit your head or something? You knew this was happening, this is the start of initiation. Beat me when anything bad about the court is said - it's a form of manipulation...? You had to have known what initiation involved."
His face contorted in pain, "N-never- no..." He seemed distrusted and oblivious all at once. He let his hand lower, "I did this... To you...?"
"Mo." Yavril said, searching his eyes. What in Tyria had changed with him? "The initiation guy did this to me. Because I had to be initiated. /You/ did /this/, remember?" she asked, raising the arm that he had stabbed into.
His gaze flickered, "I'm so...sorry...." A truthful and thick regret blanketed his face.
Yavril's breath caught in her lungs, contracting her chest and burning in her gut. For a moment, a split second, Yav could have sworn that she saw a glimpse of... well, /Mortiuus/. She raised a hand, allowing it to reach Mo's face, just barely. "...What... /Who/ are you? How can you... What happened to you, Mo?"
He shook his head softly as though not to disturb her touch, "I'm so sorry- I'm- you don't deserve this... The sweetest thing I've ever known and /i/hurt you..."
Yavril didn't know what to do, what to say... Looking into his devestated eyes her hands shook - more than normal. "Mo..." she muttered, cupping his face, "What happened to you? Where did... I thought you were...?"
A guilty expression overcame him as he stopped looking at her. Either to hurt or unworthy of her gentle touch, "I keep waking up to these... Horrible dreams. These awful things..."
Yavril exhaled heavily - she had been right. All along, all this time, she had been right about Mo. Acia's tormenting had gotten to her, she thought he had proven again and again... Or, Yav's hesitant side kicked in, she hoped she was right. "What... what kinds of things?" Yav pleaded for information, anything, trying to attract his gaze again.
He held he eyes away from her, "I'm falling in darkness, I'm suspended and I'm alone and it's like a fight and I... Usually fall, but... When I don't... I wake up to this... And Acia... She's so... She gets mad whenever I wake up... She doesn't want me to be awake..."
"Hey, hey," Yavril said, instincts kicking in as she ran the thumb of the hand on her face up and down, "You're not in darkness, I promise. Not right now. And you're not alone. Never." Yav's blood ran cold at the mention of Acia; that woman... "Acia doesn't want you to understand," Yav tried to impress upon Mo, "Acia's manipulating you. She doesn't want to see what's really happening."
"I don't understand..." He flinched slightly, "I feel like I'm only seeing a quarter of a horrible story. And it's only when I wake up..."
"You mean..." Yav said hesitantly... "You don't remember anything? Nothing? Not the injuries, the torture... When was the last time you 'woke up'?"
"It was... I don't know." He recoiled away slightly,"I just remember waking up in Acia's room and I began to speak and she didn't take kindly to it.. I guess it's happened a few times..."
He had moved away from her hand, and she frowned, resting it on his shoulder instead. "No, I don't imagine she would have..." Yavril paused. "It's... better if you don't remember those things, I just-" How did you... come back? Was it something that happened, or something someone did, or...?' Yav's eyes began to soften - she was trying not to tear up. "I'm so glad it's you again, Mo..."
Mortiuus leaned into her slightly, "I'm so sorry." The words brushed off her lips, he was so close he could nearly touch them. Then, closing the gap, he did just that, closing the space, the most sincere apology he could offer.
An unsuspecting Yavril let out a small cry as Mo closed the space between them, but her eyes fluttered shut in the space of a minute, heart contracting, butterflies on a rampage in her stomach. Her gentle hand returned to his face, wrapping around his neck. She could no longer feel the throbbing pain, nor the sorrow, even as a few tears slid down her cheeks. She hadn't even known she... that look in his eyes...
It was a pure moment destined to be tainted, though, as Acia, assuming /her/ Morgan would be done with Yavril by then, entered the room. "Yavril, I-" was all she managed to get out before she noticed what was going on and froze.
Mortiuus froze for only a moment, his eyes snapped open long before he pulled away from Yavril. After he had pulled away he turned to look at Acia, a slight flame of fear behind his veiled eyes and he knew she was going to be mad. She would take him and put him back into the dark.
"Morgan." Acia said, voice clearly barely controlled. There was a fire behind her eyes, a passion not to be quenched.
Yavril reacted before Acia could say another word, raising her good arm in front of Mo and standing tall again - "Stay away, Acia. It's not your concern. He isn't /yours/."
"Oh, but he *is*," Acia hissed back, "And I take it he's woken up again. Such a shame, that, makes life so much more difficult. Keeps happening too. Can't seem to get it out of him. Looks like I've been to easy on him."
There was something sinister in her final sentence, and Yavril's fist curled. "You're going to have to go through me."
Acia's knife was pressed up against Yavril's throat quicker than a blink of an eye, giving the woman no time to respond. "Don't test me, /bitch/," she spat, "You will regret it."
Mortiuus flinched as he addressed the situation, he wanted to do something, but he felt like no matter what happened he'd only cause more harm. He stood up in the blink of an eye, "A-Acia," he spoke her name as though it were a sour taste he couldn't get out, "I'll go with you, just so long as you don't hurt her, this is my mess."
"Might hurt her anyway," Acia hissed - she seemed very, very aware that this was not Morgan she was speaking to, and addressed Mo as if he was a sapling again. "If it would send you down the right path again." Acia still hadn't taken her knife off of Yav's throat; it was beginning to draw just the tinniest bit of blood, and the secondborn hissed. Fist curling, Yav jumped backwards just far enough to avoid the knife before throwing a punch right for Acia's skull - it landed well, but it only dazed the Courtier, who recovered by yanking on Yavril's poor arm, forcing her towards the tainted woman and well within her grip - where Acia took advantage of the position and held Yav facing Mortiuus. Forcing a step backwards and dragging the knife against a part of Yav's lower torso not bandaged, enough to draw blood, Acia glared at Mo. "How do you feel now, huh? Coming back to the Nightmare?"
Mortiuus shook he head decidedly, "No... Acia, I /am/ strong enough to resist this and I swear that if you press I will not fall back." He'd elected to look at Yavril, but try to find comfort past the pain, if he didn't look to specifically it just hurt.
Yavril tried to shift away, but Acia just ground her knife against Yav's hip in warning. Yav hissed in pain, eyes snapping shut.
Acia glared at Mo. "No, you're not. This version of you is a /child/. Making bad decisions, like Yavril. And I always bring you back. /Always./" Finally just pushing Yavril away, who stumbled inelegantly, Acia extended her other hand to Mo. "Let's go, /Morgan/. Stop this."
Mortiuus reached out to grab Acia's hand, even if he was scared, for some reason he was far more scared of Acia taking the life of Yavril.
When Acia had a grip on Morgan, she yanked him closer before throwing a punch at his head - when it hit, she grabbed onto him by his shirt, staring him straight in the eye. "You're /mine/. Do not forget it, Morgan."
Mortiuus barely flinched and upon impact, be just let out a grunt of pain, even though their was more to be said. He made it a point to look into her eyes as she spoke. He could resist her at this moment, tell her it's a lie, spit back, but what good would it do? It'd only bring upon more pain, "Of course not, Acia." Was all he managed in the split second of thinking and he didn't dare to look back at Yavril again.
Yavril grimaced in the background at Morgan's words. Fake, or...? Morgan didn't want toYavril grimaced in the background at Morgan's words. Fake, or...? Yav didn't want to believe that /her/ Mo would... But how could she be sure?
Acia glared at Mo for a few seconds longer before trading her grip on his shirt for a grip round his arm. Looking at Yavril, she spat "I'll deal with /you/ later." And pulled Morgan out of the room.
Morgan allowed himself to me pulled out of the room and he recognized the grueling conversation, or interaction that came next, "I'm sorry Acia." He spoke as though he were a dog ashamed that he'd stolen a sock or otherwise something petty and unimportant.
Acia just continued pulling Morgan along, all the way back to her room, a space filled with an intimidating air, several large weapons hanging from walls, and... Flowers? Large bushels of multicolored flowers kind of undercut the tone but Acia didn't seem to notice. Releasing Morgan and shoving him inside, Acia glared, spitting "How dare you? After everything I have worked for? WHY do you keep 'waking' up like this?!"
He stumbled back slightly, "I keep getting pulled out... I can't... I can't help it..." He felt regretful, but why should he? Yeah! Why should he? He should be mad, he then opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut on thought, "Maybe I should come straight to you when it happens..."
"Yes." Acia insisted. "Next time, /do/. Instead of her." She spat 'her' like she couldn't bear to say it. "/She/ does not care about you, Morgan. I don't care if she kissed you," Making the incorrect assumption /she/ had kissed /him/, "Not like me, I promise."
He furrowed his brow, "I kissed her... Because..." Why? He didn't actually know, but it felt so right in the moment. He had wanted to. He wanted to close all the space and he near her.
Acia grimaced; "/Stop/ letting her manipulate you. She's not for real about us - I can see that, now. We're going to have to deal with her."
"Y-you mistake Acia, I initiated everything and Yavril didn't have much of a part in it."
Acia struck Morgan again, a punch to the gut this time. Regardless of his reaction, she just spat "You were a fool. And besides, she reciprocated - she cannot be true, not if she felt anything for you like *this*." She hissed the word, looked Mo up and down in disgust and disbelief.
Mortiuus found himself curling into himself for the first time in a while, "I'm sorry-" he choked. He wanted to refuse and state that she obviously had no care for him in this abusive nature, but the thought sickened him.
"Don't be sorry!" Acia yelled at him, ferocity filling her tone, "Make up for it! You will attend Yavril's next initiation session no matter what state you are in - and you will participate. If initiation does not sway her tomorrow, you will *kill* her. Do you understand me?"
Part of him cringed and the physical side actually flinched as the word. Regardless, he nodded slowly, "Of course..."
"Good." Acia spat. "Never question me, Morgan. Never disobey me. Never turn against the Court. You will live to regret it." With that, she waved him away. "Go. Think about this- there will be more punishment later. For now, I want you to *stew* knowing what is coming for you both."
Mortiuus nodded heading her warning, although he still ran off back to Yavril. He lived in fear for the moment as he knew that when his head his the pillow he'd simply fall again.
In her room, despite her several new injuries, Yavril was pacing. There was no choice - they had to get out now, or there would be no getting out at all. But getting herself, Morgan, Rieran, and possibly Phil all out with no warning? Was it even possible? Besides... Would Morgan even want to go? She wanted to believe he did want to, at least in this state, but... What was Acia doing to him? She dreaded the thought.
Mortiuus crept into the room, "I'm not going to be the same... When I wake up..." He whined slightly.
"Mo" Yav breathed as he entered the room again, drowning in emotion. She took a step closer to him, wanting to hug him or /something/ but she froze as she noticed the injured way he held himself, the marks on his chest and face. "She hit you..." Yavril muttered, tortured enough by the sight of the damage. She shook her head as her eyes filled with water - she wasn't going to cry. She wasn't. They didn't have time.
"Listen- and don't cry- please." He found himself with a distilled frown on his face, "I don't know if... I'll wake up again... I just don't know, but I know that I'm going to fall asleep tonight and when I wake up Acia is going to force me to go to initiation, I want you to be really good, I need you to... No questions asked, can you do that?"
"No, No, Mo- we can't take the chance. We have to get out now, it's the only way." Whether or not she was right, Yavril seemed sure of herself, still shaking her head. She wasn't going to cry. "The guy at initiation - I-I think he could help us. We could get my friend and /leave/, Mo. Please."
"We can't." He shook his head, of course we wanted to, "I need you to convince me when I wake up. If anything to pull me away."
"Mo, I- I don't know if I /can/. Not while you're like that. They last time I tested you you stabbed me - if I can't... I don't think I can do it, Mo." She was pleading, now, begging him in desperation. "J-just come now! We- we can go and find Phil, he'll help us... we can go!"
"Don't target me, but talk to me about Acia, it's clear that I have some warped view, don't say that she's manipulating me. Just......... Just show me, we can't leave, maybe you can-" his gaze fell down, "Maybe you should."
Yavril blinked. What was he saying- go without him? He couldn't be- "Mo." Yavril said, daring to steal a shaky step forward. "Not without you. Never. That's why I'm still /here/. Don't even suggest it." Her voice sounded a little shaky, but the message was firm beneath it. "If... You won't come, I'll... Convince you. I'll find a way."
Morgan nodded slowly, "okay... And I have to go back to my room... Go to bed..."
Yavril felt a little strange, being told to go to bed as if she was a sapling. It was true, though - she needed the rest. Yav nodded... "Okay," she breathed. She almost felt as if something was missing here, some big moment, but she had to remember that this was no story, no tale written by people with a good grip on language and a poor grip on most else. This was her reality. Sometimes things didn't play out as expected. "Okay. Goodnight, Mortiuus." Using his real name purposefully, Yav decided in the moment to stay standing until he left - she didn't want him to think her weak looking into the careful eyes of someone counting on her.
Yavril slept poorly that night, waking up over and over again after some dream or other about Acia beating Yavril, or Phil, or Morgan - those most of all. She might have gotten a little bit of sleep, but she earned no rest. The next morning, the final time she was woken, it was by two courtiers, two women clearly sent to wake her in the rudest way possible - they had shaken her so hard she was on the floor. They were not gentle bringing her straight to initiation, either, without food or water. Yavril dreaded it, fighting only half-heartedly with her captors - she was not excited by setting Acia again, and she doubted Phil was going to be able to get away with a few slaps, this time.
Acia was indeed inside the initiation chamber with Phil - and Morgan - when Yavril arrived.
Morgan was standing alongside Acia. And Phil... He just must've been in his own world at this point.
Acia glared at Yavril, probably taking too much enjoyment out of this. "Welcome to hell, Yavril." She glanced between Phil and Morgan, then returned her gaze back to Yav.
Yav seemed to be trying to tell what Morgan was like today - she wasn't overly optimistic.
Philnesi had a frown stained on his face, "I prefer to work alone Acia." This was the cruelest he had sounded since Yavril met him.
"You will do as ordered, Philnesi," Acia spat. "And Morgan is going to be helping you today. Isn't that right, Morgan?"
Morgan nodded slowly, "Acia, I'm not sure I know exactly what to do...though..."
Acia looked between Phil and Morgan for a moment. "Give him your whip, Philnesi. Morgan, hit her when Philnesi says anything bad about the Court. It creates an association."
Morgan nodded briskly, "Right..."
Phil got a look of worry. His insults were poor, regardless he handed the whip to Morgan, " 'ere," and with that Morgan took it.
Phil got up a big of steam then spoke, "The court is fucking wicked man."
With that Morgan slid a nervous gaze to Acia, unsure if it was an insult at all.
"What does that even mean, Philnesi?" Acia demanded, utterly bewildered.
Meanwhile, Yavril had begun to speak, quietly, to Morgan. "How are you feeling? Still sore?" Her words were careful, assessing.
"Like you know wicked bad, you know?" He offered raising his brow to her.
Morgan furrowed his brow and then nodded, "Yeah, a bit... I've been... I've been waking up sore from time to time.Less often more recently."
"Improve your statements, Courtier." Acia spat. "I have no idea if that was an insult or not."
So Morgan was back, clearly. "Not surprised, given yesterday. Do you /remember/ yesterday, Mo?"
"Well how could it not be?" He offered to her.
"Yes- but I didn't do much- at all I just fell asleep and woke up in my room later..."
"Humans use 'wicked' as a good think." Acia explained angrily. "Continue!" She demanded.
"So why were you sore?" Yav asked. "Ever think about it?"
Philnesi pressed on, "The court is full of vicious hags?" He spoke like it was a question, yet without hesitation Morgan brought the whip down on Yavril.
"Ahhhggh!" Yav cried our doubling over as the end of the whip hit her back, leaving a searing line across the skin. "M-Mo-'" she choked out as she recovered, "D-do your remember that pond in the Grove where I found you? A-almost a year ago, n-now? Do you remember the Grove? The people there? S-ugh-Someone that s-smiled at you in passing, or a good friend, o-or someone that you enjoyed being around? Remember them? Do you remember what d-dreamers were like?"
"Again!" Acia demanded. She's was almost amused by what Acia saw as a pathetic attempt to remind Morgan of a past life already lived - almost. She would have been, if the woman wasn't trying to tear her best asset away from her.
Morgan lifted it up and without much though brought it down on her again, he hadn't even given himself time to think about what she said.
Yavril's back curved under the pressure - she curled her head into her chest to muffle herself. "Morgan..." She muttered... "P-please... Think about them - think about Acia, w-what she's forcing you to do... What she's d-done to you..."
Acia, paying more attention to the useless Courtier, asked Philnesi "Are you going to just stand there, or must I do your job for you?"
Morgan leaned toward Yavril slightly, "We can talk about this, whatever it is, later."Philnesi looked slightly guilty, "You're going to keep criticizing me...
Yavril breathed heavily, "If I stop taking, there's no way I'm getting through this, so you have to listen. Y-you know she's hurt you, right? When you've been out of it - and when you haven't been, I'd guess. Am I w-wrong?"
Acia groaned, shoving Philnesi backwards. "Out of my way. I will deal with you later." As Yavril finished speaking, Acia squatted in front of the kneeling secondborn, forcing her face towards her. "The nightmare court understands the truth. We are your salvation. The Pale Tree is wrong. The Court is your enemy."
Morgan didn't bother answer the question with Acia in the room, but rather he stuck Yavril with it once Acia spoke.
Yavril hissed as she fought with Acia for control of her face, but the blue woman just grabbed her attention back to her. "Look at me, Yavril."
"You're full of bullshit, Acia." Yavril spat. "Tell Morgan what you -ah- did! Or I /fucking/ will!"
Morgan watched the situation go through, a confused and puzzled look on the situation.
Acia just shook her head. "Morgan knows everything he needs to know. That /you/ are manipulating him, that he can trust me, and that he needs to do what I say."
"So he doesn't need to know that you *beat* him when he won't remember it? Or you beat me? Or you *manipulate* him to force him to do things for you?"
As revenge and hoping Morgan would just follow her, Acia spat "The Courtiers are insane."
Morgan didn't follow after her but rather just stared, thinking for second, "Acia, we should stop for now."
Acia's terrible gaze moved up to Morgan, and she removed her grip on Yavril - more like pushing her aside - to stand and glare at him. "/Hit/ her, Morgan."
Morgan snapped his eyes shut and took in a gasp of air before opening them, "Acia, regular Courtiers even have their freewill."
"Judging by the fact that you are not following orders, Morgan," Acia began, voice eerily cool, "Shows that you are not a regular Courtier. A regular courtier does not disobey a superior officer - especially not me. And as for Yavril, well, we do what we /must/, hm? So I say again - /HIT/ her."
Morgan looked at her with a testing glare, "Oh, you're right Acia, and which officer was it that was- higher ranking than you that told you not to pursue this relationship with me? Oh that's right, essentially all of them, yet, you still snuck around and weasels your way into this relationship. And if we're being completely honest, aren't I supposed to be out- on the 'front lines', not stationed here taking care of initiation?"
Acia's nostrils flared, and from the ground Yavril saw it coming before it happened. Acia slapped Morgan - /hard/. The hand made a clear sound that echoed coming off of his face. "You think you could work on the front lines? You are nowhere *near* ready for that if you can't dare to hit someone more than three times! And this 'relationship' is on you /as much/ as it is on me," Acia deflected that, purposefully attempting to blame Morgan for something clearly, from any Courtier's perspective, her fault, "you could have stopped /anything/ you wanted to - but you didn't. You embraced it - like I /thought/ you had embraced the court. But maybe you're the one who should be going through initiation!"
Morgan allowed his face to turn to the side on impact, it was easiest if he didn't struggle, but quickly he snapped back to her, "I have Acia, I have no problem hitting Yavril, have I today?" He got slightly closer to her but didn't dare to actually touch her, "And if this relationship is on me, then consider it over, I'm not going to let myself live with the guilt of disobeying my Elders orders." He spat, "Anax said he wanted to speak with me today, so I should be going."
Before Acia could react - her face was on the floor. Yavril, groaning, had kicked out the woman's shins, causing her to collapse. The woman cried out as Yavril struggled to a stand, looking down on the woman with disgust. "You are a slime."
Morgan watched her do it, though still not convinced that the court was bad, he wasn't pleased with Acia at the time and rather than sticking around, he simply left the chamber.
Yav spun as she noticed Morgan leaving, saying "Mo?" But he was already gone. She paused for only a moment until chasing after Morgan. The running set her lungs aflame, the crossing lash scars of the whip burning on her back, but she couldn't just let him go. "Morgan!"
He stopped and turned to her, "Hello..."
Yavril rested a hand on a wall, out of breath. "P-please, just..." Yav realized as she was saying the words she had no further plans. "Just... try and listen to me. I-I can't watch you /be/ like this anymore."
MMorgan stopped and looked at her blinking in complete curiosity, "What do you mean...?"
"I-I mean..." Yavril paused; her breath was suddenly catching, and she didn't need that on top of the pain. In an effort to look less weak, she removed her hand from the wall. "I mean that you're... Pale Tree, Morgan, you give me hope and then you just go back to being that... /fucking/ courtier, and I can't... watch you do that anymore. To yourself. A-and you, you don't even know you're doing it to yourself and I-I... You're a Courtier, Morgan, and I keep watching that /bitch/," she pointed back towards the initiation chamber, "manipulate you like she *o-owns* you." Yavril was rambling again, and she snapped her mouth shut when she realized it, before repeating her primary point; "She... she can't do that to you anymore. I can't watch it."
Morgan blinked slowly as he listened to her words carefully, "I walked out, it's fine. I see that. She honestly, she shouldn't even be in control of me, I'm supposed to work under Anax..."
Yavril shook her head unhappily, a sad look coming over her face. "I'm just... Blathering, to you. Morgan - whether you believe it or not /you/ asked me to help get you out of here and I'm not going to leave until I do it. There's one question I keep asking and that you keep avoiding - How do you do this? How can you be a Courtier and /hurt/ all of those people? Do you realize the /pain/ you're causing?"
Morgan's face contorted, his eyes brows furrowing, "I'm aware." He relaxed in his standing and folded his arms across his chest, "I only have a problem hurting people who've proven that they are better than getting hurt, so far, that's only been you."
"Well what did I do to deserve it?" Yavril demanded, casting her arms out. "How did I prove it? Because I /knew/ some of those people you attacked, they were /good, honest people/!"
"I didn't know them, they'd done nothing. I have no feeling tied to your opinion of others Yavril. Those opinions of others, they're mine to make."
"No, of course not, but those people are the same as me! I've not done anything that sets me that far apart from them. If you won't hurt me you're just /lying/ to yourself about /them/. Why hurt people that have done nothing to you?"
"Because they haven't done anything. I'm blind from who they are so it doesn't matter."
"Why does it matter if you don't know them? They're our brothers and sisters, every single one should matter! What if you had known them? Do you just get joy out of their pain? What do you gain?"
"I don't gain anything. I follow my orders. I don't loose or again and therefore it doesn't mean anything To me."
"So why do it? Because Acia asks you to?"
"I'm indifferent and I'm to follow my orders."
"Don't you realize they're just /using/ you?" Yavril pleaded with him, "Why follow orders that hurt people just because they ask you to? That's not a way to live, Mo!" Yav hadn't meant to say 'Mo', wasn't really going to, but it just slipped out.
"I can leave if I please, you act as though these people hold power over me, well then don't."
"Prove it!" Yavril yelled, running out of breath again and breathing heavily. "But then again, you really couldn't, could you? Not without standing up to people you idolize and follow around like a fern hound!"
"Yavril, I need you shut your mouth."
Tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes, not spilling yet but... there. "I can't believe I thought I could..." She shook her head hard. "No. I can't do it. I'm sorry, Mo, if you're in there anywhere." Extending a hand, she said, face clearly trying to firm up (and failing), "I've leaving. I'm taking my friend, and I'm going. You can kill me now, or come with. Last call."
His brow furrowed again at her emotion, "Yavril, I'm not going to kill you, why would you ever think I would...?"
"Because I'm trying to escape?" Yavril replied, dropping the hand. "Because I'm an initiate, because I'm disobeying a superior officer? I've seen the things Courtiers do. Just because- I used to be a friend, because you... keep waking up out of this state, none of this means that /in/ the state you won't do what a Courtier would."
"I make be part of the court but that doesn't mean I uphold all their values. Freewill is something I believe in. If you'd like I could help you leave, but I can't promise to press on with you."
Yavril squinted at him, suspicious. This version of him wasn't one she knew she could trust. But... did she have any more options? It would be far easier to do if she didn't have to physically beat every courtier she came across. Finally, giving him a cool if respectful nod, Yav agreed. "Fine. Thank you. I wish you would - but I don't expect you to. First, we need to find my friend. Where would he be?"
"Which friend?"
"Rieran, the... guy they brought in during the torture. He's... an old friend. I haven't seen him in years, but I can't leave him here."
Morgan flinched slightly, "I'm...im not sure what's really left of him anymore..."
Yavril tried to look strong; "I don't care. Where is he?"
"He's locked away, I'll allow him to leave if he openly says he'd want to."
"Fine. Take me to him."
Morgan turned on his heel and began walking, "Alright, he won't talk though."
Yavril followed his pace easily. "Why do you say that? I'm his friend. Of course he'll talk to me."
"It's just that he... He hasn't been very vocal recently. He's refused to talk, and recent reports have claimed he's stopped eating."
Yavril furrowed her brow, looking away from Morgan in worry. "That's terrible..." she muttered.
Morgan nodded, "Yeah, it's pretty horrible, unfortunately, I can't help any of that."
Yav glanced back up at him again, a little confused. She hadn't thought that Courtiers were capable of feeling as if anything they did was horrible. "You could let him go," she tested.
"Not without worse repercussions on both sides. In addition he never displayed a desire to be released."
"Because they were being told to break him..." Yav replied quietly, a sad tone edging into her words. "He'll come. I'm sure." Memories flashed before Yav's eyes of Rieran - it had been so long since she had last seen him but the sight of him like /that/... was too much.
They approached the holding place of Rieran and there he was curled up in his makeshift bed in silence.
Yavril, out of instinct, sent Morgan a worried look before approaching the bedside. "Rieran...? It's Yavril... do you remember me?"
Morgan stood inn the doorway and watched as the man didn't move in the slightest.
Yavril looked back and forth between Ri and Mo for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed and placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "H-hello? Rieran? It's Yavril. You're safe."
He shook upon touch and did little to communicate, but let out a moan.
"Rieran," Yavril pressed, "I'm here to get you out. Do you want to leave?"
He let out a small groan and barely enough for her to hear, "I feel weak..."
Yav had to hold in a sound of pain, trying to calm herself down as she watched her friend be... "I know, Ri, I know... I'm so sorry, but- but you're safe now. And I'm here to take you as far away from here as I can. You remember me, right? We had some good times..."
He struggled to sit up in his fragile form, "I don't k-know if I can...leave."
"But do you /want/ to?" Yavril asked, "Because I will carry you out of this room if you need me to. I will not leave you here." She tried not to cringe as she spoke the words - she hadn't wanted to leave Morgan, either.
Morgan stepped further in the room, "I can carry him, if he wishes." He spoke in the midst of the weak Rieran nodded shakily.
Yavril glanced back, still confused about Morgan's willingness to help, but she shook her head. "No. ...Thank you, for the offer, but he's my friend. I want him to feel safe."
"Are you ready, Rieran?"
Rieran nodded slowly, weakly as usual. Morgan rather turned and stepped out of the room.
At the confirmation, Yavril lifted up the man - weak from mal nutrition but still fairly heavy - bridal style, shifting to deal with the weight. "I promise to get you out of here, Ri." At that, she entered the hallway after Morgan, checking now with /him/; "Are /you/ okay?"
"Don't mention it, I'm glad to help, honestly." He began walking and lead them through an outback route out of the courtier territory, things seemed to brighten up, if even a little bit.
"You don't make any sense," Yav muttered, almost silent, looking over - and slightly up - at Morgan. The man challenged everything she knew about the Court, and her mind was working as fast as it could trying to come up with an answer - and finding nothing.
They continued walking until the sun seemed to fade and they they eventually reached a larger human town, "We can stay the night here." Morgan had stopped to look at the two and spoke for the first time in a while.
The group had arrived at the Lionguard Caledon Haven, a small stone fortress controlled by the world's communal police - police that had just recently decided to survey the Sylvari. Though the fortress seemed under constant construction, the base level was fully completed. "Good choice." Yavril nodded, examining the place. "I'm sure the Lionguard wouldn't mind giving us a place to stay." But, she was suddenly realizing something - "Wait- You're not going back yet?"
He shook his head, "No, it's to late."
Yavril paused a moment, but just nodded in the end. "Alright. Let me do the talking." With that, Yavril lead the group up to the fortress, approaching a human guard stationed at the front; a man with a rather long and strange beard. "Hello, could you help us?" She begged, trying to sound a little more desperate than she already was - it wasn't hard. "Please, we just need someone to stay for the night, our friend was hurt..." With that Yav gestured to Ri, and panic filled the guy's eyes.
"Of course! Please, this way!" After calling for a medic - and someone to take his post, the man - identifying himself as Bob - led them to some clean, if bare, regulation rooms. "Just stay here," Bob advised before leaving, "The medic will be by shortly."
Morgan stood in silence as the scenario played.
The medic was a small asuran woman with a commanding voice, ordering Yavril to set Rieran down on the cot. "We need to see what we're dealing with - clearly malnutrition and dehydrition; has this man been a prisoner?"
"I- ah, we, got him out of Courtier territory."
The asuran woman nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes, we get a lot of those problems here. Always causing trouble, one way or the other." After a pause, the medic glanced up at Yavril suspiciously. "What are you still doing here? Go! Get! Leave me to my work!"
Yavril, shoved out of the room, stood a little shocked in the hallway as the door closed to the room right in her face.
"He'll be fine." Morgan's voice consoled her from behind, "Trust me, you should get some rest."
Yavril glanced over her shoulder before turning around fully. "I hope so. But I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight. Can't lie on my back, anyway."
Morgan frowned, "You need to get your rest, it's important. Especially considering you have to care for Rieran."
Yav sighed. "I'm not going to argue about this, Mo," That time she didn't even realize she had used his nickname, "I just don't think I'm capable of it. I can take care of someone with no sleep - I've done it before."
Morgan blinked at her sassy tone, "Okay... just try, please. Dont let your stubborn demeanor cause you to miss rest, okay?"
Still confused about why he seemed almost... Kind, Yav just shook her head. "It's not that I'm stubborn. Look at my hand." She raised it, and she was clearly shaking hard - Yav clenched it into a loose fist before sheer brought it down; "Couldn't if I wanted to."
Morgan knitted his brow, "Why?"
Yav shrugged. "I dunno. Some human called it anxiety once. I'm... Too stressed." Not to mention she was worried about him returning to a possibly alienated Court, but she didn't mention that part. "Not that anyone should be surprised, covered in bandages like I am." The ones on her wrist had begun to dye red again from the strain of carrying Rieran so far, but Yav didn't seem to be paying attention.
"Deep breaths, hm?" He offered nearly sweetly, "Can we atleasst find you a place to relax?"
Yav paused before she nodded in agreement. "Sure. Sure, that would be good. The next level up, maybe? I think it's exposed, I can look at the stars." Yav began to move before realizing something; "I can go alone. Get yourself some rest."
Morgan shrugged, "if you insist, im more than happy to give you my company, if you want it"
"Would have thought you wouldn't want to be around me." Yavril commented. "But... Sure, /if/ you feel like staying." Without waiting for his reply, a little concerned about the answer, Yav headed for the spiral stone staircase that led above. The sky still had just a hint of orange in it, especially in one direction, but the huge moon and glorious stars were already visible, like a hundred wishes.
Morgan went ahead and followed her up the stair case, he looked above first thing. He noted all of the stars with a silent respect, but didn't speak.
Noticing that Mo had followed, Yavril gave him a glance, and for a split second she could have forgotten... Who he had become. Who he had allied with. That bit was easier here, out of his element. "Thoughts?" She eventually asked, curious as she watched him gaze.
He blinked a few times before he allowed his gaze to lower to her, "Nothing... theres just a lot of them, i cant remember seeing them at all actually."
Yavril frowned; "Never? That can't be right."
Morgan shrugged as he sat crossed legged infront of the open sky, "i dont recall it. Ever. Not many stars around the encampment, and im afraid that i dont really remember anything but the darkness there."
Yavril wore a pitying look, sitting beside, if a little distanced from, Morgan. "That's awful," she declared. "No one should be denied the stars. Not even courtiers."
Morgan gave off a small breath oh air that was nearly a single chuckle, "Why do you feel that way?" He turned away from the stars to look at her.
Yavril noticed Mo was looking at her and bright her gaze down on him again. "O-Oh, I dunno, I just... Feel like that's the world telling us to keep going, right? These tiny lights in the darkness, always there, or almost always - so persistent. I like the... Fresh start, every night."
Morgan cracked a smile, "I mean. It feels like the universe is saying that it doesnt care. More or less. That its going to keep moving regardless of us. Then again thats just me. I dont feel like the universe has particular feelings about me pressing forward."
"And I think if it didn't, you'd be dead already."
He blinked keeping his eyes on her, "i dont personally believe that the universe decides my fate."
"'Course it does," Yav disagreed, casting her gaze back up at the planets for a split second. "Even if you don't believe that the universe has a master plan for us all, what happens there has a ripple effect that's going to affect you in a hundred different ways."
Morgan sat silently for a moment, "Sure, but i just. I don’t think that has anything to do with the stars. They're pretty, but sometimes pretty things need to be simple..."
Yav shrugged. "Sure. Maybe you're right." She sat for a moment before daring to look back at Mo. "This reminds me of that day in DR. Do you remember?"
He cast his gaze from the stars and gave it to Yavril, "Im sorry, i dont."
Disheartened, Yav wanted to tear her gaze away, only not because he was looking at her now. "Ah, the day we met Acia the first time. We passed through the Queen's gardens, with all the beautiful orbs and decorations hanging from that glass ceiling."
"Oh- maybe sometime you could take me back..." Yav raised an eyebrow. "You would go?"
He nodded slowly, "Why not... i dont really have ties to anything."
"You have ties to the court." Yav reminded him, a sad expression crossing her features. "Ties that probably won't be happy you let us go."
Morgan shrugged, "i have ties to myself. I can go and do what i please..."
Yav nodded. "That's commendable. Uncommon in a courtier and not entirely true, but commendable."
"Do you really know all that much about the court?" He blinked and looked to her gently.
"I know who they've hurt." Yav replied. "I know how they've terrorized men and women who have done nothing but try to live their lives." Her voice sounded choked, pained
Morgan fell silent for a while, but then spoke, "Perhaps, but they're also scared... Maybe a little lost, and not all of them ruthlessly kill."
Yav sighed, leaning back on her forearms, knees up. "But why /kill/ if you're scared? I just don't understand the violence. We're all brothers and sisters - and it's the /worst/ feeling, Morgan, when you feel like you're loosing all this family to either death or the Court and this - nighmare..."
Morgan blinked a little, "Because you feel like you have to."
Yavril turned to look at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know what it's like out there, but it's like, you're trapped and every time you shut your eyes you see awful things. You see yourself doing awful things and the only thing you can manage to do is those things, honestly sometimes it seems like the line between reality and dreams isn't really there and that nothing you do truly matters."
"That... is the most horrible thing I have ever heard." Yav replied, voice quiet. "You see yourself /doing/ these things, just... hurting these people? And then you just... Treesong, Morgan, /everything/ matters. Everything..."
He starred off away from her, "It's easier for someone who knows that they're awake to say that...I think."
Yav frowned; "You don't think you're awake?"
He winced slightly and looked back at her, "I'm not always sure..."
"You're awake now." Yavril replied, giving him a firm stare. "And you have the right to freewill too; you don't have to be trapped, like you said. And I get that it isn't that simple; but you're not alone. Everything you do matters."
"But listen, if it was... A dream, purely a simulation then the lives wouldn't matter cause they aren't real. If you knew that they didn't matter and you know you have to obliterate them in order to make the dream pass, would you do it?"
Yavril tried to picture that; it made her head spin, the very idea. "So... you don't think I'm real? Your brothers, your sisters, me, we're just... something that you have to destory? Get rid of?"
"I don't know." His response was soft and unsure
Yav looked back up to the stars, pained. She breathed in deeply of the fresh air. Her mouth opened and closed a few times trying to speak, but she couldn't find any words to express her knot of emotions.
Morgan looked to her only sitting in silence. He didn't bother speak.
Yavril looked over again, vocalizing one of the many questions rattling around in her head. "How do you know we're not real?"
"I don't." He scoffed slightly, "I just know that there is a huge possibility you aren't."
"What does that even... mean?" Yav asked. "If we're not real, what are we? How is this not real? There are other races here, too."
"I just don't know if im awake... I don't feel awake...."
"Why don't feel awake?" Was the question she asked, but it was obvious what she was really wondering - what could she do to wake him up?
"I just can't distinguish it all..."
"Please... tell me what I can /do/, Mo," Yav pleaded.
"Nothing..."
Yavril was silent for a long time again. The stars glittered above them, and she welcomed the respite. Her back still stung, her joints still ached, but in that moment she /just/ wanted Morgan to feel like he was awake.
The pair were interupted by the tiny asuran medic, who poked her head above the stairs. "Miss, your friend is going to be fine."
Yavril jolted, shifting away and towards the asuran. "O-okay, thank you."
The asuran frowned at the sylvari; "You're injured too. You've been whipped, there are clear marks on your back. Was that the court as well? You need to be helped, come on, come with me."
"No, thank you." Yav replied, forcing a smile. "I'd rather just heal naturally, thank you very much."
"If you carried that man downstairs all the way you placed incredible stress on your injuries. You need help."
"I'm alright," Yav repeated, a little firmer. "Thank you."
Morgan looked to Yavril, with a sad look in his eyes. He almost wanted to push her to go with the medic, but rather he just gently poked at her, "Are you sure you're alright?"
Yav threw an off-setting smile at him, hiding something - but hiding things was something Yav was extraordinary at. "I'm sure." Returning to the asuran, she said, "Thank you again, but I promise I'm okay."
The tiny woman threw her hands up again, muttering something similar to "Damn Sylvari..."
Morgan stood up casting a lasting look at the stars, but allowed himself to look at Yavril, who was honestly, just as nice to look at, "Well, if you're sure, then I'll go." He caught her dishonesty, but refused to press, there was always a reason for a lie.
Yavril tilted her head at Morgan, but didn't stand. A vaguely disappointed look crossed her face, but she nodded and managed a smile. "Alright. I think... I'm going to stay up here for a while."
"Please, get some rest." He tried to meet her gaze, hoping she could catch a bit of his sincerity.
She did, to her surprise, notice the sincerity. "I-I'll... try."
Mortiuus is brought to the Nightmare Court for the first time. Continuation to THIS RP!
Note - this RP isn’t in one of the usual styles because it was done over google hangouts.
Note - this RP takes place only a few years after the secondborn emerge.
Warnings: Nightmare Court general warning
Acia was up early the next morning, never a late sleeper - the sun hadn't even really come up yet. She sat at a table, taking notes in a journal of some kind.
Morgan woke up slowly and lazily. He payed no heed to Yavril who was still very asleep. Instead he swung his legs over the bed and weakly got up. His eyes on the door and he left leaving the door open.
Acia was a little stunned to find Morgan walking into the dining room of the inn; normally it was deader than Ventari at this time of day - she didn't expect to see anyone, let alone the one she was specifically looking for. "'Morning!" Acia said. Swinging hair over her shoulder; it wasn't up today, instead hanging easily over her shoulders. "Ready to come and see what you've been missing?"
Mortiuus gave a curt nod, "Yeah..." I am. Some part inside Mortiuus was trapped in a cage deep inside of himself bracing himself against the walls and screaming to be let out. He wouldn't be. He might never be. What was left of Morgan grabbed his forearm nervously, "Yes, I am..."
Acia grinned wide; "Perfect. You aren't going to regret this, Mortiuus. *Trust* me."
In an effort to avoid Yavril, Acia checked Mortiuus and herself out of the inn that morning. Her business in the city was nearly finished, and when it was she left, taking Mortiuus with her. Using funds the court has given her, she transported them very close to Briarthorn Den, where the court, or her part of it, anyway, had been hiding itself. It was a short walk, and Acia took the first step. "You aren't worried about your friend? That woman? She might come after us."
Mortiuus glanced to Acia, "I... I don't know.. I think that she'd let me go..."
Acia shrugged. "She seems like the type. I dunno, like I said, she's been making trouble for us. Taking out agents, stopping attacks, blocking recruitment, that sort of thing. But you know her, not me."
The day they emerged into was bright and happy, but as the pair continued along, the closer they got to Briarthorn Den the darker and more secluded it seemed. There was a disturbed air about the area, a heavy taint, a suffocating atmosphere created by the nightmare seeping into reality by high concentration of courtiers to anyone not used to the feeling.
Mortiuus looked around glumly, "Whys it so.. Dark..." He looked and compared the contrast. This place felt dull and suffocating. Part of him wanted to leave, but that was also the part that was locked away, untouchable.
"Ah, that's just cause there are so many of us around. The Nightmare kind of seeps into the air." Acia's smiles were always beautiful, but this one was wicked too. "Don't worry, you'll like it when you... well, get used to it." Truth be told there was far more to initiation than that, but Mortiuus would find that out in time.
As the pair reached Briarthorn's briar walls and gate, Acia stopped, still smiling. "Are you ready for this, Mortiuus? It will not be easy."
He nodded slightly, shivers crawling up his spine, "I am.. I'm very ready." He looked up at the gate, partial distaste and partial disbelief.
Acia nodded. "Alright then - follow me." The woman led Mortiuus down the line of the wall, towards the centre where the vines were clearly meant to draw away. "Where life goes, nightmare follows." Acia called, and in a heartbeat they began to draw away, slithering into the walls around them to create a circular archway. Behind it, two courtiers stood holding weapons, one with a great sword and another with a bow.
"Acia," the first said with a nod. "Good to see you again."
"And you!" Acia replied. "I brought a new recruit, too." She gestured to Mortiuus, and the other courtier nodded.
"You should take him to Grett."
"Will do! Thanks."
As Acia entered the small nightmare village, around them could be found dark Sylvari, the emos of the Sylvari world. They drifted from place to place, all carrying some kind of weapon, some followed by hounds - a twisted and dark version of the dreamer Fern hounds. The atmosphere of nightmare was only heavier here.Jul 5, 5:09 PMMortiuus obliged following her in all his confusion, "Where are we going?" He leaned into her slightly.
"I'm taking you to Grett. He's one of the higher-ups. He'll, ya know, get your initiation going."
Acia led him to a back corner, one that held a Sylvari turned away. "Ready?"
Mortiuus nodded, "Uh... yeah I guess..."
Acia nodded again before calling out, "Grett?" The man turned round to them and raised an eyebrow - not that there was much to raise. His dark face was married by a large scar that gave him a sufficiently intimidating glare. "Hm?" He asked, a wicked sound to his voice. He was a very different representation of the court than the beautiful Acia.
"New recruit."
Grett stood to his full height; the pitch black Sylvari wore various shades of red that could have been thought of as blood tainted if Sylvari blood wasn't gold.
"Name?" He demanded, and Acia didn't answer for Mortiuus.
"Mortiuus" he stated plainly. The entire time he'd been rather nervous, but for some reason that was fading and he felt the need to be frank.
“Age?" Grett continued gruffly.
"Two months." He stated slowly,
Grett looked pleased, vaguely, if one could call it that with that face, at the answer. "How long have you been outside the Grove?"
"Two days, roughly."
"Any friends or lovers you still have connections to?" Grett clearly wasn't asking questions based on age.
"No. None."
Acia gave Mortiuus a sideways glance but said nothing. Grett just nodded and continued. "Do you want to change your name?" He paused before explaining, "Not all of us feel comfortable with dreamer names."
Mortiuus blinked and then nodded slightly, "I'd like to call myself Morgan, if I am able."
Grett's brow furrowed. It was hard to tell if he was angry or just curious. "A human name. Why?"
Mortiuus shrugged, "It feels fitting."
"Very well, Morgan. Our initiation is like nothing you have ever experienced before, but at its finish you will be a part of something bigger than yourself, you will be free of shackles, free of Ventari and the Pale Mother. Are you prepared to find the darkness?"
Mortiuus nodded, slowly but surely, "I am...
Grett grinned wickedly. "Then let's begin."
Nightmare Court recruits were put through terrible trials, forced to kill each other for sport and dwell in the darkest part of the dream, the dark parts of nightmare, all while watching it grow just a little bit with every cruel deed. Some went mad with power, or because of the torture. Those were sent into the pods, and everyone knew you didn't return from the pods the same. Ever. At night, sometimes, the calls of people locked in those pods could be heard, people being mutilated to the brink of death, forced to live their most horrible nightmares until they were nothing but a living, breathing weapon for the Court. The atmosphere was cutthroat, and a moment's hesitation could cost you your life. It would suddenly have been clear why Sylvari did not ever come back from the Nightmare. Twisted into a new, wicked version of his former self, Mortiuus, now Morgan, rose through the ranks suspiciously quickly - but the man had given himself to nightmare and was not one to do anything halfway. He allowed it to seep into his soul, and for that there would be consequences. For now, though, Acia at his side, it seemed the world was his oyster.
