#c.kirian

[keevathescaledshadow]

Location: Refugee camp

Who: @dragcnburned​

Keeva shifted nervously from foot to foot as she waited. Kirian was talking to a group that had just finished a patrol and she didn’t want to interrupt; so she stood by the summer house, debating if now was really a good time. 

It’s never going to be a good time to apologize to someone for almost killing them. Breathe. 

The dragoness had to talk herself into seeking Kirian out and she wasn’t going to let her anxiety stop her from talking to him now. Josefin had been managing to walk with a cane, and Keeva no longer felt the need to hover at her side. She finally had a moment to do something other than worry. As much as she dreaded facing that guilt, she needed to talk to him. She needed him to know how sorry she was for what she did- almost did. She also needed answers though she was unsure if even Kirian had them. She knew nothing about bonds, knew nothing about what she was supposed to do now. She only knew what she had felt that day and the pull she felt now. Knew only that she wouldn’t and couldn’t leave. The patrol moved off and she took a deep breath to settle herself before approaching. 

“Kirian, can… can I talk to you?”

[stoneward-princess]

@dragcnburned​

The days had blurred together, sometimes Josefin felt as if she was wandering about in a constant daze, others she was more alert but still restless, still exhausted, still confused and in pain. She had taken to occupying herself with the remaining refugees, getting as many as she could home or at least on their way but with only a few scant people left, she knew she would have to face whatever was coming next for her. And that meant facing Kirian, possibly Keeva too if they had accepted their bond. All things she wasn’t sure that she was ready for.

Josefin was helping the staff that had remained behind with her pack up the medical equipment, even as the last group of people were being sent home. Her handmaids and security guards would leave first thing the next morning. It might have seemed counterintuitive, but traveling with a smaller group, especially somewhere she didn’t know well, felt safer than bringing them alone with her. Only the people that would absolutely insist on coming with her would, and she would later travel with Keeva and Kirian. They’d go off to somewhere, Kirian hadn’t told her exactly where yet, hopeful and desperate for a cure.

First, she had to talk to him though. And that was going to be the hardest thing she’d done in a long while.

With the last of the towels and instruments packed up into baskets and rolled into cloths to protect them, Josefin carried a few of the baskets out to the wagon waiting outside. The nursemaids would return to Glasswater and continue helping their people there, offering whatever aid and treatment they could for anyone who hadn’t made it out. She needed to go home too… eventually. But she couldn’t, not with the magic still claiming her, not with Riza’s voice in her head. Not with… not with Kirian determined to march into Rajayer towards his death. At least, she wouldn’t let him go alone. Whatever he’d done, he didn’t deserve to face his execution alone.

So she’d decided – first, talk to him. Second, find a cure. Third, stay by his side until she couldn’t.

Jo set off to search for him. Over the weeks, she’d been able to rely less and less on the crutches then the cane, and it was easier to move around. Her body might have been mostly healed, despite the magic still draining her. But physically, there was little else they could do for her.

When she found him, he was sitting alone on the bank of the small lake nearest the house. She almost didn’t want to disturb him, sure he so seldom got time to himself to be at peace, but if she was going to talk to him, she had to do it while she still had the resolve to. But she would watch him, just for a few moments, it was almost like he was that man she’d loved so much. And maybe he had changed, maybe he was darker in some ways, but wasn’t she too? She watched as he closed his eyes against the cool breeze and for a moment she let herself remember what it felt like when they would talk for hours, when they were happy, when there had been possibilities and unspoken promises between them. Her heart somersaulted in her chest and she took a few steps tentatively forward, coming to rest beside him on the bank. She said nothing for the longest time, staring out over the lake, but she couldn’t just let things hang in the air.

“Have you talked to Keeva?” She asked instead, not quite ready to broach the harder topics.

[vixenandviper]

Pain / Goodbye / "do you understand that we will never be the same again?"

Pain: 20) Our muses get trapped in a war zone

Goodbye &  "do you understand that we will never be the same again?"

-----

Cat had said her peace. She had found Kirian in the middle of another attack. Gods, how did this keep happening? They had argued until they were both blue in the face. She was trying to convince the idiot not to turn himself in, that by doing so it was only going to kill Avitej and himself and break both their hearts.

How did she even get there? Ah, right. She’d been tying up a business deal for Eri, one that would see more goods shipped than just liquor and drugs, one that would have offered towels and supplies and medical equipment to some of the harder to reach islands when the rebels had struck. They were on some old as fuck island at an old as fuck Magaesterium school, one that people rarely heard about, but they had a lot of specialized magi who might be able to turn the tides against the rebels. Or at least offer some help.

And one of them had family on the island who was a trained medic and had excess medical equipment. So when the rebels had come in and started targeting magi, she wasn’t surprised when they got their asses handed to them. It was so shortsighted, so foolish. The magi on that island were the most powerful in the world and the rebels they’d sent were peons at best. Although how Kirian had ended up there she hadn’t the faintest clue. And it didn’t matter, the medic had made the deal with her and she’d be gone in the morning, back to Illasqa.

But she couldn’t leave without saying her peace. So she’d written him a letter and slipped it under his door.

“Kirian,

You say he’s your brother and I believe that. But I hope you know what you’re doing. This is going to kill him. Your death won’t serve any real purpose and his heart will break and break.

Do you understand that he’ll never be the same again? Just think about that before you turn yourself in.

-Cat”

There was no real affection in the letter, she’d never shared as much with Kirian. But he was Avi’s brother and she had to make one last attempt. As she stood on the docks waiting for her boat back to Illasqa, she could only hope he would take her advice.

[stoneward-princess]

@dragcnburned​

Location: The Refugee Camp, the Stoneward’s summer home.

Time: A few days after the rebel attack.

The voice she’d been hearing, the person she’d been interacting with, it was all fading. She was still surrounded by darkness but it felt emptier than before. She wasn’t sure what was real and what was in her head anymore. Someone had been rifling through her memories like they were paintings on a wall, examining each and every one. Like she held some clues about what happened. No… that wasn’t quite it either. She’d never figured out what they were looking for when… what was their name? Riza? Had stopped them. At least, she’d said she stopped them. Jo didn’t really know what that meant or who Riza was.

The things she did know and could remember… Riza was a mage. And she’d tried to help her. And someone had gotten into her head.

But… why? She tried to recall all of the events that led up to her blacking out and… she should be dead. Was this the After? Her fingers twitched as she remembered parts of the evening. Helping her sister with her hair… their mother fussing at them for being late… the music… greeting guests… Alek… dancing with him, the whiskey… Ainsley… urging Jo to follow her heart. She’d left the party then, traveling deeper into the gardens and she’d found Keeva. And then the destruction. The palace had exploded. She’d tried to run with Keeva, to get her to safety. They were…. Oh gods she should be dead.

Then Kirian’s voice. Pleading, bargaining, screaming. And a dragon. Was that… Keeva’s true form?

As her thoughts drifted back to reality, more of Jo’s body twitched and she slowly pulled herself out of that darkness. There was a feeling of bright light pouring in through a curtained window and she felt her surroundings. A soft bed. Had it… all been a dream then? Was she still at the palace, her people safe?

Slowly, Josefin drew in a long breath, the air dusty, smelling like it had recently been disturbed, her eyelids fluttering open. No… she recognized that ceiling. This was their home in the forest… near the outpost. How had she? She raised herself onto her elbows, face contorting as the pain from her gut finally registered. She bit her lip, trying not to draw any attention to herself, trying not to scream. As she propped herself up, feeling the control of movement starting to fill her veins once more, she pressed a hand to her middle. She should have died. How was she even…?

A soft hum echoed from the end of her bed and she saw Keeva sleeping at the foot of it, still in the dress she’d worn to the ball. Had she… saved her? No….. Jo remembered clashing swords with a rebel. They’d saved each other, she supposed. Still, she had no idea how bad it actually was considering how early she’d been disposed. The rebels had probably thought her dead. And by all accounts she should have been. So how were they here in their summer home… and how WAS she alive?

Kirian. He must have been there. Josefin tried sliding her legs from the bed, and realized she’d been changed out of her ballgown and into a simple shift. He had probably called a doctor as soon as he’d gotten her to safety. And all those tulle layers would have been cumbersome at best. But Kirian-he… he had braved the capital… Did he know what was going to happen? Or was there…? No, she wouldn’t think of his motivations for being there. He could explain himself if he was still on site. She had long ago given him a key to their summer home, when he was spending more time with her family, before everything had changed. Before his family had been outed as rebels. So it made sense, it wasn’t a heavily defensible position but it was largely hidden in the forest. An easy place to hide. She pushed those thoughts aside, she had to find someone who could tell her what was going on in Glasswater. What was going on with her people… how many they’d lost.

Her legs dangling off the large bed, she pushed herself forward, pain searing through her with every movement. “I’ve had worse…” She hadn’t. She managed to take two full steps, shaking and uncoordinated, before her legs crumbled underneath her. She caught herself on an arm chair as she fell, forcing back a cry. Tears welled in her eyes but at least she could move. That meant the poison, the paralytic, was working itself out of her system. Wraith’s kiss could often be deadly in higher dosages, so she supposed she was lucky. She glanced down at her hands, there was still a purplish black tint to some of her veins but it had faded dramatically from what it had been when she’d been stabbed.

The doorknob turned, clicking open, and Josefin raised her gaze to the dark haired figure entering. “Kirian…” She whimpered voice barely above a whisper, the tears in her eyes spilling over from relief, recognition, and something else she wasn’t ready to admit.

[stoneward-princess]

Jo/Kirian by our very own Gigi @avitejkumara 

@dragcnburned

[keevathescaledshadow]

Location: South of Glasswater

Who: For @dragcnburned​

When: during the start of festival season.

The warm breeze that threatened to push back Keeva’s hood brought the smell of fresh lavender and bonfires to her nose. The group of wildlings had spent the last few hours settled along a well traveled route south of the City. Festival season meant it was worth sending the few extra bodies to sell pelts and trinkets. Keeva had asked to look after the small group. Not that they needed it, they could defend themselves and it was rare that Keeva ever needed to step in on their behalf. But she was restless. Wanderlust had settled its way into her chest, not for the first time, but this time she needed travel. 

She meandered now along the edge of the roadway a little ways from the group, gathering flowers and herbs. She couldn’t interact with travelers anyway. Not easily. They were suspicious of anyone not showing their face and Keeva couldn’t risk the exposure. The rumors of the rebellion had grown too worrisome for that. Regardless, the trip was a welcome respite. The weather here was less tepid and she could see the peaks of her former home lining the horizon. 

She smelled the horse’s fear before she heard it. The wind had shifted carrying her scent, foreign, predatory, to a nearby horse bearing one of the many travelers on the road. She heard the exclamation of surprise from its rider, far too close. She knew she wouldn’t have time to move quickly enough to dodge whatever kick or buck of defense was coming her direction. 

[stoneward-princess]

Fuck, kill or marry: Keeva, Kirian, Alek

Fuck - Alek I suppose.... maybe? I don’t know.

Kill - Alllll of Keeva’s insecurities?

Marry - Kirian... maybe... probably... I don’t know. Can I change these answers......... I don’t know. I don’t know...

@dragcnburned @alekashcraft @keevathescaledshadow

[stoneward-princess]

❦ Holding hands and nuzzling somewhere ambient and low-lit.

Was it the wine? Maybe it was the dim lights or the bard in the corner singing of things she didn’t want to admit. But that was the only place they could be that close and not have suspicion fall on her or burden and chains fall on him. Somehow they’d found each other on some distant shores in Vailen and somehow the fae minstrel had a sweeter voice than any human she’d ever heard and somehow she thought... maybe they could stay. Maybe their closeness wouldn’t be a shackle and it wouldn’t lead to questions. But also maybe she’d had too much to drink.

But he was wrapping his arm around her shoulders and she was moving closer, lacing her fingers through his. And for one night... they could have it all. They were sitting away from a group of elves that had camped on the shore and allowed them to share their fire for the night, half hidden by the shadows, their proximity only evident when the flames danced a little higher. She realized through a drunken veil that one of the elves was definitely a magi, practicing their pyrokinesis. So she simply snuggled closer to Kirian, basking in the warmth from the fire, his warmth, and the warmth from the wine in her hand.

Josefin leaned into him, letting the wine bottle rest in her lap as she wrapped an arm around his waist, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. It would all be over tomorrow, they would have to find a way back to life, to their responsibilities and the ghosts of their past, but for tonight, they could just stay.