arceannard:
A Moment’s Peace II Open
———— Cliffs in which matched the sky, rolling green hills so vibrant one’s mind could be lost in them. With each step, the soul cleansed of the sins of man, the clouds rolling above the crown of kings as a reminder they were at its mercy. The world once known by this man was not of the same cloth as the one he resided in then. The skies were often a clear blue, the ground paved by hands of men - the illusion of the unification of the divine and the ordinary - the lie of peace. Yet, they had been punished the worst of it, their people perishing and their cultures left in the carnage. The bloodshed had blinded them all, instilled a fear that provided chaos the means to rise in their breasts. The semblance of normalcies lingered around their community but were not sufficient to trick his troubled mind into relieving itself of the agony resting between his temples. Maitheanas dhuinn, tha sinn air chall. Were they not all wandering ghosts in a fog of terror? Believing that the world would shift and they would once again bask in the warm open sun as if nothing ever occurred?
Cynicism had tormented his crown more than usual during his nightly rest, as the sole person he felt he loved had left within the night without so much as a farewell. A costly decision on her part, a stab to the heart of an already wounded creature. He was nothing to anyone anymore, such was clear. It as a lonely existence to start, yet this burned more than anything before it. Lachlan decided he must make a different name for himself, defend the person that he was in an attempt to regain self-importance - else he would perish within the prison of his head.
The morning lent itself to thought, his eyes traveling to look above, the wind whipping through his curls. There was not much more beautiful than foliage beneath the sunrise. Green extremities mingling with the purple and pink hues of the start of the day. The shadow of the large tree Lily once sat casting across his tall frame, covering the emotions prevalent within his features. If there was a shred of peace left for him in the world, he might find such a thing here. He stepped towards the tree, weathered hands mirroring the texture as it ran over the bark. A sigh escaped his lips as he watched the leaves dance among the breeze. Oh, how he yearned to be so free, so careless. He made the sign of the cross on his chest, paying his respect to his friend who abandoned their safe haven. How he prayed for her safe return to their lodging.
A smirk crept onto his lips, turning them upwards - always a wild lass, that one, if I see er again I’ll have to give er a kiss. He would have laughed at such a thing had he not heard footsteps approaching from behind. He turned upon his heels, gaze meeting that of another. They seemed as lost as he, perhaps on the same fruitless journey for a moment’s peace. The sun shone down on them, casting their shadow behind them, almost as if representing the small part of oneself that always travels in wake of those who dare walk the land. “Yer an early riser like maself I see… I wouldnae mind a bit of company… The name’s Lachlan, it’s my pleasure.”
His fingers reached towards the other person in an effort to show respect, hand lingering in the space between them. Lachlan saw no need to build his guard around the inhabitants of Crescent, as they seemed a lovely lot to him. Even the council had provided him a nice room with plenty of medicine and food - such kindness was hard to come by in their current world - a lost art of hospitality.
–++–
“is it?”
a quiet question from her lips - one hand reaching up to dislodge the headphones which seemed a permanent fixture on the young womans head. a solace in kind - with a few... minor adjustments. there’s something of an rare amusement playing at the corner of her lips with the tease. perhaps one she’d not had reason to speak of in a long time.
“...early? or just... really late?”
in a life long gone, morning and night were a simple blend - the orange in the sky was either sunrise or sunset and the only thing that had made any marked difference was the pace of the music in the air. a heavy beat and dropping bass of the sunset - parties starting and hedonism abound. bodies thriving and moving to in unison into the night. and sunrise was marked with a slower come down chill. a lullaby to soothe weary bodies and blissed out minds.
as it was - she hadn’t been able to sleep. and in the quieter hours had taken to wandering within the walls. exploring the long winding corridors of the hospital, walking the marked paths through the gardens. taking to the perimeter and wondering when to take the leap beyond once more - out into the wilder lands. to take her life and throw it on the mercy of chance, luck or whatever else might decide to take an interest in her fate...
“kallie.”
she takes his offered hand. less of a pause this time. getting a little more used to something that had the appearance of ‘trust’ ( not that she DID trust, but there was less of an obvious hesitancy ).
“pleasure is a hard come by commodity these days but - hey - glad you’re getting a kick out of this.”
more teasing, yes. but she’s weary of being uptight. tired of being guarded. so fucking what if she actually - for a hot minute - actually has a goddamn conversation with someone who isn’t tiptoeing around her like she’s either made of glass or some kind of demon incarnate.
“but - sure... i might not have much to offer, but time... is one thing i seem to have an abundance of right now so - i can do company for a while.”


















