caughtinanetwork | 9 ♐ Voice/Action ♐ The leaves of memory

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9 ♐ Voice/Action ♐ The leaves of memory

[In the background, the faint sound of leaves rustling and the soothing waves of the ocean can be heard before Darkleer speaks.]

Tell me, if any are so willing, but what do your people do to honor the deceased long after they have passed, whether out of respect or simply to calm any vengeful spirits?

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[Anyone wandering about by the beach this evening may notice a certain tall troll sitting cross-legged on the sands. Before him are two very small fires, and two small rocky platforms set in the sand. It takes a bit to go and see what is on them- both items are very small, a pen and a hairclip.]

[In the meantime, Darkleer himself seems to be in the process of making a pair of arrows. He's a lot more absorbed in the task than one might think. High up in the air, a large white bird circles about.]

[He won't be much bothered by any company, should someone care to come closer to him.]

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[You are doing so awesome right now, Disciple. Keep being the pinnacle of determination. Ugggh, she wanted to crawl into a hole.]

[Inside she still warred. Wanting to hurt him for taking Signless. Wanting to cry and apologize for hurting him in her crazed frenzy. Even wanting to wrap her arms around him in a hug, this troll did save her life twice. Instead...OH! Conversation topic! Go for it!]

Old habits can be good. Its a ritual you said? Whats it uhhh... for? I mean it must mean something if you continue to perform it.

[Yep. Still wanted to crawl into that hole. A nice deep one.]

[Well, if it's pain she wants to inflict, then he wouldn't really fight against it. The testament to that is still a rather noticeable scar from a set of claws, on one side of his head. They'll pale, in time, as a troll's body can recover surprisingly well, but for now...]

Well... [He looks about as if hoping for someone to save him from this before finally answering.] I am honoring the dead. At least, the dead that I knew in their life. You see, ah, around this time, that would be when they died.

[He shrugs, almost helplessly. His eartips are starting to tint blue.]

I doubt it can reach them, at least in this place. Still. I know little of the realm beyond the living, so perhaps it will.

[She notices the scars finally, with the play of the firelight against his face. She winces fairly noticeably. Oh good, it was worse then she remembered doing. 'Well he deserves it! Worse even!' part of her brain screams. She was really starting to hate that part of herself. Last thing she needed was 'it' getting control again. She ignores the anger, focusing instead on his words.]

I would like to think, that whatever awaits us here or back on Alternia, would appreciate the intention. It's sweet that even in this other place you take the time to remember them. [Oh, she really just said that.] Did... uhhh... They mean a lot to you?

[Stupid Disciple, why are you talking!? Your words, watch what you say. That hole will need to be a chasm or ravine; Something DEEP.]

Well, I suppose that is one way of-

[Wait, sweet? That... Oh. Well. Um. What is he supposed to say to that? Did she mean to say it? What if it was a slip of the tongue? But what if she did mean it? Why are rebels so confusing?]

[Oh hey new topic, he will just dive on that like a drowning man on a liferaft.]

Ah, actually, yes. One was a squadmate, and the other... was my matesprit.

[And then the drowning man realized the liferaft was full of snakes.]

[Oh.]

Oh.

[She blinks, and paces a couple steps away. Anger welled up inside her, but she fought it down; It would really not help right now. She searched for words, but came up empty-handed. So she let the air hang with a pregnant silence.]

[Moments pass by, with only the sound of lapping waves, and crackling fire. Eventually, with a sigh, Disciple speaks again; her voice strained.]

I... I'm sorry. How... how...[Disciple clears her throat.] How did they pass? If its alright... for me to ask, that is...

[She has evolved beyond the need to hide in holes. Nothing could effectively hide her at this point. Alright, Disciple, Way to keep digging. Maybe you can completely ostracize yourself...]

[This was a bad Idea. She couldn't bring herself to run, however. She had started this train-wreck, might as well see it through to the fiery conclusion.]

[He was expecting that reaction, to be quite honest. He tenses up as if expecting a blow at any second, but the kind of stiffness that shows a readiness to block or fight back. The kind of tenseness that shows he's getting himself ready for the inevitable pain. Even when the conversation finally resumes, he doesn't seem to ease up.]

Sila Ritalis died while on patrol in the desert. A group of undead managed to overtake him. Eerin Dural- [A pause as his throat tightens.] Eerin had the misfortune of running afoul of a subjugglator due... due to a misunderstanding.

[A pause as something that has been bottled up for a very long time snarls in the recesses of his mind.]

That was the given explanation, at any rate.

["Oh poor wriggler lost his loved one!? Maybe he knows the pain of..." "SHUT UP! Just, shut up!" With a show of willpower, she silences the malevolent voice, shoving to the far corner of her mind. Disciple was tired of being controlled by the anger, or whatever dark emotions were, that dwelled in her. She really needed to find a means of purging it. It always came back worse.]

[She turns to face him, a look of grief on her face. Strangely not the look of self-grief. Okay. Deep breath.]

I'm... sorry to hear that. The loss of a loved one... It's quite difficult.

[Ladies and gentlemen! The amazing high-wire walking Disciple! One misstep and its all over, folks!]

[His last words, they... oh. She quickly realizes the impact of what he had said.]

The given explanation. You... suspect otherwise?

[I know. I was responsible.]

[...That is something he knows he should not say at all costs. At least, he surmises if he does not want another scar, he shouldn't.]

[The question only makes him look away. His hand strays to the hairclip that sits on one of the rocks.]

I do.

[They were right there, all she had to do was say one thing, and she could talk about why she was really here. But at the same time this new line of conversation was just as important. It felt like something that could become a lost chance if she did not seize upon it. There would be time for the other thing later... probably.]

[She sits down in the sand across from him, far enough away that she wouldn't startle him.]

What made you suspicious?

...She fought back.

It wasn't an official state of business. There was no legilacerator sent to apprehend her, no forewarning, nothing. Her... body still had its sylladex and strife specibus. [What was left of it, at any rate.] That meant she wasn't taken in, either, or else it would have been locked or emptied. It happened in the open.

[Pausing, he looks up towards the sky. As if sensing his attention, Dural spirals down until she lands down on his shoulder, a large and proud bird lusus. Darkleer gently rubs her feathers with the back of one knuckle.]

...She tried to reach me, but it was too late by that time.

I'm really sorry for your loss. [And to her surprise, she actually was. Losing someone dear to them is a pain she would not want to inflict on anyone. So when she said it, it came out more then just conciliatory; It was genuine.]

Why do you think they would have done that to her?

[She had noticed the bird up there, but had generally paid it no mind. So, when it descended and landed on his shoulders she actually let the shape and color of the thing set in. She knew this bird, but from where?]

[Then it clicked. This was the white lusus that was the first thing to greet her in this place. She could barely remember, most of that day was a cacophony of sights and sounds. Disciple remembered, however, the peculiarity of a hunting featherbeast sidling up next to her and preening her as if she were its wriggler.

So, Darkleer's lusus was one of the first things to attempt to calm her on that terrifying first day. It was even more evidence that made it harder to hate the indigoblood. This realization comes with a slight look of wonder at the lusus, before she turns her attention back to Darkleer. She could discuss that later.]

[The sincerity is almost surprising, and he turns to look at her before getting a hold of himself.]

Unfortunately, any attempt to look further was... discouraged. I was still relatively new to my position as Executor. I had a lot of new eyes on me. If I made any metaphorical waves, it could have gone very badly for me.

I can only guess. It may have had something to do with her line of work. Dealing with quadrants always has the potential to be extremely... messy. Yet considering it was a subjugglator, I really cannot say. She may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time with an unsatisfactory joke.

[He hushes Dural when she gives an affectionate coo in Disciple's direction. It is a strange kind of hope that she doesn't recognize the bird, although, really, it's hard to mistake a lusus.

[How about now? Just segue into it. No, she knows she can't just bring it up, as much as she wants to know. She has waited all these sweeps, it can wait just a little longer...]

[She briefly smiles at the cooing lusus, a definite sign of recognition flashing across her face. Disciple once again turns her attention to Darkleer, but not quite making eye contact. That could cause her to slip. She was still walking the high-wire.]

So, she... uhhh... worked with quadrants? What was it that she did?

[She wasn't sure where this high-wire was taking her, but jumping off midway was really starting to sound inviting.]

Generally, helping others find a partner for one of their quadrants. When she had to, occasionally she would act as a temporary auspitice as well.

There were various other things as well that were considerably less... pleasant, I suppose, but that could not be helped. We do what we must to survive in our society.

[One of the fires was proving a good means to keep from meeting eye contact. She lost herself in the glowing embers as he spoke, the oliveblood was growing more hesitant every moment. There is a bit of a pause before she speaks.]

It sounds like... what she did was very important. I can only imagine how many she helped. Alternia is lessened... with her passing.

[Back to staring at the fire, and wanting to jam her foot in her mouth.]

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9 ♐ Voice/Action ♐ The leaves of memory

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