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+----- Thread: and some by virtue fall; Gallows (/showthread.php?tid=3182)
and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Kushiel - 08-24-2015
Kushiel had always been a little wayward. When he was in a more benevolent state, he would sometimes wonder exactly how many years he had taken off his mother’s life. Oh wait, never mind, she was immortal. But still, the fact that she could live forever and had only one shitty son to show for it was a thought that kept him up at night. Kushiel chuckled morosely. What was he trying to do? Assess his worth? That would lead to nothing but trouble.
This train of thought, while futile, had unburied guilt he pretended not to feel. Gallows had done the best she could with him, and she had contended with very poor starting material. But despite the odds, she had persevered, and had kept him alive long enough for him to abandon her and the home she had made for him.
She should get something in return, like a visit from her adult son.
So it was with a sense of self congratulations that he made is way to the Valley. He hadn’t given this plan much thought beyond the credit it would do him. Surely, people would talk for years to come about Gallows and her sensitive, attentive son.
He hadn’t, for example, considered how angry Gallows surely was. She loved the Valley, and Kushiel hadn’t spared it more than a “see ya later sucker” on his way out. As he neared the entrance to his childhood home, the guardian mountains seemed larger and craggier than ever. He hadn’t been gone that long, yet it already seemed like a lifetime.
Kushiel was not used to being a contributing member of society. The fact that he had taken the initiative to join the ranks of Chamber diplomats was something that still left him speechless. He had accomplished more this past season than he had intended to his whole life.
What was his mom going to say?
Kushiel slunk past the mountains, trying not to think about full grown stallions that still feared their mothers. He tried to tell himself that while those assholes were real tools, he was in a totally different boat.
They didn’t have his mother. It was a completely different situation.
Out of habit, he made his way to the Valley’s gathering spot. He didn't stop to consider that he wouldn’t be welcome. He had still be born here, raised here. The fact that he had left in a puff of bravado and smoke couldn’t change that.
“Ma?” He bawled, once again trying not to think about full grown stallions who still called their mother’s Ma.
“You have to forgive me sometime, might as well be now.
and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Gallows - 08-24-2015
I sense Kushiel the moment he wanders across the borders, just as cocky as he's always been. I note with satisfaction that his bravado with me only goes skin deep. He can pretend, and I'll let him pretend, but we both know he isn't pulling anything over on his dear mother. We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately. |
RE: and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Kushiel - 08-25-2015
Kushiel squirmed with impatience, something he had not done since the last time he saw his mother. It took him a moment, but a heartbeat later he realized what was going on. Kushiel groaned.
The Valley was not this big. He knew what she was doing.
Kushiel threw back his head back dramatically. It was moments like this that he wished he could read thoughts, as well as have his read. Was she actually mad at him? He was under the impression that he was impossible to stay mad at. She had forgiven him so many times, he had begun to assume it was his charm, rather than her benevolence, that always won out in the end.
After all, he knew Gallows well enough to know that benevolent was not the first adjective many would use to describe her.
That distinct privilege was reserved for her little boy. Just as he knew Mom, he knew himself well enough not to underestimate her benevolence, he could think of many times it had been graciously given. Or at least, the privilege had been reserved for him. He may have screwed up this time. Kushiel pushed aside a tiny worm of discomfort. It was not in his nature to contemplate his behavior. If he started doing that a floodgate would open that no power on earth could close.
Kushiel smirked, perhaps that would be they day he finally tracked down Dad.
She found him just as he was smirking, and Kushiel quickly tried to school his features into something that could pass as repentance. It always took him a minute, to remember that he couldn’t fool her. He was so used to deceiving everyone else that he turned that he turned to it out of habit, rather than desire.
“Mom.” He replied, as serious as she had been, save for a tiny tugging smile he couldn’t crush.
“Your…rumors,” He shot her a chastising look, because he very much doubted anyone cared about him enough to gossip, “are correct. You’re the proud mother of a working stiff.” It went unsaid that he didn’t do a lot of working, he was here visiting after all. Not to mention, only the truly gelatinous would call him stiff. Still, when he grinned this time it was genuine, and stretched to his ears. He was happy to see her, and to see her talking to him.
Her next question, however, brought about a patented scowl.
“Mother,” he said, not unkindly, “please, what woman would have me?” Kushiel didn’t mean any woman. There were plenty of women who would have him despite his truly disastrous personality. For all his foul language and somewhat scoundrel ways, Kushiel didn’t want just any woman. Don’t misunderstand, he wanted just about every woman he saw, but not the way his mother meant.
Not in the way he would mention to her. Not it a way that was real.
Kushiel continued, his tone self deprecating.
“And don’t get me started on children. I can’t stand the little beasts.” That was a brazen, bold faced lie. Kushiel liked children. He related to them in a way he related to hardly anyone else. He just didn't want to get Gallows hopes up. It would be a strong woman indeed, who decided to have children with Kushiel. So strong, in fact, that she was probably fictional.
For a single, traitorous moment, Kushiel’s thoughts flitted to Engelsfors, all sultry and sinew, sparking like gold. Then to her son, a strapping lad. His smile softened, until he remembered that bastard lover of hers. Immediately, the scowl returned.
He glanced, alarmed, at this mother, then smirked deeply. ”It serves you right,” he thought, “if you’re going to poke around in my head.” Quickly, without hesitation, Kushiel nuzzled her face, wuffling softly in her nose. In a rare, unguarded show, Kushiel dropped his bravado and bullshit, and looked into her eyes.
"I've missed you, Mom."
and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Gallows - 08-25-2015
He's so adorable when he's trying to be repentant and serious. I appreciate the effort, but more so the reaction when he remembers that an act doesn't work with me. We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately. |
RE: and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Kushiel - 08-26-2015
Kushiel grinned. He could always trust his mother to see the best in him, and to have misplaced faith in him, while simultaneously teasing him. It only made sense that she had a robust sense of humor, how else would she have been able to raise him and keep her sanity?He had loved watching tails burn.
Perhaps that was why he alway took such care with his own. He knew how long it took for those things to grow back. Years, it took years,
“If an innocent child could scare them so they deserved whatever misfortune befell them.” This was another lie, and for all his dedication, Kushiel couldn’t say it with a straight face. He chortled pleasantly, reminiscing about the happy days of his childhood.
How carefree they had been.
Kushiel, a proud member of a club reserved for the truly shameless, took his mother’s teasing in stride. He had been admiring a girl’s ass, and it had been horrendously awkward. Or at least, it would have been for another pair who had a normal mother son relationship. There’s beat to the tune of its own drummer, and Kushiel liked it that way. If she was going to be in his head she might as well know all the gritty, skeezy details.
She shouldn’t be spared from understanding the type of man she had raised. Besides, he kind of liked it when she called him a wretch. It was done with such affection, it was enough to warm a man’s heart.
“Don’t worry Mother, I will time my visits perfectly. Whenever there is important business to be done in the Chamber I’ll make it my business to be here.” If you didn’t know Kushiel, you might think he was joking. Kushiel may be a working stiff, but he didn’t intend to work himself to exhaustion. It was uncivilized.
Just as he expected she would, she wanted to know why the Chamber and not the Valley. As a child Kushiel had wondered, if he and the valley were both burning, which would his mother run to first? He liked to pretended that was why he was always setting fires, to get attention.
It was a lie of course, Kushiel had gotten more attention than he knew what to do with or how to evade. He just liked fire. Besides, Kushiel couldn’t burn, or, only his mane could. It was possible his tail could as well, he hadn’t mustered up the courage to test it.
“A man needs to be able to look at asses without his mother knowing about it. Besides, I’m sure you find it much easier to love me when you don’t have to explain why the kingdom is burning to the ground.” Kushiel paused, then continued brightly.
“But, I promise I’ll come back here first if Straia ever finds out what an awful wretch I am.“ There, an answer serious enough to silence anyone.
RE: and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Gallows - 08-26-2015
“You were a terror.” I say, with an attempt at being stern. My eyes betray me, however. I can never stay mad at Kushiel for long. I half suspect he knows this. Children have a way of wrapping you around their finger. Or tying a noose around your neck. We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately. |
RE: and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Kushiel - 08-31-2015
Kushiel was blessed with a devoted mother. Along with his looks (another gift from his mother) it was one of the few things going for him. Oh sure, he had a powerful ability that could be turned on destruction, but he didn’t have the will to wield it, at least for anything other than his own amusement. Perhaps, more accurately, it could be said that he had everything going for him but lacked the motivation, discipline and general will to make anything of it.
There were those that would commend his lack of interest in politics. There were those who would praise him for refusing to be drawn into the rat race. Kushiel simply hadn’t met those people yet. But still, for all his griping, and for all her griping, Kushiel knew his mother loved him, and that was not a small thing. There was, however, no need for her to say it. He grinned crookedly.
“Oh please don’t, you’ll just embarrass us both.” That idea was on the list of absurdities. It would seem that Kushiel and Gallows were not easily embarrassed. If it were possible it would have already happened. His grin grew a little wider.
“But I’m glad to know that I can always come home to Mom, despite whatever unforgivable thing I do. Just for that, I’ll set a little bit of the Chamber on fire for your birthday. My gift to you.” Truly, his own nobility sometimes left him staggering. He took comfort in knowing that Gallows was true to her word. If Kushiel remembered correctly, he had already done several unforgivable things, and each time she managed to forgive him. A good woman indeed, undeserving of the burden placed on her. Though, before he could feel too sorry for her, he remembered that most of his traits surely came from her. He lacked the true villainy of his father. Carnage did insane things for what seemed to be the pure joy of doing them. Kushiel never did things if he could avoid it. The two couldn’t be farther apart. Surely he was mostly his mother’s doing. Perhaps deserving than, of the burden placed on her. Besides, she did some things of questionable morality himself. Sure she didn’t set things on fire, but she did read people’s minds. She suggested doing very that, and Kushiel shot her a warning looking.
“You will do no such thing. You can meet this prophetic ass, but I won’t hear a word of what she’s thinking. The best I can hope for is a good looking woman of poor taste to pretend to care for me for as long as she can. If you tell me what she’s really thinking it will ruin everything.” As enjoyable as this topic was, he had something else on his mind, and he was beginning to wonder if he was starting to pick up an interest in politics after all. He quickly dismissed that idea as absurd, he was simply curious. It was one of his more charming traits.
"So, Ma, a little bird told me someone was staging a bit of a coup in my hometown. I don’t need to start hoisting your battle flag do I?” The little bird hadn’t said anything of his mother’s inovlement, but it did kind of sound like something she would do. Better to ask.
and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Gallows - 09-01-2015
Oh, this boy. Such a flatterer. We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately. |
RE: and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Kushiel - 09-03-2015
Kushiel’s smile to his mother was lazy, indulgent and affectionate. He wouldn’t lie, he was happy not to have to do any campaigning. If she had staged a coup and it went horribly wrong she might have had to come live with him. He tried not to grimace. Wouldn’t that scenario put her in a temper? Kushiel would prefer not to see it. Still, the idea of being a prince did have an allure to it. He could do nothing to exert himself and call it being an esteemed member of the royal family. Royal families were supposed to be figureheads, right? Kushiel was happy to admit that he would be a fabulous figurehead. “That’s right you’ll inform me. I demand an early invitation to your coronation.” There were some things he was unwilling to comprise on. This was one of them. Should that proud day come, he would want to get there early to watch, and laugh mercilessly at all the fools who were now under his mother’s thumb. Not that it was a bad place to be, Kushiel was a long time resident, but still, give an inch and Gallows probably had the skill and ambition to take a mile.
Kushiel rolled his eyes at her next words. She had to rub it in didn’t she? Sometimes he wasn’t sure why he bothered speaking at all. Probably because he loved the sound of his own voice. That was really the only reason to move his lips at all. Other than to give the eavesdroppers something to do. He was charitable that way.
“Change, yes. Vitality, interesting.” He nodded along, as if it were interesting then groaned loudly, obnoxiously and in a bawling sound thick with exasperation. He needed to make sure everyone knew how very boring both of those ideas were.
“Does he want world peace too? Because it seems like that is where this is going.” Truly, it was so cliche Kushiel was prepared to set Demian on fire just to make him more interesting. It was no secret that Kushiel had no patience for boring things, and his general disdain for people of productivity was clear.
It was all so very plebeian.
Kushiel dropped the act to consider Gallows’ question. Straia was not so easy to explain as Demian, apparently. There were many things he could say about the Chamber queen. He just wasn’t sure which of those things he should say. Surprisingly, the first thing he thought of, for all her power and raven magic, was that she was funny. Not in a haha way, not in the way Kushiel was funny. She was droll and dry in a way that left you wondering if you were a total fool. He liked that in a woman. Still, certainly he could not go visiting other kingdoms and report that his queen was funny. Kushiel didn’t think much of his vocation as a diplomat, but even he thought more of it than that.
“She is powerful…a little scary actually.” That was true. She was as scary as she was funny, and he liked that even more. Still, Kushiel found he couldn’t make himself scared of her. The danger was obvious, right there on the surface, but he found he liked her too much to heed it. He smiled a little and continued.
“And she certainly has enough eyes to keep one of them of me, so I have to mind my manners.” That was another lie. She did have enough raven spies to keep an eye on him, but he hadn’t been minding his manners. His first diplomatic meeting at the Chamber had ended when he all but kidnapped the visiting diplomat to unsuccessfully woo her. But hey, nobody was perfect.
RE: and some by virtue fall; Gallows - Gallows - 09-09-2015
Dear, dear silly boy. If I were going to stage a coup it would be successful, else I wouldn't attempt it at all. There are, after all, some certainties in life. And I feel no need to reach out for the throne. The Valley is always here. She is indifferent to who rules her. Someday I might enter her embrace once more, but for now I am content to worship from the crowd. We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately. |