Kushiel wasn’t easily offended. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he was offended in the slightest. For all his faults, he could take as well as he gave. Now, however, he could admit a twinge of offense.
She had, after all, flown away.
Plenty of women had walked away from conversations with Kushiel. One or two had even run away, but none had ever flown away. Perhaps, he just hadn’t had enough opportunities to annoy winged women, but regardless, this was a new position Kushiel found himself in. As a true conisyuour of life, there were few situations Kushiel hadn’t had the opportunity to experience. The novelty alone was enough to get him off his ass and headed towards the Dale.
Luckily, it was not a very long walk. Unfortunately, Kushiel’s habit of idleness meant he was not in peak physical condition. Don’t misunderstand, he looked fantastic, sleek and sinewy, you might think him well conditioned, but you would know better if you saw him pick up a trot and hold on to it for more than a few minutes.
Kushiel wasn’t sure if he simply wasn’t made for manual labor or if he had inhaled too much smoke during his nearly nightly burnings. It was times like this that made him wonder if he should attempt to amend his ways. That thought was quickly dismissed. No, all this would be fine if Elysteria hadn’t flown away. Kushiel shook his head violently. Now a woman was making him question himself.
He really was losing it.
Without much thought for propriety, or for diplomacy, Kushiel stomped into the Dale, not bothering to wait at the border or introduce himself. He didn’t even look around much, though he had never been here before. No, he was a man on a mission. Once he had plainly positioned himself in the middle of her kingdom, Kushiel bawled at the top of his voice, hoping she was lurking somewhere, probably feeling smug about having ditched him. It had taken him a while to muster the energy to come, but now he had, and he managed to dredge up his grievances.
“Elysteria! If you think flying away is enough for me to take the hint, you sorely underestimate me.” He smirked, a strong hint of the devil in his eye.
“I do know where you live after all.” That right there, was her first mistake, telling him where she lived. Granted, they had met first in the Field when they both attempted to recruit the same mare, and again when she came on a diplomatic visit to his kingdom, which he had done his best to ruin by dragging her away. They were off to a fine start.
- Year: 233
- Season: Winter
- SWP: None
Assailant -- Year 226
"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
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and some by virtue fall; Elysteria
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09-11-2015, 10:29 PM
love is a temporary madness... Today she is feeling every one of her years. Perhaps if she had actually slept the previous night, she might be feeling a bit less achy this morning. But then, that is what had prevented her from sleeping in the first place. The pain, the remembered fear, the self-recrimination. It had made her particularly morbid, inspiring a trip to the beach. What she had found there was not even remotely close to what she had expected. Only now is she returning, body sore and aching, a limp quite noticeable as she heavily favors her right shoulder. And behind her trails a filly. No doubt many would mistake the child as hers. Though the teal points marking her body are distinctly unique, the bright red shade of her coat is a perfect match for Elysteria’s. The filly is nearly as tired as she is. The sun is high in the sky, warming the earth and filling the Dale with its mercilessly bright rays. They had been traveling much of the morning, and now Elysteria longs for little more than a nap. Whether she will actually be able to sleep is another story. She is just settling the tired girl in for a nap when she hears the voice. She easily recognizes it. Stiffening, she jerks her small head up, wild gaze scanning the surrounding landscape. He is close. And, clearly, he would not leave without what he came for. Of course he knows where she lives. How could he not? She had boldly announced it both times they had previously met. That he might show up here, trespassing upon their land uninvited, had never occurred to her. Apparently she had affected him as much as he had affected (irritated) her. The thought is not precisely comforting. She considers ignoring him, but in the end, she does not. Someone else would come then, and that was a disaster waiting to happen. She does not need to be the cause of a war (however inadvertent) between their kingdoms. Nor will she let him be either. So she stumbles forward on aching legs. He is very close, much more so than she had previously thought. She halts, russet gaze fixing upon him in mild aggravation. She has changed since their last meeting, and not in a good way. She is certain she had fractured her shoulder in the fall (in addition to a few ribs), which makes walking incredibly painful. But she will deal with the pain for now. Much better than the soul-shattering fear flying had induced lately. Wounds litter her once unblemished skin, mostly shallow scrapes that would heal interspersed with a few deeper slices that would scar. All courtesy of the rocks and roots jutting from the ground that had broken her fall. The ragged white circle stands out starkly against her chest, an old scar, but somehow more prominent today. Her features are drawn, weariness etched into the delicate lines of her body. All in all, she looks rather rough. “Kushiel.” The word comes out sounding more fragile than she had intended. She straightens slightly, imbuing her tone with increased authority as she continues. “Is there a reason you are here? Other than to torment me some more?” elysteria
09-14-2015, 05:26 PM
love is a temporary madness... She isn’t entirely certain she has the fortitude to deal with this today, but nonetheless she will. Despite appearances, she is a strong woman. She will carry on just as generations before her have done. But then Kushiel surprises her. (When isn’t he surprising her?) Her name is followed by a gruff question about her appearance. It is not the question that astonishes her, but rather the emotion behind it. Her ability is growing stronger, and even when she might not wish to feel such things, when she is in such close proximity, it is impossible not to. He is actually concerned for her. As he begins to circle her, inspecting her battered frame, she can only stare at him in surprise. Fortunately, he continues without waiting for her answer. His trademark humor is very much in evidence today. Having had time to reflect however, she has come to the conclusion that he uses his wit and sarcasm as a mask of sorts. For whatever reason, he seems to believe it better that others see him as irresponsible and brash rather intelligent and (mostly) competent. That is one thing she doubts she will ever understand about him. His next question gives her pause. She briefly considers lying about what had happened. But she is a terrible liar. She has rarely had the need to do so. She also contemplates simply remaining mute on the point, but knowing him, he would pester her about it until she could no longer take it. So, in the end, she does tell him, albeit a greatly abbreviated version of the tale. “I never saw the other guy. It was an accident, I think. He… he was inside my head.” She is more than capable of defending herself. Deadly, in fact, should she so choose. But it is impossible to fight an assailant you cannot see, an assailant who can control your body at will. She shudders at the memory, the action starting a shiver across her body as though it were the depths of winter. The remembered fear lurches within her wildly before she hastily tamps it down. The only thing that makes the entire experience even remotely less traumatizing is the fact that she does not believe the stallion controlling her had done any of it intentionally. It seems to have been more of an accident on his part, a reflex of sorts. Fortunately his next words manage to bring her back from the brink. She comes back to reality with a jolt. It takes her moment to process the words, but when she does, she laughs. It is a rather hollow laugh, mostly devoid of humor. It seems she is to have no secrets from him. Rather than irritating her, the thought is oddly comforting. She is not sure if it is the circumstance, or if he is actually affecting her so strongly, but she finds herself wanting to lean on him, on his strength. “I do have a daughter.” The words hang heavily in the air for a long moment before she clarifies them, turning her gaze onto the sleeping filly. “But this is not she. This is my sister, Lirren. I… just found her.” She stops then, unable to continue around the lump in her throat. She had not expected to find her mother after all of these years. And then to find her, only to watch her die. She wonders if these torments will ever end. elysteria
09-21-2015, 02:10 PM
love is a temporary madness... Sometimes she feels crazy. Her life is once again spiraling out of her control. Just when she had thought she had a chance for true happiness, events had conspired against her. And now she is lost in a maelstrom of new and ancient memories, horrors that she would rather not have revisited. What better way to describe her mental state than crazy? In the actual sense of the word however, one could only describe her as perfectly sane. Despite everything that has happened to her, she still has managed to retain her sense. She can well understand Kushiel’s skepticism. She had not told him the full story. Of course, she isn’t quite certain she knows the full story herself. And just as those ancient memories that had resurfaced, it is not something she particularly wishes to dwell upon. The memory of falling is too fresh, too sickening. Flight has always been a solace to her, feeling the wind on her face, caressing her body, tugging at her dark tresses, had been as soothing as it was freeing. But that had been taken from her so brutally, at a time when she could use it most. There is no smile on her lips today, no brightness in her russet eyes. No, today those eyes are haunted, dark, the brightness within her diminished to near nonexistence. Ironic isn’t it? She could blaze as bright as the sun if she so chose, and yet she feels the very opposite. Kushiel is trying to make sense of her situation, asking what she had meant by accident. If she could have mustered the energy, she would have laughed. He is trying to understand a situation she has little understanding of herself. “Both, I think.” There is a hint of sardonic humor in her words as she speaks. “I felt his emotions, heard some of his thoughts. I’m certain he could hear mine as well. I don’t know how he did it, or why. But he was… confused.” It hurts to say that, the irony of the entire situation as awful as the outcome. She is quiet for a moment as painful memories replay in her head, as she searches for a name. But there is nothing. Who he was, why, she has answers to none of those questions. “I wish I could tell you.” His attention turns to her oddly colored sister then as he assesses her. She wouldn’t necessarily say that she is full of surprises. She simply has never had a reason to tell him of her daughter, just as she has never mentioned Tiphon. Her heart aches at the thought of him. He is gone, where she knows not. But in her time of need, he is nowhere to be found. Kushiel asks the obvious question then, of where her parents are, why they are not caring for Lirren. In truth, she does not know who Lirren’s father is (though she has a strong suspicion). As for her own, that is not something she wishes to delve into at the moment. “My mother… she died giving birth to Lirren.” The words are halting, her grief still too new. She blinks back tears, clearing her throat before she continues. “I don’t know who Lirren’s father is, and as for mine, he is not someone who deserves a place in my life.” Her voice hardens on the words. After the way he had treated her daughter, his granddaughter, she has no desire to give him the time of day, much less anything more. And as much as she’d like to deliver to him the comeuppance he so deserves, she knows enough about him to know that she will never be strong enough to do that. Better to let sleeping dogs lie, as they say. elysteria
10-08-2015, 03:04 PM
 Elysteria Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like a volcano, then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. He’s being far too nice to her. She had not expected nice, not after their previous encounters. She wonders briefly if it’s a product of her injuries, or if he is genuinely growing to respect her. She rather hopes it’s the second option. She would hate to be pitied, especially by him. She is not weak. Not by a long shot. But with these terrible things that keep happening to her, she has to wonder. What is it about her that attracts such tragedy? You have to work out whether your roots |
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