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+---- Thread: there's no alibi (/showthread.php?tid=9578)
there's no alibi - Maea - 06-02-2024
Tigers did not belong under ground. The walls that pressed down on the tunnels and caves had the look of a cage, of bars and locks and barriers that prevented her from seeing the sky. The weight of the earth, that so many of her kin apparently found comforting, appeared as a looming threat over her head. Just waiting to come down, too suddenly and too heavily to escape.
In the gloom of the tunnels the tiger's white fur reflected the light of magma streams and melting steel until it fairly glowed. There was a tension laced through her, pace kept up into a jog that might escalate into a sprint at any moment. Mouth hanging open, the breath came in short, agitated gasps; and when a swamp rat scuttled across her path she swiped at it with a heavy paw, so that it was sent squeaking into the shadows. It didn't satisfy her. Nothing did. Maea had fled into the tiger's guise hoping that it would chase off her own thoughts. But this time it didn't work.
Ahead, the tunnel opened up into a vast space. At first she felt a rush of relief just to find the ceiling opening up above her; dragging down a deep breath she followed the walls up, up, hoping to see some light stream down from a crack, or crevice. No such luck. What should have been a cascading fall of fresh, clean water instead clogged her throat with the stench of blood. It was everywhere; dripping from the walls, hovering in the air like a thin red mist, and before she'd gotten more than a few paces into the cavern, her fur was taking on a red sheen that made the hairs clump together.
Disappointment soured the taste in her mouth. Turning her golden gaze from the foul display, Maea kept going; maybe there was something else to find if she just pressed on. Something beautiful and clean and fresh - that didn't make her feel worse than she already did.
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-02-2024
Charlie knew that pretty much everything she'd once had was gone. Her home, her possessions, even the most basic landmarks she'd once known like the back of her hand had been swallowed up by the passage of time. Everyone she'd ever said hello to, loved, fucked, (wanted to love or fuck), had respected or hated...they too were gone. Now, Charlie certainly wasn't one to mourn and certainly not one to dwell on things she couldn't change, but even the priestess wasn't immune to a bit of naive hope.
So it was that she was basically on an archeological expedition to try and literally dig up her own past.
Singing to herself as she worked (
RE: there's no alibi - Maea - 06-02-2024
Approaching from the other side of the vast cavern, the tiger picked up on the hacking and scraping of rock long before she found the source. It drew on her anxiety of rock slides and roofs collapsing for a good while, until the rhythmic nature of the clacks registered. Then curiosity, the curse of all cats, took over and drew her in. Only to find that it was caused by a not-really-familiar-and-yet figure. Small, golden haired and radiating determination even from a mile away; Maea sat down and stared at the slender back for a long while. Trying to decide whether she really wanted to approach or not.
Not so very long ago she'd wished the woman was around. And she'd proved a good listener. More than anything though, the newly forged ancient realized that it was her liberal attitude and positive nature that she had been missing. It was the opposite of herself - the very bright, clear and refreshing thing she had been trying to find.
Making up her mind, she shifted back into herself and approached, intentionally kicking a few rocks as she went to alert the woman. Startling a predator was never good, and whatever else ancients were, apparently they were all monsters of one form or another.
[say]"Hi Charlie. What are you doing?"[/say]
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-03-2024
Whether or not Charlie was aware she was being watched before Maea made her presence known, the priestess' singing came to a musical halt as a few scattered stones bounced her way. Glancing over one shoulder, looking coy and pretty and alert all at the same time, Charlie's tail flicked mischievously for a moment before she flashed the loreseeker a wide smile. [say]"Maea, hey!"[/say] She called brightly, waving the other girl over as if this had been some sort of planned meeting that the ancient had been looking forward to for weeks rather than just a chance encounter.
[say]"How are you? Your Ball was amazing by the way."[/say] She gushed. Not a leader or anyone of particular renown, of course Charlie had enjoyed herself. There had been food, lots of wine, dancing, and so many new people to meet.
RE: there's no alibi - Maea - 06-03-2024
The woman reminded her of the fae, she realized. Petite and delicate and so small that she shouldn't be real. There were no wings draping across her back, but that was also the only apparent difference. It was almost like looking at Nephele - except, so far Charlie hadn't tried to kill her.
[say]"I'm glad you had a good time. That makes it worth the effort,"[/say] she replied. Closing the distance to see what the doll-like ancient was up to, she shrugged lightly. [say]"Oh, you know. Could be better, could be worse. I've been looking for some flowers that might prove useful... so far no luck."[/say] Not to mention it gave her a perfectly valid reason to avoid home for a while. [say]"How do you like the Grounds so far?"[/say]
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-03-2024
[say]"I loved it! You should host another one!"[/say] Immediately, she might have suggested, but even Charlie knew how much effort went into orchestrating such things. Likely Maea felt as though she needed a holiday from it all just to recoup the hours she'd poured into the event.
[say]"Sounds about right."[/say] Charlie agrees; things could always be worse, and unless one was very lucky, they could always be better too. [say]"Flowers? What kind?"[/say] The ancient wondered, glancing around the rocky ground as if a sudden meadow of blooms might suddenly appear.
[say]"I love it! Everyone is so nice, and there are so many new things to see and do!"[/say] Of course this was Charlie's answer. [say]"I love staying at the Dusklight, but I'm thinking I should probably find a place of my own soon. Danta mentioned that there were people who used to live in the Temple so, I sort of thought maybe I'd check that out?"[/say] Turning to properly look at Maea, Charlie tilted her head in an obvious attempt to see if the other girl had any reaction to this.
RE: there's no alibi - Maea - 06-03-2024
Though she tried to muster a smile in the face of Charlie's enthusiasm, it faltered and was gone barely a moment later. [say]"Mmh, I wouldn't mind, but Danta probably won't let me do it again."[/say] Searching the wall as if it might hold some secret or hidden treasure, whatever it was the woman had been doing wasn't immediately apparent.
[say]"The healing kind. Rae's lilies, or Vi's roses - apparently they've been found in this region before. Do you know anything about them?"[/say] Turning to look at the woman, curious whether they were an old phenomenon or more recent in history, she found herself eye to eye with the blonde. Blinking rapidly in surprise at being asked for an opinion, Maea's head tilted to the side, the angle exaggerated by her wide-reaching horns.
[say]"I... guess they did. It's been a long time since, but I can't see how it would be a bad idea. Too many bad things have happened in that place. Changing its purpose might be just what it needs."[/say] Considering the other woman, it was too early to tell whether it was a good recommendation. [say]"If you need any help getting settled, I wouldn't mind lending a hand. Or two, depending on how much change you're thinking of."[/say] The beginnings of a smile pulled at her lips. Maea both hoped and dreaded what might become of the most iconic building in the region after the Spire.
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-04-2024
[say]"Oh I'm sure that isn't true!"[/say] Charlie laughs. [say]"Besides, he might be king of the Grounds, but he isn't king of parties."[/say] She adds, bouncing her thick eyebrows. [say]"I can even help you if you want. I know how much work it can be."[/say]
Flicking her tail idly, the blonde tilts her head before giving her head a little shake to indicate her lack of recognition. [say]"Nope, never heard of them before."[/say] Not only had she not heard of them, but the priestess found it odd indeed that healing plants named after two other (minor, when compared to Dygra) deities would be growing in the Climb. [say]"What do you need them for? Are you hurt? I can always heal you if you are."[/say] Always eager to assist, Charlie reached out one of her arms as evidence that she'd happily injure herself to heal her pale counterpart.
[say]"Amazing!"[/say] Clapping her small hands together, Charlie beams. [say]"I was thinking of turning some of the rooms into special kind of worship spaces. Our conversation from before got me thinking that maybe the way people want to worship is different than what it used to be, and I wouldn't ever want anyone to feel like there wasn't a space for them."[/say] Of course Charlie had also learned that for some, they absolutely did want to worship in the ways of old, but also had no place to do so.
RE: there's no alibi - Maea - 06-04-2024
Humming doubtfully, Maea wasn't so sure. [say]"'No more balls' is what he said... but I suppose that doesn't exclude some other kind of revel."[/say] Was that a smile ghosting past her lips? Perish the thought. It wasn't strictly speaking Danta whom she really wanted to rebel against, but he was the closest thing. [say]"Besides, since I'm not part of his council anymore I don't need his permission to do anything."[/say] It should have been a satisfying conclusion, but Maea only looked grim and downcast as the said it.
Shaking her head, she gently held her hands out over Charlies arm, to prevent any impulsive bloodshed. [say]"I'm okay. But these void creatures, some of them cause injuries that can't be healed my magic. It took Rae to fix one of them... so I wanted to see if I could find one. Just in case."[/say]
Leaning back against the rock wall, Maea pulled on a string of hair that was starting to feel unpleasantly sticky. Given what little she knew of the rituals of yore, giving people options was a wonderful idea and the nodded eith fervor, more than a little grateful. [say]"That's s lovely idea. I'll admit I'm interested in the theory, but actually practicing is a bit... difficult. But that might just be me,"[/say] she added, the first to admit she wasn't very open minded.
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-04-2024
[say]"Probably because his corset was too tight."[/say] Charlie chuckles. [say]"Not that he didn't look amazing, but sore ribs are no fun."[/say] Tilting her head to the side, the priestess registered the whisper of a smile on Maea's lips before the girl's sentiments took a decidedly different turn that had the blonde's eyebrows knitting together. [say]"You don't sound happy about that."[/say] She prompted, forcing her eyebrows up and apart to encourage Maea to say more things about it, if she wanted.
[say]"Ohhh, oh I see!"[/say] Smiling brightly and returning her hand to her side, the priestess glanced around, once more expecting a sudden sprouting of flowers to just appear. [say]"What do they look like?"[/say] Charlie, of course, wouldn't hesitate to bring Maea an entire bouquet of them if she ever stumbled upon them.
[say]"Mmm."[/say] The blonde hums agreeably. [say]"I know for a lot of people not knowing how things are going to go or what to expect can be scary."[/say] Charlie had been fortunate in her upbringing to have never been bullied or broken down at the wrong times, such that once her confidence gained a bit of momentum, it just kept on rolling until she became the abominable snowball of happiness that she was today. That didn't mean, though, that she was naive enough to think everyone had it so easy.
[say]"I was thinking if there were rooms where you could just watch, and not like watch-wtach and have it be creepy, but more just to get an idea of things, that might help. Ooh!"[/say] Widening here eyes, Charlie beamed up at Maea. [say]"Maybe posters? Diagrams?"[/say]
RE: there's no alibi - Maea - 06-04-2024
The conversation moved so fast that Maea couldn't keep up. Lighthearted topics like flowers and Danta's wardrobe bounced off the big mass of gloom that surrounded the topic of getting the sack, not to mention the potentially frought subject of religous practices. Though she wanted to match Charlie's enthusiasm, Maea just couldn't muster the energy.
Raking her hair from the face repeatedly as if to help stir her thoughts into action, she still did her best to respond. [say]"Erm, I've never seen the flowers so I don't know exactly, I assume they'll be hard to miss. And sure, diagrams.. or maybe a pamphlet with rituals of varying difficulty? As for not sounding happy, getting fired tends to do that."[/say]
Maea really did try to smile properly, but it took effort and fell away the moment she stopped pretending. Out of the selection of topics, viewing rituals seemed the least difficult; [say]"What is your favorite way to worship?"[/say] she asked, hoping to steer away from talking about herself for a while longer. It's all she'd done for the past days; Maea barely knew up from down anymore.
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-07-2024
Not put out at all by the lack in their levels of energy, the blonde merely beams at Maea as the loreseeker tried to push up against emotions she clearly wasn't feeling. [say]"No doing what you don't want, remember?"[/say] Charlie offers softly. [say]"Even if it's something as simple as smiling. You don't need to do that for me."[/say] Crinkling her nose in soft appreciation for Maea's efforts, the blonde just nods regarding the flowers. [say]"Wellllll, if I see any hard-to-miss flowers, I'll bring them straight to you!"[/say] At best she'd have found what Maea was looking for, and at worst, the ancient would have a lovely bouquet.
[say]'Oh?'[/say] Interpreting fired incorrectly for a moment, the priestess's expression grows appropriately solemn. [say]"That sucks. Do you want to talk about it?"[/say]
As for worshipping? Instantly brightening, the blonde grins. [say]"My favourite way is with lots of other people. I like the feeling of family around me, you know?"[/say] Whether that was holding hands, or writhing naked in a blood-soaked orgy, so long as there was a sense of camaraderie, Charlie was happy.
RE: there's no alibi - Maea - 06-07-2024
Maea had liked that too, once. Being surrounded by family. Having people around that she could trust, that knew her and whom she knew. Even when there were problems, even when they didn't see eye to eye on certain things and it hadn't been perfect - the good still outweighed the bad and it had been so easy to forgive.
She wanted that. Needed it. Had thought she was finding it again, in a way, until it all blew up in her face.
[say]"Thank you,"[/say] she murmured in response to the offer of bringing flowers to her, unsure what to do with her face if forcing it into a smile was not the right answer. Staring at the ground, apparently. Emotion draining away until only exhaustion remained. Maybe she was grateful for that too, in a way. Awkward and exposing as it felt, not needing to keep up a facade of being alright actually let her admit to herself that she probably wasn't. It really did suck.
[say]"Both yes and no,"[/say] she admitted in the face of Charlie's concern. [say]"I'm sick of it, but also can't seem to get over it either."[/say] Gesturing at the rock wall, she wondered, [say]"Do you need help with this? It feels better to do something when I'm talking. If you're sure you want to listen, of course."[/say] If not she absolutely didn't blame the woman. She could keep talking about worship and traditions and maybe pick Charlie's brain on healing - which she probably should anyway at some point - and it would still be better than roaming the tunnels on her own. If running from her problems hadn't helped by now, another week probably wouldn't change anything.
RE: there's no alibi - Charlie - 06-07-2024
[say]"Yeah, I can imagine."[/say] The blonde said with a nod. [say]"Like it's just kind of stuck in your throat and no matter how much you scream or talk about it, it's still just there?"[/say] Coating every word, tainting every sentence.
Glancing over her shoulder at the rock wall, Charlie seemed to pause only for a moment before returning a triumphant smile. [say]"Sure, if you want! I was just looking for any artifacts from when I was alive. I lost all of my stuff and...well, everyone. I know the landscape has changed a lot, but back when I lived here, this was a river, so....I thought maybe if I went down deep enough, maybe I'd find...I don't know, a grave? Some of the etchings we carved onto the walls?"[/say] The blonde's smile was optimistic if a little naive, but so what? There were worse ways to spend an afternoon.
[say]"And please, keep talking as long as you want to."[/say]