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in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-27-2025
Hope. It was a painful thing, bright as the midday sun and almost as blinding. She was tempted to drop everything and rush headlong into the quest she had been given, and perhaps it was this inattentiveness that brought the forest to play its pranks on her. Exactly how she wound up leaving her house and exiting a path on the banks of a river Maea didn't quite know; standing upon the slippery shoreline she dragged a hand through her hair and muttered a curse under breath, half peeved and half amused by the predicament. A basket hung over an arm, and she had left her coat and weapons at home; she hadn't expected to need them when going out to buy groceries.
But here she was, and it was a damned long trek to get back home to the Village.
With nothing for it but to start walking, she set off along the river and kept an eye on the sun to ensure she was moving in the right direction at least. The path beneath her feet had the feel of a deer-trail, coming and going and winding its way along the path of least resistance - as unreliable as any in this enchanted, whimsical woodland.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Zavien - 03-27-2025
He'd traveled to the Stone Symphony many times for training (Sol usually leading the way), finding the water to be a peaceful backdrop to any pain that may have arisen. Today was no different, and Zavien had awoken before the sun to the polite intrusion of his nightmares. Dragging his exhausted body to the forest with sword in hand, he figured if he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well train. So the morning had passed in a blur of determined practice, sword whistling through the air as his feet shifted over the forest floor. By the end, he was shirtless and sweating profusely, the ache in his side a low burn.
Like he had every training session since Tal had recommended it, Zavien removed his tub of bear fat, rubbing the substance into the scarring on his side. Despite the pain, he pressed deep into the tissue, driving fist and fingers firmly into the tight knots that threatened to form, to constrict his movement. His face was twisted against the sensation, all concentration and wincing aches.
Sol stood guard nearby, attention divided between the surrounding forest and buzzing insects flitting over the top of the water. He was the first to notice the approach of soft feet, abandoning his delight of the tiny gnats for his companion, swiftly alighting to his side. Zavien raised his head from his actions to spot the flash of white moving closer. His hands froze, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the emotions of their previous interaction. He'd only been trying to help, and he'd somehow ended up with a knife in the ribs, all his trauma and insecurities bleeding into his chest.
The gold dragon let out a low growl, taking a threatening step towards her that the Dragoon didn't stop, even as he gave Sol a gentle brush against the bond, a sign that he had it under control. 'Under control' being that he was leaving. He stood from the rock he'd propped himself on, sealing the tub of bear fat to stow it back in his pack. As his did so, his new addition was on full display on his bare, tan skin; the fading pink of the fresh scar puckering with his movements, stretching across his right side from armpit to mid abdomen. It wasn't hard to tell how severe the injury had been, although it couldn't compare to the suffering it had inflicted since.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-27-2025
It was the low growl of the dragon that alerted Maea to other travelers in the vicinity. Able to make out only fragmented shapes through the greening foliage at first, she realized who it was only as the path turned and Zavien stood from the rock to begin gathering up his things. Maea's guts plummeted, descending so fast she felt dizzy - a joyless roller-coaster of relived anger, desperation, shame - and for a panicked instant she froze, voice stuck like a lump in the throat.
But she couldn't just let him leave. Not after what she'd done. Not without saying something to explain, to apologize -
[say]"W-wait!"[/say] she blurted, stopping dead in her tracks with pale hands upraised - showing him the lack of flames, the gesture of surrender. [say]"Please? I'm - I'm sorry. For the other day. For what I said. I... it's not an excuse, but - can I explain? Apologize, somehow?"[/say] Probably not. Like Danta had said, she kept apologizing and never seemed to change. She wouldn't blame him if Zavien chose to walk away.
But she hoped he wouldn't. Hoped he would forgive the way her gaze lingered on the horrible scar on his chest and side before she caught herself and lowered it to the ground. Gazing at the irate little dragon seemed entirely appropriate; at least there was someone who wouldn't hesitate to retaliate and settle the score. That made it two people she should be apologizing too.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Zavien - 03-27-2025
Her words made him pause in his movements, hand in his pack, back to her. Zavien didn't really want to look at her, to risk hearing whatever other accusation she might have for him, but the desperation in her voice and apology on her lips suggested this interaction might be different than the last. He'd always let his instincts guide his actions - his heart tell him what was right.
There was a tension in his muscles, a feathering in his clenched jaw, and a reserved expression on his face as he finally turned to look at her. The ache in his chest felt like a fresh bruise from her words, but it still encouraged him to listen to what she might have to say, to hear what might have instigated such a vicious, cruel string of words. He crossed his arms like it might protect him from any other errant words, even as he leveled her with his green gaze, cautious as it granted her permission to speak. Sol stayed where he stood guard, the growl still rumbling low in his chest, although more like a vibration that a sound now.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Serendipity - 03-27-2025
And splash you, full force.
They’re not sorry.
You’ve encountered an Encantado. This counts as an uncommon creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.
Encantados (uncommon): A bright pink species of dolphin that are as mischevious as they are helpful. With water magic and the ability to both create and soothe storms, these blush-coloured creatures can help or hinder on a whim.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-27-2025
His silence was louder than any shout, speaking volumes of the damage she had done. Previously their encounters had been colored by a sunny chivalry on his part, first when he helped her deal with cronies and then again when he offered to help. Maea drew a quivering breath, accepting responsibility for the stony silence she received now. Deserved, it was, though no easier to bear for realizing that.
[say]"I've... been struggling, for a long time,"[/say] she admitted, offering nothing but honesty. [say]"To find things worth living for. I thought I had found an answer to what my place in this world was... but a conversation I had with a seer recently put all of that into question. I had gone into the forest to try and work through the conflict - I needed to be alone - and when you showed up... I was embarrassed. And frightened, to be seen that way, to think that I even needed help."[/say] Licking her lips anxiously, she tried to count her breath, sense the earth beneath her feet, all the little tricks Liz had told her about to keep her emotions steady. Everything she had failed to do last time she met Zavien.
[say]"I am so sorry for the things I said about you, and your mother. You don't have to forgive me - I don't think I deserve that - but I hope you can accept my apology. I was wrong to lash out - I should have been able to control my temper better, but I failed. I - it's - I am... working, on ensuring nothing like it will happen again."[/say]
Lowering her gaze even further, away from the golden dragon and down to a spot just before her toes. Inclining her head, the gesture had the character of a bow, sincere in its humility. From the water by her side, splashes announced the presence of pink dolphins in the water. Trying to pay them no heed and focus on her penance, Maea gasped in sudden shock when a cascade of water suddenly splashed into her, drenching her from head to toe. Sputtering and blinking to clear her eyes, she gaped in stunned silence at the estuary - rendered speechless by the sudden, out of the blue dousing.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Zavien - 03-27-2025
Maea couldn't take credit for all of his new darkness, although she'd certainly had an impact in this case. Zavien listened in quiet stoicism, sympathetic but still hurting from her previous words. She certainly looked like she regretted them, and he was almost tempted to comfort her again, to assuage the anxiety she was obviously struggling with. However, he continued to feel the stab of her words like it was only yesterday. Even if she'd said them in the heat of overwhelming anger or fear, they'd landed all the same, branding against his insecurities and fresh wounds. He wouldn't blame her - it wasn't like she'd known - but it was hard to have sympathy when his efforts had been met with such volatile hatred.
When she'd finally finished, he dipped his head and his expression softened somewhat, at least granting her some semblance of forgiveness. [say]"Thank you for the apology."[/say] Perhaps it would help her in whatever it was she was dealing with, and he wasn't heartless enough to turn a blind eye. [say]"I'm glad to hear that you're working on things, and I hope whatever you were struggling with gets better."[/say] That didn't mean he wanted to stay and talk with her though. Having planned to leave anyways, he closed his bag, turning to find his shirt on the branch he'd hung it over - and subsequently getting a face full of water.
The splash was sudden and forceful, drenching both him and Maea in the encantados's playful affection. Previously, he might have smiled at the light entertainment, maybe even laughed, but he was still weighed with emotion, and he let out a soft sigh. At least it had cooled the heat that still lingered from his training, rinsing the sweat from his hair. Luckily, his shirt and the towel next to it had avoided the splash zone.
Maea didn't have such luck, looking pitifully soaked from head to toe. Still maintaining some of his chivalry, Zavien retrieved his towel, offering it to her. [say]"Here."[/say] It wasn't big enough to dry her whole body, but it might help with her face or anything she felt inclined to use it on.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-28-2025
Being doused in cold water felt like just dessert, and Maea made a point of simply accepting the towel as Zavien handed it to her. Inching away from the water so the playful encantados wouldn't splash her again, the patted her face dry and used it to soak up the dampness in her hair.
[say]"Thank you, and thanks for allowing me to apologize. I... I passed away mmany years ago, but was revived... and you saw what happened in Hak Etme last longheat, right? All over again. It's... opened up old wounds."[/say] Not an excude that let her treat people like shit, but it was an explanation. One she owed him, and damn her reticence that would normally keep something like that private.
Folding up the towel, she offered it back to the dragoon. [say]"Thank you. I should go, and leave you be."[/say]
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Zavien - 03-28-2025
He stepped away as she dried her hair and face, Sol following as he made a move to retrieve his pack, but her words made him pause. It wasn't a memory he liked to recall - seeing her dead in the sand then Flora vanishing with her body. Zavien had filed it away with the other unpleasant memories of lost battles and people. However, her words brought it rushing back along with a painful understanding for her actions. There didn't seem to be a guide on how to process the emotions that come with death and subsequent resurrection. He knew that well enough.
The Dragoon turned back to look Maea, his own eyes rimmed with regret that deepened the fading circles under his eyes. [say]"I'm sorry. I - hadn't realized that was your second."[/say] The ache in his chest made him hesitate to offer his own story, but if there was one thing he could offer her, it was sympathetic solidarity in their shared trauma.
Glancing down at the subconscious wringing of his hands and shirt, Zavien's voice came out low and pained. [say]"I've only experienced it for the first time recently, and I - I don't want to go through that again."[/say] His head shook, a small whine from Sol reminding him of where he was and who he was talking to. If only to cast aside the image of darkness that promised renewed nightmares, he forced his body into action, pulling his shirt over his head before accepting the towel from her. [say]"No. I was just finishing. You're welcome to the space."[/say]
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-29-2025
Possibly she might have heard something about a death in Halo from Vox, but as she made a point of distrusting everything that thing said, she hadn't connected the dots about Zavien's experience yet. Not until his pained expression and the awful scar registered with what he was saying did it strike home with her, and it was her turn to wither with remorse.
[say]"I - I'm so sorry,"[/say] she got out, with a look of painful understanding. [say]"Once is more than enough. You couldn't have known; it's not something that comes up in normal conversation, anyway."[/say]
Chewing the inside of her cheek, Maea was of half a mind to let him go. The other half, though, found it unsatisfactory to leave things like this. They were sorry, yes, but was anything resolved?
[say]"Do you... want to talk about it?"[/say] she offered tentatively, before the man could leave. [say]"I'd understand if you don't, after everything... But if you do, I have all the time."[/say] Maybe it would help her, too; clearly Zavien was not fine with what happened, and it was sort of... relieving? to see that he wasn't pretending to be. Unlike her, who struggled to admit to feeling anything at all.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Zavien - 03-30-2025
Her question surprised him, his eyes lifting to meet hers, confusion spreading across his features. Few people had asked or offered to hear his experience. Most had heard of his death, verbalized their sympathies, and immediately moved on from the discomfort of it all. Only Alys had probed further, dredging up all the terrible, aching emotions to help understand what her companion might feel upon its return. She'd certainly helped him process some of what he'd gone through, but it was in no way 'healed,' and the prospect of reliving each grueling moment with someone he knew even less was not exactly desirable.
Zavien ran a hand through his wet hair. [say]"I don't - "[/say] He took a deep, steadying breath as he shook his head. [say]"It's not really something I like talking about..."[/say] The understatement of the century, and he looked again at the wringing of his hands, evidence of his growing anxiety at the topic. Yet he lingered, perhaps holding a hope that she might share some piece of advice or secret that made it all more bearable.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-30-2025
Twisting her hands together, rubbing a thumb over the scarred skin, Maea understood his reluctance. Some things did not get better from ruminating over them, and benefitted from forgiving and forgetting about. From the look of things however, Zavien was doing neither of those – and she knew painfully well where that might lead a person.
[say]"I won't make you, of course,"[/say] she assured him – wouldn't even use the excuse of reviving her dear Shii, though it was certainly part of the reason why she was still talking. [say]"I just think - I talked about this with Liam a while back - that sometimes it can help to say things out loud. To speak of the dead, to say when it hurts... I'm terrible at the last part, as you've noticed. But I'm trying to get better. And maybe – since I've done this dying thing more than you – I might be able to offer some aid..?"[/say] Did two times make you an expert? It was a weak attempt at brevity but given the circumstances, actually joking felt a bit out of place.
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Zavien - 03-31-2025
Zavien couldn't forget her searing words from before, how she'd accused him of not valuing life - of being a coward. He couldn't compute how the same woman stood before him, the one with soft words and an offered hand. It was so jarring that he didn't know which image to trust, didn't know if she'd leap for his throat again. She hadn't wanted to share with him, and it made him less inclined to do the same.
The mention of Liam pushed the scale somewhat in her favor, but he didn't know the man that well, certainly not well enough to assume they would put their faith in the same people. However, it was enough that he didn't immediately shoot her down, wanting to believe that she might help him with the nightmares or fears, with the anxieties that had made him cautious.
Sol's guarding form sat at his feet, his own confusion twisting through the bond as he tried to figure out if Maea was still a threat. It didn't help Zavien in the slightest. Sighing loudly, his hands stopped fidgeting as he looking back up at the pale Ancient. [say]"Not to be rude, but I guess I just don't really know how to talk about it, at least not with someone who already seems to have such a low opinion of me."[/say] It wasn't accusatory or harsh, but the truth, nonetheless. How was he supposed to bare his tender heart and darkest anxieties to her when she hadn't even bothered to notice when her words had cut him so deeply?
RE: in my defense, I was left unsupervised - Maea - 03-31-2025
Maea should have expected that, yet still his reservations caused her to flinch almost imperceptively. Trying and failing to hide the guilt, she reacquainted her gaze with the top of her boots again, with the smudges of dirt upon worn leather and the small cracks that suggested she would need a new pair before the next winter. Speechless at first, she felt a momentary impulse to give up and leave this man alone. He had every right to reject her offer, and the last thing she wanted was to intrude further on him.
Only the last choice of words stopped her. Maea shook her head slightly, disagreeing. [say]"I... completely understand. It's your decision. Just... I don't mean to be rude either anymore, but I really don't... have an opinion of you at all? Don't know you enough for that. Those things I said... I would likely have thrown at anyone who approached me at the time. It's what I've been telling myself, asking myself, for so long... What I'm trying to do, why I'm here... You just happened to be there when it spilled over."[/say] It was hard to admit, and left her feeling even more like an uncontrolled child – but it was unfortunately true. [say]"It probably sounds like an excuse... it's not meant to be, though. All the rest... it was just to make you go away. I did not mean any of it. And I'm very sorry that it caused you pain."[/say]
Did it make what she'd said better or worse for being spoken in ignorance of his trauma? Maea didn't know. It wasn't for her to decide. Her only decision right now was whether or not to honor her offer to talk - and that choice was reflected in her presence. Simply waiting quietly for Zavien to make up his mind on whether to accept her explanation or not. For once she didn't fidget, but had stilled until she barely seemed to breathe; like she could stand there to the end of time if need be.