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Stolen Souls - Printable Version

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Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-12-2019

The Spire looms, ever a testament to its treacherous past even in ruins. Delphia stared up at it, silver eyes narrowed. Anger is not an emotion she felt often, but in the moment she felt rage. How dare the Voice horde away these souls? Had she not tortured her Ascended enough, leading them to war over and over for fruitless gain in a battle she could never win? Not even once sacrificing herself and instead letting them drop like flies, then keeping them from peace and comfort? To war was one thing. To kill even was one, and to use and manipulate another bit of the shreds of humanity she had once had. But to continue to force the dead to suffer was monstrous.

Unforgivable even.

Her fists clenched at her sides, staring at it. How could she get to the top? It seemed so thoroughly destroyed that there was certainly no way she could manage it. Another hurdle to collecting that which had been stolen.


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-12-2019

[say]"Are you upset? Y'seem upset."[/say]

So it is that you become reacquainted with Delphia: sitting, cross-legged, on the ground in a pocket of dense, stubborn moss, your feet bare, an apple half-eaten in one of your hands, your honey eyes curious as you gaze up at the girl.

You can't say you particularly blame her, being no big fan of the spire yourself. It's such an ugly, unnatural thing, a place where life just will not thrive. Your emotions on The Voice are somewhat milder, but that is neither here nor there. Tilting your head up to look at the stranger, you wrinkle your nose in thought. [Say]"Why're you upset?"[/say]


RE: Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-12-2019

At the sound of the familiar voice, Delphia was pulled from her vengeful ruminations, pale eyes finding none other than Kaimana in the bushes. No one else could so stealthily sit amongst the brush and not be noticed except a child of Rae. She chanced a small smile, there then gone, upon seeing him. [say]”Greetings, Kaimana. Like your sister, I doubt you remember me. I am Delphia, daughter of Mort. We met last you were in the Greatwood.”[/say] she said softly, her gaze and tone loving as she looked upon her somewhat cousin.

But his question had her eyes drawn back to the spire, a near frown on her lips. [say]”I am more than upset. I am angry. Wrathful. Vengeful – all the things most think of when pondering the nature of Mort without context.”[/say] Even in a world where the god of death was loving and kind, speculation about the havoc he could wreak were still abundant enough. Death could be messy, it could be cruel and painful and torturous – it was hard to distance oneself from that image with that being the living reality. [say]”You are aware that when something dies, its soul is to go to my father’s realm, so it might rest in peace, right?”[/say] she asked Kai.


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-12-2019

You have absolutely not intended for stealth in your plot of moss and lichen, yet people always seem somewhat surprised to see you- funny how that works. Shaking your head to clear it of some of the moss, you tilt it to the side, freckled face lighting significantly as you learn that this is a once-and-future friend. [say]"Hullo Delphi!"[/say] you reply in greeting, accidentally leaving off the final vowel. [say]"I don' remember, but it's nice t'meetcha again."[/say] Probably. You assume. It's usually pretty nice to meet people, in your experience.

Except then she's upset (no, wrathful), so you furrow your brows, attempting to understand the strength of her vitriol and utterly failing. Instead you latch onto something that bemuses you greatly- [say]"People think Mort is vengeful?"[/say] you wonder, thoroughly surprised that anyone could come up with such a misconception.

Standing up, you settle in beside Delphia, your freckled face thoughtful as you stare up at the Spire. [say]"Yea, I know."[/say] Thoughtfully you take a step toward the structure, reaching out with your magic to coax some of the plant life you've willed into existance to follow along behind. You want to see how close you can get it, before it refuses to come along.


RE: Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-13-2019

The corners of her eyes crinkled as she looked at him fondly. So unlike his sister, and yet so perfectly a child of Rae still. Where Oia was the detached aspect of nature, Kai was the vibrancy in it. [say]"It is good to meet you again as well."[/say] she said, sharing the sentiment. She liked the twins very much. But go figure - she was Mort's daughter. Loving that of life and nature came easily.

But her gaze turned back to the Spire as his did, her frown returning. His amused question did get a small life in return. [say]"Death, in its physical form can be very unpleasant, and so some wrongly apply those traits to Mort. It is very amusing."[/say] she said. But as for what did make her angry...

[say]"The Voice has been hording the souls of deceased Ascended for centuries. Since long before the war 300 years ago even."[/say] she said, brow furrowing. The implication was clear enough that she was confident the son of Rae would put the picture together. Souls that did not go to Mort were restless. It was wrong. Torturous even. Over time, while in the care of someone who did not understand the intricacies of Mort's realm like Ludo or even herself, they could even become twisted, psyches torn apart, waiting for a peace that never came.

Her hands clenched into fists as she stared up at it. [say]"Ludo believes they are in the Spire. But Safrin destroy much of the stairs. I am not certain how I am to get up there to try and find them."[/say]


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-16-2019

As Delphia continues to explain you stand perfectly still, listening intently despite the fact that your eyes are fixed on the smooth black wall. Breathing slowly, you attempt to will more life into being around you - something you honestly don't have any control over, but you like to believe you kinda do. That the plants like you, and that's why they grow around you, so you're never without friends.

Anyway. Ahem. Back to business. Lost souls, centuries in the Spire- very serious stuff. More serious than your flowers, some might say, though the moss that's sprouting in your hair and the grass that slowly unfurls near your toes seem pretty important to you. Is there anything better or more beautiful than nature taking back a place that should belong to it? One day you hope to see the Spire covered in vines and lichen and flowers. One day-

Ahem. Anyway. Souls. Souls in the Spire. Souls in the Spire with stone stairs Safrin shattered. [say]"Why doesn't Ludo go get 'em? Or the other Heralds? Why's it gotta be you?"[/say] you wonder, genuinely curious what could possibly be keeping the raggedy being from retrieving his errant charges.


RE: Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-16-2019

Delphia glanced at Kai, a hint of a smile on your lips. Easily distracted as always, surrounded by his plants, daydreaming near constantly. He was Oia's perfect balance. That talk of death and souls was less than thrilling to him was no surprise though. The matters of death did not concern nature. It simply was a reality, accepted for what it was, and ruminated on no further.

[say]"Our parents and the heralds cannot enter the Spire. That is why."[/say] she said, eyes narrowing as she gazed up at it once more. [say]"Ludo said that those chosen by Safrin knew about the stolen souls as well...though I do not know who these chosen might be. Though I've heard whispers of a Shield of Safrin..."[/say] say she said softly, glancing over at her divine cousin again. [say]"Would you like to go inside with me while I investigate?[/say]


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-18-2019

[say]"But Safrin entered the Spire,"[/say] you point out- not as a means of confrontation so much as a simple observation. Moss is growing over your hands, finally, more on your skin than on the structure itself but you try to gently coax it off, encouraging it to take hold.

Delphia's invitation at last draws you away from trying to cover the thing with life. Turning back to face the girl, you bite your lip, frowning nervously as you dig your bare toes into the dirt. You... really don't want to go inside. You don't like man-made structures as it is, and this one feels particularly... wrong. Like it's the opposite of all things natural, all things you know and love and cherish. Just thinking about it makes you feel sick to your stomach, mildly terrified that once you enter you will never be able to escape.

But... Delphia is your family, kinda, and you aren't one to decline requests for help. Steeling yourself you swallow audibly, your freckled face a little pale as you nod you agreement uncertainly. [say]"O... okay. We can, um, we can go in. "[/say] You will do your utmost to be brave, as much as you would rather not.


RE: Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-18-2019

[say]”She did. And it nearly killed her.”[/say] she said softly, letting the implication hang in the air. Killing a herald was no small feat. That simply entering the Spire had nearly ended the herald of Life should be proof enough why her mortal self had to enter the places the fully divine could not.

Delphia glanced back at Kai, seeing his nervousness and hesitation. [say]”Here.”[/say] she murmured, holding out a hand to him. She might be the daughter of death, but she was still alive. Perhaps she could anchor him a bit, soothing his anxiousness of manmade structures if only just. It was the least she could do after all. [say]”If at any point you wish to turn back, we can. Just say so.”[/say] she said with a small smile.

Then, if he followed, she would walk into the Spire. Her eyes narrowed, seeing stairs wrapping up around the edge of the building, the center the hollow, destroyed part. [say]”Even the spirits aren’t clear on the state of this place…”[/say] she muttered softly, realizing that the beings who informed her of the lack of stairs hadn’t been quite right. The staircase went up the sides, not the center.


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-19-2019

You take Delphia's hand gratefully, though it does little to calm your nerves. Wondering if she can feel how sweaty and clammy you are you reluctantly follow her onward, nodding silently at her invitation to retreat and swallowing down the urge to announce that, yup, right now would be a good time for that.

You don't make it much further than the door. Even though the top of the Spire is open, the insides hollowed out, you somehow feel claustrophobic - as though the structure might collapse on top of you at any minute, or worse, swallow you up and close its doors, eliminating any hope of escape.

Glancing around nervously, you fail to make any more steps inside, shuffling your feet unhappily on the cold, unnatural floor. [say]"I- I- I don' like this, Delphy,"[/say] you stutter, trying hard to still seem brave but failing miserably. [say]"There's nothin' natural in here."[/say]


RE: Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-20-2019

The slight tug on her shoulder indicated that her somewhat cousin had rooted himself to the ground in a way only a Rae child could. Delphia glanced back, smiling sympathetically at him. [say]"You're right. There is nothing natural in here."[/say] she said softly, glancing up at the hole in the ceiling. She desperately wanted to climb the stairs, but not at the expense of Kaimana. He would turn into a puddle before they even reached a landing certainly.

[say]"Let's go back outside. Thank you for coming in with me though. It was good to see the stairs still there."[/say] she said with a smile, heading back out of the Spire, still hand in hand with him. His reaction even was far more than she might've anticipated either. She could sense when things were wrong amongst the dead. But the world as it was? The natural balance? Whether Kai realized it or not, his reaction was telling. Things were very much not right


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-21-2019

You don't like this. You dont like this. You don't like this. There's a faint sheen of sweat on your brow, and the moustache of it is far denser than any facial hair you could ever hope to produce on your own. You have never had a panic attack before, not that you can remember, and so you have no idea what's happening, except that it's the worst.

Delphy says it's ok to leave, and so you practically bolt from the Spire, eager to get out and back into the sun as quickly as possible. Much like an animal released from captivity you cling to the freedom of open space. Breathing heavily you fall to your knees, dropping Delphia's hand and setting your palms upon the earth to stabilize yourself. The mushrooms and grass that pop up around your fingers provide a soothing effect, but you're still shaking a little, your panic attack playing havoc on your poor nervous system.

Helplessly you look up at Delphy, tears brightening your dirt-brown eyes. [Say]"I don't like it in there. I don't wanna go again. Please, Delphy. Don't go back. That isn't a place for us."[/say]


RE: Stolen Souls - Delphia - 11-21-2019

She hadn’t been aware that Kai could move so quickly, and was nearly pulled over by the suddenness of his bolting out the door of the Spire to the barren ground around it once more. Fortunately, he let go of her hand, so she managed to regain her balance. Still, she went stumbling forward a few steps, careful to not step on or trip over Kai as he went to his knees.

Her brows furrowed in concern as she looked at him, his fear and panic tangible in the air. Even the spirits picked up on the disturbance, leaning towards the son of Rae as he exuded the emotions this place had conjured for centuries. Quietly, Delphia sat next to him, a calming presence, letting him work through the moment until he was ready. As he looked at her with teary eyes, begged her not to go back in, she opened her arms to him. [say]”Come here, Kai. Everything is okay.”[/say] she said soothingly, wrapping her arms around him if he leaned into her as she offered. Kai and Oia were young, much younger than she was. Their view of the world and their place in it was different from hers, but soon they would be face with the same difficult realities she had come to know far sooner as a child of Mort.

[say]”Sometimes we must do things we do not like. Sometimes we must go places we are not meant to be. It helps us grow. It teaches us to be strong. And in this case, if I do not go back eventually, a great many souls could suffer. Mort wouldn’t want that.”[/say] she said softly, rocking slightly. [say]”But you do not have to go back in there. I will not make you do anything you do not wish to do.”[/say]


RE: Stolen Souls - Kaimana - 11-22-2019

You're still just sort of sitting on the ground, but you lean into Delphy's embrace awkwardly, a little bit stiff and uncertain. Despite your effusive and affectionate nature the only person you've ever really been physically intimate with is Oia, and... well, we all know how that works out.

So. Point being that needless to say, hugs are not particularly high on your list of everyday occurrences, but you appreciate them all the more for that. Still shivering rather pathetically, you turn your face up to Delphia as she explains her reasoning, biting your lip unhappily and peering at her through tear-crusted lashes. [say]"Why do we need to get the ascended souls, anyway?"[/say] you ask, not accusatory but naively curious, still desperate to avoid further interaction with the Spire. [say]"They seem happy t'be ascended, at least the ones I talked to. Did anyone ask if they wanted their souls back?"[/say]