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+---- Thread: Broken Open (/showthread.php?tid=4817)
Broken Open - Aurelia - 12-25-2020
Aurelia awaited Sunjata's arrival at the edge of the jungle, leaning against a palm tree. Huge, sweeping branches swayed with the cold, changing winds. The hot sun overhead felt distant in the shade of the lush greens and purples and blues and teals of the foliage surrounding her. As wondrous as it was, as much as it called to Aurelia because it was so much like her old world, she waited. Patience, patience.
She had marked her trail with brightly-colored cloth, which Sunjata would know to look out for... if he'd been paying attention yesterday. The meeting was discussed prior - it had been brief and to the point, though. Something seemed to have happened to Sunjata's face. She'd noticed the bruises when she spoke to him about the Boondocks and her run-in with Mildew. A little self-absorbed, a lot excited, Aurelia had been more concerned with making this plan today than asking him what had happened.
She wanted to explore the jungle with Sunjata and they'd have plenty of time to talk about whatever had happened to him now. Given that he was the governor, and her friend, she thought he might be interested. She was quite used to the potential perils of such a place. So she would be able to help him explore it, and vice versa - because she, herself, was not quite up to par. Which brought her mind to another point, more news she would have to tell him. Aurelia had finally met his husband, Nate, and he'd helped her make.. quite the self-discovery. She wasn't yet sure how she felt about her new, innate abilities... and her identity as an Abandoned.
She could only hope he showed that stupid, smirking face of his - or she'd have to go on without him. Which would be disappointing but, truly, it was not beyond her. Still, though, she waited, chewing on a toothpick, clothing quite geared towards exploration, hunter's knife in its place, one hand on the hilt, throwing knives strung around her leg in a tooled garter of sorts, eyes searching as she leaned her head back against the tree.
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 12-25-2020
It won’t be Sunjata that she sees first on the horizon, but a glint of black and iridescent wings and black fur that darts through the jungle, guiding the Attuned’s way through. Why? Because he hasn’t made it this far into the jungle – and sure, he could fly above, but he was trying to keep it to only when necessary, his bruised jaw and neck still dark, still painful, and brutal when his body has to contort and change into the varying animals that were a part of his soul now. He hasn’t even reached for that part of him in a while, aside from those that flicker along his skin occasionally.
It’s also a benefit to have Haai here when he’s grown a bit confused by how far a path takes – how his depth perception seems like it’s slightly askew. But he doesn’t ask questions, he just assumes it’s part of whatever recovery he’s enduring. And with the conversation with Aurelia the day prior, well, it proves as good a distraction as any – only he comes prepared just in case. Haai, of course, along with those trident daggers settled at his hip, a pack along his back just in case something went awry.
He ventures after Haai after the griffin has found the woman, her feathery tail wagging in her excitement to see a familiar face again. And he doesn’t have to spend any seconds to realize that she’s real, not when Haai pulses her excitement. So he offers a quiet wave, muted a bit as he tries not to clench his jaw, ducking below one of the branches of the jungle to step toward her as she leans against a palm.
“[say]Hope you weren’t waiting long.[/say]” He rumbles, managing to crack the briefest of smiles, even as the right side of his face blooms in dark purples, pinks, greens and yellows that begin to blend into the navy ink of his tattoos until they disappear beneath the lines. “[say]She got distracted by a bird, of all things.[/say]” He gives Haai a pointed look, even if he knows he’s lying about it. He’d simply needed to take his time.
RE: Broken Open - Aurelia - 12-27-2020
She heard them before she saw them, the stirring of branches and leaves making her eyes snap to attention. The first one she saw was Haai, her multi-colored feathers sweeping back and forth in a friendly display. A relieved smile crossed her face and she welcomed the griffin, dropping her stance and her hand, extending toward the companion so she might pet her. [say]"Hello, Haai,"[/say] she said in a laugh, much more trusting of the animal than she previously had been. If anything, she was glad to have her accompany them. An extra set of eyes and ears, especially since they were the sharpened senses of an animal, would be much appreciated.
Lifting her brows, she eyed Sunjata as he appeared in the wake of his excited companion. [say]"A bird, uh?"[/say] she gave a brief, playfully scolding look at Haai, unaware of the lie in his words. [say]"I'm sure we'll see plenty more."[/say] She straightened up, eyeing the pack strung to his back and {more particularly} the impressive set of daggers at his hip.
As her gaze settled back onto his face, it darkened at the sight of the bruises that dappled his face. [say]"So... are you going to tell me what happened to your face? Or are we going to pretend you don't look like shit?"[/say] She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her chin to peer up at him. Skepticism hid her concern, a brow arching. Although, it didn't quite make its way to her eyes, which remained wide with worry.
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 12-27-2020
The griffin whines her own hello, tail wagging in delight as Aurelia stoops to offer her hand. Haai easily breezes right in, feathers ruffling with the sensation of the woman’s hands in her fur, in the pets that she gives. Still, the griffin’s ears waver at Sunjata’s excuse – knowing full well that it wasn’t her and if anything, she had been his dutiful guide, but that’s something she’ll likely take out on him later when she decides to rampage around the house in the middle of the night.
Sunjata, however, is as put together as he can be, shadowed steel finding Aurelia’s face – none of the amused gleam of silver that he typically bore, because he was far too tired for it anyway, the mask and façade. Her question does spark a quirk of his lips – about the only thing that doesn’t hurt to do, but he moves past her and nudges an elbow out to bump into her upper arm.
“[say]I’d prefer to pretend I don’t look like shit.[/say]” He admits, a bit quieter as he tries to keep his jaw from moving too much, too quickly. But he knows it’s not a good enough answer, so he looks beyond her to the path they’re to take, already beginning at an easy pace, even if his legs provide him with long strides. “[say]Was sparring, got my jaw dislocated.[/say]” He explains swiftly, glancing over to her as he pauses down the path. “[say]I do not recommend it.[/say]” The brief glimmer of amusement rises again, hinting in the creases around his eyes, before it fades again.
RE: Broken Open - Aurelia - 12-27-2020
Aurelia's jaw slacks when he gives her an unexpected, non-answer, and he's entirely right that it's not good enough. Still, though, she decided not to push or fish for a better one, though he somewhat opened up anyway. She furrowed her brow and swept past him, brushing through the outstretching plants, and took up stride ahead of him. [say]"I could've told you that,"[/say] she remarked over her shoulder, smirking, though the look was soon gone. She focused on blazing a trail ahead of them. Her hunter's knife came unsheathed as she used it on the occasional, stubborn vine. [say]"Fine, have it your way, Whalemeat,"[/say] she said, not looking at him, though her voice softened into relent, [say]"we can talk about something else instead."[/say]
She could sense his shift of mood, shift of character, how his usual temperament seemed to want to show itself - but would get forced back down. She wasn't sure how to handle it, or if it would need much handling at all, or if she was the one who should... Where was Nate in all of this? He was a doctor, after all.
[say]"I do have some things to tell you, anyway..."[/say] she paused and looked back at him, partly to check that he was doing fine, partly because... because she wasn't really sure where to start. [say]"These Wilds aren't empty, by any means, just because of the... storms that were here. It's kind of strange, isn't it? Seems almost like... nothing was affected by it,"[/say] she looked around, a cursory glance at all of the untouched, unharmed wildlife that surrounded them. It was the same all the way across, as far as she knew. To be fair, she hadn't been all the way across. Yet.
She looked back to Sunjata, [say]"It looks a lot like my world."[/say] In and of itself, that might be a nice sentiment - a comfort. Maybe. Maybe for someone else. Still, though, that fact was what drew her in to begin with. The lost part of her still yearned for that place, fucked as it was.
With that, she pressed on. [say]"Anyway, point is, we should be careful - and don't. touch anything if you don't know what it is."[/say]
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 12-27-2020
“[say]Oh, well, forgive me for not seeking out your council beforehand.[/say]” He replies, that amusement flicking back as she glances over her shoulder. She might notice that his tone has changed, something shifting within the way he speaks that has become decidedly more noble sounding, more cold, more regal – an affect of seeing his father so much in his vision, some lessons of his youth, of Korofi sparking back.
His lips part as if to ask what she wanted to talk about instead, but she beats him to it while he follows dutifully, hands close by his daggers just in case. “[say]In terms of animals…? Or?[/say]” Something else? As if on instinct, he reaches out to a nearby bird that sits in a branch (a scarlet macaw, as amusing as it was), compelling it to scout for them as Haai trudges on ahead in her own ground scouting.
As for it looking like her old world, a dark brow raises, a bit more of a calculating look given to the area around, how wild it appeared, how untouched. “[say]Your old world was… A jungle?[/say]” He asks, raising a brow. “[say]Let me guess… Plants and animals that had quite strange affects to one that didn’t know better?[/say]”
RE: Broken Open - Aurelia - 12-27-2020
Aurelia gave him a pointed look at his rebuttle, though there was a mixture of confusion in her eyes. His demeanor was starkly different; colder, more official-like. Briefly, as she parted vines and plants, she reflected back on things he'd told her of his past. How he'd grown up and been raised, the confines of a life he had worked so hard to escape. Was it coming back to him? Something was off. But the moment she thought to confront it, her hands felt clammy and her lips sealed shut. Not now. He wanted to pretend...
In that instant, she wondered if she was pretending, too.
The macaw taking flight startled her, made her shoulders tense up and her movements freeze. Realizing it was flying away and not in a startled fashion that might indicate the presence of a predator, she turned and huffed at Sunjata. [say]"Was that you? You really should warn me before you use your Attuned magic - or whatever that was."[/say] She still glanced around, trying to decipher the shape of oncoming danger through the trees, whatever that might look like. Nate informing her of her Abandoned abilities came to the surface of her mind, and she tapped her fingers against the hilt of her knife in agitation.
Turning back to the imaginary trail ahead, the vines seemed to thin and the jungle floor became crowded with low-growing bushes. Miniature palms and large ferns of dark, strange colors sprouted around them, completely hiding the ground beneath. She walked a little slower here, unsure. [say]"Animals... Yeah, sure... I guess that doesn't bother you much, does it?"[/say] She turned and raised her eyebrows at him, unimpressed. At his question of her old world being a jungle, she paused to let him take up the open space beside her, or perhaps take the lead.
[say]"Yep, one gigantic jungle. Imagine if Caido was covered in it. There was more than that, so I heard. But, I'd never seen any of it."[/say] She nodded at his assumption, [say]"Hmm, Have you ever seen a grown man get devoured by a giant trap-plant?"[/say] She grinned, flashing her teeth at him. [say]"It's not pretty."[/say]
[say]"Fortunately I haven't run into any carnivorous plants in this jungle... yet,"[/say] she grew more serious and walked on, [say]"but I did meet a witch. She lives on the other side, I think, in a swamp. It's closer to the Hollowed Grounds. That's where I found her, anyway, or she found me, I guess."[/say]
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 12-27-2020
She can give him as many pointed looks as she likes, but she’s correct in the fact that he doesn’t want to talk about it, would rather want to pretend, if only so that he doesn’t have to have her look at him in confusion and sympathy for what he’s been going through. And also to not have to hear ‘it’s just the season, wait it out, it’ll be fine’. So he doesn’t dive deeper, not right now anyway, instead watching as she tenses up when he sends a macaw out to scout.
“[say]Not magic.[/say]” He murmurs with some of that amusement back in his tone. “[say]I’ve simply asked her to keep an eye out for us.[/say]” He informs her, matter-of-factly, before he’s offering a quick dip of his head. “[say]I’ll inform you next time, though.[/say]” He tacks on at the end, listening instead for anything that may become distracting, while also trying to shy away from it. A delicate balance, as it was.
“[say]Animals not so much. But I’m not used to forests or jungles and the vegetation within them.[/say]” He can only imagine the ridiculous and stupid things he’d get into for simply not knowing any better. At least he wasn’t alone, though. Dark brows raise at the mention of people-eating plants, however, his steel gaze lingering on her back as he draws silent. “[say]No, I can’t say I have.[/say]” He offers, a quiet huff of a laugh that ends in a shudder running down his spine.
Her next tidbit of information does intrigue him, and if his jaw wasn’t so sore he might have grit his teeth together a bit. “[say]A swamp sounds positively Hollowed Grounds-esque. Hopefully she stays down that way and doesn’t come start anything here.[/say]” The last thing he wants is a witch with bad intentions running around, but it also doesn’t help his mind from fluttering back to the woman he was to marry in Korofi, the one from a county that held all those ‘witchcraft’ titles.
He pushes it aside to take the space behind her, preferring that she lead, following easily despite the way his hands twitch near the daggers. “[say]Did you end up going to the Grounds?[/say]” He asks after a moment of digesting the information.
RE: Broken Open - Aurelia - 12-29-2020
Aurelia offered him an appreciative look, though she did feel a pang of guilt for speaking a bit harshly on it. It's not like he was going to use his abilities against her, and Caido was a different world. She knew that. Still, though, it often set off a built-in alarm, kicking in instincts she was trying so hard to replace.
At his admittance of not being particularly fond of or experienced with forests, she inclined her head at him; an understanding gesture. So she resumed the path they were taking, doing her best to keep her eyes and ears peeled for signs of something unusual. She made a 'tsk' sound. Turning she extending her left arm out to him, pointing out the dark scar that whipped around it. [Say]"A vine did this. Its thorns released a toxin into my bloodstream; I was delirious for days afterwards. Nature can be.. very deadly, even something unassuming. But! At least I have you - and your... animal friends,"[/say] she lifted up her palm in a half-shrug. [Say]"I'm confident nothing will go too wrong. As long as you don't channel your city boy instincts."[/say] She grinned at him, walking deeper into the mysterious jungle.
At Sunjata's condemnation of Mildew, Aurelia's lips turned downward in a small frown. She realized she hadn't quite done the witch justice in her explanation. [Say]"She wants to help, not harm, Sunjata... She's been in here for hundreds of years. Funnily enough, I think she misses people... Her name is Mildew, and if you ever come across her, you should give her a chance. And tell her I said hello,"[/say] she paused for a moment, letting her words settle over the leaves around them. [Say]"But, no, I doubt we'll see her here today. These wilds are very... very big. It would take ... a long time to journey through to the other side."[/say]
[Say]"Yeah, I did. And I am glad to be back,"[/say] she spoke with emphasis, an underlying meaning that perhaps he might understand. What little she saw of the Hollowed Grounds made her grateful not to live there. Even the jungle was nicer, in her opinion, and far less oriented towards the Voice.
As they traveled along an unbeaten trail, making their own of it, they would come across a patch of lush berry bushes. The berries had a bright yellow color and there were vivid blue flowers blossoming amongst them in clusters. This close to Torchline, the berries were still able to survive Leafchange.
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 12-30-2020
He has nothing to gain from attacking Aurelia, considering her a friend. But when it comes to them, Sunjata’s got trust issues just as she does — Caido had been a bit of a blessing when it comes to it, having opened him up from being closed off and angry all the time, to… This. And whether or not that was considered an improvement depended on who you asked. But still, he follows her, listening as she recounts a story from her previous world, scars to match, a dark brow raising in quiet surprise while also grimacing a bit at the thought.
“[say]I’ll have you know my city boy instincts are quite good.[/say]” He protests, unable to keep the smile from blooming painfully carefully along his face. “[say]Though most jungles don’t have guns, as far as I’m aware.[/say]” Because if there was one thing Sunjata was good at, it was restraining, disarming, neutralizing the threat. The only threats in Korofi being people and the floodwaters certainly made it easy for him to get good at that particular skill set. It wasn’t like he could go out and fight the water.
Ah, but he had nearly drowned, and he had learned how unforgiving it could be, how unforgiving it almost always was.
In terms of the demigod and Mildew, however, all fun and games deflate within him, wanting nothing more than to grind his teeth and clench his jaw, but settling for the idle twitch and clenching of his hands instead. “[say]You’ll forgive me if I don’t have high hopes.[/say]” He rumbles, reaching up to run his hand along his splotched jaw, head tilting to look at Aurelia while they walk. “[say]Rumors have it, war is starting up at some point. I’m trying to keep Torchline neutral.[/say]” He informs her, pausing to duck beneath a branch. “[say]But I can’t do anything until the pieces are being played. Having demigods near us is worrisome, aside from Ronin and Remi of course.[/say]” Because those two were also his friends and he hopes that they would tell him when something begins to go south.
For the time being he can reminisce on the Grounds though, the sharp exhale from his nose an indicator of what he thought of the place. “[say]I tried to get out as soon as I could. This place reminds you of home? The Grounds reminded me too much of mine.[/say]” Not by means of technology, but by means of how drab and dreary it was.
Haai slows nearby the bushes, sticking her head under their branches to peer for anything of interest, while Sunjata lifts one of them to inspect it carefully with one of the ornate daggers at his side, suspicion gleaming in his eyes. For a moment he can’t tell what kind of fruit it is, whether it’s a fruit at all. “[say]What are these?[/say]” He murmurs aloud, not expecting Aurelia to know the answer to it.
RE: Broken Open - Aurelia - 01-02-2021
Aurelia chuckled at his city boy instincts, all in good fun. At the mention of the word gun, however, Aurelia's eyes turned to him with interest. [Say]"Guns?"[/say] They were something she knew of, but only in ideas and crude models. For all the magic her world contained, technology had been slow to advance. Caido seemed quite the same in that regard, which brought a bigger question to the forefront of her mind: [Say]"Do you know how to make them?"[/say]
The notion of war sparks something in her eyes, as it's the first she's heard of anything other than what Gideon's implied, but she looks away and continues to head the trail. So whatever the priest was planning was a real threat, then? Disbelief chilled her blood. At the word 'neutral', there's a shift in her step and she falters. Her heels come to a stop among the ferns and she looks at Sunjata, listening to him in deep thought for only a moment more.
But then she notices the bushes before them, and eyes them with a mixture of emotions clouding her eyes. When he touches them, she reaches up, eyes widening, almost stopping him. But it was too late, and in any case they didn't seem.. dangerous to the touch. She lowered her hand and shrugged, [say]"Dunno. Don't eat them. We should... take some back with us, though. See if we can find out."[/say] At that, she stepped back and looked at his backpack, giving it a tap, [say]"Got anything in here we could carry them in?"[/say]
As she awaited his response and any potential containers (even a cloth to wrap them would do, though it wouldn't be ideal), the fact that she must warn him of Gideon came to the surface. If he didn't already know, that is.
[Say]"This war wouldn't have anything to do with The Voice, would it?"[/say] the question was asked hesitantly, uncertainly, eyes narrowing to perceive his reaction.
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 01-03-2021
“[say]Guns.[/say]” He repeats her question, the briefest ghosting of a smirk crossing his face as he catches her attention with it. As for making them? Gods no. “[say]No. I know how they work, couldn’t build one though.[/say]” His shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug, passing off the question for the conversation of war approaching, of pulling out his dagger and lifting a branch of berries with it to inspect it, his steel gaze flickering to her and her outstretched hand.
“[say]I should.[/say]” He replies, lowering the branch and hooking the dagger back to his side, pulling the pack around to his front and untying it to reveal some water, some bits of food, just in case. He could barely trust his mind nowadays, he didn’t want to get lost without having at least some sort of advantage over it. Eventually, however, he pulls out a smaller waterproof bag, lined with wax on both sides. “[say]How’s this?[/say]” Handing her the smaller bag, he moves to try and reorient the items in the pack so he can tie it up again.
Her hesitant question brings a quiet sigh to heave out from him. “[say]Mm, every war in this place has to do with the Voice.[/say]” There’s bitterness in his tone with it, a frustration he can’t quite get out even as he tries not to direct it right at Aurelia. “[say]There’s a group that wants to stop the Voice. Evidently it has the backing of the gods and in turn, their demigods.[/say]” His gaze slips toward hers again, the edges of his tattoos swirling with the anxieties that slip through him.
“[say]If I’m a bit on edge, I’m sure you could understand why.[/say]” That’s about as much of an apology as he can manage. It had to make sense to her – the fact that he and Nate were on the opposite sides if war came to them, if they were forced to fight.
RE: Broken Open - Aurelia - 01-03-2021
[say]"That's a damn shame,"[/say] she sighed out at his declaration of not knowing how to build one. The thought occurred to her to ask if he'd ever tried to actually assemble anything remotely close to a gun, to sort of... trial-and-error it out. Yet, the conversation flowed on and she let the thoughts shuffle into the back of her mind; questions for a later day.
Peering into the pack, she noticed the provisions that he'd brought. [say]Smart[/say]. In retrospect, she should've done the same; should've brought more. Her excitement had gotten ahead of her, she supposed, and her experience in jungles like this was making her a little too cocky for comfort. But that was why it was best to bring along team-mates; there would probably be someone to make up for what the others lacked - literally or otherwise.
Her brows raised at the bag he presented, at the dried wax that coated its outsides. Accepting it, she plucked a handful of berries into the bag and tied it around her tooled belt. Just in case there was anything else of interest she thought to take back with her. For now, as she glanced around, nothing jumped out at her aside from color. This jungle was incredibly colorful, as if painted.
Her eyes drew back toward Sunjata when he answered her query, confirming that it was about the Voice. She took note of the vexation that wormed its way out through his words. She did not take it personally. She understood. Tension prowled along her shoulders and made its way up the nape of her neck.
She offered him a curt nod, piecing things together. [say]"Because of Nate, and you follow the Old Gods, and you're the governor. That's why you want to stay neutral."[/say] Her gaze stretched away, across the multi-colored jungle before them. It seemed never to end but, she knew it did. Whatever lay beyond was simply hiding behind a sheet of foliage. [say]"I met a man that's part of that group, I believe,"[/say] she stated, looking down. The promise she'd made was suddenly broken; shattered. It didn't feel good to go against someone that trusted her but, when it came down to it, she knew where her loyalties lay - and, equally, she knew where Gideon's did too. Her loyalty was to the people and his was to the Gods.
[say]"He was looking for a shrine on the coast. A shrine to the Voice."[/say] Her gaze lifted back over to Sunjata, [say]"I helped him find it. He said it was evil and that he aimed to destroy it. But he didn't even when we found it, he said he wouldn't 'yet'. Seemed like he had other things he needed to do, other... pieces to place."[/say]
She parted her mouth and leaned forward, thought to explain how she'd been mistaken to aid in such a thing. But it didn't matter, and that look of sincerity fell away to something darker and more twisted. [say]"And I thought I wouldn't see him again but, I did, not too long ago. He wouldn't tell me much, but... he spoke with Ludo about the Ascended, and he said that he succeeded in a goal he's had for a long time."[/say] Which indicated that this group Sunjata spoke of might be ready to make a move. Or not. Aurelia only really knew so much. The fact that these things had happened in Torchline did little to ease the stress that pulled her brows together and clenched her jaw.
RE: Broken Open - Sunjata - 01-04-2021
It was a shame. The best he could do was ask for a bow and arrow that mimicked it. But even still, that wasn’t much his style anymore. It was daggers and brass knuckles, force as opposed to range. And given his dragon shift now, he’d do just fine. As for the rest of it, though, he remains silent and nods along with her, watching as she pulls the berries and sticks them into the wax lined bag.
Luckily, she doesn’t take his harshness personally, and it’s surprisingly relieving for the Flood as he lets his gaze slip back to the bushes around them. “[say]That’s the gist of it.[/say]” He murmurs softly, a muscle feathering in his splotchy jaw. He was touched by Safrin, marked by her with the tattoos on his arms, with the daggers at his hips. And he had offered himself to her, however she’d wanted him, to become something.
How very naïve.
His gaze flickers back to her with a bit of narrowing. “[say]Do you remember his name?[/say]” He asks, interjects, wondering if it was Finn – the one that so many of them had met, the one that Sunjata hadn’t wanted anywhere near Torchline the more he heard of the Order.
What comes next has his gaze narrowing further, a sort of predatory stillness overcoming him as he focuses on her. It isn’t aimed at her, after all, how could he blame her when she didn’t know? Still, tension weighs heavily on his shoulders and he pulls his gaze away as it settles. “[say]It’s the only Ascended shrine in Torchline.[/say]” He rumbles. “[say]It was destroyed in the last monsoon… The Ascended have to go to the Grounds for refill themselves when it’s out of order.[/say]”
His hand lifts to run through his hair, trying to take it all in and try to come up with a plan to prevent it. “[say]As far as I know, the shrine still stands… So unless he meant something else… Well…[/say]” He trails off, at a loss, trying to get the gears in his mind moving and finding them falter and chug along fruitlessly.