MABEL
Mabel likely would never quite understand those of his ilk; caring and compassionate, benevolent and altruistic. She had been amongst the proper range of heroic facets once, before everything else had been consumed, and then she had worked to dig herself out of each and every hole. Even then it hadn’t truly worked – and she’d been witness to far more strife, far more agony, far more machinations – and it’d marred, ruined, punctured into her system with little fanfare. Most of the empathy and concern was gone now, fleeting, tucking it away for a scarce few. She couldn’t imagine she’d do anything like this Attuned figure now, going out of her way to proffer and extend assistance.
She ignored the fact that she’d done the same for Aamu, and cloaked, masked, the weight of her indifference. Maybe it was dissimilar because of Ascended ties; the Old Gods had hissed and thrown them aside. Just like this one – he’d eventually do the same to them.
And wouldn’t it be fitting then, when the world came down around their heads?
She only gave him a nod as he raced through a semblance of phrases. Mabel wasn’t worried. At least, not for herself, or for abandonment. The latter came naturally; one by one by one as her family died despite their warnings, despite their other opportunities. All she had left was Evelyn. The concern would be for her sister, and her alone.
By the time the birdman had returned, the youth had already stalked the vestiges of a field, tucking her way into bramble and thorns, ignoring the slash of nettles across her flesh, paying no heed to whatever pain would’ve once been there. Her eyes had been on the messes of dried reeds and fallen grass, to the potential of footfalls or other tracings – glancing towards canopies, where her twin’s gravity works could’ve landed her.
Nothing.
All of it seemed to be for naught, as the youth descended and shifted (she fought off an eyeroll, a hiss), and the apologies were extended. No signs or traces, and she swallowed down the bits of emotion flickering over her throat. Evelyn could still be out there. That little segment of hope would keep her going. “I don’t know.” And that was the truth of it. She didn’t know. Would she scourge the continent for her sibling? Absolutely. Would she be able to do all of that this evening? No. Instead, her eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but in thought, restless, irritated. “What else did you see?” She knew nothing about this land – had been born behind the barrier, and had been dead when these Wild adornments were opened.
She ignored the fact that she’d done the same for Aamu, and cloaked, masked, the weight of her indifference. Maybe it was dissimilar because of Ascended ties; the Old Gods had hissed and thrown them aside. Just like this one – he’d eventually do the same to them.
And wouldn’t it be fitting then, when the world came down around their heads?
She only gave him a nod as he raced through a semblance of phrases. Mabel wasn’t worried. At least, not for herself, or for abandonment. The latter came naturally; one by one by one as her family died despite their warnings, despite their other opportunities. All she had left was Evelyn. The concern would be for her sister, and her alone.
By the time the birdman had returned, the youth had already stalked the vestiges of a field, tucking her way into bramble and thorns, ignoring the slash of nettles across her flesh, paying no heed to whatever pain would’ve once been there. Her eyes had been on the messes of dried reeds and fallen grass, to the potential of footfalls or other tracings – glancing towards canopies, where her twin’s gravity works could’ve landed her.
Nothing.
All of it seemed to be for naught, as the youth descended and shifted (she fought off an eyeroll, a hiss), and the apologies were extended. No signs or traces, and she swallowed down the bits of emotion flickering over her throat. Evelyn could still be out there. That little segment of hope would keep her going. “I don’t know.” And that was the truth of it. She didn’t know. Would she scourge the continent for her sibling? Absolutely. Would she be able to do all of that this evening? No. Instead, her eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but in thought, restless, irritated. “What else did you see?” She knew nothing about this land – had been born behind the barrier, and had been dead when these Wild adornments were opened.
I bare my teeth
and stretch my claws out
and stretch my claws out
