White Lightning

Sky above, Earth below, Fire within

How strange it was, to stand like this on the open plain. Hand in hand, soul to soul and talking about feelings like nothing could be too private. As clouds gathered overhead the sun took on a golden cast, lighting the landscape from below until all the colors shimmered with vibrancy. Some birds drifting on the stormfront contrasted against the antracite sky like shards of light, and a scent of water was in the wind, though no rain was falling. If this was anything like the bond between Attuned, she had never been more sorry to have lost that possibility.

"You had every right and every reason to be an asshole, considering all that was going on in your life," she smiled back, remembering their brief encounter on the beaches of Torchline, too soon after Aoife's passing. "Anything else would have been strange.

"Me, I... after Sunjata and I broke up, I was desperate to rebuild some kind of life without him. But then I died, and Delphia didn't deliver my message for him like I asked... so by the time the Voice pulled us back, he had twisted my death into some personal slight, like I had done it on purpose. I thought even life as Ascended would be worth it if I at least had him, but instead I had nothing; no lover, no home, no connection to anything. And I hated the Voice. I could never see what the others saw in her."

She had never really expressed it so plainly before. Had told Harper, once, about what happened but it felt different like this, when Remi would be able to truly understand the confusion she had felt. It was a comfort... and a bit embarrassing.

"I've promised myself I'll try, this time. To move on. But some things are just hard to forget. Difficult to shake." The look of hatred and resentment in the eyes of someone who once proffessed love... She shrugged, and squeezed the hand in hers. Glad for the chance to share a moment of closeness, even if it was only once.

maea

REMI

"I can think of a few who would disagree with you on that." Remi counters, crinkling his nose slightly. "And a few who handled it far better than I did." Or at least one; Ronin had ever been the better of the pair in every way possible.

Listening to Maea speak accompanied by the colourful orchestration provided by her emotions had the Lullaby softening considerably. Though he did his best not to let his own emotions colour her narrative, the bad blood between he and Sunjata caused dull barbs of anger to send black shadows through his thoughts. "You are better off without him." He grumbled under his breath, and though he didn't elaborate on the confusion feelings he harboured knowing Isla had shared his bed as well as Hotaru (in so far as she was the mother of his child(ren)), those emotions smeared themselves readily from his fingertips as well.

"Mmm. Just when you think you are doing better, something comes along and you find yourself right back in the exact same place." He agreed softly. "At least this time around you can drown your sorrows in liquor if you choose, or if nothing else, feel things the way you could not as an ascended."

Who are you? They ask. Death?
Sometimes... I say. But not today

Sky above, Earth below, Fire within

His anger on her behalf was incredibly validating. Perhaps she shouldn't think it so gratifying, but it was, and she straigtened with a jerky swipe of the coat sleeve to rid herself of the tears. The next breath went all the way down her lungs, like the first inhale after a long dive. Dizzying, and so fresh it made her want to whoop with exhilaration.

It was these small things, really, that made her think she would be alright. Not today, or even tomorrow... but someday.

"Well I say it's okay, so there. Permission granted, we can both be grumps when we want to be. And to the Void with anyone who tries to tell us otherwise." Vindictive pleasure might not be the most adult feeling, but it sure felt good.

And speaking of feeling good. Drinking wasn't usually something she indulged in, but perhaps it was okay to make an exception. So she nodded, and squeezed Remi's hand one final time before she let go.
"I sure can. And hunting has become a new pastime, so if you ever want to cut loose I'd love company."

maea

REMI

Smiling slightly as the swirls of emotions that tangled from Maea's fingers against his own, turned a petrichor purple with the exhilaration that alighted her emotions. Chuckling, Remi nods as if acquiescing to something. "To the void with them." He agrees before letting her fingers fall from his own.

"I do quite enjoy hunting." Whatever form Maea took, the Lullaby was fairly certain he had something he could match with and if nothing else, being an ifrit seemed to be a welcome shift for a fire-proof race.

'Well, I should go find Ronin before he gets himself into trouble.' Based on his tone, it was clear that out of the pair of them, Ronin was rarely the one who needed to be worried after. "But it was nice to bump into you again Maea. I will see you soon." So saying, Remi offered the ancient a final smile before making his way toward town, finding his step surprisingly lighter for having bumped into the loreseeker.

~FIN <3

Who are you? They ask. Death?
Sometimes... I say. But not today