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Post by strixx-variaa on Mar 8, 2016 19:53:24 GMT -6
It was a difficult debate, you know, whether to try and catch a few hours' sleep in his actual bed or to keep going (as he was wont to do and as he was indeed currently doing) on the strength of short, uncomfortable naps taken in the relative discomfort of his study in the palace. Thaumas was just coming from the War Room after yet another sleepless night of planning, of swift, covert action, of coordinating with Rycaron and his Emperor, Hawkeye. His study was past the south gate, and so either way he chose, he needed to go in the same direction. You could say it was an ambulatory decision. The light of a fresh-breaking dawn filtered through the windows as he walked, reminding him that he ought to be seeing it with much less tired eyes. In the wake of the blasphemers' violent insurgency, business at the palace had achieved a pace of consistent frenzy, and even now that pace showed no sign of slowing. Drastic military measures meant that Inaria was more or less safe for most Talori, but a constant near-lockdown of the palace and a heavy state presence on the streets meant that mobility was limited for just about everyone who wasn't either a Guardian or the terrorists they were concerned about. The Defender heard voices echoing off the arched stone hallways as he drew nearer to the huge, ancient wooden doors separating the palace from its courtyards. It was the inner door of the south gate, and apparently he wasn't the only person thinking about exiting the palace mains this morning. words: 267 tags: fynli notes: closed thread, for thaumas and luna! :D |
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Post by fynli on Mar 8, 2016 20:26:55 GMT -6
Everything was a blur. Time was moving at frequencies that Luna's mind could not keep up with. The events of the night before continued to play behind her eyelids each time she closed her eyes and she prayed for Cascade to remove the brand it left in her memory. She didn't sleep at all due to fear, and while she was exhausted, her worry for the herd kept her up.
With a shaking breath, she straightened up from where she was leaning against a wall. Hawkeye had excused her from his side earlier and she had thankfully taken her leave, although she was still worried about the effects last night's events had on her master. The small mare glanced towards the doors that led to the courtyards, her brows knitting together as she noticed the Defender striding towards them. Flicking her curled ears back uncertainly, Luna hesitated to speak to him. She was just a servant, and she had never spoken to him before. Yet, she wished to get away from all the commotion and bustle.
Swallowing her unease, Luna made her way over to the much larger stallion, glancing over his fins quickly. Now was definitely not the time to admire a hippocampus, but she couldn't help herself.
"Defender, sir?" Her voice bounced off the walls and she almost flinched at how loud it seemed. Nonetheless, she continued over to him, keeping her head low as a sign of submission. "I wish to visit a shrine to pray, and I assume I need an escort." The servant's voice dropped quickly, and she focused her gaze on her pearly hooves.
words: 270
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Post by strixx-variaa on Mar 8, 2016 21:44:19 GMT -6
Her face flashed through his mind from more than one angle. More than one occasion. That particular occasion. She was so young, and so quiet, and he wasn't sure he'd ever actually heard her speak before, but he knew her face. She was Damaris's girl, the house servant for the residency, attendant to the Emperor and his wives. He remembered her now, knowing her face as it peeked around corners and kept to the peripherals of any given room, not quite out of sight, not quite out of mind. She was so young, and so quiet, but he remembered now that she'd been the one come running that night with a Cleric in close tow to save the life of their precious Divine. He remembered the panic in her eyes and the heave to her breath. She earned her keep that night, and the gratitude of a nation. And it was with that gratitude in mind, with Eve's restored health in his mind, that Thaumas accepted her request with great honor. "Of course I shall take you," he replied kindly, the low rumble of his voice rolling down the hall like a wave on the ocean floor. His tired face betrayed the smallest hint of a smile in his eyes and on the corner of his lips, and as the Sage might tell you, that is quite a strong expression for the Defender. "Did the Guardians at the door give you trouble? We have few spare bodies these days..." This he said more to himself than to her, but his rhetoric was followed immediately with a direct question. "Your name is Luna, is it not?" words: 275 tags: fynli notes: ♥ |
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Post by fynli on Mar 8, 2016 22:16:31 GMT -6
Standing next to him reminded her just how powerful the Defender really was. She was incredibly small compared to him, and she could see how defined his muscles were. Such was to be expected of the great Defender, though. Being so close to a stallion like him just reminded her of how insignificant she really was. She was in awe and yet jealous of his strength and power. If only she had been blessed with that, but it wasn't her place to complain about any body Cascade had given her.
She remembered last night's ordeal; how she had cowered in the corner while the invaders had attacked the Divine. That night, she had seen a side of her master that she had never wished to see before, but what else did she expect? Everything had happened so fast, and then suddenly someone was shouting to get a cleric. She took it upon herself to find one, and she ran. Even with the fear of her heart not being able to handle it, she ran like never before. She could still hear the echoes of the shouts coming from the room as she fled. Yet, she had saved the Divine. While others would have taken the glory of that feat, Luna could only come up with a million "what ifs". What if she hadn't been fast enough? What if her heart had given out? What if everything had gone wrong?
Luna blinked, realizing she had zoned out. She glanced up at the Defender, searching his expression. He had said something, and she could detect the faint hint of a smile on his tired expression. Luna understood how he must feel, and she returned the gesture with a small smile of her own. She opened her mouth to respond to his first question, but he shot out another question before she could answer the first. The servant dipped her head quickly, murmuring a "yes sir".
After that, she stood in silence, unsure of what to say to him. Then her voice took over and she suddenly blurted out, "You fought well last night, sir." She blinked up at him, the smile curling at her lips becoming more apparent. She had to thank him for doing his duty, after all. "You saved lives." It was a lame remark, but true nonetheless.
words: 388
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Post by strixx-variaa on Mar 8, 2016 22:47:06 GMT -6
His breath caught in his throat. He didn't quite know how to respond to that praise. That you saved lives praise. It wasn't something he was necessarily unaccustomed to, praise, because in his line of work one accumulates a good immunity to the emotional musings of the public at large. Over the course of his career as a Guardian, Thaumas Anereus was thanked and cursed in equal measure if he was lucky (and more likely in a measure heavily favoring the curses). It was routine to hear those things, as the job was routine, as the peril was routine. The events of that night had not been routine. They had been deeply frightening, and unsettling, and they were so for the normal reasons and for the unexpected, absolutely abnormal reasons as well. And somehow, from the mouth of this delicate, fragile little serving-girl who'd been thrust into the fray as a result only of the identity of her employers, the words you saved lives held enough import to steal even the very idea of words from his lips -- /beat-- and put it back again. "Thank you," replied the Defender, his voice quiet but carrying. The words had an odd sound, and he couldn't quite tell you why if he asked him. He didn't look at her, and looked at the door instead, moving his head slightly to indicate that they ought to make for it. He set off, his stride naturally large but his pace relaxed and even. He nodded at the Guardians at the interior, and they unbarred the heavy door. The dim glow of the morning sun flooded the hall, creeping into the shadows with a gentle delicacy which would have reminded him of little Luna had he been of the presence of mind to pay any attention to the light. To his little companion, he asked, "Why a shrine? You're not needed here?" He didn't doubt her, but he was curious. In the aftermath of the attack on the palace, the residential wing was struggling to regain a sense of normalcy. Cascade heard her children's voices even if they called to her in perfect silence, even if they called to her from the depths of the Breimen caves or the middle of the Seroran deserts. In a time of relative danger, why risk a trip out of the palace (arguably the most secure location in the whole of Aquore) to pray at a shrine? words: 407 tags: fynli notes: do what you want w/r/t timing (like if you want to fast-forward them to the shrine or anything like that, go ahead, i'll roll with it!) ♥ |
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Post by fynli on Mar 8, 2016 23:26:34 GMT -6
Luna found herself staring up at the Defender, her face blank yet her mind was whirring with thoughts as usual. Was he really surprised by that? It was just a simple comment from a simple servant. Of course, words had great affect on some and on others, none. Luna didn't think they were that important coming from someone like her.
Her eyes shone at his reply though, and she dipped her head politely in response.
As he strode forward, she had to trot to catch up at first, then settled into a gentle pace next to him. The doors opened and sunlight flooded onto her figure, turning her white face to a soft golden peach. As much as she enjoyed the night more, the sunlight's warmth gave her a small sense of comfort. Even with the terrors going on around her, she had to appreciate the little things.
At his question, she shook her head slightly, keeping her gaze straight. "My master dismissed me," she murmured, afraid that if she raised her voice, it would disturb the peace of the morning, "I need counseling from our goddess, anyway." Luna also didn't want to be around all the military plans. The Emperor had had a long night, and she wished to give him his space as well. She glanced up at Thaumas, her expression calm yet... there was something she was holding back. There was a thin veil over what she truly felt, and it was about to shatter.
After a slow, but somewhat peaceful trip, Luna finally set her eyes on Cascade's Grotto. The pool shimmered in the morning light, reflecting off the statue of Talori's great goddess and making her look... alive. She sent a glance towards the Defender before stepping towards the pool, wading into the shallows. She shivered at the cool water lapping her legs, closing her eyes briefly. Soon her shivers turned to trembles and she dipped her head. Luna hoped that the Defender thought that she was praying, yet that was hardly the case.
The realization of what happened finally came over her and broke the veil. She wasn't shivering anymore. She was trembling as she struggled to regain composure. No one needed to see this, not the Defender, not even Cascade herself. Yet, the Wave Mother knew all of her children's secrets and there was no hiding from her. Luna was scared, no, she was terrified. All that hard work of putting her job before her emotions was starting to unravel in front of her, and she hated herself for it.
words: 427
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Post by strixx-variaa on Mar 9, 2016 0:12:07 GMT -6
Their trip was quiet. It was a blessing in itself. Seafoam splendor, whitecap waves...Luna was a quiet girl, and when she spoke it wasn't extraneous information. It was a direct reply, or an astute observation, or a direct question. He respected that in her. ...save me from an early grave...The streets were deadly quiet. His Guardians had been hard at work since that night, and while there was no state-mandated curfew in place, most folk tended to stay off the streets between sundown and sunup out of a sharp sense of self-preservation. He didn't know where the deathbed prayers were coming from. The seafoam splendor prayer was one he'd read in storybooks about swashbuckling rogues and derring-do guardsmen, one he grew up associating with the worst of times. It was a prayer which issued from his mind only in the most dire of circumstances, like the time he'd been stung by a giant jelly last year and nearly lost consciousness before he could make it to Kiephis. It was inappropriate now, but he couldn't stop thinking it. What did they have to lose at this hour? They had a plan. They had a solution. It would work, he had faith. There was no immediate danger here; his life did not hang in the balance. It was inappropriate now. At the water's edge the prayer rocked across his brain louder than ever. Seafoam splendor, whitecap waves... As Luna waded into the Grotto's safe haven, Thaumas paused. He scanned the trees, the water, the distant mountains. It was odd for him, not to feel that this place offered true safety -- and in a way he still felt that it did, because in Her shadow nothing could be wrong, or truly malicious, but only just and deserved (and who was he to argue with Her omniscience?). But there was something else in the back of his mind, a nagging sort of feeling that of course they would target this sacred place, and so he watched before he waded. Upon finally satisfying that particularly prickly feeling, Thaumas Anereus entered the same pool in which he'd been born all those fifty years ago. He kept a distance between himself and the pale mare, unwilling to intrude on her conference with her God. He pressed the flat of his profile into the water's surface, feeling the wholeness of Her earthly presence fill the contours of his face. The routine action brought him solace, and he felt his heart calming. Wave-Mother, I have brought my love for you.He raised his head and felt the water part from him. A moment of longing. His head lowers again and dips, just as briefly, into the sacred pool. Wave-Mother, I have brought my life for you.It is when he raises his head this second time that he cannot help but notice the minuscule ripples breaking the water's calm. He cannot help but notice that Luna is gently shaking, and it breaks his concentration on Her Glory. But he cannot determine if she is awash in powerful covenant with her God or if she is cold from the morning chill or if there is some much more sinister motive at work behind her quaking muscles. And he thinks, perhaps, that one more quiet question, this early in their prayer, will not upset this serving-girl nor the God whom they both adore. So quietly, so gently, he asks: "Shall we pray together?" words: 574 tags: fynli notes: gahhhhh i love this thread!! ♥ |
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Post by fynli on Mar 9, 2016 1:09:29 GMT -6
The silence was unnerving.
Luna could hear everything. Her heartbeat was slow, but it thudded in her chest.
She could hear Thaumas wading in a bit away from her, the water rippling and gently splashing against her legs. She looked up despairingly at the statue of Cascade, silently begging for Her gentle words.
If her mother said that she was a gift from Cascade, then why wasn't the goddess answering her? Why wasn't She whispering sweet comfort into Her child's ears?
She lowered her head again, ashamed of herself for thinking that Cascade would even look at one measly horse. Thaumas was much more worthy of Her praise than she was. He was a hippocampus for Cascade's sake. From nowhere, the feelings of self-hatred she had kept locked inside her started to spill, and she could barely hold them back. Why had such a "miracle" from Cascade been born sickly? What had she done to deserve a life that was balanced on a line between life and death?
Of course, others had it worse. She could've been born a pegasus.
A trembling sigh left her lips, her lungs weary in her chest. She was blaming Cascade for something that was most likely far out of the goddess's control. It was selfish of her to think that she deserved better.
Then why was I born like this, Wave Mother? Why am I alone?
She swore she could almost hear the goddess's voice tickle her ears, soft words soothing her mind. She was never truly alone, no. But it still hurt when everyone she knew and loved was gone. That only counted towards her mother and father, but they were the only ones she was close to. Now they were both gone. The thought made her tremble again and she bit her lip, trying to concentrate on praying.
Then a voice made her flinch.
She jerked her head up and her body then betrayed her. A single tear slid from her eye as she stared in open surprise at Thaumas, then realizing she was allowing herself to be vulnerable a moment later.
Luna looked down in shame, embarrassed that she had interrupted the Defender's prayers.
"Forgive me for disturbing you, sir," she mumbled, grateful that her voice was at least steady. She hesitated at his question, then stepped towards him with uncertainty. Praying in unity would most likely make her feel better, but she swore that she would make sure to not slip up again. Her job was demanding, and she could not afford to let her emotions rule over.
words: 428
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Post by strixx-variaa on Mar 9, 2016 12:43:38 GMT -6
The early morning mist on the water creates an eerie atmosphere. It was the hour with which Thaumas was most familiar, with regards to the Grotto; most of his free time was in the small hours when folk were asleep, and as a result he tended to see Aquore past the palace gates only during hours when the mist on the water creates an eerie atmosphere. It's both a strength and a flaw in the character of Thaumas Anereus that he cannot, could never, for the life of him, understand why or how someone could take anything less than the most complete comfort from the presence and the worship of their God. It's why he thinks, reflexively, that the little twitches in Luna's muscles must be because she is cold or because she puts all of her bodily effort into convening with her God, rather than allowing much weight to the possibility that she is frightened or disturbed by something too sinister for the mortal soul to bear alone -- because who could feel that level of doubt when confronted with the absolute which is Cascade? Most anyone could, but that's my point. It takes the Defender three times as long as it might take the Sage to see that his first two conclusions are incorrect. And he's still not quite there yet, and so he doesn't think anything is wrong. Talori values rank physical strength over mental prowess, after all. "No disturbance, child," he said, meaning to reassure her. The water carries his voice even though he is nearly whispering in this sacred place. "Do you have words for Her?" words: 270 tags: fynli notes: ♥ |
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