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| [Graded][Arc] Cave of Wonders; 2 of 4 | |
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| Topic Started: May 30 2016, 02:02 PM (1,464 Views) | |
| heiner777 | Jun 6 2016, 07:12 AM Post #21 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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Large penitent trees with arms raised in praise encroached on the path and almost blocked out the sun save the few sporadic rays which shine through the canopy. Despite this, Vento continued his solitary walk through the forest dodging pits, roots, and tangled vines that would have tripped, trapped, or terrorized him had he been less vigilant. He had been walking for almost an hour now and his feet started to feel sore and sweaty after being necessarily dressed in sturdy hiking boots which, while hot, protected the young man’s feet from any stray vines or thorn bushes that would have otherwise ripped through the fabric of any lesser kind of footwear. For all his walking, however, he had yet to see any evidence of Tsuna or any other person, for that matter. The last form of contact with humans, or semblance thereof, he had encountered was from the unexplained wailing noises that came from the direction of the Genie’s Lamp. He did not know the reason for such caterwauling nor did he care to know the reason therefore although Vento was even morbid enough to imagine that it was from people who were dying off from mysterious circumstances; after all, for his purposes, it would be ideal if everyone in the Genie’s Lamp area would disappear by the time he came back, hopefully with Tsuna in tow. What was important now was that the path he had taken was slowly leading him into parts unknown. Vento cursed under his breath while he continued to traverse the verdant forest that felt so alien yet at the same time homey without question. Eventually he came across a small stream that ran through the forest like a trickle of color in a vast lavender screen. Tired, the scholar laid down his gear by the shoreline, took off his boots and socks, rolled the hem of his pants, and simply dipped his feet into cold water. A breath of relief escaped him, the water a godsend to his aching feet, the young man reveling in the sensation that washed through his toes and the relief they brought, his problems seemingly flowing away like the water than ran through this part of the forest. While he was enjoying his small footbath in nature’s biggest water therapy pool, he saw a bare-footed old woman on the other shore from him appear from a large rock and, after giving him a warm smile, decided to do the same thing he was doing and join him. She did not look like much at first glance – a tuft of gray hair fastened into a pony tail, a shirt-and-shorts ensemble that were slightly stained from her day’s activity, and a small bag that contained trinkets and oddities that were obviously for sale. Silence dominated between them until the elder of the two decided to break the quiet and address Vento and why he was there. “Hello there,” she started normally, her cheery smile still apparent on her face. For his part, Vento tried to ignore her; she was obviously just trying to spark up a conversation, play up his confidence then ultimately ask him to buy one of her wares. It was the same played-out modus operandi from the lowest street hawker to the largest corporate mogul. He was not playing that game; he knew better. Nevertheless, the old woman continued with her part. “What brings you here to the Healing Springs?” she asked; still no reply. Regardless, she continued. “Not the talkative type, huh? Well, we all have our quirks. It does not take a genius to know that not everyone in this world is the same as you; everyone is different, just as you are to me and I am to you.” The elderly woman went on with her monologue to a disinterested Vento. “Have you ever been so burdened with something that you just want to run away and give up altogether? I have, but here I am still, selling trinkets, enjoying the sun, and tending the Healing Springs despite the fact that practically nobody goes here anymore – not in a long while,” she said. “It was a promise I made to someone long ago, that I would take care of the place he loved until the day he would return. He never did, but I still wait for the day he would come by – it is my punishment for not having enough courage to own up to my weaknesses and not going with him, so scared to fail him and betray his expectations.” “Healing Springs you say?” Vento asked, voice curious. “Does it really heal wounds?” The woman chuckled. “Yes, of course!” she exclaimed and raised both her feet to show to the raven-haired scholar. “My feet were swollen, bruised, and cracked from all the walking I do; I would use sandals, but I am afraid I might disturb the ley lines that give the Spring its healing properties. In fact, the stream before us is actually a run-off from the Spring itself; not much in terms of healing power, but soak in it long enough, and it is as good as high-class healing magic.” After that little revelation, the atmosphere between the two suddenly changed as Vento’s curiosity overcame him and he sent inquiry after inquiry after the old woman. She smiled and replied in kind, ecstatic that someone so young had become so interested in her work and in the place she was tending to with such zeal that she could not help but be amused at the young one’s zeal to learn. It was not until their conversation was interrupted by a cry of pain and agony in the distance did Vento’s attention shoot back to the present. “Tsuna!” he exclaimed, his ears recognizing the voice as that belonging to his partner’s. Instantly he stood up from his seat and plowed through the waist-deep stream to the opposite shore where the old woman sat for herself, the latter visibly panicked as well. “What was that? It sounded like someone was attacked!” she inquired, worried, but unable to stop Vento. “That was my assistant – former assistant, but still, my assistant,” he explained, “and she sounded hurt!” The drenched scholar, despite being barefoot, rushed to where he heard Tsuna’s voice in a juggernaut run, ignoring the fact that his feet were treading through dirt, soil, mud, and all kinds of plant life, stopping only when he had finally reached the same tree where the blonde sat. He was no more presentable than Tsuna whose expression was more akin to a murder victim, hair and all, especially with a bloody shirt and a knife sticking out from her shoulder. “What in the world happened to you?” inquired Vento, half-panting by wholly intent on getting to the truth of her predicament. |
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| Mariko | Jun 6 2016, 09:12 AM Post #22 |
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Phck.
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For the last time she screeched in pain as she lifted herself from the dirt to sit, her back against the body of the huge old tree. The shirt was not enough to protect her from its roughness, she could feel the coarse texture of the tree making the bruise on her lower back sting. The movement she did push the whole of the dagger deeper inside her shoulder prompting blood to spurt out of her wound. Tsuna wanted to lift her other arm and pull the weapon off her body, but she had no strength left. That moment there was a debate inside Tsuna's head. The topic was which was a better, if not the best, way to die: through that magic that almost siphoned all her energies, or through this stab wound. The former was less bloody, but obviously painful. This latter was painful as well, and if she survived the whole day laying there, when night time comes there would be no way she would survive vicious predators. At least a living creature got satisfied of her fresh meat, not unlike that raven-haired scholar who seemed to be never satisfied of most of the things she did, right? It did not matter though whatever won inside her head --- she was already deeply wounded with only a small amount of vigor left in her system due to the spell earlier and the fact that she was losing blood. The pink hues of her lips turned pale as her visage turned pasty white. Her body was starting to numb. Was this her end? If so, it was just a shame as this was a dumb way to die, but what could the young heiress do? She was really dumb. "Tsuna!" Oh, look... she could already hear a faint voice calling her. Sure it sounded like Vento, but there was no chance he would be in this place. He'd be too busy looking for a more competent partner, if not treading Genie's Lamp alone. Hence, it probably was not Vento, and she was really dying because she was already hallucinating. A small weak smile formed on her drying lips. "Tchn, Tsuna when did you become so attached with Vento you could hear his voice now you're dying?" What would she do if they meet for the last time? Yeah, she said she would give him a slap that would make him forget all the learnings stored inside his powerful brain, but that would be improbable at this moment due to her weakened state. Maybe she would just apologize. They said when people die with grudges or anger they return to the world as spirits --- ghosts --- and would keep on wandering the face of the earth until they could release these negative feelings. And the girl did not want to be a ghost. Since before, she had thought that when she die she did not want to haunt anyone because it's just ... rude. Soft sounds of breaking twigs reached her ears. She still believed she was hallucinating. Or that noise came from a predator who had sensed her blood from afar and was ready to take her as its prey. It did not take long when the same voice that called out her name became clear, loud and audible, asking what happened to her. The blonde slightly moved her head to the direction of the voice to find a barefooted raven-haired man with crimson eyes clad in black shirt and wet acid-washed jeans. "Tsuna... d'you weally want ... t'see Vento s'much you're hal'cinating of him?" she gave off a weak chuckle, followed by a wince due to pain surging throughout her body. She squinted her eyes and the man was still there. This prompted the young lady to burst into tears. All her pain, anger, frustrations, hope and what little joy was left were translated into a resounding cry. "V-vento --- !" she howled, it was more than what a hurt child or a heartbroken maiden could do. "The guy from Fairy Tail ye --- sent to the hospital .... b'fore that 'cident in front of the ruins, I saw 'im --- grabbed my arm, pushed --- down the dirt --- talked down on e'ryone. --- Same to e'ryone. Now --- I re'lize.... grab was a delayed trigger curse, ---- pain... so much pain... while ... drain... ing out magi--- energies ... s-strength. I --- I was just so lucky I canceled it with my dagger!" Her tears made her once pretty visage messier. No matter how hard she tried to stop her eyes from giving out those large beads of tears she kept on failing. Maybe she was really just a big failure. She took in a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. It was taking too much of what was left in her body to speak and smile, but she did not care. She needed to tell him her progress. Her supposed final report. "Vento... L-look!" she tried to lift her injured arm which made her wince in pain, yet she did not take the smile off her face just so to prove her former boss that she could do something, and it was okay to be hurt if only she could hear him say again the two words he said back in the Inn in Poinsettia when she managed to call out the barrier... if only he could be proud of her once again, "I can.. can ... fin'lly, cancel out magic using my dag'r. I... want y'to be happy but I ... k-keep on failing... I'm sorry I failed you. P-Please be happy," --- then abrupt silence. The girl passed out due to blood loss and exhaustion. --- Ooc: edited 6PM- I can do 100 typos per hour. Edited by Mariko, Jun 6 2016, 10:00 AM.
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| heiner777 | Jun 7 2016, 12:19 AM Post #23 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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Vento sighed in exasperation and actually debated on whether or not to leave Tsuna here for later to go back to the old woman and talk some more about something he was actually interested in because, for a brief instant, the blonde actually had Vento worried. He had envisioned a much more gruesome scene than the one that played out before him while her ‘dying message’ was something he did not think anything off since he did not care what the man from Fairy Tail did nor of the fact that Tsuna was now able to channel her anti-magic magecraft through objects. It was something he expected out of the young woman right from the start; when he said that he saw her as an equal, he was absolutely telling the truth. He did not belittle her latent powers for a single bit and even trusted in her abilities enough to take his vanguard in the exploration in the Genie’s Lamp. That Tsuna found it necessary to use her strength to make a useless report to him was something Vento found as illogical; she probably just wanted to dramatize the entire fiasco to make him forget about how she had quit in the middle of the job. He would deal with her punishment later. “What a pain you are,” he grumbled and gently picked up the unconscious Tsuna into his arms like a princess, being extremely careful to not jostle the embedded knife since, while it served as a measure to prevent the young woman from wholly bleeding out, likewise remained a danger as it could still aggravate the wound by cutting up the victim from the inside. The amount of blood flowing out of Tsuna was likewise manageable as well, since the staunched wound only produced so much blood to stain a good portion of the upper half of Tsuna’s shirt. Probably a second-class hemorrhage, he thought without panic. Still if this went on for much longer, there would be a serious chance for Tsuna to die; luckily for them, the stream that ran off from the Healing Spring was relatively close by, no more than a short jog. After almost an hour of slow and methodical walking so as not to cause more damage to Tsuna’s shoulder, Vento finally reached the stream with sore and dirty feet that had been slashed and cut with heaven knows how many sharp rocks and thorns. It thus need not be said that the raven-haired scholar felt utter relief as soon as he – along with his unconscious partner in his arms – entered the stream and waded into the waist-deep portion where Vento lowered his body until both Tsuna’s and his bodies were submerged from the neck down. He was unsure if the Healing Spring story told by the old woman who had been here was true, but he figured that this was as good a time as any to test the veracity of her claim. Tsuna already resigned herself to death, anyway; Vento might as well make the best of it and use her body in the name of science before patching her up with the medical kits in their backpacks and call for help. In this way, at the very least, he could salvage the day where he was supposed to have been able to conquer the Genie’s Lamp. It only took minutes for the healing waters from the stream to work, much to the surprise of Vento himself. The waters beneath them shone with a dull green light that glowed the brightest on the exact spot where the dagger was embedded in Tsuna; the sporadic flow of blood slowly died down, the streak of red turning into small dashes upon the water’s surface. Soon enough, Vento inspected the wound and found it possible to pull out the dagger without causing irreparable damage to the woman and thus decided to do so since he did not want the wound to close up while the dagger was still there. “Clench your teeth,” he whispered, despite the fact that Tsuna might not be conscious to hear it, and yanked the blade out of her shoulder in one fluid motion. Streaks of blood momentarily filled the water in their vicinity, but soon enough, the magic from the Spring managed to control the bleeding and the wound was now left to heal up properly while it was being soaked with the waters of the stream. After more than an hour of being immersed in the stream, Vento once again checked Tsuna’s wounds and found it to have closed up entirely, leaving nothing – not even a scar – as evidence of the wound Tsuna’s dagger had caused. “There, all healed up,” he spoke to himself before lifting Tsuna out of the water and setting her down on the shore where their equipment were. Dagger in hand, Vento then proceeded out into the nearby brush to gather some fire wood and tinder so they can build a fire and dry their clothes. |
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| Mariko | Jun 7 2016, 01:41 AM Post #24 |
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Phck.
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Light. Blinding light. Everywhere you look, there was nothing but this annoying blinding light. Who left the light switch on? Who in their right mind would open a handful of 30,000-lumen light bulbs in a single instance? Someone just... just please dim the lights. It was difficult to see clearly with these. Wait. This could not be just light bulbs. Was this the sun up close?! But if so, why was she not yet burned? Ugh. As far as she could remember, a few moments ago she was somewhere with that stoic-faced, raven-haired, 'better-than-all-of-you' scholar as she weakly told him... what did she tell him again? Argh, it was hard to remember. Tsuna could vaguely remember. Hold on. If she passed out, and then this place was just nothing but light, then... did that mean she was already dead? And this... place ... could it be heaven? Impossible. Where are the clouds, the streets made of gold, the singing angels and a tower of Bosco sticks? Of course there was a tower of Bosco sticks in heaven, that yummy chewy bread with mozzarella cheese filling... how do you think the Boscans could stay in heaven without Bosco sticks?! Uhm... maybe the Fiorans would be angry if the Boscans have a tower of food and they did not have anything. Maybe not. Heaven was a peaceful place for everyone after all, and God would not allow the Boscans and Fiorans to wage a war in His kingdom. Maybe the Fiorans could settle with blueberry cream cheese waffles and a stream of butterbeer. Would cream cheese and butterbeer not cause a revolution in your stomach?! No one knows. How about butterbeer and Fioran ravioli? Fioravioli? Ugh, what did that even mean... Enough of this nonsense. There was nothing in sight except for this vast light. At first it was terrifying --- of course, who would not be terrified if you were walking and you could just see nothing? Not even a clue in which direction you were heading. "You're really a stupid bitch, aren't you?" a masculine voice that did not resemble the voices of anyone she knew suddenly boomed out of nowhere. Tsuna turned around to see who it was, but could not find a single soul. Was it all in her head? Good grief, even in after life she was turning insane. "Hey, who are you?" she asked. "What kind of low-life creature would die out of a single stab wound on the shoulder, and worst in just ten minutes?" "Hey, how dare you to judge?!" To be fair, Tsuna had an endurance and toughness resembling to a worm. Wait, that's an insult to the worm... the worm was better. "Who are you and what is this place even?" "It doesn't matter," the man said, if the owner of the voice was indeed a man... but judging on the tone he might be. "You don't belong here." So what now? She would be zoomed down to hell? "You don't even deserve to be in hell," the voice continued. "Stop that!" "You better go back down to Earthland and finish what you've started. Oh wait, you haven't even started anything, quitter." "..." "If you think you can escape things that are bound to happen, things that were destined for you to do, you cannot. Not even this... stupid death of yours. Besides, death by stabbing is too decent for you." "Oh my God!" "No I am not your God. The hell would I want to be your god? I'm too good for you." "Seriously you're being a ----" Her lips moved, her feminine voice was loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. "DICK!" Then she coughed out, pulling herself up from the worst bed ever --- one made up of rocks. Air filled her nostrils as her mind roused from whatever weird and brash world she had been. What was that place even? Tsuna rubbed her eyes before looking around. Oh shit. The boy wonder was there. Probably this would end up like the last time when she suddenly blurted out the same word in her sleep. The blonde pulled her arm, her hand run through her shoulder to feel her wound but there was none. Not even a smear of blood on her hand. That was the time she moved her head to check with her eyes if what her hand felt was right. Positive. Her brows furrowed. How can that be? No. This was just a dream. There was no wound, and Vento was there, hie existence alone in this place, wasting time on her was already a big clue that this was not real. The guy would rather talk to himself for hours than do anything with Tsuna. Of course this was just a dream. There was only one way to find out. She slapped herself. The crisp sound of her palm hitting her face echoed the area, her cheek reddening. "Ow!" That hurt. A lot. Stupid. "I'm alive?" |
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| heiner777 | Jun 7 2016, 03:31 AM Post #25 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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“Yes, you are, and if you need someone else to verify your findings, I could always punch you,” replied Vento icily. “Also, I see that not even death has cured your promiscuity; then again, blondes and a strong sexual drive have always been stereotypically paired together, so I guess that holds some modicum of truth after all,” jeered the scholar as he threw another carved-out piece of wood onto the roaring fire he had prepared. It took quite some time before Tsuna came back to consciousness and the hours of the day flied while he busied himself gathering dead leaves, twigs, and branches to start a fire. Despite not having any help which would have made things easier, Vento did eventually manage to start a moderate campfire after several failed attempts, and by now, it was even strong enough to use relatively thick branches from trees as fuel, thus providing for a larger and more stable blaze. Living in the woods with Zephyrus taught Vento how to be self-sufficient and as such he knew how to thrive and survive as long as he had a good survival knife like the one he left at home, a trusted companion from his days as a lackey to a once great wizard-scholar who had more than a few screws loose. However, with his skills as an outdoorsman, he still could make do with a typical dagger like the one Tsuna had on her; the only downside of this was that his efforts took him way too much time. By the time he was finished, it was now dark; the forest’s lavender glow replaced by an ominous shroud of black and deep violet, and where the only source of usable light came from the constructed bonfire. Vento sighed at the turn of events, cursing Poinsettia as a place where night just comes as quickly as the morning. Even more than that, he cursed his lack of foresight for something like this to happen and mentally mourned the fact that he was without his trusted multi-tool. Nevertheless, there was nobody to blame but himself for not thinking of the possibility that a companion he had hired would have an emotional breakdown, quit in the middle of the job, run off into the deep woods without a care in the world, be infected with some kind of poison magic, stab herself in the shoulder with a dagger, and ultimately take hours to recover. Anyone could have seen that coming from a mile away, like the probability of meeting a tap-dancing zombie dragon from outer space – how the heck can you not prepare for that eventuality? Once more, the scholar sighed as he mustered a small bit of energy to bother himself to explain the state of things to Tsuna. “Let me tell you the bad news first,” he started, “we are stuck in the middle of the Lavender Forest at night without reception for communication lacrima; our bonfire is the only thing that keeps the beasts in the dark at bay, but also alerts them of our presence; I believe that we are being hunted by werewolves and are most likely nearby; and most importantly, I am extremely behind schedule in the exploration of the Genie’s Lamp,” declared Vento in a monotonous, matter-of-fact voice. After a long pause, he continued, but this time, his tone was one filled with the smallest semblance of delight and satisfaction. “The good news is that in the event that we do get viciously attacked and eaten alive, we will have the great honor of becoming part of Lavender Forest’s unique ecosystem and contribute to this great land as nutrients for the soil as fertilizer.” Despite what should be an undeniably grim situation, Vento at least found it in himself to appreciate the rare opportunity to observe and admire the beauty and majesty of the Lavender Forest at night. There were glowing fireflies by the masses flying all over the field around them while in the darker portions of the copse beyond the reach of the fire-light emitted a surreal green light from the trace amounts of healing magic present in the stream. The moon and stars shone like jewels on a velvet backdrop, like the wonderful hexagram matrix of Neo Cortex’s Oculus Magica once its lattice was completed and the product was ready to be transplanted. It made Vento relieve one of the first lessons taught to him by Zephyrus while they were out camping. “Humanity only seeks to copy nature, not understand it; science is the art of translating the language of the universe present in nature,” he muttered out loud, his mind once more locked in a trance. Crimson eyes, child-like and mesmerized, shone with interest and zeal from the physical and academic allure of everything around him. The raw state of wonder was apparent on his face, a glowing sense of awe like that of an infant’s first time in seeing the sunrise. He had only seen and read reports and papers on Lavender Forest and this was the first time he had the chance to see his imagined images come to life before his very eyes. Without intending to, he subconsciously narrated the flow of everything to Tsuna, not caring if she would understand it or not. It was as if he was back again with Zephyrus, in that large patch of green where it was just him and the man who taught him that there was wonder in everything, if only one knew where to look. It was the goal of science to decipher the meaning of things, after all; there was thus no shame in expressing one’s respect for one’s subject of study by enthusiastically taking in everything associated with it. In the midst of his one-sided flood of scientific explanations, Vento paused and pointed at a patch of bright stars in the sky. “Custodes – the Guardians,” he muttered fondly. “They are the ones who are said to be the guiding light for lost souls. This is the first time since I left my home to see them this clearly,” explained the scholar and just sat there, engrossed in sweet nostalgia. |
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| Mariko | Jun 7 2016, 08:16 AM Post #26 |
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Phck.
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"Says the guy who thought we had sex and then publicly did a foreplay," the blonde rolled her eyes as she muttered right after the scholar jeeringly pointed out her supposed licentiousness. To her mind, between the two of them Vento was the promiscuous one based on everything that had happened between the two of them that morning. If uttering the male copulatory organ falls under promiscuity, how much more licking someone's erogenous zones while being out in the open? She did not bother to explain her side or correct him though. With how estranged the ties between them at that moment were, based on how the words just hurled out of their lips, Tsuna thought the young man would just dismiss it. One by one the young lady plucked off the black hairpins from her hair and took off the blond-colored elastic hair tie. As Vento told the girl what the supposed bad news was, she had her fingers run through her scalp before combing her tresses and neatly placing parts on each side, draping her shoulder. She just replied with a sigh as a minute of silence enveloped the two. Yes, Tsuna already knew that, he did not have to 'enlighten' her with something which was already screaming in front of her. Besides, what could be of more bad news than spending another night with this guy who could not even express understanding, consideration, appreciation, and everything that have -tion at the end? What could be worst than getting stuck in a dark dangerous forest with someone who kept on confusing you whether or not he was a blessing, a curse or a major headache? She tried to be nice, okay, tried to justify things inside her head and tried to fervently follow him like a dog, but... well... she was upset. She was upset, okay?! “The good news is that in the event that we do get viciously attacked and eaten alive, we will have the great honor of becoming part of Lavender Forest’s unique ecosystem and contribute to this great land as nutrients for the soil as fertilizer.” "That's not in my today's to-do list, sadly. I don't know with yours," she murmured once again. The ball of manmade sun illuminated the part of the forest where they were and a little bit of what was beyond. The red orange color cast on her fair skin. The same color almost served like a third hue in her two-toned orbs that scouted the area, only to find they were surrounder by darkness, save to the greenish glow from the waters and the small dots of light from the fireflies. The whole area was reminiscent of that night she left the mansion --- it was this pitch black as well, and only the light of the stars and scant fireflies led her out of danger, however during that time she did not have any chance to appreciate the beauty of the luminiscence from nature. Survival and escape from horror were on top of her head. Hence, the young girl took the chance to leisurely watch them, at that moment oblivious of the fact that when she raise her head she would see a prettier sight. While enjoying the dancing lights, which somehow cooled her head a little, Vento started a monologue about things Tsuna could and could not comprehend in the same time. Since his voice was something she could not cancel out as it was the only noise in the area, Tsuna listened quietly --- but it did not mean that her brain processed the words that he uttered. His ideas were quite too big for her, but she would not stop him from saying them. She might be upset of him, and on a few certain points they might agree, while on the most they might argue, but she just let him speak whatever he wanted... until to the point it got pretty long and deep that she wished he would just pause for a while as she could already feel her cerebral cortex sliding out of her nostrils. “Custodes – the Guardians,” Vento said with a tone that she had never heard from him before as he pointed to the sky. Tsuna looked at the man for a moment and saw the child-like sparkle in his eyes. With piqued curiosity while trying to snort back in her cerebral cortex, the blonde turned her head up to see the patch of stars he was referring to. “They are the ones who are said to be the guiding light for lost souls. This is the first time since I left my home to see them this clearly.” The sky was beautiful. The patch of stars was mesmerizing. A faint smile formed on Tsuna's lips. "Guardians, huh." Her eyes fixated on the marvel that was above as the air of silence was between the two one again. Sadly, her mind did not seem to know when to shut up. Out of the blue she recalled something... "If you think you can escape things that are bound to happen, things that were destined for you to do, you cannot." "Do you think... there is a force writing our fates, and when we go astray they force us back to do what we have to do? Or is it true that we're just the ones who are... writing our fates? That everything is up to us? I don't know which is to believe anymore," she asked in a whisper while watching the stars with Vento. "I was so upset with you I quitted. I could have run away from you. You could have just find another person and successfully find one. I could have just disappeared. You could have just left me anyway, that was the most convenient thing to do for you, you have no use of someone who could not catch up with your IQ and got half the size of your ego. But despite everything, we're still sitting here like nothing happened. Earlier, there was a voice who ... was rude enough to tell me that I should go back here and finish something I haven't even started. Tch, what am I talking about? I now sound like someone who had a few loose screws." Unconsciously, the fingers of her left hand had started caressing the gems on the bracelet that was around her right wrist, the one that matched Vento's. "This is nonsense." She laid down on the ground, eyes fixated on the velvet sky. Edited by Mariko, Jun 7 2016, 09:00 AM.
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| heiner777 | Jun 7 2016, 01:35 PM Post #27 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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When it was Tsuna’s turn to blurt out her own monologue, Vento thought it would do no harm to listen to whatever trivial problem troubling her. He figured that since she was always listening to him about things she probably would not have any idea of whenever the mood struck him, doing the same might do her some good if only to give Tsuna the illusion of ‘caring’ and that they were ‘connecting’. After all, studies have shown that people who feel like they can relate to another have a higher chance of fostering a sense of cooperation than those who did not. If Tsuna’s earlier outburst was any indication, it must be that Vento needed to adjust his method to achieve the desired result. True enough, her concerns regarded the validity of own existence, the choices she made as part of a grander scheme of things, and that she was nothing more than a puppet on a stage dancing to the strings of an invisible puppeteer. She was doubting herself in as much as she doubted the actions she was taking as if they were not her own – that she was merely following a script where she had no say, all leading to a predetermined conclusion. It was utter hogwash; Vento deemed the thoughts to be nothing more than flights of fancy caused by a brain that had been temporarily deprived of blood. His blood boiled at the thought and Tsuna was mad to even suggest that. To propose the idea of destiny was to oppose Vento’s ideals itself. As soon as the blonde finished telling her story, he immediately rebuked the idea with calculating precision laced with calm fury. “I personally believe that things happen simply because they happen, not because of fate, or of the divine, or of some other kind of illogical reason. The concept of ‘destiny’ is only for those who cannot accept reality and the consequences of their own actions and ascribe the effects as ‘pre-ordained’ or ‘meant to be’ as a way to pin the blame. Only humanity is stupid enough to romanticize something like that; it is the pinnacle of escapism that conveniently allows people to believe that they are not at fault when they do not want to take responsibility.” He continued his explanation with both fists clenched in anger and frustration at the sheer stupidity of Tsuna doubting her own actions as ‘free’. “I firmly believe that we are the ones responsible for your own actions, and if anyone tells you otherwise, it is your choice to believe it. It is understandable; after all, it is easier to go on with your life when you can just think that there is no such thing as coincidence, only inevitability. No one will judge you for what you believe since there is no universal truth confirming one school of thought and rejecting another. In the end, it is all about whatever helps you sleep at night.” Vento ended on that note since he did not want to risk his explanation being tainted with a personal bias that would affect Tsuna’s outlook on the matter. She only asked him what he thought on the matter and nothing more; how she would take his words was for her and her alone to decide. Still, one cannot doubt the fact that Vento – in his own standards – did express genuine anger in that span of time in the only manner he knew how. After all, the subject of personal freedom had always been one of the scholar’s triggers due to his childhood of being treated as nothing more than Zephyrus’ little ‘project’. Despite the fact that his monologue ended, it still did not stop him from voicing out his own sentiments mentally and that reflected on his facial expression that shifted from wonderment to cold rage. As the thoughts quickly filled his head, Vento unconsciously began to punch the ground while he continued with his personal musings. It was my choice to come to Neo Cortex; it was my choice to accept this mission; it was my choice to help that old woman by gouging out her eyes so she can be a recipient of an Oculus; it was my choice to help Tsuna; my choice – mine. Everything is me, all me, nobody forced me to – it was me, me, me, me, me, ME, ME! EVERYTHING IS MY OWN DECISION! I MAKE THE RULES! I LIVE MY LIFE BECAUSE I CHOSE TO DO SO! In a split-second that felt more like an eternity, the raven-haired scholar’s hands picked up Tsuna’s dagger he had been using and, without any trace of hesitation whatsoever, stabbed his own left hand with it. The pain forced Vento’s wandering consciousness back into its place, the scholar’s anguished cry of a demon’s birth a sign that he was back to normal and that he had acknowledged the fact that he had just done something utterly unnecessary. This was not the first time he had done this unconsciously, however; normally it was just with a pen or a pencil, or at most, a navigational divider. On the bright side, his roar of sheer agony was loud enough to scare away any creature near the camp site, thus pushing back the boundaries of their safe zone by a few meters thanks to it. He would probably set up a few torches at those points later on, but before anything else, he needed to fix his self-inflicted wound. |
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| Mariko | Jun 7 2016, 03:55 PM Post #28 |
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Phck.
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As she had her back down against the ground, the girl raised her hand as if blocking the light of the stars while listening to Vento --- not discerning the hint of anger in his words. She just thought the scholar was quite passionate in the topic that he had to make emphasis and assertions. "Maybe you're right," Tsuna lazily replied, not wanting to discuss any longer while playing with her hand and the lights that were up in the sky. Not one word was shared afterwards until the heiress 'heard' a faint noise, as if something --- someone, was pounding the ground. It was not hard to discern since she was laying supine on the same ground. Tsuna looked at the young man from the corner of her eyes to find he was punching the ground while he appeared to be... furious, which was an understatement? One would be dumb if he could not quickly perceive that Vento was getting overwhelmed with something. At that exact moment, the young lady sat up and watched him quietly, worry was overshadowing the calmness that once reigned in her visage. What was wrong with him? What had caused him to be swamped by thoughts? What had caused him to be this enraged? Was it something Tsuna said? It had to be it. This only started when he criticized the proposition that there was a force controlling everyone's decisions and actions. But he delivered his piece in somewhat calm way, if it was what made him mad, he should have chastised the girl from head to foot. Was it because she replied to his long speech with a lethargic 'okay'? Whatever it was it all boiled down to one point: Tsuna messed up --- again. She could never do anything right, couldn't she? It was all her fault --- for the nth time. It was her fault. She was to blame. Guilt welled up her chest. Maybe it was for the best that she would just stop talking, communicating or reacting. It might be difficult, but... what if it was the solution to keep herself from committing any more mistakes? Maybe Vento would be so much better if Tsuna would just keep all her thoughts to herself and be forever mute even if that was not how she was 'designed' to be. If she could not be eradicated from the face of the earth which would somehow bring relief to the raven-haired young man, maybe it was better if her voice... or perhaps free will... would just disappear. Free will, so the maiden would just blindly follow what he wanted her to do, what he wanted her to think, how he wanted her to act. The next thing she knew, the scholar picked up her dagger without a hint of hesitation, the crystals encrusted on its hilt glistened in the light from the campfire. The beauty of the forest went to the back burner as Tsuna's senses were heightened, vigilantly watching his every movement, which came to her senses in slow motion. "Vento, what are you going to do with that dagger?" There was no response. He did not hear her. Once the scholar was about to thrust the blade down to his left hand the girl lunged forward with her right hand extended. Initially she wanted to stop him, or rather the blade by grabbing it, from causing him any injury, but it ended up miserably as Tsuna's hand got caught. Her hand landed on top of Vento's right hand, and in a split second the dagger rammed into her flesh. It passed through her hand before piercing into Vento's. In no time, the hilt reached the back of her palm. The girl twitched in pain and bit the insides of her cheek roughly, blood swirling once more inside her mouth. She wanted to cry and scream in agonizing pain, but kept it all bottled up within her as her ears rang due to the the man's roar. With haste, she wrapped an arm around Vento, the free unharmed hand on the back of his head as she pressed herself against him. She clutched him tightly while feeling her injured arm throbbing. "Shhh...shhh... it... it's all right, Vento," the blonde attempted to comfort the scholar using a serene voice that masked the torture she was feeling, and a motherly warmth that was believed to be always present in a woman albeit hidden, and would only show on its own when the right situation came. She plastered a smile on her face even if she knew that in their position there was no chance he would see it. "There's nothing to agitate you. Everything's okay. Tsuna is sorry for what she said. Tsuna will not do it again, okay? Please calm down. It's all fine, Vento... Shhhh." The young heiress cradled him while humming a soft tune until she was sure he was calm. It was similar to what was done by Daiki and her father when she was younger. Whenever she was in the verge of a huge tantrum or anger, which was usually bad as she was prone to suddenly hurting the people around her or destroying anything she was holding, one of them would embrace and cradle her while assuring everything was peachy. She had outgrown the trait save for some relapses such as what happened back in Genie's Lamp. She had no idea what was the reasoning behind it, but somehow it was effective. If it would be to Vento, she had no idea but there was no harm in trying. Once he was back to his normal self and showed signs that he was 'stable', she would gently take her arm off him and sit in front of him wearing the same wide warm smile. "I might be upset of you earlier but I'm not going to let you to be the only one who'll be eaten by the werewolves," she jokingly said while inspecting the blade. Edited by Mariko, Jun 7 2016, 04:01 PM.
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| heiner777 | Jun 8 2016, 07:44 AM Post #29 |
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"Sapientia Sola Libertas Est"
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Pain filled his head with nothing but the thought of removing the dagger embedded in his left hand, but in hindsight, amidst the torturous sensation in his hand, he could feel another hand press against his own. In that instance, another arm stretched out and wrapped itself around him before a voice – which could only belong to Tsuna – assured him that everything was all right and it was okay. She likewise apologized for what she said, if by some reason it was her fault to begin with when she was simply asking for his opinion on the matter. Sure it riled Vento up, but that was because of his own musings which triggered his outburst unintentionally; Tsuna had nothing to do with it. Once she finished saying her piece, Tsuna then began to hum a tune which filled Vento’s ears. He had no clue what it was for or why she was doing so, as if some kind of melody would magically take away the searing pain he felt in his left hand when the Healing Spring can do the same. Vento even wondered why the blonde would not just shut herself up and scream out her pain; she was a victim too, stabbed straight though the palm of her hand up to the hilt. She should just let herself go like he did; there was no reason to maintain a charade of strength since there was no one there to do it for, the least of all him. What is this…? Why are you doing this? Thought the scholar who simply did not understand the logic behind such an unnecessary action and why she was going so far. He had no clue why, and more importantly, for whom such action it was for. Vento surmised that it was just probably a coping mechanism for her since it just did not make any sense at all that she would do it for him when she knew better; he did not need it. She was most likely just taking comfort in treating him like a child to make her feel superior than him, stroking her own ego and treating her own insecurities since this was an opportunity to do so – that was the most probable reason. Thinking about the motives for Tsuna’s unnecessary display of comforting the young man allowed Vento to temporarily numb his senses to the pain as his analytic mind put all thoughts of the injury behind in favor of ascertaining the logic of the young woman’s action. It was at that same time that she, believing him to have calmed down, seated herself before him with a smile and told him that she would not let him be the only one who would get eaten by werewolves. That statement alone allowed Vento to, in his mind, finally affirm and see Tsuna’s act for what she truly was – someone who was nothing but lip service. “You reALLy… should STop making… irresponsible reMARKS liKe that…,” he advised despite being in pain and promptly pulled out his left hand from its impalement. For a second time, Vento let out a howl of indescribable pain, his searing hand now red-hot with agony. Nevertheless, the raven-haired youth deemed the pain a much better alternative than having his hands connected to someone whom he perceived to be a hypocrite and suffering her nonsense. Precious crimson lifeblood flooded down his left hand in a grotesque river, but if the oval-shaped hole in the middle of his palm had anything to say about Vento, it was that he would rather be in heavier physical pain than to be led around by an undependable woman. He spoke in a solemn manner while he slowly made his way towards the stream. “I thought I can cONsidEr you an eQuaL… and I REALLY did… I did notHinG to BETray your exPECtatIONs nor did I reprimand yOu for ACTiNG out on your Own…,” he spoke, wincing in pain while he did. “YOu madE YOUr choices… and I resPECt that… but even if I DO reSPect the chOICes yoU MAde and the acTs you cOmMitTed… reFrain from saying thiNGs you caNNot make GooD on. In quitting AFter you sAId that you wouLd help me conquer the Genie’s Lamp, you have proven that your words and prOMISes are emPTy; WoRThless… so if you cannot follow through with what you say with ALL sincerity… just do not sAy anything. That way, I would NOT get my hopes up and eXPEct anything from you…” After reaching the mouth of the stream, the young man dipped his injured hand into the water. Almost immediately the pain let up on Vento's hand to a more manageable degree as the green light that had healed Tsuna’s stab wound earlier that day appeared on Vento’s as well, a warm and gentle radiance; the feeling akin to wading one’s hand into a basin of warm water on a cold winter day. Despite that, his blunt and icy remarks continued to flow out, unaffected by the glow. “I also dislike your vanity – you are simply too vain for your own good. You think that everything wrong is your fault… you think that all the problems that happen around you, in one way or another, have something to do with you. It is stupid… of course not; things happen because they happen… you are not always at fault and damn the person who tells you otherwise. Besides, if you were at fault… I would be the first one to tell you… and I sure as heck would not waste my time out here at a place only heaven knows where if I did not believe in what I am saying. You are trying too hard to be someone you are not… you cannot please everyone all the time, so just get off your high horse and shrug off your mistakes like the rest of us…” A grunt of pain indicated the end of Vento’s harsh yet necessary speech. They were his main assessment on Tsuna and the problems she possessed; one of many, of course, but the main ones to date. It was not meant to hurt her feelings, but it was to allow Tsuna to confront a reality she chooses to ignore, whether she is conscious of it or not. How she takes it in would be up to her, but there was one thing that was certain about the act – in shedding light to Tsuna’s flaws, it was his own twisted way of giving thanks for trying to comfort him, even if he thought she was just doing it for her own benefit. Edited by heiner777, Jun 8 2016, 08:10 AM.
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| Mariko | Jun 8 2016, 11:31 AM Post #30 |
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Phck.
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The bright smile on her face faded when Tsuna slightly pulled her head down and listened to Vento's rant which was more painful than the blow she received in her hand. She pulled out the dagger that was stuck in her hand to the hilt, straightening up as a faint squeal escaped her lips once what was left on her hand was a profusely bleeding laceration. She elevated the injured area, and in doing so the fresh crimson fluid oozed down to her arm after entirely covering the bracelet. She let him speak to his heart's content while trying to bottle up the pain she was feeling both within her chest and on her hand. She was trying to understand him, but the more she listened, the more his words hurt. If other people could just shrug off harsh words even if the same had reached their ears, this was not true in the case of the heiress as it had struck her heart and soul since the beginning enough for her to absorb everything Vento would say. It was like an open wound in which any bacteria could easily invade and infect it. Once he was done, the girl could not stop herself from speaking. Her lips seemed to moved on their own, the words escaped her lips before her brain could process them --- how could it even process the words she had to say when her mind was already echoing the statement uttered along with his cold voice? However her heart was thanking her for speaking up, totally disregarding if it would make their ties better or if it would further drift them apart. "I know I made a mistake when I chose not to join you in Genie's Lamp and run away. It's my fault, and I apologize for letting my anger and frustrations get the best of me. I am sorry... don't I deserve a second chance? You have no idea how guilty I am right now for doing such.... stupidity." Tears started flowing down her eyes. She could not blame him for thinking she was a hypocrite. Running away from a promise was wrong in the first place. "You're telling me you see me as your equal, but in reality we never are and you're making it clear. You want me to cooperate with you, but you don't want to cooperate with me. You want everything to go the way you want it, not giving anyone else a chance to let them help you in their own way no matter how twisted their means are. You don't even appreciate anything. You don't listen yet you want people to listen to you." Finally she was able to say one of the things that made her run away earlier and it was refreshing. Upon saying those words, it felt like a load was lifted from her back. "Now tell me, are we equal?" "Tell me that the things happening are not my fault when it is as clear as the day in your actions that it is. How you look at me, how you talk to me, how you move around, you make me feel I am so small, that there is nothing I can do for you, and all the things you tell me I could do and what I am are all lip service. You're so easy to get annoyed and disappointed, but so hard to make you smile, when all I wanted was... to make you happy." To a point, the two of them were similar. One viewed the other just the same. The only difference was Tsuna's defiance to her words was a conscious action while Vento's might be something he was not aware of. Or was it all a figment of Tsuna's imagination, a part of a hallucination brought about by the lack of oxygen in her body earlier that she had not yet recovered from? In Tsuna's defense, she always thought it was her fault because she knew she was not the brightest star in the sky. Everyone around her, except four people who were Daiki, her parents and her grandmother, had always looked down on her capabilities, especially in her decision-making skills to the point when an important event went wrong everyone quickly assumed it was Tsuna's decision. That was the reason why she allowed Daiki to settle matters for her when he was still alive. "But you know, even if I was upset with what you did, I am still concerned of you because --- you're my friend." Saying to someone that he was a "friend" was the most convenient explanation she could offer, as Tsuna herself could not understand why she cared for the man too much, why even before dying there was a little desire to see him for the last time, why she was attracted to the depths of his mind even if his every uttered theory makes her temporal lobe explode, why there was a desire to be a part of his monochrome world, and despite the love-hate feeling she had towards him that day. There was a hint of truth when she said he was her friend, but she knew it was not enough to explain everything. "Yes, I was and I am worried, would you believe that? When you said this Frederick guy died, I kept on thinking of you because you might be heavily affected. I tried to make you feel better but you seem to dismiss me. Don't you know how painful that is? When you suddenly punched the ground and then about to stab yourself I was worried and frightened that you'll get hurt but I was too slow and powerless to make the blade stop or take all the pain away. Sadly I could only do as much. Yet, right now it appears like you're telling me it's a bad idea. Even so, I am not regretting sharing the wound with you. And if I have to do it again, I would. If the pain is my karma for failing you when my apologies do not suffice, I'll wholeheartedly accept." Then silence. There was nothing else she had to say that time. The blonde remained seated, her elbow remained propped on her lap as the injured hand was still elevated as she had no idea the stream nearby had healing powers. As Vento's assessment harrassed her head, the torment that should have been brought by the stab drowned in the background while her eyes were just on the streak of crimson down her arm. She got lost in her thoughts and was struggling to figure out what she had to do... or rather was there really something she needed to do. She did too many mistakes already. Edited by Mariko, Jun 8 2016, 12:45 PM.
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