Tower of Ghenjei: An ICanon subplot

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

2 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“I didn’t know that… I didn’t know anyone… TAAron, that’s terrible.”

"He was still alive then. But I killed him."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

1 minute ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"He was still alive then. But I killed him."

“I mean… you.” She realized she was clutching him and released his arm, her nails leaving imprints. “I didn’t know you ever lived like that.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

1 minute ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“I mean… you.” She realized she was clutching him and released his arm, her nails leaving imprints. “I didn’t know you ever lived like that.”

"That doesn't matter. I killed an innocent child, Haly. Don't you get that?"

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

1 minute ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"That doesn't matter. I killed an innocent child, Haly. Don't you get that?"

“I don’t know everything that happened. TAAron… why were they…”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

3 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“I don’t know everything that happened. TAAron… why were they…”

"Kol... he stole food for us. I stole books. The only place in town with bookshops had another group in it. They didn't like us." He shook his head, distraught. "I killed him."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

5 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"Kol... he stole food for us. I stole books. The only place in town with bookshops had another group in it. They didn't like us." He shook his head, distraught. "I killed him."

“Why were you… alone, and hungry?” The reminder of his pain hurt her.

Quote

Bye!!

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by The Halcyon Girl

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

57 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“Why were you… alone, and hungry?” The reminder of his pain hurt her.

"My entire world was destroyed. I was thrown into a new one with nothing." All through this exchange, TAAron shook violently.

The memory flashed in, one final time.

---

TAAron emerged from his daze after being beaten. He could tell he probably had a concussion, as well as some broken ribs. Still, he was alive.

As soon as he found himself able to move, he scrambled over to his fallen partner. Kol lay there, still breathing, face down in the dirt. TAAron turned him over. At first glance, the boy didn't seem particularly injured from his brief scuffle. Yet there was something wrong. The child did not speak or try to move as TAAron rolled him over. When he caught a glimpse of Kol's face, he tensed.

For the year or so that TAAron had known him, Kol had maintained a confident demeanor, a projection that he only rarely let down in personal moments with his friend. Overall, for a street child, Kol had been remarkably happy. Had been.

His expression, once so confident and good-natured, was now a mask of pain. Eyes teary, jaw tight. Kol began to whisper softly. "It hurts so bad. TAAron, it hurts so bad. Make it stop. Please, make it stop."

"Kol! What's going on?" TAAron pulled the boy into his lap, examining him for unseen injuries. There were none. The only thing that seem out of place were the pieces of what had once been a glowing sphere. What did they do to him?

Then, Kol began to scream. It wasn't any sort of magically enhanced, unearthly scream. Just the yell of a child in agony. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!"

Tears sprang to TAAron's own eyes as he cradled the boy, wishing more than anything in the world that he could do something for him, ease the pain. But TAAron could do nothing. He had no magical ability, no knowledge of whatever curse it was that had been placed upon Kol. He just watched as his only friend was consumed, his screams growing more desperate, his body convulsing, hand gripping TAAron so tightly it drew blood, though the older boy couldn't bring himself to care about that.

After what seemed like hours, Kol stopped screaming, voice having grown raw and hoarse. Something inside both the younger boy and the older seemed to break as he returned to his whisper. "Kill me. Kill me. Kill me."

TAAron stayed like that for a whole day, listening to the words being repeated over, and over, and over. Finally, unable to bear seeing his companion in pain any longer, he did so.

Edited January 14, 2023 by The Aspiring Archivist

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

14 hours ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"My entire world was destroyed. I was thrown into a new one with nothing." All through this exchange, TAAron shook violently.

The memory flashed in, one final time.

---

TAAron emerged from his daze after being beaten. He could tell he probably had a concussion, as well as some broken ribs. Still, he was alive.

As soon as he found himself able to move, he scrambled over to his fallen partner. Kol lay there, still breathing, face down in the dirt. TAAron turned him over. At first glance, the boy didn't seem particularly injured from his brief scuffle. Yet there was something wrong. The child did not speak or try to move as TAAron rolled him over. When he caught a glimpse of Kol's face, he tensed.

For the year or so that TAAron had known him, Kol had maintained a confident demeanor, a projection that he only rarely let down in personal moments with his friend. Overall, for a street child, Kol had been remarkably happy. Had been.

His expression, once so confident and good-natured, was now a mask of pain. Eyes teary, jaw tight. Kol began to whisper softly. "It hurts so bad. TAAron, it hurts so bad. Make it stop. Please, make it stop."

"Kol! What's going on?" TAAron pulled the boy into his lap, examining him for unseen injuries. There were none. The only thing that seem out of place were the pieces of what had once been a glowing sphere. What did they do to him?

Then, Kol began to scream. It wasn't any sort of magically enhanced, unearthly scream. Just the yell of a child in agony. "MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!"

Tears sprang to TAAron's own eyes as he cradled the boy, wishing more than anything in the world that he could do something for him, ease the pain. But TAAron could do nothing. He had no magical ability, no knowledge of whatever curse it was that had been placed upon Kol. He just watched as his only friend was consumed, his screams growing more desperate, his body convulsing, hand gripping TAAron so tightly it drew blood, though the older boy couldn't bring himself to care about that.

After what seemed like hours, Kol stopped screaming, voice having grown raw and hoarse. Something inside both the younger boy and the older seemed to break as he returned to his whisper. "Kill me. Kill me. Kill me."

TAAron stayed like that for a whole day, listening to the words being repeated over, and over, and over. Finally, unable to bear seeing his companion in pain any longer, he did so.

Haly couldn’t speak. It was too terrible. 

But Mitis could. She crouched next to TAAron. “You did right. He was suffering.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

Haly couldn’t speak. It was too terrible. 

But Mitis could. She crouched next to TAAron. “You did right. He was suffering.”

TAAron slumped into Haly, still shaking. "I killed him. I should die too."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

8 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

TAAron slumped into Haly, still shaking. "I killed him. I should die too."

“You did right,” Mitis repeated as Haly shook her head vigorously. “What would have happened if you didn’t?”

Quote

Later!

 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

14 hours ago, Ranryu said:

"See the universe? Find new things? That's good." She looked distracted.

"Yeah. Guess so."

4 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“You did right,” Mitis repeated as Haly shook her head vigorously. “What would have happened if you didn’t?”

"I don't know. It doesn't matter."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

4 hours ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"Yeah. Guess so."

"I don't know. It doesn't matter."

“It does matter,” Mitis promised. “Do you want… I could connect to his soul. Not for communication. To see.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

5 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“It does matter,” Mitis promised. “Do you want… I could connect to his soul. Not for communication. To see.”

"To see what?"

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"To see what?"

“Him. His past, what happened at the end. Thoughts, possibly. I can do a LOT more with dead spirits than live ones.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

“Him. His past, what happened at the end. Thoughts, possibly. I can do a LOT more with dead spirits than live ones.”

"That feels wrong." He shook his head. "He probably hates me, wherever he is."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"That feels wrong." He shook his head. "He probably hates me, wherever he is."

“I’ll just do it later if I don’t do it now.”

”No way could he hate you,” Haly insisted. “He begged you.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

4 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

“I’ll just do it later if I don’t do it now.”

”No way could he hate you,” Haly insisted. “He begged you.”

"He wasn't himself! Whatever that thing was that they used... it broke him."

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"He wasn't himself! Whatever that thing was that they used... it broke him."

“You think you could have fixed him?” Mitis sighed, then pulled out TAAron’s Beacon (that’s what I’m calling the smoke pyramids). “I’m going to see his soul now.”

She did so.

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

Just now, The Halcyon Girl said:

“You think you could have fixed him?” Mitis sighed, then pulled out TAAron’s Beacon (that’s what I’m calling the smoke pyramids). “I’m going to see his soul now.”

She did so.

Quote

What type of stuff should she see?

 

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

3 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

 

Quote

She could get a general feel for who he was when he died and what happened. She could also see his memories, but she’s only going to try to see the memories and thoughts of what happened that day.

 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

2 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

 

Quote

Pretty much a normal street child, if a bit happier. At the time he died, he was experiencing enough pain to break his mind.

 

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

Just now, The Aspiring Archivist said:

 

Quote

Did he have any thoughts when the sphere hit him or anything? 

 

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

2 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

 

Quote

He was trying to protect TAAron, and was just trying to keep the guy down for long enough for someone to notice and break up the fight.

 

[Bird Furious she/her/un/important]

3 minutes ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

 

Mitis broke the connection. “He was in pain, TAAron. Enough to break his mind. He was past the point of no return.”

[The Aspiring Archivist any pronouns]

5 minutes ago, The Halcyon Girl said:

Mitis broke the connection. “He was in pain, TAAron. Enough to break his mind. He was past the point of no return.”

"I still killed him. I'm a murderer."