Oakenwey: Thorns & Arrows

[Lecky Twig she/her]

1 minute ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose regarded him darkly. "You know something," she hissed. "But whether that something is about me or about the way this world works, I haven't decided. For your sake, it'd better be the right one." She walked in close, wishing that she was taller than him. Her intense gaze just about made up for the height difference though. "How did you make that window latch move?"

"I don't know anything about you, that's the problem" He hissed to save anyone nearby from learning of their argument. "I can't trust you, I don't understand you. Did you lie to me upstairs?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"No. I didn't flip a page in your notebook and I didn't lay a hand on it." She didn't look away from him for a second, her grey eyes piercing. "But that doesn't mean I didn't move it," she whispered.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"You moved it in a similar way to how I closed the window. Correct?" He stared right back, unblinking, into her grey eyes. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

So you did close it. I wasn't seeing things. "That's correct." Her voice was tight, still. She hardly dared to breathe, much less hope. 

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora nodded and relaxed a little. That confirmation was what he'd been hoping and praying for. "And is the means of which I moved that window related to you episode last night" Threads of the mystery surrounding Rose were slowing coming together in his mind. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She raised an eyebrow, trembling. "Yes." 

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"We should sit down." He lead her to the sitting room put, down his tray then selected a hard wooden chair and sat in it. He kept his eye on Rose the whole time, not trusting himself to break her gaze. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose's aggression dissolved, dizziness replacing it. She sat beside him, her emotions  whirlwind. "You're... you're like me."

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"Well maybe. I still don't know exactly what you are. Why did you lie to me before? Were you just scared?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose opened her mouth. For a moment, she wanted to tell him everything. Spill out every detail she'd been hiding for the last ten years of her life. But she refrained. She didn't trust him enough. "It's... complicated. But... I can hardly control it. if you can teach me..."

Edited January 30, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"I can't teach you if I don't know what you do. If you tell me, then maybe I can help make it less complicated." Do I really want to help Rose though? But despite the little gain he'd obtain from helping, he couldn't ignore the sympathy welling in his heart; Selene had planted that sympathetic inconvenience in him. Maybe it would go away when she met her demise...

Edited January 30, 2021 by Lecky Twig

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She hesitated. He's like you. You saw him move things. You can tell him. "I can move objects. With my mind. Little ones, if I focus very hard. But sometimes... sometimes it's bigger. I've... I've destroyed things. Whole rooms." She swallowed, paling. "You can really do it too?" 

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora's heart sank a little, they were different. And that information could potentially crush Rose. "I can move metal, manipulate magnets. I wouldn't of been able to move the notebook like you did. I attracted the window latch to its anchor." He took a deep breath, hoping that Rose still trusted him "You've destroyed rooms...is that related to the" he gulped audibly "to the asylum you mentioned last night?" He looked away, embarrassed at bringing up a topic that was largely kept taboo.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose heart sighed with relief. The only people she'd ever met with magic were the people in her family. The family that she had rejected. It didn't matter to her that his powers were slightly different. It was just a relief to see another "normal" person - her family could never be described as "normal" - exhibiting superhuman abilities. He wasn't exactly like her, no. But he didn't have to be. 

That line of thinking, however, was quickly brought to an end, the mention of the cursed asylum devouring any feelings of vulnerability she might have been harboring. "I'll not talk about that place in the open," she said. "But you don't deserve to hear about it anyway."

With the change in attitude, doubt began to seep into her mind. Just how "normal" was he anyway? Was her a Narrator like her mother? Was all of this set up? She started to panic, her breath shortening, her mind a frenzy. Jahora wasn't genuine. No one was like her, no one at all. She still trembled, but now she trembled with anger. Only one thing was for certain: If any of her worries true, he wouldn't betray their veracity to her easily. 

Part of her was thankful for the excuse to attack. 

Rose willed the chair Jahora sat in to tip over, murder in her eyes. Fueled by her fear-driven anger, her powers worked not just to tip the chair over, but to topple it, as if it had been thrown back by a person with thrice Rose's strength. 

This whole time she'd been holding back a storm, just waiting for it to burst. Well, now it had. 

Though she was quiet as she leapt up from her seat, her expression could make a child cry. Rose put her knee on Jahora's chest and knelt down to scream at him, her face close to his. "Who are you?!" she demanded, shaking him. "What do you know about me? You sought me out specifically, didn't you? Why? Tell me WHY!!"

It felt similar to how things had gone down a few months ago, at the asylum. The walls had been closing in on her, the manacles on her arms biting into her flesh, the musky air choking her. And then, just as she'd thought her heart would burst from her chest from the speed at which it beat, things began to explode. All the emotion she'd held stewing within her released in a massive display of power. The shackles first, then the walls, utterly decimated but leaving her unharmed. Her mind had gone fuzzy during it all and when the dust cleared she'd been left there, in the middle of chaos. Free. 

Of course, she'd also been exhausted. It was no different now.

Rose screamed at him, yes, but she also sobbed. 

[Fallapede]

6 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose heart sighed with relief. The only people she'd ever met with magic were the people in her family. The family that she had rejected. It didn't matter to her that his powers were slightly different. It was just a relief to see another "normal" person - her family could never be described as "normal" - exhibiting superhuman abilities. He wasn't exactly like her, no. But he didn't have to be. 

That line of thinking, however, was quickly brought to an end, the mention of the cursed asylum devouring any feelings of vulnerability she might have been harboring. "I'll not talk about that place in the open," she said. "But you don't deserve to hear about it anyway."

With the change in attitude, doubt began to seep into her mind. Just how "normal" was he anyway? Was her a Narrator like her mother? Was all of this set up? She started to panic, her breath shortening, her mind a frenzy. Jahora wasn't genuine. No one was like her, no one at all. She still trembled, but now she trembled with anger. Only one thing was for certain: If any of her worries true, he wouldn't betray their veracity to her easily. 

Part of her was thankful for the excuse to attack. 

Rose willed the chair Jahora sat in to tip over, murder in her eyes. Fueled by her fear-driven anger, her powers worked not just to tip the chair over, but to topple it, as if it had been thrown back by a person with thrice Rose's strength. 

This whole time she'd been holding back a storm, just waiting for it to burst. Well, now it had. 

Though she was quiet as she leapt up from her seat, her expression could make a child cry. Rose put her knee on Jahora's chest and knelt down to scream at him, her face close to his. "Who are you?!" she demanded, shaking him. "What do you know about me? You sought me out specifically, didn't you? Why? Tell me WHY!!"

It felt similar to how things had gone down a few months ago, at the asylum. The walls had been closing in on her, the manacles on her arms biting into her flesh, the musky air choking her. And then, just as she'd thought her heart would burst from her chest from the speed at which it beat, things began to explode. All the emotion she'd held stewing within her released in a massive display of power. The shackles first, then the walls, utterly decimated but leaving her unharmed. Her mind had gone fuzzy during it all and when the dust cleared she'd been left there, in the middle of chaos. Free. 

Of course, she'd also been exhausted. It was no different now.

Rose screamed at him, yes, but she also sobbed. 

Kieran burst into the room, unsteady on his feet from the force of Rose's fury. "You need to stop! it isn't his fault. I know how scary it is. Everything is confusing. But you're okay. You're going to be okay. You're safe. You're in control. You're not alone. And no one is going to hurt you! Please. " Tears streamed down Kieran's face, though he didn't think they were his. He tried to anchor himself, but it was so hard to find his thoughts among everyone else's. He slumped against the wall, trying to push back against the noise.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

6 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose heart sighed with relief. The only people she'd ever met with magic were the people in her family. The family that she had rejected. It didn't matter to her that his powers were slightly different. It was just a relief to see another "normal" person - her family could never be described as "normal" - exhibiting superhuman abilities. He wasn't exactly like her, no. But he didn't have to be. 

That line of thinking, however, was quickly brought to an end, the mention of the cursed asylum devouring any feelings of vulnerability she might have been harboring. "I'll not talk about that place in the open," she said. "But you don't deserve to hear about it anyway."

With the change in attitude, doubt began to seep into her mind. Just how "normal" was he anyway? Was her a Narrator like her mother? Was all of this set up? She started to panic, her breath shortening, her mind a frenzy. Jahora wasn't genuine. No one was like her, no one at all. She still trembled, but now she trembled with anger. Only one thing was for certain: If any of her worries true, he wouldn't betray their veracity to her easily. 

Part of her was thankful for the excuse to attack. 

Rose willed the chair Jahora sat in to tip over, murder in her eyes. Fueled by her fear-driven anger, her powers worked not just to tip the chair over, but to topple it, as if it had been thrown back by a person with thrice Rose's strength. 

This whole time she'd been holding back a storm, just waiting for it to burst. Well, now it had. 

Though she was quiet as she leapt up from her seat, her expression could make a child cry. Rose put her knee on Jahora's chest and knelt down to scream at him, her face close to his. "Who are you?!" she demanded, shaking him. "What do you know about me? You sought me out specifically, didn't you? Why? Tell me WHY!!"

It felt similar to how things had gone down a few months ago, at the asylum. The walls had been closing in on her, the manacles on her arms biting into her flesh, the musky air choking her. And then, just as she'd thought her heart would burst from her chest from the speed at which it beat, things began to explode. All the emotion she'd held stewing within her released in a massive display of power. The shackles first, then the walls, utterly decimated but leaving her unharmed. Her mind had gone fuzzy during it all and when the dust cleared she'd been left there, in the middle of chaos. Free. 

Of course, she'd also been exhausted. It was no different now.

Rose screamed at him, yes, but she also sobbed. 

Jahora lay on the ground beneath Rose and raised his hands above his head where she could see them "You know enough about me to know that you don't have to be afraid. I honestly don't know much about you. I sought you out because your new to the bounty business. I couldn't ask my usual hunters to go kill Selene because she and I were a well-known duo throughout these slums. I would of lost alot of face if it got out that I wanted to kill Selene. That is why I sought you out." He spoke gently, trying not to make his fear audible. Unpredictable, unstable Rose was in a position to seriously hurt him, maybe even kill him if she felt like it, he was terrified. 

 

11 minutes ago, Fallapede said:

Kieran burst into the room, unsteady on his feet from the force of Rose's fury. "You need to stop! it isn't his fault. I know how scary it is. Everything is confusing. But you're okay. You're going to be okay. You're safe. You're in control. You're not alone. And no one is going to hurt you! Please. " Tears streamed down Kieran's face, though he didn't think they were his. He tried to anchor himself, but it was so hard to find his thoughts among everyone else's. He slumped against the wall, trying to push back against the noise.

He twisted his head awkwardly to look at Kieran and noticed that he was slumped against the wall probably too many thoughts going around for him to cope. He turned back to Rose "Kieran's right, you have to trust us. I'm sorry I asked about the asylum, that was dumb of me. You're right, I don't deserve to hear about it." he slowly raised his hands to tap Rose's hands that were pressing down on him. "Are you ready to get off me?" He asked. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose caught a glimpse of fear in Jahora's eyes before her vision blurred with tears and her anger dissolved. And without the shield of anger, her fear was exposed. She couldn't form words anymore. The world echoed and spun. 

You don't have to be afraid.
You're going to be okay.
No one is going to hurt you. 
You're safe.
You're not alone.

Rose resisted. If someone wanted her to be calm, then surely she should be even more on-guard. But then she remembered Jahora's face. 

He doesn't want you to be calm so that he can hurt you. He wants you to be calm so that you'll stop hurting him. 

She turned, catching Kieran's defeated, tired posture. By the Almighty... She didn't want to hurt anyone! 

Rose got off of Jahora's chest and stared at her trembling hands, loathing herself. "Oh, no," she whispered, words hardly audible between sobs. "I'm sorry. I... Oh, Stormfather, I'm sorry..." Pathetic and defeated, Rose wrapped her arms around her waist and wept ugly tears. 

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora slowly picked himself off the ground. "You don't have to blame yourself, you didn't hurt me. It's my fault, I said something dumb, you were right to be mad at me." He handed Rose his handkerchief "It's not your fault" he repeated.

"How about we calm down." He said conscious of Kieran struggling with the jumble of conflicted thoughts emanating from him and Rose. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose looked up at the handkerchief warily, sniffing. I attack you and you're kind to me? What kind of a person are you? She took it, but his confusing kindness made her head hurt. "Why would you help me?" she forced out.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"Because I like you, and I think you deserve help. No one deserves to be alone if they've gone through as much as you have."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She shook her head, wiping her eyes and sitting up. She felt stupid for having huddled into a ball. She was pathetic. Get a hold of yourself, foolish girl. "People don't just do that," she said. "Don't just help. Especially not bounty hunters. I thought you were in the business of killing, not charity."

Edited January 31, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"No, normal people don't help people, learning how to not be normal was one of the best things I've ever done. In my experience, people like me,  who wield, magic are more prone to going bad, because they have a powerful advantage over the majority of the population. I've seen the consequences power abuse has on both its wielder and its subject. I didn't want to become bad, so I learnt how to be nice." technically that was incorrect, Jahora had learnt to be a drunken wreck until Selene had taught him to be nice. She also taught him that there is a distinct difference between a nice person and a person who does nice things.

His gaze shifted towards Kieran as he wondered whether that particular thought had penetrated through the avalanche of thoughts pressing down on the kid. 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Lecky Twig

[Goob he/him]

Kess walks into the kitchen and begins to rummage around in the cupboards looking for some breakfast. Jahora and Rose were talking about something- her still-tired brain wasn't really all that concerned. Hmm... nothing in this cupboard, nothing in this drawer- where did this man keep his food? She frowned and continued her search before she paused. Something seemed... off about the conversation occuring behind her. There was a distinct tensity to it, especially on Rose's side. She turned, and before her eyes Jahora toppled backward and Rose was on top of him, pinning him down and began to scream at him. Kass spun and summoned a blade of clear before hesitating for a moment- well so, as Kieran burst into the room and began to talk to Rose, and Kess realized that if she had gone for Rose, that probably would of just provoked her more. She remains tense, however, as Rose stands- but that ends as soon as she starts to cry, before sitting down and sighing. It was far too early in the morning for this- she should probably try and help, though.
"Look, Rose, I don't know how you got so messed up. But everyone's messed up somehow. And that's okay. And messed up people want to unmess up other people, even if it's just to make themselves less messy as well."

[Lecky Twig she/her]

4 minutes ago, AmazingGoob said:

"Look, Rose, I don't know how you got so messed up. But everyone's messed up somehow. And that's okay. And messed up people want to unmess up other people, even if it's just to make themselves less messy as well."

"We're all in this together." He called out to Kess in the kitchen, "There's a tray of food in here if you're hungry." 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose nodded absently at their remarks, her cries slowing. She had no idea how to react, all she knew was that she felt uncomfortable and didn't want anyone to look at her anymore. The anxiety did not help her tears, and she reached up to wipe her eyes again.