Oakenwey: Thorns & Arrows

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

5 hours ago, Lecky Twig said:

Jahora stood up and caught Rose as she paced into him "I'd be disappointed if this is all just an illusion, I was kind of getting to like you guys." He looked her in the eyes and said "your not in the asylum, your in my home. And you won't go back to the asylum, not alone at least; I mean, I wouldn't be in the least surprised if Selene managed to put us all there together." He grimaced at the thought, then muttered "There's no telling what that girl will do to you." 

For a moment, Rose only stared him down with fear-driven hated. She might not have liked her reality, but it was real. The physical cell she was kept in was better than the prison of her mind, for there were rules in the real world. Rules her mind ignored. 

You're sick, Rose... They have to take you away...

She was about to shove Jahora away from her, but as she searched his eyes, she found herself faltering. There was no malice in his his gaze at all. He didn't think her strange. And... he wasn't lying to her. Nor was her mind lying to her, for that look wasn't something her mind could have made up. He was real. This was real. And that meant...

Oh, child, they aren't hallucinations at all. The magic is part of you, part of your heritage. And not just from me; your father had powers too. They're not a scourge, they're a blessing. At least they're supposed to be. The thought that this whole time you've believed otherwise tears me up. I can teach you how to control them. They can be such an elegant extension of who you are, and you don't even have to take my word for it; ask your brother...

Rose swallowed, limbs shaking, tears running down her cheeks. She shook her head and turned away from Jahora, forcing herself to pretend that no one else was in the room with her as she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. If this was real, then that meant the world was a whole lot larger - and a whole lot scarier - than she'd been led to believe. 

Of course, it also meant that she wasn't insane after all. 

She had no idea what to think. "Help me," Rose whispered.

[Fallapede]

"That's what I've been trying to do this entire time, though you seem to be doing well yourself once you had the necessary information. I'll leave you in peace now, if that's truly what you wish."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

I don't know what I want, Rose thought, knowing he could hear her.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

9 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose swallowed, limbs shaking, tears running down her cheeks. She shook her head and turned away from Jahora, forcing herself to pretend that no one else was in the room with her as she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. If this was real, then that meant the world was a whole lot larger - and a whole lot scarier - than she'd been led to believe. 

Jahora's head tilted in sympathy for Rose, he took a step back from her respecting her distance. 

9 hours ago, Shard of Thought said:

She had no idea what to think. "Help me," Rose whispered.

9 hours ago, Fallapede said:

"That's what I've been trying to do this entire time, though you seem to be doing well yourself once you had the necessary information. I'll leave you in peace now, if that's truly what you wish."

"Rose, you may want to be alone now, but tomorrow, or in later days to come, you'll likely need someone to help you; and we'll be here. I can't leave you like this, I have a conscience you know." He then turned to Kieran and said "You can leave Rose in peace if you want, but could you please stay near my shop here. I don't want you running around my slums with that power of yours, partially because there are some depressed thoughts out there, and partially because I don't want you accidentally hurting someone again" 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"I'm better left alone," Rose said dejectedly. "No one should want to 'help me.'"

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"your wrong"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh?" She turned around, her braid being tossed with the quick movement. "And how would you know? What have you seen of me that is worth any help at all?"

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"Well, I saw our eyes contract in fear. I've seen you feint on the ground. I've seen you cry." He paused for a moment, and took a deep breath in "Obviously, you are human, like me. And any human that has been beaten down as bad as you is worth helping. You are worth more than you think, Rose."

Then he closed his eyes and continued and confessed "helping someone the way I was helped, is the least I can do to amend for previous mistakes of mine; this isn't just about you." Plus, I don't even want to think about what you could become if help doesn't get to you soon, he nodded subtly in Kieran's direction.  

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose walked up close to Jahora and stared at him. "I. Don't. Believe. You. People don't just act like that. What do you want from me?"

Edited January 18, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Goob he/him]

8 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose walked up close to Jahora and stared at him. "I. Don't. Believe. You. People don't just act like that. What do you want from me?"

"I just wanted experience." Says Kess. "I've trained for years with my parents as a fighter, but I don't feel like I've done anything. My parents are proud of me, and I want to prove them right. I'm... I'm just scared they aren't. And you seemed experienced. I was hoping you could help me. That's what I wanted from you. Is that what you want to hear?"

Edited January 18, 2021 by AmazingGoob

[Lecky Twig she/her]

6 minutes ago, Shard of Thought said:

Rose walked up close to Jahora and stared at him. "I. Don't. Believe. You. People don't just act like that. What do you want from me?"

Jahora narrowed his eyes and peered mischievously back at Rose. "Beliefs can be deceitful. I want you to kill Selene; There, is that a better attitude?" Still staring at Rose, he reached out and grabbed the tray of pies from the nearby table, he held out the tray below Rose's nose and smiled "Would you like one?" He asked. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose swallowed, her mouth watering. "Sure..." she muttered, unable to look up."I'll have some pie. And then we can go and kill that woman."

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora laughed, feeling a healthy sense of triumph as he handed a pie to Rose. 

20 minutes ago, AmazingGoob said:

"I just wanted experience." Says Kess. "I've trained for years with my parents as a fighter, but I don't feel like I've done anything. My parents are proud of me, and I want to prove them right. I'm... I'm just scared they aren't. And you seemed experienced. I was hoping you could help me. That's what I wanted from you. Is that what you want to hear?"

He turned to Kess, "I'm sure you'll get plenty of opportunity to make your parents proud in the days to come." 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose took the pie and sat herself down, digging into it with a knife and serving herself a piece. The pie was blueberry and it smelled better than she would have liked it to; it was just another act of confusing kindness. People didn't just act this way, no matter what Jahora had said. There was something secret going on here, but she'd keep an eye open and make sure that whatever it was they were after, it would serve her own purpose.

As she dug into the pie - trying not to think about the fact that it reminded her of a pie that Aunt Sophie (someone she'd never known existed until she came to Castle Celeste) had made on her last night with her family - she wondered about the words of the woman, Kess. Making her parents proud. Pshaw. Why should she care what he parents thought? She was her own woman, wasn't she? Just like Rose. 

I ran off on her. Just like she ran off on me. I wonder what Mother thought when she realized I was never coming back home and wanted nothing to do with her... 

Well, one thing was for certain. Narrator Star Celeste would not be proud of her oldest child.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Goob he/him]

23 minutes ago, Lecky Twig said:

Jahora laughed, feeling a healthy sense of triumph as he handed a pie to Rose. 

He turned to Kess, "I'm sure you'll get plenty of opportunity to make your parents proud in the days to come." 

She smiles. "Thanks. Oh, and could I get some pie too?"

Edited January 18, 2021 by AmazingGoob

[Lecky Twig she/her]

2 minutes ago, AmazingGoob said:

She smiles. "Thanks. Oh, and could I get some pie too?"

Jahora nodded and offered Kess the tray. "Proud parents aren't necessarily a good thing ya know. I made my parents proud once, it didn't really end too well." 

[Goob he/him]

1 minute ago, Lecky Twig said:

Jahora nodded and offered Kess the tray. "Proud parents aren't necessarily a good thing ya know. I made my parents proud once, it didn't really end too well." 

"That sounds like a interesting story. But my parents are good people, and they did far more than they needed to during my childhood. I need to give something back."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

My parents left me alone. One commit suicide and the other started another life without telling us and then was pitiful enough to feel bad about it. Then she remembered that Kieran could hear her. Blasted child, you had better not say anything aloud that you hear from me. Maybe I'm stupid, but... I trust you for some reason. Perhaps that's because I don't fancy the idea of someone unsavory poking around in my head. Or because you're so young... 

"Parents are overrated," Rose mumbled between bites of her pie.

@Fallapede

Edited January 18, 2021 by Shard of Thought

[Lecky Twig she/her]

5 minutes ago, AmazingGoob said:

"That sounds like a interesting story. But my parents are good people, and they did far more than they needed to during my childhood. I need to give something back."

Jahora dropped himself into one of the room's armchairs "Oh my parents are good people, just misguided in some instances. When I found a way to give back to them, they got umm, a tad excited....regrettably excited. It is a good story, maybe I'll tell it to you someday." 

1 minute ago, Shard of Thought said:

My parents left me alone. One commit suicide and the other started another life without telling us and then was pitiful enough to feel bad about it. Then she remembered that Kieran could hear her. Blasted child, you had better not say anything aloud that you hear from me. Maybe I'm stupid, but... I trust you for some reason. Perhaps that's because I don't fancy the idea of someone unsavory poking around in my head. Or because you're so young... 

"Parents are overrated," Rose mumbled between bites of her pie.

Jahora smiled in agreement. 

 

Quote

Also, for a moment I was totally confused when Rose used a knife to cut the pie. I totally forgot that Australian pies are different to the rest of the world. 

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Rose sighed inwardly. She didn't want to talk about parents and desperately wanted to change the subject. Unfortunately, she had little to no social experience. Her Aunt Riva had tried to fix that... And failed miserably. 

"Wonderful, you have lives," she grumbled. "Now, are we going to kill that woman or what?"

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"Ha! my wonderful life is only a recent discovery, don't let it deceive me into a false sense of stability." He shifted in his seat and shoved his now sweaty hands into his pocket I'm really going to have to commit to this now. I've been waiting to get to this point for years, why do I suddenly fear regret. "Unfortunately, the last info I recieved of Selene is months old, she was visiting a family member, probably a parent. But she could be anywhere in the city by now. What I am certain of is that she hasn't left the city. A tree can't relocate if its too deeply rooted into the soil." 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"You gave me the file on her to read, but now we have tag-alongs, so you may as well explain what you know about her to everyone here." Rose glanced up from her food to see Jahora's reaction.

[Lecky Twig she/her]

Jahora crossed his limbs and clenched his jaw I need a drink "You lost my file." he complained to Rose "I worked hard putting that thing together." 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She shrugged, utterly apathetic. "Well, it's your own fault for being selfless enough to drag my ass down here instead of leaving me and taking what was yours." 

[Lecky Twig she/her]

"Yeah yeah, I'll send one of my boys back there to retrieve it. Hopefully before anyone else gets their hands on it."