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 Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:27 pm
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She had actually considered going for his wrist. The thought crossed her mind more the once but she was being good . She did feel a momentary pang when he pulled away from her though, his own words cutting into her, making her sorry that she doubted him.
"Can you really blame me?" her voice hushed, but not quite humbled, the edge of annoyance still there. "We don't exactly have a great track record for being kind to each other."
And then he was bringing up prom, and it was her turn to pull away, her second hand dropping to her side. She hadn't even been thinking about that, but now that he was bringing it up....yes, it did fit her accusations, didn't it? Interesting.
"No. Well, yes, but no. I was...still am I suppose, upset with you for that. Not that you left just....you could have told me you were leaving. But no, I spent most of the evening searching for you, wondering if I was really so bad to be around that I had driven you off." Well, he had said something about talking, didn't he? Shaheen was not that good at it, but she could try.
It was just unfortunate that they were starting with this.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:55 pm
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" I had wanted to try otherwise." The only track record they has was in their younger days, when they had kept score over who did the best in what lesson, or who could carry the most, or whose mount was the most badass. Always competing, always at odds. No wonder it as so hard for them to be truly civil for more than a few minutes: either could be set off by one illl-chosen word.
When Shahen finisheId speaking, he couldn't help but shake his head a little. "You were always moving about, expecting me to follow like some pet at you heels. I grew tired after a while. You looked engaged with several students, and it wasn't as if I was a very engaging partner. So I left." He hadn't honestly thought he would be missed; if anything, Shik had thought he was just being used as an excuse to go there, where a lone horseman might stand out.
"But if Prom wasn't what you meant, what was it?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:38 pm
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Well, she couldn't really argue with him about any of what he had to say. It was all pretty much true. She hadn't wanted to go alone, and had wheedled him in to agreeing to attend, and then she had all but abandoned him when she'd found herself joining in some strange student game, of which she had actually won, which she had been oddly proud of. "Okay, fair enough." Her arms came to cross over her chest. "You still could have told me you were leaving." she grumbled, not wanting to allow him to be right about everything.
With his question, she let out a sigh, bring a hand up to her forehead to rub at it in a circular motion. This was all starting to give her a headache and she was already beginning to miss the time when all they did was argue and fight and boast and gloat. That had become such an ingrained part of how they treated each other, she could have done it in her sleep. In a short time she was letting herself flop to the ground, her wings stretching a little behind her before settling once more.
She then reached over and clutched for his hand, pulling on it, silently indicating he should sit as well. Talking. She could totally do this. Maybe it would even help to clear up some of the tension between the two of them. Who knew?
"I don't really know what I meant. Perhaps I should not have said anything at all. I am still just...very perplexed with you, as I'm sure you are with me. And old habits die hard." There, see Shik? She could try. She could attempt to be civil.
"Now. What would you like to talk about? Ask me anything!" Okay she was maybe taking this almost too seriously now, the intricacies of the flow of normal conversation lost upon her.
Ol-j-man well, that sounds more fun then family reunion time!
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:17 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:42 pm
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She let her hands fold in her lap once he let go to check on his bandages, tilting her head to the side as she pondered his proposition. "Agreed." She stated. That should actually make things slightly better at least. Not perfect. Things would never be perfect. But better, yes.
His first question already set her teeth on edge, but she tried not to let it show. "I don't know. We don't exactly have group support meetings." A smile, an overly sweet tone to her voice that just....really didn't suit Shaheen at all. She decided to drop the act, offering him a quick, apologetic look.
"Senga for sure. A couple at least from Conquest. The signs are fairly easy to spot. Grey skin, grey streaks in hair. And I'm sure you noticed that my eyes are no longer dark like yours." Though maybe he'd never had a reason to study her eyes before, so had no reason to notice. "Quick to temper, often distracted. Oh, the protectors definitely have it." He probably already knew that, though. There's seemed far more accelerated.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:02 pm
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It was a good thing Shaheen dropped the saccharine act, otherwise Shik would have considered slapping her. And then restrain himself because civility. But he did snort if nothing else even as she turned apologetic, gesturing for her to forget about it and move on.
Though now that she mentioned it . . . Ah, how did he not notice something like eye color? Weren't they the ones he often had to stare at most, given how often they had to work together? Behind his usual neutral expression Shik kicked himself for that one, even though it mattered very little now. "There was also someone from Death I met who had one golden eye," he remembered, his face darkening as he counted the number of cursed souls: including the protectors, there were at least eleven horsemen fighting Insanity.
His wings slumped to the ground as if weighted down by the knowledge.
"This is insane . . ." And then he gave a harsh bark of laughter at his own pun, shaking his head. "I don't even know what to ask, and I'm the one who suggested conversation! What topic can I broach that I could not guess at? We grew up together, Shaheen." He draped his arms over his lap. "Though I suppose you could always ask something of me since I've taken my turn."
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:24 pm
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It was a good thing that Shik hadn't attempted to slap her, or she might have decked him one on the opposite side of his face just so he could have a matching set of bruises.
And then maybe they could have kissed some more.
But since he hadn't, the thought never even crossed her mind. Shame, that.
"Yes, though who really knows how many of us there are now. There are likely those who haven't even come out of the woodwork yet." She licked her dry lips, tasting the blood that had been pressed against them, reminding her enough of earlier that her cheeks began to heat up again. Shik had refused her for the night, but he hadn't said anything to indicate he was opposed to more of that. She'd have to keep it in mind.
With his pun, she found herself feeling slightly amused as well. But not enough to laugh, because it was actually quite sad, the more she thought about it.
"Does it bother you much to know that I am afflicted with this curse? Do you think I might have been better off dead?" Yes, that was her question for him at this time, her morbid curiousity getting the better of her.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:46 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:02 pm
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She contemplated his answer for a time. Telling her that maybe she would have been better off dead stung a little, and she shook her head against the words, though she would be lying if she said the same thought hadn't crossed her mind at least once since the fall.
But hearing the rest... That part was a surprise. "Friends? What are those?" She smiled though, something inside her warming at the thought that Shik may have held her in such a regard.
"You and me both." She pointed out. "Though for me it was by choice. You I always considered emotionally handicapped." It may have been a little harsh, but it was the truth. It was a little weird, how comfortable she was becoming the more they talked.
Now as for his question..... "My parents, but that....actually means less to me then perhaps it should. Acquaintances, though nobody I was particularly close to. And....and then..." She had to close her eyes for a moment, to drown out the memories of the screams.
"The girl I was training to become a warrior. My first. She had a lot of promise. I think she might have become a chieftain one day herself. I tried to save her but....." But it had at some point become a choice. Save the girl or save herself. Shaheen had made her choice.
"She made me this." The chieftain held her arm out, and used the index finger of her other hand to tap at the teal bracelet.
Shaheen at this point had no questions for Shik, and fell silent.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:37 pm
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He laughed a little at the use of "emotionally handicapped", both because it was a rather apt description and because someone had called him something similar once.
The laughter died quickly as he listened, recalling the stern visages of her parents. As a child he remembered being more than wary about them both, though it was not hard to keep his distance; they'd seemed to prefer only the company of each other really. The ghoul she trained, however, was much fuzzier - snippets here and there, perhaps this one who'd dined with him this night, or a different one joining him on a raid. All gone in one fell swoop.
Here would have fit something like kind words like how her parents would still be proud of her for her accomplishments, but he didn't care to think of them: he knew there was no love lost between them and Shaheen, as awful as it was. "She must be watching you with pride," he instead said, gazing at the bracelet. When Shaheen didn't prompt him with a question herself, he let the silence hang over them for a while.
Medea had hosted a mourning period for the Horsemen a while back, but Shik had not attended. He had made his peace with the dead on his own time and in his own way, away from the public eye. He was already a rather private person; it was difficult to say what he did next for that and other reasons.
"Only two were taken from me," Shik started, sounding far away. "And both I know you can guess. Less than others but no less painful for it." He halted suddenly swallowed, and retried. "Orithia, my mentor, and Mai, my sister. I wouldn't be the man I am today without them." One through too much attention and discipline, the other through lack thereof. His gaze dropped to his lap, wishing he hadn't brought them up at all; it wasn't as if Shaheen has asked. But he felt it had been appropriate to divulge a little in return, hard as it was to talk about personal things, and he thought he'd put their deaths behind him . . .
The clench of his jaw proved him wrong.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:43 pm
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Their conversation had turned far too depressing. Is this how 'normal' conversation usually went? If so she was glad for the fact that she had never really tried it before. Surely there were happier moments that they could focus on.
"Thank you." she murmured, in reply to his sentiment towards the girl she had trained, though she doubted that he even remembered her name. She also doubted that the girl would be proud to see her now, though she kept that to herself.
"Ah yes, I remember them both." She glanced up again, offering him a small smile. "I am sorry to hear that they did not make it." Did she sound sorry? Maybe a little, though her thoughts were still distracted by bad thoughts, screams, the roar of the Phoenix as it bore down on her, threatening to drag her in as well.
At some point, though she wasn't even aware that she had done it, she had scooted closer to Shik, until their knees were touching. "How are your wounds?" She asked, as though giving herself an excuse for the movement, one hand instinctively shooting out towards his chest, prodding, pulling on bandages to get a glimpse beneath them, leaning forward to peer at him closer with golden eyes.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:05 am
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"They're fine," he asserted, but he made no movement to stop her examination regardless. Well, unless she decided to try prying into one again; then they'd have a problem. But otherwise his wounds looked alright (well, as far as cuts went), with only a small percentage of them having bled past several layers of bandages, the rest in varying degrees of scabbing. He was glad for the topic change, though, for he wasn't sure how much more he could have talked about those women without wanting to break something first.
That was normal, right? Wanting to break things when feeling down? Orithia had taught him a different way to deal with his emotional problems, though that involved getting up and rummaging through the tent for his flute, neither which sounded appealing from his warm seat on the ground. Pain was a great discourager when it wasn't busy making his blood pump.
"Ah . . . At this part, I would reveal my secret alcohol reservoir, and we would toast the lives who mattered and drink away those who didn't." He wore a half-smile on his face. "That would be grand wouldn't it, for life to simplify itself to two people peaceably sitting and sharing a drink, chatting about nonsense until the moon finished its trek across the sky." He leaned back against the stump but continued keep his legs crossed, as if anchored by their knees touching. "Like they hadn't been at each other's throats one hour before."
Peace. Shik was talking about peace. Shik never talked about peace.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 11:44 am
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Shaheen would be the judge on how fine Shiks wounds were, as she continued to poke around, peeling back bandages to asses the damage and how far along the healing was coming. She wondered why Shik hadn't just healed himself, not knowing that he had already tried and failed to do so. "I predict you will be back on your feet, terrorizing little old ladies and ripping off their heads again in no time." She smirked, but only after her very thorough and none too gentle examination came to an end. The fact that he hadn't growled at her once was just a testament to how incredibly hard they were both trying at this point.
Shik was not the only one who wanted to break things when he was feeling distressed, he might have been glad to know. Though Shaheen often worked out her own frustrations through vigorous aerial combat training until her wings became too weary to keep her aloft.
She kept silent for a time while he spoke, sitting back but letting her hands sit on his legs just above his knees, waiting until he appeared to be finished before cutting in. "Peace? Between us? It's a nice thought but not a very realistic one." She continued to smirk at him, leaning forward now, hands pressing down as she rose up closer to his face. Really it was a miracle that they had remained civil to each other for this long.
"War. Conflict. Discord. It is born into us. What do we even know of peace?" She scoffed a laugh before continuing.
"Which is why maybe now would be the best time for me to leave, before our war can start anew. Better to leave on a good note, yes?" She didn't really wait for his answer before she continued on.
"But I think....I could be much happier to fight with you then against you." She murmured as she leaned in to erase that last bit of distance between them, lips barely brushing up against his. Not quite kissing, just teasing him before she pulled away, or at least attempted to as long as he didn't try to stop her.
There was likely a small part of her that hoped he would.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:23 pm
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Again he snorted, lips pressed into a thin line during the examination. "You can't seem to keep your hands off me for very long, can you . . ."
He supposed she had a point, though never before had he felt so frustrated by it. Violence would always be entertainment and a way of life for him, yes, but did it have to be his entire life? Was there not peace between wars, however long or short? Shik was happy to be judge, jury and, well, executioner; but he also enjoyed those tranquil moments on his own, be it for training, music-making, even napping if he so chose.
Or in this case, sitting and chatting. And touching and leaning. And tasting.
Ah, Shaheen, hadn't she learned yet? Shik was still very much a five year old in that he always wanted the last word. She also couldn't bait him without some consequences.
So when she gave him that teaser and began to pull away, he did indeed stop her with both hands grasping the sides of her face to pull her back in for a quick third round. And when he was done with that, he let her head fall back just enough that they could breathe, foreheads touching and nose-to-nose. "I think," Shik murmured with the widest smirk on his face, "that half and half is a fine balance. Even allies may bicker. But should it make you feel better, know this." His grin grew most mischievous. "Regardless of your affliction, no part of me will go soft on you."
With that, his grip on her was released, like he was setting free some overlarge hawk back into the night.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:25 pm
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When he grabbed at her to pull her back in, Shaheen did at least put on a small show of struggling to get away, pulling back on his hands, but not really that hard. She didn't want to appear too eager, after all. But it was only a matter of moments before she gave in, enjoying the feeling of his mouth against hers far too much to deny herself the pleasure.
Oh great lord of war, why hadn't they done this sooner? So many wasted years leant to nothing but bickering, bantering, and ferocious battle.
But then again, before the fall, would this have ever happened? More then likely not, considering the two very seperate lives they had lived on the isle, kept busy by their work, the times when they did collide only by happenstance near the end, once she had risen.
"You are absolutely positive about needing to rest?" She asked with a breathless laugh once he pulled away, her hands finding their way up to grip at his shoulders as she leaned against him. But she knew it would be foolish to stay, their new found peace with each other tenuous at best, with only one wrong word needed to break the truce.
Her own smile that spread across her face mirrored his own as she listened to him speak, the mischievous glint in his eyes not going unnoticed.
Oh Shikoba~
"I will hold you to that." She said, her voice teasing, pulling away from him as he released her, quickly rising to her feet. The over large hawk analogy was really not far off, for as soon as Shaheen was set free, she turned, her wings unfolding from behind her as she took two quick running steps and soared off into the sky.
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