[PRP] Catching Up with Reality (Yves x Shaheen)

[baby_gwing]

The signs were already there, Yves supposed, had he done his due diligence in reflecting upon them, starting with the summon to Halloween Town that came with the messenger from his clan. He probably suspected as much the moment he reached the meeting ground and observed that those from all four clans had gathered. It wasn't a common occurrence as far as he could remember and while he never doubted for once that the meeting was of such importance that all four clans had been called together, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was more to it than just that.

And then the truth eventually hit him. A rather rude shock as if someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water onto him while he was still fast asleep.

Blinking slowly, he cast his gaze across the lake that he now sat on the edge of, a distant look on his face as he dug his fingers into the ground once then another time, a sublime display of the turmoil of emotions that raged beneath the seemingly calm facade that he now wore. He had spent the past few days combing every inch of the Lost Clan reserve that the surviving members of War now resided in but to no avail. If his family had survived the destruction of their home, surely he would have found them by now and not the despair and hopelessness that awaited him at the end of his search.

Seussi

Late start is late. I'm so sorry... orz

 

[Seussi]

Shaheen hadn't been doing much of anything these days. Except, of course, for mulling. Endless mulling about the past, about the present, about what the future might hold in store. Endless attempts to think past the whispers that hissed in her head, and when that didn't work, endless thoughts about her illness, her insanity, that try as she might to cleanse herself of it using distortion always came creeping back. Today she was completely lost in thought as she drifted around the sanctuary, barely even noticing when she left the encampment with it's tents and bustling bodies behind in favor of more open space, somewhere to let her wings stretch without worry that somebody would run into them and curse her out for their inconvenience.

There was a slight breeze today, and it was nice to feel it's touch upon her skin once she was away from the buildings and bodies that blocked it out. Still, however, she did not really pay much attention to where she went, her eyes unfocused as though listening to something.

And then, after what seemed like hours of aimless wandering she stopped, and blinked golden eyes set in darkness, giving her head a small shake before looking around. She appeared to have made her way to the lakeside, and when she let her gaze sweep around she caught sight of another, one with wings and a familiar look.

Yves.

She didn't hesitate to gravitate towards him, lowering herself on the grass next to him and flaring a wing to brush against his shoulders in greeting before letting it fold back against her.

No words were spoken, as he seemed pensive, and she was feeling much the same herself.

Until finally.

"I hate water."

baby_gwing

 

[baby_gwing]

He wasn't alone. That much Yves could tell with his senses at least with the experience he had amassed thus far as an Executioner of War as soon as he picked up on the sound of someone coming from behind him. A female he would reckon given the weight behind the footsteps and how the other carried herself, and a comrade of War too it would seem if the gentle brush of the feathered wing against his shoulders in greeting was anything to go by.

It was dangerous out there if one wasn't able to tell a friend from foe without the benefit of sight. It was one of the most important skills he had been imparted with since Executioners were expected to work alone. He kept his gaze on the water surface of the lake, his poise beginning to relax slightly when he found his focus momentarily drawn away from the despair and guilt that were haunting him, seeing no need to disrupt the tranquility with speech if the other seemed to require it as much as he himself.

Seconds passed. And then the familiar voice of one among the few individuals whom he had always held close to his heart from his days as a scareling who knew little of the ways of the world that they lived in. Shaheen. He turned, a wistful expression on his face as he seek to understand what had driven her to make such a statement that had come seemingly out of the blue. "... why?"

Seussi

Been kinda swamped with RL lately. Sorry... orz

 

[Seussi]

Shaheen shifted, her wings settling around her like a cloak as she continued to stare out across that water in silence. It was beautiful, in it's own ways, and she did not mind the scenery or the view. Her statement, however, seemed to have raised eyebrows from her quiet companion, his question in return enough to lip her lips up into a smirk.

"My father would hold me under water when I was young, if I didn't do things to his level of standards or approval. He would hold me under, until my vision blurred and my head swam and my lungs burned for oxygen, and then, sometimes, if he was feeling more kind then usual, he would haul me out before things went too far. Other times, I was forced to endure the sensation of trying to breathe, of my lungs filling with water, on the edge of blacking out or dissipating, before he would bring me back."

She pursed her lips then, the smirk fading as the full weight of her words settled over her, and her gaze dropped down to her arms, which were quite suddenly covered in goosebumps.

"That and I am a terrible swimmer." She admitted with a small chuckle, as if attempting to lighten the mood.

"He came back, you know. My father." She said, as she looked back up to Yves. "Medea returned some of the fallen to us, and my father was among them. Do you know how much I wish he could be one of those still missing?"

baby_gwing

 

[baby_gwing]

Yves listened, a disapproving frown crossing his face when Shaheen spoke of what her father used to subject her to whenever she failed to meet his expectations as a scareling. The fact that Medea was able to bring back those who were lost along with their home came as a surprise to him. He wasn't aware that a Death Priestess had that kind of ability but what did he know about those of the Death clan other than Kasja and her kin really?

"The rest of your family?"

He was starting to wonder who else were among those returned via the same way Shaheen's father was. Whether it was only Medea who could perform this miraculous ritual and if she had any control over who she brought back. It couldn't be something that they could use repeatedly to bring all their loved ones back of course. He tried to rationalise with himself lest he got his hopes up then had them dashed once again, his thought processes shifting back to the subject matter of Shaheen's father and the resentment that the Chieftain bore towards him.

"You're old enough to have your own home separate from him. The clan won't deny you of that right... Chieftain." He had deliberately addressed her by her job title, hoping that it would remind her of all that she had accomplished thus far. "You no longer have to live in his shadow Shaheen." They were scarelings no longer now and he would not hesitate to challenge the older pony if he ever came across him ill treating his friend on the pretext of educating her.

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

"My mother as well." Shaheen nodded to his question. "But as far as I am aware...that is all. Though you know well enough that my parents led a very...secluded lifestyle. They did not have time for their siblings or parents, too wrapped up in their own press for power and advantage. I doubt I would even recognize my aunts, uncles, and cousins if I passed right by them." She gave her head a small shake, her gaze rising to the sky, as in the distance she could see small, dark shapes of those of war flying through the air, probably practicing aerial combat, judging by the way the shapes swooped in near each other, and then broke apart. "And you? Your family?"

"I know that. They have already made the attempt to reign in under their control and...." She paused, turning towards him with a smirk as suddenly, her mood seemed to shift, an amused look in her eyes. "You will never guess who came to my rescue."

baby_gwingx

 

[baby_gwing]

Sifting his hand through the soil, Yves chanced upon a good sized pebble and closed his fingers around it. Pulling his arm back, he tossed it into the lake, counting the number of times it managed to skip across the water surface before finally sinking with a loud plop. "You're probably better off not knowing them if this competitive trait runs in the family." He offered quietly, his gaze briefly on Shaheen before he too looked up at the sky to satisfy his growing curiosity as to what had gotten her attention.

"It's just me that's left." He gave a shrug and fell silent. The silence would say it all for him. He saw no need to deny what he thought or felt with regards to his loss nor pretend that he wasn't in any way affected by it before Shaheen. That plus he was never a very good liar in the first place anyway. He was however glad for the sudden shift in her mood, a shadow of a smile slowly appearing on his face as he goaded her.

"Oh? Is this someone I know?"

Seussi

 

[Seussi]

Shaheen watched the stone as it skipped across the water, a small smile playing along her lips, though it faded when he admitted to being the only one left of his own family. Leaning towards him, in a motion that was familiar and perhaps reminiscent of their childhood days, she placed her head against his shoulder, eyes rolling up towards him while her eyebrows rose.

"You still have me? Am I not like a sister to you?" She asked, her tone mild before she pulled herself away and straightened, smiling again in an attempt to cheer him up, and in response to his question.

"Yes. But you have to guess!"

Sometimes, rarely, Shaheen could be such a child.

baby_gwing

 

[baby_gwing]

The weight of her head on his shoulder was a familiar one, the evoked memories of their childhood causing a small smile to cross Yves' features as he nodded a few times in response to her questions. "Hnn... I suppose that you have a point there my fellow War sister." Shaheen was right. The Horsemen might have suffered greatly with the loss of their homes and loved ones. But there was solace and comfort to be found in the brothers and sisters who remained. He still had Shaheen and Shikoba so not all was lost.

Chuckling at the child-like antics of the War Chieftain, he pretended to mull over his options for a while so as to humour her even though he already had a name in mind. Anyone who knew him well enough should know that he didn't have many to choose from given his rather limited social circle.

"Shikoba..?"

Seussi