genessia | [Video/Action] Another Goodbye (OTA)

Entry tags:

[Video/Action] Another Goodbye (OTA)

[In striking contrast to her previous broadcast, Dove is sitting alone on her balcony, obviously trying her best to retain her composure. Unlike her bubbly, presentable camera persona, she's... about as raw as she can be, far beyond what - under normal circumstances- she would deem appropriate. There's no hiding the red rimming her eyes or the blotchiness of her complexion, but it has to be done.]

If anyone is looking for Styxx Anaxkolasi, he's been sent home, [she manages smoothly enough.] I'm not sure who all he was close to, but I... I thought it should be said.

[And... that seems to be all. She checks her near-empty glass before switching off her device and downing the rest of it.]

((action below the cut))

[Action-Open to all-Fayren Beach]

Her footsteps through the sand are perilously calm as she walks along the shore to the too-familiar cove, wings tall and proud behind her, golden gaze set ahead. Not even the moonlight or the chill of the ocean lapping her feet seem to be able to draw her attention tonight.

It's fascinating, how it hurts so badly to suddenly feel nothing and yet everything at once...and how quiet it is in her head...yet again.

She hesitates only once, just before rounding the curved rock wall and slipping onto the makeshift field she knows too well. Already, the glowing tattoos of the Archangel are crawling up her legs and down her arms.

Deflecting the memories as they come, she studies the ocean in silence until she's lost track of time and her hands begin trembling. A queen with a useless throne... a grounded angel... more of her makeshift family lost...and prayers she's unsure can stretch between worlds.

Without warning, she steels herself and releases a blast of fire from within her, so hot the sand around her turns to shimmering glass. She doesn't so much as flinch dry her eyes as the flames take form around her and rise, golden-red wings unfolding to greet the sky-

A phoenix... his phoenix.

She watches unwaveringly, even as tears spill down her face, as the magnificent bird soars higher and higher, out over the ocean, powerful wings beating in a graceful, smooth rhythm as it climbs toward the heavens. She's shaking now, fingers trembling as they reach for it, willing the fire to last just a little longer, the cut of just one more witty taunt, the rarest sight of a smile on his face... those beautiful blue eyes...

There's a brilliant light as those wings flare once more against the stars and burst, leaving nothing but slowly dying sparks dancing through the air in their wake.

Dove watches them dance through the silence of the night before she finally drops her her knees and buries her face in her hands, wings splayed uselessly on the sandy glass behind her.

It's uncertain how long she'll weep and pray to useless gods she doesn't know... but she'll be leaving the beach with only pieces of her heart...

...and a little glass phoenix to place between the ever-frozen rose and miniature tiger already on her bedside table.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[In the depths of the ocean, where even the moonlight is little more than a memory, it's something to take notice of when the sea itself becomes suddenly illuminated by a flash of brilliant flame. Namur surges forward and deftly snatches a fish out of its school as it happens. He looks upward curiously, the fish beating its tail in a vain attempt to free itself. Namur swallows it whole with a minimal shake of his head, already making his way toward the surface. Of course, by the time he gets there, there isn't much to see, but he can smell the burnt remnants of the phoenix and the fiery trail it made in the sky. He swims dolphin style, diving under the waves and leaping high to check that he's still on track, following the scent back to its source- a bedraggled angel weeping on a patch of glass.]

Dove?

[He hurries his steps, the waves swirling placidly around his legs as he comes to shore, shaking his hair out so that he'll drench her less as he comes close, squatting in front of her and putting his hand out to touch her shoulder.]

Dove! The hell's goin' on, sweetheart? Somethin' happen?

[She's shaking so badly by the time he reaches her that she doesn't feel his approach or even react to the touch. Only when he speaks does she force herself to do the same.]

Gone.

[Even with accelerated healing of an angel, her throat is raw and her voice is heavy with horrifying exhaustion.] H-He's gone...!

So y' whooped yerself?

Shit, Dove.

[Namur isn't sure what he should even do in this situation, but shit, staying flopped out here with the waves coming in isn't going to do her any favors. As gently as he can- which in truth is not all that gentle, really- he tries to lift her wings, to bring them in close against her, then decides to hell with it and reaches in to pick her up by her waist so he can pull her up against his chest, like a lost child.]

C'mon, at least get 'bove the tidemark. Shit I thought someone attacked y' or somethin', was gonna rip somebody's guts out. The hell'd y' do?

Edited 2019-09-08 19:40 (UTC)

[She only shakes her head with her face buried away in her hands as the onslaught of emotions keeps her from properly answering him. She does get to her feet with him, tensing at the unfamiliar touch to her wings, but says nothing, until they're away from the smooth patch of sand reflecting the moon and the remnants of her send off.]

N-No... Just me. Got carried away... I guess...

[She's embarrassed, and tired, and hurt, and heartbroken, and afraid all at once. It's a lot to process, but it's slightly better now that he's here. ]

H-He deserved a... royal sendoff... even if he didn't ever think it...

[Well that didn't look good. He didn't know this Styxx person, but Dove obviously did, and his leaving obviously affected her badly. He was about to reply, but before he can find words, the message clicks off.

Alright, the hard way it was then. In almost no time at all Lea is out the door, heading to each of Dove's known haunts in turn, starting with her home and going down the list from there. By the time he reaches the shore, however, Dove had already left, though the large patch of glass tells him she'd been there.

Unsure where else to look, he heads back to her apartment, waiting anxiously in the hall outside it for her to return.]

[Hours into the night (or even early into the morning), she finally returns to her apartment, bundled up in a...rather oversized hooded sweatshirt to hide herself away from any onlookers.

She almost runs into him before she can even think to look up, but when she does finally notice him waiting for her in the hall, she can only shake her head in exhaustion as tears begin to line her eyes again. He probably only has a good few seconds to glimpse the blotchy pale face and uncharacteristically red eyes before her arms are around him and her face is buried in his chest.]

[Lea was somewhat relieved when Dove showed up, despite her disheveled state. He'd been getting genuinely concerned for her safety as time had worn on; no telling what might have happened to her or what she might have done if she was upset enough to turn that much of the beach into glass, so it was good to see her at least physically in one piece.

Emotionally however, was another story. His arms went around her too before he was even aware of consciously deciding to move them, and in a moment he was holding her and rubbing her back in a soothing manner.]

Hey... I've got you. I'm here. I've got you.

[He held her like that for a few long moments, murmuring reassurances, before making a gentle suggestion.]

C'mon... let's go inside. I'll make you a cup of tea or something. And maybe some soup. You seem like you could use both.

Edited 2019-09-24 06:01 (UTC)

[She had thought herself out of tears, but at least this time, they came less quickly, even with her face buried in his shirt. Namur was still here... Lea was still here. She would be okay in the end, but...

...would Styxx?

She stayed still in his arms, only trembling a little from the exhaustion and completely disregarding the foreign touch on her back. Between the onslaught of emotion and the sweatshirt, she barely felt anything anyway. The gentle murmuring calmed the very-welcome rush of seeing him there, and she eventually pulled back slowly at the suggestion with a nod, unable to look him in they eye just yet. Archangel indeed. She couldn't even protect her friends, and now she was sure she just looked pitiful.] O-Okay...

[She fumbled with her key a moment before successfully unlocking the door, then slipped inside, pulling the arms of her sleeves over her hands to dab away the remaining tears on her face.]

[She didn't look pitiful, she looked like she was grieving. Big difference in Lea's book. And even Archangels were allowed some leeway under those circumstances.

He didn't resist as she pulled back from the hug, but did wrap an arm loosely around her shoulders once they were inside, both as added reassurance and to guide her toward the kitchen to sit on one of the chairs there.]

I know you probably just want to curl up somewhere right now and stay there for a day or so, but you look like you're running on empty on top of everything else. Tea and food should help with that, at least.

[Once Dove was seated on a chair, Lea would set about hunting for where she kept her tea and mugs.]

[She went with him blindly, letting him take her wherever he so chose. It didn't matter. She was home and safe, and Lea was one of the few people she trusted with almost everything.

Led to a chair, she hopped up into it, finally letting the hood down from her head and pulling her hair over her shoulder before she leaned forward to set her head in her hands and stare at the table.]

N-No... you being here is...everything... [she admitted quietly. While he wasn't entirely wrong about her desires... It was best that she wasn't left to it. A spiral in itself was bad enough, but this, when there was no resolution to be found. He was saving her just as much as Namur had.

From the other room, there was an immediate scrambling of...many paws. In an instant, Lovey, now a graceful Sylveon, had rounded the corner, followed by a rather small eevee and two fluffy foxes. Ace only paused at the door to keep an eye on Lea, yes,...but more so his mistress. The man seemed to be helping her.]

[Lea paused slightly at Dove's words, glancing back at her for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure what she meant; he was really only doing what any good friend would do in such a situation, after all. But it concerned him regardless.

The scrabbling of paws provided a further distraction as Dove's Pokémon came to check on her (Lea briefly thought of his own, but luckily Donald would be able to handle getting everyone fed at least, in his absence). He gave them a slight, hopefully reassuring smile before turning back to the various cupboards.

It wasn't long til he located the tea, pleased to find that Dove had a decent selection. He briefly debated whether to get her something caffeinated, but opted instead for a calming herbal blend with vanilla and chamomile. He pulled out a teabag, then quickly located a mug, filled it with water, and popped it into the microwave to heat. His mother might have tsked him for making tea like that, but necessity trumped tradition in this case. While the water was heating, he managed to locate a bottle of honey, and stirred a bit into the water before adding the teabag.

All of this took only a few minutes, but it felt like much longer before he set the mug of steaming liquid down in front of Dove.]

Don't drink it just yet. It'll need a little time to steep and cool off first.

[Common sense advice, and some that under other circumstances, he'd feel no need to give her. But she seemed rather out of it, so best to be sure.]

I'll get started on that soup then, OK?

[Had the circumstances been extremely different, she might have chided him for making tea that way. As it was, though, he was doing it for her, and that sort of kindness could never be teased or taken lightly.

She listened to him rummage through the cabinets, lifting her head only when Lovey all but tossed the younger eevee into her lap. She couldn’t get up into the chair with Dove, but she could at least give her someone to hold onto. Without a word, the angel snuggled the little Pokemon against her chest, then turned her eyes on Lea again.

A ‘decent selection’ was an understatement. While her pantry was always stocked with a wide selection of social drinks, just in case company should appear, her tea collection was nothing short of impressive. While she wasn’t much of a coffee drinker… the angel definitely favored her teas.

She nodded with an eternally grateful look as she watched the steam rise from the mug, scratching the back of the eevee’s neck in small, mindless circles as she warred with herself. Her first instinct was to insist that he didn’t have to; she didn’t want to be any more of a burden than she already was. Another part of her begged her to rely on him, if only for a little while longer, knowing full well it was what he wanted.... and she needed.]

Thanks, Lea... [she finally settled on, blinking if a futile effort to make her eyes stop stinging. ]

Edited 2019-10-02 01:26 (UTC)

[Lea was definitely not a coffee drinker, thanks to having tasted Xigbar's truly terrible brew; it would be enough to make most anyone a lifelong tea drinker. So Dove's selection was most appreciated, his brief look through it having brought a few new blends to his attention that he might have to try sometime. But that would be later.

Right now, he's busy trying to figure out how to respond to Dove's gratitude. Under normal circumstances, he'd just brush it off, say that it was nothing, but it clearly wasn't nothing to her. In fact she'd said it was everything.]

Don't worry about it. Making sure you're taken care of makes me feel better too, honestly.

[With that he headed over to the fridge, pleased to find a wide variety of vegetables and even a few fresh herbs. Combined with the dry spices and egg noodles Lea had spotted while searching for the tea, he knew exactly what he was making. Pulling some carrots, celery, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, green beans, fresh parsley and a few other things out of the fridge, he set them all down on the opposite end of the counter from where Dove was sitting before hunting out a cutting board and a largish pot.]

Easier to make a good amount of it; that way I won't have to adjust the recipe. And it keeps well too, so you'll have enough left for meals for a couple days, since I don't know if you'll feel much like cooking.

[Given her current state, he was almost certain she wouldn't, which made this choice of recipe even better.]

[She nodded, despite knowing the fact that with his back mostly to her, he wouldn't see it. Words were hard by this point, and even when she did find them, her voice sounded even raspier and quieter than it had before, as if even her Light had begun to stop fighting to heal the rawness of her throat.]

You'd make one hell of a guardian angel...

[He looked a bit surprised at that before shaking his head with a sheepish expression.]

Me? Nah... I'm not even close to an angel, guardian or otherwise. I just... wanna look out for my friends when they need it, that's all. It's nothing really that special.

[He filled the pot partway up with water, setting it on the stove top and turning on the burner so it could begin heating. He then fished an appropriate knife out of the drawer and began preparing and chopping up the vegetables he'd selected.]

[She left it at that, for the time being, and only reached for the tea he had given her, head spinning with exhaustion and the raw emotions now swirling tiredly in her chest.

From the opposite end of the kitchen, Ace finally padded his way in, taking up a seat at Lea's feet.]

Are you... still working on those 'artistic side ventures'? [A slight change of topic, but a welcome one, even if it only made the weight in her pocket and chest that much heavier.]

[Lea glanced away from the vegetables he was preparing long enough to give Ace a hopefully reassuring smile, before returning his focus to his task.

He similarly glanced up at Dove when she spoke, but looked back down at his work before replying; not good to get too distracted while using sharp knives.]

A bit yeah. Mostly just little stuff though. There's not really room in the apartment to work on anything too big- [even with Xion's room largely repurposed into a workspace.]- and things like metal and glass tend to get pricey and heavy in large quantities.

That, and... well, I dunno if anybody'd really want anything much bigger than jewelry. There's a craft store in the city that sells the little stuff for me when I have it to sell, but well...

[He trails off with a slight shrug. Anything relatively large would have to be a lot more expensive if he going to keep doing it to try and make money. And he wasn't sure anyone would want to pay that much for his work.]

[Those things she could help him with at least, if not only because she wanted to see him succeed, but now also for all the help he was giving her in return just by being there. Supplies, a workspace, a model... any of it, just for his presence.

Her response came a few moments too late, just as fresh tears found their way down her face.] I...might need your help with something else, [she admitted quietly, pulling a roughly formed glass phoenix from her pocket and setting it on the table with a shaky hand.] N-Not right now, but... I didn't have enough control this time to...to actually...

[Lea paused in his vegetable preparing to come take a closer look at the glass phoenix. Even in its rough state there was something wild and beautiful about it.]

I'd be glad to help you finish it. Not right now, like you said, but definitely before I head back to my place.

[Which probably wouldn't be until the next day, but he was fine with that. He left the glass phoenix sitting on the counter and went back to his preparations.

By now he has a good amount and variety of vegetables chopped, retrieving a few smaller bowls and dividing them up based on when they'll need to go into the soup.]

You know... if it turns out you like this soup, I'll have to make it again for you sometime. My mom used to make it for me a lot when I was a kid, especially in winter; she knew it was the best way to get me to eat my vegetables.

[She only nodded her gratitude, using the sleeve of her sweatshirt to dab at her face again. Despite its sharp edges, the little figure had been hewn with more emotion than she was sure she'd ever even be able to feel again. It was nothing as sophisticated as the rose blossom and tiger it would be joining on her bedside table. Those partings had broken her then, too, but nothing like this. Those friends had had real homes to go back to... unlike what she imagined Styxx would find waiting for him.

She bent to kiss Scout's head, using the simple affection to keep herself together while Lea was there. Ugh. She loathed this. All of it. She just wanted to crawl into bed and disappear for months.

Once centered again, she watched him shift about the kitchen, determined to focus on what he had to say.] Y-Yeah... anytime... It's too big for just me anyway, [she told him quietly, silently musing to herself that what he offered was yet another small glimpse into his past. While she had poured out a tragic amount to him only months ago... she was quickly realizing how little she actually knew about his own aside from the still somewhat absurd revelation that Mickey Mouse and friends were truly real in his world.] I'm betting you were really stubborn when it came to your veggies...

[Rough and exhausted, her voice was weak, but...anything was better than sobs. Any distraction welcome.]

[With the veggies divided up, Lea checked the water, adjusting the heat slightly and adding a bit of salt to it before going back to the cutting board to deal with the fresh herbs. It would only need another minute or two to be ready to start adding the other ingredients, but might as well make those minutes useful.

At the comment about him being stubborn about vegetables, though he chuckled faintly.]

Heh, yeah. Of course, I was stubborn about a lot of things. Though Isa could give me a run for my munny in that department.

[The traces of the chuckle vanish at the mention of Isa, but he continues.]

Isa... well you'd never know it if you just talked to him casually, but he feels things really deeply. He'd put up this cold, aloof exterior, but underneath, he was actually pretty sensitive. And if you could get him to smile... well, it was something special.

[Pause]

Least it used to be. I haven't really ever seen him smile since we were kids. He was in the Organization too, and leaned pretty hard into the whole 'no hearts' thing as Siax.

[Isa... She frowned, doing her best to remember. It sounded familiar, but her mind refused to cooperate.]

"Isa?" [Even with the numbing weight of her own emotions, she could feel the quick shift in Lea's.

She tucked the eevee closer to her, wishing her mind would stop trying to connect everything to her lost friend. ]"...Styxx was that way, too."

As for leaning into their 'condition'...]"I... now understand why it would be tempting," [she admitted. Extremely tempting. Right now, she'd give just about anything not to have to feel anything. Not that she would ever say such a thing to Lea, knowing full well how bad it had been. Even still, 'oblivion' seemed a much kinder option than the evening thus far had been.

Edited 2020-02-09 20:41 (UTC)

[Lea nodded slightly.]

Yeah... not sure if I've mentioned Isa to you before, but he and I were best friends back when we were kids.

[Now... he wasn't sure. He had every intention of dragging Isa's blue-haired butt back home when and if they won, but beyond that, there were too many unanswered questions.

Though he wasn't sure if bringing up Isa had been a good idea given Dove's reaction to it. She might not say it aloud, but he could guess what she was likely thinking. What anyone who'd ever had a broken heart likely thought at one time or another.

Up until he'd experienced it, he'd have wished that there was a way that he could grant the wish she was probably thinking of, if only for a little while. But now that he knew what it was like, not just how bad it was, but how dangerous. He wouldn't tell this to her, though for the same reason she didn't tell him what she was thinking right then.

Instead, he steered the conversation away from talk of Nobodies.]

We used to get into all kinds of trouble together. And he probably kept me out of a lot more of it too; would've probably ended up with more than a few broken bones if he hadn't held little me back from doing what in hindsight were some really stupid things.

[She remembered. He had mentioned the name here and there, but she had never really placed how close the two might have been.

She felt him turn the conversation and guilt licked its way up her throat. She...shouldn't have said it, even given how true it felt right now. Hopefully he'd forgive her for even having the thought.]

It's good to have people like that, [she nodded, so...so tired.] Was he an ...elemental like you? [There. Conversation successfully stirred away from both heartlessness and friendship.]

Yeah it is. As for being an elemental though...

[Lea shakes his head.]

Not really, unless the moon counts as an element. He actually ended up with powers based on the moon, or at least the old concept that the moon could make people crazy; he could enter a 'berserk' state, where his strength, speed, and general fighting ability got a boost, but he wasn't entirely in control of himself. Made him dangerous in a fight, but arguably he and I were pretty even in that area, and- unlike fire- it wasn't really useful anywhere else.

[Where to take the conversation from there though? A glance back at the glass phoenix on the table gave him an idea.]

It's kinda fitting that he got moon-based powers though, since he always had kind of a thing for rabbits. He had a pet one as a kid, and even one of his weapons ended up being rabbit themed. And you can bet I teased him about that one when I found out.

[He smiled a bit as he finished up with chopping the herbs, remembering. Even if they hadn't been able to feel it properly at the time, somehow teasing each other had still been a little bit fun.]

[Oh. That was... different.]

So... he was your mirror, [she observes quietly, watching him work.] I-I mean... Fire, sun... all that...makes sense.

[Maybe it was different in his world, though. Right now, she was too exhausted to even correct herself.]

Rabbits? [She's tired but... there's a flicker of something there, something almost like... distaste.]

[He considers the thought for a moment.]

Yeah, I guess he kinda was. In more ways than just that, really. He and I always kinda... balanced each other out.

[He sees that look at the mention of rabbits and can't help smiling slightly.]

Not a fan of rabbits, I take it?

Those people are rare. You're very lucky...

[She blinks at the smile, but seems to shrink in on herself a little, even if the mood is somehow shifted just a bit.]

Not... particularly... My brother tortured me with a stupid video game when we were little and it just sort of...stuck.

Yeah... I know.

[He does wonder if he made a mistake with the slight smile, though it remains impossible to avoid. Because an angel who was afraid of rabbits? Yeah.]

I hope you know I reserve the right to tease you about that once you're feeling better. And also now I'm curious about what angelic video games are like.

[He notes the time, and one by one, begins adding ingredients to the soup pot.]

[The smile, fortunately, helps a little, as does his teasing.]

Naturally, [she manages, giving him a slightly hopeful look. At least Lea was still here. She wasn't sure what she'd be doing without him. And they're not angelic. Almost everything we have aside from our power is human-made anyway. [A pause, then a grumbled,] Except that game. That one was obviously developed in the core of hell itself...

[Lea finishes adding all but a few ingredients to the pot, stirring it a bit then letting it simmer a bit while he waits for the time to add the last few ingredients.]

Heh... somehow I doubt it. Though humans can come up with some pretty twisted stuff too. Like... basically every horror movie ever.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Video/Action] Another Goodbye (OTA)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

GASP. A swear XD;

Le gasp! :o

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Irisu Syndrome is the game hahahaha

Having looked it up, I get it now. X3