𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓮𝔁𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crystallinedreams) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
synthneon2022-03-09 10:17 pm
crystallinedreams) wrote in synthneon2022-03-09 10:17 pm
Entry tags:
FF PSL | ❝ two-toned echoes tumbling through time. ❞
To this riddle all souls are tied
Brief our moments, brazen and bright
Forged in fury, tempered in ice
good long thread nodders
I shall, and I assure you, I will take every effort to be home at the expected hour so as not to waste a moment of your time. [ Her time at home with him in Ishgard is limited, and he does not intend to miss a moment of it.
But no sooner does he have that thought than the need for sleep that he has tried to keep at bay reasserts itself. His eyelids suddenly feel heavy, but he knows he does not wish to drift off just yet. She succeeds in lulling him to sleep, however, and as his sleepiness begins to pull him down, he reaches out to take hold of her hand.
His sleep is finally restful, and as he slumbers, he does not dream. He remains asleep even when Alkaid awakens hours later and moves from the bed, and it is not until several more hours pass that he stirs and his eyes slowly begin to open. For a moment, he simply lies there, looking up at the ceiling of the room, when he realizes that the sun has fully risen and is shining into the room through the curtains.
With that realization comes the knowledge that he is late to joining the Houses of Lords and Commons, and he sits upright with a start. It is not too late for him to make an appearance there, although his lateness will surely garner some questions. But he must see to his duties, and so he begins trying to prepare for the long day ahead, doing his best to ignore the lingering fever and the unsteadiness in his gait as he moves around the room.
Of course, although he tries, it does not quite work as well as he hoped, and he catches himself on the edge of the bed, barely managing to right himself, avoiding a rather ungraceful tumble.
Too late to conceal the sound, he hears hurried steps approaching down the hall, and he freezes in place just as the door opens and Alkaid peers in. Unsure of how to explain himself, he simply straightens up and tries his best to appear unbothered as if he had not just tripped over his own feet. ]
how long can we go!? we're gonna find out
Are you hurt? It sounded like... [ Alkaid's voice trails off and she presses her ears to her head fully now. ] Come now, get yourself back to bed, Aymeric. Let me see to your temperature.
[ A hand lifts once more and she gestures back to the bed. ] I'll see to a fresh nightshirt and that breakfast is brought for you.
rubs hands together. challenge accepted
Any thoughts or fears that she might have left him without saying goodbye have not entered his mind. He knows she longs to be here with him as well, and so he refuses to think that she would do such a thing. No, what troubles him is the notion that he is continuing to fail his city and those who look to him for guidance. ]
I am unhurt, but I suppose it would have been my own fault if I had been. [ But as she continues, he shakes his head. ]
There are many things that require my attention within the Houses, and I am already late. They will be wondering where I am.
[ But returning to their bed is quite the tempting thought, one that he desperately tries to push away simply because he cannot sleep the day away no matter how he feels. ]
I suppose that I could remain to share breakfast with you, but then I must go. [ And offer many apologies for his lateness. ]
yknow, our long threads probably equal out to the word count of fics.
Artoriel already came to fetch you, worried that he had not seen you this morning. [ Her voice lowers as she suddenly worries that he will be cross with her. She stands by that she has done the right thing as the healer that tends to him the most. Yet, being his healer and being his mate are very different. ] You are in no condition to leave, Aymeric. Not without aid, and I'm certain you would not wish to appear to the House of Commons and Lords with me or Artoriel helping you to your office and meetings...
[ With her ears still pressed entirely to her head, she gestures once more to the bed to make her point. ]
He will bring the paperwork you need and will most certainly will answer any questions, and take back your thoughts and feedback. I requested it of him, and he more willingly agreed. He was not angry you are not well nor did he expect you to jump to your feet to join him. So, please, Aymeric. Return to bed and I will fetch a fresh shirt for you.
[ Then, her tail curls around her as she worries that he will rebuke the idea. Less for the hurt it would bring, and more for his own sake. ]
I wouldn't be surprised in the least
Ah, I see. [ He tries his best to arrange his expression into an impassive one, one that does not reveal how he is already mentally chastising himself for what is, in his mind, his latest failure. That Artoirel had to come looking for him when he failed to appear is nothing short of embarrassing.
He is not cross with her at all, because as always, she only has his best interests in mind. If he is cross with anyone, it is with himself. ] Surely the situation at hand is not so dire as that. [ A fever that has slightly lessened and a cough... Surely these are things that he can weather. ] Perhaps if I made a brief appearance simply to satisfy the other attendees and myself.
[ But evidently, his body has other ideas in mind, and as if to contradict his musings, he finds his earlier unsteadiness returning and he has to reach out for the frame of the bed in order to steady himself.
His lips press together into a thin line as his annoyance and impatience with himself grows, but he knows that she is correct. He is not in any condition to leave this house, let alone this room, and that admission hardly sits well with him. ]
I will return to the bed, but do not go to any extra trouble on my account. The household staff will see to your needs and ensure that you are able to have a time of reprieve as well.
[ He knows that her role as healer and his mate is of the utmost importance to her, but he does not wish to see her use what little downtime she has on waiting on him, when his present state of being is the result of his own decisions. ]
I would be glad for your company as always, but I would rest much easier knowing that your needs are being met.
[ Especially since he is presently unable to do so himself. ]
I should go back to tallying the word count
She merely nods to his statements. Of course, breakfast will be served for the pair of them, and she is certain the head maid will bring the medicine she made as well. Alkaid decides it is best to do something, and moves to pull the covers for him. Then, she moves to the drawers and pulls a fresh nightshirt for him. She brings it back, gesturing for him to remove the one he has slept in so she might place it with the rest of the clothes to be washed.
Once he has settled in the bed, she leans forward to test his forehead. Her cheeks puff slightly at how his fever persists. She takes the bowl and cloth back into the bathroom and returns a few minutes later with fresh water and a new cloth. She wets it, wrings it, then places it to his forehead once more even if he is sitting down.
Alkaid then sits beside him on the bed once more. Her gaze moves downwards before she inhales and looks back to him. She smiles at him, hands in her lap, pushing her posture to sit properly. ]
Well, since my lord cannot attend the meetings he wishes to, I ought to hold a meeting just for you this morning. [ Her ears perk up slightly from her head, after what feels like quite a long time, and she smiles as one might expect a Warrior of Light to. ] As I'm newly returned from the First, what would the Lord Speaker wish for me to share? Something you would wish a report on?
hehe who needs novels when we can write 'em ourselves?
But these musings will have to wait for another time. He finds he can no longer resist the need to lie down once more, and when Alkaid pulls the covers, that is all the invitation he needs. He also removes the shirt that he has slept in, and while his skin is bared for less than a minute, he instantly feels a chill; the room is not cold, far from it, but his internal temperature is not what it should be.
As they both have already noted, his fever lingers too, and the discomfort of the chill and the warmth causes him to frown. But he does not wish to spend what time they have together in a state of discontent, so he carefully reaches for her free hand and takes it in his. ]
If you would, there is something that I wish to know more about. You spoke of Amaurot, and the great battle between Hydaelyn and Zodiark, as well as what transpired because of that. Will you tell me more about this? About the souls that were sundered... and about our own souls.
[ He might not have been there to hear these revelations as she did, but something is telling him that he subscribes wholeheartedly that they knew each other even in those ancient times, and so he wishes to hear more of what she learned about the past. ]
im fairly sure this psl alone is gonna rival a stephen king novel NODDERS
However, his request is very different.
Her ears lift entirely as well as her tail. It begins swaying side to side, and a sparkle takes her eyes. Yes, she most certainly knows more details of such things. She had purposely sought out their new old friend for explanations--if he had any--and learned far more with their dealings with Elidibus than she had ever imagined. She holds her finger up to ask he wait one moment before she slips from the bed and the room.
It takes only a few moments, but she returns with a brown package in her arms and a smaller velvet bag in her hand. The brown package sits at the nightstand beside their bed while she returns to his side with the other bag in hand. She sits as she had, hand in her lap beside the small bag. ]
I've learned quite a bit of the ancient times, and will gladly tell my Lord Speaker. [ But, where does she begin? ] The Final Days was a phenomenon that took the ancient world. The creation magicks the Ancients oversaw ran rampant as despair grew, the skies become as fire, and shooting stars came down to the star. It was like the very star was becoming undone, and they had no idea why or how...
[ She shifts then. ] Those that oversaw the ancient world from Amaurot were known as the Convocation. There were fourteen seats in total, however, only thirteen of them agreed on one plan to save the star. They would create a god--a primal in our terms--that would pull the star from the brink of destruction. The aether required to summon it took half the population of the star... and that god's name was Zodiark. [ Her eyes cast downwards and her ears lower. A frown takes her face. Now she understands why the unsettling feeling sinks deep in her heart. ] It worked, but, life had not returned to the star. It was a perpetual state of misery... and they wished to return the star to its' glory and fill it with life once more... but, they disagreed on how to do such things...
Giving Zodiark the ability to do such a thing would require another sacrifice--half of what was left; their souls fueling life so that once they could properly save the star, they could return the souls sacrificed to the star. Yet, a portion of them did not agree with more and more sacrifices. These people joined with one ancient named Venat, and in order to stop the sacrifices to Zodiark, they would summon their own goddess: Hydaelyn. Hydaelyn was created to bind Zodiark to end the cycle of continual sacrifice. And so, She sundered Zodiark, the star, and all the souls on it into the Source and its thirteen reflections.
The Ascians... they are what is left of the Convocation. Three of them remained unsundered, while the rest met the same fate as all of us did. Emet-Selch, Lahabrae, and Elidibus. They aimed to reunite the reflections, and the shards on it, and return the star to its ancient state.
[ She pauses. ]
As for our souls....
as it should
It does his heart good to see the way her ears and tail lift and how that sparkle shows itself plainly in her eyes. He wishes that he could have seen what she saw and met the individuals that she met, but of course, that is impossible. Still, he knows without a doubt that her words and recollections are more than enough.
He pauses when he sees her ask him to wait, watching as she slides away from the bed and out of the room. As before, he has no reason to believe she will not return, and so he simply contents himself with waiting for his beloved to come back.
When she does, he cannot help the wide smile he gives her, even if it is slightly diminished by the lingering symptoms of his illness. As she begins her recounting of what she knows, his smile falters just slightly, as what he is hearing is hardly happy. He knew that it would not be, and yet it is sobering to hear what was done by the Ancients in the name of saving their star.
He can only imagine how he and so many others would feel if their own star experienced such a dire fate. And without a doubt, he understands the need for desperate measures, but to sacrifice half of the star's population, and then to consider an additional sacrifice on top of that? His eyebrows draw together and his frown deepens with dislike and concern both.
For the moment, until she has finished, he holds his silence, not wishing to interrupt her retelling. ]
It is difficult for me to envision all of this, and yet with your words, I can understand the desperation that the Ancients must have felt. To sacrifice half of their population is no small thing, and while it is easy for me to say that I would not condone such an act, perhaps one's thoughts and feelings shift when faced with such dire happenings. Hydaelyn's choice cannot have been easy either.
[ All this time, he has been doing his best to try and place himself in the mindset of those who lived through this, in an effort to understand their motivations. It is difficult, naturally, but he does sympathize with all of them to a degree. ]
Yes, what of our souls?
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She gently continues to run her fingers along his in a soothing gesture. It was hardly easy to hear, let alone share. ]
You and your city were faced with dire happenings: the collapse of their religion and world view, and the unending war. Yet, you and yours rose above that and found a way to move forward despite it all. I would not say that the feelings are so different. [ At least, she cannot imagine them being as such. ] If our cores remain due to our souls... then surely the emotions that drive who and what we are the same as they were then.
[ As for his continuing question? Alkaid pauses as she wonders where to start unraveling such a thing. She had always intended to speak with Hythlodaeus when they returned to the First. If anyone were to know, it would certainly be him. Especially as he is the only one truly aware of who and what he is--and who she and her sister were. Yet, how they went about returning to the recreated ancient city... ]
There is a shade that exists within the recreation of Amaurot--one who, by how he talks, was a kind friend to Thisru and I in our ancient lives. Yet, when he was created, he was done so with the knowledge of who and what he was: merely a ghost made of recollections of the Ascian who oversaw the aetheric plane. [ Alkaid tilts her head slightly. ] Each member of the Convocation oversaw a different aspect to the ancient world... and Emet-Selch was over the aetheric plane. Yet, even then, even with knowing who we were once, he refused to see us as such... and deemed us not who we were and--[ She presses her lips to silence herself from the burst of anger she feels.
How could Emet-Selch call them his friends when he refused to admit it? Her tail bristles slightly. He had no issue killing her and Thisru again and again with calamity after calamity, all in the sake of bringing them back to their ancient selves. Yet, not once, had he thought to ask if it was what they wanted. ]
Elidibus's plans drove us to the recreated Amaurot, even if I had intended on visiting. We... confronted him, [ she leaves out the detail of having to fight a recreation of her beloved, ] and he was forced to withdraw until our next encounter. In his wake, he left crystals that spoke with memories of the Convocation. That is where Hythlodaeus found Thisru and I, and gave us one that he had been tasked with holding. One that was made in secret, without the others of the Convocation knowing. Because the fourteenth members refused to be a part of the plan that summoned Zodiark, and were called traitors.
[ Alkaid looks to him once more. ] I asked Hythlodaeus if he might know of someone that was similar to you, and close to who I was in my ancient life. He directed me further into Amaurot to one bureau that oversaw the protection of Amaurot. While the members of the Convocation were tasked with the greater scope of the star, these people were tasked with making certain that citizens were safe from wild beasts or potential otherworldly threats. [ She glances down as a smile spreads on her face, and the puffed out tail begins to sway once more. ] And I met a shade that was very stoic and devoted to his work. Yet, even with my tail and ears, said I reminded him of someone that was dear to his heart.
no subject
He would ask if his decisions are sound, and if he ought to be devoting more time to trying to smooth over the hurts and wounds caused by the revelation that the church and those in power had obscured the truth for so long. Perhaps his father was right, that it was better in the long run for the people to not know the harsh reality of it all. He still believes that honesty is always the right course of action, but perhaps his belief harmed the people rathre than helped them.
But none of these musings are of particular importance, or so he tells himself. ]
But we came through the war relatively whole, even if we still had, and continue to have, our share of upheaval. These ancient people were not so fortunate, if I am understanding you correctly. Their entire world was rocked, even destroyed, and so who am I to even compare our circumstances?
[ But he silences himself once again so as to let her continue speaking. He is interested in her recollections about the shade that was once a friend of hers and her sister's, and he finds himself feeling a twinge of annoyance with the one called Emet-Selch. Having never met the man, he knows he has no right to express such sentiments, but he can hardly hold them back either.
But Alkaid's tale is not finished, and so he simply continues listening until she comes to reveal that she met one particular shade who sounds very familiar indeed. His eyebrows lift, and a look of surprise crosses his face. ]
Am I correct in saying that you found...? [ His voice trails off uncharacteristically, but he finds himself wholly surprised by this revelation. Although he believed without hesitation that once, Alkaid and K'thisru were citizens of this Amaurot, and that they had known each other even in those ancient times, he had not expected her to say she actually encountered his past self there, even a shade of who he once was.
He is quick to smile warmly, both because of how her tail has puffed itself out and continues to sway and because of what she has just related to him. ] So, some things truly do not change, no matter how many years upon years have passed.
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It was. It seems they ... were unable to accept the idea of their world changing, and wished it to be as it was perpetually. Perhaps we cannot truly grasp that mindset as we are now, or, it is simply because you and I are different. We see what might be, not only what was or what is. It is harder for others to see it.
[ She nods to his question, the smile growing on her face. ] They are shades, copies of our aetheric prints. He wasn't truly you, but... I could tell he was meant to be in the place you once held. [ Then, a shake of her head. ] There are things so innate to who we are, and what we are, I believe they stay with us no matter how many countless times we are reborn. I cannot see you as someone other than a protector of your people, whoever those people might be.
As for Thisru and I. [ Alkaid moves forward so she might sit beside his chest. Then, she reaches for his other hand with one of hers. The other takes the velvet pouch from her lap. She brings his hands together while managing to slip the oddly shaped orange crystal between them so he might hold it. Then, her hands gentle clasp around his once more. ] Hold onto this, close your eyes, and listen.
[ The crystal grows warm to the touch within moments. Then, a distinct sound can be heard from it. A voice follows, much like a bell, but intangible to those who do not possess the Echo. Alkaid closes her eyes as her tail continues to sway, moving faster. Of course, she knows who the voice belongs to, but she finds what he said more important to the conversation at the moment. ]
"Here in I commit the chronicle of the traveler. Shepherd to the stars in the dark. Though the world is sundered and our souls set adrift, where you walk, my dearest friend, fate shall surely follow. For yours is the fourteenth seat--the seat of Azem."
[ She opens her eyes to look into his once she finishes translating. A sparkle rests in her gaze with a certain glow to her face that she has been missing since the events of the First. Something more akin to the woman he first met all that time go in the meeting room of Camp Dragonhead. ]
We were the ones who refused to sacrifice any life on our star to the creation of gods, Zodiark or Hydaelyn. The ones who would go and travel the star to help those in need.... somethings truly do not change.
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That is not an unfamiliar concept, as many in Ishgard feel the same way. [ And although he believes that he did what was right, there is a small part of him that does question if he should have stopped to consider the wants and needs of his people more than he had. ] I cannot help but wonder if I should have attempted to see the mindset of the people and ascertain the thoughts and worries of their hearts. Perhaps that is what drove the Ancients to make the choices that they did.
[ Or perhaps it was selfishness on their parts as well. Perhaps it is strange that he is attempting to find commonalities between them, but he has found himself on unsteady ground and who is to say that his decisions are the best ones?
But lest he become too lost in his worries once more, he does his best to put them aside for the moment. ] I would have liked to meet him, although perhaps doing so would be impossible, as you cannot meet yourself. [ The notion makes him chuckle, but the laugh ends with a brief cough, which he chooses to ignore.
His curiosity concerning his ancient self is great, but he wishes to know more about what Alkaid's life and the life of her sister were like, so he is quick to fall silent and do as asked. He cannot understand the words, of course, but there is a strange sort of stirring within his soul that he cannot quite place as he listens to them. Alkaid translates the words, and he pays close attention to each one. ]
Azem... That was the title you and your sister held? Do you know what it means?
[ It does warm his heart to know that even in those faraway times, the woman he loves and her sister were very much the same as they are now. It is clear to him that the foundation of who they are was built very solidly back then, and it has not wavered even once. ]
no subject
[ Alkaid laughs gently at his statement, only frowning slightly at the cough. An ear raises towards the door to see if the head maid or steward had started approaching the door. So far, not as of yet, but she can only hope that they will bring him food and medicine shortly. ]
He seemed quite busy with work, attempting to do what he could to help with the oncoming Final Days. Although... [ she pauses then, tilting her head as if to try and properly form her thoughts into a sentence. ] There was a sense that he was preoccupied as well. Something more than the duties of his calling, a worry even. He seemed adamant to make certain that Thisru and I would be safe; perhaps because we reminded him of the ones he cared for so deeply.
[ Alkaid is quite certain that those people were herself and Thisru's ancient selves, but, she does not want to lead his on conclusions. Only Aymeric would know. Perhaps he can sense something or remember something. Those small things lost to time but buried deep within their souls. Such things are ones she believes drove them to find one another in this life, and perhaps countless others. ]
It was. [ Then, a shake of her head. ] All I know is that when one took their seat on the Convocation, they were always referred to by their title and no longer their true name. I'm not certain I will ever know what our names were... not without making yet another trip to the First. [ Something she is not keen to do any time soon. She wishes to remain here, with him, as long as she is able.
She smiles, moving to lean over him and cup his face between her her hands. Her thumbs brush along his cheeks in their familiar motion before she moves the cloth from his forehead. A gentle kiss is placed to the damp skin, followed by an affectionate nudge of her nose to the side of his head. How might she phrase what it is she wishes to tell him? ]
However, there is one name I did manage to learn before we were whisked away once more to fight Elidibus. [ At that her smile widens. ] If Thisru and I were truly shepherds of the stars, sent to the corners of our star, to find and care for its people? Then, there was most certainly one star that burned brighter than any other, and continues to be that guiding light for not just those around him, but for me as well. The one who I will wait for time and time again in any life, no matter what form or personage you become.
[ Alkaid forces the tears that gather in the corner of her eyes to remain where they are. Her smile never disappears, and the warmth in her heart intensifies. A feeling from deep in her soul wishes to reach out to him. The very same that desperately tried to connect to him those months ago in a borrowed room of Monument Tower.
Then, she leans down to kiss the corner of his lips. Her head tilts so that she might nudge the side of his head with her nose. Not only that, but sot hat she can lower her voice to keep others from hearing. ]
Costas, my one and only.
no subject
[ The involuntary shiver that creeps up his spine serves as a reminder that he is not well just yet, and that perhaps he should not tax himself more than is necessary. But he worries and frets about the welfare of Ishgard and how he might aid her people, and the knowledge that he ought to stay calm does little to ease him.
So, rather than continue dwelling on what he feels he cannot change in this present moment, he focuses more on Alkaid's words and what she has to relate about the ancients and their past. ]
I see. So we may never know those names. [ But even as he utters those words, he feels something stirring in the back of his mind, but he cannot put a finger on what it is. But it is forgotten in the moment that she places her hands on the sides of his face, and all thoughts flee from his mind when she gently kisses him. Well, almost all thoughts. He thinks about how much he loves her and how he wishes to never be apart from her for long.
The love he has for her nearly makes him forget that he is ill, and that his symptoms still linger. But when she announces that she managed to learn a name, his attention quickly returns to her, and he waits with bated breath to hear what this name is and who it belonged to. He has a suspicion, of course, but he does not wish to jump too far ahead.
Costas, she says. And while he cannot remember the sort of man he was back then, nor recall being called by that name, there is something familiar about it as well: something that tells him it was, without a doubt, his name.
He opens his mouth to say something, to express some sort of wonder at learning his name, but he finds himself distracted once again by that stirring sensation in the back of his mind. And for just a moment, his gaze turns distant, as if something from so many years ago is attempting to bring something to his attention.
A part of him knows how this must appear to her eyes, that something is pulling his attention away from her, but he does not wish to lose the fragile hold he has on this strange message, if that is what it is, from their ancient past.
A shiver, greater than the last one, takes hold of him again, and he feels himself begin to shake even in her hold as the realization of what has just occurred settles in.
He does not know how such a thing is possible, but the only conclusion that he can make is that the man he was in those foregone times is trying to reach out across the years and reform a bridge between himself and Alkaid. ]
no subject
[ At his shiver, she decides that he needs some tending to once more. Alkaid pulls the covers up a tad more, being careful of bumping his hands that still hold the Azems' crystal.
His silence far from makes her worried. He is ill, and revelations of the ancient past are ones that will make any person stop and wonder. She attributes his shaking to the fever spiking once more.
At that, she moves over him to his side that faces the part of the bed she usually sleeps in. She gently lies beside him, curling up against his frame. Her head rests against his arm, while her hands raise to encircle his that holds the crystal. While her body heat and presence may not cure the ailment? She certainly hopes the comfort it gives will be enough to help him with whatever his ancient name has stirred in him... as well as his fever.
She trails her fingers along his and closes her eyes. There had been a time when she attempted to bridge their ancient selves, but, only so much could be done at the time in the cold storm of Corethas. ]
no subject
At the present, however, even as he holds onto the crystal that belonged to the ones known as Azem, and even as Alkaid moves in to be closer to him, he is doing his best to navigate the currents of confusing thoughts and flashes of images that are rapidly appearing and disappearing in his mind's eye.
His shaking gradually ceases, but the faraway look in his eyes remains. Shifting the crystal to one hand, he reaches for her with his free one. ]
Lantaa, I- [ His voice shakes in a way that is uncharacteristic of him, but he presses on. ] I do not know how, but I have recalled something. [ Encouraged by her recollections, the revealing of his name, and the crystal he holds in his hand, no doubt. ]
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What is it? [ Her voice is soft, worry clear in her tone where a sparkling joy had just been moments before. She tilts her head so that her chin can rest on his arm. She pauses for a moment, ears lowering slightly. ] While I may not remember images or words... there are emotions, feelings I have. Thinking of it, I suppose I have had them since the moment we met... but did not truly understand them until my trip to the First.
[ She presses her lips to his arm in another attempt to comfort him. ] You don't need to tell me if it upsets you so, my love. Is... is there anything I can do to help?
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When you gave me the crystal to hold, I felt something... a sensation of familiarity, as if somehow, I knew not only the language spoken that I cannot presently understand, but also that I knew you.
[ He is trying to put into words what he is feeling and thinking, and for once, his words seem inadequate. ] I am not upset, but these memories and feelings are quick to slip away, try as I might to hold onto them.
[ He leans into her touch once more and his fingers tighten lightly around hers. ] Lantaa, I believe that I have remembered your name.
no subject
His gaze is upwards and into a time far away, but she worries what he might find in his remembrance. A sinking feeling takes her then--one she has felt before. One that speaks of lost chances and partings, either through ancient times or various lives. One that speaks that she has not only found him once more, but is sharing a life that she has longed for.
She presses her nose to the side of his arm with worry clearly still written on her face. Of course, she can remember the time when a part of her desperately tried to reach out to him. Azem trying and trying to reach out to Costas and affirm they had found one another and truly could live their lives together. However, she had settled that perhaps Aymeric may never experience those ancient feelings as she had. He had not seen the ruins of Amaurot, nor had he seen the aetheric recreation. Yet, somehow, a crystal lacking in memories and his ancient name seem to have rekindled something.
Part of her fears that the memories he speaks of are far from happy. Still, she steels herself and squeezes his hand once more to give comfort and encourage him. ]
I'm not certain we can truly recall them... not without a catalyst that would trigger them. [ Her gaze lowers. ] The Ascians had their crystals made with memories stores inside. The Echo is merely abilities we had as ancient beings....
[ After all Aymeric has been through? She is not certain she would wish a catalyst to fall on him. She glances up, eyebrows drawn together, gauging his expression and body language. Once more she nudges his arm with her nose in an attempt to comfort.
Then, her ears raise. ]
My name?
[ She had settled on Azem being enough of a name. But... he knows the name she was born with? The one he knew her by? ]
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He leans into her touch as always, feeling comforted and eased by the way she nudges her nose against his arm. Her little actions and touches always bring comfort to him, even in moments where he seems to be lost in thought or consideration. His thoughts are drifting, but he is still as focused upon her as he can be. ]
Yes, your name. I- I do not know how I know it, but...
[ He simply rests his hand in hers, gaze still very much locked upon hers. ]
Althea. That was your name.
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Althea.
Her breath catches in her throat as her heart clenches. The name only echoes slightly in her mind. There is no doubt it was her name; perhaps even the one he knew her by before she took the seat of Azem with her sister. Her ears perk on end as she tries to make sense of the feeling of calm and yet racing heart she feels at the same time.
Alkaid leans forward then and presses her forehead to his. Her heart gives a heavy beat. Her beloved in any life. Had they found one another before? What of sharing lives together? So many questions and all her heart and soul can muster is that he is her one and only love, her soulmate. The one she was looking for those years staring at the sky on Starlight Eve.
Her nose brushes against the side of his. ]
You never forgot it, did you? [ Another nudge and kiss is given to his cheek. ] I won't presume to say you were looking for me... even if I was certainly looking for you... across so many ages and lives.
[ As she most certainly dreamt of one mate to devote her life to. Not any would do. Without knowing it? It could only be his soul.
Alkaid tilts her head and whispers his ancient name against his cheek. Then, despite better judgment given his illness, she kisses him. She feels a bolt of electricity from the tip of her tail to her ears. While it is not their first kiss? It will be the first with their ancient names realized and returned to them. ]
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If he had the strength to grasp onto those memories and feelings, he would, but as she surmised earlier, he underestimated the severity of the illness that has taken him. He will certainly recover, but the alternating bouts of fever and chills have left him in need of more rest than he anticipated.
It is almost an involuntary movement, but he finds himself settling even further into the comfort of the bed even as she kisses his cheek, and repeating the action again, this time bringing their lips together. ]
I- I cannot say with any degree of certainty, but I wish to believe that I always had the memory of it in the back of my mind and in my soul as well. [ His lips turn up into a small smile, diminished slightly by the lingering fever and other feelings of being unwell. ] I am certain that I was looking for you, and would have continued to do so had our paths not crossed as they did. [ There is much he still has yet to process, but one thing is clear: he too searched for her across all the lives and years that they had lived.
And having made those statements of declaration, he chooses to simply relax then, enjoying her closeness and the feel of her kiss and the love that is contained inside it. ]
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The revelation of their names does not change who they are in her mind. She still sees Ser Aymeric de Borel as her gaze remains locked on his, and she still feels as she is K'lantaa Pahsh. Now, there is a new layer of understanding of who they are. He is still her lord and her knight, and no amount of ancient memories will change that in her mind. Costas and Aymeric are one in the same, but his ancient name is one she feels should not be used lightly. It is something special in a way. ]
What might we do now that we've found one another? [ The smile turns slightly mischievous then. The answer is obvious in her mind: they will still be married, have a family, and live together in Ishgard. She still remains his dearest and he her mate. ] There is no other place in our star or her reflections that I wish to be. Only here, with you.
[ She maneuvers so that her body presses to his. Then, her head tilts to rest against his shoulder, never breaking their gaze. Her tail moves slightly atop the blankets, but otherwise she remains still in her position she has settled in. A look of exhaustion is in the undertones of her gaze. The long trek across Norvrandt to fight Eldibus, their encounter, and then the chance to allow the Exarch to see the First once more before returning home has started to catch up to her. Not to mention the tending to and care that went alongside Krile for G'raha once he awoke... coupled with the small amount of hours she found the night before with Aymeric. ]
I have more to report to my Lord Speaker. [ She glances at his hand that still holds the crystal that belongs to her and her sister. ] You asked last night of the person who returned with us from the First...
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What might we do? [ He tilts his head to one side as if thinking that over. ] Oh, there are so many things. [ To be finally married to her, to have the opportunity to see the world should the chance present itself, and to also have children and raise them together. These are the things he desires more than anything else, so long as they too are what she desires.
But in almost the same moment as her pressing herself against him, another thought takes the place of the one intent on plotting their course. It is still plain to him that she is tired and in need of rest, and he ought to be easing her to sleep now as she has done for him so many times. Instead, a strange sort of driving force has settled in, and he finds himself leaning in such a way that he might plant a light but still passionate kiss onto her lips.
And with that action achieved, he withdraws so that she might tell him what she wishes to. ] Ah, yes, the mysterious individual who came with you. [ He nods, recalling his curiosity about this person. ] Please tell me about him.
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/wrangles the muse for this tag
/wrangles the brain for this one.. a little short but
it's like herding cats
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send her to horny jail
at this rate, they're both going there
permanent members of the ishgard horny jail
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