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+--- Thread: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 (/showthread.php?tid=12649)
Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 07-20-2015
((Previous part: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=12360))
Ah, the flow of time, the most complicate and uncontrollable mechanism ever known; able to heal the deepest of wounds and dampen the warmest of loves. No one has ever been able to escape from its merciless spiral; not even those who believe they can see and control fate...
In the flow of time, just one sun had passed from the moment the Xaela warrior opened his eyes. Too little to change another life; too late to change his own. His wounds, which would have taken weeks or months to heal, had almost disappeared. A few servants had brought him food sometimes, but no one had dared to speak to him. Or no one had been instructed to, after his display of discourtesy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM8BilUwcGg
From the window of his silent room, life greeted him in the shape of a blue sky, which slowly turned orange as the sun started fading. A red and peaceful afternoon, with no other sound than the cicadas' cry from outside. Slowly, as if not wanting to disrupt the calmness of he moment, the sliding door opened. It was a Raen that the warrior could recognize; the female who had supposedly healed his wounds, Yura. She looked at him quietly for a moment, her expression the same he remembered. It was like flat water in a lake, just like her voice when she spoke.
"Would you allow me to check your wounds?"
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - K'nahli - 07-20-2015
Many of the memories lost to the Xaelan following his awakening had seen themselves returned to him after having been left alone to his thoughts the night previous. It was odd, he thought. That something so important could have been so easily forgotten; a concern he had later rationalised as merely being the result of a head injury - though even while accepting such reasoning, a part of him continued to dare wonder if it were truly the work of a weaker side within him, a side that was still clinging to the idle hope that what he had experienced were merely vivid fragments of a ruthless dream.
"......."
That night was a sleepless one. Even after his initial antagonism, the Xaelan found a surprising lack of initiative to take his leave under dark the cover of the night. He had of course noted the presence of a pair of guards that had taken residence just outside of his door over the course of the night, though neither that nor the likelihood of being caught in what would likely be a dizzying attempt to vacate these lands had truly warded him away from the idea. What was there to achieve by leaving? What was there to earn by staying? Neither question had a promising answer for the warrior, and so, perhaps that was the only reason that Yura had come to greet him within his room now rather than have her gaze meet with that of his worthless corpse.
The fading remnants of the evening light shyly glanced upon his features, creating a rather somber scene as he stood before the single window within his room, a window, through which, revealed unto him a very different world from the one he had always known. A strange world where the values he and his kind had been taught to hold above all else did not seem to apply. Though still appearing proud and dutiful in their daily tasks, the Raen in this settlement seemed to be in possession of a lifestyle that almost seemed completely devoid of worry and suspicion. It was a curious existence to behold, something which left Nhogai unable to decide whether he should loathe or envy them.
Deepening shadows reached across his face as his focus calmly turned upon the doorway now, the fading veil of orange continuing to cast a thin, but bouncing light upon his nearest cheek as his eyes ventured away from the diluting gradient of the evening sky to meet with Yura's, greeting her with the same silence she would with him as he awaited her to make her intentions clear.
"Would you allow me to check your wounds? she asked rather forwardly with the same, distinct voice that seemed completely devoid of all emotion.
Nhogai blinked slowly as he watched her for a moment, his expression giving the impression of neutrality, though with all else easily giving away the fact that he had up until now still been lost to his own thoughts.
"You needn't concern yourself with me" was his initial response as his gaze returned outside of the window. His tone, though flat and dismissive was anything but defiant this time around.
"It's not as though I will be around much longer for you to see your efforts come to any sense of value anyways."
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 07-20-2015
"I see..." She smiled faintly from the door, her lips curved ever so slightly. Her voice was kept soft, barely raising above the cicadas'. "You believe that you have power over your own fate, that it is yours and yours alone."
After closing the door, she took some silent steps into the room, towards the warrior. His words didn't seem to have mattered to her; she was there to check his wounds, and check his wounds she would. When she was closer, she sat on her knees gracefully and looked up at his towering figure, waiting for him to kneel down as well. As was the usual with males and females, she was too petite by his side, more so now that she was sitting down. He could easily crush her, and yet there she was, waiting by his side.
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - K'nahli - 07-20-2015
Yura's curiously knowing reply quickly earned the return of Nhogai's focus once again as she began making her way toward him. It was that very same tone that he noted from before, a tone whose unnerving impact was only perpetuated by those strikingly, deep eyes of hers. Though he would hold himself back from answering her in that moment, a wary frown drew across his face as he watched her casual approach.
To the Xaelan, there was certainly something very unsettling about it all, though he could not put his finger on just what it was. To just about anyone, she'd have appeared to have been little more than a weak and fragile girl in comparison, and yet the confidence and fearlessness that she exuded was in sharp contrast to the apparent weakness that her stature would suggest.
Nhogai was no stranger to confident and even arrogant foes, though such characters at least had the apparent strength and prowess to back up such a mindset... and yet somehow, in spite of it all, he felt certain that Yura was not much of the bluffing type.
As she placed herself in a seated position next to him, Nhogai's expression softened slightly, albeit not enough to completely remove the subtle frown that had come to occupy his features. A moment of silence in which Nhogai would only continue to watch the girl closely with a hint of puzzlement would pass before being interrupted by a heavy sigh.
"Fine. Do as you will" he resigned, almost as though he were humouring her insistence on the matter before he too would reduce himself to a seated position before her, placing himself in such a way that his most bandaged side - the place in particular that still lingered with that cold sensation of steel from where the blade had most deeply perforated his flesh - was openly presented to her.
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 07-20-2015
There was something endearing about the Xaela's attitude. He was like a lost puppy. So alone, so devoid of anything that mattered, like a purpose. Oh, how he was dying for one. That was why he was still there, inside that silent room that held every answer-- every answer he couldn't see yet. It almost made her smile.
Careful hands moved to the bandage, touched it with the softness of a feather before they started removing it gently. For a moment, there was silence, one that might have been uncomfortable for the warrior as the female Raen unwrapped his wounds and exposed his debility.
"Is it because I am Raen?" She asked suddenly with her characteristic soft voice, eyes still on her task. "Or because I am weak?"
She didn't bother to clarify what she meant, for she didn't consider him stupid. It was perfectly obvious what she was talking about: his aversion, so evident from the first minute. And yet, despite everything, there was no trace of having taken offense in her tone.
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - K'nahli - 07-20-2015
Nhogai had hardly even noticed that she had begun unwrapping his bandages until after he had focused his gaze back upon her - her tender delicacy with the task being unusually more considerate than what he had grown accustomed to with the tribal healers back home. He watched her closely as her words sunk in with him; his expression one of both perplexion and apprehension. Had Yura been returning his gaze at that moment then it may have appeared to her that he didn't even realise there was a difference between either detail.
Regardless, her question was an intriguing one to say the least... and certainly one that said a lot for her character. She, as it now would appear, was not one to reluctantly dance around a topic that interested her.
How unexpectedly brazen, Nhogai thought; though even so, somewhat fitting to that unsettling air that he had detected about the girl. One which, despite everything, seemed anything but harmless.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd dare say you sound to be seeking my approval..." he posed toward her indirectly with an inquisitive tone while facing forward once more, albeit still watching her from the corner of his eye.
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 07-26-2015
A faint smile was drawn in Yura's lips. She didn't stop checking his wounds as she spoke, albeit her careful fingers never made direct contact with his skin.
"You keep evading any sort of question, as if words could burn you," the Raen commented calmly. And it was alright; he could and would avoid talking, but he couldn't prevent other words from reaching his ears. So continue speaking she would, with the same soft tone that barely disrupted the silence.
“From your pride and wounds, I can tell that strength is valuable in your clan, just as much as it is in mine,†she commented, as if she simply wanted to have a conversation while being distracted by her task at hand. “This is why I am my father’s curse, for I am not made of steel; I am but a weak daughter, born from a weak mother. And yet, with this weak body, I was also born with the sight most people lack.â€
Yura placed her hand at a certain distance from one of the wounds, not touching it. She let the aether flow into it for a moment, in an attempt to speed up the recovery process. Then, when the flow of aether ceased and her hand retreated, the Raen finally raised her gaze to meet the Xaela’s under the orange light from the window.
"It is not your approval that interests me, nameless warrior, but your fate.â€
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - K'nahli - 07-28-2015
"And just what is this 'fate' you keep bleating on about, little lamb?" Nhogai responded to her with a disearnest facade of curiosity. Though his voice had grown much softer than that of before, it still yet carried a heavy sense of condescension in regard to his company.
"Reluctant though you may be to hear it, you overestimate yourself. If you truly had any sight for such things then you would already know that mine is well and truly spent."
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 07-30-2015
Very carefully, Yura started bandaging what was left of the wounds again, albeit it wasn't truly needed at this point. Not like he'd know that, for she was the healer. Her expression remained serious through his offensive words; if she disapproved of them or felt attacked, she wouldn't allow herself to show it. The Raen simply let him talk, dealt with his attitude in the way his father hadn't, for some sort of ulterior motive.
"Albeit your past life is spent, you are still alive," she reminded him calmly, her eyes still on her task. Maybe she was truly focused, or maybe she simply didn't want to look at him. It was hard to tell.
"Your fate... It seems to be intertwined with mine. Were it not the case, you would likely be lost in oblivion by now," she added next, keeping her tone soft and calm, unaffected in appearance, except for the edge her choice of words had acquired.
Outside the window, in the calmness of the setting sun, the cicadas kept crying. For a moment, only their gentle sounds could be heard inside the room, until Yura's melodious voice mixed with them once more.
"If you allow a last question... Have you ever saved a life before?"
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - K'nahli - 07-31-2015
Nhogai watched the girl closely out from the corner of his eye as she spoke. Her every movement was as meticulous as her words were considered. Most notably of all, there was a curious certainty within the girl's voice that, despite Nhogai's skepticism, left him with no interest in disputing her claims. That, or perhaps he simply didn't wish to so willingly discard the opportunity to hear her elaborate further.
Then came her last question.
"......."
An unfortunate curiosity, and one that would see Nhogai briefly return to a solemn silence. Though anything but calmly, his gaze seemed to relax as it removed Yura from the periphery of his vision and instead stared absently ahead. Not once had the incident ever strayed from his mind, but to have been asked something so directly by another just felt like another twist in the wound for Nhogai.
Once again, and for what felt like the longest of moments for the warrior, there was nothing other than the cries of cicadas to overtake the stillness that otherwise filled the room.
"......When crossing blades with your enemies, you do so while counting on your brothers and sisters to watch your back, the same as you do for them" he eventually explained in a neutral, albeit somewhat deflated tone. His eyes continued to focus ahead of himself as he spoke, his gaze firmly glued against the wall opposite as though he were reading from a script that had been scrawled upon it.
"I've never viewed my actions in the manner that you would ask, but if you choose to label it as such.... then yes, countless times perhaps... but...." the Xaelan trailed off, appearing briefly conflicted as to whether he should continue or not. His fists balled and tightened upon his knees as his eyes dropped toward the floor while seemingly glazing over in a moment's reminiscence. Though doing his utmost to retain the same neutral expression as before, the truth presented itself through subtle movements revealed within the corners of his both his lips and eyes
Another few seconds of silence would pass before he would instead merely shake his head dismissively, abandoning all thought of saying anything further.
"........."
After a moment, his head tilted a little more in the direction of Yura, albeit still keeping itself away from watching her directly. He seemed expectant. After all, a question like that does not simply come out of the blue.
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 08-01-2015
Affected. For the first time, the proud Xaelan warrior had reacted in a way that differed from his previous aggressiveness. He looked affected, hurt in his own way. And albeit the satisfaction didn't show in Yura's perfectly controlled features, she knew she had pulled at the right string.
Not like it'd been difficult to figure out. A wounded, lone warrior, full of bitterness towards the world, speaking of himself as a mere forgotten memory. He'd failed before, but it didn't matter now; he wouldn't fail Yura.
For a moment, the Raen respected his silence, gave him room for his remorse to grow inside his heart. She let the cicadas cry some more, some perfect seconds as she tied their invisible threads. Oh, fate was a very strange and curious concept; abstract at best, ironic and absurd at worst. He'd wanted to know about the fate she'd seen, so indulge him she would.
"It seems that you..." the Raen started, calm and soft as she always displayed herself, staring at the one who was avoiding her gaze now. "...Will save my life."
The next thing she did was stand up, her movements always gentle, unlike the sound of her family name. Her work was done. Now with her back turned to him, she decided to share another piece of information; something his mind might find useful at the proper time.
"Father wanted you to leave tomorrow in the evening. However, when the time comes, he will not oppose to you staying for a third day. You... should stay..."
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - K'nahli - 08-02-2015
Nhogai's gaze narrowed with uncertainty as Yura made that declaration. He wasn't entirely sure how to react to such a comment, not entirely sure of even how he truly wanted to. Reflecting on himself in that moment, was he actually humouring the thought of her possessing such foresight? Could he actually imagine himself in a position where he would go out of his way to rescue an outsider? A Raen of all things? And most worrying of all, would going through such a thing help him find some form of redemption for those he had failed.... or would it only be an even greater insult to them?
Nhogai had retreated into complete silence as that thought drowned out all others. To see himself there now, in the midst of a scene where this girl's life was held in the balance - and with him as her only hope for rescue. Could he bear the idea of saving a Raen all while knowing he could not do the same for those to whom his protection was truly owed? How would others look at them were they to find out? How would he look at himself? He knew next to nothing of these people. Though would he truly risk letting her die all to prove a point? If the situation had been one that occurred on neutral ground, one where both past failure and guilt were absent, how would things be different? Or more importantly, should things be different?
Breaking the short silence as she spoke once again, heavy thoughts were momentarily taken from mind as Yura shared the unneeded reminder that tomorrow was to be the final day which Nhogai would be spending under the Raens' hospitality.
"However, when the time comes, he will not oppose to you staying for a third day" were the words of her choosing, not entirely direct though not not entirely vague either. As ever, the calm and collected manner in which she spoke continued to cast a shadow of doubt over both her intentions and the extent to which her words held any meaning. Naturally, he understood what was being implied, though that alone was not enough to satisfy the curiosity which her words had managed to stir.
"You... should stay..." she then added, diverting his thoughts elsewhere before he could reflect much more upon her words.
Nhogai blinked as he continued to watch her through a sideward glance. ("Why"?) he felt like asking. Because he would, or at least because she thought that he would save her life? Because she had anything else in mind for him? If she truly possessed such powers then she should also have a means to prevent a future that presented... "unfavourable" results, should she not?
Skepticism. As had been the case from the beginning, that remained to be the only way in which Nhogai could treat this entire situation - as was it also the reason why he would not waste time asking a question he knew would not provide an answer he could trust. His glance now turned completely away from her to once again to face the wall ahead. At this point, he'd like nothing more than to feel entirely dismissive of everything she had just said, to just forget about everything that had happened over the past few days and look forward to leaving it all behind at his nearest opportunity, though his thoughts would not allow him such a luxury, and instead, remained only to plague with with an eternal list of 'what if?' scenarios.
Nevertheless, he had thusfar treated everything with a very delicate and reserved sense of curiosity at best. Even now, very little had he taken to heart and expected to come to fruition, and yet even while acknowledging that much....
"...It's not as though I would get far in this state anyways..." he answered, he lied. Though why exactly he did, he avoided wasting too much thought over. Though it was certainly true that he was still far from returning to full health, he had pulled himself through a hell of a lot more in even worse conditions than he was in now.
Had he been able to admit this much to himself at the time, then his sole thought would have been the naive hope that she didn't also realise as much - all while belligerently knowing that, on some level, such a thing couldn't possibly escape such a frustratingly, perceptive person as this Raen. Such a person as this.... Yura...
RE: Black Seeds, Black Hearts - Part 2 - Clover - 08-03-2015
With her back still turned to the Xaelan warrior, a soft, barely noticeable smile coloured Yura's lips for a moment. She understood. The pieces were falling into place, prepared and ready for the next move. It wouldn't be long; the day was ending, and with it, lights were fading. New lights would await on the new day.
"I shall see you tomorrow," was all she said without turning to look at him, before she resumed the steps that would grant him solitude.
Outside, the cicadas were still crying.
[END OF THE SCENE]