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Post by Feleti Eidothea on Nov 25, 2020 0:17:45 GMT -5
The silence was less, stifling now that bastian had acknowledged him. As they quietly returned to the surface he had time to come to terms with the finality. There was no more reason for bastian to stay, there was no reason for the man to say good bye...what had happened between them was never supposed to have happened. After all he had known from the start that Bastian had to return to his life in the capital, and known long before Lugh showed up that bastian was more than a simple soldier.
He hesitated only a moment at the corpse of the fellow mystic. He propped a little more out of the way and awkwardly gestured at bastian's gathered things. "I'll....get your sword..." He managed to say before heading off to fetch it from where he had stashed it. Holding felt...odd...knowing how easily it could have been or could still be turned on him one day. He briefly considered wrapping up some bread and cheese for bastian to take with him. It was a long way to the capital... but he had the feeling bastian wouldn't accept it no matter what he said. He had the feeling bastian would want to forget this place...and their time together...as quickly as possible. It left a hollow feeling in his chest as he held out the sword for bastian to take.
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Orion
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Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
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Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Nov 25, 2020 0:39:10 GMT -5
He never thought he would find silence uncomfortable, but he did. As they passed the body on the steps, he followed Leti's lead more because he simply wanted to be away from the cave. But Leti's announcement that he would get his sword confused the soldier to no end. Would not a shovel be better?
He didn't say anything, however, and as Leti ventured off to retrieve the weapon, Bastian retrieved his clothes and then eased himself back down the steps to pick up the dead mystic, sling him over his shoulder, and carry him up the steps and outside. Only after he laid the corpse down did he take a moment to revel in the sheer fact that he could do that. Climb steps and carrying weight and not limp or need to catch his breath.
And then immediately feel very guilty about nature of the restoration of those abilities.
AS for a shovel...he had not idea where to look and stepped back inside. Bastian stared at the healer for a moment, standing there and holding out his sheathed blade to him before seemed to break some spell and pluck it from the man's hand and attach it to his belt. At which point he seemed to get stuck again about what he was supposed to be doing, staring at the white haired healer for a long moment, debating.
Bastian closed the distance between the two of them in a moment, seeking to wrap his arms around the man's waist and neck to pull him into a passionate embrace from which he didn't want to let go.
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Post by Feleti Eidothea on Nov 25, 2020 1:02:50 GMT -5
Leti hadn't expected bastian to stay to help with the bodies. The man had been awfully set on high tailing it earlier. He was appreciative of the act at least...
There was an awkward moment while he held out the blade and for not the first time he wondered what the man was thinking. As the man hooked the sword to his belt and stared silently for a moment Leti was at a loss. He could feel the subtle tension of the man deciding something. Only to his shock the decision came to a hug. The warm arms wrapping around him felt foreign for the first time. For a moment he couldn't help but stiffen under the touch, but he soon relaxed into the hold. His own arms eagerly finding their way around the man and the sorrow his heart had been holding back seemed to come flooding in. He nuzzled his face into the crook of bastian's shoulder.
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Orion
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Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
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Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Nov 25, 2020 1:19:52 GMT -5
Bastian was a little surprised himself. And a little terrified Leti might simply push him away, just like the soldier had earlier. He deserved as much, after all. For a lot of reasons. But he'd hold Leti first and deal with those some other time, when he didn't have the healer around to make things confusing.
"Shovels," he said finally, clearing his throat and letting his arms fall away. It wasn't at all what he wanted to talk about and the hug wasn't the only thing he wanted to do. But it was all he could do. He needed some distraction, something to fill the space that a lot of other words and actions should have filled first, and the soldier settle on what they needed to do. Bury bodies and memories along with them. The symbolism was painfully poignant.
He stayed long enough to help Leti bury the mystics, two fresh graves the reminders of reality settling back around the warden along with a still uncomfortable, but much less frosty silence, his hand coming to rest on the blade at his waist, a frustrated thoughtful expression on his features.
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Post by Feleti Eidothea on Nov 25, 2020 1:32:48 GMT -5
Leti was glad of the embrace, even if it ended all too soon.
Bastian asking for the shovel helped bring him back to reality. There would be time to mourn whatever they had after the start of it had been laid to rest. The silence felt much more comfortable for leti, normal even. He prayed quietly for the souls they had taken. As he wiped his hands on his hips he cast his eyes towards the horizon. "The sun will be up soon...." It was good that Bastian wouldn't have to make his journey in the dark. As his gaze turned back to bastian he realized this was it. Even so his lips refused to form the words farewell or good bye. He averted his gaze for a moment and then seemed to decided something himself.
leti pulled Bastian closer for just a moment, long enough to meet their lips in a desperate kiss. As he stepped away it was clear he would miss the man. "Will you be able to find the village alright?" He asked his voice quiet and anxious.
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Orion
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Unavailable
Guard Captain (Warden Inquisitor)
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Post by Sebastian Arcturis on Nov 25, 2020 1:50:28 GMT -5
The soldier found himself almost involuntarily pressing a hand to his chest, silently marveling that after all that, he didn't habe a mark on him, meanwhile the mystic was a couple feet under. He also marveled a bit that he had bothered to bury the men. Maybe it was because he wanted to prove he did, in fact, consider them people. Just because they weren't his people didn't mean he thought less of them. Maybe it was because he wanted to make sure the job was finished. Or maybe it was just an excuse to stay with Leti a bit longer. Even he wasn't sure.
What happened was getting to spend just a few more moments pretending he could be himself. Basrian glance to the east at Leti's observation and nodded. It would still be dark for a while, thankfully.
He summed up the composure and courage to say the words and then the healer was pulling him close and kissing him and he felt more flustered than the first time (or any time) they had kissed. But he returned the kiss just as passionately as it was given.
Bastian didn't know how to answer that question. Yes? He did know, but he wasn't gping back. For a moment he didn't speak.
"Goodbye, Feleti," he said softly, meeting the man's silver gaze for a heartbeat before turning from the graves back toward the cave and the stone steps down the mountain. He slid the blade from his sheath after a moment, considering it, settling the hilt in his hands and feeling the familiar and eerie warmth of the weapon. Bastian swept the blade up and to one side in a sort of passing salut, the magic in the tool igniting the dark metal blade in a column of fire.
He held the torch aloft to guide his path down, the weapon serving a much more benign purpose than the one he had originally intended to use it for on this journey.
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Post by Feleti Eidothea on Nov 25, 2020 2:11:50 GMT -5
Leti was glad to have the kiss returned. It was like a parting gift. The finality of the goodbye cause his throat to catch but he nodded and replied "Goodbye, Bastian" as expected. He watched the man as he grew smaller in the distance. He was glad to know the man wouldn't get lost in the forest on the way back. It somehow felt as though it would have been harder if Leti had needed to guide him into town. He jumped slightly as bastian pulled his sword from the sheath and through a simple maneuver set it aflame. No ordinary soldier indeed. He stood there watching the man leave long past when he could make out the retreating figure. He watched until even the light of the 'torch' could no longer be seen.
Cain latter recovered from the mild injuries of that night. The depression that settled over Leti was uncomfortable for both of them. He spent years in an unmotivated stupor of sorts. He fell into an existential crisis, questioning parts of himself he hadn't known. The blood of the mystic brothers weighed on him. He felt that he needed to atone in some way but had no way of doing so. The only thing that broke his clouded demeanor was Cain's persistent encouragement that perhaps it was time for Leti to leave the mountain and see more their small village. Leti looked within himself and found new resolve in following in Cain's footsteps to become a field medic. Cain trained him in a form of self combat and tried to teach him anything that might ease his time with the military. Once Leti had built the confidence in his psychical skills and mentally prepared himself for what horrors war might bring he set out on a journey to the capital. He knew that this knew fate he had chosen would lead him to chase after the soldier. Only time would be able to tell if when they next met that Leti would be able to face him as a friend once more. [END]
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