| Logs |
2003 June 29
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
June 29
Lotte's gasp is loud enough to be heard across the forty feet or so separating her from the rest of the group across the echoey audience chamber. Steven's reaction is quieter, but his eyes too are on Aiden as the Canadian elf watches his kill fall to the ground in bloody pieces.
Aiden wipes the blade of his sword off on the king's robe.
Sol gasps as well, but for breath, around the racking sobs that shake his elf-lean frame after seeing his mother's dessicated corpse in the hidden room behind the throne room. The undead wolf Daenia stands patiently nearby, watching everything with opaque eyes.
Aiden sets his sword down and walks over to Sol, wrapping his arms around the elf's shoulders.. "Sol."
Sol hiccups, ungracefully, and croaks, "I saw you. I hate him. I HATE HIM."
Aiden nods, "I know you do.. I hate that he's done this to you."
Sol leans heavily on Aiden and staggers to his feet. "Not done yet. Need to know."
Aiden helps Sol to his feet, "Need to know what?"
The rotting wolf watches Sol unwaveringly.
Steven pads up carefully beside Aiden and SOl, watching the undead wolf carefully, unable to not feel pity mixed with horror at what's been happening here.
The golden elf turns awful eyes to Aiden and says, matter-of-factly, "If she's moving." He turns back to the silent, dusty room where his mother sits.
Aiden follows Sol into the room, giving him an odd look. Of course she's not. She's not alive, Sol, he was crazy..
As he moves toward the room, Soleil unsheathes his sword.
Daenia watches, ever faithful.
Steven winces a little. Would the king be that twisted....? He looks around at the bodies, at the undead wolves, and signs internally. He remains outside the room, partly out of respect, partly to let Sol do what he needs to do.
Sol pauses at the door. The dead queen is not moving, but... "I'll do it," he says softly to Aiden. "Guard the door."
Lotte trails over, moving slowly with her coterie of half-starved wolves at her heels like unwanted puppies.
Aiden frowns at Sol.. "Do.. what?"
Soleil says emptily, "Have to make sure she's still dead, Aiden. Has to be me. It's my mother."
Aiden nods, he walks out of the room and picks his sword up. He shuts the door and stands directly in front of it, waiting.
Aiden winces and opens the door a crack to let some light in for Sol to work by.
...but not before panic stabs at Aiden's nerves secondhand, and is forced dully down by another hand.
The dry, brittle sounds of metal chopping through old bone come from the dim little room, like grisly woodsmen.
Daenia stands, unmoving.
Aiden closes his eyes and hangs his head.
Steven winces at the sound. It's a sound he hopes he never has to hear ever again.
The sound finally stops, after too long, and Sol opens the door. He walks back out, looking numb, covered in dust and here and there a small bone fragment gleaming yellow-gray.
Aiden steps out of the way of the door as soon as it opens. He looks at Sol, but tries very hard not to give him a look of pity, since that's probably the last thing Sol wants.
Steven remains watching Daenia, the control rod shifting a little within his mouth.
Sol says, matter-of-factly, "It's over," and sits down. He turns to look at Daenia, and pauses. Amends. "Soon." He reaches out a tired hand to the rotting wolf. "Come here, sweetheart." His tone is only tired, sorrow edged out by a little affection as he looks at her.
Daenia, or what used to be called Daenia, turns tail and runs for the door out of the audience chamber.
Aiden keeps his sword in hand, just in case, and also stays on his feet, no matter how much he just wants to sit down next to Sol. He watches Sol's interaction with the wolf curiously..
Sol starts to get up, and sits back down. He looks at the fleeing zombie and says, "I can't. I just can't. Not if she runs." He looks somewhere between calm and awful.
Steven blinks as the undead wolf bolts. He tenses a little, then looks curiously at Sol.
Aiden says, "You want her suffering to end, Sol?"
The elf adds softly, "I could have if she let me. Not like this." He turns his eyes to Steven. They glow slowly amber, and teeter on the brink of sanity. "Maybe she'll listen to you, later. You're gentle."
Steven looks between Sol and Aiden, and closes his eyes. Will it be a relase for them, Lord Pelor? From all that I know... yes, it would be. Gingerly, he pads over to Sol, setting the control rod down beside him. He looks up to Aiden for a moment, then to Sol, lightly placing a large paw on the elf's shoulder -- or tries to, without smooshing him -- then turns and goes after the fleeing zombie wolf.
Aiden walks over to Sol and kneels down in front of him, reaching out to cup his cheek in one hand. "Please, Sol.. Stay with me.."
Sol looks back to Aiden. "What do you think I want, love? But I can't cut her down as she runs. I just hacked apart my mother. But she didn't run."
Aiden says, "Let Steven help her.. He is not unkind."
Soleil leans against Aiden's hand and closes his eyes. "Yes," he says wearily. "God."
Steven follows Daenia easily enough. She keeps running, however, and stays in the lead. He goes through corridors new to him, and dusty.
Aiden rubs his thumb across Sol's cheek, casting a quick look over at his shoulder where Steven went. He's oddly emotionless, considering everything that they've just done.
Lotte huddles with her four desperate wolves and puts her arms around them, staring at the two elven men from a good distance away.
Steven does not see the arrow trap before he triggers it, but his highly-trained (and currently highly-strung) reflexes save him from being impaled by the feathered shaft. It buries itself half an inch deep in the marble floor behind him, quivering and entirely black.
Steven pauses, trembling a little at the nearness of the strike. That arrow was shot with more than a little force. In his state, he can't risk a hit like that. And yet, Daenia.... He shakes himself, and moves forward a little slower, not bounding pell-mell. If he spots or runs into another trap, he won't go any further and will have to call off the chase for now. Please, Daenia... please let me end it for you. I swear upon the light of Pelor, I will be as gentle as I can be. Just... don't draw this out any more.
Lotte looks up at some noise Aiden does not hear. From the ceiling rope left by the party on their own descent into the room, a lone figure drops. It has blue hair.
Steven hears claws stop running ahead of him and scrabble to a halt around the corner.
Steven moves forward slowly, carefully. He doesn't try to make no sound but he isn't making a blasting racket.
Daenia is waiting for Steven when he rounds the corner, looking at him evenly. She stands beside a pile of smallish gear that looks like armor scraps sized to fit a nine-year-old human, all broken, and some gnawed bones and feathers.
Willow comes over near Aiden, Sol and Lotte on soft, silent feet, blue hair lank and damp with sweat. He looks at the scene.
Steven pads forward quietly, looking at the pile. It's... odd. At first glance he thought it was somethings -- and someone -- that Daenia had gnawed upon. But then he realizes that the pile doesn't have nearly the dust of the rest of the floor, and there are a series of small bootprints that lead off down the corridor, away from him. He pads a little closer, looking at the pile, then inquiringly to Daenia.
Daenia looks back at Steven, then turns and trots off, not as fast, down the corridor in the direction the tracks go.
Aiden snaps his head up. Completely focused on Sol he hadn't noticed Willow at all previous to this moment. In one quick motion he's on his feet with his sword up and ready. He relaxes when he realises that it's Willow and looks behind him for Seodil.
Steven glances back, then pauses only to sniff at the pile, before following Daenia.
Seodil is not in sight. Willow jerks back from the sword-wielding Aiden and stands uncertain even after the other man relaxes, hands half-raised in defense. He swallows, speaks timidly. "It's over?"
Aiden nods, once and goes back to Sol.
The pile had a sharp, unpleasantly acrid scent, like sweat but foreign, to Steven's nose. Daenia leads him along a hallways with more scattered bits of trash and broken doors hanging off their hinges, before stopping again at what looks like the kitchen storeroom. Its door is open wide, the dusty implements disturbed, and a hole in the floor appears to show stairs going down into the dark... perhaps a cellar with no trapdoor.
Willow stands, awkwardly.
Sol's eyes are closed, and he murmurs to himself occasionally, too soft to hear.
Steven wonders why Daenia is showing him this. he looks at the zombie wolf, and pauses above the floor hole, sniffing it cautiously, listening. He tries to remember if he's seen anyone with feet that small at all recently. He straightens, looking pintedly and curiously -- as best as a big cat can, anyway -- at Daenia.
The floor hole has the same unpleasant scent the armor had.
Steven hears lightweight but incautious footsteps coming towards him from the hallway. Metal clanks faintly.
Steven's ears perk up alertly, and he glances to Daenia. A trap? Oh, have I really blown it! He looks to Daenia, then bounds out into the corridor, trying to keep an eye on the zombie wolf and... whatever it is that's out there.
The creature in the corridor-- small, green, warty, ugly, humanoid and wearing piecemeal armor-- gapes at Steven, shocked, then turns around and pelts back the way it came, down the hallway with the broken doors and trash.
Its smell wafts back toward Steven; this is the source of the acrid scent.
Steven blinks. What the hell was that?! HE winces. it smells awful! He looks to Daenia; somehow, he's sure the zombie wolf pointed him at this. But why? He grimaces. Daenia migjt be trying to tell him this is a worse threat.. and the way the little green bugger is running, he's gone for help. Steven charges forward -- it looks like the things might have tunneled in or something and have started ransacking the place. If so, he thinks, not while Sol and/or Lua are the monarchs here. He bounds quickly after the green thing, to try to intercept it.
Steven tries to swat at the thing, to get it to stop running. Instead he misses and stumbles. He grimaces and charges after it again, intent on doing his very damndest to tackle the thing and get it to talk. He realizes it's going the way he came. Shaking his head mentally, he lets out a yowl, to at the very least let the others know he's chasing something inbound.
Aiden looks over towards the corridor were Steven went.. "Sol. I'll be right back." He stands up and makes his way in that direction, cautiously..
Steven leaps.. and misses. I'm so glad there are no other cats around to see this! he thinks self-rebukingly.
Aiden calls out, "Steven?" He enters the hallway with his sword readied.
Steven pounces again, and misses again. What, should this guy be filled with catnip or something in order for me to hit him? is that how cats do it?
Aiden watches the corridor ahead of him carefully.. He hears footsteps and suddenly finds himself face to face with a little green ... thing that's running headlong towards him. It screeches to a halt, backpeddaling madly. It's caught between him and Steven, who is charging. Hope he can stop fast.. Aiden moves to block the green thing.
Steven finally notices that he's no longer alone. He coils himself up for one last pounce, hoping he can at least maintain some feline dignity in this, and launches himself at the thing. It makes a squeeky sound when he finally tackles it. Resisting the sudden inexplicable temptation to bat it around a bit before offering it to Aiden and Sol, he keeps it pinned to the ground, hopefully giving it a nice threatening glare to keep it honest.
Aiden walks over and looks down at the little creature. "Nice catch, Steven.." He puts the tip of his sword between the thing's eyes, keeping it a few inches above the skin. "Now would be a really good time to talk."
The green thing dampens noticeably when the two men menace it. The damp spreads and gets on one of Steven's back paws and does not smell like roses. More like pee.
Aiden shoots Steven an apologetic look.
Steven's nose twitches, then he looks distinctly green underneat his russet fur. he tries to keep his paws from getting in the... stuff... the thing is... excreeting.
The green creature babbles wildly. "Ark kghr grabble geh deh!"
It seems very sincere.
Aiden closes his eyes and sighs. "Fabulous."
Aiden says, "Well, Steven. Pick it up. Maybe one of the others can understand it."
Willow's voice rises in panic behind the men, in the audience chamber.
Steven looks at Aiden as if to say, "But... but it's wet...." He sights. I am so not giving myself a tongue bath anytime soon. And where the hell did that thought come from?! *sigh* I've been spending too much time as a cat. He sees if there's any way to hook his claws into the thing's tunic or armor or whatever it's wearing, then looks up sharply at Willow's voice.
Aiden turns sharply and runs back into the throne room at the sound of Willow's panic..
Aiden runs into a room suddenly milling with gaunt dire wolves.
Steven Hesitates, realizing that the one person with opposable thumbs just ran inside. He grimaces, swearing that if he catches anythign he's going to take it out on this guy, or Aiden, trying to grab hold with his mouth of a bit of armor that hasn't been we,t preferably the collar.
Aiden skids to a halt when he sees the dire wolves, eyes quite wide. "Oh, shit.." is all he can think to say.
Lua's sharp voice calls off the wolf that was giving Aiden the most unfriendly look, then resumes a quieter but not at all sweet murmur, over in the direction where Aiden left Sol.
Aiden lets out a sound of relief and hurries over to where Lua and Sol are..
Steven stops short in the doorway, blinking at all the dire wolves. And hoping his new squeeky toy-- er, new friend doesn't decide to void himself out of fright again.
Lua gives Aiden a very brief and very cold glance before she resumes saying to her brother, "...so whatever your plans were, change them." Soleil's eyes are open, but he looks closer to going into shock than when Aiden left him.
Steven's damp, smelly burden sighs and goes limper. It seems to have fainted.
Aiden looks at Sol, then up at Lua, frowning deeply. "Lua. What's going on?"
Steven's eyes flick downward at the creature, then flick around at the dire wolves. He straightens, and with as much dignity pads over to Willow and Lotte, keeping one ear open to the conversation.
Lua scowls at Aiden and says, "While you were fucking my brother, I was fighting the former leader of all that's left of the Hunt."
Aiden scowls, "We missed you too, Lua. Thrilled to have you back."
Steven stops short at that. He deposits the limp form of the green thing near Willow and Lotte, trying to indicate to them to make sure it doesn't go anywhere, before turning and stalking (well, just a little) through the crowd of wolves towards Aiden, Sol, and Lua. We got set on fire to rescue you, Lua. I really hope you appreciate that, if nothing else.
The silvery elf says coldly, "Now that I'm back, I intend to keep my position, as is proper for the firstborn. I was explaining to my devoted brother that killing the current ruler will not-- this time-- gain the killer the crown."
Aiden says, "He wasn't interested in taking the throne. And he didn't kill the King. If you're going to hurl that accusation around, at least hurl it where it deserves to be, Lua. I killed the King."
She eyes Steven. "Ah. Lost no time in getting your own Hunt started once I was out of the way, I see. I'm flattered you were so worried about me."
Lua's eyes snap back to Aiden.
Aiden curls his lips into a sneer. "He's your fucking twin, Lua. He's done nothing but try to get you back from the very moment you disappeared."
Steven shifts back to Human form. "Ungrateful! Ungrateful, spiteful! We did this to come looking for you, to try and save you because we thought you were in trouble. Because you suddenly disappeared. You have no idea where we've been to look for you and you automatically think that Sol was looking to claim the kingship? You're as deluded as Birch if you honestly believe that!"
Steven lets all the frustraton from the start of his time in this world boil up to the surface. "Well, guess what, Lua? Sol didn't give a fuck about the throne. He just wanted to see you safe. He wanted to find you, and that was it. He agonized about what he was going to have to do here, because he didn't ant to get into a position to be king. You want it? I'm sure he's more than willling to let you have it." he spreads his hands. "It's yours! Happy damn birthday, O Queen of Winter Lua!" he drops his hands, clenching his fists, and adds quietly, "We're glad to see you're all right. Even if the converse isn't true."
The silvery elf says with special venom to Aiden, "You've taken my place very well. It didn't take you long. You'll have to defend him constantly, he's too flighty to take care of you instead. I was surprised, even hurt at first, but now I understand perfectly. He can't stand on his own, he'll take anyone stronger who's in reach. Congratulations, Aiden. You've replaced Seodil and me. I do hope you appreciate how much this hurts me." With that last, she glares at Steven and says, "You saved nothing. I've been tortured and alone and fighting for my life since I disappeared, and until my little brother bonded with him I trusted you'd come save me. But then I knew. So FINE! I'll BE alone!" She glares ice at Steven.
Aiden growls, "We didn't have a hope of catching you before you reached the edge of the kingdom. We would have all died if they could have summoned help, so we snuck in to ensure that we could rescue you without all dying the in process, you ungrateful little BITCH."
Lua looks happy to match Aiden snarl for snarl until the sun dies. "I'm sure that the SEX was only snatched in the moments you could spare from that quest."
Very quietly, Sol says, "Lua."
Aiden says, "Once, Lua. ONCE."
Steven says quietly, "You're very fucking welcome, then. If 'nothing' is all that you consider what we've done to try to look for you, then nothing is all you'll ever accept. I don't know what this bonding you're talking about is, nor do I, frankly, care, but I didn't become a fucking big brown cat after agonizing what it would mean to my faith just because I felt like it." He sighs, but does not deflate. "Not once have we not had the thought of comng to help you in the front of our minds. Not once. And not any of us. And if you can't believe that, even from your own brother.... then you really are alone... and you have been for far longer than any of us have ever known you... including Sol.
Aiden says, "Let me ask you just one question, Lua. Did you even say hello to your brother before you starting tearing strips off of him?"
Lua is crying, stark white with rage, ignoring Sol to scream at Steven. "He has been the most important thing in my life for as long as I can remember, and as soon as he was alone with Aiden he abandoned me."
Steven shouts, "BULLSHIT!"
Lua whirls on Aiden... and says nothing, looking inward.
Aiden says, "Do you think for a minute that if we'd wanted to just leave you behind we would have dragged our sorry asses halfway across YOUR world to try to head off those who had taken you? We would have just left you to them!"
Steven's shout rouses her to say, "You can't possibly understand."
Aiden's words make her subside again, furious and white but silent.
Sol says again, very softly, "Lua."
Aiden just glares at her.
Lua raises burning silver eyes to say, more quietly, "We had a bond. Since childhood. We felt everything the other did, we were always there when the other hurt, we always did that. It was always there. When we had nothing else, when mother died, we had each other."
Steven looks about ready to tear off into another tirade, but clenches his fists, instead letting Lua speak and explain her own side.
Her voice climbs. "And when I was gone this time, HE BROKE IT!"
Sol says hoarsely, "It wasn't on purpose. There was a ritual. I'd have noticed but we--"
She shrieks, "YOU'D HAVE NOTICED?"
Sol stops talking and hangs his head.
Aiden says, "Let. Him. Talk."
Aiden hisses in a sharp breath..
Sol says, staring at his boots, "I did notice. I was also high on the same kind of-- temporary-- sharing the comes after the ritual to find your skin, so it didn't hurt me so much. And when that started to fade... that night..."
Lua says tightly, "Yes. I know what happened that night, I smell it on you."
Aiden mutters something under his breath that sounds distinctly like "... patience of a god damned saint."
Sol goes on doggedly, "...I wasn't alone. I had someone else to help it heal. Your pain was a lot worse. I'm so sorry..."
Lua says nothing, white.
Steven says quietly, despite the urge to shout, "And you think that you lost him through this? Would he be sitting, right there where he is now, if he'd really abandoned you? If he had... wouldn't we be half a hundred worlds away by now?" He shakes his head. "No. He hasn't abandoned you. None of us have. Especially him." He steps forward, one step, two, stopping. "Lua. You're right. I can't understand what that kind of bond is like. I might never understand it. But isn't all the anger that Aiden and I are venting, isn't Sol there looking like the world just fell on top of him, isn't that enough to tell you that we came here to help you, even if it meant our deaths, and not expecting this?" He pauses a moment. "You're so focussed on what happened between Sol and Aiden that you're not seeing the simple fact that we're here for you. Because of you. Because you've been our friend since we found ourselves in these worlds. Because we trust you."
Sol finishes softly, "I'm sorry, Lua. There was nothing I could do to get it back, so far away." He reaches a hand out to her. She stares at it.
Steven finally sighs. "And I would not be arguing as much as I have been if I didn't thnk your respect was worth it."
Lua backs up a step, then two, away from Sol. Tears streak her white face, but her voice is almost steady. She avoids everyone's eyes. "...Thank you... for coming. I could... really use an ambassador to the Summer Court. Tell them what has happened to us. Get help. Rebuild."
Aiden speaks again, finally. His voice is tight and barely above a whisper. "If he needs to lean on me, fine. If he takes his strength from me, fine. You know what? He has me and I am not about to toss that aside because of a screaming fit. What's done is done and I can't take it back now. But I don't WANT to."
Steven opens his mouth... then closes it. He looks between Aiden and Sol, wondering just what it is that Lua's saying.
Aiden looks over at Steven. "Unless I'm mistaken, we've just been dismissed. Possibly banished."
She goes on brokenly, "Need someone I trust. You all... would not betray us. I can start with what there is, these wolves. Please go. When you've healed. Take anything. Just, please... I need you. I need you to go. Come back. With help." She starts crying harder, still silently.
Aiden walks over to Sol and offers out his hand..
Sol raises the hand he let drop after Lua did not take it, and gives it firmly to Aiden, though he looks only at the floor.
Aiden helps Sol to his feet. He looks over at Willow. "Where's Seodil?"
Lotte walks uncertainly closer to Steven. Her four wolves follow her, pressing close.
Willow flushes brightly and says, "Up above."
Aiden looks over at the rope and shakes his head, "Let's find another way back. I don't want to break my bloody neck today."
Willow hesitates, says nothing.
Aiden gives Willow a hard look. "What?"
Steven glances to Aiden. There are things she's not saying.... He nods a little. "All right," he says quietly. "You need time. I can understand that, at least." With quiet firmness, he says, "We'll be back, then. We'll bring help." But he wonders if Lua will actually be here when they get back. But any healing of this has to start with her. The hands have been offered; if she doesnt take them... there is nothing to be done. He glances back to Aiden, and nods, and starts to step out, pausing when Willow hesitates. "What's happened, WIllow?" He grimaces. "Not... the gold chains?"
Sol says, staring at his boots, "There are maps. We can use the resources here now. We'll find another route."
Aiden reaches out, putting his fingers under Sol's chin. He lifts Sol's chin. "Hold your head high, Sol."
Willow flinches hard, then says, "We both got out. Eventually." He is still red. "He stayed in the room right after. We... had nothing to say."
Lua makes a sound of pain, and leaves the room with several dire wolves, walking fast.
Aiden nods. "..Oh."
Soleil obeys Aiden's touch meekly, but his eyes are hollow.
Steven blinks a bit. That does not sound good. He gently pats WIllow's shoulder. "It's all right. You did good in getting out of there, not many people could....' he glances out the way Lu aleaves, and sighs quietly. "She'll overcome this," he says softly. "It's never easy growing up. So to speak."
Aiden looks at Willow's back and shakes his head, his expression completely unreadable.
Willow notices, and pretends not to have noticed, with a certain quiet dignity.
Steven's nose twitches, and he blinks again, looking at Willow. He tries not to frown or give any other expression; after all, Pelor does not require abstinence from His own. "Well," he says, glancing over to the goblin and picking him up by the collar. "Let's go find Seodil. And then the maps.
Aiden starts walking, looking for a way up. He doesn't say a thing, just walks ahead in stoney silence.
Steven follows the others out, commenting, "By the way, anybody know what our new special friend here is, and what language he speeks?" He says this to cover up any hint of reaction he might have at seeing Willow's whip-welted back. Dammit, Seodil... I'm trying to make him into his own person. You aren't fucking helping. Part of him admonishes himself, since he doesn't know details, and for all he knows Willow could have given at least as good if not better than he got. Yeah, right. Like Seodil would let it happen. Don't piss me off, Seodil, please don't piss me off. I'm close enough as it is to breaking half a dozen vows I've made to Pelor.
Sol quietly leads the group of wounded to a dusty room with huge map books on stone tables slanted for easy reading. The books are three feet tall and do not look like they were intended to leave the room... ever.
Aiden mutters, "Don't suppose there's a map of the castle.."
Sol ghosts a smile. "There is." He gently steers Aiden to it.
Steven looks around, a bit intimidated. "This is definitely not Hagstrom."
To Steven, Sol looks puzzled but attempts another pale, thin smile. "I... no, but we might have a map for it?"
Aiden walks over to the one that Sol indicated and takes a look.
Steven says, "Er... sorry, Sol, bad joke. Hagstrom is a map company back in... back in the Grey Lands." He frowns a little, then shrugs. He can't bring himself to call Earth home anymore. Soemwhere in the journey, it became 'the Grey Lands.' So be it. He carries the limp form of the green thing over, hoping it's not stinking up the place and hoping it'll regain conciousness at some point so they can figure out what it was doing. "Sol... you don't happen to know what this guy is, do you? It looked like he tunneled up through the floor of the kitchen, maybe with some buddies. I ran into him while chasing the other wolf...."
The book that Aiden levers open is filled with complex, practically impossible drawings of rooms, tunnels, secrets, traps... some of which are glowing and colorful.
Aiden rubs his hands over his eyes and shakes his head. "I hope you can make sense of this."
Sol blinks. "Oh. Steven caught a goblin. ...Here?" He sounds indignant, a change from flat.
Soleil stops. "Did... you kill her, Steven?"
The page Aiden is looking at goes blank.
Aiden lets out a sound of pure frustration. He looks around for a chair to plant his ass in.
Steven looks down. "I didn't get a chance to. She led me to the hole where the goblin -- is that what this guy is? -- and then... well, this guy spotted me. I ran to keep him from alerting any of his friends." He shake shis head in frustration. "Dammit, I should have said somethign sooner, but the whole thing in the throne room..." He suddenly feels really very bad. "I'm sorry."
The room is devoid of chairs, but there is a mirror behind him that isn't refecting the room. It's big enough to walk through... and it's showing Seodil sitting on a stone floor.
Aiden shrugs slightly to himself, the expression on his face one of who just really couldn't care less at this point. He walks through.
Sol gingerly reaches out to touch Steven's shoulder. "Don't be sorry... I don't think she's ready. She was always a protector. I think she's just not done. She..." he sniffles a little, "she was like that. I guess she still is."
Steven sighs, and nods quietly to Sol. " do think that she'll overcome this at some -- Aiden?" He blinks, frowning. "What are you...?" He breaks off , noticing the mirror with Seodil as Aiden walks into the mirror.
Aiden steps through the mirror into the grey stone room containing three closed doors, one of which he once walked through, and Seodil.
Steven blinks at the mirror that Aiden walked through. "Sol... do mirrors often act that way here?"
Aiden actually looks a little relieved. He was gearing himself up for a full-on breakdown after bouncing off the mirror. He walks over to where Seodil is sitting.
Sol looks over, worried, and chews his bottom lip. "Depends on the mirror." He goes over and stands, watching Aiden through it. Sound does not carry, but the watchers have a perfectly clear image.
Steven looks around for some sort of weapon in case things get ugly, then decides that if Seodil acts up, he can get a faceful of goblin.
Seodil startles badly when Aiden pops out of thin air, and scrambles up on all fours before readjusting and trying to salvage the situation. Unfortunately, it's hard to do that when one is in the elven pony position.
Aiden steps back, waiting for Seodil to gather himself.
Seodil sprawls back onto the floor, not bothering to try to be graceful about it. Being Seodil, he is, despite this.
Seodil says, "What."
Aiden sums this up as quickly as he can. "King's dead. Lua's Queen. We're leaving."
Seodil blinks.
Seodil says, "...well."
Aiden shrugs, "We've been busy."
The seated elf says casually, "Will Willow be going with you?"
Aiden says, "I would assume so."
Seodil nods. Hesitates. "Then... it may be best if I stay here." He looks unhappy. "Soleil will be going with you." It's not really a question.
Aiden all but sneers this whole sentance out.. "You might want to ask the Queen if you're permitted to stay before you go making any decisions."
Seodil's fine silver brows arch right up into his widow's peak.
Seodil says, "Is that how it is."
Aiden says, "We have been asked to go to the Summer Lands and get help. It wasn't so much a request to go as an order to leave."
The silver elf starts to fingercomb his long, shining hair. "What did you do, darling?"
Seodil pauses, smirks. "...Or would that be more of a 'who' question?"
Aiden says, "Apparently I have stolen her brother, left her for dead, plotted to put him on her throne and prevented her from killing the king. As I said.. I've been busy."
Seodil nods. "Oh."
The silver elf starts braiding his hair, very casually. "...why are you here, telling me?"
Aiden shrugs, "Because I thought I owed you the opportunity to join us. If you're not interested, fine. You can help her rebuild here." He turns and walks back towards the domed roof.
Seodil moves faster than could reasonably be expected, and is suddenly beside Aiden to seize his shoulder. His tone is frustrated but not hostile. "WHY? Why do you owe me anything? Why are you doing this to me?"
Aiden pushes Seodil off, "Because I fucking felt sorry for you."
Seodil tackles Aiden and rides him to the floor, hands on his shoulders, face absolutely white with fury.
Aiden looks up at Seodil with the same emotionless expression he's been wearing for ages now. "You wanted the truth. I gave it to you."
The silver elf snarls, inches away from Aiden's face, pressed against him... and whirls off him and up again to stalk the room, pacing fast.
Abruptly, Seodil leaves the room and heads for the hole in the ceiling.
Aiden just stays where he is, resting his head back against the floor and closing his eyes. "What? What were you hoping to hear? That I was torturing you to kill later?"
Aiden hears Seodil stop.
The footsteps reenter the room.
Aiden says, "You should have realised that I wasn't like that. I'm not doing this out of spite or maliciousness."
Hands around Aiden's waist lift him as easily as a toy and set him back on his feet.
Aiden just stands there, waiting for the strike or whatever's coming. Nothing would surprise him at this point.
From not very far away, Seodil's voice says, "You infuriate me. I do not know what to do with you. I think I'm coming with you. Now come." He walks off again.
Aiden follows Seodil out of the room..
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