Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Dec 7, 2021 12:56:30 GMT -8
Riley took pause at Lucas offered promise, and the hug to seal it. They glance down at their hands before looking to Lucas with a soft smile.
"Dont make promises you might not be willing to keep. Helping Golden boy...helping me. Could put you at odds with your court, even its king. Your king"
It was prod, a test of the waters. Riley had their plans, and knew Lucas would normally help if asked. But how far would he go?
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Dec 7, 2021 13:29:03 GMT -8
"He's my King, not my Keeper, Riley. I didn't escape Arcadia only to be enslaved by another's will. What Golden Boy is going through is unbelievably cruel. " The smile on his face was replaced with a deep-seated frown as he reflected on the suffering Golden Boy was enduring.
"No one deserves to go through that. Golden Boy isn't the only one who has suffered. Fawkes has been put through so much and my King seems fit to allow Fawkes to keep sacrificing himself over and over again without any meaningful reprieve. "
He shook his head while he unconsciously began to tighten his hand into tense balls.
"Whatever is going on in that Maelstrom...if we don't do something it's only going to get worse. I don't--I don't want to lose you to that Maelstrom, Riley. "
What if Riley had to go back to the altar again without a coin? Would they become trapped with Linden and Agrippa? Or would all of them become newly minted guardians to watch over the wards? While it was a noble task in theory, that sort of sacrifice shouldn't be forced onto someone.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Dec 9, 2021 9:32:02 GMT -8
The Maelstrom.
Maelstrom
The moth laughed nervously, scratching at the back of their head. The mention of being lost to the maelstrom set their mind ablaze.
The Brightone's light seemed to pulse and flicker.
"Lost? You cant lose something already lost; it must be found first" They pause and scratch at their hand as if trying to pull at an unseen scab.
"It would be as if it never was. A Figment of an idea. A painting with no brush strokes. A word stuck in your throat. A scream no one else hears."
Their vocal pattern was getting quicker. As if the words were running a race, each syllable trying to catch the next.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Dec 9, 2021 9:42:46 GMT -8
The Fairest looked nothing short of confused when Riley started to ramble in response to him mentioning the Maelstrom.
"Hey, it's--well, it's not "okay." Nothing about what happened to any of us is okay. But things do get better and they'll continue to get better as long as we lean into each other. We're not lost any more, we are here with each other. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Dec 9, 2021 10:06:27 GMT -8
"Each other?" The Moth blinked and looked to Lucas; for a moment, his calm words seemed to draw them down from their manic behavior.
"Each other? Not lost" The moth paused, taking a deep breath as they tried to ground their thoughts.
"Perhaps for now but what- when I-Lucas... Golden boys curse was passed to me. Nohoilpi placed it on me "
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Dec 10, 2021 0:09:21 GMT -8
Moments ago, their conversation had been filled with so much healing. The Fairest had envisioned the two of them holding each other, talking more about what life would have been like in a hypothetical timeline where they could have been together while they looked up at the stars, and then they would shift their dynamic into a working relationship when the morning came with a sense of closure in their hearts.
Instead he felt his heart break all over again when Riley revealed that they were now cursed instead of Golden Boy. His eyes sunk along with his body language as he tried to make sense of what they were telling him. He could already feel a wave of panic start to rise from his heart into his throat. Before the panic reached his lips he drew in a deep breath to steady his nerves. The last time he panicked over the potential of terrible harm befalling the Bright One it kick started their adventures in Oath breaking.
"Okay, Riley. I need you to explain to me what exactly you mean by that and what happened."
The joy from his voice vanished completely and it was replaced by a somber tone.
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 10, 2021 7:17:58 GMT -8
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Dec 10, 2021 13:48:27 GMT -8
"I uh"
Riley sensed the shift in Lucas. If they had been in the right mind, the reason for that would be apparent. Instead, the Moth was flustered by the emotional change. They had misspoken, done something wrong.
"He-he" They stutter, finding their words.
"I spoke with Golden. I wanted to help- to fix thangs. He asked, I didn't understand. Then it happened. "
Riley gestured as if trying to put together a puzzle unseen by the Fairest.
" Its on me. In me. A promise, a threat. I won't be- me. Or perhaps never were me. I don't understand.
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water. "
They growl, frustrated at their lack of words.
"I promise, I promise. I know I can't promise, but I promise."
Lucas's Empathy was strong, and they could tell the Moth was speaking what they perceived to be true, or trying to. It also helped that the Goblin Contract bound to their existence to truth, placing the shackles of truth upon their mantle. Their honesty was easy to read as their mien.
"I am sorry. Ignore me. I am not sleepin'."
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Dec 14, 2021 5:38:42 GMT -8
Between the two of them, it was difficult to tell who was more confused. Riley was clearly going through something mentally that was creating a verbal roadblock. The Fairest had been concerned about the Darkling'ss mental well-being for several months. Every time he encountered them it was like the Riley he knew was being eroded away leaving only a husk of their former self.
He initially maintained a somber expression while he listened to them. As their words and eyes became more desperate, his concern forced it's way back to the surface. Whatever they were going through, was directly tied into what happened to Golden Boy. If he applied enough pressure he could probably yield more information from the Darkling. However, in their current headspace he ran the risk of causing them even more psychological distress. The further he pushed them, the harder it would be to get them back. Right now, he didn't need to know all of the answers. What was more important was helping Riley feel a sense of safety again.
"I know, I know."
The Fairest hummed a gentle, working his words into a soothing lullaby. One of the most powerful things about music was one didn't need to understand the words or for there to even be words in order to convey a message to someone else.
If they didn't flinch away from he would gently rest a hand on their knee that was closest to him. He continued to hum until he found a rhythm and the right words sprang from somethin deep within him to transform the lullaby into a true instrument of comfort.
"You're safe here with me. I'll help keep the darkness at bay so you can sleep just like you let me sleep on your couch. I won't let the darkness take you in the night, I'll be your light."
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Dec 14, 2021 8:47:52 GMT -8
He didnt know.
Riley wanted to scream but found no words. How could he understand if they didn't understand? The words they needed to express what was happening felt like worms in their mouth. Wiggling and oozing, uncooperative, and gut turning.
They opened their mouths to protest, then his hand rested gently on their knees. They froze at the sudden tender touch. Tears welled in their eyes as Lucas hummed; the tension wound like a coil in their body eased.
The Darkling slumped into Lucas's chest, wrapping their arms around him in a hug. It would have been tighter if they had the strength for it. Tears streamed from their eyes as their walls crumbled down. Their words snuck out, caught between soft sobs.
"You should, of told me, idiot."
a soft lament for what could have been.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Dec 14, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -8
Lucas wondered how many times someone's heart could break in one night. The other Lost's sob hit him right in the core of his heart, causing his own eyes to grow watery again. His words faded away but he still continued to hum softly for awhile longer, offering them what comfort he could. His eyes closed over while he wrapped them tightly in his arms. As painful as the moment was, as deep as their loss was, he could also feel his heart put itself together and an old scar finally scab away. In this moment he knew that Riley didn't hate him; a thought that had haunted him since that fateful night he ran away from their apartment.
Sealing his promise to Riley with a hug helped remind him of his own humanity. They may live in the land of magic, dragons, faeries, and untold horrors, but they were still their own unique beings separate from the Wyrd. It reminded him that he was alive and he would use every left breath in his body to keep his promise.
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