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    Oops. My Bad?

    Aeron Krishna
    Aeron Krishna

    Player 
    Lineage : Vassal of the Cosmos
    Position : None
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 55
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Mythal Ragnos
    Experience : 23,075

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Aeron Krishna 9th October 2023, 5:04 pm



    I CREATED THE SOUND OF MADNESS
    WROTE THE BOOK ON PAIN
    SOMEHOW I'M STILL HERE TO EXPLAIN

    --- THAT THE DARKEST HOUR NEVER COMES IN THE NIGHT ---
    Eight months had passed since New Years, and much had changed for the former dark mage. Aeron had come quite a ways with her training in the Rune Knights, picking up all sorts of fighting skills and even a bit of an education. She’d never gone to school growing up. Pretty much the only reason she was able to read was because she’d had to teach herself if she wanted to survive. But outside of that, she’d had next to no knowledge other than street smarts, so she’d had a fair bit of learning to do when it came to things like history, math, economics, and other basics that most people took for granted.

    It was a hell of a struggle, but Aeron was nothing if not determined. Even if she didn’t know what she was doing half the time, she still pushed herself forward one day at a time and did her best not to let the unknown scare her out of opportunities for growth. She was still learning a lot about being social as well. She had a few other men and women in her squad that were friendly and included her in things when she was around, but Aeron wasn’t entirely confident as to whether or not they were actually friends, or just coworkers that got along well enough. Pretty much the only friend she really had still was Mythal, which was complicated in its own right – and not just because she held strong feelings for him. He was also her boss, and while he didn’t particularly care about the rules when it came to her, they did still have to be at least somewhat mindful of decorum when they interacted during work hours.

    The only other possible exception was Trevor, the man that she’d ringed in the new year with. Despite the fact that Aeron had pretty much fled the event shortly after midnight, she really had enjoyed the night with him. The kiss had simply overwhelmed her and she had panicked, not knowing how to act afterward, and not knowing how to cope with the fact that she had enjoyed it. She had needed a little bit of time to calm down enough to reach out to him again, but by then she had gotten swept up in work and training, which had only doubled after she’d unlocked magic once more. Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and before she knew it, the better part of the year had already passed, with her not having reached out to Trevor once during all that time to assure him that she hadn’t written him off.

    Not that getting a hold of him was simple. They hadn’t ever gotten a chance to swap direct contact information the last time they’d hung out, so it wasn’t like she had his phone number or anything. She’d have to take a few extra steps to reach out to him, which in and of itself delayed her taking any such actions. But as time went on, she felt more and more guilty about ghosting him, no matter how unintentional it had been. It was time to knuckle up and stop procrastinating, so on one of her off duty days she wrote him a letter and mailed it to him at the headquarters for Confidence International in Reinford.

    Trevor,

    Sorry if this is out of the blue. I know I sort of abandoned you at New Years. I really did have a good time that night. My anxiety just got the best of me. I would have reached out sooner, but work has been crazy. I also don’t have a direct way to get a hold of you, so hopefully this letter reaches you. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry that I ran away and that I waited this long to apologize for it. It was rude of me. You’re really nice and I do enjoy your company, even if I’m not great at showing it like a normal human being. I’d like to catch up with you sometime if you’re open to it. Maybe coffee or dinner? Here’s my number. Feel free to call or send a message, whatever’s easier for you.

    Aeron Krishna


    It took a few days for the post to get the letter delivered, but she was still surprised at how quickly she heard back from him – and that he was still open to seeing her again, despite her prior actions. They agreed on a day, time, and place, and it was only a couple days later that she found herself in a small coffee shop in Oak Town, which was roughly the middle point between Era and Reinford. She was dressed casually in a pair of green cargo pants and a beige tank top, with a flat pair of slip-on shoes that were similarly colored as her pants. She ordered a drink and glanced around until she found an empty table in a corner. Claiming the space, she sat down and waited, doing her best not to fidget about being in a new and unknown space by herself and occupying her time with a game on her iLac until Trevor joined her.
    deltra of gangnam style
    WORDS: 873 | TAGS: @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 221
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Xavier Clarent 10th October 2023, 9:14 am


    Xavier Clarent

    Y Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Oak Town

    Tipping Point

    Xavier was on uneven ground.

    It was a familiar feeling, unfortunately. He’d been here back on Rhaegar, as his empire was crumbling and the revolution was bearing down on him. If he was being honest with himself, he was even unsteady before that. He’d never really found a solid foundation to stand upon and sort himself out after his father has been killed and he’d just been going through the motions since then. Once he’d come to Earthland, once he had been removed from his past, he had found clarity. He understood his mistakes and sought to make something better of himself. And then Bast had stepped in and offered him an even greater purpose, one he could truly use to do right by himself, his people and the man he was sure his father would be proud of.

    But with every step he felt was in the right direction, he always seemed to find a fumbling spot. His ‘affair’ with Mercury hadn’t weighed too heavily on his mind, if only because Saffron and he hadn’t established any official lines. And he had presumed that she was still hooking up with Cedric as well, since she’d never explicitly stated otherwise. The only thing he’d felt semi-concerned about was the fact that she was Vandrad’s fiancé and attempts to rectify their utterly devastated relationship probably wouldn’t start well with banging his future bride. Yet she had stated it wasn’t a big deal and Saffron had later confirmed that Mercury got around pretty regularly. But in that same admission came a devastating rule that she had put in place for herself in concern to her relationships; they couldn’t have slept with Mercury.

    And he had. It was supposed to not have any meaning and now it was an added weight onto the constant emotional, moral balance he played within himself. Of course revealing he had in front of everyone would have been awful, for both himself and Saffron. Yet he wasn’t able of really finding a time to go and tell her the truth, what with her sister in town and her wanting to get as much out of that as possible. It was a blessing and a curse; he couldn’t upheave the weight of his guilt off his chest but it also gave him time to think. Suddenly the weight of the universe didn’t seem to matter as much to him as finding a way to keep the woman he was swiftly starting to believe he may be falling for.

    Bast, of course, didn’t approve of that. While she sympathized with him as much as a detached immortal being could, she insisted that the role he was meant to play mattered far greater than his relationship turmoil. He’d gotten so agitated by it that he had started ignoring her attempts to communicate with him and after a few tries, she simply left him alone. She hadn’t removed her blessing from him but there was a separation there that he could feel. Like a mother waiting for her child to realize their mistake and come apologize. Ironically, one of the things he believed was that perhaps Vandrad was the answer. Maybe going to talk to him, as Mercury had suggested, would help him figure out the best way to approach his mission and figure out a means to rectify things with Saffron when it all, inevitably, came crashing down. Mercury had told him that he would most likely be blunt without much compassion but he was always willing to listen.

    He was just in the middle of trying to work up the gumption to do just that when he’d received a letter. Xavier was used to fan mail at that point and almost dismissed it as such until something told him to open it. A gut feeling really. And when he did, he found a note addressed to him from Aeron, the woman he had basically been courting up until New Year’s. They’d had a few good times together and had connected but after one kiss, she had fled and he’d heard nothing from her since. He hadn’t made any attempts on his end, mostly because how was one supposed to react when a kiss resulted in a hasty escape? He felt she needed time, as she was clearly not as ingrained in society as he or many others were. She said as much in her letter, stating that her anxiousness had gotten the best of her and her fight-or-flight response had hastily chosen the latter. Work had kept her busy enough that she hadn’t really had time to contact him, nearly a year after they had first met. But she was hoping to catch up.

    He responded immediately. He needed someone neutral, someone separated from the whole of the group that he could just be casual with, without the fear of feeling like other eyes were staring from over her shoulder. Despite everything, they had been friendly and he liked to consider them friends and there was nothing he needed more than a friendly face at that moment. They agreed to a time and place and as such, a get together was set. He made his way to Oak Town, dressed for the approaching fall. A white overjacket covered a plain gray t-shirt and faded blue jeans. He’d put on a pair of large sunglasses, in hopes that he could avoid attracting fans from running up and interrupting them.

    Once he got there, he only had to look around for a moment before he spotted her in the corner. He walked up and gave her a small wave. “Hey,” he said simply as she sat down on the opposite bench, glancing around briefly to make sure no one had made him before he took off his sunglasses. Luckily his position kept people from seeing his face unless they were directly walking up to the table. “Been some time. Thought about bringin’ some of those singing candies again, what with Halloween only two months ago,” he joked briefly, giving her a small smile. “You look good.”


    @Aeron Krishna | 1014 words • Notes •



    Last edited by Xavier Clarent on 10th October 2023, 1:57 pm; edited 1 time in total


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Aeron Krishna
    Aeron Krishna

    Player 
    Lineage : Vassal of the Cosmos
    Position : None
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 55
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Mythal Ragnos
    Experience : 23,075

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Aeron Krishna 10th October 2023, 10:50 am



    I CREATED THE SOUND OF MADNESS
    WROTE THE BOOK ON PAIN
    SOMEHOW I'M STILL HERE TO EXPLAIN

    --- THAT THE DARKEST HOUR NEVER COMES IN THE NIGHT ---
    Aeron frowned at the screen of her phone in focused frustration. It hadn’t taken her very long to become fully immersed in the game she was playing, causing her attention to pull away from the outside world and narrow in almost exclusively on the electronic device in her hand. It wasn’t that the game was a difficult one. In fact, by post peoples’ standards it was probably a fairly simple one. However, Aeron hadn’t grown up with exposure to things like this, and the learning curve this late in life was a little steep. As such, she wasn’t as quick or reactive while playing as others her age might be, causing her to fumble more often than she would like.

    She was so into it that she didn’t see Trevor enter the shop or approach her. It wasn’t until he greeted her that she pulled away from the screen with a small start, her eyes widening slightly in surprise as they flicked up to him. “O-oh, hi.” Somehow she managed not to blush in embarrassment, but she did clear her throat a little awkwardly and tucked the phone away as he sat down. She watched him with her head tilted curiously as he glanced around, only removing his sunglasses once he’d done so. He looked pretty much the same as she remembered him, handsome and well kept, though perhaps a bit more… on edge? Than he usually was. She could only assume that he was harboring some kind of uneasiness at meeting up with her again after so much silence on her end, though he was still being personable enough.

    It took her a second to figure out why he was talking about singing candies, but when it clicked she did manage to offer up a sheepish smile, both at the reference to their meeting during Halloween the prior year, and to his compliment. “I think I’d rather skip the candies… but thanks. You do too.” It was a genuine return of his compliment. Aeron felt a bit silly basically parroting what he said to her, but at this point he had been around her enough times to know that she wasn’t exactly the most eloquent or inventive when it came to conversation.

    The waiter came by to see if he wanted anything, and Aeron busied herself with her own drink until the woman was gone. “I, uh… I was glad to hear from you. Honestly wasn’t sure if I would. I… know I said it in my letter, but I really am sorry. I wasn’t trying to avoid you. At least, not that long. Things just got busy and I sort of lost track of time.” Given the current state of the world and how busy the Knights were, she was sure he understood. Even if she had shown a bit more initiative to reach out sooner, her time was hardly her own these days; not entirely.

    Aeron twisted her coffee cup idly in a circle between her fingertips. “So… how have things been? I’ve been hearing more talk about your guild these days, so it sounds like that’s taken off… What have you been up to?”
    deltra of gangnam style
    WORDS: 528/1401 | TAGS: @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 221
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Xavier Clarent 10th October 2023, 1:56 pm


    Xavier Clarent

    Y Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Oak Town

    Tipping Point

    He had apparently caught her by surprise when he greeted her, the Rune Knight jumping just a bit as he sat down. She had been focused on her iLac screen, intent on something that had seemingly been frustrating her but also holding all of her attention. But once he was there, she put it away hastily, only giving him a curious look once he had surveyed the area and removed his glasses and relaxed a little. He playfully teased her about the candies that had once mortified her to her bones and it took her a moment to remember before she smiled and insisted that she’d rather bypass that. The waiter dropped back by to ask if he needed anything. "Uhh… water right now, thanks,” he said, giving the woman a nod before she departed.

    Aeron initiated the next part of the conversation, stating that she had been happy to hear from him, since she’d apparently expected not to. She once more apologized for the way she had ‘avoided’ him, stating that she had lost track of time. He gave her a gentle wave. "S’all good, honestly. I know how that can get. Trust me, I wasn’t offended. Besides, with the state that the world is in, it’s not surprisin’ that you would be busy. But I’m glad you reached out; I wasn’t sure when a good time for me to reach out was, y’know? Figured it was best to just… leave the ball in your court.” Granted, time didn’t mean as much to him as it did her; he’d already lived for nearly two centuries at that point.

    She asked how he’d been and how she had heard a lot of things about his guild. He chuckled. "Yeah, been gettin’ a lot of exposure lately. We have a lot of members and clients and we’re expanding everyday. It feels good to give a safe place for artists to rely on, y’know? But me? Just runnin’ that business, as well as bein’ in my own band. You remember the song I showed you? We managed to put out an EP a little while back and we’re workin on our debut album. But we’ve been gettin’ gigs left and right; just had a pretty big one in Crocus.” And was, ironically, the night most things had changed for him.

    "Other than that, I’ve been… good. Sorry about the shadow game; fans tend to crowd me if I get noticed and I kinda just wanted to be able to have a sit down with a friend without being bothered, y’know?” he said, giving her a soft smile before the waiter came back with his water. "So how’s the Rune Knights treatin’ you? And how’s things goin’ with Mythal?”


    @Aeron Krishna | 456/1470 words • Notes •



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Aeron Krishna
    Aeron Krishna

    Player 
    Lineage : Vassal of the Cosmos
    Position : None
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 55
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Mythal Ragnos
    Experience : 23,075

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Aeron Krishna 10th October 2023, 6:00 pm



    I CREATED THE SOUND OF MADNESS
    WROTE THE BOOK ON PAIN
    SOMEHOW I'M STILL HERE TO EXPLAIN

    --- THAT THE DARKEST HOUR NEVER COMES IN THE NIGHT ---
    Trevor waived off her apology, not brushing it aside so much as assuring her that he hadn’t been put off by it. He understood that life just got busy sometimes, particularly with the ongoing war. He expressed that he was happy she had reached out, though, mostly because he wasn’t sure how much space she needed, which made it awkward for him to take the initiative, understandably.

    She asked him how he was and what he had been up to, listening with interest as he confirmed that Confidence International had experienced a remarkable boost in activity. They’d increased in both members and clients by a great deal since the last time the two of them had talked, and it was becoming a hub of support that artists could truly lean on. With that came lots of work of his own, so between that and his personal band also taking off, he was fairly busy himself. Aeron nodded when he mentioned the song he’d shown her, informing her that they were nearing completion on their first album, and had been pulling a lot of concert work.

    “That’s great!” she said with a small smile, genuinely happy for him. “I don’t really listen to much music, but… let me know when it comes out. I’d like to hear it. Maybe I’ll try to go to a concert sometime. You know, if I can work up the courage to go out in public.” Aeron chuckled softly at her own amusement. She’d never been to a concert before, mostly because it sounded like absolute torture given they were usually jam packed with strangers… but she was in a period of her life where she was at least trying to branch out and give new things a chance, so she liked to think she’d push her introverted tendencies aside for a night to support him.

    Trevor told her that he was good otherwise, before explaining his earlier edgy behavior; they were getting a big enough name that he was starting to get recognized in public, it seemed, so he’d done his best to make sure they could have a real one on one catch up without him getting swarmed. The knowledge did ease her considerably of her earlier thoughts that he was possibly upset with her, though he’d already mostly washed those fears away with his prior response to her apology anyway. “Oh, uh, no worries. Makes sense.”

    Turning things around toward her, he asked how she was faring with the Rune Knights, and with Mythal. Once more, Aeron did her best not to blush. “Mythal’s good. He’s even busier than I am. I don’t exactly see him every day. He’s had a lot of shit going on with work, and I guess also a lot of family shit going on. I know he and Serilda were all involved in some big old fight a couple weeks ago, and he was out of commission for a bit, but he otherwise seems good.” There really wasn’t much else to say in regards to Mythal. Their relationship was strictly professional and friendly, nothing more, as much as she day dreamed otherwise on occasion.

    “Rune Knights are good. It’s a fuck ton of work. I’m exhausted most days, but overall I’m happy with it. Some of my squadmates have been trying to get me out of my shell. It’s a slow process, but they’re making the effort and I’m doing my best to let them. Not everyone was… very happy with me joining up, given my past. A lot of people there still don’t trust me, and I can’t really blame them for that… but there’s enough that are willing to give me a chance, and that makes it easier.”

    There was a lot of stigma about her connection to the woman that was arguably the most wanted Warlord during recent years until Thana’s death. Aeron really couldn’t fault anyone for harboring concerns. All she could do was try to show them that she wasn’t that woman anymore – that she never truly had been in the first place. “I got my magic back,” she told him, a small spark of excitement or maybe pride in her eyes. “Or at least, some kind of magic. It’s not what I used to have before, but… I think I’m okay with that. Fresh start, you know? Took me getting backed into a corner and nearly killed to find it, and I sort of had to resort to some old tricks I didn’t ever really want to use again, but… I guess I can’t complain about the results.”

    She lifted a hand and a small shroud of darkness seeped into existence, clinging around the limb like a sheer, wispy glove. “It’s… taken some adjustment. But this is the kind of magic that Mythal used pretty much his whole life, so he’s been really helpful in helping me understand it. Got a long way to go before I’m anywhere back to the strength I used to have, though.” Lowering her hand, she released the spell and the darkness wafted away.
    deltra of gangnam style
    WORDS: 848/2249 | TAGS: @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 221
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Xavier Clarent 10th October 2023, 7:32 pm


    Xavier Clarent

    Y Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Oak Town

    Tipping Point

    Aeron commended him for the progress his band had been making, stating that while she didn’t listen to music, she would be willing to give it a try when it came out. She even suggested that she might be willing to go to a concert, so long as she didn’t have any anxiety over the matter. "Yeah, I’ll let you know when it comes out. And I’ll do you one better; we don’t play the super large crowds but there are a few that have some VIP areas. I’ll hook you up if you decide to come. It’ll mean less people around so maybe that’ll help?” There were a few concerts coming up that he could probably swing that with, if she was up for it. They weren’t quite big enough to be playing to larger arenas but there were definitely some that had reserved areas.

    He turned the questions back around to her, asking about how she had been doing and how Mythal had been. It had been a playful remark, given her clear and evident appreciation of the Rune Knight leader. She fidgeted a bit, admitting that he was good and was even busier than she had been. Understandable, given the situation in Ishgar. She mentioned a big fight, the second time that he’d heard about such a thing. Was it the same fight that Saffron had been a part of? It seemed that there were a lot more levels to that mission than even he understood. She seemed content to leave it there and he saw no reason to tease her any further, if only not to seem unnecessarily cruel. So she continued, talking about the Rune Knights and her time with them. It kept her busy, that much she attested to. She was tired all day but she felt good about being part of them. Other members of the Knights attempted to break through her shell and she admitted they were wearing her down over time, mostly because she was letting them. There had been some tension with her joining but it seemed most of them were coming around to her over time.

    "I’m glad to hear that. It sounds like a lot of work but… I’m happy to hear you’re lettin’ people in. I know that probably ain’t easy but it’s good for you in the long run,” he said, offering a little bit of his own advice. "And you’ll earn their trust, I just know it. You gotta lot to offer.” It was true that he didn’t know a hell of a lot about Aeron but he was going with his gut on this one, as unsettled as it was.

    There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, stating that she had gotten her magic back. She showed the closest thing to excited he had seen from her as she clarified that it was a kind of magic, different from what she had before but she was content with that. It gave her the chance to start fresh and though it had materialized in a time of need and requiring some old , unsavory tactics that she didn’t detail, she had still brought it forth. She showed him a prime example, summoning a cloud of darkness that settled over her hand. She admitted it had taken some time to wield properly but Mythal had an affinity for it so he’d helped her control it. It was still in its infant stages of development but… "Only way is up,” he said thoughtfully, nodding and smiling. "I’m happy for you, for real. I know what it’s like, to have everyone around you usin’ magic and you ain’t. It’s… not fun. But you worked and clawed your way to gettin’ it and though you said it took some tricks you didn’t like, as you said, the results paid off right?”

    Right. The results had paid off for tricks that weren’t exactly the cleanest, or so he assumed. His brow furrowed slightly in his own inner thought before he spoke up again. "Aeron, can I…?” he started, his eyes flitting between her’s. After a moment, he shook his head and scoffed at himself. "Nah, never mind. Just got some shit in my head. I shouldn’t be letting it get to me. But for real, that’s awesome. Much flashier than mine; I can just use music to make myself or other people stronger.”


    @Aeron Krishna | 735/2205 words • Notes •



    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Aeron Krishna
    Aeron Krishna

    Player 
    Lineage : Vassal of the Cosmos
    Position : None
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 55
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Mythal Ragnos
    Experience : 23,075

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Aeron Krishna 11th October 2023, 9:48 am



    I CREATED THE SOUND OF MADNESS
    WROTE THE BOOK ON PAIN
    SOMEHOW I'M STILL HERE TO EXPLAIN

    --- THAT THE DARKEST HOUR NEVER COMES IN THE NIGHT ---
    Trevor assured her that he’d let her know when the album was out. Not only that, but it seemed he had a solution to offer as far as helping her attend a show. Apparently, they occasionally played at venues that had special seating, which she could only assume meant that she wouldn’t have to be right up in the middle of the crowds. He offered to secure some for her if she had the chance to come. Aeron wasn’t really aware that something like that could be an option, but she nodded. “Yeah, that might help a lot, actually. Thank you.” It was very thoughtful of him, and while she didn’t really know the best way to express her acknowledgement of that, there was a small, grateful smile on her face that would do when words failed her.

    She gave him the updates on both Mythal and herself, getting a bit into what life had been like for the both of them over the last few months. Or at least, as much as she could – or would – answer for Mythal. It wasn’t really her place to speak for the director to a man he didn’t even know. Aeron didn’t quite seem to understand that Trevor had been trying to tease her about her crush, or if she did she refused to acknowledge it as such, mostly because she knew nothing would ever happen. So she gave him a somewhat vague answer, not like she had many more details than that anyway, and then went into a little more depth about her time with the Knights and her re-acquisition of magic.

    He expressed his happiness that things were working themselves out and that she was allowing herself to open up, as difficult as that was for her. It was only a matter of time before she earned the trust of those who still saw her as the dark mage she once was, at least as far as Trevor was concerned. Her cerulean eyes darted a bit shyly down to the table, the woman once more slowly spinning her cup on top of the table between her fingers. “It’s not easy, no… but it’s also not as hard as I thought it would be. And I think… you had a lot to do with that.” She blushed a little, unused to opening up. “What I mean is: I forced myself to interact with a complete stranger, and then braved seeing him again a couple months later… and it turned out okay. The world didn’t implode, I didn’t get hurt or wind up in any kind of trouble… just, y’know… ran away like a coward after my first kiss.” Her blush deepened considerably, eyes not quite able to meet him, but she was smiling with some sheepish amusement at herself.

    As far as her magic was concerned, he understood how it must have felt being without it in a world where seemingly everyone else had such gifts. But as far as Trevor seemed concerned, she had done what she’d needed to do, and as long as she got the results she’d needed, there wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. Aeron nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. No one got hurt, at least. Well, the thing that was trying to kill me and Mythal got hurt, but..” She shrugged. It had been self defense, which was arguably the most allowable situation to inflict harm on someone else. It wasn’t like she’d have gone out of her way to kill the beast; she would have been happy to avoid it entirely, but hadn’t really been given a choice in the matter.

    She took a drink of her coffee, not really catching the odd frown that had crossed his face. It was only when he spoke up, starting to ask her a question, that her gaze flicked to him and noticed his thoughtful look. Her own brows furrowed slightly when he shook his head and tried to dismiss whatever conversation he’d been trying to start, touching back on her magic once more and congratulating her. “Well… that sounds really useful, though,” she replied slowly. “I could do with less flashy… My last magic drew a lot of attention; I transformed into really gross looking monsters, freakish nightmare-level shit that helped keep me alive, but I honestly didn’t like it very much. I mean, I can still technically transform into those things if I wanted to, at least as far as looks. The only magical ability I kept was my shapeshifting, but I don’t have access anymore to the powers I used to get when I transformed. It’s basically just cosmetic now. By comparison, this darkness magic is a lot more subtle, and overall I’m more comfortable with it.”

    Aeron continued to speak about her magic since he seemed reluctant to change the topic, but her mind was still partially on his abandoned question. Did she try to press the issue? Did she leave him be? Normally, she would never have imposed on anyone. The former dark mage had grown a lot in the last year or so, but she was still generally the type of person that preferred to stay out of other people’s business. She was still learning how to behave like a friend, how to tread the lines between respect for someone’s personal space and expressing care for the lives of people that she considered friends. Or at least, that she wanted to be friends with, of which Trevor was surprisingly high up on that list.

    Shifting a little nervously, she finally looked up at him. “Is… everything okay?” the Knight found the courage to ask. “You can talk to me, if you want. About… whatever’s going on. I don’t know how much help I’ll be… but I can listen.” She was under no illusions that she had anything to offer by way of advice or guidance, but she knew that sometimes she just needed a safe space to get the thoughts out of her head. Mythal, and even a few of her squadmates, often recognized when she needed that and gave it to her, and it was something she always appreciated. If that’s what Trevor needed, then she would do her best to pay it forward. “If you want to talk, anyway. You don’t have to…”
    deltra of gangnam style
    WORDS: 1054/3303 | TAGS: @Xavier Clarent


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    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 221
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Xavier Clarent 11th October 2023, 1:50 pm


    Xavier Clarent

    Y Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Oak Town

    Tipping Point

    Xavier, of course, wanted to encourage Aeron’s growth. He could already tell, just from the way she talked, that she felt more comfortable in her skin than the last time they saw one another. Granted, she had been dolled up and at a party that she didn’t really know how to adjust to. But she seemed settled into herself, no doubt feeling better now that she had her magic back. She admitted it wasn’t easy to open up to other people but it wasn’t as difficult as she had imagined and she stated that he might have helped with it. She blushed and corrected herself, stating that interacting with him during the Halloween party and then agreeing to see him again had done leaps and bounds for her bravery and comfortability with the world. She hadn’t run into any issues, simply ran away from him after her first kiss. He chuckled through a smile. "Well I’m glad I was able to help by just bein’ there then. It feels good to know I helped, even if its in some little way as that. And you’ve been growin’ and growin’ since then. Who knows, maybe you’ll wind up a party animal someday?” he joked.

    He’d made a connection between her experience regaining her magic and the one he was currently wrestling with and she admitted that no one important had gotten hurt. Something had been trying to kill her and Mythal but that was the only thing that suffered any kind of injury and that’s all that mattered in the long run. He was a bit moved by her words and he began to open up before his better self pulled him back down. What could he even say? What kind of advice or anything could he expect Aeron or really anyone to provide that would pave a path for him? Or make it easier? So he circled back to her magic, comparing it to his own, to which she said his sounded useful. As she put it, she preferred less flashy kinds of magic. Her former one was an attention getter, allowing her to become horrifying monsters on par with awful nightmares. It helped keep her alive during the bad times but she’d never really enjoyed it. She could still transform but it was more aesthetic now than anything else, a silly cosmetic trick she could pull off if she really, truly needed it. In comparison, the darkness magic was much more her style and speed and she felt at ease with it.


    "It’s important to have a power that you’re comfortable with, y’know? Otherwise, you’d never really know how to wield it right.” His champion outfit was something he’d had to get used to but once he had got it down, it felt as comfortable as his own skin. Same with his music magic. If someone had something forced on them, then it wouldn’t have felt right… right? He sat back in his booth and lifted up his glass to take a sip. But just as the water touched his lips, she spoke up, hesitantly asking him if he was okay. His eyes lifted up to look at her as she pushed herself forward, stating that he could talk to her if he wanted, about whatever he was going through. She didn’t think she could offer much help but she was willing to listen if he wanted.

    It was a big step from her, he understood that. The Aeron he had met wouldn’t have been as forward as this, more comfortable in silence than anything else. But she clearly wanted to be more open to listening to people, helping them with their issues. It was commendable, admirable even. He gently lowered his glass and scoffed amusingly. "Not doin’ a great job of hidin’ it, am I?” he asked ruefully, still holding the glass despite it being flat on the table. "I’ve been caught between what I think is right and what I know is right. I need to do something, sooner rather than later. Something that would help a lot of people. But in doin’ so, I’ll be revealing some lies that I’ve told and will hurt people too. Not… physically but just… you know, in their hearts. And though I know I should do it without question, I don’t want to move into the place where I hurt those people. Man, if my pops could see me now…” he looked away. She’d been treated to a mutated version of his memory of his father and it seemed he had never quite shaken the words that the image had spoken to him. In fact, it almost seemed like he was living them fully at that moment.

    "I know lyin’ ain’t great and I really wish I coulda gone without it. But I didn’t have much of a choice. I should be relieved that I’m gettin’ a chance to do things right and finally tell the truth but… I dunno, maybe I’m just a coward. Scared of havin’ to deal with the hard things that’re comin’.”


    @Aeron Krishna | 846/3051 words • Notes •



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    Aeron Krishna
    Aeron Krishna

    Player 
    Lineage : Vassal of the Cosmos
    Position : None
    Faction : The Rune Knights
    Posts : 55
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : Mythal Ragnos
    Experience : 23,075

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Aeron Krishna 11th October 2023, 3:57 pm



    I CREATED THE SOUND OF MADNESS
    WROTE THE BOOK ON PAIN
    SOMEHOW I'M STILL HERE TO EXPLAIN

    --- THAT THE DARKEST HOUR NEVER COMES IN THE NIGHT ---
    She expanded a bit more on her magic, both present and past, mostly just because he seemed to want to linger on the topic. Trevor voiced his agreement that it was important to feel comfortable with one’s magical skill in order to wield it correctly, and Aeron nodded, but her mind was already elsewhere. He’d start to voice some kind of question or concern, only to shut himself down, and after a moment of internal conflict about how to react she found herself encouraging him to speak about whatever had been on his mind. He looked up at her then, clearly as surprised as she was by her efforts, before giving a rueful chuckle at his inability to hide his mood.

    Aeron wasn’t really sure what to say, so she merely sat in patient silence while he thought until he decided to speak again. He informed her that he was in a tough situation, with two paths before him and a decision that needed to be made sooner rather than later. There was something he needed to do, but unfortunately the act of it would reveal the truths behind some lies he’d told, causing people he clearly cared about to get hurt. Not physically, but still. He was afraid to move forward, afraid of the consequences, and lamenting what his father would have thought if he’d still been alive.

    Trevor didn’t regale her with too many details, but he owned up to the lying, stating that he wasn’t proud of it but it had been a necessity at the time. The idea of finally coming clean was appealing, but the fear was still present. Aeron watched him quietly, unused to seeing him looking so… forlorn. Conflicted. Sure, the first time they’d met she’d gotten a look at some of his fears, namely the worry about whether or not his dad would approve of the actions his son had taken in his absence. But even back then, Trevor had admitted that the scene that had played out on the ride was more his own words than his father’s, coming from a place of self defeat that Aeron herself was very familiar with.

    Ultimately, she nodded. “I get it,” the Knight admitted with a somber look, her blue eyes on the glass between her fingers. “I’ve spent my entire life being afraid. Of everything. Everyone. I had to do a lot of shit that I wasn’t thrilled about just to survive, and even then there was a part of me… back when I was just a piece of someone else… that even enjoyed doing things that hurt other people. Went out of my way to do it. Assassination, vandalism, mass murder, physical and psychological torture… rape. You name it, and I’ve done it. The argument could be made that it wasn’t me, it was Thana… but… that excuse falls flat when she and I were two broken pieces of the same soul. I may not remember directly doing all those things, but I still did them. And oftentimes enjoyed it.”

    “It took me a long time to work up the nerve to express my interest in becoming a Rune Knight. I was convinced that I was going to be told I was out of my mind. How could someone like me, who’d done all these awful things, ever hope to put myself in a position where I was not just on the right side of the law, but in a position to enforce it, y’know? I was terrified that my past had condemned me for life, and rightfully so. I knew that if I joined I was going to be treated differently, because I am different. There’s nothing I can ever do to escape my past. I did the things that I did, and there’s no changing that.”

    “I can’t go back and fix the mistakes that I made, but… I could take the steps that were necessary, no matter how much they scared me, to make sure I never made the same mistakes again. Mythal, and Serilda too, they… they told me that I can’t fixate on the things that I’ve done wrong. I needed to learn from my faults and accept my fears, but allowing them to paralyze me into inaction wouldn’t help make things better. All it would do is keep me in a place where I was stuck and out of control, and prevent me from having the opportunity to make things right.”

    Aeron wasn’t confident in her own ability to offer advice of any kind, but if there was something she was confident in, it was the guidance she’d received from the Rune Knight leaders in a time when she’d sorely needed it. So in a sense, she wasn’t really telling Trevor what she thought so much as passing along the words of wisdom that’s she received from far more worthy people in the hopes that he could benefit from the lessons that she had needed to learn; hell, that she was still learning, most days.

    She looked back up at him. “I… don’t really know if that helps you or not. Maybe it’s not relatable to your situation and I’m just… I dunno, making things more confusing… but what I can say is… if someone like me can be forgiven for the worst kind of acts that were done in active malice and pleasure, then… you can be forgiven for whatever it is that you’ve done, or are going to do. The right people will forgive you, eventually. And if they don’t… well… you did everything that you could. For what it’s worth, which probably isn’t much considering we’re really not much more than strangers… I know that, at the very least, I’ll still be here.”
    deltra of gangnam style
    WORDS: 960/4263 | TAGS: @Xavier Clarent


    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Xavier Clarent
    Xavier Clarent

    Player 
    Lineage : None
    Position : None
    Posts : 221
    Guild : Confidence International (GM)
    Cosmic Coins : 0
    Dungeon Tokens : 0
    Mentor : N/A
    Experience : 2,714,115

    Character Sheet
    First Skill: Symphonic Savant
    Second Skill: Champion of Bastet
    Third Skill:

    Oops. My Bad? Empty Re: Oops. My Bad?

    Post by Xavier Clarent 11th October 2023, 5:17 pm


    Xavier Clarent

    Y Rank
    Fallen God-King
    Oak Town

    Tipping Point

    It was not easy opening up about the issues that were bothering him, even if he had only done it a little bit and without much detail. The last thing he wanted to do was burden her with his truths, forcing her to make a decision on whether to keep his secrets or tell her friends. Plus, and more selfishly than he cared to admit, he didn’t want it to get out beyond his control. He liked Aeron and trusted her to a point… but the weight of his honesty would be too much to keep in. He couldn’t ask her to do it. Yet it was clear he needed something and if she was offering to be an ear for at least some of his stress, he could hardly say no.

    She admitted that she understood, staring down at her glass. She had been afraid her entire life of most everything. She had been forced to do things that weren’t great, things she wasn’t proud of, just to stay alive but even then, she couldn’t lie and say that she hadn’t enjoyed it a little bit, when she had been part of someone else. She even went out of her way to do a veritable list of terrible things, a list in par with what Xavier had been known for while God-King of Rhaegar, save for a handful of things. Her and Thana had been part of the same soul and she said that it would have been easier to say it was just Thana who had done those things but she understood that there was a part of her that had and had enjoyed it.

    And because of that, it had taken a long time for her to finally ask about being a Rune Knight. She figured given her past and affiliation, she would be turned down immediately, even with a friend leading the organization. She understood the lunacy that came from handing responsibility and authority to someone who had blatantly ignored and abused it before and yet she still had. She knew she’d be treated differently, as she was, because no matter what she said or did, her past was still a part of her and it always would be. She knew she couldn’t fix the mistakes she had made but she had learned that she could do everything in her power to make sure she never strayed again. Mythal and Serilda had wisely told her that fixating on the past wouldn’t help her move forward. She had to understand who she was and decide who she wanted to be without fear, without concern and without giving into those worries that could bog a person down. Doing so would paralyze her without control and any opportunity to do what was right would slip between her fingers.

    It was remarkably succinct and he stared at her almost in wonder. She had identified so many things that he hadn’t even put into full detail and spoke from a place of understanding. Sure, it didn’t provide a clear cut answer to what he needed -- advice very rarely was as black and white with him. But there was no denying that she had cut through the bullshit and gotten to the heart of his pause, addressed the issues that he was weighing and unsure how to balance out. Her eyes met his as she remarked about how unsure she was that it helped, understanding that it could be more confusing than anything else. But at the heart of the point was that she believed that if she could be forgiven for her acts, then he could be forgiven for anything he had done and would do. The people worth keeping around would forgive him after some time and if they didn’t, then it was just time they parted ways. It was a bit soul crushing, understanding that he had to accept that he may not be forgiven… but she was right. And hearing it from her made him understand it better in his heart. What she did make sure he understood was that no matter what happened, she would still be there.

    He smiled softly. "Give yourself some credit, Aeron. I like to think we’re friends. And… I appreciate that. Really, I do.” He wasn’t sure if that would hold true once everything came to light, depending on how close she was with the likes of Vandrad and Saffron. But just hearing her say it made him feel at ease, a cherry on top of the metaphorical sundae she had provided him.

    She was right. Being afraid of doing what needed to be done wasn’t going to help anyone. And while it hurt to think that Saffron would be furious with him once he was revealed, he knew that his mission, in the long run, meant that she would be safe. He could hope that she would forgive him but if not, the very least he could say was that he did everything he could to protect her no matter what. And he would be doing right by his family, his people and the galaxy as a whole. He let out a gentle sigh. "Look at you, talking comfortably and offering advice. Long way from the girl that ran out on New Year’s,” he said, opting to slip back into a slightly teasing mood.

    Within, he unlatched the barrier between himself and Bast. Immediately he was back in the Dreadlands, looking out at the barren wasteland once more. He already knew she was behind him as he let out a sigh. "A’ight,” he said softly.

    “You are ready to do what needs to be done and save your world?” She asked, her tone firm but not sharp.

    He nodded. "I am. Let’s get this Ulthar bastard out of Vandrad and save him, my people and everyone else. And in the end, I can thank Aeron for giving me the courage to face my fears.”


    @Aeron Krishna | 993/4044 words • Notes •



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      Current date/time is 9th November 2024, 1:12 pm