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Post by Celeste on Feb 14, 2023 0:40:49 GMT -5
Water from the ocean misted into her face, slightly sunken with her eyes glazing over a little. She was just barely getting over another ‘episode’, and was lucky enough that everyone blamed it on the sea. Seasickness was one of those things, after all. Though except for being fatigued, as if she hadn’t slept for three days straight, Celeste was feeling rather alright, given the circumstances. The captain of the ferry would ask her occasionally how she was faring, she would brush off his concern as simply, she looked bad right now. But she would live. She always does.
She was resting her head on the mast of the ship when the city came into view. A rather stunning sight for those who had not seen it before, remarked the captain. She was, in fact, one of those people. Celeste was in awe as she saw the sun rest over the market. Jam packed, people coming and going and a million ways to get lost in the crowd.
“Wow.”
She wasn’t the only one to make a sound of awe as she stepped off the ship. This was her first time in Sol City, and part of her hoped it was all like this.
Oh, enough theatrics, of course. One foot in front of the other, she stepped into the city, trying not to bring much attention to herself as she tried to avoid being too lost in the crowd.
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 14, 2023 3:11:18 GMT -5
Arashi was taking a stroll through the Gold port having been in Sol city for a bit he decided to check the docks again looking for a souvenir he could bring his family, he wasn't sure exactly what he could buy for them, after all they didn't really need much... But some gift from the mainland's capital to show he thought of them would probably be welcome. As he thought he began to remember stories they told him and moments they spent together. There was that time when he was little that his mom and one of the servants told him a story about a brave warrior chosen by a god to protect the land, a story which probably influenced his later life choices to become a warrior and an adventurer. there was also the time when he was a little older that he trained with his dad a bit as his mom cheered him on, this was a core memory too as it was one of the only times he spent time with both his parents at the same time, besides it had been a fun day they spent together.
As he walked and thought, he remembered something else, there was a time when he was a small child that his family welcomed some other nobles into their house, together with them was a girl about a year younger than him, he remembers playing together with her. But he never really knew why they had come and why after a while he never saw them again... He did eventually learn what had become of them, he wasn't aware of the specifics but her family had lost a lot of status and influence as nobles, to the point that mobs gathered at their door and killed them, as he reminisced, he found it hard to forgive such brutality... Granted he didn't know all the details and maybe her family had done something bad... But that girl... Celeste had been one of his only friends growing up... And she was dead.
He hadn't thought of this for quite some time... But it was bound to come up eventually as he remembered the happy moments of his childhood, even though the ending was almost as sad as can be he had to thank her for having been one of his only friends growing up.
Trying to distract himself he went back to shopping for a souvenir. As most of his memories together had to do with weapons or heroes, he decided he'd need to look for something that fit into that or something along those lines. While looking around he noticed some people disembarking, he was gonna keep going while minding his own business but something caught his attention as he was beginning to look away a familiar silhouette made him have a second glance... He was really unsure but after a bit and against his best judgment he approached.
"Celeste..?"
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Post by Celeste on Feb 14, 2023 22:31:14 GMT -5
*What?* Celeste stopped dead in her tracks. No one here should recognise her, and of course she thought the worst, immediately. *Shhhit, shit shit shit.* She hadn’t even turned to see who it was yet. Janus wouldn’t be here, nor would the man she first met in Moonglade, and it wasn’t Cirice because well. It was a male voice. Panic, panic, and then she slowly turned, a small innocent smile on her face. “I’m sorry, you’re speaking to me?” Celeste tilts her head at the man, whom she examined carefully for any trace of familiarity.
“I don’t know any Celeste, I’m sorry…” Though her face gave her away almost immediately, because it was exactly what she feared. Someone from her hometown. Someone from her old life. Arashi Tento, the boy she used to play with growing up, from the only people her parents and her brother really considered friends.
Ah, hell. What was she supposed to do now? There’s no way he didn’t recognise her. Still, she could try to keep up the Facade, but staring with what was clear panic on her face was not a good start, so instead, she took a deep breath. “Arashi…”
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 15, 2023 19:08:50 GMT -5
As she faced him what was just a hunch became a certainty, Celeste panicked but eventually addressed him. Arashi was in disbelief, he didn't know what to say or how to react, they hadn't seen each other in so long and he thought she was dead! It was quite a lot to take in but that didn't really matter.
He approached her slowly. "I don't know what happened or why, but I'm just so glad you're alive! Please don't be scared... I-if you want I can just leave and... Try and forget I saw you here. But I want to help you, so please..." Arashi's eyes were filled with kindness albeit a bit watery as if holding back tears, and his voice was soft and a bit nervous, he didn't want to make things worse or make her afraid, he really wanted to know and to help... But he didn't know exactly what to say or do to make her feel safe...
So he stayed still to respect her space and awaited her response, if she wanted to run away from her past there wasn't much he could do, but he would be ready if she wanted to face it.
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Post by Celeste on Feb 15, 2023 21:58:58 GMT -5
Celeste was, for a lack of better terms, frozen. Arashi was always nice to her, and she had no reason to be so cold towards him. She even wanted to reach out and embrace him. Besides her brother, he was the one she could always just be herself with. At least, she thought she could, until she lost everything because of him. Celeste used to think she could tell him anything. It was her, her brother, and Arashi against the world
But she couldn’t trust him. She stepped back a little, her shocked expression turning into something a bit more… Sad. Scared. Almost betrayed. “No. You’re… You can’t… You can’t be here. If you know, then they’ll know, and they… They’ll try to find me and…. Why are you here? Do they already know?”
Celeste wanted to fight him. To throw punches, yell, scream, and kick. Anyone around them would be easily able to tell just how terrified she was right now. “Why are you here?” She asked again through panicked breaths and held back tears.
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 15, 2023 23:53:45 GMT -5
As Celeste began to panic and took a step back, Arashi instinctively took one small step forward he wanted to comfort her but didn't really know how and he didn't want to make things worse than they were, so he stepped back again and then she asked why he was here and if 'they' knew she was here... He looked perplexed he wasn't sure what she meant... So he just asked. "W-wait, who are they..?"
He got nervous, as she grew more panicked and terrified. He was afraid of losing her again, it couldn't happen it simply couldn't. He wouldn't let it.
As a few tears streaked down his face he looked down almost defeated "I started adventuring not too long ago... I just wanted to know the world, and I'm in this part of the capital... Just to get a souvenir for my parents... I didn't know you'd be here." A few tears hit the ground as he looked at her eyes. "I thought you were dead! I-I swear if anyone back home knows that you're alive, they certainly didn't tell me!" He raised his voice a little as he hoped, no prayed, even through his indifference towards the gods he prayed that she would believe him.
But as he noticed this he slumped again. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to yell like that. I just... I don't want to lose you again."
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Post by Celeste on Feb 16, 2023 0:15:03 GMT -5
“Arashi, if anyone at home knows I’m alive I WOULD BE DEAD!” Celeste responds, her voice breaking as she finally decided not to hold back. “YOU DID THIS! YOU KILLED HIM!” She took another step back, staring in his face… Slowly realizing he had no idea what she was talking about. “THEY killed them… They almost killed me - they… Your family…”
Celeste wanted so much to break down into sobs right now. But as she stood there, she wiped off her face, and took a few deep breaths. “Y-you… You have no idea… What I am talking about, do you?” Another pause, and then a slow step forward. “Rashi… You told them… About my not being…” She paused, and shook her head. “You told them, and you ruined… My whole life.” Gods, part of her wished Cultist was here. She wouldn’t be in this position if he was, he would protect her… She does look, almost hoping that wishing him here would make him appear. Unfortunately, she is not that lucky.
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 16, 2023 0:53:09 GMT -5
Wait... It can't be... I can't have, I did this!?!? He didn't want to believe it but he had... He had never pieced it together but.. it was his fault.
His whole world collapsed as he had a flashback to his childhood, he remembered she had trusted him with a secret she kept even from most of her family and he didn't keep it properly... It was just a slip of the tongue but apparently enough to make his parents put the pieces together. It had all been his fault and his parents tricked him, they deceived him made him think it hadn't even been related to that but it was.
More tears, he wasn't as strong as her, not when it came to his failings, he's been severe with himself sometimes more than necessary, but this time not enough... He wanted to yell or more accurately to stop existing, he wanted to go back, if he could he would do anything to change the impossibly harsh fate thrusted upon Celeste by him. But he couldn't...
He couldn't change it, he couldn't even think of how to atone... So he did the only thing he knew how to do.
He kneeled before her and lowered his head. "I was an idiot... I know it doesn't mean much considering how often i say it but... I'm truly sorry. I understand if you can't trust me... I've already failed you once. I understand now there's nothing I can do to make this right... So while I swear I'll do anything to make it up to you... I will give you a choice." He took his sheathed katana of his hip and offered it to her. "If you can't trust me again to not reveal your secret... you are free to make sure I'm never able to ruin anything again." The floorboards below his face were getting progressively more stained with his tears.
If she must make sure, if she wants a bit of payback, if she can't forgive him. Celeste was free to kill Arashi, that's what he felt was right that's the only way he could think to make things right.
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Post by Celeste on Feb 16, 2023 1:11:49 GMT -5
Celeste just stared. She honestly, truly, could not believe what was happening right now. She took the sword - and part of her even wanted to use it. She stared him down as he kneeled, and took a few moments for herself. Of course she wasn’t going to kill him. She just sort of chuckled at the idea, because she knew Cultist would tell her to. Somehow, the idea of that just made her miss him more. But she couldn’t. Not him. Not Rashi. She could hurt him though.
Celeste stared at the sword. Most people were minding their own business, which was great. She wasn’t worried. This was a personal issue, after all. She held it, and looked over at Arashi. And stabbed it through his hand, nailing it to the floorboard. “Pick yourself up, Rashi. You’re making a scene.” She answered, rolling her eyes. And wiping the tears off her face. “Me killing you would not make this better. NOTHING could make this better. I am not like your parents, and hurting them is not my goal; My goal is to survive…” She sat down in front of him, and leaned forward, making sure their eyes meet. “Hurting your parents would feel so… So good. But I’m not ruining what I have built over them. I’d rather they not know I exist. But…” She grabs his chin, their eyes still locked, her face still wet and tear-stained. “If you whisper a word about this… Janus and I will hunt you down, and do to them what you did to me.” A moment of silence, then she stood up, pulling the blade out from his hand, throwing it to the side, and offering him a hand up. “Now… would you like to go get a drink?”
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 16, 2023 9:08:59 GMT -5
Looking down, he waited. He didn't know what would happen but he could only hope it was what he deserved. He closed his eyes, a moment passed, and another tear was shed.
Arashi inhaled sharply through his teeth as the unexpected happened, his hand was pierced by his own blade, he expected worse, why his hand why not his back, or his head, or even his tongue? If she didn't want to kill him but didn't want him to tell she could've just taken his ability to speak, he wouldn't have resisted... But as she explained it became clear. He was wrong yet again. And Celeste had grown to be a much better person than he could've hoped. maybe she wouldn't forgive him, she shouldn't forgive him, but what he did, what he offered, wasn't for her. Deep down he knew it would probably make things worse for her, but he didn't do it for her. Arashi did it for himself... Yet again he couldn't escape his selfishness, dying wouldn't solve anything other than the pain and fear he felt. He was pained that he failed her, he was pained that his family deceived him, but mostly he was pained that he had almost moved on, he hadn't thought about Celeste for quite a while. And all this time she had been fighting, surviving... Growing...
He remembers when they were kids he wanted her to rely on him like she did with her brother. And after the tragedy happened... No, after he made it happen. He regretted not being there for her, not having been able to protect her. But she didn't need him, she never did, now less than ever.
As Celeste grabbed his chin to make sure he looked at her and paid attention Arashi's blood iced over... Not because of the threat on his life, he didn't fear his own demise, but he feared hers, he was afraid of screwing up again, of not having learned his lesson... He was a liability he's always been that. This just cemented that fact in his head, not only does she not need him, but she never will. Judging by her mentioning someone else, she had found someone worthy of her love and trust, he couldn't even deem to feel jealousy or envy. He didn't have that right.
As she offered her hand to him he looked up at her ashamed of himself... He didn't know what to do he rarely did, but now... What could he do..? Well if he wanted to grow, and be more like her. He'd have to start somewhere. He took her hand and stood up. "After all this time, after I try to take the easy way out... You offer to go have a drink together..?" He smiled sadly. "How could I say no to that offer..?" This was way more emotions and revelations than what he was expecting to handle today. He needs a drink.
He then turns around while lightly taking hold of his own hand a small sniffle and sob later he let out a heavy sigh as his shoulders relaxed. "Thank you, Celeste"
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Post by Celeste on Feb 16, 2023 17:55:39 GMT -5
Celeste shakes her head as she helps him up. “Arashi… if you truly did not know what happened, then I have no real reason to take it out on you. I am still… livid. Like truly, angry. But it just seems like we have a lot to catch up on.” Her voice had softened a little, though she had started to avoid his gaze. The two started walking towards the inn that was on the dock, Celeste fidgeting the entire time.
“How did you… not know it was them?” She asked, still not quite looking up at him. “They were… literally there. Leading it. They… gave us up. My brother gave his life, because of them, because he wanted to protect me….” She looked away, stifling a sob. “But it’s been…. Years. You know, he knew too. My parents didn’t. There was no reason for them to….” She stops, and takes a deep breath. “Why did you start adventuring?” She questions, changing the subject. Better to do that than to keep this conversation going. She could tell he felt bad enough already, and she was sure to have plenty of time to make sure he knew damn well that he should.
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 16, 2023 22:50:35 GMT -5
"You always were too kind to me..." Arashi walked next to Celeste he couldn't dare to look at her either, although for different reasons... As she began questioning how he never realized, he couldn't really answer. It was even a bit obvious in hindsight, but he never realized it. "I-I..." She changed the topic. He didn't know whether to be grateful or ashamed, he was leaning more towards the latter though.
"Well I..." He sighed heavily, he didn't want to think of them, to talk about them. Not anymore... But he had to if he wanted some semblance of friendliness and to catch up with her. "I ended up becoming a soldier as per my father's wish, but only for a while. Truth is I hated it... I had to follow a lot of orders even some I didn't agree with. Thankfully I could avoid the awful ones... Although it meant I had to do unpaid overtime doing menial tasks. So I ended up being more of a servant... After I had had enough I managed to strike a deal with the Starlight Council, I would stop being a soldier and become an adventurer, at least as long as I was of use for the nation as a whole. Whatever that means..."
"As for why an adventurer and not something else? Well you know I've always wanted to know the world... To travel and explore, and I also always liked martial and magical arts as well as weapons... I've also never stopped being sort of a dreamer I guess, what I mean by that is I want to be useful and help people. So adventuring around helping people is something that just felt right for me..." He couldn't face her he looked to the opposite side while walking next to her. He felt like such a hypocrite he talked about helping people and wanting to be useful, yet he had ruined her life... And there was no bringing that back...
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Post by Celeste on Feb 16, 2023 23:36:18 GMT -5
Gods, he was really working this whole thing to his advantage. Celeste so wanted to see it as manipulative. As him trying to get her to forgive him, truly. But all she saw was him feeling bad for himself. She looked around. They were no longer quite in a spot where she could get away with punching him, or injuring him, but she really didn’t want him going on with this pity show. She groaned in annoyance, grabbed him by the wrist, and dragged him into an alleyway. “Rashi. Stop it.” She insisted, holding his cheek. “I don’t care what you did, I don’t care what happened… The wound is newly opened, and I am angry, I am Pissed… But this self-pity thing is not making it easier for me to see past it. I get it. Your family betrayed you, you betrayed me, but…” She pauses, and sighs. “But we were children. You were a child. It’s time for us to grow up. We were both hurt, in the end. Nothing is going to change what was done in the past, but the future is a new adventure… That’s what you want, right? Adventure?” Her voice had gone softer again. “I could have just given up. I chose not to. Rather, some annoying old dude who spoke mostly in cryptic, told me I could do more. That I deserved more. So do you. So shut the hell up, get yourself together, and grow the hell up. Okay?”
With that, she grabbed his wrist again, and started out of the alleyway again. A small pep talk, is all. That couldn’t hurt, right?
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Post by Arashi Tento on Feb 25, 2023 17:19:06 GMT -5
As they walked Arashi heard Celeste's groan, he closed his eyes sort of flinching expecting her to just walk off and away from him or something... But she didn't. Celeste grabbed Arashi's wrist and dragged him away a little, he couldn't look her in the eyes and averted his gaze as she talked, or at least until she said it wasn't helping. She was right it didn't, no amount of feeling or saying sorry would help and even if he didn't want to just let go, even if it felt irresponsible, unfair or disrespectful to not suffer at least a bit for it. She was right. Doing so wouldn't help.
He closed his eyes as if making up his mind, looked her in the eyes and nodded. As she dragged him out he could only mutter "Thank you"
The kept walking towards a nearby tavern, now Arashi seemed more composed while still not knowing exactly what t say to her, he didn't look as pathetic anymore. "So, what brought you to Sol City? If you don't mind me asking"
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Post by Celeste on Feb 27, 2023 1:26:59 GMT -5
Celeste stays silent for a moment, shrugging. “I don’t know, really.” She answers off-handedly as she walks with him. “I’m… Looking for adventure, too, I suppose.” Celeste really did not have an answer to this. There’s just been so much that happened that she hadn’t thought about why she was going where she was going. “Do you remember when we were children, and the elders used to tell us to look at the stars for directions?” She looked up and smiled. “I was… Hiding, I suppose, in the forests, for a long time after… And I would look to the stars, and wonder where I’d go next, but… I was always too scared to leave. So once I finally did, and I really looked up… I just wanted to go where the stars took me. I don’t care where I end up. Wherever it is, it won’t be forever. So I’m just enjoying the journey, I guess.”
Celeste looks over at him, and sighs. “It all got so messed up somewhere along the line. But, what about you? Something special you looking for here?” She couldn't keep bringing up the past. It was too painful for the both of them. But really, what else were they supposed to talk about?
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