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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 12:00:04 GMT -5
It doesn't miss her that Nephele doesn't seem happy about any of this. Not the visitation, not the dress, nothing. C'Leena frowns lightly, but she understands it's something she needs to do. Nepheles breakdown some time ago still hasn't left her and she has plenty of questions, but they all can wait. Now isn't the time to be asking questions, that can come later.
"Of course I'd do this with you. You don't seem awfully pleased about this, so if I can at least help even a little bit, I'll do it. This is your show, so if you want me to do something, I'll do it." She says in a gentle tone. When it comes to Nephele and her mother, C'Leena has always kept a careful eye and an attentive ear to the situation. Nephele isn't very forthcoming about her mother, the most C'Leena knows is that they were reliant on each other once they left the Land of Wonder, her mother being not the best person around and her apparently dying of heartbreak.
The final thing has always given her pause. Back on earth, death by a broken heart isn't unheard of, but nothing of what Nephele said matches up with how that would happen. Granted, C'Leena isn't at all familiar with Fey biology, but death by heartbreak is more often than not hormones that cause heart spasms that closely resemble a heart attack. Meaning that Nepheles mother would have died rather quickly. The fact that she didn't makes C'Leena think it was a final act of manipulation.
While C'Leena would say none of that unless she was specifically asked about it, it's something that has been on her mind since Nepheles breakdown. C'Leena pulls Nephele in closer and returns the kiss, planting it on her forehead. As per Nepheles request to go downstairs, the pair go downstairs and collect what Nephele points out. Once they have their offerings, C'Leena wraps them up in a (very clean) cloth, tied off with some string which is then placed in C'Leenas Space Pocket.
The walk to the gate headed into the Eclipse Jungle is quiet. Unlike their normal beats of silence, there is a tense feel in the air around them. Primarily, C'Leena is wildly concerned for Nephele, and Nephele looks unwilling and uncomfortable, which increases C'Leena's concern tenfold. Still holding onto Nepheles hand, C'Leena starts idly playing with Nepheles ring, simply spinning it around her finger. Hopefully the subtle reminder that the ring is there can be of some help.
"Would you like me to redo your braid when we get back?" She asks suddenly, breaking the silence. Nephele apparently really likes C'Leenas braids, and if it makes her happy then C'Leena will gladly weave her another. At some point during the week prior to today, C'Leena finally got her hair cut which has made her a million times happier. Currently, she has a really short undercut with a decent amount of hair swept to the side.
"Another question: If we have time tonight, you keen on actually drinking? We still haven't done that and I feel like it's a relatively appropriate time."
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 12:37:28 GMT -5
One of the best things about meeting C’Leena was that in that time, Nephele learned to become comfortable with silence. In the past, silence was simply a reminder: It was a reminder of loneliness, of fear. It was the reminder that she would always be watched, even if nothing was said to her. Silence reminded her of every single one of her many mistakes, including the ones that led to her sleeping by her mother's grave for months. Nephele's grip on C’Leena 's hand was tight, so tight in fact that it would be surprising if even with her automated limbs she didn't feel it. At some point her grip relaxed as she began fiddling with the ring around her finger, but the tension was still there. Her eyes stayed mostly ahead with her expression blank as a million thoughts came up in her head. Leading them through the jungle in silence, every now and again she would grow distracted as she catches sight of something familiar; like the long most over claw-like marks in one of the trees nearby. Some of the path was flattened from where bovine like creatures used to settle nearby. She saw none of them now, most likely due to hibernation. “Hm?” Nephele blinked, realizing she was being spoken to. “Oh, right. If you could that would be lovely, though I won't blame you if you take it back a little bit later tonight.” She paused to laugh, humorlessly. The sound echoed through the air, and she ducked under a vine. “Love, you will have to actively pull me away from the bottle.” It was meant to be a joke, but C’Leena knew that Nephele was dead serious. As they made their way through the jungle, Nephele began to remember why she didn't like silence. The jungle was usually full of life, though due to cooler weather being just around the corner, things were going to start getting much more desolate. How fitting. Nephele was beginning to remember the path, almost swearing that if she stared long enough, she could see her mother asleep in some of the trees, her arm dangling and her hair tangled as she waited for Nephele to return. Minutes stretched into hours, mostly due in part to Nephele unintentionally slowing down the closer they got. When she first left to Eclipse City, she had no idea that it was so close to the Crescent Isles, only an entanglement of vegetation and a boat ride apart. Nephele never took a boat, once being able to simply swim from shore to shore, but that stopped the day that her mother died. He really wished she could find it beautiful, but too many memories came up. At some point during the journey, to ease both of their minds, Nephele began singing. She couldn't remember what the song was exactly, but it was something that she had vaguely recalled from long ago. The song echoed through the air, her face remaining mostly blank as she tried to relax. You're safe, she kept telling herself. No one can hurt you here. Only you can.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 13:02:35 GMT -5
The 'feeling' in C'Leenas prosthetics were difficult to describe. She's previously described it as being gently told what she's feeling, and that still holds true. Turns out that also works with pressure, so C'Leena had at least a vague idea on how tight Nephele was holding onto her. That pressure did relax a bit, but it still concerned C'Leena to no end.
"Take it back? Nah, if you want me to braid your hair, I'll bloody braid it." She says, lightly chuckling. When it came to tense situations such as now, C'Leena absolutely hated it when people acted differently to try to release tension. If you're in good company, simply be yourself and it should work. This is something that C'Leena employs herself, opting to be her vulgar and aggressively loving self. "I have a feeling we'll both be fucked up come morning." She then predicts. Perhaps she will have to pull Nephele away from the bottle, but it'll only be when C'Leena is also seeing double.
Once Nephele starts singing, she feels a part of herself relax. C'Leena has always loved hearing Nepheles singing voice. Now that it's been pointed out, it does have a Siren quality to it that she adores. Goddamn, Nephele is a much better singer than C'Leena. Despite C'Leena being unfamiliar with the song, she whistles the melody along with Nephele, managing to predict how it will flow pretty reliably. Of course, there are a few hiccups, but they are either glossed over or corrected in the moment.
Her whistling holds a whisper of her own singing voice that pairs pretty well with Nepheles singing. Which suddenly reminds her that her and Nephele haven't actually sung something together since C'Leena and Nephele know completely different songs. She ought to change that at some point. As they walk and sing/whistle, C'Leena begins lightly swaying their hands between them, enjoying the moment despite the situation.
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 13:47:54 GMT -5
C’Leena’s voice pairing with Nephele’s doesn't go unheard, and it actually helps her relax a little bit. Despite herself, the nymph finds herself smiling softly, focusing on the song as she lets muscle memory guide her to where she needs to be. You're safe, she repeats. It felt like a less empty statement as C’Leena’s the voice follows her. They hadn't sang together in months. At least she had something to look forward to at the end of this day; as C’Leena said, they were probably both going to be "fucked up" come morning.
The song petered out around the time that Nephele saw something in the distance. Through the brush there was a small clearing by, where all of the trees seemed to bend away. A few new plants had sprouted up since her last visit, though a few were on their way out with the weather. Nephele stepped over the same branch that had fallen over 10 years ago and she led them into the clearing.
There, what looked to be a raised mound of dirt covered in dead flowers and many rocks lay. It looked exactly how Nephele remembered it, to her relief. It seemed that there wasn't another incident since last she left. One particularly large rock (which looked more like a white brick than anything) lay at the foot of the mount of risen earth. Nephele took a deep breath, and carefully walked a little bit closer.
At this distance, C’Leena could see the handmade engravings in the stone, simply reading “Καλυθία”. It looked like the engravings were done unprofessionally, and the stone had weathered and cracked over time. The flowers that surrounded the grave we're almost entirely unrecognizable, shriveled up with a few of the stalks missing any plumage. Despite the shore being close by, probably just a mile or so away, it didn't look like Callythia’s grave had been touched by any form of vegetation or water in years.
Nephele sighed, heavy in her chest. She briefly let go of C’Leena's hand to kneel in front of her mother's grave, her face stern and slightly frightened. She withdrew the cider from her bag, the size of the jug in the way that she was holding it starkly similar to the symbol of the water bearer, Aquarius.
“Mother?” Nephele started. Her voice came out shakier than she wanted it to, but she heaved in another breath and persisted. “Are you still here?”
As expected, there was no response. Nephele opened the cider, then continued: “It's been a while, has it not? I wish I could say I'm sorry for being so late, but you always hated it when I lied. I'm wearing your dress, just as I always have.” Nephele paused, then looked up at C’Leena. She patted the ground beside her, offering her to sit. “I'm not alone this time. And I haven't been for a while.” She continues to speak, still staring at C’Leena with a look that nearly begged to join her. She couldn’t do this alone.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 14:15:42 GMT -5
C'Leenas eyes darted across the engraved stone, unable to read what was written. It looks like Greek, but she doesn't have enough knowledge to identify anything outside of that. As Nephele kneels down, C'Leena stands behind her, slightly over Nepheles left shoulder, almost acting as a protective guardian as Nephele visits her mother.
Her words surprise C'Leena. Nephele has said that they didn't have the best relationship, but she expected at least a little white lie. Apparently not, it seems. Hearing Nepheles shaky voice isn't nice to listen to, and C'Leena places a gentle hand on her shoulder, simply reminding Nephele that she is there. That doesn't last long as Nephele beckons her to sit by her. Not expecting Nephele to even really process that C'Leena was there, it takes her a second to begin moving, where she steps to where Nephele patted and sits herself down with practiced ease.
Having a vague feeling that she should say something, seeing as Nephele is talking about her, she rather hesitantly clears her throat. "Uh, G'day. Yeah, Nephele and I have been together in both a physical and romantic sense for about 5 or so months now. She initially found me reciting Odes from my home and things moved rather quickly from there. I uh.. Might've kissed your daughter about an hour and a half after meeting her. It was the best, but sketchiest choice I've ever made." She softly chuckles, fondly remembering times that feel so, so long ago. "A lot more has happened since then, but you're not here to listen to me; it's your daughters moment."
C'Leena looks over at Nephele, smiles and mouths "It's your show," choosing to be quiet from here on out. That will change if she's asked to speak up again, but she won't speak of her own volition. It's Nepheles mother, after all. As she said, her mother isn't here to listen to C'Leena talk. She does however wrap her arm around Nepheles shoulders, hoping to be of some comfort.
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 15:25:39 GMT -5
Quick Warning: Very brief mention of suicide.
Nephele’s hand immediately went up to squeeze C’Leena’s, a rush of relief washing over her as she joined her on the ground. She goes quiet when C’Leena begins to speak, not fully expecting her to say anything but grateful nonetheless. It gave her time to think of what else to say.
Nephele did end up cracking a fraction of a smile at C’Leena’s admittance to kissing her. It was strange, as it seemed that as anxious as she was, Nephele was a little bit more relaxed than she had anticipated. She mouthed a quick “thank you” back to her fiancé, before turning back to the grave.
“Things changed immensely in the past few years, Mother,” Nephele whispered, grabbing the jug and carefully pouring it over. She didn't empty the entire thing, instead choosing to cork it and place it beside the headstone. She then beckoned C’Leena for the food, and when she got it she placed it on the top of the stone. “I will say that I do regret leaving you without a proper goodbye. I… I know you hate me for what happened to you.”
Nephele had done a lot of reflecting in the time that she had been with C’Leena, and it showed in her next words: “I understand that it was my fault, as most things are. In life and now in death, I wonder if you remember as I do. Do you remember when you sent me into Moonveil Village, and have me manipulate and steal from those villagers? Do you remember running away and telling me that you would come back to help me? Do you remember seeing me hours later, covered in the blood of the boy that only wanted to protect his family? Of course you don't.”
Despite all of these words being ridiculously bitter, Nephele looked like she was struggling to get half of them out. Especially with C’Leena there, these were things she would probably never admit to for a good few years. It was as though she had never had the opportunity to say any of this before. Her hands lay in fists on her knees, her head lowered and her shoulders squared. She did not yell, but she was loud enough. “I think I hate you, but I can’t figure out why anymore. Life has gone on without you, but those memories are still in my mind. The scars that you left behind are still fresh in my mind, on my body even… but they've started to heal. It's a slow and arduous process, but finding someone who loves me unconditionally certainly helped.”
Nephele paused to close her eyes, taking a deep breath. Nephele doesn't realize it, but if C’Leena were to look around, a soft gust of wind had begun too slowly pick up around the clearing. As the nymph continues to speak, soft, nearly silent whispers slowly wiggle their way onto the wind. Nephele is used to hearing them, so she ignores them. She doesn’t realize, however, that C’Leena can also hear them.
“I'm sorry that I killed you.” It was a strong, nigh abrupt statement, but Nephele persisted. “All you wanted was someone to love the world with, and I didn't want to do that with you. We fought and argued so much but… you still wanted me with you. And when I refused to go anywhere with you, it broke your heart. But you never wanted me, you wanted my father.
You always talked about how you thought you met your soulmate through him. Did you ever imagine that I would meet mine?” Nephele asked. None of the sounds or words being whispered in the air were coherent. “Considering you only kept me because you thought I looked just like him… I'd say probably not.”
In the process of her talking, Nephele withdraws a journal from her bag. It's the old one that she had very briefly mentioned had entries of her time after Callythia’s death, and she placed it face down beside the food. Nephele doesn't realize she's crying until her hand reaches up to rub at her itchy eyes.
“I came here today to leave some things behind. I would like to start anew, and that begins with me apologizing to you. Callythia, I'm sorry I couldn't live up to him. I'm sorry that the only thing I ever inherited from him are the eyes that you loved to stare at until you fell asleep. I'm sorry that I never did enough for you, and I'm sorry that you tried your damnedest to love me, but you had no idea how. I'm sorry that I caused you to do what you did that night I left you alone. A-And I'm so, so sorry,” Nephele’s voice broke, her nails digging into her knees so hard that they were drawing blood, “that I left you on the day that your resting place was desecrated. I don't even know if you're here right now.”
Nephele could barely speak at this point, covering her mouth as she attempted to keep her sobs at bay. Her breathing was fast and labored, the gentle breeze around the clearing hadn’t ceased. She shakes her head, doing her best to prevent herself from hyperventilating. “I-I swear I will never come here again, and I genuinely hope you rest in peace. I-I’m sorry…”
That last part does Nephele in. With a wail like a wounded animal, the nymph is sobbing into C’Leena’s front, practically falling into her as she breaks down. Nephele has cried many times before, but C’Leena had never seen her break down in pure distress like this. Perhaps it was the added fact that Callythia was buried right in front of them, but being here was not helping her.
Her next words are to C’Leena, simple, shaky and broken like she’d never heard before: “Can we go now? Please?”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 16:14:26 GMT -5
As Nephele speaks, C'Leena notices the whispers in the air and her attention is arrested by them for a moment. She can't make out what they're saying, but there is a nearly threatening aura from them that C'Leena doesn't like one bit. Unbeknownst to Nephele prior to her turning from the grave, C'Leena has summoned her golden wings and has extended a single wing to cover Nephele, continuing to act as a guardian angel for her as she is vulnerable.
The more Nephele speaks, the greater the hate becomes within C'Leena. Hate, rage and unfathomable anger. C'Leena knew none of what was said here, but she doesn't care. The level of rage that C'Leena feels toward this woman is more than she has felt in a long, long time. The only other time was toward the man who had killed Rose, but this goes above and beyond even that. Her anger radiates from her like light from a fire, and her eyes burn just as hot. She absently notes Nephele bleeding and promises herself to clean that up for her when they return, no matter how much she protests.
The second that Nephele collapses into C'Leena, her anger and hate gets immediately packed away and is instantly replaced with caring for Nephele as she gently combs through her hair and quietly shushes her, intermittently saying things like "You've done so well," and "I'm so, so proud of you, petal." Both of her wings wrap around Nephele, glowing a soft golden light as she gently soothes Nephele. When Nephele chokes out her request to leave, there isn't any hesitation in C'Leena scooping Nephele up and launching into the air in flight.
The trip toward Eclipse City doesn't take nearly as long as the walk as they blitz over the jungle canopy, the ivory spires making orientation easy. Once they fly over the walls, C'Leena doesn't immediately go to the Inn, but instead back to the old churches roof. She gently lands on the roof, puts Nephele down and leads her to the roofs edge once again. This time around, she doesn't dismiss her wings. Once Nephele sits down, C'Leena wraps a wing around her once again and takes Nepheles hand, cupping it in both of hers.
The trip there, her visit and the trip back took a good portion of the day. The sun is approaching the horizon, but most likely wouldn't reach sundown for about another hour and a half. C'Leena wants to know more about what was spoken, but chances of her asking are straight up zero. They were words meant for Callythia, not C'Leena. She simply was there to overhear them. She does, however, break the silence. "You've done so, so well today, Nephele." She begins. Her eyes dart down to the small cuts on her knees from when her nails dug into them.
All without moving her hands from Nephele, her Space pocket opens up and her first aid kit floats out and settles on the ground before flicking open with a cotton ball and a bottle of disinfectant float out, dampen the cotton ball with the alcohol and gently rub down the various small cuts that Nephele gave herself. As she does this, the sigaldry under her skin glows that brilliant purple that is exclusive to Telekinesis. Once the blood is cleared off her skin and her cuts disinfected, the purple glow morphs into a soft golden light as the wounds close themselves1, the unpleasant itching lasting only a moment. The blue stained cotton ball drops out of the air between C'Leena and her first aid box.
"If you want to talk, you know I'm happy to listen, petal. Don't bottle things up cause it'll kick you in the ass later down the line." She opts to ignore the hypocrisy of that statement, instead focused on Nephele and not letting her anger simmer over again. She can vent that anger later on - most likely with a lot of violence toward inanimate objects. Tonight might prove to be quite expensive.
1. Lesser Healing
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 17:00:28 GMT -5
Nephele barely registers C’Leena's grip on her tightening, before lifting them into the air. She doesn't stop crying for another 15 minutes, hanging on to her for dear life as the wind whips around her. For once, she doesn't stop to look at the ground below, hiding her face in the crook of C’Leena 's neck.
Her breathing was ragged and stuttered, her hair tie slipping out of her hair during the journey back, the soft sound of every exhale carrying with it a broken cry. She had never cried like that before. Hell, she had never spoken those things aloud before. It was an excruciating thing, and yet somehow it was… healing. Nephele's heartbeat had picked up like a jack rabbit’s, hammering loudly in her ears, but there is a feeling of relief.
She must have slipped in and out of consciousness several times, the only thing keeping her awake the sound of C’Leena’s gentility. Once they've landed, Nephele almost expects C’Leena to have landed in the inn, but when she lifts her head, she finds herself in a familiar place. The view of the church nearly takes her breath away, but she is too dehydrated and tired to produce any more tears.
Nephele doesn't speak for several seconds, working on relaxing her breathing. But it was over; it was over and she never had to do it again. The thought made her head spin as she wanted to cry again, but she allowed herself to breathe. C’Leena doting on her didn't make it any easier, but she was still so grateful for her. She let out a dry sob, she loved her so much.
As C’Leena continued to clean her wounds, healing them with magic and medicine, Nephele let out a shaky sigh. She was exhausted, and it really showed in her posture. “… I'd apologize for the state of myself right now, but I don’t think you’d accept it.” Nephele rasped after a moment, a small smile following. Even though she felt emotionally drained, she was feeling much better. Laying her heart bare was something she had always wanted to do around C’Leena, but it just never felt like she should. It always felt like no matter how she did it, the words that she had to say would never feel right unless she told her mother to her face. Visiting her together was the next best thing.
“It was years of that, Cee.” Nephele whispered, her hand trembling in C’Leena’s grasp. “I hurt so many people for her. And then the one day that I got through to her and I told her I didn't want to anymore she just… left me.” Nephele shook her head, dizzy. “I watched over her grave for months, and then one day it was desecrated and robbed. It was the only day that I had left her for more than an hour. I still feel guilty some nights when I try and sleep. I used to hear her every screaming at me every night but… I guess that changed when I met you.”
Nephele isn't looking at C’Leena, a part of her guilty for bringing her along. She had cut the tie, yes, and she felt much better, but why did the dread follow her? Was she guilty for speaking her mind? “I hope you know that I adore you. I hope that you know that I would do anything for you. I truly didn't know how to tell you half of what you overheard, so I'm sorry that it had to be that way.”
Nephele chuckled to herself, shaking her head and pressing a palm to her forehead. She hated the sleeves on this dress. She had almost left the dress behind, too, but she couldn't even if she tried after that. Nephele had to get out of there, and she was glad C'Leena helped her. “Looks like he ended up apologizing after all. I'm sorry.”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 17:30:22 GMT -5
C'Leena continued to quietly tend to Nephele as she spoke. The more that Nephele spoke of her mothers acts, the harder it was to stamp down her anger. However, surprising even C'Leena, she only huffed exactly once during what Nephele was saying. The sigaldry returns to the purple glow as her Space Pocket produces her canteen, which C'Leena takes out of the air and hands it to Nephele. "Drink." She says in as gentle a tone as she can.
"And you're absolutely right, I wouldn't accept any sort of apology from you." She says easily enough. C'Leena combs through Nepheles wind-whipped hair, tidying it up a bit. "I understand the guilt in a sense. When Rose passed, she had recently left home to go visit a friend who lived maybe 10 minutes away," She began. There is a slight tremor in her movements, but they are easily glossed over. "It was the one time I didn't walk with her. I didn't go because I was stuck too deep in study for med-school and she paid the price. I blame myself every day for not being there to at least try to save her.
"I'm not going to ask about what you told her. Those words weren't meant for me and I understand that. You are free to speak about them whenever you are comfortable doing so. I don't care if that is tonight, next month or next decade. I adore you, too, Nephele. Forever and always, yeah? Nothing of what was said today will ever change that." She brings her hands up to Nepheles cheeks and wipes away the tears.
"What did I just say about apologies?" She says in a feigned stern tone before immediately breaking character and chuckling softly. A memory surges from her mind - a question she is rather curious about, and hopes isn't a sore topic. "I do have one question, though. If you don't mind me asking, that is." She starts. Not receiving any protests, she continues.
"Do you know what was going on with the whispering on the wind?"
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 18:15:01 GMT -5
To say that Nephele was grateful was an understatement. It felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off of her, even managing to crack a slightly wider smile as she noticed C’Leena silently fighting down the urge to get angry. She takes the canteen and drinks from it, downing a little over half of its contents before returning it. She would fill it up later on tonight.
Listening to C’Leena's kind words practically had Nephele melting in her hands, emitting a choked laugh when she was lightly scolded for accidentally apologizing. She almost apologized again, but she bit her lip to stop herself. It was a horribly bad habit, one that she felt that she needed to quash pretty soon. On another note, Nephele was awfully remiss that she'd never meet Rose. She sounded like a delightful girl.
Then she was asked about the whispers, and Nephele gave C’Leena a look. It was more surprised than anything, but also confused. The way that she phrased the question made it sound like she had heard them as well, but that couldn't be right, could it? "You could hear them? That's my mother, it's what I heard every night when I went to bed.”
The implications were concerning to say the least. Nephele didn’t understand why C’Leena could hear them as well, the last time she heard them were in the clearing. Maybe she was still over there. The thought sent a chill down her spine. “You shouldn't be able to hear those.” Nephele said, sounding like she was talking to herself. She looked between tired and perplexed. “I don't know if I'm honest. She couldn't speak Common, though she could understand it. I hear her all the time but…oh my head.”
Nephele rubbed at the bridge of her nose, groaning lowly as a migraine began to sneak up on her. Too much. She had done entirely too much thinking, talking, and existing in general today. She shook her head. “I wish I could answer that, just be sure to tell me if that happens again. I thought that it was purely psychological, as you call it.”
“For now I can barely,” Nephele pauses and makes a wild gesture with one of her hands, while the other one reaches up to gently squeeze C’Leena's hand, “have a coherent thought. I think I need to sit down for a little bit, just breathe and not think for a few hours, if that makes sense. And get out of this ugly dress.” She added, tugging on the dress sleeve uselessly. There was hardly any force behind it, but there was frustration there. “It’s so long and floaty and useless, I can barely move in it.”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 19:33:23 GMT -5
C'Leena was beyond relieved to see Nephele slowly calming down, even managing to get a laugh out of her! Progress! C'Leena also playfully made an interrupting noise when Nephele very nearly apologized again, followed by another chuckle. Her wing lowers and lightly rests across Nepheles back. The wing is comfortably warm and almost has a feathery blanket feel to it.
"..Huh." She says with a furrowed brow. That was her mother? "God dammit, Magic Bullshit is at it again." That term has very quickly become her go-to for magical scenarios that she doesn't like or understand. At this moment, it's both. "That was the first time I've heard it, but I'll keep you posted if I hear it again. Maybe I should learn how to say "Piss off" in Greek." She muses to herself. Despite her jokes, the moment concerns her to no end. Something just doesn't mix well with C'Leena about it and the fact that she can't figure out what is bothering her is driving her mad.
"Would you like to go back to the room? Perhaps we should postpone our 'Drink away our sorrows' session if you have a headache coming on. I'm sure you know that Alcohol and Headaches don't mix. Like electricity and water is a path to kill you in seven different ways simultaneously, alcohol and headaches will kick your ass in the morning, making you WISH you chose the electricity and water option." It appears that C'Leena went on another random rant. Sometimes, she hates being without her medication. She feels so foggy all the time it's awful. 0/10, do not recommend.
"Speaking of the dress, do you want to do something with it? You said you wanted to move to a new chapter, right? Might be an idea to get rid of it if you'd like." She offers. She's heard it's therapeutic to get rid of or otherwise destroy things that have negative memories attached to them. While that might be her overly aggressive part of her brain making an appearance, she could totally see that being incredibly freeing.
"Come on, we'll get you into bed or something where you can just exist for a while. It might also help if you get something to eat, yeah? You haven't eaten all day." She says, lightly nudging Nephele as she points out that she hasn't eaten. C'Leena should eat too, but Nephele comes first always. C'Leena can wait just a little longer.
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 21:19:09 GMT -5
“It sure is.” Nephele agreed, rubbing her temples with a heavy groan. “This is why I don’t do magic often, it’s a nightmare when it doesn't like you...” Nephele thought for a minute, trying to think of an accurate translation for C'Leena to use. “Chése mas. That’s the closest translation I can think of. It’s not exactly…that, but if you want to be really mean, reh chése mas1 is what you’re looking for.” Maybe it was the delirium and dehydration, but Nephele didn't seem to care that she was essentially showing her fiancé how to swear in Greek. She even tilted her head to the side, contemplative, before nodding to herself. “Yes, it should be that. It's funny, I've never said that before… sounds awful.”
Nephele had to think, to which her mind protested. As much as she really could use a drink right now, she unfortunately didn't have what is known colloquially as “self-control” when she was drunk. In the mental state she was in right now, that may as well have been a death sentence.
“In all honesty, I really want to forget that I exist for a little bit, but I don't think that would go well for either of us.” Nephele lifted a hand to gently grab the wing wrapped around her body, running her finger down the length of it, and holding the end of the wing like she were holding C'Leena's hand as it draped down her body. She presses an appreciative kiss to the feathers, then lets go. “I wouldn't want to leave you to get drunk without me after all.”
“That's probably why the headache is so much worse than it usually is.” Nephele laughed to herself, wincing when her headache decided to punch her in the back of the eye. Alright, hate this. “Skata, okay, let's see how we feel towards the end of the night, for now I should change and we should go eat. I’ll figure out this monstrosity later.” She added, gesturing to the getup. “And by ‘we should go eat’, I very much mean we. I won't have you withering away, not on my account.”
Nora looked up at the sky, the sun still about an hour or so away from setting. They still had some daylight, though what they would do with it was not what they were initially planning. That was fine though, she was hungry and C'Leena wasn't going anywhere without food. That was fine by her.
Translation notes 1chése mas/reh chése mas = slang for "fuck off" (reh makes it ruder)
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 22:40:18 GMT -5
C'Leena takes a moment to test the two phrases out quietly to herself, trying to get the pronunciation just right. Once she thinks she has it (It's close enough), she grins in an almost sinister way before addressing Nephele. "Dal, you might be a bad influence on me." She says.
"Here, how about this: We go back, get some food 'n water in you cause you bloody well need it, give it an hour or two and if you're feeling better, then we can go 'n get sloshed, yeah?" She proposes. It's fair enough in her eyes, at least. When Nephele runs her hand along her wing, C'Leena can't suppress a shiver that ripples from her wing and throughout her body. "Oh fuck me dead, I'm not used to that," She says before laughing to herself. It's not a ticklish response per-se, simply an unexpected feeling she was not prepared for whatsoever. God forbid Nephele finds another place that C'Leena is ticklish - it might just spell the end for her.
Having said all that, C'Leena stands up and stretches. She is about to offer a hand to Nephele to stand up before a small chunk of rubble directly under her foot breaks off the roof, causing C'Leena to stumble and nearly fall off the roof, only saved by her wings very aggressively flapping and fighting to keep her balance. As this happens, the scare that it gives C'Leena is more than enough for her to go Full AustralianTM and start hurling every known curse under the sun in a borderline incomprehensibly strong accent.
"AH, YOU MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT GOD FUCKING SHIT DICK FUCKING DOG PIECE OF-" This goes on for about 10 more seconds as C'Leena comes down from the sudden surge of adrenaline. Having far less blood than a normal person, those adrenaline spikes are quite a bit more dense, which means they hit even harder. Taking a deep breath, she then starts acting as if nothing happened, C'Leena offers Nephele the hand she planned to present a moment ago. "Ready to get going?" She asks with a rather painted on smile.
Once Nephele takes her hand, C'Leena scoops her up and begins flying back to the Inn. This time around, she's careful not to go too quickly to avoid aggravating Nepheles mounting headache. The flight doesn't take too long and before they know it, C'Leena is landing in front of the Inn and practically running up the stairs to escape the noise of the tavern. Once up in the room, C'Leena lays Nephele on the bed delicately before standing back up. She appears not to have noticed that her wings are still folded behind her. "Now, what would you like to eat? And yes, I will get myself something too, darling."
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Post by Nephele on Jun 1, 2023 23:12:39 GMT -5
“Don't get used to it, it's more fun catching you off guard.” Nephele said with a pained grin. She didn't even realize it until C’Leena had mentioned it, but she was starving. It was that kind of hunger where you were too shaky to really move, but Nephele could ignore it. “That sounds lovely actually.” She silently noted the sensitivity in the wings, raising a brow at C’Leena and emitting a soft “hm” sound. Noted.
However any mischief swiftly gets caught on the wind as soon as C’Leena nearly falls over. Nephele surges forward to steady her, but is abruptly stopped by the aggressive onslaught of cursing and shouting. In the few seconds that C'Leena absolutely loses her mind, cursing… the debris? The air? Jesus Christ, whoever that was? She really didn't know, but in that time, Nephele's now aimless hands suddenly clapped to her mouth, not even trying to conceal her laugh. It was high pitched and hysterical, a sound very rarely heard from Nephele.
“I-I’m so sorry! Wait, h-hang on—” Nephele took a moment to calm down, steadying her laughter into soft giggles as she tried to refocus on C’Leena. However, looking her in the eye was a mistake, and she fell back over the edge again, squeaking in her effort to stop the noise. Gods, someone definitely heard that, oh well. It took another 10 seconds for Nephele to stop cackling, but eventually she did. “Oh, you are adorable. I love you. I'm sorry, yes we should go.” Despite this apology, she didn't look even an ounce remorseful this time.
Once they were back at the inn, Nephele's headache was a little bit worse, but nothing she couldn't handle. Once she's laid down in the bed, she stretches her limbs and throws her arm over her forehead. The world was currently spinning, but that was probably due to whiplash.
“Mm, good,” she murmured with closed eyes, refusing to move from the position that she was now settled in. “Something hot would be lovely, see if they have milk tea. If not I'm fine with whatever is edible. Bring everything upstairs, I need to make sure you eat. I'll change in the time that you're gone…you might want to put those away though.” She gestured halfheartedly to her wings, dropping her arm to her face just a little too hard. “Owww…”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jun 1, 2023 23:48:25 GMT -5
Seeing Nephele laugh like she did, despite the days events was incredible. Even more so that it was that squeaking laugh that is somehow more rare than C'Leenas tinkling one. Despite Nephele laughing at her misfortune, she was alright with being the butt of the joke if it means Nephele laughs like this.
Back at the Inn and receiving Nephele's order, she turns toward the door just as she points out the wings still on her back. Looking over her shoulder, she can confirm that they are in fact still there. "Fucken whoops." She dismisses the wings with a thought and prepares to leave the room. "Something hot, milk tea or anything edible. Gotcha, Chilly. Be back soon." She says as she opens the door and leaves the room. C'Leena has no idea where she got the nickname 'Chilly' from, but apparently she thought of it and said it before she processed it. As the door closed, C'Leena paused on the opposite side of the door for a moment, cocking her head to the side. "Fucking Chilly? The hell did that come from?"
C'Leena is gone for about 10 minutes before returning, carrying 2 plates with 2 cups floating next to her as she walks in1. "Wild thing: They had Souvlaki on tonight. It was under a different name - fucken 'Pork Sticks' or something like that. But the ingredients and everything else just screams Souvlaki. I mean look at this. Sure it ain't exact, but this it's close enough to be under the same name, right?" C'Leena hands Nephele the plate and sits down at the desk herself as the cups set themselves on the desk as well, Nepheles cup still very much in reach, even on the bed. "And yes, they did have milk tea, so I got you that. Food just got done cooking so just be careful not to burn yourself, mkay?"
C'Leena had gotten herself the same thing, minus the milk tea to keep things simple. C'Leena just got herself normal black tea which she immediately sipped and promptly scalded the hell out of her tongue. Maintaining composure (ignoring her flinch), she casually puts the cup down and glares at it so hard that it wouldn't surprise anybody to find that the tea just cooled itself down from pressure of the death glare. Alas, the tea does not falter in it's resolve to cause pain and agony, and C'Leena is forced to admit defeat. She slumps back in her chair and sighs. "I think the gods hate me. They're plotting against me, Nephele. I'm simply too badass for them to keep around and they are subtly trying to destroy me." She says with absolutely no context.
Quickly finishing her minor brooding session, she quickly digs in, finding her assumptions on the food to be very similar to Souvlaki to be very correct. She's not complaining, though. The food is pretty damn good by her standards. Granted, those standards aren't overly high anymore, but she's still very pleased with how the food is.
1. Telekinesis
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