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Post by Nephele on Jul 4, 2023 15:53:11 GMT -5
Everything Rose said was not news to Nephele in any way, nodding and humming along in agreement. The sledgehammer comment made her laugh a little, completely understanding and seeing exactly where she was sourcing that from. Goodness, she could almost imagine it. Hearing about her exploits in school and how she skipped several, several years was something that should have surprised her, but again Nephele had been almost completely inseparable from C’Leena for the past few months. This was unsurprising, and above all it gave her a swell of pride. Nephele had never gone to school, everything she learned what survival in the ways of the natural world. C’Leena was impressive, even if she didn't brag about it. Nephele would, if she were half as intelligent.
It was almost insane, how congruent their souls were. When Rose presented her with the reality that Nephele would do something just as chaotic for C’Leena’s sake, there was no room for denial because there was no point in it. Nephele said it before, and she's certain that she would say it a million times more: she would quite literally die for C’Leena. It's a strange thing to come to terms with, especially because she didn't really have to come to terms with it; it just became a fact. On more than one occasion she has jumped into fights when C’Leena appears to even be in an increment of trouble, one of the most recent events being when they were in Eclipse City and were almost mugged. She never climbed a building so fast in her life.
“…Soulmates are a concept that I had not 100% processed in its entirety until I met your sister.” She started slowly. “It is as you said, I’d dismantle and disrupt many a society for her happiness. What's very strange to me is that I don't feel like there was a moment in time where I realized just when I would do this, it just became a fact. Perhaps it was when we first met, or maybe sometime after that. It truly doesn't matter because it felt like my world completely revolved around her when I realized it. It surprised me. The fey have a tendency to have obsessive, addictive personalities, and I thought that would turn her away but it just hasn't… because as much as she's my soulmate, I'm hers.”
Nephele shook her head. “The world is strange. The worlds are strange. It's such a strange realization to realize just how vulnerable you are to the one you love the most.”
Nephele honestly didn't believe she was worthy of love before she met C’Leena, and some days she still didn't. The fey were fickle creatures at best, obsessive monsters at worst. They picked a fight with everything that threatened things that they found precious, and even swore to having natural enemies for that sake. Nephele had even developed a personal vendetta against fire, often clinging to C’Leena with the intent to protect and glare at a flame like it could blow it away. It was something deeply primal that she was growing to be less ashamed of, but it was a slow and arduous process. The only reason that she wasn't just as overbearing as C’Leena was sometimes because of that small voice in her head that reminded her just how she could be.
“Oftentimes I'm reminded that we never realize just how alone we are until you're in a room and no one acknowledges you.” Nephele stared off into the distance, the grave markers lacking detail and forming vaguely gravelike shapes.
“For me, I don't think that one realizes how alone they once were until they aren't anymore, until the world has finally stopped spinning against you. It makes me think about how much C’Leena loves and cares for you, and how you're the only true anchor to this place that she has. She has memories and a fondness for where she comes from, as most of us do, but the only thing she ever talks about when it comes to this place is you. And I love that she trusts me enough to tell me everything about you. It's a beautiful thing.”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jul 4, 2023 16:23:42 GMT -5
"Soulmates are a common belief on Earth, too. Although for the last couple decades, approaching a century, the whole idea of what a soulmate is has been discredited and muddled." Rose looks down, interlacing her fingers in her lap. "I told her about a year and a half, maybe two years before I died to do something for me. To find someone who really cares about her and loves her for who she is, flaws and all."
"I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't crying when she said she went above and beyond my request after she proposed. Things like that reaffirm my belief that soulmates are real. It's just that maybe, your soulmate isn't even in the world you inhabit. Only need a mad wizard to yank you to the land of 'Dungeons & Dragons'."
Rose smiles as Nephele keeps talking, the nymph arresting Roses attention completely. Rose agrees wholeheartedly with what Nephele is saying, nodding along with her words right up until Nephele turns the attention to her. Now, she's not unaware of the fact that C'Leena speaks highly of her, but despite that she's still caught off guard by the switch in attention.
She rubs the back of her neck, suddenly feeling awfully shy for some reason. "She.. exaggerates things.. sometimes." She says in a small voice. Not upset or anything but simply embarrassed. It's clear that Rose took a lot of habits from C'Leena, including her nervous or shy habits of rubbing the back of her neck.
"She knew what she was getting into when she started dating you. With all the stigma surrounding fey, you weren't going to be the only one in the publics crosshairs anymore, and she doesn't care if she's ostracized or whatever may happen, as long as it's with you. It doesn't surprise me that she trusts you wholeheartedly, and honestly she needs somebody to trust. I'm.. really glad it's you."
Rose stands up and stretches, groaning in the process. After, she turns to Nephele and smiles. "Anyway, Nephele. I've thoroughly loved this conversation, but I can't keep you here forever. Cece seems to be getting a bit antsy. Plus, she's still got a lot to show you. I'll be around, yeah? Won't be able to communicate, but it's safe to assume I'm listening in." She turns to walk away before pausing, realizing something.
"..By the way, marriage customs on earth are incredibly complex. One of the things is something called a 'Sibling-In-Law', which is the sibling of a spouse. So legally speaking, you're considered my sister-in-law, just like I am now yours! Thought you'd like to know that." Rose smiles widely, before stepping back. "See you around, Nephele. Love you to bits! Platonically! Cause you're my sis-yeah you get it." She turns heel and jogs down the row, her form vanishing into thin air, and Nephele is left alone in the cemetery.
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Post by Nephele on Jul 4, 2023 21:26:25 GMT -5
Nephele’s smile was soft, gracious as she listened to Rose with a little bit of an embarrassed laugh. She was shocked that Rose had asked C’Leena for such a thing, but it was beautiful nonetheless. She could swear she could feel goosebumps on her skin at the revelation. The idea of the two being so astronomically lucky that they managed to find each other in a completely different world spoke volumes. It was also simultaneously heartbreaking, knowing that some others would never know their soulmate because of the barrier.
Seeing Rose exhibit so many of C’Leena's shared traits was incredible, like looking into a warped mirror gifted by a trickster spirit. It was slightly uncanny, yet oddly soothing. “And I'm glad that you accept me, Rose. It truly is an honor to speak to you, you have no idea. Thank you for taking this time to sit with me.”
A small part of her wanted to cry again, but Nephele held it back. She instead stood up, watching the chair vanish for a moment before smiling at Rose again. Her eyes sparkled at the phrase “sister-in-law”, and with a gentle smile and a little laugh, Nephele bowed her head in utmost respect, a traditional greeting from her very limited time in the Crescent Isles. “I like that idea. I hope to see you around, Rose. Thank you, I'll take good care of her.” She kept her head bowed like that until Rose vanished into thin air, her footsteps fading and feeling her presence ebb away until nothing but a reminder was left behind.
Nephele stood up straight, staring down the row where she ran in complete silence. It was beautiful, that she was given such an opportunity. She felt bad about keeping a secret from her fiancé, but she was right; C’Leena would be distraught if she learned what she knew here. The cold sourceless wind began to pick up, in her hair, on her skin. She was only alone for five, maybe ten seconds before she felt it. An icy cold envelopment, an embrace from behind from a pair of whitish gray arms. It was brief, but it was there. And it sent a shiver down Nephele's spine.
She whirled around, seeing Callythia for only a short brief second before she vanished into mist. Nephele's breathing picked up slightly, but eventually she found it in her to stay calm. So she was still here, quiet, but here.
Shaking her head, Nephele looked around, the tears she tried to hold back actively falling from her eyes now. She didn't know why they started all of a sudden, but she decided she didn't care. She made her way back to C’Leena, hoping that she knew the way. Thankfully, the nymph didn't have to take much time before she found C’Leena again.
Her heart was lighter than it was, choosing to ignore who she had seen before she came back as she focused on the positive. Nephele approached C’Leena, hands folded in front of her, and without warning she brought her into a hug. It was silent, the tears on her face still streaming down but there was barely any indication unless you looked at her face. It was times like these that she wished her body was warm.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jul 5, 2023 6:25:45 GMT -5
Like Rose said, C'Leena was getting antsy. Not because she's worried, but because she is horrible at sitting still and just waiting. But she managed it. She was sat on the hood of her car, resting a heel on the bumper and having the other leg tucked under her chin, tapping her fingers to the music playing from inside the car. It's an old Queen song, 'We Will Rock You'. Despite being released in 1977, a little over 200 years ago on earth, the band has remained in the public eye and has had a new genre centered around them: 'Classical Rock'.
During her time waiting for Nephele, she's been at war with herself. She wants to see Rose again, memory or not but she knows it will just end up hurting her. She's on the road to recovery and getting over her sisters death, and she feels like seeing her again will undo what little progress she's made. So, despite every fiber of her being wanting to go running toward her fiancé and sister, she continues to sit and wait, opting to instead draw.
In the time it took for her to get to the car and draw and when Nephele arrived, C'Leena was able to draw a pretty solid landscape of the cemetery, and get about halfway done with a new profile of Nephele. She knows that these drawing aren't real and won't carry over to her actual notebook with countless of these drawings, but it's more the act of drawing that she was looking for.
The drawing of Nephele that C'Leena is creating is a rendition of the many times she has seen Nephele meditate with her eyes open and all the nebulae that appear in her eyes. C'Leena wouldn't consider herself an artist, but she will admit that she is at least somewhat good at realism. She still needs to work on shading and perspective, but mostly everything else is what she'd consider passable, but is actually pretty solid work. Again, not perfect, but definitely better than what she's admitting.
Out from above the notebook, C'Leena spots Nephele making her way toward C'Leena, and something immediately feels off. The way she's walking, the slight hang of her head, the hands in front of her.. Thankfully, her eyesight is actually good in the dreamscape and she can just see the specific glisten of tears streaking down her face. Shit, what happened, Rose?
Immediately, C'Leena sets down her book, forgetting to close it and moves to Nephele. Before she can even ask what happened, Nephele wraps her up in a tight embrace, which is returned without hesitation. Not that C'Leena knows what's going through her mind, but perhaps the warmth of her own body heat can help her. On top of this, C'Leena makes a change to herself, and in the silence between them, a soft ticking from C'Leena can be heard again - a ticking that wasn't there before. C'Leena knows (or at least hopes) that Nephele finds the ticking soothing, so perhaps this too can help her.
C'Leena cradles Nepheles head with a hand, idly running her fingers through her hair as she allows Nephele to cry for whatever reason. She'll speak if she wants to, but Nephele isn't about to pry if it's something bad. She hopes not, but she isn't privy to the goings on between Nephele and Rose. The only thing C’Leena does is lightly rock them back and forth and simply be a soothing presence for her.
C’Leena is glad that she gave Nephele the chance to ‘meet’ Rose - to meet her Sister-In-Law. Damn, she really forgot to tell her that? God she’s not a very good fiance, now is she? Pushing that thought out of her mind, she simply opts to stand there and soothe Nephele until she’s ready to speak or pull away. With little else to go off of, it’s the least she can do.
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Post by Nephele on Jul 5, 2023 10:57:05 GMT -5
Nephele was hanging onto C’Leena, but it was less of a vice grip and more of a comforting hold, like she was truly trying to empathize with her fiancé by holding her close. Rose did a number on her, and she would truly cherish the memories she shared with her, as well as her words of encouragement. This entire experience was overwhelming, but not to the point that she disliked it. She wondered if she felt like this when being first brought to Charon.
The nymph had to hold onto C’Leena for a few extra seconds, her hold tightening as she heard the telltale tick of her fiancé’s clockwork heart. She smiled, sighing as she allowed her own heartbeat to relax.
“Your sister was…really sweet.” Nephele mumbled in a happy, but somehow mournful state, as if she had begun mourning her as well. In a way she was; it was no secret that almost anything could make Nephele cry. Hell, C’Leena could probably recall a time where she had begun to fully sob her eyes out for reasons that were deemed really, really stupid by others. Still, she couldn’t help herself, her heart hurt for losing someone so kind so early. Nephele couldn’t even imagine.
She eventually pulled back, sniffling and wiping her tears away with a sad smile. She then rose on tiptoe to kiss her fiancé, slow and gentle before pulling away. “You two are so much alike, it was jarring. The way you both talk, your habits. Though, it seems like her accent is a bit thicker than yours now that we’ve been together so often.” She managed a gentle jest, staring into C’Leena’s gray eyes.
“We talked for a bit about you, and she acted almost exactly like you. I wish I had the chance to learn and know her.” Nephele was careful with her words, trying her hardest to not tip off what she knew about Rose while in such a fragile state. This was already made difficult because she didn’t know how well the spell would replicate some of the conversation she had with her.
“She’s…she would be proud of you.” Nephele amended as smooth as she could, sniffling. “Thank you for letting me meet her.”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jul 5, 2023 14:12:32 GMT -5
C'Leena never once took her hands off of Nephele, even after she pulled away, her hands remained on her shoulders. C'Leena smiled as Nephele spoke happily about Rose. She's incredibly happy that C'Leena managed to sell her sister well enough to her prior to them meeting.
She chuckled as Nephele compared the siblings. It's awfully accurate, and C'Leena nods in agreement as she wipes away tears from Nepheles cheeks, finally with warm hands. "My accent? I'll have to trust you on that - I have never heard my own accent if that makes sense. I suppose it makes sense." She shrugs. "We were always similar in a lot of ways. We were described as 'twins in everything except looks'. It was an apt description."
C'Leena nodded as Nephele spoke, not picking up on her stumble. "I uh.. I hope so. She really would have loved you." C'Leenas smile widened slightly as she said that, believing it wholeheartedly. "I'm glad I've given you this chance to meet her."
"I still have a lot more to show you. If you're done here, lets hop back in the car." She plants a kiss on Nephele's forehead before letting go of her and turning around, closing the notebook and walking back into the car once Nephele is ready to leave.
Getting settled back into the seat and looking at the cemetery one last time, she turns the ignition, puts the car into reverse and drives away once Nephele is settled in the seat herself. The radio is playing a rather beautiful song called 'Hopelessly', and as the piano in the song plays, C'Leena fully takes her hands off the wheel during a straight part of the drive and mimics the keys played. She's always loved this artists songs, despite them being very old and the artist long passed away.
The drive takes a while as C'Leena exits the city limits and drives some distance out. The infrastructure and buildings become more and more rare as time goes on until eventually they're out in the grasslands. What would normally be an uncomfortable climate to those not used to Australia is now a rather comfortable temperature. The feeling is strange for C'Leena, but it's nothing she can't deal with. She's only going out here to get away from the light pollution and be able to see the sky easily. By this time, the sun is slowly setting over the horizon, and at some point, C'Leena has to switch on the headlights to continue driving.
During the drive, many songs play, and C'Leena and Nephele talk about whatever comes to mind, ranging from random hypothetical scenarios to C'Leena explaining gravity. She doesn't even know how that particular subject came to be, but she does remember insulting the flat earth community so many times that she ran out of names to call them.
Eventually, she stops the car, and after a moment of ensuring that everything is off and not going to drain the battery (mainly out of habit), she exits the car and sits on the hood. Around them is a rather flat terrain with few trees but a beautifully clear sky. Millions of stars are visible, as well as a number of strange things that C'Leena is far too used to.
Firstly is a line of about 8 'stars' moving across the sky, too slow to be a shooting star. C'Leena would recognize these as satellites and doesn't pay much mind to them. The second thing is what can only be a manmade creation up in space. A stupidly large space station about the size of Washington DC. It didn't start out that big, mind you, as NASA sent up expansions frequently, which helped it grow to the massive thing it is today.
Neither of these things are what C'Leena is here to show Nephele, however. That can come later. "While I haven't seen what I'm about to show you in person, I have seen recordings of it. I hope that this actually works the way I want it to.." C'Leena gestures to the sky, saying "Abracadabra!" And after a moment, the sky began glowing brilliant greens and blues - The Aurora Australis. The temptation to explain why this is happening bubbles up inside C'Leena, but she holds off, letting the 'magic' play it's course in Nepheles mind.
There is a certain awe in seeing it in person, and C'Leena is just as entranced as Nephele is, but her attention moves from the aurora to Nephele, watching the light dance across her features. Nephele seems almost ethereal under the auroras lights, and C'Leena couldn't tear her eyes away. Nephele truly was absolutely stunning.
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Post by Nephele on Jul 6, 2023 11:08:15 GMT -5
The drive was a lot less stressful than the first, Nephele slowly growing used to the car ride. She listened to C’Leena rant and even quietly agreed with her, trying not to laugh the more she got annoyed. At some point she started toying with the switch for the window, alternating between flipping it up and down to sticking her head out the window to watch the world pass by, wondering why Charon didn't have these.
When they arrived, Nephele followed C’Leena out of the car, climbing onto the hood with her. She didn’t weigh much of anything, but there was a part of her that was anxious about there being too much weight on the hood. Still, she stifled that fear, too busy staring around. Everything in this area was so vastly different, like night and day. It was beautiful, one of her favorite spots C’Leena had ever taken her. She had thousands of questions, her eyes drawn to the constructs in the sky and the massive expanse of the stars above. It was strange, as she had never been here before, but she recognized a few constellations. Most of them were foreign, but that didn’t matter to Nephele. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen this many stars, the closest she ever got was when she climbed the old church in Eclipse City or a tall tree.
She was speechless.
Nephele was even more shocked when C’Leena says a strange jumble of words and lights begin to shimmer and glow, greens and blues shooting into the sky. Her eyes went impossibly wide, gasping as she tried to process what she was seeing. She was unable to speak, just watching as she seems to lean in to see better. It was nothing short of magical, and yet…it wasn’t. Nephele couldn’t tear her eyes away, entirely enraptured.
It’s several moments before Nephele can say anything, a series of thoughts and strange happenstances occurring all at once. Her lips parted and she grinned, laughing a little bit, as her form begins to shift a bit. It went from her past form to her current, her hair growing and her nails lengthening, a few scars littering her body. And yet she looked so happy, the lights reflecting on her eyes as she watched.
Nephele then looked at C’Leena, her eyes sparkling with something raw, pure fascination and love. She looked less put together in this form, wilder, freer. “This…and this isn’t magic?” She asked, laughing a little, looking back at the sky again for only a split second, doing the smallest doubletake once she realized C’Leena was already staring at her.
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jul 6, 2023 12:07:27 GMT -5
The changes Nephele undergoes takes C’Leena by surprise, but only for a moment. Once the shock passes, C’Leena finds a way to find her even more stunning. The awe apparent on Nepheles face, the smile and wide eyes, and once Nephele turns to look at her, the look of a lighter weight on her shoulders and the feeling of being who you want to be and doing what you want to do is clear.
“No magic.” C’Leena confirms, not once tearing her eyes away from her fiance. “The sun produces what is called ‘Solar Wind’, and that wind hits the atmosphere just right and causes this. It can seem magical, but it’s all natural.” She opts to keep the explanation brief, not wanting to take too much away from the beauty and wonder of such a phenomena.
C’Leena takes advantage of the double take that Nephele does, very quickly ducking in to give her a surprise kiss upon her second take. C’Leena scooches next to Nephele and wraps an arm around her, only now looking back up to watch the aurora. Things like this make C’Leena believe that use of this spell might be more frequent in the future, and she’s not at all against it. Spending nights like this is its own type of magic that C’Leena never wants to get used to.
C’Leena rests her head on Nepheles shoulder, shifting herself to be able to hold Nepheles hand as the light show plays out above them. After a couple of minutes, the lights fade away, revealing the stars drowned out behind the aurora. “They usually last far longer - about half an hour being roughly the average, but I think the spell is coming to an end soon.” She pauses and thinks for a moment. “Let's do this more often, yeah? I really enjoyed this. Hell, next time you can take the reins and show me cool shit you know about if you want to. Completely up to you.”
Truthfully, not only is the spell not exactly suited for casts this long, but she is getting rather tired and doesn’t exactly want to find out what happens when someone falls asleep in a dreamscape. Something about getting trapped between realities, she thinks Cyran said. Probably something she should have remembered, but she cannot for the life of her. She did take notes but that doesn’t exactly occur to her to check.
It’s clear that C’Leena is getting tired. It’s possible that this is both due to general exertion from her activities today as well as keeping up this cast for so long, but whatever the reason may be, the slowing of her speech and slightly sluggish movement is proof enough that it is perhaps time to call this first trip a success.
She will only stop the spell once Nephele confirms that she’s ready to leave, operating on her timetable despite her exhaustion. She does sleepily mumble “I love you” after a few moments of silence. Yeah, she’s definitely going to be out cold minutes after the spell is done.
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Post by Nephele on Jul 6, 2023 14:04:01 GMT -5
Nephele didn’t want anything more than to stay there with C’Leena for hours, listening to her explain the science behind anything and everything about her world, staring at the light show that displayed across the sky. Her eyes were split between staring at the sky and staring at C’Leena, eventually arresting the majority of her attention to her fiancé after she kissed her unexpectedly. She leaned into C’Leena as well, holding her hand and relishing in the warmth of her palm. Nephele didn’t care how warm C’Leena was, as long as it was her. She was so beyond happy at this point, grateful for the time to be able to see all of this with C’Leena.
“How beautiful…a world without magic is still just as wonderful.” Nephele smiled, the stars in her eyes twinkling in tandem with the stars and the numerous constellations. Even when the lights disappeared, Nephele was still watching the sky, letting C’Leena shift her weight onto her.
Nephele smiled at the idea of showing C’Leena somewhere in this space, malleable and fueled by memory. She thought of what she’d show her, perhaps the Land of Wonder, where she grew up? Strangely, the idea made her giddy for next time. For now though, Nephele pressed a kiss to C’Leena’s forehead, feeling her sleepiness in how she slouched into her body. “I’d love that. Maybe some day soon I’ll show you where I grew up…for now I think this is enough. You’re falling asleep.”
She hugged C’Leena into her side, pressing another kiss to her temple. “I love you, too, more than anything. Thank you for showing me everything…this was better than anything I’ve ever imagined. You can drop the spell whenever you’re ready, dearest.”
Nephele stared up at the sky again, remembering everything she’d seen and witnessed. She was very certain that some of those strange songs would be in her head for weeks. Her and Rose’s conversation was still replaying in her head, remembering her words with a smile:
“I told her about a year and a half, maybe two years before I died to do something for me. To find someone who really cares about her and loves her for who she is, flaws and all.”
To think, that that person was Nephele, of all people. It was incredible that this was her life at this point. Tired but blissfully happy, Nephele let out a deep sigh, feeling herself relax.
She thought she saw something in the distance. A tall, shrouded figure wearing a long black dress, barely noticeable among the perfect landscape, hair billowing in the wind that had begun to slowly pick up in the distance, out of place if you squinted to try and see her. But Nephele wasn’t afraid of it, or perhaps she was just too happy to care, and she ran a protective, cold hand down her fiancé’s back, closing her eyes. “I’m ready if you are...”
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Post by C'Leena Thomas on Jul 6, 2023 14:47:51 GMT -5
C'Leena didn't notice the figure in the distance, more focused on the here and now - if you could even describe her state as anywhere near focused. The cold hand down her back did the opposite of what it would normally do to somebody unused to someone with a low body temperature. The expected outcome of being shocked awake by the sudden cold down your spine instead instilled a sense of comfort and warmth that threatened to lull C'Leena into sleep right then and there.
The only warning she gave was a soft hum as the world began to fade out, the grasslands morphing into nothing until only darkness surrounded them. And with a surge of effort, C'Leena opened her eyes back in the real world. Her prosthetics back, gently holding the hands of Nephele, unable to once again feel the cold of her hands. A pulse of sadness rippled through her at this revelation, but she pushed it down and away.
C'Leena gave the blue hands in her own a gentle squeeze, beyond thankful that they're already on the bed as she's fairly sure she might pass out just as she is now. Despite wanting nothing more than to curl up with Nephele and fall asleep, she adjusts her seating to the edge of the bed and begins her nightly ritual of removing her prosthetics. Some nights she forgets to remove them, but not tonight.
The sun outside has long since set it appears, the night sky out in it's glory just outside the window. C'Leena partially undresses in order to remove her legs (Even after all this time, that feels really weird to say) and once she is nothing but a torso, head and a singular arm, she lets herself fall backwards onto the bed. It's a bit of a goofy sight, and for once, a sight she is more than happy to let someone else see.
With a groan of effort, she moves herself to actually be resting on a pillow, and she feels like she just pat next to her, but her missing arm says otherwise. Phantom limb, even now continues to mess with her. It's such a curious medical phenomenon that C'Leena still doesn't fully understand outside of 'the brain doesn't grasp that there is no more limb there'. Upon realizing that her pat pat wasn't seen, she instead opts to raise her single remaining arm and do a grabby hand. "C'meree," she very tiredly whines.
"Gimme your war-no, you're not warm. Gimme your collldd." At least she has the mental capacity to correct herself, but not much else. Her eyes are closed, barely holding onto the threads of consciousness, and all she wants at this time is to feel the cold embrace of her fiancé. Then she will finally be in heaven.
Unseen by C'Leena, an almost perfectly clear form of Rose sitting on the tavern desk, watching the scene play out, all with an amused smile on her face. She looks over to Nephele and her smile turns friendly as she mouths "I'll be around." Then fades from sight. Left behind is a singular rose petal, the only thing proving that without a doubt, she really was here, watching over the both of them.
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Post by Nephele on Jul 6, 2023 23:53:33 GMT -5
The spell dropped, and does everything slowly faded away into where they were at the current time, Nephele opened her eyes. It was dark out now, meeting C’Leena’s eyes in the dim lighting and smiling softly as her eyes returned to their original color. Feeling her squeeze her hands, cold now, didn't deter Nephele in the slightest, bringing them to her lips to kiss. It didn't matter how much C’Leena changed physically, she was still the same woman that she loved.
She parted from C’Leena so she could take off her prosthetics, and Nephele stretched and changed into C’Leena's hoodie, as she had called it. It was decidedly much more comfortable then the bodice she had on, and by the time she turned around C’Leena had taken her prosthetics off. She wriggled herself under the covers while Nephele watched a little, giggling softly under her breath as her heart swelled with love for her fiancé. She giggled even more when she beckoned her over, sleepy and adorable. It wasn't rare that she saw C’Leena in this form, what with her chronic insomnia. But it was precious every time, and Nephele approached, dragging her feet a bit.
“I'm coming, I'm coming…” She smiled, climbing into the bed and immediately wrapping her body around C’Leena’s. It was like as soon as her body touched the bed, everything caught up to her at once; her exhaustion, the memories, and the woman she loved in her arms. Nephele got even closer, pressing a languid kiss to C’Leena’s lips as she too barely managed to stay above the surface of consciousness.
“Go to sleep, Cee…and thank you again. G’night…” Nephele yawned, pulling the majority of the covers over C’Leena and massaging her scalp with her fingers. As her eyes began to slip shut, she catches Rose, and a small smile inches its way onto her face as she sees what she leaves behind. The smile turned sad, but she shuts her eyes anyway, allowing herself to be lulled to sleep with the sound of C’Leena’s even breathing and her beautiful clockwork heart.
Long after they had fallen asleep, the covers are pulled over Nephele’s shoulders, leaving the both of them to be warm in the morning. A gust of wind, and then silence as the couple lay there, soft, even breaths escaping the both of them as they held on to each other, cold and artificial hearts beating in tandem. Soulmates.
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