thirteen [voice/action/just terrible]

[imatreenow]

[Mid-morning is drawing near, and the house is too quiet. Martel should have been awake already. Despite the uncertainty that has settled heavily between him and his sister, there are plenty of things Mithos does still know about her, and this is definitely out of the ordinary. Softly, he knocks at her door. No reply. With a knot of worry tightening in his stomach, he carefully pushes the door open to look inside and...

He's greeted by an empty room. No sister, none of her personal possessions. No sign that anyone had ever occupied this space. Only one conclusion sits at the end of this equation. Numbness overtakes his body and heart. Desperate, his mind fights against the truth; he runs for his journal and hastily, shakily, flips it open.]

[VOICE - filtered to Martel | filter VOIDED]

Martel? Martel! Where are--

[--He stops. The filter isn't working. She can't hear this. His journal falls from his hands and the feed ends. The chilling realization that she's gone pierces him as suddenly as the first time she was taken from him. Classic vertigo. He doesn't know how to breathe properly. He forgets how to stand on two feet and slowly crumples to the floor. He doesn't fall to pieces; that would imply that there's something left to break. Whatever remains is quickly grinding to dust. He lets it out, the pain that's rapidly smothering him from the inside. But no matter how much he diffuses, there's still more to take its place.]

[ACTION - AFTERNOON]

[He's scraped himself up off the floor (for now) and run out of tears (for now), and he needs someone to blame. Anyone. He doesn't care. The only truth of the world: Martel is gone, and he deserves compensation for his loss. Everyone owes him something, and he owes them retribution. Mithos prowls the village, looking for any and all opportunities to inflict some of his own pain on a scapegoat.

Later, when he's exhausted his body but his hurt and rage continue to burn, when he's hit the point where he can't feel any emptier, he reaches for the journal again. It's all he can think to do.]

[VOICE - filtered to Kaori| 100%]

...Can I come see you?

[ooc: For my own sake, chronologically the threads flow as follows: Frey, Nephry/Dist, Jeb, Silver, Grune/Dhaos, Kratos, Kaori.]

Comments

[Action]

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

[He quickly braces himself against the impact, but the explosive mana strikes his body, simultaneously raising up a spray of shrapnel from the ground and he’s forced to stagger back. There’s no time for recovery before Grune’s spell leaves its mark too. As darkness settles in around him, the manifestation of magic pierces through him and he cries out in pain. His legs give out and he collapses to his hands and knees. The previous skirmishes of the afternoon had already left him with an array of injuries, but now they’ve all been exacerbated and joined by a slew of fresh ones.]

[Action]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Mithos' cry of pain and subsequent collapse send a familiar rush of satisfaction through Dhaos, glad to see the older-yet-not half-elf suffering the consequences of his actions. He deserves all of it for attacking someone as harmless as Grune, and more.

Mithos isn't the only one affected by the departure of Martel. Though previously placated by Grune's visit, the shapeless anger at having his best chance to save Derris-Kharlan swiped from his fingers rears its head in a different form-- kneeling before Dhaos is the pathetic half-elven brother of the Lady Martel, one who would bring Derris-Kharlan to ruin long before he agreed to save it.]

You intended to turn all of Derris-Kharlan into a world of Lifeless Beings. Do you deny it?

[For all his anger, Dhaos knows the treachery and dishonesty of humans. This is your final chance.]

[Action]

[lostinmyway]

[...Unfortunately for Dhaos, this is where Grune once again approaches Mithos. She had only been intending to slow him down, not drive him to the ground.

There's real concern on her face as she says:] Oh, my, are you all right?

[Action]

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

[He ignores Grune to hone in on Dhaos’s sudden question -- what did that have to do with anything? Lifting his head , he jabs his blade into the ground to use for support as he pulls himself back up. No way he’s kneeling so pathetically before anyone. He gives a defiant glare. The seraph’s accusatory tone is only fanning his anger.]

I don’t deny it. It was to end discrimination – it was what Martel--! [No, no she didn’t want it, but it’s difficult to let go of that rhetoric. And now she's gone, and-- Salt in the wound. So many holes have been punched through him, he feels like there isn’t much left. Instead of finishing that sentence, he finishes pulling his sword from the ground. He really can’t fight anymore, but he’ll do his best to look the part.]

[Action]

[whatdeheckisdat]

...Half-elven wretch.

[With that worthless excuse, any worth Mithos might have had in Dhaos' eyes is abolished, any chance of forgiveness gone. No matter how great, Mithos' pain is no longer visible to him.]

If you so believe that such an end is the wish of Lady Martel, there is no hope for you. Begone.

[He raises his hand and light gathers at his palm as he begins to cast, as though Grune weren't there at all.]

[Action]

[lostinmyway]

[The conversation between Mithos and Dhaos goes clear over Grune's head, but the light appearing in Dhaos' hand catches her attention.

She turns away from Mithos and begins walking towards Dhaos instead.] It's all right, Dhaos. He won't hurt you anymore. We should take him to the clinic, so he can feel better.

[Action]

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

[Dhaos's words cut more sharply than Mithos will let on. 'No hope' -- he thinks he must have already realized that. It's what he's been drowning in (trying to fight against) for the past month. If even Martel didn't believe in him....?

But he isn't going to let that declaration just sit there untouched. He takes a step back, wincing in pain as the movement jars an injury the wrong way. Sword raised defensively even as Grune steps in between them, waiting for what will happen next.] You are not permitted to speak my sister's name! What gives you the right?

[Action]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos' mouth thins, and though the light stops swelling it remains present. His anger will not allow him to acknowledge Grune's words: perhaps Mithos was too injured to do any more, but Dhaos wanted to see more than just physical pain and this irrational anger. What he wants to see is already there, but already blind to Mithos' emotional turmoil Dhaos ignores Grune and presses on:]

I have defended the Giant Kharlan Tree and its spirit with life and limb for years, and it survives now because of my efforts. I will speak as I wish!

[Action]

[lostinmyway]

[Grune looks from Mithos to Dhaos. This isn't like Moses and Jay having fun with each other. Mithos and Dhaos don't look very happy at all. She needs to find a way to cheer them up, and to stop Dhaos from wanting to fight.]

Dhaos, let's help him, all right?

[And she reaches for his hand with the intent of bringing it down to his side.]

[Action] ....it's been a crazy week

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

Shut up, shut up, shut up! [You who were so close by Martel, in whatever state the germination of the Great Seed left her, for so long it isn't fair even if you had never exchanged words it isn't fair you don't deserve it why can't he be by his sister's side anymore?

He can't fight but he can't run away either. His desperate rage won't allow him to.]

[Action] I can sympathize!

[whatdeheckisdat]

Silence!

[Mithos doesn't deserve help. He's just like Reisen: another foolish half-elf so obsessed with himself and his own misfortune that he would cut the arm off a harmless child without the slightest compunction or regret, who could respond to reason with nothing more than raw rage.

Magic explodes from Dhaos' hand in no focused or recognizable form-- just a rush of force and light, lashing out in all directions.

Dhaos has already forgotten what initially caused this conflict in the first place.]

[Action] Hopefully it'll be over soon for the both of you?

[lostinmyway]

[Standing as close to Dhaos as Grune is, there isn't any way for her to avoid his attack completely.

A stray blast of magic sears her, knocking her off balance so that she tumbles to the ground. When she sits up, her hand rises to clutch at her shoulder. She doesn't cry out, but her breathing is hard.]

[Action] I....think...so.......sob

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

[The powerful blast knocks him backward and he's down on the ground again, sprawled out on his side. Some wounds have split open, leaking blood, and his entire body aches sharply. He needs to get up...he needs to get away, which his heart still won't concede with but his body demands it. Shakily, he tries to upright himself. Slowly, carefully...]

[Action] *hugs, provides yummy things*

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos immediately advances menacingly on the fallen half-elf, stopping only because Grune is blocking the way. Some part of him is horrified that he's hurt her, and the urge to hurt Mithos is gone-- satisfied for now-- but there is still only one thing on his mind.]

...I never want to see you again.

[His voice trembles with now suppressed fury.]

[Action]

[lostinmyway]

[With care, Grune is able to rise. Only once does she draw in a sudden, sharp breath, when she jolts her injury. Then, keeping her shoulder as still as possible, she moves to Mithos' side and holds out her hand.]

Here.

[Action]

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

[He swats Grune's hand away before gingerly climbing to his feet; once up, he begins to slowly back away from both of them. This defiant, seething glare is permanent, fixed on Dhaos.]

You won't have to concern yourself with that. I have no desire to cross paths with you either.

[Action]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos grabs Grune's hand and pulls her away; he's fairly sure even Mithos isn't foolish enough to attack again, but he doesn't want them anywhere near each other. Grune has repeatedly shown an inability to not offer her help, so it's up to Dhaos to keep her away from the angry half-elf.]

Then stay away from Grune, and I may ignore your existence.

[Action]

[lostinmyway]

[Grune can't help herself: the motion jars her injured shoulder and she gasps. She stifles it as best she can.]

[Action]

[imatreenow.livejournal.com]

[This is where he'd normally warn against coming anywhere near his sister, but....well. Instead, he'll give a dark look that unmistakably communicates go die in a fire, before sharply turning to hobble off. It's not even worth it anymore.]

[Action]

[whatdeheckisdat]

[Dhaos' eyes flick towards Grune in a brief moment of concern before he redirects his concentration into glaring at Mithos. Once the half-elf is a safe distance away, then he'll turn to Grune.

...He not only injured her, he's agitated the injury as well.]

...Come.

[He turns away, pulling Grune along behind him-- a little more gently this time.]

[Action] To the appointments post, to save Kath's inbox?

[lostinmyway]

All right. [Her voice isn't quite as strong as always, but she does her best to keep it level, and to keep up.

She hopes Mithos will be able to find someone to look after him and to cheer him up soon.]