[Rin is around the city! He's actually at the gardens right now, getting a few vegetables so he can make a meal. It's easy to pull him away from the work though, as he's just looking for something to do.]
[He definitely heard that other part, but he can guess that it's about the other two killers, and it's probably just her venting frustrations. So he smiles and holds up a hand in a wave.]
you rise early, along with the sun. you have breakfast with your little brother - he's the same height as you, even though he's only nine years old and you're eleven; that hardly seems fair, but since you don't share blood, you suppose you can't insist that you should have been taller - and head out to play with the other children who run amok in the dusty streets of lalivero (which is larger than it looks on this map, according to the game's narrative).
maybe you should be more dignified, for being the adopted daughter of the mayor of lalivero. but if the biological son of the mayor can run and play, why can't you? some of the adults whisper about the child of the gods run wild, and some look on fondly, content to see her at play with their children.
today, the game is hide and seek.
your brother is it. he goes to count at the obelisk at the center of town, and all the kids scatter, but you - you stand there frozen. it isn't the warm, familiar streets of your town that you see, although your eyes are wide open; instead, it's soldiers, clad in armor and carrying spears, marching through the sands of the suhalla desert, past venus lighthouse, along the road and on the bridge that crosses the river to lalivero in moonlight.
they're prepared to fight. they're prepared to kill. they will kill, if they need to - if anyone steps between them and their goal, they'll...
you swallow thickly, trembling from the sight of your adoptive mother's blood soaking into the streets.]
Sheba?
[your brother's voice. you blink.
he's there in front of you, away from the obelisk, staring up at you. there's no blood. no soldiers. his mouth moves with a question - why didn't you hide? - but you don't hear it over the music.
but you answer, your voice hoarse:]
Soldiers are coming from Angara.
[you know it's true, just as you know there's a path leading into venus lighthouse through the ruins to the north. you saw that, too.
your brother stares at you, uncomprehending -
and you run, all the way home, because they're not coming here for no reason. they're coming here for you. you shout your adoptive father's name as you burst into the house and explain what you've seen. if you warn them, can this be prevented?
you don't even know why they want you. faran has been in contact with some pompous lord from tolbi - babi, you think his name is - for months now, growing more and more irritated with each letter he receives - but nothing you've seen in his mind justifies a show of force like this. even if they could get past the impassable door in the ruins, they wouldn't stand a chance of getting to the top of venus lighthouse, so why...
faran listens to your explanation, gently plies you for details of the vision that you didn't think to pick out until he asked, and from the shape of the moon in your vision you both come to the conclusion that they'll be arriving that very night.
he tells you it will be fine. his wife swears they won't let them take you, and you shiver as you remember the sight of her blood on the ground.
...you can't let that happen.
that night you and your brother are told to remain in the room you share. the other children have likewise been kept indoors - faran and his wife, and the other men and women of the town, go out to meet them.
the soldiers' voices carry loud and clear in the night - clearly enough for you to hear them through the open window - despite the music.]
Bring us the Child of the Gods!
[they argue. you can hear the argument, too, and though it warms your heart to know they want to protect you, this isn't something you can let stand. these soldiers will use force, if they're provoked.
but maybe they won't be. maybe the warning will be enough for the adults to stay their tongues, to simply insist that there is no such child here.
...
it's not. every word that you hear is just like the one in your vision, and there's no sign of that changing. you can hear the commotion all too clearly. you're not sure if it's memory or not.
there's a tug at the back of your cloak. you realize that you're at your door, and your brother is asking where you're going.
...you shake him off, run out of your room, and leave the house. you run for the city gates.
one of the soldiers is just lifting his spear, his expression contorted with anger. faran's hand is on his wife's arm. his wife looks as though she's about to punch this soldier's lights out.
you dart between them.]
Stop!
[silence.
you can hear your heart pounding in your ears. you're here now, which is different from your vision. is it enough?
slowly, the soldier lowers his spear.]
I'm here. Leave these people be.
[there's a murmur behind you, but you can't make it out over the music. it makes your heart sink, though, and you stare the soldier down.
a moment later, he grabs your wrist. tightly. too tightly. he tugs you forward, and you snap at him - ]
I can walk on my own.
[he chuckles, and unceremoniously hauls you up over his shoulder. you let out a shout and pound on his back, but he barely even seems to notice.]
Lord Babi of Tolbi has cordially invited the Child of the Gods to Tolbi as his honored guest.
[you wonder, briefly, if calling down a bolt of lightning on him would hurt you, too; even more briefly, you wonder if it would be worth it.
...the soldiers leave lalivero, and the laliverans watch them go. you look back from your spot on the soldier's shoulder, and keep looking until the town and its people disappear from your sight.]
[The vision is barely over before Rin is reaching over to grab Sheba's hand suddenly, giving it a grounding squeeze.
It might be presumptuous of him, as they're only on friendly terms with each other right now. But he doesn't care. Going through something like that, and then having the memory ripped out to see once again, it's a lot. Rin knows, he's been overwhelmed during some of the other memories he's shared with others. And all he can think of is "this girl has been through a lot." A physical reassurance is okay, right?]
That- it's okay. You're okay.
[Is he saying that to reassure her? Or to reassure himself that she's okay? Maybe both? Who can tell.]
[it is a lot, and sheba is very tired of people seeing these things. she's younger than everyone here except rika, and she's aware that people tend to treat her a little more nicely because of it; she doesn't want pity to factor into it, too.
but it doesn't feel like pity when rin takes her hand. it just feels like concern, and she blinks rapidly as they come out of the memory.
if she closes her eyes, she can almost see it again, but -
this isn't lalivero or the road to tolbi. that night is years ago, in the past. it's over and done with already.]
I'm okay.
[she repeats it, then gives his hand a soft squeeze in return.]
They shouldn't have, but they did. ...but it's fine. It's over now.
[It's hard not to be protective of the ones younger and smaller than him. But Rin also knows that pity wouldn't be right here. Sheba is strong. She made a tough choice all on her own. What she needs is understanding, not pity.
With the squeezes given, Rin nods and pulls his hand away.]
Yeah. It's over now. And whatever that 'child of the gods' stuff was, it won't happen here.
...it's true, I haven't had visions since coming here. But... I wasn't called "Child of the Gods" just because of that. It's not really relevant to this place either, though. So... it's fine.
And you're right. No one has any reason to kidnap me here!
[they've
already been kidnapped to wherever this place is?]
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timeasmymeasure
Week 2, post-trial
Date: 2021-10-17 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 01:49 am (UTC)well, no, she's here to be alone. because she doesn't want anyone to see her yell in frustration and kick a rock.]
Ugh, what are we going to do about the other two...?!
[aura, in jupiter djinni form, spots rin first and flies up to press herself against her mouth and quiet sheba, whose eyes widen.]
...oh. Um.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 01:52 am (UTC)Hey! Didn't see you walk in. What's up?
[Yep, he's acting like he didn't hear a thing.]
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 02:05 am (UTC)rin just shot up several places on her list. she smiles and waves back.]
...I wanted some fresh air after all of that! It was a lot. [looking... at the vegetables...] What are you up to?
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 02:24 am (UTC)[He holds up a...root vegetable! It's purple and looks kinda weird.]
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 02:34 am (UTC)never seen a purple vegetable before.]
Um... what is that?
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 05:20 am (UTC)[...]
I can try it first to be sure.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 05:21 am (UTC)No, we can try it together.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 05:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 10:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 11:09 pm (UTC)Okay then. We could do it old-fashioned and roast it like a sweet potato. Though it's not fall here...oh well!
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 11:14 pm (UTC)[
hey maple what if i just hit you with a memshare right now]
no subject
Date: 2021-10-17 11:17 pm (UTC)1/2
Date: 2021-10-17 11:18 pm (UTC)huh, is that a memshare shard among the plants? funny, that.]
2/2
Date: 2021-10-17 11:19 pm (UTC)you rise early, along with the sun. you have breakfast with your little brother - he's the same height as you, even though he's only nine years old and you're eleven; that hardly seems fair, but since you don't share blood, you suppose you can't insist that you should have been taller - and head out to play with the other children who run amok in the dusty streets of lalivero (which is larger than it looks on this map, according to the game's narrative).
maybe you should be more dignified, for being the adopted daughter of the mayor of lalivero. but if the biological son of the mayor can run and play, why can't you? some of the adults whisper about the child of the gods run wild, and some look on fondly, content to see her at play with their children.
today, the game is hide and seek.
your brother is it. he goes to count at the obelisk at the center of town, and all the kids scatter, but you - you stand there frozen. it isn't the warm, familiar streets of your town that you see, although your eyes are wide open; instead, it's soldiers, clad in armor and carrying spears, marching through the sands of the suhalla desert, past venus lighthouse, along the road and on the bridge that crosses the river to lalivero in moonlight.
they're prepared to fight. they're prepared to kill. they will kill, if they need to - if anyone steps between them and their goal, they'll...
you swallow thickly, trembling from the sight of your adoptive mother's blood soaking into the streets.]
Sheba?
[your brother's voice. you blink.
he's there in front of you, away from the obelisk, staring up at you. there's no blood. no soldiers. his mouth moves with a question - why didn't you hide? - but you don't hear it over the music.
but you answer, your voice hoarse:]
Soldiers are coming from Angara.
[you know it's true, just as you know there's a path leading into venus lighthouse through the ruins to the north. you saw that, too.
your brother stares at you, uncomprehending -
and you run, all the way home, because they're not coming here for no reason. they're coming here for you. you shout your adoptive father's name as you burst into the house and explain what you've seen. if you warn them, can this be prevented?
you don't even know why they want you. faran has been in contact with some pompous lord from tolbi - babi, you think his name is - for months now, growing more and more irritated with each letter he receives - but nothing you've seen in his mind justifies a show of force like this. even if they could get past the impassable door in the ruins, they wouldn't stand a chance of getting to the top of venus lighthouse, so why...
faran listens to your explanation, gently plies you for details of the vision that you didn't think to pick out until he asked, and from the shape of the moon in your vision you both come to the conclusion that they'll be arriving that very night.
he tells you it will be fine. his wife swears they won't let them take you, and you shiver as you remember the sight of her blood on the ground.
...you can't let that happen.
that night you and your brother are told to remain in the room you share. the other children have likewise been kept indoors - faran and his wife, and the other men and women of the town, go out to meet them.
the soldiers' voices carry loud and clear in the night - clearly enough for you to hear them through the open window - despite the music.]
Bring us the Child of the Gods!
[they argue. you can hear the argument, too, and though it warms your heart to know they want to protect you, this isn't something you can let stand. these soldiers will use force, if they're provoked.
but maybe they won't be. maybe the warning will be enough for the adults to stay their tongues, to simply insist that there is no such child here.
...
it's not. every word that you hear is just like the one in your vision, and there's no sign of that changing. you can hear the commotion all too clearly. you're not sure if it's memory or not.
there's a tug at the back of your cloak. you realize that you're at your door, and your brother is asking where you're going.
...you shake him off, run out of your room, and leave the house. you run for the city gates.
one of the soldiers is just lifting his spear, his expression contorted with anger. faran's hand is on his wife's arm. his wife looks as though she's about to punch this soldier's lights out.
you dart between them.]
Stop!
[silence.
you can hear your heart pounding in your ears. you're here now, which is different from your vision. is it enough?
slowly, the soldier lowers his spear.]
I'm here. Leave these people be.
[there's a murmur behind you, but you can't make it out over the music. it makes your heart sink, though, and you stare the soldier down.
a moment later, he grabs your wrist. tightly. too tightly. he tugs you forward, and you snap at him - ]
I can walk on my own.
[he chuckles, and unceremoniously hauls you up over his shoulder. you let out a shout and pound on his back, but he barely even seems to notice.]
Lord Babi of Tolbi has cordially invited the Child of the Gods to Tolbi as his honored guest.
[you wonder, briefly, if calling down a bolt of lightning on him would hurt you, too; even more briefly, you wonder if it would be worth it.
...the soldiers leave lalivero, and the laliverans watch them go. you look back from your spot on the soldier's shoulder, and keep looking until the town and its people disappear from your sight.]
no subject
Date: 2021-10-18 12:29 am (UTC)It might be presumptuous of him, as they're only on friendly terms with each other right now. But he doesn't care. Going through something like that, and then having the memory ripped out to see once again, it's a lot. Rin knows, he's been overwhelmed during some of the other memories he's shared with others. And all he can think of is "this girl has been through a lot." A physical reassurance is okay, right?]
That- it's okay. You're okay.
[Is he saying that to reassure her? Or to reassure himself that she's okay? Maybe both? Who can tell.]
Those assholes shouldn't have done that.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-18 12:38 am (UTC)but it doesn't feel like pity when rin takes her hand. it just feels like concern, and she blinks rapidly as they come out of the memory.
if she closes her eyes, she can almost see it again, but -
this isn't lalivero or the road to tolbi. that night is years ago, in the past. it's over and done with already.]
I'm okay.
[she repeats it, then gives his hand a soft squeeze in return.]
They shouldn't have, but they did. ...but it's fine. It's over now.
no subject
Date: 2021-10-18 01:07 am (UTC)With the squeezes given, Rin nods and pulls his hand away.]
Yeah. It's over now. And whatever that 'child of the gods' stuff was, it won't happen here.
[He definitely didn't miss that part, nope.]
no subject
Date: 2021-10-18 01:10 am (UTC)[hmm.]
...it's true, I haven't had visions since coming here. But... I wasn't called "Child of the Gods" just because of that. It's not really relevant to this place either, though. So... it's fine.
And you're right. No one has any reason to kidnap me here!
[they've
already been kidnapped to wherever this place is?]
no subject
Date: 2021-10-18 01:13 am (UTC)Yeah! Like, they call me "the son of Satan" back home, but that doesn't matter here!
[Those two things are alike and not alike at the same time.]
Besides, there's a lot of good people here. If anyone tried to kidnap you they would stop it.
1/2
Date: 2021-10-18 01:14 am (UTC)what?]
2/2
From:1/2
From:2/2 CW: VIOLENCE, GORE, SUICIDE
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