[align=center][div style="borderwidth; width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14pt;"]They tried to take me away, Kai.
Kai listens as Eury recounts something that could only be correlated with a trauma. How it'd been her siblings, but then there'd been someone else? There were so many apostasies, so many betrayals. It could have been Willow, or even Silas. Or worse— what if it had been Lilas? He remembers them to be good friends upon Lilas' arrival, something that faintly bothered Kai. He wouldn't put it past the stubborn, and fiery redhead to attempt to 'save' Eury. And even then, she'd refused.
Although Kai knew of her siblings' betrayal, he'd never taken the time to dwell on the reasons she'd stayed. To him, it was clear. They were corrupted, tempted by a world full of damnation and sin. Eury, on the other hand, could not be. She was guileless. Pure. Loyal. At some point, she was given another option to flee, and she didn't take it. Anyone who was truly dedicated to The Pastor would. but Kai can't help but wonder if anyone else were in his place, would she have been just as willing.
It was odd to Kai, really. How to her, exceptionalism and happy were antonymous. All his life, he'd related his exceptionalism to happiness. He could say being a follower of Abaddon was enough, but then he'd be lying. He liked having that passage that others did not, often loved that others adored him. That without it, he wouldn't be nearly as happy— or as happy as her presented himself to be. Without his place here, he was nothing. It made sense, though. Maybe he'd feel different if it weren't in his future, but it had been. Otherwise, it didn't make sense.
She continues, pointing out how Millie would be 'gone'. And then, in a mere three years, so would he. She speaks as if that's just it. As if she has nothing, no one to look forward to after that. And maybe that was true. Her words soak into his brain, his claw clenching in response. Briefly, it manages to ground him, bring him to a reality where he's just her friend rather than her prophet. He watches as she goes to comfort herself again, just as distressed as she'd been; almost as if he'd never spoken in the first place, and for once he's silent. He doesn't know what to say to make her feel better. It was the truth; Millie's was close and soon his would follow.
Kai thinks to hug her, before ultimately deciding against it.
Maybe seeing the pond would distract her. Kai is familiar with that pond, but he's never thought to starwatch there. "Yeah, let's go see the stars." He attempts to sound eager. Smiling, he lightly bumps his body into hers, before they make their way to the pond. The walk is quiet, Kai's own mind far too loud to hold conversation. It doesn't mean he's completely absent from her. In fact, he falls back to watch her sometimes, marvel at how her blonde hair is almost silver in the moonlight. She seems almost lost herself. And he wishes he couldn't guess what that meant.
As they approach the pond, Kai pulls himself from his thoughts for the time-being with a goal to distract the other in mind. He wanders ahead and tilts his head back, where sure enough, there was a sky full of stars to greet them. He's been many places since, and never had he seen stars like the ones here in Isaac. "It's beautiful." He says before looking at her. Sitting down, Kai draws his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around them. He proceeds to place his chin on his knees, his flickering up to the stars to watch them once more. "Y'know," he starts. [color=#800000]"I heard the stars were never like this back in the Old World. I feel bad for them."
Kai listens as Eury recounts something that could only be correlated with a trauma. How it'd been her siblings, but then there'd been someone else? There were so many apostasies, so many betrayals. It could have been Willow, or even Silas. Or worse— what if it had been Lilas? He remembers them to be good friends upon Lilas' arrival, something that faintly bothered Kai. He wouldn't put it past the stubborn, and fiery redhead to attempt to 'save' Eury. And even then, she'd refused.
Although Kai knew of her siblings' betrayal, he'd never taken the time to dwell on the reasons she'd stayed. To him, it was clear. They were corrupted, tempted by a world full of damnation and sin. Eury, on the other hand, could not be. She was guileless. Pure. Loyal. At some point, she was given another option to flee, and she didn't take it. Anyone who was truly dedicated to The Pastor would. but Kai can't help but wonder if anyone else were in his place, would she have been just as willing.
It was odd to Kai, really. How to her, exceptionalism and happy were antonymous. All his life, he'd related his exceptionalism to happiness. He could say being a follower of Abaddon was enough, but then he'd be lying. He liked having that passage that others did not, often loved that others adored him. That without it, he wouldn't be nearly as happy— or as happy as her presented himself to be. Without his place here, he was nothing. It made sense, though. Maybe he'd feel different if it weren't in his future, but it had been. Otherwise, it didn't make sense.
She continues, pointing out how Millie would be 'gone'. And then, in a mere three years, so would he. She speaks as if that's just it. As if she has nothing, no one to look forward to after that. And maybe that was true. Her words soak into his brain, his claw clenching in response. Briefly, it manages to ground him, bring him to a reality where he's just her friend rather than her prophet. He watches as she goes to comfort herself again, just as distressed as she'd been; almost as if he'd never spoken in the first place, and for once he's silent. He doesn't know what to say to make her feel better. It was the truth; Millie's was close and soon his would follow.
Kai thinks to hug her, before ultimately deciding against it.
Maybe seeing the pond would distract her. Kai is familiar with that pond, but he's never thought to starwatch there. "Yeah, let's go see the stars." He attempts to sound eager. Smiling, he lightly bumps his body into hers, before they make their way to the pond. The walk is quiet, Kai's own mind far too loud to hold conversation. It doesn't mean he's completely absent from her. In fact, he falls back to watch her sometimes, marvel at how her blonde hair is almost silver in the moonlight. She seems almost lost herself. And he wishes he couldn't guess what that meant.
As they approach the pond, Kai pulls himself from his thoughts for the time-being with a goal to distract the other in mind. He wanders ahead and tilts his head back, where sure enough, there was a sky full of stars to greet them. He's been many places since, and never had he seen stars like the ones here in Isaac. "It's beautiful." He says before looking at her. Sitting down, Kai draws his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around them. He proceeds to place his chin on his knees, his flickering up to the stars to watch them once more. "Y'know," he starts. [color=#800000]"I heard the stars were never like this back in the Old World. I feel bad for them."
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❝ When I was a child, I heard voices Some would sing and some would scream You soon find you have few choices I learned the voices died with me When I was a child, I'd sit for hours Staring into open flame Something in it had a power Could barely tear my eyes away❞
[div style="width: 427px; text-align: center; font-family: work sans, arial; font-size: 5.5pt; text-transform: uppercase; color: #282828; text-spacing: 2px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin-bottom: 2px;"]a bunch . of stuff . here . links & info .