Christina shrugs and chuckles.
"Don't tell Elix-Shire or Lucitius I said this, but they're pretty funny. Once you get past all that tough, macho 'men don't show emotion' bullshit." she says.
She smiles when Phalakros takes her hand.
(I blink twice, slowly Is. . . is Phalakros crushing on Christina? Because from what I can tell, he doesn't take a hand offered to him by basically a stranger.)
Phalakros looked at Christina in surprise. He had never considered Lucitius or Elix-Shire funny before. Lucitius was almost always solemn, while Elix-Shire was sentimental. Though… maybe he simply saw only one side of them. Phalakros hummed in thought.
“I have never thought of either of them like that. Yet, maybe Synthia has. I know not,”Phalakros commented with a shrug.
He noticed her smile and chuckled in embarrassment. He wasn’t used to this sort of attention at all.
Jonathan glanced up at the pair, listening. It brightened his mood a bit to see Christina smiling. It also confused him why he felt such a way.
(Um… I don’t know… It wasn’t intentional… Lmao! Phalakros more shies away from romance than anything, but he’s in one of his ‘bolder’ moods, so… yeah. Most likely, he probably trusts Christina enough to know that she won’t really hurt him, since she was acting motherly earlier. Or, alternatively, he’s associating her with Synthia, who is like a mother to him. And… Phalakros actually does secretly have a crush on Synthia)
Christina chuckles at Phalakros' surprise.
"Besides Synthia, I am probably one of the only people that knows either have a sense of humour." she replies.
Christina notices Jonathan's attitude change and turns back towards him, smiling a bit and waving daintily.
(I chuckle Huh. That's interesting and weird.)
Phalakros shrugged,”Possibly. I truly know not.”
He thought some more on it, vaguely remembering some humorous moments with Elix-Shire. They didn’t happen often, but he did like to keep everyone’s spirits up. So, it actually wasn’t very surprising that Elix-Shire would have a sense of humor. Lucitius was still a mystery though.
Jonathan noticed Christina’s smile and wave. He smiled back, then immediately turned away, confused and embarrassed by his actions. What was he doing? Why? He didn’t know, and it nagged at him. And, that was without mentioning the sudden rush of Chamomile that entered his nostrils and left Jonathan even more flustered.
Christina smiles. "If Lucitius still remembers me and doesn't hate me, I'll make sure you hear his humour. Promise."
Christina suppresses a laugh and turns back to Phalakros. "How much further to the gate again?"
(I blink Isn't Morpheus destroyed? I realize what might've happened What was left of Anastasios and Morpheus was adopted into the other tribes, weren't they?)
Phalakros glanced at her and smiled shyly.
“That would be interesting,”he said.
Phalakros then shrugged, unsure. He turned away, listening to the sound of the portal, but he couldn’t really tell distance.
Jonathan shook his head and softly sighed. After a moment to compose himself, he quickened his pace to join the pair.
“Only a few more minutes of walking. It isn’t very far from my neighborhood, obviously. I’ll show you the door when we get there,”Jonathan mentioned.
(Yes, both tribes are gone. And, no, the survivors became rogues)
Christina laughs softly and becomes silent until they reach the portal, occasionally looking over at Jonathan.
(So Elix-Shire and Lucitius wouldn't be too happy with Christina if they found out what she's done to their tribe, lol. And neither would anybody left over from Morpheus)
Phalakros had a small, amused smile, but it faded into a mostly calm expression when everything quieted. Though, the closer they got to the portal, the more it seemed like he was returning to his more jittery self. He gently retracted his hand from Christina and kept glancing around, as if double-checking that they weren’t being followed.
Jonathan noticed Phalakros’ behavior and patted the youth’s shoulder to soothe him. It seemed to relax Phalakros a bit, but he still looked around. Then, as they neared the building, Jonathan took the lead, finally realizing that Christina was looking at him.
Jonathan’s cheeks heated up, and he did his best to ignore her lingering scent. It bewildered him why he was acting in such a way, but he found it harder and harder to keep himself composed around Christina.
When they got to the building, Jonathan led them into the back alley, where a hooded individual waited. The guard eyed them suspiciously, but recognized Phalakros and let them pass.
Phalakros took the lead this time, and went into the basement of the building, then into a cave that had been built underneath the basement. There, a large chamber opened up, a massive pool of cyan blue water in the center. Two sides of the pool were walled by a giant statue of a sleeping green and blue lung dragon dipping his feet in the water. Phalakros smiled at the statue and approached it, clapping his hands to ‘wake’ it.
Jonathan stood to the side, near the entrance. He stared at the pool longingly, missing his sister and nephew, but he knew where he was meant to be, and it wasn’t in that pool.
After a moment, the statue shifted and its gemstone hide became flesh and scales. The dragon yawned, then inspected the trio with curious light blue eyes. He hummed happily at the sight of Phalakros.
“I wondered where thine gone, young Phalakros,”the dragon said, his speech rough and stilted.
Phalakros smiled back.
”I am alright, Elix-Shire. I got lost and appeared in midair. That is how I met these two. They helped me get here.”
The dragon nodded, then eyed the other two. His eyes narrowed in confusion.
“I only came here to help Phalakros. I know I am banished,”Jonathan commented.
Elix-Shire nodded, his gaze turning to Christina. He looked her up and down, studying her hard.
“You new here. Thine, you seem familiar,”Elix-Shire said.
(Pretty much, lol!)
(Ahkrethians technically can’t talk in their dragon form, but Elix-Shire had to learn how, so that’s why his speech is stilted)
Christina smiles playfully, a slightly violent air about her now as she beholds the statue.
"Long time no see, Elix-Shire. I'm honestly a little offended you don't remember me, though." she replies. "I'm Lucitius' first wife."
(Oof- that's fun. Like a Skyrim dragon, basically?)
All three Ahkrethians stared at Christina in shock. Elix-Shire eventually stood up and walked toward her, his long tail keeping constant contact with the water so that the portal remained open.
Elix-Shire bent down, sniffing and inspecting her. He then hummed.
“You not Synthia. Not Dylina. I not remember you,”Elix-Shire said, confused.
He sat down, continuing to study her. It was clear that he still recognized her, but couldn’t remember when.
Christina shrugs.
"At least, I'm the first wife of the entity Tharakrohelk, who now inhabits Lucitius' form." she sighs.
"As it stands, I was still married to Tharakrohelk when he merged with Lucitius. I had to take care of the two entities that were now becoming one, and ended up married to the new Guardian. But. . ." her gaze turns a little bitter.
"That ended long ago, along with the rest of my family. We, the kitsune, are forgotten."
(Basically, his verbal skills are not as good as they'd be if he still had a humanoid form.)
(Snickers slyly Generally, whenever I do a twist like that, I have an idea as to what I'm doing with possible reactions and such. Basically, I'll lay down the foundations and see what gets built from there.)
Elix-Shire grunted in surprise. His eyes slowly widened as Christina spoke.
“Thine War Thine Not Been. I remember Lucitius mention once. He not explain,”Elix-Shire said, breathing deeply to calm his shaken nerves.
Phalakros and Jonathan looked at the pair in confusion. Jonathan then stepped forward.
“Are you saying ‘The War That Should Not Have Been’? And, Lucitius said it?”Jonathan asked. Elix-Shire nodded.
“Why such a war?”
Elix-Shire turned more fully to Jonathan, confused by his sudden concern about the war. Jonathan sighed, looking at the dragon pleadingly.
“When Lucitius gone on task, I remember Aethon gathered other tribes, left, thine return with bloodied claws. None explained, thine Avitus and Lagg nearly warred Aethon after,”Elix-Shire explained.
Jonathan shook his head.
“Always Aethon…”
Jonathan brushed a hand through his hair, then bowed farewell to Phalakros and Elix-Shire and left the chamber. His scent reflected that he was more than a little distressed.
(Yeah, exactly that, lol. I’m sometimes shit at explaining things)
(Makes sense. I was just being very indecisive, lmao!)
Christina nods as Elix-Shire explains.
"Back when I still had hope for my family, I made history books." she whispered.
"But my children, my family, the kitsune, were dead already. My husband. . . he left me. I hated him, for a time. Only a century ago did I realize it was not his fault. He had thought me slain defending my home. I nearly was. I was beaten to an inch of my life. And sold. I never considered breaking free. I wondered at that sometimes. But my former husband set me free." she says, her voice clearer, louder.
"I hated - still hate - the Ahkrethians. But now I know who to hate among them, and it is none who are present now."
She sighs and closes her eyes, composing herself once more. Turning, she leans down in front of Phalakros, her face soft. She kisses his cheek, leaving a bright patch of scales where her lips touched.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, my child. I hope your condition is cured the next time we meet." she murmurs.
She rises and walks towards Elix-Shire.
"As for you, old friend. . . may the winds always be at your back, may your claws stay sharp, and may your will stay unfaltering." she utters in Ahkrethian.
With that, she turns and strides out of the cave, following after Jonathan.
(Shrugs casually I think that can apply to most writers.)
(Sneaky smile That's fine. As long as there's an idea, it can be made to work.)
Elix-Shire bowed his head sorrowfully, saddened by all the tragedy she’s experienced. He then straightened slightly, shaking his head.
“Lucitius has gentle heart, as you know. He cannot hurt family, it hurt him. All of thine explains why he never spoke of War. He mourned you,”Elix-Shire commented.
Phalakros chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the scales afterward. A few moments later, the scales turned into tiny feathers, then faded into the pale skin of his face. That confused Phalakros for a second, but he quickly decided not to dwell on it, to avoid freaking out. He smiled shyly at Christina, then hesitated.
“C… condition? Oh… I…”Phalakros trailed off timidly, then simply nodded in reply.
Elix-Shire hummed, intrigued by Christina’s fluency. He then nodded.
“May the skies be with you,”he said.
Elix-Shire then turned away as Christina left, his attention now focused on helping Phalakros.
Jonathan sat in an old chair in the basement, waiting and silently crying. He seemed calm, as if he’d been in a trance minutes ago, but he was still upset. He barely reacted when Christina appeared, being too lost in his thoughts to be all that aware of his surroundings.
(Lol, yeah, I can definitely see that)
(Exactly! Evil grin)
(Also, Phalakros is actually 6’7”, lol. He’s a midget to Ahkrethians, but still fairly tall)
Christina loses focus, her stange, musical accent now full. Her ancient regalia - a simple black, orange and red silk robe, a black sash around her waist, the hilt of a nikana peaking over her left shoulder - was just as enchanting and elegant as she was.
"Jonathan?" she calls softly, still fully in her then notices his tears.
"Oh. . ." she murmurs, walking up to Jonathan and pulling him to her, holding him. She barely gave her actions any thought.
"I understand your tears. They are for the lost, the spectres of those long dead, and the thought of a history condemned. You weep, because of my sorrows. But they have nought to do with you. Do not blame yourself for being incapable of stopping a war you couldn't even be a part of." she says soothingly. She didn't understand why she was saying this. Why she had told him about a war that was long over. Why she was comforting him.
(Oop- my bad, lol. I'll fix that.)
Jonathan lifted his head slightly when he heard his name, but his eyes never moved from the floor. He flinched when Christina grabbed him, startled by her actions. But, he didn’t reject her hug, and instead wrapped his arms around her, not registering that her clothing had changed.
He listened to her, breathing deeply in an attempt to compose himself. It only somewhat worked, which confused him. Usually, he had a considerable amount of self-control, but… it seemed that, just like how Christina brought out his rage, she also brought out his pain. Why? Why was he so emotional around her? He didn’t understand it whatsoever.
“‘Tis not simply that. The knowledge that Ahkrethian history is… incomplete, has… I… I cannot even describe it. ‘Tis… like everything is a lie now, yet I cannot tell if it truly is or not,”Jonathan said quietly, his voice shaking.
He sighed, shaking his head and nuzzling into her shoulder. For some reason, his actions reminded him of when Risithia would hug him. And, that only served to further confuse Jonathan’s thoughts regarding Christina.
(You’re good, lol)